Girl's Night Out (Okay, make that WEEKEND!)

Some friends from high school, as well as my twin sister M, are going on a girl's weekend in mid July. Why am I writing about it now? Because I've been SO busy and SO out of touch that the idea of even a teeny tiny break is making me overjoyed with excitement!

I've never been on a girl's weekend. Our younger sister, HA, has done a girl's weekend every year since college. Me...never!

What am I looking forward to (besides uninterrupted sleep and getting to sleep in without any guilt...see the theme?)? Lots and lots of hang time with some of the coolest girls I know! I don't know much about the plans, but I do know we'll be kid free and enjoying it.

TO A GIRL'S WEEKEND!

Really!?!

On Tuesday we had one of those days you just wish to be over. I was extremely busy with swimming lessons, came home for a couple of hours in the afternoon, and then went back in the evening. During the afternoon break JMonster decided to jump off of the ottoman in the living room. (Mind you, he'd been getting into trouble for days for jumping ON the furniture!) I was in the back bedroom doing E's hair for gymnastics, so I didn't see the jump, but I immediately heard screaming and P came down the hall carrying JMonster. "He hurt his foot jumping off of the ottoman," he said and passed him over to me. P is an ER doc so I assumed it must not have been THAT bad since he's handing him over.

I checked him out, got him a "boo boo bunny" and went to get ready for my afternoon lessons. JMonster came to watch and talk and sat on his stool. (In the meantime P left for work and M was off getting her hair cut.) I started getting ready and JMonster got bored so he got up from the stool to go play. Screaming and sobbing ensued as he tried to walk. Not good.

I picked him up and carried him to the living room where I plopped him down in a chair so I could finish getting ready. I walked back toward my room, getting about halfway, when I hear A screaming. He's grabbing his hand and jumping up and down. "What happened!?!" I yelled and started running toward him. He ran toward me, holding his breath (he's done this since he was born) and starting to turn blue. I knocked him on the back to try and make him breathe...it didn't work. By the time he got to me his lips were very blue, his fingers were blue, and he passed out. Now I have one injured child in a chair, one injured child laying on the floor, and I'm the lone adult in the house...and did I mention I'm supposed to be getting ready for swimming lessons?

A comes to and I get HIM a "boo boo bunny" and go finish getting ready.

Wednesday morning I took JMonster to the local ER's clinic and get his foot x-rayed. No breaks, just a bad sprain. Not sure which would have been better! Bones heal pretty neatly and quickly. Soft tissue...not so much.

A's fingers are fine. He just bent them backwards pushing a car around on the carpet (sound familiar? That's how JMonster knocked his 2 front teeth loose!). No long term damage.

The funny follow-up to the story is that A, who is now 6, broke HIS foot jumping off that very same ottoman when he was 3. Hmmm...

My desires or God's will?

He leadeth me, He leadeth me,
By His own hand He leadeth me;
His faithful foll’wer I would be,
For by His hand He leadeth me. ~He Leadeth Me; Joseph H. Gilmore, 1862

Sunday's sermon was on Abraham's lack of faith that God would provide Isaac, even when God promised to deliver his promise multiple times. Abraham and Sarah settled...they settled for what was less than God's best and perfect plan...they settled for "good enough".

Or so that is what we are told. My heart cries out, though. Not for Abraham. Not for Sarah. Not even for Isaac. My heart breaks for Ishmael, the son who was born to Sarah's handmaiden. The son of Abraham that was second best.

I can understand this concept when you talk about an event, or an object, or even a philosophical point, but the fact that we are talking about a person. A small child who didn't ask to be born, but was. A small child who became less than God's best? To this my heart says NO!

The sermon did make me stop and think, though. Am I TRULY following God's will for my life? Are the decisions I'm making, have made recently, will make soon, truly decisions I've asked God His will for? Or am I attempting to rule my life and then ask God for his blessing as an afterthought?

I know I want to be in God's will. I know I want His perfect plan. Am I being His faithful follower? Am I allowing Him, by His own hand, to leadeth me?

Missional Monday will return next week (hopefully) with renewed determination. Sorry for the break!

