wowgirl

Minnesota Math

2006-10-19T14:43:00.000-04:00

It takes...
12hrs 1min driving time
over 700 miles
10 tollbooths
$10.30 in tolls
$74.29 in fuel
6 stops for the bathroom
18 "Are we there yet"s
21 wet wipes
80oz coffee
24oz diet coke
20oz coke
6 juice boxes
4 nutty bars...or "waffle brownies" as Grace calls them
2 DVDs (totaling 3hrs)

= 2 Exhausted parents and 3 children with more energy pent up than a jackrabbit on crack

...and we do this twice a year

A 2 Pronged Praise

2006-08-24T19:55:00.000-04:00

One year ago today, I was admitted to the hospital...I had a breakdown. It's hard to believe it has been a year. I was so frightened...afraid I had lost myself...afraid that everything that I valued about myself was false...afraid that the joy in my life was going to be medicated out of me. A good part of this year has been a slow crawl back to function...back to believing in myself again. Many of you who read this were a part of that recovery and are now a part of the joy I do indeed retain in my life (despite the pharmaceutical obstacles).

I thank God for you all
I thank God for my illness...it has brought me to this place
I thank God for my recovery

I suppose that's 3 prongs...and to add another...I was asked to become a permanent staff member at my job today!!

The Middleman

2006-07-26T22:07:00.000-04:00

So I'm taking my 3year old potty the other day. This activity comprises substantial amounts of my time these days. I realize that with all this frequency, I'm not always paying close attention. On this particular occasion as she slid off the toilet I reminded her, as I often do...

"Use the toliet paper, Sweetie"

Now at this point in the game I usually look away, I guess trying to instill some sense of privacy that I can only hope she will one day desire. This time I do look away but turn my head back toward her just in time to see her neatly ball up a hand full of toilet paper from the roll and place it directly into the toilet.

"Just gonna eliminate the middleman there Sweetie??"

Am impish grin breaks across her round little face. In that moment, I know she knows.
You know it would be so much easier to reprimand the child if she wasn't so stinkin cute.
But this time, a burst of laughter on my part and a scarcely firm,

"Do it right, Pinky!"

is the best I can do.

As it turns out, God has a sense of humor...

2006-07-13T07:26:00.000-04:00

So I had chinese food with some friends a couple of weeks ago and as usual I can't resist reading my fortune. It's usually something general like "you are easily influenced by cookies containing small pieces of paper". However, this time my fortune was this:

"You have an unusally magnetic personality. Be mindful of your polarity"

Which is funny for me given that I was diagnosed as being bipolar last year. It made me laugh.
So folks, if you can remember, tell me about the best fortune you ever received.

La-azy

2006-06-28T17:00:00.000-04:00

So I have been feeling laaaaaaazy lately and have moved from a posting mode to a blog-monitoring mode. I am actively searching for an inspirational blog topic...any ideas?????

Little Debbie Strikes Again!

2006-06-02T13:57:00.001-04:00

So...yesterday I particpated in the 12hr fast in preparation for Newsong's Community Celebration of Praise. I seemed to be doing well all day - too busy to really pay attention to how hungry I was fast becoming. Truth be told, I was feeling a little guilty since my busy day had not given me much opportunity to pray.

As I was rounding the 5th of the sixth flights of stairs that would take me to my car, I spotted a half-eaten Nutty Bar covered with dirt and surrounded by some rather ominous looking stains in the corner of the stairwell.....I gotta admit...I thought about it...not for more than a second, but it definately entered my my mind. Now if ever there was an occasion for an earnest prayer, this was it!

So my question to you, my faithful readership, is this...How hungry have you been???

I was once so hungry I...

Little Debbie Strikes Again!

2006-06-02T13:57:00.000-04:00

Frustration...Inspiration

2006-05-08T12:38:00.000-04:00

As many of you know, I have a very special little baby in my life, Immanuel James. Now while Manny certainly has some special needs, he also has some very special gifts. One of my favorites is that he teaches his Mommy to slow down and open her eyes to greater truths that lie right in front of me...it is one of those that I will share today.

