I would have to assume that the “normal” number of Christmas celebrations to go to is 3. One with the immediate family, one with the father’s side, and one with the mother’s side. Right? We grew up having one or two because we lived so far from Mom and Dad’s family. Anyone want to guess how many my step-children went to? Drum roll please………..seven. Count ‘em, 7. Seven, 7, siete (spell check please). Here we go.
1. Mom’s house with step-father, Matt.
2. Matt’s parents’s side
3. Matt’s grandma’s
4. Mom’s side
5. Harry’s side
6. My side
7. Our house
Now, our family did garage sale Christmas gifts, so there is a ton of stuff in these boxes. Our little Darin is going to be 5 this week, and was very concerned with when we were opening presents at all 3 places we brought him. This got tiring. He even had the nerve to say “Elmo’s stupid” after opening one of his presents with Elmo on the front. I would have NEVER had the nerve to say that! How do you help children realize they need to be thankful, or just leave it at “thank you” if you don’t like something?
Today we wrote out thank you notes to all the people we know that got them presents for Christmas, including Santa. This didn’t go so well – I guess they’ve never written a thank you note before??? So I tell Darin that he can keep anything that he remembers to thank someone for. Which means, if he doesn’t remember that Santa brought Play-Doh, he might not be able to keep it. Get the picture? I know – 7 places to get gifts – there’s no way he’d remember all that. But it was more of a “suggestion” or “make a point” thing. His went something like this. “Dear Wendy, thank you for the racecar helmet. That’s all I remember.” That box was filled with stuff! And “Thank you for all the stuff I got. I’m trying to remember……” Then he says “Is it my birthday yet?” because that means he gets to open the other two. But he doesn’t even remember what’s in them after they’re opened! So we talked about what Christmas is really about last night. And do you know the first couple of answers he gave me? "Umm, opening presents? Santa?" Then Olivia piped in and told him, which I was very grateful for. We tried to explain to him the real reason for Christmas, and why haven't we given more gifts than we've received? And that some kids don't have anything. No parents, no toys, no hugs and kisses. Then he comes back with, "So, I still don't have enough toys." I could have SCREAMED! They have a whole downstairs full of toys they haven't played with in months! I held it in very well, though. Harry and I looked at each other, like, "ahh, what do you say to that???"
Blogging friends, we are a little torn at what to do. We know their primary place to live is a very matierialistic (is that a word?) environment, so how could we have more of an influence on them? We talked about boxing up every single toy that they own and putting them in the garage – but then what? How does he earn them back? And Olivia is good about being thankful, so we don’t want to make her be inconvenienced by her brother. I think I’ll even bring back what I bought for his birthday this week and buy diapers for Tiffany, ‘cause that’s what we need. He can just get a big ol’ birthday cake. How’s that?
Tell me someone else has run into this!!!
Wednesday, December 28, 2005
Monday, December 19, 2005
Glasses
My step-daughter got glasses today. She is officially farsighted. Ahh, those were the days….the huge frames that touched your cheeks when you smiled…..4 eyes. I’m sure the people without glasses will not quite understand this blog, but maybe it will give you an appreciation for good eyes. So here it is – all about glasses. Contacts are another blog.
The big frames I had when I was little made me slightly resemble a grasshopper. If I didn’t completely feel like wearing them, I wouldn’t. And I still would be able to read large print and make out shapes of things. After a while, I would wake up in the morning and not be able to see the clock in my room. And I’m all about sleeping in, so this was a major setback for me. I would have to do more than just a mere glance at the clock now. Now I would either have to get out of bed and look at the clock, then get tucked back in thinking “ahh, just another 7 minutes to lay here”, which didn’t really appeal to me. Or I could keep my glasses next to my bed, and put them on right when I started to wake up and fall asleep with them on my face. So that’s what I did. Actually, I still do that.
Then came the day I could get contacts (after years of asking for them), must have been the product of a tax refund? I loved my contacts. I was immediately hooked. Then people thought I got them colored, because one of my eyes was green, and one was brown. Well, then I had to slide them off of my eyes and show them that I’m naturally a freak…or a cat, it’s not something I chose to do. It is so funny to watch people in the midst of realizing this! There was still a problem with that “waking up” ordeal. So I decided I would just accidentally fall asleep with them in my eyes, and wake up and BE ABLE TO SEE! It was great! Then a few years later, my eye doctor said that I had significant eye damage because I had slept with them in on numerous (um, actually every night) occasions. So back to glasses we were. By this time, my eyes are pretty bad. I can’t make out facial expressions on people or read a letter unless it was 5 inches from my face. Stuck with glasses. Bye, my beautiful contacts. Hello, …..ahh, let me make a list of this instead of a paragraph. (Just talked to my dad, and he gave me some of these. Funny man, he is! As a side note, I’m trying to convince him to blog.)
*Winter time. It’s a trap with “glasses” people. Every time you walk indoors from being outside, you suddenly feel like you’re in the middle of a big thick cloud. Fog.
*Baking. Open the oven to take the food out – more fog.
*Waking up, like I said…this is still a problem for me!! I even have an oversized number alarm!
*Okay, my big one is – the shower! Now, no contacts. Glasses. You can’t wear glasses in the shower (although I have a few times)! How do you expect me to shave in the shower when I can hardly make out the shape of my legs?! And hot baths just aren’t relaxing if you still feel like you’re somewhat “dressed”. That’s the point of a hot bath, isn’t it? I’m not a huge fan of clothes, though.
*Sunglasses. Now, these would have been the coolest things ever, had I been able to wear them! When I first got contacts, I bought 2 pair of sunglasses right along with ‘em – I was SO excited. But you can’t put sunglasses over glasses. They’re just not cool. Tinted glasses take forever to go back to normal, and the clip on sunglasses get lost every hour!
*The goofy things are always sliding down your nose, especially when it’s hot out. And here you are, pushing them up 5 times every minute.
*You can’t wear a mask on Halloween. No masks fit over glasses. And winter masks won’t work with glasses either.
*You get a glare on glasses in the summer time, and that’s just irritating.
*Depth perception gets off – and you can’t hit a golf ball right.
*They always break on vacation and you don’t have the screwdriver to fix it, and here your lense has popped out, and you can’t fix the things.
*You can’t go waterskiing or do any water sport, for that matter. (I remember diving into the pool one time and forgot I had them on, and had to swim to the drain at the bottom to retrieve them) Swimming is a no-can-do.
*When you can’t find your glasses, and start to look for them…..see where I’m going with this? If you can’t see without them, how will you find them? My mom has been guilty of looking for her glasses only to find them on her head a couple of times.
*Now let’s say you sit on them, or bend them somehow. Your eyebrows look lopsided for the next 4 days, until you get them back to normal. You never get them bent back to the perfect shape they were to fit YOUR head specifically.
*When you pick up little kids, the first thing they do is grab them off your head. Then you have little fingerprints all over them, and it’s time for a cleaning……
*Only when you grab a Kleenex at most houses, they won’t come clean with the Kleenex that has lotion, and the scented ones don’t work either. Then you end up with a bigger mess than what you started with!
*You can’t put a sweatshirt (or most shirts, for that matter) on with glasses. If you leave them on, they end up on your belly and you have to go fishing for them and re-straighten your shirt then when you’re done.
*You can’t be too close to another human head, cause that natural body oil is about impossible to get off your lenses. So wear protective gear for kissing……
*So here we are at safety glasses. They don’t fit over your regular glasses, so you have to get the oversized ones, which ……well, you just need to try it.
*That glasses case takes up room in your purse, and most of us have limited room as it sits already!
But hey, you can see better with them!
The big frames I had when I was little made me slightly resemble a grasshopper. If I didn’t completely feel like wearing them, I wouldn’t. And I still would be able to read large print and make out shapes of things. After a while, I would wake up in the morning and not be able to see the clock in my room. And I’m all about sleeping in, so this was a major setback for me. I would have to do more than just a mere glance at the clock now. Now I would either have to get out of bed and look at the clock, then get tucked back in thinking “ahh, just another 7 minutes to lay here”, which didn’t really appeal to me. Or I could keep my glasses next to my bed, and put them on right when I started to wake up and fall asleep with them on my face. So that’s what I did. Actually, I still do that.
