For An Old Friend

Jen M.-

Mike's post at Okiedoke reminded me of you today. Some jokes just never die. (At least she wasn't holding a giant crayon-LOL!)

Better Late Than Never

As April comes to a close, many of you may have noted several blogs promoting awareness of a few different topics. Two are near and dear to my heart. The first of these is autism. I remember once reading about it in one of those longer Reader Digest articles as a middle-school student. Back then, autism was portrayed as extremely rare. For any of you that have switched on a TV or picked up a magazine this month, it's apparent that autism it all too common and that we need to focus not only our financial efforts towards finding out more about its causes and treatment, but also our efforts at being compassionate when we see a mother, father, or sibling dealing with a child who seems too old or too big to be behaving in a manner we deem "inappropriate."

My friend Christy's son Caleb struggles with autism, and she has devoted this month to discussing autism awareness. Through her blog I've followed her progress with him first in getting a diagnosis, and learning to effectively deal with him and help him to become the best Caleb that he can be. Having said that, I was incredibly impressed with how well she handled him on a visit here a few years ago before we knew there was anything more going on with him than just being two years-old. She has always done her best as a mom, and now she has the help she needs to become even better. She has posted frequently about autism throughout the month, and has spent the month taking donations for autism awareness. Today is the last day to donate for April.

My second cause of the month is sexual abuse awareness. I apologize to Christy for posting this so late, but I had planned on mentioning both topics, and I think this post comes at the end of the month because I wasn't ready to address this. As I've mentioned here before, I am a survivor of sexual abuse. The boyfriend who perpetrated the abuse I'm sure would not see it that way, but I certainly did. I've blogged about the experience before, and don't feel the need to go into the details gain. Just know that one simple act of abuse on his part haunted me for years. Ultimately, I think I've become a stronger person and put it all behind me, but it has taken a long time and I can't count the number of friendships and other romantic involvements that suffered as a result of both my inability to trust afterwards, and frankly my inability for the first several years to be honest with myself and others about what happened. While our daughters can recover from things like this, I think it's better that they don't experience them at all. Obviously, we can't protect our children or even ourselves from everything; but we can make them and ourselves aware. I was not assaulted by a random stranger, but by a boy I thought I liked and who my parents trusted to be alone with me.

Some of the things I tell the Young Women at church and am slowly slipping into conversations with my oldest daughter are that their beliefs and choices about their sexuality are THEIRS and no one else's and that anyone who would mock or undermine their personal feelings is not someone they can trust. I've told them to enjoy "happily ever after" in Cinderella and other movies like it, but not to expect it for themselves. Things don't turn out happily without daily effort on our part to make the right choices and deal with the consequences of the wrong ones. I encourage them to date in groups, not to date anyone exclusively, and to remember that there are certain things in life that don't come with do-overs. And when I hear comments like Natalie's about love turning bad guys good, I am quick to point out that life isn't like TV as much as some would like us to think that it is. But no matter what we say, no matter how hard we try to teach our daughters to make good choices; my bottom line is that my girls also know I love them NO MATTER WHAT. I stayed with that jerk for two years after the initial assault, not out of love or enjoyment; but shame and obligation. I thought that marrying him was my only way to make things right with God because I didn't ever feel that I had an adult to confide in who would have told me differently. (Though in my defense, that is what my own mother would have said-of course, I knew she was crazy even then.)

So, talk to your girls. Keep it age appropriate, but talk to them early and often. I didn't realize I was doing as well as I had until Natalie and I started chatting last Saturday and she rolled her eyes and said "I've heard this before..." Good. I'm glad she feels that way. Love your daughters so much that they can't help but love themselves, and let them know you love them in a way that makes them believe that they can tell you anything. I'm not sure that will do away with every instance of sexual abuse, but it sure couldn't hurt. For more on this topic, I also refer you to my friend and fellow-blogger Angela Giles Klocke who also speaks out against abuse of all kinds. Earlier this year, I was privilaged to read her early draft of "When I Was 13," which will be published as a book later this summer.

We will get back to lighter subjects and birthday fun for the rest of the week. I promise...

Week In Review

Reading

Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix-I'm reading this chapter by chapter to Natalie at night in preparation for the movie and the next book release. While J.K. Rowling warned us that the last three books were quite a bit more adult, I never noticed it until I started reading this one out loud to my daughter. It's not that I think it's inappropriate for her, but it would be for my younger children. Poor Natalie, she adores Sirius Black...the ending of this book is not going to be fun for her, and her reaction to the book will dictate whether or not I let her see the movie with me. I am still likely to let her go though, Book 5 made ME cry. (Then Dave said "it's only a book" and if it had been a book by a lesser author, I might have thrown it at him.)

Watching-

Grey's Anatomy-I'm not liking George and Izzy, I'm really not. BUT, last week's scenes with them were kind of cute. This week was just OK. I like poor Callie way more than I thought I would when she first wrote her number on George's arm.

Robin Hood-I missed last week's episode, but got caught up on all of it last night. There's just something so fun about this show. I liked Little John's little nod when Robin kicked Sir Guy and dubbed it "absolutely necessary." I also kinda like Sir Guy (shh!) and I think Marian is slightly intrigued as well. It did strike up a good conversation between Natalie and I about how you can't "change" a bad boy by yourself, even if you like him a lot. I know she's young now, but she still listens to me so when she said "Maybe if Marian loves him enough he (Guy) can become good." I saw my window of opportunity. Time will tell if I succeeded...

I've got last week's GG on the Tivo, I just haven't watched it yet.

Out and About-

Wendy's Housewarming Party-I now have one of my best friends living a 5 minute drive from me! Wendy has joined me in the boonies, though her version of "out in the country" is a gated subdivision on the other side of I-35. Just teasing, Wen...(I have to be nice to her, she has my blog login and password and we might be roomies on the Labor Day cruise.) In all seriousness, she's got a great house and did I mention it's close to mine?!

OKC Arts Festival-Not only did we make daily food runs, we also spent some time there last Thursday after work. I can't remember the last time I did something like that without kids. It was really fun.

Last Call

A few months back, I agreed to let my friends Chris and Lanie guest-blog for the week of my birthday. So next week at least the two of them are going to have free reign here to post whatever they want. (I get to do it everyday, sometimes it's nice to share.) A few other people expressed interest in doing likewise, so if anyone else is interested; feel free to email me at: greggdigressions at gmail dot com and let me know. The post can be kind, embarrassing, sentimental or funny (or all four), but lets's shy away from mean and cruel. I can laugh at myself pretty easily, but I'm not in the mood to be bashed on my own blog. I'm turning 35, that's bad enough.

Thursday Thirteen #25

In the interest of no more whining, I give you:

Thirteen Things That Made Me Smile This Week:

1. Sitting with two of my friends in R.S. on Sunday, the three of us huddled under a blanket for warmth like a pack of teenage girls. I miss moments like that now that I'm an official grown-up, so I appreciate them that much more when they happen.

2. Having our lunch at work unofficially catered by all the good food booths at the Arts Festival since it opened on Tues. So far, I've had an Indian Taco and a funnel cake. Who knows what I'll eat tomorrow?

3. Natalie telling this joke:

Natalie: A cricket walked into a bar and the bartender told him there was a drink named after him. The cricket said "Really? You have a drink named Charlie?"

Us: *dead silence*

Me: Did you mean a grasshopper, Honey?

Natalie: Yeah, one of those jumping bugs. Does it matter which one?

