Life as We Know It

It's Friday.... come Monday, our routine will change forever. Bebo will start school, and Jeff & I will start just a couple of weeks behind him. I had all these great plans to wake Bebo up early so he'd be used to getting up, then he got sick. Now instead of getting him up, I'm doing my best to keep my wiggly 5-year-old in bed as much as possible. Last night I entertained him by playing Wall-E & Burnout 3: Takedown on our borrowed Xbox 360. I had planned on putting together the new recumbent bike, but Jeff had the only Phillips-head screwdriver large enough for the project in the car, accompanying him as he delivered pizza. So the bike will be assembled tonight.

I've started an 8x8 digital album for his kindergarten year. I figure I will combine his other years of elementary into a single book, but kindergarten is kinda special, ya know? Here are pages 2 & 3 (Page 1 will be his school picture, so obviously I'll have to wait on that one.)




Do you like? I have decided to go with a common scheme - the same background, same two fonts, and purple w/red accents - for the entire book. I'm torn between feeling constricted and freed by using a scheme. Part of me like the creative ability to do exactly what I want, and part of me likes that I won't have to think too hard about putting it together.

Somewhat in that line of thinking, I am gearing up to start Christmas presents. I have a few ideas that I think will be fun, depending on whether or not I get my new printer before November.

And I suppose that's enough for today. Have a lovely weekend!

Doctor Visits

My insurance company is going to love us.

I had a physical today - it's something I've never had done, and I figured it was high time. I had my cholesterol, blood sugar, and thyroid checked; a mole burned off my back; and a got prescription for an anti-inflammatory to treat my oh-so-painful plantar fasciitis.

I came home to messages on my machine from Peepop - apparently Braeden was feeling pretty puny, so Grannie brought him home to us so Jeff could take him to the walk-in clinic. The little guy is so prone to allergies that it's tough to tell when they've developed into something more. The doc said that today it's not strep throat, but it could be by tomorrow. So Jeff is at Wal-Mart now, semi-sick child in tow, waiting on my prescription and Braeden's, too.

And in other news... I just got an email saying that my new exercise bike has arrived at Wal-Mart! With a little luck, maybe I can coax Jeff into taking me this afternoon to pick it up.

Reminder

Bad news yesterday. . . a girl who was friends of the kids in the youth group at church, who attended a lot of our events, who worked at Sonic and had the sweetest personality. . . was killed yesterday in a freak accident. Apparently she was helping some people move and was in the back of a pickup. They believe the wind caught a mattress that was in the truck and threw her out of it. She sustained fatal injuries from the accident.

I was shocked when I heard the news last night. She wasn't one of those kids who was always in trouble. Every time I saw her, she was bubbly and cheerful. And then, in an instant, she was gone. It made me hug Braeden a little more tightly. No parent should ever have to hear those words - the awfulness of it is overwhelming to even consider.

Say a prayer for her family and friends, and love on your own a little more closely.

We Have a Teacher!

I can't tell you how much I've dreaded this week... I worked myself into a near frenzy worrying about kindergarten. Tonight we went to an assembly to meet his teacher - and God came through for us! His teacher is someone we know through church, a very sweet young woman who remembered Braeden and seemed happy to see him.

Word cannot express the relief I felt! Somehow, even though I don't know her well, it makes all the difference in the world that he has a teacher I'm at least a little familiar with. My antsy heart has settled considerably. My boy and I are going to be just fine.

Here's a pic (I know, I know, but I can't stop myself!). It's blurry, but good enough. :)

Color Combo layouts

Color Combos Galore

School Supplies

I really wonder how parents of more than one child do it! We went last night for the Big Shopping Trip. Since the elementary wouldn't give us a list (said we had to wait until we find out who his teacher is on Monday), and this is Tennessee's tax-free weekend, I decided the best thing would be to pick up the list from other school and just guess at what he would need. (Don't get me started on my irritation with the school over not giving out the lists when everyone else in the area has!)

Anyway... we went late last night when the store wouldn't be so crowded. Braeden picked out a Transformers backpack - yet another signal our little man is growing up on us. We bought so much stuff - $100 worth, in fact. That included the previously mentioned "packpack" and two pair of shoes, plus endless pencils, crayons, markers, folders, and the like.

When I was a little girl, the school supply shopping trips were such fun. I loved choosing my folders and notebooks, then coming home to sort and organize all my supplies. Really, it's one of my fondest childhood memories. I think Mom has some video of me and Sarah sitting on the living room with our goodies spread out all around us.

I suppose because it was such a big deal for me, I wanted to make it special for Braeden. We let him choose the color of his folders, and his packpack, and his pencil case. He probably got the most excited over the boring jumbo pencils we bought for him! LOL That's my boy!

Monday evening we'll go to the elementary to meet his teacher and get the 'official' supply list. Hopefully there won't be too many items to add to it.

Sigh.... one more weekend. Just a few more days before our lives make a very big change. As much as I wish I could slow down time, I have no regrets. Except for a short part-time stint at daycare, he's been home with us most of his life. He's gotten to play and spend five years just being a kid. Now that he's going to add student to his list of life-roles, I'm profusely thankful that we gave him that time to just play and do exactly what little kids should be doing - being themselves.

August

Where has this year gone? Braeden starts school next week, with Jeff & I beginning two weeks later. Heck, Cracker Barrel has already started putting out Christmas decorations!

I wish I could slow down. Even though I don't feel like I've committed myself to a great deal - certainly less than some people I know - I sometimes wish I could lead a simpler life. Less hassle, less fuss. But I suppose it's not to be.

In other news...

I had a unique experience today. If you go to my photo blog, you'll see photos of lovely swallowtail butterflies. As I watched, these lovely creatures danced all around me. They circled me and each other, playfully skipping on the wind. Then it was almost as if they wanted me to take their picture. First, one, then the second, then a third landed and quietly posed as I snapped picture after picture. It was a totally wonderful thing to happen. Don't you love seeing God's creation?

You are invited to my pity party!

Ever feel intensely grumpy? Like everyone is intent on making your life miserable, and the planets have aligned precisely in such a way as to cause every little thing to go wrong that possibly could?

Yeah. I'm having one of those weeks.

God and Cruella deVille

Regarding a conversation with Bebo last night (for reference, "Carrera" is how he pronounces "Cruella")...

It was bedtime. Past that, actually, and because Jeff was going to be out until the wee hours of the morning cleaning ovens at Domino's, I let Braeden sleep with me. I just like knowing where he is when it's just the two of us at home. But Braeden didn't want to sleep, so he was doing some serious stalling.

B: Mommy?

A: Yes, Bebo?

B: I just gotta tell you somefing.

A: (yawning) Okay.

B: Is God wif me?

A: Yes, baby. God is always with us.

B: And he's gonna take care of me?

A: Of course.

B: Does God hate the bad guys?

A: No, sweetheart. God loves everyone, even though we sometimes do bad things that make him sad.

B: Really?

A: Mmm-hmmm... it's like how sometimes you do bad things, but I always love you anyway.

B: Oh!! . . . . Mommy?

A: Yes?

B: Does God hate Carrera?

A: (suppressing a chuckle) Well, Cruella isn't a real person, but even if she was real, God wouldn't hate her.

B: Even though she drowned the puppies?

A: Yes, dear.

B: Oh! Mommy?

A: Braeden, go to sleep!

(Before you think I'm an awful Mommy for avoiding one of those "teachable moments," let me note two things: 1) by this time it was past 11:30; and 2) we've had this conversation many times before!)

Guess what?

I am 100% online this semester! I managed to squeeeeze into the only section of A&P that was online. It completely solves the transportation problem, which is certainly the Big Issue, but it also means I won't see anybody live and in person until the spring semester. Ah, well. I suppose the whole purpose isn't reaaaaalllly to socialize, but it would be nice.

