Every Little No to Me Matters

Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me."

Luke 9:23

I baked the caramel brownies as a special treat for my family, but for a week they taunted me. At first I let myself have a small taste, but then it was like giving myself permission to do it again. And again. I finally had to say no, not even a bite.

The last thing I wanted to do was run. My list was long and my day full. Yet saying no to the brownies told me I could say no to myself again, so though it was easy to justify skipping it, I ran, denying what I really wanted to do. And afterward I was glad I did. A little sweat worked out some aggression from the day before, put me in a better mood and adjusted my attitude.

I figure every time I deny myself like this moves me one step closer to God. Every denial of self, no matter how small, is a victory and piggybacks to bring more self-control to other areas of life. It's like I'm playing tug of war where my life is the rope, my way (and its accompanying pit) are on one end and God (and His promise of perfection in heaven) is on the other. Each time I deny myself IN ANY AREA OF LIFE I'm pulled closer to God. Each time I do things my way, I'm closer to the pit.

If I swallow the snarky phrase on my tongue instead of uttering it, one pull closer to God. When I push my Bible aside and open my laptop first thing in the morning, closer to the pit. Ignoring the tug on my heart, pit. Forgiving the hurt, God. Dwelling on the negative, pit. Finding the good, God. Loving though I don't feel like it, God. Avoiding the uncomfortable, pit. Obeying though it's scary, God. Giving til it hurts, God. Sacrificing time for the sake of another, God.

If I practice it, if I say no to me often enough, will it get easier? If I gain some small consistency of self-control by saying no to caramel brownies, won't it help me choose wisely when there's more at stake? Will the same self-control kick in when my kids are driving me crazy or I want to tell my husband off or I'm tempted to judge?

Every little NO to us, every denial of self, begins a practice that brings us closer to God.

How can you say NO to you in small ways that may translate into greater self-control?



Photo Credit: Mike Saechang

7 Quick Takes (Volume 156)

1) So my Boesiger Bunch Family Fun Fridays on Facebook (try saying that really fast three times) wasn't a total bust. Though participation was slim, my girls both kept asking what my new idea was. Last Friday I posted three old pics from their childhood. Within five minutes Drummer Boy commented and before the evening was over, EVERY SINGLE ONE OF MY FAMILY HAD COMMENTED. VICTORY! Now, how do I continue the fun without getting boring? One can't post old pictures every week. Goofy videos? Sounds like a lot of work. Poems? Limericks? Prizes? Ideas, people. I need ideas.

2) Drama Queen bragged so much about planking on our antique file cabinet, we decided to try it ourselves to show her it was not really that big of a deal (Are you sick of these pictures yet, or wondering how we ever get anything done at our house?).




See? No biggie deal, Drama Queen. That was easy! And then to one up her sister, Miss Innocent One was able to do a Batman. Sort of.


And how about this lamping? This wasn't Kevin's idea, as you can probably guess. He was just too tired to fight it.


3) As an incentive to working hard on her schoolwork, I told Miss Innocent One we would get a manicure or pedicure (her choice) if she got good grades first quarter. She studied hard and fulfilled her part of the bargain, so we headed out. Now I have to tell you, I'm something of a cheapskate. The thought of paying $30 for a pedicure makes my heart palpitate, so I thought we should give our local beauty college a try where they advertised them for $12.50.

What a weird experience! First off it was "Hair Day" at the school, which I guess meant the students were experimenting on each other. Nearly every person in there was wearing a cape and had foil hanging off their head. They were walking around the shop, sneaking peeks at each other's work. Then a towering giant of a man with a tight, orange afro came to get me for my pedicure. I'm not kidding. This guy was at least 6'5" or 6'6"and probably weighed 250. He was a friendly chap though and personable. He got to work on me while Miss Innocent One sat nearby with a woman who barely spoke as she did her nails. Apparently this woman had been on the docket earlier for "Hair Day" as her hair was already done in a curly bob (think Marilyn Monroe as a redhead--super cute). Her lack of speaking made me imagine her as some little mute girl frolicking in the Swiss mountains. (Yeah. I think too much.)

