Moments for Myself - 26 December

"Be. Just be. Don't think. Don't do. Just be. Let God fill you with His peace, His love, His plans for you. He will surprise you if you let Him."

- Moments for Myself, Daily Inspiration Calendar

Merry Chin-mas?

Got this link from my grandfather and couldn't resist posting it. Try it out:

http://www.sundog.net/index.php/chins/carol/

Some songs to try:

• Rudolph
• Frosty
• Jingle Bells
• Jingle Bell Rock
• Silent Night
• O Holy Night
• Up on the Housetop
• Twelve Days of Christmas
• White Christmas
• Blue Christmas
• Winter Wonderland
• Angels We Have Heard on High
• Carol of the Bells
• The Christmas Song
• and of course... We Wish You a Merry Christmas

Also, try to have them sing a song they don't know (just type in your own name or something silly and hit sing it). They're pretty cute there to.

This was a 20-minute entertainment for my boys! Whoo hoo - 20 minutes where we all go along today! YEA!

Where's My Man Card, Mommy?

For those of you of the male gender, you know there's this thing called a "man card". You get it for being manly (like controlling the remote, NOT putting the seat down no matter how many times the wife asks you, etc.) and not doing feminine things (like talking during sports, singing and/or dancing in public or even semi-public or crying for any reason).

My sons have been introduced to this concept already. Travis was dancing around the living room to some silly song he made up and was singing. My husband said "Dude, you're going to lose your man card for that!" [which then of course led to conversation to what a man card is, how you get one and how you lose one]. We are now treated to variations on a theme...

Me: Can you carry this package to the Christmas tree?
Travis: No....
Me: Please?
Travis: No, but I can take TWO.
Me: Great - you're the man!
Travis: [upon his return from a trip to the tree] You're right, I'm a man momma! (strikes a body-builder pose) Where's my man card woman?

Later...

Me: (singing some KidStuf song for church) Wanna dance?
Travis: Nope. I'm a man momma. We don't dance.
Me: Please? I need someone to be silly with.
Travis: OH, Okay. But don't tell Daddy!
Me: Why not?
Travis: He'll take away my man card! Never mind - you just don't get it!
.................
Oh my goodness! What will I do when they actually get to be MEN?? Help!!

Sad day for Redskins

Not only did my beloved Redskins (ok ok - red HAWKS) lose to KU today, but those "stinkin' Jayhawks" (as my kids call them!) also killed their 44-game streak of not allowing more than 70 opponent points. Talk about a bad day. It's so sad. :(

But, I do have to give props to those Jayhawks. It was a really good game. All I can say now - just wait till you meet up with those Longhorns... ;)

Holiday Decorations Voting

DEGers - A Vote for Me is a Vote for CANDY! ;)

A special vlog post just for DEG associates. Enjoy!

MU (OHIO) versus KU

For Ramsey, Susan, Neal, Dale, Jeff,
and everyone else who is a KU fan at DEG (which is like half the office...)GO MIAMI!!

Mom's Wedding

My mom got remarried on November 3! I won't go into the details of how they met, or anything, but I will share photos. I got to stand up for them as the Matron of Honor. The only sad part was that I went alone (that's a REALLY long story...). Enjoy the photos!

Cutting the Cake

Eating the Cake


Our side of the of this crazy union.


The rings and roses


The certificate that makes it all legal. =)

Halloween

The boys got to go trick-or-treating again - without getting or being sick! Whoo Hoo! They had SO much fun, even though they both fell at least one time. We only hit about 18 houses total (just over an hour walking and they were exhausted!). Here's some highlights from the begging, from Boo at the Zoo and daddy's costume (all my pictures came out blurry, DARN!).

Someday, Travis might fit into this costume!


Superheroes eveywhere!


Thomas as the "dark" Spider-man and
Travis as Optimus Prime (Transformer)


Spider-man face-off!


Riding the camel at the zoo.


Beggar's Night.


2 Kids + 18 Houses = Beggar's Night Haul
THANK YOU Johnson County Parents! =)


If you don't recognize this guy, you're not a KU fan!
Daddy as Coach Mangino from KU football.
BTW - daddy was a K-Stater...
(yes, that is a tutu under the shirt. The original costume is a
blow-up ballerina that we dressed up even funnier!)

Tom's New Obsession

I always figured we'd have pretty smart kids, based on nothing other than knowing my own intelligence level (OK- that wasn't modest but deal with it) and my husbands. Travis has proven himself lately to be the master of comic timing, story telling and dramatics. Thomas is freaking me out with his new found love of academics...

A while back we got these "Kindergarten Workbooks" that just have puzzles, word association games, letter review, number review, etc. in them. They sat for months and months with no interest from either boy. I honestly thought we'd thrown them away I hadn't seen them in so long!

However, Tom unearthed one on Sunday and has spent every spare moment working in it. On Monday night, he spent well over an hour working through various pages. Sometimes he'd ask for help like "what gets done here, mommy?" but no specific answers could be given (heaven forbid - kindergarten tongue lashings would ensue!). Tonight, as soon as he had on his gi for karate, he was at it again, almost fighting us about having to leave his book! As soon as we go back and he had on his PJs, he was at it again. Both nights he even tried to forgo cuddle time for an extra 15 minutes with his book instead of us!

The way he's going through this book, I'm going to have to go look for some new ones. He's more than 3/4 of the way through this one and I think tomorrow might end it!

I wonder if this counts for his 50 minutes a week of reading? =)

(In case you're wondering, Travis is the only one allowed to work with him on the pages. But, he tends to lose interest after about 10 minutes. Then he goes on CSI-like missions through the house looking for "pumpkin blood" with his new mini-flashlight or he makes crazy 'pinball games' out of blocks and balls to try and lure Tom from the book. Doesn't work, but he doesn't seem to care! Crazy kids!!)

