Nutcracker nuttiness and other news
Only one more performance until it is all over for another year (at least). Although this has been the absolute worst interpretation of a Nutcracker ballet I've ever witnessed, the experience has been good for my girlies. Given our location, a chance to dance with a professional ballet company does not come along very often. However, watching an entire ballet and not seeing one single platter tutu makes me think I'm at a modern, not classical ballet. Having the adult Marie dance the sugar plum fairy without changing costumes is boring. The idea of women dressed as concubines and hanging all over the Mouse King is disgusting, especially when children are present. I will be glad when tomorrow is over.
So, I was rear-ended last week while taking Jocie to ballet. Interesting, considering the last time I was rear-ended I was on the way home from taking Jocie to ballet. Also, that our only other major collision occurred when driving Jocie to perform in her first Nutcracker. Is going to ballet a bad omen? Or is it just that I spend so much of my time driving my children to ballet, that I am increasing my chances of having an accident just by being on the road? Probably the latter. Either way, our van is toast. Thankfully we are all fine though. It remains to be seen whether or not the driver who hit me will pay up. Even though police officers may tell you that it is not necessary to call the police if you have a minor traffic accident; it is indeed quite necessary if you want the person at fault to actually pay for the damages to your vehicle. Even if this person gives you all his/her insurance information and driver's license number you should still call the police. Just because the offending driver offers to fix your vehicle him/herself since he/she owns a body shop, you should still call the police. Otherwise, the next day when you talk to your insurance company, they might tell you that the driver of the other vehicle is now claiming that someone else caused him/her to hit you, and that you were drunk anyway. That's right folks, this could actually happen to you because it has happened to me. Thank God (literally) that when He is for you, who can be against you? As bad as this may turn out for us, I do not regret not calling the police. I did what I would have wanted done for me. If I had accidentally rear-ended someone, and was willing to give over my insurance information; the last thing I would want is a traffic violation citation on top of whatever my insurance company would charge me. We all know the verse, "Do unto others as you would have done for you." Well, I did it and there are no regrets for doing what is right.
I am blessed to say that I am now the proud parent of a teenager. Yes, I am that old. Really and truly old enough to have a teenager. Jocie turned 13 a couple of weeks ago. With so many Nutcracker performances we were not able to squeeze in a party, but Kevin did take her to dinner after the ballet. She also got her braces off finally. Her teeth look really great. It was definitely worth all 18+ trips to the orthodontist an hour and a half away.
Lillebeth recently turned nine. She celebrated her birthday with a small party of friends. While planning the menu for dinner, I asked her if we could order pizza. She insisted that everyone has pizza at their birthday party and she wanted to have steak. Luckily for her, daddy loves to grill so steak it was. She also asked for a two tier cake made by me. Doesn't she know how much easier it is to go to Sam's and a buy a cake? Or at least order it from Brenda or Peggy? Sheesh! I can't wait until this child gets married. Kevin keeps asking her to say, "... and ice sculptures!" She, of course, does not understand why he finds that so amusing. You have to be old enough to have seen the commercial I suppose.
Degas Ballerinas at Pinot's Palette
I spent an extended weekend in the Houston area with my old friend, Nicole. We shopped at The Galleria, had lunch at P.F. Chang's, and painted ballerinas at Pinot's Palette (our instructor introduced herself as having previously been seen on TLC's The Little Couple).
While in town, I was also able to meet up with one of my college roommates, Karen. We shopped at the outlet mall and I was able to meet her five-year old son for the first time.
Corn Maze and other ramblings
I took the girls to a corn maze in southern Missouri a couple of weeks ago with our home school group. We had been there a few years earlier, but this time Kevin did not accompany us. Truth be told, I was dreading going because I thought I would have to find my own way through the corn maze and I really did not want to do that. Luckily, Jocie and her friends found the way themselves, and then were kind enough to take their smaller siblings while their moms sat in the shade. Yes, Jocie is bossy beyond belief at times; but it's moments like these when I am really thankful for her assertiveness. I feel fairly confident that if I were to run away and never return again, Jocie would be quite capable of running the household without any help (other than financial support). Not that I would ever run away and not come back, at least.
I really want to move. I was just taking a bath earlier, and heard our neighbors' conversation, word for word, as if they were just outside the door. So, I said a little prayer and asked God to help me be patient and not think about how I hate having ill-bred neighbors who steal our chairs off our balcony and park behind us so that we can't get in or out of our parking spaces. I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me... even put up with loud, drunken idiots, right? Okay, that wasn't very Christ-like of me to call them idiots. Imbeciles, perhaps?
Speaking of people with low intelligence quotients... I was watching a Yankees game last week when they were losing and the announcer said something like, "Being down 3 to zero feels more like being down 9 to nothing at this point in the game." Up until that point, I was fine with the thought of them losing the game. Fine with the idea that they might actually lose the division series this year. After all, they are the wild card. I was trying not to have high expectations. However, that remark rather infuriated me for some reason. So, after the Yankees ended up winning 6-4 I wanted to ask the guy if that was really more like a score of 18-12. Instead, being unable to actually speak to him, I made some rude (and admittedly juvenile) remark at him through the television. Hmm... perhaps I should limit my Yankee watching this post season. I just hope they keep winning a while longer since I've already put the Jeter uniform on Brinklee's build a bear! It's like when I dress up my Addy doll in her tennis outfit during Wimbledon and the US Open. She channels her inner Serena and offers moral support to me. Not sure the pink leopard kitty in the NY Yankees uniform does quite the same thing though. The only thing she has in common with Jeter is blue eyes 
Auditions and birth weeks!
Kevin took Jocie and Lillebeth to Tulsa on Saturday to audition for Tulsa Ballet's The Nutcracker. Luckily, they both received a part. Jocie will be in party scene and Lillebeth will be a mouse in battle scene. I say "luckily" because it was partly due to luck. For Jocie, mostly skill... but for Lillebeth's age, casting is largely dependent on size; skill is secondary. There were many little girls in tears at the end of the day. We feel very blessed that our girls are going to be a part of a professional ballet company production again this year. I feel even more blessed to have a wonderful, loving husband who was willing to drive them over and spend the day waiting while they auditioned. Especially since it was a day that his favorite college football team was playing on television.
