Ballroom Dancing

Hubby and I have talked for years about taking ballroom dance lessons. We came very close a few times only to have time and budget restraints get in our way. Well we're finally going to do it. The local library is offering very inexpensive lessons for 8 weeks starting on May 18. We're both super excited. I've always loved dancing even if I wasn't always the best. I've taken years of ballet and just enjoy the controlled freedom required for dancing. That dancing has numerous health benefits is simply a plus.

The weather has been gorgeous. We had a downpour Sunday night with thunder and lightning. We got at least 2 inches. The plants are loving it. Our highs have been in the low 80s. This is why I live in Florida.

I've been working on the courses I'll teach next year for the home school group. I'm teaching Human Geography and Government/Economics for high school students. My eyes light up and my mind begins to race as I anticipate all I'm going to do/teach. The materials I've ordered have started to arrive. I spent last night flipping through the government text we'll use while Hubby and the Imp laughed at my social science-geekness. But life doesn't get much better than being able to immerse yourself into a topic you love. The Imp had order some new shoes online. They arrived via USP during dinner. When I allowed her to open them before she finished dinner, I made her day. She quickly tore open the box and put her new Toms on.

Now I could be an intellectual snob and say being geeky over government books is better than being geeky over fashion/shoes, but instead will just be satisfied that we both got to revel in our interests last night. Lest I forget, the Imp purchased the shoes with her own money and since I have veto power on her spending, got me to agree to the purchase because of Toms' One for One program which provides shoes for children in need.

Voices Raised in Song

We got loads of rain Sunday. The rain actually started around midnight it kept on raining on and off through the afternoon. I think we got over 2 inches. Our pool is nice and full again. April is typically a "dry" month for us and often we have to fill the pool, so just as the pool was getting low we got great rain. It rained again briefly last night. My plants are looking good, now I just have to be patient for the benefits. I had to buy garlic yesterday. None looked great and I wanted to be able to use it fresh from my garden, but my garlic isn't ready for picking/eating yet. What a life, if all I can complain about is not having fresh garlic.

Saturday was the Confirmation ceremony at our church. The Imp had a solo in the choir. I can't think of much that brings me more joy or contentment then to sit and listen to my girls use their talented voices to praise God. It just is wonderful.

The Singer is probably transferring colleges this Fall. She's planning on going to Belmont Abbey College is Belmont, NC (just west of Charlotte). I think it's a great fit for her and God is probably calling her there. But boy it's hard to give up the free ride at USF for the private tuition. Granted, 2 of her scholarships will transfer and Belmont Abbey is also offering a substantial (about 60%) scholarship, but still... The Singer is determined and I'm sure she'll find a way to make it work. I'm actually very excited for her and her future there. We're planning on making a trip there at the end of May. Now the prayers are for her finding a part time job there. If she can find a decent part-time job, she should be okay financially. The Singer talked to my brother in Charlotte, who graciously offered her a room 'as long as she needed'. I'm not sure what his wife thinks of that (although she is very gracious...I just find it funny how easily he offered without consulting her). It's very nice to know she has some family nearby. My parents are only about 2 - 2 1/2 hours away. It will be hard not seeing her so often, as she tends to pop in pretty frequently just for an hour or two. The Imp is not happy with the situation. She and the Singer are very close and she does not want the Singer to be so far away. Now, when it comes time for the Imp to choose a college, I don't think location will be a big factor. The younger sibling always has a different perspective. The older one should always be there and not change and the younger should be allowed to be the one to loosen the ties.

Crew season is over for the Imp. YEA!! It had become drudgery. 5 nights a week for the entire school year is a bit much, especially when the regattas were full day events often requiring us to leave at 4 or 5 in the morning. I'm not sure what we'll do next year. I'm not sure Hubby and I can do an entire year. There are technically 2 seasons...a fall and spring. Maybe we'll let her participate in one season. Hubby was pretty tired of the whole thing (he's usually the one who goes to the regattas). At the end of the season, the Imp was trained as a coxswain. What she wanted to do all year. But we didn't realize that the coxswain does NO physical training with the team. And a big part of doing crew was for the physical activity. [The girls have to pick one something the requires physical activity..dance, swim, judo, doesn't matter what...but something.] Another reason to revisit the whole crew team thing.


Last night I got to present an overview of the courses I'd be teaching next year to the home school high school kids. I'm pretty excited. I'm teaching a semester of Government and then a semester of Econ. We'll do government in the fall due to the elections. I'm also teaching a human geography course. I'm such a social studies geek, that I get all excited just thinking about all the neat things I'll be able to do. I really do love teaching, too. Only 5 weeks left for this school year. It felt good when a few parents of little ones, said they wished their kids were older and able to take my courses. Yea!

