Memorial Day and the day after

Yesterday we made it to the lake before lunch. The kids' aunt and uncle took them for a boat ride. Granddad went with them. Grandma and I stayed back.

We ate a nice picnicky lunch, and I put the kids down for a nap. They thought they were going to both sleep in the little toddler bed in one bedroom. That was a good one. I got them settled into separate beds in separate rooms, and started working on dessert. I think I mixed the pudding too long, and it got a little rubbery. (Don't mix the pudding too long.)

It turned out ok, but I would like to try it again, and see if it's better. It definitely didn't look like the picture. I guess it was ok - everyone ate theirs and the kids and I had a second helping when we got home. It worked out to 10 grams of carbs per serving. I don't think that is bad for a dessert.

While I was fixing dessert, the four adults were in the living room trying to hook the VCR up to the new TV. Grandma was reading the directions and BIL and SIL were trying to follow her convoluted instructions. I told them, "Wait for my husband to get here; it will take him 2 minutes." They finally gave up.

Grandma, my SIL and BIL went to the plant nursery while the kids were napping, so I sat and read some magazines in the living room with Granddad who was watching Law and Order on his new flat screen tv. I love L&O - even reruns I've seen a zillion times.

DH came and I was right. It took him two minutes to hook up the DVD player. Grandma says, "I told you - I knew he could do it." Funny. I thought I was the one who said that.

We were eating supper - they were all watching me and asking about how I was measuring and weighing Little Boy's food and figuring his insulin shot. At the table I told my husband what Little Boy could eat; Grandma kept trying to sneak more onto his plate. She gave him a crescent roll (which was ok - I figured it in) but she kept pushing to give him apple butter on it. "He can have a little taste." Apple butter was not figured in b/c it was homemade and didn't have any sugar/carb info on the jar. I guess I gave her a look and then just refused to look at her. SIL must have seen my face, b/c she told Grandma not to give it to him. Maybe I don't have to be as picky as I am, but I am trying my best to keep Little Boy's sugar under control.

Later today I take Little Boy's notebook to the Homeschool review. I have a couple things I need to do before I go. Little Boy is very excited about finishing the book. No more excited than Mommy! He is such a smart little guy.

The rain held off yesterday, but this morning we woke up to steady rain showers, again. My peonies are blooming. I have one plant that opens before any other bush on the hill. I love it. I don't have any pic (b/c it's RAINING), but I will soon. I just love them. Every time I see them I think of my grandparents' house, but every time I smell them, I am there. We would stop there after church on Sunday's. I always wanted to bury my face in them, but I was seriously afraid an ant would go up my nose. I loved the smell of the lilacs, too, but the peonies were always my favorites.

Memorial Day

My thanks and admiration for all the military members who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom, and for any who have served our country to keep us safe. I am especially thinking of my Grandfather, who served in WWII, my great uncle, who was at Pearl Harbor, my great uncle who served in WWII, my great uncle, who fought in the Korean War, my uncle John, who fought in Vietnam, and came home with multiple purple hearts.

Click click click click

click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click

wooo-ooo wooo-ooo wooo-ooo wooo-ooo wooo-ooo wooo-ooo

click click click click click click click click click

AAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!

Stop shooting the gun! Stop making siren sounds! Stop shooting the gun!

Little Boy and his repetitive noises can drive me NUTS!

I love that kid.

Sleep interrupted

I didn't take a nap yesterday. I was hoping it would be easier for me to fall asleep last night, but it was midnight before I felt sleepy. My husband was sleeping when I crawled into bed. He got up at 2 am to check Little Boy's blood sugar. He came into the room and woke me up. Did we give Little Boy his nighttime shot? No - we were going to do it when he finished brushing his teeth, and we all forgot. Great. His sugar was high.

So we had to wake him up (he never wakes up all the way) to give him his 24 hour shot. Now to get the shot back to 9:15, we have to step back an hour at a time. So "tonight" we'll have to give him his shot at 1, tomorrow at midnight, and so on, until we're back on schedule. This is the second time we've done this. We need to figure out a way to NOT forget.

It took me quite awhile to get back to sleep. Thankfully, DH went right back to sleep. And before I knew it, he was telling me good-bye. (I make him tell me or I wake up panicked that he overslept and didn't make it out the door on time.)

And I had barely fallen asleep when I hear two little Baby feet hit the floor in the next room. She crawled into my bed until Little Boy opened his door. The two of them went into the living room to play. How long until a fight erupted? Actually, they did well for about 15 minutes. And so I got up. 7 am on a Saturday. Oh well.

There's always naptime.

It was a nice day!

Today was a good day. My husband worked last shift and never went to bed when he got home. Instead, he worked on school work, mowed the lawn, trimmed, cooked hotdogs for lunch, cooked hamburgers for supper, "watched" the kids while I went to the store (they were napping). Today was his day "off" before he starts on day shift tomorrow. His work schedule would absolutely KILL me.

My Better Homes and Gardens magazine came the other day. I was flipping through the pages and saw a yummy recipe. With a little tweaking, it will make a great dessert for our carb-conscious menu. Here's my revised version:

Strawberry Cream Freeze
1 pkg. (8 oz.) Philly cream cheese
1 c. cold milk
1 pkg. sugar free vanilla pudding
1 1/2 c. thawed cool whip
mini vanilla wafers
1 c. sliced fresh strawberries

Beat cream cheese in a large bowl with mixer until creamy. Gradually beat in milk. Add dry pudding mix, beat 2 min. Stir in cool whip.

Place 2 broken-up mini vanilla wafers into each cup. Divide the sliced strawberries equally between the cups. Spoon the filling into the cups. Freeze for 4 hours and remove liners.

I'll have to figure out the carb count. It sounds so yummy.

Beautiful Day

It's just one of those completely beautiful days outside. Blue sky, fresh green trees and grass, sunshine and big shadows under the trees.

Too bad we have to do schoolwork.

We'll get done and get out there.

Today is going to be a better day. It has to be.

The Rest of the Story

Little by little, I learned everything that took place outside. And it is so horrible and disgusting that I will not share it all. Let's just say that Little Boy helped make the puddle, and apparently, Baby didn't make into the house before pooping.

So both of my children are grounded to the house unless a parent is outside with them.

Lucky me.

I have to get it together

My house is a disaster. If someone came to the front door, I'd be mortified.

I desperately need a shower. For me it's a necessity, not a luxury. I don't enjoy it - it's just another thing on the list of things that I HAVE to do.

My daughter is completely trying my patience. She changes her clothes all day long. She has emptied her little drawers, and started pulling things out of the closet. I'm too tired to fight it.

She has completely regressed in her potty training. She wets her pullups without remorse. Today when I dressed her, I gave her a stern warning about wetting her pullup. She did use the toilet this morning, and I tried to make a big deal about it. Maybe she was feeling like it wasn't exciting anymore. ? She came out a little while later wearing undies and a different shirt. I decided to let her try wearing the undies. I gave her another stern warning about not getting her clothes wet; if she needed to pee, she needed to come in and use the toilet.

I got their lunches ready and I went outside to call my kids in to eat. She was standing on the porch of the playhouse. Without undies or shorts - just her sweet little cheeks free in the breeze. As I got closer, I saw Little Boy with a roll of paper towels. He was soaking up a very large puddle. I told him to stop, and thankfully, one of my children is in a listening mood today.

She started hopping up and down, "I'm pooping! I'm pooping!" I put her undies back on her, and made her walk to the house. She was upset b/c she didn't have her shoes on, but one look at my face and she took off. She did make it to the house without making a mess; I cleaned her up and put on a clean pullup. I sat her in her chair and told her to eat. Not long after, Little Boy says, "She's throwing her meat at me!" I got her cleaned up, let her sit on the toilet, and took her to her room.

Oh my word. The window shade was all the way at the top, and her drawers were hanging open with clothes hanging out. Toys, blankets, pillows, clothes, shoes - everywhere. It will take me half a day to clean that bomb-blasted room.

Only a mommy could fully understand why it's a good thing my kids still take naps. My head hurts, I'm tired, I'd LOOOOOVE to take a nap, I should clean my unlivable living room, but I need to go out to the outhouse playhouse and clean up someone's pee.

Funny Boy

My kids have finished lunch. I told them they could go outside to play for half an hour, but Baby needs to put her pants back on. (She'd prefer to run about in just her pullup, but I'm mean.)

