MIscellany

It hardly seems that tomorrow is Christmas Eve. This year has flown by in such a whirlwind that I can't believe that it's already almost over. So much has happened. So much to be thankful for. I certainly can look back and find regrets, but I can also find so much contentment.

I feel that this year I have grown as a mother, as a woman, as a christian. I don't know what it was, or why, but I'm different, and in a better way. I'm thankful to have had another year with my children, being there for them in everything they've done. I'm learning to listen more with my heart, than with my ears (and we all know how well I can hear... or can't).

I'm excited to be having a white Christmas this year and can't wait to get out in it. Normally, you can't get me out in a car in the snow, but the prospect of going to visit family, and driving through the quiet country with a blanket of snow is thrilling! Although the snow won't start until tomorrow morning, I'm ready!

I hope that everyone has a merry Christmas this year.

Weekend in a nutshell

So Friday was another snow day. The sun did manage to come out for about 20 minutes that morning, just enough to melt the solid ice on the driveway. Then the sun promptly went under the clouds again, dropping the temp back below freezing, and un-doing any unthawing that had taken place. Sigh. I didn't think the sun would ever come back out, but it did eventually yesterday. The roads are now officially clear, so it's back to school tomorrow!

Yesterday we had Christmas with dad and Annette. It was a lot of fun as always! Annette is one of the best cooks and she always makes delicious food. We got to meet their new dog, Lily Ann, and the kids absolutely loved her! Christopher did, too, which surprised me. I'm not a big dog person, but she was a cute little dog! The kids are begging, but it won't happen... After coming home and having supper, we decided to go out and look at the Christmas lights in Greenville. Although it's nice to have them closer to town, I really liked it better when the people had the displays at their home in Woburn because you had to get out to see them all. Now you just drive through and your viewing time is limited to wether or not there are cars behind you. But it was fun and the kids enjoyed seeing them.

Today we woke up to snow. Completely unexpected! It snowed pretty much all day and dropped another half inch to what was already there. What fell on bare grass quickly melted, though. We're supposed to get *more* freezing rain Tuesday night and another storm is on it's way for Friday. Dare I hope for a white Christmas? It's been years!

Kate had her Christmas band concert today and it was really nice. The 6th grade band had improved so much since just last spring at their last concert! I really like that she enjoys band. I always enjoyed it as well and have so many fun memories. Next year she'll be in the 7th/8th grade band and that means marching, parades, and much more fun stuff. I think she'll really like that!

Tomorrow I need to go through all of the kids' presents and wrap them, and make sure all of the stocking stuff is bought. I'm thinking it's a little uneven right now, so I need to see what I have for which one. With them being home 3 days last week, I didn't get that accomplished. It never fails that there's always something to be done at the last minute.

Three out of five

As expected, freezing rain came last night, lending us another snow day today. We didn't get that much rain, but it was enough to really shut things down. Our driveway is a solid sheet of ice that I refuse to try to drive on- rear wheel drive does not do well on ice (or snow...). The kids watched from the window today when I went to get the mail to see if I could make it without falling- I made it. They finally got to venture out to play in the snow drift out front, which had gotten about a foot shorter since Sunday. They dug a tunnel part-way through and they plan to finish it tomorrow. Since we're in a rural community, not all roads are treated, so they're still ice-covered. School has been called off for tomorrow, making three snow days in one week. It seems like this winter is shaping up to be a monster. The year we moved in here, we had 2 or 3 big ice storms that brought 1/4 inch of ice each time and several foot-deep snow falls. The kids missed so many days of school that they didn't even bother making them up. The school board had taken the "act of God" clause out of the books that said that 5 or more snow days would be an act of God and wouldn't have to be made up, but I guess that winter was enough for them to use it again! We're almost there already and it's not even Christmas!

Snow Day

Our first snow day of the season went quite well. Both kids were wound tighter than an eight-day clock, so it would have been really nice if they could have gone out to play, but it was just plain frigid. Temps in the teens. And it didn't help that the 3-foot drift out front kept tempting them. They soooooo wanted to jump in it. Temps are going to be down to 3 degrees tonight, so I don't expect it to warm up enough for them to jump in it tomorrow, either. But as far as I know, school is on for tomorrow!

Thankfully, my mother-in-law called early this morning saying she was stopping by to pick something up, so I asked her to bring in an egg so we could make cookies. There was no way I was leaving the house for eggs! The cookie-making went well despite the fact that 1. we had run out of piping bags, and 2. had no red gel color. Nice... I let them use butter knives to decorate and tried to make red from hot pink and black. To our surprise, hot pink and black do NOT make red. In fact, it makes a very vibrant purple! So we had some lovely purple icing to decorate cookies with along with the traditional white, green and yellow.

I need to do some shopping tomorrow for my goodie ingredients. My list is so long I need to start making something every day to get them done by Christmas. Our gatherings start this Saturday, so this weekend will be busy. It doesn't seem possible that Christmas is less than 2 weeks away...

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

Although the calendar doesn't officially say that it's winter, it's here in Southern Illinois with a vengence! Just two weeks ago it was 70 degrees. Today we've had blizzard conditions, slick roads, and a wind so blustery you'd think a tornado was coming through. All this from a storm they said wouldn't drop much more than a dusting- and it has snowed all day. We have a 3 foot drift out front that the kids are excited to see how much bigger it grows overnight. They also want to jump in it, but with a high of only 16 for tomorrow, I don't think that will happen. And tomorrow is their first official snow day of the year! They called around 6:30 with the news. Boy, it will be SO nice not to have to get up tomorrow and get out! Now we just have to get through Wednesday when they're calling for freezing rain!

It's been a while since I've been here, so I'll update. Thursday night, Kate had a sore throat. Friday, she woke up with strep. As soon as I checked and she had a temp, I knew exactly what it was- she never runs a temp anymore. I took her in and sure enough, it was. It was her first time since she had her tonsils out 5 years ago. What a blessing! She woke up yesterday morning feeling like her old self again! Thank goodness for antibiotics! Now to just keep the rest of us healthy before Christmas!

Yesterday was BUSY. Preston had bowling, and did really well! He got two spares and was so proud of himself! I had a photo shoot at 3:00 and we were invited to go out to celebrate Reid's birthday at 5:30. Keith and Dee watched the kids and it was SO nice to get out! We were a little worried about the weather as it had POURED the entire day and was slated to get cold around nightfall. We left our house at 4:45 and it was 46 degrees. It was 36 at 5:15 when we got to their house and 32 when we left town at 5:30. We ran into some ice in Effingham but made it back safely with no other incidents. The Murray's also joined us for dinner and it was really nice to have some other friends along. We had good food, good fun and good conversation. It was 10:00 before we got back and the kids were tired but had a good time with Grammy and Pa-pa.

Then Kate woke PReston up early when she saw the snow... Why is it that on weekends, they're up before dawn and on school mornings I have to drag them out of bed? We were supposed to see Megamind with mom today, but with the weather so bad, it wasn't worth the trip to Effingham. It was pretty slick when Christopher tried the roads and he slid right past our driveway coming home. We did venture up to Granny's this afternoon since they're less than a mile from us, and I'm glad we did. We wrapped presents for the family we adopted, the kids made sugar cookies and Granny and I made the BEST toffee ever. I have the recipe... I will make more.

