Because we know you blog, Mom...

That's what DS 1 said today as I entered my house and asked what the "Ram Head" was doing in the middle of my entryway and what my guys and their friends were up to...

And because they know I blog, they had DH help them take pictures of today's shenanigans...so Mom and her blogging friends would not miss a thing!

I TOLD you I have a CRAZY life! Here's proof:

Somehow the high school mascot costume ended up at my house this afternoon. I don't know how or why, but when I walked in the door, there was the giant "Ram Head". Along with the Ram was a full gorilla costume. Trust me, when you live with a bunch of teenage nuts boys you just shouldn't ask! And since I had not heard anything about a hijacked Ram with his Gorilla friend, I figured all was well in our world.

Here is my DS 1 (aka Gorilla Man) with his friend K (aka RHS Ram) waiting for the bus to come.

Here's DS 3 getting off the bus and receiving the surprise attack. DS 1 and K say this is to celebrate the fact that DS 3 is "no longer a middle schooler" and is now officially a Ram.


And the fun continues....

And continues.... Until the final "bow" from DS 1 and K. Boy amd I glad to have THIS piece on camera!!

In the words of DS 1 to his brother, "You'll always remember leaving Middle School now, won't you?"

Ah, you think????

Wordless Wednesday

When 20 comes and goes...

It's hard for me to believe, but my DS 1 turned twenty this past weekend. We celebrated quietly with family yesterday. He celebrated with his friends earlier in the weekend.

As you know, our weekend was filled to the brim with activities....so his birthday kind of snuck up on me. For that matter, twenty snuck up on me!

Here's a note from a sappy emotional Mother to her first-born son:

Son,

I am so proud of the young man you have become! When I think back over the years, I remember again and again those older than I telling me "it will be gone in the blink of an eye" or "enjoy these moments" "they grow so quickly". And now, I can join the crowd of those who know just what those words mean.

I could spend time looking back, but I don't want to do that right now. I think you are embarking on an amazing segment of your life. And I'm proud to be here to see it.

I remember reading the last sermon of David Crowder's pastor, Kyle Lake, that he planned to give on the day he died in a tragic accident at church a few years ago. These words have stuck with me since I read them. They are powerful...especially in light of his situation. I hope they will do the same for you, not because I think of tragedy, but because I know life is so so precious and time really does pass very quickly...

Live. And Live Well. BREATHE. Breathe in and Breathe deeply. Be PRESENT. Do
not be past. Do not be future. Be now. On a crystal clear, breezy 70 degree day,
roll down the windows and FEEL the wind against your skin. Feel the warmth of
the sun. If you run, then allow those first few breaths on a cool Autumn day to
FREEZE your lungs and do not just be alarmed, be ALIVE. Get knee-deep in a novel
and LOSE track of time. If you bike, pedal HARD… and if you crash then crash
well.

Feel the SATISFACTION of a job well done—a paper well-written, a project
thoroughly completed, a play well-performed. If you must wipe the snot from your
3-year old’s nose, don’t be disgusted if the Kleenex didn’t catch it all…
because soon he’ll be wiping his own. If you’ve recently experienced loss, then
GRIEVE. And Grieve well. At the table with friends and family, LAUGH. If you’re
eating and laughing at the same time, then might as well laugh until you puke.

And if you eat, then SMELL. The aromas are not impediments to your day. Steak on the grill, coffee beans freshly ground, cookies in the oven. And TASTE. Taste
every ounce of flavor. Taste every ounce of friendship. Taste every ounce of
Life. Because-it-is-most-definitely-a-Gift."

I can wish you no greater thing than that, son, as you take another step into your adult life. You are a gift from God and He has given you so much. My prayer is that you "Live and Live Well"!!

I Love YOU!!

More Craziness!!

I'm still here. I am. I really am lurking at most of my blogroll through Google Reader. I just haven't had much comment time.

