21 Years.
7,670 Days.
184,082 Hours.
11,044,924 Minutes.
Thanks to my great husband for putting up with me for that long. I love you.
And since I didn't have the wherewithal to put together another anniversary video, you'll just have to watch this lovely video. I think it says it all.
I love you Fred.
Just to clear up a few questions:
No, I didn't fall off the face of the Earth, move to Siberia or cancel my internet service.
I didn't hit my head and get amnesia. I have not lost the use of my fingers, and yes, I still remember how to type.
I have not joined a monastery and taken a vow of silence. I have not given up blogging for (insert vague religious holiday here). I still remember how to take photographs, albeit mediocre ones.
I'm just lazy. And don't have anything terribly exciting to talk about.
So I'll tell you about our Father's Day: T got up WAY early (5:30!) to play golf. Unfortunately for him, he had to quit at 14 after enduring 5 holes of driving rain. (I would have quit a LOT earlier.) When he got home, the kids gave him their gifts and then we did what he wanted to do -- nothing. We hung out all day, watched a little of the U.S. Open and got ready for the kids' first day of camp on Monday. He played Life with the girls, and he cooked dinner.
Very boring, no? But that's what he wanted - a day where we didn't have to go lots of places.
I hope everyone had a great Father's day.
I made a card! Excuse the bad scan - clearly I don't know how to use my own scanner. Nice.
The other night while watching Idol (yeah Kris!!!), I saw the State Farm commercial featuring the song "I'll Be There" by the Jackson Five. If you haven't seen it, it's a montage of scenes depicting 'people we can count on'. One scene that stuck with me is a soldier getting off a bus, and hugging a little boy I presume to be her son.
It brought tears to my eyes.
When K&B were born, they weren't well enough to come home with me, and they had to stay in the hospital for a few days. I was pretty overwhelmed with the idea of being a parent, much less to two babies at once. But I remember crying the whole drive home because I was terrified that I was going to miss something important. That I would miss out on a moment of their lives while I was at home and they were in their incubators. Almost 8 years later, I can chuckle at my naivette.
But what about our servicemen and women who DO leave their families behind? How hard is it to know that the path you've chosen for your life includes sacrificing the things I complain about each week? Driving to dance class, helping with homework, organizing Brownie meetings - the stuff of everyday life. How hard must it be to miss out on that every day. Especially when those people are endangering their lives. I couldn't do it. But they do.
So this Memorial Day weekend I'm taking part in the Cards for Heroes "bloghop". They are an organization that provides signed and unsigned cards to our armed forces. Signed cards to remind them that regardless of our views on their deployment, we still support them and pray for their safe return. And unsigned cards to help them continue to keep in touch with their loved ones at home. It's not a lot, but I want to contribute in some way. I want to let them know that they aren't forgotten.
Won't you join me? Visit the bloghop. If you're just getting started, you can start here. (There are prizes...) If you want to check out the Cards for Heroes site, go here. You can make a financial contribution if you're able, or maybe your children can make a card for them. Or, like me, you can pull out those craft supplies that are gathering dust and make a card. And know that someone a world away will appreciate your kindness. It's a busy weekend, I know. But a few moments sacrifice could make a difference to someone.
And if you're participating in the Bloghop this Memorial Day weekend, your next stop is Betsy's blog. She's made a really cool card, and I just love the title of her blog!
Have a great weekend. And don't forget to hug your family members that you're fortunate enough to spend the weekend with, ok?
Here's wishing the happiest of birthdays to this guy --
I hope you had a great day!
Love ya!
Is it just me, or is anyone else getting a little tired of Adam's screeching? I was so excited that he was in the bottom three last week. Think there's any chance of that this week? Is anyone even watching Idol?
It has been raining for more than 36 straight hours. I know it's spring, and I know it's supposed to rain, but I would like it to stop for just a few hours, if it could. It was raining so hard tonight that it caused Demonboy to sleepwalk. He came downstairs and sat in his chair at the table. Maybe he thought it was time to eat breakfast. Remember doing that as a kid? Too bad I didn't get a picture.
Even though it's green-tinged, I still think this is one of the loveliest sights of spring...
Summer is coming! Yeah!
And because no day is complete without a photo of one of the kids, I leave you with Demonboy goofing in the shower. He was a little tired...
Communions make for a long day. Yesterday was no exception.
