I've been licked by a zebra.

And here's the photographic proof. On Saturday the in-laws treated our family to a few hilarious hours at the Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch. It's a drive-thru "safari" where you can roll down the windows and feed the animals. I asked Kevin to get a picture of me with a zebra in the background, but my jokester father-in-law held up a food pellet right by my head. Kevin captured my expression just as the zebra huffed and licked me in it's quest for the pellet. I named this one Hally Tosis for his rather offensive breath.



We also were highly entertained by the ostriches, which were rather aggressive and actually pecked at our windows begging for food. This is Buckbeak. Again, I retain the right to name any animal that breathes on me.

The ABC's of Homemaking

I've really been struggling with feeling like a maid lately. It seems that my entire existence consists of cleaning, laundry, cooking, and stain removal of all kinds. I'm no domestic diva, but I thought I would share my insights and opinions about housekeeping. Thanks to More Cowbell for the idea.

Aprons? - I have quite a collection, but I never wear them. I'm actually a rather neat cook unless I'm dealing with chocolate. But I do have a favorite apron. Kendra made it at preschool and it proclaims that I am, indeed, the world's greatest mommy.

Baking? - I love to bake. I'm a super-geeky baker. I actually weigh my flour for certain recipes because it's so much more accurate than scooping.

Clothesline? - Not a clothesline, per se, but I do drip dry several blouses, sweaters, and other unmentionables. I would never hang clothes outside, though, because with my luck a bird would poop on them.

Dusting? - I'm a little neurotic about dusting. I love my microfiber cloths and use those to quick dust. I use damp rags on the blinds and most of the furniture. I use every attachment on the vacuum to dust behind furniture. I really like to dust.

Everyday - One homemaking thing you do everyday? - Wash dishes. That's pretty much it. I don't make my bed every day. I don't do laundry every day. Heck, I don't even shower every day. But dishes? They're neverending.

Freezer - Do you have a separate deep freezer? - Not a deep freezer, but we have a second fridge in the garage. It doesn't work very well so I try to not keep much in it! Things tends to melt slightly and then refreeze. Not very safe, but nobody's gotten food poisoning yet!

Garbage Disposal? - Yes! I take great joy in shoving things down the disposal. Today I made key lime tarts and I happily put the rinds of 5 limes down there. My sink smelled yummy.

Handbook? - A handbook for what? Cleaning? Not really, although I've read Queen of Clean and a few other "housewife" type books. A handbook for parenting? Tons, but we've yet to decide which route we're actually on. A handbook for life in general? That would be the Bible, my friends.

Ironing? - I try to save it for my mom, who loves to iron. She lives 1400 miles away and visits twice a year. And that's pretty much how often things get ironed around here. The only exception is if I'm sewing something. Then I'll iron a seam or hem.

Junk Drawer? - I abhor junk. I have neatly organized drawers that house a variety of things, but I refuse to have any junk in the house. Drives me nuts to own things that don't have an assigned purpose.

Kitchen - Design and decorating? - The walls are Builders Beige, just like the rest of the house (although we're painting in the near future). My decorating is seasonal, and I try to change the accessories based on the weather. I have summer dishes and winter dishes that go with the summer chair pads and winter chair pads. And that's my extent of decorating.

Love - What is your favorite part of homemaking? - I love a clean house, but I can't say I actually love any aspect of homemaking. I'm an organizational freak, but that's more of an obsessive/compulsive thing than an act of love.

Mopping? - I do not mop; I FloorMate. Mopping is gross since you're just wetting the dirt and moving it around. But FloorMating? (Yes, it's a verb.) That actually sucks up the dirty floor water! It's brilliant! OK, maybe this is what I love -- the joy of pouring out the dirty FloorMate water and knowing that all that filth is no longer on my floors.
Kevin mops, by the way. We have a loose agreement that I handle everything from the ankles up, and he handles everything ankles down. He loves to vacuum and he mops almost every week. And, God bless him, he actually dries the floors with a towel.