Then came the day I could get contacts (after years of asking for them), must have been the product of a tax refund? I loved my contacts. I was immediately hooked. Then people thought I got them colored, because one of my eyes was green, and one was brown. Well, then I had to slide them off of my eyes and show them that I’m naturally a freak…or a cat, it’s not something I chose to do. It is so funny to watch people in the midst of realizing this! There was still a problem with that “waking up” ordeal. So I decided I would just accidentally fall asleep with them in my eyes, and wake up and BE ABLE TO SEE! It was great! Then a few years later, my eye doctor said that I had significant eye damage because I had slept with them in on numerous (um, actually every night) occasions. So back to glasses we were. By this time, my eyes are pretty bad. I can’t make out facial expressions on people or read a letter unless it was 5 inches from my face. Stuck with glasses. Bye, my beautiful contacts. Hello, …..ahh, let me make a list of this instead of a paragraph. (Just talked to my dad, and he gave me some of these. Funny man, he is! As a side note, I’m trying to convince him to blog.)
*Winter time. It’s a trap with “glasses” people. Every time you walk indoors from being outside, you suddenly feel like you’re in the middle of a big thick cloud. Fog.
*Baking. Open the oven to take the food out – more fog.
*Waking up, like I said…this is still a problem for me!! I even have an oversized number alarm!
*Okay, my big one is – the shower! Now, no contacts. Glasses. You can’t wear glasses in the shower (although I have a few times)! How do you expect me to shave in the shower when I can hardly make out the shape of my legs?! And hot baths just aren’t relaxing if you still feel like you’re somewhat “dressed”. That’s the point of a hot bath, isn’t it? I’m not a huge fan of clothes, though.
*Sunglasses. Now, these would have been the coolest things ever, had I been able to wear them! When I first got contacts, I bought 2 pair of sunglasses right along with ‘em – I was SO excited. But you can’t put sunglasses over glasses. They’re just not cool. Tinted glasses take forever to go back to normal, and the clip on sunglasses get lost every hour!
*The goofy things are always sliding down your nose, especially when it’s hot out. And here you are, pushing them up 5 times every minute.
*You can’t wear a mask on Halloween. No masks fit over glasses. And winter masks won’t work with glasses either.
*You get a glare on glasses in the summer time, and that’s just irritating.
*Depth perception gets off – and you can’t hit a golf ball right.
*They always break on vacation and you don’t have the screwdriver to fix it, and here your lense has popped out, and you can’t fix the things.
*You can’t go waterskiing or do any water sport, for that matter. (I remember diving into the pool one time and forgot I had them on, and had to swim to the drain at the bottom to retrieve them) Swimming is a no-can-do.
*When you can’t find your glasses, and start to look for them…..see where I’m going with this? If you can’t see without them, how will you find them? My mom has been guilty of looking for her glasses only to find them on her head a couple of times.
*Now let’s say you sit on them, or bend them somehow. Your eyebrows look lopsided for the next 4 days, until you get them back to normal. You never get them bent back to the perfect shape they were to fit YOUR head specifically.
*When you pick up little kids, the first thing they do is grab them off your head. Then you have little fingerprints all over them, and it’s time for a cleaning……
*Only when you grab a Kleenex at most houses, they won’t come clean with the Kleenex that has lotion, and the scented ones don’t work either. Then you end up with a bigger mess than what you started with!
*You can’t put a sweatshirt (or most shirts, for that matter) on with glasses. If you leave them on, they end up on your belly and you have to go fishing for them and re-straighten your shirt then when you’re done.
*You can’t be too close to another human head, cause that natural body oil is about impossible to get off your lenses. So wear protective gear for kissing……
*So here we are at safety glasses. They don’t fit over your regular glasses, so you have to get the oversized ones, which ……well, you just need to try it.
*That glasses case takes up room in your purse, and most of us have limited room as it sits already!
But hey, you can see better with them!
Saturday, December 17, 2005
Can't Think of a Title.
Well, I’ve tried about everything. My sweet baby just doesn’t want to stop crying. We’ve both been in bed most of the day feeling under the weather. So I’m sitting here listening to her cry and watching her flail about ‘cause I’ve done about all I could do. Gave her a bath….. and a full belly….and a clean diaper….switched the positions she’s in….tried rocking….tried her swing. I’m thinking ALL the way back to yesterday, wondering if I ate something that didn’t agree with her today? And you know how bad my memory is! I found out tonight that I take her good nights for granted WAY too much! Many times, I don’t notice when everything’s going great. There seem to be lots that I take for granted. Such as:
1) Her good nights
2) Harry’s motivation to mow the lawn and snow blow/shovel the driveway (I hope it doesn’t snow this week while he’s gone!)
3) The health of my family
4) Not to have to be alone
5) Good days in general
6) Wal-Mart. Yes, as many odes to Wal-Mart that I could do, I really don’t think I could ever appreciate my superstore one-stop shop enough!
7) Oh, oh, oh, AUTOMATIC START in the winter time!
8) Music
9) Time with friends and family
10) Hairspray
Maybe this is turning into a “things I love” list instead. Too bad – you have to read it anyway! You can’t help yourself, can you! Go ahead and stop reading, I dare you. Now. Okay………..now. Told ya’. Oh, T – I LOVE the website you gave me with ALL the recipes! It’s my newest “Favorites” addition. You can’t keep secrets like that….it should be illegal not to let people in on the “good stuff”. Anyway, thanks for sharing! I found some great soups to try out!
She’s trying to fall asleep now, so I’m going to do the same, so I’m ready for the next dose when she wakes up! :) It’s SO worth it, though!
1) Her good nights
2) Harry’s motivation to mow the lawn and snow blow/shovel the driveway (I hope it doesn’t snow this week while he’s gone!)
3) The health of my family
4) Not to have to be alone
5) Good days in general
6) Wal-Mart. Yes, as many odes to Wal-Mart that I could do, I really don’t think I could ever appreciate my superstore one-stop shop enough!
7) Oh, oh, oh, AUTOMATIC START in the winter time!
8) Music
9) Time with friends and family
10) Hairspray
Maybe this is turning into a “things I love” list instead. Too bad – you have to read it anyway! You can’t help yourself, can you! Go ahead and stop reading, I dare you. Now. Okay………..now. Told ya’. Oh, T – I LOVE the website you gave me with ALL the recipes! It’s my newest “Favorites” addition. You can’t keep secrets like that….it should be illegal not to let people in on the “good stuff”. Anyway, thanks for sharing! I found some great soups to try out!
She’s trying to fall asleep now, so I’m going to do the same, so I’m ready for the next dose when she wakes up! :) It’s SO worth it, though!
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
Souper!
Okay, folks. Here's the deal. I have surgery on my esophagus on January 10. I will have to be on a soft, mushy diet for quite a while. So I need some Souper Soup Recipes! I can't really have chunks of anything for a while (unless it's soft chunks), so any cream soup, or brothy soup....I don't know. I just know I'm on the prowl! I would also take any non-soup recipes, as long as it's way yummy and mushy, too! :) Send 'em my way if you have 'em! Thanks, gang!
To Do:
I was just on the phone to Harry and told him I didn’t know what I was going to tackle today, and he said I should write a list. GREAT idea! I told him I was going to blog a list instead, though. J To Do:
1) Organize and clean out junk drawer
2) Clean my bedroom
3) Clean Tiffany’s room
4) Practice some piano J This isn’t something I have to get done, but I know I’ll end up doing today.
5) Get Harry packed. He’s going to Kansas for a week for work.
6) Wash all the cookie cutters
7) Give Tiffany a bath
8) Finish painting the kitchen (I missed a couple spots)
9) Pick out paint and go at the bathroom (while Harry’s gone J) …. Maybe.
10) Go through toys and movies for Trinkets and Togs
11) Make some coffee! I enjoy my coffee.
12) Get some more baby wipes
13) Make cookies for Harry’s trip
14) Make an appetizer for Mom2Mom tomorrow and Print out recipe card
15) Call about Christmas schedule for the kids
16) Wrap a couple presents
17) Find out WHERE they have a drive-through Christmas lights display!
18) Talk Harry out of snow blowing tonight.
That’s all I’ll even type for now. Think I can do that in one day? Make that two days. Check back with me….we’ll see how I do.
