Maniacal Monday Musings

Happy Monday! Another new week and the end of a month already. Amazing! The year is definitely flying by!

Let's see. Lots of doings this week.

My in-laws are in from England, visiting New York at the moment and coming down tomorrow to visit us until the 12th. Hence, I won't be blogging as much. (Maybe I'll try to post a few of the great videos I found on YouTube during my hiatus.)

And a very good friend of ours -- who knew Stuart in his "younger" years -- is coming to visit us sometime this weekend, too.

All fun and games at the moment! Pardon me while I go into a tidying frenzy....

* * *

Another new episode of 24 tonight!!!! Yippee!! The episodes are definitely "crescendo-ing" now. Only 5 more until the cliff-hanger ending....and the 8-month wait for next(?) season.

Speaking of 24, we made some wings over the weekend. We're trying a new brand. (It was cheaper and you got a few more in the package.) I decided to cook them very, very late on Saturday night because I'd refinished the hardwood floor in the foyer, and the smell was pretty overwhelming.

Probably not our best timing.... We both fell asleep and woke up 15 minutes after the wings should have been taken out. Needless to say, they were more like "wing jerky." And they're very small -- much smaller than the other brand -- so they shriveled to a few nibbles each.

Oh, well. Live and learn, right?

* * *

We did quite a bit of work on the house this weekend, repainting the front porch, finishing the railings, planting some flower baskets. I'll post some photos soon. Of course, I'd made myself a list of stuff I needed to do before our guests arrive....and I only did one thing on it.

Still, all in due time.

* * *

There's a lot of funny stuff circulating about the actor, Kiefer Sutherland. I've been amused by all the "sightings stories" I've read. Seems this actor does nothing but get drunk and party, based on the number of times people have seen him midweek at his "favorite" watering hole...restaurant bar...lounge... I don't know how he ever has time to do 24... I'll be curious to see if anyone claims to see him in L.A. this summer while he's in Romania, making a new film.

And I'm getting awfully tired of the news media picking on 24 for its violence. There are a TON of shows on TV with equal or greater violence. Why not hold them accountable, too? Okay. Okay. Off my soapbox now.

* * *

Silly happening I observed last week: A woman walks into Wal-Mart with twins: one in bright blue and one in bright pink. Obviously, a boy and a girl... The greeter asks, "So a boy and girl, right?" Hmmm......

* * *

5 THINGS TO BE HAPPY ABOUT

• simplicity
• small country church spires
• reading a book on the treadmill
• movie snacks
• an outstretched hand

* * *

What more can you say about simplicity....except that it's simple...and nice.

Sing-a-Song Sunday

I've been perusing YouTube lately and found lots of fun videos. This one seemed perfect for today.

Enjoy!

I know I did. Certainly conjures up some memories... Gotta love those '70s styles!

Friday Funnies

These are true "day brighteners." Can't help but love those funny Sesame Street/Muppet characters. I never saw the first one since it's from 1969 (a year before I was born), but I do remember seeing the second one in the movie theatre. It still gives me chills. Enjoy!

Playing Cat and Mouse

Today was "Take Your Child to Work Day," and while Emily got to spend a half-day with Daddy, experiencing the excitement of his work and sharing chocolate-chocolate-chip cookies with the office staff, I decided to share a bit of my childhood with Edward -- who isn't old enough to participate yet -- once we'd finished some schoolwork together.

Long story short....

Awhile back, I discovered a DVD of "Tom & Jerry" cartoons. The cat-mouse duo were always my very favorite cartoon characters when I was younger. They never ceased to make me laugh at their antics -- one duping the other in their haste to catch/escape each other.

Well, they didn't disappoint today. Edward was in fits of laughter as Jerry flew his egg-carton airplane around and "bombed" Tom with light bulbs. And then Tom used Jerry as a golf tee. And then Killer replaced his regular set of teeth for a larger, pointier bonus set...and so on.

Both of us knew the cartoons were completely unrealistic...but that didn't take away from the fun of cuddling together, sharing something past and present.

Footballers, Unite!

It's official.

We finally got Edward signed up for soccer in the fall.

We've entered a new stage in our family's life: we're officially "soccer parents." Well, not officially until it actually starts in the Autumn.

Hmmm.... I'm not sure about the title yet. I've resisted it for so long...and we still don't have the minivan...and I'm not quite middle-aged yet....

Edward has wanted to play soccer for a long time -- but not on a team. We're not sure how he'd play without teammates. (As someone once pointed out, that's called "golf.") Hence, we didn't sign him up sooner. Emily tried to talk him into ballet....

