Game Face

Tonight the girls were winding up their sillies as we finished reading a chapter in Little House. I warned them that they better get to bed quickly before Daddy got back. (He was on a Sonic run--he had a coupon for a free Rt 44 and likes their diet dr peppers with rasberry). Somehow they got on the idea that Daddy doesn't spank, at least they couldn't remember a time when he did. I couldn't either, we don't have to use that often, but I was sure he had done it. When he got home he took a quick shower and I was in the bath when he walked by, "Are the girls having a slumber party in Je's room?"
"No, are they both in there?" I could then hear the giggling over the attic fan when I stopped to listen.
I mentioned to him the girls earlier conversation, but said I didn't think he needed to do it just as a kind of funny incident.

He said, "So I need to get my game face on? Cause I'm not feeling it"

I nearly bust a gut, it was pretty funny when he said that. He went in to calm down the chaos. Je started out of control laughing. The kind kids do to get away with noise but still have a plausible "can't help it" quality. She got a swat which seemed to quickly settle her down. I heard a second girl get her swat (which is good since sometimes the second child distracts her father...just ask my sister about the time she got out of it). I checked on the girls after I got out of the bath and they were both much subdued. I bet they'll sleep now and not giggle.

Just my life

Over the last several months I have been doing a lot of things rather than blog. Not all of them important or meaningful. If you've seen me in the last few weeks or really ever this is not news so feel free to skip this one. Really that is probably all of you

I painted about half of my home: halls/stairways, family room, kitchen, breakfast area, and dining room

I organized my storage room, cleaned out several cabinets, closets etc and took a huge load to Goodwill

I helped with a couple of rental house cleanups

I went on a couple field trips and supervised a couple class parties

I directed the Christmas program at church and put together the scenery and costumes (sounds harder than it was)

I rearranged some furniture

I did regular housekeeping

I cleaned the garage

I re-read the Outlander Series (all 6 books and 6500 pages)

I watched Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip and Sports Night on DVD

I refinished my kitchen table top and put it back in the kitchen, moving the old dining room table out and now it is waiting for my sister to claim it

I deep cleaned my refridgerator and organized the pantry

I cooked

I finished Beth Moore's Stepping Up (on the Psalms of Ascent)

(BTW--I just began Esther, and I really like it so far)

Kept my usual committments at work, home, school, and church

Started wrestling season (Doesn't that say it all)

Worked on Je's math, spelling and reading

Worked on the committee to determine new elementary school boundries next year and learned we get to/have to go there (depends on the day how we feel--mostly it sounds great)

Had Christmas

Had the plague (I coughed my way from Thanksgiving to Christmas, got a head cold which moved to my chest and kept the cough alive, got what must have been strep, especially since a two weeks later, Shan went to the Dr with the same symptoms and it was strep)

Nursed kids and husband through assorted illnesses

That is pretty much it. I said it wasn't necessarily meaningful, It was just my life.

I'm not dead

This is for Hillary whose comment showed concern that I haven't posted for a few months. Things are good here, we're just trucking along with life. As usual, our days are filled with school, church, housework and other commitments. We were notified just before Christmas that we will be attending the brand new elementary school next year. I served on the committee to determine the boundaries and that was very interesting. We drive by the new school each day and take note of the progress they are making. Jo told me last week that it looks like they are doing a very good job building it, and she is glad since she will get to go to such an attractive school. (I am not paraphrasing folks) She also learned to tie her shoes last week. She decided it was time so she asked her sister to teach her. Such a proud parenting moment. Of course it was quickly dispelled by the bickering that followed the peaceful interlude of sisterly cooperation. Je has recently discovered the fun that learning can be. She willingly practices her spelling words and math facts. We had our annual Christmas program at church and she memorized her lines all by herself. I made a comment that we needed to work on them and she started saying them to me. Reading is so cool. The play went well even if she had to dash off in the middle to be sick. She had a little bug, but she made it to the restroom so the carpet was spared. Since I was directing the play, my mom ran to deal with Je and any mess, so I was spared as well. Thanks MOM!

I've been thinking about posts for a while, mentally composing them in my head but lacked initiative to sit and type one out. I meant to return after the first of the year so here I am. Now that sounds like I planned a specific break, which I didn't but after a couple weeks it was nice to have a break so I just didn't worry about the blog.

