Just Like That

It happened.

I dropped a little girl off at school this morning, and this afternoon a woman sat in the seat my baby girl had occupied just 7 hours before.

Today my 10 (almost 11) year-old daughter entered womanhood. Yep, she started her period.

I'm not shocked. We've suspected this was coming for awhile now with all the other changes she's been experiencing, but it just feels weird. My husband and I were just marveling at our beautiful daughter two nights ago, both of us commenting that she seems to have matured in a hurry. She really is a gorgeous young lady, smart and wise to boot. I'm so proud of her, but I still wanted her to be a little girl for a little longer. I don't think I was ready for this. Not at all.

Camryn's taking it all in stride, as usual. She was a tad weepy when she got into the car. When I asked why she was sad she said, "I'm just not ready for this yet." That makes two of us, dear.

There wasn't much talk on the drive home. With a nosy 7 year-old brother in the back seat there wasn't a lot Camryn could say that didn't get met with a "What? What's that?" from Aiden. She popped in her iPod ear buds, leaned the chair back and said to me, "We'll talk when we get home, 'k?"

Whew.

When we got home, I showed her how to use a maxi-pad and talked about some things to be careful about. She asked some questions and that was that. She recently read a book I bought her called The Care and Keeping of You that is a published by the American Girls series. It was very informative and she learned a lot and asked questions about the things she didn't understand. If you have a girl, I highly recommend the book.

My sweet baby is taking a long, hot bath right now. She has some cramps and such, so told her to go relax. That's what I always did when I had my monthly visitor. Daddy is bringing home flowers for his princess tonight, and we'll most likely go out to eat (though Camryn, hubby and I will be the only ones who know why). We just want her to know how special this is. A pain in the rear most months, but special nonetheless.

And suddenly I feel every one of my 35 years. My baby is a woman.

Wow.

Resolutions

So I was going to tell you yesterday about something that happened on Monday, but rabbits were chased and another blog came out of that and I didn't get to share Monday's event with you.

It's really not earth-shattering. It's just a thing that made me cock my head to the side and say, "Hmmmm.... neat!" I thought I'd share it.

Bear with me while I share a little about our neighborhood, because it is pertinent to my story.....
The neighborhood was built with two separate sides at first, even though the developers had plans to make the two sides part of the same development. There just happened to be a deep, deep mega ditch (for lack of better words) between the two sides, so one builder started on one side and several builders started building our side. Late last year the bridge connecting the two sides was finally finished. That created a great link between two major roads and a super stretch of road for people to take walks. We get a lot of walkers that park on one side or the other and jog or stroll for exercise.

I had dropped the children off at school and had entered our neighborhood from the side that's further from my house. As I topped the hill approaching the entrace to our side of the development, I spotted a mom and her son walking. Not unusual and normally they wouldn't even register on my radar. But.... Monday it was just starting to rain. If it was me, I'd hate to be walking in the rain.

I actually drove past the pair at first, but then remembered my New Year's pledge to be more relationally involved. It was barely drizzling, so I felt foolish offering protection when it was barely raining, but I thought, "What the heck. I'll offer her an umbrella, because it might start pouring at any second."

I turned the car around and rolled down the window. I asked the lady if she was finishing her walk. She said that they were halfway through; they had parked on the far side of the neighborhood and were a long way from their car. I held the umbrella out to her and told her she could keep it. She thanked me and said, "New Year's Resolutions, you know?" Now, she meant that HER resolution was to start exercising and wouldn't you know it would start raining on the first morning of her new plan to exercise. BUT... the way she said it meant something different to me. She didn't know that MY resolution had to be more attentive to the needs of others and that by helping her keep her promise to exercise, I was keeping my promise to give more of myself and my possessions. Cool, huh?

The lady wouldn't keep my umbrella, so she ended up leaving it at the clubhouse door near her car. I picked it up that afternoon on my way home with the kids. It was still soaked from the morning, so I guess she did end up needing it after all. And I'm glad I could help.

Tangent

The original title of today's entry was "Yesterday" (because I was going to tell you about something cool that happened... YESTERDAY... ) but that sent me chasing a rabbit down a path, so I changed the name.

Wanna know why?

Of course you do. ; )

My favorite song by The Beatles is.... "Yesterday" (duh). "Paperback Writer" comes in a close second, but "Yesterday" is #1 for me.