My brother and niece have been in my thoughts in prayers this week. 14 years ago my sister-in-law (wife and mother respectively) died of breast cancer. She was a pretty wonderful person. I'm saddened that I haven't had her life these past 14 years as a continued example of living the good life. I'm saddened for the loss to both my brother and my niece. But Ellen would be so proud of her daughter and all she's accomplished and become. She'd be pretty impressed with how well my brother has risen to the task of single parenthood, too. So many people still miss her, I had to honor her memory by mentioning her again.

I'm off to get a new pool filter and some 'polysheen' to counteract the pollen in the pool. The weather promises to be gorgeous today.

There Ought To Be A Law

I've been thinking a lot about the saying "there oughta be a law..." It sounds so good. Yea, we should have a law to make people behave the way I think they should. But really, we have enough laws. You constantly hear the argument against some laws that you can't legislate morality. Well, I think we try to legislate common sense. Do I really want my government making laws dictating the ingredients allowed in restaurants (i.e. types of oil)? Let people think for themselves. There is a big difference between immediate poisons and long term/large use effects. I'm not sure where to draw the line. I have always been a proponent of seat belt laws. But, now, I don't know. I have no problem making a law regarding children, as they are not, by definition, able to make certain decisions. But shouldn't I be able to decide whether I want to wear a seat belt. I also don't have an issue with me being responsible for more of my out of pocket medical expenses were it determined I wasn't wearing a seat belt during an accident and I am injured. I'll accept the consequences of my decisions, but let me make the decision. It just feels like we really are passing laws that simply began with someone saying, "You know, there oughtta be a law about ..." The more we legislate the less we hold ourselves accountable and the easier it becomes to say, "well, there isn't a law so it must be okay." The ability to decide and then take responsibility for our decisions is the hallmark of being an adult. Don't take that away from me.

I was reading a "Marriage Minute" by Gary Smalley (I get them emailed to me on a regular basis) and he was talking about listening. While in theory I agree with what he said, I take issue with some of it. He said active listening requires you to ask questions of the speaker. Yes and no. Yes some kind of questions do indicate your interest and the fact that you are actually hearing what is being said, but I have had many people tell me that I'm a great listener and I make it a point to NOT ask questions. I think too many questions actually make a person feel "on the spot" and defensive. Someone telling me about their medical treatments doesn't need me to question all the details and inquire as to second opinions, etc. Responding to the feeling, not the facts, is what I think is important. I know people who I don't share much with anymore because of their questioning. "Why didn't you...? Where? When? How? Who?" It makes me feel like they're filling out a check list and are more concerned with the story than with me.

Survived

Well, I survived the gum surgery and it was actually not as terrible as I thought it would be. I'm still in pain and won't be eating solid food for a few more days, but all in all, I'm happy it's over. Of course, I've lost this weekend. I spent Friday afternoon and Saturday sleeping due to the pain pills. I've not taken anything but Ibuprofen today...so I'm actually more aware of the pain, but am happy to be cognizant of what is going on around me. I've a nice bruise on my chin...which is much smaller than the bruise on the inside of my mouth.

The Singer goes back to college after a week of Spring Break. Since she did not take time off of work, it wasn't a total holiday but she enjoyed laying around and catching up on some reading.

The weather has finally turned Spring-like. Thank goodness! I spent some time outside today and plan lots more of that this week. It's actually supposed to be in the mid 70s next weekend. Yippee!

Gum Surgery

Gum surgery...sounds wonderful, doesn't it? I've not written about it even though it has been on my mind constantly this past week. I've had a lot of dental work in my life...a root canal at 8, it removed at 12 (much worse than getting one), wisdom teeth removed (cut out before they erupted and all 4 out on the same day with local anesthesia). And I've handled all those things without much of an emotional response. I needed...I got it done. But for some reason this gum surgery has my stomachs all in knots. Not a fun feeling at all. So I've been trying to pretend it's not going to happen...but today at 1 pm I'll be having gum grafts. My four bottom front teeth have extensive root exposure similar to these. Although, mine actually look worse.

BEFORE:



And we're hoping for this kind of outcome.


AFTER



Basically, I'm just hoping next week comes quickly and I can then promptly forget this week of my life.

