What I Do

So...there have been these "What Do I Do" posters on FB. After much searchage...I found no Elementary Music Teacher poster...So...here's to all my elementary music peeps:

October Occurances

here's the daniel update for october:

W: super busy with band, band,band. he's also very busy with band.

B: my anxiety level with his spelling tests have been mounting over the last few weeks. this week he had to spell words like: responsibility, scrumptious and appreciate. i nearly fainted on monday when i got this new list. B just seems to think that these are just your garden variety first grade spelling words.

he just participated in his first bike rodeo. he did great! he won third place over the entire first grade (i have a big goofy smile on my face even as i type this).

b's piano skills are coming along nicely. he practices about an hour everyday...i do not have to remind him or stay on him about it. he just enjoys playing. i wish you could see the way he treats M and EJ. he is a patient and loving big brother.

M: there are pink stains on the kid's toilet seat. why you ax? M loves to draw with markers. particularly the pink variety. i guess she's pottied one too many times after drawing b/c the pink stains are on the toilet seat right where she holds on. i can't get them

off! even the magic eraser is an epic fail.

m's vocabulary is coming along nicely. she's becoming quite the conversationalist. topics include: "i like bubblegum do you like bubblegum?" and "i see a squirrel do you see a squirrel?".

EJ: E turned 9 months on october 17. nine months and no crawling! he just rolls all over. he is such a sweet boy! he can clap and

wave...just not on command. he has four top teeth and 2 bottoms. at his 9 month well visit...he's still hanging on to 22 pounds. his pectus excavatum looks no better or worse...which is great! he is really beginning to eat like a horse. he's backed off nursing a bit...just 4 or 5 times a day now. he can say "da", "sisssss", "pa pa", "nanananana"...and...wait for it...."MAMAMAMAMAMAMA"!

Me: let's see...i've been grinding grain and baking, i lacto-fermented some salsa...which i'm still too scared to eat (i mean...the word ferment is just a gross word)...william says it's good...i've been attending the Central Texas Orff workshops. it's nice to see my friends and experience the beauty of orff activities. on saturday i attended a clinic by my first orff teacher Julie Scott. in 2000, i attended my first tmea where i saw julie's orff ensemble perform at the texas orff chapter's reception. i was so blown away! i knew then that i wanted what she had...a well trained ensemble that was performing at tmea. so...i set out...in 2001 i took my first orff certification course at trinity university with julie and chris judah-lauder. learning about orff for me was like getting a really contagious disease. i couldn't help but love, love, love it. it changed everything about how i looked at music education. by 2007 i was orff certified and attending a masterclass in memphis led by jos wuytack. in 2008 i was taking my orff ensemble to perform at the tmea orff chapter's reception.

so i tell you all this b/c on saturday (after only seeing her sporadically since 2001...i've seen her present a clinic here and there...she's kinda one of my heroes...so i've always been too shy to go up and talk to her...weird, i know)...i finally gathered the nerve to go up and tell her what her teaching has meant to me. how it shaped my career and how it fostered my love of orff, music and my students. she hugged me three times...sometimes mid-sentence. sometimes our teaching jobs feel (and usually are) thankless. i could not let this opportunity to thank her get away.

in january, another influential orff teacher of mine, chris judah-lauder, will be leading a CTO workshop. i also owe her a great big thank you which i plan to carry out.

i have a big fear of two things...sounding stupid and being emotional...mostly i fear when i get emotional while sounding stupid. i really need to get a ladder and get over myself.

so...a summary:

1. i sooper dooper love my family

2. is there someone you need to thank today?

3. anyone got a ladder?

A Saturday Speltfest...

Todays Speltacular Adventure:

Italian Spelt Dough...pizza rolls, pizza dough and foccacia

Spelt Picnic Breads

Recipe...pigs in a blanket and sub rolls

I didn't post pics of the piggies...they wuz ug. The sub rolls are still baking at Mizz P. Daniel's Bakery.

A Speltacular Morning!

so...today i made my first batch of freshly ground organic spelt bread. i must say this was easypeasylemonsqueezy b/c:

a) mizzrizz p.daniel made her batch yesterday so she had worked out the kinks

b) i received mahvolous instruction by bread baker extrodinairre kelly beedle

c) well...there is no c...but i think that lists should have at least three items

i say this was easy but you should know i am NOT a baker. i can crank out a pretty good baquette when i have to...but kneading and rising and waiting and squirting loaves with salt water just doesn't appeal to me. well...except the squirting stuff with water bit. squirting stuff with water reminds me of shooting and i love shooting stuff...but...i digress..

i was able to make...in about 2 hours...two loaves for sandwich bread and about 40 cinammon rolls. ace.

so...no summary today...just some pics...

