FEAST DAY AT LITTLE SCHOOL!

Yesterday was the day of our annual Feast at Little School. It is such a fun day for the children. They get to dress up as Native Americans and all of us teachers dress like Pilgrims. Well, not really. We wear black pants and white blouses so we really resemble your basic restaurant server-type, but we tell the children we are the Pilgrims and since they're 4- and 5-year-olds they pretty much don't know the difference. It works for us so why change?


But anyway, we move all of our little tables and chairs into fellowship hall and set them up with colorful placemats, tiny plates, spoons and tiny plastic cups. It's so cute.

We are all in our classrooms for the first hour of school. During that time we do our usual opening circle times and then each class gets to whip up a culinary delight to be served at the Feast. The 5-year-old class makes mashed potatoes (instant of course, but you have to start somewhere), and the 4-year-old classes prepare the batter for Mrs. Dikeman to make the corn cakes (Jiffy corn muffin mix but again, you have to start small) and all the classes make their own butter to use on the corn cakes. It's amazing what a clean plastic peanut butter jar, some heavy whipping cream and a marble can do! You should try it sometime, it's delicious and fun. They also get some time to play with some special Native American themed items which is a lot of fun for them.




Once it is time for the Feast, all the children put on the necklaces and headbands they made then they head out on a little "hunt." They aren't really hunting anything but they"re very quiet in the hallway as they are looking for deer. All the classes gather together in fellowship hall and Mrs. Dikeman tells them a little about our history and how we celebrate Thanksgiving to honor God and to thank him for all the blessings we receive from him. She also teaches them a little bit about Squanto and how he and his people helped the Pilgrims learn to farm and hunt and fish, as well as a little about the homes the Pilgrims built and the longhouses that the Indians in our area lived in. They also get a mini nutrition lesson when Mrs. Dikeman holds up various fall vegetables and asks them to help her identify them. This year we also taught them a little song about an Indian who is hunting for deer.

On the menu this year: roasted turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, raw carrots, dressing, and corn cakes & butter. We've tried serving pumpkin fluff and applesauce in the past but found that the children just really didn't eat it. One thing that is certain though is that every year the unanimous favorite Feast food is CORN CAKES. The children can't ever get enough of them!

Oh yeah, we had special visitors this year too. One of the little girls in our morning session has am uncle who trains bird dogs so she and her dad brought in a couple of live pheasants and a couple of live quail for the children to see and learn a little bit about. That was pretty cool although I had forgotten my camera so I didn't get a picture. Pheasants make a pretty strange sound. It actually sounds like someone with a dry cough. I thought it was kinda weird but I learned something new which was kinda cool.

A bit of a sad note, this will be my last time to have a child of my own at Little School on Feast Day. I will always enjoy the Feast, but it will never be as special as it has been for the past 8 years. I have gotten great joy out of watching all my children have fun at their Feasts and I will miss that.

HALLOWEEN 2008

Really quick - just a few photos I took of the kiddos this Halloween:

Caitlyn - Pirate Princess

Claire - Bumblebee

Garrett - Knight in Shining Armor

Aaron & Caitlyn - Pirates

What a bunch of Q-tees

We met our posse at the Longshores again this year and trick-or-treated in beautiful downtown Green Acres ;) Mike hooked the hay wagon up to the 4-wheeler and loaded it up with all the little cuties. Then our very own Sarah Palin drove them around so they could trick-or-treat without getting sore feet and tired legs. It was rough, let me tell ya - lol! The older girls, Caitlyn and Sam and Claire and Abby kind of went out on their own this year so in reality, we have absolutely no idea what they did but, oh well. They didn't disappear or eat any poisoned candy so it all worked out fine. After trick-or-treating we all met back at Mike and Connie's for some delicious chili and all sorts of other yummy foods. Loved that Halloween was on Friday this year so no one had to hurry home. We ate, we sat around and talked and we laughed A LOT. It was a super fun time with our friends. How many kids were there you ask? I don't actually know... I lost count somewhere around 25 or so. ;)

FALL SPORTS

Well the freshman volleyball season is finally over. Unfortunately, it wasn't a very impressive season for a bunch of girls who have been playing together for 4 years and were the County Champions the past 2 years and the City-County Champions last year. Not too sure what happened to them this year but they kind of fell apart. Don't get me wrong, when they were having a good night, they were fabulous. But when they were having a bad night, they were completely terrible. It was sad to see them playing so inconsistently this year.

We can't really complain about Caitlyn's individual season. She really only played one bad game. I don't have her stats yet, but I am hoping to get them from the coach soon. She really did have a very good individual season overall. Caitlyn has decided she wants to play volleyball for Butler University. In order for that to happen she is going to have to get a volleyball scholarship which also means that, although she is a good player, she is really going to have to step up her game. She is not amazing and in order to get a scholarship to play volleyball at Butler she is going to have to be amazing. That means volleyball camp at Butler or Purdue FOR SURE every summer until she graduates. And even if she doesn't get a scholarship from Butler, maybe she'll get one somewhere else. There are a lot of good schools in Indiana. We'll just have to wait and see.