He's really matured this year and come "out of himself" (he's a bit introverted) by attending a homeschool co-op and AWANA club. So we think this will be a great next addition for him.

He was hesitant when I told him about going to sign up.

But after he handed in the paperwork and money and heard that he'd need cleats, shin guards, soccer shorts, etc., he walked out with us, "beaming" Edward-style -- mostly inside.

The Value of Life

Life is short.

You really see this when you start having kids and they grow 5 inches taller and 2 years older seemingly overnight.

A nurse friend of ours from our midwife's office shared that she and our midwife had just gone to the funeral of a little girl they'd delivered. She was 4 years old and had died from blunt trauma by running into a swing and rupturing her spleen. Four years old.

I don't have any four -year-olds anymore, but my hubby and I teach that the Pre-K/K group in Sunday School...that's 4-, 5-, and 6-year-olds. That could have been any one of our 4-year-old students.

I couldn't imagine life without one of my children.

It was very sobering.

To top it off, she was a cousin to several of the girls who died in the Amish School shootings last year. Her mother is the sister of one of the mothers of the girls.

Another mom-friend of mine shared this story about her 10-year-old son:

He asked if, hypothetically speaking, a boy's father was killed in the war, would the boy have to go to school the next day?

She told him that she was sure his mother would allow him to stay home that day.

To which he replied, "Yes, he would need to stay home because the mom would need lots and lots of hugs."

Life is short.

Give those hugs now....

Happy St. George's Day

Happy St. George's Day to you! Never heard of this holiday? Well, it's the day England celebrates its patron saint -- named George, of course -- whom, legend has it, slew the last dragon in England.

Gotta love those legends, huh? Click here for more interesting info.

Emily wondered if we could have dragon wings and burgers for dinner in celebration. We all wondered where we'd find such items in Giant...

* * *

Happy Monday to you, too! Another new week with another new bunch of busyness and another new video...brought to you courtesy of a new online friend/birthday buddy. (As an aside, I love how the Internet can link people who might never have ever met...it's a cool time to live.)

And, of course, another new episode of 24 in a few hours! It's getting more and more exciting!! Tonight, Jack will actually see Audrey in person! I was very disappointed to read several bad reviews of the season thus far. Everyone is so impatient and wants the show to be bigger and better every season. I think the media has done everyone a disservice with all the hype it did of the show in the beginning. What's wrong with status quo...especially when it's already excellent? Oh, well.

Idle grass.

Stuart and I did a bunch of work on the house over the weekend. Finally, we had a warm weekend. There's a bunch more painting to do, but we're well on our way. I also trimmed our rose hedge...and have all the poke marks (despite my gauntlet rose gloves) to prove it. We planted it three years ago to give our yard some privacy. It's hard work to keep up with it. I liken trimming it to doing Bonsai....on a much larger scale, of course.

* * *

5 THINGS TO BE HAPPY ABOUT

• a new lipstick color
• spring’s first peepers
• an elegant archway
• joie de vivre
• an unexpected treat

* * *

Growing up, I lived in the country.

I loved when Spring arrived because -- despite my hayfever -- I could smell the freshly-mowed onion grass and hear the springtime "peepers," the little frogs that lived in the nearby creeks and ponds, serenading one another.

It always meant that Spring had officially "sprung," and Summer would soon follow.

The lazy, hazy, carefree days of Summer...when you stayed outside late into the evening and played hide-n-seek and toasted marshmallows and got mosquito-bitten....

Ah! Gave one "joie de vivre!"

Off to cook wings for 24! Maybe I should have looked for dragon wings.....

Friday Funnies

A little too familiar?

Tut-Tut

So we journeyed back to Philadelphia today to the Franklin Institute to see...King Tut. Well, that's who we thought we'd see. Our school generously paid for tickets to the King Tut exhibition at the museum.

I remember going to the Smithsonian Institute when I was a kid to see a similar exhibition. I have very vague memories of the trip and imagined that I'd seen the actual Tut mummy.

Well, I didn't. And we didn't on Wednesday either.

Turns out the 3,000+-year-old mummy and his coffin don't travel well anymore. Go figure. So after walking through the various rooms filled with treasures from the tomb, we came to the last room and a photo projection on a block showing the various layers of King Tut's coffin.

Hmmm....

Not what we'd hoped for.

Still, it was interesting. And the kids enjoyed it.