Date Day

Before I begin...
HAPPY FATHER'S DAY
to all Daddy's out there!

Yesterday was the official day...DATE DAY with Mommy and JMonster. We spent the entire day together doing what he wanted to do. I even let him skip his nap. That's a HUGE deal in our house!

We started out the day at the pool swimming and having a picnic lunch. It was beautiful weather, a beautiful pool, and we had a wonderful time.

After that we went back to the house and got ready for the afternoon. Our afternoon began at the mall (remember, HIS choice!) where we found a Chuck E Cheese to hang out in. Despite his sensory issues, he had a GREAT time running around "playing" games and watching others play. We then walked around the mall (when we walked in the front door he YELLED, "Momma! It's an AMERICA mall!" There was a huge American flag painted floor to ceiling on one wall...got a cute pic with my phone I'll try and download later), got a milkshake, and hung out in the indoor playground.

We tried to find an outdoor mall his Uncle Paul had told us about...it has a huge outdoor fountain that kids go ga-ga over, but we never found the fountain. Must not have been on.

UP! was the late afternoon choice! 3D movies are interesting with 3 year olds, especially when the glasses are too big and the seats keep flipping up. But, talking dogs and lots of balloons prevailed and we both had a wonderful experience.

We met up with my sister and her family at a small 50's style diner on the edge of town. Yummy food and great ambience! Metal buildings tend to echo a lot, though, and 4 young kids make a LOT of noise!

Our day ended with a haircut and outdoor "shower". I cut JMonster's hair myself...I use clippers, scissors, and blending shears. I didn't bring my stuff with me, though, so I used my sister's clippers and blending shears. Her clippers (really a beard trimmer) would NOT cut through his hair. Mind you the child had not had a haircut in a few months and he has thick very fine hair. After about 20 minutes we had a frustrated boy who wanted to be finished but looked like he had mange. That's when I got the brilliant idea of getting out the dog shears. They're meant for thick hair, right? And The Rev had told JMonster he could cut his hair like his (The Rev is bald right now). The rest of the haircut took approximately 4 minutes. Those dog shears worked!

His outdoor shower consisted of all 4 kids getting naked and running around in the hose on the front driveway. It is a private drive blocked by trees so no one can actually see the Clampetts and their WT kids! We shampooed and soaped them right there in front of the house. They LOVED it!

JMonster now looks adorable with a buzz cut. The Rev, despite telling JMonster he could have a short hair cut, is going to kill me. Sorry hon!

Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.

Ichat and date day and news updates, oh my!

JMonster and I are in love with ichat! We have started talking to The Rev using ichat, which allows us to SEE him as well as hear him. What a great technology! It's making this time apart much easier for all of us.

On another note, tomorrow is a date day for JMonster and me. We've been apart so much because of VBS and my swimming lesson schedule that we're taking some special time, just the two of us. I'll bring the camera and hopefully I can get some cute pics.

And finally (is this the most random post I've had? I'm thinking so...), what is up with Iraq? And with North Korea? And the healthcare scare? Do I need to build a bunker? Is anyone else as terrified as me that things are going downhill at a dangerously scary rate? I'm just saying...

I really miss blogging these days. I hope all of you are patient people and will stick with me as I slog through these busy days and get settled (and hopefully less busy). See you soon!

Hugs and Kisses

The Rev is still in Atlanta getting the house ready to sell and finishing up his job. It could be a short time, it could be a long time. We don't know.

In order to make it through somewhat sanely, we call Daddy every night before JMonster goes to bed. It's usually very short and goes something like this, "I love you Daddy. Goodnight. I'm finished..." and he hands the phone back to me.

Not last night.

Last night JMonster kept kissing the phone and telling The Rev that he was sending him LOTS and LOTS of kisses and hugs. It went on for minutes! When he was done he handed the phone to me and sat there while I was finishing the conversation. Just as I was about to hang up, JMonster started whispering something. The Rev was also trying to talk so he asked me if I was paying attention. I told The Rev that JMonster was trying to whisper something to me and to hold on for just a sec.

"What is it buddy?"

(In a whisper)"Did all of my hugs and kisses make it there? Did Daddy get all of them?"