New math, a walk and one cute baby...

Introducing a new equation in Daniel Math:

Embarrassment = embarrassing moment (ranked on a scale of 1-10) divided by the number of years you've been married plus the number of chilluns you have.

Therefore:

E=EM/#YearsHitched + #ChillunsBurffed

so...let's say you have been married for 12 years and have 3 children then there is very little that could make you blush.

Picture It:

W and I, along with the three children...M and EJ in the stroller...B riding ahead of us on his bike, were taking our evening walk. As we strolled...

W: (sings) I wear my suuunnnglasses at night...do you know what that song means?

Me: No

W: Do you know the other words?

Me: Well...some...(sings...with much fervor while holding a pretend microphone arms splayed to the side head appropriately bobbing from side-to-side while continuing to walk) "Sheeee's deceivin' me....lah lah lah-lah lah lah lah...she's got control of me....I turn to her and saaaaayyyy...Don't masquerade with the guy in shades oh no"....(mimics 2 measure guitar solo)" That's all I know.

Just then an older couple in a black Lexus pulls along side us. My first thought was they were stopping to ask for directions. Then I noticed that the man driving was doubled over his steering wheel with guffaws of laughter. The woman in the passenger seat was laughing so hard that I couldn't understand what she said but I'm pretty sure that somewhere in there was "with moves like that...". As we carried on walking we saw the couple park at a house down the street. The woman got out of her car as we passed and mumbled something about how cute the kids were and how she enjoyed my dancing.

so...the old me (pre-children) would have been horrified. I would have found a gigantic piece of Texas limestone to crawl under. but now...singing and dancing in the street seems to be a perfectly normal part of my happy life...

and...in other news...

ej's had his 6 month well visit yesterday. 27 1/2 inches long, 20 pounds. we are concerned about a deformity...pectus excavatum. i had this condition and had to have it surgically corrected when i was 12. at this time the doctor believes it to be a mild case. we'll have to keep tabs on it but i was assured that the surgery (while still serious) is not nearly the ordeal it used to be as surgeons are able to laproscopically (how do you spell that word anyway?!) repair it. AND...the doctor said that ej was...and i quote..."very cute"...

and now...the summary...

1) what IS that song about anyway?

2) if someone owns a black lexus...why do they live in our neighborhood?

3) if the pediatrician says it...it must be so...

Summer Vacay...Episode One

summer has been great. it has been especially nice to have w home with us. he certainly bit off more than he could chew this year...so i have enjoyed seeing him relax. this school year i will have to play the part of naggy, whiny wife and remind him not to take on so much. i play this part well.

we have been staying busy...good busy. seeing the sites and getting things done around the casa. all in typical daniel fashion, of course.

for example:

we went to the botanical gardens last week. m has developed the habit of not going to the bathroom when she wakes up. we beg, plead, sit her on the potty, promise her treats...she refuses. it was no different the morning we ventured out to the gardens. we arrive only to

discover that we had left both strollers at home. we ALWAYS have a stroller on hand...not sure

what we were thinking...anyhoot. ej had a hat so we decided to take a quick stroll and stay in the shade so that he wouldn't get too much sun. so...off we go...long story short...we were there about 30 minutes (still trying to get m to go to

the bathroom mind you..."you need to go potty?" "no thank you" "here's a restroom...let's go potty" "no" "let's sit down on the potty anyway"

"NOOOOOO" (screams...bangs head)) we arrive at the pond when suddenly peels of blood curdling screams break the morning stillness... then i hear "sprinkle, sprinkle"...and...there she is...peeing under a cypress tree...sigh...

in other news...

bennett has lost his top two teeth. he looks super cute and lisps. he could talk the hind leg off a mule. by 8 am i am asking him "have you met your word quota yet?"... to which he usually responds "what's a quota?" or "did you know that on super mario brothers that in world 8 i can defeat the mini bowser and you should always use the koopah shells to....blah blah...". he and his dad are reading "the magician's nephew". they're almost done. he went to t bar m day camp a couple of weeks ago. he had a great time swimming, playing, and learning more about how to be a MAC (Man After Christ). he talks alot about being a christian (mind you...this talk

does not count against his quota) and we've been talking to him alot about accepting Christ as his Savior. i believe he is ready...we hope to hear that he has made this decision soon...he is such a sweet boy!

