Hope

I'm sick of politics. I'm sick of receiving those stupid postcards in the mail. I'm sick of seeing slandering commercials on TV. I'm really looking forward to next week when we can see who "wins" and just get on with life! Of course there will be changes - a new person in any situation always brings changes.

I'm hopeful. I'm hopeful that the prayers of many will be answered this week with whoever ends up in office. I'm hopeful that so many kids will be affected by tonight's trunk n treat at church that they drag their parents to church to meet God. I'm hopeful that my girls will have so much fun with their friends this weekend. I'm just hopeful. I'm speechless, but know that God is in me ... and if you go to TFH, you know I'm going to say

the hope of glory

.

A lot of milage for those points

I'm sucked into the rewards of credit cards. It's evil. I got a catalog today advertising all the stuff I could order with my "miles". Yay! The thing is, I haven't used that card for years. In fact the only reason I kept that card open is because I saved up 19,000 points. I know, I know, you're thinking I'm really in debt. Almost out of it, thanks for asking.

So my point. Because I haven't used that account for so long, I no longer have the card or statements or anything. I probably do - somewhere - but didn't feel like digging through a bunch of junk at the moment. I tried to log onto the account online, but of course couldn't remember my username or password. I clicked on the "forgot username" button, where I was prompted to enter my 16-digit account number. See the problem?! I phoned them twice (the first time was hung up on), and finally got to speak with a barely-english-speaking customer service agent. After asking me all but my first born, he was allowed to tell me I have just over 19,000 points. I asked for my account number so I could go online and make the transaction to "puchase" something with my hard-earned points. But he was only allowed to give me the last four digits of the account number. I can see -almost- why they would do that, but if I provided ALL the correct answers to the security questions, wouldn't it seem like he's really talking to me, the account holder? Humph. The best he could do is to mail me a copy of the statement (that will include the account number). So, I'm excited to spend my 19,000 points in the next month or so. After all, I probably spent $8,000 in real money for the $50 "reward" I'm going to get. By the way, I will be closing that card so fast afterwards! I hope they don't go out of business before I have the satisfaction of doing so!

My Favorites

My Favorite ....

Kids' book: Goodnight Moon
Wiggle: Captain Feathersword
Song: All Summer Long, Kid Rock
Movie: Shawshank Redemption
Thing to do on a Saturday: run errands
Fruit: Strawberries
Vegatable: Brocolli
Junk food: ice cream
Time of day: just before lunch
Grade in school: I loved 3rd grade!
Vacation spot: Key West was fabulous! Sesame Place is fun w/ kids :)
TV show: Currently, my favorite is Biggest Loser
Actor: Hard to pick just one ... Matt Damon and Will Smith
Color: Blue
Candle scent: apple
Article of clothing: jeans, and/or my yellow jacket
Beverage: coffee
Exercise: walking
Book of the Bible: Acts

The Big Four

Four family members:
Mike, Maddie, Chloe, Hailey

Four places that I go to over and over:
Wegmans, The Father's House, the backyard, school

Four of my favorite places to eat:
Red Robin, TGIFridays, Bazil, Bill Gray's

Four places I would rather be right now:
On a date w/ Mike, Shopping, Vacation - pretty much anywhere, any of the above mentioned places

Four TV shows I watch over and over:
The Biggest Loser, CSI:NY, Desperate Housewives, Prison Break

An Eventful, Unrelaxing Lunch

Next time you see a table full of kids at a restaurant, don't snicker and shake your head. Remember, that someday it could be you with 5 children (ages 1, 2, 3, 4, and 7). Then praise God that they don't all belong to you.

Today I met a girlfriend at IHOP for lunch. When we arrived we were told that the cook was behind and there would be about a 30 minute wait to get our food. We decided that it would be about that anywhere we went, so we stayed. We were able to entertain the kids with oyster crackers, crayons, and a book, but the food arrived just in the nick of time. Chloe (age 3) decided that she wasn't going to talk for the day, so it added to the fun. The customer right next to us stared with a frown, shaking her head in disgust.

I know what you people are thinking. I used to think the same thing before I had kids. Do you really expect us moms to stay in our houses 24/7, never going in public with our kids? We're the birth control you need!

Blah, blah, blog

Never mind the kitchen floor, folks, look at my blog! I don't have the patience to scrapbook anymore, but this digital paper look that I added is pretty snazzy.

I'm not saying I have a boring day. Really. In fact the exciting things on my to do list today include laundry, vaccuum, pick up clinique, pick up new glasses. We're half way there.

Chloe played Chutes and Ladders for the first time today. As at the playground, she found it hard to climb up the ladder and slide down the chute. I used to play this game for hours -- why aren't my girls loving this game?

Maddie is now saving her money for an American Girl doll. She needs $105. She currently has $12.04. Today on the bus she found a dime and was thrilled to report now she has $12.14. Her comment with a huge grin was, "I'm getting closer!"

Stayed tuned for a more exciting post about Chloe's first-ever field trip

Kitchen Floor: Part 2

This really isn't a blog about my floor, but I had to laugh this morning when I washed the floor 3 times - in a row. First, I spilled an entire glass of beverage across the counter and then onto the floor. I set H down to clean up the mess. While I was taking care of that spill, she was just a few steps away at the table. She picked up my entire cup of coffee, and dumped it on the floor. It was everywhere. Thought #1: My coffee!! Thought #2: Oh, did she just get burned?! Thought #3: I'm not done cleaning up the first mess!

So, of course I was kitchen-floor-nazi-woman all day and swept it like 9 times. The current state of the floor: clean.

How Do You Prioritize The Kitchen Floor?

