Weddings really ARE for other people

I remember when I was planning our wedding, people told me "Remember, the party is really for everyone else, not you."  I thought - What?!  Of course it's for John and I....nope - it's for everyone else.  Here's why - I'm a mom of two who's been married for over 8 years, and am planning on attending a wedding/reception/dance in 2 weeks with NO kids to drag along.  Oh, and we're staying over night in a hotel....again, with NO kids. 

I think I'm more excited than the bride and groom. 

I get to buy a new dress, maybe new shoes, get a haircut, relax with friends (who are also leaving their kids at home!!)  It's been 18 months since John and I spent a night away from the kids....but who's counting. 

I'm heading to the mall today to look for a dress...I have created one in my mind that would be perfect, so of course I can't find anything that looks even remotely like it.  Oh, I take that back...I did find an Oscar de la Renta number that looked like the "mind dress", but it was $1,999.  I'm not THAT excited.

Easter Bunny comes early

Party ideas

John's birthday present was Rocky Rococo pizza and breadsticks.  It wasn't much, but seemed to hit the spot.  It had been a while since he's gotten to enjoy their pizza because it's such a long drive for us to get some.  (It's about 35 minutes away.)
The kids did help decorate with balloons, signs and streamers.  And we also had ice cream with sprinkles and cherries. 

Now I guess it's on the next set of birthdays in the house - the kids.  Katie's is coming up in June, and while that seems like it's far away - we have to start getting ideas of what we (she) would like to do for it.  We had thought about renting out a place nearby called the "Outdoor Center".  They put on an animal program for up to 10 kids, lead a nature walk, and you can bring in your own food/cake.  Now, Katie thinks she wants to have to the party here at home.  Even better!  But....what do I do to entertain 5-6 seven year old girls for 2 hours.  (Honestly, probably very little.)

In the past we've done water balloons, colored flower pots, made bookmarks, and doorhangers.  This year I was casually looking for ideas online when I ran across this site that helps you put together a treasure hunt throughout your house and yard.  The kids have to find clues, keys, solve coded messages all to lead them to a locked treasure box filled with goodies.  I can use this as a guide and create my own, or pay them $15 and they'll make it for me, tell me where to hide stuff and give me all the stuff to print out.  I think it's a pretty reasonable investment considering I would spend more on a getting a craft for the girls to do.  It'll be my own little Amazing Race....and I think I'll add some funny tasks they have to do along the way. 

So far it's looking like an all-girl party.  I think there are 5-7 girls on the invite list.  Out first friend-birthday party we had 2 out of 5 show up....last year we were 3 for 3....this year, I may just have 8 girls screaming through the house.  But it's only for 2 hours. :)

And hey - I can make copies of everything and save it for Will's 7th birthday that'll come soon enough....or better yet, I've got John's 42nd birthday party planned too.  :)

Happy Birthday John!!

Today is John's birthday!!!  I won't tell you how old he is, although I WILL mention that he was 40 last year. :)

I think I finally decided on a birthday present, although it isn't much - I think he will like it.  (As will the rest of us....which is always nice.)

Happy Birthday to the bestest dad, husband and friend we could ever ask for!! :)



Funny Friday

Katie is in the middle of studying poems at school.  I thought it would be fun to get a Shel Silverstein book of poems from the library and read through it. We're only about 1/4 of the way through, but I found some favorites that I remember when I was young.  These are all from A Light in the Attic.

Prayer of the Selfish Child

Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the Lord my soul to keep,
If I should die before I wake,
I pray the Lord my toys to break.
So none of the other kids can use 'em...
Amen.


One Two

One, two, buckle my shoe.
    "Buckle your own shoe!"
Who said that?
    "I did.  What are you doing with those silly buckles
     on your shoes anyway?"
Three, four, shut the door.
    "You shut it - you opened it."
Er....five, six, pick up sticks.
    "Why should I pick them up - do you think I'm your slave? 
      Buckle my shoe, shut the door, pick up sticks, next thing
      you'll be telling me to lay them straight."
But it's only a poem....Nine, ten, a big fat....oh never mind.


Fancy Dive

The fanciest dive that ever was dove
Was done by Melissa of Coconut Grove.
She bounced on the board and flew into the air
With a twist of her head and a twirl of her hair.
She did thirty-four jackknives , backflipped and spun,
Quadruple gainered, and reached for the sun,
And then somersaulted nine times and a quarter -
And looked down and saw that the pool had no water. 

Crazy thoughts

As readers of this blog you should know that you are very lucky that I don't write my posts while I'm on the treadmill.  Not only would it be difficult to balance the computer on the arm rests - it would be filled with rants of nonsense.  Seriously, my thought patterns are so "off" when my heartbeat is above 150.  Mostly my thoughts center around math and equations relating to speed, lap time, mph, etc.  Ok, if I increase my speed .5 mph, that would decrease my lap time by X and improve my 3 mile time by Y.....on the other hand, if I walk for 2 minutes at this speed, and then run for an extra lap, would it end up giving me the same time......and so one, and so on.  I literally drive myself crazy....but then my heartbeat comes back down and I think normal thoughts like I have to remember to set up a fan in the basement, and geez I should maybe start running in shorts instead of yoga pants. 

On a bright note - I moved onto Week 5 of the training schedule - remember, the one with the big jump to running 2 miles?  Well, I decreased my speed from 6.7 to 6.2 and I felt a lot better running for three 5 minute intervals.  I even felt like 8 minutes may just be possible.  At the end of 26 minutes though - I ended up going 2.25 miles instead of my usual 2.5....but that will get better too. 

The schedule lets you choose whether you measure yourself by distance or time.  Like I said - I do time cuz it's easier to keep track of....it keeps moving at the same pace, even if you slow down. :)  But I try to cover their suggested distance or even more.  During the walking periods for example, they tell you to walk 1/4 mile or 3 minutes.  I walk at 4.3 mph and that's a pretty decent speed walk for me - pumping my arms, etc.  However - at that speed I'm doing a quarter mile in about 3 and a half minutes - not 3 minutes.  Sooo....I SHOULD be walking at a speed of 5 mph.  But I think that's crazy!  (And only for people with long legs.)  

Obviously the two measurements aren't necessarily even related - they are just 2 separate ways to measure.  If you run for 5 minutes....walk for 3.  If you ran for 1/2 mile - walk for 1/4 mile.  But like I said - I do a lot of math on the treadmill and I compare the two.  Will I ever run a whole mile without stopping?  Yes.  I'm confident I'll get back to that.  Will I ever run 2 miles without stopping?  I don't know - it would be nice.  But I'm trying to stay in the mindset of just getting the miles done one way or another, even if there's walking involved. 

So it appears some of my treadmill thoughts HAVE leaked onto the blog.  I guess you guys aren't as lucky as I thought you were.  Sarah - maybe I DO need to do your calculus homework....I may need an outlet.

Winding down

Can you believe it's the middle of April already?  The school year is really winding down and the end is in sight.  Will's preschool ends the end of April - so he only has 3 days left, really.  Katie has about 8 weeks left since they go until June 10th.  I've had 3 people approach me already to ask about getting play groups set up for the summer, getting friends signed up for activities, etc.  So it prompted me to get the calendar down, look through all the community books and write down what I thought we'd commit to this summer. 

