Suddenly Incapable of Caring for Kids

In other words...

SICK.

Yes, yes, yes. That is my state at the moment. Fever-running, snot-producing, sore-throat, chills, achy-breaky muscles, lying-on-the-couch-and-if-you-touch-me-you-die kind of fun.

It all started last Wednesday, over a week ago. As we were in the car, leaving for our long Christmas vacation, my hubby starts getting sick. Lo and behold, he wasn't faking it to avoid socializing at his mother-in-law's (not that I could accuse him of that, because he loves his in-laws), because my daughter soon joined in with all the feverish coughing snottiness. My son followed suit, and I cleverly avoided capture by telling my body I didn't have time to be sick, and if I was sick, who would watch everybody else?

So my body listened until the opportune moment... okay, she's home. She's got her hubby around until Monday. She's done unpacking. Score!!!

And thus it began.

On a more cheery note, I did have a wonderful Christmas, boogers and all. We got to see the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, which by the way, if you haven't seen them, it is now dubbed a priority by your royal highness, the Pumpkin Princess. I was astounded. They put on such a good show, and the carrying on and joking after the show was just as fun!

And we got to go on a horse-drawn carriage ride through Lake Kiowa to see all the Christmas lights. And we got to go see Enchanted with the kids. Never mind that Eli threw up twice during the end... once on the row in front of us and once on me. No more buttery popcorn for sickie. And thank God there was no one sitting in front of us.

So I'm bed-bound and dreading only being able to squeeze down a few spoonfuls of chicken noodle tomorrow, which was the fate I witnessed my whole family go through over the past week.

And Mom, he wasn't crazy. At the beginning of this thing, there are just some smells, seemingly random in nature, that just can't be handled. Your beef ciabattas weren't to blame. In fact, they were excellent. But pizza tonight was just not to be, because that was the particular scent my nose just couldn't handle. Maybe it's just this stage of it and the smell of food in general... hmm...

Anyway, pray all goes well over the next few weeks. Hubby has accepted a new job, one with a company whose name will generate endless jokes to keep me and my family entertained. I really hope it's everything we've been praying for.

All righty then, I'm going to go sanitize my keyboard now.

Brownish-Greenish Christmas

If you dream of horse-drawn carriages
Dashing through the snow;
Before you move to Texas
There's something you should know ...

(Chorus)
That they don't have White Christmases in Houston.
I've lived here most my life and I should know.
I've prayed and I've pleaded for way too many years
But they just don't have White Christmases down here.

I've heard of winter carnivals in Aspen.
It looks just like a winter wonderland.
But remember while you're freezin' throughout this Christmas season
We'll be down here with Christmas cheer and flip-flops in the sand.
I've seen all those Christmas shows on TV.
Blankets of white powder; my, how grand!
But while you've got snow and holly, I'm feastin' on tamales;
Sittin' on my back porch with an iced tea in my hand.

(Chorus)

I laughed out loud when I heard this song.

And oh!!! How I connected with it today. It almost felt surreal to be packing sweaters for our trip when I had to change shirts today because it was too hot for a long-sleeved shirt.

On December 18th.

A week before Christmas.

Yep, no chance.

The one time it snowed for Christmas I was out of town. The weather reports on the radio keep saying there's a chance, but I think there's about a snowball's chance in H - E - double hockey sticks that it'll actually happen, especially since Weather.com says it'll be 69 degrees. And of course, you know that Weather.com knows everything. And they also say it'll be 57 degrees where I'm going, so I don't even know if I need to pack a jacket. Is there a point, really?

I have this beautiful suede long jacket lined with fuzzy fleece. It's so warm and makes me look like an Eskimo. And I get to wear it once a year. I don't even think I'll need it at all this year. But it's one of those things you just can't throw away because you know one day you'll go somewhere really cold (like anywhere north of the Mason Dixon right now) and wish you'd kept it. So it hangs forlornly in my front hall closet. Poor, lonely jacket. But hey, my denim jacket's seeing a lot of action lately. 'Cause I'm so southern that if it drops below 70 I'm freezing. Hardy har har. I wish I was joking.

Anyway, I'm rambling tonight. Looking forward to Trans-Siberian Orchestra on Friday (go Mom!), and spending Christmas relatively relaxed. Semi-stressing about getting 3-4 new students in January. I'm already so busy! But hey, you get what you ask for, right? I'm going to have to concentrate on that when I pray. Specifics, specifics, and semantics!!! I'm debating whether I want to spread them out or just have a couple of crazy days and the others be not-so-crazy. I mean, Monday's already shot. If I shoot Thursday in the foot, too, then I'll have Tuesday and Wednesday with only 1 or 2 students. I think I'm going to have to think, and I'm soooooo not in the mood for that right now.

I'm going to go wrap more Christmas presents now, because you definitely don't have to think to do that.


glitter-graphics.com

Last Night Standing

I found out on Wednesday that my best friend is moving not in January or February, but next weekend. Talk about a harsh blow. So we decided to have a girls' night out at Baker St, a local sports bar. We had such a good time! I can't even begin to describe it. Everything was funny. We met some great people, danced a little...

Here's some pictures:


On our way to Baker St


Steph after a shot of Patron


That meant I had to do one, too


Monica joined us!

Being the Proverbs 31 Woman Breaks Nails

Yep, you read that right.

I was cleaning the house last night, and got to thinking about the commonalities between myself and my friends and the Proverbs 31 woman. (The scripture I'm referring to is Proverbs 31:10-31.)

She is smart and resourceful and ever working to better her family. She toils from before sunup to way after sundown. The entire community respects and loves her. She touches everyone she meets.

How many women do I know like this? Quite a few, actually. Maybe because I'm blessed with a fruitful church, and have met many women who follow this example, even if they don't know they're doing it.

Take a look at this:

28 Her children arise and call her blessed;

her husband also, and he praises her:

What I find amusing is that nowhere in this passage of a perfect woman does it say "and her husband and children help her with the housework." Believe me, I searched that passage thoroughly.

What a ripoff!!! I mean, honestly, I was looking for some justification to get my family in line to help me clean the house. We have guests coming tonight, and I want it to look decent. Not perfect, 'cause no one would believe that, but a house that doesn't cause a guest to think... ewww... would be a start.

Most of the women I know clean their homes with little to no help from husband or family, and just grin and bear it. Most of the women I know are actively involved in the church, and most of them have jobs in or outside the home that we spend a great deal of time working on. Most of them either homeschool or are otherwise intensely involved in their children's educations. Most of the women I know bend over backward to make their husbands happy and content.

So I'm sitting here scrubbing a chair, thinking about how the perfect woman works her whole body to the bone sacrificially in the name of service to others, meditating on the perfectness of myself and the women I know, (*smiles*) and...

Crack!

Owwwwwwwwwwwwwww!

My nail on my middle finger of my right hand breaks. In half. Horizontally across the middle. I repeat:

Owwwwwwwwwwwwwww!

No fixing this one. It still hurts. Especially since I'm right-handed. I feel like a gimp. I can't do anything without it somehow needing to be used. God forbid I ever broke that finger, I'd be up a creek.

And because of the busy season, Saturday morning's the first time I'll get to have it fixed. I've got to survive with a throbbing finger until then, and I know it'll sting more than a little when they fix it (having broken nails before).

Such is life, eh?

In the air

Last night I got my first real Christmas feeling. The air was cold, with that familiar snap in it, and the smell of woodsmoke drifted by on a breeze. For some reason this always is my signal that Christmas is upon us. It just never feels like it until I get the snap and the smoke. Hah. Therefore I can never move to California or Arizona or any other place that doesn't get that, because Christmas is my favorite holiday and it would be a tragedy for it not to feel like Christmas.

I've gotten most of my shopping done. The ones that haven't been covered are on hold for one reason or another, either waiting on something or I simply don't know what to get. Hopefully my gifter's block will end soon and I'll be able to wrap it up...

Since I just found out that we'll be leaving on Wednesday instead of Friday! And I'm very excited about that. For those that don't know, there is not a single holiday that we spend here, since we have no family in town. Luckily I married a family-oriented guy as well, so there's no questioning whether we'll be with family over a holiday or not, it's just a fact of life. It's always been that way for me, and it would break my heart to change it.

I am finally sending out Christmas letters this year, so please, if I don't have your address, or if you're not sure I have your address, or you've moved, please e-mail it to me so I can send it to the right place. I'll try to contact everyone that I know for sure has a different address than the one in my so-very-not-up-to-date little black book. I hope to get the cards out by the week before Christmas, but with the Christmas rush, there's no telling whether they'll make it on time or not. So just know that you're in my thoughts and prayers, and a card will arrive soon.

All my love to my friends and family!

Thanksgiving Pics

Here's the promised pictures from Thanksgiving week. Enjoy!


My ice princess


The first (but amazingly graceful) fall


"Mommy, hold my hand!"


Stuffing the turkey


The Thanksgiving spread


The other side


My family


I'm going to show this to Eli's girlfriends!

MIA Again

Sorry for the void over the holidays. I know you all were lost without me. ;)

I find it hard to post over the holidays. All I want to do is hang out with my family, and even though we don't "do" much, it never seems like enough visiting time.

