Writer's Block

Thoughtful Thursday

2012-01-26T10:27:00.003-05:00

“A story is a way to say something that can’t be said any other way, and it takes every word in the story to say what the meaning is. You tell a story because a statement would be inadequate.”

~Flannery O’Connor

Wordless Wednesday

2012-01-25T08:32:00.002-05:00

Happy...

2012-01-24T16:39:00.000-05:00

...National Peanut Butter Day!

Choosing the Shelter

2012-01-23T17:14:00.001-05:00

Dragging out my soapbox........

There are so many misconceptions about homeschoolers.

First of all, our family does not technically homeschool. We school at home.

I know. It seems to be a petty difference, but, believe me, homeschooling families do NOT see us the same. Nor should they.

We belong to a cyberschool, a public school that has all the schoolwork/classes supplied over the internet. Traditional homeschoolers actually plan and buy all their own curriculum. That's not to say we don't buy supplemental stuff. But anyone with school-aged children can do that.

Another misconception is that our kids are stupid.

Hmm... That's "real nice." Like me saying all public school kids are stupid, which I know is not true and would never say.

But, seriously, people think that. As if you can only gain knowledge through entering a school building.

To that I ask: Is everyone who is now walking around and not in school stupid because we're not actively learning in a building?!?

Um, yeah. Sorry, Einstein and Edison and Beatrix Potter and all those other famous people who were homeschooled. You were all dumb.

We've spent a lot of time instilling the idea into our kids that we are learning all the time. You don't have to set aside a specific time to "do" school. Life is about learning. Otherwise, what happens when we graduate?

Case in point, our Edward (who is in 5th grade and learns on a 6th-grade level for all his math and English courses) was asked last year if he knew what a "legament" was. The boys on his soccer team had just (in 4th grade) learned about these and made a model using them. Edward was confused and said that he didn't. The one replied, "Oh, that's right. You're homeschooled."

Okay. Okay. Breathe. My blood began to boil at that since Edward did indeed know what LIGaments were since he had done anatomy lessons in 2nd grade... He'd just never heard of a LEGament. Hmm...who's the dumb one?

No one.

Everyone learns at a different rate and at a different level. It's easy to compare and feel a sense of pride that our kids are consistently learning above their peer groups. But they would be doing that in a school building, too. They're just smart. Some kids are; some kids aren't.

I'm never sure how to dispel the above ideas without sounding overly defensive about what we're doing. We know what they're doing/what they're learning. We understand it. Somehow other people don't; yet they feel the need to make judgments about it.

I have to wonder how many of these same parents really know and understand all that their own kids are learning.

We entrust our kids to a school with teachers who may or may not agree with our core values and beliefs. And how much are they actually learning in the course of a day?

I went to public schools (many different ones), and there was A LOT of busy work. Of course, I learned. But much of the time, when I should have been listening to the teacher's voice reading from a textbook or lesson plan, I spent drawing and writing. Did I learn anything? I guess so. But maybe I would have learned more at home just doing the schoolwork and then moving on to my art and writing? Who knows. Neither way is wrong. Just different. And in either system I would have learned.

The question we get most often is about socialization. What exactly is that? I mean, really. Isn't it just a buzzword somebody made up to sound educated?

Show me a homeschooler, and I'll show you a kid that can usually (not always) look you straight in the eyes and chat with you about just about anything. Edward, more so than Emily, is a bit shy at times. But we remind him to be polite. That doesn't happen with 90 percent of the kids I talk to who go to public or private schools.

And there's a difference between socialization and socializing.

Think about it.

When kids are in school are all the kids they are mingling with really the kind of kids you'd like them to be around? Where in life will you ever be with 30 people your same age? Maybe in a church or social group. But usually? Ding-ding-ding. That's right! No where.

So they socialize (maybe not directly but within earshot) with kids who chat about sex and drugs and use words that would make your ears curl. They swap stories about their parents' sex lives or the latest episode of a show that they should NEVER be watching or an article on orgasms in Seventeen magazine. Or they share the lyrics to the latest Katy Perry or Lady Gaga songs. Or, worse, they kiss each other. Girls to girls. Because, after all, Katy Perry did it and sang a song about it. They do it on TV shows...in color...so it must be okay, right?

Um...yeah.

So, while our kids know about all of this stuff and we have had many many great conversations about it all, we choose the shelter of staying away from it because we find it to be drivel. Mindless garbage.

And as Emily said to me, who would choose to live in a dumpster when you have a nice house to live in?

But we're not sheltered because of ignorance. We are sheltered by choice. We know all the worldly stuff that's out there, and we choose to stay away from that kind of thinking, to stay in the world but not of the world.

Our choice...not anybody else's.

I just wish others could respect that.

"Let there be peace on Earth, and let it begin with me..."

How Do I Spell Relief?

2012-01-18T20:18:00.000-05:00

There used to be an ad on TV that asked, "How do you spell relief?" And then it panned to various people who said, "R-O-L-A-I-D-S," which is a brand of gas medicine.

It perplexed me when I was younger since I was very literal and thought, "No. It's r-e-l-i-e-f." But I didn't get the adult sophistication of "play-on-words" humor yet.

Today was a day. Yes...a day.

I'm not sure if it was the hormones currently waging war against each other in my body or just the moon phase. But it was a bit stressful merely from the energies being exchanged on the Internet at the moment.

It's an election year. I despise election years. The news, the mud-slinging, the anger.

All I can say is...Ugh.

So I've been avoiding the news and trying hard to let it all roll off. Later in the spring I'll need to read up on the characters involved so that I can vote intelligently in the primaries. Until then...

But..............

Somehow, someway, somewhy our school has been the brunt of everyone's anger at the moment. We even made the frontpage of the New York Times. The New York Times? Our cyber school is in Pennsylvania.

We've been doing this type of schooling for 10 years. Why now?

Well, that's the subject of another post.

But that's the reason I felt SOOOO stressed today.

So I spelled relief: F-I-N-G-E-R-P-A-I-N-T-I-N-G with my boys.

Fun times!!

Sweet Sunday

2012-01-15T05:38:00.001-05:00

We sang this song at church on New Year's Day. Ethan "sang" along (as best as a 3-year-old can sing without being able to read), and when we got to the last line he reached around to his back and said sadly, "But I don't have any wings."

I smiled and whispered that God would give him special wings when the time came that he'd need them.

On the way home, he randomly said, "I don't want any wings. I don't like them. They're made of chicken."

It was hard not to laugh after that thought.

Special song...special boy! Have a very sweet Sunday!

If I Close My Eyes...

2012-01-14T16:24:00.003-05:00

and breathe in the remnants of fragrance after I empty a box of Earl Grey tea....

...I am transported back to England to the coastline of Cornwall where I am sitting in the garden of the old Victorian hotel where we are staying, having a cup of tea with my sister and pretending to be old married women conversing about our grown children. We are proper and polite and speak with "frightfully nice" accents.

...I am hugging the t-shirt my sister brought me from her trip to England with Teen Mission International. She has all kinds of goodies from her trip, including Earl Grey tea, and everything in her luggage smells of it. It is my first time smelling it, and I know immediately that I love it, even though I am 11 and don't really like tea yet. Five years later, I buy a box of it to put in my own luggage on my trip to England with Teen Missions International. I enjoy a few cups of it along the way, too.

...I am on my honeymoon in Windermere, England. I am sitting across from my new husband, enjoying a milder day on our honeymoon...and a pot of Earl Grey tea. Stuart isn't a "tea drinker," per se. But he enjoys it for me. That's true love.

...I am holding a small gray baby bunny, from the second of Bonny Bunny's litters. He is small and gray...unlike his brother and older sisters at the same age. I wonder at his coloring given the fact that both of his parents are Himalayan Netherland Dwarfs. He is the one that Emily chooses for her 4-H project. He is the one with the most determined personality. He is the one that she names Earl Grey in honor of her favorite tea. He is the one who lives up to the nobility of his name. He sits proud and tall when she talks about him in the 4-H meetings. He loves his hut and sits on the roof like a bunny version of Snoopy. He uses his litterbox with pride and munches on hay whilst sitting in it.

...I am holding a long white bunny, no longer strong and proud. He is sick and dying. It is the middle of the night. I awaken his owner, his "mommy" and the one that he loves more than any other person. She holds him and pets him as he slips away to live with Jesus....

Earl Grey = a tea, a bunny, and so many memories.

Farm Show Fun, Friends, and Photos

2012-01-10T09:24:00.000-05:00

And a good time was had by all!