It's okay. There's next semester, and once I'm in the nursing program, it's going to be very up close and personal. :)

My First Car

More about School

You might get tired of me blabbing on and on about school. Allow me to offer my half-hearted apology. :)

Jeff's financial aid went through, so we are now ready to roll. Okay... maybe not quite. We still have to work through our transportation problems. If we can figure out how to safely get the Lumina in for a diagnostic check, that would be a start. Jeff is convinced the engine is blown, and if it is, we have to decide whether it's worth it or not to spend $3000 fixing a car that might be worth $2500. But that's beside the point.

All the school pieces are in place. We find out who will be Braeden's teacher on the fourth, and he has a half-day on the sixth, with his first full day on the eight. (Hold me!) All I have left for Braeden is to buy school supplies and a pair or two of shoes. I've gone through his clothes and he has more than enough to get him through, at least until cooler weather.

Jeff & I will begin classes on the 23rd. On Thursdays, we'll ride into Chattanooga together. I'll have my Anatomy & Physiology lab, and he'll have tests. I'll be missing Wednesday night services for the first time in nine years, but it was my only choice - A&P isn't offered in Kimball at any other time. Not sure I like that, as Wednesday is my favorite service.

I feel rather dorky, but I am soooo excited about this! I feel like I'm getting a second chance in a sense. It's not that I didn't do well in school the first time - but I know I could have done so much better. Something about being married and having a kid gives a person a sense of maturity that didn't exist at 21!

It will be interesting to see how education has changed in the nine years since I graduated. I feel quite comfortable in my computer skills, so it's not like I'm worried - just curious. Nine years ago, I could count on one hand the number of students who had laptops. Now practically everyone does. I've already seen some effects - I registered online (in my pajamas) for classes. No more waiting in long lines to sign up for classes! Even better, I kept hitting the site for several days until I was able to squeeze into a class that had previously been full. Soooo much more convenient.

Enough rambling for now - must go back to work!

The Dish in the Sink

I know. It's a picture of a mostly-eaten container of rice sitting in my sink. Before you start questioning my mental faculties, let me explain.

The reason I took a picture, and the reason I posted, is because it is a sweet reminder of how lucky I am.

You see, Braeden put that dish there after lunch the other day. I didn't have to tell him to do it, either. In fact, it's something he does after every meal, without being asked. We try to eat at the same time, but since I only have 30 minutes for lunch, he often has to finish without me.

It's such a simple little thing, but it makes me proud and mushed-out at the same time. I am so blessed to have such a sweet little boy!

Letter to Nanny

My maternal grandmother died suddenly when I was 16. She was so precious to us. Over the years, I have found myself missing her... sometimes at the oddest times, and sometimes exactly when you'd expect grief to come rolling back in - the birth of Braeden, when my first scrapbook page was published, watching the old home videos of Christmases years ago. I like to think she can see me, and that she's proud of the person I am.


Dear Nanny,

It's been 14 years since you left. Life marched on, even though you weren't here to share it. We missed you. That day you died, I had my wisdom teeth cut out. You called Mom to check on me, and I so wish I would have been able to speak to you. That was just like you - a broken hip, probably in pain, and you were worried about me. Somehow, when the call came in that evening, the fog lifted enough that I was able to get ready to leave and give Mom the time she needed.

It was all so surreal. By the time we arrived in Arkansas, the fog had settled firmly over my brain again. I remember sleeping for a long time. When I woke, you weren't there. It felt so wrong. We all stumbled through in a daze. It didn't surprise me to see how many people were at your funeral. I think that everyone who met you loved you immediately - because you loved so freely.

Do you remember that time Sarah & I were playing frisbee in the yard and I broke the glass on the screen door? I can't remember where you were that night - maybe picking up cans along the road? - but I distinctly remember the way my stomach dropped to my feet. The very idea that I would have angered or disappointed you was unbearable. I went in the house and started cleaning. I guess I thought it would make you less mad, but you always kept such a clean house that I couldn't find anything to do! You weren't nearly as mad as I thought you would be - in fact, if I remember right, you just dismissed it and asked if I wanted ice cream!

Oh, how I miss the wonderful gardens you and Pa kept! I wish as a child I'd appreciated all the wonderful veggies like I do now! Even though I was pretty small at the time, I still laugh when I think about the peanut-shaped pumpkin that we carved one Halloween. When I concentrate, I can almost taste the wilted lettuce, fried potatoes, pinto beans, and little bit of vinegar and bacon grease. Nothing has ever tasted so good since.

You were always so crafty. Besides the beautiful quilts you made, you dabbled in so many different crafts - from the beadwork dolls to the plastic canvas stockings you made. I am afraid I didn't inherit your knack for sewing, but I did take up photography and scrapbooking. What I wouldn't give to sit down and and watch you flip through my books! I can just hear the oohs and aahs. Did you know that I've even had a couple of pages published? I'm scrapbooking on a computer. You died before the internet really took off, and you'd have been amazed to see what could be done.

You're a big part of the reason I scrap. No memory is fonder than the this: every single visit, we curled up next to you on the couch, and looked through the mountain of photo albums. You would laugh at our silliness, and tell us stories about the pictures. Sometimes you'd even pull out the albums of when you were a little girl, and tell us stories about your life. It was such a fascination to me, and I wish so much that I had recorded those conversations. I guess I always thought you'd be around, and now a lot of those memories are lost forever. My grandkids may not love me like I loved you, but I want them to have a record of my life, anyway. Thank you for leaving us what you did - the photo albums are a treasure I wouldn't trade for anything.

I'm researching our family history. I've found pictures of family members that you might not have even known about. I've been able to trace back quite a ways in some cases. It would be so wonderful if were still here to help me sort through it. My obsession with genealogy is largely because of you - those unwritten stories make me want to dig as much as I can, to know where I came from - even when the picture painted isn't a pretty one.

I wish you could see my little boy. You'd probably see a lot of me in him - I do everytime I compare pictures of me at his age. Braeden has the most beautiful brown eyes, and the sweetest personality. It saddens me so that he never got to know you. But don't worry - I'll tell him the stories.

He starts kindergarten soon. It's so bittersweet for me. I know you wanted a big family, and never got to have it. Now I'm sending my only child off to school, and it makes me wonder how you felt when Mom went that first time. I want a big family, too. If I can't have the children naturally, I'm going to adopt a few. Heck, I'm going to adopt whether I have anymore children of my own or not. I hope that makes you smile.

I miss you so much. It doesn't seem fair that you had to leave us so soon. Mom and I have commented so many times over the years that you would have loved to see what we were seeing then.

Jeff wrote a song for me when I was pregnant with Braeden. I'm going to leave you with the chorus, because it so clearly says what I feel.

I can't wait to see you, in heaven above

I can't wait to see you

wrap you up in my embrace

hold your hand and touch your face

I can't wait to see you....

I can't wait.

All my love,

Amanda

Where did it go?

My brain... it's missing!

Ohhhhhh..... this has been such a frustrating week for me. Work has be insanely busy, beyond anything I've ever dealt with. By the end of the day my brain has completely fried itself into a blob of useless grey mush. It seems to only be compounding itself, and with each day (and subsequent sleepless night), it only grows worse.

I swear sometimes I think I'm going senile. I can't remember anything, I can't think straight - I must be losing it. Worse - my creative muse is MIA.

I need sleep. I need to be able to think again - quickly - before school starts!

Excuse me while I

AAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!


Is it Friday yet?

Summer in the South

The birds have to use potholders to pull worms out of the ground.

The trees are whistling for the dogs.

The best parking place is determined by shade instead of distance.

Hot water now comes out of both taps.

You can make sun tea instantly.

You learn that a seat belt buckle makes a pretty good branding iron.

The temperature drops below 95 and you feel a little chilly.

You discover that in July it only takes 2 fingers to steer your car.

You discover that you can get sunburned through your car window.

You actually burn your hand opening the car door.

You break into a sweat the instant you step outside at 7:30 a.m.

Your biggest bicycle wreck fear is, 'What if I get knocked out and end up lying on the pavement and cook to death?'

You realize that asphalt has a liquid state.

The potatoes cook underground, so all you have to do is pull one out and add butter, salt and pepper.

Farmers are feeding their chickens crushed ice to keep them from laying boiled eggs.

