Sunday, December 20, 2009

Christmas Fire Truck




My Christmas mood was just lighted.

The Christmas Fire Truck arrived tonight. Every year our local Fire Department spends six or seven nights driving all around our community spreading Christmas cheer. Last year the weather was too bad and they couldn't make it. The year before, we missed it some how. I was in dire need to see it this year! It's always a nice surprise. They drive down the streets blaring Christmas tunes and then we run to the street and are greeted with a decorated truck and candy canes.

The blessings and joys of living in a small town.

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Damn tree.

I knew it was too good to be true. I was happily going along with my Christmas Cheer, enjoying the nature inside, watering the tree twice daily, admiring it's beauty and fragrance.....

Tonight I went to water it, and noticed some of the wrapping paper on the presents was damp. A quick check of the tree skirt validated my fears. The tree was leaking. We slid the massive thing over a few feet and found a wonderfully warped wooden floor. Yes. The wood floors that we refinished one year ago.

Oh well. The warped floor will go nicely with the dog urine stain and the floor boards next to the sink that expanded after an over night leaking problem. Isn't there a saying about how wrinkles show you've lived life? Well...warped floor boards prove you live in a home, not just a house.

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

The taste of Christmas.


To me, the taste of Christmas is Peppermint Bark melting in my mouth. After ten batches and five hours of work, I hope the teachers, bus drivers, neighbors and friends enjoy the candy as well.

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

NYC? Nah. Our living room.


I feel like we have a mini Rockefeller Christmas tree. I'd invite you over to see it, but no one can fit in the house.

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Eat your heart out Clark Griswold.


Behold our family's Christmas tree. We got a little crazy at the U-cut Tree farm.

"Dad, isn't it a little big for our yard?"
"It isn't going in our yard Russ. It's going in our living room."

BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIE EVER....Christmas Vacation.

Friday, December 4, 2009

A little goes a long way.

1. Cayenne pepper
2. Perfume
3. Dog poop

I just came in from cleaning up dog poop and continued to smell the nastiness inside....sure enough a dime-sized piece was stuck to my shoe. Barely visible, yet potent as ever.

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Neigh!

When the kids were little....around 4 and 2, we piled in the car to go look at Christmas lights. For some reason, each kid brought a stuffed horse. Every time the kids saw a pretty light display, they would Neigh! Neigh! extremely loudly and make their horses act crazy. For the past seven years, we've continued the neighing tradition. Brian and I do it far more often than the kids....our neighing is usually met with a "Ma-ohm" or a kick to our seat. It has to be a really amazing light display for the kids to neigh.

Last night I was driving a friend home and passed a brightly lit house. Yep. I started to Neigh and quickly caught myself and turned it into a throat clear.

Saturday, November 28, 2009

It's a Holly Jolly Season...


This evening Kate and I went to our small downtown which just happened to be during the time of the Christmas tree lighting ceremony. (No wonder I couldn't find a parking spot.) Downtown was very festive with lights, decorations, carolers, a horse drawn carriage and Santa arriving via the fire truck. Shops were open late giving out treats and our favorite bakery was handing out yummy chocolate peppermint cake. Kate quickly gobbled hers down, while I savored mine. She asked for a bite and proceeded to take a huge bite, leaving me with just icing and crumbs. I retaliated by shoving the rest of the cake in her face. She was a super sport about it and we had a good laugh. What a fun time with my girl.....she was a pure joy tonight.

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Thanksgiving Dreams....

Here's what I remember from my dreams last night:
1. Peeling potatoes.
2. Mopping the floor.
3. Screaming at the kids and the dogs for tracking in mud.

Fun dreams, eh? I'm willing to bet that my dreams become a reality.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! May your day be filled with good food and good fun, shared with the ones you love.

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Puberty.

Telephone conversation between Brock and one of his friends who had a sleepover and stayed up too late:

Brock: Dude! You've got to take care of yourself. You're going through puberty.

I suppose it's a good thing that Brock isn't embarrassed about puberty. He throws the word around all the time. Like to the waitress, "I'll have the cheeseburger and fries. I'm really hungry. I'm going through puberty."

Friday, November 20, 2009

Have you heard the Good News?

When I was a recently married 22 year old, my groom and I moved hundreds of miles away to a small town in Virginia. We were fresh out of college and didn't know anyone. I had a hard time adjusting to life out of college....I didn't have a friend in the town and I was frantically searching for a job. Both things didn't do wonders for my happiness.

One Sunday, Brian and I decided to visit the local Presbyterian Church. It felt good to be around other people and during the part of the service where you "Greet your neighbor", we met a very friendly couple. I briefly talked about how we recently moved to the area and how I was searching for a job. Later that week, we received a phone call from the couple. (I can't remember their names....let's call them Deirdra and Darren.) Deirdra asked if they could come visit us. She mentioned that she had a job prospect for me.

I hung up the phone and was on cloud nine. Visitors! Job?! I scrubbed our apartment from top to bottom. I got out our recently received china. I filled the sugar and cream bowls. I baked brownies. Mountain Dew and Diet Coke were the extent of my caffeine experience so I sent Brian to the grocery store for coffee. We broke out our new coffee pot. I followed the instructions to a T. Everything had to be perfect.

I lit candles. I turned on classical music. I waited for our visitors to arrive.

They arrived. I poured coffee and sliced brownies and made pleasant small talk.