Nylons - Wash by hand or in the washer? - Nylons? Can't say I've worn them since our wedding. I'm exaggerating, of course, but the last time I went to put on nylons I found that they were all so old that the elastic was shot in every single pair. And I hadn't even opened the boxes on most of them! When I do wash the occasional pair of Spanx, I use a lingerie bag in the washer and then let them drip dry.

Oven - Do you use the window or open it to check? - Open to check. The window is so filthy that it is hardly an accurate gauge on how the food is cooking. Of course, my oven isn't even working properly right now. Every night is a crap shoot on whether I'll cook something edible. Tonight's dinner didn't fare so well. I really need a new oven. If you'd like to donate to my oven fund, I accept Paypal.

Products - What cleaning products do you use? - I've got quite a list of favorite products. Best invention of the decade, hands down, is Lysol Wipes. I prefer them to Clorox Wipes which leave a sticky residue. But I use Lysol Wipes all over the bathroom, kitchen, and even to shine my shoes. Best invention of the 90s would have to be OxiClean. Man, that stuff is amazing.
Other products I can't live without? Comet or Ajax with bleach for the sink. Cascade powder with lemon. Sno-Bol. Mr. Clean erasing sponges for the walls. Scrubby sponges (the gentle kind) for my kitchen counters and dishes. Windex. Lysol for the counters and floors. Dawn dishwashing detergent. Liquid Tide with bleach alternative. I'm very loyal to my brands! No generic cleaners for me.

Quiet - What do you do during the day when you get a quiet moment? - Check my email or waste time online. That's during the day. At night I read or do logic puzzles.

Recipe card box? - I have a three-ring binder. I have a template on my computer for recipes so I can format them and print them out. Then they go into my binder in a plastic protective cover. Did I mention that I'm obsessive/compulsive?
I also have a fairly large collection of cookbooks. The two I can't live without are the America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook, which is 1200 pages long, and my good ole' Better Homes and Gardens cookbook with the traditional red cover. I'm a fan of Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa cookbooks and the supersized Southern Living cookbook, too. My biggest disappointment has been all my crock-pot cookbooks. I've never found a crock-pot recipe that I really love.

Style of house? - Kind of colonial. Two story red-brick with big white columns. It doesn't match the neighborhood, but we sure like it.

Tablecloths and napkins? - With three small kids? We use vinyl tablecloths even though I think they're tacky. And cheap paper napkins, but I'll break out the good paper napkins for company.

Under the kitchen sink? - A whole lot of cleaning supplies and two huge boxes of Latex gloves. I can't stand to touch raw meat, so I wear gloves when I make hamburgers.

Vacuum - How many times a week? Usually just once, sometimes twice. Kevin vacuums 90 percent of the time. I try not to look down very often.

Wash - How many loads do you do a week? - I don't count. It's a neverending, continual thing. Maybe eight loads a week? I truly don't know.

X's - Do you keep a list of things to do and cross them off? - Only lists of errands and things to buy. I don't keep a to-do list of household tasks because that would just add to my stress level.

Yard - Who does what? - I am absolutely, positively NOT allowed to touch Kevin's lawn mower. It was in our pre-nup. My extend of yard work consists of occasionally watering the potted plants and trees. And sometimes I remember to fertilize the potted plants, but only when they look really bad.

ZZZ's - What is your last homemaking task for the day? Does throwing my clothes on the bathroom floor count? Honestly, I pretty much shut down after the kids are in bed. I try not to do housework at night, so making dinner is usually the last job of the day for me. I don't even do the dishes at night. The clattering bothers me after a long day, and I like working in a sunny kitchen so I usually do dishes in the morning.

