Mother's Day and other miscellaneia

Just a reminder, in case you needed one, that Mother's Day is creeping up on us. I'm still amazed it's April, and already that's flown by!

Okay, on to another topic: I have a burning question. I am depending on you all to answer this, so I expect lots and lots of comments. From each and every one of you. Here goes:

Is it appropriate to tip at Sonic?

I never even considered it, until Gwen and I went to visit Grandmother in January. She couldn't believe that I didn't tip the carhop. Okay, seriously, all she did was walk out to my car with the food I'd ordered. I think that's part of the service at Sonic, not something tip-worthy. Gwen feels otherwise (and after seeing my carhop's missing front tooth today, I felt maybe I should be tipping her so she could go to the dentist). So what do you think? Let's hear it!

Jackson and I are off to see Aubrey and Luke give their final presentations for their gifted projects. It was not a happy time at our house last night, finishing up last-minute details for speeches, display boards, etc. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it will all be worth it tonight! We'll keep you posted.

Well, Shoot.

I was really, really hoping Miley Cyrus aka Hannah Montana would NOT turn into another Britney Spears. Have you seen the news about her racy photos? She's FIFTEEN!! Where were her parents??

Flyin' By..

Well, another weekend gone. It flew by, like they all seem to lately. I heard this at church this weekend, and it applies SO well to our lives lately:
"Remember how, when you were in third grade, you went to school from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 a.m., and it seemed like that one day was about six months long? So now, my kids started school last August, and already it's almost May. How come that only took like six SECONDS???"

We had a fun visit from Gwen, Paige, and Lane. The girls shopped and the boys hit IHOP and played, played, played. For some reason, IHOP is my kids' favorite restaurant of all time, ever. So just be warned, if you come to visit and you ask them where they want to eat, don't expect them to want to go to Applebee's or even McDonald's. IHOP it is. Their arteries will not thank them in fifty or sixty years, I'm sure!

Luke and Jackson are finished with soccer. Luke played goalie for the first half of his last game. He was pretty nervous; he was worried, worried, worried that he would miss stopping a goal. He had nothing to worry about! Admittedly, the other team wasn't exactly the top in the league, and they didn't shoot very many balls his way, but he caught them all. Also, my kid can punt! He was grinning from ear to ear at half time when I took him over a drink of water, "Mom! I didn't KNOW I could kick that far!" His first words after the game were, "Do they have a summer soccer league?"

Jackson, however, could take it or leave it. He is signed up for tee-ball with the Rec starting next week, so we'll see how that goes. He is playing on a team with friends from school, which should be more fun for him. By the way, he informed me the other day when I was helping out in his classroom, that he doesn't want me to call him "Jack" in front of his friends. He is to be known as "Jackson" only from now on. At least when there are other kids around. :(

Aubrey's been busy preparing for her dance recital, state assessments in Social Studies, shadowing day at the Middle School (where they follow a seventh grader around to get used to the school), Product Fair for her gifted program, and just general homework. Geesh! She and I spent THREE hours at the dance studio taking pictures Friday evening. Stop, take a deep breath, and inhale. Enjoy that fresh, clean, air you just smelled? I think my nostrils are still clogged by the clouds of hairspray that were flying around at dance pictures. I'm pretty sure that can't be good for your lungs!

Last night we went to Small Group Bible Study for our church, and one of the sixth grade teachers from Buhler grade was there. He told Aubrey that all the sixth grade teachers for the Buhler district got together to read over the papers the students had written for the State Writing Assessments, and they were all amazed at her paper. There are about 180 sixth graders in the district, so it is quite a compliment to her writing ability that he remembered her paper out of all those!

Now this, this is SPRING!

Everybody loves Spring...
Spring, spring, spring....

Simplify Your Life

I got this as an email the other day, and thought it was worth posting (thanks, Dana!) Numbers 4 and 14 seem to speak to me; which ones jumped out at you?

1. Pray

2. Go to bed on time.

3. Get up on time so you can start the day unrushed.

4. Say No to projects that won't fit into your time schedule, or that will
compromise your mental health.

5. Delegate tasks to capable others.

6. Simplify and unclutter your life.

7. Less is more. (Although one is often not enough, two are often too many.)

8. Allow extra time to do things and to get to places.

9. Pace yourself. Spread out big changes and difficult projects over time;
don't lump the hard things all together.

10. Take one day at a time.

11. Separate worries from concerns. If a situation is a concern, find out
what God would have you do and let go of the anxiety. If you can't do
anything about a situation, forget it.

