We're Not Having Chicken and Dumplings for Dinner

The bullet briefing format isn't my best blogging, but I dare you to read it. You'll soon understand why this is the way it has to be.

*On Valentine's Day, I had been at work for all of three minutes when Goliath called me from the school nurse's office to tell me she thought he had pink eye and I needed to come pick him up.

*Was the nurse really so busy at 8:13 a.m. that she couldn't call me herself?

*I left work, drove back to the elementary school, fetched my son, dropped him off at home, and zoomed back to work. Yes, I left him home alone, and yes, I felt guilty about it.

*I also felt guilty about leaving preschool at 12:30 to take him to the doctor, but that was before I noticed that all preschool parents must have fed their 4-year-olds Valentine candy for breakfast.

*The classic-flavored Sweetheart candies are gross. Who wants to eat a banana-flavored heart with a corny suggestive saying on it? I much prefer the SweetTart hearts.

*A doctor visit confirmed pink eye.

*I asked the P.A. to make sure that she sent Goliath's prescription to our "new" Walgreens instead of the one by our old house. I sure didn't want to drive the three whole extra miles across town to get his eye drops! Then when I went to pick up the scrip, wouldn't you know that our "new" store was out of stock and the only Walgreens in the area that had it was--you guessed it--the one right by our old house.

*Administering eye drops to a ten-year-old is not much different from giving them to a toddler. He squeezes his eye shut at the last second every. single. time.

*I am in desperate need of a good hair color and cut.

*This morning I woke up honestly believing today was Saturday. What a letdown.

*I couldn't figure out why I would set my alarm for 5:15 on a Saturday, so I just turned it off and went back to sleep.

*Obviously, my morning didn't go well.

*I was so frazzled by it not being Saturday, the 'tude I got from my son, another son's missing pants, and the school lunch menu calling for turkey and bean nachos (really, LISD?), that I forgot to take my breakfast with me when I left for work.

*The only thing worse than that is that I realized later that I also failed to put dinner in the crock pot. Instead of chicken and dumplings, we ate scrambled eggs tonight.

*My Buck went to see an oral surgeon today. My mom sent me a pic of him in the chair. Not only is he SO cute, but he was wearing his Team Allyson bracelet.

*Confessions of a bad mom: Sometimes (like today) I will stay to "observe" Goliath's jiu jitsu class just so I can sit still for a little while and do nothing.

*More and more, I am noticing that Abby Dog can't hear very well. Today I walked in the house and she didn't even know I was there until I rubbed her ears.

*I think that all the preschool parents fed their four-year-olds leftover Valentine candy for breakfast today.

*I am seriously thinking about getting one of those "Children At Play" signs to set up by our house. We live on a corner lot, and people need to slow down.

*I let a roofer guy inspect our roof so we can get an estimate on damage from recent hail storms. I thought it was a good thing to do; Hubby said I should never do that again without talking to him first. I guess I should be more picky about who I let climb on our roof.

*Gus the Terrible made me SO MAD yesterday. If he busts through the back door one more time after it rains I swear that I am going to strap wet Swiffer pads to his paws and make him mop the floor.

*I stayed home with Goliath last night while everyone else went to church. I was pulling a few weeds in the front yard and I unearthed a Batman figurine, two Hot Wheel cars, a mangled Lego piece, and two worms.

*After lamenting to my sweet neighbor about my unfortunate day, I sent her this text a while ago: "And now, for my last trick of the day, I am going to breathe deeply so I don't kill the child who took a plate of ketchup out of the kitchen and dropped it on the stairs. Stupid day."

*Writing sentences is an effective punishment for one of our kids.

*Another one of our boys lost the privilege of hanging out with his buddy after school for three days. On the second day, the buddy came to the door and asked me if he could please, please come out to play because "I don't have anything else to do." Talk about guilt trip.

*I still said no, because that's just the kind of week it's been.

Bullet Briefing

*Blogging has taken a backseat on my priority list lately. These bullet points are all I can muster, I'm afraid.

*A 36-hour trip to Houston last week resulted in clean scans. The anxiety leading up to that trip can not be accurately described except to tell you that I was popping Xanax like candy. The relief I felt after the trip is equally indescribable.