1) Organize and clean out junk drawer
2) Clean my bedroom
3) Clean Tiffany’s room
4) Practice some piano J This isn’t something I have to get done, but I know I’ll end up doing today.
5) Get Harry packed. He’s going to Kansas for a week for work.
6) Wash all the cookie cutters
7) Give Tiffany a bath
8) Finish painting the kitchen (I missed a couple spots)
9) Pick out paint and go at the bathroom (while Harry’s gone J) …. Maybe.
10) Go through toys and movies for Trinkets and Togs
11) Make some coffee! I enjoy my coffee.
12) Get some more baby wipes
13) Make cookies for Harry’s trip
14) Make an appetizer for Mom2Mom tomorrow and Print out recipe card
15) Call about Christmas schedule for the kids
16) Wrap a couple presents
17) Find out WHERE they have a drive-through Christmas lights display!
18) Talk Harry out of snow blowing tonight.
That’s all I’ll even type for now. Think I can do that in one day? Make that two days. Check back with me….we’ll see how I do.
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
Just Call Me Smelly
All day yesterday. Laundry - it was great! I accomplished something, and when it was time to start-a-snoozin', I tucked in under the drier sheet scent and all the purple. I don't actually know if the color has anything to do with how it smells, but it sure seems to. Anyway, I love laying my head on a pillow that has a fresh scent of clean laundry just out of the drier. It's just the best. Can't beat that. I've always loved to smell, though. What a weird word - smell. Dig that one apart, t!
I love the smell of:
1) Clean Laundry
2) Rain
3) Babies
4) Lilacs!
5) Sharpened Pencils
6) Harry's Aftershave
7) Bread Baking
8) ANYTHING Baking
9) My Nestle Plant just a few blocks away....sweet chocolate
10) Scotch Tape
11) Subway! Eat Fresh.
12) Candles....oh, boy oh, boy I Love Candles!!!
Let's talk a little about candles, shall we? First of all, they rock. Now, I have plenty of candles (votives, that is) that drip and run all over when you burn them. Not today! I've been in love with the Better Homes and Garden Party candles. Apple assortments of all kinds...mmmm. They burn down like a dream - hours of great smellings! And they come in their own jar for $5.50. Now come on - I don't think you know what I mean when I say "hours". They burn forever! And the scent doesn't disappear after that little wick no longer burns with the passion that only a Better Homes and Garden Party candle understands - oh, no. That sweet aroma fills the room and sits like two old friends in a coffee shop. Forever! Mua hahahaha :) My point is, they're really good! I must be going now. I'll finish that list sometime soon! I love to smell!
I love the smell of:
1) Clean Laundry
2) Rain
3) Babies
4) Lilacs!
5) Sharpened Pencils
6) Harry's Aftershave
7) Bread Baking
8) ANYTHING Baking
9) My Nestle Plant just a few blocks away....sweet chocolate
10) Scotch Tape
11) Subway! Eat Fresh.
12) Candles....oh, boy oh, boy I Love Candles!!!
Let's talk a little about candles, shall we? First of all, they rock. Now, I have plenty of candles (votives, that is) that drip and run all over when you burn them. Not today! I've been in love with the Better Homes and Garden Party candles. Apple assortments of all kinds...mmmm. They burn down like a dream - hours of great smellings! And they come in their own jar for $5.50. Now come on - I don't think you know what I mean when I say "hours". They burn forever! And the scent doesn't disappear after that little wick no longer burns with the passion that only a Better Homes and Garden Party candle understands - oh, no. That sweet aroma fills the room and sits like two old friends in a coffee shop. Forever! Mua hahahaha :) My point is, they're really good! I must be going now. I'll finish that list sometime soon! I love to smell!
Saturday, December 10, 2005
His will....or mine?
I typed an entire blog a couple of days ago. A LONG blog. And as I was reviewing it to post, my computer shut down on me because it got too hot. All of it was lost. Maybe it just wasn’t meant to be posted. I’ll give you the run down, though.
Harry and I heard back from the judge about the placement hearing. It went in her favor. For those of you who don’t know, we’ve been working on this for well over a year. We’ve been trying to get Harry’s kids half of the time, which is called shared physical placement. They have joint custody, but that means about diddly squat. Then, we finally got our court date on September 9th. Waited and waited, and finally heard a couple days ago that we lost. Nothing is changing. After hours of preparation, strain on our marriage, thousands of dollars, and emotional pooey…..nothing is changing.
Now, what was all this for? It taught Harry and I to work together better, and years down the road when the kids ask, we can say we tried. Was that worth it? My main point of my deleted blog was……why is it so easy to give God the glory when things turn out just the way you wanted them to, and are left in a state of … I don’t even know what….. when it’s exactly opposite of what you were praying for. Maybe the “let Your will be done” gets confused sometimes. We should pray “let Your will be done, if it’s in line with what I want” because isn’t that the way we think at times? Especially if it’s something you’re praying for in your own life. When you have an outcome of a situation that only affects someone else, it’s much easier to say “That’s the way God wanted it”. I know God’s way is not meant to be understood sometimes. Surrendering and submitting is a million times easier when you think you understand why. Does anyone else think that?
Anyway, this is where we sit. My husband cramming fatherhood to these two children into 5 days a month, paying mondo child support, and knowing the kids are in an environment that is not glorifying to God. My question to you today is, how do you know what God’s will is? Is the decision we got where the Lord wants to leave it? If we appeal this whole thing, how do we know we’re not trying to overrule God's decision? We could use the advice, I’m sure. We’re hanging in there, though! We’ll keep praying for clarity in the mean time, cause I know this is a tall order!
Harry and I heard back from the judge about the placement hearing. It went in her favor. For those of you who don’t know, we’ve been working on this for well over a year. We’ve been trying to get Harry’s kids half of the time, which is called shared physical placement. They have joint custody, but that means about diddly squat. Then, we finally got our court date on September 9th. Waited and waited, and finally heard a couple days ago that we lost. Nothing is changing. After hours of preparation, strain on our marriage, thousands of dollars, and emotional pooey…..nothing is changing.
Now, what was all this for? It taught Harry and I to work together better, and years down the road when the kids ask, we can say we tried. Was that worth it? My main point of my deleted blog was……why is it so easy to give God the glory when things turn out just the way you wanted them to, and are left in a state of … I don’t even know what….. when it’s exactly opposite of what you were praying for. Maybe the “let Your will be done” gets confused sometimes. We should pray “let Your will be done, if it’s in line with what I want” because isn’t that the way we think at times? Especially if it’s something you’re praying for in your own life. When you have an outcome of a situation that only affects someone else, it’s much easier to say “That’s the way God wanted it”. I know God’s way is not meant to be understood sometimes. Surrendering and submitting is a million times easier when you think you understand why. Does anyone else think that?
Anyway, this is where we sit. My husband cramming fatherhood to these two children into 5 days a month, paying mondo child support, and knowing the kids are in an environment that is not glorifying to God. My question to you today is, how do you know what God’s will is? Is the decision we got where the Lord wants to leave it? If we appeal this whole thing, how do we know we’re not trying to overrule God's decision? We could use the advice, I’m sure. We’re hanging in there, though! We’ll keep praying for clarity in the mean time, cause I know this is a tall order!
Wednesday, December 07, 2005
My Plain Jane Day
This is for my Angela. Thanks for the motivation. :)
Know what I did today? Nada-whole-darn-lot. Got up, fed Tiffany. Went to her doctor's appointment. She got her first shots! :( I didn't cry, though. I was tough! She let out about 4 good yells, and then she was done. I felt really bad for her, though. Then we went to Wal-Mart and returned some baby wipes because she had diaper rash because of them.....I find out NOW...after switching to a bunch of different diapers. I'm back to my beautiful Target diapers. Ask if they found my wallet. I lost it somewhere between my Wal-Mart trip last night to my house. Didn't find it. Got the new Triple Whopper from BK for Harry, and went home to look for my wallet .... again ..... found it under my bed of all places! Okay then.
Drive out to Harry's work and have lunch with him. Get this. I start eating my sandwich before he gets out to the van because he always eats 3 times faster than me (that was funny... I typed fatter instead of faster). So almost half of my sandwich (chicken) is gone by the time he starts eating. And he STILL finishes his TRIPLE burger faster than me. I don't know if I'm that slow, or he's that fast. Whichever the case, it's a good thing I don't eat as much as him.
