Going 5 Deeper

Leigh Anne tagged me for the latest meme. I actually went online yesterday to learn how to pronounce that word, and learned that it is actually a word, and was in existence before blog chain mail. Now, on to learning more than ever about mememememememe!

What was I doing ten years ago?

Let me do the math…1998. Oh! I was living in Germany; married for two years and some change; no kids; traveling around every weekend we could. I was either working as the Customer Service Rep for the Army Payroll (horrible job because I’m not a finance person…why would they ever hire me for that position?). OR I was a Test Administrator for City Colleges of Chicago (way cool job because I only worked Tues-Thurs and got to drive on the Autobahn two of those days). It was so long ago I can’t remember which. Hubby and I were buffing up for the EAS competition. Dude, my arms rocked.

Five snacks I enjoy?

  1. Peanut butter M&Ms
  2. Reece’s Peanut Butter cups
  3. Popcorn and Raisinettes (yes as a snack)
  4. Tortilla chips
  5. Cheese and coke (you must read the post to understand)

Five things on my to do list TODAY

Ok. First. I’m supposed to have a to do list? Maybe that’s the problem. Surfing shouldn’t be one of them I guess.

  1. Laundry (usually a Friday ritual–I only do it once a week–but we’ll be gone tomorrow)
  2. Pack for trip
  3. Go on trip
  4. Relax on trip
  5. Oh, return a Blockbuster movie

Things I would do if I were a billionaire

  1. Tithe. What would that be? $100,000,000? I can’t even fathom that many zeros.
  2. Fully fund the girls’ college accounts, for private colleges.
  3. Fully fund the girls’ wedding accounts.
  4. Invest and save
  5. Spend some, of course.
  6. Travel. My dream of dreams.
  7. Continue to give away.

Five jobs I’ve had

  1. Owner of Sew Petit, LLC.
  2. Administrative Assistant at The Flickinger Center (Performing Arts center in Alamogordo) where I got to sell tickets, help write grants, do radio ads (if you’re nice I’ll tell you about the time Du made an ad with me for the radio), etc. I was even on their Board of Directors for a while (INO).
  3. Test Administrator for City Colleges of Chicago in Germany. I administered the tests and made sure people didn’t cheat. I actually did not relish having to throw guys out of the classroom.
  4. Customer Service Rep for the Army payroll system. Let’s just say I had a lot of headaches during this job. I hated it. Switched to Test Admin. to save my sanity.
  5. Hostess at Mick’s Restaurant in Decatur. Awesome food. My first experience with restaurant workers. I did not fit in.

Five of my bad habits

Here’s where you think you’re getting the dirt on me:

  1. Procrastinating
  2. I just noticed yesterday that I’ve started wringing my hands
  3. Sticking my foot in my mouth (more on that to come)
  4. Talking on the phone while driving and not using my ear piece
  5. Eating food that’s not necessarily good for me when eaten on a constant basis

Five places I’ve lived

  1. Pensacola, Florida
  2. Warner Robins, Georgia
  3. Decatur, Georgia (suburb of Atlanta)
  4. Stuttgart, Germany
  5. Hampton, Virginia

Five people I want to get to know better (I’m tagging you in the hopes that you’ll play along. Please?)

  1. Kerith of The Right Wife. Your latest post has me very interested.
  2. NV of This D*mn House. I’m intrigued that you’re a fixer upper (I’d love to do), a scrapbooker (I love to do) and a genealogist (I’d love to do again if I had more time).
  3. Tori of Snapshots of My Life. I remember spending the night at your house once. But after that I don’t know much…
  4. Cher of Wich4. A really good friend who reminds me of Beth Moore.
  5. Kristen of We Are That Family. Your life through your blog is terribly funny. Your life before your blog must be as well.

If I could pick two more I’d ask Heather and Rachel to play along as well. I know both of you pretty well, or do I?

