Tom's Birthday at Chuck E. Cheese

My cousin Tom turned 30 this week. His wife, Sheri, arranged for all of us to be waiting for him at Chuck E Cheese for a surprise party. They blindfolded him in the car. When he got to the restaurant and took off the blindfold, we waved at him through the window. It was great; he had no idea!

Tom had a 30th balloon that he let go of right when he got in. The staff had to get it down with a squirt gun so Sheri tied it to his arm. This balloon was then his constant companion, in every picture, during every game. He was a very good sport. Oh, and I was his paparazzi taking 200 pictures of him.

There was a cake, lots of skee ball and present opening- where he got among other things two heating pads and Ben Gay. I think Lisa (Sheri's sister) or Tom are the new skee ball champions of the world. Jay was an absolute fiend at the game, Monster Truck. Kids surrounded Jay in wonder of his ability. People were crying.. Now that I think of it, they were probably crying because they wanted to play and Jay wouldn't get off the game. Ha ha.

Because of the skee ball, and other games, we amassed lots of tickets. Emily was crazily trying to get tickets. Tara too would get so excited about the tickets that she would rip them in half as they came out of the machine! Everyone gave all their tickets to the girls, which was very sweet. Anyone who goes to Chuck E. Cheese knows that many tickets don't buy much. But, we actually had so many that the girls got all kinds of trinkets. They were in heaven!
Happy Birthday Tommy. You are but a whippersnapper!

* In this blog, you can click on any picture to make it bigger*


Tom arrives, blindfolded

Tom gets another heating pad

Peace!


Jay is jonesing to go back to the games.

Paul, Lisa and Tara play skee ball.


In prize heaven


Victory is ours!

With the Chuckmeister

new shirts

Yesterday, Aunt Georgia sent the girls these Easter shirts. Today Tara insisted that she wear hers to school. I am afraid of what condition it will be in by day's end of school. She told me that she broke into the "boy's club" on the playground. She just wasn't letting a little thing like gender define her. That's my girl. But bad news for a new shirt. You should have seen her these last few days after school. She looks like she rolled in dirt and paint. And two days ago, we had to go pick her up early because another kid accidentally stabbed her in the face with a pencil ! Thank goodness it didn't go in her eye. This does make her cool to the "boys club" though. :) Kindergarten is a rough and tumble place!

my new light

Oh I am sooo excited. I got this light from Ebay and I can't wait for it to come. I am putting it in our dining room over the table.

Oh boy, Oh boy, Oh boy!

When Emily has homework, WE have homework. I am looking forward to passing second grade. :) She has elaborate book reports every month. The reading of the books is the easy part; it's the report part that is so time consuming.

Tara did really well on her report card. I am seeing first grade in her future!

Last night was a rough one with the girls. They were determined to be, well, less than lovely to their parents. The offenses were too numerous to mention. So, finally I said "That's it, you're going to bed!!!!!" This was followed by pleas of "We'll be good!!" But I was done.

Jay and I turned on the fan part of the room air-conditioner last night. We don't have central air. We have to periodically clean the filter of dust but hadn't gotten around to it. It was the first time we turned it on this year and I woke up a hundred times last night with a stuffy nose. So it was cleaned thoroughly today. I've learned my lesson. Lazy=stuffy.

P.S. - what was up with Sanjaya's hair?!

Growing

Last August to today has been a big growth spurt for the girls. I was wondering why their clothes kept shrinking. ha ha. They have both gone up two sizes in just this school year! I wonder if basketball is in either of their futures.
These pictures are all in the span of less than a year.

January 2007 - Em's Birthday

Christmas Eve 2006

Playing Hockey - August 2006

Tara airborne/Em jumping - August 2006

Disney - July 2006

Disney July 2006

Florida - June 2006

Tara's 5th Birthday - May 2006

Jaytime II

Hey Blogville, it's JAY (the dark side of us!). Well today we tried to let Millie spend time outside, on a metal cable tied to a stake. Millie immediately wrapped herself around a large oak tree - not to the point of respiratory distress or anything - but just to the level where she sat there looking like a stuck dumb-dumb.

Most people would solve this by moving the stake to another part of the yard. Not I. See, I'm gonna cut that tree down.

It was one of those manly-movie moments, where I looked up and boldly told that oaken giant that this town ain't big enough for the both of us.

I have plans to rent a 20" gas chainsaw and a very tall ladder and gradually saw the tree into pieces. Of course, I have NEVER once used a chainsaw and I really don't know what I'm doing. But I do have lots of testosterone. Sometimes that is all one needs to change the world. Or get brutally injured.

HUGS TO YA ALL! (while I still have both my arms).

