Snow Day #3

A light dusting of snow fell last night. And they canceled school this morning. Really?

Really?

School Board Wimps.

When you they going to learn that snow does NOT equal a day off from life?

Not this year it seems.

P.S. A larger snow storm with a possibility of ice is set to arrive tonight. Wonder what I'll do with my kids when they are home tomorrow too?

I've got my fingers crossed the weatherman is wrong.

Dead wrong.

Guess my chances are 50/50.

Except school closures seem to be about 100% around here with the thought of snow.

We'll just see in the morning.

Wish me luck!

A Force of Nature

I have had MANY natural disasters in my home lately.

And I have one culprit-

My very own Force of Nature: BRYNN.

And yes, she is KILLING ME,

WEARING ME OUT,

GIVING ME GRAY HAIR (OK, not really, but I am worried),

AND DRIVING ME INSANE.

Yes, children help us learn patience, but they also can make you frustrated and at times angry and once in a while you seriously want to RUN AWAY.

But I stay put.

I and TRY to smile.

And I do love her.

Even after......

She unrolled an entire roll of toilet paper, tossed it all in the toilet and flushed

Shoved a Barbie earring in her ear canal (inducing a panic attack, scramble for Rich's otoscope and serious skills to get it out- which I did)

Dumped an entire salt shaker over the family room end table

Finds packs of gum and chews the whole thing, spitting out the old bits on the carpet,

Colored all over the desk and then broke every crayon in half

Spilled a good cup of oatmeal into the heater vent

Chopped up bills and papers and books with scissors (that were hidden in the cupboard)

Painted her toenails and fingernails all by herself (Augh!)

Cracked my eye shadow into a million pieces

Doused herself with my entire travel size bottle of perfume

Snapped a gold chain in half that went with a diamond pendant Rich gave me for Christmas

Is the ultimate car key thief

Stole my wallet and hid my credit cards behind the desk

Scattered every shoe, doll, blanket, hair clip, diaper and 1/2 the closet onto her floor in under a minute flat

Painted her face, arms and shirt with purple Barbie lipstick,

Scooped cup after cup of laundry soap into the WRONG compartment in the washing machine causing a major mess and an extraordinary amount of bubbles

Jumps off anything she can climb on

Talks back and loves to tell me "NO!"

Teases and attacks Kaitlyn on an hourly basis

Scattered 1/2 a box of Fruity Cheerios on the linoleum and stomped all over them

Sprinkled pepper onto the floor on purpose so she could attempt (key word) to sweep it up

Will NOT stay dressed- ever

Sleeps in princess dresses and jeans

Will not let me do her hair- not a chance

Filled the van full of babies and blankets, toys, bags and cans of pop

Removes her diaper and demands a new one every 30 minutes, but refuses to use the potty full time

Gets naked and tries to get in the tub all day long

Wakes up EVERY night screaming, demanding to sleep in mommy's bed

Drew marks with a red Sharpie all over my favorite mug (oh wait, that was Kaitlyn....)

Snuck nacho cheese and chips to the basement and coated the floor and couch with yellow ooze

And can do all that in 24 HOURS!!

She is stubborn,

and impulsive

and reckless,

and independent,

and..........

just so dang cute.

Good thing.

Otherwise she might be shipped off to Utah to be tamed by the Grandmas.

That is IF they would take her.

But I'll keep her anyway.

Because she loves to give hugs,

blow kisses,

sing songs,

dance and twirl,

giggle and smile,

tickle my back,

says a pretty sincere 'sorry',

and in her prayers blesses Mommy at least ten times.

Yup, she's a keeper.

Even when that crazy light gleams in her eyes and I sense a tornado of activity is just beyond the horizon.

That's my Brynn.

And I'm glad she's mine. (Most of the time....)

Just in....

Shocking news I just read online!

CDC: Ky. has highest smoking death rate

ATLANTA (AP) — Kentucky and West Virginia — where people traditionally smoke the most — have the highest death rates from smoking, a new federal study has found.

Rounding out the 10 states with the highest average annual smoking death rates were Nevada, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Arkansas, Alabama, Indiana and Missouri.

The lowest death rates were in Utah and Hawaii, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study.

The smoking death rate in Kentucky was about 371 deaths out of every 100,000 adults age 35 and older.

That was nearly one-and-a-half times higher than the national median of 263 per 100,000. And it was nearly three times the rate for Utah, which was 138 per 100,000.

