Sixty Five Going on Eighty

Today it was 65 degrees. Unseasonably warm and downright delightful even though it rained. Dixie and I walked Alex to the bus stop this morning. I made a very ambitious list and accomplished precious little of it. It was a good thing I put "Buy Hershey kisses" on the list. At two o'clock this afternoon it was the only thing I had crossed off. The good news is that I am off again tomorrow and I already have my list. Speaking of lists...

71. Subarus
72. Zero interest loans
73. My George Foreman grill
74. Foodland (close to home)
75. Vintage video of Suzy Snowflake
76. Sprint to Sprint
77. Clean shirts
78. Did I say mango salsa? (worth repeating)
79. Calculators
80. Christmas stamps

Seventy and Counting

1. Rice
2. Kennels
3. Friends who take care of your dog while your away
4. Car trips
5. Wrigley Field
6. Chewing gum
7. Ivy
8. Sunshine
9. Shadows
10. New winter coats

Wednesday Going on Friday

In a three day school week everyday is like Wednesday. On Monday there are only two days left, so Monday is the third day before the weeks end, so it is like Wednesday. Tuesday is the middle of the school week, so it is like Wednesday. Wednesday is of course Wednesday. Tomorrow is Wednesday, but the last day I work this week so it is like Friday. There is something special about Fridays. I am looking forward to tomorrow. If I go to bed now and sleep well, when I wake up it will be Wednesday which is like Friday this week. Unfortunately, I have two loads of clothes to finish and gravy to put away. How did this Tuesday get in my week?

Sixty and Counting

1. Small group
2. Online shopping
3. Joyful giving
4. Hugs from 2 year olds
5. Construction paper turkeys
6. A God Who listens to my prayers
7. A God Who answers my prayers
8. A dog who does tricks for hot dog bites
9. Blogging
10. Comments

Drop and Give Me Ten

Remember...these are things I am grateful for:
1. Kohl's coupons
2. Pajamas
3. Sparkly things
4. Baby pictures
5. Antibiotics
6. Completed school projects
7. My digital camera
8. Micah
9. Cranberries
10. Hot chocolate with marshmallows

Diversity Lyrics--By Request

If we minded our own business
And stayed in our own continents
Then maybe we would not have it
It's called diversity.

But no, no, no! We immigrate.
We switch countries and then we mate
And when the ceremony's done
We're practically related to everyone.

Lyrics by Alex Havener

Oh, And Ten More Things...

1. Pretzel chips
2. Music
3. My iPod nano
4. I don't need a PS3
5. Part-time
6. Payday
7. My clothes dryer
8. Mitochondria
9. 1LUKE37
10. Adverbs (really)

Official Kickball Rules

Alex is searching for the official kickball rules. Seems there is some discussion on the playground about what the rules are. Some people want to vote on the rules, but Alex's concern is that more than half of the people with a vote are the cheaters. Alex discovers the problem with democracy in fifth grade. He downloaded offical rules from a few kickball leagues at both the college level and adult competitive leagues. One set of rules for a community fun league was 21 pages long. Evidently, more than half of adult kickball players are cheaters too.

This Makes Thirty

1. Toothpaste
2. Teeth
3. Periodontists
4. Smiles
5. Sisters
6. Aunts
7. Chicken broth
8. Homemade noodles
9. Gluten free noodles that don't dissolve in chicken broth
10. My Mom

Oodles of Noodles

From generation to generation...

Some things you should learn as a child. Things like eating raw noodle dough will stick your guts together. (Or give you worms, depending on which Aunt you listen to!) And that your aunts are really your mom's sisters and they were once kids together. And that making things is really more about the process than the end product.

Some things don't change.

Traditions handed down from generation to generation. Things that we do because our parents did them and our grandparents did them. Like piles of flour and eggs mixed and stretched and dried and cut and dried some more--until they are noodles spread all over the house on faded flowered tableclothes. And that you share things with your cousins that you don't share with just everyone. Like your bed. And your sense of humor.

And each generation adds its mark, uniquely its own. Like a noodle hat.

