Log Your Memory 1/13/10

Today's Log Your Memory question is this:

Create a list of 100 things you want to do before you die.

1. Be completely debt free

2. Take a cross country trip

3. Take an Alaskan cruise

4. Ride a train across the United States

5. Visit Hawaii

6. Go back to Paris

7. Visit Jerusalem

8. Tour Pompeii

9. Visit Masada (I read a book about it in 5th grade and have been fascinated about it since!)

10. Go on a zipline

11. Build a new house with double ovens and a huge laundry room

12. See all 4 of my children grow to adulthood and find success

13. Lose 100 pounds

14. Grow my fingernails out

15. Try being a blonde for awhile

16. Visit New York City

17. Vegas, baby

18. Live in a loft downtown

19. Own a convertible

20. Stay in a luxury hut on stilts in the ocean.

21. Give a bunch of money away

22. Help Samaritan's Purse give away their Operation Christmas Child boxes

23. Go on another mission trip

24. Take a culinary tour of New Orleans (Emeril's, Brennan's, Delmonico, Antoine's)

25. See Saturday Night Live... LIVE!

26. Travel Route 66 from beginning to end

27. Own a Maine Coon

28. Eat at the chef's table at Victoria & Albert's (Grand Floridian, Disney World)

29. Go to an Alabama vs. Auburn football game

30. Go to a professional baseball game (nope, never been!)

31. Visit the British Isles

32. Tour Britain, Scotland and Ireland

33. Swim with a dolphin

34. Sail on a private yacht

35. Take a few girlfriends and my sister to Disney World for a girls' trip (or my girls, my sister and my momma!)

36. Take a cake decorating class

37. Take a ballroom dance class

38. Go to San Antonio to see my friend Joanie again. She's one heck of a gal and I miss her!

39. Attend a CHA conference

40. See my sister find someone she can spend the rest of her life with, someone who treats her like she deserves.

41. Go to Spokane, Washington with my dad to visit all the places he knew growing up

42. Take my kids to a NASCAR race with my dad.

43. Be on Jeopardy!

44. See the entire family go one Christmas without giving or getting gifts in exchange for providing for other families who need it more

45. Spend Christmas in Colorado

46. See Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon and Yosemite (again.... and this time remember it because I'm not 18 months-old!)

47. See school vouchers become a reality

48. Walk the Great Wall of China

49. See a space shuttle launch

50. Hear at least one of my children say, "Mom, you were right." And in case that was something my own mom has on her list, I'll say, "Mom, you were right!" about so very many things.

