Merrily We Muse Along on Monday

Happy Monday to you! ...the beginning of another week in our summer vacation. Whoo-hoo!

Of course, still no new 24 episodes...or wings. Only 7 months to go. Sigh.

I've decided to keep the same video for this week, still in honor of Emily's dance recital...plus, it's just so good.

* * *

Today is our official "begin the summer schedule" day.

The kids began their Summer Bridge workbooks which will take them through three sections of skills practice until the new school year begins. We love these books because they break the section into 15 days and the kids pick something to earn at the end of the section.

For their first incentive, both kids chose one hour of computer game time down at our local library. (They have the best educational games!) Along with the one workbook page, each day the kids need to read for one hour (the parents prescribe the amount of time). Should be fun for them.

* * *

Yesterday, Emily had her ballet recital. (When my hubby uploads it to YouTube, I'll post it here. Be sure to come back to see it. It's well-worth the 4 minutes and 12 seconds.) They did an excellent job! And we couldn't have been more proud of our little dancer! Next year, may prove a bit more challenging, especially when she begins en pointe. But we both feel she's ready for the challenge.

* * *

We spent part of the weekend transferring our VHS tapes of 24: Season 6 for my cousin (a new fan who didn't get to see it yet) in Kentucky. It was fun because every now and again we'd check on the tape and watch a bit from the season, once again reaffirming what a great season it was.

* * *

Some kid-isms:

We were listening to a song by Mat Kearney, and Edward suddenly asked why he was singing about toilets. Puzzled, we asked why he thought that. To which he replied, "You know, push the pedal down, watch it swirl around..." The actual line is: "Push the pedal down, watch the world around..." The singer is talking about driving a car across the country...

Then, during a lull in our Sunday School class, a little boy went head-to-head with another girl and looked like he was going to kiss her. Stuart said, "You looked like you were going to kiss her." The little guy grinned and said, "I was...but it would've been embarrassing." You might think that now...

* * *

5 THINGS TO BE HAPPY ABOUT

• inquisitive dog ears

• learning to fly an airplane

• roadside flower stands

• New York strip steak

• wishing on a new moon

* * *

There was a blue moon last week.

Did you see it?

We missed it. And now we have to wait 32 months until the next one. Sniff...

Apparently, a "blue moon" is when there are two full moons in the same month.

Click here to learn more.

Friday Funnies

Here's something a little "cheesy" but fun.... Enjoy!

Dance With Me

We got the chance to observe Emily's last dance class on Monday, and I videoed her practicing for the recital dance. I'm only putting a portion on (at this point) since the actual video was too long to upload to YouTube, but you'll get the idea.

I love watching the girls in these sorts of things because they are very distracted by us viewers and the new room they're in...but they manage to stay together most of the time.

Of Baseball Games and Sunglasses

Taking a slightly different spin on my usual online calendar pages....

5 THINGS TO BE (UN)HAPPY ABOUT (AT A BASEBALL GAME)
• loud, obnoxious sections of cheering schoolkids
• tall people sitting in front of you when you're only 4 feet tall
• impatient children who only want to "eat" their way through the game
• 9 innings (7 of them with the sun glaring in our eyes)
• losing your sunglasses under the bleachers

Still, despite the above silliness, we had a good time at the R-Phils game tonight, enjoying some peanuts and Twizzlers. The game seemed to drag a bit more than usual, but the schoolkids were tolerable, for the most part, (except when they begged the players to toss balls to them...it reminded me of the seagulls in Finding Nemo).

The clincher of the "unhappy" moments came towards the end of the game when Stuart's "dollar-store" sunglasses slid off the seat and dropped down under the bleachers. You would have thought the kids' favorite pet had died. The tears and grief that ensued was amazing...they felt that much sadness for Stuart, who shrugged it off with "I'll have to get another pair sometime."

You can't say they don't have empathy.

Monday Musings...More or Less

Happy Monday to you! (I'm having a tough time coming up with catchy titles for these musings. Ah, well. It stretches the gray cells.)

No new 24 tonight. Sigh. That means no wings either. Only 7 1/2 months to go... How will we live without our weekly dose of Jack? Sigh.