Then Deirdra asked me if I'd heard of Amway? I hadn't. "Oh it's this wonderful company that sells amazing products. You would be a wonderful addition to our sales team." She opened her bag and brought out detergent and cleaning samples.

Even my naive 22 year old self could see through this load of crap. My hopes crashed. I spent how much time and energy preparing for their visit? And now they are asking me to be part of their pyramid scheme?

We curtly ended our visit and ushered them to the door. I was fuming. What right did they have? They must have gotten our contact information off of the "Friendship Registry" at the church. The nerve.

I often think about this story and every time my heart sinks at the blatant deception. But was it deception? Deirdra was very excited to share the "Good News" of Amway to me...she just picked the wrong person to share it with.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Happy 6th (or 42nd) Birthday~



(one week old)




(three months old)



(six years old....getting ready to eat her Birthday Pupcake)

Dear, dear Lucy.....you turn six today. When we brought you home, you were mainly white with one solid black ear. Over your first year, you developed many black spots and grew into a beautiful dog. When I'm out walking you, I'm often stopped and asked what type of dog you are and people always comment on your beauty.

You have a sweet disposition and have become a great big sister to Tupelo. You are kind, gentle and patient. And even though you still don't sleep through the night and you have scratched the crap out of our front door and you get your kicks out of barking at absolutely nothing, I still love you and am glad that you are part of our family.

Happy Birthday little Miss Lulu.

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Caulk and I don't mix.

Get your head out of the gutter....I'm talking about CAULK as in "I re-caulked the bathtub today". Holy mess maker. It didn't matter how careful I was, I couldn't make the caulk look pristine like the professionals do.

Guess I can scratch Professional Caulk Installer off the list of possible future careers.

Story of my life...

I always seem to have such good intentions but lack the follow-thru to complete the idea. Case in point: Last year at the Day-After-Thanksgiving Sale at Macy's I purchased a new shower curtain for the kid's bathroom. The shower curtain completely clashed with the bathroom's paint, but it needed a fresh coat so I purchased it anyway. Fast forward almost 350 days and I am just now getting around to painting the bathroom.

I'm painting it Misty Moor. Any idea on the color of that one? I'll post a picture once I'm finished. Hopefully, that will be before Thanksgiving 2010.

Monday, November 2, 2009

It brings me back...

Nothing smells like childhood for me more than a plastic pumpkin full of candy....there is something about the mixture of Kit Kats and Smarties that makes me feel like I'm ten again.

My adult husband.

Conversation from yesterday:

Brian: I'm not telling you this for you to be appreciative, I'm just telling you this because I think I'm actually growing up.

Keep in mind he's 36.

Me: What did you do?

Brian: I saw there was no toilet paper in the bathroom and I changed the roll. I even threw the cardboard tube away. I used to never do that....but I'm trying to be more responsible.

Me: Aww...come here and let me give you a hug.

Seriously, that's big news in our house. I can now cross that job off my list.

**********************************************
Safety Message:

When you are walking down the stairs, it isn't a good idea to check Football Scores on your phone. You loose perspective and can end up missing a few of the stairs and land funny on your foot. Poor guy. He really hurt himself. That didn't stop him from carrying down all of the deck furniture to the basement though. He's just that tough!

Saturday, October 31, 2009

My internal clock.

Why o' why sleep gods? Why do I find it so extremely difficult to get up Monday-Friday when my alarm goes off at 6:15 am. Then, when Saturday rolls around and I could sleep until 8 am....I'm wide awake and stewing at 6:00. It. Does. Not. Make. Sense.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

The Sixties, Eighties...


It's happened. I've become officially old.

This summer Kate and I had a fun time playing on the "Mad Men Yourself" website, where you could choose a variety of styles from the 60's.

Here's our conversation from yesterday:

Kate: Mom, can you show me how to go on that 80's website?
Me: What 80's website are you talking about?
Kate: You know....the one where you can choose hairstyles and clothing. Remember how we made a bunch of styles?
Me: 80's?? That's not the 80's, that's the 60's.
Kate: The 60's, 80's, whatever...it's just old.

UGH! The 60's and the 80's are not the same. I grew up in the 80's and wasn't alive in the 60's. The 80's were filled with Madonna, zipper Guess jeans, The Limited, big bangs, and Rob Lowe.

How could she possibly confuse the two?

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Cue the locust....

Last night I was sharing an episode of This American Life with Brian. I had listened to it earlier in the day and couldn't get the story out of my mind. It was about a church in Dallas that puts on a Haunted House every Halloween. Except instead of goblins and chainsaw killers, it's filled with "horror" rooms of teenage actors.... girls having abortions, gay teens dying of AIDS, a Columbine-like school shooting, etc. Truly sick in my opinion. And what is even sicker is the fact it's sponsored by the church and that THOUSANDS of people attend each year. You can learn more about it here: www.thisamericanlife.org Click on the link called "Devil on my shoulder". There was also a documentary made about the haunted house. You can find more info at hellhousemovie.com
After listening again to the episode I was thinking "What does God think of this? Is He as appalled as me?" Just then the brightest bolt of lightening lit up the sky followed by a clap of thunder that shook the house. Was God agreeing with me? Or disagreeing? And just when I thought it couldn't get any more Old Testament like, the roof was pelted by what sounded like locust, but turned out to be gum-ball sized hail.

