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Showing posts from April, 2009

Friday... Er, I Mean Thursday--Rats!

Have you ever had one of those experiences--generally in the grocery store, in a stadium full of people or at a county fair--when your child reacts to you in a way that makes you look like a full blown child abuser? One of those times when they won't walk forward and so you nudge them between the shoulder blades. This is then followed by them throwing themselves on the ground crying and screaming, "Why are you pushing me?" Another particular favorite of mine is when you grab their arm and they howl at the pain you are causing them, "YOU'RE HURTING ME!" I know someone that told me once about how her old-enough-to-know-what-she-was-doing daughter was constantly reacting this way in public. The end result was a mother of an 8 ish year old who in a fierce whisper said, "I dare you to keep it up." I usually just roll my eyes, and smile at everyone that is now gaping at me in horror. "You're fine," I say loud enough for the growing crowd

Heard this One at Church; Thought I'd Share

"No man knows how bad he is till he has tried very hard to be good. A silly idea is current that good people do not know what temptation means. This is an obvious lie. Only those who try to resist temptation know how strong it is. After all, you find out the strength of the German army by fighting against it, not by giving in. You find out the strength of a wind by trying to walk against it, not by lying down. A man who gives in to temptation after five minutes simply does not know what it would have been like an hour later. That is why bad people, in one sense, know very little about badness — they have lived a sheltered life by always giving in. We never find out the strength of the evil impulse inside us until we try to fight it: and Christ, because He was the only man who never yielded to temptation, is also the only man who knows to the full what temptation means — the only complete realist." — C.S. Lewis

Why Did I Smell That?

Why is it that you smell things you know are going to make you gag? Or is this just me? I really don't think so, because I think I've caught my husband doing it too. But why is it? So you find that bottle under the couch... the one with the solidified milk inside and what do you do? You take it over to the sink, unscrew the lid and sniff, just to make sure. Make sure of what!? That the solid mass in the bottom is really curdled milk? It's like when you were a kid and would pick at your ear and then stick your finger in your mouth. We ALL know how ear wax tastes, so why does anyone make that mistake more than once? What part of our brain tells us that we need to do that again, just in case the first 10 times weren't accurate? Kind of like when you're 28 years old and you touch the iron to see if it's hot? WHO DOES THAT!? It makes no sense whatsoever. Has anyone ever done a study on this, I wonder? The reason our brain insists our senses didn't get it right...

Plinky Prompt: What Offends You?

Nothing. I'm very rarely offended. ;) No really should I list them? 1. I can't stand it when people make excuses for their behavior. I think I do this myself, but I try not to because it bugs me so very much. Admit that what you do is because you want to do it and we can all move on. 2. People who complain about children. Especially when they are my children. This one has an entire subsection... I can't stand it when people say things like, "I worked more than 40 hours a week for all my pregnancies." As if those who choose to stay at home with their children are beneath them for not working at home. Equally, it bugs me when stay at homers complain about people who work. I think it fits with #1. Why don't we spend time working on ourselves and not what we perceive to be wrong with everyone else? 3. People who listen to offensive music loudly in public places. Just stop! No one wants to hear it. 4. People who use offensive language loudly in public places. (see

Rituals

We have a pretty set morning routine around here. Well, as set as any of our routines get around here (I never know exactly when I'm going to get a chance to brush my teeth). Every morning we wake up around 7 AM and everyone gets ready to go to their various forms of education. This is a sad time of the day for the little one who is always so excited to have everyone around only to have them all leave in a rush. He's usually left in tears. So he and I (me and him? we?) have a pretty typical schedule. 1. Depending on the day he either stays home with Ralexwin while I take the munchkins to school, or he comes with me. 2. He cries all the way home... until he see's a bicycle then he remembers that he knows that word and points out ever single one to me (which is a lot since we live in a small college town). 3. We have a little tussle over going to see the neighbors dogs. 4. He screams as I haul him into the house. 5. I mention movies. 6. Screaming stops. "Movie? Movie, mo