6 random things

  1. I’m numb now with the news of Steven Curtis Chapman’s daugther. More here.
  2. News like that really puts life into perspective.
  3. Do you honestly know where you’re going when you die? You don’t know when that time will come.
  4. Have a relationship with Jesus and everything else is cake.
  5. Your kids need to know about Jesus too.
  6. Reagan and Du’s favorite song right now is I Danced With Cinderella. God, give us the chance to have all of those moments with our girls.

I haven’t proofread this. Hope it’s ok.

I Have ESP

My mother has told me the story:

When I was little, four or younger, I would know when my Mamaw was going to call us or stop by. Mamaw was proficient with her ESP and it must have been rubbing off on me. I’d be playing, doing whatever, I’d stop and announce, “Mamaw’s coming over” or “Mamaw’s gonna call”. And she would.

Between then and now my ESP was virtually nonexistent. I’ve never had it to the degree that Mamaw did. Today, though, I believe my powers are returning. We were sitting down to dinner. I had just poured the milk and Reagan asked for chai tea. I got out the chai syrup and she asked to pour it. Being the control freak that I am this was very hard for me allow. Knowing that she’s going to need to know how to pour things on her own before she leaves the house I had to acquiesce. As she was gripping the totally full chai mixture with my hands quivering above hers my mind thought, “she’s going to spill this. What cute little quip am I going to use on twitter?”

Nothing happened though. Not until we were comfortably seated and in full eating mode. You know, once Mom is finally done getting everything for everybody and has truly sat down to be able to enjoy her meal? We were in that eating mode. Reagan took a sip of her milk, attempted to set it back down on the table, and ended up spilling it everywhere.

SEE! ESP! I knew she was going to spill her milk. Some people may try to pass this off as something every young kid does on a regular basis. No. I’m claiming it. Next stop, my own 900 number and a name change to Miss Chloe.

Purging the Ol’ Blogroll

The unsubscription process has begun. I just deleted two blogs that would not heed my warning (if you continue to make me keep going to your blog to read complete posts and refuse to allow me to receive full content through my feed reader or in my email inbox I will disown you). I didn’t actually warn them. But they could have read my post a couple of weeks ago.

I did some detective work and found the RSS subscription rates for these two blogs (thanks for telling me how to do this Heather). One has over 900 subscribers and the other has over 600. That means that over 1000 people see the first couple of sentences of a new blog post in their feed reader and then have to click to the blog to read the rest. I. ain’t. doin’. that. I don’t jump through hoops. I don’t do obstacle courses. Don’t mess with me, I’ll delete your blog from my reader.

Two down, not sure how many more to go. There’s a liberating feeling clicking that “unsubscribe” button. No more frustration. Besides, I’ll fill their spaces with other blogs whose authors are happy to give me full content for minimum work. Will I be missing anything? I couldn’t tell you, I haven’t read their blogs in so long.

It’s purge season y’all. In the house and in my blogroll.

School’s Out For The Summer — Musical Stylins re: School

Our third year of homeschooling has come and gone. I, like my student, am glad to see summer. Don’t get me wrong, homeschooling is very rewarding. You play the essential part in putting knowledge into your children’s brains. You see the ah hah! moments when the lightbulb suddenly switches on. You get to know your children on an even deeper level. BUT (could I make that any bigger?) it is also very challenging. Attention spans tend to get shorter as the weeks march on. Amazingly my patience dwindles as well. It’s a thankless job you sometimes sob over (for evidence please read this post). Are they learning what they really need to be learning for “the state”? Some days you just want to stick their butts in “outside” school (as we like to call it). Only by the grace of God do we continue year after year. I mean that.

In honor of our school year coming to an end I’ve taken the liberty to post a couple of songs that speak to how we feel about school right now. And before you judge me and homeschooling and how much it must suck this is all in jest. We normally have a good time. But when the weather gets warmer and the lessons come to an end, who wouldn’t rather that school be out for the summer?