The week ended as fast and furious as it started! We are winding down at school which is always crazy. The third grade reading scores for our state came in this week. This means that we have to tell parents that their children are going to be retained via state mandate if they "fail". For at least two children in my school, this means they will spend their THIRD year in THIRD grade.

It is absolutely one of the saddest parts of my job as a Literacy Coach to tell a parent that their child is "failing". I mean they are each sending us the smartest kids they have. They are not hiding the brains at home.

Please know that I am also not about simply promoting for the sake of promoting. I do believe that all children can learn to read and that it's our job to get them there. I also believe, however, that sometimes kids DO need more time to learn. If I ran the Education world, there'd be NO grade levels...only benchmarks for children to demonstrate knowledge. When they "hit the benchmark" they are ready to move to the next one. I'd divide it up in Elementary into Primary (typically K-2) and Intermediate (typically 3rd - 5th) and then explain that most kids complete these grades in 6 years, but some may need eight. This would allow those kids who do need extra time to do it without the stigma that is attached with "failing a grade".

Anyway...

Last night was the 8th grade dance for DS 3. I'm hoping to post a new sidebar picture of him ready to go. Shopping for it was a HOOT! They go pretty "casual" as far as I'm concerned...but all the 8th grade boys were shopping on the same night and checking in with each other about what they were "going to wear". It was fun.

DS 4 and I came up to Orlando last night for a soccer tournament. He has a game this afternoon. We'll watch my nephew play tonight. Then we have two games tomorrow.

Right now, I'm sitting inside the picture window of my hotel waiting on DS 4 and his soccer buddies to come back with the ice bucket they took. On second thought, I better quit blogging and make sure all the other guests are OK!

Happy Saturday!

Tune In Tuesday...

Tuesday Tunes -

This is a fun meme, that I've been trying to play. Things have been so hectic lately that I've had a hard time keeping up. So, I thought I'd give it a try again today. You can find the link to the weekly meme here.

This week is word association week and it's all in colors! I'll give you a color and you tell me the first song/artist/album that comes to mind when you see it.

Pink: Although I did not listen to her music, the artist "Pink" came to mind here.

Purple: Obviously Prince or the guy formerly known as...isn't he known as that again? Purple Rain.

Blue: Blue Suede Shoes

White: Jesus Paid it All: "For sin had left it's crimson stain/He washed it white as snow."

Gold: All the Gold in California (is in a bank in the middle of Beverly Hills in somebody else's name...) by Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers.

Silver: Silver and Gold from Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer...was that Burl Ives?

Green: God Didn't Make Little Green Apples (and it don't rain in Indianapolis in the Summertime) Does anyone know who sang that?

Yellow: Yellow Submarine by the Beatles. I remember learning this song in my Elementary Music Class...strange, huh?

Red: Red, Red Wine....Stay close to me....

Brown: Well, the artist Jackson Browne comes to mind and his song, "Stay" which absolutely took up at least half if not all the side of his album. It's a LOOOOONGGGG song!!

OK that was fun...if you play, let me know.

The Whirlwind that sometimes is my life...

We are winding down the school year which brings it's own share of hoops to jump through. Iam preparing for next year's job changes. We are also conducting retention meetings...these are NEVER fun as it means we have to look into our educational crystal ball and try and make predictions about each child's future success. It left me little time for blogging last week.

This weekend was busy busy busy!

I had the pleasure of hosting my friend Sandy's daughter's bridal shower (along with two other friends from school) at my house on Saturday morning. We called it an "Around the Clock" shower. Every person was given a specific time of the day and purchased gifts for their assigned time. It was fun hearing what people were thinking when they selected their gifts. There were sixteen of us here for the shower/luncheon. It was great fun. Here are a couple of pictures:

Notice the blue colors. Lindsey is using blues and greens in her wedding. But DS 2's school is maroon....and 21 kids were scheduled to show up around 6:00pm....

Sooooooo, in the afternoon, my living room had to undergo a total transformation for DS 2's Prom Dinner. Here's a shot from almost the same angle as the last one.