The girls each getting a part was a great way to start my birth week celebration also. While many of you know, or have at least guessed, that I am (was? when does it become past tense?) adopted; most of you probably do not know that no one knows when my actual birth date was. I didn't know myself until I was 19. I'm sure my adoptive parents had good reasons for not sharing that information with me. However, it was quite devastating when I finally found out. Perhaps it is better that I was somewhat of an adult when I learned the truth. I can only imagine how horrible it would have been to be a child not knowing when I was born. (Bed of Roses, anyone?) After all, a child's birthday is her favorite day of the year! As it is, I count it just another blessing that my extremely thoughtful husband is willing to give me multiple birthday celebrations each year. I love you, Kevin. You're the best! (even though I can hear you snoring down the hall as I type)
Labor Day Weekend
We always start our school year the day after Labor Day so last weekend we took a short trip to Overland Park, Kansas for the grand opening of the newest American Girl Boutique. I can't even begin to describe how crazy the actual grand opening day was. It made waiting in line at Carlo's Bakery look calm and serene. There were people waiting in line on Friday afternoon at 3:00 for the 9:00 Saturday morning grand opening. Yes, they actually stayed all night at the mall. Why, you ask? Because they wanted the free goody bag for the first 100 girls. The first few people in line were adult collectors. Personally, I hope they didn't even get one. I imagine they were probably furious even if they did. Inside the much anticipated freebie bag was a Kansas City doll t-shirt (did I mention the store is actually in Overland Park?), 2 free books, an AG magazine and a catalogue. Okay, catalogues are free anyway so that would have just insulted me. The rest of the stuff was worth @ $30. No way was that worth standing in line for 18 hours. I was so glad we went on Friday afternoon instead. After learning how insane the grand opening day was going to be, I tried to talk the girls out of going back for the chaos. Unfortunately, my opinion was not highly valued in comparison to the possibility that they might "win a doll!" AG was having a drawing every hour for a Lanie doll. I sent Kevin to the mall at midnight Friday just to see if it really was as bad as the store clerks said it would be. He reported back that several people had brought tents and even more were sleeping in camp chairs and on the floor. Sooo... Saturday morning we slept in and then headed back to AG around noon. You had to get a group ticket to get into the store. The tickets were given out in increments of 200. So, if you were in say, group 14, then approximately 2600 people had already been in before you. As nutty as that whole ticketing thing seemed, I actually stood in line less time than I did for my Hoboken adventure. Of course, this is because of the ticketing system, you didn't actually need to stay in line the entire time. You could shop and eat and then come back to the line when your group was called. At that point, you had to wait in line because remember, there were 200 other people in your group waiting to get in at the same time as you. I only saw a handful of brothers but I did feel bad for them. One was in a baseball uniform though, so I'm sure his sister had spent many hours in the hot sun watching him play, so he probably owed her.
The line moved relatively quickly and once inside we were able to gather our "necessities" and get out of Dodge, er Overland Park... Check out the slide show for pictures of our recent adventure.
A day at the creek
A few days after our return from New York, some friends invited us over to have brunch and spend some time playing in their creek. They are another home school family and they have three boys. The mom, Sam, and her sons had set the table beautifully and her sons served us cinnamon pecan biscuits, fresh scrambled eggs (from their chickens), bacon, coffee and juice. It was so wonderful. Not just the food, but the way her sons were complete gentlemen and such gracious hosts. Honestly, I wish my girls were as well mannered as they are. I know sometimes I have my doubts about boys- you do have to remember that I had three pesky, older brothers- but these young men were absolutely a joy to be around. Not once did I hear them speak ill of each other or disrespectfully to their mother.
The most fascinating thing about their creek is that it starts on their land! Sam showed me where it comes up out of the ground and eventually turns into Flynt Creek. My girls loved wading through it, Jocie even got brave and went in from the neck down. Lillebeth was a bit apprehensive at first. She is, after all, the most "girly" of all my girls. Lillebeth was especially disturbed by the frogs and "tadpoles" (that were really just minnows). I was proud of myself because I think I did quite well when presented with the tiny little frogs. Normally I am irrationally terrified of all things amphibian and run from them screaming.
The boys also had a flat bottom boat that the girls got to paddle around in. Brinklee was so cute because she kept paddling backwards. Thankfully the creek doesn't have much of a current, so she still managed to get where she wanted to go, despite her poor paddling skills. At one point, she even turned around backwards in the boat. However, she kept paddling the wrong way so it worked itself out!
The two older brothers had built a cabin with their grandpa. It was very Little House on the Prairie like with a sleeping loft. Still, it was quite impressive, especially knowing they did all the work themselves. They also painted the roof camouflage so it can't be seen from the sky. I somehow feel like a huge under-achiever compared to all they have done with their home school freedom. The only thing I ever recall making with the girls were miniature ships from egg cartons. Once, in honor of Columbus day we made the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria. Does that count for anything? No, not really. Moving on...
The boys also raise homing pigeons that can bring messages to them. One of them has a pair of Australian Finches. The female keeps laying eggs, but since they are pet store birds, they don't know what to do with them so they never hatch. That is somewhat amusing to me- only I hope laying eggs doesn't hurt because I would hate to think that this bird is going through labor pains continuously and never getting any offspring for her effort.
We really did have a wonderful time at their house. It was so quiet and peaceful, without any sirens or honking. Just what I needed to clear my head after being in NYC. You can see photos of our day at the creek in the slide show above.
New York
Took a trip with Kevin last week to New York state. Started in Syracuse, and made our way south to the Big Apple. (Can someone tell me why it's nicknamed that? Anyhoo...) The whole point of my presence was to see a Yankee's game. I knew I would not like NYC. Not that I had a bad attitude going into the trip, because I NEVER have a bad attitude! 
Just because I was sure NYC would stink, literally, what with all the millions of people crowded into a tiny space how could it possibly not smell bad? Besides, I'm generally not a touristy type of person. And I like wearing fashionable shoes so walking extensively is not high on my list of favorite things to do. Since driving in NYC is completely impractical the only other viable option is taking the subway. The hot, stinky subway, actually. Where the rats live (yes, I did see one).
