"No Donkey Tails?"

This morning, I actually woke up early... 7:30 (working towards the school schedule). I was drinking my coffee and reading the newspaper on my chair enjoying the morning wondering when little feet would inquire about the breakfast menu.

Big "K" walks in and asks what is for breakfast. Taking advantage of her age and ability, I told her that she could help herself to making waffles, bagels, juice, fruit etc. Off she trots.

My next moment of peace (which didn't last very long) was interrupted by smaller feet trotting in wearing fuzzy dinosaur zip-up pajamas (I told him last night to no avail that they would be way too hot in this weather).

Little "C' looks at me and asks what's for breakfast? I put down the newspaper and said "donkey tails, or tortoise shells, or squirrel whiskers". Expecting laughter, I was surprised by his serious expression. He asked in response to squirrel whiskers, "Do those taste good?". I couldn't contain my laughter. And then he asked "Are you just joking?" I said "yes, I'm just teasing". He then said (still serious.. no laughter has escaped him).. "So there's no donkey tails either?"

He actually appeared disappointed. I better work on my normal menu to make it sound more appealing.

So Sad...

Paul called me last night and told me that a fellow officer's son was in the PICU. His name is Jacob and he is ten year's old. When he was four years old he went on a family camping trip and somehow ended up with over fifty mosquito bites on the back of his neck in a very concentrated area. This caused an infection and his brain to swell and he has been having seizures ever since. He was swimming at a friends house yesterday and had a siezure while in the jacuzzi. They found him on the bottom of the jacuzzi and the length of time he was under is questionable but he has water in the lungs, Pulminary Edema (whatever that is) and is on a ventilator. The family is very distraught. Paul and his partner went to the hospital during their shift and Paul prayed over Jacob and with his father. Very raw emotions.

I, in turn, have had a wonderful day with the kids. We started out with breakfast with Paul, then some shopping/walking/playing at the mall. We even saw a movie, came home and had some ice cream. I really want to take advantage of the time that I have with the kids. You never really know what might happen or just how long we have.

Just Getting Started Now...

Okay, I actually have peace and quiet right now, so I'll see how long this lasts. J. or "mudboy" came to me this morning and said "only 10 more days"! I (reading the newspaper and only half paying attention) said "until what". He said "until school". Yep...summer is almost over. This one sure went by fast! I think we are almost ready. School supples bought? (check). School clothes purchased? (check). Backpacks? (check) Just a few more things for K. and we're good to go.

Now, I just need to get all of our sleep schedules in order (especially mine) This new house has better insulation or something because in the morning I can't hear the kids when they get up. I have been opening my eyes for the first time after 8:00 every morning. And since school starts at 8:00, I need to do something about this.

Here are a few highlights of the summer (photos telling the story..hooray!)

Lil' C. saying goodbye to our old house as we get ready to move. He really misses the green carpet (I think he is the only one!) Notice his fancy haircut with red gel on one side and purple gel on the other side.



J. having his first playdate in our new house with his best buddy!



Okay..I have time for one more because my troops are starting to get restless. So let's just finish with a cute one of all three.




Things that make you go ahhhhh!!!

Testing..testing..1.2.3...

Well, P. just got a new computer and I'm playing around with it to see if I can successfully add pictures to my blog. So here goes:

Last night when I was aimlessly writing my last blog, little C. came into the office/hang-out/craft room and told me that he wasn't feeling very good. I told him to go lie down on my bed and I'm sure he was sleep walking or extremely drowsy when he went to lie down because he didn't have a pillow or or his "beloved blankie". I took a picture of him because he looked so peaceful. If this "upload" is successful, I'll add more photos because they make the blogs more fun. Wish me luck!




Yahooey!! Looks like I did it!

Random Thoughts!

I'm stealing the title from my sister because the idea of random thoughts has been on my mind lately.

I actually asked P. the other day if we were to record the random thoughts in our heads and compare them .. what would they look like.

For example, has he ever had the thought "uh oh.. I left the chicken defrosted in the microwave for three hours.. I wonder if it is still ok?"

No.. I don't think so.

Or how about "I need to deadhead these pansies so that more can grow"..

Again, negative ghost rider.

Or how about, "let's look up on Ebay to see there are any counted cross-stitch kits to send to mom-in-law."

I'm not even sure if he knows what counted cross-stitch means.

Or what about.. "why am I feeling so grumpy.. could it be that time of month?"

Again, no.

So what kinds of random thoughts run through his head?

Hmmm... not sure if I want to know. Maybe it's better to keep the mind recorder put away.