Me: Kinda

(That's kind of like telling the bell joke and forgetting the bell. Who was it that used to do that? *humming and shifting my eyes back and forth*)

4. My new shirt from River Junction arriving only a week after I ordered it. I could star in my own production of Meet Me in St. Louis now.

5. How truly impressed the boys in one of the field trip groups were with a dead squirrel they saw floating in the water trough. The 100 year-old barn and farmhouse I showed them were nice, but bring on the water-logged road kill for the real stories to tell mom and dad when they get home.

6. Natalie's citizenship award from the City Council and also how many of the other parents and kids we knew that got one too. (It's like we're a club almost.)

7. "Disco Pete" helping me get the school kids excited about the PTA's last fundraiser for the year at this morning's assembly. ("Disco Pete" is one of the PE teachers. He dresses up in a wig and leisure suit and makes the kids dance.)

8. How unafraid I am of microphones and public speaking I've become whether it's to elementary school kids ot their parents. Fifteen year-old me would never have believed it.

9. Seeing one of the students who used to go to my kids' school on a field trip today with her new school. (She remembered me and I heard her telling one of her friends how nice I was to the kids at her old school. Aww!)

10. All the great ideas one of my PTA members has come up with for teacher appreciation week and how willing she is to help make most of them happen with minimal effort on my part.

11. That same woman wanting to volunteer with the jog-a-thon along with most of her family. FINALLY! We're getting some more parent (and grandparent) assistance.

12. Getting all my stuff turned in for graduation!!!

13. This conversation in the car tonight:

Me: Oh no!
Caroline: What happened Mommy?
Me: I hit that dead animal.
Caroline: Did you kill it?
Me: It was already dead, I just hit it again. I didn't want to.
Tristan: If it's already dead, you didn't hurt it Mommy. Who cares?
Me: Well, I just didn't want to add insult to injury.
Tristan: It's not injury if it's already DEAD!
Elisa: Was it a dinosaur?
Me: No
Elisa: Was it a giraffe?
Me: No Honey, I don't know what it was. I just didn't want to hit it.
Natalie: Can we stop this conversation before I hurl?!

Never a dull moment and lots of reasons to smile this week. Thanks for visiting! Leave your link in the comments section so I can visit you too!

The Party's Here!!

Now that all my paperwork is in, every i is dotted and every t is crossed, I feel like I can talk about my impending graduation!

The ceremony itself will be at The Football Stadium (I refuse to bow to the corporate sponsors by naming them) at 7 p.m. on Friday, May 11th.

There will be a College of Liberal Studies ceremony on Saturday, May 12th.

But what I'm really here to talk about is the party!!

On Thursday, May 10th, my family and I will be holding an Open House reception in the E Barn at The Harn Homestead (a.k.a. "The Agency") from 6-8 p.m. I will also be sending out actual invitations, but I post this in consideration of my Okie Blogger friends who may or may not be interested in crashing, though it's not really crashing if you're invited. (I know, Kristin...it's too far away and on a school night, I'm sorry. The good news about working where I do is that it has a great place for parties-the bad news is that paying customers get first dibs on weekend rentals.) Obviously this is a 'no gifts' kind of affair, and it will definitely be informal. But I hope it will be fun! See ya there! (Or not...it's all good.)

I can't tell you how happy and overwhelmed I feel right now to have accomplished this. I'm going to be a bit boastful for a second and pat myself on the back. Most acceptance speeches are full of glowing thanks to spouse and family, but my spouse and kids haven't exactly been helpful in my pursuit of higher education. Dave has always believed college to be a waste of time and money and has often pointed out that he's always made plenty of money without "some fancy degree." (My B.A. is in Classics/Latin, and yes he was aiming his comments at me. His Dad taught him the speech, though.) For the first two years of school, I sold Tupperware to foot the bill. I did this when I was tired. I did this when I had homework, and I did it up until a week before my fourth child was born. I continued to do it briefly thereafter, until Dave switched to the night shift and made that next to impossible. Since then, my tuition money has come from the yearly Aunt M checks (Yes, she pays us for being her nieces and our husbands get money too. Who knew I came with a yearly dowry?).

Homework with four screaming kids has not been easy or fun, nor did anyone in this house ever take seriously my need for quiet to read and study. I remember trying to study a hand-out while sitting on the edge of the bathtub trying to potty train someone (I remember who too, but I'm trying to preserve their dignity). I remember many papers getting typed as I bounced a fussy baby on my knee. I remember watching the sink overflow with dishes numerous times as I did long final papers and projects knowing sadly that not cleaning up now meant that I would pay for it later. (In fact, I'm still paying for the time I spent working on comp exams.) Dave has not really done much to corral the kids or in any other way pick up any slack that may have occurred while I did school work. He has always defended himself by saying it wasn't his idea for me to go back to school. And I'll concede that point to him.
Fortunately, my other friends have been wonderful with their encouragement both in words and in many much-needed girls' nights out and I'm grateful for that and for them. But, in this case, I have to say that in the end all of the blood, sweat, and tears that have been poured into getting this degree have been mine and mine alone. In a few days, Dave and my 'always too busy to babysit' mother will be walking around telling everyone how proud they are and patting themselves on the back for having such a bright wife and daughter. And I'll let them. I know who really did the work. I'm very proud of myself right now for doing it. And just this once I'm not ashamed to say so. I did this. I did it! Yay me!

Happy Birthday Dave!

In honor of today being Dave's birthday, I present:

♥ A Marriage Meme ♥

1. Where/How did you meet?
At Sooner Fashion Mall. I had just graduated high school, broken up with my high school boyfriend (aka "the jerk"), and my friends Lanie, Wendy and I went to the Mall to "teach Melessa how to pick up men." Lanie took me to the arcade which I thought was a bad idea since "guys go there to play games, not meet girls." When Dave, who was obviously older than we were, started hitting on her; I wasn't too impressed. I stood there refusing to talk to him which he took as a challenge. I finally spoke up only to tell him that Lanie and Wendy were 16. When I told him I was 18, he showed more interest in me. (He was home on leave from the Army and didn't want to get in any trouble.) We went to a movie the following Friday and while no major romance blossomed from there (on my part, anyway) he still tried to talk me into marrying him the following New Year's Eve. I said no, but we stayed in touch on and off from that time forward. He wound up being the roommate of my first Sunday School teacher when I joined the church and they were still roomies when I got back from a mission to Italy a few years later. I needed a date to a party my friend Wendy was having (yep-same Wendy) and ran into him at his work. At the time, both Dave and I were both nursing some pretty recently broken hearts (mine was a delayed reaction, it's funny how things don't hurt as badly when you're in Venice, Florence, and Pisa as they do in Oklahoma-but Dave was still fighting with his very recent ex on the phone when we saw each other for the first time after I got home). We thought that we would just hang out until I moved to Arizona for grad school at the end of the summer, but the rest is history.

2. How long have you known each other?
Since that day in the Mall which was in June of 1990.

3. How long after you met did you start dating?
I think I already covered that in the mini-novel I wrote for #1.

4. How long did you date before you were engaged?
We never really got engaged, we just started planning a wedding when I came home from Arizona for Thanksgiving.

5. How long was your engagement?
Officially I guess it was from Thanksgiving weekend 1996 until Jan. 1997 when we got married. Again, we were never official and he didn't give me the ring until Christmas.