well meredith. her recent activities include, but are not limited to...pillow diving (she piles all the couch cushions in the middle of the den), hitting her head on walls, floors or other's folk's heads in fits of rage, swinging in the backyard while wearing a pink tu-tu and mardi gras beads, and wrapping her daddy around her little finger.

ej has a little tooth poking out on the bottom. he is super cute and super pleasant. he is rolling over in both directions although i do not have visual confirmation on the tummy to back roll. he is eating a variety of foods now. i'm holding off on most fruits (he eats applesauce for bfast) in an attempt to develop his taste buddies for veggies. we'll see if it works...

me? well...i think i'm like a duck...calm on top but paddling furiously underneath...i shall go make breakfast methinks...

more later...but first...a summary...

1. summer vacay progressing as planned

2. bacon and waffles says i

3. paddle paddle paddle...

OHMeredith

The Games of the First Momlympiad

i can accomplish many, many things with only one hand. the other hand is now holding a baby. i was wondering how many moms have noticed what they're able to do one handed?

i shall heretofore create the Momlympics. the first event of the first momlympiad will be one-handed stuff. perhaps the one-handed relay, the one-handed slalom? i haven't thought of what i'll term the new game...that'll come later, tater.

so...here's what will qualify you for a medal in the one-handed event...feel free to add a task to the appropriate medal (limit it to stuff you've actually done)...altho...i maintain my right as creator of the momlympiad to edit your addition...

All events to be performed while holding a screaming, hungry, sleepy, and/or wet baby (oh...and the "child" to which I refer is not the child in your arms...it's one of your other chilluns):

Bronze Medal

giving another child a bath

pouring a cup of milk

wiping the counters

emptying the dishwasher

swiffering

Silver Medal

making a sandwich

kneading dough

folding laundry

changing a poopy pullup w/o spillage

Gold Medal

buttoning a child's shirt

making a bed

dressing yourself

putting on a child's socks

more later...that's all i could think of for now.

to sum:

1. should the momlympiad be a summer or winter game? perhaps neither...how about spring?

2. instead of medals, i think i'll hand out spa treatments and massages

3. 5...5 total hours slept in the last 24...zzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Chester is Here!

Edward Joseph Daniel

January 17, 2011 10:49 AM

8 pounds 1 ounce

20 1/2 inches long

William has decided that his name is Eddie Joe. Stephanie has not decided what his name is. Bennett calls him EJ and Meredith refers to him as the "new baby". Grandma Pam has decided that his name will remain Chester.

In summary:

1. Yes, we have a name.

2. No, we don't have a name.

3. I have three chilluns. THREE!!! Whoot!

Law of Somethingoranother

here's what i've noticed...

my floors stay pretty clean (considering the toddlerage wandering around my casa)...UNTIL i sweep and mop the floors. suddenly, juice goes flying. have you noticed how it's never water that gets spilled? it's always a beverage with 3 cups of sugar in it. OR i drop something...like a whisk i used to whip up a lucious pan sauce. the coils boy-yoing-yoing all over spewing the saucy goodness on counters, cabinets, and floors alike.

life lesson? everything can and does spill just after a thorough cleaning

also...there is never a tub pooping incident until the day i clean the tub. that day was today. m has been doing an excellent job with potty training. she's even 2ing. she 2ed this afternoon...by herself no less! just as i was gloating about my potty training skills... i left the room for approximately 2 minutes only to return to a tub full of poop, bathtoys, washcloths and a meredith. so much for that cleaning. after fishing out the poop and the meredith, i filled the tub with nasa-hot water and bleach.

life lesson? pride cometh before the fall.

and, of course, a summary:

1. i should stop serving anything but water after cleaning the floors

2. i should go out to eat after cleaning the floors

3. i should ax william to bathe the potty trainee

Steph's Rules for FB

Rule #1 Please learn the diff between your and you're

Rule #2 If it's supposed to be a secret, don't post it on your status report

Rule #3 If you cuss on your status reports or posts more than a couple of times, I'll hide you...or delete you...that would make you sad

Rule #4 If your trying to tell someone off just give them a call. Don't make me suffer through your tirade

Rule #5 If you caught what I did in Rule #4 then I'll give you a high five

Rule #6 Please respect my FB minimalism...I don't farm, play Farkle, or collect treasure...I do love Jesus...but do not have to click "like" to prove it...

