Keep it clean?

Alison's bedroom somehow had morphed into this pit of messiness. I decided that today was the day to tackle it. She had tons of clothes that she'd outgrown that I had to sort through. I bagged up 3 huge garbage bags full of clothes that Thornton took to Goodwill. They'll be stocked on size 5-6 girls clothes for a while now! Poor Alison has a tiny room...it's hard to keep clean. But, when she got home from school, I explained to her that she was old enough to keep it clean and it was completely on her from here on out. So...we'll see!

Brimming with pride

Thornton has been a smoker for 24 years. He gradually had increased the number of cigarettes he smoked a day and was probably smoking 2 packs a day. He had tried to quit many times. Most attempts were very half hearted. This time is different. He started taking Welbutrin 3 weeks ago and then went on the nicotine patch a week ago yesterday and he did it! He quit! He is doing so well, it's crazy! I know that probably 100 people are praying for him...probably more people than we'll ever know. The first day, he got calls from people at our church every hour on the hour to encourage him. I'm telling you...I don't care if I don't get a Valentine's present or a birthday present from him this year...I got my present!

Rachel's 11

Today is Rachel's 11th birthday! She is transforming before our eyes into a beautiful, confident, amazing young woman. The kids have a 1/2 day of school today, so we're going to go out for a birthday lunch w/ family. It works out well, because we can't do anything tonight because Rach has dance from 4-8 and we have church activities. Off to wrap her presents!

Report Cards

The kids brought home their 2nd quarter report cards today. Patrick got all Bs and one A (Honors History). I know he can do better...and I think he knows he can do better, but it's hard to be too mad about those grades. Several teachers commented on what an asset he was to have in class, so that's nice. Rachel got all As and one B (Advanced Math). She, of course, is mad to get a B at all, but considering it's 6th grade math, I think she did awesome. Alison doesn't get letter grades yet, but her report card was fabulous. She is now reading at grade level (after reading below grade level all her school-life). She really works hard and it's showing! We just couldn't be prouder!

Go ballerina girl!

The kids got their report cards today (I'll blog on that later). But, most importantly, Rachel earned the Presidential Physical Fitness Award...an accomplishment that her incredibly athletic brother has NEVER achieved! Who says ballerinas aren't buff??

Mush

I go through cycles w/ food....like all of a sudden I'll have a craving for a food and I'll eat it a lot and then the fad will pass. Last week I had a thing for Cream of Wheat. To me, Cream of Wheat w/ brown sugar is such a comfort food....I love it! Well, the kids made fun of me for a while until one by one they asked to taste it. They all loved it too! So now, in the morning, I'll get requests to make "mush", as they so lovingly refer to it. I've created monsters!

But who won??

Alison had her first basketball game today. She's on an all girl team and they played an all boy team. Does this make sense to anyone? Not me. The girls would get the ball, dribble a few times, have it stolen by the boy, who would then make a lay up and score. Repeat ad nauseum...you get the idea. Alison's team scored 3 times. They don't keep score, but I'm thinking it was something like 46-6. After the game, Alison asked me which team won! She's just too cute for words.

Draggin'

Ugh...I've got a cold and I am dragging big time. I just don't seem to have any energy. I have to keep going so that I don't get too far behind on orders, but I have to go lie down every hour or so for a little bit.

Patrick has been released by the physical therapist finally for his shoulder pain. He still isn't released to pitch yet...another couple of weeks on that...but I know he is relieved that it's finally healed. He will have to do strenghening exercises for the rest of his life (well, as long as he's an athlete), but that's worth it not to reinjure all the time.

Well...gotta go find the girl's tights and leotards...we're off to dance. No wonder I'm draggin' butt!

Requiem for a tree

We had an ice storm Friday night. Sadly, one of the trees in our front yard lost 2 big branches. It was so freaky...I was in the bedroom and I heard a loud CRACK. I went outside and found the destruction. Here are pics Rachel took around the area (pretty good for a 10 year old photographer!)

Sign of the times?