Hey, It's Franklin

It's Saturday and the kids and I have been cleaning house all day. Kendra opened the front door to go get the mail, and suddenly I heard shrieks. I ran to the front door as Kendra was screaming, "There's a turtle!" Shore 'nuf, there was a turtle on our front porch, just wandering aimlessly in a Grapes of Wrath kind of way.
The million dollar question: Is it somebody's pet or is it wild? We live in an awfully dry, rocky part of town, and don't turtles like creeks and wetlands? All I know is that we're not adopting this one. We've made signs to put up at the exits of our neighborhood. Hopefully somebody will claim it. If not, Kevin will be assigned to release the turtle at the closest creek.
If blogs had sound, I would upload the horrifically creepy scratching sound that the turtle's nails are making as he tries to climb out of the cardboard box. I'm getting the willies just thinking about it.

Allergy Epiphany

We're all suffering through cedar season right now, and I would just like to point out that the word snot, reversed, spells the word tons. Lowbrow humor or literary truism -- you decide. All I know is that we've gone through a Costco-sized multi-pack of tissues this month.

And in an update to my previous post, I had no idea that a new double oven with convection would cost around $2,000. Talk about sticker shock. As a result, I'm taking my husband's advice and using the "see-if-your-hand-gets-burned" method of cooking right now. And I put a cheap oven thermometer on the rack so at least I'll have some idea of how to calibrate the temperature. At least I'm not cooking on an open fire with a cast iron kettle.

Top Chef

My electronic panel on my oven has gone completely black, the oven is taking twice as long to cook things as it should, and the convection feature died several years ago. I'm a little concerned about the safety of cooking food when the temperature doesn't seem to be getting much hotter than the girls' Easy Bake Oven. And, considering I had to replace the electronic panel three years ago and it only has a 90-day warranty, I'm leaning toward just buying a brand new oven. Kevin, on the other hand, thinks I should be able to adjust my recipes to make the oven last a little longer. An excerpt of our most recent conversation:

Me: How can I cook if I don't know what temperature the oven is at?
Kevin: You know what numbers you've punched into the panel, right?
Me: The panel is black. I don't even know if the oven is on anymore.
Kevin: Can't you just stick your hand in there and see if it gets burned?

And on that note, I'll be visiting the Factory Builder Store this week to buy myself a new double oven with convection and a panel that has an extended warranty. There goes my hard-earned eBay money...

February Funk

I'm recognizing a few patterns in my life. I get overcommitteed because the word "no" is difficult for me to say. I manage to get through highly-stressful times, although my family suffers a little due to my sleep-deprived grumpiness. And when the deadlines are over, I turn into a sloth. For days.

Right now I'm recovering from a massive eBay sale that sucked two weeks from my life. I also had a massive stamping show in Houston last weekend that required me to plan and prepare 10 projects. I want to be in sloth mode, but I'm currently scrambling to finish a massive proofreading project for my sister. And I have another massive 10-project stamping thing at my house next Tuesday. The theme here is massive, as in coronary.

Couple all that with allergies, a sick Caelyn, a disgusting amount of laundry, a broken oven, a broken toilet, and the daily demands of life, and I'm running on adrenaline 90 percent of the time. Does this count as my aerobic activity for the week?

I know there's a lesson in all this. I just don't have time to process it right now.

Timothy Kyler

The bravest person I've ever known has gone to be with the Lord. Timothy was a 13-year-old boy at our church who battled cancer for 5 years. I got to know the family a little when their youngest daughter, Rebekah, was in my 3-year-old Sunday School class. Rebekah told me many times about her "bubba" and how he was sick. My heart goes out to her as I know she is missing her bubba today.

I don't have the words to express how wonderful Timothy's spirit was during this whole ordeal. I'm just going to reprint what his dad wrote in a recent email. This was written during Timothy's final stay in the hospital.

