Emily's kite flying

Emily's class made kites and flew them today.

They were made from tissue paper and straws attached to string, so you can imagine the extremely short life span of these kites. One poor kid's kite disintegrated right out of the room. He didn't even make it to the field. Em's fell apart instantly but we got it tied up again and it actually flew pretty well. Emily begged us to come watch, and when we got there totally ignored us. We might as well have had cooties. But I know that deep down she was glad we were there. With my school and Jay's job, we won't be free to do this sort of thing soon, so we're making the best of it this week.

silverfish

Eeewwww! This is the feeling that silverfish evoke in me. They are worse than ants, roaches and even dare I say it mice. They are quick little... well an expletive comes to mind....

Let me set the stage. Now I have hated these bleepin things for a long time. They are in my basement and we encounter each other occasionally when I am cleaning or whatever. That's bad enough. But I can almost deal with them if they keep their distance in the basement. I still get that fight or flight feeling when I see them. OK maybe just the flight part of the feeling. Sometimes I get up the nerve to chase one down and stomp it with a shoe or something. But last night one of those little, (add expletive here) DARED to come into my LIVING ROOM. MY LIVING ROOM.

I was ALL ALONE. Jay had gone to bed. What good are husbands in these circumstances if they are in bed!!!!!!?

This little (expletive) came out from hell, I mean the couch---- I hasten to add the very same couch I was sitting on. It was dark in the room but I actually heard it shuffle along the floor. I mean this (expletive) had WEIGHT to it. Suddenly overcome with the desire to rid myself of it I jumped up, with the TV remote in hand as my weapon of choice. By now it knew that I was on to it and it ran. I tried to get it but it ran under the other couch. I think I heard it snicker at me as it ran to safety.

I sat down uneasily on the other couch, remote in hand, and waited..... The little ( expletive ) never reared its ugly head again. I sprayed a bug spray behind the couch. Quietly, I heard the silverfish say, "That didn't hurt."

Jay's new job

Jay got a new job today!

He applied and interviewed several times for it and just found out that he got it.

He is now working for GE money. This job will fit our collective schedules.

Happy Happy Joy Joy

The family answers.

Just a silly little list of questions I came across. Here are every one's answers. What would your answers be?


Jo’s Answers:

I can never have too many: pictures!

I can never have enough: knowledge

There’s always room for one more: slice of pizza

I probably still need a few more: pairs of shorts for the girls

I am still searching for the perfect: cheer! I mean, a pair of jeans that actually fit

I can’t resist: blogging

I am fiercely loyal to: my family

I am happy that I’ve found: Millie

I can’t get through my day without: diet pop

I could probably do without: staying up so late

I need to get rid of: Jay’s walking Millie shoes

Jay’s Answers:

I can never have too many: black gel pens

I can never have enough: free time, (but it’s my own fault that I don’t)

There’s always room for one more: round of computer games

I probably still need a few more: good songs in my IPod

I am still searching for the perfect: stock trading method

I can’t resist: laughing while watching The Office or The Soup

I am fiercely loyal to: 80s metal

I am happy that I’ve found: http://www.thinkgeek.com/

I can’t get through my day without: Ernest Angley. Kidding. My DVR, actually.

I could probably do without: Martha Stewart

I need to get rid of: unmatched socks.

Em’s Answers:

I can never have too many: Barbies

I can never have enough: Bratz dolls

There’s always room for one more: doll or Barbie


I probably still need a few more: a few more encyclopedias and Bratz dolls

I am still searching for the perfect: like the perfect skirt or dress

I can’t resist: banana popsicles, banana ice cream and banana yogurt

I am fiercely loyal to: Kendall, Millie, Tara and Vanessa

I am happy that I’ve found: Monkey ( her stuffed toy)


I can’t get through my day without: playing with my Barbies

I could probably do without: I could live without my (stuffed) bunnies.

I need to get rid of: I would love to give a lot of my dolls to poor kids, but not my Barbies. They’re too special.