So now we will just cozy up tomorrow and enjoy a warm house and maybe make some more Christmas goodies. If we can venture to town to buy some eggs...

Welcome to our home

I'm excited to be taking place in the Nester's Christmas home tour this year and at Kelly's Korner. I wish I could deck our house from top to bottom, but I lack the creativity. Our home is more warm and sentimental this time of year than it is fancy. I like it better that way. Come on in and see our home!
This is our upstairs tree. It's a real tree decked in nothing but vintage and antique glass bulbs. Nothing else ever goes on it. We went with some colored lights this year, mainly due to the fact that one of our white strands from last year decided to quit working. I think it looks fabulous! We've been white light snobs for years and now I think color is so much better.
Our dining room is my favorite spot in the house. I love it even more since I found my buffet. It gives me more places to decorate, and finally, a spot where my card tree won't get toppled over onto my stove.
I got this large martini glass at Wal-Mart a few years back and I love filling it with glass balls.
My buffet. The kids were so excited to get our first Christmas card!
Here's Bobby Boy, our Elf on a Shelf. Today, he's living out his farming/truck driving fantasy as he sits atop an antique JI Case grain truck, but I didn't take his picture. I wonder if the kids will find him.
This silver bell is probably my most treasured holiday decoration. It belonged to my great-grandma and as a child, there was nothing better than when she would lift us up to pull the string and hear "Silver Bells."
I love this little table in our upstairs hallway. The sticks are there year-round, but the cone trees come out to play for Christmas.
The kids keep their advent calendars on their doors. The Santa doorknob cover was my great-grandma's also, and I loved it growing up.
Here is our mantle with the stockings. I made the children's stockings- the ones on each end. My stocking is the Santa one that my grandma made me when I was a girl.
This is the kids' tree downstairs. It has nothing but their keepsake and handmade ornaments. It's also the tree that was knocked down *five* times last year by none other than the cat in the basket beside it. This year, it is cleverly tied to the dehumidifier behind it with some heavy rope. So far, it has worked.
This is the same tree the other night. If you look closely (or click the pic to enlarge) you can see Nonnie asleep in his basket next to the tree. He looks so angelic. It's hard to believe he's quite the rascal with the tree.

Every year, Kate decorates her dollhouse for Christmas. Too cool for her dollhouse family, the Playmobil children have taken it over.
It also appears to be house a Zhu Zhu rocker. The candles in the window are Q-tips cut in half with the ends painted orange.
This room seems to have a large Hexbug in it... The stockings are hung here also. The cat got into it and tried to eat some of the decorations, so some of them have been taken down already. Same with upstairs... we can't keep him out of garland.

I hope you've enjoyed our home. Happy holidays!

Quote of the year

We have yet another critter in the ceiling above our basement. I can hear it moving about above me right now... We have traps set, yet the thing isn't taking the bait.

In a house with 2 dairy-allergic children, cheese isn't a hot commodity. In fact, when my father-in-law brought the first set of traps in last month, he brought a slice of cheese because he didn't think we'd have any. Perplexed as to why this mouse wasn't taking the cheese, I told Christopher that maybe he didn't like American and offered some Monterey Jack from the freezer. His reply...

"No, I don't think that's it. He might have been caught in a trap before and remembers the smell."

I don't know too many mice that have survived traps, let alone, survived and actually let free. If he has, then he must be some sort of super mouse.

Humbled

For years I have wanted to do Meals on Wheels. I remember my great-grandma doing it, and have always wanted to try it. Today was my first day, and after doing it, I felt completely humbled.

I have always been extremely blessed. I am so thankful for what I've been given. But after seeing some of these people and how they live, it really, really makes you even more thankful. Here I was, wearing nice clothing and a nice warm coat, getting out of a nice car, and delivering meals to people in some very dilapidated homes. These people were eating microwave dinners that made Banquet frozen meals look gourmet. The smell alone from the food was very unpleasant, yet that meal may have possibly been the only real meal that they got to eat all day. And sometimes, I get extremely frustrated when I can't find anything I want to eat. Those people didn't have a choice. They got what I delivered.

Over 20 years ago, my grandpa bought coats and shoes for two boys that my grandma was helping through her work. These children came from a broken, abusive home and had very little. After that, each year, he would buy coats and shoes for other children my grandma was helping, and it began to grow. He and his friend Pete decided that they needed to make this a project for their Methodist Men group, and the idea grew into a ministry that now provides coats and shoes to any child in the county that is in need. The teachers submit childrens' names and sizes and my grandparents shop for them and present the children with them the day school lets out for Christmas break. They say their faces are priceless when they get their coats. Last year they delivered to over 300 children in our county, and they have about the same this year. The need is great. Last year, my mom's basement looked like this as they were getting all of the coats ready.

While helping at Preston's school yesterday, I noticed that one little boy that sat across from him was wearing a sleeveless shirt. Mind you, it was below freezing. He also had holey jeans and shoes. Instantly, my heart was tugged, and I prayed that this little boy's name was on the list to receive a coat and shoes (he was). I also felt even more torn when he asked if I wanted to know what he was going to ask Santa for- a lunch box. He wanted to bring his lunch to school like Preston instead of the most likely free lunch that he gets. How can one not feel humbled? My children are asking for Ipods and Wii games, while this little boy only wanted a lunch box. I almost asked the teacher if there was a way I could get him one, but I don't feel that that's my place to do so. Especially if that lunch box won't be used because his mother can't afford to pack it.

God is really speaking to me this holiday season, and not just through the rock to the windshield incident Tuesday (which has been repaired). I feel myself wanting to give more and want less. I want to give my time to others and not myself. I am extremely blessed and will be forever grateful for what God has given me. This year, please take some time to help someone in need in any way that you can. Nothing is too small. Chances are, whatever you do, it means more to them than you'll ever know.

A deal too good to be real!

Those of you that know me well, know that I'm pretty thrifty. I save anywhere I can, because really, who likes wasting money? Not I! So when I saw this deal a few days ago, it was right up my alley. What is it you ask? It's an amazing deal from Shutterfly, offering 50 FREE holiday cards to bloggers! And this deal could not have come at a better time. I have literally been trying to get the perfect picture for our holiday cards for months. MONTHS. I've been planning since August, and shooting since October. My children are absolutely sick of our photo sessions, especially the multiple trips to the family's farm to get the perfect shot by the old barn.

So yes, I am a bit of a perfectionist. And when it comes to holiday cards, I'm a little picky. I don't like store-bought cards- they lack creativity. Hand-made cards are too time consuming- we tried that once and scrapped the idea mid-way through. Creating your own photo cards is my best solution. And as an avid photographer, showing off my sweet children is a passion. Shutterfly has SO many options that it's hard to pick just one- kind of like trying to pick just one photo...
This festive card grabbed my attention right away! I love the bright colors! It would be FAB! Especially with the two cheeky children above who obviously found something more interesting than the camera to look at!
But I'm more of a traditionalist, so this card really says Christmas. I also like that you can use more than one picture, which makes my decision somewhat easier- I can narrow it down to 6 favorites instead of one!
Or I can make some more calendars for the grandparents that can't get enough of their funny grandchildren. I actually made two of these yesterday for some of them and they were so much fun to make! I can't wait for them to arrive!