Though I enjoyed the conversation of my guy (as opposed to mute little Swiss girl), my pedicure took FOREVER. I thought we'd never get out of there! The first polish he put on was BLECK (I think it was old and too sticky), so he kindly took it all off and started over, but left traces of the old polish all over my toes. I wasn't about to ask him to fix it after being in the chair an hour and a half. Miss Innocent One's manicure took considerably less time, but looked like more time should have been spent on it. We came home feeling like we'd been to a really bad slumber party where everybody was just too tired to do a good job on each other's nails. Maybe we can blame it on all the chemicals floating in the air on "Hair Day."

And I felt like the loser mother who totally ruined her daughter's first manicure by trying to save a buck. Live and learn, Tam, live and learn.

4) Ladies Man has a birthday coming up in a few weeks. He's made it very clear what he wants. Kevin found this on his iPad:


Yeah. Keep dreaming, buddy.

5) Drummer Boy has decided to grow a beard again, which I think is a good look for him, except this time he's vowed to let it go from November until April! There's no telling how bushy and long this thing could get. There are places on this lad already that are down right furry. What will months of whisker growth turn him into?!


Ack!

6) Miss Innocent One performed for the first time with her middle school show choir. She was quite excited to get her dress which arrived the day of the concert. No wonder she was so jazzed. The dresses are SWEET!


It was a little tough to see her in it, though. She looked so grown-up. Her dad is their accompanist. I don't think she minds one bit, do you? You looked beautiful, babe!

7) Our nephew returns tonight after serving for a year in Afghanistan. It seems the year has flown by to me, but I'm sure his wife and mother would definitely disagree. Welcome home, Ben! We're proud of you! And thank you.

That's all this chicky has to say today, folks. Take a look at Conversion Diary for more Quick Takes.

I Have People

I have people.

People who nudge me forward, people who say I matter, people in my corner.

Having people requires something of me--my time, my honesty, my vulnerability, my guts. But I've received it all back exponentially. My people build me up, hold me up, lift me up. They tell me what is true. They give me perspective and point me in the right direction. They make me do what I say. They refresh and inspire, heal with their words, soothe with their hugs.

Isn't that how God intended for us to live here on earth, not as Lone Rangers (even he had Tonto), but together, spurring each other on toward love and good deeds (yep, that's how He put it in Hebrews 10:24)? It can be scary to let someone in that close, to expose yourself, but the payoff is priceless.

I wouldn't be who I am today without my people. I can't imagine life without them and their calming presence in my life. Thank you, my dear peeps, for being part of my life, for enriching me and making me better, for stimulating my thinking (it's all your fault!), for keeping me real and filling my life with laughter and joy. How I love you!

And thank You, Lord, for giving me exactly what I need.



And a little p.s. from me--I know there are some of you reading this that will say, "Must be nice, Tami." Relationships are hard. I've listened to many pour out their hearts over their lack of true connection. Friendships take work. Mine required me to reach out, to admit need, to let others in. I wrote a series of posts on the subject a couple of years ago. If you're lacking the relationships you desire, check out these posts I dubbed Steps to Connection.

Steps to Connection
Understand All Have Insecurities
Vulnerability
Time
Availability
Expectations
Be Yourself
Take a Risk
Assume the Best
Sacrifice
Humility

Find more Thankful Thursday posts at Spiritually Unequal Marriage.

Never Over

Picking my daughter up from school, I pulled into the parking lot, never suspecting to be moved, approaching it like any other task of the day. Many parents had their windows down, soaking in the last bits of warmth of the season. The radio in the car next to me gently sang, lulling me in my own seat, releasing me from any hurry to leave.

"Dad," the boy in the front seat of the neighboring car said suddenly, "How was court today?"

The radio filled the empty space.

"Dad, how was court?"

His father mumbled something then said, "It was okay."

"So are you and Mom finally divorced?"

Another pause and some mumbling.

"It's all over, bud," his dad said.

It didn't seem to bother the boy (yet he was the one to bring it up), but my heart broke. I don't know them at all, don't even know their names, but I ached for them. The weariness in the dad's voice, the boy's word choice, finally divorced, told me it hadn't been an easy road. Even as I sit here days later, the tears well in my eyes at the sadness of it all, the lives forever changed.

"It's all over, bud."

But it's not. It will continue in a different way. The conflicts and hurt feelings will still be there. They'll all have to work at getting along. They'll figure it out and adjust and it will be okay, but today I grieve with them. I weep for their loss and their pain and pray God brings healing. I pray He makes good of it.