Remember the Muppet Show? We introduced our kids to it last year when we bought Season 1 for them for Christmas. They LOVE it -- who could resist the silliness of this ingenious show? We're listening to a CD of "Muppet Hits" as I type this. Stuart found out that Season 2 is coming out this August! Can you guess who's excited?

We're at the "end stage" of our school year. Everything is wrapping up for the summer.

The new video I put on the sidebar player is in honor of Emily's last dance class. She finishes her 7th year of dancing this evening with her dress rehearsal. Her recital is next Sunday. We always look forward to seeing it since it gives us an appreciation for how far she's come. She was definitely born to dance. Emily is 4 1/2 in this recital photo.

* * *

5 THINGS TO BE HAPPY ABOUT

• old Hollywood mansions

• corn fritters and remoulade

• industrious people

• a round of miniature golf

• deep sleep

* * *

Couldn't resist sharing this: You have to go to this link and this link, too, to read it. (Click on the four arrow symbol in the bottom righthand corner to enlarge.)

Imagine having two homes when you're married... Says something about personalities, huh? I told Stuart maybe we should look into buying one. I mean, it's a "steal" at $1.3 million (or whatever it is).

Plus, maybe we'd see Kiefer at the closing? I'm sure he'd be nicer/more polite than the multi-millionaire man we bought our current house from.

More on that another time...

Then and Now

What a difference a school year makes!

Photos of the kids from September and June.

Once Upon an Autumn Day...

...we began a new year of school.

And phew!

Fini!

Geëindigd!

Beendet!

τελειωμένος!

Rifinito!

Terminado!

закончено!

Acabado!

Now, we're finished!

That's All, Folks!

THE END!!

No more pencils, no more books.

No more teacher's dirty looks!

Proud to Be an American

**The flag Edward designed in art class**

During a science lesson on "Taking Care of Our World" yesterday, Edward and I were learning about pollution and how to prevent it.

The lesson involved a story about "Billy the Bass" who lived in a wonderfully clear stream...that wasn't always that way. (Insert sinister music here.)

Okay. Okay. A little too simplistic, but Edward got the point.

The lesson continued by teaching us how people pollute streams by leaving their trash around instead of...throwing it in the trashcan. It even had an experiment to show how that happens.

All in all, it was a great way to say: Don't Pollute!

At the end of the lesson, I asked Edward what the people could do to help "Billy the Bass." He said all the appropriate answers about throwing out their trash and using less paper products.

Then he added in his usual deadpan way, "They could eat him."

Hmmm....I don't think that's what the K12 curriculum developers had in mind.

* * *

On another note, I love the song I currently have playing on my sidebar video box-thingy(?).

Before I was married and when I'd just started working for the newspaper, I had to find a second job to make ends meet (I certainly can't say I became a journalist for the money). Since I worked in the afternoon/evenings for the newspaper, I found a job in the morning, working for a daycare center as a preschool assistant teacher.

What a hoot!

It was definitely a good form of "birth control" (also read as: I didn't want any children).

Towards the end of the year, the preschoolers prepared for their end-of-year program, in which they would be singing "God Bless the U.S.A." among other songs.

I loved listening to their sweet voices and seeing their cherubic faces as they fervently practiced this song. They didn't know all the words correctly and some sang very off-key, but you never saw a more earnest and patriotic group of 4- and 5-year-olds!

My favorite "incorrect" line: "And I won't forget the MAN who died to give that right to me..."

Ironic, huh?

Hell-ish Kitchens Revisited Again

Well, once again it's time for another installment of (insert dramatic music here) Hell-ish Kitchens, the part of my blog where I share an amazingly stupid simple recipe with my loyal reader(s).

Actually, all silliness aside, I do have a wonderful "jumping-off" recipe to share with you.

I'm not a great "believer" in recipes (though somehow I have a gazillion cookbooks). Well, I do have some that I follow religiously since I know they taste delicious "as is," without any tweaks. But, for the most part, I like to invent my own or use a recipe as a "jumping-off" point. The simpler the better in my book.

With that in mind, I give you:

Amazingly-Simple-Yummy-Full-of-Veggies-Roasted-Chicken-Caesar-Salad (Catchy title, huh?)

1 bag of Caesar Salad mix/kit

1/2 lb. of boneless chicken breast

1 bag of frozen corn

1/4 cup Caesar dressing

Broil the chicken breast and cook the corn as per the package directions or your taste. Add to salad mix. Add 1/4 cup more of salad dressing. Toss to coat chicken and mix in corn.