We had Olive Garden catered in for them. I was a bit shocked when he requested it, but pleased at the same time. Here is DS 2 below (in the red tux) preparing for dinner with a few of his friends.

And here is the whole crew enjoying their food and each other's company...
After dinner, they got in a limo bus and headed out to the beach for photos. Actually, they never made it out to the beach, they only made it to the pool of this very exclusive resort in our city. There was another bus of their friends there to meet them.

They had a fantastic time at the Ritz Carlton with the rest of their classmates.

Today, DH, DSs 3 and 4 and I went out to the beach for a baptism service. Then we handed out 200 water bottles as a way of doing some servant evangelism. It was wonderful, but the sun got to me and now I'm going to bed.

Have a great week!!

Thirteen L words that describe Susan:

1. Laughter - I love to laugh and have a good time!

2. Loyal - I am a very loyal person. When I've made a dear friend, that person is my "friend for life".

3. Lists - This is not something that I do well. I actually can make the list...but then I LOSE it!!

4. Listener - I have been told that I am a good listener.

5. Lexington - My husband and I lived near and worked in Lexington, KY our first years of marriage. This was a very special time for us. It is still one of my favorite places to visit.

6. Lion - I have always loved this animal. I do NOT believe in it, but it is my "birth sign" and it was the mascot of my high school.

7. Leader - I am a leader. I tend to take leadership roles when I am involved in an organization. It's been interesting being in the church for over a year and simple "being". Now, I am ready to step back into a leadership role. I think it's where I'm "supposed" to be.

8. Learner - Above all else, I am this.

9. Legumes - Ewwww...don't really like 'em! I HAVE learned to eat green beans when they are cooked "right" though.

10. Leisure - I am not good with leisure time. My friends at work tell me that I have little people in my head that never stop thinking. They're kind of right. BUT I am learning to stop and enjoy some moments of sheer relaxation.

11. Lenses - I wear glasses. I did not get them until I was 28 and then I had to get BIFOCALS! Talk about a slap! And thank goodness for progressive lenses.

12. Log Cabin - I dream of living in one with a BIG wrap around porch in the mountains.

13. Love - This is most important for last. I am blessed to love and to be loved!

Phantom Anxiety

It’s not uncommon to hear those who have lost a limb talk about phantom pain. This is that sensation that the limb is actually there and a part of the person. It’s even been reported that amputees often feel tingling, itching and other sensations from missing limbs. There is a body of research out there that indicates that this is not always “in the head”…but that there may be some physiological reasons for it.

I don’t know about you, but I think sometimes I assume “Phantom Emotions”. They, for me, are those times when I see or hear someone else going through something and automatically assume that I “might” have to deal with the same thing someday. Quite honestly, I think it’s WRONG. The Bible tells us that we are not to worry or be anxious. I know God has the number of hairs on my head counted out. He has a plan for me. He knows my thoughts, my fears and my dreams. And He loves me. Yet there are those moments when I find myself wrestling with “self” as I panic and worry without a real cause—it’s a type of “Phantom Anxiety”. It happens almost without warning when I hear of the tragedies of others.

Today is one of those days for me.

I woke up this morning to hear the radio announcer tell the listeners that we need to be praying for a local pastor and his family. The Pastor, it seems, went to visit his Mother for Mother’s Day in North Carolina. Then, he and his 13 year old son left early Monday morning in their small plane to head to Arkansas and pick up a friend on their way to Texas for a Conference. The person in Arkansas reported that they “never showed up” and thus the search and rescue started yesterday afternoon. Today, they found the wreckage of the plane and the bodies of the pastor and his son.

My heart breaks for the wife and mother that is left behind. She has lost one of her six children and her soul mate. I can only picture what five sisters and brothers must be asking today, “Why?”

And while I pray earnestly for her comfort and peace during this most difficult time, I confess that I tend to heap the “what if’s” into my thought life during this type of thing. It doesn’t take long until I am wallowing in a load of anxiety about my own husband and children.

