One of the joys of summer
1 day ago
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Comment About our Family Size
I was working tonight--I waitress-- and about 12 people were in for a birthday party. It wasn't my table, but towards the end of the night I noticed they had "Happy 50th" napkins on the table. An elderly lady was sitting at the end and everyone else was talking to someone else, so I stopped by and jokingly said, "It must be your happy 50th!" She looked surprised, then laughed and said I was sweet to think she was only 50. She was actually 85. We got to talking and I asked how many children she had.
"Six," she replied. I said, "Oh, good for you! I have five." Here was her reply:
"Oh, you will be SO grateful! I wish I had had eight!"
Isn't that the sweetest comment? Most people, when they find out you have five children are all "Oh, my gosh, you have your hands full! Better you than me! I could never do that! I can hardly take care of the two I've got! or You must be crazy!"
And I've had that thought before. How wonderful it will be when they are all grown and married and we have Thanksgiving or Christmas and my house is filled to bursting! I don't want to downsize when they've all gone. I want to have room for them all to stay!
What a blessing this lady was to me today.
Here are my buttercups. I think Banana Boy didn't want to wear the shorts I'd picked out for him, so he was having a snit. The girls were very patient, at first, about posing.
Now everyone is trying to look pouty
BB gets madder
Not cooperating
The girls are running out of patience. The smiles are fake now.
Daisy closes her eyes
Now we've lost Sunshine all together.
Dad reaches in a hand to try and improve things
Everyone is on their own agenda now
"Six," she replied. I said, "Oh, good for you! I have five." Here was her reply:
"Oh, you will be SO grateful! I wish I had had eight!"
Isn't that the sweetest comment? Most people, when they find out you have five children are all "Oh, my gosh, you have your hands full! Better you than me! I could never do that! I can hardly take care of the two I've got! or You must be crazy!"
And I've had that thought before. How wonderful it will be when they are all grown and married and we have Thanksgiving or Christmas and my house is filled to bursting! I don't want to downsize when they've all gone. I want to have room for them all to stay!
What a blessing this lady was to me today.
Here are my buttercups. I think Banana Boy didn't want to wear the shorts I'd picked out for him, so he was having a snit. The girls were very patient, at first, about posing.
Now everyone is trying to look pouty
BB gets madder
Not cooperating
The girls are running out of patience. The smiles are fake now.
Daisy closes her eyes
Now we've lost Sunshine all together.
Dad reaches in a hand to try and improve things
Everyone is on their own agenda now
And we gave up.
But, oh, I do love them!
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Pepperisms
While at Family Camp, out in the middle of nowhere, we were walking to the cabin after the campfire. Where we live, 1 mile from a 4-lane highway, it's never really completely silent. At camp, one of us suddenly stopped and said, "Everybody, Shh! Listen to how quiet it is!"
Pepper: I wish those crickets would be quiet so I could hear it!
Pepper, unruffled after almost stepping on a snake at camp: "My foot was just hovering over it and then it slipped away into the grass."
Pepper: I wish those crickets would be quiet so I could hear it!
Pepper, unruffled after almost stepping on a snake at camp: "My foot was just hovering over it and then it slipped away into the grass."
Pepper reviewing The Boxcar Children Caboose Mystery: "I love this book. It's really exciting. Read the back. It made me excited." You have to understand that this was said in a dead serious tone, without excitement. Not sarcastic, nor in a monotone. Just deadpan. She's such a serious little muppet.
And my favorite: "I just love you so so so so so so so so so so so much, Mom. Kiss my lips."
I just love YOU so so so so so so so so so so so so much, Pepper!
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
At Last! The Last Day of Vacation!
Sunday, July 27, 2008
I woke up to find Banana Boy in my bed. “Mom,” he said sweetly. “You are better!”
“Better than what?” I had to ask.
“A coyote,” he answered, his voice full of love.
Uh, yay, me.
7:07 am Hazy, but sunny and pleasant. We’re all packed up and saying good bye to the cabin.
They’re begging the second they are in the car, but we’ve been making them wait.
The first day they had to wait for the first stop sign.
The second day they had to wait for the second stop sign.
The third day they had to wait until after we had the tire fixed.
Today they had to see a dead armadillo first.