Oh, and I did ask the kids what they'd like to do too. :)

Here's a first draft of what we're looking at this summer....keep in mind, this will probably get narrowed down more......

Katie -  swimming lessons
             piano lessons
             soccer camp (4 weeks, one day a week)
             volleyball camp (4 days)
             dance camp (2 days)
             cheerleading camp (4 days)
             drama camp (5 days)
             playground camp (7 weeks, one day a week)
             play date with friends - at least one day a week
             Girl Scout camp

Will - swimming lessons
         VBS (5 days)
         Bug art (one day)
         Gym Class Camps (2-3 days)
         T-Ball (5 weeks, one day a week)
         play date with friends - at least one day a week
            
I know it seems like a lot....but I don't know, it's nice to have something every week to fill up the time.  Wanna hear the miracle of all this scheduling?  So far.....Katie and Will's activities do not overlap each other.  So I don't have to choose between the two kids. :)  Will's list is totally doable....Really it's the same as last summer....the only addition is T-ball.  Katie's is a little more....she didn't do dance camp, volleyball camp or piano lessons before.  But I like doing these little "camp" sessions because they aren't much of a time commitment and she gets a taste to see if she likes it.  The only one I'm second guessing is volleyball camp.....I picked that one....not Katie.  I always liked playing volleyball.  It was a sport that even short people got a position.....but I'm thinking that Katie won't quite be into it, so that may be the first one to go. 

Now some may say - why even do ANY activities - when I was younger I didn't get to go to any "camps", I just played outside.  I agree - I didn't really do any organized activities in the summer either - besides park softball.  There really weren't any options like this in a small town.  My reasoning is this.....right now, I have the time to take the kids to these activities.  I might not always have that freedom.  They are also priced pretty reasonably.  Believe me, there are more expensive choices out there.  For example, the drama camp I'm doing is about $100 for a week.  But I could drive 20 minutes and Katie could do a week with a real children's theater company for $250.  Dance is the same way....$40 versus $85.

Also - Katie is kind of slow to make friends.  We've heard it from every teacher and I see it when she's with a group.  Exposing her to new people, new groups, as well as doing play dates with friends give her a chance to practice friend-making skills.

Will pretty much jumps right in with who ever is willing to play with him. :)  I just want to watch him play T-ball. 
 

Garage Sale

I participated in the town's 2nd Annual Indoor Garage Sale over the weekend.  It was 4 hours on Sunday, with 2 hours to set up Saturday night.  I didn't spend too much time preparing for it - mainly because everything was still in boxes and priced from LAST year's sale. :)  So I only had to worry about the clothes the kid's had recently outgrown, and since Katie didn't grow mush this past year I think I only took 6 things out of her drawers.  Will had more, but still only about 20 pieces. 

I counted my cash last night and figured I was $40 ahead.  Not as much as last year's $130 take, but still a fun way for me to spend a few hours.  And I DO like the whole garage sale "thing" - I like buying, I like selling, I just like it.  So even $40 is good for me.  Why was last year so good?  Well, I had some "hot" baby items that went fast...this year was 90% clothes, priced at $.25 each mostly. :)

All in all, I took 14 boxes of "stuff".....and I came home with 6 empty boxes. 

Running program

It's been a few weeks since I've been back at the running thing and I wanted to share with you the schedule I'm on to get your feedback.  I found this 5k training schedule at

http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml

It's a 9 week program and I am currently in the middle of week 4, so pretty much smack dab in the middle.  I feel like I'm at the point I was a few months ago, and just can't seem to push myself past this point.  Does that make sense?  They give you the option of measuring your runs by time or distance....I chose time because I go further/longer, and it's just easier to measure.

Here's what they suggest:  (I'll be honest.....I skipped ahead and started with week 2)

Week 1 (same all week): 5 min warm up walk first
                                       60 seconds of jogging
                                       90 seconds of walking
                                       Alternate for 20 minutes

Week 2 (same all week): 5 min warm up walk first
                                       90 seconds of jogging
                                       2 minutes of walking
                                       Alternate for 20 minutes

Week 3 (same all week): 5 minute warm up walk first
                                       90 seconds of jogging
                                       90 seconds walking
                                       3 minutes jogging
                                       3 minutes walking
                                       Repeat  (90-90-3-3)

Week 4 (same all week): 5 minute warm up walk first
                                       3 minutes jogging
                                       90 seconds walking
                                       5 minutes jogging
                                       2 1/2 minutes walking
                                       3 minutes jogging
                                       90 seconds walking
                                       5 minutes jogging

Week 5 (day1): 5 minute walk              (day 2):   5 minute walk     
                          5 minutes jog                    8 minutes jog             
                          3 minutes walk                  5 minutes walk            
                          5 minutes jog                    8 minutes jog               
                          3 minutes walk
                          5 minutes jog
      
               (day 3): 5 minute walk
                            Jog 2 miles (20 minutes) with no walking

Week 6 (day 1): 5 minute walk     (day2): 5 minute walk         
                      5 minutes jog               10 minutes jogging              
                      3 minutes walk             3 minutes walking               
                      8 minutes jog               10 minutes jogging             
                      3 minutes walk
                      5 minutes jog

               (day3): 5 minute walk
                           Jog 2 1/4 miles (25 minutes) with no walking

Week 7 (same all week): 5 minute walk
                                       Jog 2.5 miles or 25 minutes
                                       with no walking

Week 8 (same all week): 5 minute walk
                                       Jog 2.75 miles or 28 minutes
                                       with no walking

Week 9 (same all week): 5 minute walk
                                       Jog 3 miles or 30 minutes
                                       with no walking

Ok......like I said, I'm in week 4 and happy.  I hit the 2 mile mark at about 23 minutes in...puts me just a little behind the pace of last summer/fall.  BUT did you check out week 5?????  It seems like a BIG jump to go from running 1 - 8 minute chunk to running 20 minutes with no stops.  I spose I'll just slow my pace way down and give it a try....but I don't know.  Right now I run around 6.5 - 6.7 mph.  I don't want to go slower than 6 mph.   Maybe I'm crunching the numbers too much.  But doesn't that seem like an odd jump when the program hasn't even asked me to run ONE mile yet?

I don't know - maybe there's a miracle waiting happen next week.  Maybe that's the mental part of running that I can't seem to conquer yet.

Climbing walls

Sorry - I haven't been posting....been too busy staring at the Decorah Eagles along with 160,000 other people across the country.  Check back to this post if you're unsure what I'm talking about.  For the record, I was watching these eagles when there was only about 2,000 others interested. :)  They are really exciting now that there are 2 babies to watch.

This week was Katie's spring break and we decided to climb the walls...literally.  Friday night we went to REI and tried out their climbing walls.  Katie, John and I all took turns and are excited to trying it again in the future. 

Katie was eager to get climbing and didn't hesitate at all! 

She got pretty high...then seemed to get stuck, wanted to come down (that's the fun part). 