12. Live within your budget; don't use credit cards for ordinary purchases.

13. Have backups; an extra car key in your wallet, an extra house key buried
in the garden, extra stamps, etc.

14. K.M.S. (Keep Mouth Shut). This single piece of advice can prevent an
enormous amount of trouble.

15. Do something for the Kid in You everyday.

16. Carry a Bible with you to read while waiting in line.

17. Get enough rest.

18. Eat right.

19. Get organized so everything has its place.

20. Listen to a tape while driving that can help improve your quality of
life.

21. Write down thoughts and inspirations.

22. Every day, find time to be alone.

23. Having problems? Talk to God on the spot. Try to nip small problems in
the bud. Don't wait until it's time to go to bed to try and pray.

24. Make friends with Godly people.

25. Keep a folder of favorite scriptures on hand.

26. Remember that the shortest bridge between despair and hope is often a
good 'Thank you Jesus.'

27. Laugh.

28. Laugh some more!

29. Take your work seriously, but not yourself at all.

30. Develop a forgiving attitude (most people are doing the best they can).

31. Be kind to unkind people (they probably need it the most).

32. Sit on your ego.

33. Talk less; listen more.

34. Slow down.

35. Remind yourself that you are not the general manager of the universe.

36 . Every night before bed, think of one thing you're grateful for that
you've never been grateful for before.

Band Is Life

We went to Buhler High School last night for Aubrey's band concert. Even though we live within the city limits of Hutch, we are in the Buhler School District. The kids' elementary schools are very close to us, but when they go to High School (which is getting frighteningly close!) they will be bused to Buhler, which is about ten miles away. Last night was the first time we had been in the High School, so we took a quick tour. We walked by Johnny Johnston's office, thought about leaving him a note, but didn't. How strange is it that our eighth grade history teacher is now teaching special needs kids in Buhler?

The band concert was phenomenal. Truly, truly the BEST elementary band concert I have ever been to, and certainly better than most high school bands, believe it or not! Buhler has a terrific band program - the high school was asked to travel to the Alamo Bowl this year, and won the priveledge of performing at half time. The band teacher started off the evening with the statement "Band is Life," and while I can't exactly agree with that sentiment, I could tell he believes it! Aubrey's playing has improved by leaps and bounds this year, perhaps the 150 minutes of practice each week (required to make an A) helps with that! She is third chair clarinet out of sixteen sixth graders. They also get a private lesson with the band teacher each Friday, as well as summer band lessons with an "expert" in their instrument. I wish I had recorded some of the concert, I don't think you would believe that sixth graders could sound that good! Aubrey also played in a small ensemble of five clarinets.

It was a long concert; about an hour and fifteen minutes, so it was past Jackson's bedtime. It was so funny - he fell asleep about midway through the concert, but he would rouse himself enough to clap at the end of each song. Toward the end he was clapping with his eyes closed, and then would start snoring again! Poor little guy.

Growing Pains

Aubrey and a friend are walking to the Kwik Shop on the corner to purchase energy drinks. Cause when you're twelve, you need all the extra energy you can get, apparently. Anyway, this is one of the times when I am so glad she has a phone. I KNOW they'll be fine walking two blocks, and I wouldn't have given it a second thought last year. But, to me, this is still the city. Everyone here seems to think it is a "small town," but they have no idea!

I need to go roll Jackson out of bed so he can go to soccer practice. Poor little guy, he's beat again. Another busy weekend with cousins here, and late nights. Plus, his kindergarten class' clutch of chicken eggs finally hatched. You know how exhausting it can be to watch newborn baby chicks all day!

You'd think I'd learn

You'd think, after nearly thirteen years of being a mom, that I would learn not to phrase orders as a question. It just doesn't work to say "Would you like to pick up the cars in your room so I can vacuum?" Likewise, "Why don't you go take a bath?" doesn't seem to get the response I had in mind.

Perfect Day For a Soccer Mom!

Oh, it was SO beautiful yesterday! I didn't get any good action shots of Jackson, but here he is on the sidelines. You can kind of get a feel for the size of the field he plays on in this picture - approximately the size of a postage stamp.Here's Luke (in blue), running.Here's Luke, tired of running. He kept putting his arms up over his head to cool off. Cause it was 72 degrees, you know. His field is about the size of four postage stamps.Here's my sunburned boys:
Aubrey is sunburned too, but she's in bed. It IS the weekend! Jerry had continuing ed in Wichita this weekend - he cut his afternoon session to hurry back for Luke's 2:00 game. Then we got to watch Nolan play - his team from Wichita was in a tournament here. THAT is where Luke should be playing soccer. No more messing with the Y. Club ball it is. They have inflatable toys at their tournaments! Anyway, we forgot Jerry's hat, so imagine how red his head is today. I haven't actually seen it this morning; he left before I got up. I seriously doubt he would let me put a picture of it on the blog.