SC trip

Megan and I had a great time in South Carolina. We missed Tracy but know how it goes with work. But I took pictures so she could see what her boys did. Family is wonderful! Sad to think of my parents selling their house, but it's time. Meg wants to win the lottery so we can buy the house and "keep it in the family."

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slideshow attempt

I'm sitting here at the car dealership waiting for my car to be serviced (oil change mainly) and decided to try to create a slideshow for my blog. So here are some pictures from Christmas, both at home and in SC at my parents.

iWait

The Imp is part of a newly forming group of iWait. iWait is a program that teaches abstinence first and foremost, but it's much more than that. It is really about healthy relationships and strong sense of self. There was a parent meeting (translate: mother's meeting) before the first kids' meeting and a former member came to speak to us. He was a very cute, exceptionally articulate 22-year old guy who was quite open and honest about the group. He admitted that pledging to abstinence is really easy before you're in a relationship, but becomes much harder once you're going out with someone you are attracted to. He also said, had he not pledged ahead of time, he's not sure if he would have been able to resist the very real temptation of physical pleasure. He's planning on going to one or two of the early meetings of the new group, and I think he'll be a big hit. I'm very hopeful for this group and it being a source of Christian support for the Imp. The biggest issue from her point of view is that at this time, all the other members know each other and the Imp only knows 2 of the girls.

Saturday I got to scrap at an all-day crop, but I didn't get done near what I had hoped. That was disappointing. I went into the crop tired. Friday was a really long day with me presenting at Career day at the Imp's old school, then teaching my home school class and ended with running the marriage ministry meeting at our church. The marriage ministry was a blast! We held a "Not-so-Newlywed Game." Everyone had a great time and it was just loads of fun telling and hearing stories of first dates and strangest presents. Everyone was having such a good time, that when Hubby and I tried to rush through the last round to make sure we finished on time they voted to slow down and not worry about the time. Of course, that put us home later. Saturday I got to the crop 10 minutes after starting time, but had to leave at 11:45 to go pick up the Imp from crew practice (the practice was announced on Friday and Hubby had plans to go to a USF basketball game). I sat for 35 minutes waiting for the Imp. The coach held them later than he said...and with crew they're out on the river. It's not like the Imp could just leave. So I was gone for almost 2 hours. Ugh. Then I had to leave for another 1 1/2 to be sacristan at the 4:30 Mass. So what should have been an 11 hour crop ended up being closer to 7 hours when you take into account start up time after each 'break'. But as another scrapper said, "a little time at a crop is better than no time at all."

This Friday I'm off with the Singer to SC to see my parents. It should be fun, albeit a swift trip. We'll be back home by Monday afternoon. The Singer hasn't seen my parents for a while and she's looking forward to it. Also, she wants to say "good-bye" to their house. My parents are trying to sell their house and downsize while they are both healthy enough to actively participate. They're planning on moving to a retirement/assisted living facility/nursing home in town. It's a difficult task, as they had the house built after 30 years of military moves and almost as many houses. It's a gorgeous house and my girls are both sad that visiting grandma and grandpa won't always mean going to that house (which is quite amusing as they both think going to Sumter is anything but fun). When we were there at Christmas, the Imp was quite melancholy about her probable last night in their house.




I'm really enjoying a book I'm reading for Lent, "Praying Scripture for a Change" I'm still on the first chapter, after reading the intro multiple times. I think this will be a book I reread numerous times and will go back to when I hit 'desert' times in my faith journey.

Hubby just realized that he gets an extra week of vacation this year. Yea! So he's planning on taking time off during the Imp's Spring Break. So last night I spent time on the internet looking for a beach place on the gulf that week. Anything reasonably priced is booked through April, and even many of the unreasonably priced places. That's a good thing for our state economy, but bad news for us. Not that we won't relish the time to work in the yard and sit back and relax. Between now and Easter, I don't think we have a single weekend with nothing to do. So I guess the week after Easter will do some serious Spring cleaning in the house and the yard.

Speaking of our yard, my potatoes arrived Saturday. I can't wait to plant them Thursday...gotta do it before I leave town. My cucumber seeds "drown" during our downpour last week. My lettuce and beans are sprouting. I'm so ready for warm weather. I went to wear a dress to church and was embarrassed by my white-white legs. While I'm always pale...especially compared to other Floridians, I'm not usually pasty. But between the cold and rain, I really haven't been outside as much as past winters. Yesterday and today we actually had warm temperatures, but another cold front is coming through before the weekend.

Are you B.U.S.Y., B.U.S.Y.?