I made it up less than halfway...seemed to get stuck too.  But it was sure high enough for me! 

Should we take bets on how high John goes? 

Of course, he made it all the way to the top.



Katie and I decided that, next time, John should carry us on his back so that we can get to the top too. :)

Katie update

Remember a few weeks ago I mentioned that the swelling in Katie's knees was a strep infection?  Well she was on penicillin for 10 days and there was no change.
Last Wednesday, the dr called back to check on her - I told them her knees don't look any different. She said she was expecting that...a few doctors had met and talked about Katie's case (cuz it was pretty puzzling to them) and they brought in the Infectious Disease Specialist at Children's Hospital. They agreed that given the high strep results, and the swelling joints it has to be treated as a type of Rheumatic fever.  It just means infected tissue....that, if left untreated, damages children's kidneys and heart valves.

So - Katie has been put on 6 months of penicillin (at least) and we go had to go back to the clinic on Friday for them to take a urine sample and more blood tests to see if her kidneys have been damaged so far.  It took a while, but Katie had her first "pee in a cup" success.  Then they wanted to draw more blood for a Lyme's disease test.  I pointed out that we requested that test during the last blood draw, and it was negative.  Sure enough...that request saved Katie from having to get another needle!

The clinic called us about 3 hours after Katie's appointment to let us know that her kidneys look good so far.  They'll probably check again in a few weeks to make sure everything stays functional.  They also did an EKG, which looked good, but was sent on to the pediatric cardiologist at Children's Hospital for a second opinion.  Then, in 3-6 months we have to go do an echocardiogram to check the status of her heart valves.

We go back in 6 weeks for a checkup. 

Letting the cat out of the bag

I guess I'm ready to let the cat out of the bag.  I say that like I've known for a long time, but I actually just found out a few days ago.

My nephew and his girlfriend are expecting a baby in August.  I switch between moods of extreme calm about the whole situation and flipping out because he's my nephew.  Granted, he's 21.  I figure if he can build a computer, he can figure out a diaper. 

I wish he had told me sooner.....BUT it'll give me some fun stuff to look for at garage sales this summer.

Oh, and I also know the sex.  Do you want to know?

Remember my foot??

A few weeks ago I posted about my foot and how much it hurt - don't think I ever updated you on it. 
I did get x-rays, went and saw a podiatrist cuz after 3 days it just wasn't any better and by 5 or 6 pm, I couldn't put any weight on it at all. 

Nothing was broken.  He thought he saw a crack, but turned out just to be lines in the bone (or something like that).  From the exam he could tell that the long tendon that ran under my foot and up the outside of my ankle was swollen and VERY tender.  So I got the typical dr advice...ice it and take Aleve.  I skipped the pills, but I did ice it for a few days as much as I could.

He also said that I shouldn't run on it for 2 weeks, and then when I do start - start at the very beginning of a running program.  Well, 2 weeks was up yesterday so I was interested to get back on the treadmill.  I had been able to walk normally for about a week - no pain, and the run went well too. 

I started an 8 week 5k program, and even though I felt I could jump to week 4 or 5, I didn't.  I also didn't start with week 1.  I started with week 2.....yeah, I'm a rebel.  I guess it'll be good to follow a program and see if that helps me get a better time at the end of 8 weeks.  Before....I was just running til I got tired, then walk, then run a bit, the walk a little, etc. with no measurement or knowledge if I was really pushing myself more each time. 

Dream drama

Don't you hate it when you have a pretty involved dream.....a bad dream actually and the people in it make you so mad that you wake up angry?  And you just want to say "So what the hell was THAT last night?"  But you know that they would stare at you blankly and assume you're crazy.

That was my dream last night.  I dreamt that John left me for some chippee in Decorah, but he wasn't telling me about her - just that he wanted out of our house.  Pleasant, huh?  So then I visit his apartment in Decorah and found remnants of a girl being there.  Talk about a nightmare!  I kept waking up, tossing and turning - then going back to this stupid dream - all. night. long.  I was never so glad to get up in the morning. 

So as John came down the stairs, getting ready for work - it was all I could do to keep from yelling "Who was she?!"  Again...I stopped myself because I knew I'd get the blank stare and the assumption that I had left for crazy town.

As far as dream interpretation goes, this probably means I want a puppy or something.

Fun animals

If you have time, check out this site - it streams animals from all over the world.  There is an eagle's nest near Decorah, IA that has 2 eagles egg-sitting currently.  We're keeping an eye on it to see if we can see the babies soon. 
Also - the CA squirrel is fun to watch in the morning....up close and personal.


http://www.ustream.tv/pets-animals

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday today to my sister, Janet and my friend, Julie! 

Happy Birthday and Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Janet, my sister, in her glory days of high school.....a bit of time ago. :)



Japan's Devastation

I'm sure you've all been watching the news, reading the stories coming out of Japan.....but here's a new angle from someone who's actually living it. 

http://marosu.blogspot.com/

It's a blog written by a friend of a friend of a friend. :)  He's an IT Specialist over in Japan who is originally from Minnesota.  It's amazing to read his account of all that's been happening.  If you have time - check it out. 

Happy Birthday Jordan!

Happy 17th Birthday to my nephew Jordan.  Sheesh - 17!  I think it's totally sad that I had to look back at last year's post to make sure I wasn't going insane, and that he really was 17!!!

Happy Pi Day!

It's 3/14.....Happy Pi (3.14) Day. :)

It's Monday - another weekend in the books, and it's already mid-March.  This past weekend John manned the house himself with both kids.  I was off to WI (no, not to Madison).  I spent the weekend with girlfriends from college and had a wonderful time.  We went out to eat, had some drinks, and skyped with some friends in New York City and Texas.  I should have taken the camera along....but of course, it was left at home. 

College gals....spent the weekend with the bottom 3....and that's me up on the top.

John had to take Katie to a birthday party on Saturday at the bowling alley and Katie really had a great time.  Sounds like the girls bowled, danced, and had yummy cake.  Will talked John into playing some video games while there and I guess, from the conversation at the dinner table last night, Daddy let them get away with just about anything. :)  That's ok - maybe it'll make it easier to get away in the future.

Before I sign off - we got the test results back on Katie's knees.  Remember last week we took her in because of the swelling in her knees?  They drew blood and ran a bunch of tests to see what was going on and it turns out she has a strep-type infection in the fluid and tissue surrounding her knees.  According the pharmacist, it's more common than you might think.  So she's on antibiotics for that and hopefully, we should see her knees return to normal in a week or so. 

Molly's in the mood for love....

Yesterday I thought Molly had eaten something she shouldn't have or was feeling ill....today it hit me.  Duh, she's in heat.  How long does this last again? :)

It's snowing again today, but we aren't due for much more than 1-2 inches....we'll see. 

"Pebbles" is still with us, and fitting right in.  She seems to be getting louder...that's probably a good sign.  Also, the last 2 days she's wanted to sit on the little potty every time Will went to the bathroom, so we did it a few times on Monday....and then Monday night I was told she actually went pee on the potty at home for the first time.  Yep, sure, I'll take credit for that. :)  (Odds are it may be a while before it happens again.)