Pick up my x-ray films from the hospital for my barium swallow to bring with me to my appointment in Iowa City tomorrow. Then stop by Oasis Tanning to talk to my step-children's mother (is that how I'm supposed to say that?). Ended up staying for a really long time. And now I'm home. Fed Tiffany. Sweep and spot clean the floor, clean up clutter, clean up the bedroom for cryin' out loud....literally. Cooking supper as I'm doing all of this, and then clean up and go to church. Ohh, no. I need to load up the tables and chairs from ThAnKsGiViNg to bring back. I don't have them back yet because my sweet husband can't find the key. Amusing, because hey, I just work here.
Is that the most boring blog you've ever read, or what?! Let me add this. A quote from Bill Clinton on the 1995 balanced budget amendment. "Obviously, I don't support it, but I support the impulses that are giving rise to it."
Was the old one better than a new, boring blog? lol I have to go clean now. Hope you enjoyed being part of my plain day. :)
Know what I did today? Nada-whole-darn-lot. Got up, fed Tiffany. Went to her doctor's appointment. She got her first shots! :( I didn't cry, though. I was tough! She let out about 4 good yells, and then she was done. I felt really bad for her, though. Then we went to Wal-Mart and returned some baby wipes because she had diaper rash because of them.....I find out NOW...after switching to a bunch of different diapers. I'm back to my beautiful Target diapers. Ask if they found my wallet. I lost it somewhere between my Wal-Mart trip last night to my house. Didn't find it. Got the new Triple Whopper from BK for Harry, and went home to look for my wallet .... again ..... found it under my bed of all places! Okay then.
Drive out to Harry's work and have lunch with him. Get this. I start eating my sandwich before he gets out to the van because he always eats 3 times faster than me (that was funny... I typed fatter instead of faster). So almost half of my sandwich (chicken) is gone by the time he starts eating. And he STILL finishes his TRIPLE burger faster than me. I don't know if I'm that slow, or he's that fast. Whichever the case, it's a good thing I don't eat as much as him.
Pick up my x-ray films from the hospital for my barium swallow to bring with me to my appointment in Iowa City tomorrow. Then stop by Oasis Tanning to talk to my step-children's mother (is that how I'm supposed to say that?). Ended up staying for a really long time. And now I'm home. Fed Tiffany. Sweep and spot clean the floor, clean up clutter, clean up the bedroom for cryin' out loud....literally. Cooking supper as I'm doing all of this, and then clean up and go to church. Ohh, no. I need to load up the tables and chairs from ThAnKsGiViNg to bring back. I don't have them back yet because my sweet husband can't find the key. Amusing, because hey, I just work here.
Is that the most boring blog you've ever read, or what?! Let me add this. A quote from Bill Clinton on the 1995 balanced budget amendment. "Obviously, I don't support it, but I support the impulses that are giving rise to it."
Was the old one better than a new, boring blog? lol I have to go clean now. Hope you enjoyed being part of my plain day. :)
Thursday, December 01, 2005
Ham or Turkey?
Okay, real quick. Last night Harry made himself two sandwiches with the lunchmeat that was in the fridge (part of the many leftovers in there). After they were gone, I asked how his turkey sandwiches were. It went something like this.
He replies, "Ahh, they were ham."
HERE WE GO! I LOVE IT WHEN I KNOW I'M RIGHT! I know the last thing I bought was turkey, not ham.
"No, Honey. They were turkey." with a little grin
"No they weren't. I'm the one that ate them."
"Yes, and your brain and taste buds aren't working together. It was turkey."
He smiles. "No, it wasn't turkey."
I have to smile big at this point. "Wanna bet?"
A little frown, and a tip of the head. "What's the bet?"
"Well, if it was turkey, you do the dishes for one whole week. 7 days. Dishes for you."
"Well, what if it was ham?"
"Then I'll do the dishes for a week."
"You do them anyway." Laugh. "Okay, I want two batches of fresh chocolate chip cookies this week. Not the kind you buy in the bucket (fund raiser stuff I'm using up), but your cookies."
"Deal!"
I'll give you two guesses who was right. ME! ME! ME! ME! ME! Oh, I did my happiest dance that I have!
"You're a sore winner."
"Oh, I'm sorry.....(sit on his lap).....how can I make you feel better about ..... LOSING!!!!!?" More dancing as he laughs at me. Love it.
Did I tell you how much I don't like dishes? They're never done. And now HE has to do the never-ending dishes. FOR 7 DAYS! Hehehe hehehehe. It'll be a great week!
He replies, "Ahh, they were ham."
HERE WE GO! I LOVE IT WHEN I KNOW I'M RIGHT! I know the last thing I bought was turkey, not ham.
"No, Honey. They were turkey." with a little grin
"No they weren't. I'm the one that ate them."
"Yes, and your brain and taste buds aren't working together. It was turkey."
He smiles. "No, it wasn't turkey."
I have to smile big at this point. "Wanna bet?"
A little frown, and a tip of the head. "What's the bet?"
"Well, if it was turkey, you do the dishes for one whole week. 7 days. Dishes for you."
"Well, what if it was ham?"
"Then I'll do the dishes for a week."
"You do them anyway." Laugh. "Okay, I want two batches of fresh chocolate chip cookies this week. Not the kind you buy in the bucket (fund raiser stuff I'm using up), but your cookies."
"Deal!"
I'll give you two guesses who was right. ME! ME! ME! ME! ME! Oh, I did my happiest dance that I have!
"You're a sore winner."
"Oh, I'm sorry.....(sit on his lap).....how can I make you feel better about ..... LOSING!!!!!?" More dancing as he laughs at me. Love it.
Did I tell you how much I don't like dishes? They're never done. And now HE has to do the never-ending dishes. FOR 7 DAYS! Hehehe hehehehe. It'll be a great week!
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
Oh, this government.....
Wednesday. Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. The middle of the week. Wednesday. Enough of that.
T inspired me to start something up. I have these 3 books called "Great Government Goofs!", "Why Do Clocks Run Clockwise?", and "Do Penguins Have Knees?". GREAT books! So I'm going to type up something out of these books when I post. Here's some for today just to get you as excited about this as me! These are taken from the government book.
*The Illinois Department of Conservation spent $180,000 to study the contents of owl vomit.
*Congress allocated $19 million to examine the amount of methane gas emitted from cow flatulence.
*In Acworth, Georgia, the city council passed an ordinance in 1982 requiring all households to own fishing poles.
*$1 million added by the Sanate to study brown tree snakes. The snake is found only in Guam, hasn't been proven to be life threatening to humans, and can't survive in North America. Makes you wonder who the real snakes are.
*The Pentagon spends $8,612 per second, about $271.6 billion a year.
*Representative George Beard of Culpepper, Virginia, proposed a bill to the statehouse which prohibited dead bodies from being stored where food is served.
*In 1986 the National Park Service purchased a half acre of land in southwest Washington D.C. for $230,000. In 1988 it was discovered that the Park Service already owned the land - they bought it in 1914.
*In 1920 Socialist and presidential candidate Eugene Debs received 920,000 votes even though he ran his entire campaign while in jail.
*Since 1975, 5 million new government jobs have been created.
*In April 1993 the Montana legislature passed an animal-abuse law that increased the fine for a second violation to $1,000 and to years in prison. At the same time the state's maximum penalty for second-offense spousal abuse is a mere $500 and six months.
*It took over 299 years for our government to reach a national debt of $1 trillion (1982). It doubled in the next four years (1986), then doubled again to $4 trillion in 1992.
*Missouri state legislators approved a five-pound 1,012-page bill aimed at reducing state paperwork.
I love that book! I really should do some housework now. Maybe I should just put a bed in the kitchen. Then I could sleep in there - since I'm always in there anyway, and I could just put any messes under the bed. Isn't that what all the kids do? Why not me? :)
T inspired me to start something up. I have these 3 books called "Great Government Goofs!", "Why Do Clocks Run Clockwise?", and "Do Penguins Have Knees?". GREAT books! So I'm going to type up something out of these books when I post. Here's some for today just to get you as excited about this as me! These are taken from the government book.