Couple receives wedding photos after 27 years

Photographer finds album, tracks down bride who couldn’t pay for it in 1980

A couple won't mark their 27th anniversary until Thursday, but they've already received the perfect gift: the wedding pictures they couldn't afford when they married as teenagers.

Their photographer showed up last week at the diner where Karen Cline works and surprised her with a photo album from her big day in 1980.

All these years, the Clines have had just one wedding picture that someone else took, of her walking down the aisle.

I found this an interesting blurb, as I have a tradition with my wedding album. Every year, I take our white album with all the proofs in it and show it to someone who hasn't seen it. I'm not sure how it came about and I'm sure people think I'm nuts for having such a strange ritual. But it always gets a lot of comments and opens some interesting conversations. Beware if you're in my path the day before Thanksgiving; that's when I'll probably have it at work! =)

Be Careful What You Say, Part Two

So – Travis came out with another good one tonight. The boys were telling us about how the Halloween party at school was going to work (parade with costumes, etc.). We told them the teacher had told us they couldn’t wear their masks, as they might trip during the parade and also that Travis couldn’t bring his “gun” with him [he’s a Transformer and has a plastic canon-thingy that straps onto one arm] and his response was dead-on…

“That sucks!”

So – we all know he got that from mommy. It’s hard to be mad when it uses it so well, but we did have to tell him this wasn’t ok to say. Which was hard while laughing. Cuz he’s right – it does suck! =)

Be Careful What You Say...

...as a Kindergartener just might be listening. (and repeating!)

In the past week, my kids have just floored me with the things they've been saying. Specifically:

While we were working with Travis on his "Y" prononciation (like in Yellow), Thomas kept trying to say it too. Which just kept confusing the issue. We told him to be quiet so many times and it just wasnt penetrating. Finally, Travis leaned over and told him "You are not required in this." We just busted up!

Tonight, I was having trouble getting off the couch (I told you I was still sore from HillOween dancing!) and Travis came over to help me up. After I got about halfway up I fell back down and said "crud". Travis responded with "Crud-sicles and puppy snot? Is it that bad?" TOO FUNNY! (if you don't know, these 'words' are my version of kid-friendly swearing)

Travis has just been on sch a roll lately - sometimes I just start weird converstations with him just to see where it will take us! =)

HILLOWEEN 2007

HillOween was a rousing success! everyone who went from our office (I think there were about a dozen of us) had a great time. Technically, my costume was a goth chick, but I ended up being dubbed the AC/DC groupie by the bartenders and the DJ. Works for me! I'm still sore from the dancing though. =)

Enjoy the photos...

The Gang's (mostly) All Here! Front: Kimmy Cub as a "sexy army girl" Back: Sky as (well, I'm not sure), Chad as a monk, Ramsey as the guy from Revenge of the Nerds, Neal as a "Cowboy Indian", Me (behind Ramsey & Neal), Thad as a Richard Simmons workout woman (his finacee was dressed as Richard Simmons!), Amanda D. as a lunch lady and Jason as the iPod Dancer.

From HillOween 2007

The body-painting Centerfold model. Nope, not 100% nude, but darn close!
Amazing that she stood that still for HOURS and the detail of the work he did.


Cara as little Bo Peep and Kevin enjoying one of her sheep.
Personally, I thought this was the best DEG costume and should have won a "Couple costume"!


Yes, this is my boss. He went as a "Cowboy Indian". Get it?
It was his big joke of the evening. LOL


Bethany did our mutal Harry Potter "obsession" a good one.
She looked the part of Hermione pretty well -
and this was an 11th hour setup. Whoo hoo!

Results of the Pumpkin Patch

Here are photos of the pumpkins we carved from the trip to the pumpkin patch the week before. I cut off the tops and the boys did most of the goop removal (we made Emily do her own though!) All three kids actually did their own carving! I had to do just a little cleanup to get the pieces out, but they did the brunt of the work. I think they look really amazing for their first pumpkins!

All four pumpkins. I have one more to do, but it's pretty small, so I don't know what I'll use yet!


Thomas' Ghost


Travis' Bat (daddy thought this was a regular jack-o-lantern and that he did it upside-down. Pretty funny!


Emily's Cat - she had a skinny piece break off between the cat and it's tail, but pretty good!


My spider. The design was called "Web Designer" which I found oddly appropriate! =)

Elton John @ the Sprint Center!

This was the BEST Elton concert I have attended so far! And after seven, that's saying a lot!

I can't believe the ENERGY this man has at his age (which is 60 for you non-fans). The concert started with an unbelievable rendition of "Funeral for a Friend / Love Lies Bleeding" and just rocked out from there.

Some of the highlights from his 2 .5 hour main set included songs from Madman and Yellow Brick Road, a 20-minute version of Rocket Man, Crocodile Rock, and a killer version of Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting.

His 15-minute encore included signing autographs for the people who had rushed the stage, Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me and (of course) Your Song. (Every one of his concerts that I've seen has ended with Your Song, so I knew we shouldn't leave until he played that.)

I did get to impress my friend with my vast Elton John knowledge, including predicting how he would play Bennie and the Jets (just that single starting chord and then waiting for the noise to die down), and just knowing all the songs except one. He playing a song called "The Bridge" off his The Captain and the Kid album which I have not yet obtained for my vast collection *gasp*. (I shall have to get this, if only for this song - it was WONDERFUL!).

I didn't get some of the best pictures (technically only disposable cameras were allowed, ha!), but here's a few I did get. If I can get some from Ramsey (friend who went with me) I'll post those in the album as well.

From Elton John Co...

