One of THOSE Moments

I usually don’t mind drop-ins.  Mainly because it is almost always my friends, and they have lots of kids too and know that the house isn’t always perfect, though I usually try to keep it at least decent.

Today it looks like a bomb hit my house. Jacob was especially destructive, Emily starving, and the baby howling.  I had Emily make a couple of quick PB&J sandwiches, and managed to keep the baby happy while the kids ate a half-hearted lunch. I sent them off to quiet time and sank into my chair, baby in arms to nurse.

Wouldn’t you know it, as soon as the baby finishes eating, spits up on me as is his habbit, and I stand to go get something done, there comes a happy tapping on my door.  Uh-oh.  My friends don’t knock, they just walk in and announce themselves – that’s the way I like it.  Door salesmen knock, which are easy to get rid of, and old friends of my parents.

So, I open my door to find a very sweet lady who is the mom to one of my mom’s old piano students.  Me with toys flung far and wide, jam dripping off the counter and a half eaten PB&J sandwhich smashed into the table.  Me with spit-up stains all over my shirt, my hair disheveled, and clutter on the couches. Me with dishes in the sink, the art drawer open and masses of coloring books hanging out limply -loosing papers to the floor, and shoes boxes flung far and wide from kids playing with them. Why oh why can’t I have that kind of a drop in when my house, and myself for that matter, look good? Why just the other day the house was looking quite spic and span, and my hair was done, though I don’t think I ever appear without spit up on me these days. It was fun to see her, I remember her son quite well – he was very talented – but oh, how I wanted to hide as I invited her in while I found a pen and paper to write my parent’s adress on. 

There she stands patiently, as I frantically search for pen and paper, looking around. I am sure she is not thinking anything mean about how crazy the house looks right now, but I am SO embarrassed.  Then as I hand her the scrap of paper with the adress scibbled on it, Jacob starts banging on the wall – very loudly. “Um, that would be my son, the three old, who is SUPPOSED to be taking a nap.”

“Loud napper,” she chuckles.  I am sure she remembers the times when she had little tykes banging away, but I can’t help feeling moritfied.

Why does it matter that someone should see us at less than our best? Don’t we all have moments like this? I know we do. Maybe it was that I was thinking about how clean my Mom’s house was (I am the youngest, so she had no children at home when this lady’s son was taking lessons) when they would come for lessons, and how not clean it was today.

All I know is how horribly embarrassed I felt, and how the minute she left I wanted to clean from top to bottom, and then the baby started in to cry. And here I am pondering on why we worry so much about what others think, and typing it all with one hand.

 P.S. The repetition of “me with” is a literary device called ‘anaphora’ – I learned about it today in my online poetry class – I didn’t even realize I was using it, until I came back to edit something. How cool is that? 🙂 Well, baby appears to be happy, so off I go to get something done. 🙂

Weird and Wacky

No – not me, the weather!

I stared at my husband like he was crazy when he woke me on March 29 to tell that it was snowing.  And sure enough, big fluffy flakes were dropping fromt the sky.  The latest snow on record since 1951 when it snowed on March 10th.  Though news companies dug further and found records that indicated snow back in 1933 that fell on  April 13.  No worries though, we beat that record too.

On April 20th we watched in amazement as snowflakes fluttered to the ground, as it warmed it turned into the crazy slush falling fromt the sky. Nothing like smashing weather records.

This spring has been an odd one.  On Saturday it was warm – 70’s weather, yesterday it was dropping huge hunks of hail and had us turning on the heat as we noticed that we were shivering as we walked about the house.  Today the sun is shining brightly again.

WEIRD!  

No wonder the kids have been catching stuff.

The Missing DVD

Jacob’s favorite movie of all-time is the movie “Cars”. We watch it at least once a week, and anything McQueen or Mater he oogles over – I often have to literally fight him off stuff and haul him away arms out stretched howling for “Queen! Queen!” As a consequence, I avoid going down any such toy aisles when in a store. 🙂

This last week our “Cars” dvd disappeared. It was agonizing devestation as the boy in tears had to settle for “The Incredibles” – but he has a growing love for Dash, and it was a nice break from the beloved over watched “Cars”. The case was out, but the DVD was no where. It was quite apparant that Jacob had gotten a hold of it, and if that were the case it could very possibly be lost for ever or scratched beyond repair.