Yesterday we took Katie to the dr. for a little check-up because we'd been concerned with her growth/weight gain and her knees.  Anyone that knows Katie, knows she's always been petite...and probably always will be.  However, in the last 2 years we've seen her grow 2 inches, and gain 4 pounds.  On the handouts they give at the doctor's office it says "Average weight gain for a 6 year old is 6 pounds a year."  Hmmm.....
Well, long story short - they aren't concerned at all, we don't have to alter her diet, she still "makes the chart". 

Now her knees....we noticed about a month ago that one knee was really swollen - much larger than the other one....and actually they both looked weired.  It didn't seem to go away, but it wasn't bothering her - no pain or discomfort.  We still wanted to get it checked out and the doctors that looked at her were a bit puzzled too.  They took x-rays, which showed nothing, and they drew blood for various tests that will tell us if the swelling is due to specific inflammations.  We get those results back in a few days. 

Ok - is it my turn?  Now me....my foot is killing me!  Geez, last night all of a sudden whenever I put weight on my left foot, I get a shooting pain on the outer side of my ankle.  If I walk on my tip toes - it feels fine.  And I can do ankle circles, flex my foot, etc. - no problem.  But if I walk for a few minutes, I can't take it.  I ran on Monday....felt fine.  So I called a dr. and I'm gonna go get it looked at tomorrow.  From what I am reading online - it seems as though there is a bone/joint out of position that just needs to be popped back in. 

On to Will and John......
Will is fine and John is playing raquetball tonight - be careful! :)

End of week 1

I'm at the tail end of my first week as a full time babysitter.  I've really liked this "peek" into what life is like with 3 kids.  In some ways it's easier than I thought.  Katie and Will are really helpful with "Pebbles".  Probably because they aren't related to her.

Will loves to run and get a diaper when we need one.  Katie enjoys entertaining in the afternoon, showing off all her stuffed animals.  There've been no bumps, no bruises, Pebbles is still alive and smiling.  That's a successful week in any house.

Look for some more Wizard of Oz pics coming soon....I was just e-mailed a link to 703 pictures that were taken over the last week of production.  105 of them are of Katie......

It's later, so here's more.

The kids are asleep right now so I will take the opportunity to write a bit more.  Katie is at school.

It's day #2 of my babysitting gig and it's going great.  Little "Pebbles" is very cute, just the "right" age - 1 1/2, and Will adores her.  Since I've already had 2 this age, it doesn't seem like much has changed.  Katie comes home from school and I have 3 for 2 hours or so....but that's not bad either since they all have a way of entertaining each other. 

I am now driving the truck because it's the only vehicle that will hold 3 car seats in the back seat.  But that's not bad either because I know John is happy to drive the car. 

I would say it's longer hours than helping the elderly woman, but much less stress.  Basically, I can just go about my normal day....play in the morning, home for lunch, home for naps....which we would be anyway.  On the weekends we try to head to IA, it would be nice leaving town before 5:30 pm.....so hopefully we can strike a happy medium there. 

Goodbye Wizard, Hello Pebbles

"Pebbles" is here at our house for day #2.  Yesterday went very well - her and Will (Bam-Bam) get along very well and Katie likes having another girl around.  More later....

3 Down, 1 To go

We've got 3 Wizard of Oz performances under our belt so far.....one left today.  It's going to be kinda sad when it's all over. :(  I know Katie will miss it.  (She's reciting the play from start to finish right now.....)

Yesterday was a loooong day.  We arrived at church around 12:45 in order to be ready for our 2:00 show.  By 4:30, we were done with the first show and all cast members and helpers were treated to Subway sandwiches, turkey sandwiches, homemade mac and cheese, corn, mashed potatoes, chips, cookies, and jelly beans while we watched a movie.  It was a nice time to relax together.  But by 6:00 everyone was gearing up to get ready for the 7:00 show. 

I'm so proud of Katie - she's done an amazing job.  In the past 3 days I've had roughly 150 people tell me how much they've enjoyed Katie's performance and how well behaved she is, how relaxed she is up on stage, and how impressed they are with her.  (Basically, stuff we already know.) :)

And to say I'm proud of her doesn't even begin to capture how I feel - it's more than that.  I'm so happy for her that she has been able to have this experience.  Not everyone gets to stand on stage, under the lights and have everyone in the room clapping and cheering for you.....Katie has gotten that. :)  Also, she's made so many friends over these past 6 weeks and has been able to be a part of such a wonderful group who sincerely care about her. 

For those of you who haven't been able to make it to the show....I should have a video in a couple of weeks that I guarantee I'm going to make you sit through. :)

GREAT Opening Night!!

Last night was the first Wizard of Oz show, and it was wonderful!!  Katie had a fun time.  She said she was nervous before it started, but then once she got on stage, she wasn't nervous anymore.  She remembered all her cues, entrances, exits, dances, everything!  Daddy had flowers for her after the show. :)

Not only did Katie have a good night, but we won 2 of the raffled off gift baskets too!  I bought 5 tickets for $20.....put 2 tickets in a bucket for $120 worth of kids' books and 3 tickets in a bucket for a restaurant gift certificate and one night hotel stay here in Chanhassen.  We won both. :)

Today we have 2 more shows, and one tomorrow.  Sure makes the weekend fly by.....

Careful...she bites

A sneak peek....

Miracle upon miracles....I remembered my camera at practice last night AND it was charged.  So, here are just a few peeks at the musical this weekend.

 Dorothy and her buddies, Tinman, Scarecrow and Lion

Toto and Lion - two fuzzies of a kind. 

Scarecrow, Dorothy and Toto - with an Emerald City Guard in back

That's it so far....stay tuned for peeks at Glinda, munchkins, and the Wicked Witch!

I meant to include a picture with my plea for help.......

Will playing the role of "Angry Toto" - this is before I gave it a "haircut".

This is after.....

looks cooler already, don't you think?
Picture this with black shoes/socks.....and I'll either re-make the ears black...or just glue on extra bits of fur fabric, if there's any left over from the cut off parts.

It'll work, because I've kind of given up and made peace with it.

HELP!

We had our first dress rehearsal last night for Katie's Wizard of Oz musical.  It was the first time I would be able to get to see her costume finished.  The costume ladies were going to take a Halloween costume and cut off the head, add a few panels in to allow air to circulate through and dye/spray it brown. 

When I got there last night, nothing had been done to it. 

There's only 2 women making ALL the costumes for everyone in the musical.  They are swamped.  And believe me, when you get to see pictures of all the costumes....which are coming....you'll be impressed.  BUT I'm still upset that 5 days before the first show, I now have to worry about Katie's costume.  She tried it yesterday for a bit.  45 minutes in and she was beet red, about to fall over.  I took her out, talked to the costume lady who immediately chopped off the head, feet, and hands.  Ok - that's a start.

Katie work it again for the run through and was still red an hour into it.  And yes, she'll get a break during intermission....I can take it off, BUT it's not like we do this show once and that's it.  We do it 4 times in 3 days, so I'd like to make her as comfortable as possible. 

I said I would take it home and do what I can to it. 