So this past weekend, we had a leader rlife meeting. I know, it's really quite confusing how many rlife groups and meetings and activities there are. I'm thinking that maybe this leader meeting should be called something different - maybe LLife. Now that wouldn't be too confusing. But anyway, we discussed priorities in our lives. We had to jot down the top five items in our lives that we spend the most time/energy/resources on. In my top five I had cleaning, taking care of the household, etc. What that one really should have been labeled is "Sweeping and Caring for the Floor". Yes, I'm getting a little obsessive over the kitchen floor. An hour before our group of 15 (most of whom I've never met) showed up on Sunday, I was on my hands and knees, washing the floor with a brush and rag. But I digress.

Now for most people who know me, with the proper amounts of sleep and caffeine, I can be really just sarcastic. I've reached that point today, and have something truly important and just plain idiotic to share with my vast readership.

Here is my top 5 things that really just suck to sweep off the kitchen floor:

1. Rice. Mike refers to these days of the week as "Rice Night". It's an event in our household because with The Three, more rice ends up on the floor than in anyone's mouths. And before the rice dries, it's wet. Who knew?! And so before we can sweep the dry rice, there is wet rice all over the floor, just waiting to be stepped on with someone's sock and then drug to another part of the house.

2. Smooshed American Cheese. It's really the grossest thing ever. And impossible to sweep. This calls for clorox wipes or at the very least, a wet paper towel.

3. Raisins. These are not the worst things ever, but when they've been played with or get flung out of someone's mouth, it's not too pleasant to sweep up.

4. Baby spit up. Need I say more?!

5. Ok, so apparently I only had 4 on my list, but I would like to take this #5 spot to say that I would really like a swivel sweeper for my birthday. I think it would be awesome - just watch the infomercial!

Thirty-something

When does thirty-something start? Is it when you're in your thirties and you don't want to tell people your real age? Is it just a clever way of saying I'm older than you think I am? A slacker?

I get on these kicks right before my birthday every year. This year, I'll be at my last year of "early thirties". Next year, I'll officially be in my mid-thirties. Fun, eh? Maybe next year I'll start the whole thirty-something catch phrase. For now, though, I'll stick to "early thirties". Or - maybe, (gasp!) I'll even say with a proud smile, I'm 34. Oh, wait - not till next month! ;)

My Blessing has Arrived

How do you know when you arrive? Perhaps when I someday have two Christmas trees in my house, or when all the rooms are furnished, or when we have our house landscaped, or when The Three are all in school, or ... I will "arrive".


My middle baby had her 2nd day of pre-school today. I look into her eyes and see almost see the future - a grown child, so mature, caring, eager, patient, gentle, and excited. School has done something for her -- something of her own (even tho she wants to be just like Maddie)! She has another adult to listen to and respect. She walked right up to Mrs., smiled, waved her little hand and said goodbye. Then she waited for a hug. Sweet!

Remember when life was just about one child? I sometimes miss those days - when all my attention could be focused on one person - and when she was napping - "my" stuff. But is life really about how many pictures I can take of one baby and then spend all day sorting through them? Hmmm ... those were the days, but I'm thinking maybe, just maybe life isn't all about that stuff. Now, in between baby naps I respond to emails, blog, clean, do laundry (and more laundry), and plan out our days and weeks. Don't get me wrong -- there's moments when I escape to the computer to check out how much it would be to get away on a cruise or for a weekend or something. But then God pulls me back to reality.


A few weeks ago, a speaker at church talked about humility and honor. And sometimes we wade thru tons of humility - just up to our breaking point - before we get to the honor side. It was a scripture in Proverbs that I can't remember. Did I mention I'm not that good with numbers? At first, I thought it was God telling me that he wasn't done with me on the humility side. The message did, after all, occur a day after I had a interview with a potential employer. But, later when I was trying to sort it out in my head and recount all that was taught in the Sunday service, the only word I could remember was "honor". The peace I was overwhelmed with throughout the week assured me that the reason I couldn't remember the word humility was God saying to me I wasn't there anymore - my blessing has arrived.

Today I got the email - the potential employer will soon be my employer ... just waiting on some details to be worked out. Yay! Yay for someone else being in control!

The Monster at the End of This Book

I'm in denial about it being the last weekend of summer. Do you realize what that means ahead of us? School. Halloween. My birthday (ok, not so bad). Thanksgiving. Snow. Oh -- Black Friday. Christmas shopping. Christmas. Lots and lots more snow. Being cold. More school. High utilitybills. Valentine's and New Year's. Ok, so not all bad.

This week summer adventures will come to a close, the neighborhood will go back to its routine, my eldest baby will enter 2nd grade, and all will become normal again in this household. Or will it? What's normal? ;)

Let's ignore that for now, and concentrate at the task at hand: Labor Day! With each page turning, yes, it gets closer to the monster at the end of this week, but with each day holds more adventures to blog about, right?

Diary of a Bug Killer

And we're back at it. I made several of those fun phone calls to find "the source", but no luck. Each person I talked to consoled me with great words of wisdom and an empathic voice, but really that does no good. I was really counting on someone I knew to be the source so we could be done with this once and for all. I even called church. You know, our brand new building that thousands of children visit each weekend.

This will take a miracle to contain and get rid of.

I was not encouraged by all the posts I read online last night. "Not encouraged" could better be described as "tearful". I won't go into any more gory details, but just google "head lice" for a better idea of all the information that's out there. It's really something. What did people do before the internet?

And so tonight we will begin another round of doing hair. Woohoo! (read the sarcasm because I'm really not excited about this.)

