want a good laugh?

I love original films so when I saw this "short" which was created during the second episode of "On the Lot" I laughed so hard I cried. I just had to share it with you. Unfortunately the "On the Lot" producers have not allowed easy video sharing so I'll have to point you toward this link

Random Acts of Kindness

Let me know what you think about it. The moments in this short keep replaying in my head and making me laugh.

the last day of school

The long awaited day is finally here and everyone went off happy this morning. All backpacks were sent home yesterday and Jordan practically floated to the bus stop carrying only a thank you note to the teacher. William's prek class has celebrated all week with theme days. Today was pajama day and he wore his Batman pajamas with the matching cape. Style comes in all forms I suppose. Jordan had her pajama day on Tuesday. My theme for the week has been keeping up with who needs what for these special days.

Will and I were talking about this school year and I mentioned that he might miss Ms. Molly, his teacher. He -- feeling all content about the year -- said that there was nothing to be afraid of since he'd move on to bigger and better things in kindergarten. Once again, the child leads his parent. I was worried he'd be sad and he's already moved on in his mind. He's ready to be a kindergartener and I am truly excited for him. He's made huge leaps this year tuning into the curriculum and I cannot say enough good things about his teacher. William has a natural engineering mind, but had little interest in reading or writing before this year -- despite my efforts. (Such a different learner from his older sister.) Now it's like a switch has turned in his brain and I expect him to be ahead of the game by the time summer is over. It's like you can see the neurons growing minute by minute. That's such a cool thing to witness as a parent.

Jordan received a medal on awards day for her chorus participation. It's a really nice one from the state to commemorate their first place finish in the March competition.She also received some big news last week concerning a tryout for Murdock Broadcasting Channel. Each week the school writes and produces a television news show which is shown on Friday mornings to the whole school. Jordan will be a news anchor on this program and she is SO EXCITED. It will mean several early mornings, but I think the coolness factor outweighs the sleep loss and rightfully so. How cool that William will be sitting in his kindergarten classroom and see his big sister broadcasting over MBC!

This weekend we are looking forward to a 80th birthday party for Dave's Aunt Lois, the end of the Little League season, and maybe a visit to our local nature center. Next week is "get Jordan ready for girl scout camp and church camp". I have a lot of work to do. I have the feeling massive laundry is in the making.

Finally, I'll give romatic credits to my dear husband who insisted we have an adult date tonight. He nabbed a babysitter at church last week and made the restaurant reservation secretly. BIG points in the wife book for that! It's nice to get out together and remember why we are a couple. Those of you with children will understand the luxury of talking without interruption. I can't wait.

weird logic

Perhaps there is no logic to this post. Maybe you will think I am crazy, but I'm going to document it anyway. Have you ever noticed odd coincidences in this world? Ever so often a set of people die within a week and the irony is almost quirky. It's almost like God is trying to tell us something by highlighting these people and their lives. I've noticed it in groups of three. This week I was reminded of my illogical observation when two newsmakers died in the same week:

First came Jerry Falwell
and then this morning the news of Yolanda King.
I just learned that Tammy Faye Baker is on her deathbed...
could she be the final one? or someone else?

What if God were trying to tell us something? Convoluted, I know. Can you think of any more that were ironic? I remember when Rosa Parks died, then Pope John Paul II, and long time invalid Terry Schiavo in 2005. Let's call it the morbid version of "Six Degrees".

By the way, no one is to mention this theory later if I have to be committed.

kindergarten screening

I finally decided to tell William about the kindergarten screening which will happen on Tuesday morning. I didn't want him to worry, but also didn't want to surprise him. I kept it kind of low key and told him about the appointment while he sat playing in the bathtub tonight.

The moment I said he was visiting Murdock he was very happy. I explained that he'd probably get to talk to a teacher and then answer a few questions.

"My REAL teacher? Who is she?"

He then started picking up all the stuff in the tub and spouted a stream of information:

"See this, it's blue. This one is yellow. This is a fish that starts with the letter F. I can count to really high. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, ....50 Here I'll put these fish in a pattern on the wall -- fish, fish, starfish fish -- next would be fish and starfish. Easy peasy mac'n'cheesy."

He was grinning the whole time and I couldn't stop laughing quickly enough to stop the flow of words. Then he asked the most critical question in his mind.