The smoking death rates were calculated using death certificate data from the years 2000 through 2004, focusing on lung cancer and 18 other diseases caused by cigarette smoking.

The rates track pretty closely with the adult smoking rates in each state. Kentucky and West Virginia had the highest smoking rates in 2004 as well.

What an amazing and informative study. Who knew that the state (MY STATE) that has the MOST smokers would have the highest death rate? And the state (MY OTHER STATE) that has the least amount of smokers, is the healthiest. Incredible.

All I can say is, "Who knew?!"

(And how many tax dollars were spent discovering this life altering conclusion???)

For a moment....

My house is perfectly clean.

Yes, I have not showered, worked out or eaten a proper meal today, but for these brief few seconds I am at peace with the housework. Dinner is on the stove, bubbling warm and smelling delicious. The dishes are clean and put away and the remaining few dirty utensils are in the dishwasher. The laundry is churning and drying and there is not a sock, or shoe or bag cluttering my floor. The basement finally looks like a basement instead of a gym/playroom/nursery/war zone. No Star Wars figures dangling from a hook that is strategically attached to the lamp shade. No Lego is hiding in the rug waiting to induce pain when stepped on. No orange flakes of plastic from Josh's well worn basketball peppering the carpet. No chips behind the couch or nacho cheese on the chairs. Brynn's 'accident' in the hallway upstairs has been properly cleaned and no dried, crusty toothpaste is on the counter. No bed has sheets dangling our from under the bedspread. No t-shirts are crumpled up and hidden in the closet.

Nope.

I relish the thought of my perfect state.

For another twenty minutes.

Until boys return from school, quickly waking the sleeping princesses upstairs. Snow will be tracked in and mud will appear on the wood floor. Papers and books and lunchboxes will be strewn throughout the house. The piano will sound, mostly loud odd melodies played too fast or too slow. The laundry will chime and there will be a pile in the bin waiting to be folded. Josh will change his clothes three times, giving me more opportunity to perfect my washing skills. Bathrooms will be used, causing me to run for the Lysol and maybe even a plunger. Sticky peanut butter will be found on knives, counter tops and even on jeans. Cookie crumbs will be scattered across the kitchen floor. Glittery bracelets, clips and babies will be found under the cushions, sippy cups will line the table and cereal on the ground will be mashed into a fine powder.

Yup, life keeps on moving. Leaving me and my ultra clean house in the dust.

Literally.

And that's OK.

I guess I'll never be bored or out of a job.

And really who wants to live in perfection anyway?

There is too much pressure to keep it perfect!

At least that's what I keep telling myself.

Every day.

Change

I, like millions of others, watched the inauguration ceremony of President Barack Obama live from Washington DC today. The day brought the much heralded change so many have talked about for months. While I am very tired of hearing the liberal media and silly celebrities tout our new Commander in Chief as practically 'The Chosen One' who will right every wrong, stop every problem and bring them to tears by just speaking his name, I was eager to see how the the cross over would play out.

As I watched the events unfold I had so many various emotions. I was grateful to be an American where we have the right to vote and choose our elected officials. I am grateful that we are a peaceful nation. Yes, we are currently at war, but the overall feeling of our country today was one of unity and peace. I loved the simple smiles and waves and heartfelt hugs between officials and the friendly banter between President Bush and President Obama. I loved that with a short, simple oath one man is released, while another takes his mantle of responsibility. No games, no pouts, no tug of war with the transfer of power. It is just so. I love that. I truly love to be an American.

While I have learned basic information about our 44th president, Barack Obama is an unknown to me. Yes, the facts are that he is a lawyer, teacher, husband, father and until just recently a junior United States Senator from Illinois. He was born in Honolulu, Hawaii in 1961 to a white American mother and a black Kenyan father. His parents separated when he was two and divorced when he was three. Later his father was killed in a automobile accident in Kenya in 1982. His mother married an Indonesian man shortly after her divorce and they moved to Indonesia when he was six. He returned to Hawaii when he was ten and lived with his maternal grandparents until he graduated from high school. He attended and graduated from Columbia University and graduated from Harvard Law School. For twelve years, Obama served as a professor at the University of Chicago Law School teaching Constitutional Law. He met Michelle Robinson in 1989 and they married in 1992. They have two daughters Malia (10) and Sasha (7). His mother died of ovarian cancer in 1995.

