Thoughts on a Thursday

A couple very special ladies.  They like us and each other too!

The Dad's!  Sharing how wonderful their children are (tee-hee)

Dirty-rotten homework gets in the way of fun...

The Chairman of course! 

Reading...

Found on the download.  It's dark and un-ladylike, but a captured moment someone took.

Proof that I don't take all the pictures.  This was a thrill because it was the first time I let them have it.

Lots and lots of fire trucks came to our street this week.  Luckily not for us.  Unfortunately for the neighbors.  Not sure what happened yet, but there are fire/water restoration trucks at their house now.  Ugh.

One week of school left here at the Chairman's house.  The MYP are thrilled of course.  But I find it sweet when they say they'll miss their teachers/classmates too.  I was even called Mrs. T yesterday by one of our own...  

So a little kitten will be joining our family on Sunday night.  This cat has pedigree that goes all the way back to a barn or possibly an alley.  He's cute and gold and going to cause a lot of disruption here at the Chairman and company.  I'm hoping he can stay.  He'll be an outside cat (we hope).  I doubt he writes any stories, because he can't possibly be smarter than Lisi...

But before kitten comes, we will be taking a journey down memory lane for me.  I will be seeing old stomping grounds.  Places I lived and worked and romped at as a free-spirited 20'something.  We will see where the Chairman proposed.  We will see where we married.  We will see old friends that were a huge help to me when I was young and single and sometimes needing help.  I'm so incredibly thankful to return back after nearly 18 years with a spouse and family that I deeply love.  I have been looking back the long years over and I do feel blessed...  

And we will be at the funeral of my aunt.  Sitting there with a thankful heart.  Seeing some folks that knew her or the family.  Yes, I'm looking forward to the next days.  They are certain to be wonderful. 

Memorial Monday Musings

Had to switch the title up on you so that you wouldn't think I'm predictable you know...  pretty clever, eh?

Do you remember the flood of 2012?  The one I mentioned one whole post ago?  Well one of the ways to make a marriage cruise right along is to sometimes omit telling misfortunes.  However, I made the grave mistake of marrying someone kinda clever.  In fact, the Chairman is quite intelligent.  To the point he realizes that his socks get damp each and every time he crosses the threshold out of the bathroom onto the carpet.  He finally asked, 'what happened???'.  Um.  Well there was this plant that needed watering... and...

We've had son #1 alone for the better part of this Memorial Day weekend.  It just happened that the daughters #1 and 2 had invitations to two different homes.  So we are having alone-time.  It is highly fascinating how different personalities are when they aren't threatened by a bossy or talkative sister.  Interesting indeed.  I am a big believer in that birth-order, amount-of-kids-in-the-family thing.  It does impact personality.  A lot.

I find great satisfaction in cutting scraggly tree limbs.  I'm not sure why.

On a very sobering note, one of our little neighborhood boys was bitten by a dog.  It was a boxer.  I liked this dog. He played with Lisi often when we'd walk by his yard.  But he bit our little neighbor boy.  To the point of 30 stitches.  It makes me sad for the little boy.  And leery about the dog.  The little guy will be fine thankfully.

It was touching to see a line-up of cars stop the other night as Mr. Mallard stood firm in the middle of the road.  Then he quacked coaxing sounds to the Mrs. and the wee ones and they all scurried down to the nearby lake.  I love nature.

Every day (unless there are gale-force winds), the flag of freedom flies proudly at the front of our home.  I think we fly it because it looks good on our white Cape Cod.  But mostly we fly it because we love our country and the liberties we have here.  Today on Memorial Day, I'm thankful for a father that was willing to go on a long boat ride to an unknown Korea and serve by helping in the medic wards in situations none of us would really like to face.

Think this is all I've got to muse today!

Thursdays thoughts

I would have posted sooner, but I was dealing with the flood of 2012.  Just a heads up in case you were wondering.  Do not put a big umbrella plant in the shower and covering a drain and then go off and get distracted by other things that seem important at the time.  You will return to a proverbial flood that leaves you wading in your own bathroom.  The silver lining is that our floor has never looked cleaner!

