The Years Are Short

The Farm

2011-09-29T08:45:00.010-04:00

Last year our family went to a farm in the north/middle of PA, near Bloomsburg. We enjoyed our long weekend there so much, we decided to extend our stay to a whole week. There were 20 of us there this year, all from my side of the family- my mom, sisters, brother and their families (including my sister from France and her 2 boys). There were lots of little kids, lots of laughter, good cooking, swimming, fishing, and hiking. It was a great week to get reconnected with each other. It is funny how even after all these years, we all fall back into many of the roles and spaces that we occupied when we were children. Sometimes, that is not so great, like when I am sharp with my 33 year old sister, like she is a child. And other times, it is fun as we laugh at my brother's wit and antics. Of course, there was a hole where my dad would have been there with us. We all commented at one point or another throughout the week how he would have loved being there with his kids and grandkids, how it was exactly his favorite kind of vacation. Despite moments of longing, our eyes shiny with tears as we mourned our deep loss once again, it was a joyful, fun week. The kids loved playing with their cousins, favorite activities being the pond, fishing, and the trampoline.

We took a trip to Rickett's Glen on Monday, where coincidentally our next door neighbors were hiking there the same day and we ran into them--crazy! The falls were gorgeous, and the trails were a little challenging, but not too bad. The kids also loved wading in the different pools along the creek. (KK did not come on this hike, maybe next year she will be big enough to handle it.)

Later in the week we went to Knoebels amusement park. It was a blast- KK was actually the one who was the most daring on most of the rides. We went on one together that E and N did not want to try. It lifted into the air and the ride spun several baskets all around in a huge circle through the air. KK kept saying, " This is so fun! I love this ride!" We also went on the flume which she loved, and N hated. I was amazed at her enthusiasm for the fast and dizzying rides. As for me, it is clear that I am past all that. I used to love those rides that went in circles, and I felt absolutely sick. I remember as child, how my mom used to sit out most amusement park rides herself, and I never understood it. Now I do.

This is the ride KK liked so much

My French nephews

Makes me dizzy just looking at it

The rest of the week we spent just hanging out together, games at night, sharing meals, just doing family stuff together. And it was good, really, really good.

I actually really don't like this picture, but it was out of my hands.

OBX

2011-09-28T08:37:00.007-04:00

Well, after our rather emotional spring, we were really looking forward to summer vacation. The one big trip that we were planning to take was to the Outerbanks of North Carolina, more commonly known as OBX. We had been invited to go with Ed's brother's wife's family. We have been wanting to go for years, but could never find another family who was willing to commit, so we jumped at the chance. Our vacation time was the week when a terrible heat wave hit the rest of the country, we were so glad we had the pool and the beach to escape the crushing humidity. The house itself was absolutely gorgeous, everything you want in a beach house- the ocean was just over the dune, we had a beautiful pool (that the kids enjoyed even more than the ocean), and the house was spacious and beautifully decorated.

We loved the slow pace of the day--hanging out on the beach in the morning, going back to the house for the pool or hot tub in the afternoon, and eating ice cream while we watched the sun set at night. Then when the kids were in bed, Ed and I played Catan, Ticket to Ride, Carcassonne, and other games with Jim and Steph. We did take a day trip down to Hatteras Lighthouse, but other than that we hung out at the house.

While on the beach, I tried body boarding for the first time this year, and I found out I really, really liked it. I have grown fearful of the big waves in my adult years as I realize how you can be injured, and my sensible self has been staying out of the big waves. With the body boards, I feel safer, and I can ride the waves in. I had a blast, it is such a rush!

From a photography standpoint, I absolutely fell in LOVE with the dunes. They were breathtaking, and the perfect setting for my first photo shoot of another family (Stephanie's). I also got some great shots of my own family in the mix.

I could have stayed for another week, easily, but unfortunately, our vacation came to an end. I am hoping we can get together another group for next summer because it is definitely the best vacation I have been on in a long, long time.

Our Holly Girl

2011-09-27T14:17:00.006-04:00

So, after an 8 month dry spell, I thought I would try to come back to blogging. I will not attempt to catch up on everything that has happened in that time, but I will give a couple of significant events every few days. Today I will start with Holly.

This spring we noticed that our 12 1/2 year old Lab, Holly was not doing so well. Her breathing was getting heavier and heavier to the point where we wondered if there was a tumor. But then she would have periods throughout the day where she was fine, and rested peacefully. We finally took her to the vet, because we wanted to see if there was an easy way to ease her breathing. Unfortunately the vet told us that she had something called Laryngal Paralysis that was causing her to have trouble breathing. There was really nothing they could do to help her, and they asked if we were ready to put her down that day. Ed and I just sat there in the room crying and holding Holly, and we decided we wanted to take her back home to see how she did. That week, the first in May was cool, and we didn't notice Holly having any trouble. Then on Tuesday, May 7, it was an unusually warm day. I noticed Holly's breathing becoming more labored throughout the day. That evening it got really bad, and when Ed came home at 8 she was gasping for every breath, vomitting because her sides were heaving so much, and it was clear that something had to be done. We looked at each other, and with tears in our eyes we decided to call the vet. They had hours until 10 pm, and it was around 9. I drove Holly and picked up our friend, and old neighbor, Lisa who had told me she would come. She loved Holly as much as we did, and Holly loved her too. We drove into Rau, and they took us back to a wonderful room, called The Comfort Room. It was set up like a living room with a couch and chairs and a rug on the floor. It was exactly what we needed to help us say good-bye to our sweet girl. Lisa held Holly as she fell after they gave her the muscle relaxant. I just kept holding her head, stroking her soft, soft ears and telling her what a good girl she was and how much I loved her. She slowly relaxed, and her breathing got more controlled. When they gave her the final shot, it was a couple of breaths and then Holly gave one final sigh in exhalation, and she was gone.

Leaving her in that room was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. I felt like I was abandoning her, even though I knew she wasn't there anymore. When I got home, it was really hard. It took a long time for our family to heal from the loss. Even now, as I write this, tears run down my face remembering our sweet girl. There were nights when I was just holding all 3 kids as we sobbed, missing Holly. Ed and I reminisced together about all of the things that made her Holly. The way she would push herself between your legs, trying to squeeze herself as close as possible to say "hello", her innate knowledge of when it was a Sunday morning, the day she would visit Lisa, how she would sit at the door the minute we started piling up bags for a trip, determined not to be left behind. Her sweet, gentle ways with the kids, never barking or snapping, even when they put their hands in her mouth. And her wise, all knowing eyes that were so expressive and intelligent. I still deeply miss Holly, she was our first baby, and although she kind of fell into the background with the kids' arrivals, she never complained. She was a steadfast dog, and we are so blessed to have had her in our family. One day I hope we get another dog, and I think it will really help in the healing. But I will never forget our good girl.

"I never even picked up a racquet"

2011-01-20T09:50:00.005-05:00

As some of you know, I have been a gym member for about 6 1/2 years. In that time I have gone through spurts of super- dedicated weight training and cardio 5 days a week (with the regular help of a real trainer), as well as months that I didn't even darken the door. Yet I have kept my membership because it is so darn cheap, and I will never get a deal like it again. Since I am not giving up my membership, I feel like I need to use it, so that usually gives me the incentive to go back if I have lapsed in my dedication. For the most part, my gym attendance falls somewhere in between the two extremes- several days a week of some combo of cardio/weights, but nothing too strenuous (this may be why I haven't actually seen any serious weight loss or change in my body in that time, sigh).

Since I am a semi-regular I notice more or less, people who are also "regulars". I usually don't engage in conversation, as I am not one to chat up perfect strangers, instead I prefer to get in, do my work out, and get out, with minimal eye-contact. After I had been going for several years, in the middle of one of my more consistent periods of exercise, one man kept smiling at me and finally introduced himself. (Now before you get any ideas, it was perfectly innocent and friendly- I call him "the Mayor" because he knew everyone and greeted everyone. I think he is at the gym every day for at least 2 hours, possibly 3, so he knows who the regulars are. After that initial introduction I would say "hi" when he was nearby, and this went on for several months. After some time we got into conversations occassionally, he told me about his kid, I told him a little about mine, I invited him to church and he said he'd come (but still hasn't).

One day we were talking and the subject of racquetball came up. I noticed him playing with different partners each week and said I didn't know how to play, but I was intrigued. He offered to play with me once a week. I was very hesitant as I am not the "athletic" type. But I finally agreed because he said it was a very good workout. We decided to play one morning a week, and for the first couple of months I was very, very bad. I missed the ball, I had very little coordination, power or direction on my hits. It was so embarrassing that I almost quit one week, but decided to do 'just one more' week, mainly because the workout really was great. I needed to consume large quantities of water throughout, I would get winded, and I also felt it in my muscles the next day. The next week I turned a corner and started to improve enough that I was encouraged to keep trying.

Up until this point I hadn't purchased a racquet, instead using the "lost" ones in the lost and found, not wanting to invest in my own until I was sure that it would "stick". After another month of modest improvement, I decided that part of my problem was that I didn't have a "feel" for my racquets. One week I was using a racquetball racquet, the next, a junior tennis racket. Not exactly great for consistency. So I went ahead and purchased my own racquet. I also got some necessary undergarments for increased support, which greatly helped in comfort while running around.

I continued to meet up with the Mayor every week, gradually getting better. All of this time we were just hitting the ball back and forth, but not playing a real game. Finally, last week the Mayor decided that I was ready. We played a short game in which I "won", but not really since we only played until 10 and I had to go before we could finish, so I just happened to be ahead. This morning we played 2 games, and although I lost both, it wasn't by much, 12-15 the first game, 14-15 the second, and I got in lots of good shots that he couldn't return. I am so excited to have found some kind of physical activity that I look forward to, something that I can honestly say has never happened, from field hockey and softball in HS to the present mixture of whatever it is I do for 20 minutes every morning. I like the challenge and the feeling of actually getting a cardio work out, without all the drudgery of running on the treadmill or elliptical. I think this sport might actually "stick". Now if only I could find another partner and add another day of the week to my schedule. I think this is the start of a better, more "in shape" version of me.

Plumeria and Primroses

2011-01-19T12:45:00.004-05:00

Last year, when we went to WDW, I got myself a little souvenir. It wasn't much to look at, just a forked stick. But the promise was enticing. If I took that stick and planted it, and watered it, and made sure that it got plenty of sunshine, it would grow into a plumeria tree. So I bit. I took home the stick and hoped that some of that Disney magic would bring this little stick to life. I planted it in special succulent soil, and put it in a sunny window until the days got warmer. Then it sat outside on our patio all summer long. About 2 months in, it began to grow little spikes on the top. These spikes lengthened and unfurled to beautiful, shiny leaves. It was magical. By the end of the summer, it looked something like this. Lush, vibrant and healthy:

And then the temperature dropped, and I had to take it inside. According to the directions, I wasn't to let the plant go dormant in the first year. I was to keep on watering it, and then the next summer it would burst into bloom. So I put it next to our one sunny window in the house and kept my eye on it. Every so often I would notice dirt on the floor, and then the leaves started to spot and drop off, and I got suspicious. I went in for a closer look, and smelled the unmistakeable odor of cat urine. The cats were using my precious plumeria as a litterbox! By the time I realized it, it was too late. The leaves were dropping every day, and my once lush plant looked sickly. I must, at this point, admit that I kind of went crazy on the cats. Or more specifically, cat. I knew that it could only be our male cat, Jasper who was defiling the plumeria. I googled for remedies and found several suggestions for deterring the cats from going in the plant. But first I had to bring the pH level back within normal range. So I flushed out the pot, running water through it several times until there was no odor left. Then I took skewers and placed them around the dirt to keep the cats out. Finally, we put the plant on a stand in the middle of a wall, where the cats couldn't reach it. After all this, the plant lost every last leaf, but one.

This last leaf has hung on for at least a month, and I think the plant is going to make it. But it is a sad shadow of the plant it used to be.
We are many months away from the 60 degree night temps that I need to put the plumeria back outside. Hopefully by then those little leaflings will have fully sprouted, and the plant will make a full recovery.

Right now, in the dead of winter, spring seems so far away. I have had enough of this snow and ice, and am starting to feel the burden of the cold temps and dark days. So, yesterday, on an impulse, I introduced another little plant into our house because it was so cheery, and spoke of the promise of spring. "Soon", it says, "soon!"

Now I need to figure out how to keep those cats far away...

Blossom- "I just want one tiny lick, I promise"
Jasper- "Hey, what do you have up there?"

Jasper- "Let me take a closer sniff, that soil needs some 'Eau de Jasper', I think"

Jasper- "Me, a plant killer? You must have me confused with some one else. See, I don't even care about plants!"

Christmas Cards

2010-12-10T08:47:00.014-05:00

Every year I have a love/hate/love relationship with Christmas cards. I love to get them in the mail, but I kind of hate the process of making my own, but then I love the finished product and giving them to people. But still, it is an all day task. I have to look through our photos and decide which ones make the cut. I have to decide if we go for one family shot, or some individual shots. Usually I try to do both because a family shot rarely has the best of each person. Then I need to find a card that has enough space for all of those pictures I want to use. Additionally, there is the newsletter. Last year we wrote a letter that accompanied our card, which was a great way to share the eventful year we had, but a lot of work. So as I was pondering our choices, and even if we would send a card this year, I flipped through a brochure that I got in the mail from Shutterfly. It seemed that they had a lot of options and cute designs that I hadn't seen in other cards. I liked this one because it lets you use 6 pictures, which would be perfect for our family, to share one good picture of each person, and then a group shot. In fact, they have a lot of multi-picture cards.