The cows are giving evaporated milk.

Projects for the Week, or Tasks I Must Accomplish

1. Box up and mail appreciation cards for Operation Quiet Comfort.

2. Find out why Chatt State received and processed my financial aid paperwork, but not Jeff's (his was sent in the same day).

3. Exercise!

4. Finish the design work on my new foodie blog - lots of yummy recipes coming your way. Stay tuned!

5. Make an appointment for dog to be groomed. (Actually, shaved is a better word. Poor little guy gets awfully hot in the summer with his thick mane of black fur.)

6. Clear out closet in guest room, so I can

7. Move Christmas decorations from the pile in my office to the closet so I can

8. Clean office (up to running carpet cleaner) so I can walk through the room without tripping on something!

Fireworks

Living less than a mile from the fireworks store does have its benefits. :) Granted, there is a serious lag in the audio to the video, but I think you get the idea. I did this on my new Coolpix camera. It's not quite the same as a "real" video camera, but it's the closest thing I've ever had. Quite funny, really. Hope you enjoy.

Happy Birthday to Meeeee.....

Yup. This firecracker baby is 31 today. Jeff isn't here, so it's just me & Bebo. I've been trying to figure out what to do all day. We've got a 50% chance of rain, and I'm crossing my fingers that it doesn't mess up the fireworks displays tonight.

What to do, what to do?

Doing My Things

Braeden often tells us we should do his "fings" - meaning we should do exactly what he wants to do. Sometimes he'll even say "We're not going to do your fings, Mommy. We can only do my fings."

Ah, the selfish narcicissm of a five-year-old.

Well, Monday I got to do my "fings," after all. Jeff had gone to Indiana, and Braeden went up to Grannie & Peepop's. So I did what any red-blooded American girl would do - I went shopping! I started at a scrapbook store I recently re-discovered. Then I went to Michael's, hoping to take advantage of a 50%-off coupon, but struck out there. I ate dinner at PF Chang's, then moseyed over to the movie theater to catch another viewing of Wall-E, since I arrived too late to see Iron Man.

After the movie, I went to Books-a-Million to browse for Bible class material and some tools to help Bebo learn to write. Oh, and of course I had to have a hazelnut-coconut frappe. Mmmm.....

The ironic part is that in doing my "fings," I wound up thinking about Bebo all night! My purchases at the scrapbook store were of train papers and rub-ons. At BAM, I bought a Wall-E book and a set of handwriting cards for him.

Ah, well. I enjoyed my night out. Maybe I'm weird, but it doesn't bother me in the least to do things by myself like that. Yeah, it would be nice to have someone to hang out with, but I am sadly short of friends who live close enough to go play at the drop of a hat. Besides, it was nice to just get out of the house and drive in total silence for a while. It helps to recharge the batteries, ya know?

Isn't Photoshop Cool?

I can actually make myself look kinda interesting!

Wall-E (review, no spoilers)

We took Braeden to see Wall-E Saturday - and it did not disappoint! Only Pixar can produce a flick that is simultaneously adorable, thought-provoking, and sends a message - all without being overbearing and in-your-face.

The first 45 minutes or so have no dialogue -just two little robots squawking back and forth at each other. It's remarkable to me that such life and personality can be given to an otherwise inanimate object. Wall-E is the most endearing robot since R2D2 (incidentally, he bears a remarkable resemblance to Johnny No. 5).

When humans finally appear, it's an interesting commentary on what our technology might eventually do to us. Man has become so fat and sedentary that he can't even remember how to walk! I can't seem to stop thinking about it - the picture Pixar painted of our future health just doesn't seem so far from the truth.

Anyway, the movie is precious. Braeden chattered questions nonstop - "Is Wall-E hurt?" "What's dat robot?" "Where are they going?" - and with a theater half full of preschoolers, he was certainly not the only one. It held his attention beautifully, and I would venture a guess that kids as young as 3 would sit through it, no problem - even without dialogue at the beginning.

I loved, Jeff loved it, Bebo loved it. I'll leave you with a glowing review, and a couple of pics of our day out.

It's Official....

This cum laude college graduate is about to go back. After nine years of wistfully thinking my management degree would ever get me anywhere, I have decided to totally shift gears and pursue something I never dreamed I would - nursing.

You heard me. I am going to be a nurse. Hard to believe, isn't it? It seemed in college that all my roommates were into nursing or some other medical-related field. I used to get so grossed out at their textbooks. I thought I would get a break from the grossness, and then I married a guy who eventually decided to be a nurse!

After a few semesters of helping him study and being his dutiful little secretary, I developed an interest in what he was doing. That, coupled with hours spent watching Babies: Special Delivery on Discovery Health made me decide to be a labor & delivery nurse. I also want to spend time in NICU and pediatrics. (Although Jeff tells me I'll have to start as a floor nurse first. Guess I have to pay my dues.)

Anyway, since I already have a bachelor's degree, the only extra classes I need are a handful of science courses. I registered for Anatomy & Physiology for the fall. I'll do night & online classes so I can keep working, then when Jeff graduates, I'll quit my job and start full-time in the nursing program.

I'm excited about it - but I'd be lying if I didn't wonder if I might also be a little insane. I'll be 35 by the time I graduate. I'd love to be a SAHM, but I don't know if that will ever happen. At least with nursing I can work a couple of days a week and not miss too much.

So here goes. . . jumping feet-first back into the old school days groove.

Wish me luck!

Recent Braeden-isms

In case you needed a chuckle...

- He came into the computer room with a can of Spaghetti-Os. "Mommy, children like Pasgettios!"

- When we go for fast food, he calls the drive-thru the "around" and the inside the "park it." Jeff was horsing around with Bebo, wrapped him up in a big bear hug, and said, "Bebo, you make the world go 'round." "Uh-uh, Daddy. I want the world to go park it!"

- He brought me a granola bar. It was close to supper, and he knew I would probably say no. I told him we would be eating soon, and he said, "No, Mommy, this one's for you." Then with a sneaky grin, he pulls a second granola bar from behind his back and says, "this one's for me!"

- Sometimes Peepop sits in the foyer during church to monitor the front of the building. Braeden likes to go with him, because he doesn't have to sit still during the sermon. After one of these evenings, he told me, "Mommy, I only had time for Peepop tonight. I don't have time to sit with you."

- I told him to pick up his toys, and he didn’t want to.
“Mommy, God doesn’t like you.”
“Braeden, God loves everyone. He also says that he wants children to obey their parents. So pick up your toys.”
“Mommy, God isn’t here!” (obviously thinking that if God wasn't watching, he didn't have to pick up his mess!)

- He was dressed in a black hoodie (hood pulled up) and black sweats. Jeff was about to take him to the store. I asked if he was going incognito, and he said, "No, Mommy, I'm going to Wal-Mart!"

Family Trees, Bad Casseroles, and VBS

I am having so much fun piecing together my family tree. I've gathered all kinds of data, and solved a few mysteries in the process. Larkin Church (Senior) was in the civil war. For years I thought his tombstone denoted a Confederate regiment, because he was in Arkansas and that was a Confederate state. Then a couple of years ago we discovered it was actually a Union regiment. The pieces still weren't making sense, though.

I have come across documents that helped me fill in some of the blanks. In 1862, he enlisted with the 3rd Arkansas Cavalary, a Confederate unit. In the summer of 1863, he switched sides to fight for the Union. In March of 1864, his name showed up on a prison roster (Confederate) in Morristown, Tennessee. At some point before 1864, he wound up back with the Union regiment and stationed in Memphis, not too far from his home. He took a leave, and was killed near his home by Confederate guerillas - quite possibly some of the same people he'd fought with earlier in the war. Interesting, huh? I just wish I knew why he switched sides.

In other news. . . our church is preparing for our first one-day VBS. It should be interesting to see how it goes. We're trying a lot of new things, and we don't know how well it will all work out. I volunteered to write skits (something I love to do), and on Saturday I'll be the one sticking a camera in everybody's faces. (I know how that shocks you.) I hope this goes well. I really, really, really do.