Afterwards, we decided to take them on a car ride around the city to see the Hard Rock Cafe and the various historic locations -- Independence Hall, Carpenter Hall, Penn's Landing, and the Liberty Bell. And then to...South Street for an authentic cheese steak at Jim's. We even showed them where we went to the concert on Saturday.

Quite a treat for all!

And one consolation is that we can always go visit "our" mummy at the Reading Museum only 8/10s of a mile away. She's not quite as famous...but she's there.

Tardy Tuesday Tidings

Well, I guess I missed doing my usual Monday musings. Sometimes I start them on Monday and finish them on Tuesday but keep them with Monday's date. Not this week...

The week has officially begun.

We watched a fantastic 24 episode last night. Many fans are restless with the series, I think, but we're enjoying it immensely.

We enjoyed ourselves at the Rocco Deluca and the Burden/Mat Kearney/The Feeling concert over the weekend, even if we did feel a good bit older than most of the crowd. I told Stuart we could be the parents of some of the kids there. The crowd was made up mostly of 15- to 18-year-olds. Egads! All the people our age and older were sitting at the tables along the side. In honor of the concert, I'm keeping up last week's video.

Edward played a game of chess with Stuart yesterday. Quite a good game, according to Stuart. At one point, Stuart called out "check" on Edward's king. Edward moved another piece instead of the king. Stuart laughed and told him he couldn't do that. He had to move his king out of check. Edward exclaimed, "It's not like he wants to see the world or anything."

Emily wanted to do a play for me recently. I told her to do it with Edward in her room. He said they could use stuffed animals as an audience. She sighed and said, "But stuffed animals don't clap for you."

* * *

5 THINGS TO BE HAPPY ABOUT

• surf-lashed lighthouses

• unabridged dictionaries

• a jar of seashells

• squeezing into a booth

• puddle-jumping

* * *

We've certainly been doing a lot of "puddle-jumping" these days. We had a "nor'easter" storm rip through, dumping over 5 inches of rain and blowing to bits the outer world. Not even "duck weather" -- better suited to penguins.

When I was in college, I took a class in my senior year called "All About Words." I thought it might be a great class for someone studying English and journalism.

The textbook for the class was the latest edition of the Merriam-Webster's Unabridged Dictionary...which back then cost about $25 or so.

It was excellent. I'd only really used pocket dictionaries up until that point (though we had a two-volume set from the 1970s at home). You know the paperback ones you can buy in the dollar store that contain about 1,000 widely-known/heavily-used words.

Suddenly, I was in love with our language. The entries often included a brief etymology of the word -- which I always find interesting -- as well as the year the word came into usage. I found myself reading it just for fun, learning all sorts of new and interesting tidbits.

I still have that dictionary. I keep it on our main bookshelf so that the kids can use it if they need to.

Emily chuckled at the gift page where I wrote "Presented to: Susanne M. Wilson....by Herself."

But it truly was a gift to me...one that keeps on giving.

Misconceptions

In honor of Emily's "half birthday" today, I thought I'd share this funny story.

* * *

I remember as a little girl mishearing words or phrases my parents or others said. For a long time, I thought the expression "to each his own" was "to reach its own." And "the pot calling the kettle black" was "the pot coal and the kettle black." Made sense to me.

Awhile ago, Emily, then 8, was trying to convince me how nice it would be to visit Florida. I'm not a fan of Florida after spending 2 1/2 weeks there in 1987 during "bootcamp" with Teen Missions. Hot, humid, buggy...not my idea of a fun place to re-visit.

Emily was talking about the beaches, so I mentioned a little word: alligators.

Her eyes grew wide. "You mean they roam freely down there? Even at the resorts?"

I said that I'm sure they did sometimes. Stuart interjected that they only eat the occasional tourist. I quickly added that they preferred frogs or ducks or other little creatures they could easily catch.

"Poor froggies and duckies!" Emily said which surprised us since eating a person should have been much more horrifying.

We laughed and said as much to which Emily replied with a shrug, "Terrorists should be eaten."

"Tourists...NOT terrorists," we explained.

The penny dropped.

But maybe Emily's on to something...

Maybe we should suggest that the government use alligators to help apprehend terrorists. They're cheap to hire and only require the occasional terrorist to keep them satisfied.

Three Bands and a Li'l Ol' Couple

So the day finally arrived.

The day we get to see Rocco Deluca and the Burden in concert in our own state!!

Yee-haw! No long driving trips. A straight shot down the PA Turnpike and then a coast on the Schuylkill Expressway. We can relax and enjoy ourselves, knowing that we can get around Philadelphia fairly easily....