Manny has both a physical therapist and an occupational therapist working with him to help him reach some of his motor milestones. Now, Manny is doing extraordinarily well for a Down syndome child however he is a bit behind the curve by normal standards. I have always commented on what a calm and contended baby Manny has been and remains and as it turns out, that works against him in some ways. His physical therapist explained to me that babies begin moving forward, crawling and walking because they want more, they need more...they get frustrated. Manny, God love him, is just so darn happy that it doesn't automatically occur to him that there might be something better or more fulfilling for him out there. So now, one of my most important jobs is to find ways to frustrate him and that in turn inspires him to move forward (currently inspiration = a pippin hot cup of coffee just out of reach...he has just a bit of Sam in him)

I think about this all, and it makes me smile. I realize that out of the the times of my greatest frustrations comes the inspirations for moving forward. God knows me well and sad but true...sometimes he has to tic me off to get me going. It's all about love...that I know for sure.

Praise Report

2006-05-03T10:53:00.000-04:00

I just realized that it has been an extremely long time since I have blogged. Most of you know the reason is that I have just started a new job. Many of you have been praying for me in this endeavor and I am here to tell you that I am feeling the effects of that prayer. I was most distressed at the thought of putting the kids in daycare, albeit only 2 days a week. What was amazing was that after I dropped them off, I just felt calm and purposeful. What a wonderful feeling, better than I could have imagined. I was able to shift gears easily. Now, I realize that things will not always be this smooth, however it was such a blessing for this first week. Thank you all for the prayer and thanks be to God for looking out for me.

Random thoughts...

2006-03-23T15:18:00.000-05:00

Does anyone else think that cashiers silently curse you when you ask for paper instead of plastic?

How soon we forget...

2006-03-20T08:03:00.000-05:00

I was thinking this morning of how tough it can be to feel God's presense in the tough times. How easily faith can be tested...
Evan, last night, was complaining that he couldn't see God and was just a bit annoyed when I told him that God is all around us but we cannot see him (not in 4yr old terms anyway). Then I though about how all day I had been feeling anxious and stressed rather than basking in the love and care that God indeed provides. The same God who brought Sam into my life...who heard my prayer when my grief was so heavy that I thought I couldn't bear it...who blessed me with an amazingly beautiful baby boy a year later and then welcomed me with open arms as I accepted Jesus into my heart...the same God who has carried us back from the brink of financial disaster again and again...who blessed us with a beautiful daughter and a job that allowed me to stay home with her and her brother for the last two years...and most amazingly touched my precious Manny's heart and body and healed him.

It's quite a list. And for each blessing I listed there are more than a hundred that I did not (lest my blog runs on the way that some do :). So I think whenever I am tempted to wallow in anxiety and stress, I will visit this post and remember that God is my father, he loves me and he most definitley has my back.

Up and coming events

2006-03-02T09:53:00.000-05:00

Man! It has been a long time since I have posted. Sam and I are preparing to leave for our 2nd honeymoon in 5 days to the amazing Key West. We are both spending time in the tanning booth, "pre-pinking" ourselves. While I am excited, I am nervous about being a bit hyper-body-conscious, but I know I should let this go. I planned to lose 15 pounds before the trip, but I lost just over 2. At least I'm getting smaller little by litttle. Just think, at this rate I will be lookin good in like 2 years. We leave on Monday and will be gone about 10 days. Of course this little getaway is sandwiched by a 14 hour trip to and from Minnesota to transport the kids (Ages 4, 2 1/2*newly potty-trained*, 10 months*teething*, and 30*slightly pinked from the tanner*). Consider that before any feelings of envy kick in. God bless, you all and I'll share some tales on the other side of this vaca!

Parallel lines of curiosity and unease

2006-02-16T11:28:00.000-05:00

The other day Evan (my 4 year old) walked by with a barrel of Monkeys, a pair of pliers and a very small tank. He had this kind of half determined half amused look on his face. I was going to ask him...but then why ask...I'm sure the answer would only make sense to him anyway.

interesting thought

2006-02-08T08:22:00.000-05:00

You know...these's just a chance that diet and exercise works better that crossing your fingers real hard between shovelfuls of Chips Ahoy and Little Debbies (yes Ryan, you're not the only one with a grudge against that Nutty Bar Peddling Sugar Hussy). Outside of a few bumps in the road last week, I consider myself successful. I'm 2 pounds down and while I'm not exactly floating away...progess is progress. Thanks for your prayers.