Sweet, Sweet Memories of 2008

Let's start off with good, old fashioned truth. I've avoided this topic because, well, it's ugly. It's gross. And a little embarrassing. So here it is ... this summer we've been plagued by head lice! There. It's out there. Whew.



But just by saying (or writing) the words doesn't make it go away. Let me take you through - step by step - the ordeal of having head lice in your house.



Last month, on the Fourth of July, I discovered bugs in Chloe's hair. Gross. I got chills as I realized what it was. The next morning, a Saturday, we all packed up and took us all to the doctor. I was really concerned because what if Hailey had it? She was only 12 months at the time. So the nurse drug in a huge light. I'm not talking just a little flashlight. She had to go get this monster lamp, had us each sit in a chair under the light, and "check us out." It didn't take long, and probably if she looked without a giant lamp she could have figured it out. Yes, all three of us with the majority of hair in our household had it.



That afternoon, my mom came over to "help". Having a toddler around doesn't help matters, so we did the bulk of the work when Hailey went to bed. Mike started one of the girls - shampooing, rinsing, then the combing. First, though, it takes some prep time. The kitchen needs to be cleaned. I put everything on the counters away. (yes, a project in itself) I covered the floor with a sheet. I gathered the clips and bands and combs we needed. While Mike was busy with "doing hair" I ran through the house like a mad-woman gathering up all the stuff that would need to be laundered. Sheets from every bed. Bed skirts from every bed. Mattress pads from every bed. Comforters/quilts from every bed. Blankets from the living room. Pillows from the living room. (remember the new couch? Yea, that one). Then I gathered up all the stuffed animals. From everywhere. They are still contained in 5 or 6 huge trash bags in the basement, you know, under quarantine. Then, I gathered up all the hair stuff. Hair bands, barrettes, headbands, etc. You might think we have about 12 girls in this house from the amount of hair stuff that we have (well, had). Not only were they contained where they should be, but I dug through toy bins to find even more. Everything was washed. It took an entire gallon of bleach and an entire bottle of laundry detergent (you know, the one that reads "32 loads" on the front). I lost count of how many loads of laundry it took, but it was a lot. We also sprayed the furniture, mattresses, car seats, and bike helmets with the special spray that came with the kit. Obviously, you can't throw those things in the washing machine. I'd like to try, but hey, that would just be more work.



So all of that happened 7 days before we were to leave for the road trip. Fun, eh? The follow up treatment occurred Friday night, less than 12 hours before we left on the trip. Isn't that exactly what you'd like to do before taking your family on a big trip?



So while we were ON vacation, we did "spot checks" to see how things were looking (read: dead or alive?) And we found some nits, of course. We weren't supposed to do any treatments, because well, more pesticide on our heads could probably do some damage. So we continued combing-through. While at my in-laws we used their giant lamp/magnifying glass to really see what was going on. And, boy was there things going on.

Throughout the following 4 weeks, we "spot-checked" our heads to make sure nothing was going on. Fast-forward to three nights ago. During one of our routine spot-checks, we found a couple of bugs. SIGH. Two nights ago, we started all over: the cleaning, the laundry, the shampooing, the spraying, etc.

It's not over - now we need to find the "source" and have the "source" be sure they're getting proper treatment. Doesn't that sound like tons of fun? Making numerous phone calls to each of the neighbors to retell this story, and confide in each of them our gross bug story? Everyone reassures me that they can only live in clean hair. You know, because I pride myself in such meticulous personal hygiene, I'm the one who obviously gets to reap all the benefits.

So the moral of the story is: live in a bubble, don't let your kids interact with anyone else, and above all else, never shower!

A Pet-Peeve

There are so many pet-peeves out there. Something always gets on someone else's nerves, right? But let me just describe one of mine. It is my blog, after all.

So you're selling something used. It could be in your garage sale. Or Ebay. Or on craigslist. Are you a retail store? No. That means you don't need to charge what a person could purchase it for in the stores. It also doesn't mean if you price it at half of what it retails for that it would be considered a good deal. Don't get me wrong, in some cases, that's true. I'm sure we've all come in contact with a good deal - something that you've been searching for and finally found at a reasonable price. Yay! Buy it. But the items that can be found on every corner?

While on the topic, does it really matter what you paid for it when it was new? I mean it's good to have an idea of how much the item is worth, but I really don't care if you paid $20 for something you're now selling in your garage sale for $3. The point is, you don't want or need it anymore.

And someone else does.

So get out there and sell your "junk". It is, after all, someone else's treasure. Just don't charge a thousand dollars for it.

Yes, I've been quiet for a couple of days. Not that I don't have anything exciting to share, but reality has set in. No more vacation. Back to the grind. Back to bills, changing diapers, laundry, and decision making.

So what's up with a local carnival charging so much? For the price of the unlimited ride pass for my two girls, we could go to a local amusement park for the entire day. Including the water slides. Grrrr. So we made a decision that they each were allowed to spend $10 ... which amounted to three rides each. They loved it, but of course because their friends had the unlimited ride pass, we saw a lot of tears. They had fun regardless, and are still talking about the ride called "The Tornado". Chloe says "ta-naa-doh", you know, it rymes with tomato.


Last night, while out for a walk with a neighbor, a cat followed us home. Kinda like a puppy. It's a kitten, who continually ran circles around our feet while trying to walk. That is the number one reason I'm not a cat fan! She was cute, and I named her Tripp. My neighbor took her home to feed her, so we'll see if we have a new walking companion tonight!

"So I met the president ... Again."