Finally, have you ever had high hopes for a new recipes, only to be so disappointed that you wouldn't even feed it to the dog? Yeah, I thought so. I found this great stovetop tuna recipe. It had great ingredients, and looked to be kid-friendly, quick and easy. Somehow, it just didn't do it for me. It might have been the whole wheat yolk-less egg noodles. Jeff insisted it was the pack of mixed vegetables I cooked with the noodles. (He's not one to eat his veggies, but since I cook almost exclusively one-dish meals, I have been trying to sneak them in as much as possible.) Or it could just be that the flavors simply didn't go together well. I am a fairly good cook, so I know I didn't do anything wrong - it just wasn't good. Ah, well. At least I got that package of egg noodles out of the pantry.

Who Knew?

I have scrapbooked so much since the first of the year that I ran out of things to scrap! Well, sort of. I have piles of photos that need to be scanned before I can work with them, but the lack of a functioning scanner is prohibiting that at the moment, so I decided to turn my attention elsewhere for a couple of weeks.

If you have never delved into your family genealogy, you really should try it sometime. It's amazing what you can find. It turns out I'm a distant cousin to Booker T Washington, George W Bush, Audrey Hepburn, and Nathaniel Hawthorne. Pretty cool, huh?

There are Revolutionary War heros, a former governor of Connecticut, Union soldiers (who lived in the South), survivors of Indian attacks, participators in the Oklahoma Land Rush, British nobility, and even families who were in Salem at the time of the Witch Trials.

My family, no matter which branch I trace, has been in America for a long, long time - some of them pre-date the Mayflower's voyage. It's fascinating to me to imagine the life my ancestors led. Apparently Christmas Day was a popular wedding date at the turn of the 17th century - I lost count of how many couples married on December 25! I can't help but imagine the fear felt by those living in Salem in 1692. Would they be the next to be wrongfully accused? I actually know about the Land Rush, because my great-great-grandmother left behind a memoir of sorts, and she tells of the Frenchman who rode by their side in the race to find a homestead, and the Indians who sometimes visited them.

I wonder what it was like for the Union soldiers who lived in Arkansas and Kentucky at the time of the Civil War. One of them was even killed by Confederate soldiers when he was home on furlough. Someday, if I ever visit Connecticut, I'm going to see the Robert Treat Hotel, founded by my governor/ancestor. He is even considered the co-founder of Newark, New Jersey.

One of the most intriguing parts for me is when I find an ancestor who came from Scotland or England, and it's a town I've been to. When I think of my great-times-10-grandmother walking the streets of Edinburgh, or the hills of Stirling, I get a little excited to think I've been there, too.

Interestingly, there are monuments and graves close to where I live now. I look forward to photographing these places - there's nothing like having a tangible connection to the past. In fact, my search has yielded photos of family I didn't know existed. It's such a thrill to see the faces of family from more than one hundred years ago.

In that spirit, here is a photo of Hezekiah Rose, my great-great-great-great-grandfather. He lost part of a leg in the Civil War (Confederate side). I love this picture - his eyes have this sparkle that makes me think he would have been such a fun person to know.

I hope that I get to spend time with these relatives in heaven. I'd love to hear their stories - and I am determined to leave mine for future generations!

Good news!

The pediatrician called, and Braeden's big 24-hour test came back fine. There was a teeny bit of protein, but not enough to cause concern. Thanks for the prayers - we are all quite relieved!

Memorial

Cats

Because when life gets too serious, sometimes you just gotta laugh...

Grandma Gates

Here's a picture of Grandma from the last time I went to see her:

Eye Updates

I had an appointment to see the optometrist today, even though my vision had returned to normal. He couldn't find anything wrong, and speculated that it might have been a fluke. However, he suggested I have a complete physical (something I haven't done in years, if ever), and especially check my blood sugar levels. So I guess I'll be making another appointment on Monday.

I'm relieved to know that he couldn't see a thing wrong with my eyes. I probably overreacted, but I have always said that my sight is the one sense I really don't want to lose. I am just too visually oriented, ya know?

Tomorrow we start doing the 24-hour urine collection for Bebo. (Sorry, I know that's kinda gross.) This means I'll have to keep a very close eye on him - because we're supposed to collect everything, and it will probably drive us all insane in the process.

Final update - Grandma's funeral will be Monday. I will not be going, I'm afraid. I am glad this world's journey is over for her. She lived a long life, and now she doesn't have to worry about arthritis or bad knees or anything else. I'm glad we got to see her last summer, and that she got to see her great-grandkids.

PSA, folks - please don't forget to tell your story. My grandparents are all gone now, and I would dearly love to sit down with them all and hear their stories - about their military service, their homes, their dreams, their lives - all of it. It doesn't matter how you choose to go about it, but for the sake of your children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren, find a way to leave behind your story. You may think it's the most boring thing in the world, but somebody will appreciate it for the gem it is.

Just think about it.

The Last 30 Minutes

A series of events of the last half hour, as follows:

1) I left a pot of water boiling on the stove, forgot about it - and now I have a ruined pot.

2) My Cricut burned out, and I can't possibly replace it.

3) I lost my peripheral vision in my right eye. I have been sitting at the computer, and suddenly was getting a "flashing" in that eye. When it finally stopped, I had completely lost my peripheral sight. It seems to be coming back slowly, but my family has a gene for retinitis pigmentosa, so I won't lie and say I'm not worried.

4) Mom called and told me Granda passed away. She died peacefully, but they didn't make it there to see her before she died.


I'm feeling a little overwhelmed right now, to say the least.

Prayers, please

For two things:

First, my only living grandparent is very ill. Doctors have given her "15 minutes to 72 hours." She's been bedridden for a while, and is lonely and tired. I know she's ready to move on to greater things. Please pray that her remaining time is peaceful and that she can be surrounded by those she loves.

Second, we took Braeden in for his school physical earlier this week. They found a small amount of protein in his urine, and requested that we do a second analysis when he first wakes up to double-check. The second round has come back with the same results. Now we have to collect all the urine for a 24-hour period. At this point, we don't know what it means, though it likely indicates some sort of kidney problem. Please pray that we find out the answer quickly, and that it can be easily healed. I'm not worried yet - not until I know have cause to really worry. His boundless energy belies any physical problems.

Thank you!

Nine Years

I've been married for nine years. . . and completely forgot our anniversary was today. I admit, it's mostly because we planned to celebrate next week, so my mind has been geared seven days behind schedule. But there's also part that just forgets these things. It's one of my lesser qualities.

Nine years. Happy anniversary to us!

Wall-E & Bebo

The movie isn't out yet... but we've been talking about it for months now. Back when the teaser preview was just that - a teaser - Bebo has been begging Jeff to watch it on the computer. He just loves Wall-E. Jeff & I can't wait to take him to see the movie. It will be as much a treat for us as it is for Braeden.

On Monday Bebo had to go for his school physical exam. Jeff promised him a "treat" if he'd behave, and after suffering through a Hep A vaccine and excessive poking and prodding, they went to Toys R Us. The first words out of Braeden's mouth when they got home were "Wook, Mommy! I got a Wall-E!"

And so he did. Just barely 3 inches tall, Wall-E has become quite a celebrity in our house. Last night Braeden, in his utterly sweet manner, decided Wall-E needed to take a nap. I'm hearing a lot of "Mommy, come wook!" lately, and this time I arrived to see this 3-inch tall toy carefully laid out on a Mommy-sized pillow, with a Thomas blanked pulled just up to his head. Being the good mommy that I am, I grabbed the camera. :)

Braeden helped me pose Wall-E - in fact, he demanded that I take "wots and wots of pictures of Wall-E." And that is exactly what we did. I used the opportunity to practice some perspective shots. Braeden was happy, Mommy was happy, and I think Wall-E was probably happy, too.

After the photo shoot, Braeden made another "bed" for Wall-E on Jeff's guitar case. Then he said prayers for Wall-E. And hugged Wall-E. And told Wall-E good night.

I love my boy!