I've so many thoughts swirling in my head, I almost didn't write again today. Seems contradictory, but I know the time to get all my thoughts down is longer than the time I have to spend on the computer today.
The Imp is sleeping in, but I need to wake her shortly so we can go driving. She got her permit over the summer and we went out a few times over the summer but haven't been since. When she's at school until 7 pm each night, there's not a lot of time for driving. She's not quite ready for driving to and from school, which is what our goal is. Once she's able to do that, she'll have plenty of 'practice' time.
Saturday, Hubby and I went to a Jeff Cavin's information day
(for lack of a better description). During one of our discussions about how to help participants in the Great Adventure Bible Study
create time for daily Scripture reading and reflection, the idea of how busy everyone is these days. Another participant said, "Ahh, if you find yourself saying you're too busy for anything that's really important (i.e. spending time in God's Word) than remember what BUSY really stands for: Being Under Satan's Yoke." Wow. "We're too busy to eat together" "I'm too busy to really spend time with my... (child, husband, parents)" "Too busy to meet the neighbors" and on and on. Obviously, it's stuck with me. Being Under Satan's Yoke. I really like that and will hold onto that one. With Lent approaching this Wednesday, it's an idea to remember when thinking of how best to utilize this time of spiritual Boot Camp the Church has wisely set up for us.
On a totally different topic, I read the Yoder and Son column in the Sunday paper. Yesterday, the dad said "Just because you have the money doesn't mean you can afford it." Again, I literally sat there and said "WOW! That's SOO true." For years I've said that parents today (i.e. ME) have a harder time saying no to material requests from the children because we have more disposable income than our parents tended to have. When you have 8 kids like my parents and only 1 employed parent (notice I did not say 'working parent') there simply wasn't any extra money available. So their response to requests were honestly 'we don't have the money' For Hubby and I, we use to say that and then our kids asked if we were poor. So our response became, "We choose to spend our money differently" (You know...give to the Church and other charities, save for retirement, save for emergencies, save for college, etc) How I wish I'd had the gem of "Just cause we have the money doesn't mean we can afford it" these past 19 years.
So all day yesterday I had these two sayings whirling through my head...each prompting many different threads of thought. More on that later.

Head Cold

I was feeling just fine yesterday, until about 4 PM. Then my throat was getting sore and raw, but as lots of things are blooming and our pollen count was 9 out of 12, I figured it was just allergies. Hubby took me to the movies (Sherlock Holmes) and about 1/2 way through, I knew I was getting sick. By the time we got home, I was officially miserable. I've had absolutely no energy today. Getting up and getting my laptop almost did me in. I think I'll be taking another nap after I finish here.
I hate being sick. Or I hate being so sick that you really can't do anything, but well enough so that you are still cognisant and all you're not getting down swirls in your head.
Fortunately, I have no where I have to be today.
Hubby got the Imp home. They're both napping. So a nice quiet afternoon.

Another Saturday

I'm not sure where the week went, but here it is Saturday again. Hubby is at work until noon, the Imp is facilitating a weekend retreat, so here I am pushing laundry through and trying to figure out what I did last week, since my 'to do' list seems longer than ever.
Last night I got to go see David Haas at our church. The Singer thinks he's the best thing since sliced bread. She got to spend a week with him each summer at Music Ministry Alive for 3 years. He is a renowned Christian worship music composer, and while he is Catholic, his songs are in many Christian hymnals. The evening was relaxing for the mind and body, yet rejuvenating for the soul. I was really tired before the concert and debated about staying home. I'm so glad I didn't.
My history class is going well. The kids are just neat. I wish class was more than once a week, but am enjoying what I have.
I hate evening meetings. The Imp doesn't get home until 6:30 or 7:00 each night, if I have a meeting, it starts at 6:30 or 7:00. Which translates into non-family dinners. Yuk. I feel the difference in the air after a week of missed dinners. Now the Imp's gone for the weekend. I feel like I never see her. Thank goodness for Wednesdays when I pick her up from school and take her to voice lessons. Hubby is at the church on Wednesday nights, so it's still not family time, but at least I can catch up with the Imp. I can't believe that in 2 1/2 years, I'll be an empty-nester.
When I first got married, I figured I'd be raising children for years and years. Hubby and I wanted to have 4-6 children. (Having come from families of 8 and 10 kids it seemed like a very moderate amount.) Obviously, God had different plans for us and while pregnancy wasn't easily achieved, I'm grateful that I did not suffer any miscarriages. But I just didn't see myself being 49 and having no children at home. I mean, 49 is pretty young, relatively speaking. So I've been thinking/praying about what I'm to do then. The public school classroom has so many political aspects to it now. I'm not sure I'm up for that. But I LOVE teaching. I know it is literally 'in my blood'. So some form of teaching is in my future. Not being a patient person and a die-hard planner, leaving things open-ended isn't fun.
This past week, a good friend of Hubby's had a stroke. She's a woman who lived in his neighborhood. Hubby and his friends used to go to her house. She'd feed them good 'guy' food...Twinkies, Ho Hos, Coke...and be a cross between a much older sister/surrogate mother/mentor to them. It's been a tough week. She was in a drug-induced coma for a few days, continued to have brain swelling and had to have surgery to remove part of her skull, but was moving her legs and one arm as of Thursday night. And, it appeared she smiled when someone mentioned chocolate. I told Hubby, that would be the thing to get me out of a coma. But I told him, I'd want more then to hear about it! We haven't heard anything yesterday or today and are praying that is good news. We know that the best case senario will still entail incredible amount of recovery.
Our electric bill for the bitter 10 days we had [well, to us Floridians, 10 days of below freezing temps IS bitter-cold...we don't do well with single digit temps...it's why we live in Florida] came today. It's not as bad as I thought it might be...still much larger than normal, but it kept us warm, so I'm not complaining.
I should already have seeds started for my spring garden, but don't. I'm trying to figure out the whole crop rotation thing. And with 2-3 growing seasons, it's hard and I'm thinking if I use enough compost, maybe it won't matter so much. My onions and garlic are looking good. I can't wait to eat them...maybe March.

