Gifts and Sales and Attics Oh My!

so...we drove to petal on friday for christmas. when we arrived we opened gifts and began our mississippi diet (fried stuff, stuff with gravy, stuff with melted cheese, etc...).

on saturday brooke and i got up early (ahem...4:30) to hit the post-christmas sales. we went to walmart for christmas stuff marked down...we needed to replace all our lights and i needed to restock our wrapping and tissue paper stash. we went to shoe station where i got 2 pairs of boots and a pair of heels for $80! whoot! then on to new york and company where i got a sweatsuit, two shirts, and a pair of earrings form $62...whoot whoot! we were due at mamaw's for christmas breakfast at 8:30. we had the usual yummy cow patty biscuits with cane syrup and salt meat...my childhood FAV!!! brooke and i played scrabble and, as usual, i won handily...

today is sunday...it was a lazy day. momma had gone thru the attic and made a pile of things for me to go thru. my entire life of things, actually. so i went thru it and threw away alot. i'll also take home alot to go thru it more carefully. i'll probably just store it in a big bin in the attic to look at when i'm feeling nostalgic.

meredith has added to her vocab since my last post: tower, apple, banana, tree, nan, book, hi dad, hi chica, hi mom, more banana...starting to use two word phrases!

bennett has been really great the past couple of weeks. tonight we drove out to the gravel pit (daddy and william are camping out) and on the way home the song "fire fall down" was playing. he was singing at the top of his lungs. there is something very powerful about your child unashamedly singing the words "i know that you're alive, you came to fix my broken life, and i'll sing to glorify, your holy name Jesus Christ". AWESOME!

so...in summation:

1. pairs of shoes for $80...ace. 3

2. everything's better with cane syrup and salt meat

3. m = chatty cathy

Textasrophy

so...i have noticed an increasingly disturbing trend.

on friday nite, i went out with some friends for a girl's night. i'm at howl at the moon, sipping my gin and tonic, when suddenly i noticed that all the people i was with were all on there phones. texting. now...i'm all for technological advances...but at what expense. there i was...i was ready to converse...socialize...but everyone around me felt it necessary to be texting someone, updating their facebook, checking e-mail. don't get me wrong. i'm not mad...but my hide is a little chapped.

another example

after a concert last thursday, a group of us went out for some tortillas and margaritas when i look up from my chips and salsa and see that two of our tablemates were at their phones busily thumbing their way through various messages/e-mails/texts.

i've noticed in some rehearsals that when the conductor is working with another section, people drag out their phones and begin checking things...texting things...you get the idea.

does anyone else find this disturbing? i want to shake these people and say "EXCUSE ME. YOU ARE IN A SOCIAL SITUATION. THIS MEANS THAT YOU SHOULD BE COMMUNICATING AND INTERACTING WITH THE PEOPLE AROUND YOU. PUT DOWN YOUR ELECTRONIC DEVICE."

that and something like: "HELLO. HELLO. I'M RIGHT HERE. YES. ME. I AM A REAL PERSON. YOUR E-MAIL CAN WAIT."

certainly i cannot be alone in feeling this way...right?

on a more important note: today was mamaw martin's wake. she looked really great. i am relieved that she is in heaven. lots of people, lots of beautiful flowers. the older i get the more thankful i am about people who send things, call, write, visit, etc. tomorrow is the funeral. i look forward to visiting more with "them martin's".

so dearest readers...i bid you good evening...but first...you know...

1. thank you Mamaw Martin for being a good example and for making the best scrambled eggs in the universe

2. applications are being accepted for my new "anti-text" task force.

3. do i have a legitimate compliant or is it just phone envy?

Out Of Clever Titles

so...i hate to admit it...but i'm really struggling to get thru the book of jeremiah. i'm about 1/2 way done now. i also struggled to get thru isaiah...pretty much i've struggled with most of the old testament. have you read the book of numbers lately? i feel so guilty about not just loving every minute of it. i did run across something last nite tho that put things into perspective.

God is speaking thru the prophet jeremiah (duh?) he is telling of the fall of Jerusalem, how wretched Israel has been - worshipping idols...just being regular heathens...anyway...God is telling them that yes...they will suffer and be punished...BUT they still have hope in Him...

Jeremiah 31:18-20
"I have surely heard Ephraim's moaning: 'You disciplined me like an unruly calf, and I have been disciplined. Restore me, and I will return, because you are the LORD my God. After I strayed, I repented; after I came to understand, I beat my breast. I was ashamed and humiliated because I bore the disgrace of my youth.' Is not Ephraim my dear son, the child in whom I delight? Though I often speak against him, I still remember him. Therefore my heart yearns for him; I have great compassion for him," declares the LORD."