Rule #7 Please do not use pictures of body parts or tattoos as your profile pic...especially if I only vaguely remember you from high school or if your tats are ugly

Rule #8 Please don't write a novel in your status report. You'll know if it's too long if you have to use the "see more" option. I prefer Reader's Digest to War and Peace

Rule #9 Two, To, Too...See Rule #1

Rule #10 Their, There, They're...courtesy AHK

33 Bottles of Beer on the Wall

so...i turned 33 on monday. when i was younger, birthdays were a big deal. not so much anymore. they're just another ordinary day. i don't feel 33. i still feel 23! i guess that's good...

we've had a busy couple of weeks and it's not going to let up soon. we had a great easter. the in-laws and w's came over for dinner and egg hunting. fun was had by all.

b update: i had a conference with b's teacher yesterday. we're both so proud of him. he has really matured in the last several months. she says when he first started pre-k, he played by himself. now he interacts with the other kids. she said that he can be loud and squirmy but considering how he was earlier...loud and squirmy is a great improvement! he is really enjoying tee ball. last year he really held onto our pant's leg...now he runs right out to join the other players. he's doing a much better job of being "baseball ready"...no more building dirt towers or picking flowers! we're working with him on his batting and running. his catching is really going well. he is such a pleasant person to be around. i am excited to see him growing up. excited and sad! we're about 80% firm on our decision to send him to rg for kinder. i'm having a hard time relinquishing several things - him! and the control i have had over his education. need i remind you, dear readers, that he is one smart cookie...thank you very much. but i know that public school (at least for the first couple of years) will be more about social development than educational development. i look forward to seeing him excited about going to school.

m update: well, well, well. what can i say about m? she and i have our sweet moments...where she's cuddling, laughing...but...we also have our "i'm gonna scratch your eyes out if you don't give me what i want" moments. who knew that having a girl would be so difficult? she's very outgoing. afraid of nothing...especially throwing huge tantrums in public. last nite we went to dq for a blizzard...when it was time to go she threw a horrible fit! screaming, throwing herself onto the greasy floor...the whole nine yards! totally unashamed that chica. maria says that her espanol is coming along nicely. she is begining to sing the alphabet song and twinkle, twinkle. i hope to catch it on camera soon.

w update: contest is over! his symphonic band made 122 and 121...the honor band made 121, 111...yay! the rest of the school year is downhill. he played golf with his dad yesterday. he came home and told me about every single hole/stroke. i was riveted indeed.

well...lots of other things are going on. most i cannot blab about...b/c after all...one can never be totally honest on a blog, right? no one decent, anyway...

in summary:

1. 33...ho-hum.

2. contest is over...whew!

3. if you don't have anything nice to say, don't post a blog

March Madness

...it's been spring break this week. much was accomplished (except for re-caulking our tub...sigh)...we power washed all the concrete surfaces (which were quite slippery when humid and/or wet), put up a new fence...not to mention a multitude of cleaning chores - the blinds, the baseboards, cleaning out all closets, the windows inside and out, changing out the kids clothes for summer and bigger sizes, clean and wipe out all the kitchen cabinets, wash all the light fixtures, steam vac the beds, carpets, wash and air the pillows and comforters...you get the picture...i've been on a frenzied cleaning rampage of epic proportions.

so...may we get back to the power washer? i LOVED using it. i never expected to find this task so exciting...but just seeing all that crap powered away by that little stream was exhilarating! william kept trying to "take over" but i stood firm. our driveway, sidewalk, and patio are sparkling and i am contemplating an excuse to take a trip to the hardware store to rent that puppy again....

on wednesday, b and w were supposed to go camping with rw and bw...but alas...b awoke at 1:30AM wednesday puking...alot. anyway...m had runny poo all the next day (and i'm talking about the kind of runny poo that gets everywhere...we spent most of the day running bath water for her...i even threw away some pants.)...we've promised b that we will plan another camping trip soon.

b celebrated his 5th birthday on friday the 12th. i've noticed that he has gotten taller recently...he has also developed quite the snippy personality...and...he has started to lie. at first i didn't think he really understood what he was doing or comprehending what a lie was...UNTIL we were having boca burgers...he was halfway done and he asked for dessert...well...we told him that he would have to eat some more of his burger. in no time his plate was clean. so we said "great! dessert all around"...then w gets up to get something and sees that b had dropped most of what was left of his burger on the floor. i could tell by the look on his face that he knew exactly what he was doing...EGADS.