"Hey Mom? Do you think they'll let me bring my robot drawings to show the teacher???"

In order to understand the importance of those drawings to William you should know that he has a whole notebook of robots and inventions he has me date and title on a regular basis - things like the "bus scooper-ooper" which saves gas while scooping up the bus and carrying kids to school with preprogramed instructions. I just hope he is as relaxed tomorrow morning. ;-)

kindergarten and preteen years

I'm sure you've realized I've been busy. All you have to do is browse my never changing post to know that there has been lots going on in our household. The end of school is always a hectic time. There a lots of activities and forms to be crammed into just a few weeks. I'm sure it's the same in your home, too. The following information should have probably been broken into several editions, but in the interest of documenting it all I have just added a mega post.

Jordan's volleyball session is winding down. She has had an awesome coach who seems to know just when to bug her or give her some extra attention. Coach Emily played volleyball in college and is now a Methodist Minister. She's a very kind person who realizes that this young team (grades 3-5) is in the midst of building their sports confidence and self images. Jordan has tried lots of sports, but is often plagued with the issue of perfection. I often struggled with this as a child and as a result never fell in love with sports because I thought I had to be incredible at everything I did. This was all an idea in my own head (nothing my parents could have said to change it) but I regret that incredibly as an adult. Volleyball has been a good fit team sport wise for Jordan. Apparently the middle school years get very competitive with A5 level travel teams and lots of activity in the fall with the school team. We are taking this all one step at a time.



William attended his kindergarten orientation at the beginning of May. He was SO excited and thrilled. They had a lot of cute activities planned for the morning visit which included a "spy kit" and a mystery to solve as we toured the school. They had the school mascot in costume as we entered the building and were taking polaroids of each child as a keepsake to put in their spy kit. William -- who is hardly ever nervous or shy about anything -- actually stood behind me and asked the photographer if he could have just photo of Murphy the Mustang without him in it. Dave cited a long history with mascots later...when he was 17 months we were at Disney and he freaked at Pooh bear. In any case, we enjoyed the tour. William's class will be the first group to use the new kindergarten wing at the school. We've endured lots of contruction for two years, but it all seems worth it. The facilities and programs are awesome at this public school. They've even added a huge new "arts" wing and also a science lab facility. The fundraising foundation at the school (just initiated two years ago) had ensured spanish instruction for all grades with full time staff the state and county could not pay for currently. I feel blessed to have such an awesome elementary school for my kiddos.



Oh yes, I had a lovely girl turn TEN on May 4th. She has been excitedly awaiting the big day for weeks. Apparently turning two digits is a big deal in the would of elementary school. Jordan made sure to inform Dave, "You are just going to have to face it Dad - I'll be an official preteen after this birthday." as he tucked her in one night. I believe I heard a big sigh from her father after that one.



The party was a success. I had specifically limited Jordan to a number on invites. After that second grade luau in which all 29 invitees came I have been gunshy. (No one sent regrets that time and fortunately it all worked well with the party format. We adults had to rest for an entire weekend to recover though.) So this year she was given the goal of 10 invites for a spend the night party. Out of 10 we had 4 regrets. Most had soccer or gymnastics competitions the next day so we ended up with 6 for the party part (until 11 pm) and then one friend spent the night. I had worried so much about entertaining them, but it turns out that this age likes to entertain themselves. It was a monkey themed party and we set up a "banana cabana" out in the yard. They loved this idea and hung out there throughout the party. We played some games, did some crafts, ate pizza and banana splits (only Dave ate a banana on his) and ran around the yard. They loved the banana split idea, but I think most of them got so inspired to create huge masterpieces that they only ate a small portion of the end result. They were giddy over the fact that no one was regulating their creations. Here are some photos from the occassion.

Pre-K Funny

Reminder found at the bottom of the William's Weekly Classroom notes:

"Please keep caterpillars and other bugs at home. They have been the source of many conflicts this week and it would be helpful if they were no longer brought to class."

(William did not bring any caterpillars or bugs to class this week. Guess what they were studying this week? The metamorphasis of butterflies and frogs.)

live like you were dying

Yesterday we attended the funeral of a 41 year old man. A fellow Auburn graduate and spouse to one of my sweetest sorority sisters. A man with five children and a loving home. Intelligent, Honest, and Kind were words used to describe him. The world was a better place because of him.