So most of our time for the past 3 months has been taken up with volleyball practices, games and tourneys. The rest of our time for the past 3 months has been taken up with high school football: Northwestern and Western football. We attended all of Northwestern's home games except two which happened to be on the same nights that Western had home football games. We have always attended some Western football games since Keith has been working there for the past 15 years, but this year we have attended all of their home games and some of their away games. Yes, this year Caitlyn has a boyfriend that plays football for Western and she would rather go to his games than the Northwestern games. SO glad we bought all-sports passes for all of us for Northwestern. I'm thinking we should have bought them for Western instead. :/ Fortunately, Aaron doesn't play basketball so we can at least make all the Northwestern basketball games. And football is almost over. Sectionals start this week. Hopefully, Western will advance past Friday. They have a very good team this year so it's possible. For the record, Northwestern's football team sucked so we didn't really miss anything. :(

GOODBYE, GRANNY

My Granny passed away Tuesday morning. It has hit me harder than I thought it would. I mean, I knew it would affect me like Papaw's passing did, but I didn't think it would be this much. I lived next door to them practically my whole childhood. I can remember sitting in the rocking chair in their living room some days and not really having conversations, but just BEING with them. Sometimes we would all three just read. It sounds kind of weird I suppose, but for me it was comforting just to be there with them.

So anyway, I have been pretty emotional the past three days. The girls and I went to see her Monday evening and we knew then that she wasn't going to be with us much longer. I regret that I didn't go see her a couple of days earlier when she was still somewhat responsive. I told her I loved her and I hope that on some level of consciousness she heard me. Who knows though? She had a fever of 105 degrees and had been given morphine so it's probably unlikely that she even knew we were there.

I don't know. What I do know is that she took care of me when I was little and throughout my high school and college years and I will miss her.

WASHINGTON, DC

I know this post is long overdue since it's been a few weeks now that we returned from our trip to DC. I can honestly say it was an amazing trip and everyone should visit our Nation's capital sometime during their lifetime. We spent 3 whole days in DC and every single one of them was jam-packed with activity. We started our days at 6 a.m. and typically didn't end up back at the 4-H Conference Center until 9:30 p.m. It was hot and humid and it felt like we walked a hundred miles (we didn't always look or smell real great either), but it was worth it. The city is amazing in so many ways. So let's see if I can just give you a few highlights:

• We saw every monument/memorial in the city I'm pretty sure - even some we didn't know existed prior to going (the new Air Force Memorial for instance, which was really cool)
• Food courts seem to be very popular
• The Smithsonians are amazing - and FREE!
• Arlington National Cemetery is WAY bigger than I ever imagined (and I'm certain it's all UPHILL - if you go there, pay the $15 and take the shuttle)
• The changing of the guard at Arlington is a must-see
• Schedule a tour of the National Cathedral. I've never seen anything like it - incredible!
• We were nearly run over by the Secret Service speeding out of the drive of the Capital Building. We never did find out what was going on but there were fire trucks, ambulances and several huge black suburbans involved.
• Favorite memorials: Korean War Memorial and Iwo Jima (be sure to count how many HANDS are in that memorial)
• Mount Vernon was interesting, but I was a little disappointed in it.
• There are tons of homeless people, but you don't notice them too much unless you are out very early and they are still "camping out" in the parks, or until early evening when they start to stake their claims on park benches (or you see them literally eating from the garbage cans in the parks - very disturbing)
• Everything about the Capital Building is awesome - the magnitude of the building itself, the architecture, the ornateness of the ceilings, the inner-workings, the underground tunnel and train... it was my favorite building of all and I would love to be able to explore it more fully and without all those dang tourists.
• Saw the original Declaration of Independence, Constitution and Bill of Rights
• Saw the Hope diamond which was pretty impressive
  

There is so much I could say about this trip, but it would take too much space. I took about 300 photos. I'm not sure how many Caitlyn took. This is an experience I am glad I had and glad my daughter had. I don't think the kids will really fully appreciate the trip though until they are much older. I think maturity and life experience are the keys to really "getting" a trip to DC.

This is one of my favorite photos from our trip. The whole city is very massive - lots of limestone and marble so most of the buildings are grayish/brownish/white. But this was one area (a relatively small area) where the landscape was very different. This was on our walk to the Smithsonian Castle. This is such a stark contrast to the rest of the surroundings. It's very serene and beautiful. And notice there is no congestion. That struck me as odd since it was the prettiest spot in the whole city.