My friend's video from the night:

Children of the Corn

From Halloween 2007...

OK - so they aren't really the blood-thirsty children of that long-ago horror movie. But, they do look pretty darn cute in the corn husks!


We took the kids toa pumpkin patch today. We got three HUGE pumpkins (the kids would accept nothing less than that!) and two smaller pumpkins (mom's picks). I'll probably carve them next weekend and take pictures of the finished products then.


We got to play on haystacks & half-buried tractor tires, work our way through (or in the boys' case, over!) a haystack maze and go on a hayride.


Here are some other photos from the day. Feel free to check out the full album by clicking the "Halloween" link.

From Halloween 2007...

Psalm 23

I found a site this week that I will probably end up spending HOURS on during the coming months. It's the Godly answer to YouTube - GodTube.com!

The first feature video for your viewing pleasure - a little girl saying the 23rd Psalms as only a child can do!

Religion

A coworker of mine has a blog about running. Now, normally I wouldn't read such a thing because running is a thing of my past and probably not even a blip on my future radar. A past high school sprinter, I never had the stamina to go long-distance, but this gal trains for marathons. I find that absolutely amazing and I'm very impressed with her drive and "obsession".

She had a great post recently that I needed to quote. Hope you don't mind AB, but I real loved what you wrote! :)

"Funny how the urge to believe or to pray sneaks up on you right as things start to really suck! Then how it sneaks back up on you as things start going really well... I don't know exactly what I believe, I'm still working that out in learning from my friends of so many different faiths. I do know that I believe in something greater than myself and that belief has gotten me through a number of struggles and gives me peace of mind."

It's wonderful to hear things like this from other people. I know what I believe, what I have always believed through my entire upbringing. But, sometimes it's good to hear these things, to be reminded of the need to pray not only when things are bad but also when things are going good, to say "Thanks!"

So, God, because I haven't said it enough lately, these are the things in my life I've very thankful you've given me:

• Mercy and grace
• Your Word
• The love of a good, strong, handsome husband who protects me and only wants the best for me. It's not always easy, but it's always worth it in the end!
• A beautiful step-daughter with whom I couldn't be closer if she were my own daughter; in fact, if she were my "real" daughter, we probably wouldn't get along so well!
• One wonderful son who is theatrical and goofy and one of the most caring people I have ever met. Watching him interact with other people and try to make them laugh and be happy warms my heart daily.
• Another fantastic son who is smart and serious and artistic. Determined and desiring of education and the need to do things right, he's a joy every day of my life, because I see so much of myself in him. And I only hope I can help him turn out better!
• Friends near and far. I couldn't get through it long-term without them!
• An extended family around the globe. Sometimes it's better that they're farther away, but it's all good!
• A strong church family where I'm accepted, wanted and, dare I believe it, needed
• A good, steady job with a lot of wonderful people.
• The ability to be well-rounded in my job and in my life - to excel at so many things simply because of the gifts you gave me.
• A deep love of music and theatre - I don't know how I would get through a day without music and a good TV show or movie!

And so very much more! Thank you Lord. And I'll try to do better at saying "Thank You" the next time I'm asking for your help or begging for your forgiveness!

The Happy Hippo

Really weird week so far:

• On Monday, I had an impromptu 4.5+ HOUR meeting to help a coworker complete a site. Weird meeting. Client sat and told us what was wrong and the project lead and I fixed them. We went through EVERY SINGLE PAGE - which we found out later was about 150-ish I think. Wow!
  
  
• On Monday I also found out the boys have been lying to us for three weeks! We told them they could take their lunches to school, but they had to get milk from the school (I just don't trust the thermoses to keep the milk cold enough!). Well, they did it once and never again. I found out when I got access to the fee management site finally. What's heartening is how quickly Travis was to give up the gig and admit he messed up. What's sad is that Tom still wants to say he wasn't doing anything wrong and he wasn't going to tell us the truth no matter what! Already I feel like a bad mom and they're only 5!
  
  
• On Tuesday hubby and I met with his surgeon for his disc replacement surgery. It's a little scary what could possibly go wrong and even scarier that he could end up worse if they can't do the replacement based on his physical build. They may end up doing a fusion with a steel plate by it, which will limit his movement and other possible issues. I was a little freaked out after that meeting.
  
  
• On Tuesday I also sorta played hooky (SHHH). After the meeting with the surgeon and by the time we finally met with him (we waited an hour and a half!) and ate some lunch (I had the shakes really bad so I had to eat) it just wasn't worth it to go into the office for 3 hours. So I worked from home - although I really didn't get much done. I tried, it just wasn't happening. Please don't tell my boss....
  
  
• On Wednesday, we had a 3 hour training with the client from Monday. So they could make their OWN changes. Whoo hoo! Nice people and it was actually one of my better trainings (if I may say so myself). The project lead and I have a crazy report, so that's probably part of what made it fun!
  
  
• On Wednesday, my boys did the coolest thing. Daddy had taken them to the store to buy steaks and they saw a HUGE hippo. And they convinced him that mommy just HAD to have it. Like a "second mother's day" is what Tom told me (maybe he WAS feeling guilty about the lying thing?!). They also got me a goofy card that plays the Hamster Dance Song (http://www.hamsterdance.com/). I just died laughing! So, we played the card over and over and danced around the house with the hippo. Talk about pulling me out of a funk!
  
  
• Tonight, the boys were just loving and cuddly. They kept playing quietly with puzzles and just being really good kids. Amazing! Now, if we could just teach them to stop TALKING all the time, life would be pretty darn perfect with them...NAH!
  

So - that's been the week so far. Just crazy. But, in the end I guess I'm doing ok with the kids and they're happy and healthy and they know they're loved.

