Fall Harvest Festival Meal

Max and Little A are having their Fall Harvest Festival, which is the PC version of thanksgiving these days. I'll be joining them and taking them home afterward, most likely. It's nice to have kids want me around for stuff like this again (you know, since Al got "too cool" for me). :)

The cutest thing.

Max likes to give hugs a lot. Little A calls him Teddy Bear.

What is up with Max?

For the last two days, Max has felt the need to pull his socks and shoes off on the bus and at school. He got some new shoes for fall, but I know they fit him well and are comfortable. Why take everything off. I mean, he is walking around with his jacket, his backpack and no shoes and socks. I will welcome the end of this phase. Meanwhile, Little A, Al and Nat are doing their thing. Little A gets these cute little collages to work on every month. Last month was a school bus and this month is a pumpkin. I think I'll be on the lookout for green ribbon (leaves, vines) and black buttons (eyes and mouth). Oh yes, and Halloween/Fall Festival costumes.

A lovely day.

I just got back from the farmer's market with my family. It was a really nice outing. Lots of great fruits and vegetables and time in the park, which has a really lovely rose garden. Not to mention Max attempting to make friends with lots of dogs, including this one HUGE bulldog. The dog was really friendly, but it definitely could handle business if it wanted to. We also got kettle corn, which was SOOO good. The corn stand offers different flavors and even Splenda corn. Church was also really good today. The message was about relating to others and it was really good. I usually go by myself down to the market but it was such a beautiful day I thought it would be good to share it with my family. I'm glad I did that.

Today.

Today is a beautiful day. My little ones are off to school. Max was cool until he realized I was going to put him on the bus and get off. Then, notsomuch. Smh. Little A was hyped to go to school. I know she is going to go run to the swings and just hang out. I hope all goes well for my son. He sat across the aisle from his sister so that he could see her, yet they would not be close enough to have any trouble or anything. :)

The Best Laid Plans.

At one point in this momhood journey, I was the mother who was always on top of everything. In control of everything and aware of everything. Everything. Then everything fell apart. My husband started traveling for work. My sons started acting out. I was completely isolated and exhausted and I felt like I was taken for granted. The existence that I thought was my life was completely gone. When I discovered that I was expecting my daughter, I had a renewed resolve to rebuild what I felt was lost. I heard about a book today, She's Gonna Blow, that reminded me of all of that chaos. We've come a long way, but we still have some to go.

Wow.

A lot has happened since I last wrote. I've started the ball rolling for back to school. I've got a few immunizations to get updated and a few other records to get my hands on and we'll be ready to start the year. Max turned three and he'll be catching the bus in the mornings with Little A. He's already met his teacher and toured his classroom and he had a pretty good time. I hope all of the kids have a good year. This will be Al's first year in middle school. He is going to be thirteen in a few months. He's trying really hard to develop that teenage sulkiness, so I know he will keep me busy.

Monday dread

Bleah. I really really do not care for Mondays. Time to get up and get moving though. See you later, blog. :)

Summer is over...

Well, it feels like it. I've already started getting ready for back to school. This is the first year that everybody will be going to school. Max will be going to preschool, riding the bus with Little A. So far I have all backpacks, some clothes and an eye out for supplies that don't contain PVC, or any other possible sources of lead. Once everybody is safely in school, it will be time to prepare for the holidays. I have good plans, I just have to pray hard and work hard to execute them.

Cooling down

After hitting the highest temperature ever recorded here on Tuesday (108), our forecast for today is 93. Life is a lot easier when you don't feel like you're in a toaster oven.

It is 101 degrees outside.

This is ideal weather to be somewhere else.

Back from the stomach bug...and the heatwave...

and the blackout... There has been a lot going on these past few days. Between the kids bringing home a stomach bug and the heat, most of the folks in my house have been down for the last couple of days.
My dad is doing the garden thing. He has a big watermelon patch, squash, okra and purple hull peas. He tried to talk stuff about my lettuce, cilantro and chiles, but I told him that's stuff I don't have to buy from the store, so it's good to me! Shoot.

the view from up here

Yesterday we went up to the mountains for some hiking and hanging out near the waterfalls. It was a beautiful day to be out. Everybody seemed to have a good time, but Al asked about walking in a cooler, more comfortable part of the mountain. I guess he's on his way to being a teenager after all.

Perspective

Yesterday the day started off pretty well. I was getting things done around the house and then I ran into a series of technical difficulties. Then I spoke to the technical people and started to get some things fixed. Unfortunately, once those things were fixed, I discovered that Max had helped himself to my flour. For what reason, I have no idea, but it was all over the pantry, in the kitchen and all over him. It was such a huge mess and I know I only took my eye off of him for a few moments to actually get something else done. I was so disheartened and tired thinking about replacing the flour and why it isn't legal or to tie up little kids when they do stuff like this, not to mention the fact that he was a ten pound baby and I was in labor for hours and hours with him... but then I decided to call my parents and see how they are doing. My dad told me that he was cancer free!!! It's something how things can seem to be dismal and futile one moment and just plain joyous the next. I mean cancer free supercedes flour everywhere, kids fighting, my day being off schedule, technical difficulties. Everything. I'm just happy now and thankful now.