IT"S ALMOST TIME

Caitlyn and I leave for D.C. in four days. We're both really looking forward to the trip although we agree we could do without the 12-hour bus ride. But then we can't really complain considering it is costing us $25 for Caitlyn to go on this trip which includes her room and board, tickets, and dinner at Hard Rock Cafe on Thursday evening. Her only other expenses will be 2 meals a day for 5 days, plus whatever "stuff" she brings home. It's a great deal and I'm thankful she is getting this opportunity. As we get closer to the trip, we have a couple of things kind of hanging over us though that concern us. For one, Granny hasn't been well and has suffered some more mini strokes. She is now bedridden and hospice makes daily visits to care for her. That's never a good sign. It is difficult for me to know she's been in this state for so many months now and I am praying nothing else happens while we are out of town. Last Saturday our neighbor, Ed, suffered a massive stroke. He has been hemorrhaging from his brain since then and is not expected to recover from this stroke. We are told it is just a matter of time before he dies. His family has already been making funeral arrangements. This has made our whole family sad since we have lived next door to them for the past 12 years. For many years our kids were the only "grandchildren" they had. We have so enjoyed getting to know them and talking with them and helping them. They are neat people. They are good people and both Keith and I have taken advantage of the wisdom Ed was able to offer us on many different topics - especially about life and faith. We will miss him and we worry about Beverly whose health is also a huge concern. Ed always took care of her. So anyway, Caitlyn and I are saddened by the realization that Ed may pass away while we're gone and we would miss the funeral. We are praying for things to work out differently but we also know God is in control. So for the next few days we will focus on making sure we have everything we need and getting packed. We will be leaving around 6 a.m. on Monday so we'd definitely appreciate prayers for travel mercies as well as a safe overall trip. There will be about 25 teenagers and 10 adults on this trip. For many, it will be a chance of a lifetime to fully experience the rich history of our country.

DARK NIGHT

Keith took Claire and Garrett fishing in the sweltering heat and humidity last night so Caitlyn and I decided to go see a movie. Since Caitlyn's boyfriend went to see Dark Night without her and we've both been wanting to see it, that's where we went. It definitely didn't disappoint. Even though the movie is nearly 3 hours long it didn't feel like we'd sat in the theater nearly that long (except for my bad knee which was totally killing me when we left and the stinky people next to Caitlyn).

Caitlyn and I both liked this movie well enough that we'd see it again today. For her, that's not saying much since she'll watch any movie she likes a thousand times. But for me to say that does mean something. I'm not a person who likes to watch very many movies more than once and if I do there has to be a significant period of time between viewings.

The movie is fast-paced, of course full of violence and action, a little romance, suspense and there was one part that even made me jump in my seat. I won't reveal the details in case you haven't seen the movie.

I've never been a huge Heath Ledger fan, but I have to say he played the role of the Joker fabulously. Funny, at first I thought it'd be a perfect role for Johnny Depp (and I still think he could pull if off well), but Ledger did a remarkable performance. He was able to pull off the freak part with finesse and the character was very believable. And of course, Christian Bale is nice to look at and plays such a great role. I love the personna that has been given to Bruce Wayne in these movies. ;)

So yeah. I definitely recommend seeing this movie but I highly recommend you see the first two Batman movies first so you know what the heck is going on. If nothing else see Batman Begins before seeing Dark Knight.

PROJECT RESULTS

Both girls did really well on their 4-H projects this year. Last night was the Fashion Revue. Caitlyn received a Blue Ribbon with Honors which put her just under Grand Champion and Reserve Champion. Not bad for her first year in the Fashion Revue! Caitlyn didn't finish her photography project because she ran out of time. This summer has been kind of busy. She did receive a Blue Ribbon with Honors as well as Reserve Champion on her Computer Arts project though. :)

This was Claire's first year in "real" 4-H, meaning she was finally able to get out of Mini 4-H. She was going to do a couple of projects this year, but due to our schedules and this being her first year I limited her to just one. She competed in the Make With A Mix division of the Foods category. She had to use a box brownie mix and create her own unique brownie by adding two new ingredients. She added chopped Milky Way bars to the batter and caramel sauce on top. The result was pretty tasty - rich, but tasty! Claire received a Blue Ribbon for her brownies which made her pretty happy. :)

I guess tonight we'll take the kids to the fair to ride rides. Not my favorite thing especially since it's so dang HOT right now. Geez, it's 90 degrees and the humidity is off the charts! But oh, well. At least I won't have to do it again until next year.

FAIR WEEK = FRUSTRATIONS

This is fair week and typically I wouldn't mind it too much but this year I'm annoyed. We aren't going to be too busy this week which is nice. We'll only be at the fair 2 days in fact. Last week was the crazy week with pre-fair judging and Caitlyn having to work two shifts in the concession stand. We had to drive to Greentown and back several times and some days more than once a day. Tuesday Caitlyn is in the Fashion Revue so we'll go to the fairgrounds for that, but then we won't go back again until Thursday. Keith has to work the fair that day so we'll be there from 3 p.m. - 11 p.m. The kids will ride the rides that day and we'll probably spend $150. That's nuts.

What irritates me is that the Sheriff acts like Fair Week is some kind of National holiday or something. He has actually ORDERED people to NOT TAKE ANY DAYS OFF DURING FAIR WEEK. Are you kidding me? Whatever. Keith and I were going to go to the Creation Museum and to King's Island with the youth group from our church this Friday and Saturday, but it looks like I'll be going alone (well, not really alone, but without Keith). We are just now getting to a point where we can do things with the older kids (i.e., Caitlyn) and I was really looking forward to it. I'm still going to go because Caitlyn wants me to go and because if there aren't enough chaperones the trip can't happen. But I'm frustrated that Keith always has to miss out on stuff because of his job. I keep wondering when we'll ever have a normal life. :/

PRODUCTIVITY

It's so quiet here this afternoon. All the kids went to my mom's to swim and Keith is working so I've had the house all to myself since 2:30. Yay me!