Here's some of our little photo session - scrapbook page soon to follow, I'm sure. :)

Uh....

Prompted by a friend's blog, I googled "Manders' Musings."

My blog came up on the first two hits, followed by. . . someone who does adult fan fiction.

Yikes! Just so you know - THAT IS NOT ME!

Orienting the Parent

Tuesday was Braeden's kindergarten orientation - but I had the distinct impression it was the parents they wanted to orient!

I didn't expect the experience to be a walk down memory lane. The hallway from the office to the kindergarten classrooms was a long one, and it brought back a flood of memories from my days in elementary at Florence Mattison. I felt like a six-year-old again - one who could barely contain her excitement and struggled to restrain her skip into a walk.

You see, I was one of those kids - the kind who absolutely loved school. Learning was fun for me - I don't recall ever dreading a single day of elementary. The school was fortunate to be staffed with wonderful teachers, and there was never a doubt in my mind that they cared about me.

Braeden was pretty dang excited, too! The elem apparently was having small groups of kids + parents come in so they could easily answer questions. There were two other kids there; one was a boy who was utterly silent, and the other was a small blonde girl who liked to talk. She and Braeden took one look at each other and became instant friends. It was the cutest thing to see. When the teachers led us to the classroom, they even wanted to sit together!

Speaking of classrooms - this school is enormous compared to the one I attended! I was floored at the size of the room, and I can only imagine it was intimidating to Bebo. Of course, he didn't let on! We were given a huge stack of papers, and lectured on all the applicable rules - no peanut butter, pick the child up between 2:30 -3:00 pm, wear appropriate shoes on gym day, no, we don't have room mothers but yes, you can volunteer, teach them to write their name, here is a recommended reading list - you get the idea. Braeden happily scribbled all over the paperwork and was actually pretty quiet, although he wouldn't hold still for long.

Then we went for a tour. . . and it was that point that I feared Bebo "marked" himself as a problem child. He and the little girl went nuts! As soon as we stepped into the gym, they looked at each other and without a word started running in circles together around the room! *sigh* I can hear the parent-teacher conferences now! We went into the cafeteria, and they did the same thing.

For the life of me, I cannot figure out how my child is ever going to sit still from 8am - 2:30pm every day. I can only hope that he will follow the lead of the quieter kids and that we won't have too many calls from the teacher. It makes me sad that he has to go a full day instead of half a day like I did.

Ah, well. I'll try to teach him to write his name this summer - he seems to enjoy playing "school" - and beyond that, I'm just going to let him be a boy as much as he wants. Because when August rolls around, things are going to change quite a bit for the little guy - and his Mama!

I am Supermom

I think I could conquer anything - I just survived a weekend with my niece and nephew, and didn't have to kill anyone!

Okay, I know those of you with three-plus kids are not impressed. But it's different when you are only used to one kidlet! This morning I packed the kids things back up, put the finishing touches on my bible class lesson, coifed three heads of hair, painted the fingernails of a wiggly 2-year-old, fed them all breakfast, got myself through the shower, curled my hair and put on makeup without them setting off the smoke alarm, and we got to church 15 minutes early.

We certainly attracted some attention at church - as well as a few smart-aleck-y remarks. I was amazed at how many people (including Mom) asked me if I still wanted a houseful. After this weekend, the answer is only a more emphatic, resounding "yes!" Of course I do - this weekend simply proved that I can handle it. I've watched them before at Mom & Dad's, but it was a much easier job on my home turf, where I can easily find important things such as apple juice, legos, and band-aids.

I'll some amusing pics later, but for now let me leave with a couple of stories.

Katie is a prissy little thing. When she put on her dress this morning she said, "Look! I am so pretty!" (I wish you could hear how unbelievably articulate this child is!)

And last night, as she said prayers, she thanked God for (in this order) milkshakes, Jesus, God, and Santa Claus. :)

Good day!

Coconut.... lovely, blessed coconut

I've had more than one person ask me if I was pregnant when I said I had been craving coconut lately. I can assure you, I am not pregnant - I just have hated coconut my entire life. When I was young, Dad said it tasted like grass, and that cemented in my mind that coconut was an evil thing to be avoided at all costs.

Until Valentine's. Jeff bought me a box of Ferrero candy, which included a coconut-encrusted truffle. I immediately fell in love. Before I knew it, I was seeking out other elegant (and not-so-elegant) coconut offerings, including Nutty Coconut ice cream from Baskin Robbins, and pretty much anything else I could get my hands on.

This past week I stumbled on a recipe from a Quick Cooking book, and I am declaring it my favorite candy. Ever.

Because it would be wrong of me not to share, allow me to indulge your imagination in a delightful, chewy, decadent treat that will have you dreaming of more and sneaking to the kitchen for just one more bite.

Chocolate Coconut Candies (Totally lame name for a wonderful dessert. I need to improve it!)

1 3/4 c. shredded coconut
1 3/4 c. powdered sugar
1/2 c. sweetened condensed milk
2 c. semisweet chocolate chips
2 tbsp. shortening

In a bowl, combine coconut, sugar and milk. (This will be sticky.) Shape into balls and transfer to cookie sheet covered in wax paper. Refrigerate until hardened, approximately 30 minutes. In a double boiler, melt chocolate chips and shortening. Coat candies with chocolate and allow to harden. Store in airtight container.

I cannot wait to go back to the grocery store to make more!!!

Feeling Edgy & Introspective :)

Toot (Part 3)

I thought I was out for this round, since the toots had gone up on the 2ps message board. But last night, there it was - sitting neatly in my inbox, a congratulatory email from Digital Scrapbook Mag. They want to print another one of my pages! This time it's a layout I did of our Thanksgiving meal last year. I took close-ups of the dishes, and if I do say so myself, the pics were quite nice - almost as yummy as the food!

Fun, huh?

Officially Mom of a Boy

Oh, he's always been a boy, but yesterday Braeden proved, unequivocally and with great finality, his Boyhood.

Allow me to explain.

Monday evenings bring the great Grocery Trip. I sit at the table and plan out my menus for the week (that I rarely stick to, but that's beside the point), then dutifully prepare the list, adding food items in the order they appear in the store aisles. Last night, my head was bent to my task, and I was ignoring everyone else in the house. Jeff was playing a computer game, Buddy was barking at some unseen speck of dust, and Braeden was playing trains.

At least that's what I thought he was doing. Suddenly he appeared at my side, proudly waving. . .

Are you ready for this?

.
.
.
.
.
.
.

A dead roach. Oh, yeah.

"Mommy!!! Look!!! This bug is DEAD!!!"

And he dropped it on the table in front of me. Right on top of my grocery list.

The bug was dead - and Mommy almost joined it. I screamed - twice - and sailed out of the chair, halfway across the room. This scared Braeden half to death, and he crawled under the table in retreat.

Jeff managed to peel himself from the computer long enough to see what the commotion was about. I was still hyperventilating - y'all know how I hate bugs, dead or alive, right? - and Braeden was still under the table. He promptly sheltered in Daddy's arms, baffled as to why Mommy wasn't utterly thrilled with his prize.

When I finally managed to speak, all I could say was "go wash your hands, Braeden."

On my post-traumatic to-do list for today? Call the exterminator. We don't need more dead bugs to tempt the resident 5-year-old.

Cal Marching Band

Someone posted this on the 2ps message board, and, well - you just have to see for yourself, okay?

Randomness

What to blog about today?

- I am disgusted by the government in Burma/Myanmar. It is reprehensible that they are allowing their people to die in such a manner.

- Mother's Day was a little wild. I spent the weekend at Mom's. One kid had strep throat and the other two were determined to irritate the snot out of everyone.

- The Impala is running again, but the Lumina is not. This means, once again, that I am grounded until we can find money to fix the Lumina.

- I finally got to see my first published page in print. Mom & Dad were impressed, and wanted to know what my chances are of being published again. That much, I do not know.

- I got my first pair of Crocs. Okay, they're really Wal-Mart rip-offs, but I cannot believe how comfortable they are. Well - mostly. They're a little tight across the top of my feet, but they are so comfy on the soles of my feet, which have been rather sore of late and feel like I'm walking barefoot on gravel all of the time.