I laughed yesterday when I received Hillary's comment via email. I guess someone at least noticed my absence. M sister didn't even mention it over Christmas. Thanks for the chuckle Hillary!

Quiet

I've learned today that I need some quiet. Before you all start laughing hysterically, hear me out. I picked Jo up from school at 11:30. At 1:05 my head tried to explode. Why you ask? There hasn't been a quiet second since. I had to run an errand after picking her up and she talked about the errand, the car, the lack of Jeep, the friends we say on our way. At the store she asked about the movie playing in the bookstore, the books she saw, the coloring sheet they gave her...Now we are home and she has asked about what I will have for lunch, what time her sister will be home, is it early release day, why does she have to nap, when am I goig to eat, the microwave is beeping, five little pumpkins and finally she is talking about the Muffin Man. Wait, she discovered that Cookie Monster is teaching letters on her placemat and that is taking her off on a new tangent of made up verse. Ya'll thought I talked a lot? I am really becoming the quiet one. If she wants to know why she naps at age 5. It isn't always because she needs a rest, but Mama's ears NEED a break! Seriously!

My mother is probably muttering something about kids and payback for my own past behavior. Okay I really get that. EEKS!

Happy Birthday to My Household

Birthday extravaganza week is in full swing here. Shan's birthday is done, except his parents are coming. My birthday is here, but...when Mama's birthday is wedged in the middle it is less relevant. We are now gearing up for Je's birthday. She will be 7 on Saturday. This is a party year* so we are planning a "Red Carpet Movie Party". It was my sister's idea. We are going to get the projector and show the movie big on the wall, have popcorn etc. I haven't figured out a cake yet, but...that is the conundrum. To add to my woes in September, last week the sewer stopped draining so we had to have the plumber out to snake the drain. Not a huge deal, until, he found that there is a potential problem. So last week we were afraid we were going to have to dig up the sewer and fix it...for $3000. He came back this week and it may still have to be fixed at some point but right now it seems to be working and we can plan how to fix it rather than an emergency. So much better. I may never be a problem again so we may be okay. Then on Friday, we found that the oven doesn't work. Electricty isn't getting to the bottom element in the oven to tell it to heat. So I can't bake anything. We tried replacing the element, and it didn't fix the problem so we traced it to the computer board that runs the clock etc. We called the repairman, and it takes 5-10 days to get the part. So now cake baked in our oven this week. And the dinner I was going to fix easily for company this weekend? New plan. I will bake lasagna's at church and bring them home to serve. Fortunately, church is close. I am glad that October finally arrived. I'm hoping it will bring some relief. On the bright side, I got a beautiful new wallet from my mom for my birthday to replace the one taken when my purse was stolen. Checks, credit cards, drivers liscense, dress doll magnets, and other purse items have been secured and now I am just waiting for the purse I want to appear on ebay or buy it from the website for twice as much. The ebay seller I purchased the original from, is planning a trip to the factory this month so I will see what he finds. If he gets something close, I am in business. If not, I found it on a website that sells it for half the facotry price, but twice the ebay price. Not a bad deal, but you know I am cheap. I am feeling more optimistic all the time. Especially since I have a coffee/hot cocoa date with my BF today!

*If you care, we allow the kids to have a party every other year for their birthdays and alternate so they don't have parties the same year, since their birthdays are only 6 weeks apart.



For Ne-Ne

Get over it

I have been feeling a bit worn down. I had to deal with some unpleasantness with the PTO and our big fundraiser. It was a difficult situation to navigate and a lot of rumors and lies were circulated about PTO. The people left among the scorched earth have been terrific at picking up the pieces left from the chaos and we are moving on to a great fundraiser.

Then last week, I forgot to grab my purse when I was at church for the ice cream social. Some creep broke the window and stole it. So I have been having a great time trying to put my stuff back together, cancel credit cards, get a new liscense, a window repaired, etc.


Instead of feeling harrassed about the trials of this month, I am going to focus on the things that are blessings. I survived the PTO issue. Our PTO is stronger and more committed than before.

Yes, I lost a purse I really liked and 10 bucks cash. The cards were all cancelled before much damage could be done. Our window was 100% covered by insurance.