Can you tell it's late at night??

The Chicken Man...

So P. and I are having a lazy Sunday afternoon sitting on the couches watching Comedy Central. We keep having to tell the kids to go play in the other room because the material on T.V. was not very appropriate. We were watching the "You Know Your a Redneck when..." movie with Jeff Foxworthy and his other hilarious friends. We were cracking up so hard at some of these jokes (actually relating to some of them as well..) when the phone rang. I told P. that I didn't feel like answering and he said he didn't really feel like answering either so it just rang four times and went to voicemail. Well on a commercial, I got my lazy self up to hear the message (curiousity got the better of me).

On the message was this truck driver friend of P.'s who is from Mississippi (his dad fought in Vietnam with P's dad) and has this incredibly slow southern drawl (very much like the comedian's we were watching). He said (in a very slow southern way) "Do ya'll like chicken? I have a bunch of chicken that Ralph's won't take because they said that they didn't order that much. I can't take it back with me so I have to get rid of it..call me if you want some chicken?"

I looked around me feeling like I was on Candid Camera.. I mean the timing of watching the Redneck comedy show and hearing this message was too much. I told P. that he had to call him back. And he said that he didn't feel like it because the guy is a really draining sort of fellow. I said are you crazy... it's free chicken. I mean you can't get a better deal than that.

So after the guy tried P. on his cell phone and he wouldn't answer it, I kept the phone close by and sure enough he called back which I answered quickly and handed it over to P. Ah hah!! We set up a time and place to meet him and off we went. The kids had a blast, of course we had to play the "Convoy" trucker song on the C.D. player as we drove there and then he pulled up in a very impressive purple cab eighteen wheeler. It was like a field trip, the boys were able to look inside and see what the life of a trucker is like. AND I have 33 lbs. of boneless, skinless chicken thighs in my freezer. Yee haw!! He told us that he tried calling a month ago because he had 250 lbs. of boneless/skinless chicken BREASTS that he had to get rid of. Can you imagine??

But..I'm in the Show!

As you may have read on a previous blog, I'm having tons of fun this summer taking the kids "outside of our smaller town" on different outings. We had a lot of fun at the Hollywood Bowl Summer Sounds for kids program with the fieldtrip class, that I decided to go back on my own. This week the Sailboat traveled to Mexico visiting a Native American Indian (Aztec..I believe) tribe.

We arrived in the morning and the kids are supposed to sit on the floor up close to the stage and the moms if they choose (and I do choose because I like the seats with backs) sit in chairs behind the floor area. So all the kids in the line made a mad dash for the floor area. The boys sat together and K. could not quite make it with them sat about five feet behind them with some older kids. I found my way back to a front-row seat and made myself comfortable but always keeping a close-eye on my kids. Always mentally counting ..one..two..three..okay we're good. So next thing I know No.2 child J. gets up and starts heading towards the exit. Uh..no..this won't do, so I hurriedly get up and head the same way. I see him with two other kids sitting with one of the stage crew. I said "uh..what are you doing".. He said "but Mom, I'm going to be in the show". Well alrighty then..you go J"! So I make sure visually that C. is okay sitting by himself with K. sitting not too far behind him.

As the show begins the sailboat makes it's way all around the sitting area "really neat singing musical part of the show" and finds it's way to Mexico. I can see off stage these huge feathers of Indian Headresses offstage and I think to myself "I hope C doesn't freak out". Sure enough the big booming sounds of the drums start and the "Ayy yaayy yaay ing" singing starts with these incredible tribal costumes come dancing in." I quickly get up to get a closer visual to make sure that all is okay and see smiles all around.. we're all good!" The show was fantastic and at one point the Captain starts describing a dream he had about the Indian creation of man. The first boy that was created was made out of mud... Yep.. J. was "mudboy". He walks on-stage very seriously decked out in his "Jesus Rocks" red t-shirt from last years VBS. Too funny.. since the story is a Native American Creation story. ANYWAY he was soo cute on stage... very serious and the Captain went on pointing out the boy then smiles (he forces a smile on J.'s face with his hands which cracked J. up). He then described how the rain came and washed the boy away. J. pretended to melt and walked off stage. C. was cracking up at J. on stage the whole time. It was pretty cute. After the show, they went to the craft area, where K. made a Aztec Doll and the boys made warrior shields. OF COURSE that is what they picked out to make. In their minds they were real warrior shields and not decorated paper plates with taped handles on the back.