*I flew Southwest for my trip. Not only was I "randomly selected" for extra security measures (read: You might be a terrorist, so we are going to humiliate you in front of hundreds of strangers.), but one of my shoes fell out of the bin when it went through the x-ray machine. While standing on one foot so as not to contaminate my bare foot, I summoned an officer for help. She had to stop the conveyor belt, hold up the line, and climb up on to the belt to retrieve my missing shoe.

*God gave me this verse on the day I went to M.D. Anderson: "You, O Lord, are a shield around me. You are my glory, and the lifter of my head." Psalm 3:3

*While I was lying on the table during my test, trying not to freak out, I was reciting that verse over and over to myself. Halfway through the test, the little tech man entered the room and said to me, "You're doing great. Now for the next part I need to put this shield over you." I started to cry. He looked puzzled, and I suppose he thought I didn't understand. He said, "It's okay, ma'am. The shield is for protection." I know, sir. I know.

*I had several hours to kill between tests, so my mom and I left the hospital and went over to Hermann Park to ride the train. It's been 20+ years since I did that! I loved it just as much as a grown woman as I did when I was a little girl.

*My dad comes to M.D. Anderson when I meet with my doctor to get test results. In the absence of my Hubby, who is home taking care of our cowboys, I feel very safe. It takes a good man to sit in the gynecological oncology waiting room.

*Our Sunday School class came over to our house last weekend and we played Headbanz. Just because it says "5 and up" on the box doesn't mean adults can't play.

*Some people look more foolish than others wearing Headbanz cards on their heads.

*I am learning how to play Mexican train. Hubby has never played before in his life, and when we played with friends, he won. I don't know how he pulled that off.

*Baby read "Goodnight, Moon" to me at bedtime the other night. It made me cry.

*Baby read "Old Hat, New Hat" to me last night. He wants to practice so he can take it to school and read it in front of his class.

*The boys now have assigned seats in my car. They drive me crazy sometimes.

*I thought it would be nice of me to volunteer to take a turn hosting Little Middle's cub scout den meeting. Two things I have to say about that: the den leaders are saints, and we will probably never do it again.

*As soon as the last scout was out the door, I put on my slippers and went next door for a girls' night in. My darling neighbor was generous with her wine and her company, and I immediately felt better. Especially when I saw that her refrigerator AND her stove were in her living room due to kitchen remodeling. It's the only time that my house will ever be tidier than hers.

*Baby is sitting next to me right now singing "Dynamite."

*Little Middle raced a car in his first pinewood derby. It didn't go that well. :(

*I bought my unborn niece her first pair of shoes today and a bib that says "I Love My Auntie." Indeed she will.

*My mom, my sister, my SIL, and I are planning a girls' trip for the first part of Spring Break. Can. Not. Wait.

*I miss my grandparents.

*My co-teacher and I hosted a "Pre-K Preview" day last week in our classroom for parents who are considering sending their children to us next year. All things considered, I think it went well.

*Cotton candy was invented in 1904 and used to be called fairy floss. Thank you, Food Network.

*Hubby plays Words With Friends with my aunt, and he is in awe of her WWF skillz.

*My dad and my uncle are going to the Master's. I am so happy for my daddy, because he will get to check something off of his bucket list.

*I think I really want to see "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close." Then again, I am a little scared to see it.

*The boys and I watch "Call of the Wildman" every week together. If you haven't seen it, you should catch it on Animal Planet. There is nothing more backwoods than the Turtle Man.

*I am learning that I can't protect the people I love from other people who might hurt them, and that hurts me.

*Some mornings I play Phil Joel's "Good Morning" to wake the boys up for school. One morning, Little Middle rolled over and growled at me, "I would rather put SCISSORS in my EARS than listen to you sing this song to me!!!!" Every time I think of him saying that, I giggle.

*Last weekend Goliath cleaned out my car, including vacuuming. Five days later, I spilled a whole cup of coffee in there and had to get the upholstery professionally cleaned.

*I have had fun lately downloading new fonts to use with my Word documents. So nerdy.

*I think about what it would be like if I die. Not for me, but for my family. I go back and forth on whether I would want Hubby to remarry. I certainly want him--all of them--to be happy, but I don't like the thought that I could be replaced.

*I am an emotional eater.

*My bed is the most comfy place in the whole world.

*I got tall black boots for Christmas, and I love them!