Satan laughs, delighted at another family's demise. His attack has been strong and swift and destructive. He won that battle.

"It's all over, bud."

It's never over, just different. And before this family adjusts, Satan will pounce on another one.

How can we make sure it's not ours?



Photo Credit: quapan

To Learn Grace

She hadn't seen her father in twenty seven years and honestly hadn't missed him. Her childhood had been happy and full though he wasn't a part of it. She could have lived the rest of her life without him except . . .

God said, "Go see him."

She argued and was scared and didn't know what good it would do. He was a liar. He couldn't be trusted. She didn't want to make room in her life for him. The bottle clouded his mind and shut out the world and calloused his heart. Could she trust him to be honest? Would he trick her? Take advantage of her? Wreak havoc in her life? What was the point in flying halfway across the country at great expense to see someone who had done nothing to maintain the relationship?

But God said "Go."

She loved God enough to obey. She loved her father enough to make the first move. She loved the unloving.

The meeting did not go well and she returned heartbroken, discouraged, confused.

"God, what was that all about?" she asked, "Why?"

“When you love the unloving, you get a glimpse of what God does for you.”

Max Lucado

Is this what God does for us? Has He gone to extraordinary measures to meet us? Have we dismissed His efforts? Are we ungrateful and never satisfied? Are we unloving and self-centered? Do our addictions cloud our judgment, causing us to miss the grace before us? Do we make light of all He has done? Does He walk away heartbroken and discouraged, shaking His head asking, "Why?"

Lord, open our eyes to Your grace. Forgive our ignorance, our humanness. Release us from our addictions. Teach us how to treat others with the same love and compassion you've given us. Help us love the unloving like us. May we see them through Your lens. May we glimpse what they could be with Your touch. Give us patience and mercy and wisdom. Give us grace.

How can you love the unloving?

Visit Living for God for more posts on this quote.

A Sister Project

Drama Queen and Miss Innocent One are five and a half years apart. Drama Queen was enamored with her baby sister, but I've wondered how the two of them would get close, especially when Drama Queen moved away to college.


I shouldn't have given it much thought. God has a way of working these things out, doesn't He?

Friday night the girls ended up home by themselves to which Drama Queen responded, "Great. Miss Innocent One can help me with a project."

Uh oh. What was she up to? I shook off the anxiety, knowing Drama Queen to be responsible and headed out the door. We returned to this on the back door:


But when we walked in, there they were, giggling and eating ice cream cones from McDonald's. They sat in a chair working on Drama Queen's computer, yucking it up the whole time. After a few minutes they announced they were ready to show us their project.







I guess when Drama Queen saw our pictures last week of planking, owling and lamping, she would not be outdone and wanted to get her own licks in. She thinks she dominates with the plank on top of the antique file cabinet. Okay, I'll give it to her. Pretty good.

The best part for me was not the silly pictures, but the bonding that took place between them. They had a blast as evidenced by their comments.

Miss Innocent One: Thanks for the awesome night fart nugget!!!

Drama Queen: You're welcome turdface!

This is exactly what I was hoping for (well, minus the potty names) when I prayed for Drama Queen to get a sister. Since she moved out, I thought it may be harder for them to be close, but it's proven to be better. They talk on Facebook. They're more intentional about their time at home because it isn't every day. Once Miss Innocent One gets a phone, they'll be texting. And now, since they don't live in the same place anymore, they do "projects" when the opportunity presents itself.

Well done, girls. One goofy project put a stake in the ground of your relationship.

And I'm so glad.

7 Quick Takes (Volume 155)

1) I've enjoyed watching Miss Innocent One coming into her own lately, able to crack a joke with her siblings who tend to treat her like the dumb, little sister. She got a good one in when Ladies Man opened the ketchup bottle and a bit of it squirted him in the eye (a great feat since he wears glasses!). Miss Innocent One didn't miss a beat with her observation.

Miss Innocent One: Yeah. That's probably why Japanese kids only get two packets.

2) I think Ladies Man set a new sleeping record. He came home from school last Thursday and promptly fell asleep in the chair. How can this be comfortable?