We raced outside to watch the hail show. I half expected to see Charles Heston standing in our driveway, holding up rock tablets. That would have been very fitting. Or a burning bush.

Friday, October 23, 2009

Peace out.



We went costume shopping yesterday. We headed into a temporary Halloween store that was filthy, dimly lit and pricey. Kate found a hippy costume for the low low price of $39.99. It consisted of a thin polyester dress and a head band. That's it. Probably cost less than one dollar to make. Not only was it hideous, but I could not bring myself to pay for it. In tears, I drug Kate into the new Goodwill shop that just opened and we found a much cuter dress that is nicely made from thick material and a low price of $7.97.

As we were driving home Kate said, "This Goodwill dress is much nicer and plus the money goes to people who need help. " Cue Hallelujah Chorus. Plus, I told her, it's very hippy to wear used clothing, not plastic, "made-in-China" clothing. She's a much more authentic hippy.

Have a Smiley Face Day!

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Sweet Dreams.


This morning Brock recalled a dream he had last night. He dreamt that the four of us were on top of the Space Needle and that something scary was about to happen. Just then my (deceased) mom showed up and made everything okay. Brock couldn't remember the details, but he said we were all happy to see her. From then on, we were to meet her everyday between 2-3 and she would visit us from heaven.

My first reaction was to be envious of Brock. In the 30 years since my mom has died, I can only recall one or two dreams. And I barely recall them. I just have feelings about them but remember nothing specific.

But how cool for Brock? Regardless of what or how you believe, he had a cool dream that left an impact on him and made him happy and put joy in his heart. He felt empowered, protected and loved.

Sunday, October 18, 2009

'tis the season of flu....



We were at a party last night and this cracked me up. Subtle, eh? Although I did use a squirt, I had to ask, is this a glimpse of our future?

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Fresh and clean pearly whites.


I just returned from the dentist. The older I have gotten, the more I dread going to the dentist. I am lucky that I haven't had any teeth or gum problems....but I still get nervous while reclining in the chair. You'd think that with all of the technological advances in the dental industry that they would find a replacement for the gnarly pick hook thing that scrapes your teeth. The sound and feeling of it cleaning my teeth makes me want to jump out of the chair and say "You can keep your free toothbrush, I'm outta here."

Plus, it doesn't help that I hadn't flossed much since the last dentist appointment. I can actually tell you how often I've flossed. Once. This morning right before the appointment. Do you think they can tell?

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Out of my control.

I am a planner and efficient person. I try to make the most out of my time and try to not waste. For example, if I'm walking up the stairs, I carry up the laundry, so to not waste a trip. I beat myself up if I am inefficient.

It has been raining a lot lately and the dogs hadn't been walked in two days. Late this morning, the clouds parted and the sun came out. I decided it was now or never for a walk and grabbed the leashes and we were on our way.

About half way through our walk, the sun went away and the mist began. The mist quickly turned into giant rain drops, the kind that bounce off the pavement. Streams were pouring down the hills. This wasn't what I had planned. My initial reaction was to be grumpy about more rain. I realized though it was OUT OF MY CONTROL. This was something I couldn't manipulate. I had to deal. My change of attitude made me feel a freedom that I hadn't felt in awhile. I was free to put my head up and catch rain drops on my tongue. I was free to take my time. The dogs and I were getting soaked and I didn't care. I was having fun and enjoying the refreshing shower that I hadn't planned.

By the time I made it home, my jeans had acted like a sponge and weighed 10 pounds from all of the water. The dogs were filthy. It was now time for me to start to control. I dried the dogs off and put them into their crates....if it was left to them, they would have dried off on the couch. I changed my clothes and put the wet ones in the dryer. I was back to the efficient Erin. The efficient Erin who had tasted a bit of impulsivity and liked it.


(a wet dog that wishes to dry off on the couch)

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Isn't it ironic?


So, I'm trying to turn over a new leaf regarding our finances. I heard about this book and instead of buying it, I checked it out from the library. Then it was due and I couldn't renew it because someone else had a hold on it. I ended up turning it in late, owing over due fees and then decided to buy it. So, it actually cost me more than if I would have bought it in the first place.

I obviously need some help.

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Time to break out the Aretha.

Two postings ago, I lamented on the lack of respect of my children's generation. Tonight I let them both have a sleep-over (because, yes, once again, they don't have school tomorrow), and their combined lack of respect is turning me into a mean mom. You know the kind. The kind of mom that the kids apologize for, once she leaves the room. The "non-fun" mom. The mom where no one wants to hang out at your house kind of mom.

Each pair of kids separately asked me if they could walk to the near by store to buy snacks. Being that it was practically dark out, my response was, "Sorry, not tonight. Some other time during the day you all can. We have plenty of good snacks here." Each of my children negotiated with me and pleaded. Then their friends chimed in, saying that they have their own money, or they could bring a flashlight, etc. What? Maybe I spoke too fast. Let me slow down and speak up....I said NO!

And the thing is, it's not like any of these four kids are bad kids. In fact, they are really nice, fun kids who just happen to not have that respect gene. Growing up, if Dr. Zucker told me and Fran "No," I didn't sit her down and lay out a list of reasons why she should let us. We dealt with our disappointment and moved on...no hounding, no bartering.

Do you think it would help if I blared some "R-E-S-P-E-C-T"? Probably not. They would roll their eyes and tell (not ask) me to change the song.