Generous

It's hard not to brag when I've got such an amazing family. A few years ago, I wrote about my niece (then in high school) who requested donations to World Vision instead of gifts for Christmas (something she's continued). Pretty amazing. [Not necessarily as unusual as one might suspect based on new coverage of teens.] Then, right before Christmas, my nephew



saw The Dog Who Saved Christmas.



When his mom was talking to him about his birthday party (he turned 7), he said he wanted to help dogs at the pound, instead of getting presents. So...that's what he did. His friend was going to go with him to the Humane Society to deliver the things he got. Now, how can you not have hope for the future.

It's easy to sit back and complain about the younger generation, (I am guilty of this too often) but there are many kids who are exceptionally well-grounded and generous.

You're So Lucky

I'm going to try and type this entry out quickly as Hubby doesn't always appreciate the time I spend at the computer and I still have some teacher work to do on the computer, but this idea has been simmering in my mind and I want to write about it before it takes up permanent residence on the back burner of my mind.
I am tired of having people telling me how lucky I am that we can "afford" for me to be a stay-at-home mom. First, I am very appreciative of my blessings and the great job with awesome benefits Hubby has. I'm forever grateful for Hubby and his support of this joint decision. But just to get the record straight...It's not that we can afford this lifestyle, it's that we decided we wanted this lifestyle and MAKE it work. We bought our house with the idea of living on one income. The real estate agent kept trying to get us to buy more house. "You can get approved for so much more." Yea, we've seen where that leads. Our house is a beautiful house and plenty big at 1500 sq ft...as long as I don't compare it to others' with 3000+ sq ft. Our lives and the lives of our kids are fulfilled. We've taken vacations, gone to museums, etc., but we don't take exotic vacations every year, we don't have the latest electronic gadgets, we don't have closets overflowing with clothes (although we do have quite a lot). So when someone (usually a woman) who works a professional job equal to Hubby's and has a husband with a similar job, tells me how lucky I am and how she so wishes she could stay home, but just can't, I want to scream. Now, I'm not silent on the matter, but try not to be too rude. I answer with something along my first statement, "we decided long ago I'd stay home and we've figured out how to make it work. We've had to give up some material things, but think it's worth it." But when the person telling me this has just gotten back from Hawaii (again) and is wearing an expensive matching outfit and has a perfect manicure and pedicure which is kept that way weekly, well, it's hard to not say...Ever heard, put your money where your mouth is? If it's important, you'll make it work. Obviously, I'm not talking about families where both parents work hourly jobs or whose compensation is low.
What brought this latest frustration on? Hubby's office-mate (cube-mate?), who is a few years younger than we are, was telly Hubby how lucky we are that we can afford for me to be at home. Now this man has 2 young children. His wife is a comptroller at a large company in town and they have a LIVE IN NANNY! Well, lets see. If we cut out the nanny alone you could save quite a bit. They had a professional decorator help them furnish their house and they vacationed in the Caribbean last year. Gosh, how do Hubby and I do it on one salary? We live our lives so we can.