Of course, you could make this any way you'd like, even adding in more veggies, easily getting your daily recommended allowance of 4 or 5 veggie servings. We liked the corn since it added a slightly sweet taste to the salad.

An easy cool "one-pot" dinner for a hot summer night.

Joy Is...a Bunny

I took this photo earlier today and couldn't resist posting it. Emily sure does love her bunny!

"A thing of beauty is a joy for ever:

Its loveliness increases; it will never

Pass into nothingness."

~John Keats

Just Wait...

"I've noticed that one thing about parents is that no matter what stage your child is in, the parents who have older children always tell you the next stage is worse." ~Dave Barry

Isn't the above quotation SO true??

When we first had Emily, we enjoyed all aspects of her -- from her ticklish tummy to her funny faces to her crying bouts. She really was such a good baby. She napped fairly well and was a good eater. And apart from the normal round of illnesses babies pick up and "hiccups" along the way, we couldn't complain.

Then came the pessimists. "Just wait," they groaned. "The toddler times are awful!" It sent a shiver of dread to the depths of my toes.

But the toddler years did come, and I was determined to find something positive to celebrate about them...and there was lots and lots. As several noteworthy child psychologists say, "Make them the Terrific Twos." We survived with banners raised high.

Even when we added Edward to the mix. It was an adjustment (so are LOTS of things in life.), but we were blessed. He was another good baby -- despite my grandmother predicting the opposite to happen -- and we enjoyed him immensely. (Apparently you can only have one "good" baby in a lifetime. LOL!)

And the pessimists returned. "Oh, wait 'til they begin to fight." Hmmm... Both my hubby and I come from families with three kids. Both of us survived sibling rivalry. We knew (and continue to know) by God's grace we'd survive this. And the kids adore each other...most of the time. *Ü*
Now, the pessimists are crowing about the "teen years." And I'm filled with that same dread as in the early years...only this time it's because I don't want the time to rush by so quickly.

I'm not ready to think of them being in their teen years, farther still from the early times.

I once heard a comedian describe a teenager's stages as the same as a toddler's just add 10 years. (After teaching teens, I tend to agree.) That makes it seem not so bad, right?

You know, I don't know about you, but I still remember being a teen. (I guess those gray cells aren't as bad as I thought.) I remember wanting to be loved even when I felt unlovable. To be listened to and respected. To feel like I was worth something and could contribute to the world around me -- even if it was just my opinion. Hopefully, all those memories will come in handy.

I try very hard not to participate in this prophetic "dooms-daying." (I know it can be hard to resist.) I want to enjoy every stage of my children's lives without worrying about the next stage. I want to savor the time with them NOW and not worry about what hasn't happened.

Afterall, I'm not in that stage yet...and who knows how I'll be by then.

Memorial Day Monday Musings

Happy Memorial Day!

We are remembering and praying for all those who have fought (and continue to fight) and given so much for our freedoms! We are so thankful!

* * *

Happy new week! I've changed the video to one that's perfect for today's holiday. It's one of my favorites! Hope you enjoy it, too!

No new 24 tonight. In fact, no 24 episodes at all. We will miss our weekly dose of action/drama....and the wings. Still, only a little more than 7 1/2 months to go? Sheesh....

All sorts of happenings this week.

Picnicking in Bethlehem today with my sister's family, other family, and friends. Should be lots of fun. We're really looking forward to some more BBQ-ish stuff. Puts me in the mind of Summertime.... Mmmmmmm! The weather certainly has been hot enough.

We're hoping to finish up school this week, making Friday our last day. We'll see how it goes. It's a goal anyway.

Tomorrow is Emily's end-of-school picnic at Blue Marsh Lake with her cyber "teacher." We've never met her in person so Emily's really looking forward to it.

Well, I'd best be off to make my side-dish of noodle salad. I have another great edition of "Hellish Kitchens" planned for later in the week. And several other fun memories and musings.

Until then, enjoy today...and 5 THINGS TO BE HAPPY ABOUT

• a day off

• an exciting concert

• new horizons

• yacht flags snapping in the wind

• moonlit surf

Wedded Bliss

5 THINGS TO BE HAPPY ABOUT

• two hands on the steering wheel

• strawberry-blonde hair

• wading into a creek

• every day another adventure

• the Pu-Pu platter for two

Taking a break from "Friday Funnies" to enjoy a day about TWO...