So I am going to get over it, and move on.

God will tell you what you need to hear

Update post meeting: The situation resolved itself as the leadership decided to resign. God allowed the best possible outcome for our conflict.

My first official act as PTO president was to call an emergency meeting of the executive board/pancake breakfast committee. There has been great upheaval and harsh words from some on the committee to others that needs to be addressed in a very very permanent fashion. We have come to the conclusion that some changes in leadership of the fundraiser need to take place. We have 25 days until the fundraiser so this can't wait until a regular meeting. I have been on the phone and email all weekend discussing this and working through the details of this special meeting. Tonight, I sat down with my Bible and opened to a couple passages. I was expecting this but still amazed at how God speaks to me. I thought I would be directed to appropriate passages and as I was looking up old favorites I turned to the most recent memory work passage for JE. She was to learn Psalm 121 this month. (side note: she earned a big deal prize for this: her very own Bible!) It is a comforting Psalm:

Psalm 121
A song of ascents.
I lift up my eyes to the hills—
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
The LORD watches over you—
the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
The LORD will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;
the LORD will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.(NIV)

Then I went to an old favorite from my teens Isaiah 41:10

So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

and I was totally blown away by verse 11-14

"All who rage against you
will surely be ashamed and disgraced;
those who oppose you
will be as nothing and perish.
Though you search for your enemies,
you will not find them.
Those who wage war against you
will be as nothing at all.
For I am the LORD, your God,
who takes hold of your right hand
and says to you, Do not fear;
I will help you.
Do not be afraid, O worm Jacob,
O little Israel,
for I myself will help you," declares the LORD,
your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.

I am amazed that God knows what I need to hear. I do feel as if I have an enemy in this situation and I am not alone in this. It is a minority in power against the majority in labor. I also was comforted to be reminded that this is a little thing in the overall scheme of things, but that God cares about us in the little things. So while this may seem major league, it isn't, and God is going to help me through even this little bump in the road. Praise the Lord!

In First Grade Already?

Je mentioned that she needed to bring candy for a boy in her school or he was going to give her a "paperclip shot".
Screech!
What did you say?...
No, you do not have to bring him candy, nor should you.

As we asked a few questions it turned out that this boy intended to bring a paperclip from home and use the end to poke her in the bottom. Thus the "shot". She seemed a little scared but sure that she had to give in. We all tried to explain that she didn't have to, no one can make you do this. By this morning she seemed to get it. I got a little more information out of her, and it seems that the incident happened on the bus. So I walked across the street to tell the bus driver that this had happened. She immediately knew the little boy in question, another first grader. She promised to take care of it. I had already emailed Je's teacher and she responded quickly that she would look into the situation. By noon, Je had talked to the counselor as had the little boy and the email said that his parents would be notified. I don't know the family or even their last name so I wonder how that will go. The bus driver told me when she dropped Je off that she and the principal had spoken to the little boy and that should encourage him not to repeat his threat. I was impressed by how seriously they take this at Je's school. They jumped right on to the problem and responded to my communication quickly. It is problematic that this little boy is only in first grade and already doing this. After school, Je told me that she knew of another little girl who'd been told to bring him candy or else. So far no one did, but this morning, Je was picking out some candy from her stash of parade candy. I made her put it back.
We've all been bullied at one time or another. I worry about it especially with Je because she is so tenderhearted, and reserved. She doesn't always stand up for herself. Jo probably will stand up for herself and tell the bully to leave her alone. Je hopefully will learn to do the same. She heard the same message from her parents, Nana, her teachers, the counselor and bus driver. Maybe it will sink in if she hears it from several directions.

Remember this, or this? We finally got rid of them a month or so ago. It was nice to have the living room looking like a living room again. The girls didn't seem to mind having the boxes go, at first. A week or so after they were gone they started bugging us for the tents my sister gave them for Christmas a few years ago. (Thanks, Min!) I held them off through vacation and their visit to grandmas but today, they wore me down.





And in case you missed the first day of school and were interested.... Every morning Je and Jo go stand on this rock in our yard. They call it the watching rock since they use it to watch for the bus. There goes any chance I had to get it out of my yard...