When I was in high school one of the fads was Lorus watches that had Mickey Mouse on the face and played some sort of Disney song. They were nice, but what caught my eye were the Lorus Beatles watches. I had to have one. Know why?

One of the watches played "Yesterday". HOW COOL WAS THAT?

So I must've mentioned that watch to my mom like, a million times. I know I must've irritated her to death, but I wanted that stinkin' watch so badly!

I got the watch as one of my Christmas gifts, which thrilled my teenage heart. A couple of my friends got the Mickey watches, but mine was WAY cooler. NO ONE had a Beatles watch. Heck, I don't know if any of my friends loved the Beatles like I did (Thanks, Dad!) Most of my friends were into the 80s Hair Bands (Poison, Whitesnake, Def Leppard and the like... our class song was "I'll Remember You" by Skid Row. Remember that musical gem?)

So, when I typed the word "Yesterday" in the title box all of those memories came back to me, and I had to go find the watch in my jewelry box. The battery no longer works (I have replaced it since high school, and I was hoping to take some video of it for you... but alas, it's dead.) Here is a picture, best one I could take.



In the drawer with the watch were other cherished timepieces:

A leather banded watch I bought in Barcelona in March '92 (the games were held there the following July). The face has a picture of Cobi on it; he was the mascot for that year's games.



I found a Swatch that my sister brought back for me from Switzerland. It's way funky and I should definitely start wearing it again. Maybe I could bring back a trend!



Last but not least is the Snoopy watch I got as a gift from my maternal grandmother when I turned 9. I can still picture sitting on the side of the skating rink (where I had my party) opening the plastic box that the watch came in. It was my first watch and I loved it. Still do, but the band no longer fits. I should remedy that and wear that watch as well.



I'm bad about purging things and throwing away stuff, so I'm surprised I still have these items. I'm glad I didn't get rid of them, because they're so very precious to me.

Friday Fill Ins 1/2

1. The world is a big place. I'd love to explore more of it, but I'm scared to death of long flights. I'd love to go back to Paris, to see London, to visit the Holy Land, stay in one of those huts on sticks in the water in Fiji.... one day.

2. "Can I comb it?" was the last thing I said to Lillian after she got out of the tub with a wet, tangled mess of hair.

3. I wonder if it will snow this year. The kids hope it will, but secretly, I hope it never goes below 30 degrees outside!

4. A period comes at the end of all things. (I guess I'm not thinking deeply enough tonight!)

5. There's something to be said for wood burning fireplaces. I wish we still had one, as the gas logs just don't do it for me sometimes. I want to roast marshmallows over a fire, and ya can't do that over gas logs.

6. Disney World (or ANYWHERE warm!) is where I want to be. (And was I the only one that pictured Eva Gabor in her nightie saying, "New York is where I'd rah-thah be!" when reading that fill-in?)

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to taking a bubble bath and watching "Out of Sight" (headed there as soon as I hit submit!) Tomorrow my plans include making banana bread to use those two squishy bananas in the kitchen, and then I would like to organize some scrapbooking stuff and get Lillian's pictures sorted and "power-layouted" so her book will go quickly. Oh, and church! We missed it last week because there was no Saturday service on the 27th. I need some worship time! Sunday, I want to get the kids back into a routine so Monday morning will go smoothly. And I need to go to bed on time Sunday night. We'll see how that goes.

There's a First Time for Everything

I've never, ever before in my 35 years made New Year's Resolutions. Ever. I don't know why I'm starting now, but I just feel the desire to make a list so that at the end of 2009 I have something to reflect on to see if I am where I need to be in life. Sounds silly, but I want concrete proof that I am fulfilling my purpose on this earth, that I have worth and am doing things that MATTER. I have always found that I am more likely to accomplish tasks that I write down somewhere, so this is my attempt at doing that. Here goes.

(1) I want to spend less on ME (US) and more on others. That means my (our) MONEY and my (our) TIME. I want to be relationally involved and focused on others.

(2) I want to watch less TV and read more. I want to fill my head with things that make me better, smarter, more aware of others. I watch too much television and as a result have a stack of very good books in my bedroom that have sat unread for far too long.