They also have many cards that have a more religious tone, which I appreciate, but am not always able to use because there usually aren't enough photo spaces, but this one actually does have plenty of photos.

And here is one that I really like because of the design and the message.

But the one that I ended up choosing* was exactly what I was looking for. It had both plenty of picture spaces, and a "Top 10" portion of the card that we could fill in(here it is a generic list, but in real life it has actual events). It would cut out writing the Christmas newsletter, but still give our far-away friends and family an update on our lives.

After I am done designing and sending out our card, I think I will take some time to make a photo book of our summer vacation this past year, and a calendar for next year.

*Even though I loved the design, I wasn't sure I was going to purchase them, but once I saw their offer for 50 free cards in return for a blog post (heavy with links), I decided to go for it. I am super-excited that I can send out the card I wanted all along.

Also, so, so, sorry to all of you who sign up for my blog via a reader. I didn't know how to imbed the pictures of the cards into my post, so I had to have shutterfly send them and create a brand new post each time. Then I deleted them, but they still show up on the reader. So embarrassing!

In which I attempt to cram 6 months of life into a post

2010-12-08T11:14:00.011-05:00

I know, I know, you thought I'd never blog again, didn't you? Well, I kind of felt the same way myself. The funny thing about blogging, for me, is that if I start to fall behind I have a tendency to just keep putting it off. I will start my new years resolution a little earlier, and resolve to be a better blogger! With that, here is a 6 month recap.

Previously, on this blog, it was the middle of summer vacation.
We spent the remainder of the summer taking weekend trips to the Jersey shore with both friends and family. We ended the summer with a fun block party where the kids enjoyed riding bikes, face painting, tie dying shirts, games and playing with their neighborhood friends.

We also took a weekend long trip to Benton Pa with my family. It was a bittersweet weekend, as we had originally planned this trip for the weekend that my dad went into hospice. As soon as we arrived on the farm, we knew that it was the kind of place Dad would have loved. It had rolling fields, and a little pond to swim in, as well as plenty of room for our family to play games and eat meals together. His absence was keenly felt, and we enjoyed reminiscing over the years we have had as a family as well as making new memories with each other. The kids loved playing with their cousins in the pond, on the trampoline, and, strangely enough, the marble run was a favorite with them all. It was also a little break for Ed, who had an extremely busy summer and fall at his company, and he was unable to take off more than a couple days at a time. He really enjoyed having some downtime to spend with me and the kids.

The start of the school year meant that the activity level picked up again. E started 4th grade, N started 1st grade, and KK was so proud to begin going to school as well. I took on the care of another little boy, in addition to the children I had watched last year and their new baby sister. Our days and weeks have been packed with soccer, piano, dance, and kids clubs at church. Our lives are very full right now, and I am truly thankful to the Lord for his daily measure of strength and patience for me.

In addition to our traditional fall activities of apple picking in September, and pumpkin picking in October, we took our first tent-camping trip as a family. We went with another family to Rickett's Glen. It was a really fun weekend, and we enjoyed hiking the waterfall trail with all the kids, as well as the campfires and time spent with our new friends. We are planning more camping trips for the spring and next fall. The kids really look forward to these things every year, and I think it is an important part of childhood to have these traditional family events that they can depend on.

Now we are in the advent season. With only a little over 2 weeks left until Christmas, we decorated our tree and the kids are enjoying their advent calendar chocolate each day. We are a little behind on lighting the candles on the advent wreath, as we just made one this past Sunday at church, but at least it is made and displayed in our dining room, ready to light this Sunday. I will try to have at least one more post before Christmas, but you know how hectic the holiday season can be...

Writing Camp

2010-07-29T18:09:00.007-04:00

E has always been a writer, ever since she could put together letters into words she has written stories, letters, journals. So it didn't surprise me when E's teacher recommended that she attend a writing camp this summer. We signed her up for one that was called "Nature Journaling" that took place on the grounds of Highland Mansion. She will never be a kid who would go to a soccer or basketball camp, running around in the hot sun. And I have to say, in this she is my daughter. I knew that she would enjoy writing camp, because I would have loved it myself. My sisters and I were laughing, because they could never imagine wanting to go to a writing camp and I could never imagine wanting to go to a sports camp. What is a fun time to them is torture for me, and vice versa. Anyway, E was in her element as each morning she had different lessons that incorporated both writing and drawing.

The last day of camp the parents were able to come and take a tour of the grounds, which I was excited about, since we hadn't been able to when we went there for our family photo shoot. I loved walking around and taking pictures, and E loved giving us the tour. It would be a great place for a wedding/reception, I will have to file this away for the future.

Slip Slidin' Away

2010-07-26T19:59:00.003-04:00

This week's raw(e) challenge is to open up your 2nd folder, and pick the 6th picture and post it. I usually make a folder for each month of a calendar year and then stick the pictures in it, after that month is over. So the top folders right now are from early July. This picture was taken when my good friend Jess and her kids stopped in for a visit. They had a lot of fun on the slip n slide that day...

lego cupcakes

2010-07-14T15:25:00.007-04:00

My latest entry in the raw(e) challenge:
The subject is dessert, so I decided to enter this picture of the lego cupcakes I made for N's party

July 4th

2010-07-09T16:31:00.006-04:00

This year we decided to stay home for the Fourth, since we had been away the past two years. I love the festive feel of the holiday, and it was really nice to celebrate in Glenside again. We started off the day at church with a joint service where the energy of the worship was awesome. Then I went to my mom's house to get the house ready for the picnic. We moved tables and chairs up to the porch, made flower arrangements, and gallons of lemonade.

Around 4:00 people started arriving. We had invited several of our friends, and most of them could make it. We spent the next 3 hours on the porch, in the front yard and on the curb eating, talking, and watching the parade.

When I tell people that the parade is two hours long, I don't think they really believe me until they see it! It is a pretty great parade, and it is always fun to see the New Life float coming down the street. The worship team sings songs while volunteers hand out freeze pops to the crowd.

After the parade was over, several of the families stayed behind to help with the clean-up, and then we all headed up to the highest point in Glenside to watch the fireworks- the Burger King parking lot! We got there just in time to get parking spots, and then we set up camp for the next hour as we waited for it to get dark enough for the fireworks.

The time passed quickly as the kids played with sparklers and entertained each other.

Around 9:15 the show started, and it was well worth the wait.

All in all, it was a very satisfying day. I love the festivities, but even more I loved spending time with family and friends. For me, nothing can compare to celebrating the Fourth in Glenside.

Beach Time

2010-06-30T22:21:00.005-04:00

It is that time of the year when we pack our bags every other weekend or so, and drive down to the Jersey shore area to spend Fri night- Sun. morn at Ed's parents' house. The kids really love the ocean, so we usually spend a few hours there on Saturday. Although it is kind of a pain to pack up the car, drive 1/2 hour to get to the beach, and then haul all of our things across deep, hot sand, it is totally worth it to see the joy they have in splashing in the waves,

digging very large holes,

and swimming in the ocean.

And we have to admit, we like it too.

Shell Seekers

2010-06-30T22:10:00.006-04:00

I thought I would enter this photo for the RAW(e) summertime challenge. As this is my first time, I am not sure I am doing this right but here is my photo that speaks "summer" to me (there were so many to choose from, it was hard to pick just one!)

Fiesta!

2010-06-20T08:23:00.001-04:00

For the past 3 summers we have combined the kids' birthdays and thrown a joint family birthday party. This year we had a Fiesta!

I decorated with chili pepper lights on the patio, and a "Fiesta" banner that went around the tree grove in the middle of our yard. I also hung little paper lanterns to our mulberry tree to add to the festive feel, not because they were a part of the theme. As guests arrived, there was an assortment of Mexican sodas and fruit juices on the beverage table, and dip, salsa and guacamole on the patio table. This staved off their hunger as I was working madly in the kitchen with various guests who offered their services on arrival. We chopped lettuce, tomatoes, onions, peppers, and carrots for toppings. We cooked up ground beef for tacos, as well as chicken for fajitas. After about an hour and a half (oops, I guess I could have planned better and done some more prep work the day before!!) dinner was served.

Following dinner, the kids played a "musical sombrero" game which got a little aggressive at points (ripping the hat band off of one of the hats in one final struggle for the win). Unfortunately I thought I purchased a CD with fiesta music when I placed my order with Oriental Trading for the banner, lights, and sombreros, but apparently I didn't make it into the order, so I ended up using a CD that didn't exactly fit thematically. I don't think they cared- they just wanted the silly bands that I was handing out as prizes!

After the sombrero game, the kids were ready for the pinata. We hit it in age order, starting with my 3 and then going from the youngest on up. It lasted until my 8 year old nephew Peter got a hold of the stick and ripped the poor donkey's head off!

We then sang Happy Birthday to the kids as they "pretended" to blow out the candles on their sombrero cake. The breeze prevented us from actually lighting them, and although N and E caught on, K looked a little confused "What do you want me to blow out?".

After cake and presents, guests started to leave, and I turned to the monumental task of cleaning up. Yes, the parties are fun, but I am so glad we only do it once a year. That bouncy place is looking better and better to me!

End of the Year

2010-06-18T21:25:00.000-04:00

I posted a status on facebook last week about the end of the school year always bringing a lump to my throat. It is exciting to have the summer ahead of us, but a part of me always gets a little sad at thinking that the year is over, the time my kids have with each teacher is done. Each year we have been blessed with fantastic teachers and our kids have really blossomed and grown. I was especially nervous about N and his teacher this year. Although I had heard wonderful things about him, part of me wanted N to have a woman teacher, to have that nurturing motherly influence.

first day of school

I have to say that Mr. F really did live up to all the hype. He was great with all the kids, and really taught them a lot. I am amazed at how much N learned. He barely knew his alphabet when he started, much less the sounds, no matter how much I worked with him. He can now read simple books, and write his "kid writing" stories.

I also love the relationship he formed with his teacher. Mr. F got a kick out N's personality, and actually did have a more tender side in caring for N when he was upset, hurt, or needed encouragement. It was neat to see the bond that formed between the two of them,

last full day of school

and I think I will miss having Mr. F teach N almost as much as N will.

As for E, she also had an awesome teacher who really pulled the class together, focusing on the team aspect of sharing a year together. E was able to let her gifts shine in academic areas, as well as experience growth in learning to be bold and speak out when needed. Every year E is sad at leaving her teacher behind, but this year was especially hard for her. I found her the morning of the last day of school under her covers, crying her eyes out. She loves her teacher so much, she hated to say good-bye. I really felt for her, and although it was hard to see her so sad, it is good because I know that she would always remember 3rd grade, and the impact this teacher had on her will last a lifetime. On a bright note, we think N might be placed with her next year, as she is moving down to first grade!

first day of 3rd grade

end of 3rd grade

Despite the initial melancholy over the year being over, we have all bounced back, and are ready to embrace the summer season with it's fireflies, pool trips, ice cream, late bed times, and days at the beach. Let the summer begin!

Kid in a Candy Store

2010-05-28T13:13:00.008-04:00

You know those things that you see while shopping, and you can't seem to pass by without checking them out, and somehow rationalizing a purchase? For some it may be pocketbooks, shoes, or jewelry. I can usually walk by these things with just a small tug of longing. They don't bring on the quickened heart rate and middle of the gut ache when I spot my two main weaknesses - books and flowers.

As for books, it has to be a used book sale. I like a good book store as much as anyone else, but I don't go in for paying full price on a brand-new book. No, for me, it is the corner of the library with the stacks of used books, priced for a reasonable quarter or fifty cents. I have to really think hard about if I want it if it is as much as $1. I can't seem to resist going over to check out the selection, even though I know I have piles of books at home, both mine and the kids. I usually end up coming away with a new treasure or two, and I seem to always justify my purchases by reassuring myself that I am helping out the library.

As for my other weakness, I literally have to talk myself out of purchases. Spring time brings out my appetite for all things gardenly. I pore over catalogues, take long walks just to see what other people have and how they have planted it, and try to figure out how I can get the same effect. For this reason, going to San Diego was torturous! To see every single house planted with gorgeous, flamboyant, lush, spectacular gardens was both a treat for the eyes as well as an ache for my heart.

My own garden seemed so sad, so pathetic, in the face of these gardens of eden. How could I dare to post pictures of my own little irises and peonies,
knowing about the eye-popping beauty of lantanas, cannas, and hibiscus that are commonplace in other parts of the world? I admit, there was a little bit of embarrassment involved- that I would dare to think my common place garden was something worth sharing. But then I returned home, and there really is nothing I can do about my climate. I realized that I need to be thankful for what I have, and even if it isn't at the same level of beauty, my garden still warms my heart and brings me pleasure, like the simple sight of water droplets clinging to a grassy stem.

So I entered the season of planting and buying. Like I said, my weakness. It is very dangerous for me to enter a garden center or nursery this time of the year. Every flower seems to call me to it, and my mind spins, wondering where if I could find a place for it in my already bursting flower beds. It can get pretty expensive if I don't hold myself back. Fortunately, this year, I had a couple of budget friendly acquisitions. First, in early April I went to a plant exchange. I got together with a couple of friends, and we all brought some divided perennials. Everyone went home with a nice new selection of plants, and the best thing, it was free!

I also used birthday money towards some new baskets for the front porch, and I found a place that had gorgeous baskets for half the price of other nurseries.
I also couldn't resist these begonias!