- Yesterday Braeden was exasperated with me over something, and he told me I was "causing him nuts." Irritated as I have been at him, I had to laugh at that.

- Jeff is hoping to get a job at Memorial Hospital soon. If it all works out, this will be a very good thing, indeed.

I suppose that's it. Not much to tell, really - at least nothing of great value. Good day!

The Real Story

If you were to come to my house on any given day (without warning), this is most likely what you would find. In fact, it might be worse. I try, I promise I do - but housekeeping is just not my forte, and with Jeff & Bebo to clean up after, I am fighting a losing battle anyway.

Just for fun... because it's Monday and all. :)

Our Day out with Thomas

I don't know what happened to the pictures. . . hopefully this will work now.

Braeden took his third Day out with Thomas last week. This year, Gabe & Katie were able to go with us, and Jeff also tagged along for the ride. The weather had us a bit worried, but the rain held off in spite of rather menacing clouds. Actually, the overcast skies made for fabulous color in the photos. I had to do very little editing to them.

There was a petting zoo which was much better than last year's. We got such a kick out of the baby goats nursing - their tails were little spinning they were so excited. Gabe wanted to play on the mini golf course that had been set up, and Braeden was content to play in the tent with all the track set up while Katie colored.

I'll post more pictures on my photo blog later. These are the ones that show more of what the kids did Friday.

WOOOOOT!!!

I have waited for this for a very, very long time. . . .

My work - one of my early digital scrapbook pages - is in print! Okay, so it won't hit newsstands for 2-3 more weeks, but still - ME - one of MY pages - in a magazine! If you feel so inclined, it's on page 77 of Digital Scrapbook Magazine.

AND. . . yesterday I had a very flattering request regarding my scrapbooking. More details on that later. :)

Wooooooooooooohooooooooooooo!!!!

Faith Issues

I'm really struggling right now with my faith. I've blamed God for things that He didn't do. It seems we are in yet another financial crisis, and I'm tired of it. I'm sick of the constant stress and worry of how we will pay for everything. I hate that the minute we save a little money, we have another crisis that saps it all. I hate that people keep screwing us over and leeching even more money out of us. I hate it. I hate it. I hate it! Is it ever going to end?

Yeah, I'm struggling. So today I was listening to James McDonald, a radio pastor. He's always been inspiring - but he also has a proclivity for stepping on my toes. He has a daily radio program, and I like to listen on the internet when things are quiet. Today I heard an entire series about how God is always at work in our world, regardless of our ability to "see" him working. I needed that. I needed to be reminded that God does not work on my schedule.

Then I listened to the start of another series about finances. Unusual preaching for him, but again - I needed to hear it. I look forward to listening to the rest in the morning.

I have a long way to go. Sometimes I think I am so spiritual - and then I realize I'm just fooling myself. Think I'll ever figure it out?

I Love Speakerphone

I just had one of those epiphany-moments.

As I was talking to Mom, I put her on speakerphone. This allows me to freely "talk with my hands" while chatting to someone who can't see me.

Yes, I am one of those people who can't complete a sentence without waving my hands in the air like an idiot. Speakerphone is good for people like me. :)

Fortune Cookie

My fortune cookie said now is the time to tell my long-distance family and friends my news. Problem is, I haven't got any news. At least not anything anyone would care about, or I haven't already told everyone.

Guess the fortune cookie was wrong.

The Incident

I am a creative paranoid - by that, I mean that I can envision all kinds of crazy, horrifying scenarios of things that might, but probably never will, go wrong. One of my favorites (should I use that word?) is that Jeff winds up in a disastrous car accident on his way to school or out delivering pizzas.

So yesterday, I was three minutes from getting off work and enjoying a snooze, courtesy of a NyQuil hangover, and the phone rings.

"Amanda? I've had an accident."

(My heart sinks below the level of my chair.)

"Are you hurt?"

"No, and the car isn't too badly damaged."

"Is it driveable?"

"No, I have two flats and busted-up rims."

"What happened??"

"The road was narrowing into two lanes and some idiot decided to whip up in there and he cut me off and I could either hit him or run up onto the curb."

"I take it he didn't hang around for the aftermath."

"Oh, no. He's gone. And no one is stopping to help, either. I have to get to school! I don't know what to do!"

"Are you in the middle of the road?"

"Yes."

"Call the police. They can get a wrecker. You at least need a cop there to divert traffic so you don't get run over. Then call one of your classmates and see if they can pick you up. I'll have my cell phone and you can call if I have to come to Chattanooga and get you."

"Uh, yeah. Okay. [insert unintelligible muttering] Bye."

So I ran to the bank to deposit the money we'd been squirreling away for several weeks so we can pay for a tow truck and tire repair. So much for the emergency fund. We can't even save $1000 without wiping it out. Later Jeff called and told me that one of the tires is repairable, but the rim is bent too much on the other. He wound up putting the donut back on and limping the car home.

I give up. I'm trying to consider myself blessed that we had the money stuck back to cover the expense, but I'm so irritated about having to spend it on tire repair when it really should've gone for brakes and tuneups that I can't see the "blessed" aspect of this right now.

Back to Square One. For the thirty-thousandth time.

Hallelujah!

Hooray! We have ignition - the computers are all networked!

Okay, not all of them. The old laptop is dying a slow, painful death. I haven't even attempted to network it, and probably won't, either.

AND - I found the MIA recipe files! Hooray!

More Miscellany

Ugh. I hate being sick. The drastic change in weather in the last week has left me snorting, sniffling, coughing, and aching. I think the allergy attack spawned by the 30-degree drop in temperature has morphed into a full-blown sinus infection and goodness knows what else. Last night I felt like crap. I actually was in bed at 10pm, which is sooo early for me. Today I'm chilled and generally feeling icky.

*sigh*

Still haven't got the blasted computers networked. I can get internet access to them, but the networking is not cooperating. It's probably the difference between XP & Vista, but I am too tired to think clearly enough to deal with it. I did manage a work-around to get the necessary files moved from one computer to the other. Now I can at least do my digital scrapping again. Yay!

Incidentally, I have to thank Jeff for something. He insisted on a huge monitor - 22 inches - and I thought he was out of his mind. No way we could possibly need such a large monitor, I thought.

I was wrong. Very, very wrong.

I cannot tell you how nice it is to have this monster moniter for digital scrapping! Especially when I'm doing a 2-page spread - I can actually see the whole thing without having to constantly zoom in on one spot, then scroll over, then zoom out, then scroll some more. . . you get the idea. It's also quite nice for working in large spreadsheets (yes, I am an Excel fanatic). Plus, having the larger monitor has greatly reduced the eyestrain I was experiencing. It's not that the type onscreen is any larger. I guess it's just a better quality monitor overall, and my eyes have quit hurting. I can't tell you how much of a relief that is. Seriously, I was afraid I was about to need bifocals!

In other not-so-interesting news, I am not having a good Weight Watchers week. In fact, I'm feeling terribly discouraged about the whole process. (More to come on my WW blog.) Sometimes I wonder why I even bother. Worse - I lost my ENTIRE recipe folder in all the computer hoopla! I had literally hundreds of pages of recipes, and poof! - they are all gone. I just want to cry. Included in the MIA files was the recipe book I put together a couple of years ago, and my tried/untried list. So now I'm back to the drawing board. Maybe it's for the good. I probably need to reformat the recipes, anyway.

And on that note, this is long enough and I am bored with blogging for the moment. Off to find some DayQuil. . .

Getting There

Slowly... not so surely.

I am trying to network the two pcs so I can transfer files. Let's just say it doesn't seem to like me. I am definitely past my expertise level on this one.

Hopefully Jeff's computer-guru/friend can figure it out before my headache progresses to migraine level.

New Computin' Machine

I am typing this from my brand-new PC. The emachine had been subjected to 10-12 hours a day for more than four years, and was showing signs of virtual Alzheimer's. It was a great computer - I'd recommend an emachine to anyone.