Other than simple facts, my opinion of him is a bit undecided because his limited political run has not given me enough information to form a solid opinion, which I do not think is a negative thing. This is why I consider him unknown. What will he do in specific situations, what will his policies be, or how will he react when crisis calls? This is to be determined by what he does as the Leader of the Free World. He is an excellent orator, he has brought a new hope to this country and has a very presidential aura about him. I think he will be respected by other countries and I hope he can continue to bring safety to our soil and can (in a timely manner) bring our troops home.

While I did not cast my vote for his name back in November, I support my president. We prayed for him tonight. I think he has a monumental task at hand. One I would never want. And with all this hype and hope and love he needs to not only succeed, he needs to shine and flourish and bring everyone along for the ride. That will not be easy, or maybe even possible.

As I talked to my mom on the phone about the events of the day today, she compared our government to a huge, slow machine. And that analogy is true. There are so many facets and parts and springs that make our country tick and work and move forward, that change will be slow. And while that could be negative, I think it is positive as well.

I can honestly say I do not like all of President Obama's ideas, I disagree with some of his views and there are some things he promised the people I hope do not work out, but I do know we do need change. Our country is a mess. Morale is low, people are losing jobs and homes, companies are closing, the stock market is abysmal, the government is drowning in debt and dishonest, greedy, foul people and companies have taken innocent people's life savings because they could.

We need change. We need to pick ourselves up and move forward. We need to be better people. We need to pitch in and work and not wait for someone to give them a handout. I hope our new president can do just that.

Change is coming. Only time will tell what it will bring.

From Foxnews.com.

"Barack Obama, addressing his fellow Americans for the first time as president of the United States, offered a sobering assessment Tuesday of the challenges facing the nation, saying that despite the many crises the country faces, Americans will use their ingenuity and productivity to advance prosperity both at home and abroad.

In his inauguration speech, the nation's 44th president told a record crowd of 2 million braving Washington's winter and millions more watching on TV screens around the world that the U.S. remains "the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth," and America will not be cowed by financial, moral, diplomatic or military threats.

"Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America -- they will be met," Obama said to his first round of applause in the speech.

"On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord. On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics," he continued.

The new president has a weighty job ahead of him, and he has admitted it will take time to stop the job losses and other hardships. Obama inherits one of the worst economic crises endured by this nation, and on top of that he must face down ongoing terror threats to interests at home and abroad. "

Piano Man

It's official. Trey started piano lessons last Tuesday. I have loved hearing the plinks and plunks from the keys as a child practices. Hopefully the excitement will last. One funny thing. Trey is using my old books. I had to go and purchase a new Theory book and I had a good laugh that 25 years later, the books still look just the same. Somethings never change.

Pretty Princesses

Snow White
TinkerbellI love my princesses.

Swigger

Swig

-verb

to drink heartily or greedily

Sometimes it just tastes better straight from the pitcher. At least that's what Brynn seems to think....

What a nut!

I am just ME....

This week I have rediscovered a few things about myself.

I love cream cheese. Truly. I think it's delicious. I don't often buy it because, well, I seem to eat it all up quickly. The other day I bought a bag of mini strawberry bagels and cream cheese and enjoyed eating them all week. Simple pleasures bring happiness. They really do, especially when they involve cream cheese.

I also remembered I really like Hidden Valley Bacon Ranch salad dressing. Tired of always making the packets and wondering how long they can be eaten before they make you sick, I spied this in the salad dressing aisle and picked up a bottle. Rich didn't get a chance to eat his salad before he left for the hospital tonight, so at 10:45 PM, after the kids were in bed and the house was clean I gobbled up his leftover lettuce with a healthy dose of ranch. Yummy!

I love games. Let me say it again. I LOVE games. For four straight days I played the boys Nintendo DS while I rode the bike. For four solid hours I played their new game MillionHeir. It is awesome. It's like I SPY ramped up. It's tricky and tough and I played it on the hardest level. And on the 4th day, I won the whole stinkin' game. I was thrilled, radiant even. I love completing a game and I solved the puzzle. I proudly told Rich my good news. My non-game loving husband wasn't as delighted. With a flat, monotone voice he said, "Wow. There's nothing like that feeling of accomplishment." Sure, he doesn't get it, but I was a lifesaver for Trey as he worked his way through the various levels. Yup, totally worth every second.

Also, I discovered they have a tournament area on Webkinz.com. So of course I had to try it out. You play an arcade game and compete for the best score out of 20 or 30 people. After a few attempts, I finally won a tournament. I told Rich how excited I was. "Good for you," he said. "Nothing like beating a bunch of 5 year olds." He can think what he will, but I know the truth. I've seen the scores and I know that kids could not compete in these games. I know there are a lot of adults, like me, happily playing Webkinz. I would bet money on it! But I didn't care he wasn't glowing for me. I am still excited to have won.