51. Know that my mother-in-law is living within her means and has no credit card balances.

52. Hold a snake.

53. Scuba dive.

54. Visit Auschwitz, Dachau and any other tourable former concentration camps.

55. Read Gone With the Wind because the book is different, oh, so different from the movie.

56. Take my kids to the Louvre.

57. Return to Madrid and tour the Prado. It's closed on Mondays, so I didn't get to see it.

58. Watch the running of the bulls in Pamplona (I don't want to run with them... just watch!)

59. Learn how to quilt. I have a bunch of old t-shirts that I'd love to turn into a quilt.

60. Learn how to can veggies.

61. Grow a successful garden (thus the reason for learning to can veggies!)

62. Own chickens so we can have fresh eggs.

63. Volunteer with Habitat for Humanity.

64. Take the kids to see Niagara Falls.

65. Go back to King's Island and ride The Beast.

66. Meet The Pioneer Woman. I'm not obsessed with her or anything, but she seems so very cool.

67. See Bette Midler in concert

68. Go to Maine.

69. Take voice lessons.

70. Go to the Miss America pageant

71. Visit historic battle sites: the Ardennes, Iwo Jima, Normandy, etc.

72. Take a trip on the Orient Express

73. Attend at least one major sporting event: the Super Bowl, the Olympics, the World Series, etc.

74. Skydive.

75. Ride a camel into the desert.

76. Be one of many in the crowd counting down to the New Year in New York City.

77. Spend Christmas on the beach.

78. Donate money and put my name on something: a college scholarship, a building, etc.

79. Kiss the Blarney stone.

80. Drive really fast in the Bonneville Salt Flats.

81. Get a (very small) tattoo.

82.Minimize existing clutter and excess possessions

83. Go to the Kentucky Derby and drink a mint julep.

84. Ride a gondola in Venice.

85. Ride a mechanical bull.

86. See the cherry blossoms in Washington, DC when they're in full bloom

87. See the Pyramids.

88. See Stonehenge.

89. Visit Machu Picchu.

90. Visit all 50 states.

91. Go on an African safari.

92. Drive Down Highway 101 (West Coast Highway)

93. Tour Anne Frank's House.

94. Visit Alcatraz.

95. See the Aurora Borealis.

96. Visit the Top Ten US Lighthouses.

97. Watch the Changing of the Guard At Buckingham Palace

98. Sleep in an Igloo

99. Kiss my husband on top of the Eiffel Tower

100. Go a month without television

Breakfast Chatter

This was part of our morning conversation:

Me: So, tonight's dinner.... tilapia, potato skins and broccoli with my homemade cheese sauce. Sound good?

(Groans all around. The mere mention of any sort of good veggie gives the kids panic attacks...)

Me: Well, we have to have something green.

Aiden: Pistachio pudding?

Log Your Memory

I found a great site over the holidays: Log Your Memory. They sell Memory Logbooks that are really cool. You can order a hard copy or pay and print out a PDF of the book. I printed mine out, because it was close to 2010 and I wanted it in hand so I could start writing in it on the first. I really like it so far. It's geared towards scrapbookers, really, but you could skip the scrapbooking parts if you don't do that.

Anyhow, every month there are weekly scrapbooking challenges that instruct you to create a layout based on the questions they give you. I want to do these layouts, but right now my office is a mess. I thought I'd just blog about the topics they assign so later I can come back and just print out the blog post for the layout.

This month's main question is:

"What would you do if you found out you had just one year - THIS year - left to live?"

I would take the kids out of school, my husband would quit his job and we'd travel, making as many memories and taking as many pictures as we could. It would be really important for me to finish the kids' scrapbooks so they'd have something I made to look at after I was gone. I'd have to start scrapbooking digitally to do that, but I'd get it done. I'd want to record all of my advice and wisdom for the kids so that when they reach certain milestones they'd know exactly what I would've said in those situations.

I'd cry. A lot. Just thinking about not being there for my kids makes me sob.

There are other questions that you could use if you don't like the question above, so I think I'll use those as blog topics the rest of this week. I've seriously neglected the blog, so that'll give me something to write about for at least the next five days!

Don't get used to it.

Friday Fill Ins 1/8/2010

1. There are places I would love to visit with my family. New York City, Jamestown, the Arizona memorial in Hawaii, Alaska, Paris (again), Civil War battle sites... but we're stuck on Disney for now. I think my husband thinks the kids are too young to take them anywhere but Disney, but I think it would be fun. I definitely want them to see the Smithsonian before too long. Washington, DC is one of my favorite cities on earth.

2. If it wasn't so sunny, I would be wishing for a strong wind to blow those clouds away. I don't like overcast days. Give me the sunshine!

3. Standing in the vestibule of the church before I was supposed to walk down the aisle towards my future husband, I was nervous but excited. I can't believe that moment was almost 14 years ago. Seems like yesterday.

4. We have a new kitten. Oh boy.

5. He (Nick Saban) went out tiger hunting and was successful in beating us (Auburn TIGERS), 26 to 21 on our home turf. Last night he took the University of Alabama to another national championship. I am proud of the SEC and even more proud that our Tigers almost beat the national champions back in November!

6. I have much to do, and that keeps my mind from wandering .

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to working in my office. With the hubby's help, hopefully we can get everything in place. Tomorrow my plans include sleeping late, getting some scrapbooking done and church (I haven't been to service in so long! I've kept nursery, but that doesn't fill my need to worship and learn, and I have MISSED IT.) Sunday, I want to do nothing except fellowship with the community group we haven't seen in over a month.

Boo Yah

Eatin' dinner tonight.