I told Little Boy to look in the kitchen; that is where she took them off before lunch.

I told him, "They are light blue pants."

He said, "So they are not heavy blue pants."

I think we need to work on some color descriptions or something. My head is feeling rather thick today - maybe it's me.

Another Baby-ism

Last night my children were a bit wild. Daddy and I were sitting on the couch; I was on the computer, Daddy was watching Glenn Beck.

We had to pause the TV several times to make the wild ones settle down. Baby was getting frustrated. I guess she had had enough.

"I want Daddy to go to work!"

I'm glad Daddy found it humorous.

Baby-ism today

Little Boy was in the bathroom before Baby. When she went in there, apparently it didn't smell very, well, shall we say, fresh.

She said, "Ewww. It smells like boy in there."

Optimistic

Husband is home for 3 days - hopefully I can get some things done today and tomorrow. Friday we go to Morgantown to see the endocrinologist for a check up.

We'll see.

Mother's Day

I had a very nice Mother's Day. I was given nice cards, a white impatiens plant, and a beautiful ring.

Baby must have told me "Happy Mother's Day!" about 100 times today. Little Boy started getting irritated, but I loved it. Each time she said it like it was the first time, and she gave me many smooches. Maybe I'm overly needy, but I don't think I could get ever get enough.

Here are my beautiful children this morning. They are why Mother's Day is special to me.

I think I'm "there"

You know how you can't lose weight until you've reached that point where you just cannot stand it? I think I'm there.

I had Daddy take pictures of Baby and me before we left for the Mother/Daughter program. I now have that picture as the background on my computer screen. I need to print about 50 of them and plaster them all over the house. Maybe I can quit eating so much if I am constantly nauseous.

Taco Salad Dip

Yummy, but not diet-friendly.

Taco Salad Dip

3 pkg. cream cheese
1 16 oz. container cottage cheese
1 packet taco seasoning

Using a blender, mix cream cheese and cottage cheese. Add taco seasoning and mix well.

Spread mix in bottom of 10 x 13 cake pan or a couple smaller pans.

Top with shredded cheese and whatever veggies you like. I used yellow bell pepper, tomato, cucumber, green onions, sliced black olives. Use chips to scoop the dip - I used Scoops and Nacho Doritos.

Sunshine

It looks like we started out with a beautiful day, but I really wouldn't know. I was in bed until 10 am! I was just so tired. I didn't sleep soundly; Baby came to visit me a couple times to snuggle and tickle me. I got up and the house was quiet and empty. I could have rolled over and slept soundly! Oh well. I'm up.

I may go to church to get all the utensils out of the drawers. The church has had mice lately, and I'm grossed out. The ladies' Mother/Daughter Banquet is tomorrow, and I cringe to think someone may use something dirty.

I need to get back out in the den and work. It's still a mess, and I have several boxes that need to be sorted. Guess I should get dressed.

Apparently, my son decided to open the trunk on the car. That means he opened the driver's side door, popped the trunk, got the stroller out for sister, and closed the trunk. I cringe to think about all the times he could have smashed his fingers.

Well, I have lots to do.

I never thought I would say,

"Get your pencil out of your underwear. And your eraser, too."

Where do they get these things?

Ugh

Today I started cleaning and sorting in the den. It's the place where I put/throw everything I don't know what to do with. I have so much left to tackle, but I started!

Scope

Monday I went to the hospital for a scope down my throat into my stomach to see if there was any damage from acid reflux. The prognosis is that I definitely have acid reflux, but there was not damage in my esophagus. Good stuff. The meds they gave me in my IV really made me tired. When I got home, I ate a small lunch and went to bed for about 3 hours.

So I'm supposed to keep taking Prevacid and avoiding caffeine and spicey foods.

Just glad it's over with ok results.

She said, "Please."

Baby is watching TV. Daddy is putting something on the top of the TV.

"GET OUT OF THE WAY!"

So Daddy stood there longer, tormenting the "poor little girl."

I asked her how she should ask someone to move, and she tilted her head to the side, clasped her hands, and said, "Please!"

Please makes everything ok.

My Other Blog

So, I've started another blog where I vent about social, national and political events. It's a way for me to verbalize my opinions. You can read it, or not, and it's ok. :0)

Today's post is regarding Miss California's answer to the question she was given.

There is a link in the upper left hand corner of this blog page.

http://whatburnsmeup-tammy.blogspot.com/

Swine Flu

I am not discounting the seriousness of any contagious illness. However, I read a report that stated that 83 children were confirmed to have died of Influenza A and B during the winter of 2007-2008. Both my children had type A this winter, and I can tell you, it is difficult to sit by them as they fight high fever, extremely sore throats and horrible-sounding coughs.

My children did not get the flu vaccine. I didn't get the flu vaccine. The majority of people who contracted Influenza B were given the flu vaccine, and it had no effect.

I read a study from the Oxford Journal that estimates that in the United States, between the years 1979 and 2001, EACH YEAR 41,000 people died from Influenza A and B.

41,000 each year.

41,000.

How many U.S. citizens have died from Swine Flu? With this exaggerated, fear-generated report of a pandemic, is the White House trying to distract our attention? From what or whom?

Some pictures of my crazy kids

Exciting Day

So many things - little things, perhaps - but things to be thankful for. Monday, husband unclogged the drain in the basement floor. We can now run the dishwasher and run the sink in the kitchen. Yay!

Today, the part for the washing machine came, and I did a couple loads of wash. It's amazing how clean the clothes get when the agitator actually turns! LOL. I think we've been wearing dirty clean clothes for awhile now that I see what clean ones look like.

DH and children (and I) put up the new flagpole today. I'll add pictures after lunch. My rebel husband is so proud of his "Don't Tread On Me" flag. I had to laugh.


Before & After

It was late, but it was yummy!

Last night, supper was very late getting on the table. But I thought it was very yummy. We had grilled Italian chicken, grilled potatoes, and green beans.

Italian Chicken
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded flat
1/3 c. Zesty Italian dressing
1/4 c. olive oil
1/2 T. Italian seasoning

Combine dressing, oil and seasoning. Pour into large ziplock with chicken. Put in refrigerator to marinate.

Grilled Potatoes
3 large potatoes
4 T. butter, melted
Seasoning of your choice

Wash the potatoes, but leave the skin on. Slice the potatoes lengthwise, into thick slices (about 3/4 in.). Place in pot of water, bring to boil. Boil for 8 minutes. Drain.

Brush the melted butter on the potatoes, and sprinkle seasonings on both sides. I use McCormick's Roasted Garlic & Herb.

I put the chicken and the potatoes on the grill at the same time. Since the potatoes are basically cooked, I put them where the burners aren't as hot.

Plugged up and not turning

Saturday morning DH called: "Did you have any problems with the sink?" Of course, he called when I was checking Little Boy's blood sugar and Baby was sitting on the toilet calling for help. I wasn't having trouble with the sink, but he told me that it had backed up that morning while the dishwasher was running. Great. The valve in the pipe in the basement is surrounded buried by stuff. We've had this issue 2 or 3 times since I've lived here, and we've called a plumber to come snake the pipe.

So we are not using the kitchen sink or dishwasher. My usually messy/cluttered kitchen is quickly becoming a disaster area. DH and Little Boy ran to town to rent a snake - saving about $40. And since DH has 3 days off, he can afford a little trip.

And we are not using the washing machine, either. Seems we've been putting our dirty clothes in, running it and putting the "washed" clothes into the dryer. The washer has been making a loudish squeeking noise. I put clothes in the other night, and was doing some sorting when the washer turned on. It was squeeking again, but I could tell it wasn't agitating - the washer wasn't shaking enough. I let it finish and looked inside. All the clothes were in the same spot they started in - NOT a good sign. There were a couple stained things that were still folded after being stain treated. So I don't know how long we've been drying dirty clothes. Lovely.

There are plenty of things I could be doing, but Baby and I are watching a Winnie the Pooh movie for a little while.

Another visit from the Tooth Fairy

Last night Little Boy was wiggling his loose tooth - grosses me out. Just before he brushed his teeth, he and Daddy got all excited about something. He came out into the living room and showed me his little tooth. He was hopping all over, excited that the Tooth Fairy was coming to bring him money and a toy! Yeah. The "Tooth Fairy" started wondering where she was going to come up with a toy.