Those who know me well also know how particular I am about thank-you notes. Again, it's that traditionalist in me... I'm trying to instill in my children the importance of a good, thoughtful, and gratefully handwritten thank-you note. Shutterfly offers some really spectacular cards that would me a pleasure for anyone to recieve. And getting a thank-you card with my children's artful handwriting and their sweet face on the front will make anyone's day!

Would YOU like to get in on this great deal? Click to get your chance to grab 50 free cards this season! Now, I don't do Facebook or Twitter, or else I'd shout this out over there, but you can! Rally some other bloggers and let them in on this deal. It will make your holiday just a little merrier!

When God talks, listen.

I always love when God speaks to me. Sometimes it's so subtle that I really have to think about what He's trying to tell me. Other times, it seems that He's screaming at me.
I have been wanting to get The Elf on the Shelf for quite some time now, but just never did for some reason. With the kids getting older, I knew it had to start this year or they'd just be too old and think it was silly. We saw it Saturday when we were in Effingham, but I passed it up and regretted it. Today, I just HAD to have it. It could wait no longer. I called around to a few places in town and in Greenville, trying to save a 30 mile trip, but no one had it. So after lunch, I decided to make a flying trip to Effingham to get the set.

I should have taken the hint when nowhere in town had it. As I was going to leave town, I was behind a dump truck full of rocks and dirt when all of a sudden, a huge rock came flying out and hit my windshield. It left a nice, 1/2 inch crack. I hadn't even made it out of town at that point, and I seriously considered turning back home thinking that maybe I shouldn't be going. But I didn't listen. I second-guessed my choice all the way there. I got to the Hallmark store, got my Elf, and left. I got into the car and hadn't left the parking lot when my phone rang. It was Christopher. "I got an Elf on the Shelf at the gift shop. It was 30% off." WHAT?????? I'd driven 30 miles to get an Elf and he (and I didn't even know he knew I wanted one) had bought one? Seriously... I parked, returned my Elf and went home.

That rock hitting my windshield was no accident. God made that rock hit me to stop me from going, but I didn't listen. I was too focused on that Elf. He knew that Christopher was going to get that Elf and was trying to save me from wasting my time and gas. Now, I wish He hadn't sent a rock to crack the window, but we'll survive that. Tomorrow I have to take it to have it looked at to see if it needs replaced or can be repaired. If it can be repaired, insurance will cover it with no deductible. If it has to be replaced, we have to pay. Let's pray that it can be repaired since it's so small.
So with our Elf on a Shelf all put up, I sat down to read the book to the kids. They thought it was a cute story, although Preston keeps telling me it's just a doll and it can't tell Santa. He may not believe wholeheartedly, but I think they'll have fun finding him anyway. If you're not familiar with the story, when you bring the elf to your home, you have to name it. Ours is named Bobby Boy...
Rudolph was on channel 4 tonight so we all sat down and watched it. It's been my favorite since I was a girl, and I look forward to watching it each year. It's hard to pick a favorite character, and no, mine's not Rudolph. I quite like Clarice and the little doll on the Island of Misfit Toys! I can't wait for the other Christmas cartoons to come on!

Santa

I found Laurie's blog through Kelly's Korner and have enjoyed reading about her sweet girls. Her girls recently visited Santa and Sarah Kate was not thrilled to see him. I immediately thought of Preston, who has never cared for Santa, either. I'm sure you can tell by the look on his face from last Christmas that he would rather not be sitting with him. My sister-in-law's dad dressed up as Santa and stopped by while we were at Granny and Pa's on Christmas Eve and took Preston by surprise!

Up until last year, we only had one picture of Preston with Santa- he was 2 months old and couldn't put up much of a protest. But then Santa came to school and he kind of had to sit with him for a picture or else his friends would know his dislike for Santa. I was so proud of him when he brought the picture home. It went straight to the fridge!

My favorite Santa memory with Preston is certainly not his favorite. Two years ago we were sitting in the pick-up line at Kate's school. We'd gotten there early to get a good spot in line, and Santa happened to be leaving the school as we sat. I told Preston to look at Santa, and rolled the window down so he could see better since the windows are tinted. Lo and behold, Santa saw him sitting in his seat and started walking toward the car. Preston was frantic, screaming, "ROLL THE WINDOW UP! ROLL THE WINDOW UP!" It was too late by this time as Santa was just a few feet from the car (and unless he was hard of hearing, had to have heard Preston screaming). Santa talked to Preston, but he refused to talk. I'm sure he was terrified and the poor kid was buckled into his carseat and couldn't get away. Santa gave him a candy cane, which he was less than thrilled with, and left. Preston was not a happy camper after that.

Miss Kate, though, has been quite enamored with Santa from the start. She got a stuffed Santa for her 2nd Christmas, which she named Hoho, and she carried that thing around everywhere for well over a year. Hoho slept in her crib every night. Now we're able to pack Hoho away with the Christmas decorations, but every year when we unpack them, Hoho goes straight up to her room. He's currently on her bed with her. My 11 year old daughter and her stuffed Santa.

Long time, no post

It's been a while since I last updated. I just didn't have much that seemed blog-worthy up until this weekend. It's been a long, but fun 5 days with everyone home.

Christopher's great uncle passed away Monday morning, so Christopher took off work Wednesday for the funeral, so he's been home for 5 days. That's almost unheard of. It was a nasty, rainy day Wednesday. We're talking, it poured HARD the entire day and everything was flooded. When I picked Preston up from school, the run from the school to the car, that took maybe 30 seconds, left us completely soaked. His backpack was so wet that his paper pilgrim inside fell apart. Ugh! And why did we not have an umbrella you ask? It picked that day to decide that it would no longer open... The kids got to decorate their tree downstairs and it looks really nice. We tied it to the dehumidifier to keep the cat from knocking it down this year.

Thursday was a busy day. We had lunch at Granny and Pa's and had a good time enjoying the wonderful food. Granny's potatoes were the best she's ever made! I left feeling like a little piggie! After that, we had to go to Keith and Dee's and right after we got there, it started snowing and kept up for almost half an hour. It accumulated some, too, so it was nice to see, although I'm NOT ready for winter! We stuffed ourselves again, then headed home for some family Wii time.

The day after Thanksgiving, you will not find me in the stores (at least not early). I did venture to Wal-Mart around 9:00, got my Legos and left. We then loaded up and went to get our real tree for upstairs. I love it! Christopher thought it would be too small, but it's perfect! We had an issue with the lights and had to go back to Wal-Mart for more. We decided that along with the 3 strands of white, we'd do some colored ones and it looks so nice! It really reflects the colors on the antique balls. I don't think we've used colored lights for 10 years, so it's a nice change.

Saturday was lunch and Grandma Lou and Grandpa Ed's. It's always a favorite for the kids since we don't make it down there often enough. They love playing in their garage more than anything else, and that's the first thing they did after lunch. Christopher and I went to Effingham afterward to do a little Christmas shopping and got quite a few people checked off. Christopher's cousin Aaron was in town and stopped by for a while last night to show us a rock he'd found. It was a weird purple color that had dark green crystals inside of it, and it was magnetic. They looked online to see what it was and didn't come up with much.