I was distracted by the outdoors.  Staring at my flowers and urging them to grow.  I LOVE this time of growth and green and new life.  I think I've said this before, so as to not lose the faithful, I'll stop now.

Except for the fact that I planted my vegetable garden yesterday!  Beans, carrots, lettuce, radishes, tomatoes, cucumbers... and more.  I do it because I should.  Not because I love vegetable gardens.

Another one of the MYP will be joining the 'tinsel teeth club'.  We have the most hilarious orthodontist.  I'm not sure what it is, but every time I go in for a consult with one of our kids, I find myself laughing nearly to the point of snorting.  Not good.  Maybe he thinks it's a way to distract me from thinking how much money it all is.  Nonetheless, he should have been a comedian.  But maybe orthodontists make more cash.

I noticed a new country that has lurked lately.  Iceland!  What a location!  Whoever you are, I'd love to come visit some day.  That country has always fascinated me.  On a side note, it is very evident that all the SAHM's are more busy once school is out.  Readership declines for sure during the summer.  I know it sure changes the way I operate.  We have a couple weeks left and I'm savoring the silence.

A lovely couple nearby just welcomed a baby boy.  All babies joining families are a joyous occasion.  But this one is sweeter and deeper because they faced a terrible loss a year ago.  Because of our own experience, when I hear of a situation like this, or a little one being adopted, it gives me pause and thankfulness in a richer way.  It is so nice to rejoice with those that rejoice.  And it is also needful to weep when others are weeping.

Now back to see how the tile dried off...

Monday Musings

Really, I haven't mused much.  But it wouldn't be Monday without the muse.

Something must have been in the water 18 years ago, because there are a LOT of graduates this year in our area and what I see on FB of friends we know.  Nice-looking young adults I should add!

Something the Chairman mentions to others at times is that he and I could never work together in a job.  Maybe he thinks I'm too bossy.  Or not.  But we actually worked together on Saturday laying a lot of mulch.  Made quick work of a dump-truck pile.  I'm glad that icky job is done.

I held my breath figuratively and literally last night.  Lisi suddenly wanted to go outside.  She barks and barks and barks and barks.  Then through the wide-open window breeze I smelled skunk - really, really strong.  She came back without a trace of it.  So I don't know if Pepe LePew just missed or had sprayed someone else.   It would have been a wonderful story for Lisi to tell - if it were a story.

Blogging must be in my sub-conscious thought.  I had an icky dream last night.  I was late for a funeral (luckily, not my own), and just couldn't get it to work out to get there in time.  And I remember thinking in my dream, 'wow, this will be a good blog post'.  Weird.

Then there's "Colleen".  I needed to book several rooms at a hotel.  Being the miserly frugal person that I am, I called the hotel direct and spoke with the sales lady.  I made nice with her telling her how much I love their chain.  Then Colleen and I worked hard at pricing.  I got it to where I wanted it to be.  Then we started to chat.  And suddenly she was telling me about her father passing away last year at the age of 85 and how she didn't want to let him go.  Her daughter that worked at Target Stores and how the City has changed much in the past ten years.  Then she wondered when we would be checking in because she wanted to meet us and to make sure all our needs were met.  I sure hope she doesn't want to share appetizers in the reception room!  Forty-five minutes later, I politely ended the call.  But we did get a good rate!

I can tell you are impressed with our mulch-laying skill

OSHA approved - brooms on trampolines without netting

the girls here this weekend - the one on the right wanted to call me "mom'

Thinking on Thursday

Yes, a glorious time of the year.  I'm completely drawn to any greenhouse I happen to drive by.  I'm smitten by pretty flowers.  They all want me to take them home and plant them and water them and nurture them.  I was informed by one of the MYP yesterday that I'm responsible for watering everything because it wasn't their idea to have them.

I also have a vegetable garden.  I do it because it is something I should do.  I do like fresh cukes and tomatoes and other delicious goodness that comes forth from it.  But I'd sure rather be working in flower beds than planting teensy-weensy carrot seeds.

I respect anyone who has to faithfully take a prescription medicine each day.  I'm having a dreadful time remembering my 2x/day for 21 days pills.  Hopefully, the lyme disease won't mind if I forget one every now and then.

