(Tele)Visions of the Past

Whilst perusing YouTube recently, we came across a number of videos containing tidbits from shows we watched as children.

Have fun remembering with us...

From Stuart's childhood viewing:









And some from mine:

Need...More...Chocolate

Life has taken a sudden stressful turn at the moment. (Where's the chocolate?) Not the best of timing really -- given the fact that I'm nearly 8 1/2 months pregnant with our third little person.

I'm a fairly relaxed person most of the time... I can get hyper (ask my hubby), but I like to think (or hope, at least?) I've mellowed over time. Kids have a way of doing that to you. Life goes entirely too fast to sweat the "small stuff."

That was last Monday a week ago...

Then came three days later.

We are usually really good at reading the small-print stuff that comes with loans and credit cards and anything else financially related.

But somehow we managed to miss the small print on our car loan that said something about the terms and payment being based on how much we borrowed...so that when I went online to check to see whether our payment scheme had been set up I got a complete shock. The payment due was half-again as much as we originally thought. [Insert scary Psycho music and screams here.]

Hmm...

That put a crimp in an otherwise darn fine plan...and it was too late to return the car.

Okay. Okay. So we need to move around our finances a bit and eat beans on toast only cut way back for awhile.

That was last Thursday...

Then came yesterday...Tuesday.

The doorbell rang, and the mail-lady asked me to sign for a certified letter.

That was a bit of a surprise in and of itself...but it was even more shocking when I saw it was from our borough. [Insert theme from an even scarier movie here.]

Hmm...

Upon opening it, I saw a letter citing us for all sorts of codes violations.


Huh?

Let's back up a minute.

We own a 90-year-old house that we bought in very poor condition. Anyone living around us knows that we've been doing our best for five years to make it better. We've replaced all the windows and painted the front porch and replaced the front steps and planted flowers and kept the lawn mowed. We shovel the snow in front of our house, even though we don't go out that way since our cars are in the back of the house.

It's slow-going, but all the repairs take money. (The windows alone cost over $11,000. We did them in two phases.) It's a "work in progress."

And now this?

We knew our gutters and eaves still needed to be painted, but we hadn't figured out how to do that without a contractor. The money simply wasn't there. But the letter mentioned flaking window paint and an on-site inspection. I'm not sure how an inspector could see "flaking" paint that far up from the ground level but...

So I guess we will have to be find the money now since we have 30 days to make this right -- slap on some paint and fix a downspout -- or we'll be fined $1,000.

The funny thing is...we got a flyer on our door for a roofing/painting contractor...only a day or two before this letter.

Hmm...

I'm off for more chocolate...or maybe I should make that beans on toast? It's cheaper, I guess.

Courting Silliness

YOU CAN'T SAY THAT IN COURT:

Trial lawyers are only after the truth, but some questions they ask are bizarre, as are some of the responses of the witnesses.

Attorney: Now, doctor, isn't it true that when a person dies in his sleep, he doesn't know about it until the next morning?
Witness: Did you actually pass the bar exam?

Attorney: How was your first marriage terminated?
Witness: By death.
Attorney: And by whose death was it terminated?
Witness: Not mine.

Musings on Marriage, Mini Vacations, and Monday

Happy last Monday in July! New day, new week, new busyness. Back to the "grind," right?

I always see Monday as the first blank page on a new tablet of paper: fresh, clean, and ready for new adventures... Well, it sounds more positive than just sighing and whining about missing the weekend, right? *grin* It's actually one of my favorite days of the week.

We returned late last night from a wonderful weekend away in Long Island, New York, where we attended the wedding of a "childhood" (more like early "teenhood") friend and had dinner with another dear friend. It was glorious!

The wedding was wonderful to watch. It's always such fun to see people join together in love, and it was so nice to get away to a true "middle-of-nowhere" kind of place. It was SO peaceful and lovely!