Today was a day to unwind. We spent the day up at Granny and Pa's just relaxing and recovering from the weekend. Tomorrow is back to normal.

Average

For once, I wish I was average.

The clothing world was not made for people like me.

The one comment I hate more than anything else, is, "You're so tiny!"- like it's a good thing.

If you had to go shopping with my sizes, you'd rethink that comment.

I wear 00 petite pants. I wear XXS petite tops. I wear a size 5 shoe. I wear a 32 AA bra (that's smaller than an A cup).

Average stores don't carry those sizes. The only place I can buy clothes that I know will fit is Ann Taylor Loft. Victoria's Secret is the only place that sells bras that small (that aren't little girls). And shoes... finding a cute, grown up shoes in a 5 is a rarity, which is why I wear the same shoes all the time, for years on end until they fall apart- even if they don't entirely match my outfit.

Today, I went to Effingham. I had a few stops to make for Christmas gifts, and wanted to stop at Kohl's because I had a gift card and they'd sent me a $10 cash card in the mail. I'm down to 2 pair of jeans that I rotate every other day because my other pair ripped from being worn so much. For starters, I hate Kohls. Nothing fits me except some of their t-shirts (but not all of them). I thought I might find a pair of jeans. I looked through every pair they had. I found some zero's, tried them on, and they were all too long. I found some short zero's and tried them on- they just flat out didn't fit and made my butt look like a big bag. I was so mad, so frustrated, that I left. I made the 2 stops I absolutely had to make, and went home. I left at 10:15 and was back at 12:30- that's with an hour of driving.

Just one time I'd like to buy something in a normal store. I'd like to go shopping and not rely on going to one single store and buying what they have. And if you shop at Loft, you know it's not cheap. Just once. Just once I'd like to be average.

Thrown a curveball

As if being sick with multiple colds back to back wasn't bad enough, throw in a stomach bug to the mix and it's sure to bring even the best down.

Around 12:30 Wednesday morning, I hear footsteps running down the stairs and I could tell it was Preston (I'd fallen asleep on the couch watching tv). "I think I'm going to puke!" "RUN to the sink!" No longer than I had said that, had it all been lost on the floor of the hall and kitchen. What a nice thing to wake up to. I got Preston cleaned up and settled back in bed with the Prairie Farms bucket, braced for a long night, then set to the task of cleaning up. I'll spare details, but it took wiping up, the steam mop, and lots of Lysol. I went to bed, prayed for Preston to be OK and for an easy night. Preston being OK was answered as he never got sick again. An easy night was not found as I could not fall back asleep, and when I did, the smoke detector in the sunroom was beeping and my night was through- a total of about 3 hours of sleep.

I kept P home as per school rules and because I just knew he'd be sick again (he wasn't). He spent the day happily playing the Wii from the couch, while I laid in the chair, trying to keep my eyes open. Mid-morning, I started feeling "off". I prayed that I wasn't getting the bug, and figured there was no way since Preston had just thrown up- the timing wasn't right. By 2:30, I was sick. Luckily, Christopher was home, but unluckily for me, he was in the shower when Kate needed picked up from school, so I had to go get her. As soon as she got home, I went to bed. It was Grammy night, so I was thankful for Dee taking the kids for a while, and Christopher went out there to help hook up their new tv, so I was left with a quiet house. I took a nap. Bad move at 5:00... Between being sick off and on all evening, and not being able to sleep AGAIN, I was miserable. My head hurt, my body ached, my ears hurt, yet I couldn't take anything or else I'd be sick again. So I laid there. Finally, around 2:30 a.m., I got up and took a sip of water and ate half a Pixy Stick and the rest of the night was SO much better. I hadn't eaten or drank in almost 24 hours, so I think my blood sugar was bottomed out.

This morning was rough. Christopher didn't turn on Kate's alarm when he put them to bed, so we woke up late. I fixed a quick breakfast and had to lie down. I had to stop and lie down multiple times while trying to pack lunches. Thankfully, the kids were extra nice today and got all of their stuff done with pretty much no fighting or horseing around, which is awesome, so I just laid on the couch until 8:00, then got in the car exactly as I had gotten up. That alone was not like me since I won't go anywhere without my hair and makeup done. Christopher left work at noon to come help me because I was feeling so bad earlier, but by the time he got home at 1:30, I was fine. I'd eaten a pop tart and some soup and felt so much better. I'm still pretty worn out, but I'm so thankful that is behind me. Now, off to bed, sleepyhead.

What's up?

I've been MIA lately. Nothing really new to report. We've been busy delivering Girl Scout cookies, buying Christmas presents, and being sick again. I can thank Preston for bringing this cold home, which I also caught- which means I've been sick for 3 straight weeks with one cold or another. Ugh. Old Tyme Christmas is Friday, and they are using Pa's tree from his yard. It's set up downtown and decorated already, and looks nice. It certainly doesn't look like the same tree. I can't wait to see them light it Friday night.

Pasay Jack

We were watching tv tonight, and at one point, I wasn't watching the screen. Preston says, "That's Pasay Jack." I look up and no one is there. I ask who Pasay Jack is. "You know, the guy with the wheel." Still no clue. "He's on Game Lounge, too." Suddenly realizing who he's talking about, I chuckle. "You mean Pat Sajack?" "That's his name? I always thought it was Pasay Jack."

Gotta love my little man and what he hears.

Giveaway

Do you need a blog makeover? I know that I do! Head on over to Megan's blog where she's having a giveaway for a blog makeover! You can have up to 3 chances to win. Good luck!

The case of people v mouse...

CLOSED!

There's no more mouse in this house!

Monday

Today is miscellany Monday at Lowercase Letters. Because today is just so random, I had to jump in.

1. Kate had her dentist appointment today and all went really well. They did some new x-rays and it was like that old game of how many people can you fit into a VW bug, but only, how many teeth can you cram into Kate's mouth. It was seriously that bad. She still has 6 more baby teeth to lose. Her regular dentist was out today, so we didn't have her braces consult. The dentist that saw her said it would be at least another year before we headed down that road. They want her to lose her baby teeth on her own. I'm OK with it completely. It gives her mouth some more time to grow.

2. While driving down the road today, on my way to pick up Preston's fries and meet him for lunch, I saw a man lying on the sidewalk. It struck me as odd, and I thought about stopping, but I was in a hurry, and another car had stopped, so I went on. I had an extra minute after I stopped at BK, so I swung back by to make sure that someone had indeed stopped to check on him, and an ambulance was there. I pray that he was OK. I feel guilty, though, for not stopping the first time.

3. Preston had his perfect speller lunch at McDonalds today with the other perfect spellers in his class. I stayed and ate with him, and it was fun. It was SO incredibly loud in the playplace with all of those children running and screaming! I felt sorry for the poor lady that had chosen that spot to set up her laptop and work! I'm so proud of Preston for how well he's doing in school. He's really blown me away!

4. How on Earth is it possible that I am sick... AGAIN? Two weeks ago on Tuesday I started getting a cold, and I had just gotten pretty much over it aside from a lingering cough that really didn't bother me. Now today, I awoke to a nasty sore throat again, snotty nose and my ears are all wacko. Where is the justice?