Passion.



Every game. Every minute. He plays with such passion and heart that it's amazing to watch. Even when he is supposed to be resting on the bench, he can't help himself. Every cell of his body is fully engaged in the game.



Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Child Rearing in the 2000's

I can't pinpoint the exact moment that child rearing changed from when I was growing up but somewhere along the line parents crossed over to being seen as "friends" and perhaps even "equals". Growing up, if I was bored, I would never have thought to have my parents play with me. Now, my kids look at Brian and me as entertainment. On one hand, my relationship with my kids is fantastic. We are really close and they share a lot with me....on the other hand, we are lacking the "afraid of you" aspect. I don't want my kids to be afraid of me, but I do want them to realize what I say goes. Period. NO ARGUING. NO DEBATING. NO NEGOTIATING.

Not only do my kids do all three bold verbs above, but their friends do it as well. The other day Brock called and wanted to spend the night at a friend's house. I told him that it wouldn't work out because we had plans, he could do it some other time, yadda yadda. He hung up and a few minutes later called back. Except this time it was his friend on the phone trying to convince me to let Brock stay over. What?? Sorry buddy. That is crossing the line.

Maybe to start laying down the law I should insist on being called "Mrs". Maybe that's the problem. Kids these days are too familiar with us.

Either that or I'll have to whip out the hairbrush.

Sunday, September 27, 2009

Mind Boggling.

Does this ever happen to you? You have something on your mind (good or bad) and it seems like everywhere you go, every time you turn on the radio/tv, flip open a magazine, etc., you are reminded of what is on your mind. Is it because you are hyper-aware of the subject, or is the universe trying to get your attention?

Years ago when I had a miscarriage, it seemed like everything I saw or heard was about babies and miscarriages. When I was waiting for the results of my mole removal (on my skin, not my yard), all I saw was references to being "Sun Smart". Right now, I have something on my mind and I can't seem to escape the subject. Again, is it my awareness or something else? So let's do an experiment, if I put a random subject out there, say "Airplane Safety", how often do you come across that topic?

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Nesting.

There must be something in my DNA.....something past down to me from my farmer ancestors. My days have been filled with nesting activities (no, I'm not pregnant). Yesterday I baked an apple pie and sewed. Today I plan on organizing and cleaning. I have a desire to get all my affairs in order before winter is upon us. It has to be my genetic make-up telling me to do these things....because if someone gave me a $500 Nordstrom gift card and said I must use it today, I would have to pass. The canned goods need organizing.

On a different note, just wanted to let you know dear readers that I still cannot stand to pack school lunches. I just finished day 15/180. To make things interesting I play a game called "Ask the Apple". You may remember a grade school game where you twist an apple stem and recite the alphabet. Whatever letter you land on when the stem falls off, is the first initial of the person you will marry. I've taken it to a new level and now ask the apple a question and twist the stem reciting "Yes, No" until the stem falls off. A magic eight ball sort of game. Usually the kids want to ask questions like "Will Brock be a professional soccer player?" or "Will Kate get a horse?" I am going to start to ask it questions that I will be able to quickly prove like: "Will Tupelo poop on our morning walk?" or "Will the mail come before noon?" Based on my research and how accurate the apple proves to be, I plan on extending it's fortune telling abilities to bigger life issues. Stay tuned. The apple may reveal the answers to life's secrets.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Operation Mango: Success


As my husband and I were headed up to bed on Monday night, there were loud hamster wheel noises coming from Brock's room. Brian went in to take out Mango's wheel for the night. Apparently, he not only took out the wheel, he took out Mango as well. Unfortunately, this mistake was not discovered for approximately 18 hours.

Tuesday afternoon, Brock went up to is room and discovered Mango was missing. The search began. We looked under every bed, couch, dresser, etc. We couldn't find Mango but I did find five years of dust accumulation.

Brian came home and helped us search and around 7pm Mango was found scared, yet safe, in my closet. It's a wonder the cats hadn't found him first.

Talk about needing therapy. Can you imagine the reaction if we found a gutted Mango?

Friday, September 18, 2009

Invention Idea

Why oh why is dog poop the exact same color as wet leaves and pine cones? If I had a bucket of money to invest, I would invent a food additive that turns dog poop neon orange. Nothing like going out to pick up doggie-do, only to end ankle deep in the crap...

Speaking of the lovely time I had this morning, I was fortunate to also scrape up a freshly gutted rat carcass thanks to my cats.

Pets. They are gifts that keep on giving.

Thursday, September 17, 2009

The last fruits of our labor.





A generous local woman allowed her pasture to be turned into pea patches. Kate and I had wanted to try gardening for ages, but since we live in the deep shade, the only thing we can grow is moss. We jumped at the chance to grow in full sun. Some of our neighbors at the pea patch took amazing plots and grew literally everything under the sun. Kate and I stayed small and grew some lettuce, squash, carrots and flowers.

We went by the garden today for our final harvest. Our pickings were slim, but the Zinnias were abundant. Their colors put a smile on my face and I decided to make some bouquets for friends. I was happily trimming the flowers when my finger brushed against a hard lump under the biggest Zinnia. My heart dropped when I turned the flower over to see a spider with the body the size of a quarter. Using a surprisingly level-head, I figured it wasn't the spider's fault that s/he was picked along with the flower. I took the flower outside and with a stick flicked the spider into the woods. Hopefully that will bring good spider-karma to me and my family. (Plus, the thought of squishing it made me squirm.)