Great time with awesome friends and yummy food! And the weather stayed mild! A rare occurrence during Farm Show Week. *wink-grin*

Friday Funny

2012-01-06T22:04:00.000-05:00

Since we're heading to the Pennsylvania Farm Show tomorrow, I thought a farm-related funny might be good. Enjoy! And I hope you had a fun Friday!

A "Little" Lapse...and a Recap

2012-01-05T14:03:00.005-05:00

So I lapsed again...a little. *wink-grin*

Since I can't go back and recapture 2011 through 300+ posts, I'll do a photo summary of the year.

January:

We headed to the PA Farm Show in Harrisburg with the kids -- a first for Stuart and the boys. Emily and I went there a LONG time ago. It was such a treat...and a definite "walk" down Memory Lane.

February:

A very sweet Valentine's Day as Edward turned 10...double digits! And Emily and I hosted a Mother-Daughter Valentine's Tea.

March:

The month of Spring and fresh beginnings. We enjoyed St. Patty's Day...and a fun "half-birthday" for Ethan...and first birthday for the piggies.

April:

We celebrated another half-b'day for Emily, soccer, and Easter -- and my very first trip alone (as a mom) to New York City!

May:

We celebrated my parents' 50th anniversary with them (a month early); we said goodbye to my grandmother, my last living grandparent; we celebrated Mother's Day and our 15th anniversary with a trip into West Reading, complete with a postcard to the kids.

June:

School ended -- Emily and Edward move on to 9th grade and 5th grade, respectively. The kids hosted an Alex's Lemondade Stand. Emily danced in her final recital. My parents had their actual 50th anniversary. We celebrated Father's Day and my grandmother's life in a Memorial Service at her home. Summer started.

July:

Independence Day and summer. A slower time of life.

August:

Camp Woohoohaha! was a blast! We enjoyed the final weeks of summer before Emily started HIGH SCHOOL! Our school books arrived, and we finished the library summer reading program.

September:

School started. Stuart celebrated turning "40-something" (41), and Ethan had his 3rd birthday with his very own birthday adventure to Crayola. It was the 10th anniversary of 9-11. Autumn arrived with all its glorious colors and smells. Soccer officially began for the season.

October:

Emily and I celebrated our birthday by turning reciprocals of each other: 14 and 41. We had hoped to go to NYC but decided against it because of weather and the "Occupy Wall Street" movement. We enjoyed Ballocity instead. Stuart was away, so we had a "staying-in" Halloween after it snowed 9 inches and turned icy. Some people lost power for over a week.

November:

A British feast was enjoyed with Sandy and Tim for Guy Fawkes' Night. We had a bonfire and lots of goodies. My mom celebrated her 70th birthday. Thanksgiving ended the month with another yummy feast at my aunt's house.

December:

The last month of 2011. Emily and I travelled back again to New York City to see the NYC Ballet do the "Nutcracker." We enjoyed some shopping and just hanging together. I had my annual shopping trip (#17) to Schuylkill Mall with my friend and former co-worker from Highlights. Christmas Eve's Eve included a "picnic in the park" in our living room. Christmas Eve was special. Christmas Day spent in bed. Boxing Day enjoyable with another feast. And Pagoda Day we moved the photo to the morning so that we would avoid the rain. New Year's Eve we spent as a family, enjoying some snacks and playing some games. We watched the ball drop together and reflected on the beginning of another new year.

* * *

There are so many other things that happened over the year...but these are just a few of the highlights. We try to always remember how blessed we are...and celebrate God and each other.

Happy 2012, everyone!

Winds of Change...and an Apology

2011-09-22T11:17:00.002-04:00

So once again, the time has gotten ahead of me, and I'm behind on my blogging, and I'm so sorry.

Originally, I intended to keep this blog to clear my mind of random thoughts and record memories to share with my kids.

Five years on and how's it going? Hmm...

My last post was from August 10th. It's now September 22nd. Need I say more?

To say that I've been busy would address most of the problem. To say that I just haven't made the time would fit in there, too.

Sigh.

So I'll fill in some of the fun events we've experienced between my last post and now...but I won't backdate them. I'll just reflect on them. Sound good? That way I won't get further behind trying to catch myself up. You with me? Phew. Glad someone is.

Changes and changes and changes.

I don't do well with change.

I'm not sure if I just ODed on it when I was younger since we seemed to move every few years...or if it's just in my nature...or both....

But yesterday proved a bit stressful for me. (I'll get over it quickly. I promise. *wink-grin*) Both Facebook and my email provider changed the format on their programs.

While I adapt fairly quickly to new things, I felt frustrated by these changes. I think the world around us is continually changing so it's nice for some things to stay steady. It's not much to ask...really.

Still, I know that I'll get used to both changes...in time for them to change again.

Oh, well. In my next life (if I believed in such things), I'll be a chameleon. It'll be so much easier.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-08-10T04:20:00.002-04:00

Past Connections

2011-08-09T15:34:00.001-04:00

I lost my last grandparent in May.

My grandmother, Janice S. Bartels, passed away on May 19th, just a little under a month from her 90th birthday.

I have never heard anyone say that death is easy. Ever. Even when you know that it's coming at some point -- there's no other end for us humans -- the reality of it isn't pleasant. Even when you know the person is "better off" because now he/she "isn't suffering," it isn't nice. It just feels so...final.

Suddenly you think of all the wasted moments, the times, the events -- good and bad -- that you won't get to share with that person. You can't just pick up the phone and call her anymore. You can't ask questions about her past to get to know her -- or her "era" -- a bit better, not that my grandmother was into that.

My grandmother had a hard life. Some of it was caused by her own choices, but some of it by just the fact that she was born into a home where her mother was somewhat harsh and the rest of her family perhaps a bit indulging?

Raising four children by herself in the '40s and '50s -- with a deadbest ex-husband who'd remarried a woman who wanted to pretend he didn't have a previous family -- my dad once told me it wasn't easy for her. The rumors that were spoken behind her back; the stories and gossip that were spread about this young, beautiful woman with her pretty teenage daughters who had to take in boarders to help pay the mortgage......

My mom just told me the other day that my grandmother needed to get a job once the divorce was final -- since she got very little of the court-ordered child support from my grandfather. But she had never worked before in her life. She'd graduated in 1939, had my aunt in 1940, and then had my mom in 1941. She was a daughter and then a housewife and mom. So getting a job that paid well enough to keep their house and four kids was a feat in and of itself. Add in the fact that she had no real job skills, and it was nearly impossible.

But she did it, and my mom and aunt worked as well.

I asked my mom if my great-grandmother ever offered monetary assistance. My mom said absolutely not. My great-grandmother would have loaned my grandmother money, but she always felt my grandmother was defiant and disobedient and made bad choices. She didn't ever think it proper for my grandmother to have her own thoughts and ideas and abilities. She was just wrong, in my great-grandmother's eyes. She'd "made her bed and so must lie in it."

It suddenly struck me how hard it must have been for my grandmother. It suddenly made me miss her more....wishing I could give her one more hug to let her know how much we loved her -- and how proud we were of her.

Everyone makes bad choices -- some more than others -- but isn't that what forgiveness and mercy are all about?

Sigh.

Nice vs,. Mean

2011-08-08T10:50:00.002-04:00

"Attention! Attention!

Nice Mommy has left the building, taking with her all nice thoughts, deeds, ideas, and hugs.

It is uncertain when -- and if -- she will return......"

Sigh.

Some days feel like that lately...today being no exception.

Sigh (again).

Stuart is away on another trip. It feels (though he assures me it isn't so) like he's been away a lot more recently. Maybe it's coming close together or something...because it seems like we've eaten a ton of mac-n-cheese as of late.

I had in my head all the things we could do this week -- all the things I need to do this week. And it all came to a screeching halt when my temper flared this morning.

Sigh (yet again).

It's not that I'm completely unjustified in my reactions to things. But I get frustrated at myself when I can't seem to stop myself from ranting and over-reacting...and, even more so, when I feel like I just want to quit.

I know from experience that motherhood is full of days like this. And I honestly don't really want to quit or change anything.

It's just in my moment of venting, I'm gathering my thoughts and getting down on my knees to ask God to help me deal with things in a more, well, in a more "nice" way.

Then I'll be able to say: "Mean Mommy has left the building, taking with her all mean thoughts, deeds, ideas, and folded arms.

It is hopeful that she won't return......ever."

Well, it's a nice thought, right?

Sigh.

Life's Driving Force

2011-08-03T11:49:00.001-04:00

The thing about life is that it moves entirely too quickly. There's a feeling that if life moves fast, somehow I must move faster. In doing so, though, I end up missing out on the most precious and simple moments of joy.

Sigh.

I've always felt that need to slow down, and finally today (albeit, for a just brief moment) I got to do just that.