Thursday, 1/25/07, 10:00am: Timothy is awake and fairly alert, eating breakfast with shaky hands, needing very little assistance. Over the next minute or two, as he, Kay Ann, and I are talking, Timothy's body slowly—but steadily—slumps, his thoughts and words drift, his voice shakes, he speech becomes slurred. His spoon flails aimlessly at the mashed potatoes he's trying to eat. Suddenly his eyes roll slightly in two different directions and his head lists far to one side. I rise from my chair, take the spoon from his hand, gently press my cheek against his, and whisper some calming words—hopefully a lifeline of reality and assurance he can hang onto. In the minute or so that follows, my emotions begin to swell and I tell Timothy (as I have so many times before) how much we love him and are proud of him. No response. My emotions continue to swell. I tighten my hug, press the check just a bit more and whisper some "sweet nothings" into Timothy's ears. Still no response. I say, "Timothy, are you coherent?" Seconds pass without a response. I say again, "Timothy are you coherent?". After a few more seconds, eyes still closed, head still listing, Timothy responds, "Piiiiink Flamiiiiiingos!" My cheek still pressed against his, I said "WHAT?" then I backed away to check out the bigger body language picture. At that, Timothy suddenly and literally bolted to life, eyes wide open and said, "HA! Just kidding! Got you, Dad!" The momentary fade was real. The recovery just as real. The final punchline... all Timothy.

Some verses about our heavenly destination have become dear over the past months. We learn specific things about life on the other side from Luke 16:19-31, Revelation 6:9-11, II Cor. 4:16-18 & 5:10, to list only a few. We've also been reading the book "Heaven" by Randy Alcorn and I strongly recommend you lay hold of a copy. There are many other verses about heaven we've shared together as a family and more specifically with Timothy. I'd like to share insights, but now is not the time.

I asked Timothy what words he would have for us should he be promoted. He thought for a moment, then replied, "See ya on the other side." We endure with joy our ministry for a few short years on this earth and look forward to meeting up with many of you "on the other side."

A most important footnote. Having spoken with him this morning, Timothy wants each of you to know, as he knows, the certainty of your salvation and position in heaven after death. In his words, it is "unacceptable for you not to join him someday for a reunion in heaven." At Timothy's' concurrence and for those of you who may not know for certain if heaven will someday be your permanent home, we encourage you lay hold of the free gift bought and paid by Jesus on the cross as is so well described in John 3:16 and other verses listed below.

If any truth has been gored into my soul through this trial, it is the absolute zero worthlessness of our ability to be righteous before God and earn heaven on the basis of our works. Take Timothy as an example. The suffering of the innocent for something he, from a parent's perspective, does not deserve. The cancer is deadly, the treatments (like our attempts to work our way to heaven), though well-meaning, ultimately bring hurt without cure. So as the chemo, such are our attempts to earn heaven. God has recognized the insufficiency of our works to achieve the standard of perfection for His heaven (Rom. 3:23).

Take Jesus—the only true innocent, out of love for His created mankind and need to atone for and cover sin, voluntarily humbling himself, becoming obedient to the suffering of the cross, momentarily forsaken while bearing the wrath of God, taking the full penalty of our sin on His broken body... that "whosoever believes on Him (His sacrificial work on the cross), should not perish, but have everlasting life."

Now imagine man's rejection of that painful, humiliating sacrifice to pursue a life of works to gain the favor of God and ultimate entrance to heaven. If I were Jesus (humanly speaking), I'd be hacked watching children I've created and loved, literally to death, ignoring the high price I just paid while trying to be good enough to earn heaven. It was the very fact that man was and is hopelessly lost in sin that Jesus decided to pay the penalty by death (Rom. 3:10-20 & Rom. 5:8).

Take a few minutes to read the following verses: John 3:16; John 5:24; John 6:40; Romans 3:9-28; Romans 5:8; Romans 6:23; Romans 10:1-10; Ephesians 2:8,9; Titus 3:5,6; II Cor. 5:21. Also, see I John 5:10-13. Note in verse 13 the ability of one to "know that you have eternal life." If you believe that God loved you so much that He gave Jesus to die on the cross for your sins, and you, by faith, by confession of your mouth by prayer (Romans 10:9), you may be assured of your position of heaven at death... thanks to Jesus. Free gift. Can't be earned, can't be lost. Accept the free gift today.