We had a good time driving such a distance in our new mini van. (I know. I know. I'm a believer now. The roominess and comfort was unbeatable. We'd only just gone to New York City a few weekends ago in "Speedy"...and the difference was amazing!) We sure put our new car to the test, though, since we had to start our journey home in the middle of a long band of thunder-boomers. The rain was torrential, and there was flooding everywhere. But that was only a small part of the weekend, which was like a mini vacation for us, so we're not complaining.

The wedding was on Saturday and the weather was the polar opposite of yesterday -- bright and sunny with only a hint of humidity. It was held in the outdoor building of a club called the Swan Club. (You can view a slide show of the few photos I was able to take -- due to dying batteries -- down below.) The kids seemed to enjoy themselves and loved watching their adopted "Auntie Sue" get married. They certainly "scrub up nice," huh? *wink*

As does this couple:

We were able to stay in the 22-room summer house -- built in the 1800s -- where Sue rented an apartment. It was immense and old and summery. And the kids absolutely loved it! Especially when Sue told them they could explore it!! Think "Scooby Doo Mansion." It had that sort of charm...in a good way. There also was lots of grass to play in and paths to explore and veggies and flowers to pick. Needless to say, they shed a few tears on our way down the driveway.

The house was at the end of a peninsula overlooking the Sound. We took a short trip over to the one beach and enjoyed about 30 minutes or so there before a huge storm took over and chased us back to the house. But I have to say it was awesome to see the lightning over the water...in the faraway distance, of course.

We had some fun on our drive with Stuart's new GPS -- dubbed "Tom" from the name of the computer voice. Apparently, "Tom" has some sort of secret deal with the Turnpike Commission and oil companies. He had us going some very interesting routes, though Stuart ignored some parts and made him "recalculate." Until the drive home... He forgot to check the route "Tom" had in mind and began to follow it...only to discover it was the route we didn't want to take. Fortunately, Stuart caught on before we ended up going through Philadelphia to the PA Turnpike. We ignored "Tom" for the rest of the trip until he diverted us past a windy shortcut we've always used that isn't very much of a shortcut and is very, very windy. Stuart said he came through in the end. I think "Tom" sighed in relief after this since Stuart had threatened to box him up and return the GPS to the store. *wink*

Heard from the 7-year-old last night: He had to return to the bathroom for the third time during dinner. "You'd think I was the pregnant one."

Think it's time for that "birds-n-bees" talk yet? *wink*

Well, the busyness of finishing the unpacking after our small trip is calling to me. I'd best bid you adieu and get back to it.

A Long Island Wedding

Photos from our trip to Long Island to see Susan's and Sonny's wedding.

Friday Funnies

In honor of my dear, childhood friend's wedding this Saturday, I thought I'd find three funny wedding commercials to post in today's "Friday Funnies" spot. Thankfully, none of these scenarios will play out at her wedding tomorrow. *grin*

Enjoy and have a super, funny Friday!!

As the Bump Grows...

Then and now photos... Amazing, huh? *grin*



We went to see our midwife on Monday evening, after a frenetically-paced drive from the car dealership. I decided I wouldn't be surprised if my blood pressure had shot up 20 points or more...but, happily, I guess it didn't.

Hearing the baby's heartbeat is always such a thrill. (It still seems so unreal that a little life is growing inside of me.) And the baby had hiccups, too, so that made us giggle.

Everything measured right on target and looked good so we felt very blessed...and very hungry since we hadn't had time to eat dinner in our haste to buy a car and make it to our appointment semi-on-time.

Our visits have moved into the every-2-week range now that I'm getting closer...*gulp*

It's hard to imagine another little person in our household -- after so long without one -- but I think we're all getting ready...or as ready as we can be before said new little personality arrives and takes over the household for a bit.

Wordless Wednesday

Joining In

Well, it finally happened.

It was bound to happen.

It had to happen.

We finally joined the ranks of families with *gasp* a minivan.

[Insert scary music and horror screams here.]

Okay. Okay. Now that I've offended a huge percentage of the population with 2.5 or more kids *gulp*...I'll try to explain.

I've never been a "groupie." I'm not a conformist -- though I'm not a traditional non-conformist either...no black clothes or dreadlocks for me.