Be True To Your School – The Beach Boys

I’d like to sit Reagan down and play this one to her. Over and over again. Until she “reely likes home skool”. Obviously I need to come up with some type of alma mater that will induce pride in our school. Maybe actually formally giving our school a name would help.

School’s Out For The Summer – Alice Cooper

This version is particularly funny and age appropriate for Reagan. It’s interesting to realize that back in the 70s it was ok to show the Muppets blowing up school buildings. Mind you these are the monster Muppets though, maybe that’s the difference. The NEA would have a fit over this today though.

Another Brick in The Wall, Part 2 – Pink Floyd

I never offer any sarcasm, dark or otherwise, to Reagan… Even though, I swear I’ve heard Reagan mumbling this song under her breath… On another topic, I subscribe wholeheartedly to the philosophy of the teacher at the end of the song: “if you don’t eat yer meat you can’t have any pudding!” We’re meanies around here.

Chalkdust Torture – Phish

Whoever knows what this song is about? I hope there’s no…hidden meaning, shall we say. Who can even understand most of it? I think Reagan could testify to this verse though:

But who can unlearn all the facts that I’ve learned
As I sat in their chairs and my synapses burned
And the torture of chalk dust collects on my tongue
Thoughts follow my vision and dance in the sun
All my vasoconstrictors they come slowly undone
Can’t this wait till I’m old? Can’t I live while I’m young?

I Don’t Want To Be Learned – The Ramones

These guys are about as creative with this song as ACDC is with every single one of their songs (but that’s another topic, and it’s not a compliment). But it pretty much sums up what Reagan feels about school right now…

I Don’t Want To Go To School – The Naked Brothers Band

This song is so dumb. One of the lyrics is “I’m really tired of being treated like a fool, I don’t want to go to school.” Hmm, seems like some schoolin’ would do you some good. Yet, I heard Reagan singing it the other day. Not really, people. We don’t watch Nick or Nick Jr. Even if we had cable we wouldn’t watch Nick. She so feels this right now though. 

Whew, there are so many more I could make associations with. We’ll end it here. I’m going to leave you with one more song. It doesn’t really apply to us, but I just love the song. It’s even better when Larry the Cucumber and Jr. Asparagus sing the Veggie Tales version. Oh don’t worry. I’ve included that too. You’ve got to have an imeem account though.

Sadie Hawkins Dance – Relient K

 

Veggie Version

Friday 13: 13 Things I’d Rather Be Doing…

than being stuck inside on a beautiful day. It’s our last day of school and so naturally my mind is on the wonderfully fun things we could be doing instead. Here’s my random list.

