Grateful Heart

So today is the day. It is actually the night. It is Prom Night. The theme for this year is "I Don't Wanna Miss Thing" and both my girls are going. I am not a fan of shopping so I feel like the worst mom in the world for not really wanting to go prom dress shopping. Not being a fan of shopping is not really the only problem. The other problem is that shopping with my girls is a lesson in sheer frustration as they are both thin and they are both beautiful. Listening to two twigs say "that dress makes me look fat" is really just a little more than disconcerting. However, both dresses have been purchased and both are just perfect for each girl. What got me thinking about all of this today was the fact that I was having trouble seeing on my way to work. I know my mind really works different than some, but my next thought was "What a horrible thing it would be if I couldn't see" and then the next thought was "I cannot imagine not seeing my beautiful daughters all dressed up for prom."

While the whole process of getting ready for prom has not been one that really appeals to me, I was thinking this morning how lucky I am. Lucky that I can see my daughters, all beautiful and grown up, how I would never know how beautiful they looked if I could not see. The next thought that came to me was how I would really hate it if I could not hear. I think about this quite often as I really do struggle to hear out of my left ear. I love music. I love to sing. I love to listen to my kids laugh. My daughter Mallory has the best belly laugh. It is the laugh she laughs when she is truly amused. I cannot imagine never hearing my son Zachary say "Mooom, I have a question." He always says that first rather than just asking the question, as if the announcement is needed to allow him a few more minutes to form his thoughts. My son Kenny, who at the age of 20 still calls me Mommy. "Mommy I love you" I would be sad to never hear him say that again. I know there are many ways to communicate but I am so grateful I can hear.

The last thing I thought on my way into work was how glad I am that I can move my legs, that I can run. I guess all of these things are things we take for granted. But imagine never running. I love to run. I love going to my aerobics classes and stumbling over my own feet.I love being able to hike in the woods. To be able to walk through nature and see what is going on. I love just being able to get where I need to and never having to depend on anyone else.

For all that I can do I am grateful.

All In Good TIme My Pretty

The Wizard of Oz was on tonight. I have a confession to make. I have watched that movie a bazillion times. Yes, really, a bazillion times. How I failed to notice in the last 40 years that Dorothy's relatives were in fact the Lion, the Scarecrow and the Tin man I do not know???!!!! I think it was last year I realized maybe the year before. But no matter, I should have noticed a lot sooner!

I consider myself to be pretty observant, but I missed that. What else have I missed out on? Really at this time of year, it is the time to be wondering about all that you have- not what you have missed! I have so very much! I have five healthy, hormonal teenagers! I know they have healthy lungs because they used to cry like it was a sporting event and they were competing for a medal! Gold medal winners every one of em! I have a home, a car-two cars actually. I have so many friends and acquaintances. I can walk down State Road 64 any day of the week and there are so many friendly people out there that I can feel loved just from the 8 mile stretch! They wave and smile-I don't know most of them, but it doesn't matter. I feel like I do.

I have a job-a crazy one sometimes but a job! I get to help people which is always nice. I have missed somethings in life but I am sure glad for all the things I haven't missed!

Angels While They Sleep

Well this is probably the fifth night in a row that I have gone to look in on Macy after bedtime and found her in a weird way. Last night she fell asleep with her shoes and clothes on! Here she is tonight. Be forewarned-she is not alone!I am not sure if you can see it as clearly as I did when I walked in, but she is hanging off the side of the bed. That would be her bottom portion. Also, amidst all those stuffed animals, there are two real cats. Jimbob is the one I woke up taking the picture. O'Malley is the big gray blob towards the front. She is going to have a sore hand from the way she is bending her hand! Not to mention the potential for a fall in the middle of the night!Now here is Zachary. Doesn't he look comfy? He should. He is in my bed!!! He needs to get out!!!
By the way-that date thing-ignore it. It is still November 2008! He sure looks like an angel when his mouth is closed. The really humorous thing about this photo? He was literally telling me less than two minutes prior how he could not fall asleep unless I made him a snack. That he was SOOOO hungry he would never fall asleep. SO being the good mom that I am, I walked to the kitchen and started a cheeseburger on the stove for him. Note exhibit A below!

The time it took for me to make a hamburger patty and walk back to the room and tell him it was cooking, he was unconscious! Kids! I have to laugh. Now what am I going to do with the burger? I am not the least bit hungry! Just look at him..

Isn't he just angelic? Wait till I try and wake him up. Then he will be a different story. Maybe I will just sleep in his bed. His mother needs to tell him to shave and it would appear a trim is in the future of this young man. At least by the ears. I sure love the little guy. He is taller than me now, but he will always be my little guy!!!! Mallory should not be excluded from this exercise in humiliation, however, I went into her room to take the picture and she is buried under the covers. You cannot even tell there is a person in her bed.

My kids sleep so sound that I can vacuum next to their bed while they sleep and they will not wake up! Scary! Well the burger is done so I suppose I shall go do something with it. Maybe he can have it for breakfast! Sweet dreams my angels.

If You Don't Have Something Nice to Say....

I have not written in sometime. This is due to many circumstances, none of which have been enjoyable. I love to write about things going on in my life, but not really the bad things or the negative things. I feel like there is enough of that on the news so I try to keep this more upbeat and positive.