So I guess I'm a non-traditional nonconformist.

Hmm...

Getting back to the subject above.

Whenever we go to our homeschool group, I pull our little burgundy station wagon -- named "Speedy" -- into a sea of minivans. It's like it's the mandatory family vehicle, especially for anyone who homeschools or has kids who play...soccer.

That's part of the problem, I guess. I've always seen minivans as a "middle-aged soccer mom-mobile." Hence, my avoidance of this particular type of vehicle. Until this year, I was not a soccer mom...and until this year, I didn't consider myself on my way to "middle age."

Okay. Okay. I guess I've seen the light...or gotten pregnant with child #3...or realized I'm on my way to 38 this year.

Anyway you put it, somewhere around month 3 of this pregnancy, we realized our station wagon (not built like those of days past) would be way too small for three kids. With the advent of laws regarding kids' safety and carseats, we suddenly saw that there is no way that we can fit two carseats and three kids in the narrowness of our car.

Bummer.

So we knew we needed to get busy looking for another vehicle.

We've happily lived with one car for about six years now. It's been nice in some ways and a pain in the butt in others. But it's doable, and we did it.

Yet, it was inevitable that a second car would be needed. Our poor 11-year-old "Speedy" has nearly 138,000 miles on it...so regardless of new babies on the way, our family was facing the need for something completely reliable again.

We considered the possibilities and realized there wasn't any choice...we needed a minivan.

It would be convenient...and big enough...and offer us a chance to have friends/family join us on trips. Something we haven't ever been able to do.

All that aside, I can't avoid the fact that I am indeed a middle-aged soccer mom now.

*Sigh.*

Now off to find one of those cute little soccerball magnets...

*wink*

Introducing the yet-unnamed vehicle: a "certified pre-owned" (a euphamism for used) 2007 Hyundai Entourage.

Monstrously Muggy Monday Musings

My handsome guys after their latest haircuts
Happy Monday to you! A very hot and muggy one here in Pennsylvania. I think you could ring out a few clouds today.

Looking at the calendar, I am again reminded of how quickly time dost fly. Is it really nearing the end of July already? Didn't we just celebrate July 4th?

Ugh.

We already received our school materials which means...not long until our lessons begin again.

Ugh...again.

(Hmm...I wonder why the school year doesn't go quite as fast?)

Anyways...

I made a small change on the old blog, trying a music player on the sidebar instead of the usual music video. It has about 30 or so songs on it, and you can select other songs to play whilst you read. Or you can choose to stop the music -- especially helpful when watching a video. Either way, I hope you enjoy some of the selections.

We enjoyed a relatively less busy weekend. The kids went to my parents' so that Stuart could take me to a local tea room that opened a few months ago. It was such fun to dress up and enjoy an afternoon together. When we returned for them, they told us to go out again...they weren't ready to come home yet. *grin* So two dates in one day? Yippee!!

I have another appointment at the midwife's tonight. I'll report her findings tomorrow. Hard to believe we're in the single digits week-wise now. Less than 8 weeks to go!

We've been battling fleas on the dog recently. I keep washing him in flea shampoo and then all his bedding in hot water and ammonia. But I think I need to break down and buy the more expensive flea remedy...and then spray the heck out of the house. See what cheapness gets me? Ugh! I hate fleas so much and think of them as large brown lice. Soon enough, I'll get rid of them...or they'll get rid of me?

I've enjoyed a few more 24 prequel trailers...and another trailer for Mirrors. Egads! Can you feel my excitement? I'd start a countdown for the prequel, except then I'll be even closer to my due date, and I'm not quite ready for that at the moment. Mirrors comes out in a few weeks...and, as I've said before, I'm nervously excited about that one...not being a true fan of horror flicks. Still in all, I am a big Kiefer Sutherland fan...and I've never seen one of his movies on the big screen...so "any port in a storm," right? *wink*

Off to finish my cleaning and continue organizing? Here's hoping!!

Sweet Sunday

Here's another good one from Steven Curtis Chapman: "God is God." This version is just him singing for the President, his wife, and a group at the White House. I like what he was able to say in the presence of such a high authority. What a gift!