The process of forgiveness.

Sometimes it is so easy to forgive people. Like if they didn't do anything major, or if you don't have to see them on a regular basis. But sometimes they really hurt you and you have to deal with them daily. So forgiveness becomes a process where you learn to move forward in life and in relationship (and sometimes out of relationship) to the person/people involved. All of this without bitterness and resentment. Sigh.

Little A's first manicure.

Last week, Little A got into my finger nail polish and put some on her pointer finger. Since she's four years old, you can guess she did a sloppy job. I got out the nail polish remover and cleaned it off for her and painted it the right way. When I brought the brush to her finger tip, she extended all four fingers. I polished the other three with a very light coat of polish. She was dazzled and delighted, holding the color up to the light (it had a bit of shimmer). I don't expect to do this every day or every week or anything but it was fun.

If I have to tell one more person

to put that down, stop touching her, stop touching him, or leave that alone, I may not be held responsible for my actions. And it's still June. Smh.

Cilantro

Yesterday evening, I was so thankful to be cutting cilantro from my garden to use for dinner. It felt really good to be cutting, cleaning and serving something that I had put into the ground a few weeks ago. And it did not hurt that we did not have to pay for it beyond the one buck and change I had invested in seeds and soil. I've noticed the beginnings of lettuce and I'm playing with the idea of tomatoes, too.

It's time for a nap.

I think I'm going to turn on some jazz, grab a book and go to sleep this evening. The weather is back to moody gray and I feel like I have put in an entire day and then some. On days like this I need a 20 foot stone fireplace in my family room. Of course the family room needs to be a little bit bigger. :)

The weather is fabulous!!

We've had a week of sunshiny beautiful weather. Too bad I've been running around doing stuff during the entire week. Things should be winding down, but I have so many things to do to get ready for next school year. I'm thankful that I'm not doing all of these things in the rain, though. LOL.

Tune in!

Melette, Diva in Demand and I will be on Blog Talk Radio tonight at 11/10/9/8pm talking about issues of the day. Don't miss it!

The Power of Words

This Sunday at church, the pastor spoke about the power of words. It made me think about the effect that words have had in my life. Sometimes, words can set the tone for my entire day. A lot of times I will stop speaking to a person to avoid saying something that I know will hurt them really deeply, but I still have a lot of work to do.

Gardening update

Cilantro are up and strawberries are coming in about an inch around. The first ones came in a lot smaller. I've been trimming em as they come in. I am going to put some more fresh soil in em, but they are doing well. Still indoors because I'll shoot a bird. Those berries are too much work. Just kidding. Not really.

It's raining. again.

I've always been one who loved the sound and smell of rain and all of that, but um, it's starting to wear out its welcome. Just as I said/typed that, the sun came out a little. Made it more bearable. There's hope.

One of those days...

Have you ever had one of those days when you felt like that old army commercial, doing more before 9 am than most people do all day? I'm so there. I underestimated my workout. Big time. My cilantro is coming up, strawberries are still alive and blooming, lettuce is on the move, pepper plants still good, looks like we will save some money on food this summer. I'm thinking about getting a few more edible plants. Now I have to get into my flower bed. It's starting to get a bit ridiculous.

Swine flu?

My son, Nat got really sick Thursday afternoon. He seems better now, but so far Little A, Max, I and now my husband have all been sick and we're wondering if it has anything to do with this. We find it weird that there have been no cases reported in Oregon or Washington, with the number of people who go back and forth to Cali and Mexico on a regular basis. It seems to have run most of its course through the weekend, but if anybody has any new problems, we'll be at the doctor's office. Wasn't my flu shot supposed to prevent junk like this?

Take our daughters and sons to work day

Today Al went to work with his father. They are scheduled for a special greeting session, pizza lunch and ice cream social. My husband is afraid that Al is going to start asking after employment opportunities. LOL. I think that it is really good for kids to see the work that goes into providing for them. Over the years, they've seen me work at different things, but I really think it is good for the kids to see what their father does, too. I hope Nat gets to go next year.

The strawberries are still hanging in.

I got about five teeny ones last week. They were really small, but sweet. I cut them off to make way for hopefully larger ones. The last few days have been really beautiful. Yesterday we went in the mountains and walked around and rode around. Two days ago I did some work in my flower bed. I underestimated the work I had to do there, but by the end of next week I should have it looking beautiful again.