Today I went on my annual trip to the nursery of all nurseries. It is a beautiful place, garden beds laid out with paths that show both sun gardens and shade gardens, a pond and vegetables. It has it all. The flowers are of excellent quality, which means they are a bit pricier. But I was able to get a couple of annuals using a birthday gift certificate, and spend some time getting ideas. I usually go once or twice a year, and it always feeds my soul.

I was reflecting on my love of growing things and gardens and it occurred to me that my parents picked out a perfect name for me. I think I was destined to be weak-kneed over a perfect blossom from the very start.

A new reason to smile

2010-05-23T06:15:00.004-04:00

"Mommy! Mommy!" a voice whispered from the foot of my bed.

I groggily answered, "What's wrong?" while determining that it was N standing there.

"My tooth is falling out of my mouth!" I squinted at the clock, and noticed it was 2 a.m. "N, go back to bed. I'll look in the morning."

I rolled over and went back to sleep, wondering what he was talking about, but being too tired to really care.

He has had a loose tooth for about 3 months, and we have wiggled it at teeth brushing time, but it hadn't noticeably loosened. Apparently something happened in the middle of the night, because the next morning N came into the kitchen bright and early with his tooth just hanging out of his mouth.

I asked him if he wanted me to pull it, and he did. I took a tissue, twisted one corner out, and then gave a another twist and tug, and it was out!

He was so proud and happy.

I was so proud and happy. My boy had just lost his first tooth, just one month shy of the end of kindergarten. He had watched his classmates all year coming in with stories of lost teeth, and now he got to share his own. I love those gap tooth smiles, it is one of my favorite stages of childhood.

Mulching

2010-05-05T13:46:00.006-04:00

Every couple of years we get several cubic yards of mulch delivered to our driveway. I would love to be the person that gets it all neatly shoveled onto the flower beds within a day, or even a week. But it seems to sit for weeks, gathering "helicopters" from the maple trees, and long strands from the oak trees. Last time we had it delivered, we actually got too much, and the remainder of the pile sat there for a whole year, until the following spring when I used it up. The neighbors must have been horrified! Anyway, I was trundling wheelbarrows across the yard yesterday, with two little helpers. Both KK and Addie were eager to use their little beach shovels to pat down the mulch around the flowers. It must have seemed like a fun game to KK, because today she came up to me, shovel and bucket in hand, "Mommy, please I can do the dirt?". How could I resist? So what if she was wearing a white shirt, and the mulch leaves black stains? I showed her where to dump her mulch when her bucket was full, and left her to it. About half an hour later, I realized that she was still working! Face flushed, dirty knees and hands, she was completely absorbed in her job.

Digging into the pile

Mulch covered

Getting up

partially full bucket
dumping
off to get some more

With a little helper like this, it won't be long before I'm scraping asphalt.

Retreat

2010-05-03T08:41:00.007-04:00

Coming up on the women's retreat weekend, I was feeling a little conflicted. Two of my friends, who I look forward to rooming with every year weren't going. I have always enjoyed this time to spend with them- talking, worshipping, eating, learning together. But it was not going to happen. On the other hand, I was super excited for the speaker, Nina, she is a very dear friend from my growing up years whom I don't see very often anymore. So I signed up to go, and asked my sister, Sandy, and another friend, Anna, to room with me. It was a little hard leaving this time, since I had just returned from a weekend in San Diego with my two closest friends from high school, and I knew Ed was feeling a little overwhelmed being alone with the kids again. Also, we passed the one year anniversary of my dad's death the day after I returned from San Diego, and 2 days before I left again. I was still feeling a little shaken from all the emotions running through my mind. Yet, I was really looking forward to learning from Nina, and spending time with her.

The weather was absolutely the best I have ever seen. We always go to the same place- Harvey Cedars Bible Conference on LBI at the Jersey shore. Most years it is chilly, sometimes rainy- it is only the first weekend in May. But this year it was 85 and sunny, sunny, sunny! I really enjoyed my time with Sandy and Anna. We ate together, talked, laughed, and I was completely blessed by our time together. We just soaked in the sun and Nina's lectures.

It was absolutely the best lecture series of a retreat, in my memory. The theme was "Making straight paths in a crooked world". Nina wove in practical applications, was honest as she shared struggles from her own walk, challenged us in the way that we thought about Scripture, about our Shepherd. The best way to summarize all that Nina talked about is through a line from this song, that she shared with us,

"When my world is shaking
Heaven stands
When my heart is breaking
I never leave your hands"
-JJ Heller and Katie Herzig

In so many ways my world has been shaken, starting about 8 years ago - my family, friendships, church family, basically, my life. This weekend was such a good reminder that I am in His hands. It is a long journey ahead in this crooked world of ours, He is with me, alive in me and lives through me so that I can bless others. I have a renewed desire to pursue a knowledge of Jesus, to be a woman who knows her Saviour well.

Here are some random pictures from our weekend:

I saw this, and I asked the owner if I could take a picture of his dog- it just cracked me up

Someone found this little turtle on the walk. I took him inside the last lecture, and he became very animated midway through, trying to crawl out of my pocket, across my notebook, down my legs. I released him, although I knew the kids would have loved to see him.

and one with my sweet friend, Nina

When Ed's away...

2010-04-08T09:14:00.003-04:00

Ed occasionally has to be out of town on business. Sometimes it is one week, other times just a day, this time it is 3 weeks (home on the weekends). We all miss him, but there is also the fact that life is easier when he is here. Although he is at work all day, I do count on him being here for dinner and then to help with the kids at bed time. When he isn't, it just makes the day seem longer. It's amazing what a difference it makes to have another parent helping with brushing teeth, or cleaning up after dinner. And then there are things that happen that make me realize how much I miss not having a man around the house. Things like broken garbage disposals, or closet doors that fall off the track, or...mice.

Yes, we have had mice issues since moving in this house. Sometimes worse, sometimes better, but Ed has always been the one to deal with the dead mice and the mouse traps. Once we got our cats, we haven't been as vigilant with setting the traps, hoping that the cats would take care of the problem. Shortly after we got Jasper, he "caught" his first mouse. Ed and I were in the living room watching T.V., all of a sudden, Jasper darted across the floor and Ed said, "He's chasing a mouse!" We both jumped off the couch and found a poor little mouse limping along, trying to get away from Jasper. We didn't want to see the mouse suffer, but we didn't know what to do with it. I suggested that we get our electrical mouse trap and zap the mouse, to put it out of its misery. Ed, of course, took care of that. He got the trap and placed it in front of the mouse. The frightened and dazed creature saw the opening in the little black box as an escape, crawled in, and was immediately electrocuted. It made us a little sad, but it was better than the alternative of being mauled to death by the cat. Anyway, we haven't seen any evidence of the cats catching anything else until yesterday.

I was on the phone with Jess, when Ben came running up to me and said, "Jasper has a mouse! A real live mouse!" At that point, I saw Jasper running into the laundry room, so I followed. Sure enough, he turned around to face me and there was the poor creature, in Jasper's mouth, little legs wriggling around, frantically trying to get away. I gave a little yelp and locked Jasper in the laundry room, hoping that he would finish off the mouse quickly. Jess was horrified at the situation, and I was a bit worried that I would find bits of mouse or step on a head. After I got off the phone, I checked on Jasper, and although he was interested in the space behind the dryer, I didn't see any injured or dead mouse, so I figured it had gotten away and had found somewhere to die in peace.

When E came home, I was telling her the story when I saw Blossom overly interested in a pile of books on the playroom floor. She was playing with something underneath and I had my suspicions that it was a mouse. "E, go lift up those books" I urged.

She looked at me like I was crazy, and said, "No, YOU go pick up those books!"

"No, YOU!"

"No, YOU!" This probably would have continued indefinitely had KK not been standing there, and watching. As we argued, she went over and lifted up the books. E and I took one look, saw a mouse, and ran SCREAMING up the stairs. I think our arms were over our heads too. Once we got our breath back, we went back downstairs where K was still standing next to the mouse, confused as to what made us run for the hills. I grabbed a clear plastic toy container, put it over the mouse, and then came in for a closer look. At closer inspection, the mouse was very small and cute, but obviously injured. It was curled up, panting and close to death. I didn't know what to do- it probably wouldn't be able to make it into the mouse trap, but I didn't want to just let it lie there and die in front of all the kids. I went to look for the mouse trap, and that is when I found mouse #2, or maybe it was the original mouse. In any case, it was lying in the middle of the laundry room floor, very dead. Now, if Ed were coming home I would have left that mouse, and probably the other one, but I now I was forced to take care of the situation. My mom called in the middle of this and I told her about the 1/2 dead mouse. Her first suggestion? To cut off the mouse's head, using the cutting board and a knife from my kitchen. I yelped, "Are you crazy?!" Her response? "That's what the farm wives used to do!" Needless to say, I didn't take that advice, or her other suggestions to "crush it" or "drown it". In the end, I got up my courage, gritted my teeth and scooped up both mice, put them in plastic bags and threw them in the garbage bin. I know it wasn't the most humane thing to do to that little injured one, but I couldn't find the trap, and I just could not kill the mouse outright. Hopefully it was close enough to death that it didn't suffer long. I am proud of our little mousers. I think that the message is getting out to the mouse community that this is not a "friendly" house any longer. We've got hunters on the job!

Now I am just wondering what other (mis)adventures we will have while Ed is away.

Three

2010-04-04T21:13:00.006-04:00

Today, she is 3 for real.

Not 2,

but 3.

Happy Birthday, our sometimes silly,

sometimes serious,

but always sweet, girl.

May all your birthday wishes come true...

even the one about flying like Tinkerbell.

Miss Spider Party

2010-04-03T12:51:00.008-04:00

This morning we celebrated K's third birthday. I can't believe she is 3.
Well, actually, not yet, since her real birthday is tomorrow. So I can have one last day with my two year old girl. Sniff.

Anyway, moving on. We did the same thing as for N last week- we celebrated today, because tomorrow is Sunday and there will be no time for birthday celebrations at breakfast. Also, it is Easter, and I didn't want to cram her birthday in-between Easter celebrations. So, we had breakfast together and then K opened her presents from us. I think E was more excited about the Calico Critter townhouse and various accessories than K was! She couldn't wait for it to be unwrapped before getting out all the itty-bitty pieces and cute critters and setting up the house. K was more interested in placing each one of her new crayons into her new caddy. It was driving the other kids crazy!

Shortly after the kids got dressed, K's little friends arrived for a Sunny-Patch style birthday. We started off making butterflies from coffee filters and markers. It was a great craft for this age- quick and easy. They really liked spraying the water on the wings to make the colors run.

While the butterflies dried their wings, the girls went on a bug hunt for some Sunny Patch friends. They followed a map I had made, and found grasshoppers, lady bugs, centipedes, beetles and ants hiding in the backyard. When each bug was found, they were put into a little bug box that each girl carried around their neck.

The last spot was in the moon bounce, where they had fun bouncing like "Bounce" (from the show).

We then went inside to have cake and ice cream. I had made a big Miss Spider cake, and then put all the little Sunny Patch Friends on cupcakes around her. (Another long friday afternoon and evening!!). I have really enjoyed the creative flexibility the fondant has given me! I found a recipe I like for marshmallow fondant, and itt tastes so much better than the store bought kind. Still not as good as buttercream, but the kids seem to like it.

After gift-opening, the girls went outside to finish their butterflies before heading home.

Now K is outside with N enjoying her new playdough, and E is upstairs with the Critter house. It is such a beautiful day to be outdoors! I am also super excited that tomorrow, Easter, is supposed to be gorgeous. There is nothing like a beautiful, warm, sunny Easter to celebrate that He is Risen.

Lego Party

2010-04-03T12:20:00.005-04:00

Last week N celebrated his 6th birthday. We started the morning off with our own family celebration at breakfast time. We actually celebrated on the day before his birthday, because his real birthday was on a Sunday, and we wouldn't have time to do breakfast and presents before church. N didn't mind opening his gifts a day early.

Then, after lunch N's friends came over for a Lego party. Originally N wanted a Bakugan party, but I couldn't really think of how I could pull the theme off with games or projects, so I steered him toward the lego idea. We ordered a ton of legos from ebay (actually, just 16 pounds) and poured them onto the train table. When the boys arrived, they built a lego man, and then a vehicle from the pile of pieces. After that, the challenge was to build something, anything, from a box with random pieces. It was neat to watch them create and use their imaginations.

For the cake, we had both cupcakes and a big cake. I had spent the day before figuring out to to make and color fondant icing. I made these cupcakes, designed to look like the parts of a lego guy. Then the morning of the party Ed iced several cake "blocks" so that they would look like lego bricks stacked on each other. The effect was pretty cool, and the boys each got to take home a cupcake as part of their party favors.

When the boys had all gone home, N settled down to start on his gift from us. He actually ended up building the whole thing with little help from us- a first for him.

When I praised him, he said, "That's because I'm six now!"

Flowers

2010-03-26T20:08:00.009-04:00

Around this time every year I expectantly await the return of my flowers to the garden. Yesterday I was walking around, taking pictures, and thinking about how they are kind of like old friends. They have been there through several seasons of my life (literally and figuratively). I know them, love them, and they bring me great joy and, even, comfort. Some I transplanted from my old house, some are transplanted from others' gardens and bring those people to mind each year when they flower. It's fun to walk around and see the little leaves poke through the soil, and both remember how beautiful they were in years past, and anticipate what they will look like in the months ahead.

Here is a fun quiz for you gardeners out there- can you guess what plants these are? Since they are in their "baby" stage, it isn't easy.

Answers are at the bottom.

