Well, technically, "behinder" is not a word, but it sounds so good right now.
I have really good intentions every single day. In my mind, I can lay my whole day out and I see everything getting done. And then, life happens.
You know what I mean...little bumps that come along that throw everything off track and out of kilter. But I am determined that this week will flow smoothly and lots will get done.
There is sooooo much I need to blog about...the trip to San Francisco I took with Lauren, summer fun with the babies, the beyond-awesome Kenny Seales Memorial 5K, Discover the Dinosaurs with the kids, weekends at the river with Robbie...
Now that brings to mind THIS past weekend. I missed the Labor Day weekend trip with my sweet family,so Robbie thought we could go this weekend and enjoy some quiet time. To keep him from driving home and right back, I met him on Thursday night and came home today (Sunday). I will have to say it's been an eventful weekend. Friday while we were fishing, Robbie forgot to put the lid on the minnow cooler. So guess who gets hit in the mouth while going 25 miles an hour down the river?Yep...
And guess who spent almost all of Saturday repairing pipes and drains at the house? Ummm hmmmm...
And guess who got 25 miles out today before realizing she had forgotten her purse and had to try around and go get it. Right again!
See what I mean about life happening? I'm determined to have a smooth week, though!!
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Signed, Sealed, Delivered...They Are Married!!
I absolutely LOVE planning, decorating for, and directing weddings. It is fun in the planning stages, exhausting in the carrying out of it, and so satisfying when everything comes together just as the bride wanted...or almost :)
Over the years I have developed a strong relationship with the Viers family. I grew up with Carleen, the family mom. My sister Pam and I were always close to her. In 2005, Carleen asked if I would be interested in helping with her daughter Tonya's wedding. Well, of course!! No problem, or so I thought. Turns out, Robert and Kandace had forgotten to tell me they changed the date of their wedding--moved it up a week. Yep, Tonya's week. There was one saving grace: Tonya got married on Friday night, so I was able to go to the rehearsal on Thursday and make sure everything was lined up. Lauren and Vicki filled in on Friday night while the rest of us hosted Robert's rehearsal supper. That was a bit nerve racking, but it worked.
Then Nikki Viers got engaged. Would I help? But of course. Time to redeem myself and actually be there for everything. Or that was the plan...
Robert and Kandace were expecting Daniel, who would be born in July. The wedding was June 10th. No problem. Until June 10th. At 2:00 A.M., Kandace called and said they were at the hospital, but was sure they would probably get to come home. Could we just go to their house and get their stuff just in case and bring it to the hospital?? Sure!
And we did. And she wasn't sent home. As the morning wore on, I got worried. It was 4th down, 25 to go, so what did I do? Yep. Time to punt. Good thing I have awesome receivers. Lauren and Vicki jumped right in and pulled everything off. Thanks to Mrs. Prissy for sending them on to the hospital when things did not go as well as planned there either.
After all that, can you believe the Viers family called me AGAIN, this time for Shannon's wedding?!?!?!?
And I'm soooooo happy they did! I had the BEST time. Shannon is definitely NOT in the running for Bridezilla...she is waaaaaaay too easygoing and sweet to be that. That is certainly not to say that we haven't had some interesting moments....
Like the time she told me they had decided to have barbeque sandwiches and chips at the reception...
Or when she showed me the beautiful teacart meant for the bride's cake...with only one wheel.
Or when the bakery that had agreed to make her cake and had taken her deposit informed her they would be closed the week of the wedding, but they would be happy to freeze her cake and let her pick it up. Hmmmm...
Seeing Shannon's little car literally FILLED with grapevine...the trunk and the backseat...and they still had three passengers in the car!
And then I was attacked by grapevine while we were decorating her arch...really, that stuff could easily win the war in the Middle East. I mean, the way it caught my hair and clothes and skin, I'm thinking all those loose-fitting clothes and some grapevine is a sure-fire trap. I can't believe that southern-grown grapevine is not being used as a weapon of mass destruction. Oh, well.
The groom's cake, supposed to be there at 8:00 A.M., arrived at 2:00 P.M.
Yes, there were some interesting moments before the wedding. And during...which is always the case when you have children in the wedding :) They were precious...and hungry...and wanted daddy...and just, as Noah, said "very, very tired." Smart 3-year-old :)
Sometimes you just know that everything is just the way the bride planned. That's how I felt about this one. Shannon had done so much herself, and she had given me such an awesome explanation of the vision she had. That made it really easy to bring this wedding to a perfect end. Even the one thing I thought I would not be able to give her was accomplished. She so wanted slices of wood for centerpieces and for the food table. Amazingly, the wedding of a former student was done with that very thing, so even that wish came true!!
Vicki and Karissa were invaluable help. We had to have walked the equivalent of a marathon over a few days. Lynn Williams Walker is an absolutely AWESOME caterer...I'd recommend her to anybody -- unless you want bbq at your wedding :)
I truly wish I had more pictures to post, because everything was soooo beautiful. I even got to work with the photographer and saw some of the shots he got...I cannot WAIT to see the actual photos!
Weddings are always emotional. They signal such a huge milestone in the lives of the bride and groom. This one is especially so ... Shannon's mom has shed many tears because the couple will be living in Seattle, Washington -- or, as Carleen tearfully put it, "They are leaving in the morning and moving to the MOON!!"
Shannon and Jacob are such a sweet couple, so very much in love and so ready to begin their life together. Please pray for them as they begin their new adventure, and pray for their families as they adjust to this "new normal."
Over the years I have developed a strong relationship with the Viers family. I grew up with Carleen, the family mom. My sister Pam and I were always close to her. In 2005, Carleen asked if I would be interested in helping with her daughter Tonya's wedding. Well, of course!! No problem, or so I thought. Turns out, Robert and Kandace had forgotten to tell me they changed the date of their wedding--moved it up a week. Yep, Tonya's week. There was one saving grace: Tonya got married on Friday night, so I was able to go to the rehearsal on Thursday and make sure everything was lined up. Lauren and Vicki filled in on Friday night while the rest of us hosted Robert's rehearsal supper. That was a bit nerve racking, but it worked.
Then Nikki Viers got engaged. Would I help? But of course. Time to redeem myself and actually be there for everything. Or that was the plan...
Robert and Kandace were expecting Daniel, who would be born in July. The wedding was June 10th. No problem. Until June 10th. At 2:00 A.M., Kandace called and said they were at the hospital, but was sure they would probably get to come home. Could we just go to their house and get their stuff just in case and bring it to the hospital?? Sure!
And we did. And she wasn't sent home. As the morning wore on, I got worried. It was 4th down, 25 to go, so what did I do? Yep. Time to punt. Good thing I have awesome receivers. Lauren and Vicki jumped right in and pulled everything off. Thanks to Mrs. Prissy for sending them on to the hospital when things did not go as well as planned there either.
After all that, can you believe the Viers family called me AGAIN, this time for Shannon's wedding?!?!?!?
And I'm soooooo happy they did! I had the BEST time. Shannon is definitely NOT in the running for Bridezilla...she is waaaaaaay too easygoing and sweet to be that. That is certainly not to say that we haven't had some interesting moments....
Like the time she told me they had decided to have barbeque sandwiches and chips at the reception...
Or when she showed me the beautiful teacart meant for the bride's cake...with only one wheel.
Or when the bakery that had agreed to make her cake and had taken her deposit informed her they would be closed the week of the wedding, but they would be happy to freeze her cake and let her pick it up. Hmmmm...
Seeing Shannon's little car literally FILLED with grapevine...the trunk and the backseat...and they still had three passengers in the car!
And then I was attacked by grapevine while we were decorating her arch...really, that stuff could easily win the war in the Middle East. I mean, the way it caught my hair and clothes and skin, I'm thinking all those loose-fitting clothes and some grapevine is a sure-fire trap. I can't believe that southern-grown grapevine is not being used as a weapon of mass destruction. Oh, well.
The groom's cake, supposed to be there at 8:00 A.M., arrived at 2:00 P.M.
Yes, there were some interesting moments before the wedding. And during...which is always the case when you have children in the wedding :) They were precious...and hungry...and wanted daddy...and just, as Noah, said "very, very tired." Smart 3-year-old :)
Sometimes you just know that everything is just the way the bride planned. That's how I felt about this one. Shannon had done so much herself, and she had given me such an awesome explanation of the vision she had. That made it really easy to bring this wedding to a perfect end. Even the one thing I thought I would not be able to give her was accomplished. She so wanted slices of wood for centerpieces and for the food table. Amazingly, the wedding of a former student was done with that very thing, so even that wish came true!!
Vicki and Karissa were invaluable help. We had to have walked the equivalent of a marathon over a few days. Lynn Williams Walker is an absolutely AWESOME caterer...I'd recommend her to anybody -- unless you want bbq at your wedding :)
I truly wish I had more pictures to post, because everything was soooo beautiful. I even got to work with the photographer and saw some of the shots he got...I cannot WAIT to see the actual photos!