The hubs was a twinge frustrated that the children hadn't made their lunches during the long afternoon they'd been at home. I felt responsible, since I am the AIC (adult in charge) during the post-school, pre-daddy arrival hours.

I was explaining how events had played out since we'd been home.

Come home.

Unload Hobby Lobby purchases from car.

Use the potty.

Change into comfy clothes.

Tell Aiden to shower.

Agree to stay in my bedroom while Aiden (who gets freaked out in my room alone) showers in my bathroom (the only source for hot water since Sunday. Don't ask.)

Decide that I can help Lillian with her homework while I'm on the bed.

Call for Lillian.

Wait for Lillian to remove her shoes and socks so she can get on my bed.

Argue briefly with Lillian about putting her shoes and socks in her own room.

Wait patiently for Lillian to return from her room.

Tell Lillian (for the 3rd time) to fetch her homework folder.

Wait for Lillian to whine it out, then actually retrieve aforementioned folder.

Snuggle a little more.

Listen to Lillian read.

Fill out the paper sent home with the book Lillian had to read.

Call for Quinn.

Call for Quinn.

Call for Quinn.

Start counting to 3.

Tell Quinn to fetch his homework folder.

Watch Quinn pool into a puddle of goo on the floor.

Start counting to 3.

Wait for Quinn to return with his homework.

Help with Quinn's homework.

Sign Aiden's reading log.

Write down 2 Bible verses Aiden is supposed to memorize for school.

Check the laundry.

Unload the dryer.

Load the dryer.

Start the washer.

Take a phone call.

Go upstairs to do a little office work.

I really was doing office work.

Really.

No, really.

After I finished saying, "...office work" Aiden pipes up.

"If, by 'work' you mean 'Facebook', then yes. You were working."

Boo yah.

Manic Monday 1/4/10

What did you get in trouble for the most when you were a kid?

Probably being messy. My room was always a mess, and I was a stuffer. I was good at shoving things under the bed or into the closet. I have reformed my ways, but I have messy children. Life is ironic that way.

Which is your wish that is not yet fulfilled?

I want a bigger kitchen. I need more cabinet space and I'd love to have huge island in the middle of the kitchen. And double ovens. I long for double ovens. Double convection ovens, even. And while I'm wishing, I'll take a larger, more secluded laundry room. Right now ours is the room between the garage and the rest of the house, and I don't like it there. I'd love a huge, sunny room with lots of counter space for folding and sorting. And a huge laundry sink.

Like this:



or this:




If you have to choose a movie title for your life story, what would that be?

"I Don't Deserve This Life I've Been Blessed With"

For a list of possible titles of a book as yet to be written about me, click here.

Friday Fill Ins 1/1/2010

1. Last night I took a bath and was in bed by 7:30. I was planning on just watching TV in bed, but I was asleep by 8ish. I did wake up long enough to see the ball drop, and then I was out again. So much for the big New Year party!

2. I'm looking forward to all God has in store for me this year.

3. The funniest thing I've seen so far this year is this picture of my son wearing his new night vision goggles while playing Wii on Christmas Day:

I've been editing Christmas pictures in Photoshop today and this one made me laugh out loud. I took it, so I've seen it before, but it still makes me giggle.

4. All the boxes were moved from my old office to the playroom and my husband has assembled shelves for all my stuff ...so where do we go from here? The mess is still a little overwhelming. I think I'll just play Bejeweled Blitz on Facebook until it fixes itself.

5. He said "Let's go to the Olive Garden for dinner tonight."; she said, "Sure!". (True story, folks.)

6. Quinn lost his Target gift card that my sister gave him for Christmas and it's up to us to find it.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to going to the Olive Garden (duh), then coming back home and watching "Funny Girl" on DVD. I've wanted to see it since the last episode of "Glee" when they sang "Don't Rain on My Parade". Tomorrow my plans include getting all the stuff in my office out of boxes and onto shelves, and then church (keeping babies in the nursery tomorrow! Yea!) and Sunday, I want to finish unloading these boxes if I don't get it done tomorrow, then getting the kiddos ready to go back to school (sad sigh).