Our 11th Wedding Anniversary!

Wowzers!

On Saturday, May 25th 1996, at 1 p.m., we joined together to become hubby and wifey. And it's been "wedded bliss" ever since.

Okay. Okay. Not always "bliss" (we had moments of otherwise) but close to it.

We'll spend the day thinking about all the good times we've had and perhaps dig out the wedding video to show the kids Mommy and Daddy in their pre-parenthood days.

Then we'll drop off the kids at my parents' house to enjoy an overnight with their grandparents...and go off...just us TWO!

On Time and Aging

"Today, see if you can stretch your heart and expand your love so that it touches not only those to whom you can give it easily, but also those who need it so much." ~Daphne Rose Kingma

Life these days is all about staying young. I chuckled to myself one night in the shower when I saw the Dove body wash with "age-defying nutrients." But you see that sort of thing everywhere now-a-days.

I don't know about you, but I don't feel like I'm getting "old."

At some point in time, I feel like I've stopped growing older -- that my new birthday number each year is only that: a number.

I laugh at myself when I look in the mirror and see the newly sprung gray hairs that remind me otherwise. Or when I realize that I'm the last of the sisters to be in her 30s....and that's past mid-way. Or when I watch a movie from the late '80s/early '90s and say, "That wasn't that long ago..." I guess nearly 20 years out of high school isn't really "Spring-chicken-ish."

My kids are getting "bigger" -- not me, right?

Time is a funny thing. When you're young it seems to drag on endlessly -- through a schoolday, through a hot summer day, through a birthday when you have to wait to open gifts after dinner. Then somewhere along the way -- maybe in college when you realize you have a 15-page term paper due the next day -- time takes off like a Formula-1 racecar....and it never slows down again.

I keep waiting, hoping, especially when I look at how quickly my children are growing.

I guess that makes me realize how precious time actually is.

We all have an alloted amount of time. No one is guaranteed a full life of 90+ years. So how I choose to spend my time now has an enormous amount of importance...on the here and now. What if by missing a ballet recital or lacrosse game or trip to the museum or play a game, I lose the last chance to watch that person perform? Or I miss an opportunity to spend time like that with that person?

My husband and I are just about to celebrate our 11th wedding anniversary tomorrow. As we enjoy the day together, we'll probably reflect on how many memories -- good and bad -- we've made together over the years. We've had so many "warm-and-fuzzy" times together that it always gives us a special glow.

What's significant about our memories is the fact that we've shared TIME together. (We're trying to do the same with our children.) Has it been easy? No way. Has it been worth it? You bet!

With so many other things vying for it, time has become an expensive commodity these days.

I'm thinking we should probably spend it wisely.

Not the Mama!

Do you remember in the show Dinosaurs when the little baby dinosaur would hit the father and shout, "Not the mama! Not the mama!" While I didn't regularly watch the show that segment always made me chuckle -- especially given the fact that I'm the youngest of three girls.... No need to say more.

Nothing jogs the old mental scrapbook more than watching something -- good or bad -- between your children. Somehow an incident can resurrect feelings you thought were long-forgotten. My husband thinks it's quite funny how I can remember trivial incidents from when I was younger... I think it's frustrating that he can't.

So we're sitting in church one Sunday morning, and the woman in charge of Jr. Church comes over and explains that Edward is having a "meltdown." Apparently something in the format was changed, and he got "stubborn." Emily then took it upon herself to correct him, and the rest went down in flames.

It's funny how the older child can take something you've said to the younger child and decide it is her job to enforce it. (Kinda "threatens" my maternal job security.) But that's exactly what Emily decided to do. Since Edward didn't want to "participate" (I guess it didn't matter that he hadn't done so up 'til this point), she decided it was "high time" and tried to force him. Not a pleasant moment for either of them....or the Jr. Church staff.

All we could say afterwards was: "Not the mama! Not the mama!"

Give it 15 years or more...at least.

Finale Fervor!

Wooooof!!!!!!!

What a night!

Can I say how much I feel for Jack Bauer?? Poor man!

A very powerful and unexpected ending, which is exactly what you come to expect when you watch 24.