A.
B.
C.
D.E.* Extra Credit*F.

A. Iris B. Day Lilies C. Peonies D. Spiderwort E. Hydrangea

F. I am not sure what this is. I think it might be a corn flower, but I am not positive. Here is a picture of the flower- if you can give me a positive ID, that would be great!

Say "Aaah!"

2010-03-25T12:57:00.004-04:00

Last week K passed another milestone, of sorts. Her first visit to the dentist! Our oldest two went to the dentist at the same age, and still ended up with a mouthful of cavities at 5 (same as me). At first checkup, Dr. Lloyd was pleased with how K's teeth look, so we are crossing our fingers hoping that she inherited her daddy's teeth instead of mine. Ed has never had a cavity, whereas I have had more than I can count.

Dr. Lloyd is a very gentle, sweet man who has a really kid-friendly office. Toys in the waiting room as well as in the examination room. Lots of prizes at the end. The kids love going. K readily climbed into the chair, hands full with Mickey, Tinkerbell, and Elmo. She opened her mouth to get her teeth counted and checked out. No cleaning this time, just an introductory visit.
The biggest drawback to this practice is that they don't accept insurance cards, so you have to do the paperwork yourself and pay out of pocket at the end of a visit (no joke with 3 kids). Also, I fear he is going to retire any day now. For now, he is hanging in there- bringing happy smiles to many little faces.

Welcome Spring!

2010-03-23T12:10:00.004-04:00

I know this is a couple days late, but I still wanted to recognize the arrival of Spring. After a long, cold, snowy winter, it was so nice to soak in the sunshine and 70 degree weather last week. No matter that it is now cooler again, and rainy, we had a taste of spring, and it won't be long now before that weather is here to stay.

On Saturday morning I was able to clean out some flower beds and get them ready for planting. We also dragged our patio furniture out of the shed, cleaned it off, and then scrubbed down the grill so that we could have our first outdoor meal of the season. We had an added treat when some friends dropped off their girls in the afternoon. The kids happily played together for hours, before chowing down on hamburgers, hot dogs and s'mores.

Welcome Spring!

Daisy's Top 10 Disney Tips

2010-03-18T14:44:00.009-04:00

I have one last post that I wanted to share about our trip before I move on from all things Disney. Here are a few things I found helpful in planning and executing a successful trip.

1. Guide Book:I found The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World to be an invaluable resource. Its 850 pages look intimidating, but it really is the be-all and end-all of Disney knowledge. It has chapters on hotels, dining, and each of the parks, each ranked and rated. It has reader tips as well as the "unofficial" tips. It even has "touring guides" that will help you see the park more efficiently. If you are a planner, and want to be completely informed as you make decisions, this is the book for you!

2. The Dining Plan: Purchasing the "Magic Your Way" dining plan was a great choice for our family. We went with the Magic Your Way Plus dining plan. It included a full service meal (sit-down restaurant), counter service meal and snack for each night we stayed in the hotel. It was nice because we prepaid for all our meals, so we didn't feel the pocketbook pinch when the check came for each meal. Disney food is expensive, and it was nice knowing we didn't have to worry about how much we were spending, because it was already all paid for. Some meals use two table services, but it worked out fine for us. We planned each meal before we left, so we knew how many counter services or table services we were using each day, to make sure that no meals got left behind. We did have an excess of snacks, which we used up on our last day with some muffins and croissants for a last morning breakfast. It was also nice because we could let our kids have special treats that we usually by-pass when we are out on family outings, like that $4 ice cream Mickey Mouse treat. It made sense economically too, the price came to $40 per day for an adult, $11 per day for the two older kids (KK was free, so she split with the older kids, or got a "complimentary" plate of food at some restaurants). This is a bargain, considering that just for a table service meal (appetizer/main/dessert/beverage) it cost about $30/adult $15/child. Counter service meals (main, dessert, beverage) were about $15/adult and $6/child. Snack items (ice cream, water, fruit, popcorn, coffee, etc.) were about $4 each. It was plenty of food, you definitely won't feel deprived!

3. Groceries: We ordered some snack and breakfast items to be delivered to our room when we arrived. It was convenient because we could get the kids up in the morning, get them dressed and fed, and not have to worry about finding somewhere to eat while in the park. The snacks were individual bags of pretzels and some of those PB crackers and cheese crackers. We also had a case of water bottles delivered which Ed and I grabbed a couple each day so we didn't have to pay for water in the parks. We had ordered a styrofoam cooler with our groceries, which we ended up not really needing because our room already had a refrigerator (I had read somewhere that they usually charge $15 for fridges, so I figured we could buy the $6 cooler, fill it with ice each day and it would work fine). I brought along the kids' thermoses, which I filled with ice and water from a gallon jug each morning. I also had an insulated lunch bag from home that I put Ed's and my water bottles in to keep them cool throughout the day. I packed all the water bottles and snacks in a bag each morning that I put in the basket of our stroller once we got through security at the parks. We used Garden Grocer.

4. Stroller: I know you can rent a stroller daily at the parks ($15/day for single $30/day for double), and some people love this option, but I felt we could buy a new stroller and leave it there for that price. I brought our stroller that has a handy toddler bar in the back where N could ride if he grew tired. It was great having it in the airport to lug all the carry-on bags and backpacks to the gate. I also can't imagine renting a stroller and having to carry your bags and kids into and out of the park each morning and evening. Some of the shuttle stops were quite a hike, and N really needed to ride on the back by the end of the day, when we were leaving the parks at 9 pm.

5. Character Meals: We loved the character meals! It was really the only way to efficiently see all of the Disney characters. As we ate each character would come to our table for a picture and give the kids an autograph. The park lines to see the characters were usually 20 minutes to as much as an hour and a half long. There was no way that we would have been able to spend that much time in line to see each character. We did get lucky a few times in the parks, and were able to meet a character with little or no wait. But the bulk of our character meetings were at the meals we booked. We booked 4 meals, and met Cinderella, Snow White, Belle, Jasmine, Sleeping Beauty, Mickey (twice), Minnie, Donald, Goofy (twice), Pluto (twice), Chip, Dale, Pooh, Tigger, Piglet, and Eeyore. Some character meals are really hard to get into, such as Cinderella's Royal Table where you get to eat breakfast in the castle. Last time we went I called exactly 90 days out (the earliest you could make reservations at the time) at exactly 6:58 a.m. for 6 days in a row and never got through in time. All the reservations were filled. This time I was determined to get a table, so I used a...

6. Travel Agent: Our travel agent was great. She was able to get us into the highly sought after Cinderella breakfast our first morning in the park, an hour before the park opened so that we didn't miss any time for the rides, and we were done eating by opening time so that we were first in line for the rope drop in Adventure Land. She also booked our rooms and the dining plan and a couple of other meals. Best of all, she was free! We used Small World Vacations.

7. Schedule: Once I read through the guide book, I had an idea of where we should go each day, and where we wanted to eat. This is where my organization might be more than what you yourself might want or need. I wrote out rough times, confirmation numbers for meals, and attractions we should do at the park for each day of our stay. It was a rough guide, and we often deviated from it, but it was a good general plan and helped us to see where we should be, how many meal credits we were using each day and when we had to leave in the morning if we wanted to take advantage of early morning magic hours.

8. Magic Hours: These are extra hours the park is open, either in the morning or at night for the enjoyment of resort guests. Each park has a different day of the week. Some people try to avoid the parks with magic hours, but as much as possible, we utilized them. We figured that our kids are up anyway, and it was nice to get an early start to the day. We could go on rides with little to no wait before the rush of the general public filled the parks.

9. Resorts: I definitely recommend staying in a Disney resort. You get the advantage of Magic Hours, but the bigger advantage is the shuttle system. Each resort has a shuttle that picks you up and takes you to and from the park, near the front entrance, so you don't have to drive, pay $14/day for parking, or schlep your kids and bags through a parking lot. Another advantage is their "Magic Express" that picks you up at the airport, claims your checked bags and brings them to the hotel for you, and then on the return trip home checks your bags at the hotel and takes you back to the airport. Plus, on top of all this, it's just fun to stay at a Disney property with all the cute touches like the Disney themed rooms,Mickey Mouse soap, and of course the fun pools!

10. Kid's Guide to the Magic Book: We got this tip from Ed's brother's family. They found these books and used them when they went last year. They are great! They have a section for each park with a picture of each attraction, and a place to mark if the kids liked it as well as what they liked. It also had a place in the back for autographs, and the daily schedule. It was a neat way for the kids to remember the rides they went on, and what we did each day. It also was a nice way to pass the time if they were waiting for grownups to ride something they weren't interested in, or at meal times. You can only order the books online, they aren't in normal books stores.

That is all I can think of now. Do you have any tips of your own to add to my list?

WDW Day 8

2010-03-15T22:00:00.006-04:00

Monday March 15

We thought that it was only right to go to the Magic Kingdom on our last day. We got out a little later than usual, so I didn't think too much of the crowds at the entrance when we arrived. We started off with the Tomorrowland Speedway, and then a couple of times on the Mad Hatter's Tea Cups. I then took K over to Ariel's Grotto to meet "the Little Tiny Mermaid", as K would say. Although I got there about 15 minutes before the official opening time, the line was already 40 minutes long. I decided to wait it out with K while Ed took the other kids in an equally long Dumbo line. It was then that I started to get an inkling of how crowded the park was. It turned out that many schools had started their Spring Break this week, so the park had double or triple the amount of people that the week before had. It was amazing to see the difference! At some points in the day we couldn't even walk from one attraction to another because the crowd was basically at a stand-still in a traffic jam. It just made me all the more thankful for our relatively empty parks from the week before.

Anyway, we waited to see Ariel, and although K was excited, you can't really tell in the pictures. She made another of her goofy faces for the camera, a new thing I just noticed recently (look back over the pictures from the past week- you'll see her pursing her lips or sticking out her tongue in a lot of the pictures!).

We went on a couple more rides- the kids really liked Goofy's Barnstormer roller coaster in Toontown fair (that is more their speed). Then we went on a circuit of the park on the train.

We ate lunch before hitting Big Thunder and Splash Mountains one more time. We got a great seat for the afternoon parade, and waved to Mickey, Minnie and all the princesses and characters as they passed by.

We then had an early dinner, rode Space Mountain, and the Transit Authority before heading home. It was clear that N was tired out from the day's activities, he couldn't stay awake on the ride home.

It was sad to say good-bye to Disneyworld, especially since we don't know when or if we will return. There are other trips we want to take before the kids are grown up, and we only do these big trips every few years (our last one was to CA four years ago). At any rate, it was a great trip, and hopefully all the kids will have some memory of it, even if they need to see the pictures to remind them.

WDW Day 7

2010-03-14T21:13:00.001-04:00

Sunday March 14

We decided to make up our Animal Kingdom day today, and so we went over for the 9 a.m. opening. The first thing we did was jump on the Kilimanjaro Safari. They put you in big "safari" trucks, and you ride through an African wild life safari. Disney uses invisible, natural-looking barriers to separate predators from prey, as well as to keep dangerous animals away from the trucks. The neat part is it looks like they are all roaming free, and in fact, last time we went down, giraffes came right up to our truck. We saw hippos, crocs, zebras, giraffes, rhinos, gazelles, impalas and even a male lion sunning himself on a rock.

After we got off, we walked the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail before Ed's parents took the kids on Rafiki's Planet Watch train ride to go to the petting zoo. Ed and I then rode Expedition Everest, after which I said, "I'm getting too old for roller coasters!". We also had fast passes for the Khali River Rapids, which we didn't need because there was no wait. Learning from Splash Mountain, we brought ponchos, tucked them around ourselves, and then barely got wet! No matter, it was a fun ride that N probably would have loved, had he not been gun-shy from his Tower of Terror experience.

We rejoined the rest of the family for lunch before going to see the Festival of the Lion King show. This was my favorite show that last time we came, and I felt the same this time. It takes place in a theater-in-the-round stage. It is part stage show and part circus with singing, dancing, and acrobatics. This time our kids were asked to be part of the parade at the end where they pick about 5 kids from each section to come down on the floor, shake an instrument, and dance around the stage. N declined, E and K went down, but then K got scared part way through and ran back up to us. E really showed growth in sticking it out and participating- she never would have done that a year ago!

Ed and I took the kids to the Dinoland Boneyard playground while Phil and Nancy went to the Flights of Wonder show. The kids had fun climbing and going on the slides and then we cooled off with some Mickey ice cream treats.

Although Ed and I had fast passes for the Dinosaur roller coaster, we couldn't use them because we had to get over to Hollywood Studios for a 3:30 dinner. Yes. 3:30. I don't know why they schedule them so early, but it was part of a special Fantasmic Dinner package.

After our dinner, we went into the Muppet 3-D show and then to the Playhouse Disney show (which both K and N really enjoyed!). We had about 30 minutes before we had to head over to the theater, so the kids played on the HISTK playground again, and this time it was a little less crowded. Because we had bought the dinner package, we were able to go in a special entrance and sit in a reserved section of seats, avoiding a long 30- 90 minute wait for the show in the regular line. Although I had prepped the kids on how it would be loud and scary at times, I had forgotten how long the scary part was. The kids were OK though, and KK made it through the show without crying at any point. We were able to get out, and to our hotel very quickly, and were back by 9:30.

WDW Day 6

2010-03-13T21:30:00.005-05:00

Saturday March 13 It was another early morning today with Hollywood Studios having "magic hours".

Once in the park, we made a beeline for Toy Story Mania, which we rode once without any wait, and then got fast passes for later. It was such a fun ride, a favorite for everyone!