Weddings are always emotional. They signal such a huge milestone in the lives of the bride and groom. This one is especially so ... Shannon's mom has shed many tears because the couple will be living in Seattle, Washington -- or, as Carleen tearfully put it, "They are leaving in the morning and moving to the MOON!!"
Shannon and Jacob are such a sweet couple, so very much in love and so ready to begin their life together. Please pray for them as they begin their new adventure, and pray for their families as they adjust to this "new normal."
The food was awesome! Everyone loved the ice cream bar, too!
The groom's cake ended up being two cakes, so a quick redo of the table was in order.
Guest tables were in the huge entry hall of the church...just beautiful. See the wood? She was so happy about that :)
Hugs and Kisses from the new Mr. and Mrs.-- how cute is that!
So simple. So elegant. So romantic. So Shannon :)
Love the pew decor...just perfect
Look Who Turned 2!!!
Yep, it's Carsyn!!! And she is still singing Happy Birthday to herself! Friday, she found a gift bag and started clapping and singing to herself. Too sweet :)
Lauren did and ice cream themed party, and it was a big hit. After all, who doesn't LOVE ice cream in summertime?!?!
Funny story...We decorated Friday night, and then I went back early Saturday morning to finish up. It had to be early-- the party started at 10:00. So I'm zooming around getting everything done, and headed over to the beverage table to "add a touch of pink." (Lauren noticed on Friday night that there was no pink factor on that table.) Never did I notice the big puddle of water on the floor. I really wish there had been a video camera set up somewhere, because I would have won some kind of award. Maybe the Surfing on Flip Flops across the Church Floor award, because that is EXACTLY what I did...arms out, knees bent, sliding across the floor. I absolutely do NOT know what kept me upright. When I caught my breath, I got towels, mopped the floor, and no one was the wiser...until now :)
Vicki did a great job with the treats and kids activities, the photo booth was a big hit, and Lori Mercer did an awesome job with pictures.
Lauren has an amazing blog about the party here!
Thanks to all who came. If you missed it, you missed a treat!
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
A Day for the Record Books
It started out as a fairly normal day. Fairly normal—that’s
my description for just about any day that doesn’t have weird things happening.
Grace spent the night last night because Vicki had to open this morning. I got
up to get ready and forgot to unlock the door, so David had to call me and tell
me they were standing outside the door. See what I mean? Fairly normal.
Carsyn came in, she and Grace played and disagreed about a
couple of things. Fairly normal.
I had to get gas before I could even go to Mama’s and drop
Carsyn off. Fairly normal.
Grace wasn’t hungry at all…until we dropped Carsyn off. Then
she wanted a sausage biscuit. Fairly normal.
See a pattern?
Don’t get too happy. Fairly normal ended here.
On the way to the gym, I got a call from Lauren. She had
left her sinus medicine at home. Aleve Cold and Sinus has done wonderful things
for her and David, so that’s what they use. She asked if I could run pick up
some when I dropped Grace off. No problem. Fairly normal request. You just keep
thinking that…
So I dropped Gracie off and headed to Wal Mart. I went there
because I had two other things on my list and would just get it all at the same
time. First to the pharmacy…
You know those medicines that are sold by taking a plastic
card to the pharmacy and having your background check run? Aleve Cold and Sinus
is one. I pulled out my license to scan…and it expired last week. Sigh…
Obviously I’m going to have to go the courthouse…but NOT in
the shirt I wore. It was my favorite Greenville Gymnastics shirt---you know the
kind: worn and washed until all the letters are almost gone.
Off to the clothing section…
New shirt purchase in hand, I changed clothes in the Wal Mart
restroom and headed to the courthouse.
Did you know that at most courthouses you now have to go
through a metal detector? Are you aware that 4 inch sewing scissors are
considered a dangerous weapon?
Back to the truck to leave the scissors…
Back through the metal detector…
The sweet, kind, precious lady that takes those gosh-awful
license pictures must have seen I was having a rough day. She offered to let me
look at my picture and see if I wanted another. Once I approved the picture,
all I needed was cash or a check.
Do you carry cash? I don’t. And we are out of checks. Sigh…
Off to the bank…
Back to the courthouse…
Back through the metal detector…
License renewed and paid for – check.
Off to the drugstore…it was closer than Wal Mart.
I grabbed the plastic card from the shelf and took it to the
counter, proudly producing my brand new license. The clerk scanned my license,
bagged the medicine, and then said (rather loudly, I think) in front of a CROWD
of people: Oh, I can’t sell this to you…you’ve reached your limit for the
month.
I should tell you here that David called a couple of weeks
ago and needed me to pick him up some Aleve Cold and Sinus…
Not that anyone in that crowd knew that. All of them were
looking at me like I had a microwave plugged in to the cigarette lighter in my
truck ready to cook my next batch of meth. So embarrassing…
When I sent Lauren the text that I couldn’t get it, she
decided she wouldn’t try it either since she just bought some yesterday. Wise
decision.
Off to the carwash…it was on my to do list for the day.
This is the carwash that you can purchase inside or pay at
the terminal…until now. Code only---purchase inside. Does it even bear
mentioning that I was stuck behind another truck who was getting a wash and
there is only one way out? Right---through the carwash. So, here I went—drove through
the carwash like I knew what I was doing, drove around front, went inside, and
purchased a wash. I did not have to get a background check for that.
Carwash done—check.
Off to get Grace…
At this point, the day has reverted to fairly normal.
It is 1:45.
I’m almost scared to post this. There’s no telling what will
happen later in the day.
Friday, June 22, 2012
Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About...
... apostrophes. My goodness, at the mess apostrophes can make!
A few days ago, I wrote about how I sometimes really miss teaching literature. I gave a short summary of the Japanese work The Pillow Book and gave my thoughts in that form. I still miss it. You would probably get a kick out of the look on Carsyn's face when I recite the first eighteen lines of the "Prologue" to Canterbury Tales!
For today, though, it's a grammar issue that's just under my skin. So, let's talk about apostrophes, why don't we?
1. Apostrophes are used to form contractions. This particular concept is not a hard one. Most people do this one correctly. Basically, if you are putting two words together as a contraction, the apostrophe (a former student called it a "high comma") goes in place of the omitted letter(s). Hence, don't, weren't, doesn't, isn't (you leave out the o). One I see a lot of people making a mistake on is the Southernism y'all. This is a contraction for you all. So you see, you wouldn't put the apostrophe after the a (ya'll) since that's not where the letters are left out. And the ONLY time you use it's is when you mean it is. Makes sense, right?
2. Now...this concept is a big one. Apostrophes are used to show POSSESSION -- as in, the word with the apostrophe OWNS something. Examples: John's car; Tracy's jacket; Papa's pool; Nannie's Bible. If you are tempted to put an apostrophe+s, make sure you can answer this question: ____'s what?
This rule seems to freak people out if the word ends in s. No biggie. If the word is singular (only one), you would still use the apostrophe AND the s. If the word is plural and ends in s, put the apostrophe after the ending s. Examples: boys' jackets; girls' basketball team; ladies' Sunday School class.
3. Apostrophes are generally NOT used to show that a word is plural. The only exception is when not putting an apostrophe would cause misreading. Example: His a's look like s's. Without the apostrophe, a's looks like as, and ss looks awkward.
So WHY, I ask you, WHY???? would names be any different?
If your last name is Smith, and there is more than one of you in the house, you are the Smiths.
If you are a Johnson, and there is more than one of you in the house, you are the Johnsons.
And if your last name is Williams, and there is more than one of you in the house, you are the Williamses -- NOT the Williams'.
If you are a Jones, your family would be the Joneses -- NOT the Jones'.
If the plural of the name owns something, then you use the apostrophe appropriately:
The Joneses' car (The car belongs to more than one of the Jones family)
The Lees' car (Family name is Lee-- plural is Lees -- and they own something together).
If my daughter Lauren, who is a Smith, signs a note, a letter, an email, or a blog from her family, she would sign it as The Smiths (unless she wanted her mama the grammar nazi to hunt her down and lecture her).
If I want to sign anything from my house with our family name, I would sign is as The Williamses OR The Williams Family.
If I buy a Christmas ornament for Vicki and Josh, it will NOT say the Williams'. It WILL say The Williamses, or The Williams Family, or simply Williams.
If I buy something for Mama and Daddy, it will say The Campbells. No apostrophe -- they don't own anything in this case.
Clear as mud?
I'll bet you're running around right now looking at all your stationery, door signs, and email signatures :)
Will making a mistake like this send you to grammar jail? No.
Will it make me (or anyone else) not like you? No.
Will you feel better knowing you are doing it RIGHT? Oh, yeah.
A few days ago, I wrote about how I sometimes really miss teaching literature. I gave a short summary of the Japanese work The Pillow Book and gave my thoughts in that form. I still miss it. You would probably get a kick out of the look on Carsyn's face when I recite the first eighteen lines of the "Prologue" to Canterbury Tales!
For today, though, it's a grammar issue that's just under my skin. So, let's talk about apostrophes, why don't we?