For the Love of Books

Yesterday I stumbled upon a fabulous website! It's called PaperbackSwap, and basically you "trade" books with other members.

I listed 10 books that I was willing to trade. By the end of the day, I had requests for three of them. I printed out labels (courtesy of the site), shoved them into padded envelopes (optional), and sent them on their merry way via the postal service. I get a free "credit" for every book I send, in addition to three credits just for signing up. So, I get to pick out 6 free books and have them sent to me free of charge! This is a book junkie's heaven.

Shameless Plug

The Amys and I are selling a load of our Stampin Up supplies on Ebay this week. Help us clear out our craft rooms!

Crises Averted

A quick update:

1) Kendra's teacher gave her full credit for her verse even though it was the wrong verse. Kendra still needs to memorize the right one because it will reappear later (as in sometime during her 11 additional years at SACS), but for now we're good.

2) I found Caelyn's baby book. And the funniest part is, Caelyn's is filled in more than Kendra's. Cute little photos and stickers and everything. It's amazing how a sleep-deprived mom can function in the moment and then forget everything. Of course, that's why we keep having children. If we remembered all the bad parts, nobody would have two.

3) I'm typing one-handed because I sliced the tip off my middle finger using my mandoline to cut carrots into perfectly thin discs. My thought just before this incident was, "I need to be careful when the carrot gets short." Ten seconds later I'm copiously bleeding. At least I'll know it will heal. I cut the tip off my thumb in the summer of '96 while cutting onions. My thought just before that incident? "Look at me, I'm just like Jacques Pepin!" Maybe I shouldn't think while I'm cooking.

4) Today was a "snow day" so the kids and I have been cooped up in the house. South Texas doesn't deal well when the temperature stays below 32 for more than an hour. Add some freezing rain and the whole city shuts down. We're pathetic, I know. I can hear my friends in Colorado and the Midwest laughing. I will say this: There actually is some ice accumulation today. I really wouldn't want to be driving right now. But my kids are going to be most bummed when they realize that they will have to make up their snow day at the end of May. It's not looking good for school to happen tomorrow, either.

I'm off to make some hot chocolate for the kids.

Mother of the Year

Yup, that's me, Mother of the Year. Actually, that would be Idiot Mother of the Year.

First, I had Kendra memorize the wrong verse for school this week. Not a huge deal since it's still the Word of God and we talked about the meaning of the verse. But, the poor kid got a zero on her Bible recitation today because her eejit of a mom wrote the wrong verse on the dry erase board this week.

Second, I screwed up by teaching Kendra's friend Madelyn the wrong verse, too, when she was at our house on Thursday. (Sorry, Amy! I sure hope you were able to re-teach her the correct verse before school on Friday.)

Third, I just realized that my second child doesn't have a baby book. Or maybe she does and I just have no clue where it is. I came across David's baby book today and realized that I've only filled in a few pages. Then I unearthed Kendra's which is quite detailed until she was 18 months and sweet Caelyn arrived. And then I spent an hour trying to remember if I had ever filled in baby book pages for Caelyn. And the sad, sad thing is -- I really can't remember. I have vague memories of thinking about what I might write in her book, but I'm not sure the words ever made it onto paper.

So, the guilt-ridden mom made a stop at Babies R Us tonight and picked out a super-cute, very girly baby book for my 5-1/2 year old daughter. Yup, that's me. Mother of the Year.

Kiddie Lit

I just finished my third book of the year. Thus far:

The Novelist by Angela Hunt. Not very memorable.
All She Ever Wanted by Lynn Austin. Great read. Chronicles the lives of three generations of women. Not preachy but lots to think about.
Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary. Loved it.

Yes, I read a children's book. Alone, to myself. Actually, I read kiddie lit books pretty often. I like to preview what my kids might read someday, for one. Also, I think most "children's" books weren't written toward children at all. The humor in Dear Mr. Henshaw is going to fly over most kids' heads, but I chuckled my way through.