Of course the Yankees lost the one game we attended. I had a feeling they would (not because I have a bad attitude though ) since they had just won two games against the Tigers. Then they followed their loss to Seattle with two wins. Go figure. I didn't even get to see Posada or Mariano play. I barely caught a glimpse of Mo on his way out of the bullpen after the game was over. The next day we decided we would go back to the stadium and get "cheap" tickets since we had nothing better to do. Did I mention that we missed the stadium tour before the game we actually saw? (More on the reason why later.) Not that I minded really, because again, I don't care that much for tourist trap type attractions. Back to the second attempt at seeing a game... so we show up and go to the ticket office where we are told that the cheapest tickets left are $300. Kevin practically passes out and the lady says, "I have $150, that's all." At that point I was wondering if we kept asking for cheaper tickets the price would keep dropping by 50% but apparently Kevin was done negotiating with her. So across the street to the scalpers... which by the way is illegal in New York. While Kevin talks to the would be criminals I pray that God will help us not get ripped off. Thankfully, they did not come down to a price we could agree on so we left. Which ended up being a good thing because by the time we got back into Manhattan I started to feel ill.
We ended up spending several hours in our hotel room watching tennis while I recovered. Later that evening we ventured out so I could see FAO Schwartz. (Does that count as a tourist trap? I think not.) It was impressive as far as toy stores go I suppose, but I left with only a couple of Hello Kitty themed items. The real purchase was made outside of FAO Schwartz at a street vendor's table. Some (rather rude) man was selling hand painted wooden nesting dolls. The kind Rebecca has in her story books. (You don't know who Rebecca is? Well, think American Girl.) I bought three sets for my three little princesses who were stuck at grandma's house for a week. From there we strolled along the streets going in and out of various souvenir shops. Since I never made it to see "lady liberty" I bought Lillebeth a statue of her. (See, I was telling the truth when I said I wasn't big on tourist attractions!) Every day Lillebeth asked me if I had seen lady liberty yet. I was actually going to make an effort to get out to see her, if for no other reason than to take a picture for Lillebeth; but after the wasted trip to the Bronx and the unexpected illness it became less of a priority.
The highlight of the trip, besides seeing the Yankees, was driving to Hoboken, New Jersey. Carlo's Bakery was my one tourist trap indulgence. Being so close I had to find out if the cakes actually taste good, or just look good on the show, The Cake Boss. After standing in line for 2.5 hours I can honestly say it was worth the wait. We had cupcakes that were to die for. I brought home several varieties of cookies for the girls too. None of them were disappointing. We barely got a glimpse of Buddy, but still it was fun seeing the sisters and some of the other family members who are on the show. Waiting outside for 2.5 hours, plus another 30 minutes inside is why we didn't make it to the stadium tour in time. Who knew our small excursion would waste 5 hours of the day? At least now I can say I've driven through the Holland Tunnel and made it out alive. Whose idea was it to drive under the river anyway? Are bridges too practical for these people?
We also drove to Boston so Kevin could take me to Mike's Pastry. It would have been nice to have had more time to spend there (even though I openly loathe all sports teams derived from Boston) because the downtown area is so historically tiny looking. Some of the streets are still brick and most are quite narrow. However, what was supposed to be a 2.5 hour drive turned into a 4.5 hour trip instead. We even stopped at Taco Bell for lunch. We had been making it a point to not eat at any chain restaurants while we were on vacation and we got so behind schedule that we ate Taco Bell. So sad. The one highlight of stopping in that particular Bell is that I got to take a picture of a pay phone. I text messaged it to the girls so they would know what one looked like and how "in the old days" people had to use pay phones to make emergency phone calls. Kevin pointed out that technically Jocie is still using a pay phone, only she isn't paying for it. Don't you love dad's sense of humor?
All in all, I'd say the trip was less than terrible. I mean, I did come home with 100 Lindt Lindor Truffles... but then there was that airport incident in Atlanta that really left a bad taste in my mouth. So much so that I was glad I somehow got put in a seat far away from Kevin for the last leg of the trip home. Oddly enough, I was seated by our old neighbor from when we first moved to Siloam Springs. When we lived next door to this woman, I barely ever said more than "hello" to her in passing. I doubt I would have even recognized her, but she knew us right away. It was good catching up with her though, and it made the flight pass quickly. God really does bless us in small ways too. 
We should probably move now
I know I am up all hours of the night. It is usually because Kevin is snoring (love you still baby), but sometimes it's because I've consumed too much coffee too late in the day- blame it on the new french press. Anyhoo... oddly enough I just had two young women knock on my front door half an hour ago. That would be just before 1:00 AM! Seriously, who in their right mind just randomly knocks on someone's door "because we saw the light was on"? Really? You saw the light on so you just knocked on the door to ask if this was an apartment and if it is for rent? At one o'clock in the morning? Like it couldn't have waited eight more hours until the office opens up? Sheesh... I guess I am getting too old. Perhaps I should lower my expectations of generation Y or Z or whatever letter they're part of. Or maybe it's just time to move again.
Over the river and through the woods...
To grandmother's house she went. Jocie is spending a few days with my mom post surgery to help her out around the house. It is quieter here and a little bit more peaceful. As a result, I have to make lunch for the little girls and unload the dishwasher myself! Ah well, it is the price I pay for serenity I guess. My oldest brother, David, is also staying at my mom's to help. I think it's a good bonding time for Jocie and her uncle. They are so much alike, being the oldest siblings in their respective families. I hope they drive each other insane before their time together is over.
We're Back!
So glad to be back home, even if it is a temporary home of sorts. Really shouldn't we, as Christians, think of all our worldly homes as temporary though? Anyhoo... it is really good to be out of that tiny-little-one-bedroom-condo-on-the-15th floor, located 1 block from the hospital and 2 from the fire station. I was starting to love Tulsa, but being downtown was depressing. It makes the occasional ambulance and fire truck siren here seem serene. And if any of you believed that living in the small space would make me more likely to settle for a smaller house eventually you were crazier than I was! Good grief, I never felt so good as getting back here and not knowing where my children were under the same roof. Before I left for Tulsa, I didn't think I liked that feeling of being in a house so big that I didn't know where they were at all times. Now, I LOVE it! I love just being able to sit downstairs for hours and not hear them, save the occasional loud footstep through the ceiling. Not hearing their voices, shrill laughter, sibling bickering... ignorance truly is bliss! Or in my case, ignore-ance :o)
Looks like we will not resume our house search again until spring. Which is totally fine with me. I had grown quite tired of the whole ordeal anyway. So instead I am unpacking the rest of the boxes that I didn't think I would unpack here. I'm just trying to get this place looking like I can live in it for the next nine months (at least). Now instead of looking at houses I'm looking for new furniture. :o) I love to shop though, so that will be fun and not stressful at all like house hunting.
