Tuesday, March 27, 2007
And here he is...
The fervent prayer of a righteous man...and a timely epidural...
availeth much!
David Alexander
March 24, 2007 6:29 pm
8 pounds 5 ounces - 21 inches
availeth much!
David Alexander
March 24, 2007 6:29 pm
8 pounds 5 ounces - 21 inches
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
Because it's all about my kids...
Kathryn, in her bedtime prayer the night before church, as she nervously anticipated crossing paths with the Sunday School bully:
"Because, God, we know you don't like kids who kick little girls..."
"Because, God, we know you don't like kids who kick little girls..."
Butless
Pronunciation:
\ˈbət-less\
Function:
noun
Meaning:
a female who performs the duties traditionally held by a butler according to Andrew when I inquired of him who the HECK an otherwise nameless female character was in the movie he was watching
Used in a sentence:
"Oh, she is like their butless."
As soon as the word was off his tongue he realized his faux pas, though it seemed like a perfectly logical error (and explanation) to me. I knew what he meant straightaway and neither of us could stop laughing.
That's my boy!
\ˈbət-less\
Function:
noun
Meaning:
a female who performs the duties traditionally held by a butler according to Andrew when I inquired of him who the HECK an otherwise nameless female character was in the movie he was watching
Used in a sentence:
"Oh, she is like their butless."
As soon as the word was off his tongue he realized his faux pas, though it seemed like a perfectly logical error (and explanation) to me. I knew what he meant straightaway and neither of us could stop laughing.
That's my boy!
Thursday, March 01, 2007
Gideon
I am breaking my blogging silence to share...
This afternoon during Andrew's visit to the pediatrician's office, Kathryn opened the book drawer in the exam room and spotted a Bible amongst the sea of standard kid-friendly mainstays. She promptly and gleefully informed me..."Mama, it's a Bible." But not only did she correctly identify it, she followed it up with "...a GIDEON Bible".
As I smugly smirked to myself that she had recognized the Gideon symbol and had known what to call it, I wondered if the doctor of middle-eastern descent, and presumably Muslim persuasion, would take notice.
Kathryn took her seat on the footstool and began perusing the pages as she "read" aloud...
"In the Bible, Gideon was the first to be PREGNANT..."
Yup, train 'em up in the way they should go...and no, the doctor didn't even seem to notice...the Bible or the scripture recitation.
This afternoon during Andrew's visit to the pediatrician's office, Kathryn opened the book drawer in the exam room and spotted a Bible amongst the sea of standard kid-friendly mainstays. She promptly and gleefully informed me..."Mama, it's a Bible." But not only did she correctly identify it, she followed it up with "...a GIDEON Bible".
As I smugly smirked to myself that she had recognized the Gideon symbol and had known what to call it, I wondered if the doctor of middle-eastern descent, and presumably Muslim persuasion, would take notice.
Kathryn took her seat on the footstool and began perusing the pages as she "read" aloud...
"In the Bible, Gideon was the first to be PREGNANT..."
Yup, train 'em up in the way they should go...and no, the doctor didn't even seem to notice...the Bible or the scripture recitation.
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Belated Christmas Photos
Christmas Eve at Gramma & Papa Hazen's
Amelia Bedelia "holds her gift up by the tree" just as she had been instructed.
Christmas Morning at Home
Could these sleepy children possibly be the same rascals who woke US up only minutes earlier to get this party started?
A Memorable Christmas Day with the Jackson's
Friday, January 19, 2007
Could this week get any better?
My week started with Liane delivering a delicious feast to my doorstep after driving 40 miles one way amid falling freezing precipitation. Lasagna, salad, garlic toast, and best of all...Edy's Girl Scout Tagalong Cookie ice cream, which was Keith's contribution. Whilst she was here my long-awaited area rug I had ordered for my dining room finally arrived. Both treats made the fact that I had to work that night seem not quite so bad.
Tuesdee, my Mama came, as promised, to assist in painting my bedroom. She did an exceptional job rolling the ceiling and edging the walls so all I had to do was roll the walls after her. The end result was so much better than I had even hoped. The right color applied skillfully makes all the difference.