Cylinder, Sphere, Cube, Prism

The girl child came home with homework the other day. "Cut and paste the shape to the correct word. Then describe," it said. Right, sounds easy enough. Cylinder she got right off, Sphere... no problem. Cube... easy stuff. Prism..... ..... ..... Well obviously it's the last one left but how do you describe it? "A 3-D shape that's not a cube, a cylinder or a sphere." I said, feeling quite whitty. Ralexwin rolls his eyes and hands me the dictionary. a polyhedron with two congruent and parallel faces and whose lateral faces are parallelograms *cannwin bangs head against table* "Honey, I don't know what that just said. What's a parallelogram!?" "Look it up." He says, his faith in the power of the dictionary never failing. a quadrilateral whose opposite sides are both parallel and equal in length *more head banging* "What the hecks a quadrilateral!?" He ignores me as he forages for food. Our friend Melissa walks in. "Wha

Kids Funnies Part 134

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I know I just posted one of these, but I had some new ones pop up that I had to share. Today: Daughter: Mom were you born in 1880 or 1980? -------- 6 year old Son: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August... My birthday is August 22. Me: No it's not. Him: It's not!? (pauses to think) It's October!!!! OOOOOOOH that's so far away. ---------- Yesterday at dinner: Daughter: I have 5 favorite places to eat: McDonald's, Pizza Hut, Little Italy's, Dairy Queen and Mom's! 6 year old Son: Oh yeah, well I have four places I like to eat. ------ Day before that: Me: Honey what's this sticky note on your folder about? 6 year old son: That's what my teacher gave me so I could remember the street I live on. Me: But you don't live on Clark. 6 year old: My teacher says I do. Me: Well, believe me, I know a thing or two about this one and you don't. Him (frustrated): Ugh! then where do I live? Me: Here I'll wri

Plinky Prompt: List Your Rules for a Healthy Relationship

1. State the nature of the relationship and the longevity of it. Example: Discuss divorce with your love before you marry. 2. Keep humor alive, even when arguing. 3. Ban sarcasm (which I've learned means "flesh burn"). 4. Communicate, communicate, communicate. Example: You: When you do ______ I feel ______ because_______. Him/Her: So your saying _____________? You: Yes (or no). Switch sides. 5. Continuing counseling and support groups. We went to a marriage retreat a while back and they told us that the chances of a marriage surviving are about 60% (in the US). If the couple goes to marriage counseling just before or just after marriage those odds go up to 80%. That's a huge return for minimal work. 6. Have children... it keeps you connected to a common goal. 7. Go to church together. 8. Go on dates. 9. Take time out for yourself and allow your love to do the same. 10. Call your wife your 'beautiful bride,' it makes her feel young. 11. Never fight with your cl

Okay, Another Political Rant. (I know you all love them)

So tomorrow there will be a case presented before the Supreme Court regarding a (then) 13 year old girl who was strip searched at her school because it was believed that she was carrying prescription strength Ibuprofen. The suit claims that this girls constitutional rights regarding searches was violated and that the school district should settle the matter financially (which is really about the only way it could be settled). Here. Or here , which is a shorter opinion (pro) This is huge! Mainly because, depending on how the Supreme Court rules, school districts around the nation will either be at liberty to justify such behavior or they will not. I myself was absolutely appalled by the story, which takes place in a sleepy little town in Arizona called Safford . The school district claims that they are "on the front lines of a decades-long war against drug abuse among student." ??? Right, Safford , Arizona, population 9,700 . It's not Chicago or Washington D.C. or L.A. or

Sssss....

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What type of snake do you suppose this is? It's no Garter snake, this I know 'cause it kept trying to bite the rake when Ralexwin was trying to pick it up (to throw it over the fence)... I've never seen a Garter snake do that. This is my garage, and the 6 year old munckin found this one. He screamed bloody murder and now none of the kids (minus the baby, who probably would try to touch it) want to go near the garage. Then this lady at work says, "Oh, yeah there probably laying eggs underneath and you'll have lots of babies soon enough. Better deal with that soon." So, I'm wondering... is this a dangerous snake? And should I expect more?