1. Apostrophes are used to form contractions. This particular concept is not a hard one. Most people do this one correctly. Basically, if you are putting two words together as a contraction, the apostrophe (a former student called it a "high comma") goes in place of the omitted letter(s). Hence, don't, weren't, doesn't, isn't (you leave out the o). One I see a lot of people making a mistake on is the Southernism y'all. This is a contraction for you all. So you see, you wouldn't put the apostrophe after the a (ya'll) since that's not where the letters are left out. And the ONLY time you use it's is when you mean it is. Makes sense, right?
2. Now...this concept is a big one. Apostrophes are used to show POSSESSION -- as in, the word with the apostrophe OWNS something. Examples: John's car; Tracy's jacket; Papa's pool; Nannie's Bible. If you are tempted to put an apostrophe+s, make sure you can answer this question: ____'s what?
This rule seems to freak people out if the word ends in s. No biggie. If the word is singular (only one), you would still use the apostrophe AND the s. If the word is plural and ends in s, put the apostrophe after the ending s. Examples: boys' jackets; girls' basketball team; ladies' Sunday School class.
3. Apostrophes are generally NOT used to show that a word is plural. The only exception is when not putting an apostrophe would cause misreading. Example: His a's look like s's. Without the apostrophe, a's looks like as, and ss looks awkward.
So WHY, I ask you, WHY???? would names be any different?
If your last name is Smith, and there is more than one of you in the house, you are the Smiths.
If you are a Johnson, and there is more than one of you in the house, you are the Johnsons.
And if your last name is Williams, and there is more than one of you in the house, you are the Williamses -- NOT the Williams'.
If you are a Jones, your family would be the Joneses -- NOT the Jones'.
If the plural of the name owns something, then you use the apostrophe appropriately:
The Joneses' car (The car belongs to more than one of the Jones family)
The Lees' car (Family name is Lee-- plural is Lees -- and they own something together).
If my daughter Lauren, who is a Smith, signs a note, a letter, an email, or a blog from her family, she would sign it as The Smiths (unless she wanted her mama the grammar nazi to hunt her down and lecture her).
If I want to sign anything from my house with our family name, I would sign is as The Williamses OR The Williams Family.
If I buy a Christmas ornament for Vicki and Josh, it will NOT say the Williams'. It WILL say The Williamses, or The Williams Family, or simply Williams.
If I buy something for Mama and Daddy, it will say The Campbells. No apostrophe -- they don't own anything in this case.
Clear as mud?
I'll bet you're running around right now looking at all your stationery, door signs, and email signatures :)
Will making a mistake like this send you to grammar jail? No.
Will it make me (or anyone else) not like you? No.
Will you feel better knowing you are doing it RIGHT? Oh, yeah.
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Pillow Book Time
Sometime, I really miss teaching. Out loud teaching. That doesn't mean I don't LOVE what I do now, because I do. But for a born teacher, there's just something about seeing that light come on, or having students suddenly sit up after I say, "Guess what?" One of my very favorite classes to teach is World Literature. Sometimes students ask, "What's your favorite book? Who's your favorite author? How fast can you read?" To most of those I don't have an answer. But I have an answer for "What's your favorite literature class?" Again, that doesn't mean I don't LOVE English and American literature, but World Lit actually covers those too. I love it.
On another note, sometimes I struggle with blog posts. So very much can go on in one day that I'm afraid sometimes I seem to ramble if I talk about all of it. And I have so little time to post that I have to get a lot done at one time.
Today, I was going over some of my online English class assignments, and I remembered that I had, for the sake of space, had to leave out Chinese and Japanese literature. I know, I know...big whoop. But I love it, and I love teaching it...the why and where and meaning. One of my very favorite is The Pillow Book written by a lady-in-waiting to a Japanese empress, Sei Shonogan. Don't worry. They can't say our names either :) Anyway, there are lots of reasons The Pillow Book is interesting: It was one of the first books written in the Japanese language (they thought Chinese was a "smarter" language and usually wrote in Chinese), it was written by a woman (very rare), it shows details of everyday life in the palace, and, best of all, it's written in little bitty chapters about random thoughts or events that she dealt with. It's called The Pillow Book because Japanese women slept on hollow wooden boxes curved to the shape of the neck in order to support their elaborate hairstyles. Because the "pillow" was hollow, the woman could put her "treasures" or important documents into the pillow. Sei Shonogan's book was published from her diary-like entries that she stored in her "pillow." Each year, I ask my students to write a series of selections for their own "pillow book." I usually join them, because I love the release writing gives. If you don't write occasionally, you should try it! With all that being said (most of which I'm sure you were not the least bit interested in), here are my pillow book entries for now:
THINGS THAT MAKE ME SMILE
I love when Carsyn says, "ZiZi, um here. Play. Otay?" I love waking up on Thursdays and knowing that Robbie's coming home that night. I smile when Daniel asks for a snack -- right after he finishes supper :) ; when Kaylee says "Wub my peet" ; when I read Nicholas Sparks; when Grace watches herself in the mirror as she's talking; when Blair comes to gymnastics wearing a pink, floor-length, long sleeve Cinderella costume and high heels over her leotard; when Caroline looks at me with big eyes and says "How do you know what the roly poly's names are?"--and believes me when I tell her they have name tags; when Dylan calls my parents Swimming Nannie and Swimming Papa--not because they swim but because they have a pool; when Lily and Breanna sing sooooo loud in Children's Church--but don't know the words and/or timing :) when all the clothes are washed...and it's only Wednesday ; when I child says, "I want Jesus to live in my heart"; when a sewing project comes out even cuter than I imagined; when I hear the song "I Can Only Imagine"; when I listen to Carsyn sing "Peas Ike Ibba" ("Peace Like a River"); when Grace looks at the clouds for shapes and says she sees Uncle Kenny and Uncle BoBo in a boat...
THINGS THAT MAKE ME SAD:
The bridge of my nose stings and my eyes get leaky when Grace looks at the clouds for shapes and says she sees Uncle Kenny and Uncle BoBo in a boat...; when I hear that one of my babies has gotten hurt; when I hear that innocent children have been killed or abused; when I hear the song "I Can Only Imagine;" when I can find only one of my polka dot yellow boxes -- and they would perfectly match my outfit; when I have to leave Carsyn crying, even though I know she'll stop as soon as I'm gone; when I hear people being cruel about others--they way they look or talk; Nicholas Sparks books; Where the Red Fern Grows; when friends grow apart; when all I have left to do is put the elastic in the waistband...and I'm out of elastic and it's 2:34 A.M.
WHY I DON'T MIND EATING ALONE
When I eat alone (or only with close family), my whole meal is so much more peaceful. If I eat in a crowd, this is the way the meal goes: You don't eat ______? Have you tried it? Why not? Try a little bit. It won't hurt you! For real, this is wonderful! It tastes just like ______________. What?!?! You don't eat ______, either!? Where have you been living? What do you eat? Is something wrong with you?
Alone or with close family, this is what I get: This one is yours, Mama. It's not touching anything. I'll eat that one; it's more done than you like it. I cooked these for you because I know you don't like ______. I ordered one pizza with light/no sauce so it would be better. This dressing has pickles; the plain dressing is over there.
And that is why I like to eat alone or with close family.
THE PROBLEM WITH COOKING
Robbie can, without a doubt, outcook any restaurant we have ever visited. So why is it such a temptation to just pick something up while we are out? It's the dish gremlins that live in our house. While we are cooking the simplest of meals, the dish gremlins are messing up every available dish in the house! When we finish eating, the kitchen looks like General Sherman marched his army straight through it. So discouraging. And then of course it's late and we're full...not the best of conditions to foster a "jump up now and clean it up" feeling. So sometimes we go to a place where we leave all the mess. We can't do it all the time, but sometimes, it's just worth it to eat not-quite-as-good food and let them clean it all up :)
THE PROBLEM WITH TODAY'S KIDS
This is not going to sit well...
We always hear, or maybe are guilty of saying, that today's kids are a big problem. What in the world are they thinking? What's wrong with them? What's going to happen to our world if they are left in charge? Soooo...here's my answer:
What's wrong with today's children is yesterday's children. It's the adults who raise them. It's the parents who bail their children out of every scrape, give them the best of the best without their having to work for it, and make sure that they never have to suffer any consequences for their actions. Children are -- well, children. They are going to make mistakes. I'll be the first one to say that if a child doesn't have a good relationship with his parents, there will not be the openness needed for that child to come to the parent for help. But help does not necessarily mean "fixing it." It means guiding the child to do what is right; helping him carry that out; applying house rules consistently so that there is never a question that rules must be obeyed.
Children are not any different than they have always been...tiny humans who need help growing up. Adults, though--well, that's a different story.
TO BE CONTINUED...MAYBE :)
On another note, sometimes I struggle with blog posts. So very much can go on in one day that I'm afraid sometimes I seem to ramble if I talk about all of it. And I have so little time to post that I have to get a lot done at one time.