(BTW: I highly recommend Riviera Sand by Behr. And my mom's number is...)
Wednesday I saw that it was all good and I rested...CHA!...what would that be like?
And THEN today (or I guess it would be yesterday now)...I got to go to Sam's Club with my best good friend Amy with NO kids in the middle of the day...count them...N-O...no, not one! That in itself would have been most triumphant, but THEN we got really wild and decided to go to Lowe's too. WILD I tell you! So as we were driving along in my pimped out mini-van with a month's provisions rolling around in the back, munching on Sam's trail mix, spitting out the raisins, we heard our favorite Def Leppard song ever. For a brief moment we were lost in our care-free, big hair, riding around in the back of the station wagon days of 1988.
I had to go to work again tonight and it was a somewhat stick-a-fork-in-my-eye-AGAIN stressful night, but reflections of my week of goodness sustained me.
Thank God for the joy of lasting friendships/second-cousinships and Mama's who give so selflessly.
And for Def Leppard.
And for 10% off Lowe's coupons.
And for being able to rest assured that I have 500 ZipLoc bags, 280 BandAids, and 4 tubes of Crest stockpiled in case the tribulation starts before I can make it back to Sam's.
And now I get to go sleep my first night in my new room that Jeff finished assembling while I was working tonight.
Thank God for him too.
Selah.
Tuesdee, my Mama came, as promised, to assist in painting my bedroom. She did an exceptional job rolling the ceiling and edging the walls so all I had to do was roll the walls after her. The end result was so much better than I had even hoped. The right color applied skillfully makes all the difference.
(BTW: I highly recommend Riviera Sand by Behr. And my mom's number is...)
Wednesday I saw that it was all good and I rested...CHA!...what would that be like?
And THEN today (or I guess it would be yesterday now)...I got to go to Sam's Club with my best good friend Amy with NO kids in the middle of the day...count them...N-O...no, not one! That in itself would have been most triumphant, but THEN we got really wild and decided to go to Lowe's too. WILD I tell you! So as we were driving along in my pimped out mini-van with a month's provisions rolling around in the back, munching on Sam's trail mix, spitting out the raisins, we heard our favorite Def Leppard song ever. For a brief moment we were lost in our care-free, big hair, riding around in the back of the station wagon days of 1988.
I had to go to work again tonight and it was a somewhat stick-a-fork-in-my-eye-AGAIN stressful night, but reflections of my week of goodness sustained me.
Thank God for the joy of lasting friendships/second-cousinships and Mama's who give so selflessly.
And for Def Leppard.
And for 10% off Lowe's coupons.
And for being able to rest assured that I have 500 ZipLoc bags, 280 BandAids, and 4 tubes of Crest stockpiled in case the tribulation starts before I can make it back to Sam's.
And now I get to go sleep my first night in my new room that Jeff finished assembling while I was working tonight.
Thank God for him too.
Selah.
Monday, January 15, 2007
Helen Keller
I don't know where to start. My life has been chock-full of all manner of blog-worthy incidents since I last wrote...
So we moved December 15 and have been going non-stop e'er since. Actually non-stop for the month or so prior to the move. Anyway, we are here as I have already indicated in my previous post, and we are getting settled slowwwwly as we have had a lot of projects to do in the process.
I will start by saying we LOVE LOVE LOVE our new house and location. Not because it is mansion, but because it suits us and our needs as a family so much better than our last house. Tisn't glamorous, but highly functional, especially with the new babe on the way. I just want to say this so that anything else I say about the house won't sound as if I am bragging about OR dissing our new abode.
So we love it and are ever so thankful for it, but yeaaaah, the previous homeowners...we don't know them, but from all we have been able to ascertain at cursory glance...handy people they were NOT. And clean people they were NOT. And painters they were NOT. And the builder was no finish carpenter his own self. I joke that he subcontracted that job to Helen Keller Custom Finishing. It's almost hilarious! Structurally it has passed inspections with flying colors, but aesthetically in some areas, oh MAN!
