THE THORN IN MY SIDE

You know, there aren't many things in life that really, really get to me, but I'd rather have a root canal than put up laundry. I don't mind the sorting, washing and drying of it, or even the folding, but the putting it away is without a doubt, for me, a true source of misery. In fact, to say that I hate it would be a gross understatement. I seem to recall being very pregnant with baby #3 and getting behind on laundry. All I have to say is thank heaven for the pack and play because it was the catch all for all of our clean clothes for about three weeks. But then, I guess the real questions is: Where does it all come from??? Ok, I get the towels. There are, after all, five of us, but it's the random articles of clothing that appear scattered on the laundry room floor that amazes me on a daily basis. I just peeked in to the laundry room to see if I could spot the mystery garment of the day and it's a long sleeved t-shirt of B's. It was 92* today!! These are the things that cause me to put my head in my hands and think of how nice it must be for the women of the tribes of New Guinea to only have to put away the occasional loin cloth. Sure, they have to go down to the river and beat them against a rock but I promise you that there are days that I'd trade most all that I have for that luxury!

Ahhhh, Summer.

VBS is finally over for another year and I'm already thinking about 2009. First, let me make it perfectly clear that the main goal of VBS is sharing the gospel with as many kids as possible and making sure they have a great time. The next most important thing is decorating your room!!! This year was Outrigger Island and I was pretty happy with the way my room turned out. I mean, what's easier than making a palm tree? The pictures are of Niblet and the backdrop I made to take a picture of each of the kids for the Friday picture frame craft. Next years theme is the Outback / Australia and the wheels are already turning. There's only one problem: I don't know a thing about it. So, good thing I have a whole year to learn!! I had a great group of 21 kids this year and they were all 4 year olds with Sept-Dec 2003 birthdays. So now that all of our comittments are over, we can get on with summer. Afternoons at the pool, running outside when we hear the ice cream truck and the long awaited trip to the beach. I also told KB that I was NOT going to complain about the heat this year. I don't know about you but I got sick of the cold, damp weather about mid-January and I didn't think it was ever going to end! Well, it did end and it's hot as all get out...BUT I'M NOT COMPLAINING!! Unitl August...That was the exception to my promise. Everybody has the right ot complain about the heat in August!! So, there you go.

If it's Sunday, It's Meet the Press

I'll miss hearing those familiar words that, as it was, I didn't get to hear often enough. We're at church most Sundays when the show was on but if we found ourselves at home with a sick little one or out of town, it was always a favorite. The unexpected passing of Tim Russert today brought back memories of the sadness I felt just a little over 5 years ago when David Bloom died. It's funny how TV personalities that we've never even met become such a part of our lives and we all have our favorites that we trust to tell us about those things we either want or need to know about. I know about as much about politics as I do about how to change my own oil but I really enjoyed learning from him. He asked the questions that I wish I had the sense to ask but yet I got the benefit of the answers. One of the things that I liked most about him was that he brought so much of himself to what he did. Anyone who watched even occasionally knew about his wife Maureen, his much loved son, Luke, and his dad, Big Russ. You don't usually hear "serious" news people share the way he did. I'll really miss him.

Who Knew?