6. How long have you been married?
Ten years

7. What is your anniversary?
Jan. 4th

8. How many people came to your wedding reception?
I can't remember, we had two.

9. What kind of cake did you serve?
Typical white wedding cake with tiers and a single layer chocolate groom's cake

10. Where was your wedding?
My parents' living room. The reception was at the OKC Biltmore (we knew the owners of the hotel) and we were sealed as a family in the Dallas Texas temple with baby Natalie on Feb. 28, 1998.

11. What did you serve for your meal?
Typical reception fare

12. How many people were in your wedding party?
Three bridesmaids (Janet, Chris, and Selena), two groomsmen (Dave's friend Shane, Thomas C-who claimed I used to date him) and my ex-BIL was an usher. A flower girl (my cousin's daughter Lacey), a ring-bearer (my little Alex), and a train-carrier because Alex's little brother wanted to be included too.

13. Are you still friends with them all?
Two are my sisters so no choice there, I'd say Chris and I still know each other pretty well (LOL!), Thomas moved off somewhere, Shane and Dave talk occasionally (but once he found out Dave had become LDS his "good Baptist sensibilities" were offended-don't get me started...), ex-Uncle Andy is now out of prison, but his parental rights have been terminated and there are multiple restraining orders so him not-so-much, I still see Lacey at Grandma L's for Christmas, and I actually got to talk to Alex for the first time in years about a month ago.

14.Did your spouse cry during the ceremony?
Are you kidding? Pres. E performed the ceremony and you can see me rolling my eyes several times as he went on and on and on...
When we were sealed a year later we were too worried about Natalie screaming (she was colicky) to really get too emotional.

15. Most special moment of your wedding day?
Dave looking so happy and love-struck, he's usually much better at hiding it. He even complimented my hair. Also Aunt M telling me she knew Uncle J would have loved Dave and that she thought he was looking down right now from heaven-that was pretty cool.
In retrospect, having Dave's mom there was wonderful too. Who knew we would only have a year with her?

16.Any funny moments?
Several...we were worried about my nieces (12 mos. and 24 mos.) acting up during the ceremony, so my Dad drove them around that morning in their carseats until they fell asleep then carried them in, carseats and all, and set them on the floor in a quiet corner where they slept through the entire wedding. Also, Aunt M never knew that my sister had married "Uncle Andy" who she hated. So, we dressed him up and passed him off as a friend of Dave's. She didn't recognize him in a suit with combed hair, but Dave said she did do a double-take when Thomas dropped the ball and had Andy escort her down the aisle to her seat. Still, she never really knew it was him. Too funny!

17. Any big disasters?
Not really-what I just described above could have been one had Andy attended the wedding in his usual tank top/ripped jeans attire.

18. Where did you go on your honeymoon?
Eureka Springs, Ark. I wanted Disney World until Dave's parents said they were going to pay for it. I didn't want them to fund my pipe dream. We've made up for it several times over since then.

19. How long were you gone?
A week

20. If you were to do your wedding over, what would you change?
More personal touches. We pretty much did what our parents and Pres. E told us to do. Also, I wouldn't have had Pres. E perform the ceremony.

21. What side of the bed do you sleep on?
Right side

22. What size is your bed?
Queen size.

23. Greatest strength as a couple?
Hmm...we love sci fi? We have great um...chemistry? Actually there's a lot more, but I don't feel like sharing it right now.

24. Greatest challenge as a couple?
The loss of Dave's mom was very difficult. Two unplanned pregnancies weren't easy to accomodate either. But we're hanging in there...and we love the resulting babies.

25. Who literally pays the bills?
It used to be me, now it's Dave.

26. What is your song?
We don't really have one that we agree on-I liked "Really Not That Different" by Collin Raye, he liked that one Bryan Adams song and THAT was never gonna happen. We remain at an impasse.

27. What did you dance your first dance to?
"You Are My Lady" (Greg Taylor picked it out for us *sniff* miss ya Greg!)

28. Describe your wedding dress.
White satin with long sleeves and lots of tiny buttons in back

29. What kind of flowers did you have at your wedding?
Red roses and white carnations

30. Are your wedding bands engraved?
No-In fact both of ours are MIA right now

31. How old were you when you got married?
I was 24, Dave was 26

Honoring What I Fight For

I do a lot of whining about church on this blog. I whine about people outside the church who misunderstand my beliefs. I whine about members of the church who misunderstand me. I whine about how much my husband drags his feet when it comes to staying active. I whine about the rules and restrictions and a lot of other petty annoyances that, in the grand scheme of things, are really not a big deal. All in all, I do way too much whining here.

As I drifted off to sleep last night, I thought about some of the sacrifices I made to become a member of the church. Since Easter has just passed us, they may seem pretty small in comparison to that ultimate sacrifice; but in my little world they were big. I lost the respect of friends and family members that I loved. Over time, some of us seem to have mended fences, but certainly not all of us. One friend in particular I have lost forever. I also had quite a sizeable trust fund when I started college. Because I can be pretty cheap when I want to be, I still had a nice-sized chunk of it. Rather than buy a car or have a little extra to start my "real life" with, I used it to pay for my mission. And yes, what was left would have bought a car in 1994. (Not so much anymore.)

I guess I was thinking of these things so that I could whine about them to myself during church today. But, in the middle of my mental inventory of people I missed, family members who look at me funny during Thanksgiving dinner, and how I would be a much happier camper if only my husband was more involved at church when I had a little epiphany: That money is gone forever, the friends are too, and my family probably looked at me funny all along. My husband's level of participation is his business and I can't blame him for my bad attitude. In short, I do no honor to the sacrifices that I made to join the church by complaining about them. And complaining about them is certainly not the right example to set for my husband or my children. The only way enduring those painful, personal losses is ever going to be worth it is if I remember to treasure my life as a Latter-Day Saint to the fullest and encourage my family to do the same. If those things that I gave up were so wonderful, I should be putting every effort in making sure that what I have now is THAT MUCH BETTER. I think I knew that long ago and somehow forget it. But today, I re-dedicate myself to remembering it. And I will...

It goes without saying that I had a good day at church today.

Officially Retired

For the past few days, I've been an active participant in a bit of MySpace smackdown over at my sister Selena's page. I'm a little old for these type of "she said/she said" hormone fests, but a few months ago; one of my sister's very best friends dropped her as a friend with nothing in the way of warning or explanation. This particular girl (technically a woman, but not acting like one) has been friends with my sister since high school was like family to all of us. In some ways, we've all been hurt by her actions. Obviously, none of us as badly as Selena. In the months since then, Selena has posted several heart-breaking blurbs about how much she misses her and how she would apologize if she only knew what she had done wrong. This girl's only reply has been to claim that Selena is too much of a money-wasting whiner for her to hang out with anymore.

This is pretty rich considering Selena cared for her during all three of her pregnancies (pre-term labor with each one), gave her a place to stay when two of those three baby daddies (all different dudes) tossed her out on her ass, and she also footed the entire legal bill for her to regain custody of her oldest son when baby daddy #1 tried to take him away from her. (And while it was a tough call, the little guy is better off with his mom.) From the looks of things, she's been jealous of Selena for some time, and now that Selena is out of trust fund money and living from pay check to pay check like the rest of us, her usefulness to this girl is over and she dumped her as a friend. To drive the point home, she put up a post in which she cut and pasted blurbs from a few of their mutual friends just to make sure Selena knew that not only did she no longer have any her, but that no one else was her friend either. In short, someone I once saw as a third sister turned out to be nothing more than a petty, jealous, manipulative little witch.