Re-resolving

2006-01-30T12:09:00.000-05:00

All right...so my weight loss initiative has lost some of the original 5 days worth of momentum it had. I'm happy to say that I have not gained any weight, but my loss has been about a pound since my intial 13 pound drop. Sad, sorry but true. I have decided now to go with something a bit more stringent and structured, so I am proudly on day 2 of the rapid start weight loss program (Dr.Phil). I shopped yesterday for the first 5 days worth of menus and I barely went into the center of the supermarket. I LOVE the center. Thats where all the pancake batter, pasta, potato chips and oreos are. Now I'm on like 4 servings of veges per day whereas previosly that would have accurately represented a weekly allottment. (even that allotment was an even spit between canned corn and canned green beans and frozen peas, now and again, if I was feeling particularly exotic). I do realize that my old pattern of eating was inheritantly flawed (hence the 60+ extra pounds I carry).

So...I'm hungry, I'm grumpy...but i'm a little bit proud to have survived a day of eating the way I should. Keep me in prayer...and thanks for continuing to check my blog after such a substantial hiatus...I 'll try to be more post-happy.

The Spirit of Giving

2005-12-19T15:54:00.000-05:00

For the past few weeks I have been (not blogging, yes I know, but we have other fish to fry today) thinking about, concentrating on and yes, obsessing over what to get my children for Christmas. You know what they played with today and I mean ALL DAY????

The boxes the christmas cards came in. Oh and a pencil.

It's one of those lessons that your grandparents and Parents try to warn you about but looking at all those cool toys, you never really believe until your kids do it to you.
It reminds me of the old acronym: KISS

Keep It Simple Stupid

Oh and this refers to me...the rest of you go ahead and buy the cool pricey toys because I certainly prefer them to boxes and I'll come right over to play:D

I can drive 55

2005-12-07T09:14:00.000-05:00

Something occurred to me yesterday, as I was driving along and I realized that I was as happy and relaxed as I ever am. Rather that revel in the moment, I just had to study it. Was it the sunny (but no too sunny) day? Was this the continued good feeling I had after spending an afternoon with good friends? Was it because the pieces of onion were large and easy to remove on my quarter pounder with cheese? Not even close. Then I stumbled upon something odd...I'm almost always happy when I'm driving...and then it hit me. This is the only time it is not only legal, but recommended to strap my kids to chairs and ...I have a radio to drown out their bickering & repeated requests to go to "Old McDonald's". For twenty minutes they aren't falling down, trying to spank one another, jumping on the couch, applying my makeup to one another, dumping out folded baskets of laundry or any of a hundred other offenses...they're just sitting there through the beauty of restraint. Good stuff.

Start your morning off right

2005-11-17T07:59:00.000-05:00

This was one of the first things that happened to me this morning....

Gracie (sitting on my lap...wimpering, extending her thumb)
Me, "Whats the matter, Baby?"
Gracie, (Wimpering louder...thumb more prominent)
Me, "Awww...Did you hurt yourself? Do you me to kiss it??"

Then...just as I am leaning in for the kiss...

Gracie, "NO MOMMY!! IT'S MY BOOGER!!"
Me, (dumbfounded)
Gracie, (somewhat condescendingly) "We don't kiss boogers, Mommy."

what do ya know...I learned something today.

Where are ya rushin off to?

2005-11-01T20:05:00.000-05:00

So...I was working out yesterday (no applause, please. I'm already patting myself on the back hard enough to leave a mark) and I was thinking about the nature of my love/hate relationship with working out (hate doing it...love being done with it). what has happened to me? About a year and a half ago, I couldn't get enough of working out. I could barely sit through a TV show. Now...not so much. I want to work out and feel the joy of motion. I feel like I'm just staring at the clock waiting for the time to be over. What the heck am I in such a hurry to do??? More housework?? Running errands?? Dental hygiene manuevers?? I feel like I would be much better served by staying in the moment...slowing down...plugging in. that's my message for today...and for all of those of u covering me in prayer on the weight loss thing...5lbs down!!