As we speak, I'm giving the entire suit a "haircut".  With the amount of hair I'm chopped off this thing, I think I could make 10 more dogs.  And that's only the backside.  Once I get all the "hair" off that I want....I'm going to cut about 3 inches off under the arms, from the wrist down to the waist.  Then, I'll sew in cotton pieces...that should help.  I'm thinking I'll also cut off 3 inches in the inner leg area, from the crotch down on both sides and sew in the same material.  If nothing else, it'll be easier to move in.

Then the problem.....turning it brown. 

It was suggested to me to use the Halloween hair spray that people use to turn their hair crazy colors.  First problem - brown isn't that crazy so I can't find it in any stores.  Second problem - the guy at Party City told me that the stuff rubs off like crazy and gets everywhere.  I do NOT want Dorothy's white and blue checkered dress brown from her dog.

I can't use Rit dye or any thing like that because the suit is all polyester, and unnatural fibers don't soak up the dye.  I don't want to use regular "spray paint" because it would be irritating to Katie's skin and mat all the hair together in clumps.

Worst case, I guess it gets left white and blue (yes, the damn thing has blue spots).  Trouble is, I already made her stinking ears brown.  Yes, yes, I know - dogs are all kinds of colors.

So help me out, crafty brainstormers.....have any of you used the colored hair dye?  Does it rub off badly?  ( I am testing a patch out in the garage right now cuz I was able to find black color....not sure how long I have to let it set.)

What else can I use to color it brown/black???

Oh, and I was told she now has to have black socks and black shoes.  Black socks are do-able...but where they hell have you seen plain black shoes for little kids?  It's too late to order anything, so I'm taking a sharpie to an old semi-black pair of sandals and praying they fit her. 

Hmmm...maybe not

Ok - remember when I said I would still help out the elderly lady while I was babysitting?  Hmmm...after today?  I'm thinking maybe not.  Can I vent a bit?

Today was a rough one with the elderly woman.  (Is that how I should refer to her?  I don't know....seems weird....let's call her "Edith".) Anyway - boy, was she agitated and angry.  When I arrived there was a hospice nurse there visiting, doing a check-up, etc.  Hospice has a locked box of medication they keep in her apartment - for them to administer to her.  Edith screamed she wanted me to have the code to be able to open it anytime so I could give her what she needed.  I certainly didn't feel comfortable doing that.  So THAT upset Edith more.

Then the hospice nurse left and another "helper" came.  We busied ourselves with the trash, cleaning up tables, dishes, etc.  The other helper left to start the laundry and Edith went on about how much she hated the other helper.  Ugh.  (Personally, I love the other helper...she's sweet, funny, helpful, you name it.)  When the other helper came back she asked Edith a question and that set her off yelling again, "Don't talk to me!  leave me alone!"  etc.  Ok.....

Once we were getting her lunch ready, Edith was sitting up in bed waiting for it and Will came in because he was getting antsy and was ready to go home.  Edith started yelling "Get him away from me!  I don't want him in here!"  Ok - that's my cue to leave, so I left immediately with no good-bye. 

What this "Edith" is looking for is someone to stay overnight with her every night and stay with her all day long.  Hmmm...that doesn't sound like assisted living to me - that sounds like a nursing home.  Oh, and you can't talk to her or ask her questions, you just have to do what ever she wants you to do.  I was hired to do 1 hour of help, 3 times a week.  Right now, I'm at 3 hours, 3 times a week - at least...and even then it's hard to get out of there.  I told her son that I wanted to do 1-2 hours 2 times a week once I started babysitting the extra little girl, but now I'm concerned about even doing that.  And at this point, Edith needs a lot more than what I am willing or able to give her. 

So - I'm thinking about writing her son an e-mail expressing my concerns and letting him know that I'll help out next week, but then I probably shouldn't.  They need to look for more help.  And it sounds like they've been through a LOT of help....Edith tries someone for a week or two, then decides she hates them.  She tells me she loves me, wishes I could stay longer, come more often, stay overnight, etc.  Nope, not gonna happen. 

We're having another girl!

Yep, you read that right.  We are adding another little girl to our household.  This is the kind of little girl that I get to give back at 5:30 and only have Monday - Friday.  :)

In a week or so I will start watching a friend's beautiful little girl - she's so sweet....it will be a lot of fun.  For her privacy sake, I won't mention names or post pictures of her.  After all, she's not REALLY mine. :)  Maybe I can make up a pseudo name for her; an alias that I can refer to...or maybe just "baby girl."

Anyway - I'll still be helping out my older lady, and keeping up with my volunteer work - it'll just take a bit more scheduling and organization. :)  But now that Katie's in school all day - it'll be like having 2 kids at home again.  And when Katie is here, well, it'll be 3 for a few hours, and I'll get to know what that's really like.  The REALLY nice part is that the ages are nicely spaced.  I'll have 6, 3, and 1 1/2.  Very doable.

I'll revisit this situation after week #1. :)

What am I?

Some time has passed now, and I feel comfortable telling you a little bit more about the work I'm doing for the elderly lady I told you about a few weeks ago.  I go see her on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings for a few hours.  It ranges from 2-3 hours right now.  She's been able to find some extra help on Friday's so I could see eventually even dropping that day all together, if the help works out. 

It's basically like taking care of another child.  I run errands for her - picking up items she thinks she needs.  Then, 2 days later, she realizes she doesn't need that item...and I return it.  THEN, days later, I go back and pick up the item again because she really does need it.  The staff at Walgreen's already knows me very well after 3 weeks. 

I clean up after her - picking up dirty clothes, dirty dishes, junk on the floor, etc.  I do laundry, wash dishes, empty the trash and occasionally accompany her to the swimming pool.  It's my morning routine anyway...except I'm getting paid.  And occasionally yelled at.  Oh wait, that happens with the kids too.  (This woman has a brain condition that causes her to snap at odd times, and then become very appreciative again.  So far, only happened twice.  When the kids yell at me, it's NOT a brain condition....it's cause for a "mom stare")

So my question is....what am I?  Does this VERY part-time position (if you can call it that) label me as a "working mom".  I guess so....but it also sheds light on what REAL working moms go through day in and day out.  After spending just 3 hours helping this woman, I'm ready to call it a day.  Will has spent that time playing with toys she has provided for him, reading books, eating snacks, etc.  So, he's had a good time...and is ready for lunch.  I can't even bring myself to make him more than a peanut butter sandwich and some carrot sticks or applesauce....if that.  

Then I'm at home and have to tackle all those chores all over again....but this time at my own house.  I don't want you to think I'm looking for pity - I'm not.  I'm looking for pity for the FULL time working moms who are working 8-9 hours...three times the day I put in....and still have to tackle all that other stuff at home. 

And while I appreciate the money and the opportunity to do something extra for my family....I really appreciate the chance to take a small step in other moms' shoes.  It's really hard! 

Sooo...on this Valentine's Day, give a working mom you know a great big hug.

Church choir

Last Sunday both children's choirs sang at church.  It was, of course, adorable.

Here is Will's choir....ages 3-5 year olds.