The girls are taking etiquette lessons this week. At first, they were very excited, thinking it was going to be "Miss Manderly-esque." (If you do not know who that is then you are not an American Girl fan.) Lillebeth even thought she would learn to serve tea. Finding out instead that it was more about learning manners kind of burst her bubble. She even lamented that she thought I must think they have bad manners since I was sending them to "manners class." Truth be told, they do have some bad manners, and none of us are perfect. I just wanted them to hear some of the basic good habits from someone else; because sometimes I don't think kids are very high on their parents' opinions. Hmm, surely not? Anyhoo, I was pleasantly surprised that one of the first things taught was putting the napkin in your lap when you sit down at the table. How many times have I said that? I feel like I repeat it over and over at least twice a day. Please Lord, let that sink into their thick skulls and plant itself into their brains.
Speaking of things that plant themselves into living creatures, Kevin is watching "Shark Week" on the Discovery Channel this week. Yuck! I want to vommit every time I see the image of parasitic creatures living inside the shark mouths. Too disgusting for me. Glad I'm on etiquette duty when that horrible show is on. It's actually making me look forward to the return of football season.
It is just over a month until school starts full time again. I have to take a deep, cleansing breath every time I think of it. You know, just to let out my bad energy :o) I realized today that Brinklee has lost some of her reading abilities during this month that we have been completely off doing nothing but swimming in the condo pool. I'm going to have to start back her phonics lessons again now, in order to keep her skills intact. I used to be so good about doing school with the girls year round, but taking off for the summer just seems so much easier... and even more fun.
How Time Flies!
Okay, I had no idea I had not updated our blog since last year. How pathetic of me, I am a terrible blog owner. I do have good excuses though, not that you want to hear them all. I'll just make it short and say that my computer got infected with spyware and after numerous attempts to get it fixed I finally had to bite the bullet and buy a new one. Then we decided to list our house for sale and it actually sold. So not great reasons but still, I do home school my children and run an in house taxi service for them. It's not like I've been doing nothing at all these past seven months!
It will probably be easiest to start with the present and work backwards on what has been happening. So here we go. Sadly, our dog died last weekend. It was heartbreaking because it was totally unexpected. He had been staying with our breeder while we are in transition housing. Thankfully we were able to visit him the day before he died.
Speaking of the transition housing, we now live in an apartment in downtown. Our house sold and we have not been able to find a suitable home that we can agree on so we are staying here indefinitely. The girls and I will be spending most of the next four weeks in Tulsa. After we return we can start actively looking at houses again and hopefully we will find the one God has prepared for us.
Brinklee had her first dance recital last weekend also. She was so adorably and unbelievably cute. Although I do admit I am overwhelmingly biased. One of her classmates told her that she was glad Brinklee was her partner because "you always look pretty." Isn't it funny how little girls are drawn to pretty people at a very young age? It is kind of sad actually, but really not surprising in the least.
Brinklee also had her kindergarten graduation ceremony last month. I was the parent coordinator for our home school group. Thank God (seriously) that was my last time to organize it. I'm just thankful that everything turned out really well in the end. Be sure to check out Brinklee's page for pictures of her graduation and recital.
Jocie auditioned for and was accepted into Tulsa Ballet's Pointe to the Future summer intensive program. That is why we will be staying there for a month. I am looking forward to the time away from the ordeal of not having a house yet. Not that staying in a one bedroom condo is going to help me find a house; but it might just make me more willing to settle for something smaller when I return.
Fair Warning
We don't believe in Santa Clause... so much so that I'm not even sure if I've spelled "Clause" correctly. Anyhoo... just sayin' 'cause every year one of my daughters learns that some little boy or girl she knows, actually does believe in Santa. As appalled as my own child is, I'm sure the other little girl is equally appalled to find out that my daughter does not believe in jolly old St. Nick. After which I imagine she runs to her mommy and says something like, "Mommy ..... says that she doesn't believe in Santa Clause! Santa is real, isn't he mommy?" To which I assume, the mommy responds with something like, "Of course he does darling! Who do you think gave you ...... last year?" Or, "Who do you think ate those cookies you left out?" Can you imagine, the audacity of Christian parents actually telling their children that Santa Clause is sheer fantasy? I say this because I, personally, am always surprised at the number of self-described Christians who ask my kids what Santa is bringing them this year. Um, nothing. Every good and perfect gift is from the Lord. I think that's in the Bible somewhere. All the gifts my children receive are from actual people, who got their money from working. I'm done letting Santa take credit for my efforts. I am the one who makes the list, checks it twice, blah, blah, blah. Oh sure, we used to do the Santa schpill too... until Jocie was three if I recall correctly. We would even make her sit on his lap at the mall and pay $20 for one single photo that was of the same quality as a polaroid. We're done with the insanity now though. One year we didn't even put up a tree for Christmas. Although I've caved and for the past few years we decorate a tree, I'm half tempted to start calling it the "winter tree." After all, that is how the whole tradition started isn't it? Why all the uproar over stores refusing to say, "Merry Christmas" and instead opting for "Happy Holidays"? Who is really celebrating Christ's birth by buying up everything they can (and can't) afford? Aside from attending the local church's annual Christmas pageant, who really thinks about Christ any more during this time of year than the rest? Not that many, I'd guess.
So, there it is... we are a weird home school family. If you had any doubts before, now you can be sure of it 
Yankees win the World Series!
Since I have devoted entirely too much time over the last few weeks, watching every Yankee playoff game on television, I feel it is only fitting that I congratulate them here on our family blog. I am glad they won, and I am even more thankful it is over. Three games against the Twins, six games against the Angels, and another six for the title... that adds up to roughly sixty hours of watching televised baseball games! I may never recover.
Happy Halloween!