Inertia

2005-10-19T13:49:00.000-04:00

The Law of Inertia states that a body in motion tends to stay in motion and a body at rest tends to stay at rest. Let me tell ya...I have spent the last several months
at rest ...stopped...the exercise level equivalent of Rip VanWinkle. Well...NO MORE. I'm done.
I am declaring war on my own hinny. I need to debulk. Weight is probably both my most obvious struggle and the one I am least apt to discuss. It seems silly to me as I write this. My mission today is to out myself and my struggle so that as I go through this concerted effort to decrease my mass I am accountable not only to myself, but to many. There is such a temptation to keep a weight loss effort a secret and just accept those compliments as they roll in (as pounds come off). This time, I'll be trying the other way...with prayer....with support.

Counsel

2005-10-11T10:34:00.000-04:00

Just to be trendy, I thought I might do a question blog...so here goes:

1. What is the funniest piece of advice anyone ever gave you?

2. What is the most valuable piece of advice you have received?

3. If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?

All I want for Christmas is a Shower, Santa Claus

2005-10-08T21:32:00.000-04:00

So here I sit on the other side of 15 hours on the road. yes...you read that right...15 hours.
and it went a little something like this...

810am...departure from my Mom's house in Eagan, MN
817am...stop #1...Walgreen's...we discover we only have 2 diapers left for Manny
827am...on the road...finally
1007am...status post stop#2...potty break...culprit: me.
request for shoe and sock removal granted...
van now smells of tiny hot feet
1014am...stop #3 fuel, 3 cheese sticks, coffee, Mt Dew & water
1026am...back on the road...Manny is fussy, he sounds like a gameshow buzzer...
I keep thinking, "Is my time up , Alex?"
1036am...Evan is requesting the potty despite repeated and, I must say, insistent pleads for him to utilize the facilities at the last travel plaza...damn.
1047am...2nd demand for the potty...he will not be talked out of it...*sigh*
1052am...stop #4 potty for Evan and we happen upon a 1906 steam engine, much to Sam's delight.
1111am...back on the road...on the road for like 3 hours and not even 1/6th the way home*sigh*
1215am...stop #5 lunch @ McD's in the Dells
104pm...back on the road
304pm...fast approaching Chicago...past the travel "oasis" foolishly thinking we are "all set"
kids sleeping x3
307pm...GBoo...up and crying
314pm...Manny up and fussing
324pm...Evan Drake up...relatively cheerful
343pm...everybody's happy...2nd and final Oasis before Chicago...passed up.
356pm...it becomes clear that we are in rush hour, bumper to bumper, 10 feet every
5minute traffic
412pm...it be comes clear that Manny is hungry...
417pm...we have no water to mix formula...Mt Dew and formula is briefly considered...discarded 420pm...what is that smell?!...HOLY CRAP, WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DIDN'T CHANGE MANNY IN THE DELLS?!
424pm...stop#6 a Target store with a Starbucks inside...God is Good!
523pm...back to the traffic and a little rain for flavor
624pm...still in heavy traffic...a fight between E&G over whether we are on the road or on
the highway has reached a fever pitch...did I pack that ativan??
735pm...stop #7 Indiana Tollway Travel Oasis...mmm...ice cream
835pm...stop #8 again with the smell
1140pm...home sweet home

...last thought before passin out...see title

DUH...pray.

2005-10-06T15:51:00.000-04:00

Part of my recovery process involves taking "breaks". Basically, that loosely translates to:

"May I be excused??...My brain is full."

followed by anywhere from 5-20 minutes of quiet...sometimes 5-20minutes of Dr Phil...sometimes 5-20 minutes of baked potato chips...5-20 minutes of a Mai Tai the size of my head...

whatever it takes to calm the storm....but hey...you know what works the best???

prayer.

It is so amazing to me that the simple act of just speaking the words...
"Father this is too much for me in this moment, please grant me reprieve"
can refresh me. I highly recommend it:)

misadventures of a medical nature

2005-09-29T00:35:00.000-04:00

So...I'm recovering...not a process of which I am particularly fond. The good news is that I have every reason to expect a full recovery. The bad news is ...

I can get lost on the way to the kitchen..

E&G's arguments make way too much sense to me right now...

The oven timer has become my new best friend....

and finally...
I am still operating at what i like to call "oo a bird"-level mentality

To be fair, I should probably explain that last one. I can be having a conversation with someone, like any normal person and a bird will fly by and at that moment...I exit the conversation and well...take flight, I guess. But as a wise man recently reminded me...this too shall pass.

