Things I love, like, put up with, find funny and whatever else pops into my mind

1. Sarcasms....No, I'm not sarcastic, why do you ask?
2. Ironic humor...Funny isn't it?
3. Poetic Justice...Something about it just feels right.
4. 82 degree days....Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww...Downright Balmy!
5. The word balmy....Just sounds heavenly
6. Finding a good deal...Bargain hunter at heart
7. Locking my friends out of the car until they tell me that they love me...Ok, so it's sick too, but hey....Oh well!
8. Tennis. Nothing funny about that unless you know that I've avoided sports for much of my life.
9. Veggie Tales. They crack me up. Try watching Silly Songs with Larry and not at least crack a smile.
10. When my three year old says "Are you kidding me? You got to be kidding me" (typed the way she says it).
11. The office. They "ARE A HOOT!"
12. The words "a hoot"...Jean 2 says it all the time
13. The words "et up"...Used in a sentence [by jean 2] He's "et up" with jealousy.
14. Roseanne show...If you know either Jean 1 (me) or Jean 2 (her) you're not surprised.
15. Scrubs...Watch it, it cracks me up.
16. The scene in Airplane where June Cleaver is speaking ebonics to the basketball stars....I bet the Beav would have loved it.
17. My friends, I love to laugh (duh!)
18. My Dh...Most days he's funny, somedays he's material for "Everybody Loves Raymond"
19. My son doing his "Junk World" talk...He's weird sometimes, but gotta love him.
20. My kids...They are a huge laugh!
21. This face....
22. Crazy Mama's blog....yep, she's a "hoot". http://2manybabies.blogspot.com/

Photo Hunt

This is my shot for Action

This is my son and his friend running at playtime. I love the way her hair is flying behind her and you can see the full shadow of my son on the cement...It is truly "life in Action".

This is my entry for Pets/Animals

This is Christine with her (all the kids...but she loves him most) dog Levi....When I told the dog to "go to bed" she decided that he looked lonely, so she got in with him. Dog's best friend!

Grab the Scavenger Hunt code.Photo Theme. Join the blogroll. Visit participants.

link to do your own "I am from" poem

http://www.swva.net/fred1st/wif.htm

Operation Evasive maneuvers

I have had company this weekend...Which has left me little time or privacy to blog. Right now I am hunched in the back of my closet behind my long hanging clothes typing as quietly as possible. Why? Picture the show "Everybody Loves Raymond". I will explain my reasons from hiding using the show. Ready?

Scene: Kitchen table in Debra Barrone's home. Debra is sitting at the kitchen table reading her blogs and, just as she pulls up a comment section in a often visited blog, in walks Marie Barrone (her MIL)

Marie: Are you on your computer again?
Debra :Uh, yes. Just thought I'd do a little reading for a few minutes.
Marie: (looking around the kitchen and noticing the two dishes in the sink) What are you reading?
Debra: Oh, just an article.
Marie: Is it a news article?
Debra: No, just an essay.
Marie: Oh. What kind of essay can you find? Is it by someone you know? (looking confused)
Debra: No. (not technically, we haven't met yet, but she doesn't want to expose new online friend to her MIL's prying eyes)
Marie: (walking over toward the laptop) What's it about?
Debra: (quickly clicking a link of someone she DOESN'T know) Just about taking pictures...
Marie: (bored with that topic) Oh. (Sits down next to Debra to watch)
Debra: You can use this if you want, I need to go change over the laundry. (I'll have to blog later)

[later, now in the bedroom using another computer. In walks FIL]
Frank: Hey, what are you doing in here all by yourself?
Debra: Oh, nothing...Just messing around (closes blog windows and gets up from computer)
Frank: Just checking your email?
Debra: Huh? Oh, sort of, was actually just checking on something.
Frank: Ah. What are we doing for dinner?
Debra: (deep breath) Let's go see.

[much later, interior of bedroom closet, lights off, hiding behind long hanging clothes]
Debra: {whispers to self} Let's see them find me now! (begins a blog titled "Operation Evasive maneuvers)

:) More to follow later....I've been discovered by a bloglet.

My adordable 3 yr. old

My darling young one is going to be gifted in shopping, as a matter of fact, I think she just might even be a savant. She is only 3 and has such an eye for deals and the most "adordable" clothes ever! Of coures, she also knows how to "work a deal" as her daddy says.
Christine: "please mommy, it's the most adordable shirt I ebber saw! Can I have it please? I want it really really really bad".
Mommy: "uh, no. It's too big for you.
Christine: "that's ok, I'll save it. I will just hold it until it fits."
Mommy: "Nooooo, I don't think it will work."
Christine: "Oh! Did you see THIS? It's the most adordable one I ebber saw!"
Mommy:

This is a link to my past posts and to others that I have followed. This is just to keep my sidebar from being to long. Feel free to click the "link" and check out some of the other blogs.