Sitting at the breakfast table, Ethan began to "drive" using his cereal bowl as a steering wheel. He made the motor sounds and even "shifted" using his spoon.

At first, Emily and I just smiled at his imagination and continued eating our breakfast.

Then he announced quite loudly and excitedly that we'd "arrived" in New York City!

At that moment, for some unknown reason, I felt myself transported with him. I joined in his fun and marvelled at the tall buildings around us. Then I pointed to a Starbucks and suggested going there next.

He laughed and began "driving" us there. He then asked what I wanted to drink and served me quite genteelly.

"Hold on to your coffee!" he said and started to "drive" again.

"Where are we going now?" I asked.

"To church!" he said happily.

At church, we sang a song together and then got back in our car to drive to....the Art Show!

Quickly admiring a Monet and then a Bouguereau, we then boarded the car to race onward to...Walmart. I told him I'd get us the big bottle of GermX that I needed.

I requested that we travel to my favorite toystore FAO Schwarz back in NYC. It was a quick trip, because then we had to go "bowling."

At the bowling alley, Ethan said he got lots of balls and threw two strikes! I said that I only got a spare. But Emily, who joined in the fun, got a strike, too. Ethan high-fived her.

After all the "journeying," we headed home and the cereal bowl once again became just a cereal bowl.

We laughed at the fun of "driving around" -- at least in our imaginations -- and finished our breakfasts...but somehow it felt as if we'd just had a wonderful adventure together.

Tuesday Tidbit

2011-08-02T13:43:00.001-04:00

Last month, we went to our borough's annual Independence Day Parade. A photographer from our local newspaper took this photo of Ethan's awe in watching the festivities. He was enraptured by all he saw. It was so precious!

Eggs-tra Special

2011-08-01T13:25:00.000-04:00

Stuart brought me home a Galaxy Caramel Egg. Galaxy. Caramel. Egg.

For those of you who don't know British chocolate well, Galaxy makes a creamier version of Cadbury's. It's one of the Mercedes of the chocolate world.

I've had it since May.

For those of you who don't know me well, that's a LONG time for me to keep chocolate.

I'm a choco-holic. I know it. My hubby knows it. My kids know it. If there's chocolate in the house, it won't be long until it's no longer in the house. If there was some kind of support group for this addiction I'd be the "poster child" for it.

Okay. So I exaggerate...a bit.

Anyways...back to my Galaxy Caramel Egg...

Each of the family members in my house -- with the exception of Ethan and the various fur-covered ones -- has ~~demanded~~ ~~implored~~ encouraged me to eat said egg. I'm guessing it's to remove the temptation that they feel in seeing it each day.

But I can't.

It's not because I don't want to. It's not because I won't enjoy it. It's not even because I'm not physically able to.

I just don't want to...yet.

There will come a moment, when the time is right and the coffee is perfect, that I will peel back the foil wrapper and sink my teeth into the luxurious caramel surrounded by creamy chocolate, savoring the sweet goodness with a swig of Starbucks Special Blend.

...........

Excuse me. I think I hear the kettle whistling.....

Worded Wednesday

2011-06-29T12:57:00.000-04:00

Can you find the hidden toddler in this picture? Can you find him? Can you find him? Is he there?

Still Blogging...in My Head

2011-06-28T12:16:00.002-04:00

The thing about blogging is that it can sometimes get in the way of Life...

But the thing about Life is that it can sometimes get in the way of blogging!

Sigh.

I started this blog over five years ago with the intentions of "clearing my cluttered brain."

Hmm.... It's gotten more difficult in the past year or so, and I've lagged behind in my ramblings.
But, funny enough, I've continued "blogging" in my mind.

I'll find myself thinking of a post while I'm showering or driving or cooking dinner -- all places that make it impossible to put fingertips to computer keyboard and empty my thoughts into a post destined for the World Wide Web.

So much has happened...good and bad; easy and hard; memorable and forgettable.

I'll do my best to get back in the groove of writing. That's the purpose of my jottings on here: just to get myself writing, to keep on keeping on with a hobby I immensely enjoy.

I'm sure I'll lapse again at some point, but it's the "doing" that matters most to me. Just keeping a journal of happenings -- big and small -- for my kids to read later in life.

After all, it's easier to read on here than in my head, right?

Friday Funnies

2011-04-01T05:11:00.002-04:00

This is the cutest video and is sure to bring you a few laughs on this fun and jokey Friday! Happy April Fool's Day! And have a FUNNY Friday!

Facing the Truth

2011-03-31T14:22:00.037-04:00

I've come to the conclusion after spending the past 3+ years on Facebook that to some "friends" I am a nobody...or at least nobody who is that important.

It's okay. It's okay.

I'm not looking for pity -- not in the slightest. I can leave that social network at any time...right? Or, at the very least, go to "Facebook-users Anonymous." *wink-grin*

Let me explain.

I'm not sure of actual Facebook etiquette -- though I'm tempted to write a manual on the topic -- but if you're "friended" by people, especially people you thought were actual real-life friends, you should be important to them on there, right? What I mean by that is that if you comment on their posts or "like" something they've posted or leave them messages or tell them you'll pray for them, etc., they'll respond to you and maybe even reciprocate in kind (understandably, not all the time, of course). Or if they don't respond to you directly on a particular post they won't respond to anyone else who commented either.

WRONG.

Apparently, it's okay to thank some of the people who offer friendship and kind words to you...and ignore the rest.

Who knew?

Another part of the etiquette that I've come to learn is that people can comment TO someone who has commented on someone else's post, regardless of whether or not they've ever (and I mean EVER) communicated with the original poster directly. It's all a part of that "six degrees of separation," I guess.

Go figure.

I would have thought that they'd comment to the original poster and then add an "aside" to the commenter of choice. Guess I thought wrong again.

And yet another fact that I've learned concerning the Facebook "rules of friendship" is that people can publicly message one another bragging about the wonderful time they had together and how they can't wait to do it again and how they're the best-est friends they've ever known...and their kids will grow up and continue the family friendship for all eternity...... Okay, slight exaggeration on the "best-est friends" part since you know that they'll post that again on another person's wall before too long.

Well, I'll be.

It doesn't matter that their 180+ other friends have just read that and thought that they were their "best-est ever" friends and that they would just love to get together with them but they've been "far too busy to do that...but soon," etc. Hmm...

The fact is online friendship is still friendship. People go online to continue their friendships with others in a different way...another facet, if you will. It matters what you post and how you post and if you post. People are watching and reading and feeling -- even online.

Being rude online isn't any more acceptable than being rude in person. It's just easier.

So, Facebook friends, if you see that you've disappeared from my list, you'll understand why. Nothing personal.....

Friendship is friendship (caring, loving, praying for each other) -- online and offline. I'd rather spend my time -- both on and offline -- and energy -- both on and offline -- with people who truly care for me both on and offline.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-03-30T23:13:00.001-04:00

"Monday, Monday...

2011-03-28T23:23:00.000-04:00

...can't trust that day."

That's for sure!

I love Mondays...usually.

Mondays remind me of a blank slate -- a brandnew start to another week. Time to tidy up after the weekend and get things back in order.

I know most of my family doesn't see me as organized, but I am very methodical. But my organization -- like most other people's -- fits and works for me.

I usually get up before everyone else and come downstairs. After turning on the radio, I fill the kettle and get Ethan's milk ready. Then I let out the dog and fill his bowl with food. Then I prepare the coffee and start the timer. While I wait for the timer, I clean out the cats' litterbox and feed them. I let in the dog and pour the coffee -- maybe doing a few dishes that might be in the sink or making Stuart's lunch (but only if there's time). Now I am ready to greet Stuart and Ethan and spend a few moments drinking our coffee/milk (respectively).

I like routine. It's the stabilizing influence of my life.

But sometimes it can become the opposite. Sometimes I feel like my world is shaken if something is done out of order or messed up...

Thus, today is a mess (in my mind). We have three sick little munchkins...one car...and the need for a very long nap and some sunshine.

Still, there's always tomorrow. A clean slate on which to rebuild my routine...right? Right?

Sigh.

Sweet Sunday

2011-03-27T15:05:00.001-04:00

I thought this was appropriate after spending the morning home from church with three sick children. We certainly could use some healing rain.

Saturday Sweethearts

2011-03-26T05:35:00.001-04:00

"E" is for Emily, Edward, and Ethan!

Friday Funnies

2011-03-25T05:39:00.001-04:00

Ethan is a regular comic these days. Must come with being 2 or something.

Here's one of our very favorite recent videos of him explaining the names of each family member.