The Tooth Fairy gave him a dollar and a new sticker activity book on Jack and the Beanstalk. I think she's going to have to find a couple little toys at the store to put aside just for little boys in our house who lose teeth so she doesn't panic last minute.

Just a note on baby teeth. I think baby teeth are so beautiful. They are small, white, straight. Adult teeth are too big for little mouths, crooked, ugly. At least that's how I feel about my teeth compared to my baby teeth. And I look at Little Boy and KNOW the kid's going to need braces. Great.

Explanation

I am totally in love with CSI/Forensics type shows. Last night was a new episode of Bones.

Head is found in marsh.

Bug/Dirt guy identifies bird vomit on the skull that only comes from a bird in another part of the marsh.

Lady head of the lab asks guy why someone would put the head in one part of the marsh and then put the body in the other part of the marsh.

He says, "I rarely find motive in bird vomit," with a completely straight face.

Her facial reaction just cracked me up.

So now ya know. :0)

I guess maybe I was overly tired.

One liner

"I rarely find motive in bird vomit."

I saw this in a forensics show last night, and it totally cracks me up.

Baby and the bug

Baby is terrified of bugs. A common housefly makes her scream bloody murder. And it's funny, I can identify the scream. So, I was sitting here checking things out online, and she screamed. She's in the house, and there's a bug on the outside of the window. I told her to tap on the glass lightly, and it would fly away. She screamed. Then she backed up a foot or two and tossed her stuffed animal at the window. It flew away, and she laughed.

Then she was next to me on the couch. She saw a tiny piece of a cracker, and looked at it through the magnifying glass, "Crumb alert! Crumb alert!"

Where does she get this stuff?

After I finished the post, Baby ran to the bathroom. She sat in there and grunted and groaned. Finally, she called for help. She had pooped some itty bitty little poops. Daddy went and helped her. She came out and I told her how proud I was. She looked at me all sad. "I'm going to miss them." I asked her what she was going to miss. "My little poops." Now she's asking me, "Can I go outside?" followed by cute, begging puppy eyes and a smile. Love her.

Earth Day, Shmearth Day

So my husband was talking today about CFLs. There is only one company that he could find that even makes them in the US. Evidently, all other CFLs are made in China.

So, we've sold out the manufacturers to China. We are contributing to increased emissions in the long run. Think about it. China doesn't regulate emissions like the US, add to that the emissions of the trucks taking the bulbs to the port, the emissions of the ship that brings the bulbs to the US, the emissions of the planes and trucks that transport them here. And then add the emissions from your car when you attempt to find a disposal site.

CFLs contain mercury. I don't know if you've bought any, but you really need to know how to dispose of them if they break. Kinda discourages me from wanting to buy them. Especially the part in step 4 about throwing away bedding!

1. Before Clean-up: Air Out the Room
• Have people and pets leave the room, and don't let anyone walk through the breakage area on their way out.
• Open a window and leave the room for 15 minutes or more.
• Shut off the central forced-air heating/air conditioning system, if you have one.

2. Clean-Up Steps for Hard Surfaces
• Carefully scoop up glass fragments and powder using stiff paper or cardboard and place them in a glass jar with metal lid (such as a canning jar) or in a sealed plastic bag.
• Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small glass pieces and powder.
• Wipe the area clean with damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes. Place towels in the glass jar or plastic bag.
• Do not use a vacuum or broom to clean up the broken bulb on hard surfaces.

3. Clean-up Steps for Carpeting or Rug:
• Carefully pick up glass fragments and place them in a glass jar with metal lid (such as a canning jar) or in a sealed plastic bag.
• Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small glass fragments and powder.
• If vacuuming is needed after all visible materials are removed, vacuum the area where the bulb was broken.
• Remove the vacuum bag (or empty and wipe the canister), and put the bag or vacuum debris in a sealed plastic bag.

4. Clean-up Steps for Clothing, Bedding, etc.:
• If clothing or bedding materials come in direct contact with broken glass or mercury-containing powder from inside the bulb that may stick to the fabric, the clothing or bedding should be THROWN AWAY. Do not wash such clothing or bedding because mercury fragments in the clothing may contaminate the machine and/or pollute sewage.
• You can, however, wash clothing or other materials that have been exposed to the mercury vapor from a broken CFL, such as the clothing you are wearing when you cleaned up the broken CFL, as long as that clothing has not come into direct contact with the materials from the broken bulb.
• If shoes come into direct contact with broken glass or mercury-containing powder from the bulb, wipe them off with damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes. Place the towels or wipes in a glass jar or plastic bag for disposal.

5. Disposal of Clean-up Materials
• Immediately place all clean-up materials outdoors in a trash container or protected area for the next normal trash pickup.
• Wash your hands after disposing of the jars or plastic bags containing clean-up materials.
• Check with your local or state government about disposal requirements in your specific area. Some states do not allow such trash disposal. Instead, they require that broken and unbroken mercury-containing bulbs be taken to a local recycling center.

6. Future Cleaning of Carpeting or Rug: Air Out the Room During and After Vacuuming
• The next several times you vacuum, shut off the central forced-air heating/air conditioning system and open a window before vacuuming.
• Keep the central heating/air conditioning system shut off and the window open for at least 15 minutes after vacuuming is completed.

When your CFL bulb burns out, you have to find a special hazardous waste site that will accept them. You have to ensure that the bulbs are not broken between the time you take the bulb out and the time you get it to the site. Good luck with that. Hope it doesn't break in your car.

Baby's dance

This morning DH let me sleep just a little while he got the kids their breakfast. But first he got Baby changed into her pull-up. She then posed in front of the mirror, wiggling her batushka, saying, "Undie butt, undie butt."

I called and made an appointment to see the doctor. I figure I can get something for the sinus infection and I can get my Wellbutrin refill. I really need it. Yesterday I was fixing supper and for no reason felt like crying.

My kids have been taking cold medicine, and it shows. Little Boy just cannot be still or quiet. It gets old quick. I try to be more patient with him, but it's hard when I don't feel good.

Last night the kids were up too late. I got supper on the table late and that pushes Little Boy's nighttime snack late. So they were up while I was watching American Idol. And dancing. All over the living room. Little Boy is funny, but Baby is hilarious. The one song had a Latin feel to it, and she was twisting her little hips to the beat. Seeing that it's been raining here for about 3 days, that was the most exercise they've had. And it made me laugh. The head-bob/bows at the end were funny, too.

What is going on!

It's quarter to two in the morning, and I *think* I took nighttime Tylenol sinus medicine. But I don't know why I'm still alive awake.

I just sat and watched a myriad of Britains Got Talent videos, and several interviews with Susan Boyle. Can't get enough.

Watched a video of Dawn Meehan - love her - talking about her book tour and her day in Atlanta today. Ahhh. A trip away from home without kids. I don't know that I'll ever get one of those.

Well. I think I'm going to check Little Boy's blood sugar a few minutes early, and get off to bed.

The weirdest thing; after watching BGT, I hear my thoughts with a British accent. I must have taken the nighttime meds. Now I'm not sleepy, but I sure am feeling a bit batty.

Baked Parmesan Potatoes

Last night I fixed a recipe I used to make frequently. Probably too frequently as I think my husband got a little tired of them.

Little Boy looked at them, and said he didn't think he liked them. But while we were waiting on Daddy to come to the table, he sneaked a tiny little taste of the crunchy, golden parmesan cheese. And I saw that look of discovery in his eyes that said, "I LIKE IT!"

Daddy came, we prayed, and he quickly gobbled the top, crusty part of the potato. I was worried he wouldn't eat the rest, but Daddy told him he'd have to eat the flesh, but not the skin. "WAIT! He DOES have to eat the skin! That's where all the vitamins and some of the carbs are!"

But it didn't really matter. During our conversation, he was devouring his potato. It didn't take him long, either. And poor little guy, he asked for more. I had to tell him that he couldn't, because I had already counted his carbs. He was disappointed, but he accepted it. So sad.

Here's the recipe:

Parmesan Baked Potatoes

6 T. butter or margarine, melted
3 T. grated Parmesan cheese
4 potatoes, halved (Leave on the skin)

Directions: Pour butter into a 9x13 baking pan. Sprinkle parmesan cheese over the butter. Place potatoes cut side down over the cheese. Brush butter and cheese up over the skins. Bake uncovered at 400 for 40-45 min.