FRIDAY 13: THINGS I’D RATHER BE DOING

  1. Letterboxing: Enjoy puzzles and mysteries? Like your hobby to be low-tech and low key? Don’t mind a little bug spray? Letterboxing is for you. “Invented” in the 1800s in England, letterboxing is a game in which a person hides a stamp that he or she has carved and a log book. He then posts clues online, by word of mouth, etc. and you must find the “treasure”. Once you find it you take your stamp (that you made or bought), stamp it into the hidden log book and then take the stamp that you just found and stamp it into your log book that you carry around with you. You DO NOT take or trade stamps (unless you find a “hitchhiker” that needs to be moved to another box). One of the fun things about letterboxing is that you’re supposed to do the searching and finding in secret. You don’t want anyone to know what you’re doing.
  2. Geocaching: Letterboxing’s younger and more popular sibling. Take on geocaching if you like your hobby to be higher-tech. Using a hand-held GPS receiver the hider hides a “cache” filled with a log book and any other trinkets they might like to share. The finder will go online to find the clues. These caches are found by entering GPS coordinates into your receiver and then searching. Caches can range in size from as small as a watch battery to as large as an ammo canister. One main difference from letterboxing (besides all the technology) is that you can trade items in geocaching. The rule is, if you take something out you should put something back in. Once you find your caches for the day you log your “finds” into geocaching.com. Like hitchhikers in letterboxing, geocaching has travelbugs. This is also a hobby that’s meant to be done incognito.
  3. Camping: Let’s define camping for Vicki. Camping is sleeping in a tent with an air mattress and plenty of sleeping bags and blankets. Camping is having all of the “necessities” within a short walk from the campsite. Campingis bringing food with you to cook, not making do with what you find or catch. Camping is campfires with s’mores. There are many places to camp, but a good place to start is in state or national parks. A few good sites: Recreation.gov–kind of a clearinghouse for federal  recreation reservations. Reserveamerica.com is very similar to recreation.gov but it also lists private campgrounds. About.com’s site on camping. Lists all sorts of campgrounds.
  4. Shopping: I can’t believe this isn’t up there at number one. But this is a random list. You don’t have to be indoors to shop. Plenty of outlet malls and even shi-shi-la-la malls make you go outside to get to the next shop. All downtown shopping districts are like that. How close are you to your nearest outlet mall? Outletbound.com will get you to the nearest and best shopping.
  5. Playing cornhole: What? Those of you (un)fortunate enough to be steeped in Beavis & Butthead wisdom, get your mind out of the gutter. Cornhole, or beanbag toss, is really popular in the Midwest. Especially while tailgating. The goal is to toss beanbags into a hole in an angled board some distance away. Another popular version uses little washers or something like that. Du made our set and it’s very nice with GT logos everywhere. I made up the beanbags. With real corn. You could just make a set, or buy one and start tossing. But wait! There’s an official cornhole website, Playcornhole.org, to bring you all the official rules!
  6. Getting a tan: I only wish I could lay out and get tan. I no longer do this for fear of skin cancer. I get tan nowadays using precise scientific methods…otherwise known as Fake Bake. I miss the heat of the sun on my skin as I doze, flipping over whenever one side gets too hot or too sweaty.
  7. Riding our bikes: The area in our neighborhood is relatively flat so this doesn’t seem so daunting. I’m deathly afraid of riding on big roads though. I don’t trust myself enough, much less the maniacs on the roads. We got our bikes about 10 years ago and I’ve probably ridden as many times. That thing is probably rusted stiff. Must work on this.
  8. Rollerblading: We got our rollerblades around the same time as our bikes. I’ve rollerbladed about ten times as well. It’s a good thing we don’t get into really expensive pastimes! I think it’d be fun to get them out though…along with all of the requisit safety pads, and give it a go. There’s something about a warm, sunny spring day that makes you want to be active.
  9. Riding Route 66. We’ve lived close to this famous landmark a couple of times. Have we taken it? Yes, out of necessity, but not for the fun of partaking in American culture. I’d love to do the whole thing, although I understand that parts of the original route no longer exist. I will settle to ride the part that we live close to. Do you have a famous landmark near you? Take part in American culture and go! Historical Landmarks, American Landmarks
  10. Go boating: I’d rather be at the ocean any day…unless we’re going boating. I don’t like rocking the boat…or for the boat to be rocking very much. Give me a smooth-as-glass lake where I can ski.
  11. Horseback riding: I’ve ridden on horses before…while they were walking. I’m not sure how I’d react to one pickingup and running, or whatever you call it that horses do. Maybe, like biking, I have a fear of being on something of which I have no control. Oh, you may have control of bikes and horses when you ride them. Speak for yourself. I’d still like to go horseback riding though.
  12. Golfing: I enjoy golfing once we’re actually on the course and swinging at the ball. It’s just getting me to the course that takes some work. Not sure why. It’s so gorgeous outside today. And the grass is so green. And I totally rocked at Wii golf the other night. I want to go make some divots and fish my ball out of the water hazards. We’ve played St. Andrews, but there are plenty of local courses that will do in a pinch. Golfcourseguide.org should be able to help me find a decent one.
  13. Picnicing (or picnicking if that other word looks like pic-nice-ing to you): Today is the perfect picnic day. Fried chicken, potato salad, grapes, chips, cookies, and whatever else can be shoved into a basket. Mind you, in this perfect day that I’d rather be doing things outdoors, someone else will have made all this food and I’m just eating it. We have some wonderful parks in the area with nice playgrounds too.