However, the new computer is an Acer. Emachine just didn't make one powerful enough for the massive amount of photo/digital scrapbooking files I use. It runs on Vista, which makes me nervous - but so far, so good.

I guess this is the fourth new computer I've had. They've come a long way since the one I bought my senior year of high school that ran on Windows 3.1 and had ClarisWorks for the word processing program. That one lasted 5 years, then we "upgraded" to a Gateway. I will never, never, never buy another Gateway. Ever.

After that came the beloved emachine - an excellent computer for $450. We aren't retiring it - I'm just going to buy a wireless adapter so we can move it to the living room and Jeff can use it to download music and surf lyrics sites - both of which have a tendency to create virus issues.

This means we now have four computers in our household - two PCs and two laptops! Granted, one of the laptops belongs to Chatt State, but still... it's a lot of technology. It amuses me to no end when I think that 25 years ago, when I was Braeden's age, a Commodore was cool stuff! (Remember those? LOL) Using a computer was a novelty, to say the least. Fast forward 25 years, and I have a preschool-aged kid who can successfully navigate the internet!

My, how things change! What would our great-grandparents have thought of our progress, I wonder? Would they find it intriguing, or just think we were wasting our time?

I suppose we'll never know. I, for one, am quite fond of my computer and would not be willing to give it up.

What to Say...

I admit - I was stumped. Then I was emailed this survey, and I thought, "Oh, good! Blog fodder!" :)

( ) Gone on a blind date
(x) Skipped school (Oh, yeah. Usually to sleep.)
( ) Watched someone die
(x) Been to Canada (Just over the border at Niagara Falls
( ) Been to Mexico
(x) Been to Florida (last year for the very first time!)
(x) Been on a plane (several times - as far as Amsterdam)
(x) Been lost (Uh huh. Many, many times.)
( ) Been on the opposite side of the country
(x) Gone to Washington, DC (The first - and only - vacation Jeff & I have taken)
(x) Swam in the ocean (does wading count?)
(x) Cried yourself to sleep (a few times, but don't ask me what I was crying over.)
(x) Played cops and robber (Yup. I was more into boy games when I was little.)
(x) Recently colored with crayons (On the kid's menu at Cracker Barrel!)
( ) Sang Karaoke
(x) Paid for a meal with coins only? (All the time at fast food joints. They look at me like I'm nuts.)
(x) Done something you told yourself you wouldn't? (I refuse to go into gory details.)
(x) Made prank phone calls (My suitmate in college was the best at pranking. I "assisted.")
(x) Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose (Sodas hurt!)
(x) Caught a snowflake on your tongue (Yes, but it was so long ago I barely remember.)
(x) Danced in the rain (I don't dance. No rhythm. But I've ran through puddles in the rain.)
( ) Written a letter to Santa (Sadly, no. We didn't do the Santa thing when I was a kid.)
( ) Been kissed under the mistletoe
( ) Watched the sunrise with someone you care about (That means waking up early. Nah.)
(x) Blown bubbles (gum bubbles and with a wand)
(x) Gone ice-skating (A few times - once in Scotland. Not very good at it, but it's a lot of fun.)
( ) Been skinny dipping outdoors (There are some things NO ONE wants to see!)
(x) Gone to the movies (Yes. Lots.)

1. Any nickname? Manders

2. Mother's name? Brenda

3. Favorite drink? Currently diet Mountain Dew, though I'm trying to quit

4. Tattoo? nope

5. Body piercing? just ears

6. How much do you love your job? It's not bad. Boring sometimes, but I can't complain. I get to work at home!

7. Birthplace? Benton, AR

8. Favorite vacation spot? I don't vacation much, but Scotland is the coolest place ever.

9. Ever been to Africa? No, but I'd like to get my RN and do short-termmedical missions there someday.

10. Ever eaten cookies for dinner? no, but I used to eat them for breakfast every day

11. Ever been on TV? I don't think so... at least I don't recall it.

12. Ever steal any traffic sign? wellllll...

13. Ever been in a car accident? yes

14. Drive a 2-door or 4-door vehicle? 4 door

15. Favorite salad dressing? honey mustard & peppercorn

16. Favorite pie? not a big fan of pies

17. Favorite number? I dunno

18. Favorite movie? I can't pick. Really. I have such a huge list of movies I love. Maybe that will be another post.

19. Favorite holiday? Christmas

20. Favorite dessert? my homemade chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter cookies, chocolate cake mushed up with vanilla ice cream

21. Favorite food? same as movies. Too many that I love to choose a favorite.

22. Favorite day of the week? Saturday - the only day I get to sleep in

23. Favorite brand of body wash? Don't have one. I buy whatever's cheapest

24. Favorite toothpaste? See above

25. Favorite smell? I had a blog post about this once... cumin, tea leaves, wild onions, etc., etc.

26. What do you do to relax? scrapbook, read, play sudoku

27. How do you see yourself in 10 years? hopefully a lot thinner, a SAHM, and having adopted (or at least started the process)

I had a dream...

A rather realistic one, in fact. I woke up at 5am needing to potty, and in the hour before I had to be up and ready for work, I dreamt that a tornado was coming for my house. I had little warning, and in a panic I ran for the bedroom. I decided the safest place was under the bed Dad made for me. We have always joked that it was so heavy a tornado couldn't budge it. :) As I got into the doorway, I could see the twister in the window. It was slender and red, which was very strange. I felt like I was running through peanut butter - my brain was telling my body to hurry and my body wasn't getting the message. Somehow I got under the bed just as the tornado struck. It came right through the middle of my house, reducing my kitchen and living room to rubble. I was distraught because I lost all of my scrapbooks. Jeff came home from work and the only thing he could say was "why didn't you try to save the brand-new computer?"

My college roommate got her hands on a goofy dream interpretation program one time. We got a kick out of entering random elements - almost every "interpretation" had to do with sex or sexuality in some form or another. It was highly entertaining.

Except for the part about Jeff being a hiney (I know from experience he'd be panicking if I was actually in a tornado) and the tornado being blood-red it was unnervingly real. So for fun, I decided to analyze the elements of my dream, sans computer program. Here are the results, from www.dreaminterpretationsguide.com:

Tornado - If you dream that you are in a tornado, you will be filled with disappointment and perplexity over the miscarriage of studied plans for swift attainment of fortune.

Red - To dream of the sky, signifies distinguished honors and interesting travel with cultured companions, if the sky is clear. Otherwise, it portends blasted expectations, and trouble with women.

And since I couldn't match any of the other elements, I guess I'll have to leave it at that. Looksl ike I can expect to be seriously disappointed in the near future, and have trouble with women.

*sigh* Perhaps I should've left well enough alone!

Celebrating Five Years

I have discovered something. It is far more fun (and memorable) to celebrate a child's birthday by being a family and having a big play day than it is to gorge on cake and gifts that are quickly discarded for bigger and better toys.

Last year, we took Braeden to IMAX & the children's museum. This year, the weather was not so cooperative, so we went to Pump It Up and Chuck E Cheese. If you have never been to a Pump It Up, you need to go. I'm telling you, it is the most entertaining exercise you can possibly get! Most of them are open on the weekdays to the public (parties on weekends), and for $6 a kid, you can let them run off all their excess energy.

It is a tad difficult to take pictures, since you have to use a flash, but bear with me - perhaps you'll see just how much fun this place is!

This is one of the "games" at Pump It Up

Can you believe it? I'm actually in a picture instead of hiding behind the camera!

Somehow, Jeff wasn't concerned that a 50-lb missile was hurtling over his body. :)

Braeden was leaping off the slide - this was the moment of impact, about 10 feet from the top!

The true highlight of Chuck E Cheese is the model train setup.

Jeff gave Braeden pointers on the best way to squirt a misbehaving clown.

Birthday Letter

It's no secret that I love to scrapbook. Some days I feel that it's my "art," and some days it's just a stress reliever. Every now and then I hit on a layout that I am infatuated with from the moment the idea begins to form in my head. This is one of those pages. I don't really intend to make my blog all about scrapping, but since 2peas is down and I am itching to post this, it's getting a rare space on my blog.