5. We have a critter in the house. Nonnie (the cat) had been going crazy since last night, running and jumping on top of every piece of furniture in the basement. We though he was chasing a bug. When Christopher got home tonight, Nonnie was still going nuts, but Christopher could hear something- a critter- scrambling around above the drop ceiling in the basement. This is our first incident of a critter, with the exception of the groundhog that burrowed under the foundation in our old house and set up a nest. We have no clue wether it is a mouse or a chipmunk, which run around like crazy here. We live in a very wooded area, so it's surprising that we've not had a critter before today. We got above the ceiling and set some traps in hopes that we can catch whatever menace is up there. Christopher suggested we set the cat loose up there, but Nonnie is such a wimp that he'd get stuck way back there and we'd really be in trouble then! Wednesday is set to be a nice day, so Christopher will be scouring the perimeter of our house to find out where this thing got in.

6. Not only do I have to go pick up and sort out 136 boxes of Girl Scout cookies tomorrow, but I also have a photo shoot. The one on Sunday got cancelled, so we're going to do it tomorrow afternoon. It will have to be a quickie as it will be at 4:30 and it's nearly dark by 5:00. Let's pray for four cooperative children! I still need to get the kids' pictures rounded up for Christmas cards. I have Preston's. None of Kate's turned out well, and the ones of them together turned out even worse. We may be taking a trip to STL Thursday for an impromptu shoot on the landing!

7. I am so looking forward to former President Bush's memoir, Decision Points to come out tomorrow. I absolutely love him and think he did a wonderful job in the White House. I'm sure it will be a great read!

Nice, calm weekend

It's been a while since we didn't have fifty million things going on, and it was nice. Preston did have bowling and Kate had to be at a girl scout thing right after Preston had to be at bowling, but Christopher dropped her off and she was on her way. She had a really fun time watching the volleyball game at Eastern Illinois Univ. I take it that none of them really actually watched the game, but rather sat and talked the whole time. Girls! The highlight of the day was getting an autograph from some "fat guy" dressed as a cheerleader, wearing a skirt and his belly hanging out. All of the girls just thought that was great! They did get a poster, which all of the players autographed for them, so that was pretty neat. They're doing so much more this year as a troop and so far, Kate has enjoyed everything. I think with fewer girls this year, it's a lot easier to do things. Cookies come in Tuesday and my little cookie helper, a.k.a. Preston, and I will have a lot to sort out.

We didn't do too much today but hang around the house. We worked on Preston's turkey for school for a while but it still has some work to be done. Today is Pa's birthday, so we went up there for dinner and had a good time playing bingo and bride bingo. I really stink at bingo, but it's one of Preston's absolute favorite games. He really got into calling the numbers! Mom called from Houston where she's at a conference to tell us about Flat Stanley's adventures. He got to "fly" the plane from St. Louis to Houston Friday- in the cockpit! And here's the kicker... the pilot let my mom in there, too! I thought that was completely unheard of nowadays! Now, I didn't ask her if they were actually flying at the time she was in the cockpit. They may have already landed.

Tomorrow Kate has her consult for braces. She's not too thrilled, but we know they're coming. Hopefully all of her baby teeth have fallen out. I forget how many she still had 6 months ago, but she's lost several since then. Preston has his McDonalds trip for perfect spelling, so I have to be there to meet him at noon. Hopefully we're out of there by then, although I don't think Kate will be back to school in time for lunch, so she will probably be joining us as well!

Simple pleasures

I love to cook. In fact, it's a rare day that I don't cook- every meal. Well, unless the kids are at school, then I usually just fix whatever I can find, like the chips and dip I ate today... But seriously, I cook. I don't always have the patience or the drive to fix a meal, but I do it anyway. So it's a rare treat when I don't have to cook, and I take in every bit of joy from that break.

Tonight, I didn't have to cook. My grandpa had given me tickets to his church's fish fry last week, and the prospect of not having to cook tonight has had me all excited since then. I loved writing FISH FRY on my menu for today and not having to plan a meal. All day long, I was just giddy! I had it all planned- I'd swing by the church to pick up our dinner, and then to Burger King to get something for the kids. I could hardly contain my excitement!

And that's just what we did. We picked up our dinner and saw Granny, Pa, Grampy, Grandma Lou and Grandpa Ed in the process. We swung by BK and then to get me some nuggets at McDonalds because I am repulsed by fish. Eeeeeeeeeew! We had a lovely, if not greasy dinner and enjoyed it thoroughly. Those Methodist Men know how to fix a meal, and are generous with their portions- my cornbread alone was the size of Nebraska (well, maybe not that big, but it was the size of a slice of bread). My desert still sits upstairs awaiting to be eaten- that lovely piece of chocolate cake.

Tomorrow is supposed to be a miserably cold day, the first of the season. I plan to make some warm beef stew, some cinnamon apples, hot rolls, and some tasty desert. We already played a game by the fire tonight, and we just might have to do the same tomorrow!

How I became a political junkie

Last night as I logged onto Foxnews.com to check early election results, one page stated that election night is like the Oscars for political junkies. How true, how true! I normally don't watch tv unless I'm trying to fall asleep, but last night I was glues to the tv as I am every election night.

So how did I get to be a political junkie?

It started early on. I grew up in a political family, split right down the middle- my dad's side was conservative, my mom's side, liberal. Dad's side of the family was very open about politics and discussed them freely, which I imagine is why I sided with them initially. As I got older, I understood more of what they were talking about and it was something that interested me.

It was around fifth grade when I started becoming involved politically. I was heading to jr. high the next year and we had all heard many times that you had to wear shorts in the winter because the heat couldn't be turned down, and had to wear long clothes any other time because the a/c couldn't be turned down. There was a bond referendum in the upcoming election to gain funds to fix the heating/cooling issues and students were asked if they wanted to help. Myself and a few other girls "campaigned" by making signs and we were even on the radio being interviewed. While other girls had posters of boys on their walls, I had political signs (yes, the ones you put in your yard), bumper stickers and buttons all over mine. I also sported my Fayette County Republican's t-shirt. I worked with the county's Young Republicans club at the county fair. I even cried when George H.W. Bush lost his re-election bid against Clinton.

When I got to college, I really had no clue as to what path I'd take. I really had my heart set on genetics, but a medical journey was too much for me once I realized what all was involved. Unsure of what to do, I chose psychology as my major because I knew there were a lot of job opportunities in that field. But psych. wasn't my calling. I'm not an abstract thinker, and trying to wrap my mind around a bunch of theories just aggravated me. With just one semester to go before having enough credits to graduate, I transferred schools and switched majors to political science. Crazy? Maybe, but it was the right thing for me. I loved my POLS classes. Loved them! I had found my niche.

The vast majority of students in my classes were democrats. There were 3 others that were republican, and when we got to work in groups, we would always work together. We would blow our one professor away with our ideas that we came up with, something that we never expected because he was an outright and open liberal. We also liked to give him a run for his money any chance we got! In 2003, just 6 short weeks before Preston was born, I graduated with a bachelors in political science and a minor in psychology (see, all those years weren't wasted). Of course, I've been a homemaker ever since, so my degree hasn't been put to use. I'm a firey conservative with so much passion for my party that it comes through in everything I do.