Enjoy! And have a funny Friday!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-03-23T15:33:00.000-04:00

Playing a Treat

2011-03-22T15:25:00.000-04:00

This isn't the same couple we watched playing this song on the "Big Piano" at FAO Schwartz, but it sounds just as good! Boy, were they talented!!

Hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Missing Monday Musings...

2011-03-21T08:16:00.002-04:00

So here we are...the first official full day of Spring. Yippee! It can only get warmer and sunnier from here, right? Well, we can hope. Snow and sleet are predicted for Wednesday...

I haven't done a Monday Musings post for some time now, and I think I'm a bit rusty. So much has happened that I haven't chronicled that I'm not sure I could cover it all without writing an entire volume of our family history.

So I'll just start with this past Saturday...and fill in later with posts about the "history" and memorable events of the past year.

Saturday.

A dear friend of ours from England brought her daughters to New York City for a shopping weekend. You know, one of those expedia.com deals you can buy? It was her youngest daughter's 13th birthday, and she thought it would be a wonderful treat for her.

The best treat was for us to join them for the afternoon on Saturday...to visit, to shop, to look around, and just enjoy each other.

It was fabulous!!

(Sarah and Stuart and I met after I moved to England in 1988. It'd been about 10 years since we'd seen each other.)

Since it was Ethan's first trip to NYC, it was also a special family time for us.

We took the PATH train from Hoboken and then the subway up to 58th to go to the best-est toystore in the world: FAO Schwarz. From there, we took the subway back to 34th to meet Sarah and her daughters at Macy's. After a fun time of eating, drinking (soda), and visiting, we hit the streets to go to Times Square and then the Rockefeller Center. It was a long day for all concerned, but a fun day.

Such a treat...such a memory!

I'll let the pictures tell the rest of the story:

Sweet Sunday

2011-03-20T14:56:00.002-04:00

One of Ethan's favorite songs at the moment is one by Michael W. Smith called "Ancient Words." We played a CD of worship songs, never realizing how much Ethan enjoyed what he was hearing, until he starting singing it for himself. And hearing a 2-year-old belt out this song? Truly heartwarming!

Enjoy it for yourself.

Saturday Sweetheart

2011-03-19T14:50:00.003-04:00

In honor of Ethan's half-birthday this past Monday, I give you my latest "bribery" photo. He wasn't much interested in having his photo taken -- yet again -- so I offered him a piece of fudge in return for a pic.

Behold the power of sugar and chocolate! (And I know...I must never ever abuse this power...)

"CHEESE!!"

Friday Funnies

2011-03-18T14:43:00.001-04:00

It's that time of year again...

Enjoy some of my favorite Cadbury commercials...and have a funny Friday!

Wordless (mostly) Wednesday

2011-03-16T18:40:00.000-04:00

It's coming....

Pray for Japan

2011-03-15T13:48:00.002-04:00

My dear Japanese "sister," Haruko, and her family (parents and siblings, young nephews) live here. Pray for them! She would never want to worry us, but I think she is scared...as we are for her.

Half-Birthday Blessings

2011-03-14T05:44:00.001-04:00

Our littlest guy turned 2 1/2 today. Two and one-half!

How did that happen?

He chats and draws and reads and pretends and teases and jumps and potties...all like a big boy.

How did that happen?

We still think of him as "our baby," but he is quick to remind us that he isn't that anymore.

"I Ethan," he tells us.

In following with family tradition, we had our fun little "half-birthday" celebration today. Birthdays start with presents and cards and a fun birthday adventure. Half-birthdays start with, well, a big half-birthday kiss and maybe something fun for breakfast.

The real "celebration" starts in the evening with a special dinner, some cake with the appropriate number of candles plus a half, and presents. Nothing too big, but something fun.

Ethan kept us entertained while he opened his cards and gifts. He pretended to read some of the cards and made up the names of who gave them to him. He's quite the comic.

Blowing out the candles proved a bit hard for him -- especially when he blew up instead of out. A little help from Mommy and he was on his way to eating the cupcake.

Then he played with some of his gifts, and he even won his new "Hungry Caterpillar" game.

All in all, a fun day for him.

We're so blessed.

Sweet Sunday

2011-03-13T11:35:00.006-04:00

For the people of Japan...

We sang this in church today, and I know that despite all that's happening, God loves these people and is watching out for them!!

Our hearts and prayers are with you, Japan!!

Saturday Sweethearts

2011-03-12T05:17:00.004-05:00

Getting bigger....

Friday Funnies

2011-03-11T05:09:00.003-05:00

Having "sold out" and joined the "dark side" with our mini van (not this brand, of course), we can truly laugh at the jokes in this video. And it isn't all that bad. At least we can fit everyone and his dog, brother, and uncle (and all the stuff we seem to "need") into our vehicle now. *wink-grin*

Enjoy! And have a very funny Friday!

A "Wait-ed" Topic

2011-03-10T05:43:00.005-05:00

Woo-hooo!

We finally got our refund from TECH for LESS for something we bought on 11/3/09 that we never received...

After calling ~~a gazillion~~ ~~million~~ multiple times -- and since it wasn't that expensive -- we gave up. It just didn't seem worth it.

But we just received a refund check worth...wait for it...$7.51!

Good things come to those who wait, huh?

*wink-grin*

Wordless (mostly) Wednesday

2011-03-09T05:54:00.001-05:00

DONUTS!!

Falling Slowly...

2011-03-08T08:32:00.001-05:00

It's no surprise that these singers got an Oscar for this song. The way they sing it and the words...so very touching, very poignant, very inspiring.

From the movie Once...

Falling Slowly

I don't know you
But I want you
All the more for that
Words fall through me
And always fool me
And I can't react
And games that never amount
To more than they're meant
Will play themselves out

Take this sinking boat and point it home
We've still got time
Raise your hopeful voice you have a choice
You'll make it now

Falling slowly, eyes that know me
And I can't go back
Moods that take me and erase me
And I'm painted black
You have suffered enough
And warred with yourself
It's time that you won

Take this sinking boat and point it home
We've still got time
Raise your hopeful voice you have a choice
You've made it now

Falling slowly sing your melody
I'll sing it loud

~Glen Hansard

Once...

2011-03-07T23:23:00.001-05:00

For Valentine's Day, I gave Stuart a CD of romantic songs that I found at our local Starbucks. It was supposed to be a "together" gift that I would play for the first time while we drank coffee together, romantically pouring it from our new French press pot.....

Okay. Okay.

*Pop!*

Three kids later -- especially one toddler -- and that isn't quite how it happened.

But that's not a problem.

We've still enjoyed the coffee pot and the music, though I have to admit, I've probably listened to it more with the kids than with him.

It's an interesting and eclectic mix of songs; some that I knew and some I'd never heard of...and, honestly, had they not been on the CD, probably never would have. Yet, I feel so much richer now from hearing them.

Make sense?

That's how music is for me. Much like a journey. I hear something and it makes me curious about it, and that leads me to another something, and I read about that and so on.

So...long story short...that led me down the path to a song called "Falling Slowly."

You know how every now and again you hear a song and it haunts you? Sticks in your soul so much that you find yourself humming it?

Yeah? Me, too! That was this song.

Emily and I got curious about it so we looked in the little leaflet that came with the CD to read more about it.

And that path led me to an indie movie called Once, the story about of two lonely people who love music....

Here's the trailer, which also includes part of the song:

It was one of the most fantastical movies we've seen in a long time.

A true love story.

And one that will keep you smiling for quite some time.

Sweet Sunday

2011-03-06T23:29:00.000-05:00

A dear sweet friend lost her father on Wednesday.

He was a papa...a grandpapa and a husband...an uncle, a father-in-law, a brother, a son, a friend.

And he was loved. By his family, by his friends, by those who knew him.

My heart hurt when I read that he'd stepped into eternity. But only for those who were left behind; those who wish with all their hearts that they could have kept him here a few more years -- at the very least.

My prayers and tears are with them now...but my heart rejoices with him, knowing that he is standing -- his body whole and unbroken -- before God and praising Him.

Saturday Sweethearts

2011-03-05T05:57:00.001-05:00

My three little (or not-so-little?) sweethearts having a "Homebucks" moment together.

Friday Funnies

2011-03-04T05:12:00.002-05:00

"Laughter is an instant vacation." ~Milton Berle

"I am thankful for laughter, except when milk comes out of my nose." ~Woody Allen

"Even if there is nothing to laugh about, laugh on credit." ~Author Unknown

"Mirth is God's medicine. Everybody ought to bathe in it." ~Henry Ward Beecher

Focus, Refocus

2011-03-03T05:24:00.001-05:00

There's so much out there to distract us these days, taking our focus off of the things we really want to love and enjoy.