*The Illinois Department of Conservation spent $180,000 to study the contents of owl vomit.
*Congress allocated $19 million to examine the amount of methane gas emitted from cow flatulence.
*In Acworth, Georgia, the city council passed an ordinance in 1982 requiring all households to own fishing poles.
*$1 million added by the Sanate to study brown tree snakes. The snake is found only in Guam, hasn't been proven to be life threatening to humans, and can't survive in North America. Makes you wonder who the real snakes are.
*The Pentagon spends $8,612 per second, about $271.6 billion a year.
*Representative George Beard of Culpepper, Virginia, proposed a bill to the statehouse which prohibited dead bodies from being stored where food is served.
*In 1986 the National Park Service purchased a half acre of land in southwest Washington D.C. for $230,000. In 1988 it was discovered that the Park Service already owned the land - they bought it in 1914.
*In 1920 Socialist and presidential candidate Eugene Debs received 920,000 votes even though he ran his entire campaign while in jail.
*Since 1975, 5 million new government jobs have been created.
*In April 1993 the Montana legislature passed an animal-abuse law that increased the fine for a second violation to $1,000 and to years in prison. At the same time the state's maximum penalty for second-offense spousal abuse is a mere $500 and six months.
*It took over 299 years for our government to reach a national debt of $1 trillion (1982). It doubled in the next four years (1986), then doubled again to $4 trillion in 1992.
*Missouri state legislators approved a five-pound 1,012-page bill aimed at reducing state paperwork.
I love that book! I really should do some housework now. Maybe I should just put a bed in the kitchen. Then I could sleep in there - since I'm always in there anyway, and I could just put any messes under the bed. Isn't that what all the kids do? Why not me? :)
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
Convictions With Meaning
I was in the sound booth on Sunday, and I was looking at the last two weeks of worship songs. I took one line from each song. Feel free to take about 5 seconds or more to think about each of these phrases.
*He is all we need
*You are the only One I need
*I bow all of me at Your feet
*Worship Him in humbleness
*Take my silver and my gold, not a mite would I withhold
*Forever God is faithful
*In all I do, I honor You
*It’s all about You, Jesus
*Your praise is always on my lips
*I’m desperate for you
*Nothing compares to the promise I have in You
Have you ever been desperate for anything? Have I withheld things? Ahh…duh. Do I put God in a box and doubt his faithfulness? I would love so much for all of these phrases to have the meaning behind it when I sing them!!! For all He does for me, maybe the least I could do is worship with meaning….not just sing these lyrics and notes correctly. Ick. Music is so much a part of me, and I find myself lacking. And what nerve do I have to think the dishes and laundry are somehow more important?
So I’m making a short list of things I need to improve on – I have a self-discipline problem, you see. It’s nothing God’s done. Like Doyle says: You’re just as close to God today as you choose to be. There’s only so long you can be convicted before 1) you do something about it, or 2) build up an immunity to conviction.
*He is all we need
*You are the only One I need
*I bow all of me at Your feet
*Worship Him in humbleness
*Take my silver and my gold, not a mite would I withhold
*Forever God is faithful
*In all I do, I honor You
*It’s all about You, Jesus
*Your praise is always on my lips
*I’m desperate for you
*Nothing compares to the promise I have in You
Have you ever been desperate for anything? Have I withheld things? Ahh…duh. Do I put God in a box and doubt his faithfulness? I would love so much for all of these phrases to have the meaning behind it when I sing them!!! For all He does for me, maybe the least I could do is worship with meaning….not just sing these lyrics and notes correctly. Ick. Music is so much a part of me, and I find myself lacking. And what nerve do I have to think the dishes and laundry are somehow more important?
So I’m making a short list of things I need to improve on – I have a self-discipline problem, you see. It’s nothing God’s done. Like Doyle says: You’re just as close to God today as you choose to be. There’s only so long you can be convicted before 1) you do something about it, or 2) build up an immunity to conviction.
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
Linkin' it.
I'm not feeling motivated to figure out links at the moment, but I'd like to share my sister's blog. She's the middle sister that lives in Des Moines. Check it out.
Monday, November 21, 2005
No More Pain
I was painting my kitchen on Friday and got a call from my mom. She was crying.
“Grandma Weber had a stroke, they think. They found her this morning when they went to pick her up for church.” She went every morning to the rosary service. Her ten children surrounded her and prayed with the priest in the same hospital their father died in 24 years earlier. She was not responsive. My grandmother passed away that afternoon at about 3:40. This was the first time I ever heard my dad cry. The funeral was today in Melrose, Minnesota.
I loved my grandma. Her name was Martha, and she was the best role model I’d ever had. I was devastated that she was no longer with us, but so happy that she had “no more pain”. My grandma had lung problems and carried around an oxygen tank with her wherever she went. She also had arthritis. She always did handmade cards for everyone’s birthday. I still have all mine. She had this little giggle and little wrinkles on the sides of her eyes when she smiled. She could brighten any room. She said “ack” a lot, along with a little roll of the eyes and shake of the head. You’d have to with 10 children, wouldn’t you?
I asked her once what her favorite memory was and she said, “Oh, I don’t know. I guess when I had my kids. That was nice.”. She was great with kids. We went out to eat once with Olivia and Darin to Dairy Queen (she loved getting out), and was telling them a hundred things they could do with their kid’s meal bags. She had a creative mind – could make something out of nothing. And then make that something into a game.
Her husband, Anthony (Tony), passed away 2-3 months before I was born. I was the first grandchild he missed out on meeting. Tiffany was the first one Grandma missed out on metting. 24 whole years without her husband, and she thought about him every day. She always said he left her too soon. I didn’t get the chance to see her much because we lived 6 hours away. So I was on my way to Minnesota on Saturday night to be with my dad, and I put a CD in. One song talked about dreaming of heaven – and it went something like this:
Deep enough to dream in brilliant colors I have never seen.
Deep enough to join a billion people for a wedding feast.
Deep enough to reach out and touch the face of the one who made me.
All the love I feel and all the peace, do I ever have to wake up?
And I get to thinking about the colors. We really only see variations of 3 colors. Red. Blue. Yellow. 3. How many more colors has God made that we’ve never even imagined??? And I got to thinking that my grandma must be in a state of absolute joy! Imagine for her to be able to take a deep breath in without it hurting anymore. She can crochet and make crafts easily. She can walk around without carrying oxygen with her – even run or skip without pain! She can touch the Lord’s face and ask Him any question. She can feel His arms wrapped around her. She can see her husband after so long.
It was a light funeral. We all knew she was finally home. Every grandchild had a responsibility at the funeral – paul bearers – one from each family. Bringing gifts. Readings. My sister, cousin, and I sang a song entitled “No More Pain”. It was beautiful.
She sits by the window with wandering eyes.
She has a song in her heart and a golden disguise.
Her body is torn because age doesn’t heal.
She’s not letting on about the pain that she feels.
But she knows in her soul that it won’t be too long
‘Til Jesus comes back to carry her home.
When there will be No More Pain, no more sorrow.
No more waiting for illusive tomorrows.
There will be no more pain, no more dying.
No more striving or strain. No more pain.
My mind’s eye remembers the trouble I’ve seen.
All I have been through, and how I long to be free.
But I learn by her patience that I need her resolve.
To wait for the opening of eternity’s halls.
And I know that in time we will stand side by side
When Jesus comes back receiving His bride.
When there will be No More Pain, no more sorrow.
No more waiting for illusive tomorrows.
There will be no more pain, no more dying.
No more striving or strain. No more pain.
All I could say at first when we were at visitation was “good for you, Grandma. I’ll see you soon.” with a hurting smile on my face. I can’t imagine the joy she feels at this very moment. Good for her, finally making it home.
“Grandma Weber had a stroke, they think. They found her this morning when they went to pick her up for church.” She went every morning to the rosary service. Her ten children surrounded her and prayed with the priest in the same hospital their father died in 24 years earlier. She was not responsive. My grandmother passed away that afternoon at about 3:40. This was the first time I ever heard my dad cry. The funeral was today in Melrose, Minnesota.