Awesome alternative to potatoes and gravy! We really love these!

Oh my aching head

I hate getting sick. It doesn't matter what kind of virus or bug is going around, it does the same thing as the last one. It goes right to my throat and sinuses and I have terrible headaches. You'd think one of them could get original, and like, attack my belly fat or something.

I stayed home from church this morning with the kids. I don't think people at church would appreciate Baby's open-mouth, projectile sneezing or Little Boy's finger that is magnetically drawn to his nose. And being that I feel horrible, too, I figured it was a good thing to stay home.

I have supper in the crock pot. A nice roast. Lunch will be McDs as usual. I'll load the little boogers into the car and zip down there. It's my once-a-week splurge.

My gastroenterologist appt. is Tuesday afternoon. Not looking forward to that, but I guess I have to go. It's just a consult, so I'm trying to not get too anxious about seeing yet another doctor I don't know. I think that's the worst part - finding the office and then having to meet with a stranger in a very personal setting.

I gave my kids cold medicine last night. Worked great! Both kids slept through the night, and I didn't hear any coughing or crying.

Baby is potty training. Basically, I think she's got it, but I don't trust her. She's wearing a pull-up, but I think she could do undies. She takes off all her clothes when she sits on the potty chair. And then we hear the obnoxious high-pitched digital rendition of "Old MacDonald". I try to make a huge deal of how great she's doing and how proud I am as I hurry to the bathroom to clean out the potty to get it to stop playing! It does nothing good for my headache.

Talk is Cheap - ask the VeeP

Proving once again, that our new administration is completely lacking in class. I think Biden needs to go into rehab asap.

-- On March 13, 2009, Biden addressed a former Senate colleague by saying, "An hour late, oh give me a f**king break," after he arrived on Amtrak at Union Station in Washington, D.C. The vice president's expletive was caught on a live microphone.

-- During a Feb. 25, 2009, interview on CBS' "Early Show," Biden encouraged viewers to visit a government-run Web site that tracks stimulus spending. When asked for the site's web address, Biden could not remember the site's "number."
"You know, I'm embarrassed. Do you know the Web site number?" he asked an aide standing out of view. "I should have it in front of me and I don't. I'm actually embarrassed."

-- At a Jan. 30, 2009, swearing-in ceremony of senior White House staff, Biden mocked Chief Justice John Roberts for his presidential oath blunder on Inauguration Day.
"Am I doing this again?" Biden said, after Obama asked him to administer the oath. When Biden was told the swearing-in was for senior staff -- and not cabinet members -- the vice president quipped, "My memory is not as good as Justice Roberts," prompting a stern nudge from Obama.

-- On Inauguration Day, Jan. 20 2009, Biden misspoke when he told a cheering crowd of supporters, "Jill and I had the great honor of standing on that stage, looking across at one of the great justices, Justice Stewart." Justice John Paul Stevens -- not Stewart -- swore Biden in as vice president.

-- When criticizing former GOP nominee John McCain in Athens, Ohio, on Oct. 15, 2008, Biden said, "Look, John's last-minute economic plan does nothing to tackle the number-one job facing the middle class, and it happens to be, as Barack says, a three-letter word: jobs. J-O-B-S, jobs."

-- In a Sept. 22, 2008, CBS interview, Biden misspoke when he said Franklin D. Roosevelt was president when the stock market crashed in 1929.
"When the stock market crashed, Franklin D. Roosevelt got on the television and didn't just talk about the, you know, the princes of greed. He said, 'Look, here's what happened," he said. Herbert Hoover -- not Roosevelt -- was president in 1929, and television had not yet been invented in 1929.

-- During a Sept. 12, 2008, speech in Columbia, Mo., Biden called for Missouri State Sen. Chuck Graham, who is wheelchair-bound, to "stand up."
"Oh, God love ya," Biden said, after realizing his mistake. "What am I talking about?"

-- At a Sept. 10, 2008, town hall meeting in Nashua, N.H., Biden said, "Hillary Clinton is as qualified or more qualified than I am to be vice president of the United States of America. Quite frankly, it might have been a better pick than me."

-- Biden mistakenly referred to Alaska governor Sarah Palin as the "lieutenant governor" of her state during a town hall meeting on Sept. 4, 2008 at George Mason University in Manassas, Va.
"I heard a very, by the way I mean this sincerely, a very strong and a very good political speech from a lieutenant governor of Alaska who I think is going to be very formidable, very formidable not only in the campaign but in the debate," Biden said.

-- Biden said he was running for president -- not vice president -- during a Sept. 1, 2008, roundtable discussion in Scranton, Pa.
"Today is the moment for me as a United States senator running for president to put aside the national politics and focus on what's happening down there," Biden said.

-- Biden referred to John McCain as "George" during his vice presidential acceptance speech on Aug. 27, 2008, at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Co. "Freudian slip, folks, Freudian slip," he explained.

-- Biden confused army brigades with battalions when speaking about Obama's plan for sending troops to Afghanistan.
"Or should we trust Barack Obama, who more than a year ago called for sending two additional combat brigades to Afghanistan?"

-- During his first campaign rally with Obama as his vice presidential running mate on Aug. 23, 2008, Biden introduced Obama by saying, "A man I'm proud to call my friend. A man who will be the next President of the United States -- Barack America!"

-- On Jan. 31, 2007 -- the day Biden announced his presidential bid -- the Delaware Senator was roundly criticized for calling Obama "the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy. I mean, that's a storybook, man."

Tis the Season for Sneezin'

Poor Little Boy - he's inherited my seasonal allergies, and right now he's pretty miserable. I bought him some children's Zyrtec today, so I'm hoping he'll find some relief.

Baby has been sitting on the potty chair more each day on her own. It plays "Old MacDonald" until you empty and dry it, which can be a bit irritating. I told her she couldn't use a sippy cup she dug out of the cupboard until she was done wearing didies. She seems pretty excited about it. Whatever works, I guess. The only thing DH and I roll our eyes at - she takes off ALL her clothes. Sigh.

It really is a pretty day. It's breezy and cool, but very pretty.

DH just got off the phone with our insurance company and the Eye clinic because they keep billing her appts wrong. Run around. Of course.

Looking forward to a little quiet now that the kids are in bed. :0)

TEA, anyone?

Today my husband went to a TEA party. I told my friend that on the phone, and she was a bit confused. LOL Even though he drinks tea all the time, I don't think he's "tea party" material.

The paper said there were a couple hundred people there. The way he feels about crowds made me proud he went. He stood for 2 hours in the rain holding his flag.

I hope everyone got their taxes turned in. My husband finished ours last month, and we've received our returns. Of course, we're not spending them because you never know what could happen when you work at a paper mill.

The mess has moved/Susan Boyle

So, I have reached THAT point. I just could not stand it any longer! My living room has been such a pit - a pile of toys, clothes, books and papers. We have the majority done, and my kids are taking a short OSO break. Then we'll finish and do some school work.

I and my helpful little people have been busy this morning. We have moved, and dumped, all the toys from the living room into Baby's room. I'll have to spend a couple hours sorting back there, but THANK THE LORD I don't have to look at it in the living room. Aaaarrrrgh.

I've moved the couches and the coffee table to sweep and vaccuum. You would NOT believe the pile of toys under them. I explained to my son, "Instead of stepping on your toys, I kicked them under the couches." He looked at me in horror/astonishment. "What? Would you rather I stepped on them?"

My sister posted a link on FB of this lady, Susan Boyle, singing for Britain's Got Talent. I have watched it about 20 times. Each time I get teary, and I get goosebumps. I think it's because I read her story from the UK Mirror:

"Britain's Got Talent sensation Susan Boyle has revealed the childhood bullying torment that spurred her bid for stardom.

Susan, 48, wowed judges and viewers with her version of hit West End show tune I Dreamed A Dream as the ITV1 series returned last night.

But she told how as a youngster she was ruthlessly mocked by other kids because being starved of oxygen at birth left her with learning difficulties.

Her ordeal saw her seek comfort in singing - a talent she discovered when she was five.
Spinster Susan - who has never had a boyfriend - said: "I was born with a disability and that made me a target for bullies. I was called names because of my fuzzy hair and because I struggled in class.

"I told the teachers, but because it was more verbal than physical I could never prove anything. But words often hurt more than cuts and bruises and the scars are still there."