It took a surprisingly long time, but the one we finally found was nice and fresh. There weren’t even any flies buzzing over it yet. Mr. GT whizzed past and by popular vote, we made him turn around so we could get a better look. The kids had never seen a real armadillo, after all!
Want to see it closer?
He (it WAS a boy) was pronounced “Cool!” Thus began a lot of silly armadilly talk.
Hi Ho I love you so.
A dead armadillo
A dead armadillo
We’re drivin’ over you – Banana Boy
Everybody wants a dead armadillo
Yours is a purse and mine is a pillow --Mom
Everybody wants a dead armadillo
Mine’s dipped in chocolate
Yours is dipped in broccoli crumbs --Daisy
Everybody’s seen a dead ‘dillo
Mine is slow…
…and so is yours. –Rose Bud
We connect up with Hwy. 61 near St. Louis. Crabbiness is at a medium level, about what I’d expect for the long drive. Banana Boy is melting down in a major way, so somewhere (no idea where) we stop at a Starbucks for coffee for me and a change of seats. I moved next to Banana Boy, which calmed him down for a while. The other kids amused themselves with Adventures in Odyssey CDs and leftover slime from VBS. The girls each brought a vial of slime powder and used water from their water bottles to mix it into a delightfully slimey mess to play with.
Lunch was in the visitor center parking lot of Hannibal, MO. We’re down to bagels, peanut butter and Nutella, baby carrots and grapes. A perfect picnic. I was able to get connected and posted 3 days worth of blogs. Now that lunch is over, everyone seems to be in a better mood. Hopefully, it will be naptime soon.
Hey. That was all I wrote that day so long ago. So you'll have to imagine how the rest of the trip went. Facts you need to know:
Lunch in Hannibal, MO : 11:30 am
Drive into the driveway: 6:30 pm
I'll let you fill in the details!
I woke up to find Banana Boy in my bed. “Mom,” he said sweetly. “You are better!”
“Better than what?” I had to ask.
“A coyote,” he answered, his voice full of love.
Uh, yay, me.
7:07 am Hazy, but sunny and pleasant. We’re all packed up and saying good bye to the cabin.
Our cabin. You, too, can stay here. Go to Koinania Cottage
Each morning the kids open their bag of presents from Nonny.
The first day they had to wait for the first stop sign.
The second day they had to wait for the second stop sign.
The third day they had to wait until after we had the tire fixed.
Today they had to see a dead armadillo first.
It took a surprisingly long time, but the one we finally found was nice and fresh. There weren’t even any flies buzzing over it yet. Mr. GT whizzed past and by popular vote, we made him turn around so we could get a better look. The kids had never seen a real armadillo, after all!
Want to see it closer?
He (it WAS a boy) was pronounced “Cool!” Thus began a lot of silly armadilly talk.
Hi Ho I love you so.
A dead armadillo
A dead armadillo
We’re drivin’ over you – Banana Boy
Everybody wants a dead armadillo
Yours is a purse and mine is a pillow --Mom
Everybody wants a dead armadillo
Mine’s dipped in chocolate
Yours is dipped in broccoli crumbs --Daisy
Everybody’s seen a dead ‘dillo
Mine is slow…
…and so is yours. –Rose Bud
Rose Bud posing as a dead armadillo.
We connect up with Hwy. 61 near St. Louis. Crabbiness is at a medium level, about what I’d expect for the long drive. Banana Boy is melting down in a major way, so somewhere (no idea where) we stop at a Starbucks for coffee for me and a change of seats. I moved next to Banana Boy, which calmed him down for a while. The other kids amused themselves with Adventures in Odyssey CDs and leftover slime from VBS. The girls each brought a vial of slime powder and used water from their water bottles to mix it into a delightfully slimey mess to play with.
Lunch was in the visitor center parking lot of Hannibal, MO. We’re down to bagels, peanut butter and Nutella, baby carrots and grapes. A perfect picnic. I was able to get connected and posted 3 days worth of blogs. Now that lunch is over, everyone seems to be in a better mood. Hopefully, it will be naptime soon.
Hey. That was all I wrote that day so long ago. So you'll have to imagine how the rest of the trip went. Facts you need to know:
Lunch in Hannibal, MO : 11:30 am
Drive into the driveway: 6:30 pm
I'll let you fill in the details!
Thanks, Mom!