--Forrest Gump

Last year Maddie was in a few parades twirling baton. That phase past, and I was a little relieved - now we could watch parades instead of being IN them. But, no. Brownies has opened up so many more parade doors. Tonight, we waited around to "line up" ... wondering if it was going to pour at any second. I stood with the girls with a giant umbrella, just in case.

The parade route turned out to be pretty dry, and everyone had a good time. After it was all over, Chloe announced that her favorite part was all the candy. It really doesn't take much to make a 3 year old happy. Hailey liked the noise; I'm sure it helped that she was getting to eat animal crackers, too!


The summer activities are wearing me out! Maddie's first week of swimming has gone well. She's learned to float on her back - her favorite accomplishment. Chloe is enjoying day camp, despite a few tears today.

Road trips are the best!

Seriously, you learn so much about who ever you're traveling with. Like how many times they have to go to the bathroom in an hour. Especially if it's a 3 year old. And, how many large cups of diet coke husband can consume at one rest area. Good times, I say, good times.

We decided that whatever the GPS "says", just add three hours: one hour per kid. So a 3 hour trip will take 6. Naturally. A 5 hour trip? Yes! Eight hours!!

So after like a million hours driving yesterday, we all lost it. It was bound to happen. Somewhere about 30 minutes from home, Hailey started crying. Again. The 3 hour cry through DC traffic wasn't enough ... ya know? Anyway, she started screaming, I screamed back, and so did everyone else in the car. For about 20 minutes we all screamed at the top of our lungs. It was fabulous.

We had a super-fun trip! In NC we saw Jenny, Dan and Sammy; went to a museum that included indoor and outdoor exhibits. Kinda like a zoo! Mike was obsessed with the insects, Chloe loved the butterfly building, Maddie loved the playground and the outdoor "drums", and Hailey really had fun in the baby play area. I was just excited to be out and somewhere new!

Prior to the NC visit, we were in VA. Brother-in-law Jess surprised Mother-in-law, not once, but twice with the arrival of his two kids. They snuck away one evening to pick up 19 year old grandson, Dave. Then all 10 of us were at the house!

Highlights include a trip to the water park, feeding the ducks at a park, playing on a playground (and getting bug bites by some weird VA bugs), a mean game of monkey-in-the-middle, round the clock endless games of kick ball in the backyard, Simon Says with the kids, me getting carded while buying more Corona, playing cards, and lots of sitting around.

So when's the next vacation? I could really get used to this!

More Summer Fun

This morning, I sprang out of bed and ran to the shower to get ready for the day. It's really quite a way to start the day. No demands from anyone until after my hair is washed. What a concept!

Anyway, the reason I got ready for the day before 7 AM is today was Chloe's first day of day-camp! She was excited to go, and had a great time. It was a little disorganized for my liking, but after I got over my fear of her having a peanut allergy attack, we all did just fine. It could have something to do with me running on 2 cups of coffee w/ lots of sugar and creamer and no food but clean hair and out the door before 9 AM ... but just a thought.

Also, today marks the second day in a row the girls played in the inflatable pool. It's the silliest thing - all 6 inches of water, barely enough room for one 7 year old, but it keeps them entertained. Somehow Chloe managed to go all the way under. Did I mention there was a slide?

The summer fun continues!

Independence Day

Independence Day. Fireworks. Hot dogs. Family fun. Picnic. Coke. Running. Boating. Fishing.

What fun!

Last night we celebrated the 3rd at an annual family party on the lake. The girls love fishing with grandpa - in fact it's all they talked about all week, and all they wanted to do last night. They didn't catch any fish, but were still amused by the concept. We also took our annual boat ride on the lake, picnic'd outside, and played with glow sticks in the dark. We left the cottage at 11:30 pm, and the girls fell asleep soon after. And then they were up at 6:37 AM.

Is it only my kids - or a universal trait that the later you go to bed the earlier you wake up? Insane! More fireworks and adventures tonight! Yessss!

No school = more fun?

How do you really sum up summer vacation? Some days are so much fun you don't want them to end. And then there are other days. I must report how different this summer is already with 3 kids. Maddie is so grown up now, she insists on using glass-ware at meal times. No more plastic character plates. Really, I think we're onto something, because it'll take up a lot less room in the cupboard!

And Hailey, being the 1 year and 1 week old that she is, is getting into everything. Did I block out this stage with the other two? It's fun, but when I'm trying to get something done - say, mealtime, or sweeping the floor, for example -- it's a pain. Speaking of sweeping the floor ... that's another chore that picks up during the summer, apparently. Yesterday I swept the kitchen eight times and vacuumed once. How is that possible you might ask? Me too.

This week really starts the summer adventure, though. The 3rd of July is the big picnic at my aunt's cottage, and next week will be day camp, then road trip in mid-July. Swimming lessons when we return, and we're already into August. Let's not wish away the summer. I'll just think about this current week, ok?

Today's mini-adventure was to the town park with a friend. It's fun, just a lot more work with all the kids. And let's just remember I'm a much happier girl with caffeine!

There's Something About Eggs

A couple of weeks ago my dad came over really early to watch the girls. At 7 am he knocked on the door. Now, I realize that in some people's homes that is insanely-early and everyone would still be sleeping. Pre-kids that might have been true for my home. But, the Three were up exceptionally early that morning, anticipating Grandpa's visit.

Rewind about 28 years.

Papa was going to babysit us for a short while while my parents went out! How exciting! Other people rarely watched us, so this was a real treat. And, he was coming to my house! I don't remember the time of day, but the very vivid memory I hold is that he made us scrambled eggs. I remember standing on a chair next to the stove watching him make them, the brownish pan he cooked them in, and the three of us sitting at the table eating them. I told my mom when she got home what we did, but am not sure if she realizes the impact of the eggs and Papa Vince!