I hope to one day be involved in public office. I haven't decided on how or when. I do know that my conservative beliefs will serve me well, especially in terms of budget control and finance- something our town is lacking BIG TIME. My grandpa has been on the county board for over 10 years now, and although we differ drastically on ideology, I respect the ideas he has and what he has worked for for our county.

My children are politically minded like me, and I hope that they always are aware of the power they have in their government. They are passionate about politics, especially Kate, who is old enough to understand the workings of government on a rudimentary level, and can understand that voting is our chance to have a voice. In two years, she'll be studying for the Constitution test and I can't wait to help he with it. Preston has been my voting buddy every election since he was born. I always take the time to explain why we vote and even at age 7, he understands that it is important. I feel that it's important to raise my children with good, conservative values- for them to know that at the base of everything, life and religion are key. I want them to know that this government was made FOR us- of the people, by the people, for the people. I want them to be respectful of our resources and to use them wisely. The earlier I instill this, the better. Like many parents, I want the absolute best for my children. I see Kate as an attorney, and Preston in medicine, but if they should decide to follow politics, I'll be their most fervent supporter.

So there you have it. That's how I became the political junkie that I am. And I take no credit for the term "democrap" that flies through our house quite often- that credit goes to Kate. And for the record, so I"m still in the running for mother or the year ;), she is not allowed to say that, though it flies whenever we discuss politics. I want my children to be respectful of other people's views, even if they're different from their own.

It's election day

Have you voted yet? You should! Remember, there's no excuse not to. Even if your next door neighbor is working as an election judge and catches you on the way out and holds you up for 15 minutes telling you all about how the neighbor behind you almost caught your yard on fire the day before because he's not too bright and was burning leaves on a VERY windy, red flag day. I'm just saying...

VOTE!

I feel like a new woman!

I was LONG overdue for a cut and color. L.O.N.G. The last time I went in was the first week of July. Yes, that long. Even though my natural color is very similar to my not-so-natural color, the roots had grown out and the grays were bad. BAD. I had been needing to go for weeks, but just could never find the time when Keri was in. Well, today I got my hair done. I feel so much better! I got 1 1/4 inches off, but I really wish I'd gotten and extra half inch off. I might go do that... I switched up my highlights because they always seem a little too red, and I love the new ones, which are just a tad lighter than my base color. I'm not one of those that have black hair underneath and blond on top... Nope! Now I just need to do some serious shopping because my winter wardrobe is lacking something terrible.

On a side note, tomorrow is election day! GET OUT AND VOTE! There's no excuse not to. NONE, because you could always vote early or vote absentee. This is your right to vote. Take it seriously.

Now let's get out there and kick some liberal behinds!

ENT

Friday morning Preston and I finally had our long overdue ENT appointments. I was praying they wouldn't cancel on us again! Kate stayed with Granny so it made it a lot easier- especially since we ended up being there over an hour, something completely unheard of at our ENT! They are really good at being prompt. Preston used his time well, making a picture to send for Grandpa Ed's honor flight mail call and playing I spy. On to the good stuff- because you know you love hearing about our ear issues!

Preston's ears looked good Friday. His left tube was completely crusted over and Dr. S. had to scrape the junk off of it. He thinks the tubes will be out before he goes back in April. Sigh. Despite the year he's had with these tubes, he thinks he'll do just fine and won't need another set. But with winter coming up, he said he couldn't be certain. I know my son and colds- they go straight to his ears. But he said that if they get infected again- that would be the fifth time this year- he would most likely have to take the tubes out and then put new ones in when his ears are cleared. That would mean two trips to the OR. Sooooooo not fun. I expressed my concerns over his last infection that took three weeks, two different antibiotic ear drops and a round of Biaxin before it cleared. He simply said that it wasn't Preston that's becoming resistant to the antibiotics, but the bacteria itself.

So with that being said, I'm not 100% pleased. Preston has had four infections since January. That's a lot for any kid, but too many for one with tubes. And he thinks he'll do fine once they fall out. I can almost say with 100% certainty that he'll be back to the same pattern he was in before his first and second sets- an infection every month. Even when I talked with him over the phone a few months ago, he said that he's nowhere near being ready to be out of tubes. When we saw him in June, he said the best thing we could to was keep him in tubes. Now there's a change of heart. I'm not happy. If these fall out and he's right back to constant infections and Dr. S. won't put a new set in ASAP, we'll be finding a new ENT. Christopher worked with some of the best ENT's in the country at Wash U, so I know finding another will be no problem. I hate to think of not being with Dr. S. anymore because he's so good with Preston. He even had him on the floor tickling him Friday and Preston was cackling and having so much fun. Not many doctors will do that. And he really is good at what he does, too, so it's going to be a touch call.

Then there was me. Preston's ears looked good. Mine looked OK. My tube is out and the eardrum is healed. He did have to dig the tube out of my ear because it was still lodged. I had a feeling it was out. While Preston has to wait to get new tubes, all I have to do is call when my ear goes back to it's old tricks and he'll put another right in. Because my eardrum is almost completely scarred over, there's only enough room for the smallest tubes they make, which fall out quickly (6mo. in children, 1+ years in adults). Putting in larger ones like Preston's is too big of a risk for a perforation. Having been there, done that, I don't want to do that again! We also discussed the "fizzing" sound that my ear makes when I hear things and the sound goes away- it sounds just like opening a bottle of soda and is so much more annoying than the constant ringing in my other ear. He said it's because of all the scarring and has something to do with the muscles that hold the eardrum in place. I couldn't hear well with Preston there! He also told me about a condition- again, I couldn't hear the name- where those same muscles spasm and sometimes need to be cut to stop this loud pounding noise in the ear. Now that he said that, I know that's what mine has been doing from time to time. It sounds like someone is pounding a big bass drum inside my ear and I can actually feel it. Between the constant ringing, the constant fizzing (playing Yahtzee tonight almost made me lose my mind), not being able to hear well, and infections, I just don't know what to do.

So that was how we spent our morning Friday. It was nice to spend some alone time with Preston.

Parade, pumpkins, and trick-or-treat

Ahhhhhh. Our weekend was so busy, and I'm so glad that it's over! This was our last jam-packed weekend until Thanksgiving so I'm going to enjoy my time off!

Thursday night was the annual Lion's Halloween parade downtown. Kate's girl scout troop was walking in the parade and since her BFF Addison was walking, she had to. She really had fun! You can see her below in the black dress and brown boots (I wasn't going to argue with her...). She was throwing Preston some candy and the camera caught it mid-air!

Watching the parade after Kate was done walking. What was she dressed as? Your guess is as good as mine! Seriously. She wanted originally didn't plan on dressing up (it's that jr. high, too cool for school thing), but did because of the parade. She wanted to be a vampire, but couldn't find a costume. I think this was a spider something-or-other costume that my mother-in-law found at Target.

We also carved pumpkins Thursday after school since they got out early. Our little knife broke mid-carving and it was time to start dinner to get ready for the parade, so we had to wait until I got another carving kit Friday before we finished them. The first one is Kate's- wolves howling, the middle is some ghosts, and the last is Preston's- a skull and cross bones.
Preston dressed up as Luigi this year. The store-bought costumes looked really cheesy, so I just bought him a green shirt, overalls, and the hat, which I sewed the "L" on. The mustache was too cute although it pinched his nose and it never stayed on for more than a minute.
Doing his luigi jump before heading out to trick-or-treat. It looks like he's hanging from the tree!
Today we got together with Christopher's family to trick-or-treat. The kids had a great time and came home with more loot than a pirate. I told Christopher we won't be buying and chips or fruit snacks for weeks!