Diagnosed in April of 2002 with a brain tumor he had almost made that magical five year milestone when the cancer returned in February. Laura C. and Roger spent two months up in Boston having the surgery and beginning the recovery then moved him back to Emory hospital here for further rehabilitation. It was a scenario they had faced before and they knew what was ahead. In the end the cancer had a mind of its own and simply overtook Roger's body quickly. Within a matter of two weeks the prognosis had changed dramatically and Roger was home with his family for the last time.

Amazingly my friend was able to participate in the memorial by reading some words she had prepared. Some of those words were also Roger's words he left behind. They were so elegantly written by someone who knew the true meaning of living. He had no regrets along the path and considered the cancer diagnosis a hidden blessing. It caused him to stop and take stock of his life and realign his priorities. Instead of thinking about the negative things cancer did to him he considered it a "most effective tool" to get his life in order.

I am still amazed by how life can change in a heartbeat. I've had it happen in my own life and I'm quite sure that Roger had no idea what was ahead of him as he celebrated Christmas this year. If you will, I'd appreciate a prayer for my friend Laura C. and her family. Please pray for her strength and ability to parent these children in the days ahead. I'm quite sure she would appreciate it.

and before spring break

Our schedule before spring break was c-r-a-z-y! That's why I was so happy to break away from reality and escape for a week. We are in the midst of baseball season and I do love how William responds to the schedule of practices and games. It's a lot of work, but he loves the sport already. It's neat to see a kid enjoy a sport. Jordan's now beginning to really enjoy her volleyball team.



Jordan's schedule also included chorus and drama practices prior to the break. First we had the "year end" chorus production at a local church. Then a few days later we had a big drama production at a local arts center. This was the first play in which Jordan had to audition (hard core audition because there weren't enough spots) and then study in order to play the role well. She won the part of a makeup artist in the play. (The play was about how life is backstage behind the scenes.) She loved every stinkin' minute of the work, the practices, and the deadlines. Here's her photo after the play with her stage makeup:

I was so proud of her. Better yet, she was so proud of herself. I've always known she would enjoy drama, but it seems we are now getting to the point where the opportunities to participate will become available.

Did I mention starting my new contract position? I started working with a software company the day after Easter and I've very pleased. I am doing the screen interface design for several software programs in addition to some branding of new products. I'm working with a nice group of people and have some flexibiity with the work at home situation. Grace started school that same day also and has adapted very well. She's not shy (who is in my family?) and comes home talking about everything in the afternoons. I believe my baby is a full blown little girl now. Lots of changes for us, but all good.

cool things about our spring break

Headstands on the beach:


Bike rides with Dad:


Dinosaur sand sculptures and forts:




Getting along with a sibling:


Seeing a minor league baseball game in Savannah (after we ate at the oyster house owned by Paula Deen's brother, "Uncle Bubba"):


Coming home to a neighborhood Easter Egg Hunt which required winter coats - fastest hunt in the history of the neighborhood!


Celebrating Easter Sunday before we returned to normal life:

Spring Break begins

Perhaps you thought I was already on spring break by my limited posting. Life has been rather busy in our household. We've already begun the "end of the year" school performances - chorus and drama club have both had big productions -- and I've been busy interviewing for job and contract positions. It's all good, but always busy.

And now...a public service announcement:
SEND SANJAYA HOME!
Back to your regular post...

We are in the midst of the final push to get on the road for Hilton Head, South Carolina. We are hoping to beat some of the crowd out of town (can you say 'mass exodus'?) and kick start one of our favorite vacations. Grace remembers going last year (though she was only 18 months)and cannot wait to build a BIG sand castle and play. She's the cutest thing talking loudly about the Beeeeeaaach in her very precise toddler voice. I got a few fun toys to enjoy - one lets you build a big dinosaur with sand molds, another lets you view life in the tidal pools. I got a skim board also and pray that we don't come back with some kind of body cast on my daredevils. The beach is great for my three...no matter how hard they try they cannot make more noise than the surf and wind. I think a kid should be allowed to scream into the wind unchided every so often.

Oh yes, someone miraculously guessed the photo of the potter. Jerry Brown is a pottery artist in Alabama and we recently encountered him at an art show while visiting my parents. We ended up buying some pottery from other people at the show and I'll post more on that later. It was a surprisingly cosmopolitan art show for such a small town and the indigenous artwork was inspiring. The kids absolutely loved it.