However, Susan has proved such a smash hit on Britain's Got Talent that supremo Simon Cowell has held talks with her about signing for his Sony BMG record label.

The singer said: "I still see the kids I went to school with because we all live in the same area.

And she believes her TV success is the perfect answer to the childhood tormentors who made her life hell in Bathgate, West Lothian.They're all grown up with children of their own. But look at me now - I've got the last laugh."

Susan went on the talent contest to fulfil a fervent wish of her late mother Bridget, who died in 2007.

She revealed: "Mum loved the show and used to tell me I should put my name down and that I'd win it if I did.

"But I never thought I was good enough. It was only after she died that I plucked up the courage to enter.

"It was a very dark time and I suffered depression and anxiety. But out of the darkness came light. I realised I wanted to make her proud of me and the only way to do that was to take the risk and enter the show."

It is a gamble that has paid off, with her tear-jerking rendition of I Dreamed A Dream from Les Miserables getting an enthusiastic thumbs-up from judges Simon, Piers Morgan and Amanda Holden."

She really is unbelievable, and with some training, she will be even more incredible. Here's the video! It already has over 2 million views. I think I'm going to watch it again before we do some more cleaning. :0)

The angry pterodactyl is awake.

Everything I say or do is being followed by a deafening screeching sound. We call her the pterodactyl. If I look at her, she screeches. If I ask her to do something, it's worse. So, I have placed her in her nest, and I told her to come out into the world when she's ready to be nice.

We'll see.

Here's our Easter picture.

1 - MIL took the picture. Was laughing that she wasn't getting us in the frame, and that she was cutting off heads. I didn't find it funny. At all.

2 - I have to do something about my weight. I hate how heavy I have allowed myself to become, and this picture makes me disgusted. The kids and my husband look great.

3 - my hair is recently cut, and I like the cut, but it was windy yesterday and my hair looks poofier than it actually is.
4 - I had meant to wear my contacts, but ran out of getting-ready time.

It's been a couple days

and not a whole lot has happened. Friday morning we took the kids to get their hair cut. The lady cut it a bit shorter than we normally have done, but it's hair. It'll grow.

DH and I went today. Different lady, same "problem." My hair is SHORT! But she left me enough on top to curl and if I use a lot of hairspray, I can make it poofy enough to make it look longer. Actually, my hair curls much easier when it's short, so I think it looks nice.

DH is on second shift, and I was here with the kids tonight. I was brave. We colored Easter eggs. In the dining room. And there were NO accidents! Yay! I was pretty calm, too. That's the big surprise.

I put the kids' Easter baskets together. I'm a little short on stuff for Baby. I'll look around and see what I can find.

Little Boy seems unsure about getting to eat "real" candy. I keep assuring him that if I cover it with insulin and he brushes his teeth really well right away, I will make an exception for Easter.

My living room is a pit. I don't know what to do. I should be cleaning instead of posting. Ugh. I'd like to be able to take pictures. Oh well. I just have NO motivation right now.

I talked to the kids tonight about why Easter is so exciting. I don't know if they could hear me; their little minds are so excited about the eggs. I think Little Boy was listening, though. He's been very curious about salvation lately. I don't want to push; I want any decisions to be genuine and I want him to really understand.

I'm singing tomorrow - my "usual" Easter song - They Could Not by Sandi Patty. If I do as well tomorrow as my practice today, I'll be more than happy. We'll see.

Overnight Enchillada Bake

was not a hit. Little Boy asked if it could be a meal I only make one time. DH gave it less than a 5, and Baby ate everything but the chicken in it.

Oh well. I thought it was just ok myself. I don't know if it was just too much liquid, or if the whole wheat tortillas made that much of a difference.

Better luck next time.

I'm NOT happy

My alma mater has decided to change its name. It's no longer Northland Baptist Bible College. Now it's Northland International University. Pffft.

They clearly waited until AFTER the recent campaign to raise scholarship funds in Dr. O's name. How convenient.

I plan to write a letter, but need to take time to cool off first. Maybe I'll get to it next month.

Grrr.

The screaming has stopped

at least for now.

She decided she was not going to eat her PB&J "swindich". Fine. No mini cupcakes. Screaming ensued. I got her calmed down, and told her to eat the pieces with the least crust. Ok.

Little Boy informs me that she's spreading jelly all over the table. (Thankfully I use vinyl tablecloths!) So I very calmly wiped up the table and took her out of the chair and took her into the kitchen to clean her up. "Now I have my cakes?"

"HA HA HA HA HA!!!!! Yeah, right."

I wrestled them away from her. Trust me, she's going to be the one to get the smooshed package if she ever earns them.

I carried her to her room, changed her didie, put jammies on her, and told her to lie down so I could tuck her in. Screaming, again. Fine. Same rule as at nighttime: Lie down so I can tuck you in, or I am leaving and you can tuck yourself in. Screaming.

So I left the room, turned the TV to the channel so I could watch her on TV. I don't know how many times I went back in there, but Little Boy decided he was going to find something good to do as far away from me as possible.

Well, as you can see from the picture, she removed the jammies, kicked stuffed animals, blankets and pillows of her bed but one blankie - which she's not using.

Let's hope she wakes up sweet.

Keep your hands to yourself

Why is this such a difficult concept for little kids?

I don't get it.

Seriously.

Help.

Conversation in the car

You know something is funny when your husband says, “That’s good material for your blog!”

Tonight on the way to church, we got sucked into another nonsensical conversation with our kids. They were discussing the animals that live in the woods in our area. Baby’s interest is that she’s scared of them. Little Boy was curious which animals are “shootable” and edible. He then started into this: “Why do people want to live in the woods? Is it so they can just walk out of the house into the woods to go hunting? I wouldn’t want to live out here (on a very curvy road through the hills and woods) because they don’t have anywhere to ride a bike.

“/;”

/
Iiiom ;
;oI/Commercial break – as I’m writing this a little girl who lives in our house is standing on the./’90opppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp34]Odszrf;lpfpdfkljlr[y;r[jljljlkjftj.;y.t[jfj;ldfjl;f;j;.j;.f.j.j;.j.juuyd8j[\ stepstool, only wearing a didie, singing, “You’re my sweetheart, you’re my sweetheart, and I know it’s true!” loudly. And intermittently she climbs across the arm of the couch to plant a huge smooch on me. Ah. Comedy central.

And apparently, while I was helping Little Boy get ready for bed, Baby decided to add her two cents.

Ok. So going back to our conversation in the car. We were talking about shooting bears, deer, squirrels, etc., and DH said people don’t eat bear. I told him they do, too. “Ok, normal people don’t eat bear.” Hmmph. Little Boy wanted to know how many times you could shoot a bear. We explained if you were hunting bear, you shoot it until it falls down. “Why couldn’t I use a machine gun?!” DH and I were joking about that – b/c politicians have taken away that right, b/c there would be big holes in the meat, b/c there are easier ways to tenderize meat. You get the idea. I added that some people shoot turkeys, pheasants, geese, ducks, etc. to eat, too.

Little Boy said he didn’t want to shoot birds; he would shoot a deer. DH and I told him then he would have to cut it open, let all the blood out, clean out all the icky guts. He said he wouldn’t do that. We said if you shoot an animal to eat, you have to do that. Here’s the best part of the whole conversation:

“I would get my wife to do that.”

He could be a very lonely man.

Successful Recipe

I tried a new recipe last night, and I guess it was a big hit. Little Boy and Baby each wanted seconds, but we held them off with the promise we would eat leftovers today. As soon as we got in the car after church, Little Boy said he wanted the leftovers for lunch. I convinced him that it would be better for supper when I could warm it in the oven rather than in the microwave. Partially because it was true, but also partially because I didn't want to give up my McDs for lunch.

I don't know why this was so much better than my regular lasagna recipe, but everyone loved it. It is only written for 2 servings, so I doubled it. Also, instead of the jar of sauce, I used plain tomato sauce and added half a packet of spaghetti seasoning. I also used half ricotta, half cottage cheese, and I cooked my noodles from dry.