Parent/Teacher conferences- Round 2

I must say that having the different school's conferences a month apart is quite nice. There's no trying to schedule two at the same time along with everything else. Yesterday was Preston's turn.

Overall, Preston is doing very well this year. He's an excellent reader, exceeding my expectations completely! It is definitely something that he enjoys and is learning very quickly! He needs to work on listening more attentively and participating more, but other than that, academically, he's doing great! She did say that he is a "bathroom player" which means that he gets caught playing around in the bathroom a lot. How embarrassing! I guess it could be worse! At least he wasn't the boy caught standing in the urinal!

Preston had perfect spelling for the first quarter of this year and earned a trip to Mc Donalds with his class next Monday! He can't wait! I do have to bring him some fries since theirs have milk, but other than that, he's good to go and for once I won't have to pack his lunch!

I can't wait to see what the rest of the year brings!

It's almost that time

Election day is coming next week, out of all the phone calls we get over the coarse of the week, the majority of them are political. Most people hate these calls, but the politician in me loves them, except the ones not from my candidates. Tonight I got one of my favorites, the one I'd been hoping I'd get each time I answered the phone and heard the recording... a live town hall meeting! It was U.S. Representative John Shimkus, a great guy that I've had the opportunity to meet during my political science classes. I listened in for quite a while, although I never did think of a fabulous question to ask him. I love the live town hall phone meetings. They're always neat to listen to and find out what is on other people's minds, and being able to participate makes it even more fun! Rep. Shimkus does a lot of these, even when it's not election time, and I always look forward to these calls!

Next week, I encourage each and every one of you to get out and vote. It's THAT important! We're at a critical point now where we have the power to change Congress, and it WILL happen. The people voted for change in 2008, and we got that change- what do you think of that now??? It's time to get some NEW change and turn this nation around. Of course, I can't tell you who to vote for, but those of you who know me well (or have read my "about me") know who I want you to vote for! ;)

Wiiiiiiiiiindy

It's been dry around here for a long time. In fact, it's been well over a month since we had any rain at all. It looks like summer, but feels like fall! Rain would be in the forecast for days, and then nothing. It was pretty bad. Then yesterday it started clouding up and getting windy, and the weather guys predicted severe storms and possibly tornadoes overnight. I had my doubts, but really hoped that it would rain. Have I mentioned before how much I LOVE thunderstorms?

Anyway, I hear it start to rain a little after 5 this morning, and the wind was just howling. At 5:30, the wind was absolutely crazy- almost as bad as when the tornado went over our house last summer and took all the tops off of our trees. Preston comes running into the bedroom bawling, scared. The wind was blowing the rain so hard on his windows that it scared me. I took him into my bed hoping he'd go back to sleep while I laid and listened for the tornado sirens (which didn't go off). The storm blew over but Preston, nor I, went back to sleep. Yaaaaaaaaawn.

When we went to town, the flagpoles at the 66 station had been snapped in half by the wind! Talk about crazy! I was very surprised that we didn't have any damage with our trees! The wind blew 40+ mph all day with strong gusts, and branches have been falling like the leaves. I'm surprised there are any leaves left! I can now see up the hill to Granny and Pa's house again!

So it's been a long day, but I've loved the weather! Now, I'm getting Kate's cold and my throat has been hurting me all day. I'm not going to say anything about my ears (knock on wood), but I am SO glad Preston and I are headed for our ENT Friday! That is, if they don't call and cancel for the 3rd time this month. I'm not counting my chicks before they hatch!

Prayers

I found out yesterday that one of Kate's girl scout leaders had just been diagnosed with a very aggressive form of breast cancer. She has two young girls, ages 9 and 11. Right now, they don't know what he treatment plans are. Please pray for her and her family.

Baking day

Today kind of felt like the olden days where you'd have the one specific day that you'd do all of your baking. I didn't plan for it to be that way, but one thing led to another and before long, it felt like my oven was on the entire day!

I'd planned on making beef and noodles for dinner (click to go to my recipe). When I went out to get the beef and broth from the freezer, I saw the stack of many bags of cherries and figured that as long as I had my rolling board out, that I may as well make some pie crusts. So I did just that and came out with probably my tastiest pie yet. Those sour cherries are hard to balance- they're either too sour or not sour enough. I had a piece straight out of the oven. YUM!

As soon as the kids got home from school, Preston went straight to my recipe file and asked where my chocolate chip cookie recipe was. Since they'd been asking to make it for a while and we hadn't had enough of their dairy-free margarine on hand until today, I figured, why not? So we whipped up a batch of cookies that were also very tasty!

I also baked a loaf of bread for dinner, but that's kind of cheating because it was from frozen dough. But I do need to start baking bread again and stock my freezer. I love making bread from scratch!

I also baked two cakes tonight for the band's soup supper tomorrow night. I have to help Diana with Glen's cake tomorrow, plus run the big bucks store at Preston's school, so I figured I'd better bake them tonight than stretch myself even thinner tomorrow.

The only problem with baking all of that, is that now there's a lot of junk just yelling for me to eat it, and I already have heartburn. Ugh. But another piece of pie is in order before I head to bed!

It's that time of year

Eczema has reared its ugly head.

We enjoy a few nice months during the spring and summer with little thought to Preston's eczema. Most of the time, unless he gets a hold of something he can't have (like the bad blue jello), it's not even an issue. But once the heat turns on, it's back, and it gets ugly.

Preston is having his first flare, right above his top lip. It's dry, it's hard, it's crusty. I've been plastering it with Eucerin, but it's still bad. I hate when he gets it on his face because we can't use hydrocortisone on it. He had a spot the size of a quarter on his face last year that took months to clear up. IF it were anywhere else, we could have used hydrocortisone and it would have been gone in weeks. Sigh...

And this is only the beginning.

Not pretty

You know it's going to be a bad day when you terribly burn your finger at 6:45 in the morning. Clearly, my mind was not awake, and when I dropped part of a fried egg under the burner, I grabbed the burner (which I had JUST turned off) to get the egg before it stuck to the burner pan. OUCH! You should see the blister... This may be a sign that I should not cook that early in the morning.

You know it's going to be a bad day when your husband has his mid-week day off and is in a V.E.R.Y. bad mood. I won't even go there...

You know it's going to be a bad day when you have to take your sick cat to the vet, and she hates the vet's office with every piece of fur on her body. She hisses, she hit, and it was just horrible. The sweetest girl there, Jill, always gets Zipper when we go in, and I feel so sorry for her. I apologized in advance today, and she said that they always call her in for grouchy animals. Thankfully she's a dear! They gave Zipper some antibiotics since she was SO uncooperative, and if she's not better by Monday, she has to go in for sedation and x-rays. I pray she gets better!

You know it's probably going to be a bad day tomorrow when your already still grouchy husband announces at 7:00 that he has a 99 degree temp, and that's after taking Tylenol. Sigh... Sick husbands staying home from work are never fun.

