A Weekend Recap...

So, here's my DS 3 sans a lot of hair! He got it cut on Friday and decided to go ahead and go short. I like it very much. He's practicing his "chicken-neck" model pose here.

He, LG and I headed up to my hometown on Saturday for a little July 4th fun. It was great seeing the parade and enjoying the hometown feel of celebration.

We met my brother, SIL and their kids along with the grandparents and headed up to the golf course to stake out our seats.

It was fun to watch LG enjoy the parade. It's

not the first parade she's ever attended, but I am pretty sure it's the first fourth of July parade she's ever attended.

We had fun buying matching shirts to wear and preparing for the day. She helped me make pasta salad, strawberry pretzel dessert, beer bread and artichoke/ranch squares to take up there.

It was also fun seeing people that I haven't seen in years. And some I've seen but known for what seems like forever.

Here's one example...Keven, aka Uncle Sam, and

I have known each other since we were 4 years old.

We met in 1968 when we moved to the area. We lived only a few doors apart from his family. One of my early memories of Keven and his family is of his Dad, who's now gone, dressing up like Uncle Sam at the annual July 4th festivities.

I think it's neat that Keven is carrying on the tradition started so many years ago.

My Mom still lives in the area, as do my Dad and Stepmom. This is how I keep up-to-date with the goings on there.

After the kids caught all the beads they could handle (and then some) and bagged up their candy prizes, we headed back to my Dad's for a little swimming, food and relaxing until the fireworks.

DS 1 and DH came up and joined us for food. It was fun having DS 1 there since he hasn't really been around the entire family since Christmas! He has been home for the week and I've loved having him here.

When we headed out to the fireworks, I had to find somewhere I could watch them from the car. I cannot handle the loud noises. It's pretty embarrassing being 45 and sitting with your ears

plugged! So we parked ourselves on the golf course and were able to see them perfectly!

In fact, here's a shot that DS 3 got from INSIDE the car while we watched:

It was a perfect ending to a very fun day!

Planning for Balance

By nature, I am not a planner. I've learned to be, and become, less spontaneous over the years thanks to my DH. I CAN plan when I need to. And some people might be surprised to hear me say that I'm not a planner by nature.

When I married my DH, it was obvious that he is our financial guru. I don't want to have to worry about it. I trust him implicitly with this task in our marriage. So over the years he's done it for us and done it well.

While he does the day-to-day finances, I am particularly referring to those long term financial decisions that every couple should be making. It's been hard for me in my 20's, 30's and 40's to be thinking about our retirement. DH loves it though.

Recently he's been meeting with a financial planner and making some decisions about our future. It's interesting to note that he started meeting with us more than 18 years ago when we were newlywed and poor and really had little or nothing to plan WITH!

As they've revisited our plans, DH has kept me in the loop---even when I only listen with one ear! He's asked me if I want to sit down with them. I don't. He's asked me if I care if he plans one way or another. I don't. (This is primarily because I know he's not going to do anything crazy or outrageous.)

These two have literally spent HOURS together pouring over the numbers, the possibilities, the options in recent weeks. It makes my head spin just to see the materials that have been produced while planning for our future. There is now a 200 page document in our house with all of it recorded for us. I glanced at it. It's pretty and colorful and, I'm sure, interesting. DH dug in, though.

Today the planner dropped by for a meeting unannounced (which I find a little funny). It appears this visit is in response to an email from my DH regarding the planners thoughts/ideas in said 200 page document. I'm listening to them rehash some of the plan and finding myself SO thankful that I don't have to "do" this part in our family.

It's another glimpse into the ways that DH balances me. We will be married for 23 years in a few weeks. 23 years. And I am still so thankful for him and his presence in my life. We could have spent more time planning our eventual lives together before getting married. We could have started out more financially intact. We could have entered our relationship more methodically. But we didn't. Still, it's worked. I'm pretty certain it's because God had, and has, a plan.

Just like I'm thankful for DH's planning, I'm even more thankful for God's plan! It simply doesn't get better than that!

Book Review: All Over but the Shoutin'

I finished. Finally. This book I started reading during a cold February visit with my son to our local skate park is finally over for me.

I don't know why it has taken this long to finish. It is, after all, my favorite genre: memoir. It is well-written. It even has the underdog makes good storyline that draws me to it. It's not the words, the writing, it's me I suppose. Life happens at times in waves that are quite consuming. Such has been my life these past months. Something had to give. Generally, when that happens, it's the reader that has to go.