There, I've said it. Now you know we even celebrate it. It's actually my favorite holiday if you must know. Does that mean I think dressing up in cute costumes and giving/getting candy is more important than Christ's birth? Or His resurrection? No, definitely not. Do I think that over time Christ's birth and resurrection have been minimalized while celebrations of these events have become overwhelmingly commercialized? Yes, definitely so. So, it is actually with great joy that I celebrate this fun holiday with my children. We don't do the ghost and goblin thing, or the witch and vampire thing either. It's just a fun time of year for us to carve pumpkins and dress up in public. The girls dress up in our home quite frequently, so being able to go out in public in costume is a special treat for them! This year Brinklee is wearing the ladybug costume that has been passed down from Jocie to Lillebeth. Now it's B's turn to look especially adorable wearing it. Lillebeth will be out and about as Scarlett O'Hara, and Jocie will be dressed as Little Red Riding Hood, with Logan going as her wolf. Even Kevin gets in on the costume wearing hoopla. He'll be parading around in a Hercules get up. Be sure to check back for pictures in the next few days.
The big house
Now that I'm trying to catch up on my posts, I'd like to mention that I finally got a mom vacation a couple of months ago. Nicole, one of my oldest friends from as far back as junior high moved to South Carolina a few years ago. I had always wanted to see Myrtle Beach ever since I saw the movie "Shag." So finally, 15 years later I was able to go there. Unfortunately I did not get to see the famous pavillion, but still had lots of fun anyway.
It was kind of a non-stop vacation where we tried to see as many places as possible in three days. I was able to take a horse drawn carriage tour of Charleston, where I learned many fascinating historical facts about the city and its part in the Revolutionary War... which sadly to admit, I never even knew part of the Revolutionary War took place anywhere near Charleston until my tour guide enlightened me. Upon returning home, I have since re-rented "The Patriot" for another lesson in American history. And because I found out it was filmed in Charleston.
We drove to Asheville, NC where we toured Biltmore, aka the "big house" according to my girls. I really loved Biltmore and finding out the history behind the Vanderbilts. We ate at one of the restaurants on the property and spent lots of time shopping at the winery and in the gift shops. I brought back some toys and candy for the girls. Every time they talked about my vacation, they would say, "... and momma went to the big house," or "Momma just got back from the big house." Finally, I had to inform them that from now on they would need to refer to it as "Biltmore" because "the big house" was another way of saying "prison." Maybe I should let them watch more television after all.
Our last stop was Myrtle Beach. Kevin made reservations for us at Kingston Plantation. It was really a great way to end a hurried vacation. We just spent the day relaxing at the pool and on the beach. Our one non-event was having the fire alarm go off as we were leaving the hotel for dinner. We drove to Broadway on the Beach (which really isn't on the beach) and ate dinner at Hard Rock Cafe. After making the rounds, picking up various souveniers and riding the giant swing, we headed back to the hotel... which was still standing. Nicole, ever the party girl, wanted to have one last drink before we headed up to our room. I'm sure we were the only two people in the lounge under the age of 60, possibly 65. It was funny though, even if not exactly fun.
I really had a great time getting away and being able to relax without worrying about the girls. I should do it more often! Right honey?
First Day of School
Today is our first day of school here. Seventh grader, check. Second grader, check. Kindergartener, check. Pre-algebra book, check. Feeling overwhelmed, check. Loving being able to stay home with the girls, check.
So, I have been totally unfaithful to our blog. I kept thinking I was going to start a new blog somewhere else, but really. Who am I kidding? I can't even keep up with this one, let alone start a new one somewhere else. I need to figure out if changing isp to cox will help my pictures upload faster. Then maybe I'll change blog sites. Until then, this one will just have to make do.
It's been a good year... lol Apologies for not posting since February. Obviously, lots has happened since then. We've got Brinklee in gymnastics again, Jocie in gymnastics, again... and to make it complete, Lillebeth in gymnastics again. Add to that three budding ballerinas, two tap dancers, one pianist and two cast members of the Aspen Santa Fe Ballet Nutcracker and our life is quite full right now.
With so much to tell about, and so little time, I'll have to update in short stories over the next few days. Hopefully I will find time to upload new pictures as well. Until then...
Happy New Year!
Wow, 39 days since my last update! How did the time pass by so quickly? Was it because Kevin left me alone for 8 days to try out single motherhood? Or because after my week of going it on my own, I spent a week with Kevin in Dallas? Then after only a few days of being home we lost electricity. Who knows.
It's crazy, how quickly time flies by. Already we're into February of 2009. Already February 6th is only a few days away. February 6th is the day my baby turns FIVE! Five years old, I can hardly believe it. I've had a child age 4 or younger since December 1997. Now, I'll officially be toddler-less. I'll be forced to live vicariously through my other friends with babies, because sad as I may be, I do not want another baby.
Overall things are good around here. I did have (get?) to spend five days with my mother in her house full of five dogs plus our Akita. I'm home now though, so all is well. Though it may not seem like it, I am grateful that we were able to go to her house while our electricity was off. Just because the television stays on in their home 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks per year does not mean that I was ungrateful about having a warm place to live. I mean, what harm is there in subjecting your children to mind numbing television hour after hour? Okay, okay... must stop now and start posting pictures.
Merry Christmas!
So I'm a day late, but did you really know that without looking at the date of my entry? We've had much going on lately, and just not enough time to post as often as I'd like. But this isn't facebook or anything. So I don't feel obligated to get on here everyday and tell you what mood I'm in. If it were, today I'm sure mine would say "Angry." I'll spare you the details of why though and just go on with catching up on our life's adventures. 
Last month Kevin and I went to the OU-Texas Tech game in Norman. (See #11 on the thankful list.) I'm pretty sure that Zach Robinson and I were the only two people in the stadium wearing OSU apparel. Since I didn't actually see him, I can only speak for myself. It was probably just me, as he was trying to lay low I'm sure. Unfortunately for me, his scouting didn't help much as OSU still lost the following week when they played OU. However, it was really a win/win situation for me anyway. Had OSU won the game, I could have been happy for an hour or so, but then it would have passed and I would have had to get on with my life. You know, being a mom, wife, doing laundry, cleaning, etc. However, had OU not won, my life would have been somewhat miserable for the next 10 months at least. Kevin tends to not get over OU losses very well. I don't think he got over the Texas loss until Texas Tech beat Texas. Please God let OU win the national championship!
Nutcracker is over. Whew! Thank God, literally. I am so glad that is done. I love Nutcracker, I really do. I think I just love watching it more than actively participating in it. While you may think that moms don't actually perform, you are wrong. You may not see us performing on the stage, but we are definitely an integral part to the success of a ballet. If it weren't for us driving these kids there every stinking weekend, how else would rehearsals take place? Do you think the director would send a bus to come pick up everybody? No, she wouldn't. I can answer that question for you. A successful production requires countless willing mothers to taxi their children to and from practice after practice.