Down in your What?!?

2005-09-23T08:03:00.000-04:00

So I'm driving a couple of weeks ago and Evan is on his 5th refrain of ...

"I got the joy joy joy joy..."

when I realize what he is actually singing is...

"I got the joy joy joy joy down in my Butt!
Where?
Down in my Butt.
Where?
Down in my Butt to stay!!!"

Naturally, I burst out laughing...which, of course, pre-empted any possible correction I might impose. Looking back, I'm still not sure whether to be impressed or concerned. Never-the-less I remain entertained. Have a great day you guys!!

For Goodness Sake!!! How old am I ?!?

2005-09-13T13:13:00.000-04:00

I looked into the mirror this morning...

I had a coffee mustache.

Thought of the Day

2005-09-08T06:20:00.000-04:00

So...

It's OK to stop and smell the roses, but when you find yourself categorizing by color, length and age and then setting up a database to cross-reference said categories by a vibrance-rating...

maybe it's time to stop.

Prayers

2005-09-06T06:32:00.000-04:00

Please keep Sam in your collective prayers today...it will be a tough day for him for many reasons and he definately could use the help to navigate thru. Thank Guys!!!

What's that horrible smell???

2005-09-02T15:31:00.000-04:00

So here I sit on the other side of the "unpleasantness"...at the "wellness center" and not shockingly, I lasted less than 12hours at home before finding the need to post a blog.
Those of you who know and Sam & I (and perhaps a few of you who do not), will appreciate this story...
I came home after a 6 day vaca from the kids and secondary to a bit of sleep deprivation and 2 many other factors to mention, my concentration skills have hit an all time low.
So I went upstairs and noted that I had a coffee stain on our Pink (yes pink...pepto-bismol pink) bedroom carpet...in that moment, I remembered that I bought the new super-powered, twin-turbine-engine-carpet-cleaner...so naturally down to the basement I went to retrieve my newest wonder and then...bk up 2 flights of stairs to apply said product to said stain.
Of course, I could just wait the recommended 4-6 minutes rinse and be done...not me...not presently....so down the stairs (only one flight this time) to get a washcloth to relieve my carpet of its first soap assault in easily a decade...so I'm scrubbin...and scrubbin...and scrubbin, and it's foamin higher and higher. So I think to my self (self?...LOL)...just "leave it alone"....but nope...can't do it....I walk back upstairs maybe 3.5 minutes later and all I can smell now is said product...
*sigh*...out comes the handy dandy steamer-cleaner...by now 2 of 3 of the munchkins are in jumping on and off the bed and Sam is watchin...thinkin I'm just nuts...I turn on the steamer and I'm on all 4s trying to rinse this soap out of the carpet...and then... the smell, no, THE SMELL.
Sam speaks first, "Did u just fart?"

Me, "no...I mean, I hope not!"

and then...the "A-Ha!" moment...

Sam and I in unison, "THE STEAMER!!!!!!!!!!

Sam grabs the collection chamber of the steamer and in doing so douses himself, the quilt (just washed), the pepto-carpet and our fabulous mint green dustruffle in what I can only hope is simply a mixture of rotted yogurt sucked up a few days ago and spent soap. By then...E&G are crying and holding their noses...Sam and I both thinking the same word and struggling not to let it out...

once again...*sigh*

It's good to be home:D

ck it out

2005-08-23T08:28:00.000-04:00

http://www.allfaith.com/Humor/

proverbs

2005-08-23T08:01:00.000-04:00

I'm kinda in a "IF YOU BUILD IT THEY WILL COME" place right now...anyone who knows where I'm coming from...please pray for me
for Sam...
for Evan...
for Michael...
for Chris...
for GBoo...
for mymomma...
I could so go on right now...

cranky bugs

2005-08-23T01:32:00.000-04:00

What if Evan has learned everything he knows about conflict resolution from Thomas the Tank Engine? Is that possible??

We

2005-08-21T15:36:00.000-04:00

We are all connected...

think about it...

We are all connected.

Is this what my life has become???

2005-08-18T07:16:00.000-04:00

I was folding a white load of laundry the other day and when I was done, all the socks matched.

I felt like I won the Lottery.

Looking Back...