*Someone told me the other day that I am well-dressed. I don't know about that, but I appreciated the compliment.

*Hubby changed his ringer on his phone. Now when I call him, his phone plays "Pretty Woman." Aw.

*Sometimes I listen to the song "How He Loves Us" by the David Crowder Band, and I am overwhelmed. If His grace is an ocean, we're all sinking.

Meanwhile, Back At The Ranch...

I apologize that it is taking so long to get the Disney posts up on the blog. Life was waiting for us when we got back from our trip, and we have been swept up in it these last few weeks. Here are a few of the (some lame, but all very real) reasons I have not gotten blogging done lately:

*Mount Laundry. 'Nuff said.

*In working on the aforementioned laundry, I found 3 quarters, 1 nickel, 4 pennies, 2 Nerf darts, 1 school paper, 1 pencil, 9 socks without matches, and 1 ketchup packet in various boy pockets....all in one afternoon.

*While I was unpacking all the luggage from our trip, it struck me that it was the perfect time to clean house. Like, really clean house. I have been cleaning out drawers, closets, and cabinets with a vengeance. Our garbage man probably hates us; Goodwill is gonna love us. I told Hubby it's like nesting, only without the baby.

*Speaking of babies..."Aunt Allyson" sounds nice, doesn't it? My sister and her mister are expecting their first baby at the end of the summer!

*As joyful as I am about that news, I am sorrowful about other. I have a friend who, from a medical standpoint, is fighting a losing battle with ovarian and breast cancer. I wish I could understand God so much more than what I do.

*My Tuesday Sisters Bible Study group have become temporary NOGs! We are doing the "No Other Gods" study by Kelly Minter. It has inspired me to take a hard look at my life and what things might be taking more of my time, energy, and/or resources than they should. One of those things is media, namely, the computer. Sorry, e-mail, Facebook, and even precious blog. I need to back off a bit.

*We got a Keurig coffee machine for Christmas. It has rocked my mornings.

*I've gotten up early the last two Saturday mornings and met sweet friends for breakfast. Great conversation and delicious pancakes...nice.

*Goliath went on his first overnight church event (read: didn't need his mom) this past weekend. If you know anything of his issues with separation anxiety that have come about as a result of The Sickness, you know that this is HUGE. What's more, his best little buddy got sick at the last minute and was unable to go. Goliath chose to go on his own and had a great time. I'm a proud and thankful mama.

*I am back to making weekly menus. The week's menu is posted on the side of the fridge, so everyone knows what to expect. It is much easier to make and stick with a grocery list, too. I spent less than $100 at the store this week for the first time in a long while. Go me!

*In just a couple of months, I will register Baby for kindergarten. Yesterday while we were getting ready for preschool, I said, "Baby, you're growing up too fast. I wish you would stay little just a while longer." He replied, "Mom, your plan is stinky mcstinkersons." Sigh.

So there you have it. Blogging, especially of the Disney trip sort, will resume slowly but surely.

This and That

I know there hasn't been much activity on the blog lately, but that's really because there hasn't been much to say. Cancer, along with its many sorrows and joys, is still with me. The new maintenance regimen is much better than before, but it is still chemotherapy. It's difficult. I am having a CT scan next Tuesday, and a follow-up meeting with Dr. M on Thursday. We anticipate that all will be clear, as expected, and he will recommend marching forward with what I'm already doing. Still, there is much anxiety as the day approaches. I would appreciate your prayers.

Now, how about a little of this and a bit of that to catch up?

*Little Middle lost three teeth in four days. The Tooth Fairy is going broke. And he came home from school today with the announcement that another one is loose!

*I upgraded some of our Christmas decor this year. I figured after 12 years of marriage, we deserve a new tree skirt. Thank you, Hobby Lobby, for your over-the-top-after-Thanksgiving sales!

*Speaking of Christmas decorations, Hubby and Goliath hung lights outside. We want to do outside lights every year, but it doesn't always get done. Ahem. Anyway, while they were working, I heard maniacal laughter from the backyard. Turns out that Little Middle climbed up on the roof and JUMPED OFF onto the trampoline. Be still, my heart.