The Egg Hunt

This morning Nat, Little A and Max went with to the Easter Egg Hunt. I always thought a LOT of people went to church for Easter. Well, many many more go to the Easter Egg Hunt. At least they did this year. Max saw some candy while we were hunting and he pounced on it. He had some candy so he was happy. He also looked longingly at the strollers that passed him by. Little A and Nat had a pretty good time at the egg hunt, though. A couple of times, though, I really was reconsidering going back to our usual candy distribution and egg hunting at the house. Maybe next year I'll be in Louisiana for Easter. That would be really nice.

Good Friday.

Today has been peppered with good and bad news so far. I spoke to a good friend of mine and while I was so glad to chat with her, I won't be able to join her for a "girl's weekend" in Seattle next week. I had to decline because of a prior commitment and the fact that I will most likely be worn out from Easter and blue week. Her son is going to be losing his job because a company that has been in business almost 60 years went belly up this past week. She said that she and her husband have been keeping an eye out for jobs and some jobs are being canceled and postponed. Not hired out, mind you, but management got together and decided to hold off hiring until 2010 if not indefinitely. Things are tough right now all over. People with jobs (and really good ones at that) are strengthening up their networks so they can have that backup plan ready should the axe fall.

On the good side, the kids and I (except for Al - he's too big and cool for that sort of thing) will be out Easter egg hunting, which is always fun with little kids.

Book games.

Tonight we played this book version of Jenga that I got on sale a few months ago. I thought it was so neat because we can play it and put it on the book shelf with the other books and I don't have to worry about the box wearing out and where to put it then (that aspect of board games always annoyed me) and because it is easy to put away quickly, pieces don't get lost either. It was so much fun. It was nice to relate to each other and talk and stuff.

earth.

There is just something about working in the dirt that really feels good to me. This fall, after the ground froze, I turned over the earth right before it snowed. Well, the dirt was amazing when I was digging through it to make way for the veggies. All of the stressful things I had been dealing with just seemed to vanish while I was digging and planting and stuff. I got a little tired at one point, but I just stretched and kept on going. Maybe those four days of sunshine had something to do with it too, but I feel so much better than I had been feeling about Spring and about life.

The Sun is out!

Woo hoo! My strawberries are still healthy and I see plenty of baby berries beginning to bloom on the plants. My mom says it's cold down south. It's supposed to be cold here again Wednesday. I'm thankful for the warmth that we have had. I needed some sun after last week.

Strawberries!

I got three strawberry plants yesterday and I am very excited. They are all potted and ready to go in the kitchen window (I didn't want to take chances with the weather and the birds). When I was a little kid my mom grew strawberries in the back yard. It was so neat to me to have real strawberries out of the ground.

Buddies.

When I was a little kid, I played with a lot of boys. Most of the cousins my age were boys. My closest godsibling was a boy. This worked for me, because most of my female cousins were into frilly stuff and makeup and while I liked the idea of lipstick at the time, all of that other stuff was way too much work. LOL. My god brother's name was Kevin. He was really nice to me. He played with me, and was nice, not too boisterous like my cousins who were all convinced they were going to be sports stars. Between you and me, most of them are still jerks. Then again, I can be jerky too, must be a family trait.
My parents were his godparents and his parents were my godparents, so we were good buddies. My mom has a photo of us hanging out at the park. Life looks so simple in those photos. Hanging out in the park, staying out of trouble, eating barbecue, eating watermelon, grinning for the camera.
Mom told me today that Kevin is dead. He got hit by a train on the way home from work. He had a new wife and a new kid. I don't know what else to say about it, but it is really really sad.

A recent convo

Mom: So you did any new projects lately?
Me: Yeah, I did a really nice scrapbook for Dad.
Mom: Why don't you make me one?
Me: Um. Mother's Day. Pink book. Acrylic Pages. Sound familiar?
Mom: Oh, that was for Mother's Day?
Me: Mmmm hmmm...

Have you ever had somebody always asking, "Why don't you do that for me?" When you DID that for them? Ok. I hope I'm not alone here. LOL.

Changes

My two youngest kids are doing preschool, alphabets, numbers, colors and all of that good stuff. It seems like yesterday when they were doing the double stroller thing, Little A was a young toddler and Max in his infant seat, and now Max wants to dress himself (and undress himself sometimes, unfortunately).

The older kids are evolving as well. Al wants to spend more time with his peer group and Nat is making more choices for himself in every area of his life. It's hard to believe he'll be ten in a year. I'll be phasing myself out of advisory conversations and phasing his father in, though it won't be much of a transition for Nat. Al was my shadow in the early years, but Nat has always been closer to his father. I think Max is too. Little A is a bit of a free agent. Whoever has what she wants is her favorite parent. LOL.