Kiddie Lit isn't as sweet and pure and funny as it was when Cleary was writing. Yesterday at the library I came across a book called Visitation Day, which was about a child who has to ride a bus to visit her dad in prison. Is there a large market for prison fiction among children? Divorce fiction I can see, and I actually do see it a ton. Gay and lesbian kiddie lit is making a rise along with all the tolerance-type books. Which is why my kids have the complete Boxcar Children series and why I spend my freetime previewing children' literature.

The Last 24 Hours

I've never seen the show "24," so this isn't exactly an homage. Just info about my life the last 24 hours.

Monday, 1/1/07

17:00 Making dinner (leftovers plus a salad) and cranberry rolls for breakfast the next day. Kids are upstairs playing with neighbors but I'm about to enforce mandatory piano practice.
17:30 Neighbors leave and meltdowns begin. Kendra has a splinter that's been there all afternoon but she just now realizes hurts. Caelyn and David are fighting over a coloring book. Discipline Caelyn, who actually shows contrition. Listen to Kendra play piano song. Get dinner on the table.
18:00 Eat dinner with kids. (Kevin is still at the office, where he has been all day even though it's a national holiday.) Kendra wolfs down dinner as usual. Caelyn slowly eats but does it without complaining. She even remembers to eat her least-favorite item first. David refuses to eat and is told he will see the plate again at breakfast.
18:45 Send the girls to empty out all the wastebaskets, which results in them getting into a fight.
19:00 Usher kids upstairs and tackle the craft closet and table. Kendra wants to use the label maker to organize her craft cubby drawers. It takes forever and too much frustration, but manage to clear off craft table, set out necessary supplies, clean up closet, and throw away a load of junk.
20:00 Jammies on, teeth brushed, kids in bed. No stories tonight because the kids were dawdlers. Kevin arrives home milliseconds after the kids go to bed, so he sneaks in for kisses and hugs.
20:01 Laundry, dishes, the typical stuff. Also check current postings on eBay (I'm selling stuff this week.) Waste several hours playing computer games and watching the Rose Parade on Tivo.
22:00 Caelyn starts crying. She's still not feeling well. Kevin goes upstairs and takes care of her. He ends up falling asleep on the floor. I can hear his snoring over my TV.
23:45 Stumble into bed. Decide not to wake up Kevin.