Passport Not Required

We have a 17 year-old nephew, Christopher, whose toys the boys have inherited through the years. Quinn's favorite are the Hot Wheels that he got in a huge bucket. He keeps them in his room.

A few nights ago the hubby was doing the bedtime routine with Quinn and Quinn posed this question to his dad:

"Did Christopher ever go to China? 'Cause all his toys say 'Made in China' on them."

Hubby put in a call to his brother and confirmed that Christopher had never indeed been to China.

Quinn is mystified.

Post Holiday Humor

We just got back from Target.

My wonderful sister bought each of my children a $25 Target gift card as their holiday gift. Camryn spent hers 2 days after Christmas. In an effort to avoid another day of the "I've-been-in-my-pajamas-too-long-doing-nothing-and-the-Christmas-decorations-are-already-put-away-and-we-had-our-14 year old-cat-put-to-sleep-and-that-makes-me-sad" blues, I decided to take the kids to Target to spend their gift cards.

Yeah.

Despite some drama over a lost gift card (Quinn), we made it to Target and the toy choice process was relatively easy. Aiden immediately gravitated towards the Nintendo DS games. Quinn chose 2 large Hot Wheels toys (a fire truck and a tractor trailer) and a large race car. Lillian picked out a Little Mermaid doll, some dress up shoes and a tricked out Paris Hilton style Tini Puppini "mini dog" named Tisha (Aiden says she looks like a girl with a dog head and a mustache).

So here's the scene: Lillian has donned her plastic dress-up shoes and a shiny green beaded necklace and she's lovingly brushing Tisha's mane of hair. Quinn has his fire truck in the den, putting out pretend blazes.

Suddenly, without warning, Lillian stops brushing Tisha's hair and shouts, "Quinn! Quinn! Come quick! Tisha's tail is ON FIRE! QUINN! HURRY! HURRY!"

Calmly, Quinn responds, "Sorry, Lillo. I only put out fires in buildings. I don't do dogs."

Poor, poor Tisha.

Oops, I Did It Again

Funny story.

Yesterday was clean up day. The lady who cleans our house is coming today, and I always feel compelled to tidy before she gets here. Go figure.

Camryn's job yesterday was to move all of the gifts under the big tree in the front of the house, vacuum up all the faux pine needles that have fallen off of it due to excess climbage by the cats, then replace the gifts and rewrap the two whose paper has been shredded by the aforementioned cats.

K.

Camryn got to work without complaint (a true Christmas miracle) and then I heard screaming, wailing and yes, I think I even heard gnashing of teeth (my own, it turns out...)

The vacuum noise stopped. The crying (Lillian's) started and it grew louder as the girls approached me.

Lillian thrust this into my face:

It seems that the cats had snagged Angel off the kids' tree and had their way with her, and then Camryn had accidentally vacuumed up the right side of her hair.

Lillian was distraught.

Camryn was laughing (I have to admit it was pretty funny...)

"She looks like Britney Spears when she shaved her head!"

I couldn't help laughing. Lillian didn't think our laughter was funny.

I assured Lillian that we could replace the sweet angel's hair with just a little bit of craftiness.

Britney Spears.

Crack me up.

Manic Monday 12/21/09

What makes you laugh?

Intelligent humor, America's Funniest Videos, watching AFV with the kids (especially Aiden, because his laugh makes me laugh), things my children say, irony, my husband and his dry wit.

What makes you cry?

Sentimental stuff, injustice, poverty, worship time at church, Greater Love by Charles Billingsley, The Star Spangled Banner, the end of Gone With the Wind

What is the best thing about being you?

Gracious. That's a lot of things to list! My awesome family, my parents and sister, getting up daily and living this amazingly blessed life I've been given, my friends... I don't know what else to say. I'm so beyond blessed it's crazy.

Friday Fill Ins 12/18/09

1. No, we will NOT be leaving the tree up longer than 2 days after Christmas. I like to take advantage of the free labor that visits at Christmastime and get everything down and put away. I always hated it when my mom would start taking things down the day after Christmas, but I so get it. I like to start the new year with everything put away.

2. We're going to be playing a lot of games at the old kitchen table over the holidays. Aiden has already requested that we have family game night soon.

