Resolute

Here is a standoff from home tonight - it's not over and it's been 30 minutes in the making. I'm not sure how it started or why, but from what I've overheard, Hudson needs to sit down and apologize. He's been standing, stomping, and screaming in the bathroom, refusing to sit down and apologize. Jeremy, the resolute father, has patiently sat on a stool just outside the bathroom door guiding our son through the apology and humility stage. And, now that it's taken a while to move the pictures around, the battle has been going on for 45 minutes and began with demands and throwing a fit over a shirt. It's a long story, but basically any thing Jer has said, H has done the opposite - sit down, H stood up; light on, H turned it off; look at me - H looks away. H told Jeremy he "won't ever apologize." It's going to be a long night...for the record, Jeremy says he was never this stubborn, but I think I might have been (and I think he probably was, too).


In other news, I got the flower girl in her dress. She's quite the model - a silly 5 year old model (the other pictures are on Flickr, if you get time). Michael & Ashley, I'm sure she'll be less of a ham on the wedding day!




I'm off to read my current favorite book: Confessions of a Slacker Mom. If you're a mom, you've got to check it out...it's GREAT!

Earrings and more...

One of the things we accomplished on our shopping trip was the piercing of the ears. We've always told Jenna that when SHE was ready, she could get her ears pierce. We were both indifferent to when. A couple of weeks ago, she declared herself reading. Previously, when she declared herself ready, we would remind her that it was going to hurt, and she would change her mind. This time, we've been steady for 2 weeks. She remembered this on the way to Fort Worth Friday. Again, I reminded her that it was going to hurt. Her mind was made up.

So, after our trips to other stores, we marched into the mall. She picked out sparkly pink earrings and mounted the chair smiling from ear to ear. We pierced the first ear - and the whole Hulen Mall heard us. I comforted, and loved, I praised. She declared she was finished. She cried so hard she had a nose bleed. I finally had to tell her that we WERE going to pierce the other ear. After more screaming, I told her to hold on to my arm tight, and the girl gave it to the other ear. She's glad she did it now, but it was rough.



Then, after we got home and rested up, Jeremy got home. So, what are we going to do tonight? We decided to go camping!Out to Jer's parents'. The marshmallow roasting was great, as were our explorations...

Goodbye

This is a purely therapeutic blog. Feel free to gloss over, and please don't respond - I just need to get it out.

Kirsti was a dear friend of mine. We met, funny enough, when she stole my eighth grade boyfriend. Mickey was a freshman as was Kirsti, and the beautiful, flirtatious blond got her hooks in him. Being the reconciler that I was, I phoned her to talk - weird, huh? What happened? We became the best of friends. We went to Disney World together on the band trip, spent hours laying out, playing with our cats, making the drag in Stephenville, flirting with boys, drinking lemonade at her parents'. I was in her wedding & she in mine. Over the years since, we've kept in touch, sometimes with long stretches in between, sometimes with frequent emails. She lived a spell in Idaho, and I never made it to see her. I had hoped to see her now that she was back in Texas. She's loved photography forever, and we just started talking "shop" since I'm just starting out.

Kirsti was beautiful - gorgeous. She always made me think a little of Jennie Garth, the girl who was on 90210. I never shared my faith in Christ with Kirsti, which is what really hurts the most right now. I got a note in the mail from Kirsti's dad today, "Please call me." So, I knew something was wrong right away. But, I was not prepared for what I heard. Almost two months ago, Kirsti and her mom were walking the dogs near her parents' place in Lampasas. A car came around the corner and hit them. Kirsti was killed and her mother is paralyzed from the waist down. He had wanted to tell me, obviously, but didn't have any of my contact information. He was going through some of her stuff last week and found my address.

Oh, how it hurts. Almost 20 years of friendship and I never had 'the conversation' with her. Instead, I allowed myself to "just live a life she could see" so that, one day, when we both had time, I could stop and tell her. I never did. Please, don't wait, if there is someone in your life that you love that you're not sure about.

Home again

Back home from Florida. Good trip. Some great, enlightening information and some good affirmation. I didn't get a lot of challenge that was overwhelming, but some good nudging to do what I know I need to do anyway. It's always good to get that gentle nudge of conviction - not too painful, just right.

The kids and I went to Ft. Worth for some errands today. We got a flower girl dress!
We also pierced our ears. Pictures of both to come.

I have to brag on little man - he was AWESOME today through the shopping! Go H!

We've randomly decided to go camping - later.

Sunny Florida

We've recovered from the red card at school. Jenna's behavior has been much on the mend. Hudson, we'll he's had a few red cards here at home. I don't understand how he can be so absolutely loving and affectionate and obedient one minute and then, BOOM, he's kicking, screaming, and stomping another. I guess that's the 3 year old in him!

Jeremy and I leave tomorrow for a church conference in Florida! Yea! I'm attending a conference that actually speaks to my needs!: "In church planting a spouse must deal not only with her or his own life, but also with added expectations from others. The church planter's spouse must deal with the expectations of others while discovering her/his own giftedness-a unique "DNA" that is not always what others expect. This is a huge balancing act of time and priorities." I can't wait to hear what there is!

