a brown crayon day

I awoke this morning to the soothing sound of falling rain. I enjoy listening to it; perhaps because I grew up where rain was strictly a December-February sort of thing. Whatever the reason, it was a good morning for sitting on the couch in jammies, drinking a cup of Vanilla Coffeemate (with enough coffee in it to make it caramel colored), and reading/studying Philippians for next Weds. Bible study.

If only it lasted. For some reason I was just hazy and slightly depressed all day. Andy said it's the weather, but I've never been moody when the weather shifts before.

I attempted to get school done with the kids, but something I call "character issues" cropped up instead. Sample: "School ruins my life, it's boring, it wastes my time..." etc. (I gave up a career for *this,* I think to myself). So instead, I decided I was going to return good for evil, and help David in the cleaning of his room.

Good idea, but my good intentions quickly degenerated into a foul, fierce mood when I pulled his bed out from the wall and found an assortment of snack foods in varying stages of decay hoarded between the bed and the wall. Yogurt cups, dirty spoons, those orange-colored peanut butter crackers ground into the carpet, wrappers of packaged cookies... all intermingled with books, stuffed animals and dirty clothes.

I started flinging, arousing the indignation of my 7 year old preternaturally self-assured son: "It wasn't messy in here until YOU started working! **I** didn't make this mess, and I'm not going to clean it up!" (oh yeah, kid?) I (not-so-calmly) reassured him that just because it wasn't visible didn't mean it wasn't messy, and yes indeed he would be cleaning it up. I did grab my trusty Kirby with the hose attachments and did a good job underneath the bed and in the nooks and crannies, as well as vacumming those horrible mini blinds that must be designed to collect dust - then after that left him to it.

that didn't work. You would not believe the number of plastic dinosaurs, legos, odd shells, bones, etc. this kid has. So I went back in there, again intending to return good for evil, and we sat down to sort out all the toy bins and get things in their proper places.

By the time we finished it was going on dinner time and I was still emotionally and physically drained - even more so after tackling that room. We decided to go out to eat and do some shopping. So I grabbed a pad of paper and the closest writing utensil: a brown crayon. I thought it was very fitting. This was a brown crayon day; it only follows that I should write my shopping list in brown crayon.

Went to Happy Teriyaki for dinner where we ordered the usual: chicken and beef teriyaki for the kids; yakisoba for Andy. I ordered a bento box that had a little bit of everything tasty in it. By this time Andy and I were laughing at stupid things, so some mood relief was in sight. David bent over to look at the koi in the indoor pond and one of the big fish fluked him, soaking his face. I thought he'd actually dunked his face in the pond!

Since KMart is right next door to the teriyaki place, we went marauding over there. Taking inspiration from my friend Amy, and to prevent any more towel thefts at my house, I let Sammie and David pick out their own color towels for their exclusive use. But they had to pick the Martha Stewart ones, which were on sale. Egads, before I made that stipulation, David had chosen a dull army green towel, and Sammie had chosen flower-child pink. Can you see those side by side on the towel rack!? ugh. But MS didn't have those particular shades. David settled on a sage green; Sammie sighed and chose a plum-colored towel instead.

We finished the night with banana splits. So what was a brown crayon day turned into a rather nice wisteria evening.

Gas Relief

"You're getting FREE Gas for 1 YEAR!"

is what some spammer tells me.

........nooooo thanks! Don't think my family would put up with that.

My charming daughter! (Who borrowed my digital camera for some fun.) 

Chili Woman On Ice - April 22, 2005

Chili Woman On Ice - April 22, 2005

Busted!

I wonder if she took the finger from a cadaver somewhere? Not that cadavers are easily come by, but there are ways...
Woman in Wendy's Finger Case Arrested

"Bye!" - one small word, One Big Step

I have had Ashley as a piano student for going on two years. She has never spoken to me. She is a "selective mute," which, in my researchings on the Web, basically means "painfully shy."

Lately I've noticed a lot more non-verbal physical responses out of her: grins, eye-rolling when I say something deliberately stupid (yes, DELIBERATELY, don't be talking smack about me now) - which I've taken as encouraging signs that she's more comfortable w/me. Today was a typical lesson day - I've gotten good at simplifying questions so there's only a "yes" or "no" or a "choose one" - type.....but on the way out the door, as I said, "see ya later!" Ashley responded with a quick, quiet, "bye!" as she ran out the door.

That is the first voluntary word she has ever said to me. Just had to share it here- a momentous day, when someone bids me farewell.

Chili Finger Chick Won't Sue Wendy's

Heck, I've followed this story this far, I might as well keep blogging it when it comes up.

WFTV.com - News - Woman Who Claims She Found Finger In Chili Won't Sue Wendy's

Generation Y embraces choice, redefines religion

Since I'm supposedly a Gen X'er, it's interesting to see how the world perceives Gen Y.Generation Y embraces choice, redefines religion - The Washington Times: Nation/Politics - April 12, 2005

Update on Chili Fingers

Yum, yum! Apparently the self-styled victim is lawsuit-happy. But the question remains... who's missing digit IS that?!

It's about time

The alarm goes off at 7:30 this morning. Andy and I lay in bed, struggling toward consciousness. Newsbytes wash over me, some settling into my ears and making it to my brain, but mostly just spinning away again into oblivion. One bit that settled in was "KOMO news time, 8:46." I open my eyes wide. So does Andy.


DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME!

Hustle, bustle, in and out of shower, kids up, dressed, uncombed, unfed but clean - and off to church. Andy and kids were on time; I was 5 min late to Sunday school. Not bad.

Right after SS I meet the kids coming out of their class. David is flushed and hot. I make arrangements for someone to play the final hymn I was scheduled to play, and bundle him back home again to an afternoon of Pirates of the Carribbean while bundled in a blanket.

I baked a ham that's been in the freezer for over 2 years. Not too bad. Then Andy settled in for his long afternoon nap and I betook myself to the office computer to work on arranging a song for choir using some music software that is marginally useful and slightly quicker than hand-coding it. (One of these days I will have Finale). Making great time! I finished, finally, and looked at my Hello Kitty watch that Dad gave me for Christmas. 4:40. Choir begins in 55 min; great! I get up from the chair, enter the house and....Andy is fully dressed, briefcase in hand.
Aaaaaaaauuuuughhhh!
DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME **AND** I didn't reset any clocks this morning!!!!

So it's actually 5:40; my choir is waiting for me to arrive - it was a short practice to begin with, and my tardiness made it virtually pointless. I'm more than a little miffed I spent the entire afternoon working on music that we could only practice for 15 min.

Everyone enjoyed a laugh at my expense: not once, but twice in the same day. I'm so glad I could humor them.

And yes my watch, car, and home clocks all bear the correct time now.

I quit.

And this time I'm packing up the pencil sharpener.

I'm mean, I don't like my kids and never have, and I torture them.

This is what I have been told by a 7 year old.

bejabers.