What a beautiful Saturday! We went to church last evening since Jerry is gone this morning, and the preacher said he really, really didn't want to be there. He was hoping we would all skip so he could go home and enjoy the weather. His sermon was about changing the attitude of your mind. Actions first, then the attitude changes. So, he came to church to suit his actions to what his attitude should be!

I hope you all had a relaxing, beautiful weekend also.

Guilt

Our basement has an escape window by my desk:

My dog wants to escape INSIDE instead! He paces back and forth by the fence and cries when he's outside and I'm working at my desk. I started to say he whines, but it's a cry. So pathetic. I am not buying it though - it is very nice out and he has his toys and lots of space to run around in. If he came inside, he'd just want right back out.

It Really Is Springtime

Aubrey was in desperate need of a new bike - preferably one where her knees didn't hit the handlebars. Also, not having to hunch over when riding would be good. So here it is:
Also, "Look Ma, no hands!!"
Jackson is not out riding his bike because he threw a fit when we got home. He wanted his own new bike. Admittedly, he needs one. But today was about finding a bike for Aubrey, so no dice for the youngest child. He stomped upstairs and put himself to bed - slept for two hours. I guess maybe he was just really tired. It was a busy weekend!

I have spent the last hour cleaning up Jackson's room. It was a disaster after this weekend, but mostly it just plain smelled in there. I checked out his shoes, I looked under the bed, nothing. I was starting to get worried that the window had leaked during the rain last weekend and there was some mold growing. Nothing felt damp.

One thing about Jackson, he loves boxes. Anytime we get a package in the mail he latches onto the box and squirrels it away in his room, at least until I get on a cleaning spree and throw some away. So I began to sort through his box collection. You can't imagine what I found. Or maybe you can.
ROTTEN EGGS!! Oh my goodness those smell incredibly bad. Don't you wish you were here?

Odds and Ends

Apparently it's been awhile since I've posted anything, and the natives are getting restless. At least, someone who I won't name but whose name starts with a C and ends with ayle was complaining. I didn't hear how many children he had at his house over the weekend, but I bet it was less than eleven! Just kidding, Cayle, I'm glad you noticed I've been absent. So here goes, an update on the past few days.

1) Luke is a free agent again, in case you know any cute young fourth graders. He came home from school yesterday and announced that Jessica broke up with him. Fickle, she is. Jackson wanted to know how come she asked him to go out with her if she was just going to break up with him right away. To which his father answered, "that's the way girls are, son."

2) Jackson has coined a new term for this decade. You know about the sixties, the eighties, etc. Well, currently we are living in the "tooties" - otherwise known as the two thousand and somethings. Cute, huh?

3) I guess it's official that Aubrey is growing up. Jerry and I went to a meeting at Prairie Hills Middle School last night for parents of seventh graders. Wow. Is it possible that my baby girl is going to be in seventh grade? We learned about advanced math and band and all the other courses she'll be taking, but all the while I kept thinking about all the things I would need to learn to handle the coming years. I just pray that God will give me the wisdom I need to guide her through this time, and probably a healthy dose of patience, too. I loved junior high, and I so want Aubrey to have a great experience also. So, any ideas or wisdom you might have for me would be greatly appreciated!

4) Last, but definitely not least, I MAILED MY LAST TAX RETURN TODAY!!!! Woohoo!!

Another friend arrives!

We had a surprise visit this weekend from my college roomie, April, and her family. Here we are, along with her daughter, Ruby, who I didn't even know existed until she showed up at my door! April and her husband, Devin, pastor a church in Manhattan. It was so fun to see them again, and catch up with all that's been going on.


We had a very full house this weekend, this is the typical view of my kitchen:
We had so much fun though! The kids ran wild, probably terrorizing the neighbors (my neighbors to the north are not really in the older kid mode yet, they don't understand why my boys would want to make dams outside in the drainage ditch or why they would possibly be outside yelling at 7:30 a.m.) I failed utterly to get any pictures of the chaos. For some reason though, my camera had three pictures of Aubrey's toes:Hmmm.