Friday Funnies

Absolutely adorable! I love the expression on the mother panda's face afterwards.

Enjoy, and have a funny Friday!

A Pictorial Visit with a Friend

Starting out around 8:15 a.m. last Saturday -- after dropping off the kids with my parents --Stuart and I made our way up to New York City to visit a dear, sweet friend of ours.

The day promised to be hot, but the humidity was low and there was a wonderful breeze. All in all, it was an awesome day, filled with fun, friendship, and lots of yummy food.

(Oh, and several very interesting trips in NYC taxis. Wow!! Even Leechie had to hang on!)

Enjoy a pictorial visit...

One School of Thought...

Okay. Okay.

So I still have a long way to go in turning our old "school room" into a baby's room...but I was "resting" in between sorting and lugging boxes and bags this afternoon and decided to try to get the window treatments finished.

I'll have to disassemble it when I spring clean the room, but I thought it might give me some inspiration...and I have to admit it did.

See what you think:



We decided to keep the kids' handprints since they go so well with the pink, blue, yellow, and apple green colors in the bedding. Plus, it's something personal that they can contribute to the baby's room. I think they're pleased. *wink*

Well, off to bed so that I can keep going tomorrow...September's coming.

Wordless (mostly) Wednesday

A ban on pizza?

St. Swithin's Day

I had to push off the promised account of our trip to New York to report on another day of extreme importance.

My husband has kidded us about St. Swithin's Day since the kids were little.

"We'll do that on St. Swithin's Day," he'd say when the kids asked to do something we couldn't do.

"When is that?" they'd wonder.

"I don't know...but it'll happen."

Of course, I wasn't really sure if I believed that it was an actual holiday...he's such a big tease sometimes.

But today he sent me a card to say that here it is...actually St. Swithin's Day.

Legend has it:
St Swithin's Day, if it does rain
Full forty days, it will remain.
St Swithin's Day, if it be fair
For forty days, t'will rain no more.

And it's a sunny day.

Hmm...

To read more, click here.

And in the meantime: Happy St. Swithin's Day! (Should we contact Hallmark? *wink*)

Now, what was it that the kids wanted to do?

More Manic Monday Musings

Emily and Edward at the Philadelphia Zoo, July 2006
Happy Monday to you!

I was singing "Monday, Monday" by the Mamas and Papas earlier this morning when "Manic Monday" came into my mind, too. I've always enjoyed that particular Bangles' song so I decided to include the video at the bottom of my blog today. *grin* (Be prepared to step back in time a "few" years. *wink* The video is a hoot! Very dated!)

Anyways...

A busy Monday as always...getting the house cleaned up after the weekend.

I refreshed my baby duedate ticker tape thingy on Facebook to see that it's only 60 days (or sooner) until Leechie might possibly debut... Of course, I could go later, but the 60 days brought a certain panic to my chest since I know I still have lots more stuff to do before that happens. Hence, the "manic" in my Monday musings title today.

We went to New York to see a dear friend this weekend. (I'll blog on that tomorrow and include lots of photos.) It was a gorgeous day, and we enjoyed relaxing and hanging out with her...and eating some fantastic food!!

The kids spent Saturday and part of Sunday with my parents, enjoying some shopping and games. They haven't had that chance in over a year so it was fun for all.

Edward lost a tooth whilst at the grandparents' house. He put it under his pillow there but to no avail. The Tooth Fairy doesn't make guest appearances at houses without little people, I guess. As my dad pointed out to him, "old people" don't lose their teeth anymore...hopefully, anyway.

So Edward put it under his pillow again last night............ And guess who remember she hadn't remembered to check last night? You got it. But somehow I managed to sneak upstairs while he was sitting with Stuart this morning. I exchanged the bags and nonchalantly came back downstairs, saying nothing more about the Tooth Fairy's "forgetful" nature. I did, however, offer to e-mail her yet again, and Edward was grateful. *wink*

We're still excited for the 24 prequel. The countdown is close to 4 months now, making the new season's debut only 6 months away. Yippee!! Mirrors comes out next month, and Stuart and I are guarded in our excitement since neither of us is a horror flick fan. Still, Kiefer on the big screen? I can close my eyes, right? And ears...and curl up in a ball on the sticky theatre floor...