(as an aside) Ephraim was a grandson of Jacob (son of Joseph). sometimes the name Ephraim was used in place of the northern kingdom of Israel. so in this passage, "Ephraim's moaning" is not speaking of Ephraim himself but is instead referring to Israel.)

anyway...i especially was thankful for the part about "Though I often speak against him, I still remember him. Therefore my heart yearns for him; I have great compassion for him". Israel had been pretty ungrateful and unfaithful...God couldn't let them get away with it. They had to be punished...BUT...his heart "yearns" for them. i think that's amazing...and comforting...and most of all, humbling...

i'm on chapter 33...only 19 more to go! i have a renewed attitude!

so...what have we been up to lately?

b and i have been talking about veteran's day this week. we are making a poster for tomorrow's vet day parade here in uc.

m's list of words is getting bigger everyday: mom, mommy, dad, daddy, brother (uh...bru-bah), up, down, more, puppy, dog, ruff, baa, cow, duck, clapping, yay, NO, nose, mouth, cheek, chin, ear, hair, eye, tongue, teeth, knee, shoe, oo-wee, whee!, swing, slide, drink, hi, hello, bye-bye, pa-pa (w's dad), go, ball, baby...hmmm...i hadn't realized how many things there were until i typed them out...

w has the day off tomorrow. we'll go to the parade and enjoy some time together. i'm off to file mail and clean off this messy desk!

in summation:
1. nuggets of truth = motivation
2. m's vocab is moving along
3. i love days off!

Miss Piggy? Table for one...

so...HEB ran a special this week on pork loins - $1 a pound. well...i cannot pass a deal like that up...so i rifled thru the mounds-o-meat and got a whopping 9 pounder (8.83 lbs, actually). this is the largest loin i've ever purchased. the last time i purchased one was a sam's...it came in at just under 7 pounds and cost me around $19. i must confess, dear reader that i LOVE butchering meat. there is something so therapeutic about hacking up a carcass. i carved it into two roasts, 12 - 1 inch chops, and a pound of strips for stir-fry.

i had an epiphany this morning. i've been pretty certain about my plans for the children's choir christmas program since last year (it's the music teacher in me...the night after i finish a program i come up with the idea for the next year's gig!)...i was going to do a presentation on the christmons (what they are, where they came from and what they mean). i'm pretty sure that it must have been the holy spirit b/c i've been stuck with this idea for a while when suddenly this morning ideas just started coming and i couldn't stop them! so...in 1 1/2 hours, i have a script, songs ready to go. i can't believe it - well, yes i can! anyhoot...be on the lookout for "Deliverers and Shepherds and Wisemen, OH MY!" on December 13 at the 9:30 service at UCUMC.

so...my idea is totally different than the original (altho i am using the same information just not in a "christmon" context). here's the outline:

Deliverer - God delivered us out of nothingness (creation), God delivered the Israelites out of slavery, God delivered the Israelites out of lawlessness (10 Commandments), God delivered all (prophecy of simeon, Christ (John 1:1-14))

Shepherds - Moses, David, John the Baptist (W thinks that John was a wise man...but i'm calling him a shepherd in the context of Luke 3:15-18...yes?)

Wisemen - A Call to Faithfulnes (Hezekiah), A Call to Holiness (Isaiah), A Call to Worship (Magi)


there'll be songs sprinkled around, of course. i think we'll end it with the Rich Mullins song "My Deliverer is Coming" with the kids singing the chorus with the praise team. i mention the Holy Spirit above b/c i look at this now and know that i didn't inspire myself! i am so thankful for this! i'm super excited!

so...in summary:

1. butchery is cool
2. pork is delish
3. steph is grateful

Maestro? If you please...

here are some of life's little oddities that intrigue me...i wonder if i'm alone in these observations?

1. the floor is dirty. i swiffer, i swiffermop. i stand back to admire my handiwork. then mealtime comes. the floor is dirty. i swiffer, i swiffermop...ad nauseum.

2. babies only like to poop in a freshly changed diaper.

3. b waits until just after i windex the bathroom mirror to flick his toothbrush on the back of his front teeth spewing spittle and kids sparkly crest in all directions and on all surfaces.