Jerry was very tolerant of all the noise and activity. He ducked out to the office and caught up on some paperwork, then helped Mick break out some tile at his house. I don't know if Mick really wanted to start a project, or if he was just being kind and giving Jerry an excuse to leave! We hired a babysitter (well, actually two. There were eleven kids!!) on Saturday and Karin, Cindy, and I went to the mall for pedicures, then out to a nice dinner. We left the house around 3:15, and got back at 9:15. Aubrey was a bit panicked - she sent me a text that said "Where ARE you?? What's TAKING you so long??" The babysitters survived though, and all the kids were in one piece when we got back.

My kids drug themselves out of bed this morning and trudged off to school. I felt sorry for them. They'll probably fall asleep at their desks after lunch. It was so worth it to see our dear friends! We miss you!!

No glasses for PeeWee

Jackson is using his 20/30 vision to watch for the older kids' school bus...We'll get to see more of his smiling face for the next six months, at least!
The eye doctor's testing turned out quite differently than the school nurse's did, so Jackson gets to stay glasses-free for awhile yet. He was happy about that! His vision is not perfect, and knowing family history, he will probably end up in glasses sooner rather than later. But for now, a carefree summer!

Guess who's coming to my house?

My BFFs, Karin!! Cindy!! And their eight children!! Add that up, and you've got eleven children and four adults. Well, three, really, because Jerry will be hiding out in a turkey blind enjoying the peace and quiet.

We can't wait to get together and talk, talk, talk. We all three lived in Syracuse, but within the last two years have moved away. Karin lives miles in the country near the metropolis of Manter. Cindy is in Missouri, soon to be Ohio. And here we are.

Yes, this picture was taken outside of a livestock barn. We're so hip. And I can prove that they had big hair in high school, too!

So anyway, they'll be here tomorrow night. Pray for me! I am desperately working to get my tax work caught up so I can play. I think I can do it, if my clients cooperate and send me the information I need. The timing is perhaps not the best for a visit, but Cindy is leaving this part of the country and we had to get together one last time before it involves plane tickets.

Where did I move to? Lawrence?

I woke up to the radio station this morning playing the Rock Chalk Rap. I've had that stupid chant in my head all day. Everywhere I've been today I've seen red and blue. You'd think the Jayhawks won a national championship or something. Geesh. There were even fireworks after the game in our neighborhood. But hey, as Dan says, K-State beat the NCAA Champions!

***update****
Apparently I've failed in my parenting. My older kids just came in from the bus singing Rock Chalk Jayhawk KU. I've got to run and teach them the K Who version. Quickly!

Homework

Isn't that a riot? My kids are doing math problems as we speak, so I thought it was appropriate. The next time Aubrey asks for help multiplying fractions I'm going to hand her the phone!

Western Kansas Kids

I've come to the conclusion that Western Kansas kids are just tougher (and probably skinnier!) Here in the big city, if you play soccer for thirty minutes -half of which you spend sitting on the sideline - at 8:30 in the morning, it turns out you are entitled to a snack (usually in the form of a bag of cookies) and some juice, or gatorade if you are lucky. Cause you work up a pretty big hunger in that amount of time. Actually, you are entitled to these items after every soccer practice as well, even if dinner will be served as soon as you get home.

Good grief! Do we have to give the kids an incentive in the form of empty calories every time they do something remotely good for them? I have noticed this at school here as well - every little thing must be rewarded and usually it involves food as a reward. No wonder childhood obesity is reaching epidemic proportions.

Jerry coached Luke's basketball team earlier in the year, and we were unaware of the snack/drink phenomenon. We failed to make up a snack list to go home with the players after the first practice. Luckily, some other mother, who knows her way around the YMCA, made one up for us.

What do you think, you other soccer moms out there? I didn't play sports after school as a child, since we lived 21 miles out in the country. Is this a new thing?

It was a beautiful day...

Perfect for smashing toy cars with hammers. Hmmmm.

In case you were wondering...

It hurts a lot more when you fall down and hit your shin on a table and your wrist on the brick wall and twist your knee at 36 than it does at 9. Roller skating is for little kids.

Vote Now!

Here's something kind of fun, compliments of my neighbor, Karen. Click here to vote on your choice for the new personalized license plate tags for the State of Kansas. Coming to a car near you in 2010!

Lover Boy Luke

So Luke walks in the door from school on Wednesday, and says, "Hey mom, guess what? Jessica asked me to go out with her, and I said yes!"

Me: "So what does that mean? Are you getting married?"
Luke: "Maybe."
Me" "What do you do, when you're going out with someone in fourth grade?"
Luke: "Talk to them. Maybe hold hands." Stop right there!! Hold hands????