I've got more news for another post. Right now the beach awaits us. :-)

friday free for all

First a quiz...who is this man and what type of pottery does he create?



Then a small victory for your average consumer. Dave got me a beautiful rose and lily arrangement for my birthday. About a day after my birthday the flowers just started to fall apart. I nicely called and asked about their policy at the florist and they promised to replace my arrangement with something comparable. Especially if I could wait until after the Valentine's Day rush. Well, today I was at a job fair near that florist so I paid them a visit. The woman remembered me instantly and I simply asked if I could have a live plant like an orchid instead of cut flowers. She got the approval from her manager and then pointed me to the sale orchids. The ones marked $129 and $149 and said that since they were on sale I could get the $129 priced one as my replacement. My mouth dropped to the floor. I was hoping for a little plant and I walked out of there with a 4 foot monster! Dave had a good chuckle when he pulled it out of the car for me. We placed it on my great grandmother's coffee table and it dwarfs the little victorian thing. The plant is literally taller than me when on that table.



Here is Jordan peeking through the orchids. She had been propped up on the chaise playing Nintendo DS games.



This deal beats any product coupon that has resulted from my previous complaining on 800 numbers!

we've returned

We have just returned from our "emergency" trip to Alabama to be with my Grandfather. He's still frail and has been in and out of the hospital for months. We had another scare this week which resolved itself. Still, the reality is that his body is less able to function. We got to spend some good moments with him this weekend. I decided to go ahead and travel since time is often precious in situations like this. I like to live my life by a "no regrets" motto and being there for family has been an important part of this. It's so hard for me to realize that there a lots of people who never knew the Grandpa I watched as a child. Most of the people in his life now know him as a stroke victim who is paralyzed and cannot talk. (He can normally sing, but not talk. There have been a few moments of clarity in his speech, but those are rare.) I will always think of my Grandpa as on of the most inventive, original, hardheaded, handy, and smart people I've known. I will always remember his trip to Hawaii to visit Dave and I. We went hiking on the park service trail at night with flashlights to see the volcanoes erupting on the Big Island. There were only reflectors to mark the ever-changing trail. (It was reset each day according to volcanic activity.) He still manages a smile when I remind him of times like that.

I've got much more to blog, but so little energy tonight. I'll leave you with a Grace story. Tonight she looked down through the hallway railing into the family room and said, "Hey Mamma, come up. Let me take you to talk to Jesus." I went upstairs immediately. Who could resist a moment like that?

a stephen covey moment

Dave decided he wanted to renew his use of the Franklin Covey planner during 2007. During most of our marriage he has used this calendar system to organize his work and family life. The last couple of years have been chaotic and so he is just now getting back to his system. On Monday we were all off for President's Day. Jordan attended a Girl Scout event encouraging young girls to be engineers. That left the rest of our crew to run errands. After lunch we went to the Franklin Covey store in the mall. Perhaps you've been in this store...it is quiet, beautifully organized, and full of expensive leather binders and briefcases. We arrive and make our way to the back of the store. William is hanging out near Dave and browsing alongside. Grace finds a glass shelf stocked with little charms you can clip onto your binder. She ever so carefully examines each one and then puts it back on the display. I decided to hang near Grace (though she was behaving) since monitoring seemed prudent in such a store.

Dave makes his selection and then tags me in the monitoring department so I can go browse. I am looking at all the neat "first things first" thank you notes, leather purses, and goodies when I hear Dave say, "Did you hear THAT?" Umm no, I didn't dear. I'm lost in all this put your family first literature.

Apparently Dave asked Grace to begin putting all her goodies back up on the shelf and get ready to leave. The child -- 2.5 years old I might add -- says, "This jewelry is soooo nice Daddy, but I'm not going to steal it today. No, I not going to steal it."

Gulp and double gulp. Where on God's green Earth did she add "steal" to her vocabulary? I suspect she picked it up during some older sibling squabble where one child would blame the other for "stealing" a seat, a nintendo dohicky, or a book. The girl has impeccable timing...using that new vocabulary word in a store that promotes good values. Ah parenting, dull is not thy name.

daily grind

Last Friday was the Girl Scout's Father-Daughter Dance in our area. Dave and Jordan enjoyed their "date" out together. They started at a Japanese steakhouse for a hibachi dinner with a little appetizer of sushi. Then they headed out to the dance. Dave noted that there are not too many years to enjoy daughter dates...apparently there weren't too many older girls there at the dance past middle school age. I think it is a great way to teach a daughter her value and how she should expect respect once dating in her teenage years.