Take for example one small 4'x6' half bathroom in which they attempted to hang 3 towel racks/toilet paper holders. There were twelve holes for each fixture. Yes, TWELVE, and not small little tap, tap, tap brad holes...they were gaping screw holes in which anchors had been attempted to be placed, but had either fallen out or sunken so deep into the wall that some serious go-go gadgetry would be needed to fish them out. Looked like four holes for each attempt, before finally hitting it "right", but still not quite rightly level and still usually able to be pulled out of the drywall with one gentle Kathryn-sized tug. Then add another 6 or 8 holes for other wall hangings. But to their credit, they did try to patch some of 9 holes under the bathroom mirror THAT THEY TOOK WITH THEM with some home-fashioned patching concoction, leaving behind large barely sandable globs as evidence, lest their act of kindness be overlooked. Needless to say my finishing of said potty room was a huge triumph this weekend. The painting was easy part, it had taken me a whole day of patching and priming with multiple coats to get to that point. I can't stop walking in there to inspect my handiwork. So far it has been the most dramatic transformation in the house. I wish I would have taken before and after photos.
The whole house, with the exception of the girls' burn-your-retinas-off pink room, was antique white...walls and ceilings throughout in varying sheens, but primarily flat and semi-gloss...my two least favorite paints. Flat on the wall, semi on the ceiling. =) (I told you it was funny!) But it has all been re-painted now, with the exception of our bedroom/bathroom, the laundry room, and what will be the baby's room. My mother is coming over tomorrow to help with our bedroom and bathroom. Jeff's parents have been an enormous help as well. Together, our mothers painted most of the first floor, the walls going up the stairs, the hall, and the kids' rooms and main bathroom...walls AND ceilings all within the first 4 days of our moving in...all in the week before Christmas. "Blessed!" Amy did all the taping and made lunch for the work crew. BLESSED! (Was that enough personal glory, man?!)
And Jeff wasn't napping through all of this of course. He busy ripping out the yummy carpeting and padding so it could be replaced that week as well. Did I mention this house is only 3 years old?! I'm telling you...these people...it seems like you would have to TRY to trash a house so quickly. I can't imagine.
Anyway, the kids started their new school January 4 and have transitioned very well. I am so relieved. I hated to make them switch schools mid-year, but they appear not to have suffered a second. It helped that their beloved cousins, Austin and Lexie, already attended that school. It is only a mile away which I LOVE and the starting time is an hour and ten minutes later than their old school. LOVE! We actually have time to get up and ready at a somewhat leisurely pace. We have time for baths in the morning and a real breakfast and still have to try not to get there too early. All this in contrast to the letter I received a week before leaving the last district threatening to turn my children in to the county truancy officer if their excessive tardiness continued. Good stuff! And Jeff and I are enjoying 5-6 minute commutes to work versus the 30 minute ones we used to loathe. It's all good.
Let's see...what other cliches can I come up with? Oh yes...I need to make like a church and split...=)...tee hee...lest any K folk get up in arms about that, I'm actually poking fun at my own current church situation. But that's another story. And it's really not funny. But might's well laugh as cry.
Good day!
So we moved December 15 and have been going non-stop e'er since. Actually non-stop for the month or so prior to the move. Anyway, we are here as I have already indicated in my previous post, and we are getting settled slowwwwly as we have had a lot of projects to do in the process.
I will start by saying we LOVE LOVE LOVE our new house and location. Not because it is mansion, but because it suits us and our needs as a family so much better than our last house. Tisn't glamorous, but highly functional, especially with the new babe on the way. I just want to say this so that anything else I say about the house won't sound as if I am bragging about OR dissing our new abode.
So we love it and are ever so thankful for it, but yeaaaah, the previous homeowners...we don't know them, but from all we have been able to ascertain at cursory glance...handy people they were NOT. And clean people they were NOT. And painters they were NOT. And the builder was no finish carpenter his own self. I joke that he subcontracted that job to Helen Keller Custom Finishing. It's almost hilarious! Structurally it has passed inspections with flying colors, but aesthetically in some areas, oh MAN!