I loved my grandma. Her name was Martha, and she was the best role model I’d ever had. I was devastated that she was no longer with us, but so happy that she had “no more pain”. My grandma had lung problems and carried around an oxygen tank with her wherever she went. She also had arthritis. She always did handmade cards for everyone’s birthday. I still have all mine. She had this little giggle and little wrinkles on the sides of her eyes when she smiled. She could brighten any room. She said “ack” a lot, along with a little roll of the eyes and shake of the head. You’d have to with 10 children, wouldn’t you?
I asked her once what her favorite memory was and she said, “Oh, I don’t know. I guess when I had my kids. That was nice.”. She was great with kids. We went out to eat once with Olivia and Darin to Dairy Queen (she loved getting out), and was telling them a hundred things they could do with their kid’s meal bags. She had a creative mind – could make something out of nothing. And then make that something into a game.
Her husband, Anthony (Tony), passed away 2-3 months before I was born. I was the first grandchild he missed out on meeting. Tiffany was the first one Grandma missed out on metting. 24 whole years without her husband, and she thought about him every day. She always said he left her too soon. I didn’t get the chance to see her much because we lived 6 hours away. So I was on my way to Minnesota on Saturday night to be with my dad, and I put a CD in. One song talked about dreaming of heaven – and it went something like this:
Deep enough to dream in brilliant colors I have never seen.
Deep enough to join a billion people for a wedding feast.
Deep enough to reach out and touch the face of the one who made me.
All the love I feel and all the peace, do I ever have to wake up?
And I get to thinking about the colors. We really only see variations of 3 colors. Red. Blue. Yellow. 3. How many more colors has God made that we’ve never even imagined??? And I got to thinking that my grandma must be in a state of absolute joy! Imagine for her to be able to take a deep breath in without it hurting anymore. She can crochet and make crafts easily. She can walk around without carrying oxygen with her – even run or skip without pain! She can touch the Lord’s face and ask Him any question. She can feel His arms wrapped around her. She can see her husband after so long.
It was a light funeral. We all knew she was finally home. Every grandchild had a responsibility at the funeral – paul bearers – one from each family. Bringing gifts. Readings. My sister, cousin, and I sang a song entitled “No More Pain”. It was beautiful.
She sits by the window with wandering eyes.
She has a song in her heart and a golden disguise.
Her body is torn because age doesn’t heal.
She’s not letting on about the pain that she feels.
But she knows in her soul that it won’t be too long
‘Til Jesus comes back to carry her home.
When there will be No More Pain, no more sorrow.
No more waiting for illusive tomorrows.
There will be no more pain, no more dying.
No more striving or strain. No more pain.
My mind’s eye remembers the trouble I’ve seen.
All I have been through, and how I long to be free.
But I learn by her patience that I need her resolve.
To wait for the opening of eternity’s halls.
And I know that in time we will stand side by side
When Jesus comes back receiving His bride.
When there will be No More Pain, no more sorrow.
No more waiting for illusive tomorrows.
There will be no more pain, no more dying.
No more striving or strain. No more pain.
All I could say at first when we were at visitation was “good for you, Grandma. I’ll see you soon.” with a hurting smile on my face. I can’t imagine the joy she feels at this very moment. Good for her, finally making it home.
Thursday, November 17, 2005
Picky Picky
So, the "usual" things didn't go on my list yesterday. Sweep the floor, wipe counters, organize the mail (that's another blog), supper, etc. I love cooking and baking, right? Right. We're running low on the grocery end of the house (plenty of dirty dishes, but not a lot of food), so we're running with creativity. Took some mashed potatoes from the deep freeze along with a round steak (not my favorite). Fried it up, cut it into strips, and put cream of mushroom soup on it (sort of as a gravy to go with mashed potatoes).
Harry and I eat 2 plates of it....well, not the actual plate....we could have.....cause they were paper.....to reduce the dirty dishes number....so then I have a ton of silverware in the dishwasher always and not a lot of plates or cups or bowls to wash. Where was I? Oh yes. We dish some up for Olivia and Darin. Darin's always been a great eater (learns from his daddy). Olivia used to be great, but now not so much. I think her step-sister is rubbing off on her - she eats only pizza, chicken strips, and a couple sides. This would not go over well in our household, mostly because when I was growing up, you ate what was on your plate. Period. We have a meat, vegetable, and fruit (bananas), no bread, but today is shopping day. That's okay. They had a vitamin. :)
Darin eats. Olivia doesn't. What do you do? She did eat her banana, though. Then she just sat at the table playing with her necklace quietly, hoping that we wouldn't notice she wasn't eating. You know that phrase, "if you can't hear me, you'd better find me."? So, being the observing parents that we are, take note of this. Then the pouting routine, knowing that when she goes back to her mom's house, she can eat whatever....then why would she eat supper? Dead end, cause we can't say "well, if we don't eat supper, we can't have a bedtime snack" because that's not up to us. All we can say is "it's a long time 'til breakfast" because any threat would be an empty one at this point. And there's nothing I dislike more than empty threats, even though I've been guilty of making them. Follow through is the key here. Always a warning first, then a follow through. I don't get why that's so hard for today's parents.
So we're at a stand still. I got to thinking and at every single meal, there is something that she says she doesn't like - even if she does! I've seen her eat it 100 times, but all of a sudden "I don't like that". I know heth mentioned this before....did you find something that works? Does anyone have some good advice here? We only have control over this household - not both of them. But how can I balance the 2 nicely? Someone? Anyone? K- enough rambling out of me. Later taters.
Harry and I eat 2 plates of it....well, not the actual plate....we could have.....cause they were paper.....to reduce the dirty dishes number....so then I have a ton of silverware in the dishwasher always and not a lot of plates or cups or bowls to wash. Where was I? Oh yes. We dish some up for Olivia and Darin. Darin's always been a great eater (learns from his daddy). Olivia used to be great, but now not so much. I think her step-sister is rubbing off on her - she eats only pizza, chicken strips, and a couple sides. This would not go over well in our household, mostly because when I was growing up, you ate what was on your plate. Period. We have a meat, vegetable, and fruit (bananas), no bread, but today is shopping day. That's okay. They had a vitamin. :)
Darin eats. Olivia doesn't. What do you do? She did eat her banana, though. Then she just sat at the table playing with her necklace quietly, hoping that we wouldn't notice she wasn't eating. You know that phrase, "if you can't hear me, you'd better find me."? So, being the observing parents that we are, take note of this. Then the pouting routine, knowing that when she goes back to her mom's house, she can eat whatever....then why would she eat supper? Dead end, cause we can't say "well, if we don't eat supper, we can't have a bedtime snack" because that's not up to us. All we can say is "it's a long time 'til breakfast" because any threat would be an empty one at this point. And there's nothing I dislike more than empty threats, even though I've been guilty of making them. Follow through is the key here. Always a warning first, then a follow through. I don't get why that's so hard for today's parents.
So we're at a stand still. I got to thinking and at every single meal, there is something that she says she doesn't like - even if she does! I've seen her eat it 100 times, but all of a sudden "I don't like that". I know heth mentioned this before....did you find something that works? Does anyone have some good advice here? We only have control over this household - not both of them. But how can I balance the 2 nicely? Someone? Anyone? K- enough rambling out of me. Later taters.
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
To Do List.
What to do today:
1) Print the rest of 2004 pictures off and finish2004 scrapbook.
2) Sew linings into a few shirts to make them official "nursing tops"
3) Try to tear down the border in my kitchen so I can paint Friday.
4) Pick a color to paint. Dark olive maybe?
5) Inform all family of Thanksgiving details. This is the first holiday we'll be having at my house!
6) Check eBay for any questions I need to answer for our auctions. And why is it, that Harry's junk always sells before mine!? I've decided that eBay is a boy place. Or I just have the wrong junk.
7) Remember to eat lunch. I tend to forget.
8) Fold laundry (2 baskets)
9) Bring garbage out.
10) Wrap more Christmas presents.
11) Give Harry a couple birthday hints. :)
12) Give Tiffany a bath.
13) Pick up the bedroom.
Better get busy.
1) Print the rest of 2004 pictures off and finish2004 scrapbook.
2) Sew linings into a few shirts to make them official "nursing tops"
3) Try to tear down the border in my kitchen so I can paint Friday.
4) Pick a color to paint. Dark olive maybe?