Jocie and Lillebeth turned 11 and 7 respectively. While there were times I wasn't sure Jocie would live one more year (at least not with some kind of handicap), she made it. Of course I love Jocie, I just feel like she's entering those tough love years and I'm beginning to understand why I see headlines reading, "Man drives son to Nebraska from Florida to utilize safe haven law." Too bad there isn't some kind of social networking site that could get parents like that connected. Then I could have asked that man if he wouldn't mind picking up Jocie on the way. 
My kids are possibly demented
The definition of demented that I found was 1. mad, insane 2. suffering from dementia. So, according to The View hostess Joy Bahar, since my kids are home schooled, they are likely to be demented and afraid of other children. Not that I ever watch The View. I don't get up that early, and even if I did I wouldn't waste my time with such a nonsensical program. Besides, I can barely deal with the drama my three girls give me. I certainly don't need the menopausal-induced drivel that comes from those females to start my day. I was told of the ignorant remark made by Ms. Bahar on one of the online home school groups I am a member of. Of course, the statement made on public television has enraged most home schooling families across the nation, many of whom are demanding an on air apology. However, I do not need Ms. Bahar to apologize for saying, "... those kids are demented" while referring to home educated citizens. Why should any of us care about what someone so obviously uninformed has to say about children she has probably never even met? That statement alone only magnifies her own lack of education. Remember, we are to judge a tree by its fruits. Apparently, Ms. Bahar produces nuts.
My daughters are not demented, by definition. I may be on the verge of it, but they are nowhere close. As for being scared of other children; the only other kids my girls tend to avoid are of the opposite sex. Don't most little girls lean toward their own kind? After all, boys are gross, stinky and dirty! That only applies to my two youngest anyway. My oldest child has yet to meet anyone she would not play with, male or female. I think that intimidates most other girls who are indoctrinated by the public school system. As you know, in public school you are not allowed to talk to anyone who is not part of your "group," lest you become exiled yourself. In order to become a part of any group (hive), you must serve the queen (kiss @ss). If there weren't numerous other good reasons to home educate my children... that silly little chic clique thing would be enough reason for me to keep my girls out of the circus that has become public education.
Granbury Texas
While Kevin and I were both suffering through our sinus infections, we took a little trip to Granbury, Texas. Kevin already had the trip planned before the onset of our illnesses. Since he was going to do a store set up in a nearby town, the girls and I tagged along so we could hang out at the hotel and swim. We were pleasantly surprised that the hotel was located right on the town's newly formed lake beach. Being that it was during the week, there were almost no other people there. The girls had a great time playing in the sand. Hopefully I can get the pictures posted today.
Due to Kevin's sickness, we stayed an extra day so he could get some rest. I did feel bad for him, being left all alone in the hotel room while I took the girls out to the lake. But I know it was for the best. I sat under the gazebo and let the girls look for "seashells." If I would have felt better I would have showed them how to dig in the shallow water and try to find live clams. However, sitting on the beach blowing your nose incessantly is not all that fun. It's actually kind of gross. I'm glad no one else was there to witness it. When we got back to the room I half expected Kevin to be dead. lol I'm kidding. Although the thought did cross my mind a couple of times, so I said prayers for him while we were out. I found him lying motionless underneath the sheets. I ran over and shook him to see if he really was dead. Then I lectured him about never sleeping underneath the covers. After all, that is how babies die... from breathing in their own carbon dioxide. And God knows Kevin requires a lot of oxygen. Therefore he must be putting out a lot of carbon dioxide. I would know because when we sleep at night, I have to face away from him or I can't get enough air!
Anyhoo... despite our poor health, a good time was had by all. We even managed to squeeze in a stop at the American Girl Boutique in Dallas on the way home. 
Sickness and health
So it's been a long time since I last posted. A few days before my birthday I started having a sore throat. Unfortunately it developed into a weeks long (self diagnosed) sinus infection. Yuck! I never realized that much disgusting stuff could be inside my head. Where does it all come from anyway? You would think that eventually it would all come out and there wouldn't be any left. Maybe that's what finally happened since it took a month to get it to go away. Anyway, I decided it must come from my brain because during most of the time I had it, my brain was not functioning properly at all. All kinds of unusual things were happening to me. Like going to use the restroom at a store and finding out that my pants were already unzipped. Lovely. I wondered how long they had been that way, then figured it was probably since the last time I had used the restroom. Be thankful you weren't in the same store as me that day. The next day I went to pick up our dog and when I got in the van my jeans started coming unzipped. Well, that was because they weren't even buttoned! Even better!
Thankfully I started my recovery last week. A friend suggested that I try taking enormous doses of vitamin C. It was either coincidentally nearing the end of my illness, or the vitamin C actually worked. Either way, I am glad to be feeling much better. My sense of smell has even returned, along with my taste. Living without smell for weeks was rather odd. Living without taste was just awful. I ate lots of peanut butter sandwiches and oatmeal. Why bother wasting calories and fat on good food when I can't even taste it?
Unfortunately Kevin did not escape the sinus infection either. His started roughly 10 days after mine. He had all the same symptoms I did, just later. At least I got to stay home most of the time. Poor Kevin had to go to work and travel frequently during his bout. He ended up seeing the doctor who officially diagnosed him with a sinus infection. He is almost finished with his antibiotics and is feeling better also. His smell and taste have returned as well. We're planning a big date night to celebrate the return of our senses. Now, if he can just get his hearing to return properly I won't have to keep calling him grandpa.
Birthday Blessings and other aspirations
We've had lots of birthdays to celebrate in the last week. Last Sunday was Kevin's dad's birthday, he is 60. Then on Monday, my paternal and only living grandfather turned 85. Yesterday was Kevin's mom's birthday... being a lady, it is bad manners to state her age.
Although, my own birthday is coming up very soon and I have no problem admitting I am just a few days shy of 33! While I do think 33 sounds very, very old for myself... I am over it. Once you turn 31 you just become 30-something... so does it really matter if you're 31 or 39? No, it really doesn't. You are old either way. Now, I just need to find a new store that will ask to see my ID and continue to feed my ego. lol In the beginning, like back when I was 25, I felt quite indignant when someone would ask to see it. But, by the time I turned 30 I was actually pretty grateful that there were still a few unsuspecting souls out there with apparently bad eyesight. (Sigh) I fear that 32 is the last age I am ever going to be carded.