2005-08-16T07:03:00.000-04:00

We were talking at our house last night about revisiting favorite moments in times of stress...when it seems the universe has conspired to give you in particular a tough time. This has to be one of my favorite moments in time. Looking at this picture, I find that all I can think of is all the wonderful things that had not yet happened and all of the amazing things that happened to bring me to that moment. I tell ya...it does help put all my work drama in perspective:) God Bless you all today!!!

a special thanks

2005-08-12T06:09:00.000-04:00

for the smiles and the laughs and the prayers...the nouriche and take five bar when I was too busy and distracted to feed myself...a laugh from Manny, a wink from Sam...sympathy from my Momma...a kiss from Boo-girl, a hug from Evan Drake...a chat with an old friend...a chance to help someone...a hug from the daughter of a dying man...a phone call from my mentor...more prayers than I can quantify...giggles from the blogosphere...Meet the Fockers...a quiet moment to express myself with a really good cup of coffee...

Thank you to God...Thank you for working through all these people to carry me through this impossible week. I feel your love. and...you have my attention.

A Peek at the Plan

2005-08-10T06:25:00.000-04:00

Do you ever have those moments when things in your life make perfect sense? When everything seems clear, in focus?

Bad News...Good News

2005-08-04T07:11:00.000-04:00

My hair is falling out...
Many of those chosen for release are gray

Pay it Forward

2005-08-02T07:34:00.000-04:00

My original idea for a post this AM has changed for many reasons. I originally was going to post a light-hearted "Thank God it's Monday" post since my 7-day-on-stretch finished @ 8AM today. Something else is pulling on my heart. I had an impromptu conversation this with a good friend this morning that began on one subject (money--not a fun topic around here lately)and drifted into another (Blessings--my favorite topic lately). I don't know if people are becoming more kind or if God is finally opening my eyes to the blessings around me. My family is blessed by the kindness of friends and family daily. I always find myself thinking, "when I can, I'm going to do something special for her/him." This morning as I listened to my friend list some really amazing blessings, he stated that someday he wanted to repay that kindness. I heard myself tell him that perhaps it is God's plan for him not to repay but to extend that kindness to another. Whoa...who said that? This certainly is not an original idea or thought, but neverless a good one...an inherently Christian one. The movie and novel, Pay it Forward does a good job of illustrating the ripple effect of infectious kindness. I liked when I read it and now when I think of it, more and more, it makes a natural sense to me. I for one will be "paying it forward" when ever I can (and hopefully even when I think I can't).

and yes...I started this post yesterday and couldn't finish.

God Bless you all today!

open mouth insert foot

2005-07-27T08:40:00.000-04:00

Picture it...Summer 2002...a six month old Evan Drake is just learning to sit up, a still-in-her- twenties young mother is attending a play group with 3 other young mothers who she has only known for 3-4months. This young mother, having just turned 29 brings her spouse to the playgroup. Someone has made a pan of brownies to celebrate that birthday. The young mother is grateful stating that she loves brownies and had made some herself not too long ago. Her spouse, thinkin he's some kind of funny guy, then says, "yea but you ate the whole pan before I got one". A hush fell over the room. jaws dropped. horrified glances were exchanged. Sam, Sam, Sam...

My question to you guys...when has someone (a spouse, buddy or significant other) really embarrassed you???

A little bit of badness...

2005-07-21T09:40:00.000-04:00

I spend some of my best moments with the Lord in the early morning hours, walking through the house with various , often scrambled chores (that never seem to get completed). This morning as I was cleaning my kitchen I was thinking, no matter how much anti-bacterial, bleachy, stop 'em dead in their tracks (and for generations after) cleaner I use...there is always some dirt, germs, bugs (choose your favorite euphemism) left. There exists a school of thought out there that theorizes that by continuously disinfecting our environment we are contributing to the veritable explosion of asthma, allergy, and antibiotic-resistant viral and bacterial strains that are plaguing us today (I know...scary stuff and I could go on). The point is that by leaving things a little dirty we actually help our bodies do what they were so exquistedly crafted to do which is to use our own immunity to strike a balance with our environment. And getting back to the thought that originally inspired me to post this AM...I think that we as christians need exposure to a bit of bad to better ourselves. Anyone who has ever said "there but for the grace of God go I..." knows what I'm talking about. It humbles us, keeps in touch with the un-churched and reminds where we've been and , by contrast, where we want to go. Bless you all today!!