I spent the past week and a half away from home. The first week was in my hometown. A college friend of mine got married, and we came home early to attend. It was a beautiful wedding. I absolutely LOVED the bride's dress. A stunning rose color with lots of beading detail and a lace-up back. Gorgeous. And I finally got to meet the groom. And hung out with people I haven't seen since I attended Centenary... what... seven years ago? The funny thing is, we're all music teachers of some sort now.

Then it was Thanksgiving week, and we spent it with my family. We went ice skating, I got my hair done (lopped off is what my husband calls it). I got to sleep in a few mornings, which is highly unusual. And I got to hang out at N Cahoots with my sees-ter. Also very cool. It's fun to see my sister in her "native environment" with all her friends. I can tell she's loved by them all, and that makes me happy.

By the way, pics available of all of the above as soon as I get them. They're on my Mom's camera, so when I get copies I'll post them. Because there's nothing cuter than pictures of a five-year-old's first ice skating experience.

I spent the last couple of days at my friend Steph's house. I won't go into the details, I'll just say that she just needed me. I'm glad I could be there.

But now I'm sitting at home, looking around at the impossible task of reigning in this house this week and recovering from the trip, and it's just overwhelming. And on top of everything else, Bry's out of town this week, so I have to brave the rapids alone. It's 9:30 and Eli's still up. I put him to bed an hour and a half ago, and I've been fighting him ever since about going to sleep. So far he's dumped out his toy box, used the toy box to open his door, climbed on top of the stove looking for candy, gone to the bathroom twice, and begged for water three times. Keep in mind these are all separate instances.

Yep, not looking forward to this week. I think I'm going to go fix a pitcher of pina coladas and watch Memoirs of a Geisha or something that I'll really enjoy and just relax tonight.

Oh, and shower. Yep, gonna shower.

All this crud will still be waiting for me tomorrow anyway.

Los Aeros En Fuego

Aeros v Sharks

That is the hockey game I went to last night. My first ever live hockey game. I'm not a sports fan in the least sense of the phrase, but I really enjoyed it!!! I think it could be something I could get in to (don't go buying me any Red Wings jerseys yet, Mike, I said think). And the best part was that the Aeros won 5-1. Go Aeros!

That poor Sharks goalie. I wondered how many times he wanted to turn around and flip my section the bird. He had to have the patience of Job, or he had to be deaf. Our entire section was constantly chanting.

He shoots, he scores... hey goalie! You suck!

Poor guy.

And the colors of the Aeros uniforms sparked Bryan to rename them Los Aeros. I mean, we are in Houston, but having green, red, and white uniforms is just too funny. Bill laughed about that one the whole night.

And I was outnumbered. I went to this game with three men, so I felt like I was being drawn two ways... on the one hand I felt like being super-feminine to produce more estrogen to combat the testosterone. On the other hand, the testosterone in the hockey game itself was so overwhelming I had the urge to hock loogies, pass gas, and lower my voice an octave. I went with the ultra-feminine, just because I didn't want to be lost forever. It didn't take much, I'm pretty girly to begin with.

But you know what the nicest thing about hockey games is? Besides the game itself, of course.

There was no line at the women's restroom.

Yep, ladies, you heard me right. No line. Because the majority of the fans are... you guessed it... men. So while my male counterparts had to wait in line for the bathroom, I walked right in. And then one of the guys brought me a margarita, so I didn't even have to wait in the long bar line for that. It was so cool. I wonder, though, if it was just the novelty of having a woman present at this game that made the guys super-sensitive to doting on me.

Oh, yeah, I'm going to another hockey game!

Real Estate Rant

Lately there has been a lot of traffic on the media about the rising foreclosure rate. It's because of the subprime lending in 2005-2006. I say... what idiots. The whole lot of them.

What is subprime lending? It's where financial institutions grant loans to unqualified individuals. Stupid, stupid, stupid. You're granting a loan to someone who has demonstrated that they can't pay for it. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

And what's worse is that now they're calling in the government to fix it. Why is it the government's problem? These people knew they couldn't afford these homes, and somehow they're shocked that they're getting foreclosed on when they haven't paid. And their expectation is that the government will come in and force the financial institutions to change the terms of their loan to make it affordable, and grant them amnesty against their past-due payments.

WTF???!!!!

I think I'm going to jump on this bandwagon. Basically they're saying if I don't pay my mortgage, it's not my fault. If I got in over my head, it's not my fault. Let's blame it on everyone except the people responsible. It's the media's fault for making us believe we have to keep up with the Joneses. It's the government's fault for not ensuring that these big, bad wolves called banks can't repossess something I'm not paying for. It's my parents' fault for working so hard for decades to get a nice house and then not providing me with one right out of college.

Now, I'm not justifying subprime lending by the banks. I, frankly, think it's a dumb idea. Yes, let's approve this person! Forget that they can't afford it! Surely they'll wave their magic wand and change their $700 into $1500 to meet their mortgage payment! Stupid, stupid, stupid.

I just don't want my tax dollars to be spent bailing someone out that didn't qualify for the home they're in in the first place. How selfish of me, right? It just seems so obvious to me... you don't pay, you don't get to keep it. Don't get in over your head next time, and there are plenty of apartments you can stay in until you find one you can actually afford. Learn from your mistakes, don't expect others to fix them for you, because then you never learn anything. Gimme, gimme mentality! Sense of entitlement! It's almost as bad as the government providing new televisions to people who don't have a digital receiver because television is a necessity. You heard about that, right? Yep. I think it's ridiculous, too. God forbid someone miss Days of Our Lives.

I'm sorry, I'm just waiting for the lightning to rain down from the sky.

We have recently felt like we're in over our heads in our modest home. The upkeep and repairs are killing us. But have we ever missed a mortgage payment? No. We've actually been early on every single one. Have we ever missed any bill? No. Because they're a priority and when we get in over our heads financially we fix it... sacrifice for a while. I drive an old car that is trying to die on me because we're too concerned about paying our bills to run out and get ourselves into another car payment we can't afford. I've dealt with no master bathroom for five years. I haven't had landscaping the entire time we've lived here. We haven't installed a hot tub or a pool. We've prioritized and are making do. We don't expect anyone to bail us out of our mess.

Imagine that. Responsibility. Sense. Planning.

Too little of it these days.

Off

I'm just feeling... off. That's the only way to describe it. My patience is gone, so the kids of course pick up on that and make sure they do their best to annoy me. My Jeep fails inspection, and my best friend is moving 1000 miles away.

Yeah, I'm feeling off today.

Mass Attack

I've recently become addicted to ---> this game <--- . Click on "Play" on the right-hand side near the top. It's so... addicting. Such a silly pasttime, and such a silly addiction. It's a flash game, for crying out loud! With really idiotic music that I can't get out of my head! Errrrr!

And yes, Bridget, I'm trying very hard to achieve the NaNoWriMo challenge (or is it NaNoBloMo?). Even though I'm not Canadian. Does it still count? :)

Yesterday Bry was sick, today I am. And I still can't get off this stupid game so I can go to bed. At least I'm feeling better, and I'm not about to pass out in my desk chair. That was rather amusing, earlier.

Last night I spent the night with Steph again, and we ended up drinking beer around a bonfire and playing Truth or Dare. This is a game I haven't played since grade school. My husband looked at me crossways when I told him this. I had to assure him that unlike the gradeschool version, this one didn't include any kind of makeout sessions. Some highlights included Steph chugging her beer and then attempting a cartwheel, me sliding down the kids' slide with a leg in the air, and Chris doing push-ups while saying "My booty's so hot!" Which wouldn't have been near as funny if he hadn't put such emotion behind it. We were rolling with laughter way before he'd hit the end of his dare.

I think I'm going to try to go to bed now. Good night!

A day marked by intense errand-running followed by such exhaustion that I can't do anything except stare blankly at the computer screen. Thank God it's Friday.

All-Region tryouts are today and tomorrow, which means my first four days this week were spent teaching until my eyes crossed. I could probably play the All-Region music in my sleep now. At least we'll be picking solos next, and thank you God each student will have a different piece.

I found a small music store in Town Square that carries instrumental solo music, so I stocked up on saxophone solos. Bry winced as I dragged the books to the counter. What he probably doesn't know is that the few books I bought are a small shadow of the clarinet repertiore I own. It's a starting point, though. Not having access to "the list" means I'm guessing about what pieces will be on it. So I picked a few compilation books that held famous composers, thinking that surely at least some of these songs will be on "the list."

Being so busy teaching means that I haven't had time to practice my own instruments. Thus the phone call last night from Steph:

Hey, what are you doing?

Practicing piano.

You're practicing piano at 10:22 at night?

Ummm.... yeah. When else am I going to practice?

Such is the life. But this music store gave me a teacher discount. Ha! I'm still reeling at the fact that people think I'm qualified to do this. And now I'm getting a 20% discount on music and supplies. That is so beyond awesome.

It's the calm before the storm regarding the change I was talking about earlier. It's almost like we're sitting, patiently waiting for something to happen. We don't know what will happen, but we're waiting anyway. It's a weird merging of anticipation and boredom.