After that, Ed and I wanted to go on The Tower of Terror. N said that he was interested too, so we explained to him that it was a ride where we are on an elevator that drops down really fast. He said he was ok with it, so we decided to go for it, knowing that he wouldn't fully understand what the ride was about until he went on it, but also thinking that there are kids who end up loving it. We wouldn't know if he was one of those kids unless he tried it. He was fine until the ride actually did its first drop, and then I could hear him yelling,"Mommy!" each time it fell. When it was over he said, "I don't want to go on that ride again!". You can see that he looks a little stunned in the pictures we took after.

We then went to see The Great Movie Ride, which the kids did not like, especially E- too much of the gun fight. After that, we went to The Little Mermaid show, hoping to have something K would enjoy since she loves the Little Mermaid, but it was a little too intense for her, and she hated being sprintzed by water. After that, the kids got to play in the Honey I Shrunk the Kids playground, which they all liked a lot, although it was a little too zoo-like for the adults!

We ate lunch at 50's Prime Time which is a fun restaurant that pretends you are part of the family-making you set the table, clean your plates, and handing out punishments for misbehaviors. One woman had to put her nose against the wall for having her elbows on the table, and Ed had to take the plates to the kitchen because he didn't eat all his veggies. At this point of the day K began to lose it, so I took her back for a nap while the others rode Star Tours.

We had an early dinner (4:10) at Epcot's Garden Grill, so Ed and the kids came back to the hotel and we met up with his parents. This was the last of the character meals, and the KK really loved meeting Chip and Dale. They both came by our table a couple of times to give her hugs and kisses, and she was super excited each time, coming out of her "I'm not eating, I'm whining" funk. Mickey got her to eat a bite of chicken, something we had been unable to coax her to do!

We had an extra feature of having our restaurant revolve so that we saw scenes from inside Living with the Land ride. It took the whole meal to make one revolution so we went past scenes of a desert, a rain forest and a farm, as well as a mural painted wall.

After dinner K played in a fountain spot, even though it was about 60 degrees. She really had fun, although I got lots of funny looks from passing grown-ups who were bundled up in sweatshirts and jeans. I just shook my head and agreed that I didn't know how she stood it!

We ended up our last day at Epcot with a complete tour around the lagoon past all the countries to get the rest of the stamps for the kids' books. E was pretty tired by the end, but she was a trooper and walked the whole way without complaining.

WDW Day 5

2010-03-12T21:30:00.000-05:00

Friday March 12

Our original plans were to go to Animal Kingdom in the morning, but it was another rainy day, so we decided to go to Epcot again since there were a lot of indoor attractions. We got creative with the poncho and the stroller, and it really worked well in keeping both K and N dry!

We spent the morning in Future World where we went on Soarin' again, as well as the Land boat ride. It was really cool to see the green house and all the different ways they are growing produce! It made me want to build some of those contraptions in our back yard for our garden. We went on the Nemo Ride and saw Turtle Talk with Crush, both shows I thought were only so-so. Ed and I went on Mission Space, and we all went on Spaceship Earth (the big "golf ball"). After lunch I took K back for a nap and everyone else continued on visiting the exhibits in Innoventions West and East. I joined up with the family at dinner time for the Luau at the Polynesian hotel.

Although it rained off and on throughout the dinner show, the clouds were clearing by the end, promising a nice day for tomorrow.

WDW Day 4

2010-03-11T21:00:00.000-05:00

Thursday March 11

It was a good thing the kids got an early bedtime last night, because it was another early morning and a full day with no "rest" time! Magic Kingdom had an extra "Magic Hour" for resort guests, before the park opened to the general public. We took a 7:15 shuttle to get to the 8 am opening. The sky was threatening to open, so we jumped onto Dumbo a couple of times before the rain started. It was a pretty soggy day in the park as we went on rides in Fantasy Land and Tomorrow Land. It did mean that we could pretty much ride whatever we wanted with little to no wait, and the park was uncrowded. We were thankful for our raincoats and umbrellas as well as the indoor attractions.

We enjoyed a little break from the weather at lunch time when we ate at the Crystal Palace and met Pooh, Tigger, Piglet, Eeyore and Tigger.

We left the park around 4 amid torrential downpours, and took the monorail to the Contemporary Resort where we had a 5 p.m. character dinner at Chef Mickey. As we ate, Goofy, Donald, Pluto, Minnie and Mickey came over to our table for pictures and autographs. We also made them each do the "hot dog" dance (from Mickey MouseClubhouse).

KK was now used to seeing these larger than life characters, and enthusiastically greeted each one. Her favorite by far, was Minnie Mouse. She jumped up and gave her a big hug and kiss.

It was a perfect ending to a somewhat soggy day.

**I did take a bunch of pictures today, but many did not turn out as my flaky camera decided it didn't want to work. I had left my other camera at home because it was too large to carry around each day. As a result, the pictures I got weren't always the ones I wanted to take. Oh well!**

WDW Day 3

2010-03-10T21:00:00.000-05:00

Wednesday March 10

We had a bit of a later start this morning since Epcot didn't open until 9. Our first priority was getting over to Soarin'. Ed's parents went on right away with E and N, while Ed and I waited with K, who was too small to ride. When they came out, we went in and E and N rode again with us. It was so cool! We rode in the front row, so we were on the top section of the ride when it started. There were no shows dangling in front of us, so it was easier to be immersed in the experience. I was disappointed when it ended! We then headed over to Test Track. Noah decided to be brave once he heard it was like driving a race car, and he loved the ride. E sat it out with K. We then went over to a fairy garden and playground where the kids played before lunch.

It was getting pretty warm, around 79 degrees, so we found a cool spot in the shade next to Mexico to eat. Near the end of our meal, Donald Duck came out of a gate nearby and the kids got to be first in line to meet him, before the passing crowd swooped in and formed a long line. We also caught Daisy Duck and Stitch on our way out of the park, with a relatively short line. As you can see by the absence of K from these pictures, she was not down with these characters!

We took the kids back for rest time and K napped while E and N watched TV. Ed and I got ready for a night out on our own and we left around 4 for Downtown Disney and the Cirque de Soleil show (the kids spent a fun afternoon and evening swimming with their grandparents). Ed and I had heard great things about Cirque, and were excited to see the show. We were thoroughly enjoying the show, when halfway through there was a bike act with a stunt rider who did all kinds of tricks. To our surprise, Ed was asked to come up onto the stage and lie down while the bike did jumps over his head! I had read that they sometimes got the audience to participate, but I never expected us to be a part of it. It was a lot of fun, and made the show all the more memorable.

WDW Day 2

2010-03-09T22:30:00.004-05:00

Tuesday March 9

This morning was another early one. We woke up the kids around 6:30 a.m. to get them dressed and out to the shuttle stop by 7 a.m. We arrived at the Magic Kingdom and were admitted into the park at 8, an hour before the official opening so that we could eat with the princesses in the castle. It was such a neat way to start off our week! We were probably in a group of the first 50 people to get in the park. Main Street was completely empty, and we got a couple of shots with the castle in the background before E decided that enough was enough- Cinderella was waiting!

We first met Cinderella, and K was a bit unsure, not quite believing her eyes. She kind of stared at Cinderella, and wasn't very responsive. That soon changed as we ate our breakfast, and Snow White, Belle, Jasmine and Sleeping Beauty all came to our table to greet us. K was very taken with Snow White in particular. It was fun to see her get so excited! The older kids kind of just took it all in stride, posed for photos, and asked for autographs.

After breakfast we made our way to Adventure Land where we rode Aladdin's Carpet two times in a row, without any wait.

We then went on Pirates of the Caribbean. All the kids were in agreement that they did not like that ride- too dark and scary! We took turns watching the kids with Ed's parents to ride Big Thunder Mt. before taking a trip onto Tom Sawyer's island. Unfortunately, we didn't find the hidden paint brushes, so did not get the prize for the day, but it was neat to explore the caves (E didn't like them either). Since it was a little chilly and overcast, Splash Mt. had no wait. Ed and I got right on, and of course were soaked! Phil and Nancy went, and barely got splashed! After lunch we waited in line for the Jungle Cruise for about 1/2 hour, no fast passes today. Then Ed and I returned back to the hotel, it was naptime for N and K and swim time for E.

We went over to Epcot met up with Phil and Nancy in Japan for dinner.

We walked through some of the nations, getting passport stamps for the kids' books before we found a spot to watch Illuminations. After waiting 45 minutes, we got into a front row section that is roped off until 10 minutes before the show. Shortly into the show, KK decided she needed to go to the bathroom (even though I had just taken her!!), and I had to miss the ending. I think she was actually looking for an excuse to get away from the light and noise. Oh well, at least I saw part of it.

We joined the rush of people exiting the park and go back to our rooms around 10 pm. The kids were beyond exhausted!

WDW Day 1

2010-03-08T20:00:00.000-05:00

**I apologize in advance for anyone who doesn't want a blow-by-blow of our vacation. I wanted to put down our activities so that I will remember what we did. Feel free to skip the next few entries!**

Monday March 8

The day started super early as Ed and I got ourselves and the kids up and out the door by 5:20 a.m.! We encountered no traffic, and were checked in and through security in enough time to relax a little before our 7:10 flight. The kids enjoyed the flight, spending their time going through various activities in their own back packs- coloring books, video games, books, and puzzles.

We arrived in sunny Florida around 10:30, and checked into the Caribbean Beach Resort around 11:30. Since our rooms weren't going to be ready until 3, we ate lunch and spent the afternoon in the pool. The kiddie pool had a really cool pirate ship that included slides, water spouts and fountains.

After settling our luggage into our rooms, we made our way to Downtown Disney where we had dinner reservations at T-Rex, a dinosaur themed restaurant. The decor was AMAZING, albeit a bit loud (roaring dinosaurs and all), but it was all part of the fun.

After dinner we stopped in at the Lego store, marveled over the displays, and then returned to the hotel for bedtime. I think everyone was asleep by 8:30!

spring blooms

2010-03-01T14:32:00.004-05:00

Around this time of the year I long for spring, green grass, and flowers. Unfortunately, it is still about a month before we even have daffodils, so I start bringing inside cuttings of forsythia. The bright spot of color really brightens my mood, as well as our home.

This year I found some branches that had broken off of a tree after all the heavy snow. I wasn't sure what kind of tree it was, but I thought I would try to force the buds. I cut the branch up into manageable lengths, put them in some vases, and watched to see what would happen. Even if they didn't bloom, I liked the fuzzy buds- they kind of looked like large pussy willows. After about two weeks, blossoms started to emerge...

magnolias!!

kitty ballet

2010-02-22T09:26:00.003-05:00

KK is super excited about being given a hand-me-down dance leotard from E. She periodically pulls it out from her drawer and asks me "This for my dance class?". She can't wait until she is old enough to go to dance class herself. Meanwhile, she has to be content with wearing the leotard around the house. I took these pictures of her as she bounced on my bed, a rare treat.

Bouncing

2010-02-22T09:06:00.004-05:00

This past weekend we had the pleasure of going to a birthday party at one of those bouncy places. We were ushered into a huge room with about 4 big blow-up slides and bouncy castles. E and N rushed right in, eager to get bouncing as soon as possible.

Surprisingly, K was a little hesitant. It took her about 15 minutes before she would get into one of the castles, where she bounced a little before it was crowded with the big kids.

After a half hour in the first room, we were directed into room #2 that had even bigger slides. Ed rode down a couple of times with K, but she didn't love it (as you can see).

She was content to play on the "baby" slide.

After the party the kids were asking when we could go back, begging to have their birthday party there. Maybe next year, when K is older and will enjoy it, we'll do a combo "friend/family" big birthday bash.

Then and Now

2010-02-19T20:29:00.006-05:00

Then

...and now

Out with the old

2010-02-17T16:58:00.004-05:00

My mom asked me to come over to her house to photograph her bathroom before she did some renovations. She has some beautiful fixtures and an old claw foot tub that will have to go in favor of new, unrusted, updated models. Although she loves the old, it would be too expensive to rehab them for her new bathroom. It is a project that has been long anticipated, but there was never enough money for it, until now. Another bittersweet reality of my Dad's death- my Mom finally has the money for projects that she has had on the back burner for years, but of course, at a dear price.

Here are some of my favorites.

And one final shot that I had to include. My mom has seriously had this brush for as long as I can remember. It must be at least 30 years old.

Rescue Me

2010-02-16T16:20:00.010-05:00

We have had a lot of snow in the past couple of weeks, which has been mostly great. The kids have been sledding, making snowmen, eating snow ice cream, and enjoying time off of school (6 straight days including two snow days and a 4 day weekend!). Although they have fun playing together, it is even better when a friend or two comes to visit, so we have had several playdates to break up the 6 days of being house- bound. All in all, I was enjoying the snow, since I didn't actually have to be driving in it. Until this morning.

We had a couple of inches on the ground, with more of the white stuff still falling, but it was forecasted to stop and so school was on. I have to say that I absolutely hate driving in the snow. My van can't handle very well, and will start churning its wheels on a slick hill in a rainstorm, so you can imagine how it does in snow. So it wasn't with the best attitude that I bundled the kids into the car and made my way across town. My heart was complaining, as I would rather have stayed home. Fortunately, the main roads were fine, some slushy spots, but mostly clear. It wasn't until I turned down a side street that I realized I was in trouble. I was faced with a hill that was completely covered with snow, I couldn't turn back or around, so I went forward, hoping that I would make it to the top.