Forgot to snap a picture of Katie's.....but I just realized that her first dress rehearsal for The Wizard of Oz is ONE WEEK FROM TODAY!!

Sledding...well, trying anyway

Last weekend since it was quite warm out - (above 25) - we decided to treck outside and give sledding a whirl.  It's only the second time all 4 of us have gone sledding together...usually it's just Dad and Katie.

I think it would have been great under normal conditions.  However, it's near impossible to get a 3 year old up a hill when the snow goes up to his hips, which means it goes up to my thighs.  Will and I slid down the hill twice....and then he gave up, wanted to go back to the house. 

It's going to be warm this weekend....maybe we'll try it again.

This is a view from the other side of the pond in our backyard.   

Will was able to (somewhat) walk across the pond.  It wasn't too deep until you got to the hill on the other side... 

...then Will had to army crawl to try to get himself out of the holes!

An afternoon of reading

Not sure if Molly is getting a lot out of this, but she sure hung around on the couch one afternoon while Katie spent almost an hour reading to her.

King and Queen of the Mountain

...and yes, there literally IS a mountain in our yard.

Last week a big bulldozer went through the neighborhood and randomly pushed snow way up onto people's yards.  We're thinking that it was done so that the post office could make it easier for their drivers to deliver mail, BUT it still would have been nice if they asked first.  Just hoping that the yard wasn't damaged.  Some neighbors have yard decorations under the snow - hoping those weren't broken. 

However, Katie and Will enjoyed climbing the mountain which now reaches up to our tree.

Will is REALLY happy he made it to the top. 

Katie can even get it the tree....normally she is about 6 feet shorter. ;)

Oh yeah....

I almost forgot - you all don't know this yet.  (Thanks Denise!)

Katie lost her first tooth last Friday!  We were eating lunch, (she didn't have school due to teacher workshops) and we were talking about things normally discussed over lunch.  I said "Katie - look at me....your tooth is gone!"  She had been unaware that it came out.  I had her spit out her mouth full of food and I searched through the gobby mess.  (Something only a parent would do.)  I couldn't find it. 

I was in the process of explaining that she may have swallowed it, and we'd have to write a note to the tooth fairy, when I noticed something on her plate.  I picked it up, and sure enough - there it was. 

"Oh, THAT was my tooth?  I thought it was a hard piece of bread."

The tooth fairy visited that night and left her $1.

Catch up

Or as Katie would say, "Catch up, Ketchup....get it?!"

Let me see if I can catch you up on the last week of our lives, in case you're interested.  Well, you must be interested if you're here.  I'm not twisting your arm.

Last Saturday we met John's mom and brother for lunch and some shopping in a town that's about halfway for both of us.  The kids each got a book - a Superhero book for Will and a kitty book for Katie.  We ate lunch downtown and, as usual, was yummy.
Sunday was a busy day, as most of them are getting to be.  We had play practice in the afternoon and I had to make some "doggie" ears for Katie, or at least get an idea of how it will look.  I'm glad I tried because I ended up not liking the way I tried, so....on to Plan B.  Play practice til about 4, then I fell asleep on the couch, pretty much refusing to get up and make supper. 

That brings us to this week.  I'm still helping out the older lady on M/W/F.  It started out as an hour a day, right - do you remember that?  HA!  I think I was there for an hour only one day.  Usually it's 2-3 hours....and so far it's ok, but she's saying she wants more and I've made it clear I can't do more.  I don't feel bad about that - it's not like she doesn't have 8 other people coming every week too.  Basically, there's someone there all the time from 10 am to 6 pm.  It's been a source of funny stories and I really feel like I earned that cold beer on Friday nights.  Second paycheck comes on Monday.

We got a letter saying that Will is all registered for preschool in September.  He was able to get into the classes I wanted him to, at the location I wanted him to.  Only about 40 spots open, so I'm glad we got one.  Still no bus next year, I'll be taking him every M/W/F - but that's ok. 

We had friends over for supper Tuesday night.  My friend is thinking about going back to work full time and currently looking for work.  She's trying to talk her husband into having me watch their daughter while she's at work.  He wanted to meet me to make sure I wasn't a raging lunatic.....always a prerequisite when it comes to looking for daycare. 

Play practice again last night - we did the "I'm meeellllttting" scene, as well as the scene where the witch locks Toto and Dorothy in her tower and threatens to drown Toto just before he escapes and runs away.  Katie had fun and is getting excited to start dress rehearsals in 16 days!  Then it will really start coming together.  Right now, it seems like it's all in pieces.

That's it so far....book sale at the library tomorrow....and free book fair at the high school on Saturday.  February is "I Love To Read" month....so there's a lot of book stuff. :)
 

Katie sings Katy

Here is a little of Katie singing and dancing to Katy Perry's song Firework.  Keep an eye out for a little cameo by some little boy.

Katie's thoughts

The other night I was at a preschool meeting for Will.  John was in charge of Katie's spelling review.  The next morning, this is what I found on the table.

Here is a translation in case you can't read it:
   "Katie is good at spelling.  Daddy is the Best Daddy ever.  The cat ate a hotdog.  How many hotdogs did she eat? She ate six.  I grabd the hot dogs from her.  I hope she didint get sick!  My mom and me were mad.  My mom squirted her."

The first 2 sentences are very true.  However, the last part is all fiction.  Though if the cat DID eat six hot dogs, I WOULD squirt her. 

Rehearsal pictures

Here are a couple photos from last Sunday's Wizard of Oz practice.

Katie is down front standing next to "Dorothy" in the green shirt with all the munchkins and Glinda gathered around her.

Here, the Wicked Witch is threatening little Toto.  (Even though Toto is trying hard not to laugh.)

The woman who plays the Wicked Witch has the "cackle" down perfectly!

12 Rehearsals left....and counting.

Happy Birthday!!

Another day, another birthday. :) 
Today is my brother-in-law Jim's birthday!  I think he's going to get off pretty easy because I don't have any baby pictures or teenage pictures of him in my computer.  Note to self....scan some in. :)

Anyway, Jim, I hope you get to celebrate your birthday however you wish! 
Happy Birthday!

Our 8th Anniversary

Today marks our 8th anniversary!  In honor of the occasion I thought I'd post some pictures of us over the years....it seem the only time there are pictures of the 2 of us are on vacation....or 20 years ago.

This is from a parade celebration in our hometown.  John is in the middle, my brother on the left and their friend Rick on the right.  I'm "casually" hanging out in the back...never too far away from John.  Obviously he found me hard to resist too.  I mean c'mon, you can barely cut the romantic tension! :)

 

A trip to northern Minnesota in 2007.  This is taken at Split Rock.  Katie is 2 1/2 and I'm pregnant with Will.  Cold day!

 

Our trip to Washington in 2006.  Spent this day hiking up Mt. Rainier.

8 months after our wedding in Key West, we returned with some friends.

And since you weren't there...here is the forest "aisle" that I walked down to get to our ceremony spot on the beach. 

Not too much planned - a relaxing day at home and dinner out tonight (without kids).  We haven't been "out" kid-less for our anniversary in about 6 years.  I think that means we deserve to order dessert too.