I do need some audience help here: homeschooling moms! I need tips for disciplining myself about doing homeschooling. I seem to let it fall by the wayside because I feel like I have to make a choice between having a house that I can walk through and homeschooling. Any organization or discipline techniques would be most appreciated. Thanks!

Razzle-Frackin' Son of a Monkey!!!

I can't believe it. I had a huge post on here about the Harvest Party and updates all around, and Blogger had an error when posting it.

AAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRrrrrrrrr!!!!

I don't have the energy to think about what all I said, so you'll have to make do with pictures from the Harvest Party until tomorrow.


Jam Man


My ninja


My fairy princess


My costume


Closeup of my makeup - I'm not a beauty consultant for nothing!

Updates

This past Friday I went to spend the night with my buddy, Steph. We spent the entire night coming up with costumes for her husband's work party the next night. We went through all the fabric in her craft room and came up with enough fabric to make his and hers Roman costumes, and we did so without a pattern. I usually craft when I go over there, just for fun, but usually not on this level. We had a blast. We tried to make his costume without him to measure it on, since he was at work, so Steph used me as a model, figuring my chest would make up for his height. Haha.

I spent most of my time with a toga on, gluing green leaves to a wire headband. The costumes turned out very nicely, if I do say so myself. It inspired me to finish my costume, and the little things I had to do for the kids' costumes for this weekend's Harvest Party. Now we're ready.

On Saturday morning I woke up and hung around until the afternoon, when Izzy and I drove to Dallas to meet my Mom. We then had a nice dinner in the hotel restaurant, and took a shuttle down to Fair Park to see the Broadway edition of the Lion King. Let me tell you, that's some show. It was very well put together, with incredible costumes and talented actors. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Izzy was tired, and kept saying she wanted to fall asleep, but as soon as the next musical number came on, she would sit up and want the binoculars.

Sunday we continued the animal theme by going to the Rainforest Cafe. Izzy was so enthralled with the animals that she didn't eat much. But it was a great experience nonetheless.

Monday Bryan stayed home from work, using one of his many sick days before the end of the year when they expire. A cold front had blown in some storms, and the extra bite in the air that is so uncommon in Houston made for perfect grilled cheese and thick soup weather.

I'm about to write down all that I have to do. It seems lately that I am booked to the gills, but that's okay. I tend to be more organized and more together when I'm really busy. And I've come to realize that my just-handle-it mentality plays a big part in this. My house may not be perfect, I may be slightly overwhelmed, but I'm doing my best and I feel good about that.

Lots of parties in the near future, lots of happy times coming. Bry has applied for four different jobs, three within the same company, and we're hoping to hear back soon. Two may mean a move, so those aren't our first choices. But one is especially promising, and in town. So, if you think about it, please pray that we get what we want and need out of this job change.

Changes

I may seem spontaneous and laid back to most, but really I hate change. And there's been a bit of it lately, and looks like more to come.

Teaching was a change, but a good one. I'm getting more involved with it now, with 9 students, more to schedule (phone tag), and the opportunity to possibly work for one of the most recognizable music places in my county. We'll see how that works out, I'm looking forward to it if it does happen.

But there's a job change on the horizon for the hubby. He can't stay where he's at, although we've been happy there. There have been some changes at his work, and he's being forced to switch departments. It's ironic, really, the way it happened. This could mean endless bad things, like a new boss who fires on a whim without any reason, no bonus next year (bonuses are based on department performance, and let's just say this one he's being transferred to doesn't make the grade), etc. Our family can't take the stress of this change. I can't live with that kind of insecurity. So he's going on a preliminary lunch with a guy from a major company today, seeking a job interview for something he's really excited about. From the job description, he'd be perfect for it, and it will keep him challenged and excited about what he does. It's more of a person-to-person role within what he already knows, and all of you that know him know how my husband thrives on person-to-person exchange and relationship-building. So please be praying that all goes smoothly, and this guy has the clout to push my hubby's info through to the right people to get a bona fide interview... and quick. His new department takes effect on the first. And if possible we'd like to have something different lined up by then. We're not opposed to something different that comes along, but this particular job sounds almost too good to be true. So we're pushing for that one.

Other than that, I'm looking forward to seeing my first Broadway production this weekend, the Lion King in Dallas. Sounds like loads of fun, and I'm so excited that I'm already packed!

Eggselent

In a rare bout of spontaneity, we decided to attend a jazz concert in Town Square on Friday night. So we hired a sitter to be in the house while the kids slept and headed down there. We stopped by Bakers Street Pub beforehand, and ordered a couple of Boddingtons on draft and some Scotch Eggs. If you've never had Scotch Eggs, you should have some. They're a hard-boiled egg encased in a thick layer of seasoned stuffing and sausage that's been fried. They then cut it in half, and serve it with a spicy mustard and some kind of relish (cranberry?) that's to die for. You spread the mustard and relish on thick, take a whopping bite, and wash it down with a good quality beer. No light beers, please. You need a full-bodied beer to appreciate this taste.

Well, we finished up and walked down to the Square. The time was 9:37, the band (we thought) was supposed to start at nine, so we figured we weren't missing much. As we walked up, they were packing up. After checking the website, we figured out that they started at 7, not 9. We had missed the entire thing.

This was disappointing. I think Bry was just going for kicks, but I really wanted to hear them. Music affects me differently than most people. I'm really emotional about it. I can get swept up in it, and it stirs things in me that most other things don't. I'm one of those people that bawl like a baby during worship on Sunday, because the songs mean so much to me. A song I can identify with is something very powerful in my life.

When we watch a movie, when it's over, I'll be the person that comments on the soundtrack. Bry's the one commenting on the cinematography, my ex-photographer husband. It's rather humorous. I don't care if the actors were brilliant and the cinematography was spectacular. If the music sucked, I won't like it. A lot of times my poor hubby doesn't even notice there was music. I try to explain to him about how music affects the mood of a movie, and how it wouldn't be as dramatic without those bows scraping across the violin strings, but he just smiles and nods, a lot like I do to him when he gets going about anything computer-related. We're about in the same boat. I can find my way around a computer enough to do what I need to get done, and he can pick out the theme from Star Wars on the keyboard with one finger. I figure we're about even.

In other news, Izzy's birthday party was quite a success, I think. Not a drop of cake left over. My waistline thanks you. Between the moonwalk and the tire swing, I'm sure most of the kids at the party passed out shortly after supper. I know mine did. Izzy got an array of girly gifts that she adored. She's spent most of the time playing with them since. Including painting her brother's nails pink and purple, and putting hot pink lipstick on him. And teaching him how to dress a Polly Pocket and style Barbie's hair. And between her new outfit and her new mermaid dress-up dress, I haven't had to worry about telling my little nudist to keep her clothes on, either. It's been a nice break.

We got her a new bike (which she broke in immediately) and a Betta, which she named Doc. He's blue with red tips on his fins and is very pretty. He's in a tank in her room, and she gets to feed him pre-measured amounts of food every other day. Mommy will be handling cleaning out the tank for now, until she's a bit older, but she's in charge of entertaining Doc while I do so. She talks to him, sets a tea cup in front of his tank and has tea with him, and more than once has told me that we needed to go home from running errands because Doc was scared.

We also had to... umm... *cough coug* let Mambo go... because he was... umm... not eating right. Yeah, that's it. Well, he got replaced at her party by a new Pac-man frog that she named Sumo. It's appropriate. he's all belly and teeny-tiny feet. He eats like a horse, and it's very entertaining to watch. Just pop in some crickets, and the kids are entertained for a half hour, watching the little blob of froggy lard hop around and catch crickets, then close his eyes in a moment of pleasure as he swallows them whole. He's all belly and eyes, and he's the cutest little thing! We haven't taken a picture of him yet, but here's a pic I found on the internet that looks like him:

Pics of Sharka Rosa

And you can click on this link to visit their website.


Penelope the camel has... one hump! Penelope the camel has... one hump!


A beautiful Clydesdale, one of many they have there.


Making friends with a lemur. By the way, that's me in the robin's egg shirt.


Lemurs like Izzy's head.


On the tour!

And a lemur on top

Interesting weekend. We went to visit my mother-in-law. My sister-in-law and her new husband were there. And I have to commend her again on her choice of hubby, he's really awesome.

Saturday morning we went to Sharka Rosa, a wildlife ranch near their house. It was so much fun! Not overwhelming like the zoo, but we felt we could do everything in a few hours without making the kids go nuts. You know how kids get.

They had a tour where you sat in a cage pulled by a tractor, and the cage had buckets on the outside. The animals came up to the cage and ate, and you could pet them. Therefore, the kids and I got to pet a longhorn, a water buffalo, a zebra-donkey (zedonkey???), and some camels. I got some great head-shots of Penelope, but all I could catch was her head because she was so close. We also got to see some endangered animals that they were taking care of.

They brought out some animals for the kids to pet, one was a miniature horse that acted like a dog. It would roll onto its back for you to pet its belly and kick its legs. Sooooo cute. And we also petted two lemurs and a baby albino kangaroo. We watched the kangaroos and walabees running (hopping?) around, and met a deer with a growth-plate deformity that caused its bottom jaw to grow at a sideways right angle from its mouth. In the wild, it never would have survived. But they take care of her, and when she's done growing they can fix the plate.