Tara’s Answers:

I can never have too many: friends

I can never have enough: flowers in our yard

There’s always room for one more: flower


I probably still need a few more: Barneys

I am still searching for the perfect: batteries for my Barneys

I can’t resist: my corner (this is a hat from a Barney she sleeps with)


I am fiercely loyal to: Chloe and Mikayla and Millie and my mom and dad and Emily

I am happy that I’ve found: my dog is good and is pretty

I can’t get through my day without: play with my dog, play paputer (computer) games and watch tv.

I could probably do without: picking flowers because when they lose their stems, they die


I need to get rid of: the clothes that are, um, little on us, on me and Emily

So it turns out I like the bed in the living room too. All room designers faint in unison. Tara took this picture of me, right before telling me to get off her bed!

I know why God made us have two parents. Emily brought home her homework and I started to sweat. I know second grade math should be easy, but these nightmare geometric shapes thrust me back to my own dismal performance in math, and the anxiety that surrounded it. Quickly my mind, not capable of dealing with this, thought of...Jay. Aaaah, Jay. Like the LIFE commercial, give it to Jay; he'll try anything.

This weekend, my mom & dad babysat the girls here, so Jay set up a bed in the living room so my mom could be comfortable. It turns out that Tara has fallen in love with the concept of a bed in the living room, and will not allow us to disassemble it. She has staged a sit-in (or bed-in, as it were). So if you come over to our house in the next couple of days, don't mind our unique furniture situation.

SQUATTER!

DREADED HOMEWORK O' DEATH

(notice I am not helping) :)

Taken about a year ago, before Tara
upgraded to the bed-in-the-living-room option

Have you heard the news?

Last night Jay and I played Talisman with Jenny and Eric. Thanks again guys. We played the full version with all the extensions (outer realms) in place.

Here's an excerpt from the post-game locker-room interview with my character, The Ranger:

Press: Whom were you up against in this quest?

Ranger: A Dragon Slayer (Jenny) , a Druid (Eric) and a Barbarian (Jay).

Press: Did you have a strategy going in?

Ranger: Yes, to win.

Press: Care to elaborate?

Ranger: A ranger never discloses her tactics.. But can you find out how many gold pieces The Enquirer is offering?

Press: Uhh, moving on. Were there any setbacks on your journey?

Ranger: I was cursed by The Hag, who coldly took all of my followers. Then the Jester weakened my power (and never left me). I also found myself without gold, thus incapable of crossing the toll bridge. And when I made it into the Tower, the 'Dice with Death' slayed me twice before I could press on.

Press: Despite these struggles, did any good fortune smile upon you?

Ranger: Indeed. I was thwarted only twice by my opponents, while these same opponents graciously allowed me (by vote) to pass from the mires of the forest up to the castle square via The Ferryman. I was also rendered invisible at a most opportune moment: facing the Liche in the Tower.
(I don't know for sure, but I think the Barbarian has a thing for me.)

Press: Okay, we're running out of time. For those who missed the game, can you tell us who won?

Ranger: me.

Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee are the champions, my frieeeeeends.

I just like this picture and I thought I'd share it. Just don't look at my unmopped floor. You are looking at the floor now, aren't you? darnit.

Just some stuff

I really like computers and online systems. I really do. But when I can't get into a class that has a pre-requisite that I am taking the session before.... I get a bit peeved. The system kept kicking me out, not realizing that I will take that class the month before starting the other. No reasoning with it. It doesn't want to hear it. It can't hear anyway....

I got my student loans. Good news. I got quite a few classes, too. I just want to get this one last one to keep on this track to graduate in a year.

I am looking forward to playing Talisman this weekend. This is maybe my favorite game next to poker.

Tara and I are going to plant her peach seed tomorrow. It was just too cold before. She wrote out a list of things we need- all in plurals- shovels, buckets, seeds.. I think she is confusing our yard with Petiti's Garden Center. :)

Our microwave died. Jay and the girls are at Walmart as I write this getting another. You don't know how much you use it until it's gone.

As I was cleaning the kitchen today, my eye happened to notice the wall on one side. It had stains on it from I don't know when...all at about a 5-8 year-old's height. hmmm. Apparently, we have spaghetti sauce a lot.

Jay and I have been exercising. You know those endorphins that you get when you exercise that keep you into it and make you feel fabulous!? I haven't experienced that- ever.