(3) I want to spend more time with my children, which will mean a sacrifice of time spent doing things I enjoy (not that I don't enjoy time with my kids....) I have to face reality: these children are only in my home for a short time. Eighteen years (give or take) doesn't seem like a short time, but already 10 years of Camryn's life have ticked away and I don't know where they went. It won't be long before she's licensed to drive and then she'll be mobile and less likely to want to spend time with her family. That's a mere 6 years away (actually, less than that... she turns 11 in March!) I have to stop and savor my children while I can, put my imprint on them, infuse them with my love and guidance and just spend more time being their Mom instead of their caretaker. I'm not a BAD parent by any stretch of the imagination, but I know I could be a more PRESENT parent.

(4) I have to take steps to make myself healthier. My husband has been following the advice he's read in the book Sugar Busters ever since he went to the hospital. He's lost 15-20 pounds in that short amount of time just from cutting out processed sugar, white bread, potatoes, rice and starchy veggies. He says his body doesn't even crave sugar anymore. I'm so impressed with his commitment. For me I know the change will have to happen gradually, but I'm prepared for it. I used to go to Jazzercise at least 3 times a week before Lillian was born. I want to start back to that, because it was something I truly enjoyed. Again, it will mean a sacrifice of other things I enjoy more, but it's a sacrifice that will benefit me in the long run.

And that's the list. Not very long, but I am not going to push my luck. I'm going to try changing those four things and see where I am in 366 days.

Happy New Year, y'all.

Friday Fill Ins 12/26

1. I must make sure my kids, husband, parents and sister know exactly how much I love them before I die. (Gee... that makes it sound like my demise is imminent, no? Hopefully not!)

2. You can't stop the Hoff (seriously... that's the first thing that came to mind. Second thing? The lyrics from "You Can't Stop the Beat" from the movie/musical "Hairspray".)

3. I wish I never had to buy plus-sized clothes again.

4. Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover has helped me change my life.

5. I know the song "Jack and Diane" (John Cougar Mellencamp) by heart.

6. If I weren't so afraid, I would have Lap Band surgery. That's a cop-out for me, though, because I *know* it's within my power to lose weight. I just have to make up my mind to do it. I've done it before, and I can do it again.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to going to bed (it's already 11:36 pm est). Tomorrow my plans include seeing my parents off and perhaps seeing Benjamin Button with my sister and Sunday, I want to just breathe. Breathe and maybe take a hot bath and watch the 2 Netflix movies I've had for over a month already.

Happy Tears

I just finished wrapping what Santa is bringing my children. My husband took the kids to the movies and lunch so I could have the afternoon to do my wrapping. Sweet, sweet man.

I sat down at the computer while my leftover pizza warmed in the toaster oven. I opened an e-mail from Samaritan's Purse, which is the organization that Franklin Graham (Billy's son) runs. We participate in their Operation Christmas Child program every year. The boxes have to be turned in before Thanksgiving, so shopping for those is the first Christmas-y thing we do every year. It sorta puts me in the holiday mood.

So anyway, I was clicking through the pictures on the Samaritan's Purse website (2008: The Year in Pictures). When this picture came up, I started crying.



It was one of those cries that you're not expecting, ya know? The joy on those kids' faces is so pure. Most of them probably never, ever received a gift in their lives, so that box full of toys and whatnot is a treasure trove. I've GOT to make even more shoe boxes next year!

Merry Christmas, y'all. I pray that the joy on your faces is like the joy in those kids' hearts, and I hope that the joy lasts throughout the year and doesn't fade at sunset tomorrow.

Merry, Merry Christmas and Happy, Happy, JOYFUL New Year!

Advent Conspiracy

Make sure your speakers are on, and get ready.

The Nativity

Our nativity set has been wrapped up in tissue in a bag ever since I removed it from the box it was stored in almost a month ago. It's been sitting on the table in our foyer needing to be set out on the den table. I just haven't had a moment to think about it, and the table has been covered in magazines, toys needing to be put away, laundry baskets holding clothing in various stages of "foldedness". Today, the first day I felt I could again breathe, I unpacked the nativity.

The boys and Lillian saw me and asked what I was doing. As I answered, I was setting the scene like I always do. Shepherds and their sheep to the left of the baby Jesus, Joseph and Mary behind the baby, and the Wise Men with their camel to the right of Jesus, admiring the babe.

Aiden said I had it ALL WRONG and set about rearranging things, offering his explanations as he worked.