Man, I love Disneyland. The other day I dreamed about it. It was a dream where you just don't want to wake up. I know the park so well that I can dream it accurately. I love that. My girls are obsessed with princesses and I can only imagine how much they would LOVE to see their favorite ones in person. We have a healthy supply of dress up options and watch at bit of a Disney movie everyday, so I don't feel bad for them, but I can't wait until Rich is done so we can go every single year. Maybe even twice a year (if I can get Rich to agree to that....). And that makes me happy!

I think my humming is beginning to drive my kids crazy. Ever since we went and saw Wicked I have had various melodies in my head. But the problem is they don't stay in my head. I hum and sing and basically get the songs stuck in everybody's head. The other day an exasperated Josh told me I had to get a new song to sing. He just couldn't take it anymore. Before Wicked it was Enchanted and he needed some variety. Thank heavens for iPods that allow you to get new tunes in your mind and mouth- fast.

Sometimes it is so nice to just be lazy. Yup. LAZY. Rich's car was in the shop for a week. Seven whole days. But it was really sort of nice. At first he was working nights, so we just took him to work and then the girls and I picked him up in the morning after the boys went to school. Then he worked at the VA and would get off in time for me to pick up the kids. And since I knew I didn't have a car, the girls and I just stayed put. We had dress up parties, we make yummy food, we read stories and we slept in when possible and it was really, really fun. Yes, I didn't get a whole lot done. And after a few days I did have to deep clean a bit to catch up, but having a few slow days really can be the best thing to boost your happiness level. Especially when it's freezing cold outside!

So there you have it- a few random bits of me. And while I know I am crazy and often sleep deprived and do not make dinner enough and talk too much on the phone, I have a happy life, amazing friends, a great husband and terrific kids.

I really do like being me.

Have you?

I copied this from my friend Laura's blog in December. Then Kristi posted it on her blog today. I too thought it was very interesting. I have not done them all, but thankfully I still have lots of life left to cross a few more off!! (The items I have done are in green.)

1. Started your own blog (June 2007)
2. Slept under the stars (often as a child)
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii (July 1991- lived on Oahu Aug. 1995- April 1996)
5. Watched a meteor shower (Too many too count)
6. Given more than you can afford to charity (= blessings!)
7. Been to Disneyland (first time 1980)
8. Climbed a mountain (girls camp)
9. Held a praying mantis (I love bugs!)
10. Sang a solo (choir in middle school, Madrigals high school)
11. Bungee jumped (June 1993)
12. Visited Paris ( May 1994)
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch (crochet, sewing)
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning (Mexico, Dec. 2004. I think almost all of us threw up on that trip...)
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty. (summer 1988)
18. Grown your own vegetables (started a garden in 2007)
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France (1994)
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight (lots!)
22. Hitch hiked (Hawaii 1995- very stupid!)
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill (college)
24. Built a snow fort (so many memories with Greg out in the snow)
25. Held a lamb (Henry's Ark, Louisville)
26. Gone skinny dipping (Hawaii 1995-96)
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse (July 11, 1991 Big Island of Hawaii)
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset (countless)
31. Hit a home run .
32. Been on a cruise (1998, 2003)
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied (various times)
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person (1994)
39. Gone rock climbing (Aspen Grove repelling 1994)
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David (1994)
41. Sung karaoke (cruise ship 1998)
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt (twice as a child- 1980's)
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight (Hawaii)
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing (Alaska 1996)
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person (1994)
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris (1994)
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling (Hawaii 1996)
52. Kissed in the rain (for years!)
53. Played in the mud (highly recommend this!)
54. Gone to a drive-in theater (love the double features!)
55. Been in a movie or on a TV show
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching (Alaska 1996)
63. Got flowers for no reason (I can't resist- last time was a month ago)
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma (as often as I can- last time was January 2008)
65. Gone sky diving (1995- my mom nearly killed me)
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check (yikes!)
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy (which one?)
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial (1988)
71. Eaten Caviar (cruise 1998, 2003)
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square (1988)
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London (1994)
77. Broken a bone (nose)
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle (1995)
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person (1994)
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican (1994)
82. Bought a brand new car (1997)
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper (SF paper wasn't hard to get into- school, wedding announcement, 5 generation photo)
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House (1988)
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox (1982)
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury (got out of that one in 2007)
91. Met someone famous (Jim Nantz, San Antonio, TX 1998, Fred Savage, Stanford 1996, various NBA players via Rich's teammates)
92. Joined a book club (don't enjoy these...)
93. Lost a loved one (grandparents and an aunt)
94. Had a baby (five times- three pregnancies)
95. Seen the Alamo in person (1998)
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake (as a child)
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone (first one 2002)
99. Been stung by a bee (most recently last fall, the worst though was when I was stung on my upper lip. Ouch!)