As my Mom always said, "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all." So I have been quiet. But here I am, back in the swing of things. I will give you a small sampling of some of the things that have been going on. Last post was hurricane Ike. That sums up no power, water, phone or food. Garage and roof damage totaling hmmm $2300 dollars. The loss of all food in my deep freeze and two other freezers! Then there were all the trees that were destroyed by wind gusts. Well my experience with one tree caused a horrendous case of poison ivy which after three visits to the doctor and one to the hospital is still haunting me. Two of my kids had it also but they managed to get by with one doctor visit each!

Then there were the eye opening parental moments that I have endured which were truly the low points in my parenting repoirtire up to this point. I hope to never have to deal with some of the things that I have in the last two months, ever again. EVER. That being said, I have reached down very deeo for some inspiration, hope and have called on my faith to muster up the strength to move forward.

Here I am.

Hurricane Ike

Well I will post pictures later today, but my failure to post has been directly related to the lack of electricity. And water. And phone service. And cable. Did I mention that my kids are not pioneers in any sense of the word? Okay, so maybe I am not a pioneer that should have children. No power is fine by me, but having a house full of children and candles and oil lamps around with fire shooting out of them, ON PURPOSE, well it just does not sit well with me. Made me a nervous wreck.

Kids really don't know how to spend time without electronics these days. My son Zachary is absolutely beyond words just two days into this sans electricity thing. I really feel like I could string him up from a tree if there were any trees left standing on my property. So I did what any sensible mother would do. Or any single mother would do. I took him to his Dad's house. :o)

My roof on my garage is missing, well parts of it are missing. There is wood showing which is not a good thing. Shingles are laying with their back side showing (how embarrassing) and well my water line conveniently snapped in true hurricane fashion. Go IKE! I was thinking of the Hillshire Farms commercial "go meat" and that is where that came from. There are shingles from the roof on my house laying helter skelter throughout my yard.

There are leaves everywhere, and I am really having major concerns about the way fall may turn out. I love summer, it is my favorite. But fall is so beautiful. Usually. When a hurricane doesn't blow through at 81 mph and ripping the leaves off the trees like a stripper in heat! But no sense worrying just yet. I once took pictures of the same leaves every week for four months just so I could compare the change. That gives you an idea of how much I love the change of color in the fall.

Hurricane Ike hit southern Indiana, it was dry here. My sister lives in St. Louis and they had a deluge of rain. I am glad it was dry and just wind damage because I can only imagine what it would look like if it was raining here as well. Thank you God for the small blessing!!!

Stars Hollow

Do you ever wish you had grown up in one place all of your life and that everyone knew you and everything about you? I am watching Gilmore Girls, the television show, but on DVD. I have this little weird thing about me, I don't watch television. It is not that I have anything against television. I just don't have the lifestyle that condones watching a television series. Or maybe it is better to say that I don't have the personality it takes to miss an episode of a television series.

I feel like missing an episode of a series is like having mismatched sheets. It makes me feel weird inside. I am going to have to tell you that I am probably a little OCD. My sisters used to come and visit and make jokes about the way my soup labels lined up. Okay, I just read what I wrote so far and maybe I am a little ADD too. See the apples don't fall far from the tree. God bless my children.

Anyway, I am watching Gilmore Girls and this not my first time, just so we are all on the same page. But with every episode I must confess I want to move there. I want to drink coffee at Luke's or should I say Williams Hardware and I want to celebrate the many festivals they have. I think it is kind of cool how everyone knows everything about each other. Oh well. I also have to be honest and say that I looked forward to each and every move. My Dad worked for the government and we got transferred around like army brats! I loved meeting new people and making new friends. But there is just something about Stars Hollow. And Luke.

A Visit From My OIdest Son

Tonight my son Kenny called me and he was feeling a little down. He lives in Louisville with his Dad. I thought he ought to come over and hang out with me. That would surely cheer him up. As we talked he told me about the gas prices getting ready to soar through the roof. He wanted to come hang out with me but hey, he is a starving student with nothing more than vapors in his gas tank.

I bribed him with gas. Is that wrong? Come hang out with me and I will fill your gas tank. We had so much fun going from station to station trying as a team not to get screwed too bad. We finally found gas for $3.99 which for all practical purposes a bargain. I mean there is a hurricane that might hit and might damage some oil wells and that might cause a shortage so I can definitely see where it would be important to raise the price of gas. That is a lie. Never mind that gas was $3.64 yesterday and I have seen no gas trucks. So the gas in the pumps is still the $3.64 gas. So we both fill up and then we go to Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart is where everyone goes in the middle of the night when they cannot sleep. Or when they want to show their son a good time. At least my son. My kids love going to Wal-Mart. They are so weird.

Guess what? We stopped one gas station too soon. We found gas for $3.85 across from Wal-Mart. Man I hate getting ripped off!! But on the bright side of things, Kenny and I had fun at Wal-Mart. We got some chips and went home and made queso and watched the movie "Vantage Point" which was really good. Kenny and I had a wonderful time and I hope he doesn't wait to long to visit again. He is all grown up yet he still calls me mommy. Warms the heart I tell you!