I got a great picture of a ring-tailed lemur jumping on Izzy's head. She freaked out for about two seconds, then said, "I think he likes me." Yep. He also wanted a closeup, so he came over and grasped both ends of my camera and stuck his face into the lens. What an adorable thing to see. Unfortunately we missed the cougar cubs they had earlier that morning, they were only visiting.

I've got a few busy weeks ahead. Another trip, a birthday party, teaching lots and lots of lessons. I hope there will be even more to teach after today.


Observation of the week: Moms never get a break (yeah, like that's news). But most people don't realize to what extreme this goes. Forget everyone who says moms don't even get to go to the bathroom alone. I know many times that not only was I not alone while going to the bathroom, but was made to multitask as well. Some of these jobs included dressing dolls, combing hair, negotiating fights, and helping my kids get dressed. And people wonder why modesty flies out the window after you have kids. It's out of necessity, not will.

Bored

A little bit of a boring entry today, just to update. Nothing more, nothing less.

I'm tired, and a little down. No reason, really. I think it's mainly boredom. I have no book to read (library run immenent). I've already browsed everyone's blogs, checked up on MySpace, done a friend's credit repair letters, and updated my teaching schedule. I have nothing to do and it's driving me bonkers. Of course, I could clean the house, but doing laundry for our trip this weekend is about as far as I'm willing to go, considering that since I'm trying to keep my house clean all the time for my lessons, I clean it several times a day. I'm just tired of cleaning.

Lessons are going well. All the students are promising. I think it's funny, because I forgot that I could easily tell who has practiced and who hasn't. And to think I used to think I could fool my teacher into thinking I'd practiced. Haha. I've got five scheduled, with a sixth in the making (we're playing phone tag currently). I'm hearing from Stafford tomorrow about teaching on Wednesdays. I hope soon that my schedule will be chock full of wonderful students. I can't wait to get the ball rolling on teaching and the things I want to get accomplished with the money I'll be bringing in by teaching.

October will be insanely busy. We're going to see my mother-in-law this weekend, I'm going with my Aunt next weekend to see my Mom and my Aunt who will be in from Pennsylvania, the weekend after that is Izzy's birthday party and the Crown social, the weekend after that is probably going to be spent at Steph's if I'm here. The last weekend is the Harvest Party. I promise I'll post pics of this year's fairy costume. As if I wouldn't take a chance to dress up as a fairy. You know me better than that. I'm even watching a gold headpiece on eBay as I type. So there. I've just got to finish my costume by making the shoes and the arm bands.

OK, I guess I'm going to go back to being bored now. At least it's almost 10:00, so I'll have an excuse to go to bed without looking like an idiot.

Escape

I was at peace. Relaxed, absorbed. Completely in "the zone." I was lost in a world where only beauty and harmony exists. Even the dissonance was beautiful, and the chords resonated deep within my soul. I was floating in a surreal world where everything was perfect, and I hadn't a care in the world. Humanity was laid bare before me and explained in minor thirds and German fifths.

There was a strange sound, inhuman and alien in my perfected state. What was that? I tried to ignore it, but it grew louder until my attention was pulled away from my reverie. Water?? I had to stop whatever it was that was interrupting my dance in this world.

Suddenly my eyes focused, the reverie broken. I realized it's the sound of a toilet flushing. Apparently my daughter was up, and listening in, and had to use the bathroom. I had been in such a trance while playing the piano that I hadn't even noticed her sitting there behind me. I usually save my playing time for after they go to bed, so I'm not having to fight for bench space, keyboard space, or break up fights while I'm trying to play (although I have done this several times anyway, and Mrs. Anita's competition training came in handy during these times). In a very unusual circumstance, maybe out of unconscious respect for my state of mind, she had been very quiet and hadn't interrupted.

Now my daughter was eagerly looking at me. Her eyes were wide with a spark that told me that one day she could experience the same escape. I want that for her. "That was pretty, Mommy. I wanna play, too."

So yesterday I gave Iz her first piano lesson. I am so proud.

Romans 8:28

You know, sometimes God is so cool.

The certified letter wasn't what I was expecting, and actually helps us. Hmmmm.

As my husband told me, "Don't borrow trouble." He was right.

And maybe I should delete that before he sees it. Can't have him going and thinking I'm actually admitting it.

MIA

Sorry, sorry, sorry. I can't tell you how many times I've tried to post over the past week, and geezzzzzz...

So I'm enjoying the calm before the storm. It's nice to be wanted. I've watched my 3-school contact list jump to 9 schools through referrals. Apparently I'm a hot item right now. Everybody wants me. Yeah, baby. The most common thing I've heard a band director say over the past two weeks has been, "So I gave your number to so-and-so and such-and-such school, they're looking for a clarinet teacher, too..."

I've gotten two students scheduled, with countless others waiting in the wings, breathless in anticipation of a phone call from me.

Okay, maybe that's an exaggeration, but I've still got a lot of students who need scheduling. It's a matter of time before my schedule is marked up with lots of black writing. Probably this week, since I have not forgotten to mention that there are only six lessons available between now and regional tryouts, and that's if they start this week.

So, yeah, I'm about to get busy.

Oh, and we got a frog. His name is Mambo, and he adopted us. He hitched a ride home on B's windshield after a poker game, hung on the entire time. We figured he really wanted us. So he's been sitting in his tank, getting fat on crickets and keeping the kids amused.

And I am sooooo behind in homeschool. Three days now. Yikes. I decided we needed to step back since the Iz was having a little problem distinguishing Ah, Eh, and Ih phonetically. So we're concentrating on that until it's down pat. Unfortunately, that means I've also gotten lazy on the other subjects. Shame on me.

So this week is catch-up. Again.

I'm really looking forward to coffee in the morning, but not so much looking forward to the post office run I'll be making after it. I know the only people who would send us a certified letter, and it's not someone I care to hear from. It's a long story, and I won't go into it, but you can ask about it if you think to. So, mixed feelings about tomorrow. I may just hide in Dori's closet until the post office closes. Sounds like a plan, right? As long as she keeps the coffee coming I'll be perfectly fine.

Hardy har har.

Achoo!

A sudden case of level 3 allergies hits my sinuses. So, so, so much fun.

But I've scheduled two students so far, with 8 more who haven't yet answered their message, and a new list coming in tomorrow with new students. And this is all from one school. Apparently word has gotten around that there's a clarinet teacher in this school district, so my name has been passed along to about four new schools that I previously had not contacted. I'm having to get creative to expand my teaching hours. I've widened it to accommodate about 24 beginner students, it will be less if I get some advanced students that take hour lessons instead. We'll see how it all falls. It's nice to have a niche.

Looking forward to a new year of Time Out tomorrow. I've enjoyed the book so far, and I think we'll get a lot out of it. I'll miss the crafts, but their absence won't stop me from coming.

I'm going to go tether my head for a while until I can let some of the helium out. Maybe do some research on teaching method differences between saxophone and clarinet, since I've been talked into teaching sax as well. The more the merrier, right?

Satisfaction

A clean house, and kids that helped you do it.

A student list from one school that has 10 students on it, when I was only planning on taking 16. What are the other schools going to do if I run out of time?

A weekend spent getting pretty new shoes, seeing friends, going to a birthday party, and starting the newest semester of Crown.

Seeing a need and being able to fill it.

Not having to cook dinner because your wonderful hubby did it for you.

Still busy.

Rush

I can feel it coming on. The sheer anxiety right before the adrenaline rush. Sometimes I wonder if I crave it, and that's why I keep myself busy. Adrenaline junkie.

Somehow in the past few hours my week went from nothing to packed. And I'm loving every minute. Still no lessons set up, but the school year is still young. I'm expecting most of my students (beginners) to start lessons in October, once they're familiar enough with their instrument maintenance and posture to begin real teaching. Fundamentals, you know. Gotta have 'em. Until then I've occupied myself by playing with my new toy. It's a tuner, one of the kinds that recognizes the note you play and tells you if you're sharp or flat. I've been singing into it for days, just for the heck of it. It's a pretty cool toy. And it has a plug-in for when I finally get a guitar. Which may or may not be in the near future. I'm just looking for a cheap-o practice model with an acoustic neck, so if you know anyone that's getting rid of one, let me know. It's the last instrument I care to learn and develop skill on.

This past weekend I helped some friends move. Again. We laugh about it now, just because it's so funny the number of times they've moved. And I've been there every single time. This time I was a little more help, though. I'm stronger because I've been working out. I think I shocked some of the guys helping.

But you know what? I love the south. Men are such gentlemen down here. I would open the door for a guy carrying a huge box in (yeah, right, like he could open it himself), and even though it was the seventeenth time I'd done that in the past half hour, he still said thanks every time. It was comical. And since I was the only woman in the group helping lug boxes, I was contantly fawned over.

"You got that?"

"You need help carrying that?"

"Is that too heavy?"

No, boys. I'm fine. Thanks for asking. Could you get the door for me?