About an hour later, I spent 30 minutes trying to wake him up. He finally obliged, ate a little supper and then fell asleep again. I woke him up a little after six and said if he was really that tired maybe he should go to bed. So he did! He slept until 5:30 the next morning, got something to eat and went back to bed. At 6:45 I struggled to get him up for school. He managed to drag himself up and out, but about 45 minutes later called to say he wasn't feeling well. Kevin picked up him, brought him home and he went promptly to bed again until 1:00 that afternoon. That's like 16 hours sleep in a 24 hour period!

Thankfully whatever bug he contracted was cured by all this sleeping. He was in bed early again Friday night and felt much better by Saturday. And the rest of us have been fine, so far . . . well, if you don't count all my grouchy days this week.

3) Since our family is slowly leaving the nest, I thought it important to bind us together in a fun way. I want to stay connected and feel like we know what's going on in each others' lives. To this end, I created a private group on Facebook called the Boesiger bunch and planned to pose a weekly question.

But EPIC FAIL! Only one of my children actually did it! Drama Queen is perfect, baby angel child this week, folks. She gets props for not only doing it, but chiding the others for NOT doing it. I think Kevin only answered out of obligation because he knew I was disappointed.

Who knew they wouldn't want to answer my questions?! DUH! What was I thinking? They don't like to do that in real life. Why would they do it on Facebook? I'm switching gears for this week with a different idea. We'll see how it works.

4) Congratulations to Drama Queen who bought her first car last weekend!


It's nothing fancy, but she paid for it entirely on her own and is tickled pink.

Drama Queen: It just makes me giggle every time I get in it!

And it's true! Last week when she came home from work, her smile was visible from the kitchen. Enjoy it, babe. Nice purchase. I'm proud of you!

5) We had a rare family dinner with our whole clan Monday night when Drummer Boy and Drama Queen had fall break. As predicted, Ladies Man felt the need to entertain his older siblings and did so with a little ditty on his guitar entitled, "No One Loves Me." Drummer Boy captured a tiny portion of this concert on his phone. For those of you not familiar with our family, Ladies Man's real name starts with a T while the other three start with a K. For years I've been telling him he goes with me, but I guess at 15, being paired with your mother is not so wonderful. He likes to tease us saying we don't love him as much since he is the only kid who plays guitar instead of piano, plays a brass instrument and whose name starts with T. Oh brother. Obviously Kevin and I are not falling for his guilt bait as this clip fully illustrates. Keep in mind we've been listening to this song for several minutes by now.


You think I should change his name to Drama King? Things of this sort are not that rare here, as evidenced by Miss Innocent One's comment on Drummer Boy's Facebook page after posting the video:

Miss Innocent One: Just another normal day at the Boesiger house!!

6) Drama Queen: Do you know what I really miss since I've gone to college?

Oooey gooey feelings flooded me, imagining what wonderful mothering things I've done for her. Could it be the way I fold her t-shirts, a favorite food, late night talks in her bedroom?

Drama Queen: Good toilet paper!

Do you see how fast she flushed my dream of a parenting victory?

7) While my older two kids had Monday and Tuesday off, my younger ones had Wednesday through today off. Miss Innocent One has been quite social having friends over. Yesterday she and a friend made chocolate chip cookies and as I sat in my office, the scent floated upstairs and taunted me. Not fair! I may need to set some ground rules for cooking while I'm hard at it in my office!

I let them play on my computer while I cleaned up dinner dishes and later found these. Apparently this is an activity of choice among she and her friends. All of these were taken in the last week.





Obviously these kids need more to do! Next time, CLEANING PARTY! Boo yah!

That does it for me, friends. Enjoy your weekend and wander over to Conversion Diary for more Quick Takes.

Grouch Antidote

Ever noticed when you're grouchy that everything feels like too much? There's too much to do, too much expected, too many obligations that suddenly lose their importance. I look at myself and find too many flaws, too few improvements, too much that needs work.

I know it's an attitude problem, so I keep my mouth shut and push through, or at least that's my plan. It doesn't always work as I imagined. Cause I'm grouchy. And lack patience. And self-control.

So I think the cure is to isolate myself, but me, alone with my thoughts in this state? Scary.

I can't be WITH people. I can't be WITHOUT people. What is a grouch to do?

When I tried to understand all this, it was oppressive to me till I entered the sanctuary of God . . . When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered, I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before you. Yet . . .

Yet, even so, through all my grouchy fog which struggles to rise above, YET . . .

Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory.