I haven't been looking for blessings lately. Haven't felt like blogging, either. Maybe I need to get back to the heart of this blog.
Today my mom came over and revamped all our flower beds. She snipped and dead-headed and mulched and weeded and made them all look fabulous. Flower Gardening is her passion. It's Mr. GT's, too, but he doesn't have time. In fact, Rose Bud asked him today, "How come you never garden anymore, Daddy?" So our flower beds had been looking neglected. But thanks to my mom who lives in a condo and doesn't have the vast beds she used to but who still has lots of time, they are no longer neglected.
Thanks, Mom!
And here, for your viewing pleasure, is one of our icky millipedes.
Today my mom came over and revamped all our flower beds. She snipped and dead-headed and mulched and weeded and made them all look fabulous. Flower Gardening is her passion. It's Mr. GT's, too, but he doesn't have time. In fact, Rose Bud asked him today, "How come you never garden anymore, Daddy?" So our flower beds had been looking neglected. But thanks to my mom who lives in a condo and doesn't have the vast beds she used to but who still has lots of time, they are no longer neglected.
Thanks, Mom!
Monday, August 4, 2008
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Ewwww!
My house is in fairly decent shape--mostly sanitary, a little cluttered. The bathroom might smell like poopy diapers. I don't usually worry about having people over.
But right now we have several hundred houseguests of the ewww variety, namely millipedes. In the last 4 or 5 years they've been vacationing here in late summer. I don't know where they came from or why they return, but they're visiting my neighbor, too. Blech. For the most part, they confine themselves to our library, the bathroom and the basement. Oh, and all over our front walk and the outside of our door. Gross.
Short of sweeping and vacuuming and ignoring them, there doesn't seem to be a lot we can do until they go away. So we live with them. (and their cousins the asian lady beetle, who visits our sunny windows in February. And the great big ants who visit in May. And the earwigs, who will stop by and stay awhile later in the summer. Then there is the occasional itinerant tick who stows away and the tiny sugar ants I invite to the Terro party under my sink.) Each year, there seems to be a new family who discovers our resort.
Anyway, Rose Bud had a friend overnight.
I was just a tad nervous about Pheasant coming over. I mean, her mom keeps a pretty snazzy house. All picked up, clean, chicken soup simmering on the stove. I could just imagine her going home and sharing how we have creepy crawlies everywhere. No more overnights for Rose Bud and Pheasant.
So I'm sitting in the kitchen drinking my coffee and I hear:
"Look! He's lifting his head!"
"This one is standing up!"
"You can't even feel them."
"I have 3. How many do you have?"
"I wonder what I should name mine?"
Rose Bud, Pheasant, Daisy and Banana Boy were having a millipede circus in our library. They were teaching them tricks and having races. Pheasant named hers Fabio.
I guess she wasn't grossed out by our bugs.
But right now we have several hundred houseguests of the ewww variety, namely millipedes. In the last 4 or 5 years they've been vacationing here in late summer. I don't know where they came from or why they return, but they're visiting my neighbor, too. Blech. For the most part, they confine themselves to our library, the bathroom and the basement. Oh, and all over our front walk and the outside of our door. Gross.
Short of sweeping and vacuuming and ignoring them, there doesn't seem to be a lot we can do until they go away. So we live with them. (and their cousins the asian lady beetle, who visits our sunny windows in February. And the great big ants who visit in May. And the earwigs, who will stop by and stay awhile later in the summer. Then there is the occasional itinerant tick who stows away and the tiny sugar ants I invite to the Terro party under my sink.) Each year, there seems to be a new family who discovers our resort.
Anyway, Rose Bud had a friend overnight.
I was just a tad nervous about Pheasant coming over. I mean, her mom keeps a pretty snazzy house. All picked up, clean, chicken soup simmering on the stove. I could just imagine her going home and sharing how we have creepy crawlies everywhere. No more overnights for Rose Bud and Pheasant.
So I'm sitting in the kitchen drinking my coffee and I hear:
"Look! He's lifting his head!"
"This one is standing up!"
"You can't even feel them."
"I have 3. How many do you have?"
"I wonder what I should name mine?"
Rose Bud, Pheasant, Daisy and Banana Boy were having a millipede circus in our library. They were teaching them tricks and having races. Pheasant named hers Fabio.
I guess she wasn't grossed out by our bugs.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