*Baby's favorite indoor "decoration" is the Little People nativity set. He is constantly rearranging the the animals and the characters, and pushing the angel down so she will "sing." He loves to sing along to Away in the Manger, and I cracked up when I heard his sweet voice sing "the little Bo Jesus laid down his sweet head." I mentioned that the right lyrics are "little LORD Jesus," and he said, "Hmmm. I always thought it was Bo Jesus." He keeps on singing it that way.

*Goliath is going to be Penguin #7 in the school Christmas play. It reminds me of this.

*I was totally blessed by two groups of MOPS moms from my church who adopted me as their "service project." One group took three baskets of our laundry to the laundromat, and the other group went to the grocery store for me. I literally wept when I saw the full refrigerator and the baskets of neatly folded clothes.

*Christmas came early for Hubby this year. He is the proud owner of his first new car since 1998. Believe me, he deserves it.

*I am on a personal mission to seek out joy this holiday season. It isn't coming as naturally to me as it usually does, so I am being very intentional about looking for it.

*While we were in Houston, my brother invited my boys over to his house for Nephew Camp. It might be the greatest thing that's ever happened to them--they are still talking about it! Baby now wants to get a Christmas tree to use in his room for a nightlight, because "that's what Uncle Phil let us have."

*I could probably construct a small temporary shelter with the lint I pulled out of my dryer today.

*Gus the dog is no longer my friend. He ATE the blue cover that goes over the trampoline springs, for crying out loud! What's worse, he doesn't much care what I think of him. He only has eyes for Hubby.

*Princess Puppy Love has stiff joints now that the weather is cold. Watching her struggle to get up and down (and I don't mean because she's plump) makes it easier to forgive finding her hairs on my new black sweater.

*I am not a fan of the new hair growing on my head. It is curly and it is the color of ugly dirt. The good news is that my eyelashes are finally growing back.

*When Hubby changed jobs back in September, we paid to COBRA our health insurance for about six weeks, until his new benefits kicked in. They were quick to take our money, but have yet to pay out one single claim that my doctor's office has made. What's more, we haven't been able to do much about it because we didn't get our ID cards until two weeks after COBRA was up. This has been so frustrating!

*Every single room in my house has at least a few silly bandz scattered around the floor.

*When I got up this morning, I got my glasses off my nightstand. It wasn't until I turned on the lights in the kitchen that I realized I was wearing my sunglasses.

*Goliath did a family tree project for social studies. I enjoyed helping him put together the information and telling him stories about the memories I have of my great-grandparents.

*One of my favorite things my husband does for me is to get the coffee pot ready every night. Each morning when I get up, there is already fresh coffee waiting!

*I bought something on Cyber Monday for the first time ever.

NCBE: Around Here...

**Credit and kudos to PandaMom for putting this meme out on the interweb for me to steal!**

Outside my window...the sun is setting on a beautiful day! It was cloudy all day long, and we enjoyed a few random showers. The best part, though, was the temperature: a full 25 degrees cooler than it was earlier this week. 80 degrees was a welcome respite from the oven that is August in Texas!

I am thinking...that I will be really sad at this time next year when I send Baby to kindergarten. I have welcomed the start of school with open arms this week, but I still miss the big boys and it is comforting to have my little guy with me. What will I do without him?!?

I am thankful for...my mom, who is willing to sacrifice so much just because she loves being my mom.

From the kitchen...I created lemon chicken with asparagus for dinner with blueberry pie for dessert.

I am wearing...brown cargo pants and a blue t-shirt with matching flip flops, and my Team Allyson bracelet.

I am creating...a blog post for tomorrow in my head.

I am going...to start working on lesson plans for my preschool class soon.

I am reading...the September issue of Real Simple, Why? by Anne Graham Lotz, and a new cooking magazine that Hubby picked up for me.

I am hoping...that I can find a really great book for myself when I go to the library tomorrow; that the boys' new teachers don't assign too much homework; that Goliath will quit telling me that he won't get to go to 4th grade if he doesn't do well on the TAKS test.

I am hearing...the new tunes I put on my iPod earlier today. Some classics (no one does "When a Man Loves a Woman" better than Michael Bolton), some new worship songs from Jeremy Camp, and a couple of ditties from old school musicals. What can I say? You're never too old for the magic of Annie.