Millie

I just don't understand why people say Millie is spoiled. Just don't see it. :)

Happy Birthday Kirk.

Have a great birthday, Kirk!

And... she's up again

Jay and I call it "Whac-A-Mole". It seems that when one child is settled, the other gets up and needs something. I know parents of more than two are giving me the world's smallest violin right now. But, Jay and I value our night where we can watch a movie or play a game of cards without needing to get someone juice or discuss Barney. We are strict about an 8 o'clock bedtime. It keeps us sane. Getting them down isn't so hard. It's keeping them there.

So first Tara gets up and wants water. No water Tara. Remember that we don't want a rainbow in the bed by morning?

Em gets up. "Mom, you need to sew my Barbie clothes. When are you going to do that?" Hands on hips accusingly. "Soon Emily. Now go to bed." This time a with little tone in my voice.

Tara comes out. "What do angels do?" Couldn't resist that one. Talked about it, knowing she was playing us like a fiddle. Now, no more getting up Tara.

Em gets up. "Daddy, I need 50 cents for ice cream at school tomorrow." "We know Em. You told us. Now GO TO BED." This time we are getting a bit steamed.

Tara comes out. "I can't sleep. I want sleep medicine." Great. We are raising a junkie in the making. No sleep medicine, Tara. Count sheep.

Emily saunters in. "You guys are keeping me up. Hey, why is Tara allowed to be up?" Jay and I try not to implode.

Both kids in bed now. Quiet. We start a movie...

"Mommmmm. I...."

Whac-A-Mole. Anyone relate?

Whine. Sick. Whine.

Musings from Church

Good conversation with Jay and Shawn has put me in a philosophical mood. I am fighting a sinus infection so this may not be the most coherent.

Today our pastor was again speaking about prayer. This week he focused on how we pray and on The Lord's Prayer. I have to say I was less than enthusiastic about going to church because I feel so nauseous, achy and the like. But Shawn was in town and I didn't want to be a party pooper and stay home. So I went to church and am very happy I did, too.
Have you ever really not felt like going to church but went anyway and felt that maybe, just maybe, it was spiritual warfare keeping you from going because you really needed to hear the message? I usually don't think all spooky like that but I tell you.. today was eerie. I sat down in church and immediately got nauseous. It was so bad, I thought I might have to leave.
Well, the sermon touched me more than many others in the past months. It was all about praying for what we need right now and not hoarding our things. We are to rely on God for our every need like the Israelites did in the desert with manna. If they gathered more than a day's worth, they found it spoiled in the morning. This taught them to rely on God for their every need. He said that many times those who have a lot are the most uneasy thinking they'll lose it.
He talked about how some prayer warriors in Uganda started praying for a very lost nation and it began to turn around drastically. Before, Uganda led the world in AIDS-related deaths, and that has plummeted due to prayer.
Then the pastor talked about going to Vegas for a convention and by accident finding himself in the presence of a taping of the TV show Criss Angel Mindfreak. The host said he wanted to perform a seance. Well, our pastor and his fellow pastor friends began to pray that angels would surround this man and not allow him to talk to the dead. And because of prayer, the show didn't go well. One for the good.
Then in the service a guy came out and sang The Our Father prayer with a beautiful voice. It was low and trained. Shawn said he looked and sounded a little like Tom H. I want to pray more. I'm still sick but glad I went to church.
Let's hope I can sleep tonight with this confounded cold...

Visit with Shawn and Kids.

Today Shawn and Liam and Ellie came to church with us and then to over to visit.

The kids got along so well. Em and Tara were playing mommy to Ellie making sure she had fun. Liam liked the computer games.

Good conversation was had by the adults.

Millie's birthday

When we got our dog, Emily decided to make her birthday March 17th. So today we celebrated Millie's first birthday. This is a great excuse to have cake.

We had Aunt Dee and Uncle Jim over too. We played games and had tacos and macaroni salad, pie and cake. Then we played Yahtzee, Candy Land and Scrabble. I lost all three. I lost Scrabble by so many points that my aunt was allowing me to use unofficial words (read cheat). I still lost by like 200 points.

Yes, Aunt Dee, you are ending up on the blog. :) No one escapes the blog. Mwaa Haa Haa. The next time I see Amy and Tom, you will be photographed,too. :)

Tomorrow we are going to church with Shawn and Liam and Ellie. It will be great to see them.

Weekends rule.

The Tooth Fairy is Going Broke

Tonight Emily came crying in to me. All I see is blood. I was given conflicting reports from Em and Tara about how this happened. But the result was that a loose tooth was helped to be separated from Em's mouth by a flying book that may have come from Tara's hand. Hmmmm. Anyway, when I realized that this was only a tooth, I helped her clean up and consoled her with the fact that the tooth fairy was going to make a visit.