To give you a smile today, here's the happy hippo:

Treads & Threads Photos - AT LAST!

Finally!
Pictures from Treads & Threads, creative black tie gala at the Kansas Speedway to benefit the University of Kansas Hospital Cancer Center. These are just some highlights - use the title link to view the whole photo gallery.
Enjoy!

About 1/2 of the whole DEG office. Eventually we'll get a picture with everyone! Left to right: Bethany, Amanda B., Lisa, Kim, Dan, Thad, Neal, Dale Ferris, Drew, Cara, ME & Amanda D. MIA - Susan, Sky, Chad, Jason, Singh, Asheesh, David, Dave, Justice, Ramsey, Jeff, Darren, Wing and Greg - maybe one of our graphic artists can add them in!

Our wonderful "bullpen" engineers - (they share a single office) Left to right: Dan, Kim, Ferris, Darren, Wing & Jason

Although Hootie and the Blowfish was the "headliner", the main attraction really seems to be the Bill Pollack Orchestra from Chicago.

Believe it or not, this is the best picture of me from that night. I'm SO not photogenic! But, Bethany is!

Treads & Threads 2007 - pics update (sort of)

Sorry people. I know you're all just DYING to see the pictures I took at TNT this year. However, I can't find the little converter thingy for my camera's memory card. And I think there's supposed to be some sort of USB cable that will also connect it, but it' not like my other USB cables and of course I can't find the right one. If you've ever seen my home office desk, you'd completely understand my conundrum. I will post pics just as soon as I find that darn thing....

New Sport...

The boys got a flyer on Monday about a sport starting up this week - KARATE! They were VERY excited. So, we took them tonight.

It was really interesting for me. I've never been in any class like that before and I really liked the way it was taught. They focus on "stranger danger" at this age and teach how to get out of wrist locks and block punches, etc. The sensei is a former band director and vice-principal/principal so he's really good with the kids.

The boys really enjoyed it and are really looking forward to continuing it. The only part they didn't like was that we didn't buy them the karategi (uniform). We didn't want to shell out the $30 each if they weren't going to stay in it. But, since they are, be sure to keep an eye out for them in their black outfits with the white belts.

The real test was of course daddy. He actually HAS done karate in the past, although he describes it as a "bloodier" version as they were learning to fight, not defend. But, he had heard of this guy and the group before and he liked the way they dealt with this on a kid level. As a past coach himself, I trust his opinion on coaching styles and abilities more than my own. =)

So - all in all it was a good night. And I look forward to 15 more weeks of it. Then - on to BASKETBALL.... (sport #4 for the boys!)

When God Paints...

He uses all the colors...

View Album

I received this in an email from my friend Teri so I don't know who took these amazing photos. I was just in awe of the photography and thought they were very uplifting. I hope they put a lift in your day as well!

My personal favorite is the swans with the multi-colored leaves. Yes Gram, I finally learned to look at the leaves! =)

Liberty Memorial Museum

During my mom's visit over Labor Day weekend, we took her fiance and my boys to the Liberty Memorial Museum. It's the only WWI museum in the country. I thought it would be kind of hokey, but it was really great. I honestly wih I'd had a few more (kid-free!) hours to really read the history and details.

Some photos from the trip are in the slide show below.

Saving Grace (spoiler alert...)

So - there's a new show on TNT called Saving Grace (starring Holly Hunter, one of my all-time favorite actresses). It's really interesting and I love the concept.But, if you havne't seen the latest episode, you may not want to read this post. Small spoiler included herein.

One scene in the episode I saw tonight sort of hit me hard. Very simliar to the file cabinet scene in Bruce Almighty. For some reason, this one hit me harder than the Bruce version - maybe because it wasn't done with an edge of humor as much?

Anyway, in the scene, Earl (the angel) tells Grace she needs to stop lying. Grace replies that she does it just a little bit. And Earl proeeds to unroll a VERY long scroll. Only a little unrolls, but it's still very long. She asks what hat's supposed to be. Earl says "your idea of a little bit."

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not saying I realized I'm a huge horrible lying or anything like that. But, I did get to thinking that if God does indeed keep lists of that kind, I'm in deep kimshe (as my mom would say).

If you start racking up the ill-thoughts, the "white lies", the extremely petty thefts, the coveteous or adultrous thoughts, how many of us would have a short scroll? Because God doesn't see the difference between a white lie and afull-blown out to hurt someone lie. They're both falsehoods and a big "no no" in the land of commandments.

So - thanks Holly. Now I've got to start cleaning up my act over here lest they decide to make a new show called "Saving Terese"...

Unwritten

For homework last week, Emily was given a project to pick a song that was "hers". She was having a hard time with this idea and apparently spent three days looking for the right song. I gave her the first one that came to mind for her - "Unwritten"

She was really excited and said "How do you do that?!?!" She really loves that song, but didn't have a clue why I thought it was a good song to describe her.

I spent the next 20 minutes working through some of the lyrics with her, explaining some of the ideas. Like how her life is currently unwritten and she can decide what words go in it. That she can learn to "user her words" in more adult situation and learn to follow her own heart instead of the crowd.

I have to say, I'm usually pretty proud of the choices makes in life. She makes friends with the new students first, she invites the "least popular" of her friends over for our parties, she cheers on everyone on her soccer team (not just the playmakers), she works well with the boys - even when forced, and she gets amazing grades in school.

I know a lot of what I was telling her about her life being unwritten and she can make so many choices was a little over her head. But, she was really interested in reading the lyrics more ("on the bus tomorrow") and I think she really WANTED to understand.

A lot of it was definitely "parenty" words and thoughts. Things she won't get until she's 33, with kids of her own and a life she's still not 100% sure about of it. I look back at 7th grade and see so many things I could have done differently back then that would have changed where I am now.