Slowly, I've been able to pick it back up and make my way through Rick Bragg's autobiography, "All Over but the Shoutin'". Bragg, a Pulitzer Prize winning reporter for The New York Times weaves a story that is rich and well-told. It is his story. And it is beautiful.

Bragg was raised in deep south Alabama during the 60's and 70's. He and his brothers (one older and one younger) are raised by a single Mother after their alcoholic father left them, again. This woman went without new clothes, food, and even teeth. She worked the cotton fields and ironed and folded laundry all day so that her children wouldn't be raised on nothing. She gave all she had and then some to help provide for her boys.

One reviewer writes:

"All Over But the Shoutin’ is a book that, on every page, reminds you of someone you know and love—or at the very least, somebody you heard about at the dinner table. Rick Bragg may be telling the story of his momma and his brothers and his daddy and his grandmother, but it’s a story you’ll swear you have heard before. It’s just that Rick Bragg tells it so much better...

Over his career, Bragg has written about sports for his local newspaper, first-hand accounts of the Susan Smith trial, and war stories from Haiti, to name a few. Interwoven into a mosaic of world news, Op Ed pieces and true confessions is his family’s personal history. Rick Bragg’s people become yours, and All Over But the Shoutin’ becomes a book you don’t dare put down.

Bragg claims to have written this book for his mother and for all the other dirt-poor people whose stories won’t ever be written and might not be remembered. But I suspect those of us with roots in the South will read it and remember a grandmother like his who listened to fiddle music on the radio or a brother who rode a motorcycle barefooted and fast....

At the end of the book, when Bragg’s paid cash for a new house for his mother and remembered the times his grandmother comforted him in the dark of the night, you know All Over But the Shoutin’ is the kind of book you won’t soon forget. You’ll want to tell your friends about it and ask your grandmother for family stories.

Then you’ll wish you had Rick Bragg to write it all down."

As always, I was drawn to the "faith thread" that runs through Bragg's pages. He tells of the faith of his Mother, neighbors, and kinfolk. Bragg wrestles with it, though and makes no bones about it. He's tried to find it and latch on to it at several points in his formative years, yet he remains somewhat unsure about it. He describes the faith of his family:

...Faith is a part of my momma's life, and because my own struggle to understand, to believe, to accept, consumed so much of my childhood. that faith, that believe made the unbearable somehow bearable for her and the loneliness less. I am descended from a people who know there is a God with the same certainty that they know walking into a river will get them wet.

I was also moved by the stories of education (or non-education) in Bragg's memoir. It is very clear that the class system was alive and well in the halls of the schools the boys attended:

The principal and teachers, when they recognized who we were, where we ranked, told Sam [Rick's older brother] that he could sweep the narrow halls, clean the bathrooms and shovel coal into the school's furnace, to earn his free lunch. He took out the trash and burned it and unclogged the toilet. They never bothered to teach him to read very well; he learned that on his own. They never bothered to tell him about the world outside his narrow, limited one. They forgot to show him maps of the universe or share the secrets of history, biology. As other students behind the classroom doors read about empires, wars and kings, he waxed the gymnasium floor.

This breaks my "teacher heart". Especially when I think that this really would have been considered "modern education".

Although it took me months to finish, I suspect that for many this is a "can't-put-it-down" book. Many times in the first half I found myself almost chewing on Bragg's richly crafted sentences. I confess to wondering if he had to write some of it one sentence at a time to build in such rich language and visual images. No matter if he writes and rewrites or if it simply flows out of his pen with such eloquence, this story is a treat for the reader. In an odd sort of way, I'm glad I savored it.

A Weekend View...

What a weekend it's been!

Saturday morning we received word that DS 2 went to the ER in the early hours of Saturday for stomach pains. By 8am we got the call that he was going to go in for surgery to remove his appendix. So, DS 3 and I hopped in the car and headed to Gainesville to be with him.

When we arrived, he was in recovery and moved out to a room not long after that. His main concern was not that he just had his appendix removed. It wasn't that he was less than 24 hours back from Nicaragua. It was that he might miss the USA World Cup Game at 2:30 that afternoon! And trust me, every doctor nurse and other hospital employee heard it.

Anyway, we sat in the hospital with him until he was released around 5:30pm and got him set up at home with clear liquids. Then DS 3 and I made the trek home.