So Emily wrote this letter to the tooth fairy. She instructed us not to read it. Well, we couldn't resist. Here is what it said:

"Dear the tooth fairy I went to the Dentist. (which she did do this week)It hurted to get it out and I want 5 bucks."

I love the mob style demand for 5 bucks at the end. Nice touch Emily Soprano.

Sunny day in March

We took advantage of the sunny weather today and went to the playground after school. Here are some pictures of today and of Tara's 100 day of school celebration.

Emily knows all the state capitals. I didn't teach her. She taught herself with a puzzle of the United States that she would look at in bed at night. She's a unique one, my Emily. She is also very intrigued by the presidents. It's fun to see where their interests lie.

Tara loves fashion and computer games. She has her father's capability of sitting a long time at the computer playing and learning games. Puzzles are also very easy for her. When we go to the library, she always makes a beeline for the puzzles, of which she's done every one. We can't keep them organized at home, though. :) Her newest challenge is tieing her shoes. We can't seem to get the loop thing down. It's a requirement of her kindergarten that she learns this. I remember Em struggling with her laces, too and then one day just getting it right in front of me.

• OOOOH I'm so excited! I went on a Kent career site and looked up teaching positions. Almost ALL of the schools had position openings for an Intervention Specialist- my major. Doing the happy dance!!!!

On a side note: What is your least favorite chore? I hate to mop. Well, hate is a strong word. Yeah, hate about sums it up.

God kisses

Today was a lovely day. I want to remember it so I will write about it before I forget.
It's late now and everyone is in bed but me.
We started the day getting ready to take the girls to a birthday party. Tara was in the bath. She was pointing to her freckles and beauty marks all over herself and happily saying ," Look Mommy, another God kiss!!!" God must really love me!" Awwww the simple joy and belief of a small child. I have taught the girls from an early age that these marks are made from God kissing you in your sleep because He loves you so much. These freckles took on new meaning to her. They were directly from God. Now she happily looks around her body for more. She asked me if God loved me more. Oh no, I say. God loves us all equal. Then why do you have more God kisses than I ?
She thought she had me with that one." Well, my dear I am much older than you and He started kissing me earlier. You'll catch up."

The girls allowed me to do their hair, not always an easy task.
The girls were excited about the PUMP it UP party they were going to.
We went to Hartville for this and dropped them off and kissed their little heads good bye as we practically took out other party goers trying to get out to our TWO HOUR FREEDOM TIME. Anyone who is a parent understands the beauty in those four little words. We could go anywhere (within a few miles of the place granted) and do anything!
We went shopping at Goodwill, which is my personal happy place and I am embarrassed to admit it but there it is.
Then my sainted hubby took me to a craft store, where I got a very nice hand made wreathe from beads for 10 cents, I kid you not.
Then this jewel of a husband bought me a burger and opened my car and talked about weird surreal things just cause he loves me.
To maximize our time we moved quickly. We went to the Hartville Market and got fruit. We went to a second hand store and got some clothes. Really pretty ones with the original tags still on them.

We picked up the bouncy, sugar ladened, kiddos and proceeded home where I cut up no less than 8 flats of stawberries for my berry crazed family.

Then it was time to go to church. Church was about prayer. This is a subject with which I need serious help and education . Jay rubbed my back during the service.

On the way home we talked about what they learned in their class. Tara learned about the prodigal son but started the conversation saying , "It (class) was about pig food. This guy has to eat pig food cause he was bad and his dad said it's ok and no pig food would he owe."

Emily discussed Jacob and Esau like it was a story that happened today. The simple but right way she told what she had learned was hysterical and sweet.

We came home to dinner and stories (The Magic School Bus with Bees) and bedtime stuff...

Jay and I attempted to watch a creepy French film. So intriquing at the beginning, so so bad at the end. Jay fell asleep during it.

So here I type about my family life, which is is fun and unpredictable and sometimes holds precious moments along with being a very hard job much of the time.

Oh, I left off the moment when Jay and the girls and Millie were dancing in the kitchen to 80's music. I should have photographed it but then Jay would have had to kill me. :)

JayTime I

Pardon the fluky moment, but this is Jay typing. Joann encouraged me to! That's nice, because I don't have the patience or initiative to make my own blog. So now I can just take the wheel at random from Jo and make my voice known. Bow down to me, internets! All your screens are belong to us! ;)

I am on a continuing journey of spiritual honesty. That means if I don't understand something about God, I no longer artificially disguise it with pious words or churchy quotables. Most of you are forthright that way already, but for me it is a big step forward away from the days I was involved in campus ministry. Not to knock campus ministry, but it often can find itself in the mire of a pseudo-faith where each person in attendance is trying to win the most-spiritual-sounding award with how he conducts himself. Anger and other human emotions are not openly dealt with - they are swept under a rug of contrived holiness.