Take for example one small 4'x6' half bathroom in which they attempted to hang 3 towel racks/toilet paper holders. There were twelve holes for each fixture. Yes, TWELVE, and not small little tap, tap, tap brad holes...they were gaping screw holes in which anchors had been attempted to be placed, but had either fallen out or sunken so deep into the wall that some serious go-go gadgetry would be needed to fish them out. Looked like four holes for each attempt, before finally hitting it "right", but still not quite rightly level and still usually able to be pulled out of the drywall with one gentle Kathryn-sized tug. Then add another 6 or 8 holes for other wall hangings. But to their credit, they did try to patch some of 9 holes under the bathroom mirror THAT THEY TOOK WITH THEM with some home-fashioned patching concoction, leaving behind large barely sandable globs as evidence, lest their act of kindness be overlooked. Needless to say my finishing of said potty room was a huge triumph this weekend. The painting was easy part, it had taken me a whole day of patching and priming with multiple coats to get to that point. I can't stop walking in there to inspect my handiwork. So far it has been the most dramatic transformation in the house. I wish I would have taken before and after photos.
The whole house, with the exception of the girls' burn-your-retinas-off pink room, was antique white...walls and ceilings throughout in varying sheens, but primarily flat and semi-gloss...my two least favorite paints. Flat on the wall, semi on the ceiling. =) (I told you it was funny!) But it has all been re-painted now, with the exception of our bedroom/bathroom, the laundry room, and what will be the baby's room. My mother is coming over tomorrow to help with our bedroom and bathroom. Jeff's parents have been an enormous help as well. Together, our mothers painted most of the first floor, the walls going up the stairs, the hall, and the kids' rooms and main bathroom...walls AND ceilings all within the first 4 days of our moving in...all in the week before Christmas. "Blessed!" Amy did all the taping and made lunch for the work crew. BLESSED! (Was that enough personal glory, man?!)
And Jeff wasn't napping through all of this of course. He busy ripping out the yummy carpeting and padding so it could be replaced that week as well. Did I mention this house is only 3 years old?! I'm telling you...these people...it seems like you would have to TRY to trash a house so quickly. I can't imagine.
Anyway, the kids started their new school January 4 and have transitioned very well. I am so relieved. I hated to make them switch schools mid-year, but they appear not to have suffered a second. It helped that their beloved cousins, Austin and Lexie, already attended that school. It is only a mile away which I LOVE and the starting time is an hour and ten minutes later than their old school. LOVE! We actually have time to get up and ready at a somewhat leisurely pace. We have time for baths in the morning and a real breakfast and still have to try not to get there too early. All this in contrast to the letter I received a week before leaving the last district threatening to turn my children in to the county truancy officer if their excessive tardiness continued. Good stuff! And Jeff and I are enjoying 5-6 minute commutes to work versus the 30 minute ones we used to loathe. It's all good.
Let's see...what other cliches can I come up with? Oh yes...I need to make like a church and split...=)...tee hee...lest any K folk get up in arms about that, I'm actually poking fun at my own current church situation. But that's another story. And it's really not funny. But might's well laugh as cry.
Good day!
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
Further Notice
We are all moved and have survived the holidays...wheew!...and by "holidays" I do mean "holiday" which means Christmas, not to be confused with Hanukkah, Ramadan, Kwanzaa, or Festivus.
I hope to post more soon, including some photos, but for now I must keep my nose to the grindstone and keep unpacking...box after box after box...who knew we had so much CRAP?!
I mustn't give too much away, but I will leave you all with this: we are now the proud owners of a real, once-alive, stuffed opossum, thanks to the generosity of Jeff's sister Meridith.
Thank you a LOT! =)
Happy New Year to all!
I hope to post more soon, including some photos, but for now I must keep my nose to the grindstone and keep unpacking...box after box after box...who knew we had so much CRAP?!