I read recently that people are becoming "infobese." And it's so true.

News websites; social networking sites; blogs of all kinds; online shopping sites... All are worthy of our attention...

And the ~~nosy~~ journalistic side of me wants to know what's happening in the world around me. I can't stand to not check what's happening in my world -- through blogs, Facebook, and email.

But while none of that is bad, it becomes a problem when it takes up so much of my time. So much of my energy. So much of my brainpower. That leaves me impatient with my family, unable to focus and concentrate on the things they need from me, exhausted from trying to "fix" things that mean nothing personally to me.

Sure, no man is an island -- I wholeheartedlly believe that we should have empathy for one another, hold each other up in prayer -- but my priorities need to be in the proper order for that to work.

The Bible tells us in Luke 12:34: "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

If my treasure is my family and my job is to take care of them......then how am I actually doing?

Is my heart there for them?

Wordless Wednesday

2011-03-02T05:35:00.003-05:00

Back in the Saddle...Again?

2011-03-01T22:59:00.002-05:00

There's an old Gene Autry song that's been running through my head as I type this post tonight...

"I'm back in the saddle again

Out where a friend is a friend
Where the longhorn cattle feed
On the lowly gypsum weed
Back in the saddle again

Ridin' the range once more
Totin' my old .44
Where you sleep out every night
And the only law is right
Back in the saddle again

Whoopi-ty-aye-oh
Rockin' to and fro
Back in the saddle again
Whoopi-ty-aye-yay
I go my way
Back in the saddle again..."

It's been such a long time since I made an effort to blog daily...or at least mostly daily...or even bi-weekly...or every few months?

I'm going to make another attempt because...because...

...well, because I miss it.

I know I did my ~~one~~ reader(s) a disservice by leaving abruptly and only blogging sporadically last year. But I can honestly say that I didn't have the brainpower for it. I wanted to. Desperately. But there were too many other distractions -- some of which I will share later -- to keep me from my writing passion. A true "Writer's Block," mayhaps?

*wink-grin*

Sounds so dramatic, huh?

Still, I want to get "back in the saddle" and back to simply blogging.

Seems so easy in theory.......

Let's see how it pans out in reality.

Need. More. Chocolate.

2011-02-03T15:43:00.001-05:00

There are days when I think the above is so very true.

The weights of the world -- both big and small -- really push hard on my shoulders and back. Things that seem amazingly unfathomable crowd my mind and usurp my thoughts.

And then comes something little that's personal and sad -- seemingly so small compared to the other quandaries I've been pondering -- and my heart breaks.

It's not that it is insignificant. I don't believe for one moment that any sadness is that. Each has its own weight, to be sure, but each is felt differently by the recipient and those who love her. In the big scheme of things and looking back years later, maybe the "happening" didn't deserve the attention it received. But in the moment it can feel devastating.

A childhood crush. A fun and forever friendship formed.

Or so we thought.

Emily liked a boy (I'll call "Ralph") since she was in preschool. It was just a crush, mere puppy love, and completely harmless.

He was a part of the homeschool group we used to attend, but he was a grade older than her.

She dreamt girlish and fun dreams about marrying him when she grew up. She thought of the children they might have together and where they would live and how much fun it would be to be married to him. Nothing any other girl of 10 or 11 doesn't think about.

We stopped going to the group when I wasn't needed as a teacher anymore. It was difficult to scrape together the amount of money needed for it, and, as it was a fair distance away from us, we felt it might be time to move on.

It was a sad day.

Fast forward two years and Emily is now a proud and happy member of Facebook. She enjoys "seeing" her school friends on there and has even caught up with a few of her old ones from the homeschool group. She noticed "Ralph" amongst others and decided to friend him along with his brother and several other boys from the group. Her crush had all but disappeared since she's met other nice boys along the way.

Then when he didn't answer her friend requests she decided to ask him if he remembered her. His response was somewhat surprising -- especially to me since I always thought him to be a nice and polite boy. He wanted to know why she wanted to be friends with him. She said she thought they were friends. He told her to come back when she had a boyfriend and he might friend her then.

My heart froze.

Memories of my own such encounters and stories of my mom's similar encounters flooded over me. It was the sort of thing that you hope your child -- no matter how old -- never has to experience for herself.

Years of fairytale friendship and silly dreams and happy thoughts burned to a crisp in that moment.

In fairness, Emily handled it very well -- though she may have secretly cried later in her bed.

Inwardly, I did not handle it well.

I know there are lessons to be learned about wearing hearts on sleeves and the hard knocks of growing up, etc. And, in this case, they have been learned, I'm sure.

Yet, it's never ever easy to watch your child be hurt...for any reason. For some reason it feels like you've worn your heart on your sleeve right alongside her. The pain goes right to the middle of your soul.

But there is a saying: "Shared sorrow is sorrow halved..."

Pardon us while we go and split a chocolate bar and cry in our tea together.........

A Head Scratcher...

2011-01-17T15:55:00.001-05:00

I had to chuckle at a woman from our former homeschool group who said she hadn't seen us on Wednesdays for awhile...and she was wondering how she kept missing us.

I told her the kids weren't going there anymore.

And she said, "Really? I was sure I saw Emily recently."

I said that we hadn't been with the group for the last two years.

She seemed genuinely confused.

And I was left thinking that either we made a big enough impact to be "seen" even after we'd left...or we were invisible enough to not be missed once we were gone.......................

Message from the "Muser"

2010-11-29T09:35:00.000-05:00

Thanks for coming back!! Be sure to read my Shoutbox to see my messages about updates...or choose a month to read any new posts. There's a problem with the auto-pagination so I'm not sure you'll see all the posts for a given month. But I think you can choose them by name.

And happy reading!!

Friday Funnies

2010-10-29T12:11:00.003-04:00

While I still have several fairly important past dates to chronicle, record, and, in general, chat about (including several pretty important birthdays), I couldn't resist posting this little slide show I made of some funny photos I took of Ethan. And, yes, he is a partial-personification for the word: active; hence, the various parts of his I managed to photograph.

Enjoy a glimpse of toddlerdom at our house (Note: Count the number of smiles versus frowns. We're very blessed!) as witnessed in the space of 10 minutes.

I (Anti-Heart) Social Networking...

2010-10-28T16:18:00.003-04:00

It's a funny thing...cyberspace.

I've been a traveller in it all the way since its early days...back in the days of text only. Gasp! (My daughter did!) NO pictures. At all.

Remember those days? With "gophers" and other such oddities?

I remember sitting in my dorm room and managing to somehow "surf" into the Oxford University Library. I was so excited I sent a message to whomever it was that was named in the contact box. I felt like I'd flown over there and could actually see and smell the books (all in my head, of course).

The other day, I was explaining to my children how the Internet isn't really all that old. Well, not in its current form, anyway. And it's continually exploding with exciting new features. They were amazed. It wasn't always around? Really?

Nope.

But idlegrass.

Online social networking isn't all that old either. In the early days of the Internet, chatrooms were all the rage. With a username you could go into the same ones (if you were lucky to find them again) every day or explore others. It was fun, but it was also a clique-maker. An early and easy way to find yourself on the outside looking in -- but this time with people you didn't really know...at all.

Hmm...

Fast-forward about 15 years.

Now you have Twitter...and it's everywhere.

I joined Twitter about a year after it started.

...

And I couldn't really figure it all out. What was its purpose? I had a terrible time trying to boil down my thoughts into 140 characters. 140? Really? (It gets easier with practice I learned.)

The newness gone, I just stopped using it.

Then came Facebook...and it's everywhere, as well.

Again, I was left wondering why? What was the purpose? But I was sucked into it and suddenly I reconnected to friends I hadn't seen or heard from in decades.

Once.

It seems that it's not necessarily, or actually, a new-friend maker...or an old-friend reconnecter. (Well, not for everyone, anyway. It seems you have to be in the right "crowd," so to speak. Some friends seem to have endless chats with their friends. Idlegrass again.) In fact, I would venture to say I talk less with/to some friends now than I ever did. It's almost like they've "seen" me online so they don't need to chat with me anymore.

Hmm...

In fairness, I've probably fallen into the same trap and talk to/e-mail friends a whole lot less now, too.

So what to do?

I wanted to just quit both worlds (easier said than done, I found out). I felt so discouraged. But I decided to stay on and do an experiment to see if it would get any better.

I returned to Twitter, following a several-year hiatus, and found it was still who you were/who you knew. I tried to connect with people, comment on their tweets, tweet my interest in their daily happenings.

My last personal tweet after a year or more of trying was: "Always on the outside of the window, looking in, nose pressed on the glass, watching the fun.... With that, I'll bid Twitterland goodbye...."