(LONG sniff) "JMonster wants to know if all of his hugs and kisses made it to you."

(Another long sniff, this one from The Rev) "Tell him YES they did. And give him a bunch from me. Tell him I gave them to you for you to give to him."

So after I hung up I kissed and hugged JMonster for what felt like forever. He laughed and giggled and then asked for a story.

Part way through the story he asked for one more kiss...a late arriving one from Daddy.

Congrats to my Big Brother!

According to a list found at ABC.com, my brother's blog Patterico's Pontifications, is 46th out of the top 100 political blogs in the nation.

One of the intriguing aspects of this list is that it puts everyone in the same pot. The list has mainstream media blogs -- from ABC News, CNN, The New York Times, and others -- alongside well-known partisan bloggers -- Michelle Malkin, FireDogLake -- and even government-run bloggers, like WhiteHouse.gov’s.

Here’s the Top 100:

1 The Huffington Post
2 Think Progress
3 The Corner
4 Political Ticker - CNN
5 The Daily Dish
6 Political Punch
7 Michelle Malkin
8 Instapundit.com
9 Talking Points Memo
10 Political Animal
11 Firedoglake
12 Daily Kos
13 Crooks and Liars
14 fivethirtyeight
15 NewsBusters
16 The Caucus - New York Times blog
17 Gateway Pundit
18 Power Line
19 White House.gov Blog Feed
20 Michael Goldfarb - The Blog - The Weekly Standard
21 The Plank
22 AMERICAblog
23 Reason Magazine - Hit & Run
24 The Volokh Conspiracy
25 Balloon Juice
26 Washington Wire - WSJ.com
27 Marginal Revolution
28 Swampland
29 Glenn Greenwald
30 The Note
31 Atlas Shrugs
32 Hullabaloo
33 Wonkette
34 Eschaton
35 Political Wire
36 Jihad Watch
37 Lynn Sweet
38 The Jawa Report
39 George's Bottom Line
40 Political Radar - ABC Blog
41 The Next Right
42 forward movement
43 Don Surber
44 MyDD
45 JammieWearingFool
46 Patterico's Pontifications
47 iowahawk
48 The Blog
49 Stop the ACLU
50 Redstate - Conservative News and Community
51 Townhall.com
52 FP Passport
53 The Washington Note
54 TalkLeft
55 JustOneMinute
56 Ross Douthat
57 Outside the Beltway
58 Sweetness & Light
59 The Nation Blogs
60 Riehl World View
61 DownWithTyranny!
62 Flopping Aces
63 Oliver Willis
64 Gay Patriot
65 The Buzz Florida Politics
66 Global Voices Online
67 Michael J. Totten
68 jillstanek.com
69 Roger L. Simon
70 Moonbattery
71 American Power
72 PollingReport.com
73 Capitol confidential
74 GamePolitics.com
75 The Brad Blog
76 YID With LID
77 Debbie Schlussel
78 Confederate Yankee
79 The Club for Growth
80 The Belmont Club
81 Newshoggers
82 Soccer Dad
83 Say Anything
84 News Hounds
85 Founding Bloggers
86 the albany project
87 The Liberty Papers
88 The Anonymous Liberal
89 Mother, May I Sleep with Treacher?
90 Jack and Jill Politics
91 Burnt Orange Report
92 PoliGazette
93 The Radio Equalizer: Brian Maloney
94 Obama HQ
95 The LRC Blog
96 ScrappleFace
97 Sister Toldjah
98 The Strata-Sphere
99 The Sideshow
100 Naked Politics

Ranking by Wikio.

Way to go Patterico!

I'm clueless, and all is right with the world...

I've moved in and am getting settled. The house is BEAUTIFUL and the kids are all getting along smoothly. Swimming lessons are coming along nicely; I've unpacked and am mostly organized.

But I am COMPLETELY unaware of what is going on in the world! I thought I didn't get news before, now it is like living on a deserted island and burying my head in the sand. It's not complete isolation. Just close.

Hopefully I will get myself back to a state of semi-knowledge of world happenings. Just enough to be dangerous.

In the meantime, check my sidebar for my fun Prisoner of Summer button. Maybe THAT is the real explanation here!