At first I thought it would be a great day to take a nap, but I've been doing that a lot lately. I'm not sleeping much during the night these days so, whatever. But after I thought about it some more I decided I really didn't need to succumb to my sluggishness. I didn't feel like scrapping either. I haven't wanted to do that since Cropulation back in May. :( So I decided to do a little more work in the front room. I really need to get it cleared out so we can paint and refinish the wood floor. I'd like that done before school starts. I have actually gotten a lot done in here and I feel good about it. I had to take a break and eat something since that's been an issue for me lately too. It's hard to eat when you constantly feel like you're going to throw up (and no, I'm NOT pregnant). So anyway I thought I'd update my blog to reflect that I am still working toward the goals I set the other day.

I've been able to listen to all the Aerosmith , INXS, Eagles and Journey I wanted today too. So that's been kinda fun. :D

Oh, and I did get all the kids' outgrown summer clothes to the resale shop and/or the Salvation Army. ;)

BIG BLOG CHALLENGE #29: A GOOD EMAIL

Today's challenge is to copy and paste a good email message I've recently received. One of my friends and fellow staff members at Little School sent me this. It actually made me LOL several times and then I realized... yikes! this stuff is sooooo true. :/

YOU might be a school employee if you believe the playground should be equipped with a Ritalin salt lick. YOU might be a school employee if you want to slap the next person who says, 'Must be nice to work 8 to 3:30 and have summers off." YOU might be a school employee if it is difficult to name your own child because there's no name you can come up with that doesn't bring high blood pressure as it is uttered. YOU might be a school employee if you can tell it's a full moon or if it's going to rain, snow, hail... anything!!! Without ever looking outside. YOU might be a school employee if you believe "shallow gene pool" should have its own box on a report card. YOU might be a school employee if you believe that unspeakable evils will befall you if anyone says, "Boy, the kids sure are mellow today." YOU might be a school employee if when out in public, you feel the urge to snap your fingers at children you do not know and correct their behavior. YOU might be a school employee if you have no social life between August and June. YOU might be a school employee if you think people should have a government permit before being allowed to reproduce. YOU might be a school employee if you wonder how some parents MANAGED to reproduce. YOU might be a school employee if you laugh uncontrollably when people refer to the staff room as the "lounge." YOU might be a school employee if you encourage an obnoxious parent to check into charter schools or home schooling and are willing to donate the UHAUL truck should they decided to move out of district. YOU might be a school employee if you think caffeine should be available in intravenous form. YOU might be a school employee if you can't imagine how the ACLU could think that covering your students chair with Velcro and then requiring uniforms made out of the corresponding Velcro could ever be misunderstood by the public. YOU might be a school employee if meeting a child's parent instantly answers this question, "Why is this kid like this?" YOU might be a school employee if you would choose a mammogram over a parent conference. YOU might be a school employee if you think someone should invent antibacterial pencils and crayons...and desks and chairs for that matter! YOU might be a school employee if the words "I have college debt for this?" have ever come out of your mouth. YOU might be a school employee if you know how many days, minutes, and seconds are left in the school year. ENJOY YOUR SUMMER!!!!

NO BETTER TIME THAN THE PRESENT?

Today is the day I start "ridding out." I have been in a serious funk lately. I'm guessing it is less funk and more depression than anything (gotta remember to take those anti-depressants everyday). My house is trashed. My life is complicated. I hate that I'm not enjoying this summer. So I need to pull myself out of this funk before it gets any worse. I've known this for a while, but knowing what I need to do is a whole different thing than actually doing what I need to do.

So today I am making two goals. I figure it's best to start out small that way the chance to succeed is way higher. :p

Goal 1: Take all the kids summer clothes they've outgrown to the resale shop. What they don't take, drop off at Goodwill.

Goal 2: Begin cleaning the clutter from the front room. It's ridiculous. There is so much junk in here I hate to come into the room. It actually makes me nauseous to look at it.

Those are 2 pretty attainable goals really. Especially since the big box of outgrown summer clothes is IN THE FRONT ROOM. Just getting that out and into the van will give me a start on clearing the clutter. :)

I've been told there's no better time than the present so I should get started. I think I'll crank up INXS' Switch album and get busy. I'll have to work on uncomplicating my life a little later. That's going to be a little bit bigger of a job. :(

SOME RANDOM*NESS

I can honestly say I've never been an "obsessive fan" when it comes to Hollywood or the music scene BUT if I were to become one, I would be all about this guy: J.D. Fortune. He is such a hottie.

I've been a huge fan of INXS' music for as long as I can remember, but frankly, no one in the original band was all that good to look at. Don't get me wrong, the original lead singer, Michael Hutchence, (who died in 1997) was an amazing singer and made the band what it was, but he didn't make me go "Ahhhhhh." When the band found J.D. they got the total package. Hot, smart, charismatic, amazing stage presence and yeah, a voice to go with it all. I could listen to this guy sing all day and watch him forever. He's assertive and confident. He's bold. He's opinionated and smart. He's an amazing artist. He is kind. He's got that Bad Boy look (that I've always been a sucker for) with the heart and smile of the boy-next-door. Wow.