We went out to eat for lunch at a local restaurant. After finishing, Patrick and I left to run next door to the grocery store. Thornton and Rachel stayed in the restaurant to wait for the check. When Thornton went up to pay, the waitress, who we know fairly well said, "see those 3 ladies over there? Well one of them just asked me if I knew you (meaning Thornton), because you were acting suspiciously w/ the young girl". The waitress assured the lady that we were regulars and that Rachel was Thornton's daughter. Apparently the lady walked by the table when Thornton was goofing around w/ Rach and he was saying "What's your name? Is it OK if I call you "Rachey"? They were just totally being goofballs and I guess the lady thought that Thornton didn't know her?? She must've thought that he'd kidnapped her or something.

I guess I understand how this could've happened based on the kidnapping case(s) that happened near St. Louis recently...but it was really just a strange occurence.

On a mission

Last night, Ozzie, our cat decided to stay up and bother us. He started out in Thornton and my room and spent time ripping newspaper with his teeth. He refused to stop until I got up and and got the newspaper away from him. I finally fell back asleep, and then Ozzie decides that even though his food dish is full, he should try to rip into the bag of his food on the dresser with his teeth. In my sleepy haze, I finally picked up a pen from the nightstand and chucked it in his direction. Apparently, I have bad aim in my sleep. So, then I had to get up and hide the bag of food. Then Ozzie must've decided I'd had enough, so he headed downstairs to Rachel's room, where both she and Alison were sleeping (yes, they have their own rooms, but they sleep together almost every night!). Ozzie got a hold of a little jingle bell and started batting it all over the bedroom, waking both girls. They finally were able to get the bell away from him.

So...my mission today is to wake Ozzie up any time I see him sleeping! Thornton asked if I was doing this to get Ozzie back to sleeping at night and while I probably should've just agreed w/ that logic, I told him the truth. Truth is, I'm waking him just to be ornery! That'll show him to mess with me!!

Dance pics

For Rachel's dance class Christmas party, they did a photo shoot. She had Alison pose w/ her for a couple of pictures, too. Are my girls gorgeous, or what??

Off to school they go!

After 2 full weeks off, the kids headed back to school today. It was so strange...when the alarm went off this morning, I was so confused as to why I had set the alarm. Iwas seriously wracking my brain trying to figure out what it was I had to do. At first I thought I had to wake Thornton up because of church, but then I remembered that we'd gone to church yesterday. Finally the cobwebs cleared and I remembered that I had to get the kids up for school!

Alison came home from school really tired. I still don't think she's completely shaken the illness she had around Christmas time. She just still seems awfully draggy.

I have a headache....gonna go take a hot shower and see if that helps.

Gotta vent

OK...I don't do this often, because I like to keep a positive attitude. But, someone has to explain this to me. My mom always gives me a list from which I choose what to purchase her and my dad for Christmas. They don't want you to vary from this list, and if you do, they won't like it. I've learned that over the years. This year, my mom went one step further and actually bought themselves 2 gifts that they then wrapped and had me fill out a gift tag for the kids to give to them. Why? I have no idea...but they did it and there was no sense in my questioning it. My mom got herself that Hands Free can opener thingy and for my dad, this hand massager thing. The can opener was $20 and the massager I've seen in the stores for $10, but my mom said she paid $20. So again, I didn't argue...it's just easier not to. Before my parents left after Christmas, my mom made a point of mentioning that I needed to mail her a check for $40.

I was on the phone with mom the other day and she again asked if I'd mailed the check yet. I hadn't because I really forgot about it. I told her I'd mail the check. Then she tells me that they returned the can opener to the store because it didn't work well. AND, that they were returning the coffee cup warmers I got them because they weren't exactly what they were wanting. Why she feels the need to tell me they didn't like their stuff, I don't know...it'd be much more gracious just to return it and not mention it. Then at the end of the call, she again has to confirm w/ me that I was mailing her a check. So now I'm paying her $40 for $30 in gifts and they've already returned for cash like $40 in gifts. Ummm....OK. You'd think they're hard up for money, but that's not the case at all.

Done w/ my vent. I suppose I should go write the check and be done with it. But I don't wanna!

Gerald Ford

I was six when Gerald Ford took over as President for Richard Nixon. I can still picture the newspaper sitting on the kitchen table that said "Nixon Out, Ford In". It had a split picture of Nixon walking away from the White House and Ford walking towards it. Obviously I wasn't a politically knowledable kid (nor am I as an adult), but for some reason, that picture stuck in my memory. I knew it was an important moment, even though I really didn't know why.