The Perils of Caller ID

I have a new pet peeve. People who use their caller id as an answering machine. They look through the list of calls, and then call unfamiliar numbers to find out who the people are. I just got a call from a gentleman who demanded to know who I was. I answered the phone, "Hello?" His response was, "Who is this?" No hello, my name is and I was wondering... etc. Really people. If I call someone, and don't reach them, I leave a message. If I don't leave a message, I will try again, or it wasn't that important. If someone calls my cell phone in error, I certainly am not going to use my minutes to find out that it was a wrong number. If it isn't important enough to leave a message, then it must be not worth me finding out who they are. I am tired of getting calls from people who want to know who called them. Get a machine people. If I need to speak with you, I will leave a message. Caller id, is not as good as an answering machine. Trust me on this. You may now return to your regularly scheduled activities. Rant over.

Stiches

I've learned that whenever the least convenient time for an emergency room visit, that is when you will need to make one. Today, I chaperoned Je's class trip to the Outdoor Ed center. We hiked the trail, listened to birds, looked at coyote scat, saw a Canada goose. We studied creature eyes Eyes up front they like to hunt, eyes on the side, they like to hide. We studied the apple, from seed to sauce, and sampled homemade applesauce. It was a busy day. As I was leaving school to go change for tutoring, I called my mom to let her know that Je would come home on the bus. She was at the immediate care clinic with Jo who had fallen at my friend Ellen's and cut her knee open. She needed 4 stitches. I met Mom and Jo at Mom's house after they were done, so Jo could have Hippo. Y'all know how crucial Hippo is. Jo seemed fine, so I went on to tutoring. I was thanking God that I had remembered to give Ellen my mom's cell number this morning, since Mom wasn't home and I wasn't near a car. I also was thanking God for friends at the Doctor's who could vouch for Mom's relationship with my child, so Jo could get treated without a lot of fuss. Thank you Dr. B.

School Days

I've learned that sometimes my husband has a clue. Intellectually speaking, I knew May is a busy month for many people. End-of-school-year activities and all that. I vaguely remember being a little busier when I was teaching in May. Now, that I am a parent of a school kid, I am dazed. It is a lot of stuff. Really. Field trips, programs, volunteer appreciation days, teacher appreciation days, and Field Day, not to be confused with Field trips. Jo has the end of preschool picnic on the same day as Je Field Day. I was really stressed trying to figure out how to be at both activities. The picnic is for parents to come, and the Field Day needs parent volunteers to help. My husband, (not usually this logical) suggested that I go to field day a little late, after I drop Jo off at preschool, and then, sneak out a little early, to go picnic. Seriously. How simple is that. I cannot believe I was so stressed when it is an easy solution. I emailed the coordinator for Field Day and told her my plan. She said no problem, she was just glad to have the help for part of the day. Now if every scheduling conflict could be this easy. May looks hectic already.

Odds and Ends

Well finally the end is in site. This weekend is the state wrestling tournament in Wichita. Again this year the in-laws are meeting me there so I get a nice break and a mini vacation in a hotel. The down side? It is in Wichita. They are bringing my niece and nephew with them for the weekend so even more babysitters since the kids are 12 and 9.

Je has had an ear infection this week. We went to the doctor for an ear infection in January, and thought it cleared up. Thursday morning she woke up in pain. I don't mess with ears so as soon as the doctor's office opened at 8 I called to get her in. Fortunately we could see the doctor at 11 so that wasn't so long to wait. Je was already out of school for parent teacher conferences so that was easy. The doctor gave her a stronger antibiotic and hopefully that will help.

Our first pastoral candidate came earlier this month. I thoroughly enjoyed getting better acquainted with them. We had them to lunch and their kids are about the same ages as ours so they really hit it off.

We have had more than our fair share of snow this winter. We've just gotten slammed. I love it. Snow is my friend. If I could convince my whole family, I would move to somewhere that gets snow in feet rather than inches.

I haven't been real productive lately. The winter blahs, I guess. Or it could be that wrestling season is SOOOOOOOOOO LOOOOONG! But it is almost over!


Of course, Shan is taking a class right now so he will still be very busy. And it's time to gear up for VBS!

Mother of the Year Committee? Call me.