I could hear people crowing (they've been complaining all season!), saying that it wasn't "exciting" enough. But I think they did a great job of balancing the drama with the action. Afterall, the show isn't just about excitement.

The ending this year really made you think, ponder what Jack might actually be feeling after all he's been through.

A perfect finale given that this season was really more about Jack's emotional state of being. He's served his country for years and years, making countless sacrifices -- including losing his family and being imprisoned -- and at the "end of the day" he's alone.

I love stuff like that!! Really pulls on the emotional strings.

Of course, in true 24-style, you wait in hope/anticipation for something particular to happen. You just know it will. And it doesn't. That's their "schtick." Expect nothing since nothing is predictable.

And that's GOOD writing and suspense!!

Hats off to the actors, writers, directors, and producers (and everyone else who makes the show what it is)!! Thanks for another great season!

* * *

5 THINGS TO BE HAPPY ABOUT

• stretching

• college kids home for the summer

• spring rolls and duck sauce

• a straw hat

• attending a film premier

* * *

As I rewatched the various episodes of Season 6 this week, I reflected on our exciting trip to New York City last September to see the screening of I Trust You to Kill Me.

I was watching Kiefer Sutherland, playing his character Jack Bauer, and thinking, "I met him. Actually had a photo with him and touched him."

Funny all these months later, huh?

But all that is just immature "schoolgirl crush" stuff when you consider the next thought I had, "He's a really nice guy."

Sure. he meets TONS of people all through the year (and I'm certain he doesn't remember any of us), but he took the time to autograph my Season 1 Episode Guide and have a photo with me -- with his arm around me. And he was kind and pleasant and extremely personable.

Makes me admire and appreciate his acting even more!!

If that's possible.

More Thoughts on Season 6

Some more thoughts on this season (I'll add to this as I think of more -- feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments section):

I'm a huge fan of symbolism so this season was perfect for me.

**Jack walks out of Jim Heller's beach home, after saying goodbye to a comatose Audrey, and walks across the yard to the ocean overlook. Gun still in hand, he looks down at the pounding surf, 100+ feet below him, and contemplates suicide. Still, the rising sun reminds him that it's a new day and new beginning for him. As uncertain as that makes him feel, he accepts it. The screen fades to black with a silent ticking clock and subtle overlay of ocean waves. The silent clock usually signifies that someone has died. But I think the director used it in this instance to show the "death" of Jack's old life.

**Sean Callery does an excellent job with the music. My hubby and I noticed countless times in this season when Jack's and Audrey's love theme is played quietly in the background. The first time Jack mentions Audrey's name after he's been handed over by the Chinese the theme is there. Then when he and Audrey are together in the basement of CTU and then again when he says goodbye to her. The theme is haunting and sweet, reminding the viewer that though their love is very real and beautiful, it is never meant to be.

Jack's own theme is also used this season when Jack first sees himself in the mirror (the same sort of scene is played in Season 2 when he looks in the mirror after he rejoins CTU after his wife's death). And it plays in the final segment when Jack is looking into the sky, thinking about his future.

**The juxtaposition between the last scene in Season 5 and this season is so vivid.

At the end of Season 5, Jack sees a beautiful and vibrant Audrey getting out of a CTU vehicle. He waves off medical treatment and hurries over to her. They embrace and kiss, touching foreheads to look into each other's eyes. Jack promises that everything will be alright, that he's never going to leave her. Then he's taken from her by the Chinese.

This season he goes into the bedroom where she lays sleeping. (We see a glimpse of hospital equipment in the corner, implying the seriousness of her condition.) He greets her with his familiar "hey" (used in most of their conversations from Season 4 on) and talks to her, hoping to awaken her, to bring back the Audrey he'd been taken from 20 months earlier. She doesn't move. He tells her that he's at a crossroads, that he's letting her go to protect her, and that he hopes she'll understand and forgive him one day. Then he kisses her and touches her forehead, still hoping against hope for some kind of reaction. But he realizes that she's been taken from him by the Chinese.