So here's my favorite INXS song performed by J.D. before he became the lead singer for INXS. The video quality isn't that good, but I saw this performance on TV and he was... yeah... SMOKIN'

25 OF MY FAVORITE THINGS

So it's the 25th of June and my sweet friend Tiffany at sb.com (the one who challenged me to blog this month) has challenged me to list 25 of my favorite things. So here they are in no particular order:

1. Sunday sermons
2. flip flops
3. the internet
4. creamed spinach (yes, seriously)
5. fresh-squeezed lemonade
6. freshly laundered sheets on my bed
7. sunny, crisp fall days
8. the smell of lavender
9. mint tea (must be a mixture of spearmint & peppermint)
10. the entire Christmas season
11. family vacations/time share condos
12. the color brown (like my son's eyes. and mine.)
13. gathering with friends
14. new pajamas
15. seafood
16. lima beans (yes, seriously)
17. fried green tomatoes
18. a shampoo at the beauty salon
19. spring water (for drinking)
20. scripture
21. being in Keith's arms
22. the laughter of my children
23. car rides in the rain
24. new scrapbooking supplies
25. deep muscle massages

So there's the "short list." I have lots of favorite things. But isn't it interesting that as categories go, my list has lots of things in the FOOD category? Oh well. ; )

3 DOORS DOWN: IT'S NOT MY TME

ALL IN A DAY'S WORK FOR A MOM

It's been a little crazy the past couple of days. All five of us are either helping with or attending VBS at our church this week. As usual, I am the kitchen staff (I have three good Middle School/High School helpers this year), Keith is a group guide for the first time (he has done games in the past), Caitlyn is a group guide for the 4th year and the two younger ones are, of course, attending.

This is an interesting year for Keith. Since it is Garrett's first year of being in an actual group rather than the Toddler Room, Shelly put him in Keith's group along with about 15 other 4-year-old boys. Hehe! Serves him right for always saying how "easy" my job is. He has been more exhausted than me chasing those little boys around, taking someone to the potty every 10 minutes, TRYING to get them to walk in a line (yeah, whatever), and not all want the same songbook. Which is actually quite amusing since none of them CAN READ! ; ) I am loving every minute of his experience.

So in God's great way of reminding us not to take pleasure in the trials of others, He put the idea into Shelly's head that I should make Rice Krispie treats for snack one day this year. Ha! I love eating Rice Krispie treats, but seriously dislike making them. If you've ever made them you know how much trouble it is to stir that sticky, messy mixture and then scrape it into a pan. Well, picture trying to make enough for 170 kids + 35 helpers. For obvious reasons I did not want to make these one batch at a time. I mean, I'd have been there for, I don't know, two days or something. So I decide to alter the recipe and make enough to use 3 family size boxes of Rice Krispies at a time. We have an industrial kitchen in our church with industrial-sized pots and pans so I think to myself how great it will be to make a lot of them at one time and only have to make a few batches. Mmmm-hmmmm. Not the best idea I've ever had. Let's just say that today I found out what it would be like to have to mix fast-hardening concrete by hand. NEVER TRY TO MAKE AN "INDUSTRIAL-SIZED" AMOUNT OF RICE KRISPIE TREATS. Seriously, it's a bad idea. Oh, and did I mention I still had to make 8 pans to have enough? And clean-up was loads of fun. Yeah. We aren't having Rice Krispie treats next year unless someone else is in charge of the kitchen and I'm in Maui. Like I said, God has His way of keeping us humble. (Thanks to all the men who stopped by the kitchen to help me mix, lift those ginormous pots and scrape today! You all have Servants' hearts and I appreciate you!)

So after VBS every single one of my kids wanted to bring a friend home. I couldn't take kids home with us today but I offered to pick them all up and take them to the park since Caitlyn and Luke had made plans to play tennis. I was going there anyway so I figured why not kill two birds with one stone so to speak. As it turned out I had to drive all over the county to pick up these kids. None of them, except Garrett's friend Wesley, lived anywhere near us or each other.

Now here's where it gets fun. We left Luke and Caitlyn at the tennis courts and the younger kids and I made our way to the playground. This park has one slide and it is an old metal one that barely has any sides on it at all. The steps are metal and steep and when you slide down it's like a rocket ship launch - it's FAST! There were 6 swings, a bouncy bench-type thing, and lots of climbing things (not one of our best parks, but it had tennis courts). So guess which thing the kids wanted play on. Yep, that's right, the old metal slide. I wasn't too concerned about the 2 girls, but Garrett and Wes scared me. Those two boys are peas in a pod. Neither one of them has any fear and they are typical rowdy, energetic, stunt-loving boys. Not a good combination. Both of them nearly fell over the side a couple of times and they both catapulted off the end of the slide several times landing flat on their backs or their bellies even though they went down on their bottoms (my rule).