Well, lots to do before September. So I'd best roll on.

Enjoy your Monday!

Friday Funnies

Enjoy another funny foreign commercial on this hot, summery Friday!

Have you ever wish you had a remote like this? I haven't, of course. I don't need one. *grin*

Enjoy! And have a fun Friday!

10 on 10 - English Style

I pinched this from picking.up.purls who used it from the 10 on 10 photoblog.

The idea is to chronicle the 10th day of the month by taking 10 consecutive photos -- one an hour for 10 hours. You can see another example here.

Join in the fun!!

7 a.m.


8 a.m.


9 a.m.


10 a.m.


11 a.m.


Noon


1 p.m.


2 p.m.


3 p.m.


4 p.m.

Wordless Wednesday

Of Weeds and Time and Love

I have a confession to make: I get a little distracted, er, um, selfish sometimes.

I realized this (again) one evening last week when my 10-year-old daughter brought me some flowers from our yard. They were really just weeds, and I shirked them as just that. I smiled tritely and thanked her, asking that she not bring weeds into the house.

Hmm...

Not my best reaction to her thoughtfulness. No Oscar nominations given to me for "Best Role as Mommy."

Hmm...

I forgot about them until later when I finished cleaning up the kitchen for the night. They were wilted and tightly closed, still laying on the counter.

That's when my thoughtless/selfish behavior struck me.

I immediately took them and cut their stems at an angle -- just as you would an expensive bouquet. I put them in a small glass of water and left them for the night, feeling like a "crumb" for not doing so earlier in the presence of my daughter.

The next morning a glass of bright-eyed daisies greeted me on the kitchen counter. I felt a reprieve from my guilt. I wasn't too late.

I moved the glass to our table so we could enjoy them through all of our meals...and I could be reminded that love comes in all forms...and time is fleeting...and even weeds need to be appreciated.

A lesson from a 10-year-old who -- like the flowers she gave me -- is growing like a weed...far too quickly.

Life is short. Take time to smell the flowers...even the weeds.

* * *

Enjoy this video/song I found from Steven Curtis Chapman. It's all about time and love -- and made even more poignant with the recent loss of his 5-year-old daughter, Maria Sue.

(Be sure to turn off/pause the sidebar video.)

(Don't?) Rain on My Parade

Many More Muggy Monday Musings

Happy Monday, the first muggy Monday morning in July.

Can you believe it's July 7th already? Egads!

We did some more sorting this weekend, but I realized I'd best get very, very busy, or I'm going to run out of time.

Hope you enjoyed your July 4th -- Independence Day!

We had a good time watching the parade...in the rain. Yes, it poured. But the parade went on. I guess there's just too much involved to move the parade to the "raindate." Hmm... Not sure why they offered such a date if they had no intention of using it. Still, despite the sogginess, we had a good time and the kids got lots of wet candy...which later had to be thrown out. Oh, well.

Our picnic at my parents' was fun, too. We all brought part of the meal and had way too much food for 7 people. *grin* But it's all part of the festivities of the holiday, right? Sadly, we didn't get to go to the concert in the park, but we did play some games and enjoy some yummy desserts.

My attempt at one of these "flag" desserts that was requested by my hubby. It tasted better than it looked. *giggle*

So, all in all, it was a nice holiday. (I'll post a slide show of the parade photos soon.)

I discovered today that my 7-year-old who likes to play with soap...hates the blueberry-scented shampoo we'd gotten for them awhile ago. I found some of it squeezed out into the toilet brush holder as I went to clean the toilet this morning. Hmm... Makes me wonder if the shampoo would work at cleaning toilets? And, if it does especially well, then I wonder if I want it cleaning my kids' hair?