This doesn't mean I am some kind of seething nihilist, trying to tear down all that is good and right. But I am looking to be more real, wherever that needs to be done. More later, perhaps!

Random thoughts

Ashely Judd says this :

"What other people think of me is none of my business."

I so love this quote. I read her sister's book, so I have a bit of an idea of where Ashley is coming from. I so want to live my life under this premise. That would free up a lot of negative self talk and worry, I imagine.
What do you think of that? ... Oh I think I am missing my own point. I mean it's none of my business what you think of these ideas - that is unless you want to share those ideas. :) But seriously, I have been stopping myself in mid-thought at times and reciting this quote and you know what!!!? It doesn't work. hee hee. No, it does kind of take the edge off of worrying incessantly what people think about this and that.

On another note, the shows Wife Swap and Trading Spouses are fascinating to me. I love these shows. But I have a problem with the formulaic way they're produced. The idea is to pick two very fringe and opposite families and have the wife go and change places with the other wife. Then they do some formulaic stuff. But it is so interesting when they get halfway through the show, they have the guest wife change the way the house runs to her tastes. The families always balk at this and someone is usually screaming or crying by minutes end. Why???? They know they only have to do this new change for a week. WHAT IS THE BIG DEAL??????? Maybe it is the adrenaline of being on the show or feeling that their lifestyle is being attacked, but these people get nuts about the rule changes. Then everyone is happy at the end. Fascinating stuff. I just like to peek into their lives, however staged for an hour.

A very good day!

Jay did very well on a specialized accounting test and multiple interviews. He has been in an interview so many times in the last couple of days! Things are progressing and we should know more in a couple of weeks about several job possibilities. I'm so proud of his hard work.

I met with an advisor today. I have been accepted as a Masters student!!!! Now on to class schedules and financial aid. But this advisor said I could waive a practicum ( student teaching for special education ) because I taught already. I just need a letter from my past employer.... you know how it goes. If I cram in every possible class starting in May and going all three summer sessions, fall and spring, then I will graduate in a year! I am so happy about that. This advisor will also be my professor for many classes. She said she is tough but I know I can do it. A couple of the Summer I courses are online, which is great for me as that will mean little to no childcare costs.

It was an overall great and encouraging day. Thank you God.

Happy Birthday Eric

We all had a great time yesterday celebrating Eric's birthday- who is still so young we worried he might burn himself on the birthday candles. :)

One thing that was so sweet was how all the kids wrapped themselves around Eric as he opened his presents. Kids know who will be nice to them and who is a kind person. Kids know.

Emily and Tara had a great time dressing up as the military and the like. They also enjoyed the video gaming about a tenth as much as we adults!

Those video games can be so much fun. If we had those games here I think I might be a video junkie. I just don't have the strength to limit myself! ha ha.

Jenny and Eric, you are great hosts and I can't wait to play Talisman over here soon. Tara and Anthony need to come over too. You guys are great to talk to and play WII with!

Thanks for the pictures Kirk. I would show more but I want to respect people who don't want to be on the internet.

Jay's shoes

Ok so I am not a very observant person sometimes or worried about fashion but even I have to draw the line somewhere.

Jay and I went to Kent State today. He and I both had separate business to do there. We walked into a building together so I could turn in some paperwork. We both were joking around, which we do all the time. We saw the person we needed and Jay seemed really ready to leave. I looked at him puzzled. He pointed to his shoes, which until now I hadn't noticed.

Let me describe these shoes. I can't even do them justice. They are worse than your nastiest, old grimy slippers you wear only at home. He calls them his, "walking Millie shoes" . Now about a month ago our dog Millie got these shoes and ripped a gaping hole in the side. The shoes were gnarled beyond belief. They were already old and nasty, which is probably why Millie went after them with such tenacity. They are covered in mud and strangely one shoe is a slightly different color than the other one.

I burst into laughter when I finally notice his shoes, if you can even call them shoes. The person taking my paperwork was right across the hall and probably thought we were crazy. Jay said, "I look like I just crawled out of the woods. I might as well have smeared bear-poop on my face." This made me laugh even harder.

Jay has a test and job interview at Kent on Monday. I suggested he wear these "shoes" on Monday. Actually, when he goes to sleep tonight, his shoes might need to have a little accident and end up in the trash...It's for his own good. He will thank me someday.