As if that weren't enough my son, who has been the single most stubborn kid to potty train, finally started peeing in a toilet on Saturday. Well, he gets almost to the top of the slide, looks at me and starts to wiggle. I said, "Garrett, do you need to potty?" Of course he did, so I told him to come back down the steps and I'd take help him. The bathroom was clear up by the tennis courts which was a good three minute walk. I knew we didn't have that kind of time so I told him he'd have to pee on a tree. He's never done that and neither have I so it was quite an experience. Needless to say, I learned a lesson today which is: a little boy absolutely cannot pee on a tree without pulling his pants all the way down. I know this because I didn't want to expose Garrett's whole hiney in the middle of downtown Kokomo so I tried to help him pee while just pulling the top of his waistband and the top of his pull-up down just enough to get... well, you know. He peed on his shirt, his shorts, his shoes, my bag, my sleeve, and my feet (which were in flip-flops). I kept trying to get his you-know-what back in his pull-up but couldn't quite do that because he wasn't finished so I wasn't really sure what to do. I just knew I didn't want him to pee on me anymore. I'm sure if it were video-taped it would be hilarious, but at the time it wasn't all that funny. Thankfully there was no one else on the playground. I had put some diaper wipes in my bag though so that was a bonus.

After I got Garrett cleaned up and back over to where Wesley was playing I noticed Wes grabbing himself and I thought, "Oh, no! This isn't even my own child. What will I do?" Wes assured me he did not need to pee, but after about 20 minutes of him walking funny and grabbing himself I told the kids it was time to pack it in for the day. I took all the friends home, took my kids to McDonald's and came home and just sat on my bed for a while to reflect on my day.

It has been exhausting to say the least, but it has also been filled with joy and laughter and beautiful weather. I couldn't ask for a better day than this.

BLOG CHALLENGE #14: FATHER'S DAY

Today is Father's Day and Keith is actually off today - yay! He works most holidays so it's always a blessing when he actually doesn't have to work on a holiday.

father \ˈfä-thər\ (n): a man who has begotten a child
daddy \ˈda-dē\ (n): a diminutive, familiar term for father

So, um, neither the definition for "father" nor the definition for "daddy" is really all that special. That's too bad. It really is. I mean, any man who is capable of reproducing could be a father or, by dictionary definition, even a daddy. So it's too bad that we haven't come up with a term for father that has a deeper, more endearing meaning. I had a father who loved me (and still does as far as I know), but he certainly wasn't the best father. I suppose he was the best father he knew how to be, but he was pretty selfish and very controlling and had/has a host of other issues I absolutely disagree with. In my book he would never qualify for Father of the Year. We've had our ups and downs and while I do love him because he's my father, I don't spend much time with him. Sometimes it makes me sad that I don't have a father that I'm close to and that I truly enjoy spending time with, but I have accepted the fact that, for reasons I will probably never understand, he is the father God gave me and I have an obligation to honor him. I still struggle with what that means, believe me, but I am trying. My father doesn't show any signs of changing so I have adjusted my thoughts, actions and attitudes according to God's commands and, like I said, it's a struggle, but I'm working through it.

Now MY children, on the other hand, do have a wonderful father. Notice I didn't say "perfect." Because he's not. But he is a good father. He is a very good father. He can be overprotective to the point of being obnoxious, he can be quite inflexible at times and very judgmental and sometimes he interrogates our children like he's interrogating a criminal suspect which is simply infuriating. But when it gets right down to it, he is an amazing father. He loves his children with all that he is and works himself half to death to see that they not only have everything they need, but that they have much of what their hearts desire. Not so much that they are superficial or materialistic or that they think the world owes them something, but he likes to see them be able to take advantage of every opportunity they are given if possible. For instance, he makes sure they can play sports if they choose to (and in today's world it costs a small fortune per sport/season), he makes sure there is money for them to attend social events and activities and church camp, there are vacations and trips every year, we go to the movie theater and to restaurants, and they don't have to wear bargain basement clothes (although I do love a good bargain!). In other words, he doesn't just provide for their basic needs which is really all that's required of him. What's amazing to me is that even though Keith works two jobs - he's a full-time Sheriff's Deputy and the school liaison officer for one of our county schools 20 hours a week - and he takes on special assignments and jobs for extra money, he spends TIME with our children and makes memories with them. He takes them fishing and to the movies and on picnics and to the park and to museums. He plays games with them on the floor and reads books to them. When the girls were little he even played doll house and Barbies and dress-up. He wrestles with Garrett and teaches him how to throw the "perfect punch" (I'm secretly hoping Garrett will never need that skill). Keith has taught all three of our children how to cast a fishing line, how to bait a hook and fillet a fish (well, not so much the girls!). He talks with Garrett about anything and everything and even lets him help work on the truck and under the sink. He teaches Garrett how to open doors for girls and to be a gentleman. He takes Garrett to the barbershop, has taken Caitlyn to dinner and dancing and goes putt-putt golfing with Claire. He attends all of their school programs, church programs and sporting events even if he has to show up in uniform. He hugs and kisses all three of them and tells them he loves them every single day. He takes them to church every Sunday morning and helps out with and participates in mid-week children's ministries as often as he can as well as Vacation Bible School. He prays with them and for them. So no, he isn't the perfect father, but he is a darn great one and his daughters and his son know he cares and that they can depend on him. They might not always like his rules or his advice (especially our teenage daughter) or his actions, but they know without a doubt that they are loved. The dad in our family could definitely qualify for Father of the Year.

BLOG CHALLENGE #12: A TREAT FOR MY FAMILY

We are a family of blueberry nuts. We all love them and it doesn't matter if they are raw or part of a fruit salad, blueberry pancakes or whatever. We all just really like blueberries. So this morning I made my family a special treat. I made them our favorite Blueberry Cake. It is a recipe I got from my sister-in-law, Cindi, before Keith and I ever got married. It's quite yummy and very easy to make.