4. when cooking or baking for just us, bread comes out with crusty exteriors and chewy interiers, cookies are the perfect balance between chewy and crunchy, pasta is al dente, meats are tender and juicy. when i cook for others...well...the opposite occurs...plus a small fire and/or copious amounts of smoke.

5. m began her life with 12 pacifiers. over the last 16 months, i have purchased many more and lost many more. we were down to two when i decided that it was time for more. the most recent purchase of 4 pacifiers was tuesday (today is friday). i can only find one. it's actually an old one. what happens to odd socks and pacifiers?

6. i cannot use the self check-out lines. it never fails. no matter what i'm purchasing i still need a cashier to come over and clear something out of the computer, turn a key, push a button, enter my birthdate. this highly offends me b/c i was a skilled walmart cashier for a couple of years in college. i am quite capable of scanning items, typing in produce codes, swiping coupons. i was quite excellent at it, actually. these days, i can't purchase a loaf of bread by myself without two cashiers with jingly sets of keys coming over to diagnose my lack of cashiering skill. but...i digress...

rest assured, dear readers...i am not complaining. just observing. you know how some reality shows will play the "dumb muzak" when they want someone on the show to appear clumsy, crazy, wierd, bumbling, or just plain stupid? sometimes i think that the soundtrack of my days must sound like that.

anyway...as i step off my soapbox...excuse me, my observation tower...i report to you the day's activities:

went for a walk, b on his scooter. i can remember when the top of his head was even with the top of the handlebars. i noticed today that he is getting so big. it's funny how kids grow up so gradually that you don't notice until they move a certain way, stand a certain way, etc and you realize how time has flown by.

i got my fall veggies in the garden. spanish onions, garlic, lettuce, baby spinach, and cilantro. i also noticed that we have 4 cucumbers about ready for harvest and GREEN BEANS!!! whoot!!!

built a marble run. read a chris von allsberg book called "two bad ants". not his best effort.

read "horton hears a who" for the 3rd time since getting it from the library yesterday. it's a long one!!! we seem to have "horton hears a who" perpetually checked out...

m drank rainwater from my watering can.

b and i cuddled before his rest time. that lasted about 5 minutes before he said "i'm ready for you to leave". (cue bumbling muzak)

played soccer.

watered newly planted plants.

marveled at the beautiful weather and wind...all windows open!

so...to summarize:

1. whom do i petition to change murphy's law into "steph's law"?

2. GREEN BEANS!

3. cue the "stoopid muzak" outro...

Hmm.

so...it's 5:27 am. i returned about 1/2 an hour ago from taking my mom to the airport. we had a great visit. i know that i should 1) try to stop her 2) get it all done myself 3) insist that "no, no! i really don't need her help!"...but I LOVE that my mom does the laundry, changes diapers, gets the kids bathed, dressed, in bed, etc. i stopped feeling guilty and trying to stop her a long time ago. when she says she likes to help, she means it...who am i to get in the way of that?!

anyway...i've had something to blog about for a while. i've hesitated to mention them but these things weigh heavily on me...so here goes...

there are four people (families) that i think about and pray for everyday:

1. frank bingham
2. angie & joe zurovec
3. vanessa lucio
4. brady sullivan

here's why (reader's digest versions):

1. frank lost his wife, his daughter (4), and his son (2) while on a spur-of-the-moment hot chocolate run to downtown denver in november 2006. his wife, becca, was a dear college friend of my friend, michelle wheeler. the kids were in their strollers, each being pushed by a parent, when a drunk driver ran a red light and hit all four of them. the kids died immediatly, becca several hours later, and frank was seriously injured.
2. angie and joe are friends of mine who lost their 2-year old son mark to drowning on august 10th, 2008.
2. vanessa, also a friend, whose husband, devin, was shot and killed by a co-worker on october 13, 2008. vanessa found out a week after his death that she was pregnant with their son. "baby devin" was born this summer.
4. brady sullivan is someone that i do not know personally. i was FBing when someone posted his blog. i didn't intend on reading over a years worth of blogs...but i couldn't help it. brady's wife, sarah, was diagnosed with breast cancer last february and began chemo. she was pregnant with their first child who was born three weeks premature in early september 2009. shortly after the baby was born, sarah began having convulsions, etc and never recovered. she was declared brain dead and taken off life support just days short of her 29th birthday. their daughter, chloe, is now a little over a month old.

so...i have a difficult time knowing what to pray for because...what do i pray for?! i could go on for days telling you what these people have meant to the way i conduct myself, my worldview, my faith. my heart is broken for them. perhaps now that i've taken the lid off this cookie jar i could share my thoughts in later posts.