And I got to drive a 24-foot moving truck. That was an experience, let me tell you. Before that, the biggest vehicle I'd driven was my Jeep. Unless you count the time I test-drove an Odyssey. I was scared to death, but surprisingly I didn't hit anything or anyone. I am woman, hear me roar. Go me. And all that jazz.

Eh

Ee. Eh. Can you say eh?

Eh.

Eh starts words like elephant and egg. Let's look at some pictures and words that start with eh. What is this?

Egg.

Does "egg" start with eh?

Mmm-hmmm.

What about this one?

Fire truck.

The word says "engine." Does "engine" start with eh?

It's a fire truck, Mommy.

I know, honey. You're right. It's also called a fire engine. Does "engine" start with eh?

It's a fire truck, Mommy.

It's also a fire engine. Do you see an eh in the word engine?

Mommeeee....

(pause)

Okay. Moving on...

So busy. Sorry for not posting.

We visited with my family this past weekend. I was amazed at how much we did. We arrived Thursday, and Friday we went to my mom's school to visit her while she was working. That night, my mom, the kids, and I went out for dinner and to play. Later on that evening, we met my sister for a beer and ended up playing pool. I haven't played in ages. And I'm happy to say that I still won both games. Haha.

Saturday morning we went to Cypress/Black Bayou to swim. We met an old friend there, with her boyfriend and son. It was a perfectly sunny day. Not too hot, not too cold. The water was exactly as I remember it. So dark you couldn't see the bottom after it was about a foot deep, a slight sheen of oil from the boats floating on the top. I wanted my kids to experience the lake I grew up swimming in. The one that I cut my foot wide open in because you can't see the bottom, and had to sit out the first week of band camp my senior year. Imagine teaching a flag routine on crutches. It was quite interesting.

After the lake, we received a call from one of my mom's friends, and we packed up the kids again and went to her house, where we picked scopadines from under a canopy of vines. They were covered in them, shiny green and brown spheres dangling like pearls over our heads. We ate a few of the ripe ones, and they were so sweet that it was unbelievable.

We had a family get-together as well, because my Aunt was also in town. It was nice to hang out with everyone. Sunday was church and then lunch. Then we had to pack up and go. The weekend went by way too fast.

Yesterday we started homeschooling Izzy, and it's a little early to tell how she'll really do, but the past two days have been fun for her. I've been impressed with her attention span for it, but I also realize that this is still new. We'll see how it goes later on this year. We also had a visitor, a friend from Shreveport who came and stayed the night with us.

I'm also starting to teach. I expect my student lists to be in by the end of the week, so by the end of next week I should have all the lessons set up and started. Crown starts again next weekend, and so does my Mommy Group, Time Out. It's shaping up to be a busy fall, but we all know how I thrive on being busy. I get so much more done when I'm busy, because I'm afraid I won't have time to do it later. For instance, over the past few days I've done four loads of laundry, kept the dishes done and the house clean. My house doesn't stay clean when I'm not busy. It's a strange cause and effect, but whatever works, right?

Can't wait to get updated on everyone else.

Fog

Another morning dealing with fatigue. This usually happens when I'm suffering from allergies. I can't have allergies like normal people. My symptoms have to be all screwy. Otherwise it wouldn't be very Jen-like.

First is the fatigue. For the past week, I felt like I have slept very little, even though I've been getting my normal amount. I wake up groggy and disconnected, forcing one foot in front of the other, wondering where the night went.

If it's a moderate attack, my eyes will start watering. A full-blown attack includes unending sneezing fits that cause my throat to feel like I've swallowed a bowl of the finest Texas 3-alarm chili and my head to feel like an overinflated balloon. But these are only the really bad days, and they are blessedly few and far between.

But the fatigue... it's the hardest because it's the easiest to write off. I usually think I just didn't get enough sleep, or I slept wrong, or whatever other excuse is handy. When I finally figure it out, I'm days into it. I take a Claritin and feel a million percent better within an hour or two.

That was this morning. Having been dealing with the fatigue for a week, I realized I was irritable, moody, and depressed. I was tired, and I couldn't get up the motivation to do anything other than sit in the recliner and read. The kids annoyed me to no end. They weren't doing anything different, really, but as Bry and I dicussed last night, so much in life is based on perception and reception. (It was actually a very good conversation that started with the difference between nagging and reminding -*reception*- and moved into sexual harrassment in the workplace... I guess you had to have been there.)

By eleven I figured it out. I took a Claritin, and in the past hour not only got up off my rump, but also took sufficient time to bemoan the fact that I skipped the gym this morning, did four loads of laundry, two loads of dishes, and cleaned up the livingroom and the kitchen.

So here's to Claritin-induced clarity and energy. God bless the creators of allergy medication, without whom I could never live in Houston.

Some Pics

Ending the night with a Kahlua frappuccino and a Cary Grant movie. What better way?

Here's some photos to update friends and family. Sorry for the photo quality, it's one of the reasons I'm asking for a new camera for Christmas.


My loves.


Marvin, before he became a pupae. We're (some of us, anyway) patiently awaiting our new friend.


The tire swing.


My roses.


Favorite moments this week:
-Getting roses!
-Izzy singing "Think of Me" (she's been into Phantom of the Opera lately)
-Getting an e-mail from another school about teaching
-Rockin' out at the concert
-Having absolutely no plans for tomorrow

So Amazing

I have had the most incredible couple of days. Last night was the Nickelback concert. Entertainment provided by Tipsy Steph.

I had such a blast. Some of the time I stood there, mouth open and in a silly grin, just taking it all in. I danced when Tipsy Steph drug me into it, I screamed and hollered until I was hoarse. Good times, good times. I definitely have some stories to tell after that.

This morning I woke up around 7:00 with the kids, surprised that Bry was still here. Apparently he had a meeting downtown right before 9:00. I made him breakfast, then left for my personal training appointment. Learned some new back exercises, then came home and did some laundry.

Right before noon, my door opens, and in walks my husband. Complete and total surprise, and guess what? He brought me a dozen long-stemmed red roses.

Just because.

I melted on the spot. I am so in love with him that it hurts. It was such a sweet, romantic thing to do, and I die for flowers. Especially roses.

And the dresses I ordered online two days ago came in. One I thought would be too small, but ordered it anyway knowing I'm in the process of losing weight. And wonder of wonders, the thing fits. And looks freakin' amazing. So does the other dress.

So I'm two dresses, a rock concert, and a dozen roses happier, which is pretty darn happy.

Nickelback or Bust

I've got the gear. I've got the drive. I've got the ticket.

Yeah, baby, I'm going to Nickelback.

I expect tomorrow to be crazy-busy. I want to get in one more gym session, because I have a feeling Friday is going to be worthless. And, of course, my guilty conscience makes me madly clean my house before I leave, knowing I'm leaving my kids all night with Daddy.

Bry is really great about keeping the kids. And why shouldn't he be? They're his kids, too. They love being with him, and I get the feeling he enjoys the one-on-one, too. Plus, it gives me the sanity-saving Mommy break that I require to keep functioning.

This Mommy break just happens to kick much booty.

Tire Swings

It's too early for a truly original headline.

Last night after I posted, I was treated to a molten lava cake. Chocolate chocolate chocolate. How I love thee.

Which immediately preceeded playing outside with my husband. No, not that kind of playing. Dirty mind, you have.

We were playing on our kids' tire swing. We'd take turns pushing each other. When it was my turn to ride, Bry would run with it until I was over his head, then let go. I would go soaring across almost the entire expanse of the yard, giggling. The branch it's anchored from is pretty high, so it's a mighty swing. For a moment I could relax and enjoy the movement, back and forth, back and forth, even though it took much longer to get back and forth than it did to read the words. It was kind of like back.... (wait for it)... (keep waiting)... and forth...

So if anyone needs a calming moment, give me a call. My tire swing's available.

Dreams of Pina Coladas

Mmmmm....

Had one too many last night. But at least I wasn't the only one.

I was washing some stemware from last night this evening, and it gave me a moment to reflect on the past week. It's been near perfect. The usual worries, but the good outweighed the bad.

My class went amazingly and exceedingly well. Enough for the band director to recommend me to his colleague at another (very wealthy) school as a private teacher. Plus, he is going to talk to the parents and see if we can set up a regular clinic where I would teach the clarinets. My biggest hurdle this week wasn't the actual teaching, but believing I was a teacher at all. I had to stop myself every time I talked to the band director and chant his FIRST name in my head, along with "I am his peer, not his student. I am his peer, not his student." The weirdest part is being on the other end of it all.

Now I'll have to connect with the band directors and sort out schedules. I want it to work out to be available to the students of both bands, I think it's important that they have access to a private instructor. Isn't it funny how it worked out to be me?

Friday night was Parent's Night Out at the church. We ate dinner and then walked around Town Square. If I didn't want a new camera for Christmas, I'd want this. We had such a blast playing with it. I could only think that we'd have to hide it from the kids and only bring it out when they're asleep. That's the only way poor R2 would survive our house.