The baby Jesus, Mary, Joseph and the donkey they rode to Bethlehem go in the middle of the table.



The shepherds need to be placed far away from the baby, and the angel needs to be facing them telling them of the birth of the Christ child.



The Magi need to be on the opposite side of the table, because they're still on their way to find the baby.



And that is the nativity set-up according to Aiden.



He *HAS* been listening and learning and remembering in Bible class at school!

Tomorrow, Tomorrow...

Tomorrow is the last day of school before Christmas break. Hallelujah. Before we can start our 2 weeks of rest & relaxation, though, we have to get through tomorrow morning.

I am Camryn's room mom. Tomorrow at 8:15 I have to be in her classroom for her Christmas party. We're having breakfast; I just finished preparing an egg casserole. It's in the fridge and the oven is set to preheat at 6:45 am tomorrow. The bacon is ready to go, as is the fruit salad that I bought at the grocery store today (I love convenience!) The fruit salad in the fridge is the second one I picked up off the shelf, because the first one dumped in the floor when the lid came off as I was transferring it to the buggy. "Clean up in produce!!" I hate when that happens.

Around 9:50 am I'll get into the car and head to Quinn & Lillian's school. Hopefully I'll be there a little before 10:30, which is when Lillian's class play will start. After that I'll distribute gifts to teachers and take Quinn & Lillian back out to Camryn & Aiden's school where I'll distribute gifts to teachers and staff. Camryn and Aiden will be released at 12:15. I'll pick them up and head into town to have lunch with the hubby. After that, we'll all come back home. I will immediately put on PJs and the Christmas break will commence!

I.CANNOT.WAIT. Two weeks of sleeping late, staying in PJs as long as I want to, doing nothing but hanging with my kiddos. I'm sure that by Sunday, January 4th I'll be ready for everyone to be back in school, but for now, I'm gonna' just chill.

The 12 Dogs of Christmas

As sung by Quinn, age 6:

Daily Giggle

Usually on the drive home from dropping the kids off at school I'm mentally planning the rest of my day. Lillian sometimes chats with me, but it takes me a minute to realize what she's said to me because I'm making a to-do list in my head.

Today she said, "I don't know what she knows! Do you, Mommy?"

Took me a second to realize what she was talking about.

Said the shepard boy to the mighty king
Do you know what I know
(Do You Know What I Know)
In your palace wall mighty king
Do you know what I know
(Do You Know What I Know)
A child, a child
Shivers in the cold
Let us bring him silver and gold

That song was playing on the radio and Lillian was paying attention to the lyrics.

Evidently Lillian does not know what the singer knows.

Crack me UP.

I wish I had more money

Not to spend on myself. I wish I had more money to help when I read things like this:

Salvation Army: 500 Kids To Go And We're Out Of Toys

We cut our kids back to 3 gifts each a few years ago, simply because we felt like they were getting way too much at Christmas. They didn't even play with everything they got. I feel like even 3 things is too much now, especially when there are kids out there who won't get ANYTHING.

We do what we can to help. We do the Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes and always adopt a couple of kids through church or the Salvation Army Angel Tree. I saw that Cabbage Patch dolls were on sale at Target for $12 each this week, so I bought 4 for the local police department's "Cops for Tots" program. Their donations are way down this year, too. I ended up cleaning out the gift closet and taking all them the toys I stash throughout the year when I find good deals. I know there will be more deals at Target this year, so I figured I could restock the closet in a couple of weeks anyway.

I don't know why some people have all they could ever desire and more and others barely make enough to eat. I don't know why I am so blessed, but I can only figure that it's because I'm supposed to turn around and bless others with what I have been given.

I just wish I had more.

I have promised myself that next year I'm going to buy less STUFF for us and use that money to pick up clearance items throughout the year. I'm cutting back on several budget categories and earmarking the extra money for charity. I'm going to buy toys, clothes, household items... whatever. I'm going to donate as much as I can throughout the year to organizations that need those things, and when Christmas rolls around next year I'm going to have a truckload of toys to give away. I'm so excited I can't stand it.

Next year I'll have more to give. That makes me smile.

Cat Saga: A New Chapter

Sophie joined our family on Thursday, December 11. She is 9 weeks-old.











Everyone seems to be adjusting well. There has been some hissing and pawing, but Beeson and Annabelle seem to be accepting of Sophie's presence in the house.

