Friday, April 25, 2014

7 Quick Takes (Volume 274)







I had the most wonderful time last weekend. We got some work done around the house, but also had fun. It was a rare Saturday at home and HALLELUJAH! did we take advantage of it. We did our work in the morning, had a late lunch, spent some time as a family playing tennis and later in the evening relaxed around the fire pit with s'mores and a little Q & A. SO. WONDERFUL.

Sunday was Easter and after church, we spent it at home. All. DAY! That rarely happens on a Sunday and this girl was so content. I even took a nap. Lovely, lovely day.

It makes me think I should take more time for fun. It makes a person feel better, you know? I'm not so good at that, but I'm working on it. I think it would be win-win for everyone. I'd feel better and if Mama's happy . . . well, you know. Why has it taken me so long to do this?






The worst looking injury of the week goes to Princess Dawdle who's been sporting this ginormous bruise.


It didn't even happen in a cool way. Boo. She got it when she and a friend were messing around and ended up on the gym floor.

And my family called ME a klutz?

Love ya, babe.






It's district music contest time in our neck of the woods. Ladies Man gathered up his stuff and was checking off his mental to-do list.

Ladies Man: I better shave. Districts is all about looking sexy. Good thing I'm so good looking . . . ha! . . . KIDDING . . .

Princess Dawdle: Oh gag me!

Ladies Man (obviously wounded by his sister's quick response): Wow.

Kevin: You don't think your brother's good-looking?

Princess Dawdle: Wouldn't it be weird if I did?

Ladies Man (still wounded): Wow. I think you're pretty, but it doesn't mean I want to date you.

Princess Dawdle was forced to play nice. I mean, c'mon, what girl can resist her brother saying she's pretty? I always wanted an older brother to protect me and think I was pretty. Instead I got little brothers who tied my friends up with jump ropes whenever they came over. This girl doesn't know how good she's got it.

Princess Dawdle: Okay, okay. I can say he's attractive, but I don't want to date him. I guess that's okay.

There we go.






I spent some time cleaning out our decrepit garage. I think I did a really good job considering my tools. If you could have seen me using this broom you would have been very impressed.


Look out, Martha Stewart. I got me some skills. Sorta.






So I'm stalking my kids' Facebook pages for juice and they got nothing. NOTHING! My boys will say it's because nobody does Facebook anymore. Duh, Mom! What is the point of Facebook if you can't get any good information on your kids?! I may have to rethink my involvement.






Kevin came out of the bathroom in Subway with a burning question.

Kevin: Is it just me or is it weird that there's a big sign next to the sink that says, "Employees must wash hands before returning to work," and it's written in braille below it? Why would it need to be written in braille? Do they have any blind workers? That doesn't make any sense.

Me: Maybe it's for the blind customers to know the sign's not for them.

Kevin: If they're blind how would they know there's a sign there?! Are they just going to be feeling the walls for a sign?

Oh. Yeah. Good point. I think I need some sleep.






We're spending the day watching our kids do their thing at District Music Contest. Kevin gets to play crazy man and run from room to room accompanying kids while I chew the fat with other parents and hopefully some high school classmates who may be there. We are living the dream, I tell you.

Really. I think we are. We still kinda like each other. We enjoy our kids. We have good relationships and though life is not always perfect, God always is. He's teaching me to roll with the punches, not take myself so seriously, and find joy in little things (see Quick Take #1!). There's something very freeing about that.



I hope you know the freedom only He can give too, friends. May He keep chipping away at us til we get it. Enjoy your weekend and find more Quick Takes at Conversion Diary.

Friday, April 18, 2014

7 Quick Takes (Volume 273)







We're leaving the grocery store, when I ask Princess Dawdle to grab the bags. I'm surprised when I turn back to make sure she got them.

Me: Two bags? All that stuff fit into two bags?

Princess Dawdle: Yeah, Mom, we're thugging it up.

Does anyone have any idea what that means?!






Toilet paper.

Does anyone else have a terrible time getting their family to change the stupid toilet paper roll? I can't tell you the number of times there's an empty cardboard on the toilet paper holder and another roll sitting on the back of the toilet. I've demonstrated OFTEN (and always with the most sunshiny attitude, of course), yet the art of changing the roll escapes my children.