I have posted a few of my posts from another site that is private for sensitive reasons. But I was encouraged to post a few of these posts to share, so rather than give out that site, I have copied them to this site. So to the two people allowed access to the other site, you may skip over the next few posts...To the others here's a window into my serious side.

Just a note...There are many things I want to post at this moment, but I am unable to do so at this time, I will explain tomorrow. :)

Promises of God

The Promises of God are Yes and Amen
I find myself immersed in the thought of what are the promises for me at this present time? What is it that God has already said "yes" to for my life, my kids, my marriage, my friends. Sil dealing with MS...What is His promise for her? Pastor dealing with tumors and upcoming surgery, what is His promise for her? For our family, where will we be in a year, five years, ten? What about the parents? They are growing older, dealing with debt and struggle....What has He laid aside for them, planned for them? Will they continue to struggle, is there a deliverance for them, am I going to end up with responsibility for them and their lives? What part do I play in the promises that have been made? Am I a hindrance or a help. Do my answers to how I deal with the questions of life change the promise or am I merely a vessel that is being moved to fulfill them? I desire to speak and bring truth to those around me, but in the process am I finding truth myself, am I seeking truth to the level that I am finding the answers? What do I hope that the promises are? Some of the answers are easy...My kids to be healthy and happy, my marriage to sustain and grow, my friends to find truth and happiness, my family (sis/bro/parents...Both sides) to find a peace and deliverance from their struggles, for healing to come to those who I love that are dealing with illness and disease and pain. The harder ones are still under the surface. I want financial security, but am I willing to pursue it at the cost of my sacrifice? I want a tidy home, but how much do I want to work at it? I want to be healthier and thinner (alot) but how much work am I going to pour into it? These are the wants, but are they promises that God has for me or merely a journey that will continue that is supposed to grow and develop my Spirit? I sometimes just want a glimpse into the plan so I could plot a course toward it, but then again I know that faith does not work that way....Although it does seem like it would be a bit more inspiring if I could see where I was headed, unless it is a place of deep hurt and sorrow. And then it bring up the questions, what if the things I find easy to hope for are not at all a part of God's promises for me. What if my desire for my kids to live happy and fulfilled lives instead is a hard life that is used to develop them? What if my parents not only continue to struggle and decay in their health but also fall into a deeper pit?That's where "where does my help come from? It comes from the Lord" springs into my mind and I return to the thought that if I ask for a promise and God gives me one, then I can bank on it, since God is not a man that He should lie...It HAS to happen. And if I ask for a promise, and one is not received, then I have to trust that God will do what is best for the person, situation and life that is at stake. So I guess it all comes down to trusting God and seeing His work as a "work in progress" only from my perspective and that all has been accomplished in the mind and eye of Him.

Blessings

Blessings
Yesterday I was brought, once again, face to face with many of the blessings of my life. First, the fact that I have LIFE and that it is abundant in so many areas: friends, family, church body, fun, financial provision, growing relationships, faith, health, deliverance....I am truly wealthy in these areas. And then Holy Spirit asked me deeper questions..."If they come from me, aren't the hard things blessings too?" "If I brought you from death then isn't the fact that you know you were walking in death a blessing too?" What about having been in poverty, then the knowledge of what poverty is...That is a blessing, to know it, have tasted it and know that I do not want to return to it. Rejection is a blessing that has taught me to love without end, to not reject and to have mercy beyond my desire. Self righteousness...To have been there is a blessing that taught me to be humble and teachable. Humiliation, has taught me to not have ungodly pride and arrogance. Unloveable, this is a blessing that saved my life in a dramatic way...It taught me that I am not above anyone, and that God had a plan for my marriage that was dependent on me becoming open and giving regardless of my fleshly plan for my life. My 4 J's were in a plan of blessing that gave me a true understanding of what Godly love is like and that my life has meaning beyond myself. I find myself going over and over the things that are nice but they often fall short of the "blessing" title and setting my mind on the concepts, the people, the ups and the downs that have brought me to this place...I can see each part of my life, the ugly, the nice, the mean, the loving, the sin and the LIFE and see it all as blessing that made me who I am supposed to be right now and the director that will color the rest of my life. And now it hits me, I always tell my kids when they leave me for a time (school, church, friends house) to "be a blessing" and I am awed to realize that God tells me that each day and that I am a blessing regardless of how the day turns out, He designed me to BE A BLESSING and not to just be blessed. Thank you Lord, for making me a blessing.Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace;where there is hatred, let me sow love;where there is injury, pardon;where there is doubt, faith;where there is despair, hope;where there is darkness, light;and where there is sadness, joy.O Divine Master,grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;to be understood, as to understand;to be loved, as to love;for it is in giving that we receive,it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.Amen. St. Francis of Assisi

I am from....