Sunday morning I opened the CD player to put on some children’s church songs. As the CD’s spun around, low and behold there sat “Cars” on top of Josh Grobin. The boy had managed to figure out how to open the stereo cabinet (not an easy feat with how we have secured it), managed to turn it on (not that hard, he seems to be drawn automatically to any power button within reach) and found the button that opened thd CD player (I’m sure he was disapointed when it didn’t play on the TV, hehe).

No wonder he was insisting it was in the DVD player all week.

I think I better read that list I posted again and prepare myself….

9 Year Old Biology

Emily: How can we taste things?

Elizabeth: We have taste bugs on our tongue that do the tasting.

A Neat Weekend Experience

On the kids odd birth years, rather than having a party with friends, we have a family party and a birthday trip. Yesterday was to be Elizabeth’s birthday trip and she had chosen to go to Tillamook Cheese Factory. 

I taught my morning lesson and then piled everyone into the car. It was a gorgeous sunny day, first one in weeks, and warm too. We were all excited to be going to the coast.  Earlier in the morning Emily had mentioned in passing that she didn’t feel very well.  But after she had been awake a while said she felt better and enjoyed her breakfast and appeared to be doing great.  We backed out of the driveway and headed off on our way.

I have learned from past experience that when you have a child who gets carsick that it is a good idea to have plastic bags strategically placed around the car – just in case.  Well, it was a good thing, because about 15 minutes out of town Emily threw-up.  We stopped the car and took care of everything and I pulled out the spare thermometer in my “Dr. Mom Box” and took her temp.  It was only 99 – but enough to make us unsure about going on.  I really wanted to go, and I didn’t want to dissapoint the children.  Emily was assuring us that she was better now and that we could keep going.  We decided two things: 1 – that we would keep going 2 – that we needed to pray about that decision as a family to be sure it was right.

So, we explained to the children what we had decided and that we needed to all pray to be sure it was right.  I very much wanted an affirmative answer, but as we prayed I couldn’t help thinking that we needed to turn around and go home.  After the prayer each of the girls expressed their impressions.  Each one started “I’m not really sure…. but I think it would be ok to go.”  Paul even stated, “I’m really not sure, but maybe we can keep going.”  As I listened to their indecision it became increasingly clear that this was the stupor of thought so often talked to us about in the scriptures. So I told them how I felt, that we needed to return home, explained the reason why, and Paul and I taught them about what it means to have a stupor of doubt.  Once we had all decided to return home a peace settled over all of us and each of the girls confirmed, “It is the right decision to return home.

When we got home 15 minutes later, Emily’s fever was up to 100 – and later that afternoon it hit 102. She took a long nap and layed on the couch almost the whole day.  We were all grateful that we had listened to the spirit and had followed the answer to our prayers to return home.

On the way home in the car Dorothy said an extra prayer that Emily wouldn’t throw up anymore.  We talked to her about God’s will and to remember that if Emily threw-up again that it wasn’t that Dot’s prayer wasn’t answered, but that Emily needed to get stuff out of her body so she could get better, but that she could have faith that what ever happened would be what was best for Emily.  Emily didn’t throw up again, Dorothy’s prayer was answered.

We are so grateful for this neat weekend we had of answered prayers and following those answers even when it was hard. The teaching oportunities we had with the children about prayer and how prayers work and are answered were just wonderful. We had a really fun day yesterday, even though we stayed home.