This happens for me when the tragedy is something that I know could have just as easily happened to me or my own family. It surfaces when a young person is tragically injured or dies in a car crash, when a small child drowns in a pool, or when someone is severely mistreated by another. It happens when I hear about a bank robbery, a parade mishap, or a senseless act of violence. When I really dig down to find out WHY it happens, I realize that it is about control.

I know that I am not in control. I also know that sometimes awful things DO happen in our world to some really good people. While I try to cast my worry aside, it’s often easier said than done. But worry helps no one. It cannot add a minute to my life or yours.

So I must find a way to guard my heart from the speculation game and what-if’s that plague me. I must find a way to trust. And rest. And know that He IS God who can and will take away my phantom anxiety!

I cannot believe that I am the only woman who deals with worry. In fact, I would guess that most of us have experienced this to one degree or another in our lives. I don’t know of an instant remedy, but I DO know that Christians can rest in God’s promises. Because step by step and inch by inch I know I can be better today than I was yesterday. Today I choose to rest and reflect on scripture:

One I found on the church’s website: For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39

And the other is simply an “old favorite” for me: Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus Philippians 4:5-6

And such truth is not phantom at all!

I'm back!

A few moments ago, DS 3 (laptop in his lap) sternly called, "MOM!" I said, "What?" He answered with one word: "BLOG!"


I'm no fool. When your children are telling you "it's time"...then it MUST be time!


As I noted last week, I was at the International Reading Association Conference in Atlanta. It's one of my favorite times of the year as it allows me to connect with people that I mostly "see" only via a laptop. My friends, Suzi and Kristin, and I spoke on Wednesday. We signed books on Thursday. It is great fun hearing feedback from other educators.

The boys seemed to do pretty well while I was gone (DH was out too). My in-laws blessed us by caring for DS 4. The other boys stayed here at home. It's still hard for me to recognize that this is "OK". I am sure this has caused them to roll their eyes on more than one occasion...I mean DS 1 will be 20 in a few days and DS 2 is almost 19. I guess once you're a Mother, you're always a Mother.

Speaking of Mother...I had a lovely day with my DSs 2, 3, and 4 and my own Mom in Tampa for Mother's Day. We are blessed for sure.

Now we are in the "wind-down" for senior year. Prom is this weekend. I am having 20 seniors here for dinner just prior to the prom on Saturday. That's only after I host my friend Sandy's daughter's bridal shower here that morning. Are we NUTS or what???

I hope you have had a lovely week. I've missed you. It will take me a few days to catch up with all of your blogs. But I'll be around when I can.

Atlanta....

I'm not online much this week because I am in Atlanta at our International Reading Conference. Everyone have a great week and I'll check in when I can...

Because some readers have inquiring minds...

First off, in regards to my last post, I DO have a cell phone charger. It wasn't working yesterday because I was in DS 1's car where the fuse blew. I'm happy to report my cell phone is making its way back to normal today--since I am in my own car that has a working plug.

Now, my post on Monday apparently sent a few of my family members into a bit of a flurry of wonder. In that post, I noted:

In the meantime, there are some big decisions being made here in our house
that I cannot discuss here yet. It's nothing "bad"...only a change in direction.
Please pray for our family as we help work through what steps to take in the
next few weeks.

I received several phone calls asking if everything was OK. And the answer is "Yes"! We are not sick, pregnant, or moving! Trust me, if any of those things were happening, I'd have said a lot more in my initial post! In fact, if either of the latter two were true, I probably would have been announcing my new "straight jacket" apparel! ;-)

In some ways, it feels a bit anti-climatic to share it...but here goes (with my DS 2's permission):

M came to us on Sunday evening at 10pm (gotta love the times they pick, don't you?) and said he needed to talk to us. My heart went back to normal when he told us that he was a bit unsettled about his decision to go to school in MI. He said, and I quote, "The two most important things to me are family and friends. I don't know WHY I'd move 1500 miles away from those." He had been praying and seeking direction and determined that he wanted to stay in Florida for school.