Tara's Green Thumb

Tara wants to plant a peach seed from a peach she ate about a week ago. She wrapped it in tissue and declared that we were to plant this seed in the yard in no small order. Has she seen the amount of trees we have? (Back away with the chainsaws, Jay.)

At first Jay and I gave her the "That's nice, Tara" response hoping that she'd forget about it - like the time she insisted we buy this vegetable chopper from an infomercial she saw. But she is not backing down.

When I was about three years old, as the story goes from my parents, I picked up a stick and declared that this was my tree and I planted it. My parents gave me the,"That's nice, Joann" response, too. To my parents' surprise, it actually grew into a tree! They even dug it up and transplanted it to another house when we moved because I was so attached to it. I've driven by to see it over the years and now it is a huge tree. No age jokes.

I guess we are planting a peach seed today.

Radio Disney

Recently, to counter the spring break cabin fever, we took Em and Tara to the Beachwood Mall to see a promotion for Radio Disney. There were about 30 little kids there dancing and interacting with the DJs and staff. The DJ was giving out small prizes for answering questions. The DJ started out by asking questions like, "Who's the mayor of Cleveland?" chirp chirp The mostly little kids started to squirm. Quickly assessing his crowd, he asked easier questions. So then he walked up to Emily and said, "Where do you live?" Springfield "Who is the mayor?" (What is UP with the mayor questions??) Emily stares at him with a polite but blank smile. "Well, is the mayor nice?" "Yes" says Emily quietly into the microphone. (We don't have a mayor in Springfield; we have trustees. ) She was given a magnet.

Then the three DJs had some kids come up to play charades. The kids were to act out "Ways to counter act the winter blues." They were told what to act out. The poor kids were given the lamest things to act out like, take a trip to the Natural History Museum. If the crowd guessed it, the actor and the person who guessed it would get prizes, which were now getting a bit better. Once again, Emily was called upon. She was told to paint. Shy little Emily faced the crowd and started waving her hands slightly. Noone knew what she was doing. I was dying inside for her. PAINTING I mean, what little kid even knows what counter acting the winter blues even means? and PAINTING? Eventually a kid guessed it and Em was given a 10$ gift certificate to the mall.

Then they brought out the bigger prizes. The parents perked up. Coaching was happening from the parents in the audience. It was so funny. They asked the kids to listen to a string of songs and tell the names. They were popular songs. Tara looked at me and shrugged her shoulders. My kids don't listen to music on the radio much. But apparently neither did all the other kids.

Finally, the grand prize was announced, tickets to a ballet worth 88$ and a limited release Disney movie. It was a dance contest. It was cute to watch all the little kids dance their hearts out. Em and Tara held their own but by no means were the best dancers. The DJ came out with great fanfare and said, "I've picked my winner." She slowly walked around the audience building suspense. She gave the prize to Emily!

Emily is now our good luck charm. We are having her pick this week's lottery numbers. :)

What personality type are you?

Our personalities- are they determined more from nature than nurture? Or are we mostly a product of our experiences and environment – a tabula rasa so to speak? Are our personalities a gift from God given for us to fulfill His plan for us on earth? Or do we get used to and comfortable with a certain way of being in the world and stay there stagnantly? Or is it a mix of both if that is possible?

I enjoyed Bec’s entry about Myers-Briggs. I was first introduced to it by Paul Stunkel about 15 years ago. I have found it to be incredibly helpful when interacting with people.

If you’ve never heard of Myers-Briggs, here are the sixteen types:
http://www.capt.org/mbti-assessment/type-descriptions.htm

I use Myers-Briggs to remember that some people need to plan an activity before doing it and temper my desire to just up and go. (Jay is an ESFJ, I am an INFP.) Jay makes a big “N” with his hands sometimes when dealing with me. He is a sensor and I an intuitive. I’ll say, “You know that thing with the thing around the thing?” He smiles and gently prods for detail which I just don’t have. I laugh, since he normally can produce the names of all the actors in an obscure film we saw 10 years ago. In fact, some people come to Jay to help remember their own life details. He is like a walking encyclopedia. If we ever play Trivial Pursuit in couples- I have dibs on Jay. I am of course oversimplifying the complexities of each sub-group. Oh it is so easy to judge others with this tool. They are an evil “T” so different than the perfect “F” that I am.