Of course, this is easier for me to see than it is for Selena. When we Lawson girls love someone as a friend or a s.o., it's hard for us to stop. In fact, we never really do. But, we can move on and in the interest of trying to help Selena do that, I made a few comments. Apparently, they were unappreciated by the perpetrator and she's been sparring with me since then. I've felt that I should give it up even as I've made my last two replies and this morning my common sense finally got the best of me. In my last reply, I made a couple of grammatical and spelling errors. It's pretty common for most people, but for me it means I'm typing out of anger and no longer rational. While it would be fun to slip into potshots and name-calling, I really am too old for that. So, I'm retiring from this match and leaving any further resolution in the capable hands of "My Heart Belongs to Rex." Selena, I hope I didn't make you mad by jumping in there, but you've been nothing but a devoted friend to the little brat since you met her and I just couldn't let her hurt you anymore. Now that I realize that you are OK with things and that she's really only hurting herself, I can let it go. I'm not sure that she can though, so hang in there...

I guess this means my sparring career is over, and I was only just getting started.

Thursday Thirteen #24

I've got all kinds of random thought floating around, but none are long enough for a complete blog post. Here are thirteen of my favorites:

1. Between crazy kids who hate their bedtime routine to all my woes at the dentist's office, I've only got one question: Exactly when was it that my life was reduced to nothing more than one of Bill Cosby's stand-up routines?

2. When I was a teenager I belonged to a girls' club and we wore long dresses to perform memorized scripts. Now I have a job that requires me to dress up and perform memorized scripts. I always joked that I wanted to do that when I grew up-and now I do! (The club was called Rainbow girls, but I tend to disappoint internet searches right and left when I post about it using those words. Sorry again! Nothing to see here.)

3. For years my friends and I joked that we would grow up to "work Lincoln Blvd." and now two of us actually do. Well, we work at places that are located there anyway and that's preferable to the other meaning of that phrase.

4. I got an email from someone I used to babysit for yesterday in which she mentioned that she's never seen the "Flowers in the Attic" movie on TV without thinking of me. I'm sorry to hear that because the movie was awful-I only liked the books.

5. She's now almost 30-how did that happen?

6. What if Pokemons don't WANT to fight and be stuck in a pokeball? As a child of the 70's who worried about Ben the bear on Grizzly Adams and Sigmund of Sigmund and the Sea Monsters, I wonder about these things. Much to the chagrin of my children.

7. Along those lines, the Starblazers only had one year to complete their mission "or mother earth would disappear," but I remember it being on the air after school for several years. (Not that I could watch it, our reception only tuned in channels 25 and 34 on really good days.)

8. Also along those lines, who else just LOVED the "Mock 5" epsiode of Dexter's Laboratory? It's my favorite.

9. When the heck did my kids quit being babies? I know they're still young, but they aren't as little as they were last time I looked. I'm afraid to turn around too slowly for fear they might graduate high school when I'm not paying attention.

10. Where in the world did we get ALL THESE TOYS? (And who exactly do these kids think is going to pick them up and put them away?)

11. How can a dental procedure that hurt so much yesterday I couldn't stand it feel absolutely normal today? (Not a complaint, just a question.)

12. Is it summer vacation yet?

13. Is it at least bedtime then?

That's all I've got for today! Leave me a link to your TT in the comments section so I can make sure and visit you too!

Because Someone Will Laugh at This

Today was a really fun day at work-busy, but fun. I hated having to duck out of there as soon as the kids left, but I had what I thought was a "quick follow-up" at the dentist after my root canal. I made it there at just the right time and was called right back almost immediately. That's a good omen, right? When the assistant came in with a syringe and a needle, I knew no good could come from it. There are no such things as good omens at the dentist's office.

Apparently, he hadn't actually finished the root canal ten days ago. It was more like he just got tired of doing it and just stopped by putting on a temporary cap. I thought I was getting my crown today. Instead, we finished up the root canal. OUCH! OUCH! And one more OUCH! Today was the day he really cleaned out the holes he drilled last time to get anything left behind and stuffed a bunch of metal and paper strips up in there to attach to the permanent crown next week. Aside from the pain and the drilling, one of my other chief annoyances with root canals is that they wrap the affected tooth with something like a surgical drape. Then, only that tooth sticks out and the rest of your mouth is covered with rubber shield that is then stretched onto a large metal frame jammed into your mouth to keep it open as wide as possible. This whole process is likely just as painful as the root canal itself. Also, these rubber 'drapes' tear easily, so you have to be careful not to rip them even though the edges are often right where your teeth are. The dentist himself went through two at my first appt. and was proud he set up the one he did today with just the one small hole to stick my tooth through and the rest of it quickly stretched across my mouth on the torture device metal frame.

Midway through the drilling, I heard some familiar notes to a song playing on the office speaker system, but I couldn't identify the song over the sound of the drill. I jokingly wondered to myself what song would now be known as my "dental torture theme song"? The drill stopped and I recognized it immediately. It was that Bryan Adams classic "Everything I Do (I Do It for You)." The humor and irony was NOT lost on me. Not only did I watch two episodes of BBC Robin Hood last night that I loved, but that particular song was also once THE song for me and, you know, someone not Dave. Needless to say, I found the scenario amusing. Here I was:

1. Stuck in a dentist chair that was practically flipped upside down and backwards to reach my second molar

2. Trying to ignore the fact that my mouth was full of a rubber shield and a metal frame that was holding my jaw open at a width I had previously believed impossible as the dentist alternately scraped away my nerve endings with a drill and metallic strips of various lengths.

3. And now, I was being forced to listen to a Bryan Adams ballad that I cut from my mental playlist years ago. Whatever it is I do, I just can't get away from Robin Hood.

So, I had a small chuckle to myself over the whole thing. THIS WAS A MISTAKE. As I chuckled, I choked. On my own spit. Yeah, gross. I tried to stop choking. It got worse. I jerked upright in the chair and all hell broke loose in the exam room. As I tried to catch my breath through the rubber drape stretched from one end of my mouth to another, the assistant was trying to find a way to stick the suction thing behind it to help me out. The dentist was saying things like "Can you find a way to stop coughing without taking off that shield?" "Are you going to throw-up?" "Are you OK?!" "Don't tear it!" (the rubber shield- they must be running low on those stupid things) And meanwhile, I'm trying to stop coughing, not to choke on the ocean of slobber trapped in my mouth, alternately nodding and shaking my head in response to the dentist's questions, AND really trying not to laugh anymore because, in the midst of all this chaos; Bryan Adams is still singing his heart out in the background. And this was the song's short version. (The extended version adds 2 minutes to it-good for when you're making out on the dance floor...but I digress.)

I'm happy to report that eventually I did calm down. I did NOT break the rubber shield. My root canal area was successfully cleaned out and...um...rooted and I will get my permanent cap soon. I'm happy with two Advil right now and, for no reason whatsoever, three of my four kids are passed out on the floor sound asleep which makes taking care of them that much easier. In other good news, I think any magical ex-boyfriend memories I might once have associated with that Bryan Adams song have been successfully destroyed. Though I think I'll stick to my usual pattern of changing the station when it comes on the radio-unless of course I'm in the dentist's chair again. Then, I'll just try not to laugh.

Oh, and for those of you who remember how Melissa K. used to call HIM "slobber?" After today, I think she gave the nickname to the wrong half of the couple. Still, I'm glad I survived. Could you imagine trying to act sad at the funeral of someone who choked to death on her own spit at the dentist? Neither can I.