Me: No one ever changes the toilet paper at our house.

Princess Dawdle: Not true. I change it sometimes.

Me: Really? I don't believe that. Every time I sit down on a toilet in this house, there's an empty roll.

Princess Dawdle: I have, Mom. It's my humungous humility that just didn't talk about the two times I changed the toilet paper roll. I didn't want to make anyone else feel bad.

Oh brother.






The whole exchange reminded me of my teaching years. I had a kid who rarely turned in an assignment. One time he actually got it done on time and wanted me to praise him for it. When I didn't oblige him, reminding him even the kids who turned in homework every day didn't get any happy clappy from me, he took the time to write out the whole parable of the prodigal son (time that would have been better spent doing the next day's homework, ahem!). I taught at a Christian school, so he was appealing to my spirituality, I guess. He added a little message at the end meant to chide me for my spiritual immaturity (GRRRRRR!). Poor guy didn't know I always felt sorry for the older brother in that story. Plus, I didn't appreciate some smart aleck teenager trying to tell me I was being unspiritual for accepting his rare piece of homework without fanfare.

I don't know where that kid is today, but I'd still like to smack him.






If you're at all squeamish, skip over this Quick Take. Really. This picture's a little sick.

Ladies Man got some new shoes and said his toe was bothering him at the end of the day. When he took off his sock he found this.


You know what had to be done, right? I am a picker extraordinaire. I had to get a poke at that thing! I didn't want it to pop completely and make it really sore, so I made a pinhole with a safety pin and squeezed some of the blood out of that puppy. It was a little anticlimactic as not much stuff came out. Boo.

Some of you are still completely grossed out by the picture, aren't you? I assure you the smell of his feet was the worst part!






They say you know you live in Nebraska when the weather changes dramatically. Last Saturday the temperature was nearly 80 degrees and on Sunday there was a snowstorm that snowed me in at a friend's house in the southwestern part of the state. On APRIL 13th! Their school even had a late start on Monday! As it snowed I kept saying, "Oh, I'm not worried, it never sticks this time of year" but then it started sticking to the grass, and then it started collecting on the deck, and the wind blew and the roads were icky and everything got cancelled.

Is the greenhouse effect really a concern?!






It's been a sad week. A dear aunt of mine died on Sunday. We spent so much time at her house growing up it almost felt like losing my grandma all over again. She was 85 and had cancer and people kept saying, "It's a blessing."

I know it should be. My head understands the suffering is over. It is a blessing for the person who gets to move on to heaven, but for those left behind . . .

It doesn't seem like a blessing. For those left behind it's a hole. A great big hole that never really gets filled. There's an empty place at the table. That laugh and those silly phrases will never be heard again. The world will go on, but we will miss her. And things won't seem quite right without her, but we're all supposed to go on as if they are. Sigh. Death is hard.

I love you, Aunt Jeannie. And will miss you so much.






Praise be to God, though, that He provided a way for us to be united in heaven! I can celebrate Easter this weekend knowing He has defeated death. I can be joined again with those who've beat me to heaven. Jesus' death and resurrection gives me hope.

Because He lives I can face tomorrow.
Because He lives all fear is gone.
Because I know He holds the future.
And life is worth the living just because He lives.

Sing loud and long this weekend, friends. KNOW you can have victory in every situation. This life is not all there is! Praise the Lord!



I pray you grasp this amazing gift this Easter Sunday, friends. I don't know how I'd do life without it. Enjoy your weekend and read more Quick Takes at Conversion Diary.

Friday, April 11, 2014

7 Quick Takes (Volume 272)







I dedicate this week's Quick Takes to Ladies Man's girlfriend who told me last week the first thing she does on Friday mornings is read the Quick Takes. Indulge me as I have a moment with her.

Good morning!
Thanks for giving this old lady a boost in the arm, girl.
Drink a cup of tea for me.
I hope you have a super Friday and terrific weekend.






A week and a half ago I ran into a man at the gym I've known for years. His grandson was a good friend of my son's and our paths have crossed often at school and musical events in our little town.  He and his wife are regulars at our local YMCA and I probably seem them a few times every week there. On this particular day he was coming as I was going.

Gym Friend: Done?

Me: At least for today.

I put on my coat and he got a horrified look on his face.