Though I am a grouch, a brute beast, senseless and ignorant, He is still near, still guiding, still waiting to take me home to glory. While I berate myself He has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we were formed, he remembers that we are dust.

How can I push away that kind of love? Placing my grouchy self in His presence, without pretense, humbly and needy and very human, brings me the right perspective. He tells me to breathe, to rest. He says tomorrow is a new day to seek His face and give it another go.

My Grouch Antidote is seeking God. What's yours?



Scripture passages: Psalm 73:21-24, Psalm 103:13-14

It's A God Thing

Have you ever noticed when people say "It's a God thing," they're always referring to something working out in their favor? A job opportunity falls into a lap and "it's a God thing." A teen auditions for and makes it into a select group and "it's a God thing." A perfect vehicle is found, a scholarship is won, plans turn out better than expected and "it's a God thing."

But aren't the bad things that happen to us also "God things?" When my dad got cancer and I spent more time with him transporting him to appointments, it was "a God thing." The urgency of his condition pushed us to have talks we'd never attempted before, "a God thing." When my son had a seizure, taking me out of a women's conference, it was "a God thing" that led to someone else transporting the speaker around and developing a helpful relationship for both parties. It was "a God thing" when I felt like nothing special as a kid, forcing me to look for real validation and worth in Him.

And what about the thousands of things we don't understand? If God is over all and in all, isn't everything "a God thing?" Somehow my parent's divorce and our years of financial struggle and my grandmother's stroke and my brother's long wait for a wife were all "God things," weren't they?

When you have no helpers, see your helpers in God.
When you have many helpers, see God in all your helpers.
When you have nothing but God, see all in God.
When you have everything, see God in everything.
Under all conditions, stay thy heart only on the Lord.

~ Charles Spurgeon

Truly ALL things are "God things."

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Romans 8:28

If we look at it this way, will we handle the tough stuff with more grace, more patience, more trust?


Join our host Jen at Ponderings of an Elect Exile for more thoughts on this quote.



Photo Credit: Wootang01

What My Kids Bring Out In Me

Have you seen the rage online over planking? Planking is making your body as stiff as a board. People post photos of the most unusual places to plank, like these pictures demonstrate.




It's a photo contest of sorts, seeing who can come up with the most creative place to plank. I've seen a few pictures of my own Facebook friends planking on the top of their car or the rungs of a ladder at a swimming pool (that was impressive).

And that's not all. Ladies Man tells me the planking rage has spawned other crazes like owling (perching like an owl in unusual places), lamping (posing as a lamp), and batmanning (hanging from your toes).

Blame it on a free Saturday afternoon, kids trying to avoid work or the change of season, but for whatever reason, Ladies Man and Miss Innocent One decided to try their hand at it. They started off in the kitchen, trying to plank on a counter that's about 8 inches wide. With his height, Ladies Man didn't have room to fully extend himself and Miss Innocent One couldn't get her balance, so they switched to different activities.

Here's Ladies Man lamping.


Don't you love the shirt?! It totally adds to the effect. His next idea was to "owl" on top of the refrigerator, but again he ran into a space issue, so Miss Innocent One did it for him.


Yes, I know it's little silly (and a titch dangerous), but wow was it a blast getting her on top of there. And look how much fun she's having!

Not to be outdone by my teens who think they corner the market on coolness, I mastered the plank on the kitchen counter neither one of them could. Ha! Take that, you little whippersnappers!


Hmmm . . . Now that I look at it, my arms should be down at my sides not straight in front me. Wait. Have I just invented supermanning?! I'm so progressive!

We tried to tell Kevin it was his responsibility to demonstrate batmanning, but sadly, he wouldn't oblige. Boo. That would have been the best!

Yes, these are the strange things that happen in our house. Who needs to go out when you can have this much fun at home? We're a goofy bunch, but we have a good time.

Have you tried any planking, owling, lamping or batmanning (or supermanning)? Send me some pictures!

7 Quick Takes (Volume 154)

1) Ladies Man: Did you wake me up this morning?

Me: Yes. I was in there twice--at 6:45 and 7:10.

Ladies Man: Yeah, well I woke up at 7:16. Hey, did you notice my room was cleaner?

Me (racking my brain to figure out what world he's living in): Uh, no.

Ladies Man: Well, I couldn't sleep so at 3:AM I finally just flipped on the light and started putting stuff in my drawers, which is surprising.