On a more positive note, Hubby is out building my new raised bed just for my blueberries. I'm so happy. The weather this week has been gorgeous after a record-setting 10 days under 50 and 10 nights under 32! We had above average temps this week and return to more 'normal' temps next week. Hey, I love normal Jan temps in Tampa...lows in the 50s and highs in the upper 60s. I'm beginning to seriously plan my spring gardens. Need to start the seeds soon since I'll be able to plant outside come March.

Teaching Again...It Feels Good

I spent most of today preparing for my single class tomorrow. I reviewed Harry Wong's "The First Days of School", the Bible for any new teacher and every teacher as they begin a new school year. Harry Wong is my hero. To hear him on his videos or on tape is invigorating. Makes you want to teach, and do it well. Then I spent time reviewing pertinent information about the Middle Ages so I could lead the class discussion. Finally, I've spent the last hour searching through TrackStar. Trackstar is an awesome website, for teachers and for students. Teachers post lessons (primarily web-based) so you can benefit from the research others have done. As Hubby says, I'm just a geeky history teacher, through and through.

A Great New Year

The last few weeks have been hectic but wonderful. Christmas was awesome. I got stuff for my Cricut, a digital camera (YEA!) and 2 blueberry bushes. The down side: I haven't planted them yet as we are going below 32 at night. By Monday, the weather is suppose to warm a bit. As a die-hard Floridian now, 32 is way too cold.

A few weeks before Christmas, I was asked to take over a World History class for a homeschool co-op. So this Friday I start a new adventure in teaching a small group of high schoolers (about 10 kids). It will be different than anything I've done before, as much of the work is done by the students before class. The class is primarily for discussion and analysis of information. It should be lots of fun and keep me off the streets.



On December 29, Hubby and I celebrated 25 incredible years of marriage. As I was only 21 when I got married (and Hubby only 20), we are a statistical anomaly. That's A-Okay by me. I definitely hit the jackpot with my hubby. He is the best. We make an absolutely phenomenal match. We grew up together and fortunately grew together. Without being too preachy, I also give much credit to our shared faith and the power of the Holy Spirit. Being involved in marriage ministries like Engaged Encounter has kept our focus on the bigger picture. The best things in my life stem from my decision to marry Hubby. I am one lucky gal. That night the girls went with us to the Melting Pot for a great fondue dinner. The whole evening was fun. I really enjoy spending time with my girls. They are neat people and even if I weren't related to them, I would want to spend time with them. The Imp didn't really like the whole cooking her own food at the table thing at the Melting Pot and after cooking 4 pieces of meat said, "Can't we just dump all the meat in the pot at once?" I don't think she'll be going back to the Melting Pot, although she did think the food was delectable and she may go back just for the chocolate fondue dessert. To top off a great day, our waitress was extremely fabulous.




On the 30th we drove to SC and then on Jan 2 we got to renew our wedding vows with my dad officiating. 2 of my brothers (and their families) were there as well. I really teared up during the recitation of our vows. "In good times and in bad.." has a whole different meaning after 25 years of good and bad. To have Hubby look me in the eye and tell me he still loves me was sensational and powerful. It's not something I will soon forget. I'm so glad we did it.



And the pictures were taken with my new digital camera!

I continue to be content with my life and think 2010 is going to be a great year.

Homecomings and Birthdays

Hubby arrived home tonight. We were rather worried the weather in Chicago would delay him as he had to fly through there. Fortunately, Chicago airport was closed BEFORE he left Pittsburgh, so he ended up on a direct flight to Orlando. The 4 hour round trip put a crimp in my carefully laid out plans, but was worth it as the alternative was him not being here. The girls are thrilled to see him and we celebrated the Imp's birthday with her opening presents from us. Her big gift was texting. She's been wanting it for quite a while. The beauty of not giving things when first asked for is the appreciation shown once they are given. She couldn't believe it. We'd had her convinced she wouldn't get it. I love surprises.

Her party was a huge success. Fortunately, only 10 girls (not 15) came. Much more manageable. The cake only took 2 days to make. The turrets are formed from 2 cake cones end-to-end and topped with a sugar cone. Cover the whole thing in white chocolate, then put an additional coat of white chocolate mixed with black coloring. The castle proper took 3 cake mixes. The Imp added the alligator to the moat.
















I drew a castle on her Birthday tablecloth to mark this year.



Now I have tomorrow to finish getting ready for Christmas! But it will be okay since Hubby is home.