I had a near-perfect mother.  But she wasn't.  Last night I was talking to the youngest and she was remarking on all the people she knows and how incredibly many for her near-10 year age.   She was even thinking of recording them all.  And it brought back a memory.  In my near-10 year age (many, many years ago) I was going to start a fresh notebook and write down everyone I knew.  And then keep it up all my life!  My near-perfect mother snickered and snorted and finally guffawed at me.  A silly idea she said!  There are too many to write down.  Then what would you do when they died?  But some days, I still wish I had that notebook that was never used.  And on a side note:  my near-perfect mother actually remarked about it some years back and thought maybe she gave bad motherly advice.  I'll forgive her.  Because she's near-perfect.

Some people dear to me lost their mother this week.  She was elderly and had fought dementia for the past years.  One thing that stands out to me about this elderly lady was that she was child-like.  And the older she got, the more child-like she got.  I think that's a wonderful quality.  She also loved children as much as anyone I knew.  The last time I saw her, she was just beaming looking at some little ones.  

I'm glad school is almost out.  The thought of packing one more lunch nearly makes me queasy.  If I do the math correctly, I'm packing nearly 500 lunches each school year.  Eeps.

Last night in g.m., I sat by a very precocious 5-year old that makes me smile.  But what nearly made my heart stop from cuteness was hearing her sing #130 at the top of her lungs.  Yes, a thousand choices bar her way...  but she sang with such a zeal and fresh innocence it was intoxicating.  

So off to the dreaded garden.  To hoe in some slightly straight lines and start the sowing of seed...  

Monday Musings

Always look forward to my Monday morning musings with you.  We are back from another weekend away.  Considering the Chairman and company rarely leave home, being gone two weekends/row is big news.  Anyway this time we went to see special people who we love dearly and cooked unbelievably tasty food.  I wish I had a picture to show you of them, but I don't.  I was too distracted with the box of baby kittens.

kitten cuddles

the strong possibility of becoming part of the family

enough fun to go around to everyone!

it's best to really experience kittens this way!

Lisi got to be a part of the weekend too!

Yes, cute as cute can be.  So I'm going to ask a very loaded question.  It's kind of like asking others opinions if you should have another child.  But not quite.  Anyway, one of the MYP really, really wants a cat.  Here's the opportunity.  Should we???  Please realize, that we will probably make the decision ourselves, but positive/negative experiences and thoughts welcome.  He's in the second picture and his name is already "Simba" according to what I hear.

Since the lyme disease struck, I'm not near as casual about the feeling of things crawling on me.  I leaped out of bed several times before I went to sleep last night convinced a tick had returned.  BTW, it was a wood tick that did it.  According to the doctor, they now carry it as well.  So beware!

And yesterday was Mother's Day!  I could get all schmaltzy about how I love our MYP and love the fact I get the privilege to mother them.  But I've done it before, so I will spare you this time.  Since we were away, I completely forgot to get a picture of them with me until we were in various levels of switching to casual clothes.  So this will do because it is reality.

One Sunday best, two casual, and one bathrobe for Mother's Day picture!

I took a couple of the MYP to school early this morning.  In my bathrobe with a very messy bed head.  All of the sudden one of the MYP is horrified when they look at me.  WHAT ARE YOU DOING?  Then she says, 'look behind at Mrs. So-and-So in her car.  She's all dressed up pretty and has earrings on and look at you!  Yes dear.  I was going to give a little lesson on being beautiful from the inside out, but didn't think it would fly at that moment.

So Mr. Chicken Farmer kindly came and tilled up my garden.  The promise of 70 degree days and a bright sun has me thinking I need to start planting my goods.  So off I go.  But first, I must get out of my bathrobe...

My day as a mother...

In honor of the coming Mother's Day, I will let you come peek at the things that I did today as a wife/mother.

Today I was ironing the Chairman's shirts.  Every last one of them had stripes.  I wonder if he subliminally feels imprisoned in his life?  Probably not.  It just happens that he picked the stripes theme for this week.  Or not.  