Today we attended the Georgia Music Educators Association District gathering to watch Jordan's elementary chorus perform for an evaluated score. It was amazing to see how crisp and sharp they sounded after months of performance and practice. Even more amazing to see how quickly the group is morphing into "big kids". They performed "O, Deysayo" which is an Angolan folk song and "Al Shlosha" which is a Jewish song. A sound group professionally recorded it so we hope to have a CD of the performance soon.

Valentines day was a big hit around here -- how about for you? Jordan and William wholeheartedly enjoyed the school celebrations and chance to eat candy. Grace got the extras so she was thrilled. She saw the older two creating valentines on Tuesday afternoon and made one for Pop-pop also. Holidays are fun with little ones.

I've been trying all the new recipes that go with Dr. Oz's diet. He has several good ones in the book and more on the website and I've had good luck with most of them. On Monday night I tried to make the Black Bean Soup. It was good, but the journey to complete the meal was rocky. I must have been brain dead Monday night because I forgot every scientific fact I learned in school. At the end of the recipe you need to puree it via a food processor or blender. First I put half the soup in my food processor and as I placed the lid it started oozing out of the bottom of the bowl part from the base of the processor. After a moment's panic I managed to get it back to the main pan. My next thought, as the dinner deadline approached, was to use the blender. I set it up in the blender, put the lid on tightly, and then cut it on. In a moment I created what my kids will forever know as the "Black Bean Incident". The middle part of the lid flew off due to the heat and pressure (remember basic physics?) and the soup completely covered myself and the kitchen corner. It even flew behind my cabinet doors and got onto all my plates and daily china. The kids thought it was really funny...especially since it happened just moments before Dave came in the door. It took hours to clean up. Ya gotta laugh, right?

You know, it's funny that I titled my post with a coffee reference. The only part I've had difficulty with on this "diet" (if you don't count reese's cups - hee) is the affect it has had on my daily coffee. Somehow skim milk tastes like water in the cup and the Splenda I use doesn't quite melt with the coffee flavor like sugar. (BTW, I've discovered that Equal literally turns to formaldehyde in hot liquids so unless you want to start embalming yourself early you might want to switch to any other sweetener than that one.) Anybody got any suggestions to make my home coffee brew taste better?

priceless

We got a call last week saying that my almost 88 year old Grandfather was sick. Really sick. So sick that we had a suitcase packed with a full set of clothing for every occassion. All last week we were on hold, worrying and waiting for each update. Grampa had pneumonia a month ago and was hospitalized during the worst of that. It seems like his systems are still recovering from that and he recently began to struggle with heart and kidney functions. The strain of pneumonia was so potent that four people in his nursing home died from it. Amazingly Grandpa has pulled through the immediate crisis and was released back to his home yesterday. He's strong and always has been. Even though he is a stroke victim (almost 10 years ago) paralyzed on one side, I still remember him as the person who was capable of doing or fixing anything. It's hard for me to think that my children will never know the strong, hard-headed man I grew up knowing. But I am thankful that they treasure their relationship with their Great Grandfather and that he has gotten some pleasure in watching them grow. Jordan named him "Great Pa" (Great Grandfather plus Grandpa) when she was two and the name has stuck for all six great grandchildren to use.



It's funny, this may not be an award winning photo, but it is truly priceless to me. Knowing that my Grandfather can interact with William is special. (One day I'll post a photo of him before the stroke -- he was so handsome.) Technically the stroke took his speech capabilities, but somehow he utters each child's name while they are visiting. The brain is perplexing. Apparently the part which allows him to sing is intact so he can sing every word of a song clearly. He will burst into music to show his happiness during a visit. Grace was taken aback by the bravado of Grandpa's singing last time and it seemed she didn't like it at all. Two weeks later during one of her little nighttime prayers she stopped and said, " Thank you Lord for Great Pa. Mama, hey Mama -- you know Great Pa can sing sooo good! I like it!" and then she went right back to the rest of her prayer.