Okay. Okay. That's not exactly how it turned out.

It took us 2.5 hours to get to Philadelphia...instead of the usual 1 hour.

But we made it and we found the parking garage we wanted near the theatre and we walked the 1.3 (yeah, right!) miles to the Hard Rock Cafe....and the 1.3 miles back again.

We stood in line, about 20 people from the front. We were excited. We'd managed to get there with plenty of time.

Then Stuart discovered he had his utility tool on him. It has a knife on it. No go. He had to return it to our car.

Nevermind.

Eventually, we did get in. The theatre was small so it could only accommodate around 300-350 people. It had a balcony with seats and a small bar with tables. So no matter where you were, you really could see it all.

It's always a thrill to see this band in concert -- even if we were part of the "older set" in the crowd. And watching Mat Kearney and The Feeling was definitely an added bonus. We didn't get to meet any of them, but we enjoyed ourselves...and even got home in the normal amount of time.

Friday Funnies

"Always laugh when you can; it is cheap medicine. Merriment is a philosophy not well understood. It is the sunny side of existence." ~Lord Byron

Something to bring you some merriment on this dreary April Friday! Enjoy!

On Educating Kids in New York...

So we were hanging out at a playground in Central Park last October (see this), and I got to talking to another parent about the schools in New York City. Seems it's a whole other world from what I'm used to. You get to choose the school your child attends, but you have to apply...and you may not get your first choice.

The one man I was talking to -- who happens to work as a special ed teacher in a New York City school -- explained how he and his wife were already applying to kindergartens for their daughter -- for NEXT year. He said the high school directory is as thick as a phonebook. And the research involved is incredible.

Interesting.

But what I found even more interesting is when he explained that the little "joke" in New York City is to ask a woman when she's pregnant if she's picked her preschool program yet. Apparently it's very competitive and very costly. A preschool in the area around Central Park goes for...are you ready??....hold onto your hats now....to quote Dave Barry, "I'm not making this up.".....

$30,000 a year.

Yep! (That's more than three years at my university rolled into one year of preschool!!) And people pay it because apparently their child has a better time getting into an Ivy League school as a result of the preschool he/she attended at 3.

Egads!

All I can say is: Thank God for homeschooling!!!

We're Lovin' It

Wednesdays are usually a busy day here at our house. Busy in one way and relaxing in another.

Strange, I know.

It's our "co-op" day. The day our kiddos get to go to a place with lots of other homeschooling kiddos to have four hours of learning bliss away from me.

I'm kid-free for four whole hours!

They actually really enjoy it, too, because it gives them a chance to be with other kids and learn lots of fun things.

This semester we've been hanging out with another homeschooling mom and her homeschooling kiddos. We usually try to figure out something fun to do after co-op since we all enjoy being together.

This week we decided we needed to go somewhere for a sanity break. The weather has been cold and wet so the kids are full of Spring fever and energy. (If you think the four hours of fun school stuff wears them out...think again.)

So we wracked our brains and came up with....McDonald's.

There's one nearby the church where the co-op is held....and it has a Playland.

Of course, the playland is OUTSIDE...and it was rather cool and dampish.

(But never say kids aren't resilient.)

After inhaling their "Happy Meals" and guzzling down their drinks, they raced outside and played for the next 3 hours (almost). They got wet feet and damp behinds from the puddles on the slides and other open spots. But the rain held off and they played on...

And we mommies got our much-needed sanity break.

Kissably True

For anyone who knows me or reads this blog, you know that I'm a huge fan of 24, and Jack Bauer in particular.

I got hooked on it some time around the end of Season 4...and the rest was history... We even got to meet the star, Kiefer Sutherland, in person last September. (See: New York.)

Well, I'm not just a fan of the show and its main character. I also like the character, Audrey Raines, the love interest of Jack. She is the one who gives him some hope and purpose. The one who fills his need for love. The one who lights his way with rays of.... Okay. Okay.

My husband is not a fan of hers. It's not that he doesn't like the actress or the character in general. He just doesn't like her for Jack. He considers her a distraction to Jack.

***Spoiler Alert***

So when Jack disappears aboard a Chinese freighter at the end of Season 5...and then finds out Audrey is "dead" in Season 6, Stuart was very pleased to have Jack able to concentrate on, well, "being Jack -- hero of the hour."