The only one who tweeted back was my then-12-year-old daughter, saying how sad she was for me.

Nothing from anyone else. Not even the crickets.

Sigh.

I guess it was a social-networking-experiment-gone-wrong? Or maybe it worked? It showed me that some people have it; others just don't.

Oh, well. I've never been much of a social butterfly anyway....maybe more of a moth with friends?

*wink-grin*

...to be continued...

Sands of Time

2010-08-26T23:24:00.000-04:00

There's a cliched saying about the "sands of time," though I can't really remember the exact wording at this moment.

The meaning is there, though.

"Sands of time"...meaning time is hard to actually hold onto.

I've lamented many times on here that time is flying by. The kids grow at an amazingly-fast pace and I am having a hard time keeping up. I cannot even keep up with myself at the moment.

When I was a kid, I remember trying to pick up sand. I would grab a handful and try to carry it to wherever I was building something, and by the time I got there it was almost all gone. I'd open up my fingers and only a few grains were left. It was frustrating and inspiring at the same time. I would try to think of ways that I could hold it that would enable me to get it -- or most of it -- to the spot where I needed it. Nothing worked.

Of course, all I needed was a bucket. But either I was too young to think about that, or I didn't have one handy.

That's how it feels with kids, sometimes.

The harder I try to hold onto them, the faster they seem to grow and pull away. And as they pull away, so I pull away. The faster time goes by -- the less of it I'm actually experiencing.

I watch my daughter -- nearly a teen -- going off to different events, functions, activities...and I long for the day when she was a baby in my arms, depending only on me and her daddy.

Summer is flying by -- like all the other months of the year -- and with the end of it comes a new beginning for Emily and me. She hits her "teens" and I hit my 40s.

Odd, really.

But just numbers.

Numbers that are like those granules of sand that fell through my grubby childlike fingers all those years ago. No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't keep them there.....

Tempus Fugit...

2010-08-23T06:55:00.000-04:00

..."time flees," literally.

The fact that it is now nearing the end of August, and my last blog post on here was...July (and now I'm backdating my updates)?

Yikes.

So I guess it's safe to say that time flees...flies...speeds by...

And sometimes we keep up (perhaps we're wearing a jet-pack?), and sometimes we're carried along by its currents.

Whatever the case, it's not to be stopped.

I remember learning that Latin phrase in 9th grade. It seemed a very foreign phrase/concept to me then since time crawled...time drifted. At times, it seemed to move a little bit faster, but mostly it was just slow.

Upcoming birthday? Tick-tock. Christmas vacation? Tiiiick-toooock. End of school? Tiiiiiiickkkk-tooooockkkk. Yawn.

Looking back on it, I long for some of those dreamy, ponderous moments of idleness. If only to catch my breath...and a few extra "Zzzzz"s.

But...sigh.

Now it's my children's turns to feel like the hour and minute hands on the clock dawdle -- play games with each other -- seemingly in no hurry.

Hmm...how time changes as we get older, huh?

Camp Woohoohaha! 2010

2010-08-20T06:00:00.044-04:00

Join in our family's fun through photos from our third annual "Camp Woohoohaha!" (Click here and here to read about the previous two years.)

Always a good time for ALL!

Edward's Half-B'day

2010-08-14T17:53:00.026-04:00

Our "Budboy" turns 9 1/2 today...NINE and a HALF!!

Wasn't it just yesterday that we were celebrating his first birthday with "Pooh Bear" plates and cups and napkins. The poor baby boy fell asleep during his party. He had a terrible cold.

Now, he's teetering on the edge of double digits, heading ever closer to teendom.

It's a melancholic feeling...on one hand, happy to watch him grow up into a nice, young man...but hard to let him grow and spread his wings, knowing that this time will continue to go by so quickly...too quickly.

But, for today, we'll enjoy 9 and a half.

Sigh.

Happiest Half-Birthday, Edward Stuart!

23 Months Old Today!!

2010-08-14T05:44:00.006-04:00

Kisses X 3

2010-08-11T23:59:00.000-04:00

Wonder why my heart is warm and glowing at the moment?

We just had the most-awesome experience...with our most-awesome Dutch friends!

The much-anticipated visit from Jadie and Remy finally happened, and they are even nicer, sweeter, funnier, kinder, and more special in person!!

Jadie and I first met online a few years ago -- maybe 4? -- on a website designed by a mutual (and equally-sweet friend) for Kiefer Sutherland fans. But our friendship grew beyond the shared love of an actor and his show/movies. We continued to chat online and blog (hers is here) and get to know each other, hoping that one day we would be able to do the same in person.

And that day finally came!!

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you, Jadie and Remy!!

When you drove away, a piece of our hearts went with you...until we see you again: kusjes X drie. :)

Wordless (Almost) Wednesday

2010-07-14T05:44:00.008-04:00

22 MONTHS OLD!!

How can this little guy grow SO fast?

Independently Fun!

2010-07-04T21:52:00.000-04:00

Since the holiday came on a Sunday, we enjoyed a bit of a different "July 4th" this year. But we still enjoyed the borough parade (though my camera's batteries kaputz early on me, and we couldn't get a curbside view...) and a picnic afterwards at my parents' house.

Saturday Sweethearts

2010-07-03T12:24:00.001-04:00

Ethan Odds and...Ends

2010-06-30T22:26:00.008-04:00

A Thoughtful Encounter with Sadness

2010-06-29T23:45:00.011-04:00

An interesting thing happened to me about 2 3/4 years ago.

I've been on Twitter for a long time...probably since it started. I didn't really see the point of it, trying to write various "life's moments" in 140 characters. (That's pretty hard for a chatterbox like me.)

Anyhow, at that time, several of my friends joined, and its popularity grew so that I began to look at it again. I noticed that I had followers that I'd never heard of -- people I'd never met, but who probably felt some kinship to me based on something in my profile or something that I'd tweeted once upon a time.

One particular follower was someone named "AshPEAmama."

I had several other "mommy" types" following me so I didn't think anything of it...I thought that I must know her from somewhere, and she seemed a funny, friendly person so I decided to keep her on my list.

Then one day I decided to look at her page to read her latest tweets.

This is what met my eyes:

Ashleys funeral is going to be on Saturday
Wed Jan 09 2008 18:58:01 (Eastern Standard Time) via web

That came just a little over a day after this tweet:

@DisguisedPoser yes of course! it's a beautimous purple and gold day here in Baton Rouge.

I was shocked. Stunned. Saddened.

What had happened? I had just started to follow her...to read about her sweet little family...and her "love affair" with what I guessed was her former alma mater.

I sent a message asking what happened, knowing that I probably wouldn't be answered. The suddenness of it all made me know that.

I kept her in my list. Not as a sign of morbidity, but as a way to remember. A reminder that "life is fragile; handle with care."

Tonight, I saw her name in my list of followers again.

Two and a half years later.

Somehow, I just couldn't bring myself to "unfollow" or "block" her.

I began to read through her tweets, hoping for some kind of answer to settle the pang of not knowing "why" in my heart.

I read through her trials and tribulations of being a mom of a "sproglet" and a "sequel," as she called her son and daughter. I looked at photos of her beautiful family and realized that she was married to a Brit just like me. It was like I was getting to know her; and yet I knew I couldn't...and that further saddened me.

Then I discovered this link. A post from a follower, written in tribute to her newborn daughter. I'm sure this man never would have realized what he'd really typed...just a bit more than two months before Ashley's death.

And written in the comments was the answer to my sad not-knowing:

"Ashley was the victim of an automobile accident."

...

Read the prose from this man.

Read the comments from the friends.

It will move you and remind you to remember how sometimes our worlds intersect...and "no man is an island."

It's okay to cry for someone's sadness, even when you've never met them...and never will in this lifetime.

Birthday Wishes Across the Ocean

2010-06-28T10:37:00.001-04:00

Happy 60th Birthday to my father-in-law, Ian!

We hope he knows how much we love him!!

Just in case...here are a few reminders...

Father's Day Fun in Photos

2010-06-20T23:00:00.004-04:00

(How's that for alliteration??)

Since the daddy in our household enjoys meat with more meat and we gave him a charcoal grill for Father's Day two years ago, it goes without saying that his Father's Day meal is going to involve meat. And, as with this year's recipe, meat with more meat.

Stuart discovered a recipe for something called a "Bacon Explosion." (Google it...you'll find the recipe on the creator's site for free.)

And it was awesome!

Run, Rabbit, Run

2010-06-19T17:22:00.000-04:00

The kids are a part of our county's 4-H Rabbit and Cavy Club. It's been a unique, interesting, and mostly-fun experience for them. Emily has been a member for 5 years; Edward just joined this year.