Enjoy your virtual bouquets!

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

A new leaf.

I have been extra-super grumpy lately. I have also felt extra-super unappreciated by my family. It has dawned on me that for the past 11 years, I have done 95% of all house-related chores. Now, don't get me wrong, I love being an "at-home" mom, but sometimes being an "at-home" mom can be as rewarding as a professional sand castle builder. They build beautiful masterpieces, only to have the tide wash them away. That is how I feel when I mop the floor and then the dogs track in mud, or when I do all the laundry, only to have the hampers full in two days, or when I stock the pantry, only to have no food by the end of the week. The endless cycle.

Yesterday, I went up to Brock's room to collect his dirty laundry. I don't know what made me check, but I pulled back his big over-stuffed chair from the corner. Viola! I found all of the dirty socks that had been missing, crumpled up papers, broken bits of toys, wrappers, etc. This had become his dumping ground. Apparently, when I asked him to clean up his room, this was the quick and easy way to clean it. My temper began to boil. I grabbed all of the dirty socks, started a load of wash and then did my all-time favorite chore of cleaning the bathroom. As you may recall from awhile back I wrote about the disgusting doings with the toilet brush (see earlier post on June 1st). The offender hadn't offended lately, so I nonchalantly grabbed the toilet brush. Imagine my disgust to have a wet clump of toilet paper fly off the brush and strike my foot. Gross! Obviously the offender had returned. Where before I was angry, now I was down-right livid.

I marched up to the shower (to of course scrub my feet) and began to compose a letter to my family in my head. I started out mean and accusing but then realized that probably wasn't the way to handle the situation. Once my temper lessened, I typed a letter to my family asking them for help and to support me while I venture out to try different interests besides toilet cleaning. With that, I left the letter on the counter and attended a Writer's Workshop.

At the workshop I felt energized and engaged. In the back of my mind though I kept thinking about how my family was handling the letter I had left.

When I returned home, this is what I found:






(click on the pictures to see a bigger image)

Yes, I realize Brock needs a refresher course on capitalization and punctuation, but their messages were sweet and from the heart. They made my heart soar.

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

And so it begins.


Another school year is upon us. Hard to believe that the summer is over. I feel like it just started.....

Kate is thrilled about her teacher and her classmates. She's in a good place and is very happy. However, I need to get over my distaste of her boot choice. When did I become that adult who doesn't understand current fashions and trends? Guess I'll pull up my elastic-waist jeans and fasten my velcro black tennis shoes and embrace my oldness.

Brock had such a train wreck of a year last year. The summer was sweet and joyous and it's hard to think about another school year. Just like if you had been in a true train wreck, you'd be nervous to board another train....he was nervous about another school year. KNOCK ON WOOD!!! Things seemed to go well today. We'll just take it one day at a time and hope for the best. (Could I sound anymore cliched?)

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

A hiatus.


We're back....we've spent the past twelve days in St. Louis visiting Brian's side of the family. We had a great time and I'll post some more pictures when I'm not entirely brain-dead.

I say that because I am on St. Louis time and even though I didn't get to bed until after 1:30 am, I was wide awake and planning my shopping list in my head by 5:30 am. I got up and went to the store. I was that annoying person in front of you at the check out stand, doing a week's worth of shopping when you only needed a gallon of milk and a dozen do-nuts.

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

HOT.




Man it is hot outside.....and it's causing me to loose my patience. Yesterday I wanted to go on an outing with the kids. I had been out of town and had really missed them. I had it in my mind that we should go on an adventure to a beach where we hadn't been....have some quality mom-sibling time.

I think we fought/made up/fought again/discussed our feelings/fought/did the silent treatment/made up the entire hour drive it took to get to the beach.

Once we arrived though, we immediately forgot our problems and relished in the cool water and nice breezes. There were a bunch of little jellyfish (at least that's what I think they were) in the water. They were beautiful and so graceful to watch swim. The kids had fun catching them and I was even brave enough to hold one.

The day was capped off with a swirl-soft serve ice cream at the little shack by the beach. A perfect ending to our beach trip. Luckily, the drive home was uneventful and we rocked out to the radio and sang all the way home.

Today was even hotter than yesterday. This hot weather makes me feel all out of sorts and restless. I'm ready for us to get back to highs in the 80's, not the 100's.

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

A Happy Day.



A day with no iPods, video games, TV, fighting or begging me for a play-date. A day with just your sibling, enjoying each other's company and catching frogs. Being kids. Running with a spring in your step when you see a frog hop in the brush. Admiring the frog's beauty. Sharing an experience. This is the type of summer day that I hope my kids will remember.

I don't remember how old I was when I began to see my brothers as not annoying pests, but as wonderful friends. I think I was pretty old before I figured that one out. My wish for my children is that they begin to treasure each other NOW. Stop the bickering and competitiveness. Realize how much you care for each other....because if you wait too long, you may be miles apart before you figure it out.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

A taste of summer.