Doing the Happy Dance

I checked my OU email yesterday to find two new ones. The first one detailed the new dorm safety procedures following yesterday's tragedy at VA Tech. In deference to yesterday's devastating news, I sat on the contents of the other email, but it's a new day today and I can't wait anymore...

I passed my comp exams. I PASSED MY COMP EXAMS!! I did it! I'm finished! I graduate!!

There is a scene at the end of The Muppet Movie where Mr. Lew Lord calls up his secretary asking him to prepare one "standard rich & famous contract" for Kermit the Frog and his friends. The rest of the Muppets go crazy celebrating while Kermit stands quietly for a moment nodding and swallowing as he takes in the idea that he has finally made it. And that's how I feel right now too.

Going Back in Time

Today was the first day of Land Run at The Job. For those of you non-Okies, most of the original white settlers in Oklahoma obtained their land by lining up on April 22, 1889 at high noon and rushing out at the sound of a gunshot to stake their claim on the first piece of open land they found. Much of the teaching I do at The Job centers on what life was like at that time (And yes, I do most of the teaching in costume-don't you wish you could dress like that for work? No sarcasm intended there, I love dressing up like that.) Once a year we commemorate the first Oklahoma Land Run (held April 22, 1889) by re-enacting it daily with school kids from around the metro area. (We used to do that at our local schools when I was a kid, but it's not as common anymore.) Part of our opening spiel at The Job is that for today you will go back in time 100 years. We ask kids not to bring iPods or cell phones and just to leave the modern world at the museum gates.

My day today was spent teaching kids about hitching up a wagon and deciding what you were going to pack before you headed west. The kids had a great time justifying to me why they would need a china plate or a toy in their wagons and seeing which group of the four I taught could make the longest list of uses for one piece of rope. (My second group, a home schooler's association, came up with the most.) While I have been teaching field trip groups pretty much every day since mid-March, Land Run is special and a fun change in routine for all of us. After letting kids make rope, play outdoor games, practice staking tents, and a lot of other activities; we lined them up to run. At the sound of a small gunshot, they raced to stake their claims as we parents, teachers, staff, and volunteers laughed and cheered them on while they ran. We were all completely unaware that just minutes before running footsteps and horrific gunshots of a different type had just been silenced at Virginia Tech. And for that, I thank God. Sometimes it's good to be oblivious to the world outside.

Life is short, hug your kids, celebrate, and enjoy every minute of it just like we did today.

Week In Review

Reading-

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Grant Writing-Could that possibly be for work? That would be a 'yes.'

Watching-

I hope there was no new GG this week, because if there was I missed it.

Grey's Anatomy-It was one of those clip episodes, but of course I had to watch it. Does anyone know which episode was the one where Dr. Bailey stopped the elevator with Derek in it so he could pull himself together? It was a great scene, but I don't remember ever seeing it.

In My Neflix Queue-

I pulled out The Muppets Take Manahattan on Friday night. I always get a little teary when they do that last ensemble scene in the church because it marries off Kermit and Piggy (in the movie, anyway) and shows just about all of Jim Henson's muppets together. It turned out to be his last movie and it gets to me. Since my oldest daughter is kind of a mini-me, I couldn't resist telling Natalie all about why I get a little sad at the end. It turns out I wasn't the only one wiping her eyes when the credits rolled. Hee! Hee! I'm mean that way.

Extracurricular Activities-

Keagan's (nephew) Birthday at Andrew's Park-This was Friday after school. The weather was awful, but she had rented an indoor pavilion so we stayed warm and dry. Keagan opened his first present and wasn't interested in opening any more of them. Typical but funny 2 year-old antics. Since this was Tristan's actual birthday, Selena got him a cake too and he got to open his presents from us. I also let him pick out a General Grievous Transformer at Wal-Mart en route to the party. That kept him busy most of the night. Caroline coveted the Pokemon action figures that she picked out as a gift for him and this led to much fighting and drama throughout the evening. Fun! Fun! Fun!

Tristan's Party at the movie theatre-I'm glad I did something indoors because the weather didn't get any better. The party room part was a little rushed because we were waiting on the chicken nugget tray from Chick-Fil-A. Once the presents were opened, Dave took the kids down to watch TMNT (guest review from the kids to come) while I cleaned up and took Elisa back home for some much-needed down time. Tristan claims he didn't like his party, but Dave said he had fun and is just yanking my chain. He lives to yank my chain, so I don't doubt that's true.

Madeline's Party at Pump It Up-This is one of those places that gives you a room full of inflatables and about 1 1/2 hours to play before moving to a party room for cake and presents. We really had fun, and that's saying something. I haven't mentioned this yet, but my sister and Madeline's dad are splitting up. It's a sad situation, but the party was a lot of fun even with both of them in attendance. As I watched she and her soon-to-be ex "jousting" in one of the bouncy castles while I chatted with his mother and sister just as I have since they were married and teased my cousin J because Juliet beat him at the obstacle course, I had one of those epiphany moments where I realize that no matter how dysfunctional or different we are; we are family at the end of the day and I thank God for each and every one of us-flaws and all. The kids had fun, the place was spotlessly clean, and the staff was extremely helpful. This was by far THE party of our weekend (and we had lots of venues to judge from).

Youth Conference-All of a sudden, I have friends at church. When did that happen? First, I had a great time hanging out with Sister O and her kids at the Sonic playground while our daughters did a Valiant girls activity-but we always have fun. Then, I would up chaperoning a youth dance last night during conference and got to know another woman in the branch who was on a "chaperoning" date with her husband. I knew we would be friends when I turned down on of the teenage boys who asked me to dance (I'm hugely paranoid about getting in trouble for "inappropriate behavior" as an advisor, you can blame my aunts for that-and they don't even go to my church. They just like to beat dead horses, but I digress...) and after I was told by one of the ladies in charge that it would have been OK to dance with him; I couldn't find him to apologize. My new friend looked at me with a completely straight face and deadpanned that he was "in the bathroom crying" then laughed at my guilt-stricken face. I think I'm going to like her...Also, I made two of the girls laugh during testimony meeting. I didn't mean to, they were just admiring some goofy boy on the stand and have a whispered argument about which one of them would marry him. I told them that since we were Mormon, it was OK-they both could! They thought that was a lot funnier than I thought they would. Oops! In my defense, my new friend was a couple of rows ahead of me telling one of our Young Men that "real men bear their testimony." And teasing him in every other way to try and get him up there. We're both going to get fired, aren't we? At least we're having fun. And on a more serious note, if acting like a goof-ball, making them laugh, and really embarrassing them when they play "Dancing Queen" is what it takes to earn their trust so that they will really listen to me when I'm trying to teach them something important; I'll do it. (And based on the way they are starting to trust and confide in me, I'd say it's working.)

My Family Speaks in Church-For the first time, our whole family spoke in sacrament meeting. Natalie and Tristan were cute and bore their testimony about how much they loved Family Home Evening. Caroline got up and announced she was going to a birthday party and that she didn't want to talk about FHE because it was "boring." Guess whose talk everyone loved best? I got her back though. I shared the story I heard her telling Elisa the other day that went like this:

"Moses walked on the water to break and bless the bread and fishes and he fed it to everyone in the Ark. Then he parted the water and the ark landed. The end."

She's such a scriptorian. At least Dave's talk was good. And that's our week. Now I'm just hoping to survive the next one...