A special kind of stupid

2005-07-20T06:04:00.000-04:00

So just to encourage a bit of fun blog traffic...

What is the stupidest thing you have ever seen anyone do?

My sophomore year at the U, I worked at the Michigan Union Wendy's. Anyone who has had the pleasure of working in the greasy arts know that during downtime, ridiculous conversation generally ensues. On one spectacularly slow night we were all playing "I bet you can't..." which , for anyone who is curious, is essentially the idiot's version of "Truth or Dare". This guy named Mike was just in the zone..pumped, hyped, whatever...ready for anything. Johnny (on of the funniest guys ever) bet him that he couldnt finish a 32oz Frosty in less than one minute. Boy he sure showed him. He was sent home 30 minutes later with the most intensive head pain ever.
Like I said...a special kind of stupid.

In the closet...

2005-07-18T06:22:00.000-04:00

Hey...anyone else think that Dr. Phil is a Secret Agent Christian???

a follow up

2005-07-16T10:23:00.000-04:00

For those of you who know me, you know I have an AMAZING husband, so let me just tell you how he responded to Thursday's Mayday call to him at work...he quietly told me he would be home as soon as he could. He showed up with a dozen roses, a bottle of my favorite wine and a box of chocolate chip cookies...and he just held me. What a man. A mighty, mighty good man.
I'm so blessed!!!!!!

"Quick!, anybody know how to get a chick out of a VCR?!" and other emergencies

2005-07-15T06:58:00.000-04:00

Last night I had a bad Mommy night. Odd, because it was a great blog day. So striking to me, because most of my day was spent on such a high; good mtg @wk, no one bleeding when I returned, great talks with God, Coffee with my guy, funny chats with Kel, giggly pics of Manny and M&M (Mischief&Mayhem, m,y 2 and 3 year olds) to show off at work, an awesome praise by chaplain Ron @ our wk mtg ( I could go on)...I felt on top of the world! How is it that a mere two hours later the polarity of the earth shifted and landed squarely on my shoulders?? Wellllll...a combo of on call activity and what can only be described as a 2 yr old declaring war on her mother ensued. In the span of 30 minutes, G dumped 2 full aquafinas on the livingroom floor and one cup of cookie -dunking milk on the table, ran out side without a pullup & plopped her naked tookus in the dirt and smiled the broadest grin you've ever seen at every turn ,correction and admonishment from me. Meanwhile, E lost the ability to walk subsequent to a bandaid being placed on his ankle and then once the paralytic bandage was removed followed Grace around through all of her activities with a combination of giggles and a scary look of reverance that seemed to say loud and clear, "Damn. Wish I'd thought of that." In the midst of all of this craziness, I was fielding multiple calls from work.

As I sit here recounting my stressful tale, it becomes clear to me that one of a couple of things might be happening here:

1. God decided to use me to entertain you guys this AM

or the most likely scenario...

2. God is reminding me that the mountain top can become a slippery slope and to stay humble in my work and parenting.

Man...I gotta stop praying for patience:) God Bless you all today!!

morning mayhem

2005-07-13T08:08:00.000-04:00

you know...I think if I ever got to eat a warm waffle in the morning, I'd have to look outside to see if a pig was flying by

I gotta post a praise...

2005-07-12T05:55:00.000-04:00

I just said that out loud to Sam and it sounded good. I just realize it's been a bit since last I posted. so...lemme catch you up. Thanks for all of you who said a prayer for my first on call night. To say it went well requires a bit of perceptual license, but I made it through by the grace of God and Manny slept all night (woohoo!). Last night marked a more formal return to work and I lead my first meeting followed by my first night on call ( last week was a partial shift for my co-worker who needed a break). The meeting went extremely well considering some difficult issues on the agenda. Just when things were starting to feel a little dicey, my supervisor announced that she needed to leave but needed to meet with each of us individually beforehand. As people left and returned people were returning with enormous smiles on their faces. I soon found out why. I was the last to meet with the supervisor and was granted a 9.3% raise. Join me in raising your arms heaven-ward. Praise God!!
...and Manny slept all night and is still sleeping...I'm in the bonus round Baby!!!!!!

about me...