Happy Birthday Denise!

Today is my OLDEST sister's birthday....but since I'm not very old, she can't be either, right?

Happy Birthday Denise!

Promised Pictures

Ok, Ok.  I know I promised pictures of Katie at Wizard of Oz rehearsal, BUT you're going to have to keep hoping for those.  Last night's practice was a bit rough and I didn't get a chance to snap any pictures. 

The scene they worked on was when Dorothy, Toto, Scarecrow, Tinman and Lion are in the Wizard's Chamber and Toto makes the discovery that the Wizard is just a little old man.  Katie was tired, missed cues and I was busy writing down the scene and what she has to do (because we don't have a script) so that we can continue to practice at home on off nights.  The more we go to rehearsals, the more we are realizing how much Toto actually DOES in the play!

Another rehearsal on Sunday - let me try again.  However, I DID promise pictures, and if you don't have photos of kids, pets are the next best thing.  Here's Molly's new nap spot.

The only reason you're getting pictures in our bathroom is because I actually just cleaned it yesterday. :)  And before you ask, "What would happen if you turned the water on?"  The answer is - nothing.  Molly likes the water.  In fact, she'd probably get more excited - she sure wouldn't jump out of the sink.

Just plugging away...

Nothing much new - lots going on, just not all that interesting to write about. :)

Katie didn't have school on Monday so her and Will both went with me to do my "work" for the elderly lady.  I clocked in 2 1/2 hours that day so it was worth it! I was in a meeting all morning today and this afternoon was spent putting away laundry, dry cleaning, and vacuuming - told you, not too interesting.

Tonight I'm getting caught up on all my paperwork - monthly reports for my non-profit group and creating a new time sheet to log my hours.  What should I spend my first check on?  Hmmm....me-thinks it'll go to pay for Will's preschool registration for next year.  Fun spending, right?
Tomorrow is Oz rehearsal - I WILL have pictures on Thursday.  No costumes yet, but you'll get the idea.

Halfway point

We're halfway done with January already and it seems like we just started.  We're on the end of a slightly busy weekend.  Yesterday we didn't do anything - except shovel and give blood.  John did the "giving" so I did the shoveling.  No big physical exertion after a blood-letting, you know. :)

Today, John went into work while the kids and I did church and play practice all afternoon.  They worked on big scenes today - where Toto gets taken away from Dorothy by Almira Gultch and then escapes back to Dorothy.  Also worked on the very last scene in the play.  Toto also has the last line in the play - of course!!!  Katie did great - was a long rehearsal, but we treated ourselves to milkshakes afterwards. 

14 more rehearsals until the first show. 

Dang it!  I was going to take pictures at rehearsal to show you all....shoot.  I forgot.  Katie said I should write myself a note - we'll see if I remember on Wednesday night. 

It's me again.

I made a phone call today that really made me feel a whole lot better.  I called the mother's son and told him that I didn't feel comfortable driving his mom to appointments at the U.  There are so many things that make me nervous about doing that I don't know where to begin.  It wasn't in the initial conversation about the job.  He was very understanding and said that he and his mother agreed to use the facility's services for transportation to appointments.

One other thing....since I had met this woman yesterday afternoon, she had called me 4 times before noon today.  Her son also agreed that that was inappropriate and wouldn't happen again.  I mean a phone call now and then is one thing, but c'mon.  John doesn't even call me that much. :)

I am going to see her tomorrow morning before her appointment because I have pills to drop off for her that she needed me to pick up and we'll go from there.  I feel a lot better about this now.  I don't want to NOT do this job - especially since I've already worked the extra $ into my budget.  :)

Maybe it's just been a hard, busy week.  There is a lot of crap going on right now and it all seems to be snowballing this week.  Play practices, school, preschool, girl scouts, yoga, church class, reading groups, other volunteer stuff - all happening this week and next, and John's been working 12-15 hour days for 11 days straight and still has another week ahead of him.  Plus, and probably worst of all, I had a haircut today.  Good, I needed one - BUT the lady pretty much gave me BANGS.  I didn't have bangs, nor did I want them back, but now I seem to have them again since she chopped off inches and inches of my hair that I wasn't ready for.  The magical thing about hair is that it has a way of growing back - so it'll be ok, just not today.

And did I mention it's snowing....again?  There's another crappy 12 inch plow pile that has to be shoveled before we head out to girl scouts tonight.  I think I'm having some winter-blahs.  Maybe it's time to start regularly taking my vitamin D pills again...I think I'm low on sunshine.  Also - it really helps to just complain a bit every now and then. 

I'll end on a good note - we had play practice last night til 9.  They were working on the scene where Dorothy and Toto get carried off by the flying monkeys.  Katie did SOOO great with all her barks and growls and she literally gets CARRIED off by two little female flying monkeys.  I hope to God they don't drop her!  It's just too cute.....next practice I VOW to take some pictures.

Update.....

Ok.  I can do this. 

I met with the woman who is looking for some extra help, and her son.  She lives in an assisted living facility in her own apartment.  There was just a lot of information to take down today.  It's a bit overwhelming.  Ok, it's REALLY overwhelming. 

I spoke with her son prior to going to this woman's apartment.  He and his sister are her only 2 children - his sister lives our east so it's just him trying to organize everything to take care of his mom.  They have agencies that they work with for nurses, aides, etc. but they rotate in and out a lot and it's always a new person coming in so it's frustrating to explain to them how to do the things she needs done. 

I was unsure of all the necessary duties - but it seems to be picking up prescriptions, writing down when she takes her meds, making phone calls for her, walking the halls with her, watching her while she swims, changing sheets once in a while, taking out the trash, driving to appointments, and conversation.  On Friday I have to drive her to the University of Minnesota for a blood pressure check.  Her son says they are trying to get her to do this stuff locally, but she says they are smarter at the U. :)  I'm nervous about driving her there - just the drive in general, but I keep telling myself that I HAVE to get used to driving to the U because in 8 short months my niece will be in school there and I'll be invited to all kinds of college parties again. :)

She loves Will, says she's going to have a new toy for him next week.  And I don't doubt it one bit....within 4 minutes of meeting her she had bought me a case of steaks they were advertising on QVC.  They're being shipped to my house as we speak.  I tried to refuse and she snapped saying "don't argue with me" - her son agreed saying if she wants to buy you something....just let her.  Hence, the steaks.

When it came time to discuss payment - I gave my $ amount.....and they topped it.  I couldn't argue with that counter offer...so I agreed to the position and will help them out 3 days a week for an hour - and any additional bits here and there if she needs to go to an appointment. 

Really, it's the perfect job for my right now - I can bring my kids.....it's around my schedule....and it's a few hours a week where I'll make at least a few hundred dollars a month.  Now for the hard parts....

She's 79 and has Parkinson's as well as a type of degenerative brain disorder.  She talks about death a lot - wanting to die, etc.  Obviously she reminds me a lot of my aunt Carol who passed away 1 1/2 years ago.  In fact, I saw on one of her papers that she has a nurse named "Carol Hansen".  If that doesn't give you chills....I don't know what does. 
One of the side effects of the brain disorder is that she snaps at people a lot - her son said that I can't let it bother me - it isn't personal, it's just her disorder.  I think that will be the hardest part because I'm the type of person who hates to make mistakes. 