I can't totally take credit for the design, as the idea came from a magazine ad. Still, I made it "my own," and I am so thrilled with this layout. Every year I write Braeden a letter on his birthday, and this is by far my favorite of the letter layouts. So without further adieu, here 'tis:

First Freebie!

Just for the heck of it - here's a digital template I created in PSE5, though I believe it will work in PS as well. Knock yourself out!



Get It Here

Weird Books

I saw this on Yahoo! news and thought I should share. Perhaps you need a chuckle this Friday morning?


By Jeremy Lovell
Fri Mar 28, 1:16 AM ET

LONDON (Reuters) - Self-help manual "If You Want Closure in Your Relationship, Start With Your Legs" won this year's oddest book title competition, The Bookseller trade magazine said on Friday.

The book took an impressive one-third of the 8,500 votes cast online in The Bookseller's 30th annual competition.

Runner up "I was Tortured By the Pygmy Love Queen", the story of a fictitious World War Two pilot forced to bale out over the jungle, polled a distant 20 percent.

"'If You Want Closure', makes redundant an entire genre of self-help tomes. So effective is the title that you don't even need to read the book itself," said the magazine's deputy editor Joel Rickett.

The winner beat stiff competition from other shortlisted titles including the somewhat niche "Cheese Problems Solved" and "How to Write a How to Write Book" and the rather provocative "Are Women Human? And Other International Dialogues".

The annual competition was launched in 1978 at the Frankfurt Book Fair when it was won by the memorably titled "Proceedings of the Second International Workshop on Nude Mice".
Since then, with the exceptions of 1987 and 1991 when no award was granted due, according to Rickett, to a lack of oddness, the weird and wonderful titles have flowed thick and fast with some eyebrow raising winners.

"Joy of Chickens" took the 1980 title, with "The Theory of Lengthwise Rolling" in 1983, "Lesbian Sadomasochism Safety Manual" in 1990, "Living with Crazy Buttocks" in 2002 and "Bombproof Your Horse" in 2004 are but a sample.

However, the 1997 winner "Joy of Sex: Pocket Edition" does stand out among the glittering array, and in September this year the public will be asked to vote for the oddest of all the winners.

"That and 'Nude Mice' probably remain among the weirdest, but it is a strong competition," said Rickett.

"And the quality of weirdness does seem to be improving in part as technology allows greater access to publishing. Certainly we are getting more titles coming forward," he added.
(Editing by Paul Casciato)

Cards for Heroes

If you're interested in a little service project for our soldiers overseas, here's a good one: Cards for Heroes is a nonprofit group of crafters from all over the US who are making blank greeting cards for our soldiers to send home to their families. Check out the link for details. It would make a fun project for a church group if you're interested.

Five Years Ago

I was getting ready to go to the hospital to have labor induced. Jeff had managed to convince the Guard unit to let him come home for the birth, and we'd gotten to spend one very short evening together. I was apprehensive, but so ready to meet my little boy.

We got to the hospital around noon, and by 1pm they had me hooked up to the IV and the pitocin had started. It seemed we had an endless stream of visitors. The whole youth group and half the members felt obligated to come visit Jeff (it wasn't me they were interested in!) before he shipped to Iraq or Afghanistan or wherever he would wind up (thankfully, he never deployed overseas, but we didn't know that then). It irritated me, because I wanted and needed that time with Jeff, but I didn't have the heart to run anyone off.

Mom & Dad stayed at my house until the afternoon, taking care of some last-minute projects that I didn't have tools to finish. Mom washed the bedding that arrived the day before, and Dad bolted the dresser into the wall and mounted a new light fixture.

Meanwhile, I was in the hospital, feeling mild cramps, but not much more. I was hungry, but they wouldn't let me eat. (Note to self: next time, no induction!) I downed a lot of Jell-O and clear broth, but it didn't help much.

Somewhere around 8pm, we still had visitors, and the cramps turned into recognizable contractions. Mom finally ran everyone off, and it was just my parents and Jeff in the room. Out of the blue, the contractions hit me so hard it took my breath away. Doc came in to check me and he broke my water and said I could have an epidural. For some reason, they turned off the pit drip completely at that point. Contractions stopped, and I was dilated to 4cm.

Several hours passed and nothing happened. They turned the drip back on, I had to get another epidural because the first one slipped, and I dilated to 7cm and quit. The doc said if I didn't start dilating again soon they would do a c-section.

I did not want a cesarean. Thankfully, in about an hour's time, I dilated to about 9 1/2 cm, so all was good. I don't remember how long I pushed, but it didn't feel like very long at all.

There are some things you never forget, some moments that sears themselves into your mind for as long as you live. Seeing Braeden for the first time was one of those. He was skinny, messy, and somewhat resembled a troll. He was beautiful! I wanted Jeff to be the first one to hold him, and there was nothing quite like seeing his expression at cradling that tiny little baby in his arms.

Tomorrow we'll celebrate Braeden's birthday. He was born March 27, 4:32 am. For today, I will enjoying reminiscing the anticipation (and agony) of waiting for his arrival.

PSA: Cool Site

Wanna stretch your brain and do a good deed at the same time? Check out Free Rice. You writer-types will enjoy testing your vocabulary, and for every word you get right, 20 grains of rice are donated to be distributed through the UN World Food Program.

Pretty cool, huh?

Easter Pictures & More Braeden-isms

Thought it was time to let you in on my world of conversing with a four-year-old. :)

1. Bebo had to go to the restroom, and I've begun letting him go into the stall by himself at Cracker Barrel. He did his thing, and then yelled, "Mommy! Guess what? I peed and it made bubbles!"

2. After bedtime prayers: "Daddy, you better go to bed now so you don't sleep late tomorrow and mess up my play time."

3. His response to Peepop calling him "turkey buzzard" - "I told you and told you! If you keep saying that, Mommy is going to spank you!"

***************

Easter was not an especially thrilling affair. Oh, it wasn't a bad day; I was just a little disappointed in the church service. But that's another story for another day. Braeden was loaded up on Easter baskets. Mom had sent his - disguised in a Christmas gift bag large enough for my dog - last week. Jeff & I also put one together for him. This turned out to be a source of conflict. I don't like to buy the humongous gift baskets from Wal-Mart. The toys are so cheap that they wind up destroyed. I'd rather buy him something a little nicer that I know will last a while. Jeff wanted the big basket and was irritated with me for insisting we do something else.


At any rate, between us & my parents, Bebo was pretty well loaded up. He got two DVDs, a t-shirt, a stuffed Buzby (from Hermie & Friends), and a little bit of candy - thankfully, nothing that would tempt me. I'm a smart woman - I only bought him candy I didn't like! :)


Now for pictures. They aren't great, but nothing short of a full set of professional lighting is going to get a good shot in my dungeon of a living room.

Girls' Day Out

Had a girls' day today. Oh, yeah. Elle, my cool new-ish friend, and I hauled ourselves down to Chattanooga to do girlie stuff that just doesn't excite our poor hubbies.

We ate at Olive Garden (okay, that might get the guys worked up), caressed yarn and paper at Hobby Lobby (not so much a guy thing), and saw 27 Dresses (definitely not the guys' cup o' tea).

Fun. Mucho fun. I really wish we could hang out more often - we always have a great time (at least I do), and goodness knows I need some girlie time every now and then. I'm rather outnumbered at home - even my dog is male!

Then I get home to find that Jeff is off work for the day - too many drivers, not enough business. So I get to have a date night, too.

Hmm... off work yesterday, girls' outing & date today, Easter tomorrow.

Yup. Been a good weekend!

Forgive Me...

I know this is highly inappropriate and all. . . but it's hilarious. Trust me. :)

So Whatcha Think?

About my new header, that is? I keep looking at it and wondering if it's a bit creepy. Maybe I should change it to something more innocuous, like flowers and kittens.

Nah!

But really - is the picture a little too freaky? I feel like I'm being watched, and it's a picture of me! LOL