Me (wanting to say, "VERY surprising," but using self-control): Sorry, I couldn't tell.

Ladies Man: That one spot was a LOT cleaner!

Oh, the one SPOT. Oh, I should have been able to see that among the hundred other spots that weren't clean. Really?!

2) I made a thrilling discovery yesterday! I was walking Miss Innocent One into the middle school and caught my reflection in the door. For the first time in 47 YEARS OF LIVING, I noticed my thighs weren't touching. For some of you this may seem like a stupid thing to be excited about, but for those of you, like me, who have lived your life being bottom heavy, no explanation of the joy of that sight will be necessary. I spent every summer as a kid with heat rash on my inner thighs from sweaty flesh rubbing against itself. Ew. And ouch. This is truly a victory, people. Maybe this running torture I've been putting myself through is having a positive effect. Or it may have just been the jeans I was wearing, but hey, I'm still counting it. Mark it down, friends. I, Tami Boesiger, had one glorious day when daylight was seen between my thighs. Hallelujah, amen and praise the Lord!

3) I'm wondering where Drama Queen's attention was in health class. She apparently was not fully there when reproductive systems were discussed. First we had the mix-up with her father having a hysterectomy and now this:

Ladies Man: Did you know that testicular cancer is actually more common than breast cancer?

Drama Queen: You mean like prosthetic cancer?

Kevin: PROSTHETIC cancer? You mean prostate cancer?

Drama Queen: Oh, yeah, I guess.

Kevin: Yeah, that prosthetic cancer is deadly. It'll eat right through your artificial leg.

Drama Queen: Shut up. And don't put this on the blog.

Me: Oh, you know I have to.

Sorry, Drama Queen. It was just too funny not to mention!

4) Miss Innocent One has always been a kid who needs her protein. The minute she starts to get hungry she gets a headache and if she doesn't eat anything right away, she'll get nauseous. Eating chips or a cookie or junk food makes it worse. I've found when I feed her some source of protein she perks right up. In my search for quick, appealing protein sources for the girl, she suggested these.


I thought this a great idea until I wandered to the checkout and saw how much they were for a bag of mini cheeses. Those puppies cost nearly a buck apiece!

Miss Innocent One (always sensing when her mother is second-guessing herself): Thanks for my special cheeses, Mom.

Except with a mouth full of cheese, it sounded more like, "Shanks for my speshul cheeshesh, Mom."

And since then we've dubbed the little guys our "speshul cheeshesh." It is appropriate as she's the only one in the house who eats them, although it leaves me open to be criticized by my other kids.

"Oh sure, only Perfect Baby Angel Child would get her own 'speshul cheeshesh.' You never bought me any 'speshul cheeshesh.' How come she's the only one with 'speshul cheeshesh?'"

Now, after reading all that, can you say special cheeses without a lisp?

5) I'm becoming slightly worried about Drummer Boy. This week on Facebook he's posted weird videos. One was two minutes of filming a friend behind his back and thinking it was super funny while nothing, and I mean NOTHING happened. The guy was just studying. I wanted to post a comment about the time being better spent actually copying the friend (studying!) instead of filming him, but I feared him striking me from his friend list for such a lame, mother response. On the other hand, that is what's expected from mothers, right? Hmm. Must give that some thought.

He must consider the fact that I may catch some of these videos though, because another was him "being emo," and he gave the disclaimer that he wasn't depressed. He probably knew I'd be the worried mother checking up on him otherwise. So, thank you, Drummer Boy, for sparing me further anxiety. I understand the video was a creative way for people to hear your music. Nice work. And I think you are very talented. Keep studying!

6) Ladies Man: Did you know in Japan they give their kids a limited number of ketchup packets? They only get like two or something.

He proceeds to squirt no less than 1/2 CUP of ketchup on his hot dog.

Ladies Man: This is why we live in America, Mom.

Silly me. I thought it had something to do with freedom.

7) All our kids have fall breaks next week, but not at the same time. Our college kids get Monday and Tuesday off. Our other kids get Wednesday through Friday off. And the parents get NO days off. Boo. I think I'll take my "speshul cheeshesh" and go pout in a corner.

Hope you have a terrific weekend, my friends. Take a gander at more Quick Takes at Conversion Diary.