I mustn't give too much away, but I will leave you all with this: we are now the proud owners of a real, once-alive, stuffed opossum, thanks to the generosity of Jeff's sister Meridith.
Thank you a LOT! =)
Happy New Year to all!
Saturday, November 18, 2006
Julia's Grill
Word on the street is Julia lost her first tooth last night at a birthday sleepover for her best good friend Ella. Apparently it came out all on its own in the night. Surely this will be a sign of their eternal bond of friendship as Ella lost the same tooth, the same tooth that was being crowded out by an already erupting adult tooth behind it, when Julia slept over just two weeks ago.
BFF!
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Memory Lane
P'raps I should send Flat Stanley to that one cousin of mine who just left for Israel so he could show him around. I mean, what other Flat Stanley in that class could say he has been from Goshen to Beulah?
Project Flat Stanley
My nephew Ethan's Flat Stanley accompanied us on our weekend adventure.
Stanley didn't believe he was capable of performing the emergency functions outlined on the card so he swapped his wing exit seat for a window seat in the back.
This seemed wicked cool especially since Ethan is quite the little Dubya fan..."Dear Jesus, please don't ever let President Bush be on money because only DEAD presidents are on money!"...yeah, really cool until I saw THIS this morning. Oh well!
Friday, November 03, 2006
IT'S A BOY!
Haven't been quite sure how to unveil this little secret in blogdom, but here he is, Baby Boy Jackson #2. He doesn't have a name yet, but we've pretty much ruled out Michael, Samuel L, Tito, Stonewall, and Bo. His estimated date of arrival is April 2, 2007 which makes me 18 weeks 3 days on my way...and counting! I am delighted to report that I am feeling GREAT and more importantly, he looks to be developing normally and on schedule according to the ultrasound!My ultrasound was Monday and the whole family was able to attend. All parties were delighted with the verdict, even Kathryn who had insisted until that point that it was going to be one boy AND one girl.
A few weeks ago I overheard Andrew telling someone we were all hoping for a boy because Dad said there was too much estrogen in the house already. =)
In other news, we have a deal on our house and are set to close on November 20...finally. It has been a long year of limbo since our last deal fell through in November 2005. Jeff is on a hunting trip this weekend and I am going out of town next weekend which leaves us limited time to pack up and get the heck out of here, and oh, did I mention we don't know where we're moving yet?! Yet here I sit...blogging...watching Air Bud Seventh Inning Fetch with Kathryn for at least the 47th time...THIS WEEK!
But, it is okay...IT'S A BOY!
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
"1000 of X-MASS Items"
Where do I begin? This place of business is one of the longest surviving enterprises in the downtown district of my hometown. And you can see why. In addition to the extensive inventory of ever-so-very-useful, and also very common and very USED, household treasures he stocks, the shopkeeper has also mastered the art of advertising and public relations as you can see by his window display. If "knifs", "air gun", or "soward" are on the wishlist of your loved one this year, then look no further than "HallMart" for all your "X-MASS" needs.
Happy Halloween!
Obi Wan Kanobi and Bride were freshly stitched this year. Dorothy was my first attempt at a dress 3 years ago,
altered to fit the "smaller hauler", as Papa calls her.
Thanks to Grant for the use of his lightsaber!
"Mom, you really look so much like a real cat!" ~Julia, dead serious
This Dorothy KNOWS she isn't in Kansas anymore...BURRRRR!(I'll have to include a picture of the store window in the background
in another post...it's a good'ne!)
Kathryn, Julia, Mom, Andrew
Friday, October 27, 2006
Awake My Soul
A year and a half ago when I purchased Phillips, Craig & Dean's "Let the Worshippers Arise" CD, the title track seemed to be the family favorite, particularly Kathryn's. She would ask for it by name on every trip we took in the van for what seemed like months, and would sing along in typical two-year old fashion, muttering almost unintelligibly and then chiming in confidently on approximately the last word of every stanza. "Blah blah blah blah...RISE...blah blah SING...blah blah blah ALLLL...blah blah KING!"