Today, I was going over some of my online English class assignments, and I remembered that I had, for the sake of space, had to leave out Chinese and Japanese literature. I know, I know...big whoop. But I love it, and I love teaching it...the why and where and meaning. One of my very favorite is The Pillow Book written by a lady-in-waiting to a Japanese empress, Sei Shonogan. Don't worry. They can't say our names either :) Anyway, there are lots of reasons The Pillow Book is interesting: It was one of the first books written in the Japanese language (they thought Chinese was a "smarter" language and usually wrote in Chinese), it was written by a woman (very rare), it shows details of everyday life in the palace, and, best of all, it's written in little bitty chapters about random thoughts or events that she dealt with. It's called The Pillow Book because Japanese women slept on hollow wooden boxes curved to the shape of the neck in order to support their elaborate hairstyles. Because the "pillow" was hollow, the woman could put her "treasures" or important documents into the pillow. Sei Shonogan's book was published from her diary-like entries that she stored in her "pillow." Each year, I ask my students to write a series of selections for their own "pillow book." I usually join them, because I love the release writing gives. If you don't write occasionally, you should try it! With all that being said (most of which I'm sure you were not the least bit interested in), here are my pillow book entries for now:
THINGS THAT MAKE ME SMILE
I love when Carsyn says, "ZiZi, um here. Play. Otay?" I love waking up on Thursdays and knowing that Robbie's coming home that night. I smile when Daniel asks for a snack -- right after he finishes supper :) ; when Kaylee says "Wub my peet" ; when I read Nicholas Sparks; when Grace watches herself in the mirror as she's talking; when Blair comes to gymnastics wearing a pink, floor-length, long sleeve Cinderella costume and high heels over her leotard; when Caroline looks at me with big eyes and says "How do you know what the roly poly's names are?"--and believes me when I tell her they have name tags; when Dylan calls my parents Swimming Nannie and Swimming Papa--not because they swim but because they have a pool; when Lily and Breanna sing sooooo loud in Children's Church--but don't know the words and/or timing :) when all the clothes are washed...and it's only Wednesday ; when I child says, "I want Jesus to live in my heart"; when a sewing project comes out even cuter than I imagined; when I hear the song "I Can Only Imagine"; when I listen to Carsyn sing "Peas Ike Ibba" ("Peace Like a River"); when Grace looks at the clouds for shapes and says she sees Uncle Kenny and Uncle BoBo in a boat...
THINGS THAT MAKE ME SAD:
The bridge of my nose stings and my eyes get leaky when Grace looks at the clouds for shapes and says she sees Uncle Kenny and Uncle BoBo in a boat...; when I hear that one of my babies has gotten hurt; when I hear that innocent children have been killed or abused; when I hear the song "I Can Only Imagine;" when I can find only one of my polka dot yellow boxes -- and they would perfectly match my outfit; when I have to leave Carsyn crying, even though I know she'll stop as soon as I'm gone; when I hear people being cruel about others--they way they look or talk; Nicholas Sparks books; Where the Red Fern Grows; when friends grow apart; when all I have left to do is put the elastic in the waistband...and I'm out of elastic and it's 2:34 A.M.
WHY I DON'T MIND EATING ALONE
When I eat alone (or only with close family), my whole meal is so much more peaceful. If I eat in a crowd, this is the way the meal goes: You don't eat ______? Have you tried it? Why not? Try a little bit. It won't hurt you! For real, this is wonderful! It tastes just like ______________. What?!?! You don't eat ______, either!? Where have you been living? What do you eat? Is something wrong with you?
Alone or with close family, this is what I get: This one is yours, Mama. It's not touching anything. I'll eat that one; it's more done than you like it. I cooked these for you because I know you don't like ______. I ordered one pizza with light/no sauce so it would be better. This dressing has pickles; the plain dressing is over there.
And that is why I like to eat alone or with close family.
THE PROBLEM WITH COOKING
Robbie can, without a doubt, outcook any restaurant we have ever visited. So why is it such a temptation to just pick something up while we are out? It's the dish gremlins that live in our house. While we are cooking the simplest of meals, the dish gremlins are messing up every available dish in the house! When we finish eating, the kitchen looks like General Sherman marched his army straight through it. So discouraging. And then of course it's late and we're full...not the best of conditions to foster a "jump up now and clean it up" feeling. So sometimes we go to a place where we leave all the mess. We can't do it all the time, but sometimes, it's just worth it to eat not-quite-as-good food and let them clean it all up :)
THE PROBLEM WITH TODAY'S KIDS
This is not going to sit well...
We always hear, or maybe are guilty of saying, that today's kids are a big problem. What in the world are they thinking? What's wrong with them? What's going to happen to our world if they are left in charge? Soooo...here's my answer:
What's wrong with today's children is yesterday's children. It's the adults who raise them. It's the parents who bail their children out of every scrape, give them the best of the best without their having to work for it, and make sure that they never have to suffer any consequences for their actions. Children are -- well, children. They are going to make mistakes. I'll be the first one to say that if a child doesn't have a good relationship with his parents, there will not be the openness needed for that child to come to the parent for help. But help does not necessarily mean "fixing it." It means guiding the child to do what is right; helping him carry that out; applying house rules consistently so that there is never a question that rules must be obeyed.
Children are not any different than they have always been...tiny humans who need help growing up. Adults, though--well, that's a different story.
TO BE CONTINUED...MAYBE :)
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Summer So Far...
Lots of stuff going on here!!!
*I've been sewing garment bags and baby gowns and monogramming towels and making birthday outfits.
*Carsyn has learned to sing "Peace Like a River" (peas ike ibbe in my tole)
*I've been cutting car decals and planning weddings and buying flowers.
*I had to explain to Grace why the KJV is called the KJV -- because of the king who had it translated, not because Jesus spoke 16th century English. Seemed a bit early to have to have this conversation...
*I've been making those huge feather flags you see beside the road.
*We had Vacation Bible School at our church and then Grace went to Grannie and Grandaddy's church for another fun week of VBS.
*I took Carsyn to the doctor and she had such a meltdown (she always does) that the doctor met us in the hallway and saw her there.
*Grace thought she would include Carsyn in her imaginary play the other day, but when she said, "Carsyn, where are your customers?" Carsyn looked around, shrugged her shoulders, and said, "I don't know!" Ha!
*I had a student email me to ask if I thought she would be ok if she used an American Literature book in place of a World Literature book and a vocabulary book by a different publisher. Ummm...no.
*Dylan, Daniel, and Kaylee came to play. Dylan went fishing with PopPop and Uncle David, so he was really anxious to get in the pool the next day. Really anxious. 8:00 in the morning anxious :)
I had a meeting in Montgomery, saw some great online teacher friends, had a wonderful lunch with Robbie, and spent the rest of an AWESOME day getting important stuff done -- like making sure Carsyn's Tiny Toms had both a left and right foot :) That was an interesting exchange.
Lots of fun going on this summer!
*I've been sewing garment bags and baby gowns and monogramming towels and making birthday outfits.
*Carsyn has learned to sing "Peace Like a River" (peas ike ibbe in my tole)
*I've been cutting car decals and planning weddings and buying flowers.
*I had to explain to Grace why the KJV is called the KJV -- because of the king who had it translated, not because Jesus spoke 16th century English. Seemed a bit early to have to have this conversation...
*I've been making those huge feather flags you see beside the road.
*We had Vacation Bible School at our church and then Grace went to Grannie and Grandaddy's church for another fun week of VBS.
*I took Carsyn to the doctor and she had such a meltdown (she always does) that the doctor met us in the hallway and saw her there.
*Grace thought she would include Carsyn in her imaginary play the other day, but when she said, "Carsyn, where are your customers?" Carsyn looked around, shrugged her shoulders, and said, "I don't know!" Ha!
*I had a student email me to ask if I thought she would be ok if she used an American Literature book in place of a World Literature book and a vocabulary book by a different publisher. Ummm...no.
*Dylan, Daniel, and Kaylee came to play. Dylan went fishing with PopPop and Uncle David, so he was really anxious to get in the pool the next day. Really anxious. 8:00 in the morning anxious :)
I had a meeting in Montgomery, saw some great online teacher friends, had a wonderful lunch with Robbie, and spent the rest of an AWESOME day getting important stuff done -- like making sure Carsyn's Tiny Toms had both a left and right foot :) That was an interesting exchange.
Lots of fun going on this summer!
Monday, May 28, 2012
End of the School Year...And Beginning of Summer!
Goodness gracious, the end of this year was sooooo different! For the past 20+ years I have been wrapped up in Senior Awards Day, Class Day, Baccalaureate, and Graduation. Although I stayed in touch and helped out, it was certainly not as...busy...as previous years.