2005-07-07T12:15:00.000-04:00

Well...in the spirit of "getting to know u day"...When I was in the 5th grade I was a self-proclaimed roller disco queen (anyone else catch that 70's show episode?...not that bad but close). I still know some pretty cool moves. On one particularily windy day I rolled myself down to the Church of Christ parking lot (a block from the house I grew up in) with an umbrella. I had 2 successful high speed sails across the lot before I hit a pebble, went flying and nearly impaled myself on the umbrella handle. That was a special kind of stupid...but it did win me a friend who in witnessing the whole thing was laughing so hard she nearly wet herself. what a way to meet someone. The good news is we're still great friends.
Also...please say a prayer for me...I start my first post-Manny oncall shift tonight.

An Auspicious Occasion

2005-07-04T04:46:00.000-04:00

My husband has at long last hit 30!!!! I don't quite know why I find this so exciting. Maybe it's because his metabolism might slow down a bit, maybe the dreamy look in his eye when anyone speaks of fire or explosions won't last quite as long or maybe I won't hear the theme song from those Vonage commercials playing when I ask him to retreive something from the roof. It's like I told my dental hygenist the other day when she asked how long it takes to drive to the twin cities. "10 or 12 hours, depending on who you're married too", I replied. I don't know, Maybe it's because I've settled down so much. I enjoy watching my husband turning from daredevil to daddy. Those of you who know him well know what a wonderful mix he is of the two. Please join me in wishing a happy, blessed and outrageously tame 30th Birthday to Mr Swingin', Slammin' Sammy Walsh!!!!!

Let it rain

2005-06-30T19:49:00.000-04:00

Glory Be to God!! Today has been one of those days that started out rough, got a little better and stumbled headlong into phenomenal. Today I found out that my co-workers have donated over 82 hours of Vacation time to me. This could not have come at a better, more needed time. We are sooo behind right now...so we prayed and prayed, enlisted others to pray and then, wow...a full paycheck arrived when we were expecting nothing but harrassing phone calls from seemingly innocent cheerful women who want to confirm where our cars are parked. Man...I gotta say it...GOD IS GOOD

A Collection of Woes

2005-06-29T12:15:00.000-04:00

They say the human body is composed of over 90% water...today I am the wake of the Titanic...
Monday night marked my re-entry into the fast-paced and often unforgiving world of physical fitness. It struck me as I was pounding on the step and bleating expletives like a disgruntled sheep that it has been just about exactly a year since have attended an aerobics class. wow. a year. I could list for you a collection of excuses; some of them good, some of them lame, and some of them flat out ludicrous but why? The bottom line is that during the past year I have spent far more time convincing myself why I couldn't exercise then just flippin doin it. Sadly, that doesn't burn any cals. Oh well...I suppose I begin anew and take my lumps (many of them in my thigh muscles and arms from the brutal workout). For now I must return to my pukey 3 year old, fussy baby and my little girl who needs a diaper and good brushing. Have a blessed day everyone!!

I got the joy joy joy joy....

2005-06-26T19:36:00.000-04:00

Sitting in church today, my family restored to the full five, the lord just broke me down. Tom was preaching about the joy in the Lord...about how God loves a party. I was holding little Manny and he was looking straight into me...smiling with all he has. I just felt my eyes fill with tears at the awesome miracle that lay before me. It was an endless moment. I felt all the love around me from my amazing church family and thought to myself, "this little Manny is lovin me right now because all of these people loved me enough to lift me in prayer when all seemed hopeless". wow. Praise God and thanks for the moment...I just love those.

4 is the lonliest number

2005-06-24T15:24:00.000-04:00

I begin this post on day one of 2 in my temporary retreat widow status. Not nearly as bad as i thought. Evan Drake is behaving, GBoo is aggressively charming and Manny is content for the moment. I am surviving my husband-fast by hangin with a fellow retreat widow and turning 3 crazys into 7. Distraction is a wonderful thing. I miss my Sam, but I know that this is restorative for him and thus beneficial for us all. Peace and sanity are a precious commodity around this burg. I feel that the lord is giving me peace. Poor Sam...I'll bet he prayed all the way to the retreat for things to go well @ home. Thus far, I gotta say...God is Good!!