**Jack tells Jim Heller that he's "good at killing people," afterall, he'd killed Nina, Curtis, Fayed, and countless other unnamed "baddies." But he couldn't kill the most significant bad guy to date: his own father, Phillip Bauer. It was what his father wanted, but Jack wouldn't give him the satisfaction, nor would he live with the guilt. Instead, Jack let him die when the F-18s bombed the oil platform. Jack told his dad he was "getting off easy." Jack isn't "wimping out" by not killing him first -- he's choosing the high road and not letting his anger and hatred control his actions...something he doesn't always choose.

Merrily Musing on Monday

Happy Monday to you!! And Happy May 21st! And Happy 24 Finale Night! Yippee!!

Yeh. Yeh. I know I'm a bit...passionate(?) about this show, but each season really is like a roller coaster ride, with this one being no exception.

So two hours watching my favorite show, eating wings and other yummy treats, and I'm a happy lady.

* * *

School is beginning to wrap up. We've finished our homeschool group now and AWANA. And Emily only has two more dance classes. Wow! The school year really has flown past. I can't believe Emily will be a 5th-grader and Edward a 1st-grader next year. Both are looking forward to the various summer reading programs in the area, especially the one at Barnes & Noble where they can each earn two FREE books.

* * *

5 THINGS TO BE HAPPY ABOUT

• visiting a gorge
• a harmless bug
• eating hotdogs at a baseball game
• window boxes overflowing
• playing Candy Land

* * *

Stuart had a great thrill of his life at the Reading Phillies game we attended with his parents a few weeks ago.

During each half of the innings, there are little entertainment moments, brought to the fans by the various sponsors of the game/ballpark.

One of the moments including catching something thrown from the field.

Since the thrower worked his way around the stadium, we watched in amusement as others had the chance to catch the items.

On the last throw, Stuart stood up, certain he wasn't in line with it but willing to try nonetheless.

Papers fluttered sideways.

Buns split and flew to oblivion.

And Stuart put out his hand just in time to catch the...naked HOTDOG!

The fans went wild! Everyone was laughing and cheering at his lucky catch. He was the hero of the hour.

Stuart stood in shock, holding the hotdog and laughing along with everyone else.

Then he ate it.

Previously on...the Simpsons...

Happy 1st Birthday to My Blog!

I cannot believe that today marks the FIRST birthday of my blog.

A whole year of blogging bliss!

365 days of musing merrily....

Okay. Okay. A little pathetic in the alliteration.

But I'm excited to have shared the journey of the past year -- my memories, my family's funny moments, all those silly videos/comic strips, etc. -- with whomever might have happened upon my blog.

Thanks for the friendships developed and renewed during the past 12 months!

I can't wait to see what the next year holds!

Friday Funnies

A very silly one from VeggieTales for this rainy Friday! Enjoy!

Of Smiling Faces

A Smile

A smile
is a frown turned upside down.
A smile
is painted on the face of a clown.
A smile
brightens a dreary day.
A smile
chases tears away.
A smile
is a gift that shows you care.
A smile
is priceless no matter where.
A smile
is the key to happiness.
A smile
a sure sign of success.

When you feel lonely in a strange place.
It helps to see a smile on another's face.
If there is any real magic around.
It is the silent magic of a smile's sound.

by Kurt Hearth, March 1986

Winding Down....

Our school year is finally winding down.

We finished our once-a-week homeschool learning group today with a short end-of-year program, including a small graduation for Edward and a duet for Emily.

Emily with her duet partner, Abby.

It's amazing to watch children develop and mature during a school year.

Edward began at the learning group in September. He tried very hard not to cry as I left him, but he was miserable inside. By today -- his last session -- he was running to the classroom, greeting his friends, and happily kissing me goodbye.

Edward and his kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Kimball.

What a difference a year makes!

Happy Holiday Hot Spots

I think I'm getting back to normal after a lovely two-week visit from my in-laws. And I finally unloaded my camera and thought I'd share some of the places we visited.

May 1st: Drove to Manhattan to pick them up.

May 2nd: Took the kids to their homeschool group and went out for a wonderful breakfast...just us adults.

May 3rd: Stuart et al. visited Blue Marsh Lake (I stayed in because of the tree pollen).

May 4th: Headed to Philly for cheesesteaks for lunch and then to the Reading Phillies to watch a game.

May 6th: Had a BBQ with everyone, including my parents and our friend, Mark, from Stubbington, England.

May 7th: Went to Philly again to ride the DUKWs (a.k.a. "Duck"), a tour on an amphibious vehicle which included tons of history tidbits and funny songs to "quack" along with.