Unexpected Happenings

Hubby's mom had a mild heart-attack last Wednesday. It's always hard to find out what's really going on when she's 1000 miles away. But the information given to us Thursday had his mom in the hospital for another 6 days to monitor new drugs being given. After looking at everything, we decided to send Hubby to PA to help out his dad while his mom's in the hospital (They're 86 years old). So Friday and yesterday were full of trying to get as much done as possible before he left town. He flew out this morning and is due back Wednesday evening. So he left me here to pull off a birthday party and finish Christmas preparations. I wasn't looking forward to it, but felt up to the challenge. So today's schedule had me baking 3 cake mixes for the castle cake and making 4 turrets for the corners. So I start off making a cake. Have the batter in the pan and am going to put it in the oven. Well, I was already thinking of the next task and I "missed" the oven rack and dumped 1/2 the batter in the oven (on the door and down between the door and oven and into the drawer beneath the oven). An hour later, I was ready to start over, except all I really wanted to do was call it quits. But here I am, a mere 14 hours later and I've completed my tasks for the day. The cake is assembled with the base coat of icing and the turrets are made. The Singer, to be helpful, made dinner tonight. Egg rolls. Half-way through rolling them, she needed assistance, so I rolled the rest and somehow I got the pleasure of cleaning up the kitchen afterwards. Oil was splattered far and wide. But the kitchen is cleaned, and the egg rolls were very tasty. Tomorrow's schedule includes a dentist appointment early, mopping the kitchen floor, finishing the castle decorations, and making a sample 'gingerbread' house. The Imp and I assembled 16 houses Friday night. After tomorrow, I could stay out of the kitchen for quite a while, except that Christmas is fast approaching.
The good news is that Hubby is safely in PA and his mom was released from the hospital today. Not sure of the details yet, but he's got a list of house cleaning and errands that will help his mom catch up on her Christmas preparations.
The weather's turned cool, finally. It's actually starting to feel like Christmas. Hubby is dealing with temps in the 20's and 30's. He really hates the cold. I bought him a new sweatshirt to keep him warm.
Gotta go make the girls settle down and sleep, then I'll turn in.

Wii, Roosters and Froot-Cakes

I really like playing video games. Not the 'action' ones like Mortal Force or such, but ones that are more similar to the ones of the 80's. Hubby and I were on an extremely tight budget when we first got married. Our Saturday mornings consisted of going to the laundry mat and having an extra $2 to play video games in the deli next door. Galaga and Q-bert were our favorites. As we became parents are enjoyment of these games did not diminish. I was always envious of the kids who got the newest gaming systems the year they were released.

We got Super Nintendo the year before GameCube was released and finally got GameCube a few years later. My kids think it's funny that they can come home to find Mom and Dad dueling it out in Donkey Kong or racing in Mario Cart Bros. They tell us that none of their friends' parents play video games (I'm not convinced that's true, but they're probably closet players). But for all that I enjoy games we really don't play that often and, they just aren't worth the money when there are so many other things I'd rather have and use much more often. Having said all that, I REALLY, REALLY want a Wii. I have dreamed of getting one since day one. Santa almost always brings a 'family' gift, but they tend to be things like tickets to see "Wicked" at the Performing Arts Center, or Bush Garden passes. The rest of my family would have fun playing with a Wii, but would never think of putting on their top 10 list. Hubby and I get reward points from our credit card that we can use at the rewards online store. I discovered last night that they have Wii. We don't use our credit card enough to rack up points shamelessly and maybe one day we'll sit down and figure out how to get the most points from our card, but for now our points always seem to be a little bonus. We got a 15" TV, an electric grill fork with temperature read-out, and the like.
I was doing some stocking-stuffer shopping when I discovered the Wii.


I have a new goal. I will figure out exactly how much I have to spend on my Visa in order to get my Wii for free (mind you, I'm not talking about racking up debt, but simply using my Visa card for purchases that I'll pay off before the end of the month...so Dad, don't worry). I have a new mission! Of course, I also want many of the accessories and add-ons as well. And what I really want is the new Mario Bros game that all 4 people can play simultaneously. 2010 is holding great promise.

I tend to stay up way too late this time of year. Sometimes, I'm being Santa's helper but I also just get revved up and have a hard time sleeping. Even when I stay up late, my eyes pop open early. Last night I was up obscenely late, even for me, and would have probably slept until 9 this morning except a rooster woke me up. Now, I must say that I heard the rooster in my sleep and dismissed it, but after the 10th time of the fellow crowing, I was awake. Of course, by the time I was actually having conscious thought, the rooster was silent. I lay there trying to figure out what had woke me up (awakened me?) and when my subconscious told me I had heard a rooster, I tried to figure out what could sound like a rooster in suburbia Tampa. Certainly a real rooster was out of the picture. 30 minutes after I was up, I heard it again. It was a rooster. I'm still not sure who has a rooster, but I'm certain it must be a few streets away, as I live is a pre-fab subdivision. I stand out with my vegetable garden.