Oliver has found a friend at the vet's office, where he is residing until April can find him a new home. He hasn't given anyone at the vet's a single ounce of trouble. Camryn is relieved that Oliver is happy and seems content that we made the right decision.

And once again there is happiness in the land.

$128,050,000

Listed below are all of the college football bowls that will be taking place over the next few weeks, plus the payout offered for each bowl. It all adds up to $128,050,000.

That is a disgusting number. For football. It turns my stomach.

So many people in financial trouble. An auto industry about to go bankrupt. The average American being told to "dig a little deeper" for charities this year, yet there are millions being shelled out for college football teams to come play games.

Seriously. Where are our priorities?

EagleBank Bowl
Payout: $750,000
Navy vs. Wake Forest

New Mexico Bowl
Payout: $750,000
Colorado State vs. Fresno State

St. Petersburg (Fla.) Bowl
Payout: $1 million
South Florida vs. Memphis

Las Vegas Bowl
Payout: $1 million
BYU vs. Arizona

New Orleans Bowl
Payout: $325,000
Troy vs. Southern Mississippi

Poinsettia Bowl
Payout: $750,000
Boise State vs. TCU

Hawaii Bowl
Payout: $750,000
Hawaii vs. Notre Dame

Motor City Bowl
Payout: $750,000
TBA vs.Central Michigan

Meineke Bowl
Payout: $1 million
North Carolina vs. West Virginia

Champs Sports Bowl
Payout: $2.125 million
Florida State vs. Wisconsin

Emerald Bowl
Payout: ACC: $750,000; Pac-10: $850,000
California vs. Miami

Independence Bowl
Payout: $1.1 million
Louisiana Tech vs. Northern Illinois

PapaJohns.com Bowl
Payout: $300,000
Rutgers vs. North Carolina State

Alamo Bowl
Payout: $2.25 million
Northwestern vs. Missouri

Humanitarian Bowl
Payout: $750,000
Nevada vs. Maryland

Holiday Bowl
Payout: $2.3 million
Oklahoma State vs. Oregon

Texas Bowl
Payout: $750,000
Rice vs. Western Michigan

Armed Forces Bowl
Payout: $750,000
Houston vs. Air Force

Sun Bowl
Payout: $1.9 million
Oregon State vs. Pittsburgh

Music City Bowl
Payout: $1.7 million
Vanderbilt vs. Boston College

Insight Bowl
Payout: $1.2 million
Kansas vs. Minnesota

Chick-fil-A Bowl
Payout: $3 million
LSU vs. Georgia Tech

Outback Bowl
Payout: $3.2 million
Iowa vs. South Carolina

Capital One Bowl
Payout: $4.25 million
Georgia vs. Michigan State

Gator Bowl
Payout: $2.5 million
Nebraska vs. Clemson

Rose Bowl
Payout: $17 million
Southern Cal vs. Penn State

Orange Bowl
Payout: $17 million
Cincinnati vs. Virginia Tech

Cotton Bowl
Payout: $3 million
Texas Tech vs. Mississippi

Liberty Bowl
Payout: $1.8 million
Kentucky vs. East Carolina

Sugar Bowl
Payout: $17 million
Utah (12-0) vs. Alabama (12-1), 8 p.m. (FOX)

International Bowl
Payout: $750,000
Connecticut vs. Buffalo

Fiesta Bowl
Payout: $17 million
Texas vs. Ohio State

GMAC Bowl
Payout: $750,000
Tulsa vs. Ball State

BCS National Championship
Payout: $17 million
Florida vs. Oklahoma

Um, okay... retraining needed!

This was how the conversation went with Lillian in the car this morning:

L: Mommy, when is the next holiday when we get candy?
Me: Um, not sure, Lillo.
L: Oh! I know! It's EASTER! The Easter bunny will bring us candeeeeeee!
Me: Lillian, do you know why we celebrate Easter?
L: Because of the Easter bunny.
Me: Well, not exactly. Do you know who died on the cross and then was buried in a tomb and rose again on Easter?
L: The Easter Bunny!
Me: No. Who was born at Christmastime?
L: Santa Claus.
Me: No. What BABY was born at Christmas?
L: Baby JESUS!
Me: Right. And he grew up and died on the cross to save us from our sins, right? And he rose out of his tomb on the third day and that's why we celebrate Easter.
L: Oh. Will the Easter bunny still bring me candy?
Me: Sure.
L: Tell him I like jellybeans.