Around the house...the dishwasher is loaded and there is no room left for the four cups and one water bottle that are still on the table. There are two overflowing baskets of laundry waiting to be folded and put away (surprising, right?). The sofa in the playroom has a slipcover, and it needs to be adjusted. Little Middle and Baby have been building a "city" out of an assortment of toys from their closet, and it is not to be touched, thank you very much.

One of my favorite things...sweet cream ice cream with colored sprinkles mixed in at Marble Slab. I wish I had some right now.

A few plans for the rest of the week...Tomorrow Baby and I have a playdate at Chick-Fil-A with some friends while the big kids are at school. Actually, Baby is going to play with his buddy; I am just going to sit and talk with said buddy's mom. On Friday I am flying to Houston so I can attend two wedding showers for my brother and his bride-to-be. Looking forward to a fun weekend!

A picture to share...This gem was taken at the Rough Riders game a few weeks ago. You recognize the cute little boy, but you might be wondering about the ugly foot that someone is rudely sticking in front of his cute little face. The foot belongs to my new brother-in-law, Howie. HHRiii, you were foolish to think this wouldn't turn up on the blog someday. I love you anyway.

NCBE: When the Hubby's Away...

Update: The exterminator called. He can't come out until Friday. Today is Tuesday. Ugh.

My sweet Hubby doesn't travel nearly as much as he used to, but he still takes the occasional business trip. He left this morning for San Antonio, and my day with the boys started out normal enough. At least, normal for us. Goliath went to his friend Chandler's house to play, and I loaded up Little Middle and Baby to run a few errands. Here's a look at how the day progressed:

Little Middle, Baby, and I went to the toy store to pick out birthday presents for some friends. While I was waiting for the clerk to wrap the gifts, Little Middle and Baby noticed the plasma cars for sale and took a few spins around the store. My toes got run over more than once, and the little darlings suffered a sudden episode of hearing loss when I announced it was time to go. Goodbye, video game/TV time.

We had to stop by the grocery store to pick up a few items, one being cereal. I said "no" to Lucky Charms, but somehow we ended up purchasing Froot Loops with marshmallows. Huh?

After that, we went to the pet store. Although we have quite the menagerie, we only needed one item: Crickets. Live ones. I have never bought live crickets, and I don't think I will again. I don't care whose oversized lizard is starving to death.

The lizard got his lunch, and the little boys got theirs. They ate the Lunchables I had let them pick out at the grocery store, because I'm awesome like that. While I was eating my lunch, they went in Goliath's room and listened to music (no video games, remember?). Just when I was feeling so proud of them for playing together so nicely, they invited me to come in and see their new dance they had made up. The dance involved wearing pirate hats and standing in their brother's dresser drawers, which are now broken. Oh, and I could not locate one single hammer when I tried to fix them (although I'm certain we have at least 3).

At about the same time the two little boys were allowed access to electronics again, Goliath and his buddy showed up. Unless you've lived in a house where 4 boys are playing 2 separate video games on 2 different consoles in 2 different rooms, well--you haven't lived. I decided the best way to block out the noise and the yelling was to rearrange Goliath's room. My child, God bless him, is a slob. There's no other way to say it. I try not to nitpick about every little thing, but his bedroom looks like a war zone and every now and then I go on a rampage in there to make myself feel better. I don't know what made me decide to move furniture when I probably shouldn't have, but the big trash bag of junk I filled up was quite satisfying.

Goliath left again before he could admire my handiwork. After his room was cleaned (but not his closet--that's a whole other beast), I went out to water the yard. Seemed like a sensible thing to do, what with it being 658 degrees today and all. While I was watering, I noticed a message written in chalk on my front sidewalk: "Chandler is dum." I'm assuming Chandler's sister wrote it, although I'm not sure why she chose our sidewalk instead of her own.

It occurred to me that I should feed the boys some sort of dinner before I took them to their friends' birthday party. I don't cook much when Hubby is gone, so I gave them the choice of pb&j or chicken nuggets. They voted for nuggets, so I went to the freezer, and...you guessed it. No chicken nuggets. Rather, there was only the bag that the nuggets came in. EMPTY. Aarrgghh.