To the Moms with Boys

A heart friend of mine posted this on her blog, and so I just had to steal it, knowing how many of my friends – especially you blogging friends- had boys…

1. A king size waterbed holds enough water to fill a 2000 sq. ft. house 4 inches deep.

2. If you spray hair spray on dust bunnies and run over them with roller blades, they can ignite.

3. A 3-year old Boy’s voice is louder than 200 adults in a crowded restaurant.

4. If you hook a dog leash over a ceiling fan, the motor is not strong enough to rotate a 42 pound Boy wearing Batman underwear and a Superman cape. It is strong enough, however, if tied to a paint can, to spread paint on all four walls of a 20×20 ft. room.

5. You should not throw baseballs up when the ceiling fan is on. When using a ceiling fan as a bat, you have to throw the ball up a few times before you get a hit. A ceiling fan can hit a baseball a long way.

6. The glass in windows (even double-pane) doesn’t stop a baseball hit by a ceiling fan.

7. When you hear the toilet flush and the words “uh oh”, it’s already too late.

8. Brake fluid mixed with Clorox makes smoke, and lots of it.

9. A six-year old Boy can start a fire with a flint rock even though a 36- year old Man says they can only do it in the movies.

10. Certain Lego’s will pass through the digestive tract of a 4- year old Boy.

11. Play dough and microwave should not be used in the same sentence.

12. Super glue is forever.

13. No matter how much Jell-O you put in a swimming pool you still can’t walk on water.

14. Pool filters do not like Jell-O.

15. VCR’s do not eject “PB & J” sandwiches even though TV commercials show they do.

16. Garbage bags do not make good parachutes.

17. Marbles in gas tanks make lots of noise when driving.

18. You probably DO NOT want to know what that odor is.

19. Always look in the oven before you turn it on; plastic toys do not like ovens.

20. The fire department in Austin , TX has a 5-minute response time.

21. The spin cycle on the washing machine does not make earthworms dizzy.

22. It will, however, make cats dizzy.

23. Cats throw up twice their body weight when dizzy.

24. 80% of Women will pass this on to almost all of their friends, with or without kids.

25. 80% of Men who read this will try mixing Clorox and brake fluid.

Sushi!

One of the cool things about my two month stay in Japan, wow I just realized that was 12 years ago – was my first real sushi. I was staying with my sister who was living there with her family at the time and they took me to visit a good friend who served me my very first sushi, and boy was it GOOD. The only thing I didn’t try was the salmon egg kind, couldn’t bring myself to do it. But the rest was quite delectable.

While I was visiting my sister taught me how to make sushi rolls – not the raw fish kind – it isn’t that different, but I haven’t been brave enough to make my own for some reason. She also taught me a number of other things, like Chicken Katsu, Chicken Yakitori, Miso, and whole bunch of other things involving noodles and the like. I bought a small cookbook to help me remember how some of the things were made – and maybe even try som new ones. I also bought some of my first Japanese dishes and have little by little added to them over the years.

The other night Paul was begging for Japanese food, so I sushi rolled away. It was rather fun, though I missed my mother dearly as I remembered hours we spent together rolling sushi for weddings. Maybe someday I will have that experience with some of my own daughters. Anyway, with the sushi rolled and cut, it made a very pretty platter and I couldn’t resist a quick photo. So, the whole family had to wait while crazy mom stood on a chair and took a couple photos looking down on the table…

(Mom and Dad, if you read this: yes, those are our fish plates – I gave 2 to Paul for his b-day. I promise we aren’t raiding your dishes …….. yet 😉 heh )

Par-ty, Par-ty, Par-tee!

When Elizabeth and Dorothy were little we began a tradition. They are only a year apart and we decided that trying to plan a big party every year for both of them was going to be way to much, so we decided that even years, starting at 4, were friend parties. The odd years are family parties and birthday trips.

So, yesterday I murdered another cake – I had to throw the first one away and start fresh, baking a whole new cake. Even then it didn’t go right and I had to prop it up in the back and only decorate the front. My theory on this, because in the past I have done much harder cakes with few or no problems, is that making crazy cakes with a new baby is HARD – can’t create and hold baby at the same time…. Anyway, here is a photo of the ‘good’ side of the cake. Elizabteh wanted a purse cake, all pink and girly.