Back to 2008.

As I was running around the house getting ready to leave (Mike and I both had early morning commitments that day), telling Dad the last minute instructions for the girls, he asked if I had eggs. (of course?) He was going to make an egg for himself and when the girls realized what he was doing, they got very excited and also wanted one. Chloe was thrilled, and Grandpa held her up so she could see inside the pan on the stove. The next day, she recited the entire morning to me - and got excited about Grandpa making her an egg!

I'm guessing the girls will always remember the morning Grandpa came to babysit them and made them eggs ... doesn't every granddaughter have that memory of her grandpa?

Weekend News

Ok, so I totally stole that title from Maddie's 1st grade writing class. (they write about their weekend happenings ... there's always so much for Maddie to write about!)

Father's Day. Yesterday was the day we celebrate Dads. Isn't it funny how our culture doesn't make that big of a deal about Father's Day? But Mother's Day! It's like it's own little holiday. Kids should have a day off from school. We should have a parade! But seriously, dads are great. Take my husband for example. He's an awesome father - patient, kind, fun, caring, did I mention patient? For "his" day he wanted to go golfing with some friends. I thought it was odd, because since it's father's day should you spend it with your kids? I really don't care, but he had a great time. The weather was perfect!

Saturday night, we decided to give him his Father's Day present a little early. (Sunday mornings are complete chaos in our house, getting ready for church, etc.) So the girls "hid" the present behind their backs -- and presented it to him with great care (er, I mean they flung it at him). A new MP3 Player! Woohoo! Yes, he was totally surprised and excited by the whole thing. I hinted that they also come in pink so he could buy another one sometime for someone else in the household.

When he got back from golfing yesterday evening, he announced "This is the best Father's Day ever!" Who knew?

Friday. Aren't Fridays the best? The whole weekend in front of you. It's almost exciting when we don't have plans on Friday night, because one phone call can totally change the entire night and rest of the weekend. We're totally spur-of-the-moment people, when our schedule allows for it, that is. As I was splashing around in the inflatable pool with the girls, the phone rang.

"Hello?"
"What to come over for pizza and to swim in the pool tonight? Mike can meet us here after work." said the caller
"Yesss! We'll be there in 90 minutes!"

It happened that quick. I shuffled the girls out of the water, dried them off, got everyone dressed, packed up extra clothes and the wet suits. Then my suit. And Mike's. And the last clean towel. And pj's for the kids. And all the baby gear (bottle, formula, etc.). I made a quick phone call to Mike (his reply: Yesssss!) ... and we were off!

Use punctuation, people!

I find it extremely annoying when people don't use punctuation. I know in the texting world it's a lot easier not to use periods, capitalization, and other various grammar rules, but seriously - they're there for a reason! Think back to 2nd grade. Remember the kids who read aloud in one run-on sentence because they didn't understand that you stop when you see a period, and pause when you see a comma? It's just as annoying as an adult to read when other people don't know how to use proper grammar rules! Here are a few basics:

• Capitalize the beginning of each sentence.
• Use a period at the end of each sentence. Sometimes, an exclamation point is appropriate!
• Sometimes, you have to use a comma.
• Put a space in between words - so thattheydon'tlooklikethis. Unless you're typing a web address, of course.
• If you need some help typing, practice typing so that your fingers stay on the "home keys". In time, your speed will pick up and you'll be typing as fast as you're thinking. You can even practice in a chat room or online somewhere. Here's just one web site that came up when I googled "typing help": http://www.berkeleyprep.org/lower/llinks/typing%20games.htm

Back Tracking: The Street Sale

The very minute I came back from vacation, I began the street sale project. I say project, because if you've ever done a garage sale, you know how much work it involves. But let me truly describe what it involved. This was no ordinary garage sale! I worked w/ a neighbor to coordinate the entire street/neighborhood sale. We ended up with 22 houses participating, which is really impressive since our neighborhood is so young (3-5 years old!)

As you know, the "garage sale corner" in my basement was growing, so I had to go through the items, haul them out into the garage, price them, and come up with a clever way to display it. That's the typical work for a garage sale. I'm not complaining. My dad also had a truck load of stuff to contribute ... which meant I went through each box, threw away a ton of junk, and put the rest of it on tables to sell. That stuff didn't yield a ton of money, but every little bit helps, and it's all part of the fun, right? My mom and 2 friends brought their stuff over, too ... but since they were responsible for sorting, hanging, pricing, etc. their own stuff it was a little easier on me.

Then there's the hot dog adventure. Mike and neighbor-man set up their tent in the morning, and grill hot dogs to sell. Sounds simple, eh? Not bad once the supplies are purchased, the signs are made, and everything is set up. One guy (customer) walked as fast as he could with his cane and yelled "those are the best hot dogs I've ever had!" He was referring to last year's hot dogs, and came back for more! At this point I'm thinking that we should charge a whole lot more than we currently are.

Did I mention that it barely made it to the 50s that day and we all froze? Or that because of the cold, the kids --and I mean a ton of kids-- were in my basement coming up with clever things to do with a giant box that contained my wedding dress?! And of course Hailey needed to be entertained for the day. Thanks Mom :)

The neighbors were really cooperative ... everyone contributed towards the advertising, and appreciated the blog I made so customers could see what items were at each house. Really, it was quite an undertaking but so much fun for the event-planner in me!

If you're planning on doing a garage sale, email me for a bunch of tips!

Don't Get Me Wrong

Isn't that a song?