And thus sums up my day. I'll be praying that tomorrow goes MUCH better.

Mishmash Monday

This is completely random, but right now, there is just too much going on to go into much detail. I'm praying things will settle down after this coming weekend...

• We had a great weekend and it was the first one in a month that we didn't have a birthday party to attend. Phew! We have two this weekend, though.
• Preston had his first bowling gig Saturday. There are two Prestons on his team! That made it a bit tricky when one of us would say, "Preston, it's your turn!"
• We still have a sick kitty. The Reglan isn't working. I'll be calling the vet in the morning. It WON'T be pretty... Please pray that it isn't anything serious.
• I finally got all of my recent photo shoots edited. What a lifted weight!
• Girl Scout cookie sales are finished! Kate didn't meet her goal of 250 boxes, but she sold a hefty 137, so I think she did a great job!
• I have a busy week ahead of me with an even busier weekend.
  
• Meals on Wheels called me today and I start delivering at the end of next month!
• Grampy and Flat Stanley return from Europe tomorrow and I can't wait to see pictures from their trip! Preston's Stanley will probably be the most traveled in the school once he'd done!
  

Sick Kitty

Whoa! The thumbnail didn't look too bad, but now that this is uploaded, Zipper looks really mean!

Our poor Zipper is sick again. She's begun vomiting again every night. And it's weird that it is almost always at night, and not in the day, although she did vomit this morning. We started her back up on her Reglan last night, so hopefully she will stop getting sick soon. I pray that she does because a trip to the vet is NOT a pretty situation. Our sweet kitty turns into the devil's cat the second we get there, and EVERYONE has to be on alert! The last time we were there, she bit someone. It's bad...

The strange thing about her vomiting is that she almost always does it in Kate's room. It's not just this round, but every time she gets into her vomiting spells, she will only do it in Kate's room. One time she seemed to target a Scooby pillow until I finally took it away. This time it's her American Girl doll bed that Zipper has taken over as her own- nothing like high style for a cat. But Kate is very upset over Zipper doing this in her room. She has to watch where she steps in the morning, her sham pillows need washed almost daily, and it's just everywhere. She wanted to put up a baby gate to keep her out since she doesn't like her door closed. Poor girl. Both of them. Please pray that her med. will start working quickly and we can avoid the vet. I'm also worried because she's 11 years old, and that's pretty old for a cat. I'm praying this isn't something serious that's age related that may not get better. We're not ready for Zipper to go.

Southern girl at heart

Last night, as I was watching yet another BBQ show on Food Network, I realized that I'm living in the wrong part of the country. I've been born and raised in Southern Illinois, right smack in the mid west. But my heart longs for the South. With the exception of one very long vaca to San Francisco, Reno, and the Grand Canyon, I have only vacationed in the South. I love the South- the friendliness, the laid back attitude, the accent, and mostly, the FOOD.

Oh, how I LOVE Southern food. It just feels so welcoming, and it's no wonder that when I cook, I tend to cook Southern food, regardless of calories, simply because it makes you feel good. When we had Preston's party, I put out a full spread of pulled pork (complete with slaw on top) and savored every bite. Even though dairy isn't an option in this house, when I get hungry for fried chicken, I'll buy a 1/2 gallon just to make gravy. I'm too scared to risk making it with rice milk. I love a good biscuit with gravy. Corn bread. Rich deserts.

So for the time being, this girl from Illinois will remain in the mid west. Maybe someday, if my children keep begging to move to Gatlinburg, maybe we'll find ourselves somewhere in the South.

Funny

My daughter makes me laugh. She's her own little person- flawed, yet perfect. She has a brilliant mind, always a thinker. Some days, things are over-analyzed, others, things don't get a second thought. Then there are days that make me scratch my head and think to myself, What are you thinking?!?!?!?

I was helping Kate study for her social studies test for tomorrow. She clearly knew the material and was doing very well with the study guide. This study guide was filled out by the students, then corrected so that they had the right answers, but it wasn't for a grade. We got to one question- This area is presently known as Sudan. What did the ancient Egyptians call it? Crossed out on the line, I see Maine (as in the state). I chuckled and asked her why it said Maine. She starts laughing and said that she had to hurry up and write something, so she wrote the first thing that came to her mind. In this case, it was the state of Maine. I'm not sure where the connection between Maine and a country in Africa came from, but it was cute nonetheless.

As we laughed, I remembered just a few weeks ago as we studied for another social studies test. This one was about B.C. and A.D. I must say that spelling has never been Kate's forte. If I had to pick one academic downfall, it would have to be spelling, hands down. The question read- Does every culture use the Gregorian calendar? Her answer, No, because not everyone believes in Chrise. I asked her who Chrise (like Chrissy) was, and she laughed that she had spelled Christ wrong.

And remember a few weeks ago when I posted about her parent/teacher conference where her language arts teacher explained how she never gives 100% to any of her students, but gave Kate one on her paper because it simply could not have been improved upon? I read through it, and in the entire paper, she talked about the scent of pin that filled the air at the pumpkin patch. Yes, she smelled pin not pine. And it wasn't just used once, but many times throughout the paper, and each time, it was pin.

I love you sweet girl, you make my day!

Adventures in cookie selling

Tonight, we set off on foot to sell cookies to the neighbors. We did pretty well for only stopping at a few houses and Kate is slowly inching her way to her goal. But of course, doing so would not be without excitement!

We stopped at the Kern's house. I've known them for several years. Her husband mowed the church lot next to our old house, and she came with her dad to look at our house before we sold it. She's also one of Kate's friend's aunts. Anyway, after buying cookies, she asked how we liked living in our new house. Right away one of the kids chimed in, "There's no ghosts in this one!" So then that opened up a huge conversation, "Really?!" "What happened?" "Did you ever seen any?" She was really engrossed and I did have to tell her about Wanda. As we were leaving, she asked if ghosts were evil spirits and as Preston jumped off of their porch, he shouts, "Nope! Wanda's nice!" Oh, land! After we left, I told Kate we wouldn't sell many cookies if we spent ten minutes at each house talking about ghosts!

Another house we stopped at belonged to some of Christopher's relations and they know us well (although I don't know exactly how they're related). She invited us in, and we only went in because they were relatives. As we're standing there visiting, Preston sees a cobweb, swipes his hand and says, "Oh, you've got a cobweb!" How embarassing! She thought it was quite amusing and laughed, but I was thinking, here we go again...

We still have a lot of houses in our neighborhood to go, and still some family that hasn't been asked yet. We always wait until the last day to see if she needs a certain number to reach a goal/prize- within reasonable limits, of course.

We had a busy day at the zoo and I'm beat. I wanted to remember our adventure in selling before I forgot, but I'll share our weekend pictures soon. Possibly another photo shoot tomorrow afternoon as well, so I'm just beyond busy- and loving it! But Seth called last night and left a voicemail on my cell to the effects of, "I'm calling about some pictures I had taken a week ago and haven't heard anything about them yet. Just calling customer service to complain." I nearly laughed my head off! My brother is a nut! Gotta get those pictures done this week. Also gotta get my garage sale ready and bake 2 desserts for the Fun Fest Friday. Eeek!