3. I watched the steam rising from the hot cup of coffee (or tea) and thought: I hate to admit it, but I actually found a coffee product I like at Starbucks. I discovered the Caramel Brulee Latte and it is divine. I don't indulge often, (it's almost $5 a pop!) but when I do, I'm in Heaven!

4. I'm finally starting to believe that I'm really going to be okay. No more cough, but I do have some leftover muscle pain and a stuffy nose (which has just developed), but I feel so awesome...MUCH better than I did at the start of the week! Hallelujah!

5. I'll take my last antibiotic pill today. Yea!

6. It looks like the sleet is still falling outside, at least from my point of view.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to watching National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation with the kids (don't worry... we're watching the heavily edited TV version and skipping the not so kid friendly parts).I cannot wait to watch it with them. I know there will be many, many belly laughs, especially from Aiden! And how sweet will it be to laugh without coughing?!?! I haven't been able to do that in WEEKS! Tomorrow my plans include staying home; it's supposed to keep sleeting and possibly snowing throughout tomorrow. We're going to stay home, warm and dry. I will probably do a couple of loads of laundry and pack up some more of my office. Two Men and a Truck are coming on the 23rd to move my office up to the playroom. I can't wait to get it all up there and organized! Quinn is anxious to have his room back, too! Sunday, I want to just enjoy family time for a little bit before I have to start cooking for my husband's family get together. He's requested that I make baked macaroni and cheese, and I'm going to make a chicken cranberry sandwich wreath and The Pioneer Woman's chocolate sheet cake, too. That cake is sinfully delicious! It's the closest to my grandmother's Mississippi Mud Cake that I have ever gotten (but it doesn't have the marshmallows.)

The Sweetest Rest I've Ever Known

My husband told me to get a flu shot this year. Stubbornly I ignored him.

He got one.

The kids got the FluMist.

I stood firm and resisted the shot, confident in my Teflon coating that resists all germs.

We went to Disney World. I shielded myself with frequent hand washing, cans of Lysol and bathing in hand sanitizer. I.AM.GERM.RESISTANT. Bring it on.

We returned from Disney. I unpacked clothes, souvenirs and my friend Mr. Chest Cough made himself at home.

I'm not 100% sure that I had the flu, because I didn't go to the doctor when I was experiencing symptoms. That's probably what I had, though. Stupid Teflon coating.

The flu-that-I'm-not-sure-was-flu lasted through Thanksgiving. Then it turned into full blown Bronchitis. I finally dragged myself to the doctor and was given antibiotics and sleep-inducing cough medicine. I thought I'd feel better within a week.

Saturday night I developed a sharp pain in my right side. I thought I pulled something coughing. When I woke up on Sunday I was in bad shape. I actually cried from the pain. I tried to go to the Doc in a Box on Sunday, but the wait was too long. Monday I was at my GP's office at 10:30 am.

I got a chest x-ray and was diagnosed with a torn intercostal muscle (the muscles between the ribs). It was nice to have a diagnosis, but it didn't make the pain go away. (I did get pain medication, non-drowsy cough meds and a Z-pac to finish off whatever was still making me cough).

Today I feel almost normal. I didn't sleep well last night, so I was headed back to bed after the kids left this morning. Surprise! No school today because the school has no power. Wah.

Instead I sat here at my desk and finished up a few tasks. As I worked I listened to Chris Rice on iTunes. I heard his song "Prone to Wander" and thought about how many times I have questioned God's faithfulness to me while I've been sick. I normally wouldn't do that, but I just couldn't see a light at the end of the tunnel. One illness led to another and I thought for sure I would never feel healthy again. My maladies are minor when you consider everything out there that people suffer from healthwise, but to me it was a big deal to be so immobilized by illness. This song just put all my feelings into words.

On the surface not a ripple

Undercurrent wages war
Quiet in the sanctuary
Sin is crouching at my door

How can I be so prone to wander
So prone to leave You
So prone to die
And how can You be so full of mercy
You race to meet me and bring be back to life

I wake to find my soul in fragments
Given to a thousand loves
But only One will have no rival
Hangs to heal me, spills His blood

How can I be so prone to wander
So prone to leave You
So prone to die
And how can You be so full of mercy
You race to meet me and bring be back to life

Curse-reversing Day of Jesus
When You finally seize my soul
Freedom from myself will be
The sweetest rest I've ever known

And how can you be so full of mercy?