Yesterday was quite lazy for me. I am trying so hard to finish a book that I am reading so that I can put it behind me! I've been reading it off and on since February. I know, I know that just isn't right! There are only 300 pages in it! I just haven't had good reading time to really push and finish it.

DS 1 came home last night for a bit. I love having them home when they are here.

A new week is upon us and it is relatively "plan-free"--which I enjoy once in a while.

Happy Monday everyone!

Look What I found...

Mary @ Life in a Smalltown stopped by today and when I went to return the visit, she led me to Java @ Never Growing Old

I LOVE the blogging community! If you're "over 40" and would like to meet up with other bloggers...why not head on over to Java's place and link up? It's a fun way to meet new people.

As Another Week Closes...

What an interesting week we've had!

After driving back from our trip to the beach last Saturday, it was pretty much back to the daily "summer grind".

LG began Dance Camp. One of our goals is to help her find ways to move and avoid being sedentary. She LOVES the stage and performance, so this seemed like a logical choice. It has been so positive for her. The week culminates in a mini-show that all the campers put on for their parents. There is no question that she loves performing and all that goes with it. So, I'd say it was a great match!

DS 3 and I drove to Miami last night to pick up my DS 2 and his GF and a crew that has been on the mission field in Nicaragua. They had plenty of room for either bodies or luggage, but not both. So, DS 3 and I carried the luggage home and they carried all the youth home.

For us, this is a 3 and 1/2 hour trip to that airport. DS 3 drove and did a great job. I told him I did not want him driving in Miami, but he did fine all the way to the airport.

When we arrived at the airport, I realized that we also needed to figure in the customs process. UGH! It wasn't long before we saw ONE youth come out and he basically said, "(Your son) had to get the full search. So they are back there." This youth was meeting his Aunt at the airport and that's why he came out.

So we waited. DS 3 and I had a great time making up stories about each person who came through the customs hall. We decided what country each one had been visiting and their business there. It was profiling at it's finest! But made for some good laughs between the two of us.

DS 2 and crew came out not long after we saw Youth 1. They were tired and worn and the kids were demanding Chick-Fil-A of all places. Thank goodness for GPS! We found one and took them to supper.

One other experience made my week interesting. I went to volunteer in my friend Debra's summer school class of 7 preK Autistic children. These kids range where they are on the Autism spectrum, but honestly most are significantly non-verbal and others are quite physical.

I was only in there an hour while another teacher modeled a lesson, an aide helped all the kids bathroom and/or change diapers, and Debra, a teen volunteer and I helped kids sit in their chairs as they learned to reply with a yes/no to a question. Then I helped them walk to lunch. It took all I had just to hold two kids hands and get them to lunch!

I have to say it was a very humbling experience! These children are precious. They are time intensive and needy in a different sort of way. It is evident that most, if not all, would benefit from a 1:1 aide. That simply isn't going to happen.

It was an important reminder why I don't have my Exceptional Student Education certification. It's simply not my calling. And it's also a reminder just how special each person who has the will, passion, and stamina to work with them is a special gift for that child.

That's it from my neck of the woods!

Remember February...

I think I am going to post this little picture on my bathroom mirror. I need it as a reminder of where I've been.

Without going into all the details...cause they are not all that relevant...I want to say that February was a living nightmare for me. Actually it started around the end of December, escalated through March and April and didn't begin to really subside until May and June.

Like any trial, stuff tries to rear it's ugly head long after the "thick of it" is over. You think "Oh my gosh, here we go again." Or, "I knew it wasn't really over." But the truth is, we often just need to think back to the midst of the trial. For when we can gain that perspective, it makes the little episodes in the here and now a bit more bearable.

I realized this week that it doesn't matter what the trial is, or was, the perspective is everything. For example, years ago when raising toddlers, it might have said, "Remember Sleepless Nights". When they were preschoolers it might have said, "Remember potty training".

Right now my sign would say "Remember February". It's that reminder to look back once-in-a-while to where I've been. It helps me appreciate the beauty and blessing that is in the here and now.

And that kind of perspective is a good thing!

When Summer comes...

May 12th was the last time I blogged. I don't know what is wrong with me. Well...I do know some of it. I'm busy. Life is changing. Nothing horrible or life-changing...just changing and I guess I don't deal as well with change as I used to. Anyway, it's not an excuse...My DS 3 gives me the "nudge" every so often. And I really WANT to catch up on it. So here's my first summer attempt to do so:

Although life is changing at home as the kids grow and change and as we prepare for LG's adoption, the biggest change for me this year is at work. My boss, who I have worked with for the past 9 years, will be working at a different school in the Fall. I've known it since March when he announced it, but June brought with it a reality that was very hard to take.