I am from....
I am from playing in the hose in the yard, listening to Shawn Cassidy on the little red and white checkered record player, and climbing trees in the back yard, from Mountain Berry Kool-Aid, Pac man, Wonder Bread, Oscar Meyer Bologna and Miracle Whip sandwiches and Trixie Belden Mysteries.I am from California, Oklahoma, Washington, Oregon, California, Oklahoma, and Missouri, from 14 schools, 32 houses and forgotten rooms.I am from the pomegranate trees, strawberry bushes and the tree in the backyard with the perfect spot to hide and read.I am from opening one gift on Christmas eve and sneaking up on Christmas morning to check out the stockings and the Monday nights longing for Little House but watching Monday night football, from Nannie and Popa and Aunt Sharon and Uncle Bill, and Aunt Jinx and Uncle Olan.I am from watching races on TV, watching the daytime “stories” and staying up too late to sneak in more reading and hiding out under the covers when things got scary.From “be nice to your sister” and “because I said so”.I am from Warika Baptist and “Because He lives“ and the rapture painting on the wall in Nannie‘s house. I am from riding the bus to church and going to VBS and church camps, from Cantatas and youth group and Barn Swings.I'm from Fresno via the Indian reservation and Germany and from Sparta in the country and California during the Big war, from homemade ice cream in the crank handle bucket and brown beans and cornbread and fried potatoes, from biscuits and gravy and open faced sandwiches and meatloaf, from Hamburger Helper and Porcupines.From the time I got lost on the ferry on the way to visit an uncle on an island with Nancy, from sleeping in cousin Kim‘s bed and thinking that she lived like a princess, from spending countless nights with Patti, staying up playing “spite and malice" and drinking Kool-Aid from Tupperware cups with lids and saltines with miracle whip, from sitting on the church steps after school and knowing it was time to head home when Don drove by from getting the mail on the way home from work.I am from faded picture albums and zip locks of smoky clippings, from candle collections and countless records of Conway Twitty and Hank Jr, from paper reindeer and popsicle snowflakes and a faded angel, from woodworking tools and a 30 year old station wagon and a jar of nuts and bolts, from a flower box with birth certificates and savings bonds and scrapbooks

Catch up

Dh has been off work for a few days to make up for working on the 4th of July. It was a nice concept, a little of well earned family time to do some fun things, but fell short in execution due to heat index. These are plans that I had formed in my hot little head :
1. Putt putt (kids love, love, love this) TOO HOT
2. Swimming at aunt G's house TOO HOT
3. Bowling (did this but then went home after one game since alley was warm inside)
4. Tennis (lasted an hour tues. Morning with sweat DRIPPING from my head @ 8:30 am)

So, I tell the kids I will take them to the library. WRONG! It was closed due to a broken air conditioner. (enter pouty, bored faces)

We did end up staying home all of Sunday (except for church of course) and all of Monday (except the 45 minutes at the bowling alley) but finally made it SOMEWHERE Tuesday...We took the kids swimming in the creek. I should say DH took the kids swimming in the creek while I sat in a sports chair in the shade with my feet in the water (no way I am putting on a bathing suit in front of someone other than family or close friends). Since the creek is spring fed it was cold....Really cold, and the family loved it. We were with a couple who lives in a neighborhood south of us. It was nice, we ate dinner and then headed home where we worked on the flower bed.

Today, Dh is back to work, we are back to normal and the library is reopened. (cleansing breath).

Thanks, but I'll ask for your opinion if I want it!

I have a confession to make. Here goes, hope you can handle it.....I have four kids. Yep, four. For some reason, especially at Walmart or Target or the Mall people somehow feel compelled to comment on my extraordinary family. For some reason people are overwhelmed with the idea of four kids. Here are the top five comments I have received in the last six months:
5. Four kids?!? (said incredulously)
4. Wow, looks like you have your hands full. (huh, does it look like I'm trying to carry them all?)
3. Only one boy, poor little guy. (Yes, poor him...Life would be SO MUCH calmer with another boy)
2. Haven't you figured out how that happens? (Duh! I enjoy perfecting something I'm obviously good at)
1. Better you than me! (With that attitude, I'm glad it's me and not you!)
and the one that got the asinine award: You remind me of the lady in Arkansas with 17 kids. (huh? Did I miss something in college? Are the numbers 4 and 17 nearer in the number line than I thought?)
Somehow, in the mind of strangers I have made myself a target for their comments. I have decided that I am going to begin responding with various responses....After all, if they are going to open themselves up, I'm going to jump right in. My new responses, feel free to use them if you want...I have a range due to ages, gender and number...Just for variety.