May 8th: Went to Ocean City, N.J. and drove down the coast to Cape May.

May 10th: Went to Strasburg for a ride on the railroad.

May 11th: Went to Green Dragon, a local farmer's market/flea market.

May 12th: Stuart took them to JFK Airport and we said our sad goodbyes for now.

Merry Monday Musings

After an exciting, fun, and exhausting two-week holiday with my in-laws -- in from England -- we're slowly getting back to "normal." (Why is it that we always need a vacation after a vacation?) We certainly travelled around. Philadelphia, Ocean City, N.J., Strasburg, Reading Phillies.... All in all, it was a wonderful visit!! And we enjoyed seeing our friend, Mark, as well, who popped by for a one-day visit and joined us for a BBQ.

New week, new video (a great Jude Cole "oldie"), and new fun all around. This week marks the end of our homeschool learning group and AWANA. Amazing how quickly the schoolyear activities are winding down.

New episode of...24 tonight. Episode 22. Which means that next week is the FINALE of Season 6. We were commenting on how fast the season passed. Hearing lots of negative opinions about this season, but I disagree with most of them and think that once the season is viewed in succession (ie: as a DVD boxed set), people will find that they liked it more than they thought. Still in all, it is 24 so there are lots of twists in store for us tonight and next week. My nails are cringing as I type...

We celebrated Mother's Day yesterday with all of my family, enjoying some yummy quiches and salads.

We took my in-laws to a huge mall down near Philly. Edward heard us talking about it and wondered who "King Aprussia" was and where he was from. We told him the name of the mall was King of Prussia.

* * *

5 THINGS TO BE HAPPY ABOUT

• sourdough baguettes

• hedge mazes

• going barefoot at home

• thick slices of ham

• an unexpected inheritance

* * *

I love going barefoot. Inside. Outside. Anywhere, really. I despise shoes. Well, except in the snow.

My hubby is the opposite. He needs shoes and socks to feel comfortable. And he cannot understand my obsession with keeping my tootsies unclad.

The kids are definitely taking after me. They much prefer to be "nude" in the foot department. This bothers Stuart, especially since he believes they should wear steel-toed workboots.

I laugh and tell him it's all in my family ancestory. He thinks I'm crazy.

My great-grandfather was 1/2 Algonquin Indian and loved to be barefoot. Of course, that makes me about 1/16th Algonquin Indian....and the kids about 1/32nd.

Hmmmm..... Maybe it is just craziness...

Mother's Day -- Priceless

Only a mother (and a father) could love 'em.

Someone sent the following to me awhile ago, and I saved it to reread. Enjoy! It's a "goodie."

Happy Mother's Day!

The Price of Children

I have repeatedly seen the breakdown of the cost of raising a child, but this is the first time I have seen the rewards listed this way.

It's nice, really nice!!

The government recently calculated the cost of raising a child from birth to 18 and came up with $160,140 for a middle-income family.

Talk about sticker shock! That doesn't even touch college tuition.

But $160,140 isn't so bad if you break it down. It translates into $8,896.66 a year, $741.38 a month, or $171.08 a week. That's a mere $24.24 a day! Just over a dollar an hour.

Still, you might think the best financial advice is don't have children if you want to be "rich." Actually, it is just the opposite.

What do you get for your $160,140?

• Naming rights. First, middle, and last!
• Glimpses of God every day.
• Giggles.... under the covers every night.
• More love than your heart can hold.
• Butterfly kisses and Velcro hugs.
• Endless wonder over rocks, ants, clouds, and warm cookies.
• A hand to hold, usually covered with jelly or chocolate.
• A partner for blowing bubbles, flying kites, building sandcastles, and skipping down the sidewalk in the pouring rain.
• Someone to laugh yourself silly with, no matter what the boss said or how your stocks performed that day.

For $160,140, you never have to grow up. You get to finger-paint, carve pumpkins, play hide-and-seek, catch lightning bugs, and never stop believing in Santa Claus.

You have an excuse to keep reading the Adventures of Piglet and Pooh, watching Saturday morning cartoons, going to Disney movies, and wishing on stars.

You get to frame rainbows, hearts, and flowers under refrigerator magnets and collect spray painted noodle wreaths for Christmas, hand prints set in clay for Mother's Day, and cards with backward letters for Father's Day.

