Holidaze

I'm writing the following blog post as if I were writing it to ... well, you. 
This is how an e-mail from me might look should you ever get one that is this lengthy. 

For the record?
I pretty much talk like this in real life. (WYSiWYG)


Hey! How are you? It's been a while - it's been a crazy couple of weeks. I've missed you and have been thinking about you...which is one reason I'm finally sitting down to write. I didn't want you to think I was avoiding you. Or had forgotten about you.

You're rather impossible to forget. ^_^

I'm sorry we couldn't get together before the holidays. Mini-E was not feeling well and then the rest of us fell like dominoes. The weekend before Thanksgiving I did not much more than sleep and sniffle. I got to the Doctor to see if I had bronchitis. 

I did. 

Then I got worse instead of better but that's the way it often goes with me and bronchitis. At least I caught it before I got really bad. My white count was 11k.  When I asked him, jokingly, "is that good"

The doc laughed and said, "Well, if you're bacteria."

After making QUITE certain I wasn't pregnant (I didn't have to write out an oath, but it was close) he put me on Levaquin and sent me on my way. Blech..

The Professor went to the store Saturday. He's nice like that. 

I felt fine on Sunday. We went to church. Monday passed without incident - mostly because we didn't do a whole lot. I still wasn't feeling the snazziest and it was a holiday weekend. Tuesday.


Ah. Tuesday.


Mini-E (Bubbles) went out to the garage and came back. "Mama! I'm playing in the water!!!"


"That's nice." I said, thinking of what needed to happen next.


Wait. 


We only get water near the garage door when it rains. It hasn't rained. So there should be NO water in the garage. I head out to investigate to make certain that she hasn't done anything silly. Or obnoxious.


Nope. Sure enough. There's water trailing from the utility closet that holds the furnace and the hot water tank. Sigh.


I open it up and we've got a slow drip coming from the tank to the stand to the floor and it's apparently been there since...perhaps sunday??. Dripping. And collecting water.. Enough that it has created a rivulet of water through the garage. It's puddled under the Professor's wood pile. Praise God his really cool purple wood was off the floor. 


UGH.


I called the Professor...my knowledge of water tanks would probably fill a cup. A small one. I was feeling the need for back up. 


He told me  he would do what he could and I start cleaning up water. Mini-E manages to slip and fall in the puddle near the garage door. Ice is administered and I start cleaning up water. Shooing children from the garage. Clean the water first and pick up stuff later. That was what I was thinking.


As I cleaned up water, I discovered that the insulation is dripping wet. Which explains why there was no flood. The insulation is saturated indicating a tank rupture. The Professor does come home and also discovers that we've got a turn off valve leak.


Sigh. 


So. 


We call around. L*we's can come NEXT week. A local plumber can come Wednesday. 
YAY. PLEASE come.

Meanwhile, Did I tell you that our main computer blue screened and I could not save it?
So, thinking our hard drive had crashed we took the system to a local repair place. 
I called them Monday. 
"Oh, yeah. They wanted to talk to you. Do you want us to save any information?"
Only read that REALLY fast. All one word. 
"ummm. yeah. Please."
okay. Click. They're gone and I'm left wondering what just happened.


I SHOULD have called back but ... didn't. I'll blame the kids. I think it was their fault. It often is.


They called on Tuesday to tell me I could pick up my computer.



The plumber comes on Wednesday. He's in an interesting mood.
The office was closed for Thanksgiving but the people answering the phones keep scheduling appointments. So if they didn't get all the jobs finished on Wednesday "I'll have to work on Friday and there will be a whole bunch of people made at me - the biggest one will be my wife!"

I don't know if he got Friday off but he finished our water tank and left us at noon. I round the children together to go get the computer - promising them food from the drive-thru. 

We get to the computer place and found that apparently we had some viruses....and our video card is bad. 


The video card is taped to the top of the computer case.


"Um." says I, not feeling very assertive in the midst of this tornado of a fast talking woman. Her eyelashes were silver. Very distracting. "I need a video card in my computer. Do you have one I can buy to put in?"


"Oh, sure." She finds one - and then sends it back for them to install while I wait. "It won't take long." I plant myself by the door because the kids are in the van eating lunch. Thirty minutes later. 


I have a computer and three kids who need a potty. 


If they had called me to TELL me that I had a bad card, I'd have TOLD Them to put in another one and I'd just pay for it when I picked it up. 


I was a little disgruntled with them. With the whole day. 


That night - we had AWANA. I'm secretary for J-man's group. I'd missed last week because I was sick. I needed to be there tonight. I was glad that I was. ... but it made for a very long -- force the smile kind of day. 


Thanksgiving came and went. We had fun. We had turkey.


I think I'm going to collaborate with a friend of my brother's to write a comic book. (Probably more l ike a graphic novel) and  .. 


Friday we went to see the movie "Tangled". I loved it. 
I really, really loved it. 