For the past two years, the club has hosted its own "fun show" to give the kids who don't show "professionally" a chance to experience the feeling of a show.

And, well, it's fun!

Both kids did quite well for themselves and had...fun. *wink-grin*

Wordless (Mostly) Wednesday

2010-06-16T15:12:00.001-04:00

This is what happens when you give the baby chocolate chips with his pretzels...

A Doggie Birthday "Eve"

2010-06-15T10:07:00.001-04:00

Tomorrow is the 8th birthday of Buster Brown (our North American Peehound). We got him a new bed for his birthday, and he seems to be enjoying it.

Do you agree? *wink-grin*

21 Months Old!!

2010-06-14T05:44:00.001-04:00

His sister teasingly wanted to know if he could "legally" drink now...

I told her I'd be taking him on a tour of bars later on...milk bars.

Recital Day 2010

2010-06-13T20:25:00.011-04:00

Today is my grandmother's 89th birthday (Happy Birthday shoutout to her!) and Emily's 10th recital day!!

As always, it was a (long but) beautiful show!

Their costumes were a bit different this year, but on stage they shimmered and flowed like the wind through flowers. Quite a nice effect!

Enjoy some dress rehearsal and recital photos:

End of School

2010-06-11T15:17:00.001-04:00

We're finished. Capoot. Done. Fini.

WOOOOOOO-HOOOOOOOO!

The beginning-of-school photo (3rd and 7th graders, respectively):

The end-of-school photo (4th and 8th graders-to-be, respectively):

As I always say, what a difference a year makes.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-06-09T14:46:00.002-04:00

"Going to the Zoo, Zoo, Zoo

2010-06-08T21:16:00.037-04:00

...how about you, you, you?"

Being part of a cyber school means that all of our learning is done online. Students "see" each other online in virtual classrooms or at bi-monthly "days out."

So, each year, our school organizes face-to-face get-togethers at fun places around our state. Entry is free for school students and their families, and it's a nice way to see classmates and teachers and meet other families in real life.

This year, we chose to go to the Philadelphia Zoo, a fun place for our whole family, especially since Ethan hasn't really been there in his conscious remembrance.

It was such fun! Especially since we got to meet some online teachers -- one beloved Mathman -- in person.

Enjoy some photos from our day:

A-Picnicking We Go!

2010-06-04T15:16:00.004-04:00

Today, we went to our end-of-school picnic...

...and came home with two hamsters that the kids "won" in a raffle.

Sigh.

I guess I should have put down my foot...or Foote. (He's getting rather heavy.) *wink-grin*

Still, the kids had a great time, running around and having a water battle with squirt bottles and water balloons. There was lots of good food, fellowship, and fun for the adults, too, chatting, catching up, and learning about each other's kids and school years.

It's always so hard to believe we're at this point in the year.

Always so hard to believe our kids are about to advance to another grade level.

Sigh.

Will somebody PLEASE slow down life for a little while. Just so that I can catch my breath...please?

Wordless Wednesday

2010-06-02T09:56:00.000-04:00

Remembering Memorial Day

2010-05-31T13:50:00.002-04:00

The Soldier

IF I should die, think only this of me:
That there's some corner of a foreign field
That is forever England. There shall be
In that rich earth a richer dust concealed;
A dust whom England bore, shaped, made aware,
Gave, once, her flowers to love, her ways to roam,
A body of England's, breathing English air,
Washed by the rivers, blest by the suns of home.

And think, this heart, all evil shed away,
A pulse in the eternal mind, no less
Gives somewhere back the thoughts by England given;
Her sights and sounds; dreams happy as her day;
And laughter, learnt of friends; and gentleness,
In hearts at peace, under an English heaven.

~Rupert Brooke

Wordless Wednesday

2010-05-26T23:04:00.003-04:00

(From my in-laws for our anniversary)

Sweet Are the Years...

2010-05-25T13:49:00.005-04:00

Happy 14th Anniversary to the sweetest man on Earth!

I love our story -- how we met 22 years ago.

I love remembering those sweet memories with you.

I love being married to YOU!

Yours! Always and forever!!

End of the Run...24

2010-05-24T23:24:00.005-04:00

So, my favorite-most-ever show has come to the end of its run.

Finished.

No more.

All done.

The clock has stopped.

Sigh.

Thank you, Kiefer Sutherland and the rest of the cast from the past 8 seasons!

Thank you, FOX Network! Thank you, writers, directors, camera men, makeup people, producers, etc.! Thank you, ALL!

What a wild, wonderful, and awesome ride it's been!

* * *

I'll miss our Monday night 24 viewing "parties," but I'm looking forward to seeing Jack Bauer on the big screen!

Wooooo-hoooooo!

Saturday Sweetheart

2010-05-22T22:20:00.002-04:00

Ethan calls Jack Bauer to remind him that Monday is the last show ever for 24. He will explain later but really needs Jack to set up a perimeter and get him a chopper to get across town in the next 3 minutes.

Wordless (mostly) Wednesday

2010-05-19T13:39:00.004-04:00

Happy 4th Birthday to my blog!

I cannot believe that much time has passed since I decided to try my hand at this "blogging" thing. It's been such fun -- and quite challenging at times -- to keep up with it all the time.

My apologies for letting two months lapse since my last entry. I promise to come back and fill in the blanks just as soon as I can catch my breath.

So be sure to come back to read it!

Until then, enjoy a piece of "virtual" cake on me! *wink-grin*

T-t-t-t-t-twenty Months Old!!

2010-05-14T05:44:00.001-04:00

Really? Really????

Can someone puh-leaze tell this baby to slooooow down?

Thoughtful Thursday

2010-05-13T09:09:00.003-04:00

I can't watch or read the news without wondering why...

...someone who fights hard to save the rain forests or whales or the "environment" is applauded as fervent for the "cause"...
...yet someone who fights hards to save an unborn baby or traditional marriage is considered hateful and intolerant.

...someone who pays lots of money to send his children to private school is admired and praised... ...yet someone who homeschools is deemed strange and overprotective.

...someone can teach the theory of evolution to school students as fact...
...yet someone can't even mention creationism as a theory in school.

...someone who believes in abortion is called "pro-choice"....
...yet someone who believes in protecting unborn babies is called "anti-abortion."

It seems to me the very meaning of conservative is practiced by more than those who are deemed as such by those who consider themselves more "liberal."

Hmm...just makes me wonder.

"The very idea that's there's another idea is something gained." ~Anonymous

Wordless (Mostly) Wednesday

2010-05-12T14:40:00.001-04:00

So we went to the doctor's today for Ethan's belated "18-month-old" checkup. (He's 20 months...so what's a couple of months, right?)

And the doctor is recording his stats in his chart. "37 1/2 inches tall...35 pounds...Wow! He's the size the of 3-year-old," he said, smiling.

Mother's Day Magic

2010-05-09T09:05:00.008-04:00

Ethan has discovered the "magic" of Mommy's kiss.

Now, whenever he bumps himself, he comes over to me and holds up his hand or his knee or his foot and asks for a kiss. The tears (if there were any) instantly stop, and he goes bouncing back to whatever he was doing.

Wow! My lips seems to hold more "magic" than a Band-aid...

* * *

And I'm sure I've posted this before (probably on another Mother's Day), but it bears repeating.

Happy Mother's Day to my mom, my mother-in-law, and my sister, Shelly! What an honor to walk alongside of you on this particular path of life.

BEFORE I WAS A MOM:

Before I was a mom
I made and ate hot meals.
I had unstained clothing.
I had quiet conversations on the phone.

Before I was a mom,
I slept as late as I wanted
And never worried about how late I got into bed.
I brushed my hair and my teeth everyday.

Before I was a mom
I cleaned my house each day.
I never tripped over toys or forgot words of lullabies.

Before I was a mom
I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous.
I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a mom
I had never been puked on
Pooped on
Spit on
Chewed on
Peed on
Or pinched by tiny fingers

Before I was a mom
I had complete control of:
My thoughts
My body
And my mind.
I slept all night.

Before I was a mom
I never held down a screaming child
So that doctors could do tests
Or give shots.
I never looked into teary eyes and cried.
I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.
I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a mom
I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put it down.
I never felt my heart break into a million pieces
When I couldn't stop the hurt.
I never knew that something so small
Could affect my life so much.
I never knew that I could love someone so much.
I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a mom
I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body.
I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby.
I didn't know that bond between a mother and her child.
I didn't know that something so small
Could make me feel so important.

Before I was a mom
I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay
I had never known the warmth
The joy
The love
The heartache
The wonder
Or the satisfaction of being a mom.