Today's Chuckle

On marriage:

If a wife says, "I have nothing to wear," it means "I have nothing new."
If a husband says, "I have nothing to wear," it means "I have nothing clean."

Recharging

I'm getting in gear for Spring. Cleaning like crazy so I'll be ready to paint once it gets warm. This weekend, I'll assess the damage in the flower beds and get things kicking in my herb garden. We have some peppers growing in the kitchen from before my mother in law left. I think I'll plant lettuce, coriander, basil, and a couple of other neat things. Maybe some tomatoes, though I don't know how they will fare with the tendency of the weather to totally snap back into winter on and off until mid june. All of the kids are doing well. Next week we nail down the details for Max's preschool. He's spent considerable time at Little A's preschool, so this might be old hat to him by the time he actually starts. I can only hope.

Getting well.

We've had that nasty bug thing going on around the house. I think it got hold of Max today. He just gave up hope. Poor little guy. He was at the bottom of the stairs this morning wimpering. I came closer to help and he said, "I don know why...." He was so sorrowful. Almost like an old man who had been beaten down by life. I hope he feels better soon.

Announcement

The snow has melted. It's still coo ooo old, though.

February's almost over???

And yet, there is new snow in the front yard. Ok. Then again, people were skiing around here after Independence Day, so it's not really something new. LOL.

The Jedi Workout

I REALLY want to try this. Work off some angst. Hee hee ...

It's already Wednesday?

That's the thing about short weeks, before you know it, it's time to plan for the weekend and stuff. The last two weekends have passed with me not doing nearly what I planned to do. Tomorrow, I have an appointment to get Max registered for preschool. I know that's going to be an adjustment, but I'll try my hardest to let him get acclimated without hovering. His sister is doing really well half days, so that's what he'll be doing too.

Dad is doing great!

Thanks to everybody for their thoughts and prayers. He's supposed to be staying in bed, but my dad is one of those folks who have to be up and around doing something. My mom has him learning knitting and crocheting to keep him busy. He says he has it figured out. Mom says he doesn't. I'll have to go home so I can see this for myself.

Distracted

For some reason, I just can't pull it together and get things done. Part of it is the weather. The sun is actually out, and out here it is a big deal. Really big deal. There is also nothing like having actual work to do to just sit around and not feel like doing it. Or walk around. Or go for a walk. Or do half a million other things. Sigh.

A conversation with Al.

After watching a news clip.

Al: How can a woman have eight children at once?
TJ: Uh... Well... It does not usually happen, but it happens.
Al: She must be very wealthy then, because it takes a lot of money to care for eight children.
TJ: Yes, it does take a lot of money to care for eight children.
Al: She must have butlers and stuff...
TJ: Hmmm.

The surgery was a success!

The doctors say that everything turned out well. It's time for recovery. I can see how we are supposed to have flurries on and off this week. The weather has really gone cold.

Max's foray into politics

This morning Max was watching the news with me. They showed a clip from the president's most recent press conference.

Max: Yeah! Yeah!
TJ: Max, do you like that president Barack Obama?
Max: Yeah! I do!
TJ: So you think he's the type to get things done?
Max: I do! I do!

I guess he's been spending a lot of time with Al, who just knew he was going to vote for Barack Obama this Fall. LOL.

Tomorrow.

is Dad's surgery. This should be his last procedure and I'm praying that everything goes well. So it will. I'm so thankful that my Dad has been given a great prognosis. It's still going to require a period of recovery though. I've had my own issues to deal with, but they just seem so insignificant next to what my folks have been going through. On the brighter side, we are supposed to get snow this week. We went from sunny days with light jackets to be ready for the snow. How can one not keep a sense of humor about weather like this?

Working

I am volunteering at school. I've gone three rounds with the copy
machine. I'm still on top.

--
Sent from my mobile device

sitting and waiting

I'm sitting here in the school parking lot waiting for Al. My mother
says that I used to be the last person out when they came to get me,
but that was different. They had to suffer for not getting me my dream
car. LOL.

Why is it

that I decide the kids and I are going to go out to eat, I take one look at the kids menu and decide that I can cook a healthier (and more likely tastier) meal at home and just say forget the whole thing? Oh well. LOL.

Still Working

Max is helping me write today, so I'm going to keep it short. It's day 15 and I'm still getting things done! Go me! Now if I can keep this up for the next 350 days... I'll be on FIRE!

Talk with Mom

There are so many times when a call or a text from my mother are just what I need. Today I got my spiritual marching orders. 2009 is going to be great in ways I haven't even imagined. Lots of work ahead.

Projects and distractions.

It's something how things happen in life to free you up to do stuff that you were supposed to be working on in the first place. I had been putting off a project for a few weeks, now and some things unfolded that just pointed me back to where I was supposed to be. That worked better than making any kind of resolution.