Otherwise, life has been pretty smooth. Hectic as we prepare for a week's absence from school and the kids, but smooth. The job share seems to be pressing forward - the schedule is made, I'll have 2 AP and 1 Sheltered class, we've chosen the room we want to move into, and we're EXCITED!

RED?!?!!!

Today was set up to be a great day. It was scope and sequence workday at the curriculum building -right up my alley! Not only do I love that stuff, but it means a little later morning arrival, more than my standard 30 minutes for lunch at a REAL restaurant, and getting finished earlier. We really do work our tails off despite how easy that makes it sound.

So, at 3:40 I arrived at pre-school (a full hour earlier than normal) and saw Ms. Erin, Jenna's morning teacher. "Jenna had a really rough day today. Her card was moved all the way to red." Hear audible gasp by me. Red is the result of multiple warnings. She had a bad night last night - disobedience and talking back. It followed her to school today as she talked back and disobeyed her teacher. So, Jenna had to have consequences. I got to use my Love & Logic skills, "Jenna, your behavior today will result in a consequence. I don't know what that consequence will be because Dad and I will have to talk about it. But, know that something will happen." Talk about a five year old sweating it out!

So, after some yard work, extra chores, and a talk, she is losing her story and book time, her High School Musical CD at bed time, and had to write Ms. Erin a letter. It's working because she "feels sad" and "has a tummy ache." Here's her letter...


There's a fine line between too harsh & not harsh enough. I don't want her to be that kid in class that says, "My parents won't care." I want her to be the kid that says, "My parents would make my life miserable if I did that." I think we're setting a good foundation.

Meanwhile, Hudson is so excited it's not him for a change! I think it's good for both of them even if it is hard to see Jenna take something so hard.

Meet Bloopy

Don't call him Bloopy II, Bloopy Jr., or New Bloopy. "It's just Bloopy," is what you'll hear. I personally think this Bloopy is ugly - physically and personality-wise. Yes, fish do have personalities, because Bloopy #1 would swim to whichever side of the bowl you were on and swim or look at you. This little guy swims over alright, but he flares his gills and fins like he would like to attack you. Same thing to Princess, the female fish in the other half of the bowl (the bowl is divided or I think he'd have killed her by now). I just don't like him.

We had a good time choosing, but all the fish were ugly. The kids had so much fun choosing and bringing home a new fish that they want to know who's going to die next so we can get another! I tried to explain the goal is to take care of the fish and have him/her live a long time, like until they're in school...but they said they like burying and getting new ones. Ah, the fun times.

OUCH!

This was my mantra Monday morning as I ran. Knee pain started about mile 3, but I thought I could 'work it out.' By mile 4, I knew there wasn't any working it out, but I had almost 2 miles to get back home. By mile 5, I was almost in tears and had a good limp.

It really all started in my big toe joint several months ago. That started hurting enough that I gave in and got new shoes, which worked for about a week. I did give in and make an appointment with a sports med doctor. After a zillion x-rays (how much will that cost?), he assured me that structurally I am fine. Then we got to the business of what had changed to cause pain and make it move up my leg to my knee.

Don't you hate it when you have to pay someone to tell you something really obvious that you really already knew?

When I started teaching 10 years ago, I had the sense to know to buy expensive shoes (Naturalizer, Aerosols) that were flat. In the last three years, I decided that heels were really cuter, and started adding them (a lot of them). Seems that a few years of teaching in heels has caused early, early arthritis and early bunions on my big toe joint. The toe joint has been sensitive for a couple of months, which is enough to cause a runner to change the way she runs, leading to tendinitis of the knee. It all makes sense, and I really figured it all came down to running differently, and I knew those shoes were bad...

So, goodbye shoes (I have several pair of size 8 1" to 1 1/2" heels that are homeless). If I want to continue to run - I need to go back to flat, wide toe box shoes after a week of wearing my runners to work (I look kind of funny in my skirt with running shoes, but they are comfortable). And do more cross training (which, I already knew would be better for my body - but it's really easy just to go out and run and not plan a trip to the Y at 5:30 am).

It's working. I've sported my running shoes to work, I've done the bike & elliptical at the Y, and taking the ibuprofen. I ran a 5K today and despite some pretty good pain the last mile, I ran a 25:44 (that's pretty good for my times).

Big News!

Last week was a big week of news!

Wednesday I got the word that the job share is official. My principal told my department chair that it is official! Yea! Since the option was not having a job at all or working part time, I'm pretty excited to still be a financially contributing member of our family. Plus, I love teaching and the position will give me a chance to excel at teaching and at mothering. I get to pick up Jenna from kindergarden and H from day preschool! Woo hoo!

God just continues to lavish his love on us.

Is the fish asleep or dead?

What do you think?

This was Jeremy's first question this morning as Jenna and I were making pancakes. Knowing that Bloopy (beloved betta fish) hadn't looked so good the last two days and that fish don't look much different asleep than awake, I knew the answer before I turned around to look. Jenna took it well, just asking when we were going to bury him.
However, when she made the announcement to Hudson, who doesn't wake up well, the result was a good cry. Sobbing, slobbering cry. What do you tell a 3 year old?

Bloopy will be interred today around 5:00 when we all get home from work and school. We will then go and let H choose a new fish and name it all by himself so that we 1) have another boy fish 2)Princess (the female betta) will have a friend.