if you'd like more info on angie and brady, here are their blogs:

bandssullivan.blogspot.com
missingmarkallen.blogspot.com

so...here's my hope:

Isaiah 65:17-25 (New Living Translation)
17 “Look! I am creating new heavens and a new earth, and no one will even think about the old ones anymore.
18 Be glad; rejoice forever in my creation! And look! I will create Jerusalem as a place of happiness. Her people will be a source of joy.
19 I will rejoice over Jerusalem and delight in my people. And the sound of weeping and crying will be heard in it no more.
20 “No longer will babies die when only a few days old. No longer will adults die before they have lived a full life. No longer will people be considered old at one hundred! Only the cursed will die that young!
21 In those days people will live in the houses they build and eat the fruit of their own vineyards.
22 Unlike the past, invaders will not take their houses and confiscate their vineyards. For my people will live as long as trees, and my chosen ones will have time to enjoy their hard-won gains.
23 They will not work in vain, and their children will not be doomed to misfortune. For they are people blessed by the Lord, and their children, too, will be blessed.
24 I will answer them before they even call to me. While they are still talking about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers!
25 The wolf and the lamb will feed together. The lion will eat hay like a cow. But the snakes will eat dust. In those days no one will be hurt or destroyed on my holy mountain. I, the Lord, have spoken!”

it's 5:47 now. time to:

1. drink a cupocoff
2. turn on the state controlled media
3. rejoice in my daily activities (even the laundry and diapering)!
4. rejoice in my most excellent husband and precious kiddles!

Time Outs and Tenutos

so...m just has to get under control. she's strong willed and demanding (this picture says it all, yes?) it's her way or the interstate. i've tried time out with her...but she wiggles, squirms, kicks, screams, etc. i need to try again in earnest. so...today's the day!

had bells last nite. that seems to be going well....there were a few tense moments. mostly b/c people don't listen to what is said or they just like to hear themselves talk. frankly, i thing that gm's cues are very clear and to make them any more self explanatory or clear would be the equivalent of him just standing in front of the group clapping the steady beat. goodbye conducting artistry! perhaps we should just eliminate all fermatas, tenutos, transitions, and whole notes? i digress...

b has school today. i hope to get a couple of bins of clothes down from the attic for m. i've been blessed with friends who give me their kids' clothes! it's been very nice...i've only had to buy b and m a few things here and there. it's another way that God has provided for us now that we're on one income.

making fajitas tonight. which, btw, i only spend $69 on groceries for the whole week! i only saved $14 (a far cry from the $30+ weeks) but i had to buy so little b/c my freezer and pantry are so well stocked. it feels great!

so, dear readers...a summary:

1. time out training (for me and m)

2. shut up and let him conduct!

3. ole.

Vacay Debrief

so, i was quite relieved when we arrived at the microtel in aransas pass on thursday. i chose it for three reasons 1) price ($55 each night...$124 for both nights...ACE) 2)location - 10 minutes from ferry and 3) i've always been pleased with the microtel we frequent on i-10 to mississippi. anyhoot...i was relieved b/c it was just as nice as the pictures and super-duper clean. the breakfast was great too. i really have a thing about staying in hotels - regardless of the price. i don't like sleeping in beds that have hosted who knows who or what. i've even considered buying one of those bed sock things that you take with you. it's like a sleeping bag for hotel beds. anyway...we'll stay there again...it was great.

AYE the mosquitoes! they were horrid! poor m looks like she has leprosy!

on friday, we went for a drive after breakfast. the microbrewery where i want us to have lunch (and sample some of their wares, of course) was closed until the 25th! we drove around looking for a good beach spot and found a big pier...walked up and down (the smell was putrid, btw...lots of fisherman...yuck) we stopped at a beachy store and bought hats (b had fit #1) anyhoot...we had lunch at a local pizzeria. it was delish...then we were off the to beach. we ended up staying near the pier (the stench was apparently just on/around the pier). the kids loved the water. we met a nice lady who brough over a sack of bread so they could feed the birds. fit #2 was when we had to leave the beach. friday evening we went to pelican's landing and had some terrific shrimps...b had fit #3 b/c he "wasn't hungry". then we found deserted island ice cream company. mightee fine, i must say.

on saturday, we got up and went to the texas aquarium. b had fit #4 b/c he didn't want to leave the hotel room. it was great (the aquarium, not the fit). we saw a dolphin show...fit #5...then we let the kids play on the playground...altho the mosquitoes were so horrible we had to cut that short...fit #6 ensued...

so...w and i tried to have a nice, relaxing time...that is...between fits...so we're back home now and the unpacking has begun...

in summary

#1 microtel good, mosquitoes bad
#2 you can please some bennetts some of the time, some bennetts most of the time...but you can't please all bennetts all the time
#3 vacays are always good...no matter what...