Desperate....

FOR SNOW!

I just happened to buy three sleds at Wal-mart yesterday, thinking maybe someday when we got a bit of snow the boys could finally go sledding and use our own equipment.

When church ended at 2 PM we found that snowflakes had begun to fall, but none were sticking to the ground. The boys crossed every finger in hopes the would be able to use their new sleds soon.

After a long, lazy afternoon, with bits of sunshine here and there, we opened up the garage at 8:30 PM to wave to Rich as he headed back to the hospital for another night of call. The boys found what they had been hoping for- just a bit of white covered the ground. And they knew it was enough.

With their church clothes on and no coats in sight, they had a party there in the darkness slipping and sliding on the cold, frozen cement of our driveway. They were delighted. The girls giggled and jumped up and down in the garage with excitement. And I laughed at my funny, insane and snow crazed cuties.

Just barely enough....The girls saw the boys were out having fun, so they dashed upstairs and opened their winter drawer. Kaitlyn brought down her scarf,

While Tink brought down one red shoe, one black shoe, gloves and a tutu for a shawl. Brilliant. One more thing. Beware of cold frozen driveways. They are still very hard, even with a whopping 1/8 of an inch of snow covering them.

Ouch! (But totally worth it!)

Frigid

The headline reads:

Bone-chilling cold invades Midwest, East

Extreme cold settled into the Bluegrass Thursday, causing numerous school closings for Friday, when morning temperatures are expected to drop below zero.

Schools throughout the Bluegrass region, including Fayette County, are closed Friday to keep students from having to venture out into temperatures expected to drop to about -4 degrees overnight. Kentucky hasn't been that cold since December 2004.

Yup, that means the kids will be home tomorrow making it our second day they will have to make up later in the year.

While I know with the possibility of the wind chill being -20 degrees does sound very frigid, it still seems crazy to cancel school simply because it is cold. I guess you have to factor in there are children that would have to wait at bus stops, but closing schools does seem to go a bit too far.

But I am not alone. My family up in Wisconsin is having the same problem, except it's much colder up there (like -60 degrees wind chill. Brrrr!). Jana's elementary school is closed and Jeff was instructed to watch his medical school lectures online. It seems this arctic air has us all bundling up from the Midwest to the Northeast.

So, now I am left wondering what to do with five kids at home over a four day weekend (Monday is Martin Luther King Jr.'s Birthday) while Rich is working nights and it's very cold out. I'm stumped. I guess we'll be breaking in our two new games from Christmas: Disney Scene It? and Electric Banking Monopoly. Sounds like fun to me.

Miracle

I turned on the TV today at four o'clock and my heart sank as I read the breaking news alert. Katie Couric was describing how an US Airways plane had crashed into the Hudson River. What tragic news and I couldn't imagine the panic of the passengers and crew during those tense final moments and the heart break the families would have to endure when they found out about their loss. Then she continued the story- everyone had seemed to have survived. I gasp. That was amazing. Truly amazing.If you ever thought miracles had ceased, this proves that they still happen. Every single day.

FAA: All on board Flight 1549 safe

A US Airways plane dropped into the Hudson River on Thursday afternoon, sending 155 passengers and crewmembers fleeing for safety in the frigid waters. Everyone survived but there were some minor injuries.

Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Laura Brown said Flight 1549 had just taken off from LaGuardia Airport en route to Charlotte when the incident occurred. Brown said the jet, an Airbus 320, appears to have been hit by birds, which disabled two engines. The jet went down in the river near 48th Street in midtown Manhattan.

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said the pilot of the plane "did a masterful job of landing the plane in the river and making sure everybody got out."He said he had a long conversation with the pilot who "walked the plane twice to make sure everyone got out."

New York Gov. David Paterson praised the pilot saying "we've had a miracle on 34th street, I believe now we've had a miracle on the Hudson."