Saturday was spent cleaning ferociously. I now find that funny, because I went to great pains to clean and straighten everything, and everything got blown up at the party. Tons of pina colada glasses, beer bottles, bottles of rum and tequila, three dishwashers full of food platters. We had steaks, ribs, and burgers. Made good use of our smoker/grill. And got drunk as skunks. Not intentionally, but when Steph mans the blender, it's bound to happen. Don't strike a match anywhere in the vicinity of a drink made by Steph. And Iz's room was piled knee-high in crud that the kids had pulled out of the closet. It took us hours to do damage control on that room just to have a fire path. All in all, a hugely successful party.

So here's to a great week. Sadness on the horizon with a death in the church youth. Sadly I didn't know him, but I know he will be missed.

Now I'm going to go the gym every day this week to run off those pina coladas.

Beethoven Revisited - the Establishment of a DREAM

I'm flying high. Naturally. Today was my first day of class. I am officially a teacher.

I can actually tell people I'm a music teacher now. Hahaha! The incredible feeling of self-worth that comes with that is almost overwhelming.

I dressed in my teachery best (which isn't very fancy, it's just teachery). Striped button-down, cami underneath, nice earrings and necklace, black slacks. Hair nicely coiffed, makeup on. I'm ready for my closeup, Mr. Demille.

And, wonder of wonders, the band director assigned my section to the band hall. It was completely surreal. I remember the dreams I had to be the one on that podium full-time. The dream has passed, but the wonder of it remains. There I stood, in front of a large section of Bb and bass clarinets, on the band director's podium. They had their full attention on me. Some with the expected high school irreverence, some with almost worshipful posture and attention. And just for a moment, I panicked.

I had this momentary lapse, a second of doubt. Why am I here? Who honestly thought I was qualified to do this? To teach? To instruct? To guide in the theory and performance of music? And for that moment, I was scared that they'd see right through me. To a person who is just now gaining back her own embouchure and ability. To a person who let music slide for years on the silly reasons of busyness and irritation at an old crotchety teacher. What business did I have standing in front of them?

But then the moment passed when I realized that if they could see through to that, then they could also probably see the love I have for music, the relationship that began when I was very young, a passion that still burns today. One that, unlike so many other passions, is not tempered by busyness or crotchety teachers or anything else, but simmered just below the surface, ever present, waiting to be stoked again. Because even in those music-less times, I would look longingly at my piano, hear my favorite pieces in my head. And in those rare moments that I stole to tinkle the ivories, I was set free, and the passion was reignited and burned stronger.

What can you say about that, except that of course it had to overrule any insecurities I might have?

And all I can say is Thank You God, because the four students I asked for to be interested in private lessons blossomed into six eager girls that pounced the moment the class was over. And, God willing, by the end of the week they will be set up for private lessons to the tune of of heck of a lot of money. Yippee!

You see, this is perfection. The ability to draw in funds that will forward your domestic plans while doing something that you love so much that you'd do it for free. That is the nature, I believe, of a calling. And with these funds I can see our financial goals' time lines being cut in half, the end of waiting forever for those insurmountable checks on the to-do list.

And the silly thing about it is, all I can think about is how much fun I have teaching, and how it should be considered a sin that I have so much fun and still take their money.

And I consider it a sign that I didn't hit one red light on the way to the school. Not one.

Happy

Rain and brownies and scrapbooking and beer and friends and conversation and parties and friends and kids and coffee and nachos and Crocs and nails and smiles and hugs and friends happy.

Caterpillar Poo Looks Like Pepper

Or so my daughter says.

We adopted a caterpillar four days ago, and The Iz has named him Marvin. Good name, I think. He happily crunches away at rose leaves all day, and leaves little trails of caterpillar poo on the bottom of the jar he's in. He seems pretty happy, and he brings endless joy to the kids, so I don't mind keeping him around. Plus, he's kinda cute. Less messy than a bird, anyway.

Things are going exceedingly well today. We came to the conclusion that we are definitely moving to the north side. So there's a new fire lit under our bottoms, and we dove into fixing up the house and planning immediately. I made a list, which I'm so good at doing. I've even designated things that can be accomplished by this weekend. Of course, the move won't be for several months, maybe even close to a year, but that won't be for lack of trying. But we've decided as a couple to make this our priority. So this week my job is to finish the tile, since I've already cleaned the outside of the house. I might even get a wild hair and paint the pantry. You never know, 'cause I'm kind of a rebel. You know, a loose cannon.

*snicker, snicker*

I also ordered a homeschool curriculum today. Not the one I'd hoped to get, but with the new emphasis on getting things handled around here, I couldn't see spending three times as much on the one I'd really like when I could get some stuff handled with that money. I know it's a good program, anyway, and a lot of it is how the child deals with it, anyway.

And, of all things, I walked outside today to find my landscaper putting Weed-B-Gone (or something like it) in the cracks of my driveway. Wow. I'm just so impressed at stuff like that. I didn't even ask. He just wanted my yard to look good. What a concept.

So, it's with a smile that I go back to the grindstone and figure out how to lay this darned tile. Wish me luck!

Don't Mess With the Cherries

So this past week has been filled with sickness and laying low. Ugh. First the kids, then me, then the Iz-pie and Bry ate some bad cherries and spent the next 36 hours puking. So, so, so much fun. The only good part was I got to flex my Wonder-Wife muscles. Now Bry's pulled something in his back today, and I'm wondering if we're just on a downhill bend. Making up for so much time with no ill health.



And on top of everything else, our financial plans always get put on hold, this time for the stupid HOA's version of let's-pick-on-the-corner-lot. Apparently they want us to paint our house. I'd love to point out so many other houses that are in so much worse shape than ours, but since we're the corner house ont he main drag, we get picked on. A LOT. Any time I see a light at the end of the tunnel, here comes the good ol' HOA waving a threatening letter. Usually to the tune of way, way, way too much. They've gotta take classes about this to be this good at putting us back, I mean... geez.

So, here's to hoping the weekend gets better...

If You Add Potatoes, Is It Still Eggs Benedict?

Today was the last day of VBS. Honestly, I could've gone another week. I loved it, and I loved seeing the kids love it. Not just mine, but all of them. We had so much fun, and everything was so well done. My favorite part was watching the little kids worship. They put their soul into it, everything they have. They raise their hands and bounce around with glee and fight to be on stage for all the world to see them honor God. And I loved listening to my Izzy walk around all week singing songs from VBS. It's such a blessing. And I was blessed to be a part of it. The least of the blessing being that I know all the moves to the songs and all the words, so I can sing along, too.

Another great part was building relationships with these kids. I had a great group of girls, and a couple of tag-alongs in my crew. I had four, but sometimes I had six following me and my co-Crew Leader. I watched a wallflower bloom into a charming little lady once she got to know us, and another child having a difficult time, today, on the last day, run from her Daddy's arms to mine as soon as she saw me (and if you know her, you know how unusual this is). Both his and my eyes were as big as saucers, I'm sure. It was an unexpected pleasure to know I'd meant something to her.

And I can say without fear (even knowing that one of the VBS coordinators regularly reads my blog) that I would love to do it again next year. 'Cause it was awesome. Yes, I know. Hit 'em in the head with a big fat possum. Ooooh. Ah ah. Oooh ooh, ah ah.

To wrap it up, I got a whole five Susan Brockman books at the library today (yay!). And I fixed Eggs Benedict for dinner. I haven't done that in a while, and I usually don't do it without help, so when Bryan came home feeling ill, I inwardly groaned but outwardly smiled and told him to go lay down. Just 'cause I'm such a darned good wife. I was trying to juggle constantly stirring the hollandaise with stirring the cooking ham, putting the English muffins in the oven, baking the diced potatoes, poaching the eggs, keeping the kids out of the kitchen, and trying not to trip over either the dogs or the dog food container that the kids were using as a stool to get up on the counter. Sounds like fun, huh?

And for those of you who knew I wasn't feeling at all well this week (hopefully none of the VBS people noticed, but just in case you're worried, it wasn't contagious), I feel much better now thank you.

Tomorrow's probably going to be a rainy day, and so we're going to attempt to smoke some ribs on the front porch, which is thankfully long enough to not flood the house with smoke or catch it on fire. Hopefully we'll also be doing a trip to Chick Fil-A. Golly, we're such boring people.

So I guess I'm going to go and write again when I have something interesting to say.

Oh, the Lord's been good to me
And so I thank the Lord
For giving me the things I need
The sun and the rain and eternity
The Lord's been good to me
Yippie kai yay...
Yippie kai yo...
Yeeeeeeeeeehaaaaawwww!

Haaaaahhhh - lelujah!!!

I am car-ed again. I guess that's what you are after you're carless. At the ingeneous suggestion of my wonderful Mommy, I'm going to bake those guys a cake.

I don't have to find a ride to VBS, I don't have to skip the gym, I don't have to wait to run errands until all hours of the night. Yesssss.... *happy dance*

So, in light of this new happy mood, I'm going to regale you with the things over the past few days that I've enjoyed:

- Showering in the dark while it rains. I know it's crazy, we've been getting so much rain lately. But showering while it's raining is the closest thing a non-exhibitionist extremely modest person will get to feeling the rain on bare skin. And apparently that's important, because they wrote a whole song about it. And apparently, as well, no one else can feel it for me. It's relaxing and exhilirating at the same time.