But, the REST of my life is still unwritten. I mean, I have beautiful kids and a strong, normally suprtive spoouse, a good job that I (usually) like, great friends near and far, a wonderful church home where I'm integrated fairly heavily, etc. etc. etc. The only thing I still feel like I'm missing is a sense of purpose. Or, rather, a sense that I'm fulfilling God's purpose for my life. Some day, I believe my book will be completed when I discover and fulfill that purpose.

Back Blogging - again...

Seirously, if I would do this at least once a week, you wouldn't see posts like this. But I forget or get busy and so...

deal with it...

=)


First day of school

Surprise Party

Cleaning cleaning cleaning....

and then maybe more cleaning?

Joe and I spent the day cleaning the back rooms today. Just the office and the porch. I threw out so many old papers and magazines, etc. and he shampooed the rugs. Although this may not sound like the best use of a Sunday (and Joe's only day off this weekend), I personally feel a lot better because these rooms were just YUCKY!

Next (meaning tomorrow night) I hit the front room and the dining room. Kitchen and bathrooms on Tuesday and bedrooms on Wednesday (easy night, except for the sheets).

Why are we doing all this "spring cleaning" in the summer? Cuz, my mommy is coming to visit!

Yep - she hasn't been here since.. well, it's been about a year now I guess! Maybe not. I have "mommy brain" in which anything outside my kids is promptly forgetten within a month (sorry mom!).

Anyway, she's bringing her finance - I mean fiance - with her this time. They're getting married in November and she thought it'd be better for me to meet him BEFORE that happens! lol

Ok mom - the house will be clean. I'll be exhausted until Saturday, but the house will be clean! I promise!! And if it's not - well, just remember where I learned my housekeeping skills from and leave it at that! =)

Now - back to finishing my desk. Maybe. Although hitting the sack sounds a lot more productive at this point...

First Day of School!

Wow! What an exciting day! Here' the highlights on what they got to do on their first day of school:

• 15-minute walk (1/2 mile) with both mom AND dad to school
• Spent time learning the new routine
• Met new friends in their regular classroom
• Ate lunch like the big kids do (not all kindergarteners get to do that!)
• Got reacquainted with some T-Ball friends in "Kindergarten Enrichment"
• Had TWO recesses - one of which included a "dirt fight" according to Thomas
• Got picke dup by BOTH mom and dad
• Had a special "celebratory" dinner

Not a bad first day of school at all! Here's what they looked right, just before we left for the long, hot walk:

And, no, I can't get them to stop looking goofy when I take their picture! Trust me, I'd love to get a picture where they're both looking like sweet, good little boys, but I just don't see that as possible! =)

Math Book for GIRLS?

OK - I honestly thought this was going to be some sort of segregation, girls aren't as smart as boys crap. But, when Iread more about it, it seemed really interesting. To the point I'm going to order a copy for my tween girl and see if it helps any with this pesky subject!

Anyway, to give the jist of the item, it's a math book written by Winnie - not "the Pooh". Winnie Cooper, aka Danica McKellar from "The Wonder Years". She's a summa cum laude grad in Mathematics from UCLA. She really WAS the smart girl she portrayed!

Anyway, according to the Wired article, she basically said she's on a mission to help girls see math as something accessible and fun, not scary. I think this is a GREAT idea (cuz I personally was good at math, but never wanted to admit it, lest people think I was more of a freak than they already did)!

So, Emily, if you're reading this - guess what your back-to-school present is going to be...

Give ya one guess and I'm sure you'll be 100% correct! =)

Back to school news

School starts on Monday!! WOW! They had a back to school bash tonight. Not fun with 3 kids in tow in a building we've never been in before! Boys were scared at first, but they relzed after awhile, especially when they realized they'd be in their own room, with their own

We found out the twins are indeed in the same class and have the teacher we were hoping they'd get.

The school made a big deal about having backpacks that fit into their "lockers". However, we found out tonight, kindergarteners don't HAVE lockers! AARRGGHH! But, we did find matching Spiderman backbacks (or pack backs as the boys call them) with lunchboxes and thermoses that the boys LOVE (thankfully, since all Transformers were SOLD OUT!)

Tom is excited they get an ART class every week; Travis is excited for MUSIC class each week. Both are looking forward to both computer classes and weekly library trips. We met all the teachers for each of those areas and the boys were so funny - shy until they found out the subject they taught. When we met the art teacher, Travis said "THOMAS! You get to color and draw and paint and all the crazy stuff you like!" Tom just rolled his eyes, shook the teacher's hand and then ran over to check out all the supplies. Too funny!

We have another meeting tomorrow night - about the after school program and "kindergarten enrichment" program. KE basically fills up the rest of hte day for a half-day kindergarten. Who ever thought up half day kindergarten should be flogged! (that's for a different post though - too tired to rant!). Friday is their open house where they get to meet other kids in their class and then Monday it all starts new. Whoo hoo!!

Happy Left-Handers Day!

So - I found out from my mom (a leftie) that today is LEft-Handers day. Unfortuatnely, I found out too late to do anything for my own little leftie. But, I have it on the calendar for next year!

National Left-Handers Day Official Site: http://www.lefthandersday.com/

Some sites you lefties might like (or if you want to get a leftie gift!)

http://www.wackyplanet.com/leftyworld.html

http://www.lefthandzone.com/

http://www.thelefthand.com/

Hope you had a great right-brained day!! =)

Southpaw Research

As the parent of a lefty, I found this article interesting - ""Gene for Left-Handed Trait Discovered" from National Geographic website.