I was doing pretty well until I came upon two cars, parked on opposite sides of the street in a way that I would have to snake my way between them to get by. As I passed the second car, my rear wheels slid into a snow bank, my tires churned, and I was stuck. Completely stuck. What was I to do? I had 3 little kids in the car, and although I was a block away from the school, I couldn't walk them there safely as the sidewalks were all covered with snow. I called Ed anxiously, tearfully explaining to him the situation, but he obviously couldn't help me from his office down in Chester. I remembered my AAA membership at this point, and so I called and stated my predicament. They promised to be there in a half hour to 45 minutes. This seemed like a long time to be stuck in the car with 3 little kids. I worried that they would need to use the bathroom, or start to fuss in their seats, or even that the car would get too cold since I was almost out of gas and had turned off the engine to conserve. So I tried to move the car again, and shoveled out around the tires, but it didn't work.

I re-entered the car, discouraged and just leaned my head against the steering wheel, crying out, "I can't get the car to move! I don't know what to do!" All of sudden, a little voice piped up, "Daisy, I know what we can do!" I turned to Addie, with thoughts running through my head as to what kind of advice a 2 year old could give me in this kind of situation. "What is that, Addie?" Her sweet answer? "We can pray." All of a sudden I was humbled by this little one, reminding me of how I should have been acting from the very beginning. Instead of crying, and complaining about the situation, I should have been calm and prayerful. I turned to Addie with a smile, and agreed that we should pray.

After that, I found some knitting in my bag and KK suggested that we sing "Jesus Loves Me". As we sang, I reflected on the truths expressed in the words, and it calmed my spirit. I wasn't helpless. I was weak, but He is strong. I knew I had no control over my circumstances right now, but I did have control over how I responded to it.

As promised, it wasn't long before the tow truck came. When I saw it, I cried out,"Look! There is the truck! Jesus answered our prayers!" The driver came around the side of the car to talk to me, and then started towing us out. Addie must have been thinking hard about the way we were rescued, because she she asked with a note of wonder in her voice, "Is that God?" Her sweet innocence made me smile as I responded, " No, that isn't God, but He sent that man to help us."

I was reminded of Psalm 34:7 today "The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him and he delivers them." Sometimes the way God delivers us from trouble is obvious- a towtruck, pulling you out of a snowdrift. Other times the trouble is in your own heart, and the Lord delivers you from your sin. To my complaining, fearful heart he sent help in the form of a couple of two year old girls, reminding me of where to turn when I didn't know what to do, and also of His love for me.

Lost

2010-02-06T02:35:00.004-05:00

It started off with my dad's voice, gravelly, and deep, and a second later my mom's higher voice joining in the background, both singing,

"Happy Birthday to You!
Happy Birthday to You!
Happy Birthday, dear K,
Happy Birthday to You!"

And then my dad again, "Happy Birthday, K! We love you, sweetie, we'll see you tomorrow", my mom chiming in the background, "Happy Birthday, K! We love you!", and then both of them saying "Good-bye!" and it was over.

A love note to my daughter from her grandparents. A voice mail message on my phone. Every month I would press "9" and save it, for myself, so that I wouldn't forget my father's voice, and the way my parents' voices sounded together, so different, so right.

For K, so that she would a tangible reminder of her Papi that loved her so. A Papi she would only remember through pictures and stories. A Papi she would never really know herself. I would be able to save this little piece of his love for her for when she was older, and could appreciate it.

Some months I would push "9" and listen with tears running down my face, as I felt the loss again. Wishing that it was still April 4, 2009, and that my dad was still here. Some months I would listen as I drove, and remember with a smile how he sounded, and then go on with my day, saying a quick prayer for my mom. Some months I would press "9" without listening, the pain too great, my heart too fragile.

And then it was Christmas, and somehow in all the busy-ness of the month, I didn't push "9" when I heard the reminder message, and I forgot to do it later, and I just realized about a month ago that the message was lost.

Irretrievably, irrevocably, heart breakingly, lost.

Dutch Apple Pie

2010-02-01T13:42:00.006-05:00

Our neighbors to the right are from the Netherlands, and have been here on business, for the past 2 1/2 years. They will be returning home this summer, so Annette offered to teach Anna, another neighbor, and me, how to make a Dutch Apple Pie. It was a little confusing trying to convert grams to cups and teaspoons, but I managed to edit the recipe she had printed out for us , so that I can attempt to make this on my own (I kept the original measurements below in case you are so inclined to take out your kitchen scale and use exact amounts). It is a bit involved, what with the rolling and lattice top, but it is worth the work as the smell of baking apples fills your home. And the end product is almost too pretty too eat. Almost.

2 1/4 c self rising flour (300g)
2/3 c brown sugar (150g)
1 Tbsp vanilla sugar or 1 tsp vanilla
3/4 c butter, in pieces (175g)
1 egg, lightly beaten
pinch of salt
6 apples, peeled & sliced (1kg)
3/4 c raisins (100g)
1/4 c sugar (50g)
3 tsp cinnamon
1-2 Tbsp bread crumbs
Springform pan, greased and floured

1. Mix flour, brown sugar, vanilla sugar, butter, 2/3 of the egg (reserve the rest for brushing on crust), and a pinch of salt in a mixer or food processor.

2. Knead into a soft dough. Separate about 3/4 of dough, roll out thinly, use bottom of springform pan to trace shape, cut and carefully place circle in bottom of pan. Roll dough again, cut 2 inch strips to place up the sides of the pan. Press firmly, cover with bread crumbs.

3. Combine apples, raisins, sugar and cinnamon. Spoon mixture into springform (or for a more artistic look, like we did, lay pieces out in a spiral pattern in layers).

4. Roll remaining dough out, cut into strips about 1/2 in. wide. Lay on top of apples in a lattice pattern. Fold edges down from around the pan's side over the lattice work. Brush remaining egg over crust.

5. Bake pie in preheated 325 degree oven for an 1 hr- 1hr 15 min. Top should be golden brown.

6. Let the pie cool ten minutes before removing sides of pan, top with whipped cream.

Nine Years Old

2010-01-30T15:13:00.009-05:00

How did my little girl go from this:to this?

Last week E celebrated her ninth birthday. We decided that instead of a big party with lots of little girls, she would invite her 3 best friends and do something special. She chose to go to Color Me Mine, a fantastic place where you can paint glazes on pottery pieces and then they fire them up for you. Three of the four girls chose a ceramic cat to paint, while the last little girl chose a mug.

I had been hoping to do one myself, but the girls kept me hopping refilling their paint palettes and helping with detail. Well, maybe for my birthday I can go out with my friends and spend an evening in creative bliss. We'll paint, and talk, maybe even go out to eat afterwards, and...

Where was I? Oh yes, telling you about E's birthday. Ahem.

Well, after an hour and a half of hard work, the girls were famished. We went over to nearby Wendy's for some dinner and the sillies made their appearance. Prior to this, the girls had been quiet, and almost shy with each other- the car ride up had been silent. Now they were full of energy and jokes. They were of the sort that seem hilarious at the time (to 3rd grade girls, at least) but on reflection, aren't that funny, for example, one that got lots of giggles "Guys, look! There is an actual, stinky...trashcan!" You don't see the humor, yeah, me neither. Well, the important thing was that they were having fun.

When we got back home, KK, N, and Ed were waiting for us, eager for cake and ice cream. The silliness continued, which can be seen in the pictures I took. I did manage to get a couple of nice ones, but it was hard for them to keep a straight face.

On E's actual birthday, we celebrated as a family with a special breakfast of chocolate covered croissants and strawberries, and eggs (for protein). E opened up her gifts from us before getting ready for church. She was delighted with everything especially the American Girl doll outfit.

I'm so thankful that with each year that passes we get to watch E growing and changing into the young woman that God has created her too be, but I am so glad that she still has lots of little girl left in her.

Snacky-patacky

2010-01-22T16:42:00.003-05:00

A handful of pretzels here, a cupful of goldfish there, almost stale popcorn. What happens when all you have are the dregs at the bottom of the snack bags and five kids to feed?

Me: "OK! Snack time! Who wants the goldfish, who wants the popcorn, who wants the pretzels?"

Kids: "I want the gold fish!"
"No I want the goldfish!"
"Goldfish!!!"

Me: "Well, there isn't enough goldfish for everyone to have it, so we have to decide who gets what..."

Screaming, yelling, tears and gnashing of teeth ensues

After learning my lesson from the above scenario, and not wanting to throw away perfectly good food in favor of opening a whole new bag so that everyone can have exactly the same thing, I came up with this solution...Snack Mix!!

Yes, Mommy's snack mix is a big hit in our house- everyone gets a little bit of everything, and a couple of m&m's thrown in for good measure. No complaining, everyone is happy, and I get to clean out my cupboard- win-win!

A GR8 CRAFT

2010-01-18T14:58:00.006-05:00

I don't know about you, but when my kids have a day off, I feel a little pressured to do something special. I don't feel this way on the weekends, but if there is a random day off of school, I find myself thinking of crafts that we can do, places we can go, or baked goods we can make. The pressure is doubled if there are friends over for a play date.

Thus, I found myself scouring the Family Fun website for something fun to make with the family. Since Valentines's Day is around the corner, I thought maybe making some valentines would fit the bill. After lunch, the kids sat around the table and we cut, glued and nibbled our way through this project:

Aren't they cute? They are little cell phone valentines with text messages and candy dots on the inside for the "numbers". All we needed was card stock, stickers, and the candies. It was easy enough that even K could help. In fact she insisted, "I color too, Mommy?"

The best part was that there were left over candy dots... because who doesn't like a little bit a paper stuck to their treats?

of Birthdays and such

2010-01-12T15:27:00.003-05:00

My sister Sandy's birthday was this past week so went over to my mom's house to celebrate. Although it was a small group, but it was nice to be together, the kids running around, the adults enjoying each others' company, and lots of good food.

I can't believe that Sandy and I are 34! Could it really be 25 years ago that we celebrated her ninth birthday, the year our parents got married? In 25 years of being Sandy's sister a lot of life has happened. As children, we got along pretty well, as we shared a room and were only 9 months apart in age. Moving into adolescence proved a little tricky, and our relationship cooled for several years. Now that we are adults, we have reconnected and our lives overlap in many circles- like church, Bible study, and play group. It is such a blessing to be a part of each others' lives, to have our kids grow up playing with each other, to get to know each other on a different, adult level. Although we are not sisters by birth, the Lord brought our families together so that we became sisters through marriage, and now he has worked in our hearts and lives so that we are truly friends. I can't wait to see what the next 25 years bring!

Pancakes

2010-01-09T11:10:00.003-05:00

Every Saturday morning we could expect two things: pancakes and chores. Thankfully, Mom fortified us with a hearty warm breakfast before putting us to work sweeping, dusting, and scrubbing. I continued the pancake tradition in our early married life, and it has changed a little as we mix it up a bit with waffles or a bacon, egg and cheese bagel sandwich. But the idea is the same- Saturday morning breakfast is different and special from the rest of the week's cold cereal fare. I have been using a variation of my mom's recipe all these years, but today I decided to try out a new pancake recipe, one I found online. They were fluffy and delicious! I think we found a new favorite!

Ingredients

3/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla
cooking spray

Directions

Combine milk with vinegar in a medium bowl and set aside for 5 minutes to "sour".
Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Whisk egg,butter and vanilla into "soured" milk. Pour the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and whisk until lumps are gone.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and coat with cooking spray. Pour 1/4 cupfuls of batter onto the skillet, and cook until bubbles appear on the surface. Flip with a spatula, and cook until browned on the other side.

Serves 2

kitty love

2010-01-08T11:42:00.002-05:00

"Mommy! Look! The keedats are hugging me!"

the hard bits about Christmas 2009

2010-01-06T14:08:00.006-05:00

Christmas was a little strange this year, and I am still trying to think through my emotions and reactions. On the one hand, it was very much like past Christmases. We had the same schedule of events, the same traditions, and activities. On the other hand, we had this one huge difference, this hole that was left by my dad. For most of the time I could keep those feelings pushed down, out of the way, at the back of my mind, at other times they forced themselves to the surface.

Like when we were decorating the tree at my parents' house. Cara joined our family in going over to help my mom get the tree decorated. We knew it would have been way to hard for her to do it herself, both physically and emotionally, and so we decided that it would be a group effort. As we unwrapped the ornaments, it became especially difficult for me as I stumbled on one of my parents' "special" ornanments. When we were growing up, each Christmas my mom would buy everyone their own ornament that ended up in a personal box of ornaments to take with us to our own homes when we got married. Mom always got one for her and Dad, usually an ornament that showed two little animals or other characters together- snowmen, dogs, cats, etc.

The worst was when I came to one marked 2008, and I realized it was the last ornament my mom had bought for her and my dad. I handed it to my mom so that she could put it on the tree, and my heart ached for her as I turned away to give her a private moment of remembering that last Christmas with Dad.

Another tough moment was when we showed up on Christmas morning. We walked in the entry way where the stockings were hung, all in a row, except for my dad's. Instead, his silly Christmas morning hat was hung from the hook, a reminder of the years he wore it while we opened our stockings. All of us kids would make fun of him, as well as my mom who wears her Christmas troll earrings each Christmas morning. Several times that morning I found myself blinking back tears as pangs of loss hit me. The corner of the couch where he used to sit, the breakfast scrapple that he used to make, his laugh and voice, hugs and touch. Yes, he is Alive in the best sense of the word, but he isn't here. He is gone. The reality of that can be avoided in the day to day as I go about my business, but when I let myself remember, the pain is sharp and new again.

So we got through Christmas, and I think our family breathed a collective sigh of relief. This very big milestone was passed, but now we face a new year, one that Dad is not a part of .