I saw a few minutes of "the Doctors" yesterday, and wished I hadn't. The were discussing the lawsuit being brought against Kellogg s for misleading the public and failing to maintain truth in advertising. And how had Kellogg's misled this poor gentleman? By naming its cereal "Froot Loops". The fellow claimed he thought it was made from real fruit! After researching, I found the suit was deemed frivolous, but from watching "the Doctors", I wouldn't have known that. The doctors were all serious about how important it was for products to have clear labeling, etc., and how parents are being misled that sugar cereals are good for their children with the labels stating how many nutrients are found in the box. Be real already! Kids' cereals are boxes of sugar. Everyone knows that! That's why they're for Christmas and birthdays. I'm not even a health-nut by any stretch of the imagination and I didn't let my kids have Froot Loops. Yes, I agree, a product should not be allowed to say "Real Fruit" unless there is real fruit in the product, but the consumer has to have a little responsibility...and the lady at McDonald's didn't know the coffee was hot!

December Birthday Party

It's December. My favorite month, although also my most stressful...much of it self-imposed. I love ALL the Christmas traditions. My girls, being incredibly like me, especially in areas I wish they weren't, want to embrace and celebrate and duplicate every tradition, treat and song during this time of year. There are so many treats they want baked, and traditions they want to recreate, that it would take the entire month of December with doing nothing else but Christmas stuff, to bring to life their desires. On top of that, the Imp's birthday is the 22nd. She'll be 16 this year. It seems the Imp's birthday parties have always been smaller and less spectacular than her sister's. While I'm not in the camp of "what one get the other gets," I do try to be somewhat equitable. I now remember why this apparent discrepancy exists. First, the Imp is a more no-frills kind of kid, while her sister, the Singer, is always up for a production, the more frills, the better. Second, the Singer has always had a small group of close friends, making my demand for a small gathering very easy for her (invite list of 8 or less). The Imp has always been a floater. That is, she is friends with multiply people from multiple "groups". So when given the directive, "Keep it under 8 people," she can never succeed. "But if I invite Suzie, I have to invite Jane" or worse "I can't invite Jane because she hates Suzie, but I don't want Jane's group to think I like Suzie's group more..." The Imp's heart is sooo big. She is always for the underdog and works very hard at making sure no one's feelings are hurt. So many years she had only 1 or 2 friends over, or simply skipped the friends' party altogether when it came to her party. But she'll be 16 this year, and being caught in an alternate reality, I told her she could invite who she wanted. Her list was 25 people! My house isn't that big. I made her trim and trim, until she actually invited 17 people to her party. Thus far, only 1 regret. I'm not sure this was a wise decision. Additionally, the Imp decided she wanted a fancy cake....a castle cake...not like her sister's Tinkerbell castle cake of pink, but, in her words, "Think Narnia!" R...i...g...h...t...

Sample ideas. Final product some kind of combination











































































Then she says, "I'd like to do a craft." So we decide on making 12 sided paper ornaments out of Christmas paper. So I cut out (with a punch, not by hand) 400 circles, and mark them to be folded as pentagons. Not a small feat. Then she says, "Do you think we can make graham cracker gingerbread houses?" Uuuhh, okay? Yep, I said okay. So now I've committed to have 16 girls making gingerbread houses. So I'll be making the structures the day before, so the girls can decorate them during the party.















































































All while I'm making a castle cake with draw-bridge and moat (using boiled sugar water dyed blue) AND still getting ready for Christmas. Whose idea was it to have a kid 3 days before Christmas? And just so you know, she wasn't due until January 8! And while all of this sounds daunting and outlandish to many, I love doing these things, just not all at the same time. The girls are looking for me to make geiba, a homemade sweet Polish bread that takes all day. They also asked about clothespin cookies...another incredibly time-intensive endeavor. My own tradition, is that they always get something homemade from me for Christmas. I can't say what I'm making them (I just found out the Singer does occasionally read my blog as she commented that she knew what was really in the attic a few months ago), but the girls will be pleased and it required days of sewing. One day, I'll start my Christmas projects the previous March like serious crafters do, but for now, I'll cram as much as humanly possible into the 4 weeks of December.