So, I'm in my mid-rise, mid-town apartment about mid-afternoon, and I run in the other room to do...something, I dunno. And I look up at the TV and there are Cindy and Ray from Star 94 with their own little talk show! What? How do I not know about this? As the camera pans across the studio you see Cindy change out some props on the table between them which is funny for a couple of reasons: One, the studio is really lo-tech (in kind of a minimalistic and apparantly low budget kind of way), in an uptown loft kind of space and the other thing is that Cindy is having to do this stuff herself. Now, I know Cindy and she's totally not a Diva (Ray? Maybe a little. HaHa, just kidding) but she shouldn't have to do that stuff herself!! I mean, really! Then I realize that I'm seeing some kind of sattelite feed and that I/we weren't supposed to see her do it. The main camera must've been on Ray. So, I'm about to run into the other room and e-mail her when I see a dog on the sofa on the other side of their studio that looks like my Sport...(FYI...who looks like Murry on Mad About You). I mean just like him! Well, except Sport's more reddish and less blond like the dog I saw. And then he's been dead for over a year too so it couldn't have been him. Plus, if it had been Sport, I'd have been there applying Neo-To-Go and a SpongeBob band-aid while stitching up the pants of the guy about to be on to show 16 ways to eat Cheetos with Cool Whip. Ok, I don't have time to watch TV...and I don't like Cheeto's so I need to call the Nanny of the kids downstairs to borrow their vacuum. Ring...Ring...Hello?... Can I come down and borrow your vaccum?...We don't have one, the maid does it...Well, so and So, your employer, said you did: It's in the closet by the front door...Mutter's under her breath---> I hate that *BLEEP*. And as she realizes that I heard her, which is suprising considering all the metal in her face and chemical irritation from at least three hair colors, I say "Well, Thanks anyway", and hang up as I ignored her attempt to cover up. I don't like to vacuum anyway!

OK, not really, I l-o-v-e to vacuum.

~ ~ ~ ~

So much for a peaceful nap.

I miss you Sport...

Scientists find monkeys who know how to fish

Yep. Fishing monkeys. Seriously. I copied and pasted the title...I couldn't make this stuff up. Now, I've got a lot going on at almost every moment during the day so when I hear or read something, I've got about 2.1 seconds to evaluate whether or not it's of interest to me. This got my attention. So, before reading any further, stop and think back to the first thing you thought of when your read the title....Ready? No? Now? (Good thing I know how to whistle) Ok. That's right!!! A monkey sitting on the bank holding a fishing pole!!!!! Not a fancy one with a reel, just a cane pole, but a "FISHING" monkey!! Ok, so now I'm hooked...oh, that's funny. Anyway, so I click on the link and read the article...(and I paraphrase) Long tailed, somekind of monkey we've never heard of...Indonesia...Nature Conservancy...blah, blah, blah...Great Ape Trust...(Ok, I can't wait...) Then it says, "It's exciting that after such a long time you see new behavior," said Erik Meijaard...(What? Oh my gosh, I hope there are pictures!!!!) "It was unclear what prompted the long-tailed macaques to go fishing" (You saw that, right...GO fishing) Well, after investing about 10 minutes, including distractions from random kids that live at my house, I realized I had missed the first part of the second paragraph...."Groups of long-tailed macaques were observed four times over the past eight years scooping up small fish with their hands and eating them"

W H A T ? ? ? Well I'm just getting mad all over again. (The following is better if read in a somewhat aggrivated, Southern tone while rolling your eyes) That's not fishing! It's catching something in the water and eating it!

Bears do it all the time!!

And it was only once every two years. Well, maybe I just need to e-mail that guy at the Great Ape Trust and tell him to keep his "observations" to himself til he finds a monkey driving a bass boat with a cooler in the back....And there better be pictures!!

MAY : The New December

May, May, May . . . . . Wow, what an unbelievably crazy , CRAAAAZYYYY month!! This school year was great for all of us and I was a little, ok, a LOT, sad to see it end. (If there's one thing my husband can tell you that he's learned about me over the years, it's that when it comes to good things in my live, I don't like change. When I find something I like, I want to stick with it). B. was in Kindergarten at a Chrsitian school on TLP and had the best class ever and his teachers (Holla!! Mrs. Karen and Mrs. Susan) were unbelievable. I made scrapbooks for each of them and was really pleased with how they turned out. (I'll add a pic of one of B's pages) The teachers were great, the kids were great and I had such a good time getting to know several of the moms. We're looking forward to lots of fun play dates over the summer and the kids know that at $4 a gallon, we'll be staying close to home. I can't believe how fast this year has passed. He's going to be in First Grade next year and I just don't know if I'm ready. Will I ever be??? I just don't want him to be gone all day, 5 days a week!! But hear me when I say "HE WILL NOT RIDE THE BUS!!!" He just has such a big heart and is such a great kid that it really scares me to think about the things he'll hear and learn from the other kids!! He's also the best big brother EVER!!! If the way he treats the baby is any indication, he's going to be one heck of a daddy. And the way he treats me is a good sign of how lucky his future wife will be. Can I get a tissue????