Tuesday 1/2/07
03:00 or thereabouts Awakened by one of the girls. This is becoming a frequent occurrence. Either someone has had a bad dream or someone isn't feeling well or someone is just plain lonely. Kevin (who must have come to bed at some point) escorts her upstairs and returns to bed.
07:18 Awakened by David climbing into my bed, sucking his thumb and carrying his Bear Bear. The girls quickly follow and we have a snuggle fest. Demands for breakfast ensue, so I get out of bed and check the status. Kevin already put the cranberry rolls in the oven, so I whip up some eggs and wait for the rolls to brown.
07:30 Heat up David's dinner from last night. Remind him that he agreed to eat it today. Listen to him squawk and complain and try to negotiate. He eventually eats enough to earn eggs and rolls.
08:00 Take a shower, which is fabulous since I never got a chance to shower yesterday. Gross, I know, but sometimes it just doesn't happen. David visits me while I'm in the shower and babbles incoherently about something. I smile and nod; he runs off in his footed jammies. Use up all the hot water.
09:00 Discover that Kendra has been "helpful" and unloaded the dishwasher. Problem: The dishes weren't clean. Kendra feels bad but helps me locate the dirty dishes and reload the racks.
10:00 Finally head out the door and head toward Fantastic Sam's for Caelyn's haircut. Entertain David while waiting. Inform the stylist that one side is two inches shorter than the other. Give up and head home with a wet head. Fix Caelyn's hair, cursing the so-called professional as I lop off several uneven chunks.
11:30 Heat up bean and cheese tacos that Kendra has assembled. Eat something else while the kids eat the tacos.
12:30 Head to the library. David immediately befriends another boy named Sean, who convinces David that they should play monster. Repeatedly hush the boys as they roar at each other. Try to located Sean's mother but she's MIA. Pack up and check out.
13:00 Go to the playground across the parking lot. (Love that library!) Freeze my tush on a bench while the kids play. The kids want snacks, which I remembered (for once) to pack this morning. Dole out snacks and water and sit in car while kids play for a few more minutes. Head home.
13;30 Change a stinky diaper. Inform David that he's going to wear underwear for the rest of the day. Mentally calculate that I've changed more than 13,000 diapers over the last seven years at a cost of more than $3,000. Pray that David will decide to "get on the potty train," as he calls it.
14:00 Resume the tedious job of listing more junk on eBay. David and Caelyn get into yet another fight, so David is sent to his bed. He quickly falls asleep.
14:15 Make the girls write thank-you notes for their Christmas presents. Spell every other word.
14:30 The UPS man comes with a surprise package. I had bought a defective batch of diecut letters for the kids last month. I emailed the company and asked for a replacement. Today's shipment contained two more batches of letters plus three pairs of decorative scissors and 8 bottles of glitter. Quickly stash the glitter and get the girls started on making a poster for their bedroom door. Kendra makes the poster and Caelyn spends the time in the bathroom.
15:30 Thank-you notes and poster finished, the girls have earned some TV time. Turn on Noggin.
16:00 Wake up David and thank God that he didn't have an accident during his nap. Watch Franklin with everybody. Put dinner in the oven.
16:30 David begs for Blues Clues. Force him to visit the bathroom first. Praise him for his success. Reward him with Blue.
17:30 Dinner still isn't quite heated through. Drag kids away from TV and have them help in kitchen. Eat a happy, peaceful dinner. Even David eats all his spinach lasagna.
18:00 Bath time. Caelyn gets a shower. Kendra and David take a bath together. Smooth runnings.
18:45 Let the kids watch AFV because I need to cut layers into Caelyn's hair and this is the best way to get her to hold still.
19:15 Dry girls' hair. Lay out uniforms. Clean upstairs. Vacuum.
20:00 Kevin arrives home and tucks kids into bed. I head downstairs for -- you guessed it -- laundry, dishes, etc.
21:00 Hop on computer and tackle emails and other paperwork. Try to make a plan for tomorrow. Become stressed and decide to vent via blogging. And there you have it.

You know, as a kid I thought my life would be more glamorous than this.

Do I Get Combat Pay For This?

It's New Year's weekend, which means Kevin is at the office. It's no fun for him, but every year he rings in the new year staring at a spreadsheet. Something about the year-end financial report for all of USAA, and the bigwigs are breathing down his department's neck until it is finished. Kevin's silver lining is that he's receiving double-time since he's working on a holiday. My silver lining is that it's only a couple weekends out of the year, as opposed to a couple months of 80-hour weeks like it was when he worked for Arthur Andersen.

That said, all is not rosy on the homefront. I spent Friday night with a stomach bug. Today Caelyn seems to have caught the same thing, so I've spent most of the afternoon holding back her hair and listening to her recount every single time she's ever thrown up in her life. (She likes to verbally process while she's sick. My job is just to rub her back and say, "I know.")

So Happy New Year, everyone. I hope all my friends and family are having a grand time! I'll celebrate when school starts again.

Kid Quotes

David is fully resisting the idea of potty training. We had a semi-successful day today, but overall David's mantra has been, "I don't want to get on the potty train!" I guess he thinks it's a ride.

Also, at dinner tonight he said, "Excuse me, I burped in my bottom." You're probably smart enough to figure that one out.

Never Tried This One

My kids are getting past the WMD (Weapons of Mass Destruction) stage, but there were times that this technique would have been helpful! I can't tell you how many times they got into stuff in the pantry or my ink pads or other "no-touch" items while I was doing something else.