I held out hope that she was alive. I knew she couldn't be killed off, snuffing out the last bit of hope in Jack's life.....plus, I saw the actress's name in the credits on IMdB....so she HAD to come back, right?

Stuart kept insisting it wouldn't happen.

I said it would, and it would be in last night's episode.

I bet him a kiss that I was right.

He bet me a kiss that he was correct.

(Win-win proposition, right?)

Two minutes from the end, just after Jack has his final fight with Fayed, eight or nine terrorists lay dead on the floor of the warehouse, Fayed is dead, hanging from a chain, and Jack is alive but barely breathing from pain. Agent Doyle and a team of others come bursting in to save him. And a mysterious phonecall comes for Jack.

He answers it.

And hears a croaking voice on the other end say his name.

He freezes, suddenly forgetting everything but the voice he just heard.

It's AUDREY!!!!

Hooray! Hurrah! I'm doing somersaults! I'm cheering!

His beloved is back...and in desperate need of rescuing.

Go, Jack, go!

* * *

And I won a kiss from my beloved!

That Spark...

I love the chemistry between the actors and the Jack and Audrey characters. It really is wonderful to watch!

Mundane Monday Musings

This has to be the creepiest photo of the Easter Bunny ever. No wonder the poor baby is crying! I'd be screaming!!

Happy Monday!

Another new week already. It's really amazing how quickly the weeks are flying by. *Sigh*

Another exciting 24 episode tonight!

I've posted a Rocco Deluca and the Burden video for "Colorful" in honor of our going to see them in concert this coming Saturday. In Philly, no less! Only an hour away!!

We had off from school all of last week... In my head, I had a list of things I hoped to accomplish... My hubby had a trip to South Carolina... And we had appointments EVERYday. Needless to say, none of my list got checked off. And now we're back to school, trying to get ahead before my in-laws visit from England next month.

Edward ended up at the allergy doctor's last week. Turns out he has a lot of allergies -- go figure. Both Stuart and I have allergies. So I guess it runs in the genes? Or maybe I can blame it on "Global Warming?"

* * *

5 THINGS TO BE HAPPY ABOUT

• brunch at a historic inn

• Ukrainian Easter eggs

• nature awakening

• jelly beans, chocolate bunnies, and Peeps

• straw made of green cellophane

* * *

I'm not sure I can actually be happy with "straw made of green cellophane." That stuff is such a pain! The static electricity it picks up makes it impossible to shake off. I nearly went looking for my little can of static guard just to preserve my last ounce of sanity.

The above Easter Bunny photo reminded me of the last time I took the kids to sit on said bunny's lap.

Both kids sat dutifully and had the obligatory $15,000 photo package taken. I bought the 5 X 7 version for a mere $9, and we headed back to the car.

Once we were belted in, Emily called from the back, "Mommy, does the Easter Bunny eat people?"

I laughed and said that of course he didn't...he's a bunny.

She seemed a bit confused and said, "Well, he had a guy peeking out of his mouth."

I laughed it off but upon closer inspection of the photo later on, I saw that you could, indeed, see a man's face. The man dressed in the bunny suit, of course.

How do you explain that to a 5-year-old?

Happy Easter!

In Christ Alone

In Christ alone my hope is found.

He is my light, my strength, my song.

This cornerstone, this solid ground

Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.

What heights of love, what depths of peace,

When fears are stilled, when strivings cease.

My Comforter, my All in all

Here in the love of Christ I stand.

=======

In Christ alone who took on flesh

Fullness of God in helpless babe.

This gift of love and righteousness

Scorned by the ones he came to save.

'Til on that cross as Jesus died,

The wrath of God was satisfied.

For ev'ry sin on Him was laid

Here in the death of Christ I live.

=======

There in the ground His body lay.

Light of the world by darkness slain.

Then bursting forth in glorious day

Up from the grave He rose again.

And as He stands in victory,

Sin's curse has lost its grip on me.

For I am His and He is mine

Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

=======

No guilt in life, no fear in death.

This is the pow'r of Christ in me.

From life's first cry, to final breath

Jesus commands my destiny.

No pow'r in Hell, no scheme of man

Can ever pluck me from His hand

'Til He returns or calls me home

Here in the pow'r of Christ I'll stand.

~Don Koch/Shawn Craig

Eggs-actly

Have you ever noticed that when you spend a long time preparing something it only takes moments to consume or complete it?

I can spend nearly an hour making dinner to have it eaten in about 5 minutes and 34 seconds.

It's amazing.

The same thing happened tonight when we dyed Easter eggs.