Well time marches on, with the innocence gone,
And a darkness has covered the earth
But His Spirit dwells, He speaks, "it is well,"
And the hopeless still offered new birth
He will break the leash of death, it will have no sting
Let the prisoner go free, join the dance and sing

Almighty, most Holy God
Faithful through the ages
Almighty, most Holy God
Glorious, Almighty God

This song came to mind with my last sentence, and once I looked up the lyrics, I realized how appropriate it was. Time is "marching on" and part of my/our innocence is lost as the darkness of death has touched us. Yet the Holy Spirit does speak to our hearts, whispering that "It is well" even in the midst of pain, darkness and death. Because of Jesus we can sing- we are no longer prisoners to sin and death. Our God is mighty, faithful and glorious.

Say Cheese!

2010-01-02T11:29:00.010-05:00

Many people know that I have had one big thing on my "wish list" for years- a really good camera. While our point and shoot Kodak has served us well the past 5 years, I have been itching to get some really good photos. There are many times that I have not been able to get close enough without the picture being blurry,
or if I don't use a flash it is blurry,
or my camera just didn't have the capability to take the picture that I really wanted. More recently I have had other issues with the camera- the lens cover wouldn't open, and I would have to pry it it with my nail,
or the colors came out funny- whites looked pink,
or the flash would go off and the picture would remain almost completely dark.
That is not to say that I still didn't get good shots,

I just knew that there was so much more I could do with a DSLR. So finally, after saving, and researching, and saving some more, Ed felt that we could take the plunge and purchase one for Christmas this year. So on Christmas morning, I opened up my very own Nikon D90!!

It is more than a little intimidating, with all of its dials and numbers, display screens and menus. My head is spinning from reading the manual with all the confusing language about aperture, filters, exposures and focusing. I plan to take classes to teach me how to get the most out of the camera, and look forward to learning about how to take a good picture as well as editing in photoshop. But for now, I am just trying it out and using the automatic mode, which means it is functioning as a really nice point and shoot.

Really nice.

Traditions

2009-12-16T12:51:00.004-05:00

My mom was always big on traditions when we were growing up. I think it had a lot to do with the fact that we were a blended family, and she and my dad wanted to make sure we built memories as a family. It gave us all something to look forward to each season and at the same time we could look back to past years and remember what we had done.

I am reminded of a tissue paper craft I once did with E. We had several sheets of colored paper which we cut into different shapes, and then glued onto waxed paper. We layered the different colors, and then put a black contruction paper frame around it. When we held it up to the light, the colors blended and overlapped, as well as stood out in contrast to each other.

My families' past is like that window of light that E and I created. Each memory is like a scrap of tissue paper. The memories might different colors for the different years, but each shape is the season or holiday that defines it- Christmas may be squares, Easter circles, or summer vacation the triangles. My parents kept that shape for us in the traditions we kept. The colors might have changed as the years went on, but what shaped our memories stayed the same.

I have been thinking about these memories as Ed and I try to shape the seasons and holidays for our own family. We too, have built traditions into our lives- apple picking, valentine breakfasts, July 4th parades, and of course the many ways we celebrate Christmas throughout the month of December. This past Saturday we decided to introduce the kids to a new tradition that I had enjoyed as a kid- the light show in Center City. We took the train down to Market East, and walked the block to the department store.
When my family used to go, it had been "Wanamaker's" now it is "Macy's". The memories came back as we entered- I knew exactly which way to go, even though it has been almost 25 years since I was last there. The place was packed, but we got a spot to watch as the lights dimmed and Julie Andrews' voice rang through the store. It amazed me that the show was exactly the same, although in the modern times of the Comcast light show in 3-D, the kids weren't as impressed or thrilled as I remember being when I saw it for the first time. We then followed the flow of the crowds up the escalators to the Dicken's Village display of The Christmas Carol .
It too, was exactly as I remembered it, although we didn't have to wait in line back then- I remember racing through the display with my siblings a couple of times as we were the only ones there. This year the crowds snaked through the display, shoulder to shoulder. The kids listened as I read the story out loud to them from the posted signs, but it felt a little rushed, and I think it may have been hard to hear with all the background noise.
The one thing that was missing was the real electric "El" in the kid's department. It used to run around the ceiling, and my sisters and brother and I would get a thrill as we rode it and looked down on our parents waiting below. I understand that it is now on display at the Please Touch Museum, but it doesn't run anymore.

We didn't linger in the city, as it was mid afternoon and K was ready for her nap. On the return trip home the kids discussed their favorite parts with us (predictably, the train ride). I don't know if this will become a yearly tradition for our family, but in sharing this part of my childhood with my children, I am sharing part of myself, part of who Papi was, and in turn, it becomes part of who they will be.

Family Photoshoot

2009-11-29T14:42:00.005-05:00

I am always admiring my friend Judy's photographs, and so when she offered to take pictures of our family, I jumped at the chance! She had us meet at a nearby mansion and we had a little photoshoot. The lighting was perfect, and we ended up with some really nice shots. The older kids did a great job posing and smiling,

but K's smile was elusive.

She had just woken up from a nap, and was in a funk.

Nevertheless, Judy captured a few smiles despite K's best attempts to thwart her.

I am excited that we got some photographs for our Christmas card this year. I wasn't sure what I was going to use, so this was great. Thanks Judy!!

Introducing the two newest members of our family!

2009-11-15T17:36:00.004-05:00

Jasper and Blossom!

As some of you may know, we have a cat-crazed daughter. From the time she could say the word, she has been yearning for a kitten of her own. When E was two and a half, we were in a restaurant that displayed an assortment of stuffed animals to purchase. She immediately fell in love with a stuffed kitty, and wouldn't put it down. This first kitty was named "Mama Kitty". In the next couple of years, she started to collect an assortment of little beanie babies that she named, and added to her "kitty family"- Vanilla, Chocolate, Holly, Marshmallow and Georgie. Every night she slept with her kitty family, and dreamed of the day that she would have a real kitty cat.

There were several obstacles preventing this from happening. Our family was still growing, and I didn't want to add any more animals to the mix. And then there were all the allergies to be taken into consideration. Although I grew up with cats I had developed an allergy to them during my teen years. I was babysitting kids that were allergic, and then our small church group met in our home, and there were allergic people in there. Also, there were several allergic moms in our playgroup. But then I wasn't babysitting those kids, our church group split up into a couple of different groups and the allergic members were no longer in our home, and finally the moms that were allergic in our playgroup had other commitments and couldn't come anymore. But most importantly, my allergies seem to have improved. I think it had alot to do with having children, and my hormones changing. I can now hold and pet cats, but still have to be careful not to touch my eyes afterwards.

Ed and I started talking about the possibility of getting a kitten about a year ago. We really wanted to surprise E on Christmas morning, but it wasn't kitten season in December, so we decided to hold off. We thought about it through the summer, but we were going away so much, we didn't want to do anything until after school started. Of course back to school time is crazy with all the schedules and activities, and we just didn't have the time to consider it. We finally got a breather and realized kitten season was at the end, and if we wanted to do this, we had to act fast or we would be in the same situation as last year.

So Friday afternoon we called up the cat rescue lady (CRL), and set up an appointment. We told E when she came home from school, and she couldn't believe we had changed our minds after all these years. When we got to the house where CRL lived, we went up to her special "kitten room" where she had a collection of about 10 kittens. We looked, played, discussed, and decided on two little grey tabbies- a brother and sister pair. We had been talked into two kittens by the CRL who said that they would be much happier in pairs, and it would be easier for us. We saw the wisdom in this, and left with our two new little bundles of joy.

On the way home, E declared the girl kitty would be "Blossom". I didn't see anything wrong with that name, so Ed and I discussed possibilities for the boy. Although I liked "Basil", as it went with Blossom as sibling name, Ed wasn't too thrilled. He suggested "Jasper", and I liked it well enough, so "Jasper" it is.

The kitties are still settling in. They spend most of the time in the laundry room where we have their food, litter, beds, and toys. We occasionally open the doors and let them come upstairs, under close supervision, but they are nervous around Holly and seem to prefer being in their safe zone for now. Their favorite spot is in their cozy bed on top of the dryer. They cuddle in there together, while keeping an eye on who comes in and out. Jasper is more of the snuggle bug, and loves to sit right under my neck while Blossom is the playful one. She runs, chases toys and explores and then when she is exhausted, she consents to sitting in our laps for a snuggle session.

It's fun to see all the kids loving on the kittens, but it is especially nice to watch E with them, knowing that these kittens are the answer to so many of her wishes and prayers.

A shocking wake-up

2009-11-12T08:27:00.008-05:00

I woke up this morning, wandered into the bathroom, happened to glance in the mirror as I yawned... and stifled a gasp. Aaargh! My tongue was BLACK! Yes, black. I leaned in closer, sticking out my tongue to examine it, my mind racing. It looked like I had spent all night sucking on licorice. I had no idea what had caused it, "Could it be some weird fungal infection?" Other than the color, I looked, and felt healthy. I grabbed my toothbrush and took an experimental stab. It seemed to work. I added toothpaste and scrubbed my tongue for a minute before rinsing and inspecting. Phew! I breathed a sigh of relief- my tongue looked normal again, but still- what had caused this?

After dressing, I went down to my computer where Google once again came to my rescue. I typed in "I woke up with a black tongue", and to my surprise, I got an immediate hit. Several of them in fact. It seems that "black tongue" is a little known side effect of chewing on Pepto Bismol tablets before bed. There is an active ingredient in the medication that reacts with sulfur to create the black substance. I had taken a couple of tablets last night to combat some bloating, so it was obvious that the Pepto was the cause of my alarm.

On further reflection, I could have probably used this information in my "fake sick day" arsenal 20 years ago. There were several occasions when I could have used one more day for studying, or to finish a report.

At any rate, just remember this the next time you wake up with black tongue. Be reassured that you are not dying of some weird disease, or fungus- it is merely an embarrassing (and a little gross) chemical reaction in your mouth!

Soccer Saturdays

2009-11-07T09:04:00.005-05:00

I always looked with pity those parents who were stuck on the sidelines all Saturday morning, in the rain, cold, blazing heat. I would cruise on by in my dry/warm/cool car thanking my lucky stars that I was not one of them...yet. I knew the day was coming, but I figured that maybe Ed could take over that aspect of parenting, and I could stay at home. Then E started soccer in kindergarten, and I found that I couldn't really stay in the comfort of my home in good conscience while I made my 5 year old go out and brave the elements for an hour of running. If I was going to put her through torture, the least I could do was cheer her on. And she did think it was torture, so after serving her time and putting in two years, she was allowed to move on to other pursuits while we had a blessed year of soccer free Saturdays. (Can you tell I am not a big sports fan?)

And then it was N's turn. The first few weeks were pleasant enough, with sun, moderate temperatures and our whole family went out to the field to support him. And then it started to cool down, and we had a couple of rainy Saturdays. So there I sat, that parent, huddled on the sidelines in my canvas chair, trying to shield my body as well as KK's with the umbrella, cheering for my sodden son as he chased the ball. N doesn't seem to mind the weather, and cheerfully heads out to play each Saturday. He seems to enjoy the game, so I have a feeling we have many years ahead of us. Even though I don't love the game, I love the player.

Autumn '09

2009-11-03T13:28:00.012-05:00

So what have we been up to in the past couple of months? Well, since you asked...

The months of September and October are always full of seasonal activities. Sometime in mid-September we go apple picking with our family. This year we also went with my sisters, mom, and our friends. It was a beautiful evening, and the kids had fun climbing the trees, going on the hayride, running through the pumpkin patch, and of course, sampling the apples.

Then in October it is the other side of the family's turn as we go out to eat, and then on to the pumpkin patch with Ed's parents, brother and sister. We had a gorgeous fall day this year, and it was so much better than the torture we endured last year. Last year we had a 2 hour wait for lunch, which meant that we ate around 2, then the day was unseasonably warm in the 80's, so we were baking out in the fields. Plus the babies were overdue for their naps and d-o-n-e. I left thinking "Never again". Yet, we decided to give it one more try- setting out earlier in the day so that we wouldn't have to wait to be seated, and not over Kaelin's nap time. The tradition was redeemed by a perfect day.

Later that same day our family took a walk in a nearby park and enjoyed the sights and sounds of autumn in PA.

On Halloween we finally got around to carving our pumpkins. Each kid picked a design to put on a pumpkin. They all helped to scoop out the goop, and then Ed and I set to work on the tricky part of carving.

We ended up with
a cat:

a soaring owl (hard to see):

a silly face:

and a winky emoticon;)
For the kids' costumes this year I had a plan brewing to dress them up as Wendy, Peter Pan, and Tinkerbell. N had plans of his own to be Optimus Prime, since last year when his friends were and I told him he could be it next year. So we were driving home from Target and he asks me

"What am I going to be for Halloween?"

"Peter Pan"

pause..."I thought I was going to be Optimus Prime..."

I was feeling a little guilty, so I decided to compromise. "Ok, you can be Optimus Prime for the school parade, and then Peter Pan when we go trick-or-treating."

longer pause..."How 'bout if I am Optimus Prime for both?"

"How about if you are Peter Pan for both?"

"OK, I'll be Optimus Prime for school, and Peter Pan at home"

"Great!"