You race to meet me and bring me back to life.

Freedom from myself will be

The sweetest rest I've ever known.

Two Things

Two weeks since I blogged last. Sorry. I've been a little busy and a little sick. I can't fix the busy, but I went to the doctor yesterday to fix the sick. Bronchitis. Sounds like I have Pop Rocks in my chest. I have to say that antibiotics are wonderful things. I felt about 50% better just 2 hours after taking the first Augmentin yesterday. Glory. The codeine in the cough medicine wasn't bad, either. I slept GOOD last night.

So here are the two things I want to share today.

I've been downloading the free Christmas songs that Amazon has been offering. Today one of them was "I Celebrate the Day" by Relient K. I LOVE this song! You can download it for FREE here. (If you have iTunes you will need to download Amazon's free downloader. When you download the songs they will automatically show up in iTunes.)

"I Celebrate the Day"

And with this Christmas wish is missed
The point I could convey
If only I could find the words to say to let You know how much You've touched my life
Because here is where You're finding me, in the exact same place as New Year's eve
And from a lack of my persistency
We're less than half as close as I want to be

And the first time
That You opened Your eyes did You realize that You would be my Savior
And the first breath that left Your lips
Did You know that it would change this world forever

And so this Christmas I'll compare the things I felt in prior years
To what this midnight made so clear
That You have come to meet me here

To look back and think that
This baby would one day save me
In the hope that what You did
That you were born so I might live
To look back and think that
This baby would one day save me

And I, I celebrate the day
That You were born to die
So I could one day pray for You to save my life

The other thing I want to share made me chuckle (but not too hard, because deep laughter leads to continued coughing. I so miss deep laughter!)

I was snuggling Quinn on the couch today. When I snuggle my kiddos I like to just breathe in their scent. I love how their hair smells. So, that's what I was doing while I was cuddling Quinn today: sniffing his hair. I told him, "Quinn, your hugs give me so much energy and make me feel all better. I just love snuggling you and smelling your hair. It smells like sweet little 7 year-old boy hair..." It was a moment. I was feeling it. Blissful and warm and sweet, like a mug full of rich hot chocolate.

Then Quinn said, "You smell like bacon."

Boys just know how to stomp all over our sappy times, don't they?

A Change In Plans for Thanksgiving

My mom sent me this. I laughed. Thought I'd share.

Martha Stewart will not be dining with us this Thanksgiving. I'm telling you in advance, so don't act surprised. Since Ms. Stewart won't be coming, I've made a few small changes:

Our sidewalk will not be lined with homemade, paper bag luminaries. After a trial run, it was decided that no matter how cleverly done, rows of flaming lunch sacks do not have the desired welcoming effect.

The dining table will not be covered with expensive linens, fancy china or crystal goblets. If possible, we will use dishes that match and everyone will get a fork. Since this IS Thanksgiving, we will refrain from using the plastic Peter Rabbit plate and the Santa napkins from last Christmas.

Our centerpiece will not be the tower of fresh fruit and flowers that I promised. Instead we will be displaying a hedgehog-like decoration hand-crafted from the finest construction paper. The artist assures me it is a turkey.

We will be dining fashionably late. The children will entertain you while you wait. I'm sure they will be happy to share every choice comment I have made regarding Thanksgiving, pilgrims and the turkey hotline. Please remember that most of these comments were made at 5:00 AM upon discovering that the turkey was still hard enough to cut diamonds. As accompaniment to the children's recital, I will play a recording of tribal drumming. If the children should mention that I don't own a recording of tribal drumming, or that tribal drumming sounds suspiciously like a frozen turkey in a clothes dryer, ignore them. They are lying.

We toyed with the idea of ringing a dainty silver bell to announce the start of our feast. In the end, we chose to keep our traditional method. We've also decided against a formal seating arrangement.