INGREDIENTS:

• 3/4 c. granulated sugar
• 1/4 c. oil
• 1 egg
• 1/2 c. milk
• 2 c. flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 c. blueberries, rinsed, sorted and & well-drained

TOPPING:*

• 1/4 c. butter or margarine
• 1/4 c. sugar
• 1/3 c. flour
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

*Melt butter. Stir in sugar, flour, cinnamon. Crumble over cake batter.

DIRECTIONS FOR CAKE: Cream together sugar, oil & egg. Stir in milk. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt into creamed mixture. Gently fold in blueberries. Spread batter into a greased & floured 9x9 baking dish. Sprinkle with topping. Bake 45-50 minutes at 375 degrees. Serve warm.

BLOG CHALLENGE #11: PIECES OF ME

In follow-up to yesterday's blog: I actually CAN walk today, but I'm pretty sore. ; )


So my challenge today is to write about ME and add a photo of myself. I can do that. I'll try to get a decent photo to post (I'm not very photogenic) and I'll try not to write a book, just the basics - some bits 'n pieces:
*Age: 39
*DOB: April 19th
*Birthplace: Beaufort, SC
*Siblings: three sisters - Casey (deceased), Bethanne (32), Julie (26) & one brother - Michael (6, I think - don't ask). All of my siblings are half-siblings, but I don't consider my sisters half-sisters. We lived together during all of my childhood so basically I had/have the best and worst of both worlds. I am the oldest sibling in one family and an only child in my other family.
*Married to Keith for almost 15 years. Married him 6 months after we met. Still in love!
*Children: Caitlyn (14), Claire (almost 10) & Garrett (4) who you've been introduced to somewhat in previous blog posts.
*Education & employment: B.S. in Political Science & Legal Administration (minors: Spanish & Criminal Justice) from Ball State University, 1991. Paralegal in civil practice for 3 years, paralegal for Howard Co. Drug Task Force and to Chief Deputy Prosecutor for 7 years. Child Development Associate from Ivy Tech Community College, 2003. Employed at First Presbyterian Church Little School (preK) since 2000.
*Sorority/Honor Society Memberships: Sigma Kappa (Gamma Eta Chapter) Social Sorority; Pi Sigma Alpha (Zeta Iota Chapter) Political Science Honor Society
*Pets: none at this time. Used to share our yard with Keith's police dog for 10 years but he is deceased. Not really an animal lover - can live without pets. Don't hate them, but I'm allergic to things with dander plus, I just don't really want any animals to take care of. I've got 3 kids and a husband. That's enough.
*Hobbies & Interests: scrapbooking, taking photos, Internet browsing, blogging, vacationing, cooking, music, shopping, high school sports (watching, not participating obviously)
*Favorite colors: brown & red
*Favorite candy: lifesavers gummies wildberry sours
*Things that bother me/Things I don't like: drivers who don't use turn signals; judgmental attitudes; messy beds; earwigs; potholes; body odor "masked" by perfume/cologne; humidity; racial prejudice; cynicism; being too cold; pets on furniture; rude restaurant servers; selfishness; talking on the phone; vomit & poo - human & animal; beets; most reality TV shows; sea foam green; birds, including chickens; dirty feet; dirty fingernails; whining
*My Book of Me
*Friends who are dear to me: Susan A., Sharon H., Patty (in HI), all the gals I work with - you're the best, and all the Cropulators - you continue to rock my world with your wit, charm and compassion!

Some of you who read this will already know many of these things but I bet there is no one who reads this that will be able to say they knew everything I've revealed about myself.

THE JOURNEY BEGINS

Today was the day that I stopped talking about getting off my butt and moving toward a more active lifestyle and finally did it. I have been planning to start the Couch to 5K running program for about 3 months but have been plagued by such severe back pain that I kept putting it off.

A little background: I ruptured a disk in my back in 2005 and since then have another disk that has herniated. I got another epidural injection last January but the pain has continued to get worse. Last Tuesday I took my newest MRI films and had another appointment with Dr. Macadaeg. He said the disk degeneration is definitely progressing and that he now sees significant arthritis in the L4 and L5 joints (I'm only 39). He injected more meds directly into the joints this time (ouch!) and said if the pain is due to the arthritis I would feel almost immediate relief. No such luck which means that, in Dr. Macadaeg's opinion, I need disk replacement surgery. Bummer.

In light of this I decided my back is going to hurt whether I'm active or not so I started the program this morning. The good news is I didn't have a stroke. The bad news is I felt like I was going to! OMGosh, I haven't even done any walking since last summer and it's been um, like THIRTY YEARS since I've done any running. Wow. Fortunately, the program is an interval program where you walk then run then walk then run. Let's just say I walked then ran then walked then walked then ran... In other words I skipped every other running interval. But then again, considering I've gained 30 lbs. in the past two years, have a jacked-up back and haven't exercised in forever, I don't think I did half bad. Keith says I won't be able to walk tomorrow, but so far I don't feel any serious ill-effects from the workout.