Oh yeah I absolutely deserve this. I had both girls crying at the same time. I am soooo good at this. NOT. After a daddyless day I snapped. It doesn't help that they are tired and were naughty. Maybe mama needs a nap. I would like to blame it on being alone with them all day, but my mother spent the day with us. We went to the mall. I am so glad I didn't need to buy anything, cause it was crazy out there. More incentive to start shopping early, like January. Seriously.

A New Road

I've had to learn to take a new route to Bible Study this fall. A few weeks ago as we were driving down a certain street in town, my four year old asks me, "Mama, when are we going to that owl place?" I racked my brain to think about what she could mean. I don't know any owl places, and I couldn't see any that seemed to fit that description at the intersection. So I asked her to show me. Ya'll, she pointed to the H**ter's restaurant that opened in the past year or so. Seriously. How do you answer that one folks? I am sure the food is fine, and I doubt it is the den of iniquity that it is portrayed as being, but still. I told her that we weren't going to go there. And of course she wanted to know why. I stuttered and stumbled to come up with a good reason that would make sense to her. I think I said it wasn't a kid place. I didn't think any more about it until the next time we were going by there on our way to Red Robin, one of their favorite places to eat. She asked again. Shan was with us and he didn't have a better answer for that than I. This went on a couple more times as we went places. That intersection is on the way to the east bound interstate and softball games, etc. I no longer drive down that street if I can help it, at least with the kids. I am finding new roads.

It Works, It Really Works!

I had a happy happy joy joy moment today. You remember the dryer saga. When we last left our heroine, she was calling an electrician to get the dryer back up and running, since the dryer repairman said it isn't the dryer. Wednesday morning, a friend who is handy with this stuff came to look at the problem to see if he could come up with it. He was also stumped. He thought it was the dryer. Since we'd eliminated that, I needed a professional. Our friend gave me a name. I left a message on the electrician's cell phone, expecting to get a call that evening when he was done working for the day. He called back in five minutes, ya'll. He was nearby and wanted to come right over. Are you kidding me? I don't really need to go to the grocery store right now, it can wait. He came, and within 15 minutes had the problem diagnosed and the dryer running. Hallelujah! He discovered some weaknesses in the wiring that, after twenty years of exposure, were compromised. He fixed my problem, found a couple of loose wires in the breaker box and fixed those as well. When we were finishing up, he noticed a broken piece in the plug in for the dryer, so decided to replace it. He had to order that part, since it isn't standard anymore, and it didn't come until today. So when he came out about noon today to put it on, I asked him to see if he could look into a mystery for me. When we moved into this house almost 7 years ago, we had a switch in the living room that didn't seem to do anything. We couldn't find what it was supposed to do. We thought it should work one of the outlets, so you could put a lamp on a switch, but none seemed connected. He predicted immediately what the problem was, and spent about 10 minutes looking for the culprit in an outlet. Of course it was the last one in the room, but he corrected the original electrician's mistake, and now, the switch works two outlets, as it was intended to. I want to go back to the original owners of the home (who teach with Shan, and had me in class in high school) and ask them why they didn't get the electrician to come back and fix it when they first moved in. They had the house built, and my electrician said that the switch is put in usually however the owner requests, and it isn't in the typical outlet so they probably picked it. hello! If I spent big bucks to build a house, and do it how I want, I sure am going to make sure that my money is spent to get it right. It took longer to find the right outlet than it did to fix it. The electrician had forgotten to break out a tab that separated the top outlet from the bottom and allowed the switch to control it. Took him all of a minute to get it apart and back together correctly. So happy happy joy joy! The switch works, and I know what it does! Yippee!

A Riddle for You

Four and a half hours, two cords, a motor, a 220 plug in and two repairmen later.

The dryer still won't work. Folks it isn't the dryer. It's my house. They loaded up the dryer, drove over to an appliance store they have a service contract with and plugged it in there. Works great. So somehow, the electricty system in my house is broken. But only enough to impact the dryer, the oven and the AC both run on 220 and they are still working. I burned part of supper the other night, and baked cookies for Saturday's moving lunch. I have the AC on today and it works fine. It cost me $129 and they didn't fix my problem. Boy they sure tried though. So my riddle is:


How many appliance repairmen does it take to fix a seven year old dryer?