During the week I decided to be proactive, and make sure everything was in order, instead of my usual 'wait until the morning of and PANIC' ideology. So on Wednesday night we tried on dresses one last time, this time with veils. I bought 4 dresses because K didn't go to the store with me to try them on. The idea was to return 2 of them weeks ago. But K and I were in complete disagreement over which dress she would wear. (I never should have caved in the slightest, as she sensed possible victory, and dug her heels in. My fault completely.) So I kept all the dresses. As of Wednesday night, K and I were still disagreeing. Anyhoo, we tried on the dresses, and set the veils down on the front hall table. End of story.
On Thursday I decided to clean up around here a little for my M-I-L's visit. I was on a roll, too. (And if you know anything about me, the words 'cleaning' and 'on a roll' NEVER go together. I knew it had to be a bad omen.) I grabbed a bunch of stuff, including the veils, and walked them upstairs. While going up the stairs I bent down to pick up something I dropped, and SPILLED COFFEE ALL OVER BOTH OF THE VEILS. Once the spots left my vision, I managed to blot all of the coffee out of both veils. Thank God for polyester tulle. And brown towels. Crisis #1 averted.
Thursday night T called his mom to confirm she got all the flight info for her trip in on Friday. I couldn't help but think something was wrong, because she usually calls us two days in advance to make sure T doesn't forget to pick her up at the airport. When I heard him say "no mom, it's THIS weekend", I knew we were in trouble. Turns out they had a miscommunication, and she planned her trip for the following weekend. Which would have been fine, but she would have missed the communion. So, she had to spend a few phone calls rescheduling her weekend. Crisis #2 averted.
Friday night the girls had a birthday party at the roller rink. They were pretty stoked, and talked about it all morning before school. When I met the bus after school, B got off asking when we were leaving for the party. And then K got off. I was confused - she looked like she had gotten into a mud fight, but I couldn't figure out why. She had black smudges all over her hands, coat and the entire right side of her face. And she was crying. Through her tears she explained that her *$&^% Kooky pen had exploded black ink all over, and she was worried it was going to keep her from going to the party. I almost started crying from imagining all those lovely communion pictures of the girl with black spots on her face.
I made K wash her hands a few times and even used the nail brush on them. Most of the ink came off, with a little residue. Nothing the shower wouldn't take care of. But I couldn't use the nail brush on her face, and I was starting to hyperventilate. I eventually tried makeup remover, and somehow it worked. I still can't believe it. Crisis #3 averted.
On Saturday we were expected at the church at 12:15. At 11:45 K and I were still at odds over her dress choice. After running out of logic and arguments, I got desperate and offered her cold, hard cash. Her first demand? $100. As if. We finally settled on $25. She didn't want to take it, and there were some tears involved, but at the end of the day, I had to pay my daughter $25 to wear a dress, and I was STILL the bad guy. And I wonder why my kids don't listen to me?
In the end, things went relatively smoothly. Grandma got to come in for an abbreviated visit, the weather forecast of rain and clouds was completely wrong (sunny and bright!), the veils were white (but smelled of coffee), and there were no black ink stains in sight. My dress fit, Db agreed to wear a tie, and he was good the entire hour in church. I even got a few passable photos.
I'm thinking we had some serious divine intervention.
Guess how my son went to school on Thursday?
He decided the night before that he wanted his hair spiked. He had never asked before, but what the heck.
Doesn't he look adorable?
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Sorry for being absent so long. I have no idea what happened to the month of April.
Oh wait - I forgot - I gave up blogging for Lent, and someone forgot to tell me it was over! (That's my story and I'm sticking to it.)
The girls have communion today. I'll post more later. Honest.
Dear March:
Thank you,
thank you,
thank you.
We're a little closer to even.
Remember:
Rotary phones
Black and white televisons with 6 stations to choose from
Rotary channel changers on tvs with NO REMOTE
No microwave ovens
Using a paper map to find your way
Stopping at a gas station for directions
Radios with only AM stations
Polaroid cameras
Flash bulbs for your camera
Going to the laundromat to get clean clothes
Making popcorn on the stove
33/45rpm Records - with record players that required needles
Looking things up in the huge encyclopedia, usually at the library
Having a bank book to document your deposits
Using a manual typewriter?
If you do, then watch this video. It will make you appreciate how lucky our lives really are. And get you thinking about how far we've come...