I slapped together some pb&j sandwiches, pretended not to hear their protests, then ran to make myself presentable and find new pants to replace the ones I was wearing when I dropped my lipstick on them. Hope that comes out. While I was searching through my closet (will I ever learn to keep up with laundry?!?) I heard voices. Goliath, Chandler, Chandler's sister, and one of her friends had come over and Goliath's opinions about his new room arrangement were coming through loud and clear. I chose to ignore him UNTIL I heard this: "Let's hurry so my mom won't see us."

They weren't fast enough. I appeared at my bedroom door as they were sneaking past it with Goliath's (very real, very expensive) guitar in hand. "Hello," I said pleasantly. "Whatcha doin'?"

"We're going to start a band," he explained, "and we need my guitar for our band practice."

"Oh, really?" I said. "That sounds like fun. Unfortunately, the only way you can have band practice with that guitar is if you have it in this house. Which, also unfortunately, can not happen right now because I have to take your brothers to a birthday party. So I guess you'll have to practice later."

I'm not sure Goliath's friends are impressed with my mothering skills.

The older kids left, somewhat in a huff. Little Middle, Baby, and I headed to the birthday party. The kids had a great time; I endured a stifling encounter with a person I am glad I don't see very often. I ate a granola bar and a piece of Hello Kitty birthday cake for dinner.

During the party, Goliath called to see if I would be home in time for his newly-formed band to practice tonight. No. No, I wouldn't. On the way home I collected him from his pal's house and thought how grateful I was that the day was almost over.

We made it home! I only had to get them bathed and to bed before I could collapse. This thought was comforting me when I heard, "MOOOOOMMM!!! There are bugs in our bathroom!!!"

I went to have a look-see, and sure enough, the bathroom had mysteriously been infested with strange bugs while we were out. I was able to identify tiny ants crawling around the edge of the bathtub, but there were many more, much larger bugs WITH WINGS. I don't do bugs if I can help it. But there was no choice--I went in armed with a fly swatter in one hand and a bottle of Spic and Span multipurpose cleaner in the other. The more I killed, I swear the more they multiplied. I finally called Hubby and told him we were being invaded by giant ants with wings. He might have snickered if he hadn't heard the desperation in my voice. He instructed me to see if I could tell where they were coming from, then spray every which way with the pest control spray I would find by his workbench in the garage.

Did you know that the bottles of bug spray and coolant for your car look similar?

I did as I was told, closed the bathroom door, and will not open it again until the exterminator arrives tomorrow morning. Then I washed my hands. More than once.

Hubby texted me a while ago to see if I was OK. I replied that besides being grossed out and feeling a little itchy, I am fine. I also mentioned that "all the best stuff happens while you are gone." He replied, "So it seems."

I have left out the parts about me trying to wrangle the hyperactive bird dog, running from a persistent wasp, and knocking over our trash can with my car.

Babe, I love you. Please hurry home.

Sigh.

Yesterday we sent home a sick child from my class at preschool. Today we got word that he is believed to have swine flu.

One of my favorite bracelets broke.

Goliath is a 7-year-old who is testing boundaries (and my patience).

I calculated that if I am to get everything done on school mornings that I want to get done, I need to get up at 4:15 a.m.

I am drowning in laundry again.

Patrick Swayze died.

Tidbits

*The week before school started, Hubby and I were going to Austin for a leadership conference for the young adult Sunday School class we teach (to be fair, he teaches. I bring breakfast and provide moral support). We went to Houston first to visit family and leave the boys with my parents. As we were kissing the boys goodbye, I noticed Baby's nose was bleeding...? NO, that was runoff from the Dr. Pepper Jelly Belly he stuck up there. We ended up taking him to 24-hour urgent care. All that got us was a referral to an ENT at Memorial Hermann hospital the next morning. The same morning we were to be in Austin. The specialist couldn't see the jellybean, Baby told us he took it out and ate it (gross!), and we missed most of our conference.

This is a picture of me on the phone with the hospital. My man thought someday I might look back at My Life's Most Stressful Day and laugh. I don't think so.

*I am reading John Piper's Desiring God. Good stuff. I much prefer it over the in-depth study of the book of Zecheriah I am doing with my Tuesday night Bible Study group. Sorry, girls. Prophecy just isn't my thing.

*Speaking of my Bible Study, we are having our first annual Girls Getaway in a couple of weeks. Considering we've met together in some form for about 7 years now, I say it's high time! Those ladies are precious to me and I'm very much looking forward to a fun weekend with them.