3 People You Admire

My dear friend (who totally insulted me by saying blogs were a waste of time.... then made one of her own! HA!) has challenged me to list three people in my life that I admire and list why. So here's we go: 1) Tasha - One of the absolute best women I have ever known in my life. She blows me away with her ability to see things on the bright side. She has endured a rather nasty divorce, and nastier custody battle all while working multiple jobs to support her son and herself, going back to school to improve her quality of life and maintaining her monumental faith in the Lord. She never once has turned her back on her knowledge that she is loved by God and all this will work out in the end. Furthermore she is the essence of a friend who stands by you through thick and thin. I trust her implicitly and as our friendship has gone through these crazy curve balls life keeps throwing our way we have become as close as sisters. 2) Ralexwin - which many of you would think was a given (or a

Funny Things the Kids Say Part 5673

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Ralexwin : If we want to have a nice garden then we're going to need to do something about all those squirrels. 7y/o tyrant: Let's kill them all. We could get some poison and spread it around the yard and make it look like food and then they'd all die. Me: Did you tell her to say that!? Ralexwin : No!!! - - - - - - Ralexwin : Sometimes you just need to ignore kids when they are bothering you. 6 y/o Dennis the Menace: I'm sorry Dad! But the bad-man inside my head was just to loud. Ralexwin (chuckling): Well maybe we should practice listening to the good-man. - - - - - During a family lesson about loving God. Ralexwin is teaching. 7 y/o girl child bursts into tears. Ralexwin : What's wrong? 7 y/o: Mommy was trying to pop my toes and I pulled away and my knee hit my eye! Ralexwin (looking extremely annoyed): Cannwin , will you please pay attention and stop pestering your daughter. Me: Sorry... she just keeps putting them so close! - - - -

Lost!

If you've wondered why I dropped off the face of the planet, well I'm about to tell you. I lost my Internet connection... okay I lost my neighbor's Internet connection because they moved. I feel deprived. I feel withdrawn. I feel like an addict without her drug! I keep whining about all my readers not getting to hear from me (people are starting to look at me strangely). So it goes like this, I'm going to have to blog when I'm at work (don't tell my boss that ). I work two days a week, so that means I'll have to stock up all my thoughts and then schedule the posts. It also means that I'm not going to be getting back to your comments as quickly as I would like, but don't stop commenting on me! Don't give up on me, not just yet. The summer is coming maybe I'll be able to work something out with someone... or something. Anyhow, there it is. If you were wondering how else my week went, well the baby was sick again (103*F), and we

My Own Private Idaho

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Many of you may not be aware of the fact that I grew up in Idaho. Yep, I'm an Idahoan. Well in reality I might be a Washingtonian, since I was born 90 miles from Mt. St. Helen's ... In 1980, but that's a story for another day. Today we're going to talk about the Gem State. Which is of course the proper nickname for my home. Not the potato state, although as our license plates so back- stabbingly put it... We do have famous potatoes. ID is also where you would learn about the Nez Perce tribe in 4 th grade state history. You would learn about Chief Joseph and his eloquent "I Will Fight No More Forever." But those are all facts about that oddly shaped state. And not what I think of when I think of home. Not what I miss. I miss sleeping out on our dangerously unstable porch and seeing the milky way off to the right, so thick in the darkness that it looked like a streak of clouds. I miss climbing the hill behind my house and seeing mountain upon mountain piling

She Works Hard for the Money

This is what I did at work last night. My boss thinks I should become a "system's expert" so she's got me doing the training disk again. Do You hear that thumping sound? That's me banging my head against the wall. I don't think they could have made that more confusing... How many times do they say date or day? It was a very long night, one in which I wondered why I don't get a job that actually MEANS something to society in general. Or that at least pays better.

Self-Employed

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Ralexwin has decided to start a day care in the basement over the summer. Evidently there is a massive, ginormous need for places to watch kids in this town and you don't need a license if you have less than 12 children. Anyhow, I said (you know...after several "arguments") that's fine, but I am SO not doing it with you. So he's going to do his little daddy-daycare downstairs while I play mommy upstairs. The perk I get out of all of this is that the basement is very dark (wood paneling abounds) and he's decided to paint it all and brighten up the room. Nice. I won't complain about that one. In fact I might even help out a little if it means my basement gets spruced up a bit. I think I'll have to take some before and after pics. He's really excited about this, I think he's decided that helping little ones have happy childhood's is one of his callings in life. I have a very wonderful husband. I practically adore him. So perhaps when things g