Just because our vehicle shopping is done doesn't mean I need to stop blogging. If not to annoy the swarms of people who are reading this, then at least for a little distraction from everyday housework and things that I "need" to be doing.

Isn't it funny how when someone has an opinion they're all too eager to share it - even if someone else doesn't want to hear it?

Just a random thought of mine.

It is Done

It is done. That was a favorite saying/lesson/teaching of mine during Leadership Summit last year. It refers to not looking back to sin after you've been forgiven. No matter what, It Is Done, and we shouldn't worry about what God has already forgiven us for.

But that has really nothing to do with my real reason for writing tonight. I'm saying "It is Done" and I'm really referring to our minivan search!! It's done! Complete! Finished! That's it! In other words, we bought a minivan! I think quite possibly I'm more excited that the whole process is done rather than the van itself. Don't get me wrong - the space inside of the vehicle is quite exciting to me. The girls won't have to touch each other, Chloe can't take Hailey's binky and play with it herself, there will be no fighting over someone grabbing something out of someone else's hands, and Maddie will finally be able to buckle her own seat belt again. But on the other hand, there's a few things that I will miss about our three-ring-circus-squeezing-into-one-ring: the possibility of the girls holding hands, Maddie helping Chloe with a juice box and being able to hand it right back to her, reaching toys for each other, me able to reach pretty much anything that is on the floor, having the diaper bag so close it's usually touching someone ... should I go on?

All that said, God really led us to this vehicle and I -more than ever- am a believer of "God's timing." It's no coincidence that we found this vehicle on the very day that Maddie and I got baptized. It's no coincidence that it has the exact features we wanted (dual sliding doors, quad seating and a CD player). It's no coincidence that it was under, (yes, under!) our budget. So much so that we can start saving for our next vehicle. Or at least the large quantity of gas this one will consume.

And so let me sum up the past week. Last weekend, we were ready to buy a different minivan with a ton of creature comforts, as Mike puts it. I loved the seating arrangements, and it even had a VCR (and DVD hook ups) for the kids in the back. It was ugly, don't get me wrong, but it had some nice qualities. So we took out a bunch of cash and drove over to the dealership. There were some things wrong w/ the van and while the salesman could have taken a significantly amount less (cash talks, apparently), we would have been responsible for fixing the problems. Not really something I was interested in. Plus, the girls were driving me crazy and running all over the place. I wanted to escape fast. Then there was another one (almost the same vehicle) from a private party seller - little to no features. He was asking too much for the vehicle and when we offered less, he seemed a little offended and said the lowest he'd go was, well, more than we were willing to pay for it. We were disappointed that this was taking this long and our endless hours of searching the Internet, bidding on eBay, calling and emailing sellers, checking carfax, loading the girls into the truck to check out yet another one - wasn't yet done.

Meanwhile, the family we bought our Big White Whale from was preparing their vehicle - for us. Only they didn't know it yet. God's timing is perfect ... if only he'd clue me in sometimes, huh?

Hurry Up and Grow Up

I hate wishing my life away. Ever since I was a kid, I was always - and I mean always - counting down the days to the next big (or small) event. When I was 14 I started counting the days until my 16th birthday when I could drive. Seriously - I kept this up for about 700 days. It amuzed some of my friends, but I know it had to get on people's nerves.

And now as an adult, I do the same thing! For example, there's only 13 more days until Mike and I go on our anniversary-cruise-vacation. (Yep, I had to sneak that in there!)

But do I wish my life away? Am I wishing the girls' lives away? It's entertaining to me when I catch glimpses of the future - what the girls will be like, how they'll interact, the fun we'll have as a family, etc. I'm living for the moment, but let me just describe how fantastic life will be when I don't have to haul around a diaper bag stuffed with bottles, formula, diapers, extra clothes, hand santizer, etc. (Ok, so I will probably always carry the hand sanitizer, but you get the idea). And, how fabulous life will be when we no longer need car seats.

Am I living life on the greener side but neglecting things that will have to be maintained when I get there? Like, will the girls have to haul their own purses around, packed with lip gloss, a brush, cash, and maybe even a cell phone? Will they get along? Will they all want to share a bedroom? Will they have the same friends? Will they decline friends' invitations to events so that The Three can do something together? Will they have a sister-bond that I've always longed for?

Hurry up ... but don't grow up. It's making me old! Girly-girl, chickadee, baby girl ... you're awesome - don't change for anyone!

So close I tell you!

We're so close to finding the right minivan, it's sick! Over the past two weeks we've really stepped-up the search. And by stepped-up, I mean we've spent every minute practically looking online, playing hookie -er, I mean er, not working - so we can go out shopping, paying a babysitter a ton of money so that we can look without the girls, calling in favors to friends and family to watch the girls, reading reviews online, paying more money to get unlimited carfax reports on the various vehicles we think might be a good deal, driving all over the upstate area (ok, not quite, but still a lot of driving), bidding on some on ebay ... and whew ... are we there yet?

There were two today that are very good possibilities. They're both Ugly Vans, but they have my 3 criteria for our purchase:
1. It must have TWO sliding doors. Escape plans are always a good thing!
2. It must have bucket seats in the second row. We thought it wouldn't really matter, but let's face it, we can't have Maddie crawling in through the trunk each time!
3. I really really want a CD player. Not a tape player, because aside from my awesome INXS cassette collection, I have no music on cassette. I haven't purchased - nor do I intended to purchase - a cassette since the early 90s.

So that's it! Maybe we'll be stylin' in a minivan by the weekend! Seriously, did you EVER think you'd hear those words from my lips?