About Yesterday...

December 5, 2008: Not a day I want to repeat.

I shared in yesterday's blog about my desire to find Oliver a new home. Camryn has been fighting Oliver's departure ever since we told her that him staying with us was impossible. There has been much weeping and gnashing of teeth, as you can imagine. I think I was hoping something would magically click and all would be right with the cats and their relationships with one another, but alas, it did not. The last straw for me came yesterday.

I came home from dropping off Camryn and Aiden at school and went around checking everyone's rooms for laundry that needed to be done. I was also closing the bedroom doors behind me to prepare to let Oliver out (there seemed to be less likelihood of Beeson and Annabelle pooping and peeing in protest of Oliver if the bedroom doors were shut.)

In Lillian's room I was straightening her comforter when I found a big, dried cat pee spot. She's been sleeping under a dried up cat urine spot for who knows how long. I lost it. Quinn's comforter had suffered a similar fate earlier in the week and I'd had to wash it for the umpteenth time (it seemed to be a favorite target!)

I threw the comforter in the washing machine and starting crying hysterically. Stress reliever, I guess. I never let Oliver out of the bathroom. I was too mad at him, even though I knew it wasn't him that had actually done the peeing. I also knew at that moment that yesterday would be the last day with Oliver. I was determined to find him SOMEWHERE to be by the end of the day.

My husband finally got in touch with the vet tech that had promised to take Oliver if he ended up not working out for us. She told him to have Oliver at the office by 6 pm and she'd foster him and find him a new home (that's what she does). Hubby and I agreed that Camryn would need to say goodbye before he went, so I put him in the cat carrier and took him with me to pick up Quinn and Lillian, then I checked Camryn and Aiden out of school around 2:30.

Camryn knew something was up when I showed up before 3 pm. I didn't know how to tell her about what was about to transpire, so I just blurted it out on the way to the car. She, of course, starting sobbing. I let her hold Oliver on the drive from the school to the vet's office, and then we all sat in the car, crying, and said goodbye to Oliver.

I knew it would be a hard, hard thing to do, and I knew Camryn would be so very heartbroken, but what I didn't expect was Aiden's reaction. He was crying almost as hard as Camryn was, except he was doing it quietly in the back seat. I was so focused on how Camryn would take the news that I never envisioned how Aiden would take it. We were a sad, sad sight sitting in the van in the parking lot.

Finally Camryn summoned the courage to get out of the van. She and I walked Oliver into the office and waited to see April, Oliver's new foster mom. She told Camryn that she is very picky about the people she lets adopt her foster kitties, and that she would find Oliver the perfect new family. I know that soothed Camryn's heart a little, but it still hurt so badly to say goodbye. I was trying to be tough, but I was choking back sorrow, too. As we left the office, Camryn starting crying loudly. Man, it was a dagger to my heart. She hasn't cried like that since her Harry died last February, and I hope I never hear that kind of choking sob from her again (but I know I will, and it will most likely be a B-O-Y that makes it happen. I hate him already.)

Before we left yesterday April did mention that she has a few orange tabby foster kittens that are around 6-8 weeks old. She said she'd consider it a fair trade if we wanted to come back next week and take home one of the kittens. Camryn's eyes lit up like light bulbs. I'm hesitant, but April said a kitten will more likely to be accepted by Beeson and Annabelle. Oliver was just too old and had too dominant a "personality" to fit into our kitty family. She encouraged us to try again, and after discussing it with my husband it was decided that we will.

Yeah, I know.

Friday Fill Ins 12/5

1. Snow is something we rarely see. It's okay, I guess. I could live without it. Actually, I love seeing it from inside a warm house, but I hate going out in it and having to wash an extra load of clothes because the kids get out and play in it.

2. I'm looking forward to the weekend. Aiden has a birthday party to go to tonight, then tomorrow Camryn has one to attend. Tomorrow night is church, and then Sunday we're all going shopping together to buy gifts for 2 boys we "adopted" for Christmas through church. Somewhere in there I have to find time to take Camryn to Holiday Fair, which is this awesome craft extravaganza across town. I always love going and seeing all the cool crafty ideas I can come home and copy!