As I've processed my career and the people I've worked with and for, he's definitely at the top! I've worked for 11 principals in 25 years. That's a lot of personalities and people. Since I've done it before, then it should be "no big deal"...but, at our school, we are a family. So it's kind of like a family member moving away and preparing for one that you don't know. As I've reflected over the past nine years, I can honestly say I've grown more professionally than ever before under his leadership. For that, I will remain forever grateful!

In other "start the summer" news...DS 4 graduated from 5th grade. Here he is...my long haired lover from Liverpool(Can anyone else hear Jimmy Osmond singing that song?)...seriously, he's my soon-to-be-middle-schooler. To say it's hard to believe is an understatement. I'm proud as a peacock of all my kids and so glad this one has hit this milestone! On the LG front...her Mother has surrendered her rights and we will begin the process for adoption very soon. This is a little different than it is in some states. We will maintain contact with her family even as she becomes a part of ours. This means navigating the waters is quite interesting.

Her summer started off with an exciting event...her first dance recital! Here she is ready to go. It was fun to watch her on the stage! She LOVES IT! Her Grandmother and bioMom were there to watch it with us. I think she liked that. Honestly, though, I think nothing pleases her more than having DS 3 watch her. These two are like two peas in a pod. They think alike. They process alike. They have some of the same quirks and the same sense of humor. It's fun to watch them develop their sibling relationship. Here they are after the recital...

The day after the recital, DS 3, LG and I headed up to Panama City (a 7 hour drive from here) for a week on the beach with 14 members of our family. We were happy to see DS 2 and his GF up there (even if it's only for a few hours). These two are spending this week in Nicaragua on a mission trip. This is their second time in Nica in just over three months. To say their hearts beat for this place is an understatement. DS 3 and I will go pick them up Thursday at the airport. It will be exciting to hear the latest update on their work there.

I forgot that I had a LOVELY "Girls Night Out" with two of my dearest friends, Debra and Sandy. We went to see Comedian Chonda Pierce. She's an absolute riot! We laughed. We cried. We enjoyed our time to escape a bit...I'm so thankful for all of my friends who bring me such joy on a regular basis!

Back to "beach news"...this trip was with my Dad, StepMom, two Brothers, SIL, two nieces and a nephew, my Mom, and my crew. DH flew my Dad up on the second day. He stayed with us a few days and flew back to work. It was very relaxing and "tar-ball" free...as all week long people were worried about the oil spill hitting the beach. The best part was our nightly trek out to the sand to watch the sunset. BEAUTIFUL! And relaxing!!


Seven days later, we came home. No one was lobster-looking thanks to the 200 cans of Sunscreen we purchased!

It was fun to see DS 1 (who was unable to join us) on the way back. We stopped and had lunch with him and retrieved my Mom's dog. He was an awesome dog-sitter for the week.

As summer has ramped up into full gear...I find myself reflective. I am counting my blessings!

I hope this summer you find time to also count yours!

Random Dozen

Linda over at 2nd Cup of Coffee hosts this weekly meme. It's a great way to get to know other bloggers and a bit about yourself too! If you play, let me know.

1. Please share one memory of your high school graduation. Pics would be great!
I am sitting here wishing that I had a picture to scan! They are all at my Mom's I think. I remember my entire family being here for it. I know that I had 648 people in my graduating class. I remember the party afterwards at our house. It was great fun as we celebrated the event.

2. What is one "emergency use" item you keep in your vehicle at all times? Only because my FIL gave it to me...it's a multi-use tool that is designed to break your window and cut the seatbelt if your car is submerged in water.

3. In your region, do you celebrate graduation open houses? Addendum: (If so,) how many open houses/bridal showers/weddings are on your upcoming events calendar? Yes, we DO celebrate open houses. It's weird because ours have been quiet for a few years. I have some I would LOVE to be at in Ohio for cousins and family members. We're going in July and will see them then. I love doing the open houses and am excited to host one for DS 3 in two years.