The seniors asked if I could help a little on Class Day, and I was glad to. They did such a good job!!! Their cute skits and ability to make fun of themselves was the perfect tone for Class Day. The next week was full of graduations and ceremonies. Lauren, Ashley, and I went to Richelle's graduation on Monday night. Mama, Carsyn, and I went to see Kaylee get her certificate for this year (she will stay in her preschool another year because of her birthday) on Tuesday morning, and then Lauren and I went to Ashley's graduation on Tuesday night. Wednesday morning, Mama, Carsyn, and I went to Dylan's awards day, and then Daniel's kindergarten graduation immediately following. I'm sure this arrangement worked well for the school. It did not work quite as well for anyone managing a near-2-year-old. The mistake was probably mine. I said, "Let's go in the gym and watch Daniel." Carsyn misunderstood "gym." She spent the morning doing arabesques, walking on the "beam" (the lines on the court), and doing flips on the gym floor. And then, three minutes out of the parking lot, she was sound asleep. And she slept all the way home.
That's when the real fun began...Carsyn woke up when we got home, started to play, and suddenly started throwing up. Helloooooo, tummy virus. She was pitiful. I babied her. We stayed outside most of the afternoon, nearly naked and with a waterhose handy (not for her, silly- for the porch). I decided to hold onto Big Mama's declaration that a person cannot get sick from family.
And I held that notion until about 2:00 A.M.
Big Mama was right about a lot of things.
This was not one of them :)
By Friday I was feeling much better and Grace came to stay with us. She was such fun!! I was just cracking up all day at the things she said. Lauren sent a text after I shared some things on facebook: "Ought to be a fun summer." Yes indeed, it will be fun!
Friday afternoon, Robbie and I left for a weekend at the river. I'm here to tell you, that is one peaceful place! Well, the six miles of dirt road getting there...not so peaceful. In fact, I posted this on facebook: "
The seniors asked if I could help a little on Class Day, and I was glad to. They did such a good job!!! Their cute skits and ability to make fun of themselves was the perfect tone for Class Day. The next week was full of graduations and ceremonies. Lauren, Ashley, and I went to Richelle's graduation on Monday night. Mama, Carsyn, and I went to see Kaylee get her certificate for this year (she will stay in her preschool another year because of her birthday) on Tuesday morning, and then Lauren and I went to Ashley's graduation on Tuesday night. Wednesday morning, Mama, Carsyn, and I went to Dylan's awards day, and then Daniel's kindergarten graduation immediately following. I'm sure this arrangement worked well for the school. It did not work quite as well for anyone managing a near-2-year-old. The mistake was probably mine. I said, "Let's go in the gym and watch Daniel." Carsyn misunderstood "gym." She spent the morning doing arabesques, walking on the "beam" (the lines on the court), and doing flips on the gym floor. And then, three minutes out of the parking lot, she was sound asleep. And she slept all the way home.
That's when the real fun began...Carsyn woke up when we got home, started to play, and suddenly started throwing up. Helloooooo, tummy virus. She was pitiful. I babied her. We stayed outside most of the afternoon, nearly naked and with a waterhose handy (not for her, silly- for the porch). I decided to hold onto Big Mama's declaration that a person cannot get sick from family.
And I held that notion until about 2:00 A.M.
Big Mama was right about a lot of things.
This was not one of them :)
By Friday I was feeling much better and Grace came to stay with us. She was such fun!! I was just cracking up all day at the things she said. Lauren sent a text after I shared some things on facebook: "Ought to be a fun summer." Yes indeed, it will be fun!
Friday afternoon, Robbie and I left for a weekend at the river. I'm here to tell you, that is one peaceful place! Well, the six miles of dirt road getting there...not so peaceful. In fact, I posted this on facebook: "
Friday, May 11, 2012
It's Not About Me
That's what Kenny used to say...even at his sickest. That was brought home to me today. I went to a blog I follow to find a tutorial I had seen, and read the saddest thing. It made me realize that my little problems are just that, little. I'm figuring out some way to help...
http://www.honeybearlane.com/2012/05/the-alice-hansen-family-fund.html
http://www.honeybearlane.com/2012/05/the-alice-hansen-family-fund.html
Saturday, May 5, 2012
Multiplicity
I think there is a movie by that name. It's the story of a man who wishes there were more of him, and suddenly there are! So, I was thinking about that. I could certainly use more of me. Let's see...
1. I need one of me to take care of my house. This would include laundry, dishes, making beds (we do have little company often, you know), and the normal household chores. I believe Household Me would have time for grocery shopping, but if not, I'm sure we can whip up another me :)
2. The second me needs to take care of the outside. With an outside as big as ours is, I didn't feel it fair to put this on my household clone. Outside Me would take care of the porches, the arbor, the vegetables (don't choke...we really did plant some), and the flowers (I hear you sputtering-- stop it!) .This chick would also take care of washing the vehicles. She's a busy one!
3. The third me would be in charge of ZiZi's Stitch and Stick. This would definitely be a full time job, and therefore this clone would be unable to help out on other jobs. She would take orders, buy fabric, design items, sew, change thread...well, you get the picture. I would not see this clone very much because she would be constantly busy sewing and keeping the Den of Stitches clean.
4. The fourth me would be in charge of Carsyn. Now, this is no small task. Just yesterday, this happened:
1. I need one of me to take care of my house. This would include laundry, dishes, making beds (we do have little company often, you know), and the normal household chores. I believe Household Me would have time for grocery shopping, but if not, I'm sure we can whip up another me :)
2. The second me needs to take care of the outside. With an outside as big as ours is, I didn't feel it fair to put this on my household clone. Outside Me would take care of the porches, the arbor, the vegetables (don't choke...we really did plant some), and the flowers (I hear you sputtering-- stop it!) .This chick would also take care of washing the vehicles. She's a busy one!
3. The third me would be in charge of ZiZi's Stitch and Stick. This would definitely be a full time job, and therefore this clone would be unable to help out on other jobs. She would take orders, buy fabric, design items, sew, change thread...well, you get the picture. I would not see this clone very much because she would be constantly busy sewing and keeping the Den of Stitches clean.
4. The fourth me would be in charge of Carsyn. Now, this is no small task. Just yesterday, this happened:
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
A Different Kind of Sign
So much is going on that sometimes I'm amazed when I have a minute to sit down to the computer. And then I have to figure out where I am in life...what I've blogged about...what I need to say...and to be honest, sometimes I get overwhelmed with it and just put it off until later.
Have I blogged about our sweet, sweet Grace winning her division of the Little Miss CCA pageant? I don't think so. We are so, so proud of her. Of course, we were ecstatic when her name was called, but I was so much prouder of her attitude. In her own words, "Winning is not important; having fun is what's important, and I did that." So sweet :)
Have I blogged about David opening Country Farm Supply? That may be one reason my computer time is shorter...NO.WIRELESS.INTERNET!!! Seriously. And blogging from my phone is hard. I do hope everyone will support David's new venture. I truly believe we are supposed to support those businesses in our area. My brother said it best just the other day. He said, "People say the 4-lane is killing McKenzie. But it's not. People are killing McKenzie when they choose to go other places." Smart man, my brother.
Have I blogged about the spring competition season at Greenville Gymnastics? Lots of kids doing lots of amazing things. Grace competed with several other gymnasts in our very first Level 1 team. They were just the sweetest little girls. Other girls competed Level 3 and Prep Ops. We had so much fun--and stayed sooooo busy! And Ashley--sweet Ashley--competed in her last meet. I think it hit all of us at the same time. She is such and amazing young lady and a wonderful role model for our other gymnasts. More about that later. She deserves her own blog entry :)
Have I blogged about how I hate changing times? I mean, can't we just pick one and stick with it? It just messes up my whole schedule and body rhythm. And anybody that has, takes care of, or teaches small children can attest to the fact that changing the time and being expected to adjust in one day does evil things to a little person. Heck, it does evil things to a grown person! And why in the world, if time is going to change, can time not change on Saturday morning instead of Sunday morning? We would at least have the whole weekend to adjust. But nooooooo! One day. That's it. I vote no.
And now, the real reason for the title of this entry. I may have to explain a little. Those of you close to me know that three years ago, Robert died in a car accident. I was so devastated--there is truly nothing to prepare a person for losing a child. Even though I've always considered myself a strong person (albeit with leaky eyes), that tragedy just really took rug out from under me. I remember sobbing uncontrollably on Daddy the day after the accident and saying that I would have thought I could be stronger. I'll never forget what he said: "It would take a mighty big oak not to bend in a wind like this." Whenever I find myself "leaking," I think about what Daddy said, and I know it's ok to bend. I just have to be willing to get back up when the "storm" is over. One thing I've found helps me get back up is the signs I believe I'm given all along.
The day of Robert's funeral, March 1, it snowed. SNOWED. In south Alabama. Robbie walked out on the back porch, snow swirling all around him, and said, "Well, hello, Robert." For the next two years, snow occured at unusual times. I feel with all my heart that the snow was for me...a sign from above. So this year I waited for snow. I was quietly sad when it didn't snow around Christmas. Around the three-year anniversary in February, I got concerned because there was still NO MENTION of snow. Then the anniversary of his funeral came. I think everybody wore shorts. People were going to the beach. No snow. I was beyond disappointed.