Garage Sale Frenzy

It's that time of year again. I know a lot of people look forward to summer vacation, a trip, the kids going back to school, Christmas, Halloween even ... but for some of us, garage sale is a season in itself. A season to begin the annual household purge. A season to get some extra spending cash. A season to cook hot dogs, put little stickers on a bunch of stuff I no longer want or need, have people over, and buy it all! Yes!!

The "garage sale corner" in my basement is growing rapidly. I've added a bunch of baby items I no longer need. Of course, I said the same thing 2 years ago and sold it; 3 months later when I found out I was pregnant again I had re-buy everything!

A good rule of thumb to have: when you're in a store, trying to decide if you should buy an item, ask yourself, "Can I see this in a garage sale a year from now?" This way of thinking has stopped me from buying a few things in the past, but usually I justify it all by saying "This will make an excellent garage item in the future!"

Well, I'm off to search high and low for treasures I no longer need; ahh, the exhilarating feeling of cleaning out! 7 weeks until the sale!

The Chosen - Jury Duty

I, yes me, got called for jury duty. Finally. I've been waiting my entire adult life for this and it finally happened! When I got the summons in the mail, I jumped up and down and ran around the kitchen in glee. Mike later said that he didn't even think I smiled that much on our wedding day. Sheesh.


So my day was last Friday. I was so thrilled to get up at 6:30, get a shower, put on dress pants and a sweater, make-up and jewelry and have to be somewhere important by 9 am. I was actually about 3 minutes early, for the record.

I entered the circa 1970s court room, took a seat near the back row, a few seats in. I scoped out the crowd entering the room. Of course I brought a few magazines with me, but had no real intention in reading -- I was too excited to sit still and read! I sat with my legs crossed, my top leg bouncing up and down as if I had a little too much coffee (yes, that's probably the truth). I noticed a young man (20 ish maybe?) dressed in a suit sitting in the front row, facing the bench. There was another guy near him, also in a suit, standing near him. I assumed this was to be the guy on trial and his lawyer. I wonder what the crime was?

A few minutes later, an older man sat down right next to me. Why do people always sit right next to someone else when there is clearly open seats elsewhere? Like when you get seated at a restaurant next to the only other occupied table ...? I tried not to judge.

After a minute or so, he striked up a conversation ... I soon discovered that he was 63, has no kids, spends his summers working at a golf club, and his winters traveling. For several weeks at a time. In fact, he and his wife just got back from a 21-day cruise to Antarctica. Since Mike and I are planning a cruise to celebrate our anniversary this year, I thought this conversation was extremely timely. It's always good to hear someone else's travel experiences, cruise tips, dos and don'ts, etc. He was a really interesting guy, and we talked the entire time we waited.

So back to the jury process. At precisely 9:35, the judge entered the room and announced that the trial was to proceed, but there have been a couple of delays. He thanked us for our patience, and said he would return in 5 to 10 minutes.

I continued to talk with the man - who later introduced himself as Rick, people-watched, and ignored my reading materials. There was a young girl (18, maybe?) sitting on the other side of the room, appearing to be really bothered by being there. She played with her hair, her nails, and text-messaged on her phone. Another lady opened her laptop and tapped away at keys (she must have somewhere really important to be.) As the time clicked on, people grew more comfortable with each other and the room got louder. Rick recognized someone else in the row in front of us who lived on his street. Two guys on the other side of me were joking about the decor, announcing that our tax dollars certainly weren't going towards this building.

Then, at exactly 10:30, the judge entered the room again, this time wearing a black robe. We all stood. We all sat down. Then he said he has some good news and bad news. The good news is that the trial wasn't going to occur, and that we were all excused. For TWO YEARS! So, the bad news being - if we really wanted to participate in the court process, we won't get called again for TWO YEARS! Yes, I saw that as bad news for me. Other people's faces lit up and everyone stood up, and shuffled out of the room. I said goodbye to Rick, and thanked him for all the travel tips.

I was so angry! I was home before 11 am. This was certainly not the day in court I dreamt of!

So, now in 2010, when I'm 35, I'll be eligible to get called again. Pick me! Pick me!

Deny Self ... and Get a Minivan?

I drove a minivan over the weekend. Oh. My. I think that anyone who knows me longer than 10 minutes knows my hatred of a minivan and all the stereo-types it holds. I think the only thing I dispise more than minivans is country music!
When I found out I was pregnant with my third, one of the first things out of my mouth was "I WILL NOT DRIVE A MINIVAN!" This is what I was yelling through my sobs.
Anyway - back to me driving one. On Saturday we were on a mission: to test drive one and also a SUV we've liked for several years that would accomodate The Three. The salesman drove a minivan into the service garage; while Mike installed all three of the car seats in it so we could test drive it, the salesman also drove the SUV-in-question into the garage next to the minivan. I ignored the minivan and immediately went to the SUV and opened it. Then my mouth hung open as I realized that while there IS a third row, there isn't a way for the passenger (namely my 6 year old) to get into the back seat - unless you slide the second row forward. I stood there with a dumb look on my face and asked the salesman "how do you get back there?" (duh, I know the answer) My reply to the obvious question was "Well, I have the girls in car seats." And then it was all over. I had a totally rebelious attitude as I drove the minivan. That was the end of Saturday.
When Sunday rolled around we overcame several obstcales to get to church. God always has a really good message what that type of morning occurs. It was about denying self. Ironically the first analogy was about vehicles - how there's always the vehicle you really want (SUV, in my case) and the one you can afford (or stuck with - in my case, the minivan). So while God impresed on me several months ago that I'm not defined by what I drive, I know that He was speaking to ME! ME! I think that someday I'll think this is funny - like all the other things I'm doing that I PROMISED I never would. I guess I pray for a change of heart, so why am I surprised when it happens?
Apparently, I'm now in the market for a minivan.

