Peek-In-Monday

I'm not one to call someone stupid...or foolish. But some just get what they are asking for. For example, Boy Cat. Sweeting was playing on the rug in the living room, being her regular menace-self, when he comes walking in and lays down right next to her and starts rolling around on his back to get her to play with him. This same scenario plays out near daily. No lessons have been learned...or else, he actually likes it rough. Girl Cat on the other hand, runs when the Baby Monster comes stomping

Picture Day

Trying to get a couple of nice pictures of the kids still fresh and clean before picture day...
at least they are adorable little monsters

New blog!

I have friends and family that are in love with my Humphrey, so I started a Doggie Blog to follow his day to day life as the family dog to our crazy family.

http://daysofgiants.blogspot.com/

Nail Biting

Chowder is headed for the final phases of the interview process on Monday. Basically, he has been offered the position but we still have to negotiate the package and since this is an associate position, he and the head pastor have to see how they will work together. The head pastor seems very cool but we have not worked under another pastor before. All communications with Chowder have given the impression that he has great respect for Chowder and the work he has done, and frankly, Chowder has never liked all the administrative bologna that goes along with being a solo pastor. In this position he gets to focus on what he loves.

But, I have never had to be "under" another pastor's wife before, either. I'm not the most conventional of pastor's wives and that has never been a problem, but I admit I am a little intimidated by this PhD slinging, national education policy writing, successful parent of two daughters. I fear two different scenarios.

1. I bust in as Princess Fergie to her Queen Elizabeth
2. She is of that generation of working women who really look down on the new generation of homemakers.

Chowder has told me I'm being ridiculous, but he has never been a woman under the perfectly manicured fingernail of another woman. I sure hope this nagging worry is nothing.

Pray 'em if you got 'em.

Peek-In-Monday

We have a family song that we sing to the babies. It's basically their name followed by La La La's. It's been sung to every baby and it makes them all stop crying. The kids have loved having this simple song to sing to the babies when they are crying, and usually sing it it the car when there is nothing else to be done. It works every time. Here is Sweeting learning the song...

I love her tongue action! sorry about the quality. cell phone footage.

Hrumph!

You may recall from Christmases past that one of my favorite things about the Christmas season is buying the new Hallmark singing snowman. I love these things. But with great sadness I have to tell you that this year...there is no new singing, dancing plush snowman. There is a singing Snoopy, but honestly I've always associated Snoopy with my neighbor's house that had a weird smell. Not, the cozy holiday cockle warming I'm lookin for. So, I am sad.

I will try to find solace in the annoying potential of the Fridge Snowman.

Cakes's and Chowder's Two Week Wait...

Well, the boys are in and if any of them have survived the wrath of Cakes, they are waiting at the door for the girls to make an appearance. Hopefully one of each will get together and then snuggle in for the next nine months. I have to say though, I'm not feeling particularly optimistic. I have shown no signs of fertility in awhile. But! We wait.

Chowder and the other church have emailed questions back and forth to each other and they are down to two candidates, Chowder being one of them. The church has a lot going on for the next few weeks so they told him that he would hear from them again in two weeks. That was five days ago. It's been odd watching him go through the same things I have during a cycle. Convinced that yes! These are all signs that he is indeed getting the job and then no! these are all the reasons that they have picked someone else. Poor dude. Can't stop obsessing. I wish he could just pee on something and get it over with!

We are a bit frustrated because we would have like to have known by Thanksgiving. Then if we are moving we could have done it at the end of the year, between the kids' semesters. It's not looking like we will have that kind of time. But! we wait.

Lessons in Bees

Today Jellybean told me that she is a little worried about school because "Mary" is in her class. Last year "Mary" was a developing Queen Bee and Jellybean was genuinely confused by her fickleness. and her meanness.

It was incredibly apropos because I just finished confronting a Queen Bee in my own life so I was able to talk with her from a very fresh perspective. But, I'm afraid I burdened her with a curse more than alleviated her concerns. It would appear that she, like me, was born to battle these creatures. And on the one hand I felt a little proud but on the other my heart broke for all of the future heartbreak she is facing. So, I tried to arm her as best I could. Here is what I told her, from one Queen Bee Slayer to another.