Last week was my turn to drive the carpool to ballet. I am so grateful for the carpool. I am pretty sure I couldn't handle driving there three times per week, every week. I fear that I am not cut out to be a pre-professional ballerina's mother. Or a pre-professional soccer mom, musician, or any other activity that requires practice every day. So for sure olympics are definitely out of the question. I would need the Lord God himself to tell me to mortgage my house before I would invest that much money in a possible gold medal. Yikes! It makes you wonder if the real reason these kids won the gold medal is because they were the only ones with parents crazy enough to sacrifice shelter to get them to the olympics. At least in the United States anyway. In China, one only needs to sacrifice the child... which isn't altogether a bad idea sometimes.
Kevin cooks and I speak French (un peu)
If you ever read my thankful list, you'll notice that number nine states that Kevin is a better cook than I am. While having a husband who cooks better than you might make some wives feel inadequate, I find it overwhelmingly refreshing and think that I am undeservingly blessed.
Just today Kevin prepared a quiche for dinner while I was out taking Jocie to dance. This happened after he cleaned out the garage and fixed the rabbit pen. How great is that? While his cooking skills are somewhat limited to the charcoal grill and the oven, who am I to complain? That means perfect carnivore meals and awesome desserts for me! Kevin is also a one dish kind of cook, but I like to think it's because he's trying so hard to perfect the main entree... and besides, isn't it the sous chef's responsibility to make the side items?
Two years of high school and five hours of college French does not a fluent French speaker make. (Especially when I was so silly as to sign up for the 8:00 am, five day a week class my first semester of college. It was only after arriving on campus did it occur to me that no one would actually make me get up and go.) Sadly enough, all I really know how to say is "quelle heure est il?" and "je ne sais pas." The latter means "I don't know." I love answering Kevin with that from time to time when I don't know the answer to his question. Then he doesn't know what I said... it's all very amusing (in my mind, at least). Anyhoo, I have taken it upon myself to go through the Learn to Speak French course along with Jocie. Maybe by the end of the year I'll write an entry en francais. Yeah, not very likely... je sais.
Answered Prayers
My dad was released from the hospital Friday, August 22. He is home now and appears to be doing much better. Thank you to everyone who has been praying for him.
Beginning last Monday, the girls' dance classes have started for the year. We are carpooling with a couple of other families from our town two days a week. Hopefully, the joint effort will work out for all of us. If not, I see ballet being greatly reduced in the number of days attended per week. (The studio is @ 45 minutes from our home.) While out last week, I noticed that gas was $3.39 at one particular station. I was so excited to see it be that low. It's amazing that $3.39 gas is a good price these days.
Two days and Three girls in an ICU waiting room
Last Wednesday my dad went to the hospital to have a procedure on his prostate. Two days later the doctors found blood clots in his lungs and moved him into ICU. Five days later he is still there. On Monday, my mother called me to say that my dad was doing much worse. She was all distraught (who wouldn't be?) so I packed the girls up and headed for the hospital an hour and a half away. Thankfully, my dad seems to be doing better, although not completely out of critital condition.
The little girls and I stayed with my mom in the waiting room for about 15 hours total between Monday and Tuesday. I've played countless games of go fish and crazy eights. The bright side being that Brinklee is beginning to recognize numbers better... even if she does call it one one, instead of eleven. The Olympic games on television were another plus to help keep the girls occupied. They love watching swimming and gymnastics. We can all do without beach volleyball though. My girls think the women are completely immodest. How can women expect people to respect them for their athletic ability when they wear barely more than a string bikini, while their male counterparts wear shorts and tank tops? It's one thing to wear a two piece swimsuit to the pool, where your only purpose is to lay there for people to look at you. (And yes, I admit I've been guilty of this at some point in my life.) But it is quite another to be barely clothed while you're supposed to be playing a sport. Okay... so I'm stepping off my soap box now.
Back to the waiting room experience... This isn't the first time the girls have had to endure hours of sitting in the ICU waiting room, where technically they are not allowed to be; my dad spent several days in ICU last summer. There is a large sign that says, "No children under 14 allowed in ICU waiting area." Although I'm sure it is not completely Christ-like, I completely ignore that sign and bring the girls in. I do make sure that they are very quiet and non-disruptive. Several extended family members commented on how well-behaved they were. Being well-behaved does not mean they are perfect though. By the end of day two Brinklee was starting to be quite cranky. Jocie also seems to like testing her disrespectfulness level by arguing with me in front of my mother. I guess she thinks I won't smack her across the face for smarting off to me if my mom is present. Perhaps she doesn't realize that I acquired that skill from my mother!
All that said, it was a good experience for all of us. Sometimes we just need to take a step back from our own lives and priorities, and be there for someone who needs us.
I won!
Last night after the home school group sign up (which I didn't even sign up for), Kevin and I went to an Arbonne meeting. He only agreed to go because it was held at a coffee shop, but still, at least he went. It actually turned out to be really interesting... more than I thought it would be. In all truthfulness, I was kind of in it for the coffee too :o) But the best part is that I won something! Not just something small and useless either (not that I think Arbonne has anything useless); but something I've been wanting even! Yea! I love free stuff!
Back to the home school group... I decided that I would wait to sign up until I was sure our family would actually participate in something the group has to offer. After all, twenty bucks is twenty bucks. Besides, don't think that public school doesn't seem tempting at times. But I guess that's what satan does... tempt you. lol Just kidding all you public school people :o) Someone has to send their kids to school there... who else would home school children test better than? Seriously, I imagine that someday at least one of our girls will end up in public school. I'm just not sure when that will be. Maybe very soon, considering I have to start Brinklee along with the older girls next month. We'll see how that goes. 