Ahh.....fresh strawberries, picked only this morning. Juicy, red and sweet. Best straight out of the box, while still warm from the sun. They are only available for about two weeks a year. We bought them at the farmstand and came home and made a pie. I saw a recipe in the newspaper that I wanted to try. It was easy an delicious! Here's the recipe:

Strawberry Icebox Pie

10 graham crackers (2 1/2-by-5 inches)

1 cup sugar, divided

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup unsweetened cranberry juice

2 quarts strawberries, hulled and thinly sliced (a few whole berries reserved for garnish)

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup heavy cream

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor, blend graham crackers with 2 tablespoons sugar until finely ground; add butter and pulse until crumbs are moistened. Press mixture into the bottom and up the side of a 9-inch pie plate. Bake until crust is lightly browned, about 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

2. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, combine 3/4 cup sugar, cranberry juice, 2 cups strawberries, cornstarch and salt. Using a potato masher, gently mash strawberries. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring frequently, until very thick, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Stir in remaining strawberries. Pour into cooled pie crust. Refrigerate until set, at least 4 hours (or up to 1 day).

3. In a large bowl, beat cream until soft peaks form. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons sugar over cream and continue to beat until soft peaks return (do not overbeat). Spread whipped cream over pie, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border around edge. Garnish with whole berries.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

School's Out for Summer





All day long I've had that song running through my head. I don't particularly like the song, nor do I know any other words than the title.....but it's summer!

Kate and I have lovely tradition of blowing each other kisses once she boards the bus. I don't know how much longer she will partake in it, but it warms my heart every day. Right now she's not embarrassed or ashamed of me and she will blow and catch kisses all the way until I'm out of sight.

I promised Brock and his friends that I would treat them to ice cream. As I was backing the car out of the driveway, we heard the most terrible, gut wrenching sound. I had backed over Tupelo, our six month old puppy. I don't think I actually ran over him, at least I didn't feel anything.....and he's acting okay. His screech is still ringing in my ears. He's walking fine....but he's definitely more mellow than earlier. Maybe I scared the crap out of him, like he did me! I plan on spoiling him tonight with lots of good tummy rubs and as a special treat, he can cuddle on the couch.

Monday, June 1, 2009

An open letter to the person(s) using my toilet


Dear Toilet User,

I don't know who you are because I have asked each member of my family and they claim: "It's not me!" My guess is that you wait until we are all asleep and then come inside and use our guest bathroom. That's clearly the only explanation to my dilemma.

So who ever you are, please make note that the toilet brush is NOT a plunger. I repeat, IT IS NOT A PLUNGER. I can't tell you how disgusting it is to go and clean the bathroom, only to find left over waste on the toilet brush. I shouldn't need to clean the brush before I clean the toilet. Gag!

If this problem doesn't soon get remedied, I will have no choice but to issue bathroom passes with inspections following each use.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
Erin

Summer time, and the livings easy


An undisclosed amount of cash later, and the 1976 Jeep is back on the road....here's a shot from a ride. The weather has been picture perfect for days, which is rare for here in early summer.

The kids still have a bit of school left. I'm ready to put this school year to bed and enjoy the summer with the kids. Kate has a paper chain ring counting down the days left of school. I have a paper chain ring counting down how many more school lunches I have to pack. Have I mentioned that my kids NEVER EVER want to purchase lunch? They prefer for their mom to wake at the crack of dawn to prepare their wholesome meal....and of course they each want different things for their lunch which makes preparing them that much more difficult.

Thursday, May 21, 2009

He did it!

Hallelujah! He made the "A" team. I was on pins and needles and obsessively checked the website every fifteen minutes for updates. Once I saw that his number was posted, I started to shake. WHAT? Shake? I think I was one hundred times more nervous about this than Brock was. I had no idea that as a parent I would take on the kid's nerves. And this is just the tip of the iceberg....what happens when we are waiting for SAT scores, college acceptance letters, marriage proposals and birth announcements? I think I will need to be heavily medicated.

Thanks for all the well wishes!

Monday, May 18, 2009

Eyes on Goal.

My son spent the weekend trying out for select soccer.  I know, I know, why put an 11 year old through such stress?  Well, because soccer has become his life.  It's all he wants to do.  If we would let him, he would like to join a professional soccer team tomorrow.  He practically has a soccer ball with him at all times, he would like to use one as a pillow.

The "soccer bug" has definitely caught him. He played on the "B" team last year and has been training for months in hopes of making the "A" team.  His try outs went well....however every time he would make a good play, I would look over at the evaluators, and their backs would be to my son.  I don't know how accurate of a look they got of him.

Tonight, my daughter said, "Mom, I really hope he makes the Blue Team.  He is such a good player that if there was a team even higher than the Blue Team, like a Green Team, he would make that one."   What a loving sister.

Here's a video that Brian put together of the soccer stud's moves.

For once, I would like the cards to fall in his favor.


Friday, May 15, 2009

Everything old is new again.


We are down to one working hand set for our home telephone.....and now it's on its last leg.  This morning Brian and I were discussing purchasing new phones.  My son over heard the conversation and chimed in:

"You know what would be really cool?" he said as he crossed the kitchen floor to the wall, "If we got one of those phones that hangs on the wall and has a really long cord."  

Yes.  Please bring me back to my childhood when I would be tethered to the wall.  I so miss wrapping the cord around my fingers, over-stretching the cord and having it knot.  

That kind of phone would dramatically cut down on my phone calls.  

As long as we are going retro, we could go back to TVs that you have to PHYSICALLY get up and turn the dial.....and if you missed the station you were looking for, you would have to patiently turn the knob again.  