So where do you fold clothes?  I do it here:

Yep.  Right on the living room floor.  It usually is vacuumed, so it isn't dirty.  And I can lay out five piles for each family member.  The MYP are all responsible for taking them up and putting them away in their rooms.  That way the mother isn't told that she hid them somewhere.

I wrote a couple notes and walked them to the mailbox.  It really makes the heart feel happy to do that.  And I love to receive them.

I made some bread and cinnamon rolls:

Oh!  And lets not forget the pizza!

Daughter #1 informed me last night that she needed a homemade pizza (even the crust) for her Social Studies class.  I'm thinking Mr. Bachelor Social Studies teacher just wanted a nice snack to celebrate Friday.  But I'm delivering it within a couple moments from now.

And I am playing my slightly older sister this:

When I win, it is clearly because I'm better.  When I lose, it is only because I set her up to win.  Or so I like to believe.

Oh!  And lest we forget, I am also taking these for my Lyme:

I could take another picture of my bull's eye, but you might start thinking I'm weirder than I am if I keep showing body parts on a family-friendly blog.

And yes, there's Lisi.  I scratched her in all the right places, took a big hike and let her swim for sticks, and let her come in for a nap.

Last night, one of the MYP was clearly not interested in listening to me.  After repeated attempts to get her to put something away, I yelled across the room, 'if you don't get going, I'm going to have to punish you!'.  She said, 'you're going to punch me?  I didn't know you were that kind of mother!'.  No sweetheart, I'm not.  But you better get your little body moving...

So there you have it.  Part of my day today doing what I do as the Chairman's Wife.  A splendid life indeed.

And to all you wonderful mothers out there or dear ladies that are like mothers to many... and also to my own mother and mother-in-law,

"HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!"

Why not Wednesday...

... instead of Thursday.  I have thoughts on Wednesdays as well.  But those are words.  Or it wouldn't be so awesomely clever.

It has been years since I last saw one.  In fact, I think the last time I even thought about it was when I was the participant.  You know... a Chinese fire drill!  I pulled up behind another car at a stop sign.  Out jumps a dad.  And all three other doors open and out jump his children.  They all were waving their hands in the air and circled the car twice and all got back inside the vehicle in different seats (except the dad-driver).  Then they turned around with big, sappy grins looking at me and off they went laughing hysterically.  It made me smile.

Remember the tick bite I wrote about?  Well getting out of the shower yesterday, it felt a little funny.  I lifted my arm and saw the Target Stores logo:

back of my arm

Oh no!  I thought.  A bull's eye?  I Google it like I do for anything medical.  Everything I read says it isn't good and I must go see someone.  So I did.  The doctor-lady at first looked at me skeptically when I told her about a tick bite 10 days ago and I was worried about it turning into Lyme.  Then I raised my sleeve.  And she said "Oh my!" and off I went with my prescription.  Next time I won't be so cavalier when a tick bites me.

On April 19, I wrote about the feelings of 'bittersweet'.  The reason for the thoughts was mainly because of my aunt.  She was very sick and frail and just in the last months has shown a greater interest in being in touch.  She reached out to some that care very much for her soul.  And she was soft-hearted.  She phoned me a couple of weeks ago.  Wanted to tell me about her serious illness.  She wanted to apologize for some past things that I had long since forgotten.  And she wanted to hear all about our little family.  We spoke of plans to see her in another week.  And then I was moved for the first time ever to say 'I love you' and that we care very much for her.

She died two days ago.  My dad's sister.  Her service will be the first weekend of June in the Twin Cities.  Yes, indeed.  Bittersweet.

Monday Musings

Lets see.  What should I muse about first?  I could tell you that the Chairman and the MYP did all they could to make my birthday special from doughnuts with candles for breakfast to presents before bed.  My birthday lunch was shared with my dear parents and slightly older sister.  Kinda neat to actually spend the actual day with the people that helped bring you into the world!  My supper consisted of a luke-warm hot dog at the concession stand of the volleyball tournament and I was lucky enough to sit on a folding chair with a screw coming up from the bottom.  So I had to strategically sit carefully lest I get a good scratch on my bum.  Yes, turning 47 was good.