Of course, we were shocked, mainly because six months ago there were "no good schools in Florida!" (Sorry, son, I'm the Mom, and I had to get that one in!) And because of this former opinion, he had not applied anywhere else EXCEPT the one school in Michigan! Timing is sometimes everything...because the school formerly known as "U Can't Finish" (which is here in the Sunshine State)---but now being acknowledged with the rest of the collegiate world, as "UCF," was still accepting applications. We submitted Monday night.

In another turn of events, DS 1 has not been able to ship out and may not be able to go for quite some time. So, he has decided that he also will apply at "U CAN Finish" I mean UCF and perhaps go live with his brother. In one fell swoop I was taken back to a time when they were much younger, and sharing a room, and DS 2 announced, "I'm going to have to go to college with D, because we've never been apart." And pretty much he was (and is) right. They have been "friends" since we first brought DS 1 into the hospital to meet his brother.

Now, before I go all sappy and sentimental on you, let me say thank you for your prayers. I am thankful that we have such a fantastic family and so many supportive friends both IRL and here in blog world. Mostly I am so proud of "my guys" who are growing into such well-rounded and thoughtful human beings. I appreciate your continued prayers as they both seek out the next steps in their journey and we seek to provide guidance and wisdom.

Now everyone continue what you were doing....

How Do I Breathe?

I have LeeAnn Rimes in my head today:

How do I get through one night without you
If I had to live without you
What kind of life would that be
Oh I, I need you in my arms Need you to hold
You're my world, my heart, my soul
If you ever leave
Baby you would take away everything good in my life
And tell me now

How do I live without you
I want to know
How do I breathe without you
If you ever go
How do I ever, ever survive
How do I How do I Oh, how do I live

She's been there since yesterday afternoon when I discovered that my cell phone was dead as a doornail, finished, kaput! Of course, I NEEDED it at that moment.

I was heading out to a meeting at a place I'd never been before. I printed out the directions from email just before I left work. The closer I got to my destination I began looking for the directions. I soon realized they were ON MY DESK. At work!

It's natural then to pick up the cell phone, admit to one of the sons that I'm a ditz sometimes and ask them to look in my email for the directions. But, said cell phone was out of juice.

I drove into the subdivision where I was supposed to be. I remembered the number to open the gate, but not the house number. I thought perhaps if I drove down the street I'd be "led" to the right house. But...NOTHING. And I really didn't want to do a door to door scavenger hunt to find the right place.

So, I headed out to find a pay phone. I can't remember the last time I looked for one. And quite honestly I was thinking the only place I might find one is in an antique shop! Suddenly, I saw it on the side of the local drug store. I got out with TWO quarters just in case the FIRST one didn't work. I mean my Mother did teach me to be prepared!

I walked up to that antiquated piece of technology and put in my quarter and dialed only to be met on the other end with a voice that said, "Please deposit twenty-five cents." I told my computer phone-a-friend that I DID put in twenty-five cents...but went ahead and threw the other quarter in for good measure. That's when I saw that the cost for a local call is now FIFTY cents! I found myself longing for my childhood when this would have cost me a DIME!

Even after receiving the other quarter, the computer continued her mantra, "Please deposit twenty-five cents." I hit the coin return. Got both quarters out and tried again. She just kept talking to me.

Frustrated and now 30 minutes LATE for my meeting, I went into the drugstore and asked for a phone book. I guess THAT also belongs in the antique store, because there wasn't one to be found. The nice lady at the photo desk, though, let me call home to ask for help. I think she wanted to see me admit to my teenage son that I AM a ditz!

DS 2 came through for me and found the address. And all the way back to the house, I found myself eyeing my dead cell phone and singing: "How DO I live without you? I want to know. How do I BREATHE without you? If you ever go. How do I e-ver, e-ver SURVIVE? How do I..How do I...oh how do I BREATHE?"