Ed shook his head when he heard this story, and didn't quite agree with my hijacking the kids' costume ideas. But I figured this is probably the last year I can do this cute theme, so I went ahead anyway, feeling a little guilty but they were so cute on Halloween!
Here is N as Optimus Prime at school:

And here are the 3 kids as Wendy, Tinkerbell and Peter Pan:

And N even got into it once he was given a dagger as part of the costume:

The actual night was rainy, but the kids still had fun. I had to take K back early when she complained about the rain,"My princess is wet!" and begged to go inside one of our neighbor's homes "My go inside?". She was so in love with her costume that she insisted on wearing it the next morning over her pj's.
Maybe I can convince her to be Tink again next year

Reflections on a life

2009-10-18T03:24:00.005-04:00

About a month ago we heard that a woman from our church, Sandy W., had breast cancer. This was a shock- she had two girls E's age, she was young, it couldn't be... yet it was. She started chemo shortly after, and we got a request at Women's Bible Study on a Wednesday morning a week and a half ago to pray- she had gone into the hospital, sick with an infection brought on by a weakened immune system. And then later, all that day and into the next, emails increasing in urgency as the news became more grim- "only surgery can save her", "it's minute by minute", "chances of survival unlikely". The shock and grief overwhelmed all who knew her, and many who didn't. The thought of this young mother being taken so suddenly from her family was unbelievable, yet true. Two days after being taken into the hospital for the infection, Sandy went home to be with Jesus. Everyone was reeling with the news, heartbroken for Dave and the girls, for ourselves. To have lost such a sweet, sincere, devoted friend.

Yesterday was the memorial service, and it was a beautiful celebration of her life, her faith and the reason we can hope- in the One who broke Death's power. The Gospel was proclaimed in that service- in her husband's words as he told of how the Lord has been working in his heart in the time since Sandy died, in the pastor's words as he talked on the passage in Mark where Jesus calmed the storm, and in her friends' words as they gave remembrances of her life and how she quietly lived out her faith in being a wife, mother, daughter and friend. She poured herself into her family and friendships, pursuing relationships, and loving those people well.

It was a challenge to me- to make the most of each day as God brings people into my life. Starting with my family- to love my husband and children, and for me that means supporting Ed in his job, listening to his worries, bearing his burdens with him, creating a home that welcomes him when he returns each night, encouraging him in his faith; spending time playing with the kids, reading to them, doing crafts, listening to them, praying for their hearts. To love my mom, sisters and brother, and friends- reach out to them, call, be invested in their lives, and above all, pray for them. This is only possible if Jesus is my #1 relationship. I need to spend time each day with Him, to make that a priority, and only then can I live out my life as an offering to him. It is something I have known, but Sandy's service reminded me of how the Lord has called me to live, and the importance of what he has called me to do and who he wants me to be. Sandy used the gifts the Lord gave her to bless others, and honor Him. By God's grace, I can do the same.

Letting go

2009-09-11T17:24:00.006-04:00

The whole summer has been a count down of sorts as we looked towards the new school year, and N starting kindergarten. Well, at least for me. I found myself giving him extra squeezes and hugs, telling him how much I loved him, how he was getting to be such a big boy, even pulling him into my lap- because I still could.

When I sent E off to kindergarten, I was excited even as I marveled at how big she had become. For N I find myself blinking back tears as he starts on this next phase of his life. Maybe because it is that phrase about a daughter being a daughter forever, and a son is a son until he gets married. I know he is not getting married, but this is the first step of separation. He will now have his own separate life at school- his own little joys and disappointments, interactions, friends- that I will not be a part of unless he lets me in. I won't know what he is doing, and I won't be there to help him if he needs it. As I packed his lunch this morning, I fretted over if I had packed too much or too little, if he would be able to eat a peach on his own or should I cut it up (I cut it up), if he would remember his water bottle from his back pack or would he be thirsty? I even "walked" him through his lunchbox, showing him what I packed, what he should save for snack, the little wipe I had put in for him to wipe his hands before he ate. When he came home this afternoon, I found that only 1/4 of his lunch had been eaten (a couple of crackers and a treat from Aunt Cara) because he said they didn't have enough time. I think we will have to practice eating quickly this weekend!

I just look at him, and think of how little he is, how vulnerable and innocent. I know he will lose some of that innocence this year. I know it is a part of growing up, but as his mom, it is hard to not want to protect him. I just need to be in prayer for his heart, that he will do the right thing, that he will be teachable, and that he will continue to grow in his faith as he sees his need for Jesus ever more clearly in each of these steps of his life. And I have to cling to my faith too- not to be fearful as I let go, but to trust that the Lord loves my little boy so much more than I do. And the same truth that I comforted N with before he left for school, is the same truth that comforts me- even though I can't be with him at school, Jesus is there, right by his side, Always. And that is the greatest comfort of all.

Ms. Manners

2009-09-09T13:14:00.003-04:00

Today I had some errands to run after dropping E off at school. Since I am babysitting, I had all 4 little kids with me. I am quite a sight wherever I go, and I usually get lots of second looks as people see 4 small children, close in height, and age. I get many questions as to how old they are, if they are all mine, if they are twins, etc., etc. So I wasn't too surprised in Target when an older woman stopped me at the end of the aisle and asked, "Are these your children?"

"Well, not exactly..." I started, ready with my usual stock response of 'these two are, these two are friends'.

But I was interrupted mid sentence as the woman jabbed her finger at me and snapped, "You need to teach them manners!" And then she turned on her heel and walked away.

My smile froze on my face as I tried to process her remark. It was so unexpected, and so rude, I was taken aback. I herded the boys toward the next aisle and tried to figure out what prompted her remarks.

I admit the kids can sometimes get out of hand, running down the aisles, yelling, or touching merchandise. When this happens I usually reign them in, making them walk with their hands on the cart. In fact, we had just been at Costco and the boys had been getting rowdy, and I made them sit in a time-out as I went through the checkout.

I thought back over the last few minutes. I hadn't been totally focused on their behavior as I was pondering the bed linen selection, trying to see if anything would work for the girls' room. As I perused the shelves, squinted at price tags and considered color and pattern choices, the kids were pretending to have no arms. They pulled their arms into their shirts robot/transformer style ("Ch-ch-chk") and then proclaimed they had no arms. I absent-mindedly commented each time "Aww, that's so sad, you don't have any more arms!" or "That's too bad, I really liked your arms". Then they would gleefully pull out their arms and say, "They're right here!".

So, they weren't being silent, and it might have been a little noisy as all 4 children vied for my attention, but they certainly weren't acting crazy or disruptive. The two little girls were sitting in the cart, and the boys were standing close by. As I turned the corner I remember the woman talking to the sales clerk and they both looked at me as I started to come down the aisle. The sales clerk said to the woman, "Well, thank you for bringing it to my attention". She must have been complaining about the kids and hoping that Target lady would say something to me. But when she didn't, this woman immediately stopped me at the end of the aisle, blocking my way with her cart, and decided to take matters into her own hands.

After she walked away, I went hot and then cold, trying to think of something to say in response. All I could think was "What?" It was so unexpected, I felt like I had been sucker-punched. I kind of wish I had the "where-with-all" to give some kind of snappy response, but even now, with time to think about it, I can't come up with anything.

This whole experience is a good reminder to me not to judge other moms as they are out and about with their children. I don't know what kind of day they have had or if the kids are hungry, tired, or sick. It is not for me to pass judgment on other moms' parenting skills. A little understanding and empathy go a long way.

Summer Recap

2009-09-08T17:04:00.023-04:00

Already the summer is gone- tomorrow is the first day of school for E. I know we must be the last school in the country to be starting, or at least among the last! So before we dive into the "new year" I thought I'd give a quick recap on what we've been up to.

Let's see, where did I last leave off? Ah yes, the neighborhood ice cream party. Well, after that we enjoyed one of our annual summer highlights- a weekend in Brigantine with some good friends of ours. It was a gorgeous weekend, and despite N's fever both days we were there, we managed to have a fun time collecting shells, swimming in the warm surf, making sand castles, playing games, and just enjoying each others' company.

The kids finally got to camp out in the back yard with Ed. We had bought him a tent and sleeping bag for Father's Day, and they have been begging for a chance to sleep in it. So one weekend when we were in town, and the weather was great, Ed set up the tent. We roasted s'mores, and then we all lay in the tent for a little while before I headed inside to my bed and Ed, E and N enjoyed sleeping in the great outdoors, or at least, the great outdoors of a suburban backyard!

I was pleasantly surprised when my room mate from college, Sue, called me up to say she would like to come visit while her older kids were visiting their grandparents for a week in Maryland. She drove all the kids down from Michigan, and then came up with her 6 month old baby for 3 days. It was so good to see her. And her baby was adorable- quite possibly one of the cutest babies I have ever seen! And the kids loved him too- E wanted to hold him all the time, and K did a happy dance every time they came back from the various day trips and visiting with other friends in the area. It was really refreshing to be with her as we laughed and reminisced together as well as caught up with each other-- totally a gift from the Lord.

After Sue left, we packed up for our trip to NH. Because of boat trouble awaiting us on the other end, we had to leave a little later than planned (to give time for the marina to fix it) so we broke up our trip by staying at a hotel in Mass. It was actually pretty neat looking- with a castle front, and our room was right behind one of those front towers. The room itself was gorgeous, and we could even bring in Holly. The kids had so much fun, and K loved her little cot.

Once we got to NH, we had a great week-- lovely weather that started off very warm and in the 80's cycling down to the end of the week when it was in the low 70's and cool, but still nice (except for the last day when we had to clean up, pack up and leave across the lake in a downpour). We had some excitement in the beginning of the week when my mom took a tumble down the last few steps from the upstairs, and need to go to the ER at 8:00 at night. She, Cara and Ed didn't return until 2:30 am after my mom got 10 stitches holding together the gash in her leg!! It was a quiet year, and a bit sad as we remembered and missed Dad, but it was good to be there.

And then we got to stop over with Ed's brother's family on the way back. The kids enjoyed playing with their cousin, and we liked seeing Bill and Becky's new home.

So now the summer is over, and we are ready to take on the new school year- tomorrow will bring pictures of Ellie's first day as a third grader, and then N will be on Friday as a kindergartner!!

a little explanation for my absence

2009-09-03T02:42:00.004-04:00

A couple of hours ago I woke up, unable to sleep, with thoughts churning about so many different things, and I decided to finally write about it, as that sometimes helps.

I know I have neglected this blog all summer. Although we have been doing many things that I would document with pictures and think- "Oh, I should blog about this", or I had thoughts about my kids that I considered blogging about, I kind of just...didn't. It may have something to do with me being a little bit lazy, but I think it has more to do with me right now.

I have been feeling almost frozen, like I don't have the motivation to do anything. I go through each day kind of feeling overwhelmed. And it isn't like I am doing much or have an extra load of responsibility. I have actually turned down several opportunities to serve this year, because I just don't feel up to it. And the one thing I have committed to (writing questions for Woman's Bible Study) I haven't been able to bring myself to sit down and do. And my questions are due next month for my first lesson. And it is scaring me to death. Yet I still procrastinate.

I am also feeling very tender right now, with emotions close to the surface, and a ball of tension inside my chest. Each day, some more than others, I feel like I am carrying this weight in me, a sadness that I can't shake. On the outside I seem to be doing well, as I interact with my kids, smile, laugh, and have true moments of joy. Yet it sometimes feels likes such an effort, and I wonder how long it will take me to shake this. There are several changes happening socially this fall- and I am finding those especially hard to deal with. Change is not a good thing right now, it is not my friend.

And all of this can probably be traced back to the Big Change in our family this past spring. Grief is this life-sucking force that is kind of taking me by surprise. I knew I would be sad at times, but I just didn't know that it would be like this. I feel like the seed for grief was planted when we lost Dad, but now the roots are making their way deep inside me, and the loss is just becoming a part of who I am. I know it is something I will have to work through, and even let myself experience. It is a painful process that kind of reminds me of one of my kids' favorite books We're Going On a Bear Hunt. As the family in the story encounters several obstacles, they chant "We can't go over it, we can't go under it, Oh No! We have to go through it!" And that is what I have to do. I have to just go through it. As each challenge stands in my way, I need to cling to Jesus and face it. Let myself feel sad, overwhelmed, angry, but also remind myself that there is Someone walking beside me through it all. I am thankful for that comfort, but also the comfort of my friends as they have encouraged me in big ways and little. Friends who have called, written notes, sent emails, just to let me know that they continue to pray for me. Even though I haven't revealed all that is on my mind to any one person, I have given pieces of my story to different people, and it has been helpful to be able to process with someone else. So if you are one of those friends, thank-you. The road is easier when there are others who choose to walk it with you.

Edy's Slow Churned

2009-07-25T08:23:00.007-04:00

A few months ago when I was preparing an evite for an event, I noticed a contest in the sidebar. I clicked on the link, and read about Edy's Slow Churned Neighborhood Salute where they select neighborhoods to hold ice cream parties. Since I love our neighborhood, and we actually are friends with our neighbors, I decided to enter. I wrote out a little essay describing what we do together, and why I thought we should win, and submitted my entry. I didn't give much further thought to it, but I got an email about a month later saying I had won the grand prize! I was one of 1,500 winners, but still! Free ice cream! So I sent out evites, and we got ready for our party. Edy's delivered a box full of party supplies- cups, spoons, scoops, napkins, invitations, coupons, an apron, disposable camera, sign, table cloths, and a 10 cartons of ice cream as well as 36 individual sized cups. I was a little nervous because thunderstorms were predicted for last night, but we decided to go ahead with the party. We started the party amid rumbles of thunder, and even had to move inside for a little bit as some rain came down. But in the end, it was a lot of fun and delicious- everyone brought some kind of topping to put on the ice cream, and there were lots of flavors to chose from. I didn't take a lot of pictures, since it rained and was pretty dark, but here are some from the beginning.