I am using a podcast program I was turned on to by my friend, Julie (senora_x) and I really like it. The music is great, there are verbal prompts that tell you when to switch gears and the time seems to pass quickly (even if you do feel half dead) - no need to look at a watch which helps a lot. I'm hoping this program will really allow me to see my progress which will definitely keep me motivated. I want to lose the weight I've gained, but I have three other goals that are actually more important to me:

• increase my stamina and resistance
• strengthen my heart
• strengthen and tone my body
  

Now if I just happen to lose weight while I'm doing this that would be an added bonus for sure. So I'm just going to take this one day at a time and see where I go. I'm not sure I can work up to running 3 miles in 9 weeks like the program says, but if I am ever running 3 consecutive miles I will consider that a huge accomplishment. In fact, if I ever run 1 mile without stopping or passing out, I will consider myself successful. Did I mention I have always hated running?

SUMMER IS... FRESH-PICKED STRAWBERRIES

One thing my kids and I have in common each summer is our anticipation of fresh strawberries picked from my Mom's strawberry patch. Nothing tastes better than a just-picked-warm-from-the-sun sweet strawberry. It's funny because the kids and I will actually race each other to the patch because, well... finders keepers, losers weepers! When it comes to picking and eating those berries we show no mercy. So yesterday my mom dropped by the house with a huge bowl full of fresh strawberries that had already been cleaned and hulled (yay for Mom!) as well as a fresh lemon pound cake. What a wonderful treat that was. It tasted delicious. But I have to admit that huge bowl of strawberries was empty by 10:00 this morning.

BLOG CHALLENGE #8: PHOTO OF WATER

Although it is nearly summer and I do have numerous photos of the Atlantic Ocean and Lake Michigan, as well as a bazillion photos of my kids playing in pools, indoor water parks, and rain puddles, I am going to post a couple of my favorite Fall water photos. We have so many beautiful State Parks in Indiana and Keith and the kids and I visit them often during the fall. The kids get a 4-day weekend in October as a Fall Break which also typically falls right around Keith's and my wedding anniversary. So we like to take the kids and head to southern Indiana to relax for a few days. The fall foliage is absolutely gorgeous. Of course, everyone else in the state thinks so too so October weekends at the State Parks can be quite crowded.

These first two photos were taken on one of our hikes through Clifty Falls State Park. Clifty Falls is located in Madison, IN. In college I had a sorority sister/housemate/best friend who was from Madison. I used to go home with her some weekends and fell in love with the town and the State Park. Madison is a small but beautiful river town that has a rich history. To view more of my photos from our trip click HERE.


























These next photos were taken at McCormick's Creek State Park. These are from a trip we took in October 2001. We stayed at the Inn at McCormick's Creek this time. It was beautiful. The atmosphere was very homey and we really enjoyed it. As I recall, it was stinking COLD that year. Very atypical for October in Indiana. We had to drive 20 minutes to a Walmart and buy long underwear, gloves, and ear bands so we could even hike. Luckily, I had taken the girls' winter coats. Even though it was cold, the girls had a great time hiking and horseback riding. Funny thing, we were the ONLY ones at the horse stable that weekend and believe me when I say those horses were not too cooperative. Even they thought it was too cold! In fact, the stable hand couldn't coax any of them into allowing riders. The girls ended up having to settle for a pony instead and even that pony had quite an attitude! It was pretty funny. For more photos of this trip click HERE.

BLOG CHALLENGE #7: GREAT SUMMER MEMORY

A couple of years ago we spent the 4th of July weekend with Keith's mom and dad at his sister's house. Keith's dad's birthday is on July 4th so we decided to make a weekend of it and celebrate Dick's birthday and Independence Day. The kids had a blast! Actually, we all did. We spent the weekend swimming, grilling out and playing. We also took the pontoon out to Heritage Lake for a day of cruising to summertime tunes by Kenny Chesney and a little fishing. I mostly just like cruising around on the lake listening to tunes. It was a beautiful day. The highlight was seeing all the boats out on the water after the sun went down. Even though Heritage Lake is a private lake there were at least a hundred boats on the water and it was an amazing site to see them all out there with everyone watching a spectacular display of fireworks (my photos don't begin to do it justice). I think the fireworks show lasted at least 40 minutes. A lot of planning and work went into that display. It was one of the best ones I've ever seen. Memories of times spent with family are the best and I'm lucky to have married into a wonderful family.



A few of the
cool fireworks we saw.




















Garrett totally ejoys
being on the boat.
He likes to think
he's "driving."




Grace & Claire just
enjoyed being together
& waiting for it to get
dark enough for the
fireworks to start.



Caitlyn likes fishing
as long as she's
catching something!

BLOG CHALLENGE #6: SUMMER MENU

From my house to yours... a few of our favorite summer dishes begining with a beverage and ending with sweet treats:

SUMMER FARE FROM THE MYERS' PATIO

Fresh-Squeezed Lemonade
Freshly Brewed Iced Tea
Laura's Famous Muenster Burgers
Cheesy Potatoes on the Grill
Fried Green Tomatoes
Corn on the Cob
Honey Lime Fruit Toss
Grandma Wilson's Mayonnaise Cake

I didn't want to post all the recipes here since it would take up quite a bit of space, but you can find them HERE. If you try any of the recipes, let me know how you liked them (or didn't).