4. Tell me one truth you believe about motherhood. It's the toughest job you'll ever love.

5. What was the last thing you broke? My toe in Toronto. Hmmm...now I'm wondering if this is like "I broke my favorite dish" vs. "I broke this body part." Oh well...the last thing I remember breaking is that toe...

6. On average, how many pieces of junk mail do you receive daily? About 6 -8. This is NOT true for email where I receive HUNDREDS and they get socked away in a junk mail file...thank goodness.

7. Do you like to shop by catalog? Yes, but I don't really ORDER by catalog. I tend to "shop" and "browse" but never really follow through.

8. Is lawn maintenance at your house a "his job," a "her job" or "his/her job" or "that's why we have teenagers" job? It's the neighbor's job. He does it for a living and we pay gladly for the service! I tend to do the beds though.

9. Which room would you like to redecorate in your home? It might be better if this question asked, "Which room do you NOT want to redecorate in your home?" BUT I am so excited because DH has started the ball rolling to redo our kitchen. That's going to be a great start!

10. Do you read a newspaper regularly, or do you read most of your news on line?
I read the local newspaper online regularly.

11. Do you believe everything happens for a reason? I can't stand it when people say, "everything happens for a reason." Sometimes the reason, in my opinion, is because we live in an imperfect world. BUT I DO believe that all things can work toward the good...and that there are often lessons to be learned in everything: good and bad.

12. Are you more worried about doing things right, or doing the right things? I am thinking if I had to pick one of these things it would be to "do things right". In fact, I probably fixate on it a bit much!

Happy Mother's Day...

Wow! It's definitely been a Mother's Day Celebration to remember! DS 3, LG and I went to Tampa last night to take my Mom out to celebrate. Here we are at Outback Steakhouse...one of my favorite places:


LG wanted us to take this picture outside....I thought it was sweet!

When I got back home, DS 4 surprised me with this cake he decorated just for me. He and DS 2 worked together to get up to the store where they were decorating them and have it done. I LOVE IT!

Since I forgot to take a picture of DS 4 WITH the cake...here we are at church this morning...


Here is LG giving me her sweet gift...a decorated pen and holder that I will treasure. It came with a beautiful card that she made. So very sweet!

And here's DSs 2 and 3 and I at church together this morning.



It took us a couple of tries to find a restaurant since a couple of our favs were closed...but we met DS 1 at Red Lobster and had a lovely meal together.

DS 3 and I finished the afternoon with a trip to Goodwill (where he picked up some "new" vinyl records and I searched for treasures) and then Target.

I'd say it rounded out pretty well! I love my guys and my gal so much! It's a treasure to be their Mom!

There's Often No Convincing them...

When you're a kid, you don't believe it. Even my adult children don't always understand it. There is nothing like the worry a Mother feels when her chicks are not in the nest...and she's not sure where they are!

DS 4 has hit the lovely middle school ages (for the record, these are not my favorite)...today he's out playing and I cannot find him. So here I sit. Worried sick. Blogging to pass the time while I wait. DSs 2 and 3 are out looking for him again. While they may necessarily understand what it does to me or why...they at least have reached the place where they know it's in the "Mother DNA".

It's always at these times I feel the urge to call my own Mother and ask her forgiveness for all the nights I came home a bit late and didn't call. I know she had her moments of panic.

I think it's how we're wired. And no amount of rewiring is going to change it.



{Edited to add: We found him. Actually, his brothers did. Still he doesn't get it. My only hope is that someday he will.}

Silly Bandz are...

Silly!

I remember seeing these on the office supply store shelves not long ago. I eyed them with my "teacher eye" thinkng I might think of something to do with them in the classroom. BUT I looked at them, thought they were overpriced, and continued my shopping journey.

Fast forward a few months and they started showing up on DS 3's wrist after school. It seems the high schoolers started wearing them and trading them at lunch each day. Now they've trickled into the elementary school and kids are wearing them by the armfulls!

Today as I bought a set for DS 4 and LG, I thought "I can't believe I'm doing this...giving in to the fad." While in the store, another Mother saw me and said, "You aren't by chance here for shape bracelets?" I told her we were and she said, "Let me guess, they're out TOO." I said, "No, they have them right there." And she sighed a huge sigh of relief as she told me that they'd been to multiple drug stores looking. I couldn't believe it!

But then I remembered all the fads I've seen come and go...jelly bracelets, beanie babies, and trading cards of all sorts.

Although I think they are silly, they will be fond memories for these kids someday when they recall trading them. Now if we could just find a different set or two to trade!