Can we really be pigeonholed into a group anyway? I know it is a spectrum even for Myers-Briggs, but there is usually a group to which you belong. Some like being in a group, while others find that an insult to their individuality and resist it like the plague. Is the ultimate Myers-Briggs goal to strive to be in the middle between an “I” and “E”, “N” and “S”, “T” and “F”, “P” and “J”? Or would that make everyone the same thus thwarting the diversity of people in which God seems to delight?

Interesting stuff. If your personality allows, take this small test. Keep in mind that the abridged test might skew the results. But it’s a start. I am curious what you come out to be. Let me know. I have an idea about the people I know to read this blog. I wonder if it’s right. I also want to know you better.

Click here to take the test (it won't take that long):
http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/JTypes2.asp

IX Indoor Amusement Park

Fun was had by all at the amusement park, which was only slightly cheaper than Disney World. :)

The girls were looking forward to this more than anything lately. Jay took them all day. It was 19 bucks per adult so I stayed home. They had ice cream, rode rides, pet animals and played games. The whole ride there they sang the radio theme song "IX indoor amusement park...." over and over. Poor Jay. They started out only wanting to do kiddie rides. Soon they were on the biggest and scariest rides the park had to offer. I am glad I wasn't there to see that! I would have been screaming, "My babies! Be careful!" The pictures came out a bit blurry because the kids were never still. The one scary ride just shows some pink blurs. But I am proud of their bravery.

My TV Watching Buddy

Millie is the best dog in the world. I know that some others might be deluded into thinking that their dog is, but alas they're wrong. :)

We got Millie from Animal Control in December. She was very sick and starving. My dad even worried that she might not live. The first day we got her she was shy and weak, but after that she made herself right at home! She and I like to lie on the couch, fight for the pillow and watch TV or nap together. She's not man's best friend; she's a couch potato's best friend. :)

Easter

Today we went to my mom and dad's to celebrate Easter. Aunt Delores and Uncle Jim were also there. The girls cashed in with lots of jelly beans, chocolate and toys. The highlight was an indoor Easter egg hunt and a very good meal. My mom looked beautiful today and Aunt Delores taught Emily how to tell time.

Tara with Dora Play-Doh

Easter Egg Hunt (indoors this year)

Sisters (Mom and Dee)

Playing with Aunt Dee

Kid's Table

Pop-Pop steals candy :)

Emily with new basket

Easter eggs are messy

We colored eggs today.

I should've simply put all the colors in one bowl instead of the carefully separated bowls of different colors. This is because they all came out looking blue-green. The girls were so excited to color them that they quickly moved the eggs from one bowl to the other, making all the colors run. Who cares, though. As long as they had fun.

This year I said to myself that I would minimize the mess by using sandwich bags as gloves. Oh, I was so proud of my innovation. There would be no messy hands this year!!! It failed miserably. The girls flung the bags around as they worked, whipping tiny droplets of dye into the air, and used the other "free" hand to dip the eggs anyway. They didn't want to use that ziploc-encumbered hand. It makes me laugh now but at the time, I was running around trying to minimize the staining. I really need to chill.
Then came the glitter part. I know an evil person invented this. Now I know why it was on sale. You have to dip the eggs in glue and then in a glitter-filled bag.

I am a crafty person, but egg coloring is just too insane for me. It's one of those - do it for the kids to make memories so they don't grow up to ask why they didn't ever get to do it - activities.

My new light came today and Jay installed it! I really like it, although Emily said it looks like a restaurant's light. It's better than the 70's looking light we got when we moved in four years ago!

Jay also painted the trim around the house. There was one part that he had to go really high on the ladder and I held it for him. I said, "Great job, honey." Inside I said, oh please don't fall off this ladder because I am going to break your fall and our insurance isn't that great right now. Ha ha.

Tomorrow we paint eggs...

SO I took this over the counter cough medicine. Well, I didn't realize that it is a stimulant. Now it is late and I feel like running around the block a few times. Yikes- I am never getting to sleep.

Maybe I should use this new found energy and clean or fold clothes or -gasp- even mop.

Nah. I think I'll go watch Seinfeld reruns.