I've begun preparing myself for the inevitable goodbye that will happen one day. In reality I've been preparing for this since he had his stroke. I make sure to say a true "I love you" each time we visit and I've made sure the kids appreciate him. Still, it will never be easy to watch a loved one struggle to the end. Only God knows the true ending I suppose.

weather, tea parties, and watchful mothering

Brrrr! I'm glad we live amid the seasons, but I readily admit that Fall and Spring are my favorites. We missed the seasons horribly while living in California and Hawaii. Georgia certainly has its share of each season -- and enough to keep us happy. Though I love my winter sweaters and coats, it takes a lot of effort to keep up with the gloves, hats, and coat linings required each day for three young ones. I am constantly finding an odd glove or hat around the family room or in the car. Even though they aim the majority of the items at the coat closet some things just get separated.

Yesterday my dear FIL took Grace for a few hours and took her on errands so I could begin to complete my resume and portfolio. I'm still gathering information and rewriting items. I've got plenty of substance on the resume, but the question is how to use it best for each job I want to apply. The portfolio is something that you business types never have to worry about. I've got a huge collection of projects -- websites, logos, interactive pieces, and corporate communications examples -- to display. My FIL has agreed (thanks to my husband's initiative and helpfulness) to take Grace twice a week for a month or so. I think it'll be good for Pop-pop, Grace, and me. She adores her Pop-pop and really felt special yesterday with him.

Speaking of Grace, we had a little tea party this morning. It was all her idea. I turned around from cleaning up breakfast to find her setting a "table" on the seat of a chair. She had pulled her lego box up for her seat and instructed me to sit on the floor. There was no doubt who was in charge during this play episode. She fixed pretend spaghettios and salad with milk. I imaginatively offered her a serving of bread from my hands and she got visibly upset. "I didn't cook bread for this meal. Wait a minute and I'll go get it out of my kitchen!" she said.

I later heard her humming and then joined in with the official song. Once again she got completely flustered with me -- "Mom! There are no songs at this table! It's just not right." Guess I got put in my place, huh?

You'll be proud of me. I decided to stay out of a school situation with Jordan. Some older (5th grade) girls had aggravated her during chorus and tried to make her look/sound bad to the choral director. On Thursday she was visibly upset when I picked her up from Choir practice. The two girls had been making "off" notes behind Jordan and then when the director would come over to investigate with his ears he would look directly at Jordan. The poor girl was almost in tears, but held it together. My mother hen instincts made me want to zap an email off to the choral director immediately. Dave took one look at me and mentioned that Mr. Tighe had an educated ear and was a smart teacher. I'll now admit Dave was right, but it was still hard to resist fixing the situation. On Monday the girls did not bother Jordan at all. I'm dying to know what really happened, but I do think the situation would have been worse if I intervened.

One last bit of news -- and I am SO EXCITED about this. One of my best friends, Patricia, from college has moved to Athens, Georgia from Baton Rouge, Louisiana with her family. Her husband is an outstanding football coach (and great person) and has been selected as the Offensive Coach for UGA. I'd love to live in the same neighborhood with them, but being an hour away seems like such a blessing. It was like getting a special piece of news for my birthday when I heard they were coming. They've had to move in a whirlwind because of the job's requirements, but I think they are happy to be back in the state where Stacey grew up. Here is an article about the whole move:

Stacey Searels hired as new UGA Coach

It was quite a shock for me to find so many articles in the media about an old college buddy. Pretty cool. I think he's going to be busy recruiting for a week or so. The SEC Football conference is fiercely competitive and loads of fun to watch.

hello, my name is ann and i'm forty

This photo is what is left of me after being alone with three kids for two weeks. No really, this little artwork was a masterpiece Jordan created at church (note the bible canvas in the background) using Silly Putty. I took one look at it and decided that it just couldn't go back into the storage egg until it had been recorded for posterity's sake.

Dave has been on multiple business trips since mid-January. It's unusual for him, but there was a lot going on with a new contract. He was in Redmond, WA for two weeks and then yesterday he flew to Maryland for a one day meeting. We've all missed him around here. On Saturday we welcomed him back from the Settle trip. We went out to dinner (nothing fancy, just a catfish joint) and I think we welcomed him back loudly to family life in that outing. Nothing unusual -- a stubborn "do it myself" toddler who knocked her sister's uncovered drink over during a protest session towards her father. LOL

On Monday Dave flew out again for a quick one day trip to Maryland to disseminate the information gained during the two week trip. We have spent the last few days getting back to normal. The kids have been thrilled to have Daddy take them to school and be back in the house again.