Thinking I was done with shopping, we ended up at the local hobby store to search ideas for my mother who wants me to paint her something for Christmas. (We drew names and set the limit to $30). I found wrapping paper for half off. ^_^ 


G-man wasn't feeling well on Sunday and he wasn't feeling the best today either. I could just tell. He and I stayed home from Church. 


Today I got boxes mailed to family. I stuffed christmas cards into their envelopes...and they looked bare. We had all the kids sign the cards to help make them Special ... but I usually send a picture. Or a note. 


I had neither this year.
It didn't sound like a very cheery idea to write, "2010 sucked, we can't wait for 2011". 
Maybe I'll catch up on the pictures in 2011. ^_^


Maybe.


So that was our holiday. 
How was yours? 


Missing you,


Comfy

Groovin'....

Someone posted this from someone else's facebook post... gotta love that about facebook. It makes it so easy to spam your friends, should you want to. 

Anyway -- this made me smile and since I've watched it like 3 times now, I'm posting it here.

Why?

Because I'm easily amused. 
That's why. 

Behold:

and the fun continues...

My parents had been renting a house over the past year because of a work situation with my father. Deciding that they could save money by buying another house, they started a search. The location they're needing to live (because my dad can not drive long distances due to a back issue) is just full of misnomers. "By the lake" could mean five miles to the nearest water -- but since they're in the vicinity, the prices are astronomical.

Dad decided on a modular home (See: trailer) that would do them well. It's on just over one acre of land. Most of the land is taken up by over grown fir trees ( I hate fir trees). These have not been tended to in a very long time and vines are growing up in the middle of them...and it's not pretty.


By the way: I'm allergic to Virginia Creeper. 

There was a lot of it inside the fir tree closest to their new house. Did I mention my hatred for fir trees?


Now. the story gets better because once they bought the house, work was to be done on it. They knew there would be work....but they didn't know how much work. And it's not just work ...it turned out to need WORK.


Enter the Professor. 


And because he enters, I'm condensing A LOT! Mainly because the drama that is the new house is not what this story is about ....


This story really is about God's timing. 


Several months back, The Professor had a job interview with a company in Ohio. The interview went well but they were just starting the process at the time of the phone call. However, if they had hired The Professor (which would have been the wise thing for them to do) we would not have been here in THIS state to help my family.


There is no one else to do the work. I have one VERY distant brother ... in another state (mentally and physically) and the closest Brother (Uncle Kickbutt) had his own job shift and has been working ridiculously horrible hours.


For two weeks, two weeks nearly solid, the Professor would pack extra clothes in his trunk and drive from his work to my parents house and help work on the floor and plumbing. Getting ready for the move. 


My dad did the sawing and cutting because there was no bending or lifting involved. 


All those two weeks ... the Grace of God was present to handle The Professor's absence.  He is the back up unit for me...the good cop to my bad cop. 


We got the house as ready as could be. Then the Professor went to take a test in the Western most state to further his career - and he was gone for three days. 


God's grace was perfect, there, as well. We knew it was divinely appointed that he take this test now...


If he had changed jobs, we might have had peace - and possibly a pay raise (after five years of nothing) but The Professor would not have had study time, nor would he have learned how NOT to manage a company and, on top of it all, he was able to help my parents.


2010 will not be my favorite year. I don't care what memories we might have - it has been a very, very hard year. 


God seemed so distant then and He probably was - it was  training time, a pruning time, a hard time -- But sitting here NOW, as I blog as I ponder,  I can point to it and say "THERE was God." And "There." 

Because it still comes down to one simple fact...


I still Believe in God.

Love wanes thin....

I have a confession to make. 

I do not love the movie "The Princess Bride". I like it, certainly, but I don't think I will put my affection for the movie into the 'love' category. 

I like the book. I like the movie - aspects of it amuse me and amuse me greatly.
But is it the best movie ever??

No.

I think part of my waning love is that I remember the 'ultimate of fandom' when other family members found out about the movie. Quoting it. Acting out scenes. Talking about how great it was. 

I watch it with amusement, when I do watch it. 
I enjoy it when I watch it....but I don't love the movie.

This is not the only movie this has happened with, either.

Star Wars. 

Any of them. 

Frankly - I hated "episode three" to begin with. But after my kids watched Episodes 1 and IV...I'm totally Star Wars'ed out. 

The "Clone Wars" on Cartoon Network is probably the best thing for that franchise (in my opinion). 

I'm sure there are others. Movies I've watched before and watch them again and they suddenly lose their charm. Through no fault of their own, mind you. It's probably just the timing of the movie.

One of my favorite movies is "The Magnificent Seven" - but I have to be in the right frame of mind to watch James Coburn die. So maybe if love for a movie wanes thin...maybe it can wax thick again.


I don't know, really. 


Do you want to know what started this??
A picture of "Christmas in Connecticut" with Barbara Stanwick. I haven't seen that movie in a very long time -- and would never have considered it one that I would look at and say "Hey, I want to watch that."



But for some reason, I do...and that started me thinking ...and this ramble of a blog post is the result.

Veteran's Day -

"Thank you" is never Enough.