But then, just the other day, Carsyn and I were outside playing, and I glimpsed something -- a sign! Right after Robert died, we turned his basketball court into an arbor. Not wanting anything ever to happen to the precious memories we had there, we put up a swing and moved the kids toys over there. Vicki ran across some azaleas and brought them home to plant in the trees near the arbor. But it snowed on them for two years and I thought they had died. But this year, for the first time since they were planted, this is what happened:
Carsyn must surely have thought I had lost my mind. Who else dissolves into a puddly mess over blooming azaleas? Words cannot express the incredible peace and comfort those sweet blooms gave me. So I didn't get my snow; I got a surprise that was just as beautiful and maybe a different kind of sign. Those beautiful blooms gave me just a peek at what gorgeousness Robert is experiencing now, not in the cold world of snow, but in the warm garden of God's presence.
Have I blogged about our sweet, sweet Grace winning her division of the Little Miss CCA pageant? I don't think so. We are so, so proud of her. Of course, we were ecstatic when her name was called, but I was so much prouder of her attitude. In her own words, "Winning is not important; having fun is what's important, and I did that." So sweet :)
Have I blogged about David opening Country Farm Supply? That may be one reason my computer time is shorter...NO.WIRELESS.INTERNET!!! Seriously. And blogging from my phone is hard. I do hope everyone will support David's new venture. I truly believe we are supposed to support those businesses in our area. My brother said it best just the other day. He said, "People say the 4-lane is killing McKenzie. But it's not. People are killing McKenzie when they choose to go other places." Smart man, my brother.
Have I blogged about the spring competition season at Greenville Gymnastics? Lots of kids doing lots of amazing things. Grace competed with several other gymnasts in our very first Level 1 team. They were just the sweetest little girls. Other girls competed Level 3 and Prep Ops. We had so much fun--and stayed sooooo busy! And Ashley--sweet Ashley--competed in her last meet. I think it hit all of us at the same time. She is such and amazing young lady and a wonderful role model for our other gymnasts. More about that later. She deserves her own blog entry :)
Have I blogged about how I hate changing times? I mean, can't we just pick one and stick with it? It just messes up my whole schedule and body rhythm. And anybody that has, takes care of, or teaches small children can attest to the fact that changing the time and being expected to adjust in one day does evil things to a little person. Heck, it does evil things to a grown person! And why in the world, if time is going to change, can time not change on Saturday morning instead of Sunday morning? We would at least have the whole weekend to adjust. But nooooooo! One day. That's it. I vote no.
And now, the real reason for the title of this entry. I may have to explain a little. Those of you close to me know that three years ago, Robert died in a car accident. I was so devastated--there is truly nothing to prepare a person for losing a child. Even though I've always considered myself a strong person (albeit with leaky eyes), that tragedy just really took rug out from under me. I remember sobbing uncontrollably on Daddy the day after the accident and saying that I would have thought I could be stronger. I'll never forget what he said: "It would take a mighty big oak not to bend in a wind like this." Whenever I find myself "leaking," I think about what Daddy said, and I know it's ok to bend. I just have to be willing to get back up when the "storm" is over. One thing I've found helps me get back up is the signs I believe I'm given all along.
The day of Robert's funeral, March 1, it snowed. SNOWED. In south Alabama. Robbie walked out on the back porch, snow swirling all around him, and said, "Well, hello, Robert." For the next two years, snow occured at unusual times. I feel with all my heart that the snow was for me...a sign from above. So this year I waited for snow. I was quietly sad when it didn't snow around Christmas. Around the three-year anniversary in February, I got concerned because there was still NO MENTION of snow. Then the anniversary of his funeral came. I think everybody wore shorts. People were going to the beach. No snow. I was beyond disappointed.
But then, just the other day, Carsyn and I were outside playing, and I glimpsed something -- a sign! Right after Robert died, we turned his basketball court into an arbor. Not wanting anything ever to happen to the precious memories we had there, we put up a swing and moved the kids toys over there. Vicki ran across some azaleas and brought them home to plant in the trees near the arbor. But it snowed on them for two years and I thought they had died. But this year, for the first time since they were planted, this is what happened:
Carsyn must surely have thought I had lost my mind. Who else dissolves into a puddly mess over blooming azaleas? Words cannot express the incredible peace and comfort those sweet blooms gave me. So I didn't get my snow; I got a surprise that was just as beautiful and maybe a different kind of sign. Those beautiful blooms gave me just a peek at what gorgeousness Robert is experiencing now, not in the cold world of snow, but in the warm garden of God's presence.
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Talk About Totally Random...
Let me just say to start this whole thing off that I have a lot going on here. Some of it has to do with things that have been happening-- you know, the normal (or not so) goings on of life.
Other things are my very personal opinions about things. I've always told my school kids not to ask me something if they don't want to know the truth. I don't have a Krispy Kreme sign over my head. I don't know how or have a desire to learn how to sugarcoat the truth. It's just not me.
So fair warning-- You may not want to read past this point. If you do, please remember that these are MY thoughts and MY opinions. I have no desire to be talked out of either :)
So anyway...
1. I can't talk. Seriously. My voice is gone. I don't feel really bad...just can't talk. In some ways this is a plus. The girls at the gym are very quiet because -- well, they have to be if they want to hear me :) But Carsyn is a different story. She SCREAMS at me because she doesn't like my new quietness. This frustration, on top of her cold and ear infection and a cough medicine that has her so hyper she can't stand it, has led to A LOT of screaming!!! I thought it was funny the other day when Mama called me on the house phone--the house phone, now-- and told me I needed to move around because she could hear only every other word. Not the phone, Mama. That was me :)
2. We have the sweetest little gymnasts competing right now! And they are doing so well!!! It's just so fun to see them at such a young age learning about being a team and cheering each other on. And we learn lots of things!! Funny story from today: One of our little girls announced that she has a boyfriend-- a wonderful boyfriend--one who NEVER does anything wrong. He doesn't even dig in the garbage!! Ha!
3. I think that people need to have some kind of wake up call about the clothes they wear. And the underwear they wear. This observation comes after several trips to Wal Mart. NOTE: Just because something is hanging on the rack and you have the money to buy it does not mean it will look good on you!! I almost wonder if, instead of a Wal Mart greeter, there needs to be someone at the door to make sure people look presentable. Now listen, I'm not talking about the man who's been working and comes in to pick up something, or the couple who are painting their house and need one more gallon of paint. I'm talking about the woman wearing white shorts (in February) with a lime green thong.Or the man shopping in Scooby Doo pajama pants. Or the girl walking around in flip flops with filthy toenails. I believe underwear and pajamas need to have a notice attached to the price tag: NOTICE--This item is sold with the intention of being hidden underneath other clothing or worn only at home. But then, that probably wouldn't help either. You just can't fix ... well, you know.
4. Now, I may step on toes here. Refer to paragraph #3 if you start getting angry. Or, you could quit reading. No difference to me...
First of all, there are many good things about Facebook. I am able to stay in touch with friends, family, and former students. I have a business page that allows those same people and others to order items from me--a free advertising page. I learn of prayer requests, events, and praise reports through Facebook. But Facebook is NOT the place to play out your relationship drama. I should not have to explain that statement. Over and over I see people declaring undying love for a person or expressing the blessings God has given them through their family. Those same people can, in less than a day, declare said Love of My Life the spawn of Satan and curse the mother they have been given. Really? Seriously? You know the things you write and the pictures you post ... they cannot be permanently removed. What? You didn't know that? Uh oh...
And speaking of pictures... OhMyGumdrops!!! I cannot BELIEVE some of the pictures I see. Most (but not all) of the pictures I speak of are posted by younger people. I understand there may be a maturity issue, but really, somebody needs to speak out about this. Let's say that somebody posts a picture of a couple kissing. Now that doesn't sound too bad. A friend caught a random shot of a sweet kiss. Or a photographer shared a picture of a wedding or an engagement picture. But no...that's not what I mean. You post a picture that YOU take yourself of said kiss. How does that happen, exactly? I mean, how into the kiss are you really if you are, at the same time, trying to hold your phone at just the right angle to get the picture? And if it doesn't turn out, or you cut your head off, what then? "Oh, wow, that didn't work. Let's try again." And if you DO get the picture, do you really want all your family and friends to see you with a tongue rammed down your throat? Just a thought, people: if those around you and the love of your life can't tell how you feel about each other without seeing physical evidence...well, you might want to reevaluate that relationship. You are welcome to disagree (refer to paragraph #3), but, just so you know, I'm right about this.
I believe that is all right now. Next time I may get on my soapbox about something else...or I may share a really good recipe. Who knows?
Other things are my very personal opinions about things. I've always told my school kids not to ask me something if they don't want to know the truth. I don't have a Krispy Kreme sign over my head. I don't know how or have a desire to learn how to sugarcoat the truth. It's just not me.
So fair warning-- You may not want to read past this point. If you do, please remember that these are MY thoughts and MY opinions. I have no desire to be talked out of either :)
So anyway...