It took me a good 15-20 minutes to prepare the food coloring in the mugs, adding vinegar and just the right amount of boiling water.

It took the kids exactly 6 minutes and 23 seconds to dye them. Plop! Plop! (Jeopardy theme song) Oooo! Wow! (Reminds you of the old Alka-Seltzer ad, huh?)

Even more amazing!

But they look very nice.

Friday Funnies

PEEP WARS!!

Bunny Noses

5 THINGS TO BE HAPPY ABOUT

• dancing in the rain

• asparagus omelets

• racewalking

• a rabbit’s nose twitching

• shopping for Easter outfits

Our Clementine demonstrates the cuteness of a bunny's twitching nose.

Mat Kearney

As a new fan of Mat Kearney's, I cannot wait to hear/see him in concert in a few weeks.

I looked up the lyrics to the song I have playing on my video player and have listed them below.

* * *

Nothing Left to Lose

something’s in the air tonight
the sky's alive with a burning light
you can mark my words something's about to break

and i found myself in a bitter fight
while i've held your hand through the darkest night
don't know where your coming from but you're coming soon

to a kid from oregon by way of california
all of this is more than i've ever known or seen

come on and we'll sing, like we were free
push the pedal down watch the world around fly by us
come on and we'll try, one last time
i'm off of the floor one more time to find you

and here we go there's nothing left to choose
and here we go there's nothing left to lose

so i packed my car and headed east
where i felt your fire and a sweet release
there's a fire in these hills that's coming down

and i don't know much, but i found you here
and i can not wait another year
don't know where your coming from but you're coming soon

to a kid from oregon by way of california
all of this is more than i’ve ever known or seen

come on and we'll sing, like we were free
push the pedal down watch the world around fly by us
come on and we'll try, one last time
i'm off of the floor one more time to find you

and here we go there's nothing left to choose
and here we go there's nothing left to lose

i can still hear the trains out my window
from hobart street to here in nashville
i can still smell the pomegranates grow
and i don't know how hard this wind will blow
or where we'll go

come on and we'll sing, like we were free
push the pedal down watch the world around fly by us
come on and we'll try, one last time
i'm off of the floor one more time to find you

and here we go there's nothing left to choose
and here we go there's nothing left to lose

More Monday Musings Again

Monday already. Amazing! And already another new month.

New week, new month, new video (by Mat Kearney who is on tour with Rocco and crew and The Feeling -- I played a video of theirs last week. I'm a huge fan of Mat's now...excellent music!)...new episode of 24! (Apparently, this one has a "surprise" that "no one will see coming"...isn't that the definition of a surprise? Just thinking out loud here...)

* * *

It's Easter "Spring" Break at our house! Hooray! A whole week of cleaning, appointments, and other activities -- including show-n-tell at our homeschool learning group -- to help us relax and revamp before finishing up for the year. Still, Edward gets to bring some of our bunnies for show-n-tell this week. I think he's fairly excited.

* * *

Spring has definitely "sprung" here. The grass is greening up and bulbs are sprouting. The sun has been shining and the air is warming up a bit. Everyone seems to have Spring Fever...including our dog who came to us at 4:10 a.m. to let us know that we forgot to put him in his crate for the night. Figuring he needed to go outside to "use the facilities," Stuart got up to let him out.... He went crazy with energy. Talk about timing....

* * *

I've been reading articles about Kiefer Sutherland's new movie Mirrors, due to start filming in Romania this May. Wooo-weee! It sounds really good...but very creepy. I'm not one for horror movies, but I'll make an exception for this one. Afterall, it is a Kiefer movie.

* * *

5 THINGS TO BE HAPPY ABOUT

• newspapers delivered to the doorstep

• giving bear hugs

• memorizing a poem

• shepherd’s pie

• girls’ night out

There's something extra-special about bear hugs. We seem to have an over-abundance of them in our house...not that that's necessarily a bad thing.

Our two "little" people have a great affection for each other, and that in itself is a blessing. They enjoy playing together and reading together and even "Leapstering" together.

They are the best of friends...most of the time.

But we discovered this weekend that bear hugs and being "joined at the hip" may not always work in their favor.

It happened when Edward had a relapse of the bronchitis -- or some form of virus that Emily had had the weekend before, complete with fever, runny nose, and cough. We managed to avert a return trip to the emergency room (though that was a real possibility).

So, for the moment, he's back on the nebulizer....

He has a doctor's appointment tomorrow, and we're hoping the doctor can break the cycle. We really don't want to break up the bear hugs.