Incompetent criminal of the day (from my hubby's daily calendar):
A gullible robber in Baldwin Park, California, accosted a bank employee in the parking lot. Once inside, he told her to deactivate the bank alarm; instead, she set off the silent alarm. He told her to open the vault; she said she needed a second teller's help. Incredibly, he told her to go outside and make sure the coast was clear. Once outside, she locked the bank's door, trapping him inside. It wasn't long before he surrendered and was carted off to jail.

With that in mind, I bid you adieu and hurry off to continue sorting out the baby's room.

Wish me luck.

On second thought, if you don't hear from me in a few hours, send help...or at least a pizza. *wink*

Sweet Sunday

"The Lord Is My Shepherd" is one of my very favorite Keith Green songs. The words come from Psalm 23, a well-known and well-loved psalm, and the piano arrangement is gorgeous.

Enjoy and have a very sweet Sunday!

Fitting Tribute on Friday the 4th!

Usually I post a "funny" on Friday. But since today is Independence Day, I thought I'd find something patriotic and fitting for our American holiday instead. While I know this isn't a holiday to celebrate our troops, per se, without them we wouldn't have the freedom to enjoy it.

So...THANK YOU!

God bless them, and God bless America!

Savoring a Simple Summer

I got an e-mail today from "Healthy Kids" telling me "50+ things" my kids need to do this summer in order to have their "best ever summer."

There are lots of great ideas listed.

But I'm always left wondering why they need to do anything. Isn't that part of the charm and fun of the summertime? The fact that there isn't a firm/fixed schedule, and kids are left to do as they please (within reason, of course), to explore and play and basically unwind from one school year and re-energize for the next one.

Hmm...

I laugh at the number of us adults who forget that kids are constantly learning. Their little sponge-like brains learn all the time -- things that are both good and bad -- through everything they do. Why must they be a part of something structured all the time? When do they get the chance to relax...and even be *gasp* bored?

Boredom in our society is synonymous with idleness and devilishness, I think. And for some kids that's probably true. But that's where we as parents come in. (I believe that kids still need supervision well into their teen years -- due to the fact that they lack the maturity and discernment needed in certain situations.)

So will my kids have a good summer even if they don't get to do one of the 50+ ideas listed in the e-mail?

Undoubtedly, yes.

We have bubbles and tents and sidewalk chalk and books and a big yard full of "pillbugs" and ants and beetles to explore. We just started our second "after-lunch" book, and they're still doing a little brainwork with reading time and their Summer Bridge books.

And they'll undoubtedly get bored, too...at which point we might take advantage of our museum or zoo memberships or a trip to our local library or playground. Or maybe we'll get out some coloring books and crayons or a boardgame...or we could just lay in the grass and study the clouds.

With a little imagination, there's always plenty to do.

And to think people pity us because we don't have a pool membership...or a bigger cable package.

*grin*

I think our life is pretty full without those things. And I think the kids are having a good summer despite it, too. *wink*

Wordless Wednesday

On Children and Silliness and the World

"To be nobody but yourself -- in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else -- means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting." ~e e cummings, poet

You have to love the way younger children have a way of ignoring what people think of them and being themselves. Sadly, it's something that leaves most of them somewhere around the teen years when peer pressure dictates that they be like everyone else.

I'm not sure why this happens since this age group is always crowing about being individuals, and many even claim "non-conformity" yet look exactly like their friends.

Hmm... Doesn't quite makes sense, does it?

One gift I've often prayed for my children to have is that of not changing for the world -- not being a "sheep," but being who God designed them to be. It's so important to hang on to that throughout life.

It was one of the reasons we chose to homeschool them...to give them a fighting chance against the peer pressure that is so rampant out there.

I took this video on the day they sold lemonade to show them that -- though it may prove a bit embarrassing later in life -- they didn't care what the world thought of them that day. If a little bit of silliness was needed to sell a few more glasses of lemonade for Alex's Lemonade, they were more than willing to do that.

God bless them for that. What a gift!

(If the video doesn't play, click this link to see it on Google Video. Also, please be sure to pause or stop the sidebar music video.)