Ground Beef and Spinach Lasagna Rollups
Pillsbury

1/2 lb. lean ground beef
1/4 c. chopped onion
1 jar (14 oz.) tomato pasta sauce
1 egg
3/4 c. ricotta cheese
2 T grated parmesan cheese
2 tsp dried oregano
1 1/4 c. shredded mozzarella
4 (8x2 1/2") frozen precooked lasagna noodles, thawed
1 c. fresh baby spinach leaves, washed, stems removed (I tore mine into small pieces)

1. Heat oven to 350. In skillet, brown beef with onions. Stir in 1/2 c. of sauce. Remove from heat.
2. Spread 3 T of the pasta sauce in the bottom of ungreased 8 x 8 glass baking dish.
3. Beat egg in med. bowl. Add ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, oregano and 3/4 c. mozzarella cheese; mix well.
4. Spread 1/4 c. each of ricotta mix, spinach leaves and beef mixture over each lasagna noodle. Starting at the end, gently and loosely roll each noodle; place seam side down over sauce in baking dish. Top rollups with remaining sauce. Cover with foil.
5. Bake 30 to 40 min. or until bubbly and hot. Remove foil; sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella. Bake 2 to 4 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Let stand 5 min. before serving.

When little kids use big words

Little Boy and Baby went next door to G&Gs house tonight. It is extremely windy. When they came in the door riding on a gust of wind, Little Boy was all bright eyed. "I was afraid that wind was going to blow Baby to Timbuktuba!"

I did laugh. Out loud. So sweet.

I love the rain

I feel badly for anyone dealing with flooding issues. We don't have that here on our mountain. Our yard gets soaked, but the water runs off the hill. In the past, the water has washed out the road. The first year I was here, the rain made the black top peel back and curl like a hot wheels track. But it's raining here, and I can see the grass getting green.

I love the sound of the steady rain; I only wish it could drown out the sound of my children fighting. Sigh.

Looking forward to what the day will bring

We don't have very much planned today. We need to do some schoolwork, I'd like to make a dent in the living room mess, and the kids need to get outside for some fresh air.

We all slept in a bit today - it was so nice. I woke up with a small sinus headache, but nothing too terrible.

The kids have been having fun dressing up. Ah hem. With Baby's hair accessories. Even Little Boy. I'd post a pic, but I don't think that would be very nice. Let's just say, he'd make a very pretty little girl.

They sure are different

Little Boy can be stubborn, but usually he wants to please us. Baby? She's got both feet on the brakes ALL THE TIME.

It's exhausting.

Baby

I was cutting up an apple this morning for the kids' breakfast. Baby saw what I was doing, and said she LOVES apples "because they are so juicy and apple-y." Cute.

I love when the kids make up their own words or phraseology. Like when Little Boy says, "I amn't."

They make me smile muchly. :0)

Windy day!

Last night, DH and kids stayed home from church. They were next door and lost track of time. So I went by myself, and afterwards took the pastor's daughter out to Denny's. She and her husband now live near Pittsburgh, but she was home for a couple days. We had a very nice visit, and I hope I gave her some wise advise as they are looking for a house.

When I was coming home, the wind started picking up. It blew me all over the road, and soon I started seeing branches down. And after I got home, it got windier. I fell asleep holding my husband's hand. I'm not scared of many things, but wind scares me. If we didn't have a sound spa I am sure I would not have been able to sleep.

And when I woke up today, the wind is still gusty - between 28 and 35 mph gusts according to the internet. But I think it's been even windier than that up here on our little mountain. It's an inside day, to be sure.

Comedians

The little people who live in our house are funny without always knowing it. This morning DH got home from work and crawled into bed. We lay there for about 2 minutes listening to Little Boy play and sing in his room. Then we heard Baby slide off her bed and her little feet padded quickly to the door. DH thought she was coming into our room, so he rolled off the edge of the bed to scare her.

I don't know about you, but at 7:15 in the morning, I'm not thinking of playing jokes on anyone. She went into brother's room instead. DH crawled back into bed. We lay there for a couple minutes, and I'm pretty certain I did one of those deep almost-a-snore breaths. We heard them coming out, and once again, DH rolled off the bed. But he wasn't quick enough.

Little Boy - "Daddy. Why are you on the floor?" Baby came in and echoed him.

Daddy crawled around the end of the bed, growling, stating he was going to eat little toes. Of course, both kids were laughing and squealing. And someone tooted.

Daddy and I tried not to laugh. We don't laugh about toots at our house per my husband's instructions. Daddy asked, "WHO was THAT?"

Little Boy answered very matter-of-factly, "The one in the nightgown."

Everything is fun and games...

until someone loses an eye!

Well, we didn't lose any eyes, but Little Boy "accidentally" shot Baby in the eye with a suction-cup dart gun. It appears he hit her closer to the inside corner; it was red and she sat with a cool pack on it for awhile. After all the tears from both of them, she's fine and he's gun-less.

Frustrations

S-A-D, L-A-D, M-A-D, T-A-D, D-A-D, … I know you get the picture. Unfortunately, my son didn’t. And refused to try. And then, he started to flop. And fuss. And I felt myself “coming unglued”. All this ended with Little Boy sitting in the naughty chair, without getting to see his grandparents this morning and without Wii privileges for the day.

Part of his problem is the huge gaps we’ve had in our homeschooling this year. Between me or one or the other or both of them being sick, other things like appts., or Little Boy being in the hospital, it seems we haven’t had the consistency I’d hoped for.

The larger part of the problem is that he is resistant to learning to read. And is verbal about it. He can’t give a valid reason, but he says he does not want to learn how. I and others have tried to show him why it’s important, exciting and necessary, but he hasn’t embraced that, yet.

In the middle of it all, I felt myself losing it. But then, I hit that calm in the middle of the storm. I was able to mete out discipline without yelling, spanking, or wavering. I feel like this has happened more lately than it had been. It’s something I had not seen demonstrated growing up. Handling discipline calmly is something I know is right, and I need to work at it. The “Mom” in me wants to just give in to the anger and go berserk. How many times did we hear, “I’m going to spank you until my arm is tired”? That was when we were lucky. That’s when we were warned.

My kids deserve better. Pray for me as I continue to work on this issue.

No end in sight

I've been feeling weary lately. I spent a couple days vegging on the couch while the kids played here in the living room. It was like I had taken a sleeping pill; I was just so tired I couldn't wake up. I know that my son has a much harder road ahead than I do, but I've been feeling a bit sorry for myself. Every time I have to check his blood sugar or give him a shot, I want to stick myself, too. It isn't fair that he has to go through this alone. The least I could do is to feel the pain, too.

He sometimes fusses about it all, and I cannot blame him. I know he doesn't know how it kills me when he cries about it. But it also is frustrating; it HAS to be done.

Today he offered to get the shot in his abdomen. He actually said he prefers it there now. That's good. We have one more rotation area.

I started taking Reliv, again. I need to get back to it regularly, and I need to see my doctor. I missed my 6 month follow-up when Little Boy was in the hospital. I need to get back to taking my Wellbutrin. Between the Reliv and Wellbutrin, I know I'll feel better. And I need to get the den cleared out enough to use the bike and treadmill. And then I'll feel even better. And I plan to start back on a "diet" as soon as the Reese's PB Cup ice cream is gone. (I refuse to let it go to waste!)

I just think about testing blood and insulin shots for years to come, and I get very sad. I've been told that Little Boy is blessed to have parents who care, who comprehend how to treat him properly, who love him so much. I'm sorry; that is a very hollow consolation to a mother who wouldn't hurt her son in that way for all the world. I breathe a prayer for a cure every time I have to call him in.

Hang on to your hats

"The Obama administration will call for increased oversight of executive pay at all banks, Wall Street firms and possibly other companies as part of a plan to overhaul financial regulation, the New York Times reported."

Do I think there are executives who are paid too much? Yes. Do I think there are opportunities for companies to restructure and save money? Yes. Do I think it's the job of the government to regulate their pay?

NO.

Quit worrying about what people are being paid, and figure out how to CUT THE BUDGET! Figure out how to CLOSE AND PROTECT OUR BORDERS! Figure out APPROPRIATE GIFTS FOR FOREIGN DIGNITARIES! Figure out how to pack your stuff up in 4 years!

Poor Baby, again

I was in the middle of my Sunday school lesson, and I heard Baby wail. I knew immediately what was wrong. She has weak elbows, and for whatever reason, people at church try to pick her up by the hands. Her little elbow was dislocated, and I had to pop it back into joint. Eww. It's like cracking chicken bones. And it hurts her; I hate to see her little tears.