I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much before I was a mom.

~Author Unknown

Saturday Sweethearts

2010-05-08T14:37:00.002-04:00

Who can resist kids who love books?

This mom can't.

End of the Line

2010-05-05T21:58:00.006-04:00

Tonight marked the end of the season for the Wyomissing U9 boys' soccer team, as they took on (and creamed) the Wyomissing U9 girls' soccer teamS.

Their last official game was Saturday and they won, giving them a season ranking of 2nd place. (They only lost ONE game...the #1 team didn't lose any.)

Let me pause and reflect on that.

This is the same team that played last Autumn (minus/plus a few boys)...that ended up the very bottom of the division. They lost EVERY game, except for the one against the moms which they only won because, well, we don't need to go there.....

SECOND place!

To say that we were pleased for them doesn't even touch the emotions. They did an awesome job and really grew together as a team.

Most of them are returning in the Autumn...so here's hoping.

A season parting shot with a new "recruit."

Notions and Emotions

2010-05-04T08:13:00.000-04:00

It's a funny feeling when you realize that you're part of the grown-ups -- one of the "older crowd," so to speak...well, at least in the eyes of the "young people."

I haven't really thought that about myself -- the growing old thing -- until recently. I was thinking of my grandparents' ages...and of my parents' and in-laws' ages....and of my sisters' ages...and of my kids' ages....and I suddenly felt old.

There's gray in my hair, to be sure. I dye it every six weeks or so...and feel 10 years younger for a few ~~hours~~ ~~days~~ weeks until the grays start peeking through again.

And my hands are starting to look not so "young and fresh" as in days gone by. They're weather-worn and dried out from washing dishes and clothes and kids and babies. Maybe I need to use some Palmolive...

...or does the fact that I remember the commercial from that make me even older?

Sigh.

When Push Comes to Shove...

2010-05-01T22:00:00.006-04:00

A funny thing happens after you become a parent. (Or should I say one of many funny things happen? Idle grass...)

You become an adult.

That's not to say you aren't an adult beforehand. Or that grown-up people without children aren't adults either.

But you make decisions differently than you did before you had kids.

Emily has the chance to try out for "company" again. (This is a special ballet corps that performs most of the dances in any productions they do at her dance studio. You need to try out to be in it, and she needs to be in it to continue dancing in the Nutcracker.)

She's not excited...or keen...or interested (in some ways).

She's been dancing for 10 years now; she still enjoys it for the most part; and she really really really (did I mention: really?) wants to continue dancing in the Nutcracker.

The problem(s)...

She tried out last year...and didn't make it. A blow to her confidence.

The one teacher who helps to judge the tryouts doesn't like her...at all. A blow to her self-esteem.

So why make her continue? Why encourage her strongly to try out again? And why not pull her out of this dance studio and go somewhere else?

The third reason I mentioned above.

Some people dance because they love to dance. Some people dance because they love to perform.

Emily is the latter.

That's not always easy to understand for those who think an activity should be fun and ego-building.

I likened it to my writing.

When I was younger, I wrote and wrote and wrote and wrote. Everywhere I went, I carried a notebook and pen/pencil. My parents, my friends, my siblings, my everyone who knew me told me I should try to get published.

But I wrote, well, just because I loved to write. I loved the feeling of creating a story and characters and a whole new world.

Some people write to get published. Of course, they're probably better-off financially than me, but they do it for that purpose. I write because I want to.

So I'm pushing -- pulling, pleading, cojoling -- Emily to try out again. She may not make it (again), but it's a step in the right direction towards her goal to keep dancing in the Nutcracker and any other ballets they perform.

And I know this little "shove" will prove she can do it...it's just a matter of timing.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-04-28T12:55:00.001-04:00

Doctoring the Weather

2010-04-26T16:41:00.001-04:00

Since Emily is still under the doctor's observation for her scoliosis, we have to make a semi-annual visit to the Nemour's Children's Hospital, in Wilmington, Delaware, to have her back monitored.

It's not really a bother since we all enjoy it...and there's a fantastic-looking playground right in front of the entrance.

I say "looking" since we haven't really had a chance to enjoy it yet.

The problem always seems to be in the weather.

Every visit since the first one, the kids have wanted to play in this outdoor wonderworld. And each visit, the weather makes it nearly impossible.

The kids did play on it (briefly) this visit...during the lull in raindrops.

Sigh.

If only we could doctor the weather and give it a shot to stay warm and dry.

*wink-grin*

Saturday Sweethearts

2010-04-24T23:00:00.001-04:00

Take Your Children to Work Day

2010-04-22T08:08:00.007-04:00

Today, the kids are going to work.

No, we're not putting them to work in the mines, or selling them to the zoo...though it's tempting...

But I digress...

They get to go to GAI-Tronics to see where their daddy works...and they are SO excited. (It's Edward's first time!) They'll have a plant tour, "make" a product, and eat pizza.

So with great ~~sadness~~ joy, Ethan and I waved goodbye to them, knowing that ~~while we pine for them~~ they'll have a wonderful time.

Parteeeeee!

Oops...

Wordless Wednesday

2010-04-21T12:32:00.002-04:00

Moms-Versus-Sons Game - Part Deux

2010-04-19T21:25:00.003-04:00

So they wanted a rematch.

The U9 boys from the the Wyomissing Soccer Club.

No problem, right?

Well, maybe a small-ish problem...

They've improved.

A LOT.

We (the moms) gave it all we had...and even a bit more. But the odds (and the coach/ref) were against us.

And they won. 3-1!

GREAT job, boys!!

I'll call to congratulate you in a few days...after I stop hurting. *wink-grin*

Half-Birthday Happiness

2010-04-15T22:16:00.001-04:00

Tax Day!

And our own sweet Emily Susanne celebrates 12 1/2 today! Only a half-a-year until she hits her teen years. Sheesh.

Like her baby brother, we keep telling her to slow down. But does she listen? No.

*wink-grin*

Enjoy some photos from her fun "Half-Birthday!"

19 Months Old!

2010-04-14T05:44:00.001-04:00

We keep telling Ethan to slow down in this growing-up thing...but he just won't listen. *wink-grin*

Sweet Sunday

2010-04-11T23:11:00.001-04:00

A song we've been learning at church. I love the words. So powerful!

Enjoy and have a sweet Sunday!

Saturday Sweethearts

2010-04-10T22:12:00.001-04:00

I found this "oldie but goodie" on my camera. It hadn't been downloaded yet. What a treat! And what a difference a year makes.

Writer's Block

Thoughtful Thursday

Wordless Wednesday

Happy...

Choosing the Shelter

How Do *I* Spell Relief?

Sweet Sunday

If I Close My Eyes...

Farm Show Fun, Friends, and Photos

Friday Funny

A "Little" Lapse...and a Recap

Winds of Change...and an Apology

Wordless Wednesday

Past Connections

Nice vs,. Mean

Life's Driving Force

Tuesday Tidbit

Eggs-tra Special

Worded Wednesday

Still Blogging...in My Head

Friday Funnies

Facing the Truth

Wordless Wednesday

"Monday, Monday...

Sweet Sunday

Saturday Sweethearts

Friday Funnies

Wordless Wednesday

Playing a Treat

Missing Monday Musings...

Sweet Sunday

Saturday Sweetheart

Friday Funnies

Wordless (mostly) Wednesday

Pray for Japan

Half-Birthday Blessings

Sweet Sunday

Saturday Sweethearts

Friday Funnies

A "Wait-ed" Topic

Wordless (mostly) Wednesday

Falling Slowly...

Once...

Sweet Sunday

Saturday Sweethearts

Friday Funnies

Focus, Refocus

Wordless Wednesday

Back in the Saddle...Again?

Need. More. Chocolate.

A Head Scratcher...

Message from the "Muser"

Friday Funnies

I (Anti-Heart) Social Networking...

Sands of Time

Tempus Fugit...

Camp Woohoohaha! 2010

Edward's Half-B'day

23 Months Old Today!!

Kisses X 3

Wordless (Almost) Wednesday

Independently Fun!

Saturday Sweethearts

Ethan Odds and...Ends

A Thoughtful Encounter with Sadness

Birthday Wishes Across the Ocean

Father's Day Fun in Photos

Run, Rabbit, Run

Wordless (Mostly) Wednesday

A Doggie Birthday "Eve"

21 Months Old!!

Recital Day 2010

End of School

Wordless Wednesday

"Going to the Zoo, Zoo, Zoo

A-Picnicking We Go!

Wordless Wednesday

Remembering Memorial Day

Wordless Wednesday

Sweet Are the Years...

How Do I Spell Relief?