1. I can't talk. Seriously. My voice is gone. I don't feel really bad...just can't talk. In some ways this is a plus. The girls at the gym are very quiet because -- well, they have to be if they want to hear me :) But Carsyn is a different story. She SCREAMS at me because she doesn't like my new quietness. This frustration, on top of her cold and ear infection and a cough medicine that has her so hyper she can't stand it, has led to A LOT of screaming!!! I thought it was funny the other day when Mama called me on the house phone--the house phone, now-- and told me I needed to move around because she could hear only every other word. Not the phone, Mama. That was me :)
2. We have the sweetest little gymnasts competing right now! And they are doing so well!!! It's just so fun to see them at such a young age learning about being a team and cheering each other on. And we learn lots of things!! Funny story from today: One of our little girls announced that she has a boyfriend-- a wonderful boyfriend--one who NEVER does anything wrong. He doesn't even dig in the garbage!! Ha!
3. I think that people need to have some kind of wake up call about the clothes they wear. And the underwear they wear. This observation comes after several trips to Wal Mart. NOTE: Just because something is hanging on the rack and you have the money to buy it does not mean it will look good on you!! I almost wonder if, instead of a Wal Mart greeter, there needs to be someone at the door to make sure people look presentable. Now listen, I'm not talking about the man who's been working and comes in to pick up something, or the couple who are painting their house and need one more gallon of paint. I'm talking about the woman wearing white shorts (in February) with a lime green thong.Or the man shopping in Scooby Doo pajama pants. Or the girl walking around in flip flops with filthy toenails. I believe underwear and pajamas need to have a notice attached to the price tag: NOTICE--This item is sold with the intention of being hidden underneath other clothing or worn only at home. But then, that probably wouldn't help either. You just can't fix ... well, you know.
4. Now, I may step on toes here. Refer to paragraph #3 if you start getting angry. Or, you could quit reading. No difference to me...
First of all, there are many good things about Facebook. I am able to stay in touch with friends, family, and former students. I have a business page that allows those same people and others to order items from me--a free advertising page. I learn of prayer requests, events, and praise reports through Facebook. But Facebook is NOT the place to play out your relationship drama. I should not have to explain that statement. Over and over I see people declaring undying love for a person or expressing the blessings God has given them through their family. Those same people can, in less than a day, declare said Love of My Life the spawn of Satan and curse the mother they have been given. Really? Seriously? You know the things you write and the pictures you post ... they cannot be permanently removed. What? You didn't know that? Uh oh...
And speaking of pictures... OhMyGumdrops!!! I cannot BELIEVE some of the pictures I see. Most (but not all) of the pictures I speak of are posted by younger people. I understand there may be a maturity issue, but really, somebody needs to speak out about this. Let's say that somebody posts a picture of a couple kissing. Now that doesn't sound too bad. A friend caught a random shot of a sweet kiss. Or a photographer shared a picture of a wedding or an engagement picture. But no...that's not what I mean. You post a picture that YOU take yourself of said kiss. How does that happen, exactly? I mean, how into the kiss are you really if you are, at the same time, trying to hold your phone at just the right angle to get the picture? And if it doesn't turn out, or you cut your head off, what then? "Oh, wow, that didn't work. Let's try again." And if you DO get the picture, do you really want all your family and friends to see you with a tongue rammed down your throat? Just a thought, people: if those around you and the love of your life can't tell how you feel about each other without seeing physical evidence...well, you might want to reevaluate that relationship. You are welcome to disagree (refer to paragraph #3), but, just so you know, I'm right about this.
I believe that is all right now. Next time I may get on my soapbox about something else...or I may share a really good recipe. Who knows?
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
A Day in the Life of...ME
You know the deal about my taking some time off to keep Carsyn, right?
And you also know about my new sewing venture, right?
Are you're aware that I thought those two jobs might mesh? Ha!!
To be fair, they do sometimes...for a few minutes. I have learned to listen to her; if I ask if we can go sew and so vehemently says "Uh uh, uh uh, uh," well, we don't go. That's because I figured out a while ago that she MEANS it when she says "uh uh."
I have also learned that Mondays are readjustment days. She needs time to get acclimated to the "Mama and Daddy are at work and I'm staying somewhere else" schedule.
Some days are good, though...like today. She (surprisingly) said yes, we could go sew. Well, maybe she didn't say it, but she nodded really hard. Nodded up and down, not sideways. I took this as a good sign. As I always do, I asked what she wanted to take with her. That's where things got weird.
Carsyn wanted to take her little kitchen, a box full of play food and dishes, and a baby. I had to have my computer, some fabric and dresses I had bought, and, of course, Carsyn. It was quite the trick to get all of her toys, my supplies, and her somehow in my hands and head out.
Once we got there, she wanted the sewing machines rearranged. I had moved my small machines when one of the tables was needed elsewhere, but today she let me know that she wanted those back in the open living area of the Den of Stitches. That way she can play, I can sew, and we can see each other. You might wonder how she convinced me to do the moving. Maybe I should have taken a picture of the face-down position of the floor with both hands beating the ground. That would have explained. So I moved. We should be good, right? Right.
Until Bubble Puppy was turned into a frog by the witch. Another trauma.
And then the baby doll fell out of the chair. Horrors.
And the size 5 jeans she insisted on wearing wouldn't stay up. Terrible situation.
So we came back for nummy nummy. What? You don't know what nummy nummy is?
nummy nummy (noun) -- food, drink, or cup; may refer to a "real food" or a snack.
(adj)--the description of how said food, drink, cup, or snack tastes
Complete peace took over while she ate...for 8 minutes. As she threw her next hissy fit (and it was a doozie--you don't need the definition for that, do you?) I asked if she was ready to rock rock. And she said "Tease!!" That means "please" for those of you who have forgotten how to translate. So we did. And she was out in 3 minutes.
And these are the days of my life :)
And you also know about my new sewing venture, right?
Are you're aware that I thought those two jobs might mesh? Ha!!
To be fair, they do sometimes...for a few minutes. I have learned to listen to her; if I ask if we can go sew and so vehemently says "Uh uh, uh uh, uh," well, we don't go. That's because I figured out a while ago that she MEANS it when she says "uh uh."
I have also learned that Mondays are readjustment days. She needs time to get acclimated to the "Mama and Daddy are at work and I'm staying somewhere else" schedule.
Some days are good, though...like today. She (surprisingly) said yes, we could go sew. Well, maybe she didn't say it, but she nodded really hard. Nodded up and down, not sideways. I took this as a good sign. As I always do, I asked what she wanted to take with her. That's where things got weird.
Carsyn wanted to take her little kitchen, a box full of play food and dishes, and a baby. I had to have my computer, some fabric and dresses I had bought, and, of course, Carsyn. It was quite the trick to get all of her toys, my supplies, and her somehow in my hands and head out.
Once we got there, she wanted the sewing machines rearranged. I had moved my small machines when one of the tables was needed elsewhere, but today she let me know that she wanted those back in the open living area of the Den of Stitches. That way she can play, I can sew, and we can see each other. You might wonder how she convinced me to do the moving. Maybe I should have taken a picture of the face-down position of the floor with both hands beating the ground. That would have explained. So I moved. We should be good, right? Right.
Until Bubble Puppy was turned into a frog by the witch. Another trauma.
And then the baby doll fell out of the chair. Horrors.
And the size 5 jeans she insisted on wearing wouldn't stay up. Terrible situation.
So we came back for nummy nummy. What? You don't know what nummy nummy is?
nummy nummy (noun) -- food, drink, or cup; may refer to a "real food" or a snack.
(adj)--the description of how said food, drink, cup, or snack tastes
Complete peace took over while she ate...for 8 minutes. As she threw her next hissy fit (and it was a doozie--you don't need the definition for that, do you?) I asked if she was ready to rock rock. And she said "Tease!!" That means "please" for those of you who have forgotten how to translate. So we did. And she was out in 3 minutes.
And these are the days of my life :)
Monday, February 20, 2012
Monthly Catch-up
You do NOT have to remind me that I was supposed to post more often.
I've been busy. Really busy. Super Really Busy.
We are doing Prep Op competions at the gym and have started a Level 1 group. We decided to let a few of them compete this spring (more for us than them--we needed to go and watch and evaluate).
Grace is competing this spring, and she and Claire went to Planet in Mobile with us. So sweet! So funny! So enlightening!!!
the boys got dinosaur shirts...
I've been busy. Really busy. Super Really Busy.
We are doing Prep Op competions at the gym and have started a Level 1 group. We decided to let a few of them compete this spring (more for us than them--we needed to go and watch and evaluate).
Grace is competing this spring, and she and Claire went to Planet in Mobile with us. So sweet! So funny! So enlightening!!!
They had a blast!!
Emily, Anna, and Jami won the first place team award at the Planet meet. Sweet Hollan is their biggest cheerleader :)
Sydney and Mary Avery are competing at the Silver level...little gym monkeys :)
Faith is competing Level 3 and is doing an awesome job!
Ashley and Anna Blake did a great job too, but I didn't get a picture :( What was I thinking!