I Got Nothin' Here

Between all the birthday parties, school field trips, Youth Conference, and trying to come up with a last-minute budget for a grant proposal; I don't have much else to say. I'm glad Tristan's party was fun and is over and that all the other kids have had good birthday's-but I'm burning the candle at both ends to try and do everything I need to get done right now. So, I'm glad I've seen some hilarious searches leading people to this blog. All I have to do now is share my favorites:


kevin costner's acceptance speech
(Hope it's got a long shelf life)

love necklace but it is not from my husband
(Sounds like a personal problem)

neosporin toxic if swallowed
(Yeah, but the poison control people are SOOO nice. Ask for "Windy" if you call in the OKC metro area.)

dog ate neosporin
(Have I ever blogged about Neosporin before? Why all the searches?)

jeffy goes to church
(I'm sure he does, but this made me giggle.)

dutch woman looking for job as babysitter in florence,az
(Are Dutch women in high-demand in the Southwest?)

And my personal favorite:

tacky homemaker gets a makeover: episode 37
(We must still be in episode 35.)

Seven Things About Tristan

On His 7th Birthday

1. He was my biggest baby at 8 lbs. 3 oz. and he was my quickest and easiest delivery coming just less than three hours after they started my pit drip. He was very good baby too. (Little did I know...)

2. Tristan spent the first year of his life without his Dad who was deployed to Bosnia just four months after he was born. When he got home, I thought one year-old Tristan would be scared of him; but instead he jumped right into his arms.

3. Even so, he is still a mama's boy. The other day he covered me up with a blanket and said "Sometimes it seems like I'm the only one who cares about you, Mama." Indeed it does.

4. Tristan was kicked out of two pre-schools before Thanksgiving break of that school year. One of them was nice about it but Trinity Lutheran Pre-School was not. Feel free to go to my 'about me' profile and click on the 'email me' button if you would like to know more about my experiences with them. (Not that I hold a grudge...LOL!)

5. Tristan has only lost two baby teeth so far. Apparently, he will need most of them to be pulled. Big fun.

6. Tristan is surrounded by women. His dad works while he is at home, he has three sisters, and of his eight cousins, only two others are boys. One lives in Louisiana and is a year older than Natalie, the other lives here and just turned two. Poor kid.

7. Tristan is fanatical about Star Wars...I can't imagine where he gets it.

Happy Birthday Buddy!

Love,
Mama

Thursday Thirteen #23

Thirteen People I Would Like to Disappear from My TV Screen

1. Howard K. Stern and Larry Birkhead-We know how poor Daniel died, we know what killed Anna, and now we even know who poor little Dannielynn's baby daddy is. So can we just let it all go now? I was ready for Anna Nicole Smith's 15-minutes to be up long before it started turning into a Greek tragedy. It's time to let her rest in peace and find a new dead horse to beat.

2. Paris Hilton-Speaking of someone who has overstayed her 15 minutes...

3. Britney Spears-Just leave the poor girl be already. Back in the late 90's I never would have imagined wishing I could smack every camera-snapping jerk who gets up in her face, but lately that's exactly how I feel. Having suffererd from PPD and that accompanying feeling that my life would never be spontaneous or fun again once I'd birthed three kids in 5 years, I feel for her. Seriously.

4. Hate-spewing politicians of either party-Can't we all just get along?

5. Sportacus and Stephanie from Lazytown. They just creep me out. Sorry.

6. Don Imus AND Reverand Al Sharpton-As angry as Mr. Imus' comments made me, I am that much angrier that he has given Rev. Al something more to whine about. Thanks a lot, Jerk!

7. Rosie O'Donnell in a feud with ANYONE! I feel like a traitor because I used to love my Rosie, but seriously...is there anyone who hasn't ticked her off since she started on The View? Rosie, my Rosie, just let it go. Kelly Ripa doesn't hate gays and Donald Trump is just a jerk beneath your dignity. We aren't all a bunch of lesbian-hating meanies who are out to get you. Some of us really still want to like you. Please let us.

8. Gary England interrupting my evening programs to let me know severe weather in on the way. Regular weather reports on the evening news are just fine.

9. Sanjaya and his wacky hairstyles-I was entertained at first but enough is enough. (Sorry, I know many of my readers will now accuse me of blasphemy)

10. Anyone hosting an informercial: celebrity, wanna-be, or otherwise. I don't need any more junk in my house. Stop taking over the Saturday morning cartoon time-slots and trying to sell it to me. I'd rather watch Bugs Bunny and Scooby Doo.

11. Bill O'Reilly

12. That Most-Extreme ELiminaTion show that Dave will watch for hours.

13. Smiling Bob who just LOVES his mAle-enHanceMent supplements.

Happy Birthday(s)!!

This is a week of birthdays in my life. Monday was my mother's birthday, Tuesday was a free day, and today marks no less than three important birthdays: my niece Madeline is 5, Natalie's BFF since infancy is 9, and my friend Christy is 16x2!! To celebrate the special day of all three of these ladies I submit this very Classics major appropriate picture:





And I want to wish all of them a very Happy day! (Especially Christy since she is the only birthday girl I won't see in person today!)

Love you all!

Tomorrow and Friday are all about the men in my life: Tristan will be 7 and my nephew Keagan will be 2! (Dave will be 37 later on this month.)

It's DONE!

I finished the exam. I finished the exam despite the root canal with only Advil for a companion BECAUSE my dentist can't perform anesthesia OR prescribe pain meds. BUT he's got a great sarcastic sense of humor. (Which it turns out I don't appreciate in a health care professional be it a DDS or an OB/GYN. I've always loved it in the guys I've dated so who knew?! I guess there really is a time and place for everything.) I also finished the exam while making sure the Easter Bunny was good to my kids and that they looked cute (if not cold) for church on Sunday. Did I mention I was coming down with a cold too? Saturday I could either work on the exam with a clear head, stuffy nose, and throbbing jaw; or I could take meds and be in la-la land. I chose the pain. And I chose it again today (though I did use Sudfed at bedtime-God bless it!). But now...I am finished. (Both with the exam and my Spartan 'I don't need no stinkin' meds' attitude.) I can't say it's completely over since I don't know yet if I passed or not, but I can say I feel better today than I have since I left the dentist's office last Friday. And that's certainly saying something!

Can't Blog...Writing

Since yesterday's trip to the dentist for two fillings turned into one filling and a root canal (my first and can I just say OW!! in reference to both the pain and the price?), I'm a little behind on my exam schedule today. Since I won't get to do a Week In Review tomorrow, let me just say that I saw and loved Little Miss Sunshine last week. Alan Arkin earned that Oscar, even if I would have liked to see Eddie Murphy win one. Among my favorite parts in the movie were all the fighting when they were trying to get to the hotel and any scene Steve Carrell was involved in-I love him in anything (but was too ashamed to admit on this blog that I had watched and loved The 40 Year-Old Virgin-so, yes I did, you caught me), but I really feel like he was at his best in this movie.

Happy Easter to everyone and I'll be back right after I turn in my exam on Tuesday.

Friday Flashback

I've mentioned a few times here that I was once in an abusive relationship. Since April is abuse awareness month, I will likely write a post dedicated to that sometime later this month when I don't have so many looming deadlines. But for today, I wanted to remember something happy. Yesterday, on the drive home from work my iPod pulled up a song that, for some reason, it doesn't seem to shuffle very often; "Somebody" by Depeche Mode. I still remember the first time I heard the song.