Big Girl Panties Alert

so...i have bells tonight...first rehearsal of the new season. since i'm the assistant conductor, my role is to warm up the group, run the rehearsal if gm isn't there, etc. i think i got appointed to this job just b/c no one else wanted to do it. i am uncomfy conducting adult groups. give me 100 kids ages 3-10 and i'm good to go. anyhoot, we'll see how tonight goes. i'll just have to find my big girl panties.

children's church went okay yesterday with the new format. i had 12 kids in the 4-6 year old choir and only 2 in the 2nd - 5th grade choir. that's actually the fewest number that i've had all summer so i'm sure the numbers will only increase.

the weather is nice out. i have the windows open...first time for that in a loooooong time!

and now...a brief summary for a brief post:

1. nervous nellie
2. APB on big girl panties
3. fall is in the air...finally.

Roulade Respite

so...an update from last post:

*All 3 avocados were usable...ACE!!!
*It was raining about the time for the Freedom Walk...so we went to Sonic instead. That's American, right?
*We went to Home Depot to look for knobs. Turns out they are all horribly shaped and between $2-4 each. Since we have 40 knobs, I think I'll just continue ripping Umbros.

Now to today's events:

Ahhhh...I have such an amazing hubby. He got up with the kids this morning (M at 7, B at 7:30) so that I could sleep. He also made breakfast.

We attended the Schertz Jazz Festival today and heard some friends' bands...the boys (B and his best pal, B) played on the playground. Michelle W. and I listened from afar.

I made a roulade tonight with sirloin - which was really too thick to pound out...I had to butterfly it then pound it to smithereens. I had a "clean out the fridge" roulade...spinach, garlic, ricotta, sun-dried tomatoes, and parm. It was quite tasty alongside some pasta with pesto. I think that B ate about 1/2 pound of penne tonight.

Kids are in bed, W is in the tub, I'm debating about getting my stuff together for church tomorrow. I wish I were more proactive in the "getting ready for stuff" department. I tend to wait until time to go to do the "run and grab"...I digress.

I meet GM tomorrow during a performance of Madame Butterfly at Municipal Auditorium. He's fitting me in between warming up the chorus and Act 2. Perhaps I will, uh, accidentally stumble into a seat, say, 5th row center?

In summation:

1. Best husband ever
2. Hope the "quotes" police aren't reading this
3. Righteous Roulade

Consignment Allergy

M woke bright and early...6 AM. Went with Pam to a children's clothing/stuff consignment show...whereupon entering, I encountered racks and racks of assorted clothing. There were MANY women (some who brought there own laundry-basket-on-wheels...sheesh) who were frantically hunting and digging thru the clothes. I am not a digger. I like shopping for clothes that are neatly arranged by style, color, and size with prices clearly marked. I do not get any pleasure out of scooting myriad hangars around while keeping an eye on the kids, feeling around for the price tag, then bending up the back collar to see what size the item is. I almost broke out into hives. I can't take it. I'd just rather pay full price.



We got home and Pam and I discussed two very exciting topics. Cabinet knobs and what color to paint B's furniture. I hate our kitchen knobs. They are shaped so that anytime you walk past one it catches on your clothes. I have ripped two pair of Umbros (which...fashionable or not...I LOVE umbros) not to mention all the near-misses with other unsuspecting pants, shorts, and skirts.



I laid down with B today. I accidentally fell asleep. (Not really...this is what all SAHM's say...it's a conspiracy. We take naps b/c we can and we deserve them. You learn this on your first day as a SAHM.)



Now the kids are eating raisins and sorting plastic bears. I'm about to make some enchies for dinner. I have some red sauce and tomatillo sauce along with some Oaxacan cheese. I'll also make some guacamole. I bought 3 avacados b/c you can never be sure if they'll be any good or not. I bought 3 last time and all 3 were bad. You can't win them all.



We're off after dinner to the Freedom Walk. We're all wearing our perfunctory Old Navy American Flag 2009 shirts.



In summary:

1. No Digging

2. Knobs Suck

3. We Love America!