When the smoke alarm sounds, please gather around the table and sit where you like. In the spirit of harmony, we will ask the children to sit at a separate table. In a separate room. Next door.

Now I know you have all seen pictures of one person carving a turkey in front of a crowd of appreciative onlookers. This will not be happening at our dinner. For safety reasons, the turkey will be carved in a private ceremony. I stress "private" meaning: Do not, under any circumstances, enter the kitchen to laugh at me. Do not send small, unsuspecting children to check on my progress. I have an electric knife. The turkey is unarmed. It stands to reason that I will eventually win. When I do, we will eat.

Before I forget, there is one last change. Instead of offering a choice between 12 different scrumptious desserts, we will be serving the traditional pumpkin pie, garnished with whipped cream and small fingerprints. You will still have a choice: take it or leave it.

Martha Stewart will not be dining with us this Thanksgiving. She probably won't come next year either.

I am thankful.

Friday Fill-Ins 11/20/09

1. We need to start a petition to get "The Christmas Shoes" banned from the airwaves.

2. I watched last night's episode of "30 Rock" today and it made me smile. Heck, it made me snort and guffaw as well.

3. If you want to know what I think of the whole Twilight saga, have a seat. You'll be here awhile (I'm not a fan).

4. I need redemption that only comes through Jesus Christ because I am a sinful creature.

5. Massachusetts has a proposed 5% sales tax on elective cosmetic surgery; I think it should be higher, and it should be adopted nationwide.

6. Pajamas, the Macy's parade, my sister visiting and a leftover turkey sandwich make for a happy holiday.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to going to bed. Tomorrow my plans include helping the boys and Camryn straighten their rooms (I think I put something to that effect every week!), then keeping the babies in the nursery at church and Sunday, I want to maybe finish decorating the trees and have some hot tub time with the fam!

Friday Fill Ins 11/13/09

Happy Friday the 13th!

And here we go!

1. The last band I saw live was the Eagles. Awesome. Completely awesome. The last concert I went to was Taylor Swift, but technically, she's a singular artist performing with a band, so I didn't count her.

2. What I look forward to most on Thanksgiving is staying in my PJs for as long as possible, watching the Macy's parade, eating dressing and cranberry sauce (the kind from the can is the best!) and having leftover turkey sandwiches on white bread (with mayo!)

3. My Christmas/holiday shopping is not done. It's started, but usually by this time I've gotten it all done. I'm way behind this year. I'm planning on doing most of the shopping online, so that'll help. I honestly wish I could press the pause button on Christmas for about 2 weeks. Not ready. Not ready at all!

4. Thoughts of how loud this stupid RC car that Quinn got for his birthday is fill my head. I don't think my mother-in-law thinks about us having to listen to this stuff when she buys these loud toys for the children (or, maybe she does, and she buys them with a smirk on her face. Who knows!) This one has obnoxious lights and loud music, and it's not helping my headache one bit.

5. I wish I could wear pajamas all day long, no matter where I go. Pajamas are the best.

6. Bagpipes remind me of my father-in-law's funeral. Someone played "Amazing Grace" on the bagpipes at his funeral. It was a cold January day and whenever I hear bagpipes, I get a chill and think of that cold, sad day.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to just sitting here and hoping this headache goes away. I also want to watch the episode of "Private Practice" I missed last night. Tomorrow my plans include helping the boys straighten their room, plus cleaning up my own office. It's a mess (I haven't been in there much at all this week! Busy, busy!) Sunday, I want to do some work on getting my office moved upstairs. It's driving me nuts that it hasn't been done yet.

Farm Livin' is the Life for Me!

Today I was straightening the playroom with Quinn and Lillian. Every time I help clean the playroom, my posterior region gets sore (it's all the bending over). Who knew cleaning the playroom would give you such a glute workout?

The last thing we did today was put together all the puzzles whose pieces had decided to scatter themselves about the room. When we were done, I stood up. I felt the butt workout when I did that.

Using my best deep Southern drawl I said, "I do believe mah boo-tay hurts. Oh, yes, my boo-tay hurts!"

Quinn said, "I know some people who talk like that!"

"Really? Who do you know who talks like that?"