#@$%!& Dog!

I spent the better part of my morning at the Verizon store getting a new cell phone. It took a little longer since I was previously a Sprint customer. The reason I had to get a new cell?



My sister's dog, Skittles. I won't post his picture since it'll be like putting a bullseye on him.

If you hear about a missing Skittles, don't look at me...

Swimming Lessons

I'm starting a new/old job today. For approximately 20 years I've taught swimming lessons off and on. More off the past few years, but I've kept up with trends and techniques and am excited to get back into the swing of teaching.

With The Rev starting his own business, we've decided I need to help out with income for the next little bit. This will help us take the pressure off of him while he is out making contacts and networking for new clients.

And after the drowning a couple of weeks ago, I'm on a mission to teach as many kiddos survival swimming as I can!

Wish me luck! I promise to wear my sunscreen. ;0)

All Moved In!

Sorry for the delay in posting. Our 13 1/2 hour drive turned into almost 18 hours and an overnight stay at the country's most disgusting Motel 6 (Monroe, LA). Weather, traffic, construction, a loaded Penske truck that couldn't accelerate on hills, and a 3 year old's teensy toonsy bladder were all contributing factors in our extended trip. It was long and exhausting, but WE ARE HERE!



We got the truck unloaded a few hours after we arrived...The Rev is AMAZING! I've managed to unpack most of the boxes and get stuff away; I only have a few things left to do before we can declare ourselves "done".

And my twin sister, who seems to run our new neighborhood, has lined up over 5 families that are looking for swimming lessons for their kiddos. Each family has multiple kids, so I'm looking at being booked up before I even start teaching! That's great!

JMonster is getting settled in with his 3 cousins (E & A who are 6 year old twins and S who is 5 months older than JMonster). He keeps telling us that he LOVES his new home, and even cried twice the first day we were here because he thought we were having to leave. "I don't want to leave my new home, Momma!" Between sobs I tried to explain that he wasn't leaving his new home and he was going to live here for awhile. It'll take awhile, but I really think this is going to be a positive experience for him. Keep your fingers crossed!


"A"
"E & S"

Thanks to all who have supported us through thoughts, prayers, and kind words as we've gone through this transition. It has been tough, but we are excited about this new chapter in our lives!

Remind me to tell you about the fun neighborhood party we went to last night. Fun peeps! Until next time...CIAO!

Missional Monday & Hurting Hearts...

Missional Monday with a purpose:

Around 5:30pm yesterday I got a phone call from my next door neighbor. She was hysterical and screaming that I needed to get to the pool because a little boy had drowned. "You know CPR!"

I grabbed the car keys, yelled at The Rev where I was going, and raced to the car. I didn't even grab shoes. I pulled out of the driveway and saw my neighbor's husband working in the yard...I yelled for him to get in and we raced to the pool.

By the time we got there 2 people were performing CPR on the child. They were doing good compressions, so mostly I coached them on not stopping and helped when he was sick.

EMS arrived a few minutes later and we put him on a stretcher and they ran. I was a nervous wreck all evening, and couldn't sleep until the wee hours from the adrenaline.

I just got an email confirming that the little boy, Trey, did not make it. He looked to be about 3 or 4. No one knew how long he had been in the water...he was at a birthday party for his cousin and we believe he had taken off his flotation device.

I beg of you parents, PLEASE, PLEASE watch your kiddos at the pool. Even if they can swim, know where they are at all times. And if they CANNOT swim...get them lessons! Even a 6 month old can be taught to come up to the surface and float on their back if they end up in a body of water. It may be expensive, but it will be some of the best money you can spend. (Google survival swimming in your area to find qualified instructors.)

And finally, learn CPR. It took a minute or two before people stepped in to do CPR, and there wasn't a consensus as to compressions and breaths. Contact your local Red Cross or your local hospital's education department.

Red Cross Preparedness programs in first aid, CPR and AED are available for any age and can be tailored to the needs of specific groups and individuals. Whether you work with children, want training for employees, are a professional rescuer, or simply want to know how to help someone in an emergency, the American Red Cross has a program for you.

I pray no parent ever has to go through what Trey's family is going through today.