3. Starbucks Signature Hazelnut Hot Chocolate is the best indulgent, expensive drink ever!

4. One of my favorite old tv shows is The Carol Burnett Show. I also LOVE M*A*S*H.

5. I'm done with this cat that the family adopted while I was out of town in October. He is not getting along well with our other two kitties. He is a SWEET, sweet cat and I wish we could keep him, but it just isn't working. I want him to find a good home. My husband called 4 rescue shelters; two are full and two never returned his call. He called the vet tech that told me she'd take him if no one else would. She hasn't called back. No one needs a cat right now and I cannot CANNOT take him back to the Humane Society. They would euthanize him immediately because he's been adopted twice (first owner returned him because her boyfriend is allergic to cats). I'm getting so very stressed over finding Oliver a home. I can feel the tightness in my neck and shoulders.

6. The most enjoyable thing around the holidays is the attitude people adopt during the holidays. Most of the time people are kinder "because it's Christmas". I wish it could be Christmas year-round.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to having a meal out with the family (minus Aiden, who'll be at the aforementioned birthday party). Tomorrow my plans include (hopefully) taking the kids to see Madagascar 2 and Sunday, I want to get all the shopping for our adoptees done early so Camryn and I have time to go to Holiday Fair!

I Love Wednesdays!

It's been a rough couple of days around here. Aiden got sick on Sunday night and I got his bug on Monday, so I was down for about 24 hours. Upon returning from a meeting Monday night, my husband decided his shoulder pain could possibly be related to heart trouble, so he drove himself to the emergency room. I was too sick to take him, and although I tried to get him to call his brother to take him, he insisted on driving himself.

Anyhow, he spent the night in the hospital Monday night. He said he couldn't sleep for 2 reasons: (1) the compressor on the mini fridge in his hospital room kept cutting off and on all night and (2) the nurses kept coming to draw blood at all hours. He was offered a CPAP machine (which he regularly uses at home) but he declined it. I told him at least the hissing might've provided some white noise. Oh, well.

It turns out nothing was wrong with his heart, thank God. He was scheduled for a stress test at 11 am yesterday morning, but after having 3 sets of cardiac enzyme tests come back negative, the stress test was cancelled. He was relieved. He did have an elevated white blood cell count, but not abnormally high. He has a cold, so that could very well explain the high count.

After spending 3 hours filling out paperwork, hubby was discharged and went straight to Barnes & Noble to find a book called Sugar Busters. He's determined to get healthy so that he doesn't have a heart scare again. He's been exercising faithfully every night, but he wants to make his diet healthier. I don't blame him. We all need to do that around here.

So why do I love Wednesdays?

Well, this particular Wednesday I'm just happy to see sunshine outside my window. It's been grey and bleak the past few days, so it's nice to see the sun. That alone is a reason to love today. Wednesday has brought a return to our routine, which I crave. I had Aiden home on Monday and all the kids stayed home yesterday because I just didn't feel well enough to shuttle them to school and back (and I wanted them with me in case something happened to Stan). So today everyone is back at school and I'm feeling much better. I'm doing my regular chores, which I don't necessarily enjoy but they do bring me a sense of normalcy and satisfaction that I'm DOING something.

But there's one BIG reason I love Wednesdays...

I love Wednesdays the MOST because I get to spend time alone with this kid:



That's my Quinnie.

Stan picks Lillian up from school and takes her on a Daddy lunch date then drops her off at his mom's, so I get to pick up Quinn and spend about an hour with him before we go pick up Camryn and Aiden. We usually run an errand and pick up a treat. It doesn't matter what the treat is. Quinn's easy to please. It could be a doughnut from Dunkin or a cup of hot chocolate from Starbucks or a sundae from McDonald's. He just wants to spend the time alone with me, and I with him. We always have a good time, whether we're getting a car wash, going to Target or shopping for ornaments at Hallmark (today's fun outing!) I love my Wednesdays and my Quinnie dates!

Overheard: 5 seconds of my life

From the den about 30 seconds ago:

Aiden: It's wrestling, not boxing!

(Grunts and groans)

Quinn: Stop it! You're no match for me!

Lillian: Aiden! Your wrestling name is Big Foot.

Aiden: NO! I'm the Stopper.

Just a little Living Room theater for you this evening. Enjoy.