5) Inform all family of Thanksgiving details. This is the first holiday we'll be having at my house!
6) Check eBay for any questions I need to answer for our auctions. And why is it, that Harry's junk always sells before mine!? I've decided that eBay is a boy place. Or I just have the wrong junk.
7) Remember to eat lunch. I tend to forget.
8) Fold laundry (2 baskets)
9) Bring garbage out.
10) Wrap more Christmas presents.
11) Give Harry a couple birthday hints. :)
12) Give Tiffany a bath.
13) Pick up the bedroom.
Better get busy.
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
What's in a NameTag?
First of all, let me say that I like nametags. I really do. I like them because my memory is terrible. But people have the wrong idea about them. Do you remember that teacher in high school that was always looking about a foot lower than your eyes when you were talking to him? Funny, that's right where a nametag would be, isn't it. So I see someone I know, let's say at the mom's group, and I don't remember what her name is for the life of me, even though I talked to her about 20 times. Blank. So we get coffee at the same time and start to talk - again, picking right up where we left off last time. Now, she has great eye contact, so she's going to notice when I'm not looking at her eyes. But I really want to know (again!) what her name is. But if I look at her name tag, she'll think either 1) She really doesn't know my name yet? I've told her 4 times! or 2) She's like that high school teacher I used to have. Boy, he drove me nuts.
So, I vote everyone puts their name tag on their pant leg, or let's all wear headbands with our nametag sticking up. That way when they look down to stir their coffee, clean shot. Or let's just wear them on our foreheads. Hey, better yet, let's everyone wear them on our chins! Yeah! Then everyone would know everyone's name cause they would be able to look at their name tag whenever they want, and we'd never spill our coffee on our shirts, cause we'd have our own little personal drip guard. And you could be laughing, besides! Boy, I'm smart! Let's hear it for chin tags! Chin Tags! Hip hip, horray! Hehehe, I think I'm funny! Don't you love it when you can laugh at your own jokes? Even if no one else does? :)
So, I vote everyone puts their name tag on their pant leg, or let's all wear headbands with our nametag sticking up. That way when they look down to stir their coffee, clean shot. Or let's just wear them on our foreheads. Hey, better yet, let's everyone wear them on our chins! Yeah! Then everyone would know everyone's name cause they would be able to look at their name tag whenever they want, and we'd never spill our coffee on our shirts, cause we'd have our own little personal drip guard. And you could be laughing, besides! Boy, I'm smart! Let's hear it for chin tags! Chin Tags! Hip hip, horray! Hehehe, I think I'm funny! Don't you love it when you can laugh at your own jokes? Even if no one else does? :)
Monday, November 14, 2005
Coulda, Shoulda, Woulda
I shoulda spent less time worrying about what I felt like doing.
I shoulda cherished every moment with the ones I live with - so often "routine" and "responsability" seemed more important.
I shoulda spent less time reading magazines and information, and more time in God's Word.
I shoulda spent more time OBEYING the Word. Period.
I coulda spent less time worrying about what people thought of me, and I shoulda spent less time thinking about what I think of them!
I coulda spent less time wondering how people would remember me, and more time doing something about it.
I shoulda treasured every second with family - I remember crying once at the table at Thanksgiving because I felt so blessed - it's a different kind of cry now.
If this is what I will be saying someday, I woulda done something about it.
I shoulda cherished every moment with the ones I live with - so often "routine" and "responsability" seemed more important.
I shoulda spent less time reading magazines and information, and more time in God's Word.
I shoulda spent more time OBEYING the Word. Period.
I coulda spent less time worrying about what people thought of me, and I shoulda spent less time thinking about what I think of them!
I coulda spent less time wondering how people would remember me, and more time doing something about it.
I shoulda treasured every second with family - I remember crying once at the table at Thanksgiving because I felt so blessed - it's a different kind of cry now.
If this is what I will be saying someday, I woulda done something about it.
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
Ode To My Earings
I love my earings. The big ones that you can see through my hair. The kind that accent an outfit (which is limited in public due to nursing). The kind that make a statement! Confession: I bought a shirt once to match a pair of earings I had. I love to organize them by color. RED, PINK, ORANGE, YELLOW, GREEN, BLUES, PURPLE, BLACK, WHITE, SILVER.
The key is to match my earings, socks, and underwear to my outfit. Don't worry, I won't take a picture of my underwear. If my socks, underwear, earings, and outfit don't match, you've caught me on a bad bad bad day. Which tells you I must have a lot of socks and underwear too, right? Clearance! I can just picture what your faces are saying as you read this. "Is she for real?! I don't think she's kidding." Nope, not kidding. Must be some more OCD? Who knows.
P.S. It's 2 am. The person who invented the phrase "sleeping like a baby" could not have had an infant.
Monday, November 07, 2005
More things I love
More things I love:
1) Solitare
2) My purse
I bought this really cute functional purse a few months ago. I was very excited! It was at a garage sale for 2 dollars with the tags still on it from Kohl's.
3) Kohl's
So I'm loving this purse, feeling very stylish of course. Then Ms. Tiffany comes along.
4) Tiffany
I had a black diaper bag to use for her, and it matched my lovely purse. Well, my purse has been put in the "later" part of the house (things I know I'll use someday - this part of the house drives Harry nuts). My "wallet" is now in the diaper bag, along with my makeup. Goodbye, my beautiful purse. I'll dig you back out when I'm done having kids? Now, back to number 3. I love Kohl's. The reason I love Kohl's is because of the CLEARANCE RACKS!
5) Clearance
Once upon a time, I bought 3 pair of jeans that were very much clearanced out. The tags were orange and marked $1.00 on each of them. Woo hoo! I try them on, and they fit great! Bring them to the checkout, and the lady tells me my total. $1.00 + tax, of course. WHAT? It was another 66% off of the orange sticker price - this made my month! You can't beat 33 cent jeans that you wear all the time. These 3 pair of jeans now are also in the "later" section. Not sure I'll be that size again. So I didn't fit into any of my jeans after having Tiffany. So I make a trip back to Kohl's. This time I find $8.00 jeans. Now, under most circumstances this would be a great deal, right? But then the thought comes: 33 cents - oooooh, $8.00 now seems like full price (which was actually $32.00). Did I mention I love clearance racks? So, after much thought, I decided that I can't just buy the jeans (2 item rule). So I look through the $2.00 racks. Find a shirt that I enjoy. Buy them both together. Total comes to $10 something. Mission accomplished.
1) Solitare
2) My purse
I bought this really cute functional purse a few months ago. I was very excited! It was at a garage sale for 2 dollars with the tags still on it from Kohl's.
3) Kohl's
So I'm loving this purse, feeling very stylish of course. Then Ms. Tiffany comes along.
4) Tiffany
I had a black diaper bag to use for her, and it matched my lovely purse. Well, my purse has been put in the "later" part of the house (things I know I'll use someday - this part of the house drives Harry nuts). My "wallet" is now in the diaper bag, along with my makeup. Goodbye, my beautiful purse. I'll dig you back out when I'm done having kids? Now, back to number 3. I love Kohl's. The reason I love Kohl's is because of the CLEARANCE RACKS!
5) Clearance
Once upon a time, I bought 3 pair of jeans that were very much clearanced out. The tags were orange and marked $1.00 on each of them. Woo hoo! I try them on, and they fit great! Bring them to the checkout, and the lady tells me my total. $1.00 + tax, of course. WHAT? It was another 66% off of the orange sticker price - this made my month! You can't beat 33 cent jeans that you wear all the time. These 3 pair of jeans now are also in the "later" section. Not sure I'll be that size again. So I didn't fit into any of my jeans after having Tiffany. So I make a trip back to Kohl's. This time I find $8.00 jeans. Now, under most circumstances this would be a great deal, right? But then the thought comes: 33 cents - oooooh, $8.00 now seems like full price (which was actually $32.00). Did I mention I love clearance racks? So, after much thought, I decided that I can't just buy the jeans (2 item rule). So I look through the $2.00 racks. Find a shirt that I enjoy. Buy them both together. Total comes to $10 something. Mission accomplished.