What Scrolling Does for Me...

When I scroll through my bloglist, I am touched in so many ways. There are stories upon stories upon stories that share the joy of life in so many places. I am touched to know there is such a community out there. And then I get sad because I just don't have (or is it "make") time to get out and read each person's blogposts like I want to.

Over the years blogging has brought me more joy than I can begin to explain to the "non-blogger". (Most people who blog get it.) And the fact that I've actually met some of you IRL is an even bigger blessing to me. With Summer fast approaching, I am hoping to get back out and really dig into blogs again. I want to get to know you better and actually let you know that I am more than a lurker.

Yep that's what scrolling does for me!

The chair will be empty

DH walked her, with 8yo head hung low, out to the room where I was working . He warned me, "You're not going to be happy with what she is about to tell you." Then, he tapped LG on the shoulder and said, "Go show her what you did." She walked slowly to where I was and revealed to me her toes. Then she said, "I colored my toes with permanent marker."


Now, I have to tell you I may not have bellowed all three of her names if I had not JUST taken her three days prior for a pedicure. I probably wouldn't have said, "WHAT were you thinking!?!" with quite the same fervor either. I definitely wouldn't have been as miffed if we hadn't JUST had the conversation about not coloring your fingernails and toes with marker four days prior to the offense.


But, I said it, "First. Middle. Last. WHAT were you thinking!?!"


She stood there staring at me. Unable to answer. Remorseful. Tears began to well up in her eyes. Then I reminded her what I paid for the pedicure that she chose to color over. I told her I was disappointed. I told her that her pedicure days have ended for now and that we would have to get nail polish remover and remove all color from her toes.

Admittedly as we hunted down the nail polish remover and cotton balls, I grilled a little bit more. I asked, "While coloring TEN toes with marker...over the cute little decoration that the nail tech painted on there...it never occurred to you that Dad or I "might" be upset that you did this??" She answered quietly, "No." I could feel another rant coming on. "No!?!?!? You have GOT to be kidding me!" Followed by, "If I gave you $25 in cash, would you just color all over it with marker?" Another quiet "No" was her reply. I'm sure I asked at least 25 times, "WHY would you color your toes with markers?" And all 25 times she told me she didn't know.

I know it wasn't the end of the world. Heck she hasn't even really done much "wrong" since she moved in last October! Still, she had to know that when we draw a line (like no nail coloring with markers), we are serious. She also needed to know that we were disappointed and that her actions have a consequence.

After removing the marker AND the underlying nail polish, I told her she needed to go apologize to DH because he, after all, is the one who TOLD her last week not to do it. She did. They snuggled. It was tender. Then, she and I started the bedtime routine where we snuggle together and pray. The prayer we prayed was one of thanks and forgiveness. It was one that reminded her that even when we mess up...there is love.

I'll be honest. As I left her room I thought, "This IS something I know we'll tell in years to come when we are doing the "Remember when..." stories." And we'll ALL laugh together. Until then, I took a moment and laughed on my own.

Then I wondered just how lonely I'd be the next time I'm sitting in the pedicure chair without her by my side! And I realized there was more than one remorseful female in our house that evening.

Random Dozen

1. What was the last thing about which you procrastinated? Well, there is NO question that BLOGGING has to be at the top of my procrastination list.

2. How long does it take you to fall asleep, and do you sleep through the night? Most nights, about 20 - 30 minutes to fall asleep. As for sleeping through the night, it depends. Sometimes I sleep solid through the night. Most nights, though, I'm up at least once if not more. If DH is gone, I'm up every hour!

3. Which decade would you choose to exemplify your favorite fashion styles? I really don't know for sure. I like the full flowing skirts of the 50's. I also like the pedal pushers people wore then.

4. What is your personal best dish to feed a crowd? This is an interesting question. I make pretty good enchiladas and can make them for a lot of people. I also make a fiesta chicken in the crock pot that is pretty good and makes a lot.

5. Are you an impulse shopper? What was the last thing you bought on impulse?
Sometimes I am. See my previous post about shopping at the Vera Bradley Outlet Sale...here's a picture of what I picked up on impulse. I did "sift" and whittle, though!

6. What is one wish you have for your own funeral? That it is celebratory in nature.

7. If it's true that joy is in found in the simple things in life, what does your joy look like today? It's definitely in simple moments. Last night, all five of my kids and my husband were at home. We just sat and watched TV together and it was comfy. I love those moments.