Gym Friend: What's all over your coat?

Me: What? Where?

Gym Friend: There's something all over the back of your coat.

He just stared at it like it was toxic or something.

Me: Do I need to take it off?

Nothing. Just solemn stares.

I took the coat off and turned it around and all I saw was a few lint balls. I looked back to him, still staring intently. At this point I got worried about him. Was he hallucinating? Was something wrong with him? Did I need to get some help? Finally he spoke.

Gym Friend: April Fool's! You're my second catch today.

Yep. Got me all right. Wow. Didn't see that one coming.






Ladies Man went to Prom last weekend. He and his friend have been dreaming all through high school about reenacting the guys from the movie Dumb and Dumber. They finally pulled it off. Look at this silliness.




This poor girl has put up with these guys and their gooniness for so many years she should get a prize.







I wore a new outfit to church a couple weeks ago. My kids hadn't seen it until they got to church that day, but when I told Princess Dawdle about it earlier in the week she seemed less than impressed. I chocked it up to being a fuddy duddy mother and was thankful I wouldn't have my new clothes stolen by my girls. But after singing worship songs that Sunday morning, I sat down and felt my phone buzz. It was a text from Princess Dawdle.

Princess Dawdle's text: So ur outfit . . . SCORE MOM SCORE!

Later she informed me she was "totally gonna steal those pants sometime." Mmmm hmm. And Drama Queen already took a turn with the shoes and jewelry.

SCORE MOM SCORE indeed!






Halfway through church last Sunday I told Kevin we should text Drummer Boy and have him meet us for lunch. Since he moved into his own apartment and drum line is over, we don't see him as much as we like. And we miss him. Apparently the whole FAMILY misses him as after church both Drama Queen and Ladies Man said they had texted him that morning too. Drummer Boy must have "felt the love" as he did drive down to eat and spend a few hours with us.

It made my heart happy to see my kids interacting and enjoying one another, although we did have one scary weird event. As we were leaving the restaurant, Drama Queen and her boyfriend left in one car. Ladies Man and his girlfriend in another, and Drummer Boy and Princess Dawdle in a third car. Of course they were going to race to the next destination. Drama Queen's boyfriend got out first and Ladies Man would not be overtaken by Drummer Boy so he actually squealed out of the parking lot and pulled out in front of a truck. It wasn't so close that there was danger of an accident, but the driver of the truck was plenty annoyed, layed on his horn BIG TIME and got right on Ladies Man's tail. We witnessed the whole event, but thought that was the end of it until a few minutes later when Drama Queen called to say the truck was following them. They tried taking all kinds of turns to lose him, but he kept with them. The three cars with my kids all stayed together, but Ladies Man got super freaked out. Just about the time Drama Queen's boyfriend, who was leading the whole caravan, decided to drive to the police station, the guy gave up the chase.

Poor Ladies Man was a nervous wreck and looked like he was going to throw up for about half an hour. I have to admit I was pretty relieved to see them all arrive in one piece. And you'll be happy to know I was the good mom who didn't say a thing about him learning his lesson. Wasn't necessary.






I got my MAN on yesterday, meaning I got handy and tough and took down a plaster wall in my laundry room all by myself. RAWR!


I decided to commemorate my success by snapchatting my children. Yes, I know, the woman who criticized the whole snapchat thing played along. I sent them this picture with the caption, "Your mother is a beast."

I take advantage of every opportunity to remind them I am no pushover.

(Please, my darling children, let me have some fantasies.)

Also, you should know that Kevin and I are finding more uses for snapchat. Take this doozy we sent Ladies Man and Princess Dawdle when they were sending us stupid videos from upstairs.







Princess Dawdle has left her Miss Innocent One years WAY behind her. She can banter with the best of us now and not skip a beat. Last week she told me she was going to clean her room and it was high time! I was glad it was her idea and I didn't have to be crabbyhead-stop-nagging-me Mom. But when I happened to walk by her room later, she had very little done and was laying on her bed messing with her ipod.

Me (summoning my best sarcastic tone): Wow, you're really getting your room clean.

Princess Dawdle (giving it right back): Yeah, Mom, I'm going places.

Oh my.



I hope you're going places too, people. Enjoy your weekend and read more Quick Takes at Conversion Diary