*We painted our living room. It took 2 full days and extreme patience, but it's well worth it.

*My Chi flat iron stopped working. I am very upset about this.

*Baby has been running around in the buff for several weeks now for the sake of potty training. He does GREAT when he's naked; it's when he must wear clothes that he seems to "forget".

*I detest potty training.

*I am in desperate need of a good color/cut hair job. My hairdresser is booked, and I had to wait almost 2 weeks to get an appointment! Every day seems to be a bad hair day.

*Nigel the bunny rabbit likes watermelon.

*I want to be covered in the dust of my Rabbi.

*My husband has a real heart for the young adults in our church. He has a vision and really wants to make a difference. I love him for this.

*The first day of preschool is next Monday. Big day for Little Middle, Baby, and me! My class this year is younger than what I had last year. I am trying to be positive about this. Thank God for Shannon!

*My friend Amilee is getting married this weekend. We haven't been to a wedding in a long time, and I am looking forward to it!

*I am a little sad to see summer come to an end! Usually, I can't wait for school and all the routine that comes with it...I had an excellent summer with my man and our boys. I will miss being able to just hang out with them without anything pressing going on.

*I think it's awesome that Little Middle has way more girl friends than boy friends. My son is a player!

Little Middle and his Women

*While we were in Houston, my grandmother turned 84. She wanted to throw herself a birthday party, so we had one--at the Incredible Pizza Company (a glorified Chuck E Cheese).

*3 more weeks until The Office!

*Blue Bell has a new flavor out...Snickerdoodle! I don't know why they didn't think of it before, but I can't wait to try it!

*Goliath's new teacher does not plan to assign homework until the second 6-weeks! After Ms. L, the Kindergarten Nazi, I am stunned.

*Goliath is playing fall baseball.

*I have been disappointed with the clothing selection at Target as of late, but I found a cute denim skirt I want...at Wal-Mart. This goes against every fashion shopping rule I have.

Random Reflections

You know how we all go through dry spells in our spiritual life and/or in our relationships with other people? Where you don't feel like you have the time or the energy to put into making it as great as it could be? I've had a dry spell with my blog. Hopefully it's over and I'm ready to get back to it. Here's a bit of randomness to catch you up on the last few weeks:

First, a couple of major things. Right before Spring Break, the Director of Children's Ministries at our church resigned. She talked to me about taking the position, and I said, "No, thank you." The personnel committee asked me to consider it. I said, "No, thank you." I kept saying no, but I knew I couldn't wash my hands of it without talking to God about it. So I asked Him. He directed me to Luke 9:57-62. Go ahead and read it, but I'll summarize it for you. It's the story of when Jesus is walking to Jerusalem and he says to a man, "Follow Me." The man (basically) says, "Sure, I'll follow you, but first I have to go home and tend to my dying dad." Jesus comes across another man and commands, "Follow Me." And the guy says, "Sure thing. You go on ahead and I'm just going to run home to grab a few things and say goodbye......" Here's what the author or my devotional book says: "Our commitment to follow Him is more than a promise to do His will when our circumstances are right, or when His plans do not interfere with our own. It must first be to the person of Jesus Christ, even before a particular task. Total commitment.....does mean Christ must be in His rightful place for everything else in our lives to be in their rightful places." I shared this with my husband, and with his encouragement and blessing, I took the job. Now I am up to my ears in Vacation Bible School, but I am excited about what the future holds for our church and our children.

I had a CT scan last week. It's the first time I've been back to the Dallas hospital since November. I was dreading having it done, but it was already past time. So I put on a brave face and went. Let me just say, I am envious of people who have never had to drink that pre-test stuff. No matter what "flavor" you choose, it's awful! There's no point in rehashing the details of the scan. The combination of the terrible drink, the contrast injection, and the moving table always makes me nauseous, this time to the extreme. Skip ahead a few days......my oncologist's assistant called me last night to let me know that they don't see anything on the scan and I am ALL CLEAR!!! Those words lifted a heavy weight from my shoulders. I am so thankful for God's protection. I face a few more tests in the next few weeks--no big deal--and I see Dr. M next week. I am much more lighthearted about it now that I know all is well.