8. What is your favorite type of bread? Anything fresh and hot!

9. What trait do you fear developing the most? (Laziness, greediness, grumpiness, etc.) I have to work on selfishness on a regular basis. I fear that it could grow if I don't keep it in check.

10. What trait would you like most to develop? Hmmm...I wish I were more corageous. I found a great list of traits at this site.

11. Which room in your house best reflects your personality? Why? Wow, probably my family room. It's laid back...like I'd LIKE to be...and filled with pillows and blankets to just relax. I dream of having a home where people can kick their shoes off and relax...so while it doesn't necessarily mean that I'M relaxed...it's what I strive for and wish for others who visit.

12. How do you maintain balance in your life regarding, work, family, church, other organizations and activities, and blogging? Can I just say my first instinct was to say two words: "I don't!" Things get out of balance for me. Seriously. I work hard to balance and some days I succeed...most days though I'm on a serious growth curve!

A Nudge...

There he sat, one leg folded across the other, computer balancing in his lap. He whispered, "Mom," as he turned the computer gently around to reveal the screen to me. And there, blazing across his screen, is my blog. He tapped it gently several times. No words needed. Message received. It is my DS 3's way of nudging his Mother back to the world of blogging.

All it takes is a tapping finger and those dark brown eyes looking at me in request. I'm glad for him. In our family, he is often the voice of reason. The methodical amidst the chaos. And in so many ways, this 15 yo can ground you when you think things are flying out of control.

There are no excuses for why my blogging is not more regular. I've been busy! But that is nothing new.

For the last week, I have been in my FAVORITE city of all....CHICAGO! It was our annual Reading Association Convention. I am blessed most years to be able to attend with some of my favorite colleagues. This year was no different. We work during the day...attending sessions...meeting authors...browing what's "new" in the world of Reading instruction. And, at night, we get to relax and enjoy each other's company.

While in Chicago, my FAVORITE flowers were in full bloom...TULIPS...

I am not going to lie and say this trip wasn't without disappointment, however. My FAVORITE store in Chicago was the Marshall Fields on State St. When we arrived there, I found out that it had been purchased by Macy's a few years back. At least they still sell Frango Mints there...which are decadent little mints that were sold in Marshall Fields. And for the most part, the inside still looks the same.
The other "change" that has taken place in my favorite city since my last trip is the movement of the American Girl Store. This is the first time I've been to the city when I actually HAVE an "American Girl" at home! Before I just admired it and had fun looking at all the dolls and accessories, but I was excited to be there thinking about LG. It used to be in an old brick building with a basement. I thought it had "character"...now it's in the Watertower Place Mall...which is a very cool mall...but not the same, in my opinion.

I have to say, though, once we visited, I could see just how much more space this new store has. You're not so cramped anymore walking through it. So, all in all, I'd say it was a good change.

Chicago is STILL one of my favorite places to visit. It's full of life, things to do, places to go, and people to see.

On our way home, we did another thing I've always wanted to do...we visited the Vera Bradley Outlet Sale. This is an annual event that takes place in Vera Bradley's hometown of Ft. Wayne Indiana. I could explain it, but the pictures do a better job...here ya go:

When you walk into the huge convention center, here is what you see:

There are literally HUNDREDS of tables with Vera laid out on them. People receive this huge pink garbage bag to hold their choices. Then...they sit on the floor and sort their choices...like I am modeling here:

I will tell you, I shopped more on the floor than I did walking around! As workers would go by with armloads of new product, you'd say, "Can I see that?" And they would leave it for you to decide if you wanted or not! I made several texts to colleagues, friends, and family to see what they all wanted...so rest assured I'm shopping for about 6 people here!

Anyway, once you make up your mind...you get in THIS line to pay:

Never fear, though, people are sorting and dumping all the way through THIS line too! You might just see the one bag or item that you searched the entire hall for...laying on the side of the payment line. There is ONE more chance to change your mind at the register where they have boxes ready for this purpose. Then they lay your items on the counter like this....

After you have heart failure, remind yourself just how MUCH you are saving and how many people you are helping out, you check out and return to your car... tired, but happy at the bargains you've found and the fun you've had with great friends! (Note: We shopped this sale for FOUR hours!)

Sooo..that kind of fills you in on my last week or so. It was busy...fun...and refreshing. I'm ready for the end of another school year and looking forward to an exciting summer.