1. Yep, the first two ARE only 14 1/2 months apart...I believed in the Y2K theory and wanted to make sure I had at least two kids before the world ended....Didn't you?
2. Yep, the first two ARE only 14 1/2 months apart. Come on, look at me...It was bound to happen...How could DH resist this body?
3. Yes, one boy. We just wanted to make sure that I had someone to open doors for all of us girls when Daddy's not home.
4. Four kids....Those are just the ones with me. The other 13 are at home practicing the violin.
5. Four kids....We just wanted to keep going to see how many eye colors we could come up with in the family. (each child has a diff. Eye color...Spooky, huh?)
6. Four kids....I needed that many to make sure all the chores get done... One to wash dishes, one to do laundry one to vacuum and one to cook.
7. Four kids...We felt like it would be irresponsible to drive a suv in today's world unless we had enough kids to fill the seats. Just trying to be responsible.
8. Four kids....We didn't feel like it was fair of us to expect just one kid to take care of us when we get old.


Now is your turn....Let's hear some of the responses you have received and I'll post them along with any responses you would like to add.

A pic of me and littlest bloglet....Christine....

Wow...What a long day! I think it lasted about two weeks. I mean, come on...Enough already with the wanting to eat and needing baths, not to mention the whole supervision thing. I love summer, but when you are trying to get away to a local theme park and the weather keeps throwing thunderstorms in your path, it gets difficult to keep the bloglets from uprising. My male bloglet has asked over and over and over and over (you get the picture) "can we call _______ and see if he can come over and play" substituting name each time he asks with another possible child who may be as bored as he is. "I'll call " I say....But sadly, no one has come over yet. Oldest bloglet awoke early today (NOON) and said "I do not feel well, I think I have a fever". Yep. She did. So, poor thing, went back to sleep. Now, I do believe in sleeping if you need it, but she has been so off schedule that we will have to make her stay up all night and day one time to get her tired enough to go to bed and sleep before 4 am. Second bloglet, thanks to a dear Aunt, has decided that cooking is fun...So now she wants to cook ALL THE TIME. But is doesn't stop with wanting to cook. Oh no! She watches food network non-stop, she surfs the internet for recipes and then ask on a rotation basis if she can make something. Ok, not a huge problem if she were the type to clean up after her project (i do make her clean, but she's not great at it) or the type that read the directions closely. Oh well, at least we have youngest bloglet who still just wants to play a card game or polly pockets and is content to wear her pajamas inside out and waits for my hot coffee to cool so she can sip some. One last one who restricts her cooking to her play kitchen, who talks to friends on the plastic phone and tries to stay awake but conks out when tired and awakens at 10 am.
So I end this post with a deep breath, a silent yawn and a hope for a peaceable and lovely tomorrow.

Dora's Backpack

Why doesn't my purse do that for me? " Hey kids, I need something to fix this leaky pipe, say Purse!" kids yell purse and out pops an umbrella, a tire jack and a roll of plumber's tape...... OR "Oh, I'm out of money and we need to pay for this new die cut machine, say Purse!" kids say purse and out pops a fingernail file, a bottle of nail polish and a wad of cash...... Boy wouldn't that be nice! You go, Dora!

Hippo Songs....Just for fun

This is a fun song I have sung to my kids (much to their dismay) for many years....Why? Because I know it...Enough said.




The Hippopotamus Song
Words by Michael FlandersMusic by Donald Swann and Michael Flanders

A bold Hippopotamus was standing one day
On the banks of the cool Shalimar.
He gazed at the bottom as it peacefully lay
By the light of the evening star.
Away on the hilltop sat combing her hair
His fair Hippopotamine maid.
The Hippopotamus was no ignoramus
And sang her this sweet serenade.

Mud! Mud! Glorious mud!Nothing quite like it for cooling the blood.
So, follow me, follow, down to the hollow,
And there let us wallow in glorious mud.

The fair Hippopotamus he aimed to entice,
From here seen on the hilltop above,
As she hadn't got a ma to give her advice,
Came tip-toeing down to her love.
Like thunder the forest re-echoed the sound
Of the song that they sang as they met.
His enamorata adjusted her garter
And lifted her voice in duet.

Mud! Mud! Glorious mud!Nothing quite like it for cooling the blood.
So, follow me, follow, down to the hollow,
And there let us wallow in glorious mud.

Now more Hippopotami began to convene
On the banks of that river so wide.
I wonder now what am I to say of the scene
That ensued by the Shalimar side?
They dived all at once with an ear-splitting splash,
Then rose to the surface again,
A regular army of Hippopotami
All singing this haunting refrain.

Mud! Mud! Glorious mud!Nothing quite like it for cooling the blood.
So, follow me, follow, down to the hollow,
And there let us wallow in glorious mud.