Main points of interest:

• Gene most closely linked to left-handedness has been found, called LRRTM1.
• LRRTM1, is also associated with a slight increase in developing certain mental illnesses such as schizophrenia.
• For right-handed people, he said, the right side of the brain usually controls emotion, while the left side of the brain tends to control speech and language.
• In left-handers—about 10 percent of the world's population—the pattern is usually reversed.
• LRRTM1 is not essential for left-handedness, but it can be a strong contributing factor.
• Left-handers should not be unduly concerned about this link.

So - basically there's this gene that is found in both left-handed people AND in schizophrenics, but as a mom, I shouldn't worry about my left-handed kid BEING a schizophrenic. um - okay....

It is an interesting correlation, however. I wonder if they also find it in people who have ADD and do they see an increased recurrence in lefties with ADD than righties. I ask this because 1) Travis shows signs of ADD, 2) a leftie friend of mine IS ADD, and 3) many actors are lefties and seem to be ADD (and also have a high percentage of dyslexia as well!) I'll need to do more research and see if there's a correlation.

I do have to admit, having mirror twins gives me a change to see how lefties and righties differ on a very basic level - two genetically identical individuals who are developing very differently. Not just in handedness, but in mental acuity, physical ability, and attention span/interests. Maybe this is why I'm considering psychology as a vocation again - I love the research and mentality around twinship!

Completely off original topic now. Read the full article to get back on topic if you desire...

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/08/070801-left-gene.html

Lifestream

As I'm fairly new to the whole blogging world, I have to give a shout-out to a co-worker and friend of mine, Ramsey. This man (OK, I honestly think of him as a "boy" most of the time given the age difference, but I'm being PC here; he IS over 21!) has got it seriously going on in the world of techno-geekdom.

Not only does he have a very cool blog (albeit with sometimes questionable posts...I'll let you judge for yourself... http://www.acrosstheboardblog.com) he is also doing this new thing called a "life stream".

Essentially, he has a web cam that he takes everywhere with him. He has it at our work (muted, thank goodness!) and at home, out at a bar or bowling and even had permission to bring it into the T-Bones Baseball game when we went with work (AND he got a radio interview for it!). The camera is either focused on him and recording what he's doing (and giving us without a life a front-row seat to watch him) or he's wearing it on a red ball cap and we get to see the world "through his eyes".

When he first told me about this, I personally gave him grief. Called it dumb and seriously wondered about his sanity for awhile. However, for him, I see this as a wonderful addition to his life, at least right now. He's a very outgoing and impressive guy and this just puts him out there in the thick of things a little more. He likes to share pieces of himself with the world at large and this just shares it a bit more.

The reason for accolades to him on MY blog? He's teaching me. Maybe not directly and probably without him realizing it. But, I'm learning to be a little more open each day and share the cool stuff of my life and mind (not just the weird and morbid). Doing this blog is helping me express myself better and helping me learn that if I really want to make the world a better place for my kids, I have to start with ME. Without him, I wouldn't have started a blog - at least not yet.

So - well done Ramsey! May this be a truly positive experience in your life and something you can talk about with your grandkids someday (who will probably be doing the same thing in their day, but as a mandated government tracking program or something!).

http://www.justin.tv/ramsey - check him out!

Sprint Center Opening Act Announced

Kansas City has a new arena downtown - the Sprint Center. It looks really freaking cool. And guess who gets to open it?

ELTON JOHN

Now, if you know me AT ALL, you probably know this is my FAVORITE artist of all time. and I'm SO excited!

Joe told me to go ahead and buy two tickets. Then he told me to find someone else to take since he won't go. So, that's a bit of a downer. But, his reluctance to attend will not dampen my excitement or willingness to attend. Even if I go alone. Which I won't. Friend of mine has already said he'd like to go with me. Just gotta decide if going with another GUY is worth the 3 years grief I'll get out of it. Which it probably IS. =)

Anyway, read about the Sprint Center and all it's coolness and the Elton Concert right here:

http://sprintcenter.com/press_073007.php

Now - if I can just figure out how to go see Sir Elton in Vegas the following week with my cousin, I'd definitely have my fix for the year!

Political post =)

I asked a group of chatters and bloggers what would be a good topic for me to post tonight. Several of them told me to do politics. My reply...ewww..

But, then I couldn't resist.

I can't really speak to politics too much. Simply because I refuse to follow them. I pop in a movie during the State of the Union address. I won't even watch the news. Why? Just one of those things I don't understand and leave to the hands of other people.

One thing I do and will continue to do - support the President. Yes, he might be a dipstick at times. And yes we're in a war that appears to not be ending anytime soon. But, he's our PRESIDENT. A symbol of American freedom as surely as if he was made of apple pie and holding a torch. So - voice your opinions about the actions, but as the PRESIDENT, support him!

Oh - and say a Prayer. The man could use them!

Hollywood's Newest Wild Child

This may seem a bit odd to the regular human, but I think we need to take a moment to say a prayer for Lindsay Lohan. This is a girl people are currently laughing at for getting so many DUI's and she JUST turned legal age! Instead of laughing at her or pitying her, say a prayer for her. She's a troubled girl, around bad influences, with too much money and incorrect guidance.

Do this - forget that she's a Hollywood starlet. Picture your best friend/girlfriend at that age. Imagine it was HER having these troubles. Would you laugh at her? Would you shake your head and wonder when she'll wise up? NO - you'd do something. And in lew of actually being able to physically do something for her, you would have prayed for her. And asked your family to pray. and other friends. and your church.

DO THE SAME FOR LINDSAY. And for Paris. And Britney. And Robert Downey, Jr. And any other famous person who seems to have trouble stay on a Godly and CLEAN path. They need our HELP, not our laughs.

School Registry

Wow - where did July GO??