- Swimming. Yes, we actually made it to the pool! It let up raining on Sunday afternoon long enough to let us go for a few hours. Eli learned to swim without anyone holding on to him (wearing a vest of course), and Izzy jumped off the diving board for the first time (without a vest, of course). And, as always, it's just nice to be in the pool, swimming around, freefloating or doing laps, I don't really care. I just love to swim.

- Free CDs. A friend gave me three of them, and it was quite unexpected. How did she know I've been on a CD kick lately?

- The first ray of sunshine in my new teaching career. A band director I'm working with called and wants me to do a week-long methods class with his clarinet section during band camp. It's unusual for it to be during the day, but it's just that week. Afterward it'll be in the evening. I'd be there for an hour a day, teaching clarinet basics, and I'm so freakin' excited about it I'm about to jump out of my skin. Anyone up for watching the kids one of those days? I promise it won't be more than 2 hours, allowing for driving time.

- Talking with old friends. A friend from high school called today, and we caught up for about an hour. I miss her, but hopefully I'll be seeing her soon. She's planning a trip down here next month, and we'll probably take the kids to the zoo and the aquarium and all the other touristy-type stuff. Although I think it's funny that she doesn't seem to remember our last trip to the zoo. When we left, we were so thankful to see the parking lot that we both seriously thought about getting down and kissing the ground. I hope she plans to stay long enough to recover from each expedition, or her trip down her might just kill me!

On that happy thought, I'm going to go to bed so I'm well rested to play with the kiddos at VBS tomorrow at Avalanche Ranch. Yippee kai-oh kai-ay!

Survivor: Emotion Edition

Sense has been kicked off the island.

The past several days have brought an onslaught of high emotion, whether it be elation, anxiety, warm fuzzies, or situational depression. At this point I'm just begging for some middle ground so I don't feel so much like a rollercoaster.

We're having some major car problems that may or may not wind up getting fixed. I may or may not get my vehicle back. The shop may or may not own up to their mistake and handle it like professionals, instead of forcing us to take them to court over what is obviously their fault. And until we get this all sorted out, I am carless.

And it's VBS week.

And I volunteered to be a crew leader. Not really thinking about that situation, you see, because I just saw a need and filled it. But now I'm worrying that if the shop doesn't 'fess up this morning then I'm going to have to scramble to ask favors to get me to church every day this week. So much stress.

On the other hand, a friend of mine gave me 3 new (some to me, one actually new) Vineyard CDs at church. And a band director I'm working with to find students called and wants me to do a methods class all week the week of band camp. Just the comforting thought of all the money that I'll bring in that week, and the relationship I'll form with the students so that they say, "Hey, I want private lessons from this person" is enough to lift my mood.

So here's praying for no more high hills and deep valleys, but maybe for just some nice flatlands for a little while.

Happy Birthday, Eli!

I don't have the link to the Picture People pics yet, but here's a few pictures from Eli's birthday party...

The "Super" cake


Izzy waiting for some cake with her friends


Blow out the candles, Eli!


A very happy birthday boy


The party was small and short, and that's just the way I wanted it. Eli now has a great new collection of all things Superman! Plus, Daddy took him out for boy time this morning, and they went to a car dealership, to buy some presents for him, and they went to the local airport. One of the pilots let Eli sit in the plane! He loved it, of course, and came home with birthday presents from the people at the airport... a pair of pilot's sunglasses, and a couple of balsa wood airplanes. At the store he picked out a soccer ball, a new pair of Camo Crocs, and a new toy car that dances and sings "Walkin' on Sunshine." If you haven't seen a car dance, it's pretty cool.

Looking forward to a nice evening, hopefully I'll go out for coffee with a friend. I promise I won't be so boring next post.

Pain!

Imagine that title during a screaming metalhead song.

A lot of MySpace questionnaires ask what my first thought was when I woke up this morning. If I had filled out this question today, it would've been:

Owowowowowowwww! Gosh darnit! Cheese and crackers!

Because, you see, I'm an idiot. Yesterday I allowed myself to be talked into having a session with a personal trainer at the gym. It was one of those types of things where you see what it's like to have personal knowledgable attention during your workout in an effort to get you to hire them. Andy, my trainer-for-the-day, decided we should work the legs and... *cough*... rear. After a lot of interesting exercises I left the gym with legs like Jell-O and had a heckuva time driving home. I went under the speed limit, stayed away from other cars, and tried to use my legs as little as possible because I didn't trust my reaction time.

But if I thought yesterday was bad, it was only a shadow compared to the full sunshine of today's discomfort. It hurts to walk. It hurts to sit. It hurts to bend down. I can point out every muscle in my legs and... *cough*... rear that I use to push down the clutch in my Jeep, because they all ached running my errands today.

If I had the cash, I would certainly hire a personal trainer. I mean, I couldn't possibly do this to myself, even though I know it's the fast track to my goal. Son of a gun, I hurt.

On a better note, Eli took his 3-year pictures today. When I get the link to the online store, I'll post it so you can see them. The session was incredible, he's such a ham for the camera. I had a really tough time narrowing it down, and walked out with 2 more sheets than planned, and I plan now to go get the rest I wanted when we hit the next payday.

So that's it for now. I'm listening to the sound of thunder and rain splattering everywhere. I seriously don't remember a summer here that's been as wet as this one. It seems like there hasn't been a single day in weeks that it hasn't rained. It's kept the legendary Houston heat at bay, but it does nothing for the spiders, ants, and other bugs that are taking to my house for shelter. I've taken to keeping the fly swatter out just to save time. And I've spent the past three days with Avey (our Jack Russell) barricaded between my legs in fear. She hates the rain.

At least the rain let up enough for fireworks on the 4th. We sat in our back yard and watched them throughout the neighborhood. We have a ban on them, but nobody pays any attention to that. It was actually quite amusing to watch Shanna (our mixed-breed) run around the yard barking at them. Poor dog, she probably thought we were surrounded.

Izzy's going crazy, because there's something about the words "quiet time" that make her act like she's drugged. I personally think it's a psychological, rebellious reaction. Gonna go take care of that, and those that are coming tomorrow to the party, I'll see you then!

Now, to get out of this chair...

Owowowowowwwwww!

Latte Lost Sleep

Last night started like any regular night. Until my best friend called at 9:30 and wanted to meet for coffee in an hour. Since the kids were asleep and my hubby was busy playing online Hold 'Em, I decided to go. We had a great time, talked about lots of stuff, and just enjoyed being together. The only problem was that while she needed extra shots to stay awake on her drive home, I should've ordered decaf.

I thought about that on the way up, how I needed some sleep and I would order my regular, only in decaf, but when I got there I got sidetracked by Raspberry Mocha and forgot.

Big mistake.

Even after a good middle-of-the-night romp, I was still too wide awake to do anything but be irritated. Realizing that being irritated wasn't helping me relax and fall asleep, I began practicing the beginning of a hypnosis tape I once heard. Start by relaxing the toes, and work up one muscle at a time until your whole body is relaxed. The only problem was that by the time I reached my ankles, my toes were doing the samba again. Pesky little things.

I'm sure I drifted off somewhere around 3:30 or 4:00, but when exactly I'll never know. Luckily the kids decided to sleep in a little this morning, all the way until 7:30, so I got a little more sleep than I was originally irritated about.

So this morning I'm going to the gym, hoping a little exercise will wake me up. And next time, I'll have it tattooed on my forehead, "Give me decaf."



You are on non-stop flight to Dallas to play at a concert with your orchestra, you have your flute tucked securely in its case in your overhead compartment. You sit quietly in your seat, while munching on a purple Fred Flintstone shaped vitamin. Someone walks by and you get some dust in your eye causing you to wince and try to blink it out... then you have to wonder... Does this make me a one eyed, one horned, flying purple people eater?

~Jill

Happy Anniversary to Us....

Happy Anniversary to us.... Happy Anniversary to the cutest couple in the wer-herrrrrrrrrrld!!! Happy Anniversary to us!

Just so you know, I haven't lost my marbles. At least not completely. The previous post was about a certain piece of leftover dark chocolate Easter bunny that said dear friend brought over when she helped clean the house, which subsequently saved my arse that night during a horrific chocolate attack. Any woman with PMS knows the gravity of the situation I just described. Luckily I only suffer from mild mood swings, but the chocolate cravings are unstoppable.

Today is our sixth anniversary. We woke up at the usual time, and decided that before we went to the church to pick up our Angel Food order, we were going to go to some garage sales. So we bundled the kids in the car and took off in pursuit of a great deal in our neighborhood. We didn't buy anything, but we did end up finding out that there are a whole lot of houses in our neighborhood that look exactly like ours. We'd be driving down the street and every minute or so, I'd cry out, "Holy crap, there's another one!" Which means I know the floor plan of a lot of houses in my neighborhood, and it makes it easy to paint-shop for our house. No more wondering and imagining. Just go find the one that's painted that color. I found out our house looks good with navy trim, but not beige. Brown, but not red. And a light-colored roof isn't very flattering. And most of the houses like ours are having the same siding problems we are. Good to know.