I need to make a sign for her to wear at church - "Please pick me up under the arms!"

Grrr.

Withdrawl

Going through withdrawl from BaptistMoms.com. What happened?

Oh well.

Best part of today?

Now, how to get out of the house to go get one?

Running from trouble

So, I'm in VBS mode, again. Not full-out, crazy-eyed, can't sleep mode, but just putting some thought into the program. I finished a basic flyer, and have been looking at different sources for any items that would tie in with the theme.

A 3-Day VBS Adventure with Jonah! I found a 3 day program online, and now I'm just thinking about some things to supplement it, since I find it thin in some areas. Church should already have a Jonah story for each grade level, but I'm not sure if the stories could be stretched to three days.

So it follows that I was thinking about the whole story of Jonah. Wouldn't his life have been so much easier if he would have followed the path God had for him from the start? And it would have been enjoyable if he had had a good attitude about it.

I wonder what happened to Jonah after the story in the Bible ended. Did he end up being a sour, old, shriveled up man? Did he learn from his mistakes, and obey God the next time He called on him?

Humanly speaking, sometimes it's hard to accept, much less rejoice, that good things happen to evil people, but it's not my call to make. I know my reward is in Heaven, and I have to keep my focus on being worthy.

Way too embarrassing!

I don't want my blog to be about politics, but occasionally, I cannot help it.

Our new president is inept. Are we surprised?

The following blogpost is cut and paste info from several news sites along with some of my comments:

First, his "people" returned the bust of Winston Churchill that had been in the Oval Office to the British Embassy. The bust had been given to our country from PM Tony Blair via President Bush. Insulting. Ouch. The Times of London immediately traced Obama's "disdain" for Churchill to Kenya where Obama's grandfather was caught up in the Churchill-led suppression of the 1950s Mau Mau Rebellion that left thousands of Kenyans dead.

That offensive act without explanation gave substance to an unconfirmed story making the rounds in D.C. that, when President Obama walked into the Oval Office for the first time and saw the Churchill piece, he said, “Get that goddamn thing out of here.”

It's common for the heads of countries to exchange official gifts, especially the first time they meet. The prime minister of Britain brought Pres. Obama some gifts that had significance - Brown gave Obama an ornamental pen holder made from the oak timber of the first anti-slave ship HMS Gannet.

Another treasure presented to the U.S. president was the framed commission for HMS Resolute from whose timbers the Oval Office desk is fashioned — a gift from Queen Victoria to President Hayes. A third was a signed first edition set of the seven-volume classic biography of Churchill by Sir Martin Gilbert.

Our president gave the prime minister a set of 25 DVDs of classic American films. Wow. No thought put into it - Brown is blind in one eye, and does not watch TV much. And our DVDs don't work in players in England - the format is different. Duh. But here's the list of DVDs Obama had put into a Presidential package:

* Citizen Kane* The Godfather* Casablanca* Raging Bull* Singin' in the Rain* Gone with the Wind* Lawrence of Arabia* Schindler’s List* Vertigo* The Wizard of Oz* City Lights* The Searchers* Star Wars: Episode IV* Psycho* 2001: A Space Odyssey* Sunset Boulevard* The Graduate* The General* On the Waterfront* It's a Wonderful Life* Chinatown* Some Like It Hot* The Grapes of Wrath* ET: The Extra-Terrestrial* To Kill a Mockingbird

Thrilling.

The Prime Minister's wife, Sarah Brown, brought gifts for the Obama daughters - outfits in correct sizes from a trendy London store, and a set of children's books that aren't available outside of Britain. Michelle Obama gave the PMs sons each a toy helicopter model of Marine One.

Then sources close to the White House say Mr Obama and his staff have been "overwhelmed" by the economic meltdown and have voiced concerns that the new president is not getting enough rest. Maybe instead of trying to undo everything President Bush put into motion, Obama should concentrate on figuring out what the heck he is expected to do. Or even better, hire staffers who know what THEY are doing so they can advise him.

The real views of many in Obama administration were laid bare by a State Department official involved in planning the Brown visit, who reacted with fury when questioned by The Sunday Telegraph about why the event was so low-key. The official dismissed any notion of the special relationship, saying: "There's nothing special about Britain. You're just the same as the other 190 countries in the world. You shouldn't expect special treatment."

Gasp. Did they say that? Did they just offend the most loyal ally the US has had for decades? (My husband is writing a letter of apology to the British Embassador.)

No wonder Obama's average approval rating is at 61%. Bush's approval rating after his first 50 days? 73%.

2012, people. That's all I can hope for.

300+1

Did you hear about the guy who bowled 300+1? No? Have you ever heard of someone bowling 300 and not winning? LOL? (groan)

This is the 300+1st post - or I wouldn't have made you suffer with that horrible joke.

Yesterday, I took Little Boy to Morgantown, again, for more diabetic education. We spent a large amount of time with a nutritionist, who gave me some more information about planning his (our) meals. Basically, the plan we're using counting carbs falls within her recommendations, so I'm not changing anything.

I have a longish list of things to work on today, so I'm off to get started.

Advice to Myself

I asked the question on my Facebook page, “If you could go back in time and give yourself advice as a child, what would it be?”

I was thinking about it after answering questions regarding my childhood and my relationship with my parents. I know my childhood was not all bad; the time I spent playing by myself and with my sister and the few friends I had was healthy. My siblings and I fought, but we also had fun. I remember living in Eagle Lake Manor and riding my bike all the time – good memories. My parents had occasional periods of treating us well; in my mind it’s like seeing speckles of sunshine through the leaves of trees. Just enough sunshine to keep me going forward as a kid. I am so glad I didn’t completely realize or understand as a child how bad it really was.

But I also know that my parents were toxic. One of the main reasons I am in therapy, in fact. I found a book online that I ordered, but haven’t received: Toxic Parents: Overcoming Their Hurtful Legacy and Reclaiming Your Life. Out of the 34 questions defining a toxic relationship, I answered yes to 28. I think one of the hardest parts of living in such a chaotic home was hiding it from others. I understand it – who wants the world to know what a mess one’s life is? It was unspoken that we didn’t share things with “the outside”. I’m sure people caught glimpses of it, but how would they know they were only seeing the pretty, green, top layer of the scummy pond?

So if I could go back and give myself advice as a child, I would have a lot to say.

· You’re not stupid.
· You’re not fat.
· You’re not ugly.
· You can do amazing things.
. Look for and cling to the good things in your life.
· You’re too smart to cruise through life.
· You’re a great helper, but you are more than a farmhand.
· You are not an adult – be a kid.
· You can relax and be silly in public.
· Who you are is more important than what other people think about you.
· God is more concerned with who you are inside than who you are forced to pretend to be for the sake of others.
· It is not normal for parents to treat you one way in public, and another way in private.
· You deserve to be treated with respect.
· You are a PRINCESS – a daughter of THE KING.
· You do not get bad grades because you are lazy or can’t do the work; you get bad grades because you are BORED.
· You are not your parents.
· Your thoughts and viewpoints are important and deserve to be heard.
· Your feelings are valid; it’s ok to be angry.
· Your frustrations are a response, not a reaction.
· People who make fun of you are mean, you are better than that, and parents are supposed to protect you, not join in.

I wish someone would have swooped in to protect me (and my siblings.) I wish someone had realized how toxic my parents were, and had been healthy and strong enough to confront, counsel, and teach them. I wish my parents had received counsel from people who were not toxic themselves.

I feel like my life is a huge, white canvas, and every person who has ever been involved in my life has placed a painted handprint on me. There are areas on that canvas that are still blank, some marked with happy, light colors. There are other areas that are dark, and saturated and blurred. In the end, God will make it all work together, and the masterpiece will be something beautiful. In the meantime, it doesn’t make sense. It reminds me of this. (CLICK ON THE WORD "THIS".)

It's a day

So, you already know how my morning started. And then it BEGAN. I fixed Little Boy his breakfast, gave him his shot and got him eating. Baby decided she wanted a breakfast bar and a drink of milk. Done. And then I walked out to the dining room to check on them.

There were splashes of milk on the hardwood floor in the doorway between the kitchen and living room. And I looked to the left. There was a trail of splashes all the way to the living room. And IN the living room - across the rug to the hardwood under the couch. And on some toys.