It was November of 1991. The Jerk and I had been broken up for almost a year, but anyone who has been in an abusive relationship can tell you that recovering takes a long time. (And you are never the same person, but that's a post for another time.) When we finally split up, I felt like I'd lost every slightly sentimental or idealisitic notion I had ever believed about romantic love. It wasn't that I couldn't still flirt or that I didn't enjoy dating, but the "I love you's" I said to The Jerk had mostly been said out of desire for self-preservation. Any actual feeling behind the words was long-gone, if it had ever even been there in the first place. I wasn't sure that I would ever again be able to say "I love you" to someone and mean it. And that made me sad because I had a wonderfully sweet boyfriend at the time. We had a lot of fun together and he made me laugh, but I resisted anything that too closely resembled intimacy of ANY kind because I feared that if we got close enough that he loved me, I wouldn't be able love him back. I was trying very hard to keep things at arms-length. And I'm sure it frustrated him.

That November weekend brought with it an unexpected snow storm. My friends and I about froze to death working concessions that morning at Owen Stadium (and it still was Owen Stadium back then) and all we could talk about was whether or not the roads would be clear enough for that night's dance. After the game, I returned to the DG house and told my roommate that our evening plans were still up in the air. She reminded me that she was from Colorado and that as long as there was no ice, she would be happy to do the driving. They didn't cancel the dance, and I called up to the lodge to let my boyfriend know that a) we were coming and b) S was driving instead of me so we would be safe. He was busy and I left a message with one of the other boys. I remember being slightly disappointed and also relieved because it occurred to me as I dialed the phone that I wanted to end the conversation with the words "I love you" as I hung up. And yet, I still didn't really know if I could feel that way. The last thing I wanted to do was lead him on.

But, having talked to someone else, I dodged that bullet once again and we all piled into S's car. Since it was her car, we listened to her music and she was going through a Depeche Mode phase. I had heard the first three songs on the album several times driving around campus with her, but driving to the city took a little longer and we were going fairly slowly too. So we got to the last song on the tape (yes, I said tape as in cassette) and it was "Somebody". The first time I listened to it, I thought I could literally feel my heart melting just a little bit. As soon as it finished, we all wanted her to rewind it so we could hear it again. I think we did that about three times and as I listened to the words I remembered what I had once thought a romantic relationship could be before The Jerk came along and shattered all my illusions. And for the first time since that break-up, I realized that maybe I did still have it in me to love again or maybe to fall in love for the first time. I knew that I could love somebody. And that's what I remember every time I hear that song.

Thursday Thirteen #22

Thirteen Things I Can't Seem to Accompish This Week No Matter How Badly I Want To:

1. Folding all my laundry (at least it's getting washed on a daily basis)

2. Keeping the living room picked up (mostly because it's full of unfolded laundry)

3. Buying cute Easter outfits for my children-I actually have a little money, and NO TIME to shop unless I want to take all four kids by myself. And that ranks right up there with a full-frontal lobotomy.

4. Cleaning out my refigerator

5. Cleaning out my car.

6. Getting my kids to bed before 10 p.m.

7. Finding my other work skirt. Some people wear power suits to work, others wear hair nets, I wear prairie skirts and frilly blouses; but only when I can find them.

8. Figuring out why my son doesn't want me in his bedroom. (He has likely hidden contraband of some kind in there, but I sure can't find it if he has.)

9. Turning in my DVD's to Blockbuster (Just call me Uncle J).

10. Finding my kids missing school and library books.

11. Wrapping up the final school candy sale details.

12. Taking half an hour to sob uncontrollably over all the things I should be getting done, but can't.

13. FINISHING MY FREAKING COMP EXAM WHILE TAKING CARE OF FOUR KIDS BY MYSELF EVEN THOUGH I'VE POSTPONED EVERYTHING ELSE IN MY LIFE TO WORK ON IT. (Maybe I should try duct tape? But it's all good. Dave just told me that I'll have "all of Saturday to crank that puppy out.")

I'd Like To Thank the Academy...

Oh wait! It's not that kind of award. But I did win something! AlisonWonderland nominated me for a Thinking Blogger Award:



Not only is a the Thinking Blogger Award for recognition, it's also a meme and the rules are simple:


1. If, and only if, you get tagged, write a post with links to five blogs that make you think.

2. Link to this post so that people can easily find the exact origin of the meme.

3. (Optional) Proudly display the "Thinking Blogger Award" with a link to the post that you wrote. (Oh you'd better believe I'll be doing that!)

Looking at my blogrolls, it's going to be hard to pick the 5 that make me think, but I'll do my best:

1) My friend Anne's blog Frank Innocence and Mirth. Since I started having babies, Anne has remained my link to the "grown-up" world. If it weren't for her recommendations, I wouldn't have read half of the good books that I have, seen many good movies, or remembered that there was life at all outside of Blue's Clues and Wiggles CD's. (Not that there's anything wrong with those, I'm just sayin') Besides, there's no way I can have a cool button depicting an alien on MY blog and not share it with her. (She also introduced me to the X Files.)

2) And I Wasted All That Birth Control...-I've been reading Cecily's blog since shortly before she lost her precious twin boys at 21 weeks gestation. I've also been able to rejoice with her since then with birth of baby Tori. (And that's a story in itself.) Her main topics are her liberal political views, movies and TV shows that she's watched and enjoyed (or not), the sobriety of she and her equally wonderful husband Charlie (did ya see me sneak in another blog link-shh!), her awesome tattoos, infertility, and her struggles with faith. On the surface she and I wouldn't seem to have all that much in common, but there are very few women on my blogroll that I want to meet in person more than Cecily. She is, in my not-so-humble opinion, one of the most incredible people I've ever shared internet space with-and even when they number in the 100's or more, she answers ALL her comments personally. She has room in her mind and heart to consider everyone's opinion on just about any issue which is a favor that not many conservatives return in kind. Also, did I mention her adorable baby Tori? She's made me laugh and cry for quite some time now, but she's also made me think and re-think my opinions on many occasions. And that's the whole point of this award, is it not?

3) An Audience of One-Brian is a much applauded writer among those of us who are Okie Bloggers and with good reason. His observations as an adminstrator at a metro area middle school have often enhanced my own studies in educational theory are a graduate student of Museum Studies. (Education was my area of concentration in the MLS program even though I'm happily employed right now as an Archivist.) His experiences validate many of mine as a former middle and high school teacher and now in my role as a youth advisor at church. His thoughts on life and parenthood are always insightful, and he has great taste in music too. Also, I aspire to be in his weekend round-up and have managed it on more than one occasion.

4) OkieDoke-Thanks to Mike, I'm much more aware of what goes on politically in our great state. (And I also know a lot more about the weirder crimes that go on around here than I ever wanted. But that's a good thing.) It's also nice to know I'm not the lone independent thinker in a state with bitter divisions between Republicans and Democrats.

5) LammyAnn Life-Lammy's posts are not only of the "here's what my family did today" variety (though those are among my favorite reads too), but they also give me a lot of insight to the trials and joys of long-time married life and let me know that motherhood is an ongoing puzzle that we are all striving to piece together no matter how old our kids are or how good an example our parents set for us. At the end of just about every one of her posts, she adds a pertinent and often thought-provoking quote to pull her post together. I'm as impressed at the time and effort she takes in finding these as I am with her weekly observations.