Ten More Things

1. apple dumplings
2. husbands who clean
3. sisters who understand clutter
4. nieces
5. nephews
6. Hershey kisses
7. clean sheets
8. automatic washing machines
9. swiffers
10. kids who still need resters

November-Virtue of the Month

Gratitude: Letting others know you see how they've helped you.

Is gratitude really an attitude or is it an action? Can I be thankful for something, or do I have to be thankful to someone. Can I just feel grateful or is it only gratitude when it is expressed?

Ten things I am grateful for:
1. My husband
2. My children
3. Noodle makers
4. My dog
5. Towels that wrap all the way around me
6. Hot chocolate
7. Mango salsa
8. Warm water from the tap
9. Indoor plumbing in general
10. Instant messaging

Friday Night Sights

Alex at Tae Kwon Do
Rain pouring down outside
Pumpkin cookies from Eat 'n Park
Dave making rice and beans for supper
Stray rice in a rootbeer float
A family of three and a dog watching Grease
Tigers losing the World Series
Orangutans and salt water crocodiles
arranged to make a Jack o'Lantern

Things crossed off my list

Finding a dermatologist
Taking a day off

Things I still need:
A dishwasher

I'm a 'V' or A Very Small Group

Tonight is the night that our small group usually meets. Frank and Tim and Steve had to work late. Laurie and Rhonda don't feel well. So we called Chuck and told him not to come. Dave is cranky and rather noncommunicative. If we were a Shel Silverstein poem we would be like this:
Laurie, our 'L', was home with the flu,
Frank, our 'O', had homework to do.
Chuck, our 'E', stayed home to play,
So I'm all of LOVE that could make it today.

Nevertheless,
'V' is very, very extraordinary...

All By Myself

I am feeling very alone here. I am never alone here. I want some time for myself. I am tired of being by myself. How can this be? Obviously it is because all of my sentences start with 'I'. Today I will mow the grass, wash two loads of clothes, go to the store, be home while Alex's friends come over. The sun is shining and I will smile and take the dog for a walk. I am going to plan a trip to NYC. Maybe I will even go there. But not today. And not by myself.

Holy Haircuts

Amanda and Brenda got haircuts together this afternoon. Here are the results. We are happy even though we currently have a lot of product in our hair. Our next big adventure for the day is to eat Chinese takeout. And then we will shop at Kohl's and save 20% on all of our purchases. Then Amanda will have to go back to college. All in all a great day.

Don't Tell Me Any Secrets

I used to have two secrets. Then someone talked to me about one of the secrets, so I assumed it was no longer a secret, so I talked about it to someone else who didn't know anything about it and if it wasn't a secret anymore then I think they would have known about it, so I think I told the secret. So now I just have one secret and a little guilt. I was doing very well, but obviously I am not as good as I thought I was. Sadly, it only takes one mess up to ruin a whole months worth of secret keeping. Some things don't come with do-overs. This makes me sad.
Now I only have one secret and it is not as much fun as it used to be to have it.
Don't ask me about it.

Little Red Flags

When he can't stand the idea of having two days without access to you every minute.

When he shows total disregard for your parents' values, rules and decisions--more than once.

New Phones

Abi's cell phone is in a box. Inside another box. Speeding along through the U.S. postal service. I insured it so that if along the way a disgruntled postal employee smashes it with a hammer, it will be replaced. The sad news is that Abi's service has already been switched to her new phone which will spend two days in a box. Last month Abi talked over 4000 minutes on her cell phone. This weekend she will suffer cell phone withdrawal. Maybe she can use the extra time to study. Night and weekend study minutes are free.
I have two cell phones. My $14.99 plan can't be cancelled until the end of the billing cycle which is the middle of October. (Alex wonders if there really is an end to a cycle?) I also am the proud owner of a brand new $69.99 family plan which will allow me to talk to Abi, Ami, Dave and millions of other Sprint PCS users all I want to. Last month I wanted to talk on my cell phone for 22 minutes. My new cell phone flips and takes pictures. Last month I did not have to open my phone to talk for 22 minutes and I didn't take any pictures with my phone.
The good news is with my new plan nights start at 7:00pm. I've been wanting more hours in the night, so this is a really good deal for me. I would also like summer to start in April. What does that plan cost?