We dropped the kids off tonight to be watched by the same loveable bunny-butt friend, and took off for a childless celebration of six years of marriage. We had plans to eat at a pub, then walk to the winery and sample some of their wines, and listen to whatever band they had playing in the Town Center that night. As we were sitting eating our Scotch eggs and watching passers-by, reflecting on past years and talking about plans for the next one, the skies opened up and dropped buckets of water over Town Center. There goes our winery plans. So instead, we dropped by and grabbed a couple of cappuccinos and spent quality time searching for treasure in the Half-Price Books. I was looking through the CDs, my music fetish back in full swing. I saw several CDs I wanted, all with band names that brought back memories of high school, but I know I can get them cheaper online, so I didn't buy them. I'm such a cheapskate. Then we carried our happy selves over to the sports store in a pathetic attempt to find something to do. Because, you see, we don't know what to do with ourselves when we don't have the children with us. We were just wandering around, albeit happy just to be together, but a little lost nonetheless.

I found a yoga ball, which I've been wanting for a while, and added it to my wish list. I also added, right above it, a new pair of Croc sandals in grey and pink. These have got to be the most comfortable shoes I've ever worn. I could wear them for days. I will have a pair as soon as the money is freed up, I can promise you that much. And I will wear them always, and love them, and pet them, and call them George.

My beloved lawn guy, Francisco, came to mow the lawn yesterday, and showed a patience I didn't know he had in him. He and his crew would work for a few minutes, then camp out in my neighbor's open garage while the torrential downpour came forth, then venture out again after it stopped. It was like that all day yesterday. Rain, stop. Rain, stop. Rain, stop. Eventually both mine and the neighbor's yard got mowed. But only through the perserverence of my stalwart Mexican friend. I felt to bad for him, knowing the weather was putting a huge dent in his schedule, to ask him to remove the two front bushes. I'll save that for next time, and hopefully the weather will cooperate with me.

As we drove home tonight with the kids, we were picking out shapes in the storm clouds above. A Viking ship, a turtle, a prancing puppy. And hoping maybe it wouldn't pour tomorrow so we can finally, at least once this rainy summer, make it out for a swim in the pool.

Tomorrow is church, and possibly bringing a friend dinner. She just had a stroke (we got the call this evening), and they may be coming home tomorrow. If they are, there's not a chance in the world I'm letting them cook. I'm already worried about their poor cat, who they spoil like a child. So, in your prayers tonight, please remember Melinda and pray for a quick return of her health and no ill side effects from the stroke.

On a little bit of a happier note, I'm going to my first real concert in ages. I'm not counting Mary Mary in the Pearland mall, because it's a little different when you actually buy a ticket and go to an ampitheater for a show. I'll be seeing Nickelback, Finger Eleven, and Puddle of Mudd. I feel like such a grown-up. I ordered the tickets today, and they should be in the mail sometime over the next few weeks. I was so excited when I decided to go that I couldn't fall asleep until 2 AM that morning. I even used my Amazon.com gift card to purchase Nickelback and Finger Eleven's newest CDs so I could know all their latest songs before the concert. I'm planning on buying a girl's Finger Eleven shirt and embellishing it with black lace to wear to the concert. I'm such a groupie. Not in a sleazy, drug-taking, backstage kinda way, but I'm darn excited.

Gonna go watch a movie now, happy night to you all!

Here it comes to save the day!

Mmmmm...... bunny butt......

This weekend was full of wistful memories and great friendship. The kind where it makes you feel better just to be with them. You don't have to be entertained, and you don't get bored just hanging out. You're just happy to be in their presence after missing them so much.

And the fact that you know them so well and so completely that it doesn't matter if you get in their business, since you know it anyway and still love them. And you don't have to worry about walking around without your makeup in your pajamas, 'cause hey, they've seen you worse. Like family. Not just any family, but more like my family, where we know everything about each other because we share all. I am conscious enough to realize how lucky I am, because not every family is like that.

And today... a big surprise. I wonder how horrible and frustrated I sounded for a dear friend to drop everything and come over to help me clean house. I must've sounded pretty bad, but I can't be more grateful for the help, the company, the listening ear, or the sound advice. Thank you.

I miss the days when we would entertain a few times a week, several families at once, all of us close. What happened to that? My world was happy and complete. I had people surrounding me, and being the social butterfly I am, it made me smile. I would practically spend my whole day talking on the phone with all my friends. Now we're so busy that it's days, sometimes weeks, before we get a chance to call and say hello. Hi, how are you. I've missed you. I guess I should count my blessings that we still keep in touch at all, considering how many people I've regrettably lost touch with that I loved dearly and never meant to lose. That's what happens when distance and kids happen. Because kids become your whole world.

Not that I'm complaining or want to change anything about the fact that I have kids, 'cause God knows I adore them.

I'm so ready for a change. I feel like this house is coming down around my ears. Before I can fix the current problems, they get shoved to the back burner one more time while a new emergency rears its ugly head. Like on Father of the Bride 2, I'm ready to call it quits if one more thing breaks. The only problem is, since I made that decision, 2 things have happened and we're stuck. We have to fix them before we move. There's no way around it. Fix them, and then fix the other problems, too. I've set a goal for moving next summer, and if the band directors cooperate and let me teach their kids, we should be able to come up with the money to get it all handled before then.

I just see it as eliminating so many problems. Lower gas and toll expenditures, more time with Bryan, newer house with less problems, shorter drive to see family, closer to my two bestest buds, who now both live on the north side of town. Of course, I'm spoiled rotten and would probably still make the commute to church, simply because I'm unsure I'll ever be able to leave. Once you find home, it's like tearing an arm off to go. You just don't want to do it.

But this house no longer feels like home.

It's been three days and I still haven't managed to procure a little notebook to write down blogworthy ideas. Just shows how busy I've been.

The weekend is looking fun, with a trip to Conroe to see my bestest bud. We're going to the movies, and we have no clue what we're going to see yet. But I will be childless for a whole 24 hours. Yeah, buddy. Which, of course, means I have a mountain of things to do tomorrow. The clincher is, I don't really care. I instead set up a playdate after the gym with another girlfriend. I'll probably still have time to get the mountain of laundry done, but I guess getting my nails done has been forfeited to social pleasures.

I've heard back from two band directors from surrounding schools, requesting my musical resume. I even managed to impress myself. Hopefully I'll be looking at 4-8 hours per week teaching from my home, which will be the extra cash flow we need to continue to massively hack away at our home improvement list. I've decided to set aside the money from teaching toward our home until it's completed, since otherwise we're looking at almost a year until we can do anything.

It's bedtime. Sorry for the short post, but I'm wiped out. Hopefully I'll be able to type a little tomorrow inbetween loads of laundry. Sleep well, my friends.

Saturday Morning Cartoons

It's 9:00 AM on a Saturday morning. While most of the sane world is either just waking up or still sleeping, I've been up for three hours. My husband is still sleeping, having been up all hours of the night replacing our air ducts when it would be possible to do so without dying of heat exhaustion. Sucks for me, since I'm alone this morning, but the cool air flow such as I've never experienced in this house the entire time I've lived here is worth it.

I've had time to get dressed, make breakfast (twice), do the dishes, clean the counters, straighten the livingroom, make the kids take 10 minutes of quiet time to calm down from their frantic running around, feed and pet the dogs, start more laundry, and monitor the kids cleaning their rooms (which any parent knows takes more time, energy, and effort than just cleaning it myself, but it's the principle of the thing). Now, with another hour before I'm due to meet Steph at the brand-new location of the gym, I have time to catch up on blogging, and fit in a few minutes of theory study before I leave. Of course, this synopsis of my morning doesn't include Eli's hissy fit, which encompassed draining my tube of toothpaste into the rubber cap of my Pampered Chef chopper, dumping sugar on my recliner and floor, starting the toaster to toast an imaginary piece of bread, climbing in the washer with the wet clothes, poking his fingers into every single one of the orange cinnamon rolls, and jumping on his sister's head. I wish I meant that figuratively. Thus the quiet time.

I've never been one to just lay around. Makes me feel lethargic, and I lose a whole day when I get to feeling like that.

I'm hoping sometime today I'll be able to go swimming. I've been wanting to all summer. I need the water like I need air, and I've felt dehydrated since last summer.

Things are getting done, though, and I can't complain about that. My Jeep actually has air conditioning again (thanks, Mom!) and the house is significantly cooler. The bushes are trimmed, as a thank-you present from Francisco for sending him referrals, and the lawn is freshly mowed. The air ducts are almost done, and I've actually managed to save some money this month. I've located all my teaching books and I'm studying them whole-heartedly.

Actually, I don't think I've mentioned that I'm going to start teaching again. Yay for me! It's something that's been on the back burner for years, but the need to get financially ahead was the motivator above all other motivators. Luckily, unlike all our other ideas, I will enjoy it. Every single minute. And it gives me a great excuse to practice whenever I want. Ha. See how I did that right there? I'm good.

I hope everything is well with your soul. I'll try to update more often, post more of my thoughts. I can't tell you how many times in the past two weeks I've thought, "I need to blog about that." And then never did and lost the idea. I'm going to start carrying a mini-notebook to write down my ideas. Therefore, you should expect more posts from me soon.