At the same time, Quinn and Lillian yelled, "EMMA!"

I chuckled when Emma's name was mentioned, because they were right. Emma is the cutest little redhead you ever will meet. I love her and her sweet momma. They both have very cute Southern accents. Emma doesn't know it, but she's going to marry my Quinn one day (she's in his class).

That's another story for another day, though.

You know the reason Emma talks like that (according to Quinn)?

Because she lives on a farm.

HA!

Saturday Morning: A Play in 3 Acts

Scene One: 6:30 am, a darkened bedroom where a male and a female are blissfully sleeping. A 6 year-old boy enters the room. The 6 year-old boy (Quinn) bounces up onto the bed and squirms his way between the sleeping man and sleeping woman. He plops himself down right in between them. The man pulls the little boy to his side of the bed and rolls over to snuggle the boy. The woman rises and uses the bathroom. Upon her return to the bed she finds the boy in the spot where she was previously sleeping. She nudges him to the middle of the bed, climbs in and embraces the boy. Sleeping continues.

Scene Two: 6:45 am, a darkened bedroom where a male, a female, and a 6 year-old boy are blissfully sleeping. Heavy footsteps are heard pounding their way down a hardwood-lined hallway towards the darkened bedroom. The woman hears the footsteps and awakens in time to see an 8 year-old boy approach the foot of the bed. The woman snaps her fingers.

Woman: (whispered) Aiden! Come to this side of the bed. (turns to the 6 year-old and whispers) Quinn. Move over. Aiden's here.

The 8 year-old boy climbs into bed on the left side of the mother. She rolls over to hug him.

Aiden: (whispered) I thought Quinn went to the bathroom, so I waited and waited but he didn't come back. I remembered last night he said he wanted to come snuggle you this morning, so I came in here to find him.

Woman: He's been in here since 6:30. Try to go back to sleep.

Act three: 7:00 am. The 6 year-old boy whispers to the woman that he is returning to his bed. The 8 year-old cannot sleep. The woman hears him giggle a little.

Woman: (whispered) What's funny?

Aiden: (whispered) I was laying here thinking about Soarin' (the ride at Disney World). That made me think about Bee Movie, and I remembered the guy that does the video before you get on Soarin' (Patrick Warburton). He also does the voice for the boyfriend in Bee Movie, which is a Dreamworks film. But, he also does a voice in the Emperor's New Groove, which is a Disney movie. So, that guy works for two different movie companies. Funny.

Woman: (whispered): I love how your mind works, son.

Curtain.

Commentary: Seriously? This is what my 8 year-old son is thinking at 7 o'clock in the morning? Patrick Warburton working for two different movie companies? I really DO love how his mind works!

1-800-222-2222

There's a third time for everything.

Today I had to call poison control for the 3rd time.

Know why?

Quinn and Lillian were playing in the yard. Quinn's voice came over the walkie talkie.

"Mommy? We found some berries in the woods and K. (the neighbor child) says they're not poisonous. Can we eat them?"

I grabbed my walkie talkie and practically screamed into it. "NO NO NO NO NO NO! K. does NOT know what berries are poisonous and which ones aren't! She's only FIVE! DO NOT EAT THE BERRIES! DO NOT EAT THE BERRIES!"

I heard Lillian say in the background, "Quinn already ate one!"

Aw, man.

I told them to bring the berries inside. I lectured all 3 of the kids about eating things without adult permission, and then I sent K. home.

I jumped on the internet and Googled "South Carolina berries red stems". I found out that the plant the berries Quinn ate (which looked a lot like blueberries, except blueberries aren't in season) were possibly Pokeweed Fruit and they are poisonous. A tingle started in my cheeks and went down my spine. Lillian took Camryn back outside and showed her the plant, and then Camryn cut off a stem and brought it back in to me. Pokeweed was indeed the culprit.

Aw, man.

I picked up the phone and called 1-800-222-2222. Poison Control.

Worst case scenario from eating one berry: a touch of the runs.

This, in case you didn't know, is a Pokeweed plant:

I guarantee you that my kids won't ever go near one again.

Bless their hearts.