Afterwards, the kids wanted to go on Hollywood Blvd. So we found parking near the Chinese Theatre and ventured out. Too much.. we were truly "not in Kansas anymore". There were all sorts of people (homeless I think) dressed in costumes trying to make a few bucks to have their picture taken with tourists. The kids thought this was too cool. They saw, Batman, Spiderman, Dora, Spongebob, Stormtrooper etc. Even Marilyn Monroe (smelling a bit like alcohol) slurred out to J. "Praise the Lord little boy". Remember his shirt. Hmm...note to self, where something more subtle next week.

Anyway, the true highlight of the day (if there could be anymore) was having the kids picture taken at one of the vendors where they can superimpose their faces onto a chosen scene. They chose Star Wars of course. So we have the most incredible picture of K. as Padme, J. as Annakin, and C. as Obi. Their facial expressions are too much. They all really got into character.

Anyway, the sailboat goes to Russia next week followed by Scotland the week after. Then its' over. Will keep you posted if we can get tickets.

I'm So Proud.....

I was talking to P. the other night about a conversation I had with a good friend whom I previously worked with. You see, my friend, my sister, and I were all pregnant and eerily all had the same exact due date. My son was a bit anxious and decided to be born five weeks early and the other two were born a day apart.

So anyway, my friend often asks me questions regarding her son (he is her first, whereas my baby was my third..) development questions etc. She told me that he has been asking her questions (they are four years old now) which have been stumping her. I asked her what she meant. She told me that he announced in the car one day that there was snow up in the mountains. She said, uh-huh (as we often respond to our children when we are driving). He then asked "mom, why would there be snow on the mountain when the mountain is closer to the sun and the sun is burning fire?". She told me that she wasn't sure how to respond.

I told her to go have her son tested because if he is thinking like that then he is probably going to be the next Einstein. I mean what four year old thinks things through like that? She then told me that he asks goofy questions too, like do we have ear boogers? She explained to him that no, that is called ear wax. He then said.."oh, you mean waxy stuff, sort of like what crayons and candles are made of".

Later, I was curious and asked my son what crayons are made of and he said "colors". Hmmmm.

So P. and I are discussing this and I'm trying not to compare the two and he is reassuring me that our children are smart as well,..when all of a sudden out comes our four year old wearing nothing except underpants..although on closer observation, he looks rather bulky like he is wearing football thigh pads. He excitedly exclaims...Mom..Dad.. I have 21 pairs of underpants on!! Followed quickly with... "betcha I can bounce!" He then proceeds to peel each pair off as he counts.. one, two, three etc. The timing of this was too much. A definite "you had to be there moment" Hmmmm so proud!

Count Me In!

There are a couple of ladies in my mothers bible study group at church who are currently going through breast cancer. One I know really well and the other just through passing. What is so shocking about this is that they are both a couple of years younger than me and both have very young children. The one mom who I know really well has a five year old and two year old daughters and the other mom has a four year old daughter and three year old son.

Women in the group volunteer to bring dinners to the family when the moms are going through chemotherapy or are just really needed. I agreed to be on the list. I received a call last Friday that I would be bringing a meal to the family of the mom that I don't know very well.

What I do know very well through email updates is that she is not doing well. The cancer spread through her lymph nodes and is now residing in her liver, brain, bone etc. and she is not responding well to chemo. I was feeling very shamefully intimidated about bringing the family dinner. I don't like admitting it, but part of me was hoping that she wouldn't return my phone call so I wouldn't have to go through with it.

Perhaps it is because of her prognosis, or perhaps it is facing her beautiful children and knowing that they may lose their mother at such a young age, or perhaps it is knowing that this could happen to anyone, myself included. ANYWAY, she called me back.. I put up a good front and told her that I really wanted to bring her a super yummy meal. Whatever sounded good to her at a restuarant of her choice (too hot to cook). I anticipated her response to be one that many mom's make who I have brought meals to in the past (never for sickness..usually a new baby)..being.."whatever is fine.." BUT no, she got very excited and was so positive and friendly and she told me that she was having a craving for hawaiian (sp?) bbq beef at a local food joint. I said "you got it!".

If a simple request like hawaiian bbq could bring an inkling of joy to someone who is going through this horrible ordeal with such positiveness...COUNT ME IN.

She was not available when I delivered her food to the family but I had a wonderful conversation with her husband (who was actually serving in Iraq when she first found out she had cancer..he missed her first year of going through chemo and being sick. He is home for now though.)

P. and I talked about it when I came home and have agreed that I am going to be on a permanent rotation to bring them meals at least once a month. Please keep these families in your prayers!