Vehicle shopping

The time has arrived! Squeezing our three-ring-circus into one-ring is getting absolutely ridiculous. Hailey is now in Chloe's old seat and Chloe is in a new booster. It's exciting, but wow - the three of them squished into the back seat is quite a sight. Anyway, we've spent several hours test driving minivans. And I literally mean hours ... we ALL go out, drive around a lot and "pick" 2 or 3 or 4 we want to drive from the lot .... Mike goes in to a sales person and begins his little speech "I'm not buying today but we need to know what fits our family and how easily the car seats fit in, etc."

So the sales person drives one up at a time, while Mike installs each car seat. I chase the girls in and out of the snow. Entertain Hailey. Take Maddie and Chloe to the bathroom - at least once, sometimes twice. Or even better - once before we leave the lot, once while we're out on the test drive (McDonald's), and then once we get back to the dealership.

Then the seats are ready, we convince Chloe that she has to be strapped in and we drive around for a few minutes or miles - whichever comes first. A few vehicles we knew before we even got out of the lot that we hated it, but we figured we made it that far, we might as well continue w/ the test drive. Then, we drive back to the dealership and do it all again in the next vehicle. So far our top three are the Toyota Sienna, Honda Odyssey, and Nissan Quest. Talk about quality family time!!

But let me back up ... here's my initial minivan adventure that I forgot to post:

Did you know these things about me?

1. What is in the back seat of your car right now?
2 car seats, 1 car seat base, lots of wrappers, coloring books, crayons and markers, color wonder paper, misc. toys that haven't been brought in, maybe a hat or scarf? That's just the back seat - let's not discuss what's in the trunk area.

2. When was the last time you threw up
Seriously? Why would anyone want to know this? Let's just leave it at the entire family has had our share of illness this winter. Enough said.

3. What's your favorite curse word?
Ya mean a word to hear? Use in a sentense?

4. Name 3 people who made you smile today?
Madeline, Chloe, and Hailey :)

5. What were you doing at 8 am this morning?
Waving to Maddie getting on the bus

6. What were you doing 30 minutes ago?
Walking through the door - picking Maddie up from school at her Valentine's party

7. What will you be doing 3 hours from now?
Yay!! I'm going out for Valentine's Day! Perhaps a first?!

8. Have you ever been to a strip club?
Nope

9. What is the last thing you said aloud?
Ok, that's nice

10. What is the best ice cream flavor?
Chocolate Panda Paws

11. What was the last thing you had to drink?
Ice water

12. What are you wearing right now?
Jeans and a striped shirt. Vertical stripes, never horizontal.

13. What was the last thing you ate?
Pretzels

14. Have you bought any new clothing items this week?
Yes - amazing clearance items at the mall!

15. When was the last time you ran?
Earlier this week I actually ran on the treadmill for a few minutes!

16. What's the last sporting event you watched?
Maddie's soccer game this past fall.

18. Who is the last person you emailed?
Beth

19. Ever go camping?
What a loaded question. Yes, I went but NEVER again. I went as a teenager and hated it. I went last fall with kids and hated it. What other time in my life could I possibly try? Why do people even do this? You spend childhood playing house; then you become an adult and buy one. You spend all kinds of money decorating it. And purchasing towels and toilet paper. And shower gel. And shampoo. And air conditioning and a furnace. Why, why, why on earth would you give that all up and "vacation" outside and pretend that you don't mind?

20. Do you have a tan?
Not yet!

24. Do you drink your soda from a straw?
At times.

25. What did your last IM say?
Don't remember

26. Are you someone's best friend?
I hope so

27. What are you doing tomorrow?
The day is wide open!

28. Where is your mom right now?
Probably working.

29. Look to your left, what do you see?
The dining room table and window.

30. What color is your watch?
Silver.

31. What do you think of when you think of Australia ?
Michael Hutchence :)

32. Would you consider plastic surgery?
Consider it? Sure. Do it? Never. Why would I sign up and pay someone to be in pain?

33. What is your birthstone?
Opal

34. Do you go in at a fast food place or just hit thedrive thru?
Both, depending on how much of a hurry I'm in.

35.How many kids do you want?
My 3.

36. Do you have a dog?
Technically he lives with my dad.

37. Last person you talked to on the phone?
Angela

38. Have you met anyone famous?
Not yet!

39. Any plans today?
I'm going out to dinner with Mike!

40. How many states have you lived in?
One

41. Ever go to college?
Yes.

42. Where are you right now?
In the dining room, in front of the computer.

43. Biggest annoyance in your life right now?
Interupptions

44. Last song listened to?
Something by the Newsboys.

46. Are you allergic to anything?
No

47. Favorite pair of shoes you wear all the time?
Black boots

48. Are you jealous of anyone?
Nope.

50. Is anyone jealous of you?
Doubt it!

51. What time is it?
4 ish

52. Do any of your friends have children?
Yes.

53. Do you eat healthy?
Sure, sometimes.

54. What do you usually do during the day?
Like a list of stuff? Prepare food, lots and lots of food (in forms of lunches, breakfasts, bottles, snacks, dinner, etc.), clean, talk on the phone, email, read a few words when I can, play, and occasionally work.

55. Do you hate anyone right now?
No.

56. Do you use the word 'hello' daily?
Sure.

58. How old will you be turning on your next birthday?
29

59. Have you ever been to Six Flags?
Yes!

60. How did you get one of your scars?
Crawling around in a friend's barn as a teenager, trying to scare her little sister.