And I've been making these...
and these...
and birthday outfits,,,
I have no idea why this one is turned :(
Carsyn got a pedicure...
Kaylee got a manicure...
the boys got dinosaur shirts...
and this cute little outfit is Grace's.
This is only a peek at what all has been going on here. And that's what has kept me from posting...just so you know!
Sunday, January 15, 2012
The Paint Is On...
Back before Thanksgiving, we started renovations on Children's Church. Vicki offered to paint. This was supposed to be quick. Two weekends at most. Seriously.
Once we got into it we realized that some work that required carpentry skills far above our poor power. Mistake #1: We started this thing during deer season. What were we THINKING!! Then the holidays...Thanksgiving...Christmas...New Year's. Took forever to get everything done.
Since November, we have had Children's Church in Aunt Patsy's Sunday School room . She very graciously invited us to move in. But you know, we just all need a place to call our own, right?
So this weekend (a three-day weekend for Vicki), we started painting. Friday Robbie, Carsyn, and I went to get paint, rollers, drop cloths, brushes...all the "stuff" we would need. And Saturday morning I met Vicki there and we got our paint on. We got it on the walls. We got it on the floor. We got it on ourselves. And the place looks good!!! It looks even more amazing after we went this afternoon and put the second coat on. Who knew the second coat would go soooooo much faster!!
The painting marathon was not without excitement. I'll share a little:
There is a staircase going down to Children's Church that really needed some tender loving care. We decided to paint those walls. We didn't think about that the highest part of the ceiling would be at the lowest point on the stairs. We had one pole to extend the roller, but still we couldn't quite reach. So we used a little stool on the stairs. Hush. We know now that was stupid, but we were desperate. First I was on it and Vicki was below me on the stairs. I can honestly say that I only wanted to reach just one.more.inch. And WHOOP there it is!! The stool flew out from under me, my feet went flying, I don't know where the brush went, and Vicki put one hand out --not sure what she was doing but it was the thought that counted.
So Vicki decided to climb up. Judging from previous experience, I decided to stand behind her and hold on. Sure enough, here she went! But no worries--I had such a tight grip on her t shirt that she practically bungee jumped. You know, she just rebounded. I'm telling you, it was the one more inch thing both times!
We are both so glad Lauren wasn't there to witness either mishap. She would have had to go to the emergency room, and that would have prolonged this thing. Poor thing, Lauren just cannot handle seeing a fall. It just sends her into gales of laughter!
We are far from done, but let me tell you and the universe I AM HAVING CHILDREN'S CHURCH IN THAT ROOM NEXT SUNDAY.
Unless God has other plans, of course.
Which I will, of course, try to talk him out of.
Somehow.
Once we got into it we realized that some work that required carpentry skills far above our poor power. Mistake #1: We started this thing during deer season. What were we THINKING!! Then the holidays...Thanksgiving...Christmas...New Year's. Took forever to get everything done.
Since November, we have had Children's Church in Aunt Patsy's Sunday School room . She very graciously invited us to move in. But you know, we just all need a place to call our own, right?
So this weekend (a three-day weekend for Vicki), we started painting. Friday Robbie, Carsyn, and I went to get paint, rollers, drop cloths, brushes...all the "stuff" we would need. And Saturday morning I met Vicki there and we got our paint on. We got it on the walls. We got it on the floor. We got it on ourselves. And the place looks good!!! It looks even more amazing after we went this afternoon and put the second coat on. Who knew the second coat would go soooooo much faster!!
The painting marathon was not without excitement. I'll share a little:
There is a staircase going down to Children's Church that really needed some tender loving care. We decided to paint those walls. We didn't think about that the highest part of the ceiling would be at the lowest point on the stairs. We had one pole to extend the roller, but still we couldn't quite reach. So we used a little stool on the stairs. Hush. We know now that was stupid, but we were desperate. First I was on it and Vicki was below me on the stairs. I can honestly say that I only wanted to reach just one.more.inch. And WHOOP there it is!! The stool flew out from under me, my feet went flying, I don't know where the brush went, and Vicki put one hand out --not sure what she was doing but it was the thought that counted.
So Vicki decided to climb up. Judging from previous experience, I decided to stand behind her and hold on. Sure enough, here she went! But no worries--I had such a tight grip on her t shirt that she practically bungee jumped. You know, she just rebounded. I'm telling you, it was the one more inch thing both times!
We are both so glad Lauren wasn't there to witness either mishap. She would have had to go to the emergency room, and that would have prolonged this thing. Poor thing, Lauren just cannot handle seeing a fall. It just sends her into gales of laughter!
We are far from done, but let me tell you and the universe I AM HAVING CHILDREN'S CHURCH IN THAT ROOM NEXT SUNDAY.
Unless God has other plans, of course.
Which I will, of course, try to talk him out of.
Somehow.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
The Pappy Is Gone...Now Here's How We Go to Sleep!
Carsyn has been devoted to her pappy. DEVOTED!! None of us were OCD about getting her off it at a particular moment in time, but we thought she would probably talk more if she didn't have it. We also thought (and prepared ourselves) that the experience would be ...ummm...traumatic. But lots of prayer and a reading of the Farmer's Almanac and some rather miraculous cooperation on Carsyn's part, and..........it's gone!
I'm not even going to try to convince anybody that she doesn't think about it. Occasionally she just has the sweetest look and points straight to her mouth. She'll even ask for it. In desperation, she even stuck a tiny, hard, baby doll pacifier in her mouth for a moment of relief. But even with all that sweetness, she has really done well giving it up -- COMPLETELY!
Now she's on to other means of satisfaction. This is her newest one:
I'm not even going to try to convince anybody that she doesn't think about it. Occasionally she just has the sweetest look and points straight to her mouth. She'll even ask for it. In desperation, she even stuck a tiny, hard, baby doll pacifier in her mouth for a moment of relief. But even with all that sweetness, she has really done well giving it up -- COMPLETELY!
Now she's on to other means of satisfaction. This is her newest one:
Yes, the doll wears a size larger than Carsyn does. All I know is, she loves that doll.
In other news, Kaylee turned 4! She's such a pretty little girl, and she bosses those boys around like crazy! She had a Hello Kitty birthday party. Here's a candy bowl I made for her table:
AND... I got the Christmas tree down. You have no idea how hard that was (with baby help). Robbie even said, "You didn't have Carsyn today? You did? How did you get the tree down?" Ha! Never underestimate the determination of ZiZi!! I had lots of help, but she mostly wanted the tree back UP.
She worked sooooo hard to get those lights back on!
Finally, just because it is just beyond adorable, I want to show you a precious birthday outfit. One etsy customer went out of her way to get her little girl a snowflake birthday suit. I found snowflake legwarmers, and Vicki and I put the tutu together while the machine hummed away.
And this outfit was born!!! How cute is that!
That is all. The End.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Is It 2012 Already??
Well, the Christmas holidays are over (I need to host the family for a meal again and let them take down the trees), and the New Year has arrived. I remember, when I was little, knowing for sure the world would not be here by the time we had to write 2000, and here it is 12 years later! Wow!
The year 2011 was such a huge variety of emotions and events:
I can't possibly remember everything, but I AM making some New Year's resolutions:
Happy New Year!!!
**Additonal News and Resolutions:
1. I got the tree down--WITH Carsyn "helping" (putting the lights back on as fast as I could get them off).
2. I resolve to remember to hit the PUBLISH POST button (been several days since I wrote this post!)
The year 2011 was such a huge variety of emotions and events:
- I decided to take some time off school to help with baby sitting and because I felt a need to be more available for Pam and Kenny.
- Kenny moved to the best of all places.
- Our gymnastics team (level 3) placed 1st in the state meet.
- My sewing business took off like CRAZY (thanks goodness).
- We were able to spend lots of time with all our babies (older and younger).
- Both sets of our parents had a wonderfully healthy year.
- All our children and grands had a wonderfully healthy year.
- Santa Claus came even though I thought I was going to sew straight through Christmas.
- I found out that holidays are still hard (Every day is, actually. Miss my BoBo soooo much).
- We started some renovation work on Childen's Church (It's amazing how much I have missed that basement).
- We opened CHRISTMAS presents OUTSIDE on the arbor in 77 degree weather-- and the weather dropped to below freezing for the next two nights!
- I made Sugar Cookie Truffles and Lemon-Lime Sugar Cookie Truffles, Rolls, and Peanut Butter Bites BY MYSELF!!!
I can't possibly remember everything, but I AM making some New Year's resolutions:
- Blog more often
- Shop earlier
- Get more organized
- Save more money
- Be healthier
- Clean more effectively (must be linked to Get More Organized)
- Go on more "dates" with Robbie
- Create something -- or some part of something-- every day
- Pray more
- Read more
- Be a positive influence
- Build a better relationship with my stove
Happy New Year!!!
**Additonal News and Resolutions:
1. I got the tree down--WITH Carsyn "helping" (putting the lights back on as fast as I could get them off).
2. I resolve to remember to hit the PUBLISH POST button (been several days since I wrote this post!)
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