As today (as I've passed over the Cinderella hour just now) is the last day of July, it just strikes me as odd that it's already this far into summer. And I'm down to just two days before my little boys are fully registered for Kindergarten!

Thursday evening I have to go to the school and turn in the final paperwork - birth certificates, health records, etc. In two weeks, we have a back-to-school bash and a kindergarten open house where we get to meet the teacher. And in just three weeks from yesterday my babies enter the world of public education.

How am I preparing for this wonderful day? Well, I just read a book called "The Third Victim" that featured a school shooting in an elementary school. THAT got me right in the mood...to quit my job and home school my precious angels!

Also, their current day care asked me where they'd be going after school each day. And I had to break their hearts and tell them the boys weren't coming back there. That was hard for lots of reasons. Not the least of which is that these people have spent more time with my kids in the last year and half than I have! But, Joe and I also know that going to the after-school program at the school is going to be a big change for the boys. Especially Thomas. And we're just not sure how the change will affect them.

Anyway, I'm feeling very nostalgic tonight suddenly. So, along those veins, here are some pictures from the past.

From Twins Together

From Twins Together

From Twins Together

From Twins Together

From Emily

From Emily

From Emily

From Emily

911 Call

As a mom of two 5-year olds this was just too funny not to pass on. I could SO see my boys doing this! =)

Mom Rant #1

OK - as a mom, there are just some things that really bother me in the world. And, I feel the need to rant about them. Can't think of a better way to do that than here...

Therefore, this will be the first of probably many "Mom Rants". They may not make much sense but if I get them out of my head, maybe someone else will agree and we can make a small change in the world. =)

So...first rant is about Reality TV. Specifically, a new show about to come out called "Murder" on Spike TV (yes, I'm a mom and I watch Spike - I like CSI and this channel does so many reruns of it!)

According to SpikeTv.com, "Each episode of MURDER will feature one real crime, complete with a gruesome recreated crime scene and real crime footage, ripped from the closed case files of Homicide Departments across the United States. Two teams of real people, comprised of three members each, will compete to be the first to solve the case, correctly, in 48 hours."

Now, as I professed/confessed CSI fan, you'd think this particular reality show wouldn't bug me. In fact, it might intrigue me. And it probably would have except for a few points:

1. REAL crime will be featured. Basically, they are going to exploit a REAL person's death and their friends/families pain and anguish on a cable station for money and "entertainment". Shows of this ilk in the FICTION aren't too bad, as they can be "teaching" tools and you know it's not a real person that was run over, shot, etc. It's just a story, however real or reflective of reality it can seem. It's really different when you KNOW it's real.


2. Gruesome recreated crime scene and real crime footage. Ok - minor aside here. My family NEVER watches the first 5 minutes of any CSI, ER, etc. Why? That's when the most horrific moments of the show USUALLY occur. When we watch them with the kids, we also listen closely to the music or already know the episode and change the channel when it will be graphic. Otherwise, the kids watch. Because we see this as a learning tool - logic and reason applied to solving a problem and [some] correct science. Back on point - this show will be showing the REAL recreated crime scene. See point number one above regarding reality versus fiction.


3. Compete to be the first to solve the case. OK - these are closed cases. Meaning supposedly already solved. However, what if there was a loophole discovered during the show? Or ideas posted that no one followed through on previously? Now, you might be giving possible "ammunition" to convicted felons and basically treating everything like a GAME.

So - there's my main issues with this show. I'm not big on most reality TV - but that's another rant. Don't know if this makes much sense, but I needed to let this out. Thanks for "listening"!

Surprise Party

My friend Tina had her ** birthday recently and her family threw a surprise party for her (age hidden to protect the innocent - and my own hide!).

To be honest, I was seriously considering not going, based on the time and location and the fact that I'd be taking the boys alone - and I had no idea if it was a big party or really small, so I didn't know how the boys would react to anything in advance.

But, since Tina helped me through so much of the pregnancy (she was IN the delivery room taking pictures people!) and through so many other things in the 6 years we've been friends, I couldn't pass up a night to celebrate HER!

Here are a few pictures from the really fun dinner at Zio's.


From left to right: Tatum, Bil, Katlyn, Neil & the Birthday Girl


Tina with my boys.


Me with Tina's Girls


Tina's Yummy Cake - plain white cake with buttercream icing.
And, yes, that's a "50" candle - hubby's idea of a "cute joke". Ha ha...

Past updates

Be sure to go back and read some past posts - been doing some post-dating to catch up on our world! =)

Boys Playing Basketball (video)
Boys Playing Outside (video)
Boys Playing T-Ball
Bikini Bread

Bow Wow Vows

One of our clients told me about this great event they had. Here, you can see a video of the Guiness Record event of over 500 doggies saying "I DOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Lucky Baby

As luck would have it, this is one lucky kid!

7 7 7 7 7

Jack Allen Falkner was born July 7, 2007, considered by many the luckiest day of the century. But Jack's luck didn't stop there. The infant weighed in at 7 pounds, 7 ounces, at St. Joseph's Hospital in Chippewa Falls. He was born at 8:12 am.

The number seven is considered lucky by gamblers, numerologists and the slew of couples who chose Saturday as their wedding date. If the string of sevens in that date makes for auspicious associations, the extra digits in his weight could bode that much better for the infant.

The only way his luck would have been better is if he'd been born about an hour earlier at 7:07!

Bikini Bread

The first "fruits" of the garden are a half dozen tomatoes, a bucket full of green beans, a dozen squash and seven huge zucchini. These zucchini are, of course, the main ingredient for Bikini Bread.

Small aside here - the boys can't say zucchini all that well, so it comes out as bikini. Hence - Bikini Bread. =)

Emily is helping me make the bread. A single zucchini has produced 4 large loaves and 1 mini-loaf with some leftover! I think we'll make three sets like this, for a total of 12 large loaves and 3 minis. Assuming we have enough of the OTHER ingredients - running a little low on flour right now.