Grrrreeeaaat. We sat him down and had the talk about how you certainly don't need a girlfriend in fourth grade. He admitted that he absolutely would not ever consider smooching someone until twelfth grade, at least. We told him that he needed to play soccer or something at recess and just have fun. So the next day, he walks in the door and says, "Mom, I played soccer at recess today."

Good! He took our little chat to heart.

Me: "So did you and Logan play?"
Luke: "No, me and Jessi. She's really good!"
Me: knocks head against wall repeatedly

Then he asks me if he can go skating on Saturday. Cause Jessi might be there. So you know, in my earlier post, I said something stupid like how nice it was to have older children? Forget I ever said that.

Spaghetti Casserole

I must say, there are some definite benefits to having older children. I can just leave the table after dinner and say "You three are in charge of the dishes" and for the most part it gets done. Admittedly some nights better than others, as you can imagine. I'm not sure why it took me this long to realize I have a ready supply of slave labor, but better late than never! Aubrey has even taken on the task of preparing dinner for us one night a week. She loves doing it, it is a great skill for her to learn, and I certainly enjoy the break, especially during tax season. Last night she made spaghetti casserole, an old recipe that somehow had been shoved to the back of my recipe file and forgotten. It is quick, easy, and delicious!

Spaghetti Casserole

1 1/2 lb hamburger
1/2 onion, chopped
1 lb spaghetti, cooked and drained
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can tomato soup
1 soup can water
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Brown hamburger and onion. Drain. Add soups and water. Heat until bubbly. Add 1/2 of the cheese and mix well, but do not melt. Stir in cooked pasta. Pour mixture into 9x13 pan, and sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

If you have any easy recipes for Aubrey, we'd love it if you'd share with us. She is especially anxious to tackle grandma's porcupine meatballs (yes, mom, I have the recipe). Grandma Ann always makes homemade macaroni and cheese and porcupine meatballs when the kids are at her house.

Happy 60th, Dad!

Sixty years ago .... and now:


I asked the kids to help me write this post, so they each gave me some things they love about their Grandpa Bob.

Aubrey: He takes us places and spends time with us. He shows us how to do stuff.
Luke: He loves what he does and he lets me work with cattle. Especially branding calves, I love that.
Jackson: He lets me ride horses. And he wears glasses. (Glasses have been on his mind lately!)

Thanks, Dad, for the time you are investing in the lives of your grandchildren. Thanks most especially for all you've done for me. We love you!

The Circus Came to Town

Here we are, waiting for it to start:

and waiting...
and waiting some more.
But it did start, and we loved Beau the elephant:Can you see that? He is standing on his front legs! I can't do a handstand, but that mammoth elephant can. We shelled out the big bucks so the kids could ride an elephant at intermission:I think intermission is circus-speak for "Let's take all their money while we have them trapped!" We did not pay $7 per child so they could ride a pony around in a circle - nor did we spend $10 for one plastic light saber. We did buy the $2 coloring book on the chance it had a coupon in it for a free toy. No toy. Regardless, the kids loved the entertainment. I wish you could have heard Luke hooping and hollering and screaming and just almost crying with excitement when the Dominguez Extreme Riders rode their motorcycles around in the iron sphere. He loved it!

The Nester

Okay, you women. You have to check out this blog. The Nester is a decorating genius, as far as I'm concerned. I am going to do the wall of plates in my dining room. I think maybe I'll move to NC so she can decorate my house for me. You men, forget it. Women only.

Father Daughter Dance

Aubrey's dance studio has a recital coming up, May 16th and 17th, I believe. She is in a group that will do three separate dances; jazz, ballet, and tap. The dance studio has a tradition of a Father/Daughter dance at the end of the spring recital. Jerry was shocked when he learned of it from a friend's mom AFTER Aubrey had already been dancing for a few months. I think he would have happily signed her up at another studio if he had a choice! Anyway, when it came time to volunteer for the F/D dance, he stepped up to the plate and joined in. They have been going to practice about once a week for the past month, and I think they are both enjoying it. We haven't seen the costumes yet, but it will be a t-shirt of some kind and probably a hat. Last year it was sailor hats.

The funny thing is that Luke and Jackson are convinced that Jerry is wearing a leotard when he dances. They keep making little cracks about "dancing" in a singsong voice (I'm sure you can imagine!) Last week, when Aubrey and Jerry were heading out the door for practice, Jackson called out, "Don't forget your tiara, Dad!" We all cracked up. We have not disillusioned the boys yet, in fact, it gets funnier as the recital gets closer. Luke does NOT want to go watch his father in a leotard! I think he is getting a little nervous.

Now don't you all want to come watch?