I became the Incredible Hulk. The yell that came out of my head wasn't mine. My head literally resonated. My already annoying headache immediately swelled. I ran for a towel, and asked Baby what on earth she was thinking. And it happened.

She smiled.

I gave her 4 swats on her little didie butt, and sent her to her room before I turned into my mother. She ran. Lucky girl. I went into the kitchen and cried. Out loud boo-hoos. Then I heard them. Both kids in their rooms boo-hooing. I called Little Boy into the kitchen and held him and comforted him. And sent him the other way into the living room. I soaked up the milk the best I could, since it's difficult to see milk on a cream colored rug.

I explained to Baby that she needed to stay in her room and play for awhile. I moved a couple things out of her reach that I didn't want her to get into. She stood in her doorway, asking, "Can I come out now?"

When I had calmed down a bit, I told her to come into the kitchen. She came prancing in with an unrolled streamer of ribbon flowing behind her.

I got her dressed and sent her and Little Boy outside. It's only 10 am.

My current wish

I wish I could go to sleep at night, not hear a thing, not wake up during the night (except for that one trip to the bathroom), and sleep in the morning until I wake up on my own. And I would feel rested and relaxed. I'd even be willing to take a couple Tylenol PMs.


Instead, I stay up too late watching a show on the DVR that I missed earlier b/c Little Boy is still awake eating his snack. Then I climb into bed to sleep a couple hours until the alarm goes off at 2 am to check Little Boy's blood sugar. At 5 am, the alarm goes off again as DH gets up to get ready for work. He leaves about 6:30, and very shortly thereafter, Baby gets up. She climbs into bed and terrorizes me for about an hour. I lie in bed wondering how my feet and legs can hurt so much after a night of rest; I feel the pain in my hands, back, neck and sinuses.

I finally get up and send Baby to the living room to watch Franklin. I hobble out to the living room to relax on the couch. Soon after, Little Boy comes out rubbing his sleepy eyes, and my hope for rest is shot.

I don't think a hotel is the answer; I hate the smell, and hotels are not quiet. MAYBE, I could send DH and the kids to the hotel. LOL

Stinky Mill Days

We live close to a paper mill. It's where my husband works. It's where his father worked. And his grandfather. We are immensely thankful for a place of employment that pays as well as the mill, and has very good insurance benefits (for the time being).

However, along with the benefits of the mill, come the pitfalls. The biggest one I can think of is the repugnant stench emitted. I was talking to Little Boy about it on our way home from the dentist. I said, "Remember what it's like when you go outside and it's really stinky?"

He said, "Yes! It's so bad it makes me want to put earplugs in my nose!"

I hadn't ever thought of it, but YES! That is exactly it!

Honeymoon and Pestering

Last night I was watching Little People, Big World. The Roloff family was visiting Mackinaw Island. I told Little Boy, excitedly, that Mommy and Daddy had been right there! I kept telling him, "We were there on our honeymoon!" He asked Daddy what I meant by honeymoon. Daddy explained that after people get married, they go somewhere to spend time together without being pestered.

Little Boy laughed wickedly. "But then you had babies, and NOW you get PESTERED! Ha ha ha!"

Daddy laughed, but I want to know what's so funny?

Gaining Weight

My husband wears pants that are one inch larger in the waist than he wore in high school. I gain weight by breathing. But someone in our little family has been gaining "good" weight. I need to weigh him, but Little Boy has been putting on the pounds. When we went to the pediatrician a week after he got out of the hospital, the doctor told us Little Boy had weighed 67 lbs at the beginning of 2008. The day he was checked into the ER, he weighed 47 lb. That's almost 30% of his body weight. Plus he grew taller. No wonder his pants were falling off. Poor kid.

But I put my arm around him as we snuggled on the couch today, and I felt something sweet and familiar. A little love handle.

Angry Alphabet

Little Boy's lesson began today with him putting our alphabet cards in order on the living room floor. He started flapping his arms and fussing. I explained that he could do it quickly and cheerfully - that would make Mommy happy. Or he could flap like a birdie, run out of time and receive discipline. And he had 15 minutes. I showed him the clock. He chose to fuss. I told him he was running out of time; he was getting more agitated, and said he wanted me to help him. I explained that all he had to do was say the abcs or sing the song. He wanted ME to sing the song. I was filing some of his papers, and I told him I would help him if he got stuck but that he had been singing the alphabet before he could speak clearly and didn't really need my help.

As the hand of the clock moved steadily toward the deadline, he got more upset. He finally started saying the alphabet. Angrily. With tears. And boogers. It took him less than a minute to finish. He really is very smart. And stubborn. I wiped his nose, held him in my lap, and asked if crying helped or made it harder. He saw that it made it harder. I asked if he was happy and proud to finish the task well. Nope. I tried to explain that if he had done it cheerfully and quickly, he WOULD feel happy and proud. I don't know if any huge lights went on, but then it was time for the next part of the lesson and he was much more compliant.

Childhood is so difficult. On us all.

Random Thoughts

The other day I was in the kitchen cooking (my whole life at this moment in time). Baby walked through and said, "Mommy. You HAVE to put your tag in!" Sure enough, the tag on my shirt was hanging out. (Should 3 year olds even care?)

This morning Little Boy wanted to race on the Wii. I told him Baby was watching the end of Handy Manny, and he would have to wait. As soon as it was over, Little Boy turned on the racing. He walked over to sit on the couch by Baby, and he stopped to kiss her head about 5 times. "Your hair smells really good." She said, "I took a shower to get my hair clean." And he kissed her head again.

While Little Boy was racing, Baby sat down on the floor between him and the TV. I told her to make sure she stayed low, and she said, "But I want to get my big head in the way." Sigh.

Baby's latest "fad"? Didie and a blankie. Regression.

Baby's legs are one big bruise. We went to the playland at BK yesterday, and daredevil that she is, she crawled everywhere. But she's not conscious of banging around. So she looks like she just survived a kick fight with her sister. But she doesn't have a sister.

My house is trashed. I tried to pick up the living room the other day. I ended up with about 6 piles of stuff to redistribute around the house. Before I got to it, my two beautiful children redistributed the stuff back around the living room. Sigh.

I need to call the guy who cuts my hair. Baby and I missed our appt. Thursday, because in my fog-filled head, our appt. was Friday. So she and I are both looking a bit rough.

I have the hiccups. They hurt. I know how to get rid of them, but I'm busy writing. Ok. They're gone.

I took Baby to church with me last night. It was cold and snowy, and she refused to zip her coat, and I was too frazzled to worry about it. She woke up from her nap super crabby. And late. I asked her if she wanted to go with me or stay home and go visit Grandma and Granddad. She wanted to go with me. So I fixed her a scrambled egg. She refused to eat it. So I ate it. And she had a meltdown when she came back and the bowl was empty. So I fixed her another scrambled egg, and she wanted me to feed her. I was watching the clock and I was getting later and later. (If I'm not there early, I feel late.) I fed her, changed her clothes - had to put "church" clothes on her - she wasn't happy with the princess pants I wanted to put on her b/c of the cold weather. And I dragged her out toward the car.

DH was staying home to finish his schoolwork. He had "a TON of stuff to do", ya know. Little Boy asked if he could stay home. Normally, I'd have made him grab something to eat and run out the door with us, but that isn't possible any more. So while I was dealing with Baby, I fixed a pizza, gave him Little Boy a shot and we ran out the door.

I usually take Baby to the nursery, because I cannot handle Little Boy and Baby by myself in the pew. Since she was the only one, I let her sit with me. She spent most of the time looking at the people behind us or scribbling on the notepad I gave her. The rest of the time was spent asking me when she could go to class. Thankfully, she didn't make any comments about the special music, because she doesn't know how to whisper.

Do you ever ask someone a question, expecting a simple answer, but what you end up getting is a long, drawn out saga? That happened to me. I asked a question that could have been answered with a yes or no, but I got a story. I don't have time for stories. At least, not other people's stories. LOL

Once't. Twice't. Can you say, "ARRRRGGGGHHHH." Our pastor has been saying this recently, and it's like someone squeaking a latex balloon next to my head. He's told me to correct him when he says something wrong, and usually I do not, but this may require some gentle conversation.

It's time for school work; maybe I can concentrate on the letter "W", and not all these random thoughts that jumble and tumble around in my head. Maybe.