I'm going to take a couple of these to work on Monday and label them Bikini Bread. See if they disappear faster that way. Shh - don't tell Kim!

If anyone is interested in a loaf for themselves, just let me know - I'd love to give it away. Otherwise, it just sits in the freezer or lands on my hips (I ate almost whole loaf by myself in one day a couple years ago - just couldn't stop!).

New Laptop!

OK - for the record, it was not my idea to get a new computer. I didn't argue mind you, but it wasn't my idea. So, on Monday, I got this nifty little HP Pavillion dv6000 - built in webcam, Microsoft Vista and office 2007. 2 GB memory and 140 HD. I'm in heaven. Joe isn't so much.

Now, if you've ever gotten a new computer, you know it takes time to set it up - loading software, moving files, making sure everything works. I've been working on this thing for 3 days now - off and on - and I'm still working on it. iTunes doesn't like my new music, I haven't loaded my anti-virus yet and the printer won't connect. It's nerve-wracking. And then Joe tells me I need to put it away!

AARRGGHH!!

So - I'm using it to bllog more often (yea!) just to take a break from setting it up. Only problem so far - typing with these long nails of mine. Guess I'm gonna have to pare them down some or get a wireless keyboard.

Guess which one will happen first....

=)

Happy 4th of July!

Don't have a lot to say here other than Happy Independence Day! Hope you all enjoy the day with your loved ones and stay safe with the fireworks.

Flood rains + no canoes = Unhappy Camper

This past weekend we had our 9th annual Float Trip and it was a rather interesting and WET trip. Roach MO had rain from Friday evening until Sunday afternoon - with flash flood warnings and very wet camping conditions.


Joe & I spent all day Thursday shopping and packing for our annual canoe trip. If we would have been able to use my van, we would have been ready to leave first thing Friday morning. But, we had to take the time to take mine to the "car doctor" and pickup the rental van. Seriously, i talked to four different people at the rental agency and told them we needed a van - not an SUV, a van. So, what did they have when we go there? An SUV. So, we had to convince them to give us the van they had sitting right out front. Sheesh!

We finished getting the last few items for the trip (like marshmallows, since our two little monkeys got into the bag we had on Thursday night) and finished up the loading. We were literally leaving the house at noon - really good for us!

We went to a new place this year - ab out 2.5 hours LESS driving time. I didn't get nearly as carsick as I usually do. We got all set up and were ready to eat at 6pm - another first for us!

The rain came that night. luckily, of the 8 "groups" (6 couples and two single guys) 6 of them brought free-standing canopies. We set them all up BEFORE the rain and made a "condo" of sorts - in a big L shape around the campfire. If we hadn't had those, the trip would have been a total bust.

The float part of the trip was cancelled before 8:30 Saturday morning. But did that stop us? NO!

Most of us went down to the river and did some swimming and then they let us take the canoes on the wide part of the river that went right by the campsite. The river was disgusting as it had turned over in all the rain, but it was still freezing cold so that was good (yes, sarcasm is a strong point of mine).

We still drank a lot both Friday and all day Saturday and ate lots of good food. Saturday, since we weren't going to be exhausted from the canoing, a few of our group went and got LOTS of fireworks. Since it was so wet out, we were free to do more than just ground works and they shot off mortars and bottle rockets and all kinds of fun things. Have you ever shot a firework into a body of water? It's pretty funny!

Anyway, Sunday turned out to be the rainiest of them all - with flash flood warnings. We packed everything up in the rain and got the heck outta Dodge.

All in all, most said it was the best trip ever. I missed the float part and I'm not much of a camper, but I have to agree that it wasn't too bad.

I'll be getting pictures from Rex soon (I hope!) and I'll post them later.

I-35 Fender Bender

Last Thursday, I had the delight of a highway fender-bender. Very nerve-wracking. Three cars in front of me all hit their brakes hard and I followed suit. Luckily, with my new tires, I was able to NOT slide and hit the truck in front of me. However, the truck behind me was not so lucky - and technically, neither was the back of my van! All humans involved are fine.

The damage didn't look that extensive - although the total came to around $3k to repair. There's some scratches on the bumper - which is also cracked. Also, the trunk/hatch (whatever it's called) is bent right at the latch area, so we couldn't open it. That's going to make the camping/canoe trip next weekend very interesting!

Anyway, the guy's insurance is covering the damage and the rental vehicle, so that's good. The downside, I'm probably going to be in this van until it finally ups and dies at this point. It has now been damaged on three sides (I tried to remove the driver's door with the garage frame one day and a guy hit the sliding passenger door in the work parking lot one day) and I honestly think this thing is cursed!

Lord - save me from running into anything head-first. Or if I do, please let me total the thing (but no one inside it!) so I might finally be rid of this albatross!

If I can get pics from the insurance agency I'll post them later.

T-Ball

The boys are playing t-ball this year and it's probably the singular funniest thing I've ever witnessed!

Everytime Travis gets up to bat, they put him on the wrong side. He holds the bat correctly and they look at him like he's daft because he'll hit it into the backstop. THEN they remember he's the lefty!


Thomas gets very serious about the whole thing and tries to field every ball - even if it's on the wrong side of the field!

Joe keeps encouraging this - saying it's just "aggressive" playing, but I kept telling them both they have to let the other kids field too and learn their positions. Eventually, Joe & I will get on the same page in this parenting thing.

All in all, they're having fun and it's just an "intro" to baseball. Hopefully, it's a sport they'll continue with, especially Travis - left-handed pitchers can make a good living (and help their moms retire early!)