American Girl Place NYC
It's official... Kevin has now been to more American Girl stores than anyone else in our family of 4 girls and 1 boy. Last week, he was sent to NYC for a store setup. Upon learning that he would be in the big apple, I immediately started to prepare my list for him. With a little bit of input from the girls, I wrote down everything I needed, and a few items that I just "wanted." Notice how I said "I," and not "they." lol Yes, AG is really for moms. It's all a marketing ploy I'm sure. Apparently it works rather well. What mom wouldn't rather have her daughter playing with dolls that are supposed to be the same age as the girl? Dolls that come with books and outfits that don't make them look like miniature, well endowed women. It beats Barbie & Bratz by far. Another nice thing about AG is they really know how to take care of their customers. While I may think that most of their items are overpriced, their customer service is really unbeatable. Kevin walked into the store, handed his list to an employee who ushered him to a lounge full of comfy sofas and seating; and his personal shopper went to fetch everything on the list. After he was all checked out the personal shopper said she couldn't even receive his tip! Really, with service like that, even dads can't complain. Before Kevin left, I helped him pack a suitcase only half full, so he would have plenty of room for his AG haul on the way home. The girls were so excited! I'm sure he'll never receive that same greeting upon returning from a trip again.
Busy Busy
So we've had much going on lately and I haven't made time to update our pages. I'll try to catch you up briefly with some of the highlights of my summer.
First, I rode 4 hours to a dog show in OKC so our puppy could meet his father, who lives in Washington and was the #4 akita in the country last year. In case you are dog show ignorant as I am, that means he was in a ton of shows last year! Wow! Who knew what a big business this whole dog show thing is?! Also, as a side note, the real reason we went was so Kevin could meet Logan's father... I think Logan actually started to pee when he saw his dad. Maybe Kevin too... you should have seen that dog, he actually looked like a bear.
The girls went camping with their dad. Even if it was just in our backyard... technically, sleeping in a tent outside is still considered camping in our family. Of course, that wasn't enough. You give kids an inch, they want a mile. As soon as the night was over, Lillebeth wanted to know when they could go camping somewhere in a forest, not just our backyard.
The summer session of ballet has finished up, and I just took Jocie to her national competition for Arkansas Kids in Branson yesterday. This means I have 4 full weeks with not a thing to taxi the girls to. Think of the gas I'll save. And that will give me plenty of extra time to vacuum, since Logan is shedding his puppy coat. I've been vacuuming every day it seems. I've even vacuumed the dog. I was hoping that would suck all the hair off and save me excess floor cleaning, but it really didn't help much that I've noticed.
My life, very exciting, don't cha think?
Summer day camps = Daycare for SAHMs
A couple of weeks ago, Lillebeth and Brinklee went to "soccer camp" at FBC. It coincided nicely with the week that Jocie went to stay with my mother. That was a great week for me... so quiet and peaceful all morning. It was good in another way as well... because before that experience Brinklee insisted that she wanted to play soccer. After that experience Brinklee has told me how much hard work soccer is and she doesn't want to play. (The picture of her sitting in the box above is what I found her doing most days when I went to pick her up from soccer camp.)
This week, Jocie has been going to JBU's soccer school in the mornings, and the little girls are back at FBC for "cheerleading camp." After just one day of cheerleading Brinklee has again informed me that this is hard work. I know she is only 4, but seriously... I am not going to allow her to be completely lazy and worthless. I realize that at some point in cheerleading, it does become quite hard work... but not when you're 4 and you only go 3 hours a day, most of which is spent playing games, hula-hooping, etc. This morning she started to have a tantrum and Kevin asked, "Brinklee, do you want to go to cheerleading today?" To which she immediately responded, "No!" An exasperated Kevin then turned her over to me to "deal with."
If it had not been for one day last week, when I took the girls on a 3 mile walk, I probably would have let B get away with staying home. But I know that kids can do much more than adults think they can. On this particular day, I brought the wagon as usual, because Brinklee alternates walking and riding when we go on walks. We were nearly a mile from our house when Brinklee started whining about being hot and wanting a popsicle. I told her if she would get out and walk the rest of the way home I'd give her one. Yes, she made it; yes, she whined (a lot); no, she did not suffer any long (or short) term damages. Kids are amazingly resilient when it comes to getting something they want. Miraculously enough, Brinklee came home from cheerleading this afternoon in perfect health... even admitting that "... cheerleading wasn't such hard work today."
Happy Father's Day
So the day is almost over I realize... but happy father's day anyway. Not that I think any dads actually look at this site, aside from Kevin at least. We had my parents and brother over for dinner this evening, so I've been too busy cleaning & cooking to post it any earlier.
Hope you had a great dad's day Backes. You're the best dad (& husband) in the world! Thanks for taking me shopping on your weekend. You so rock! 
Summer Break
Summer break has officially arrived. Lillebeth's dance recital is over and I have no other weekly commitments until August. It's nice really... finally being able to stay home for awhile.
The older girls are still doing schoolwork to keep themselves busy. Not everything, but just enough to stay out of too much trouble.
Kevin and I finally completed Meryl's outside play yard and cover for her hutch yesterday afternoon. (My body is still recovering from the effort. Who knew how hard attaching wire to some boards would be?) And just when I thought Meryl would never have to come inside again (at least not until winter), I woke up this morning to a hail storm. Kevin dutifully went outside to fetch her and bring her into the playroom. Although Meryl was in no danger of being hailed upon... he thought the thunder to be too frightening for her. How do bunnies in the wild survive? Or those other brown bunnies in our backyard, for that matter? Hmm... interesting that millions of rabbits survive hundreds of storms without my loving husband to bring them in.
Happy Anniversary
Today is our 9th wedding anniversary! Who knew we'd make it this long? Happy anniversary honey bunny, I love you!
Is new puppy really going to be Worth the Wait?
Our new puppy Logan (Liberty's Worth the Wait) has finally arrived at our home. He's been with us since Saturday. Although he is very cute, and much more lively than Layton was, I certainly do miss the way Layton potty trained quickly and without much incident. Logan is also much more feisty than Layton was. At only 8 weeks, I've already had my first confrontation with him, in which I let him know without a doubt that, "you will not win." Of course, I realize that it is easy to tell him that and make him believe it when I still outweigh him by well over 100 pounds. However, when it is he that weighs well over 100 pounds, I might not be so convincing! That's why I've got to teach him now! I'm sure Logan will win me over in the end... but for now, I just miss Layton even more than I did before we finally got Logan... "Don't know whatcha got, til it's gone..."
That by nature, I think I am actually nocturnal? Always have been, ever since I was a little girl. I would lie in bed for hours trying to fall asleep, listening to my parents' television through their bedroom door. I still remember hearing the awful beeping drone from 2 am on... that was before television stations stayed on air all night long.
Perhaps I need to speak with his mother about this!