Granted, Ford was never actually elected President, but I still think despite only serving 2 years in the office, he filled a role that America needed desperately at the time. He was a good man...and an honest one.

I haven't thought much about him over my life, but I was saddened to hear of his passing recently. I'm watching now as his casket is brought into the Capitol and I have tears welling up in my eyes. In many ways, it's a pleasure to be reminded of the man who took office those many years ago. It's necessary, especially today...following the death of Saddam Hussein...to know that decency and honor can exist in leadership.

I've been a slacker!

I know...I haven't posted in over a month. Life got busy! It'd be impossible to sum up everything, so I'm not going to bother. But, all in all, it's been a great month. Well, there was the car accident on Dec. 2, but other than that, life's awesome. I've really been feeling like I'm in a good place lately. I'm comfortable in my own skin (despite having too much fat under that skin...LOL!) and that's a great feeling to have.

Christmas was wonderful. I decided that no matter what I wouldn't feel rushed, stressed or burned out this season. It got a little harried around Dec. 18-20 when I had to get the last of my orders out to customers for Christmas delivery, but other than that, I just felt blessed, not stressed.

The kids are home for another week, and that's good. I'm really enjoying their company during the day. Sure, there's been some fighting, but mostly it's just been nice. Check back w/ me next week though!

Thanksgiving

We had a very nice Thanksgiving. We were supposed to go up to my parent's house near Chicago, but Rachel was sick earlier in the week and they were afraid of getting exposed to anything. So, thankfully, my in-law's wanted us! I'm sure it was a pain to add 5 to the dinner table when you'd already bought all the food, but they never flinched. Even if one of those 5 eats non-stop (that'd be Patrick...)

My parents, of course, had to dole out a healthy dose of guilt when I called later in the day. I was so confused why they were seemingly mad at me when they told us not to come. I got into it a little w/ my dad, before I realized that I don't need to try to win an argument w/ him. He never backs down and never apologizes, so there's just no point. I'm thankful that I have an understanding husband that I can vent to, however!

This coming up week is going to be very busy. Rachel is in The Nutcracker w/ our ballet company and starting today, she has practices every day except Monday, when she has 2 classes. It's all so fun, though! I volunteer on the Sewing Committee (which is hysterical, because I don't know how to use a sewing machine...but there's lots of hand sewing).

Off to pick up Ali at a friend's house, take her to Thornton at church, pick up Rachel, run to the store, then to Nutcracker practice. After that, we decorate the church for Christmas!

You've got to be kidding me

I know that soap operas are stupid. I know the story lines are far fetched. I somehow can look past the stupidity while watching Days of Our Lives. But, today....today they went too far. Here's the story line: Marlena (played by Deidre Hall, quite possibly the worst actress on TV) and John are flying to Canada in a small single engine plane through a heavy snow storm (the reason...well, that's far fetched too, but I don't want it to get too confusing). They start to have engine trouble (while they were making out...). Marlena decides that the only way they can land safely is if they lighten the load by her jumping out and parachuting to the ground. John says no, but Marlena tricks him into thinking she won't do it...but then she jumps out. Ok...stupid enough, right? Well, get this...she lands safely, with just a sprained ankle, and is found in the snow by a man carrying an axe. She is carried safely back to his house. She awakes to find him standing over her w/ an axe. She threatens him w/ a fireplace poker (sure...that'll work against an AXE!). He then takes off his hood and she realizes that he is....none other than....Smokey Robinson! OMgosh...I was screaming out loud at the cat about how stupid I was for watching this show.

But, yep...I'll turn it on again tomorrow.

End of an era

Rachel recently lost a tooth. She came up to me and was kind of hinting around about putting her tooth under the pillow for the tooth fairy. It was obvious from the way she was talking that she was trying to tell me something. I said, "Rach, do you still believe in the tooth fairy?". She said, "I want money". She cracks me up!

We only have 1 child left who believes in the Tooth Fairy, Santa or the Easter Bunny.....how sad am I?

15% off

In honor of Cleanse Your Soul being chosen as Indie of the Week at Wickedly Chic, all readers of their site can get 15% off on all orders through the end of November. Check out the article at:
http://www.wickedlychic.com under Indie of the Week. If this website is new to you, check back often, as there are often discount codes listed from other etailers (not that you'd shop anywhere but at CYS!). Also, they have great articles and lots of other fun stuff.