Well, we'll see how it goes.

In need of your opinion

One of my New Year's Resolutions was to try to find some part time work this year.  It's not really for the financial need, but more of my way to slooooowly work myself back into "work" life.  I've been a stay at home mom for almost 6 1/2 years.  That's my longest career so far.  The thought of going back to work full time in a couple years gives me the shakes.  Will I be able to compete for a job?  Will I be able to give as much at work as I did before kids?  How do you balance it all?

Ok - that's a few years out....when both kids are in school every day.  For now - I've got a job offer that's as part-time as I want it to be.  A family is in need of someone to help care for and be a companion for their mother who lives in an assisted living facility nearby.  At first they needed someone 3-4 hours a day.  Right now, this won't work for me because I made it clear that Will will be coming along and he could do 2 hours, but not 3.  We decided that we should try it out for an hour, 3-4 times a week. 

Right now the facility sends over a nurse daily, but it's someone different each day and it's getting frustrating for their mother to have to start from square one every time someone comes in their home.  She'd rather have a visit from someone she has a relationship with.  I can do this...I think.  And it will be a trial run to see how it works for everyone.  I'm told the mother is a bit hard to get along with.....that could come from the frustration of not having reliable help.....or not. :)

So, we have set up a meeting to see how we like each other.  We'll see how this goes.  After all, if you don't like my kids - you won't like me either.  He said she is excited to meet me.

So, I guess I'm looking for a word of encouragement.  3-4 hours a week might not seem like much of a change, but it still makes my heart speed up....and another resolution was that I was going to be more accepting of change.  Worst case scenario - it doesn't work out and they find someone else.  Best case - it's an extra $150-$200 a month.

Ugh - I just have so much anxiety about it!  Relax.  It's a small step.  Right??

Why I love our church

Ok - I'll warn you right off....I'm not a deeply religious person.  I don't regularly tithe, I don't preach to others why they should go to church, and I'm open to the concept that maybe all religions are "right" in some way. 

BUT....I still have this urge to tell you why I love the church that we've been going to for the past 2 1/2 years.  I must warn you - it's in part related to my obsession with 16th Century England.

This January they started a new program called "J-Term".  For the month of January our church is offering classes, free of charge, on things from college savings plans, depression, photography, scrapbooking, cooking and many more.  I'm taking 2 classes - yoga and one on Martin Luther.

We met for the first time last Thursday.  From 7-8 I sat with about 20 other ELCA Lutherans and listened to our interim Pastor speak about Martin Luther - his 95 theses, changes he wanted to see made in the Catholic Church, and the reformation that took place.   Anyway - I could go on and on about the Protestant Reformation- (and if you'd like me to - I will, in another post).  The point is, I liked being able to have a discussion on why the ELCA Lutheran church has the modern and welcoming views it does.  The pastor even said "Do you REALLY think God created the WHOLE world in 7 days?
"
From 8-9 I did yoga.  It was a lot of fun - and very different poses from what I've done in yoga before.  It's always entertaining to see people out of their Sunday best and trying to balance on one foot. :)

Another reason I love our church?  They are allowing a great forum for my daughter to take a step outside herself and open up.  Remember I said she got the part of "Toto" in their production of Wizard of Oz?  Tonight was our first rehearsal and they are so excited to have her on stage for the ENTIRE show and suggesting things for her to try in order to "steal the scene".  She's still not sure she's gonna go up to an audience member and pretend to "pee" on them, but hey, it's only the first week.  We've got some late night rehearsals ahead of us.....here's hoping she can handle it. 

Happy Birthday Jeff!!

A shout-out today to my brother-in-law, Jeff!!  Happy 49th birthday!!!  (I put the number's in there, cuz my sister blabbed how old he was....)  :)  Unfortunately - I hear he may be sick today....hope you feel better before you go tie one on!

I had to post this one just because of the awesome "stash"!!

Get a good look.  This is the most recent family picture of me, my parents and siblings.
It's only, what, 20-some years old.

We're off to see the Wizard

My Katie is Toto!!!

A little background -
Every year, our church does a musical to help raise money for their summer mission trips.  Usually there is a trip to El Salvador, and a handful in the states.  This year, they are doing The Wizard of Oz.  I figured Katie was old enough to participate this year and I'd had a few people at church urge me to let her do it.  Believe me, she was gung ho. 

Given the parts, I figured they'd cast her as a munchkin or flying monkey.  I found out at the sing-through on tonight that she is Toto!  They have a cute little puppy costume for her and everything.  She is pretty excited and eager to be a big part of the show - and not have to memorize any lines.....well, besides "Arf, arf" and maybe an occasional growl.  Plus she should still get to sing, which is what she really wanted to do.

Rehearsals start on Sunday, a couple times a week - and the shows are at the end of February. 

Can I be honest for a minute?  I"M SO DARN PROUD OF HER!  And I am SOOO excited to see the show progress and rehearse and everything!  I'm tying to be calm, cool, and collected around Katie, but I am BEAMING!!!!  I mean, the munchkins and little parts here and there are in a few scenes, and Katie would have been happy with anything....but the fact that they believe she can be such a responsible kid with such a big part in the show, and not even split it between kids - I'm SOOOOO happy.  It's the closest thing I'll ever be to a "stage mom".  I'll try to reign myself in a bit, but to you all I'm gonna let it ALLL out!!  I'm so excited for her to get to experience the rush of really "putting on a show".  The lights, the make-up, costumes, sets, the applause....ugh.  It's gonna be so good for her self esteem and confidence.  And she'll get to know so many other people at church too.  I can't wait!!

Happy New Year!

Happy 2011.  New year, odd number.  I read something interesting earlier today.  Today is 1/1/11.....in 10 days it will be 1/11/11....in 10 months it will be 11/1/11....and 10 days from that 11/11/11.  Lots of 1's....many opportunities for wishes this year.

Gotta go put the meatloaf in the oven.

Ok, done.  On my way over to the oven I noticed I only got halfway through emptying the dishwasher - so this will have to be a short post.

John took off all this week and we've been having fun doing things together with the kids.  Since Katie's off too - we've been able to spend lots of time together.  Let's see....Wednesday we all went to Pump It Up - an inflatable play place inside a warehouse.  Thursday we spent the afternoon swimming at the rec center.  Friday we all went and had lunch at Culver's.  Today is Saturday - sure doesn't feel like a Saturday.  John and I did stay up til midnight last night - we mainly watched CNN - Anderson Cooper and Kathy Griffin hosted the ball drop.  Geez, it was funny - and I usually don't like Kathy Griffin.  It was hilarious - she was trying to get Cooper to swear, telling all these inappropriate stories, yelling at the crowd, etc.  Maybe it was only funny cuz I was 3 beers in.....

With everyone home this week the house is in disarray, but it'll get picked up sooner or later.  The kitchen floor should be washed too...I bet I'd feel darn good if I got that done yet today.  I could treat myself to....something....not sure what yet.