We are Settling in

Well, we've been in school for two weeks. I think we are getting the hang of it. I am getting up, dressed, bed made, lunch made, breakfast served (x2), and one child on the bus by 8:30 in the morning. A new record for me. And y'all, I even have my shoes on. Gasp! I know it's amazin'! Before school started, it was a good day if I made it out of the bed before 8:30. The joys of stay at home motherdom. My kids slept in, I slept in, it was a win win situation. Now on the days we had Bible Study it wasn't too hard to get out the door by 8:30 or so, but we usually stopped for the essential donut on the way. Back to the shoe issue. I only wear shoes when absolutely necessary. Like really hot pavement, actual street pavement, or going out in public. Even in the winter, I wear socks around the house, not shoes, unless I have to go outside to get the mail or paper and it's wet or snowy, if it is just cold but dry, slippers or socks. So, I have to think each morning to remember to put shoes on before I step outside to get the paper, and wait for the bus. Je will not cross the street to get on the bus by herself. I have to hold her hand until she climbs on the bus. Seriously! She tells me she will do it when she is six. I hate to break it to her, but that is sooner than she thinks. She gets off the bus, and crosses the street by herself in the afternoon. The bus driver is great and they are so careful with the kids, I know she would be fine if she would let me wait in the driveway. It's just that I have to find shoes to cross the street. You never know when you will encounter glass or other icky stuff on the road. We will see how she does on Thursday, when a friend puts her on the bus. I have to make a run to the airport, and need to leave before Je gets on the bus. So we have asked a friend from church to come and stay with her till the bus picks her up. Miss C is a favorite of the girls, and they love having her come, so maybe Je will do better with her than me. She is a retired 2nd grade teacher, so that should help.

It Never Fails

I've learned that just when you give up looking for something, and go replace it, the original shows up. I found batteries on sale earlier this summer. They were the Energizer double A's with the racers from the Cars movie. I had coupons so I stocked up on the most used batteries in my house. This week I have been looking high and low for them. I have a couple places I keep batteries for easy access and both drawers were double A free. Finally I broke down and bought some more yesterday for the remote control. Today, when getting down the cupcake tree to use at Jo's birthday lunch, I notice three packages of batteries tucked on a shelf. I am pretty sure I looked in that cabinet, but I didn't get a chair. I know Shan looked in that cabinet. He didn't see them either. It never fails.

Back to the Grindstone

Is anyone else finding it difficult to get back to a routine? While this is the first year I have sent my baby off to school each day, I am well acquainted with the school routine. I taught for several years before the girls were born and my husband teaches still. So each August, we have the back to school reintroduction to routine. When summer heat hits, Shan all but forbids me to cook. (I am not joking) He works in the heat all day and when he comes home, the last thing he wants is hot food, so we eat a lot of sandwiches and takeout. When I do cook, I cook large amounts to be had for leftovers, the microwave not heating up the house the way the stove does. So now that he is back at school, he is ready for more regular meals. No problem. I just have to figure out what to cook. The new element this year is bedtime. I have pretty much put the kids to bed whenever it felt right, based on how early they got up, what kind of nap they took, how active they were that day, and how they are behaving. So anytime between 7 and 9. Now Je has to get up in the morning, and is very busy during the day, with no nap. All day kindergarten sucks. So that means she needs to be in bed no later than 8 with 7:30 being better. So that means a bath at 7 p.m. and supper before that. I am pretty much not in a groove to start supper preparation before 6. If I do, its a red-letter day. Part of that is our general inclination is to eat later and part of that is because during wrestling season, Shan doesn't even get home until 6:30 at the earliest and usually its closer to 7. So I need a new routine don't I? I fear it will take a few weeks to get this routine ingrained. It's hard when school starts in August, and it feels like there are still a couple weeks of summer. I never feel like the real school year starts until after Labor Day. The weeks before are just practice. So much doesn't get started until then, Bible Study, Jo's preschool, cooler weather, etc.

Last night at church I was busy visiting away and realized that it was 8 o'clock. On a school night. It never really mattered before, if the girls were up late, they just slept in the next day, and had longer nap. I will have to learn how to think in terms of school nights.