We had fun playing some cool little partying games, and then the best part for Lizard came.

Finally we had the blowing of the candles – boy that is a lot of candles! I don’t think I will let her grow up anymore, the candles alone might burn down the house. 😉

Things got pretty funny during cake eating. Earlier at dinner Jacob had his face in his plate licking up ketchup or whatever was on there. Paul, very nonchalantly, reached over and gently pushed his face entirely into the plate. The result was an adorable squeal from Jacob, red nose and forhead and mauch laughter. Dad decided that the birthday girl needed the same loving caring treatment.

What a hoot! And here is Jacob once again, daring to lick his plate, or the food on his plate as the case may be. He frequently has dillusions of being a dog, which is adorably hillarious.

We are all excited for Elizabeth’s birthday trip on Saturday. Rain or shine we are headed to the coast – specifically to Tillamook Cheese Factory. Mmmmmmmm 🙂

Nine Years Already?!!?

It is hard to believe that nine years ago today I was holding my first born in my arms for the very first time…

What a young lady you have grown into! Happy Birthday Lizard!!

Something to Laugh Over

I was going to post this last night, but it was late and my husband was threatening to unplug my computer if I didn’t come to bed 🙂 so I decided to leave it until morning. Maybe that was a good thing.

Last night I had a horrendous nightmare – the gist was that James got a plastic bag unto his head somehow, quit breathing, turned blue and I had to give him CPR. I awoke gasping and spent a good portion of the night watching him breath and trying to calm down enough to catch some more shut eye.

So, after horrific nightmare, I need something funny to write to help chase away the shadows, and last night gives me the perfect oportunity.

A good friend of mine has Lupus (among other things – she’s going to die laughing if she reads this). And, no, that isn’t the funny part – be patient it is coming. Anyway, she called me yesterday to let me know that her Lupus is out of remission. I don’t know much about lupus so I asked her to give it to me straight. She explained about how it attacks the immune system and makes her allergic to the sun, and so on and so forth. The conversation continued similar to this,

Me: No more cruises for you kid.
Her: No. —- (a mutual friend of ours) called me a vampire this morning.
Me: I always thought there was something odd about you – I just never noticed the fangs.

so we continued to joke back and forth about vampirism. She needed Paul to come over to assist her Husband in giving her a blessing. So all was set and I hopped off the phone. Once I got off Paul asked me about Lupus, because he knew about as much as I did, and I proceeded to tell him. Then he got worried because he has had a bit of a cold lately and didn’t want to get her sick. So he asked me to call back and give her a heads up.

I pick up the phone, dial, and wait while it rings. As I listen to the phone ring Paul pipes up,

“Just mention to her that we were talking more about Lupin,”

I cut him off with a burst of laughter.

My friend answered the phone to my insane laughter, all while Paul looked at me if I were crazy.

Then he realized what he had said and started laughing, which made me laugh even harder – all while my friend was on the other end of the line, “What’s going on nutty?”

I tried to tell her through my laughter and tears but she couldn’t understand a word of it. Finally I managed to get out, “Paul thinks you’re a werewolf!”

“A what?”

“A Werewolf, he said you had Lupin!”

Her laughter joined ours, and I was at the point of my tummy hurting I was laughing so hard.

“You’re a vampire werewolf!”

“How does that work?”

“Well, usually you just suck blood, but on the full moon you turn into a werewolf AND suck blood.” I had tears pooring down my face at this point. Then I glanced at the calendar. “And, it is a full moon!”

One of the three of us did a werewolf howl, which sent the giggles going again. So, I did the only thing a respectable friend to someone with a serious illness would do. I wrote the corniest Vampire Werewolf poem I could think of inside of a gorgeous sunny beach scene card and took it to her. To which she told me, “Well, at least you took the news well.”

Which set us off laughing once again. 😀

And I thought Washington had the corner on Vampires and Werewolfs (Twilight) So, should anyone come this way for a visit, I cannot gaurantee your safety – especially should you come during a full moon.

Arrrroooooooooooooo