Recently said CD has been resurrected from our collection and she has found a new favorite, Track 8, Awake My Soul. It has been about three weeks that we have been listening to it almost continuously in the van. If I happen to turn it down so that my calm voice of instruction might be heard ever so briefly (how dare I?), she will shout "No, all the way up!" and as soon as the accompaniment begins to fade even slightly near the end or the singing ceases for a moment between verses, she will shout "Again, again!"
She calls it "I'm Closin' My Eyes" and she knows quite a few of the real lyrics, though there are a number of interesting lyrics according to Kathryn peppered throughout. I will share the real lyrics because they really are quite powerful and the song is a favorite of mine as well:
When I close my eyes
I can see your glory
When I raise my hands
I can touch your face
When I bow my knees
I stand before you
Then Christ is formed me
Awake my soul
Prepare an entrance for your glory
And let my heart become a throne for you to dwell
And when I need your Holy Spirit more than life itself
Then Christ is formed in me
When I lose myself
I reflect your image
When I break my will
Then I am whole
When I give my all
I find life everlasting
Then Christ is formed in me
Awake my soul!
Awake my soul
Prepare an entrance for your glory
And let my heart become a throne for you to dwell
And when I need your Holy Spirit more than life itself
Then Christ is formed in me
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
I share this not to boast of the righteousness of my three year old, nor of her righteous upbringing. If anything I am boasting of her tenderness DESPITE her upbringing. =) It blesses my soul to see her (and my other children) loving and learning the words to songs that will stay with her for life. Words that convey truth, not lies...words of hope, not despair, not jealousy, not lack of contentment...NOT CRAP!
Due to my early obsession with not truthful music, I have the lyrics of Top 40 hits from 1981 to present clanging around in my head on an almost daily basis. I don't consciously meditate on them, but when I hear the music of a song I haven't heard in 20+ years I can sing nearly every word without missing a beat. Not to over-spiritualize, I am not trying to argue for or against anything, just bearing witness to the power of music and the mind's ability to process and store words set to music. Not that I have been irreparably damaged by these words, but I recognize and at times am grieved that at the very least this useless information is taking up valuable space on my mental hard drive which could certainly be utilized for some better purpose.
Plus also, lest anyone think I am trying to paint too rosy a picture of my offspring, here is a story to keep a balanced view...A couple weeks ago, Julia and Kathryn were quarrelling fiercely upon Julia's arrival home from school. In the midst of the conflict, she piously asked Kathryn what she thought Jesus would do to resolve the matter at hand. Kathryn snappily replied, "I think Jesus would punch YOU right in the HEAD!"
To God be the glory!
Recently said CD has been resurrected from our collection and she has found a new favorite, Track 8, Awake My Soul. It has been about three weeks that we have been listening to it almost continuously in the van. If I happen to turn it down so that my calm voice of instruction might be heard ever so briefly (how dare I?), she will shout "No, all the way up!" and as soon as the accompaniment begins to fade even slightly near the end or the singing ceases for a moment between verses, she will shout "Again, again!"
She calls it "I'm Closin' My Eyes" and she knows quite a few of the real lyrics, though there are a number of interesting lyrics according to Kathryn peppered throughout. I will share the real lyrics because they really are quite powerful and the song is a favorite of mine as well:
When I close my eyes
I can see your glory
When I raise my hands
I can touch your face
When I bow my knees
I stand before you
Then Christ is formed me
Awake my soul
Prepare an entrance for your glory
And let my heart become a throne for you to dwell
And when I need your Holy Spirit more than life itself
Then Christ is formed in me
When I lose myself
I reflect your image
When I break my will
Then I am whole
When I give my all
I find life everlasting
Then Christ is formed in me
Awake my soul!
Awake my soul
Prepare an entrance for your glory
And let my heart become a throne for you to dwell
And when I need your Holy Spirit more than life itself
Then Christ is formed in me
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
I share this not to boast of the righteousness of my three year old, nor of her righteous upbringing. If anything I am boasting of her tenderness DESPITE her upbringing. =) It blesses my soul to see her (and my other children) loving and learning the words to songs that will stay with her for life. Words that convey truth, not lies...words of hope, not despair, not jealousy, not lack of contentment...NOT CRAP!