Oh the good ol' days.  Maybe my son is onto something.  Maybe we need old technology to make a come back in order to make us slow down.

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Home sweet home.


My daughter spent a good deal of Sunday morning sad, crying and upset at the thought of one day leaving us and going out on her own.  She cried and cried.  It was actually sweet at how much she loves all of us and doesn't want things to ever change.  She even cried at the thought of her brother going away to college.

I'm posting this for two reasons.  One, it was a tender, sweet moment.  One I will always remember.  Two, I want to be able to give her proof in about 5 years (in the thick of teenage times) that at one point, she loved us and wanted to be with us.

Friday, May 1, 2009

That's my boy.


My son is playing in the "majors" of Little League.  It is much more intense then in past years.  They are out to win and learn the in's and out's of the game.

Last night my son was on second base and his teammate hit the ball hard and his third base coach waved him to run to third base and then to home.  Well, my son was rounding third base and the opposing team's third baseman was in the way, so my son didn't touch the base.  Half way between third base and home plate, he realized what he had done and turned back to touch third.  He got stuck on third and wasn't able to make it safely home.

His coach asked him what happened and why did he do that and my son's reply was, "I didn't touch the base and I didn't want to cheat."

I swelled with pride.  A win doesn't feel good if you cheated getting there.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Really?


I stopped in my tracks yesterday at the grocery store when I noticed this in the cereal aisle.  Are you kidding me?  Finally someone has invented a product to make my life easier.  Slicing bananas can be so tricky and dangerous....I often have to use a butter knife.

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

The man with a really long fingernail.

Last night before bed, all four of us were hanging out in my son's bedroom.  I picked up a piece of plastic that had fallen off a trophy.  It fit perfectly on my middle finger and it looked like a super long finger nail claw.  No one else had seen it so I said, 

"Have you ever heard the legend about the man with a really long fingernail?"  Both kids eyes got wide and they scooted closer to me.

"Well," I continued, "the story goes that there is a man with no hand, but just a long fingernail that comes out of his arm.  He travels around looking for kids with really soft skin.  He doesn't hurt them, he just likes to scratch their skin."  (I was trying to be as tame as possible.  I thought, HEY!  No blood, no guts, no death, perfectly harmless.)

"I heard that on Saturday, he was down south and traveling up this way.  I think he's probably around our neighborhood tonight.  Close your eyes and let's see if he's near."  (Both kids obey me and close their eyes....just about the only time they have followed my directions in the past week.)

I reached over and scratched their face with the plastic toy.  My daughter began to laugh but then it turned into sobs.  

I had to sleep with her last night.  

I was trying to be funny and I ended up scaring them. My husband claims that the way I told the story made it really scary because it was so odd.

Watch out "Clown Killer".  There is a new legend in town...."The Man with the really Long Fingernail".  

Monday, April 20, 2009

An amazing tribute.


Yesterday was the memorial service for the son of one of my closest friends.  It was a wonderful tribute to him.  The service was held in the school gym.  They had set up 550 chairs and when the service began, there was standing room only!

I was asked by my friend to read something that she and her husband wrote about their child.  It was a touching, moving and funny piece.  They captured him really well.

At the closing of the service, they opened up the mike to people who would like to share a story or memory.  Imagine my surprise when my son stood in line to say something.  He shared two sweet stories and delivered his impromtu speech really well.  I had a hard enough time standing up in front of the crowd....I was very proud that my son handled himself so well.

Instead of signing a guest book, they had a bunch of Sharpies, and the attendees signed the Scooby-Doo van.  (The little boy who died loved Scooby-Doo and his artistic mom painted their old van to resemble the Mystery Machine from Scooby-Doo).

All in all, an emotional day, but an amazing outpouring of love.

Monday, April 13, 2009

2009

2009 was going to be fine.

So far, 2009 has been a big wad of slime.


Thursday, April 9, 2009

Together they make a masterpiece.


So, I'm a bit behind.....life has been life and for some reason it's chosen to be in super-over-drive with turbo-injections.  

This is the class art work I "won" at our school's auction.  I just love it.  I had the good fortune of helping out in the classroom when they worked on the project.  Each child was give a square of "Starry Night" and then asked to reproduce it on a different piece of paper.  I walked around the classroom that day wondering how in the world it would ever turn out.....but it is just breath-taking beautiful.  It reminds me that when we stand alone we can be ordinary, but together we can be a work of art.  

Monday, March 16, 2009

Putting me in my place.

Last night my 11 year old got in trouble.  Let's just say it involved a can of "Insta-Poo" and the driveway.  Anyway, after he had been read the riot act, I told him to go spend some time in his room.  On his way up to his room, I said, "Come here and put out your arms."  I then filled them with freshly clean clothes for him to put away.

My daughter had watched the whole interaction and said, "Mom, if I was him, I would have expected a hug when you asked him to put out his arms."  That broke my heart on so many levels. First of all, she was exactly right.  I should have hugged him and it did sound like I was going to hug him.  Second of all, I was so proud of her for sticking up for her brother.   She put me in my place and  I am so glad she did.  A round of hugs all around!

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Time keeps on slipping, slipping, slipping, into the future...