All we've been given
By those who came before
The dream of a nation
Where freedom would endure
The work and prayers
Of centuries
Have brought us to this day

What shall be our legacy?
What will our children say?
Let them say of me
I was one who believed
In sharing the blessings
I received
Let me know in my heart
When my days are through
America
America
I gave my best to you

Each generation from the plains
To distant shore with the gifts
What they were given
Were determined
To leave more
Valiant battles fought together
acts of conscience fought alone
these are the seeds
From which America has grown

Let them say of me
I was one who believed
In sharing the blessings
I received
Let me know in my heart
When my days are through
America
America
I gave my best to you

For those who think
They have nothing to share
Who fear in their hearts
There is no hero there
Know each quiet act
Of dignity is
That which fortifies
The soul of a nation
That never dies

Let them say of me
I was one who believed
In sharing the blessings
I received
Let me know in my heart
When my days are through
America
America
I gave my best to you

Don't wanna....

This is probably an entry in the "Average Mom's Journal"

Yesterday we were supposed to change our clocks back. Unless you lived in Arizona.

sigh. Today, I envy Arizona.

We did okay with the time change. FOR the most part.
Meals were done according to the clock.
We took naps because there was church that night.

We had our normal sunday night melt downs...but then we remembered that their little bodies thought it was 11pm and not 10pm. Which explained the extra level of whine/melting down that we achieved.

Today??

Today we all feel it.
I have no motivation ...and the kids are iffy.

Because Monday mornings are sluggish, we do light levels of school work.
Today's phonics lesson included the 7 year clearly NOT wanting to participate.


One of us should have stayed in bed.

I wasn't going to force school to happen but I wasn't about to get anything done with him giving me answers that were incorrect on purpose. I was proud of me when I looked at him and said, "We're done." Instead of losing my temper, I walked away before I lost it.

He cried and I'm not sorry.

Tomorrow will be better...It has to be.
I may be average - but I'm not about to declare that it couldn't be worse, because I know it could.
Average - not stupid.

It stressed me out....

and brought me joy...

when I read this post:

If you have a minute, go check it out.

Miracles before noon

Let me know if it stressed you out, too.

On the less stressful side of life, I'd like to introduce you to someone.
A little linky love --- a bloggy introduction.

Holly is in Ireland.
Holly is a missionary ... and what she's doing in Ireland is important and she has quite a story to tell.

Here's her blog... Check her out. Go say "hi" ...
If you like what she says, you can follow her blog posts...if for no other reason than to see pictures.

I just wanted my friends to meet...

*Waves*

'Cause friends are important.

Astute Observation...

Today. 
We vote. 

Did you hear that?

Let me tell you my story. A story where voting plays a MINOR role.

Even knowing I was going to Vote today, I'm am at the very beginning of NaNoWriMo, where the words add up. It's rather fun in a crazy sort of way. So I stayed up until 3am writing and today, the big kids had all their school work lined up for them, and they did it. 

On their own!!!

Without being asked!!!!

So I wrote. I let the little's play and I wrote. It was the best morning we've had in a long while...even if I was bleary-eyed. Always in the back of my mind is the fact that TODAY!! WE VOTE!!!


Somewhere in the morning, I decide that Mini-Me, who is now twelve, can stay with the kids and I'll take Bubbles with me to the polls. She is often a thorn in Mini-me's side, a bane to her very existence. So she gets her shoes at the first mention of leaving ... and nags me until we leave. 

She's excited to be leaving the house. Proving, I suppose, that I don't take her places very much.


She is the one, though, that threw herself to the ground... and ... well... It's all here. 

So there's a reason why I'm reluctant to take her places. At the church, she bounces among the elderly looking for the colored tiles in the floor. She bips and bops around looking at all things. I get my ballot and find a table on the FAR side of the room. A table with CHAIRS. 

Genius, no?


Marginally, it turned out.


She wanted to see under the tables. There was gum.


She wanted to see the other chairs at the other tables. The chairs that looked exactly like the ones we were using. 


She wanted to have a snack. She saw food on the counter.


A man put water in a water bottle at the sink. She wanted to wash her hands.


She wanted to look out the windows. 


She wanted to put her "I Voted" sticker on the ballot. NO! I wanted a valid ballot. Back away with the sticker. 


She bipped to the volunteer and returned their official voting pen and watched as I fed my ballot into the machine. We were number 336 in our district. 


Then we left. She wanted to throw away the paper from her sticker.


She declared that it was the best kind of day.


She danced in the parking lot and sang a song that she made up as she spun around in a circle. 


She kept up a constant chatter about stuff I can't recall. 


She noticed the house across the street.


She enjoyed that she got to sit in J-man's designated seat in the van.


She gleefully let me buckle her in.


I climb behind the wheel and she's HAPPY. Life is good. And she hasn't stopped talking.


We turn on Jason Mraz (I do not condone his politics...but Iike his music) and we sing the first notes of "Geek in the Pink" ...


"Hey, mom! Do you want to know what's funny?"


What???



"A joke."