For $160,140, there is no greater bang for your buck.

You get to be a hero just for retrieving a Frisbee off the garage roof, taking the training wheels off a bike, removing a splinter, filling a wading pool, coaxing a wad of gum out of bangs, and coaching a baseball team that never wins but always gets treated to ice cream regardless.

You get a front row seat to history to witness the first step, first word, first bra, first date, and first time behind the wheel.

You get to be immortal.

You get another branch added to your family tree, and if you're lucky, a long list of limbs in your obituary called grandchildren and great grandchildren.

You get an education in psychology, nursing, criminal justice, communications, and human sexuality that no college can match.

In the eyes of a child, you rank right up there under God. You have all the power to heal a boo-boo, scare away the monsters under the bed, patch a broken heart, police a slumber party, ground them forever, and love them without limits, so . . . one day they will, like you, love without counting the cost.

ENJOY YOUR KIDS AND GRANDKIDS!

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but the moments that take our breath away..."

Mother's Day Memories

I got this in a forwarded e-mail from a friend over at The Chenard Family Blog. (Thanks so much for the laugh, Lana!)

I thought I'd share it here:

"So, we had this great, 10-year-old cat named Jack who just recently died.

Jack was a good cat, and the kids would carry him around and sit on him and nothing ever bothered him. He used to hang out and nap all day long on a mat in our bathroom.

Well, we have three kids and at the time of this story they were 4, 3, and 1. The middle one is Eli. Eli really loves Chapstick. LOVES it. He kept asking to use my Chapstick and then would lose it. So finally one day I showed him where in the bathroom I kept my Chapstick and how he could use it whenever he wanted to, but he needed to put it right back in the drawer when he was done.

Last year on Mother's Day, we were having the typical rush around to try to get ready for church with everyone crying and carrying on. My two boys were fighting over the toy in the cereal box. I was trying to nurse my little one at the same time I was putting on my make-up. Everything was a mess, and everyone had long forgotten that this was a wonderful day to honor me and the amazing job that is motherhood.

We finally had the older one and the baby loaded in the car, and I was looking for Eli. I had searched everywhere, and I finally rounded the corner to go into the bathroom. And there was Eli. He was applying my Chapstick very carefully to Jack's . . . rear end.

Eli looked right into my eyes and said, "Chapped."

Now if you have a cat, you know that he was right -- their little butts do look pretty chapped. And, frankly, Jack didn't seem to mind.

The only question to really ask at that point was whether it was the FIRST time Eli had done that to the cat's behind or the hundredth.

And THAT is my favorite Mother's Day moment ever because it reminds us that no matter how hard we try to civilize these glorious little creatures, there will always be that day when you realize they've been using your Chapstick on the cat's behind."

Friday Funnies

Something funny and clever! Enjoy!

Animator vs. Animation by *alanbecker on deviantART

Vader Sessions

This is hilarious and very well done! The creator used sound clips from various different movies starring James Earl Jones and spliced them together with Star Wars video clips. Nothing else was changed. (Warning: It contains some bad language.)

One (or More) of Those Days...

Being a huge fan of this show and a relatively new fan of Coldplay, I thought this was a perfect combination. Enjoy!

Preventative Parenting

Memorable Monday Movie

This was a favorite show of ours when we lived in England. I especially loved the theme song!

Friday Funnies

New York Post -- May 3, 2007 -- KINDERGARTEN kids in ritzy L.A. suburb Calabasas have been coming home to their parents and talking about the "weird man" who keeps coming to their class to sing "scary" songs on his guitar. The "weird" one turns out to be Bob Dylan, whose grandson (Jakob Dylan's son) attends the school. He's been singing to the kindergarten class just for fun, but the kiddies have no idea they're being serenaded by a musical legend - to them, he's just Weird Guitar Guy.

Behind the Red Door

Another good one, featuring scenes from my favorite movie: Behind the Red Door. I cry everytime I see this movie....

Colorful Kiefer

Whilst we're on "holiday" with my in-laws, I'll be popping on and off my blog to post things as the time allows. In the meantime, I'll put on a few great videos I found while perusing YouTube. This one is fun, using two of my favorite guys: Rocco and Kiefer. Enjoy!