I wish I could tell you that girls grew out of this phase. That somewhere hearts were softened and insecurities were wiped away and these Mean Girls turned into compassionate, open women. But that would be a lie. You will meet Mean Girls your entire life. The first lesson that you have to learn is how to recognize them. It is easier to simply avoid their reach altogether than to have to slip out from their grasp once you realize what you are tangling with.

A sure sign that you are dealing with a Mean Girl is if she tries to cozy up to you and get information from you about other people, your friends. She may sound supportive or sympathetic. She generally shows up an opportune time, like when you have just had an argument with one of your friends. Trust me. This girl has no interest in comforting you. She only wants to use you. Your best response..."You should ask her that yourself."

The second and hardest lesson you need to learn is that when you go up against a Queen Bee, you are going alone. Even if you are going to defend your friend against mean things that the Queen Bee has done. You will look at the Queen Bee and all her "friends" around her and when you turn to find comfort in seeing your friends behind you...you will hear the wind in the trees and gravel under your feet. But you will not hear the sound of someone backing you up. I've done this countless times. I wish to God that I didn't feel like I had to fight these battles. But, I truly can't help it. And the worst feeling is knowing that you are standing there completely alone. Even at my age when I know that it is the case, I still hope...and my heart still drops. But, if you choose to stick your neck out and stand up to her, (and you don't have to!) know beforehand that you will be standing alone. No matter how many people told you that this person needed to be brought down. No matter how hurt and upset the person you are defending is, in the end it is your neck. alone. And nine times out of ten, you're going to get your ass handed to you in a pretty package with a bow on top. And after all of that, they will come out of the woodwork to tell you how great it was that you stood up to the Queen Bee.

And the last lesson...nine times out of ten? It won't have changed anything. The Queen Bee will still reign. But you? You have stood up to injustice. You will hurt. But, I have to believe that somewhere in the universe this little flap of butterfly wing has brought about an act of great love.

Peek-In-Monday

The Meatball helping us clean-up the yard.

This man...

I just came across this picture from when Ladybug was born and it took my breath away.

2nd Semester

I have lovely news for all of you. I am very proud of myself and thankful to everyone who has supported me and cheered me on.

Last semester I got a 3.5 grade point average! YAY ME!

I am now in my second semester at St. Mary of the Woods taking 8 hours.

• Introduction to Theology (required) 3hrs
• Mass Media (major) 3hrs
• Intro to Computer Software (required) 2hrs...this one is proving to be a little tricky because the big mamma-jamma book I bought for the class is based on Office 2007. I have a Mac, so Mac's version is 2008 and a very different layout. I'm figuring it out, but the book was kind of a waste!

I'm about 3 weeks into the semester that ends in March and I'm off to a much better start than last semester. Then I will have only 46 hours left to get my Bachelor's degree! JEESH! that's like 2 1/2 years. ugh.

slow and steady, Cakes. slow and steady.

Peek-In-Monday

shoot! I'm a day late! I just bought a cheap, crappy rug (though it looks good from a distance) for our living room. The last one was toast and we have been without one (or a coffee table) for several years, maybe. Anyway, I found this one at Sam's and knew that I didn't have to worry about becoming too attached to it. That's my criteria at this point in time. I won't bring any thing into the house that I will become too upset about losing when it's inevitable demise comes. We don't have "special rooms" in our house. We live in our living room and every other room in this house. Now, I need to head down to the secondhand store to pick up a "new" coffee table.

I have plenty of time for a fancy house with expensive furnishings. Now, is not that time. And when it comes, I expect to be very lonely. On second thought, I will never have time for a fancy house with expensive furnishings. I never want to bring anything into my house that I will become too upset when my grandchildren...

After I brought the rug into the house, Ladybug announced that she needed to "Make it ours." Here is how she did that.

Happy Halloween 2009!

I was actually a lot more put together this Halloween compared to Halloweens past. We even carved Jack-o-lanterns from pumpkins bigger than Chowder's head! The only last minute glitch was that Friday night Ladybug sprung on me her deepest desire to be a spider for Halloween. Not Snow White. Not the simple Snow White dress she had received for her birthday a month earlier. Not that. No. A spider. Have you perhaps gathered yet, that though I am a fierce baker, I am definitely not a crafter. Luckily, she was quite pleased with what I managed to Frankenstein together, namely Chowder's dress socks stuffed with plastic grocery bags and a too big black turtle neck paired with too big pants. Chowder on the other hand...