Due to my early obsession with not truthful music, I have the lyrics of Top 40 hits from 1981 to present clanging around in my head on an almost daily basis. I don't consciously meditate on them, but when I hear the music of a song I haven't heard in 20+ years I can sing nearly every word without missing a beat. Not to over-spiritualize, I am not trying to argue for or against anything, just bearing witness to the power of music and the mind's ability to process and store words set to music. Not that I have been irreparably damaged by these words, but I recognize and at times am grieved that at the very least this useless information is taking up valuable space on my mental hard drive which could certainly be utilized for some better purpose.
Plus also, lest anyone think I am trying to paint too rosy a picture of my offspring, here is a story to keep a balanced view...A couple weeks ago, Julia and Kathryn were quarrelling fiercely upon Julia's arrival home from school. In the midst of the conflict, she piously asked Kathryn what she thought Jesus would do to resolve the matter at hand. Kathryn snappily replied, "I think Jesus would punch YOU right in the HEAD!"
To God be the glory!
Friday, October 13, 2006
Bumper Sticker Intelligence
Living near what was once the thriving automobile capital of the world, it is not surprising to see the American pride in buying American automobiles. Our life and livelihood have depended on that loyalty for generations. It is has been the basis of both our economy and our identity as a state. When the "Big Three" suffer, we all suffer...when they flourish (and when was that??), we all would flourish.
Anyway.
Least where I come from, you just don't see too many foreign makes on the road. We're all on the same team when it comes to buying American CARS or even vans, but NOT trucks. Oh no! Owners of trucks want the world to know why their brand of choice is superior to all others, especially other American made trucks, and it seems that the only effective medium for communicating this heartfelt conviction is either on the back window or back bumper of....oh let's just say 3 out 5 trucks you see on the road on a given day. You can't drive from here to town without encountering at least one little-boy-peeing-on-perceived- underdog-truck-brand-logo sticker, or one of the close runners up: "FORD-Fixed Or Repaired Daily" or "I'd rather push a Ford than drive a Chevy" or "Dodge: Mayor of Truckville".
But the peeing boy seems to say it best. From anti-gunners to the NRA, from Nixon to Bush to Clinton, from "mean people" to people who don't buy American, he pees on anything the driver doesn't like while the rest of the world is forced to watch or avert their collective eyes. Today I saw the same boy going at it again on the back of a Chevy. But he wasn't going ON anything...
It simply read "D - - n Wind". =)
Now there's one I'd like to own, I thought. So I snapped one up right quick on my way home and mounted it on the back of my American made minivan right smack betwixt my "My kid beat up your honor student at Podunk Elementary" and "Charlton Heston is MY president" stickers.
No, really I didn't. I didn't buy it and I have no stickers on my van. It is a Pontiac, but it was assembled in Canada.
Anyway.
Least where I come from, you just don't see too many foreign makes on the road. We're all on the same team when it comes to buying American CARS or even vans, but NOT trucks. Oh no! Owners of trucks want the world to know why their brand of choice is superior to all others, especially other American made trucks, and it seems that the only effective medium for communicating this heartfelt conviction is either on the back window or back bumper of....oh let's just say 3 out 5 trucks you see on the road on a given day. You can't drive from here to town without encountering at least one little-boy-peeing-on-perceived- underdog-truck-brand-logo sticker, or one of the close runners up: "FORD-Fixed Or Repaired Daily" or "I'd rather push a Ford than drive a Chevy" or "Dodge: Mayor of Truckville".
But the peeing boy seems to say it best. From anti-gunners to the NRA, from Nixon to Bush to Clinton, from "mean people" to people who don't buy American, he pees on anything the driver doesn't like while the rest of the world is forced to watch or avert their collective eyes. Today I saw the same boy going at it again on the back of a Chevy. But he wasn't going ON anything...