We had a wonderful privilege this weekend.  We got to sit around the table and have a visit with these ladies.

I could say lots of rich and special adjectives to describe these two.  But they wouldn't want me to, so I won't.  But I can't help it.  I love them.  And it was just so very special to be with them because they have encouraged and touched me in ways they hardly know.

All the MYP

silly girlfriends

 Then there is this family that so warmly invited us into their home.  There are few people that have gone through the same journey of desiring children and adopting like we have.  We developed a friendship as we were in the waiting stages.  They cheered us on.  We cheered them on.  Our oldest children were born six days apart - one lying in a bassinet in China; one lying in a bassinet in Russia.  A second adoption happened for both of us and those two children are just months apart.  We shared baby tips.  We watched our toddlers romp together in diapers.  And now we talk about school and friends and what the future days may bring.  We don't have a drop of blood-relation in us.  But as I tucked one of our MYP in bed last night she said, "I know the L's aren't related to us, but they sure feel like our family".  Yes my sweet, they do.

Us with special A who soon heads across the big pond again

 Then there is Biscuit.  I really liked him.  Probably because he reminded me so much of Lincoln (our first golden).  He looked the same and peeked in the window the same and liked to lick necks just the same.  You wonder if Lisi got to be part of the wonderful weekend.  Nope!  When you have a new yard without grass mixed with lots of rain and another dog, you have the equation for a dreadful, muddy disaster.  So she stayed home with another Big Lady.

I think this is enough musing.  The bread is ready to come out of the oven.  And the granola needs to be stirred.  Happy new week!

Thursday's Thoughts

Not sure what my thoughts are, but I'm sure a few will appear.

I've been treating a wart on my finger now for a very long time.  I hesitate to spend $80 for an office visit to have it removed, so have been trying a plethora of things (I didn't even have to look up how to spell that!).  I am finally resorting to cider vinegar and soaking it.  Last night it throbbed like the nines.  Or maybe even tens.  It looks black and scary now.  I think it is finally going to leave.  So if you happen to be close enough to me in the next few days and have a hankering for a pickle, it probably is my index finger...

We were at son #1's band concert two nights ago.  I was 'fortunate' enough to sit by the most appreciative grandparent in all the bleachers.  He'd CLAP really loud (in my ear) with his hands outstretched.  Shake his fist into the air.  And try fervently to get the eye contact of his precious descendant. Oh the irony is that he/she never made him/herself known to Grandpa throughout the concert.  Can't figure out why...  heh heh.

Speaking of children.  I saw this quote this week that gave me pause.  

I was accused this week of not listening by one of the MYP.... 'you never listen.  You just say uh-huh and don't hear me'.  Then I read this.  And I started to really stop what I was doing and look into the young person's eyes and listen.  It helps.  Really.

The Chairman bought me a new phone for my birthday.  It is the one where you can talk to that lady and she can send texts, post reminders, and answer calculus problems.  There is a little issue with her though.  I nearly sent a text with naughty words last night.  She didn't understand me apparently.  So if I send you something that sounds like sailor talk, it was her and not me.

And so my birthday is tomorrow and it also happens to be my favorite time of the year.  Is that common to love the time of year you were born the best?  I dunno.  But for me, that is true.  I will be 47.  I'm not ashamed of my age.  In fact, I'm quite certain I look every day like 47... and that's ok.  It's a privilege really to have lived this long.  I have a good hope of a future ahead of me as well.  Today a very special lady is being buried.  Several times this week I almost feel as I physically hurt for her family.  She didn't get the privilege to live as long.  But she had fullness of days.  She touched more lives than she knows.  Her work was done.  And she did it cheerfully.  I have been completely preoccupied with her battle and finish. I think part of it is because she was so outgoing and loving.  We can read many, many comments she made to her friends on FB.  We can read the blog posts she created after the first battle with 'c'.  It is like she is speaking - yet gone.  It all is positive, encouraging, and full of faith.  I wonder if my posts are preserved through the years what my influence would be.  I sure hope it could be half-as wonderful as K's...