I don't know what my deal is.  I used to be so on top of things.  Lately I have been so passive and I've let things slip away.  Take my kids' birthdays for instance.....they have yet to write thank you notes and my son's was six weeks ago.  I'm sure my parents check the mail daily for his thank you....but when the kid can hardly complete his homework on time, how are you supposed to have him write a letter?

I cleaned out a kitchen drawer today.  The dreaded tupperware drawer.  I bet it's been over a year since I tackled that one.  Before I started, I could hardly close it.  It was overflowing with lids. Guess what?  Out of all the tops and bottoms, I only found six matching pairs.  The rest went into the recycling.  It probably took me 10 minutes, at the most, to clean it out.  I haven't been able to find 10 minutes in the past year?

I never got around to putting away my summer shoes this winter.  I've just piled my winter ones on top of them.  Guess it doesn't make sense for me to switch them now in March.....  

Stuff like this drives me crazy, yet it's so overwhelming that I don't know where to begin.

Don't even get me started in our basement crawl space or garage.  Both spaces are very useable when they aren't filled to the sides.  I actually called the dump today to see how much it costs to rent a dumpster for a week.  I think that is where all of this crap is headed.  (That is if it can't be recycled or donated.)  UGGGHHHH!

Monday, February 23, 2009

A different type of rain.

On Saturday morning, both my son and Tupelo woke up at the same time.

Me:  "Hurry and take Tupelo out to go potty."
Son:  "I have to go to the bathroom too."
Me:  "You can hold it.  You're potty trained and he isn't."

About five minutes pass and then my son and Tupelo walk through the door.

Me:  "Why is Tupelo all wet?  Is it raining?"
Son:  "Well, I really had to go to the bathroom so I started peeing in the woods.  Tupelo walked under my pee.  I couldn't stop.  It must have felt warm to him because he kept standing there."

WHAT??  Do boys not have Kegel muscles?  

Tupelo received a very intensive bath that morning.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Why oh why did you bring that home?



The cats are not happy.  They sneak downstairs while Tupelo is asleep.  This is the closest that Obi will get to him.  Lili hasn't said hello at all.  I must remember to speak to her about her manners.

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Puppy Love



With two cats, one dog, two guinea pigs, one hamster and two newts, our family still didn't seem complete.  We adopted a puppy today.  He's nine weeks old and is a mutt.  His mom was a golden retriever and his dad was a chocolate lab/dalmatian.  Our little guy is almost all black, with a little white patch on his chest.  He is so sweet and is sleeping by my feet right now.  He is making funny snorting sounds.  Lucy (our first dog) has been wonderful with him.  The pup follows her around and gives her kisses.

We don't have a name yet.  I really want to name him Cash because he's dressed all in black and he was a Cash 'n Carry pup.

Here's to more sleepless nights.  I'm hoping he's a better puppy than Lucy.  With her, it was worse than having a new born.

Saturday, February 7, 2009

Sweet thought.



Daughter:  "Mom, do you know what I was just thinking?"

Me:  "No, what?"

Daughter:  "I was thinking that you were the first person to ever touch me and you were the first person I ever touched."

Friday, February 6, 2009

Come on down!


My Grandma Ruth would be so proud of me.  I have turned my kids into "The Price is Right" junkies. 

Because the show is on during school hours, they hadn't seen it much.  It dawned on me that I could record the show on the dvr.  Now, instead of watching "Sponge Bob" or "Drake and Josh", the show of choice is "The Price is Right".  

One of my favorite childhood places was my Grandma Ruth's condo.  There was always a supply of oatmeal cookies stashed in the freezer.  An indoor pool.   Naked pens that my brothers and I would  search for in the pen pot.  Quarters for the soda machine (although in Omaha it's called "Pop Machine").  

On my visits she taught me how to play gin rummy.  She'd take me to Marshall's and let me pick something out.  We'd go to the Baker's Grocery Store's Restaurant where we'd place our order using table top phones.   She'd buy me Circus Peanuts and Burnt Peanuts (two candies that I still enjoy).  She'd let me stay up and watch "The Love Boat", followed by "Fantasy Island".  She'd feed me chocolate cake for breakfast because "It has milk and eggs in it!"  And every weekday morning, we'd watch "The Price is Right".  Now when I hear the opening of the show, I feel a touch of sadness and it makes me miss my Grandma.

Usually, I watch the show with my kids.  I've explained to them why often the last bid on contestant row is $1.  They know my favorite games are the Cliffhanger (yodeler) and Plink-o.  They have yet to see a Showcase Showdown when the winner wins both showcases. 

When I'm not able to watch it with them, they often call me in to see the car or the juke box or the jet ski someone won.  They love to guess how much products are.  They laugh when someone's spin doesn't go all the way around.

Oh how I wish had exposed them to this when Bob Barker still hosted.  And oh how I wish they could have watched it with Grandma Ruth.

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Our Gus Tree


Our cat, Gus, disappeared almost four years ago, around Valentine's Day.  We never found out what happened...maybe a car or coyote.  We planted a Cherry Tree in his honor and it always brings back sweet memories of Gus because it blooms this time of year.  The tree is scrawny but produces some beautiful flowers.  I think if we ever move, we might have to dig it up the tree  and take it with us.







Here's a picture of Gus eating cereal with the kids.  He loved Froot-Loops, yogurt and bagels. Of course, that was back when I didn't know any better and allowed my kids to eat Froot-Loops.  Now, he would have to eat Puffins or Go-Lean.