It simply read "D - - n Wind". =)
Now there's one I'd like to own, I thought. So I snapped one up right quick on my way home and mounted it on the back of my American made minivan right smack betwixt my "My kid beat up your honor student at Podunk Elementary" and "Charlton Heston is MY president" stickers.
No, really I didn't. I didn't buy it and I have no stickers on my van. It is a Pontiac, but it was assembled in Canada.
Friday, October 06, 2006
Thursday's Epiphanies
- Discovering that Andrew now likes pineapple.
- Discovereing that Julia now likes raisins.
- Discovering that I had slept 7 1/2 consecutive hours the night before with no visits to the water closet.
- Discovering that cleaning the interior of the minivan more than 2 times a year really IS a good thing.
- Discovering that upgrading from the 3 dates per year plan really IS good for the marriage.
Monday, October 02, 2006
Kathrynisms
We, as mothers, are always going to write these things down. But where would we write them, IF we actually were able to remember them long enough to record them in a readable format?! On our blogs, of course...
Yesterday after we got home from church as I was making lunch, I asked Kathryn what she learned in Sunday School. Her reply: "About how the tiger will lie with the lamb".
Today in the van driving home from town, she asked if she could have fruit snacks when we got home. She asked repeatedly about what kind we had and then had me repeat each answer AGAIN. I can't tell if she is truly having difficulty hearing or if she is just exercising her ability to exasperate me frequently, but it seems like I need to plan on saying whatever I need to say no fewer than three times. For emphasis, for clarity, or simply for the sake of vain repetition
...I dunno. Anyway, I said we had Cinderella fruit snacks at home. "What?" she asked. Realizing that I had pronounced "snacks" with an extra harsh midwestern "a" sound, and knowing I would surely have the opportunity to say it again in the foreseeable future, I tried my best to tone it down when I repeated the answer one more time. A few moments of silence from the backseat passed before she said, "No, Mama, we don't say 'snocks', we say 'snaaaaacks'!"
Finally, an interesting word has been created in our household and is becoming very popular in use. Kathryn is the coiner, "sharaboosa" is the word. I can't say for certain when it came into existence, but it is a most versatile piece of vocabulary. It can be used interchangeably as an expletive or a term of endearment, depending on inflection and context, of course. Snarled through clenched teeth as a prelude to an utter meltdown, it conveys the meaning of something similar to "leave me alone, you big poo poo head". But whispered through petal soft little lips with arms wrapped tightly around my neck, "Mama, you are my little sharaboosa!" well it just melts my heart...whatever it means!
Yesterday after we got home from church as I was making lunch, I asked Kathryn what she learned in Sunday School. Her reply: "About how the tiger will lie with the lamb".
Today in the van driving home from town, she asked if she could have fruit snacks when we got home. She asked repeatedly about what kind we had and then had me repeat each answer AGAIN. I can't tell if she is truly having difficulty hearing or if she is just exercising her ability to exasperate me frequently, but it seems like I need to plan on saying whatever I need to say no fewer than three times. For emphasis, for clarity, or simply for the sake of vain repetition
...I dunno. Anyway, I said we had Cinderella fruit snacks at home. "What?" she asked. Realizing that I had pronounced "snacks" with an extra harsh midwestern "a" sound, and knowing I would surely have the opportunity to say it again in the foreseeable future, I tried my best to tone it down when I repeated the answer one more time. A few moments of silence from the backseat passed before she said, "No, Mama, we don't say 'snocks', we say 'snaaaaacks'!"
Finally, an interesting word has been created in our household and is becoming very popular in use. Kathryn is the coiner, "sharaboosa" is the word. I can't say for certain when it came into existence, but it is a most versatile piece of vocabulary. It can be used interchangeably as an expletive or a term of endearment, depending on inflection and context, of course. Snarled through clenched teeth as a prelude to an utter meltdown, it conveys the meaning of something similar to "leave me alone, you big poo poo head". But whispered through petal soft little lips with arms wrapped tightly around my neck, "Mama, you are my little sharaboosa!" well it just melts my heart...whatever it means!
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