Goliath is playing baseball. This is our family's first experience with organized sports, so it's kind of a big deal. He is SO CUTE in his uniform!!! Of course, we WOULD be on the team that has to wear white pants. You moms of little boys, can I get some sympathy?!? Hubby is enjoying his undershirts being truly bright and white now because whatever goes in with the baseball pants is bleached!!! Anyway, I had really tried to talk Goliath into playing soccer. He is a lot like me in that he doesn't want to attract unwanted attention, and I thought if he played soccer he would be less likely to be singled out if it didn't go well. We "discussed" it at great length, and when it came down to it, He. Wanted. To. Play. BASEBALL. Okay then. So the first few games were rough, but now the team is kind of in the groove and they are actually doing OK. When you get a bunch of six-year-olds on the ballfield, it's really to everyone's advantage that they don't keep score. Goliath "made a score" (that's kindergartenese for "scored a run") last Saturday, and he hit a double at last night's game. His coach is impressed with his power hitting.

We think that Baby tried to give himself a haircut. Or else one of the brothers helped him. Our hairdresser was mortified when we took him in earlier this week.

Little Middle is definitely all boy in that he loves bugs, lizards, and all other things creepy-crawly. For his birthday, my in-laws gave him one of those caterpillar-to-butterfly kits. You get a couple of jars with live caterpillars in them and you get to watch them form their chrysalis, live in their cocoons, and transform into butterflies. Perfect gift for Little Middle! Last week the butterflies finally started emerging, and now we have a total of 8. Turns out butterflies only have a life span of 2-4 weeks (who knew?) and so we have tried to explain to him that we need to let them go soon. He's in no hurry, though, to free his pets. I cringe when I think of what it will be like if the butterflies perish at the hands of my son!

My Bible Study group met at my house this week. It was the day that we had 5 hair appointments and 2 dental cleanings, so the meal I prepared for my friends was a simple taco salad. For dessert, I made a new recipe, and it turned out so fabulous, I thought I would include it here. Girls, this is for you:

Sopapilla Cheesecake

2 cans crescent rolls

3 packages cream cheese, softened

2 cups sugar, divided

1 1/2 T vanilla

1 tsp cinnamon

1 stick butter

Preheat oven to 350. Beat cream cheese 1 1/2 cups sugar and vanilla until creamy. Grease 9x13 pan. Cover bottom of pan with one can crescent rolls. Spread cream cheese mixture over rolls. Top with other can. Pour melted butter over top. Combine remaining sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle over butter. Bake for 35-40 minutes. YUM!

Now, a big shout out to my friend Lisa ("Horton, this is Who. I'm in Whoville. Can you hear me?" HA!). Your poor husband's crummy work hours worked out great for me! We had a blast with you guys! You are a precious lady and I am just delighted that you are in my life. Goliath rode home hunched over in the backseat because he was worried that someone might see his near-naked, mud-covered self!!! :) My boys and I are already looking forward to next time........

Tomorrow morning Hubby (who by the grace of God was spared having to travel to Los Angeles today) will come to preschool to admire Little Middle's and Baby's hard work in the annual Art Show. The kids are so proud that their stuff is on display--it's a hoot! This weekend my parents and my sister are driving up for Goliath's baseball game, followed by the elementary school's carnival on Saturday afternoon. Whew! I don't know how I'll manage it when all 3 boys are playing games and doing "stuff"!

This is long and I am done. Faithful readers......consider yourself caught up!

Appliances

It's a bad time to be an appliance in our household. Last weekend, our vacuum cleaner broke. By broke, I mean there was a horrible smell, we shut off the power, and there was literally a cloud of smoke (or was that dust?) in the room.

Yesterday, big storms rolled through Texas. As I was drifting off to sleep last night to the sound of the repeated tornado and flash flood warnings, I was thinking to myself how glad I am we were not one of those neighborhoods affected by power outages. Apparently, our neighborhood is on the "shut off the power after the rain stops falling" list. I woke up at 1 a.m. when the electricity went off, nearly broke my toe trying to find the TXU phone number using my cell phone for a flashlight, and laid awake until it came back on at 3 a.m. During those 2 angry hours, I contemplated how really angry I would be if all the food in my refrigerator went bad.

Good thing the food was saved, because as it turned out, the power outage shorted out my hair dryer. I will wake up tomorrow armed with a prayer that nothing else goes wrong and a brand new hair dryer.