So, today is a momentous birthday for me. 40. Forty. FORTY. My first thought is, "How in the world did THAT happen?" and then I remember all the good times and blessings I've been given; a few hard times mixed into the formula too. I thought we might get a snow day today to enjoy some down time, but we were greated with 33 degree temps and sloppy rain this morning. Just ten minutes north of here were icy roads and school closings. (Ah, the unpredictable South) Dave had a beautiful flower arrangement on my bathroom vanity this morning. Roses and lillies -- best of all they were accompanied by the sweetest note he had composed. It was very romantic and sweet.

Oh yes, I almost forgot my news. I have been following Dr. Oz's lifestyle plan and in the two crazy weeks while Dave was gone I lost 4 inches around my waist and 10 pounds. Granted I have a long way to go, but it was a good start. I didn't even get the whole thing right, but I got enough of the message to make a good start. I had been completely obsessed with my exercise schedule for the past year, but got off it when our family Thanksgiving occurred. My task now is to get back into my routine despite any family emergencies. That should really make a difference in combination with the food plan. Everything was easy to do...there was hardly a time when I felt deprived. His plan really focuses on the conscious changes we can make to our food pantry and habits which matter most to our health. We were already eating healthy, but the tweaking made by this diet has been awesome.

it's all in the translation

"Mammmmmaaaaa! I need the ghostbuster! I think I made a mess." said Grace

"Ghostbuster? Grace there are no ghosts around here." I replied wondering where she had heard of Ghostbuster.

"GHOSTBUUUUUSTER please!"

"Grace, take me to what you need. I don't understand."

"Mammmmmaaa! It's the cleaner. A DUSTBUSTER! I want to use the dustbuster!" Grace exclaimed.

"Oooooh, the dustbuster." said her confused mother. At least the girl wants to clean up her mess.

the long and winding road

I've finally gotten organized and bought most of the groceries necessary to begin Dr. Oz's lifestyle plan. I've learned three things:

1. It takes a LONG time to read each label in detail and find the specified products. I almost fainted when I found out that the low fat mayonaise I had been using had high fructose corn syrup in the ingredients. Yikes! The biggies to avoid in the top four ingredients on a list are: saturated fat, partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, simple sugar or any other form of sugar, a non-whole-grain carbohydrate such as enriched flour.

2. For the first time ever I have cooked REAL steel cut oatmeal. I'm used to the instant cooking type (you know, the cylinder made by the Quaker man) which cooks in about two minutes. It took 30 minutes to cook my breakfast this morning, but I really liked the taste and texture of the oats. One thing Oz suggests is to cook a batch ahead to make weekday mornings quicker.

3. I took my Real Age quiz on Dr. Oz's book site and found out that despite all my health concerns and lack of proportional ability (you know, overweight) that I am 38 years old healthwise. Not too bad for someone turning 40 in two weeks. A health age of 28 would be better though. Dave has not taken the test yet, but I am awaiting his results. He thinks he is so smart turning 40 in July instead of February. Ahem.

nothing profound

Today I have nothing profound to say. Actually, I'm not sure I say profound things very often. This week has been about returning to the routine and getting the house put back together following the holidays. As usual, I'm running behind on all of it.

Dave actually injured his back severely while helping a friend put in a wood floor. He was carrying a "portable" table saw up a set of stairs and managed to twist his back. At first it brought back old memories of the pain he experienced while in Hawaii. At that point he was suffering nerve damage and the complications a ruptured disk brings. I would say that the initial pain of this new injury rivaled my memories from that time. We were both really scared. Scared he would have months of recovery like before or even surgery. After days of heat treatment, medicine, and other tools he has begun to move again.

One positive note, Grace begged to wear her big girl underwear yesterday and was successful for over 8 hours. I'm thrilled, but can take no credit. Grace has her own agenda and that also applies to potty training. I have simply made the basics available to her and she seems to have gotten the idea. I believe she's had the idea for a while, but yesterday she took to the idea completely.

Please keep my Grandfather in your thoughts and prayers this week. He has been taken from his nursing home residence to the hospital today. He is fighting a bout of pneumonia and a kidney infection. It looks like he is responding to the treatments and things are going well...but at the age of 88 he could use a few prayers.