What about you? What would you rather be doing if it were a perfectly beautiful and perfectly warm day outside where you are?

You Never Let Go

[For maximum effect click You Never Let Go and then continue to read]

 Thursday started out with promise and anticipation. I was excited that we were going to get school done in the morning and head to Kansas City to visit family and see the Bodies Revealed Exhibit. I was excited about there only being two days of school left. It’s funny how tender and fragile your self esteem is and how that can affect the rest of you.

First, I had to get two tote bags ready to deliver. They had been flawed in tiny ways. I had fixed the flaws satisfactorily for me, but would the customer be happy with the changes I made. I was dreading dropping them off because I didn’t want there to be any disappointment. I wanted to just redo them, but there wasn’t time, and when you run a small business you try to make every penny count. Strike One.

Then, Reagan had to write about her school year for her spelling assignment today. This is what she wrote:

I don’t reely like home skool beekos my mommy is olwase made at me. I drest up reely pretty today and it is a pretty day otside to. but I am going to get in trodl beekos my mom sed if I don’t finish my pagese wen she gets ote of the showere I will by in trabl.

No, I’m not teaching her Old English. It looks like I’m failing at teaching spelling and at teaching about staying on topic. And at being a good homeschooling teacher in general. And at being a mother. I started crying before she even finished reading it to me. Strike Two.

I drove to Kansas City with a headache that lasted the whole day. While at the Bodies exhibit I managed to lose a check I had written to my stepmother to cover the cost of the tickets. How did it fall out of my back pocket? How freaked would Du be when he found out? How much financial info could they get? Could our bank cancel the check without it costing a fortune? Strike Three.

I did have a good day despite these things. It helps to get my mind on other things. And Ashlyn behaved the whole day, which was a special blessing from God in itself. I needed some perspective though.

On the way home this David Crowder Band song came on. “You Never Let Go“. Oh my soul, no matter what happens in my life God has a firm grip on me. No matter how far I might stray or for how ever long, He never lets go of me. It’s hard to fathom…the God of the universe cares so much about me that He never lets go of me. What peace that brings. It makes these trivial problems disappear. It makes the monumental catastrophes bearable. I don’t have to go through anything on my own strength. I can’t go through anything on my own strength. But with God firmly holding onto me I can bear anything. It’s when I remember that He never lets go, and when I remember that I must let go, that things get better.

My problems today were trivial. If I had needed to redo the bags then I’d just redo them! This customer is a good one and a good friend at that…what was I so worried about? She ended up loving them and showing them to a neighbor. And kids are notorious for living in the present. No, Reagan doesn’t generally hate homeschool. It’s just lately she’s been a little distracted and so I’ve had to lay on the pressure a little bit more. Most of the time we enjoy school. In her of-the-moment mind though she doesn’t immediately think on those times. And the check. If I’d have had to cancel it then I’d have had to cancel it, big deal. I learned that things aren’t really safe tucked in your back pocket. (I retrieved the check though. I went to the lost and found in the remote chance that someone found it and actually turned it in. They did).

Lamentations 3:19-25

I remember my affliction and my wandering,

the bitterness and the gall.

I well remember them,

and my soul is downcast within me.

Yet this I call to mind

and therefore I have hope:

Because of the Lord‘s great love we are not consumed,

for his compassions never fail.

They are new every morning;

great is your faithfulness.

I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion;

therefore I will wait for him.”

The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him,

to the one who seeks him;…

 

Oh God, You never let go.