Wednesday, November 02, 2005
Wal-Mart and Things I Love
I love paper. All colors and prints. If there's paper at any garage sale, you can pretty much plan on me picking it up for 50 cents when I could get it for a dollar in Wal-Mart. And I love Wal-Mart. So much, in fact, that I am limiting myself to 2 trips a month. One in Cedar Falls for groceries and things, and one in Waverly for anything that comes up unexpectedly (paper, light bulbs, paper, laundry soap, paper, etc.)....(I've really eased up on buying paper unless it's a scrapbooking need). And I think this is going to save me money, right? So, we get our groceries and everything - everything - we need for the whole month hoping not to have to go back all month long, as much as I enjoy my Wal-Mart. So I'm going to figure out today if I actually saved any money doing this.
I have a little quirk about myself - can't get me on this one, guys - I can't just buy one item. Anywhere. Anytime. I have to buy two things. So let's say I need batteries. I go into my lovely Wal-Mart and get the AAs. Uh-oh. That's one packaged item. I can't get myself to get in line at the checkout. So, I search my brain for anything ELSE that I might need. Do I have dish soap, toilet paper, window cleaner, LemiShine (for hard water spots in the dishwasher - it's the BEST!), paper? Yes? Well, then I guess I could buy a loaf of bread and freeze it 'til we need it. So that's exactly what I do. To this day, I have bought one item at a store twice. Ever. And both of them haunt me.
So Wal-Mart benefits from OCD people like me, ya' see. Which makes me wonder if I'm better off going all out once a month, or buying one extra item a couple times a week. Does anyone know?
What else do I love, you ask? I love:
1) My family, of course
2) My squishy pillows
3) Free stuff
4) Garage sales
5) Texas Roadhouse
6) The smell of pencils
7) Staying warm
8) Coloring with good ol' crayons
9) Kissing my husband
10) Clearance racks
11) Seinfeld
12) Cow stuff
13) Swimming
14) Doing nothing (might be my favorite)
15) Disney movies
16) Wedding Receptions
That's what I love that wouldn't be obvious to the world. Want to know what I really really don't like?
1) Dishes - they're never done.
2) Bugs - if I had 3 wishes, one of them would be that there are NO MORE BUGS. Ever.
3) Anything uneven
I have a little quirk about myself - can't get me on this one, guys - I can't just buy one item. Anywhere. Anytime. I have to buy two things. So let's say I need batteries. I go into my lovely Wal-Mart and get the AAs. Uh-oh. That's one packaged item. I can't get myself to get in line at the checkout. So, I search my brain for anything ELSE that I might need. Do I have dish soap, toilet paper, window cleaner, LemiShine (for hard water spots in the dishwasher - it's the BEST!), paper? Yes? Well, then I guess I could buy a loaf of bread and freeze it 'til we need it. So that's exactly what I do. To this day, I have bought one item at a store twice. Ever. And both of them haunt me.
So Wal-Mart benefits from OCD people like me, ya' see. Which makes me wonder if I'm better off going all out once a month, or buying one extra item a couple times a week. Does anyone know?
What else do I love, you ask? I love:
1) My family, of course
2) My squishy pillows
3) Free stuff
4) Garage sales
5) Texas Roadhouse
6) The smell of pencils
7) Staying warm
8) Coloring with good ol' crayons
9) Kissing my husband
10) Clearance racks
11) Seinfeld
12) Cow stuff
13) Swimming
14) Doing nothing (might be my favorite)
15) Disney movies
16) Wedding Receptions
That's what I love that wouldn't be obvious to the world. Want to know what I really really don't like?
1) Dishes - they're never done.
2) Bugs - if I had 3 wishes, one of them would be that there are NO MORE BUGS. Ever.
3) Anything uneven
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
Christmas Cleaning
I was so very excited to have won a cake tonight at the Harvest Party!!! I put it in the fridge, cause Harry's aunt is coming this weekend and I won't have to make one myself. Lazy me. I have so much to do downstairs because she'll be staying here and the spare room is down there. So - we do a garage sale Christmas every year with my family. We draw names in early spring, and then shop all summer at garage sales for Christmas gifts. Great idea, right? The only problem is, where do I put all this stuff until Christmas??? In the spare room, of course. Oh, wait. What if we have company? Guess we'll come up with something for the weekend. So I have gifts for 6 people - and it's a ton of stuff because you can GET a ton of stuff with a limit of $20 per person at a garage sale! So guess what I'm doing tomorrow? Maybe if I wrap them, the pile will look prettier.
Thursday, October 20, 2005
OCD
My first blogger experience! Exciting! I guess I don't know what to write, now. I was just excited to be a blogger-er? I wonder, well I gues I wonder a little too much about way too much. But I was eating supper tonight, and thought of "you are what you eat". What does that even mean? What does it mean to be yellow squash? Can anyone tell me!?
Tiffany had a hard day, and night last night. So - well, let me give you the "routine" first. She eats about ever 4-5 hours. How do I know this? Because I actually write it down. I made a graph out on Microsoft Word that tells me am/pm, time start eating, time ending, any notes, if I've taken any medicine, and when she's taken a bath. I even had a poop column for the first couple weeks. Is this sad? So in the "notes" column, I write down anything I eat to figure out later (if she's fussy) what may have upset her stomach. I do this for two reasons. 1) I have the worst memory of possibly anyone you know, and 2) organization is part of the (OCD) obsessive compulsive disorder. Somedays I wonder how bad it really is. :)
Now Harry will try to counteract my OCD. I have to eat things in pairs (which he can really do nothing about). And I have this thing about anything (but mostly people, walking) making a complete circle around me. So I'll try to be discreet about anyone knowing this, and make up a reason to walk back around them if they're working toward that complete circle. So Harry likes to turn in circles and do a little dance because he knows it drives me nuts! Now it's probably a good thing that he does this, because it makes me not so serious about it (even though I still can't watch him do it). But when he's not home, I actually take his shoes and (I can't believe I'm telling this to anyone - I sound like the biggest dork) walk them around the kitchen chair and then put them back and go back around the chair without the shoes (so the shoes are the only thing that's made the circle) because I know when he puts them on, he'll take them in the one hand, pull his chair out, and then make 1/2 of a circle around the chair (which ends up being a full circle by the time he pushes his chair back in). That was a really long run-on sentence. Now before you laugh too hard at me, I don't always think to do this. There's plenty more to do around this place than for me to put a whole lot of time into that. It's those little things, though, that drive me batty. Please tell me SOMEONE else does pointless little things like that?? I'm sure this will fade after more children! Okay, I'm going to bed. G'night.
Tiffany had a hard day, and night last night. So - well, let me give you the "routine" first. She eats about ever 4-5 hours. How do I know this? Because I actually write it down. I made a graph out on Microsoft Word that tells me am/pm, time start eating, time ending, any notes, if I've taken any medicine, and when she's taken a bath. I even had a poop column for the first couple weeks. Is this sad? So in the "notes" column, I write down anything I eat to figure out later (if she's fussy) what may have upset her stomach. I do this for two reasons. 1) I have the worst memory of possibly anyone you know, and 2) organization is part of the (OCD) obsessive compulsive disorder. Somedays I wonder how bad it really is. :)
Now Harry will try to counteract my OCD. I have to eat things in pairs (which he can really do nothing about). And I have this thing about anything (but mostly people, walking) making a complete circle around me. So I'll try to be discreet about anyone knowing this, and make up a reason to walk back around them if they're working toward that complete circle. So Harry likes to turn in circles and do a little dance because he knows it drives me nuts! Now it's probably a good thing that he does this, because it makes me not so serious about it (even though I still can't watch him do it). But when he's not home, I actually take his shoes and (I can't believe I'm telling this to anyone - I sound like the biggest dork) walk them around the kitchen chair and then put them back and go back around the chair without the shoes (so the shoes are the only thing that's made the circle) because I know when he puts them on, he'll take them in the one hand, pull his chair out, and then make 1/2 of a circle around the chair (which ends up being a full circle by the time he pushes his chair back in). That was a really long run-on sentence. Now before you laugh too hard at me, I don't always think to do this. There's plenty more to do around this place than for me to put a whole lot of time into that. It's those little things, though, that drive me batty. Please tell me SOMEONE else does pointless little things like that?? I'm sure this will fade after more children! Okay, I'm going to bed. G'night.
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