MySpace is Your Space

I posted this earlier to my MySpace blog. If you are at all curious to see my page, it's here. I usually keep my profile private, but I'll go ahead and leave it public for a couple of days. I'll never love the MySpace like I love this blog, but I have to admit that my sister did a pretty good job of making my page for me.

29 Questions:

1. Story behind your myspace song?
The Rainbow Connection is, in my opinion, my theme song. I even want it played at my funeral.

2. Story behind your headline?
I like to change mine weekly. Right now I'm letting my avatar do the talking. I'm about to turn 35, 'nuff said.

3. What's bothering you right now?
Comp exams-I'm missing my copy of Savage Inequalities and I need it to finish one of my questions.

4. (where is this question???? I think I will fill it in)
Who(m) was was most influential in your life and why?
That would be my grandmothers and a few of my high school teachers and youth leaders (Mom L, 10th grade history and 12th grade Latin come to mind right now). I've always doubted my mother's belief in me (with good reason) but these other women did believe and motivated a lot of the better choices I've made in my life.


.::DESCRIBE YOUR...::.

5. Wallet:
Two pockets inside my Kermit purse

6. Car:
Red Dodge Durango-it could probably use a good cleaning inside


7. Describe your cell phone background:
Fireworks

8. Jewelry worn today:
None

9. Pillowcase:
Queen-size quilted pattern that matches my comforter, king-size yellow that compliments the other one

10. Eyes:
Green

11. House Color:
Beige with green trim

12. Sports:
I watch Italian calcio (soccer) when I can find it, OU football (which I find a lot more often), and I personally enjoy DDR and my elliptical trainer

13. CD in Stereo:
Who needs a CD when you've got an iPod!


14. Piercings:
Just ears

.::WHAT ARE YOU...::.

15. Wearing?
Muppet t-shirt, jeans, and Reeboks

16. Wanting?
More time to work on these exams on my own. (Anyone wanna babysit for me on Friday night?)


.::RANDOM...::.

17. Where are you?
On the couch in my living room

18. Listening to?
Johnny Cash songs (watching it too)

19. Something you're afraid of:
Losing my children

20. Do you like candles?
Yes, they make my house smell good

21. Do you like the taste of blood?

No

22. Do you believe in love?
Yes

23. Do you believe in soul mates?
Yes

24. Do you sleep naked?
It's not a good idea when you've got four kids in the house.

25. Are you a virgin?
Didn't you just read about the four kids in the house?

26. Do you remember your dreams?
Not as often as I used to.

27. Do you consider yourself a study freak?
Right now I am

28. Do you like tattoos?
Yes, but I doubt I will ever get one.

29. Do you believe in miracles?
Yes!!


*BONUS* What's something you wish you could understand better?
Algebra, Chemistry, and Physics-I would have had a lot more career choices

Week In Review

Reading-
What Do You Do All Day by Amy Schiebe-I bought this at the same time I bought Little Children. It is more chick lit than literature, but of the two; I enjoyed this book a little more. There were even places in the book where I teared up a little. I'm guessing this had more than a little to do with the fact that the protagonist was a frustrated mother with a nice husband who just worked impossible hours and was rarely That must be a mere coincidence. Either way, I highly recommend the book. Lots of mommy-angst, a New York setting, and even a little mystery woven into the plot made it a very enjoyable and slightly cathartic read for me.

Watching-

Let's start with the best:

Rome-I remember saying before this season started that I just couldn't imagine being able to carry on the plot after Caesar's assassination. Well, that just goes to show what a fool I was. This season was, in many ways, superior to the first. By the end of the first season, I never would have imagined that I would feel bad for Marc Antony OR so proud of Atia in the end, but I did. And I'm glad the writers ended each of their stories with dignity. ("Better women than you have tried, go and find them now!" Such a classic line!) I loved Vorenus telling Cleopatra that he took orders only from Antony and since I've always hated the fact that Octavian had poor little Caesarion killed, I quite preferred his fictional fate. And yes, I cried at the last scene with Vorenus, Pullo, and the children. All in all, this was one of the best things HBO has ever done and I'm only sorry there won't be anymore. (Of course, because I'm me I did have to poke Dave as Octavian rode through the streets of Rome at the end and say "So this is how liberty dies..." Thankfully, Dave is a Star Wars fan too.)

Battlestar Galactica-It was a draw this week over which show was better. But I lead with Rome only because it was the series finale. BSG made up for two weeks of lackluster episodes last Sunday. Wow! What a way to end the season! I NEVER would have picked any of the four for the "final 5." Especially Sammy. And I suppose since there were only four, I will just have to admit that my beloved Starbuck is the 5th and that it is a bad idea to follow her to earth. But I'm not 100% convinced about that yet. Sorry. And speaking of that last scene, I was thrilled, but not at all surprised to see her. Oh, and it turns out that I only love Lee Adama when he's in his flight suit. I haven't been happy with him at all these last two episodes, but the minute he suited up and started flying, it was like I was seeing him for the first time in Season One all over again. (He must be my Maverick replacement since I cannot in good conscience allow myself to love Tom Cruise anymore.) I hear that the Sci-Fi channel has only ordered 13 more episodes of BSG. Any idea how we could change their minds? Then again, Dave said maybe it IS best to end on a good note. He watched the original BSG and said once they found earth the whole series sucked from then until it was cancelled. (Not that it stopped him from ordering the entire series on DVD, mind you.) Needless to say, I hope we get more than 13 more episodes. (And we will, no doubt, own those on DVD too.)

BBC's Robin Hood-OK, so the sheriff isn't Alan Rickman. The actor s still has his strong points. I particularly loved the exchange between him and Sir Guy with Sir Guy's "With all due respect Sir, he was supposed to be in Nottingham winning your silver arrow." And if he weren't such a jerk, you would almost feel bad for Sir Guy. Marian is never going to love him, the Sheriff treats him horribly, and he's pretty easy on the eyes if I do say so myself. Then again, he also hits women, leaves babies to die, and stabs people just for arguing with him. And what is the deal with people deliberately slicing their hands? I hated it when Kevin Costner did it and I'll be darned if Marian didn't do it in yesterday's episode. Gross! (OK, she needed to, but it seriously gives me the bad kind of goosebumps when I see that.) Again, I feel like this series wasn't written to last more than one or two seasons, but I do enjoy it.

2007 General Conference-Yesterday, I struggled to stay awake. (I know, shame on me.) Today, I feel like every talk was geared towards me and my family. The next session starts right now and I'm looking forward to it.

In My Netflix Queue-

Star Wars: Return of the Jedi-Thank you HBO Family for showing these movies over and over and prompting my children to watch them and watch them. I never thought I would be tired of seeing "Star Wars" on the programming guide, but I am getting there. Last night's showing sparked the debate of why Vader looked so bad with his mask off, whether we liked the closing music of the original or the re-mastered version better (I prefer the original), and whether or not it was better to have Anakin appear at the end as his young self. (I prefer Young Anakin myself.) Natalie noted that it all ended 'happily ever after' and then her Daddy and I pointed her to our three shelves' worth of post-movie novels and said 'not so much.' Then, Dave and I proceeded to debate the dubious merits of the New Jedi Order series (he likes it, I refuse to read it) for the rest of the evening.

Extracurricular Activities-

Field trip season is kicking into high gear at work and my Comp exams are ongoing at home. Needless to say, it's a bad time to drop by unannounced at my house. But I will get through it. I picked up my cap and gown yesterday...I'm almost afraid to touch it.