m has begun the pacifier rehab program...no more pacifiers during the day...only during nap and bedtime...it's been a loud day around here... she has also recently learned to count to 10 and she can id all the letters of the alphabet except Q and W...she loves her brother and follows him everywhere! i looked on several days ago as they were playing together to see b put his arm around her and say "i love you. you're my best friend"...ooooweeee do i love those two!

tomorrow i play bells for the installation of the new methodist superintendent...should be fun...maybe they'll feed us...

and so...in summation:
1. spring cleaning done...whoot!
2. b is 5? no way!
3. pacifier detox sucks!

Long Time, No Blog

so it's been a while, eh?

here are my excuses:

#1 MEDICAL

it's been a busy couple of weeks at the daniel casa. m began puking on a monday nite...then b got it tuesday nite...me wednesday nite (i mean i was really sick. moaning sick. just horrific...i digress) then finally w on friday nite. that was over then the next monday m woke up screaming her head off - turns out she had strep throat. so...antibiotic for 10 days (her first) and now she's back to her old self. b has some strange rash on his bum...he's had one there before and it turned out to be staph. it took us almost 3 months (that's right...months) to get rid of it. this rash doesn't look like that one. he's been a real butt scratcher the last couple of days. it is so funny to see him lying on his belly with his pants pulled down to his knees waiting for one of us to rub cortisone on his bum!!! hahahahaha! i've had a sore throat and wretched headache since friday. you know what i'm thinking right? well...i'm better today thank goodness so hopefully it's just sinus drainage and not strep. homey ain't got time for no strep.

#2 BUSY DAYS

i'm so excited about the number of students i have...eight! it does make for super busy afternoons tho. last wednesday was ash wednesday so we rushed after lessons to make it to the service. tmea was a couple of weeks ago. i got a set of bass bars for the church. they add so much to the ensemble. the kids were really excited to see and play them. i hope that v.w. can recover from the pricetag!

#3 MESSY HOUSE

i cannot stay on top of this housework! perhaps it is b/c i stay home or b/c i have two kids but i don't remember the house being this messy when it was just me, w, and b. i've got to become more disciplined in picking things up the night before. i hate cleaning up today's mess tomorrow.

#4 HELLO! I HAVE TWO SMALL CHILDREN!

you know i had to throw that one in.

so that's about it. had j and p over for dinner. they helped w decide where to put our new fruit trees - plum and lime. i'm excited about the spring planting season.

so...in summation:

#1 you know what they say excuses are like, right?
#2 butt rashes are inconvenient butt funny
#3 clean up, clean up everybody everywhere...

A Tirade for an Idiot

so...i was perusing FB this evening when i happened upon a friend announcing her pregnancy. i (along with about 30 others) offered her congratulations, whoots, way to gos, etc. however...one of her "friends" chose this forum to express her extreme disgust with procreation:



(name omitted...)Is blown away. Nothing in life is above being honest. So here goes. You are smart beautiful people whom i love as family. I am happy you are happy. I can not kindly express my disappointment in your decision to breed. 7 BILLION people... How many are too many? 125 MILLION ORPHANS!!! How many are too many? I know babies are beautiful and awesome. Yours will be blessed. You could have saved one. you chose to create one more. I think its very sad. Im sorry.



well...fortunately i have a filter which prohibits me from responding to this drivel in a public place. but since i am on my blog...i'll let you have it:

dear name omitted:

#1 so...how many children have you adopted?

#2 were you adopted? were all your brothers and sisters? were your parents adopted?

#3 sometimes there is something that's above honesty...it's called silence

#4 breeding is what is done in dog kennels

#5 i see that you surrounded your insults with positives (ie..."babies are beautiful and awesome"? these mundane adjectives lead me to believe that a - you've never used a thesaurus and 2 - you've never had a baby)...isn't this sort of like planting a rose in a steaming pile of cow poop?

#6 luckily, as those of us who have "bred" can tell you, pregnancy opens the floodgates of Idiotdom...congratulations...you were the first to swim thru...


#7 one consolation for me is that your comment was read by the other 30 people that commented...now 30 more people on the planet think you're an imbecile

#8 at the end of your tirade you say "i'm sorry"...sister...you certainly are.





no need for summaries here, dear reader...

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...