Our 4 year old, AKA: Niblet, had a great year too and will miss being at his old school. He'll be at the same place B. was last year for the next two years (Pre-K and Kindergargen)...(hopefully...waiting for a space to open up) and then join B. wherever he is. At this point, it'll be the public school near our house....and THAT'S all I'm gonna say about THAT!! And what a cool kid Niblet is. He never meets a stranger, has a great sense of humor, a crazy imagination, and can find the fun in anything. He's got a temper but it usually fades fast. Who knew not standing at the bottom of the stairs (as I was apparently instructed to do) while he went up to put on his jammies was grounds for folding his arms tightly and matter of factly stamping his foot while saying "I'm never talking to you AGAIN!!". Well, "never" ended up being about, hmmm, I'd say, 2 and a half minutes? Oh, the magical powers of a slice and bake sugar cookie...with sprinkles!!

And then there's little NayNay...oh, there just aren't words for this precious gift. He absolutely takes my breath away.

Ok, it's been 10 minutes since I typed that last sentance because I've been sitting here daydreaming about him. He's just yummy!! He's funny, his laughter is contageous, he's terminally happy and just plain adorable!! He got his fist haircut right after his birthday (May 8) and doesn't look like a baby anymore. I have mixed feelings about it but, it is what it is. He'll be starting first grade before I know it and I won't have any babies any more. That's right. No more babies. I prayed that the Lord would take away the yearning and He did. It makes me a little sad...ok, a lot sad, but I'm completely happy with my family as it is. I definately don't want any more children, I just had such amazing pregnancies and will miss that feeling. Now I really need a tissue.

No, really...I'll be right back.....

Well, hubby (KB) finally finished Broker classes and took the school test yesterday and passed!! Now he has to take the state test. It was hard having him out of the house two days every week since we've been used to having him at home. He's always got things to do away from home but the consistency of having him gone 7:30 to 6 two days a week was awful!! Now that he's with a new company, he has to into the office on Wednesdays from 9-4 or so but we don't mind that....I don't know why. I guess because it's closer. The school was in Dunwoody and I just felt that he was too far away and we could only talk to him when he had a break. Anyway, glad that's over. His brother died about a week and a half ago and I know he was distracted, as he should have been, and didn't study like he normally would have but he pulled it out. I'm so proud of him and once he passes the State test, he'll be a real Broker!! YAY : )

Our Anniversary was last week and we haven't done anything to celebrate yet but will hopefully have a chance now that things are winding down. Soccer awards were that night and since KB coached B. and Niblet's team, we couldn't miss it. Not that we would have anyway, I guess. Except for the terrible weather/tornado. Anyway, it's been a wild 13 years but I wouldn't trade them for anything. Here's to many more!!

Well, I guess the only thing we really have left before we get on with the business of summer is VBS. I'm lead teaching Niblet's class again this year and think it's going to be a lot of fun. A lot of work, but it'll be worth it.

So this blogging thing is pretty fun. Like I need something else to do. Yeh, right. I do see it serving a purpose though. I've got so much in my head and finally...a place to put it!! It'll be like Spring cleaning for my brain but without the Rubbermaid tubs!! There's really no rhyme or reason to most of the things I think about so I'm sure most of the posts will be the same way. Random ramblings of a crazy, suburban housewife with ADD and a bunch of kids...4 if you count my husband...and I do. The trick is going to be remembering all the things I think about. It's like 6 Flags in my head and every five minutes is a different ride. WHEEEE!!