Please, don't send me comments saying this is child abuse. This child is obviously fine and probably wasn't there for more than a couple minutes. This is just a stickier version of a Baby Bjorn. Thanks to Blessed Assurances for sharing this image.

I Love the 80s

Last night was a surreal evening. Kevin's company had its annual "Holiday Party." Kevin works for USAA, the ginormous insurance company that employs 16,000 people locally. The company party is held downtown at the Convention Center because, really, where else can you have a party for thousands upon thousands of people?

Here's the fun part: They hired the classic 80s rock group Foreigner to perform. Seriously. We got to listen and sing and laugh hysterically for over an hour to such classic Foreigner hits as "Feels Like the First Time" and "Jukebox Baby" and "Urgent." Highly entertaining.

Oh, The Places I've Been!

For no reason whatsoever, I made a map of every state I've visited. Never mind that some of those visits were merely drive-thrus on my way to or from college. The point is: I've been there. I've been to an extremely nice Target in Albuquerque, I've eaten at Molly Murphy's House of Fine Repute in Oklahoma City (where later that night my car was broken into), and I've been to the airport in Newark, New Jersey, on my way to New York City. And that's enough New Jersey for me.

Someday I'd like to head up to Ohio to see some friends. I really want to do a tour of American authors' home in the Northeast. Someday...



create your own visited states map

How Good is Your Grammar?

Your Language Arts Grade: 100%

Way to go! You know not to trust the MS Grammar Check and you know "no" from "know." Now, go forth and spread the good word (or at least, the proper use of apostrophes).

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I'm Thankful For...

Thanksgiving is almost over, and the last 48 hours have been quite an adventure. We made it to Houston safely although we had to make a few extra stops for our kids who weren't feeling well. When we arrived, Caelyn took a speedy turn downhill and visited the bathroom a dozen times in the first two hours. Noreen unearthed some anti-diarrheal medicine, but I noticed that it had expired in 1997 so I opted to send Kevin to Walgreens. Caelyn later perked up, but then she got a fever and her other symptoms continued. Now David's sick with a pretty high fever, too. The poor guy took three naps today. Kendra's hanging in there but says her tummy hurts. Tonight's Thanksgiving Feast? Each of the kids ate a roll and part of a banana. I know the kids wish they were in their own beds, and I really wish we were at home, too. But we're not, and it's probably just as well that we stay until Saturday so David has time to recover before hitting the road again.

Despite our less-than-stellar holiday, I am thankful for so many things. The short list:

1. I am thankful for my husband, who puts up with me and loves me and challenges me and laughs at/with me. Every day for the last dozen years, Kevin has never failed to tell me that he loves me, even when I'm not acting very lovable. Kevin is faithful, loving, selfless, and a great dad.
2. I am thankful for each of my children. I love Kendra's literal view of the world and her growing heart for God. I love Caelyn's ability to always see the bright side of things. I love David's sweet spirit and his play hard/sleep hard tendencies. I love how God is training me in righteousness through my children.
3. I am thankful for my friends. God has truly blessed me with a great group of women with whom I can share, pray, cry, laugh, and be myself. I love all my friends dearly and I'm so grateful to have you in my life.
4. I am thankful that I'm able to stay home and be a mom. Housekeeping with a joyful heart is a struggle for me, but I am truly thankful that I can focus the majority of my energies on home and family. I'm thankful that I'm always available when my kids are sick, that I have the freedom to attend Tuesday morning Bible studies, and that I'm the one who picks up my kids from school every day.
5. That said, I'm also thankful for my parttime jobs. I need to learn how to manage my time better, but I'm thankful for my curriculum writing job and for my eternally patient boss. I'm thankful for my fun mystery shopping jobs and for the free food and stuff that they provide for our family. I'm thankful for the unexpected editing job my sister provided for me recently.

This is the short list, of course, because I'm thankful for so many other things, people, circumstances, etc. God is good and He has blessed me richly! Happy Thanksgiving!