Please Pray....

Homeschool Mom of 4 emailed me today with the following,

Dear Friends,

We are on our way to Little Rock tomorrow. I am having surgery Tuesday to remove a tumor in my brain. Even though I have one of the top neurosurgeons in the country (if not the world), I know that ultimately this is all in God’s hands. I believe strongly in the power of the prayers of God’s people. That is why I am asking for your prayers. And, if your church has a prayer chain, would you be willing to add me to that as well?

Pray for the doctors and staff, that the surgery would go well with NO complications. That my recovery and recuperation would go smoothly and quickly so we can come home as soon as possible. For safety in travel as Oklahoma and Arkansas got lots of snow and ice this week. Pray for our children that they would have peace and that things at home would go smoothly while we are away.

Thank you and God bless.

Hockey Player and laundry....

Hockey Player is ten.
But it wasn't really all that long ago when Hockey Player couldn't stand to be dirty.
He is a boy at heart in all honesty.
But up until he was 5 or so when I finally got firm with him about dirt and life and told him, "Life is dirty sometimes deal with it!" he drove me nuts. He was the only kid in soccer who managed to come off the soccer field clean. He didn't like soccer because of the mud. While the other boys were barrel rolling and sliding in the mud, he prefered to sit on the bench or tiptoe through the mud. As a toddler he would stick his hands in the mud and cry. I would wash his hands only for him to repeat the process much to my annoyance. He started off being a tidy eater. He eventually discovered he was able to throw food, but once he was done he wanted his hands cleaned up. Never could understand how he could find utter joy and be totally devastated at the same time. He delighted in experiences which required messes but could not stand being dirty and would holler and fuss when he realized he was dirty/messy. Just about drove me nuts.
Now Hockey Player has an aversion to anything clean in his hockey bag.
He wants to stink. He wants to have the stinkiest, smelliest, most disgusting hockey bag. They even offer an award for it every year. His goal this year is to earn that award. I am thinking of bribing his teammates. Anything, to get past the desire for this new achievement. Maybe if he wins this year, he will be more inclined to let me clean his gear on a regular basis. I am not talking floral, pretty scents. Just good old-fashion soap and hot water!
Today, he asks Big-O-Daddy-O to take him to Sports Authority.
Why?
He has a gift card for there.
He has a coupon that expires this weekend.
He wants a new Under Armor shirt to wear under his hockey gear.
Why does he want a new shirt?
His is yellow....
It is suppose to be white.
It is yellow becuase it needs to be washed.
It is yellow because I won't open the hockey bag for all the stench that is contained in it and he won't turn over his gear to be cleaned.
When I explain the yellow color and the need for washing and that just maybe the shirt could be white again, all Hockey Player could say is, "Oh."
He still wants to go to Sports Authority.
I told Big-O-Daddy-O he had best get a black shirt.
I have resigned myself to be grateful that he gets in the shower when ordered to.
I find myself, also, grateful there is no award for the smelliest kid of the season.

Dillons coupons for whoever wants them...

I have Dillons coupons I would like to pass onto someone. There are some really high dollar ones. Some are for items on sale this week. I will break up the bunch, if need be, but if you are taker who would like me to mail them to you, I would prefer you take the whole bunch or at least a good portion of them. I don't want to mail out a bunch of one coupons per envelopes. I think my hubby would strangle me for all the stamps that would mean I go through. :) I will try to update the list as coupons are spoken for.
If there are no takers, I will happily toss them into the recycling Monday. Our recycling buddies come on Tuesday morning bright and early!
So here goes...
Some expire 1/24/2010 but Dillons takes them up to 2 weeks after exp. date (so that would make them really expire 2/7/2010)
exp. 1/24/10
2.00 on 2 Gatorade 8 pack
1.00 on Velevetta 32 oz cheese

exp. 2/14/10
2.00 on Theraflu or Triaminic (theraflu on sale this week)
2,00 on Nature Made product (vitamins, etc.)
1.50 on Nyquil/dayquil

exp. 2/21/10
2.00 on Farm Rich Snack
75 cent on Dole Salad
1.00 Pretzel Crisps
1.00 on 4 Philadelphia cream cheese on sale this week.
50 cents on Bertolli Pasta Sauce product
1.25 on Private Selection Prepackaged or Prepared Deli Party Tray, any size, any variety
10.00 on one Private Selection Standing Rib Roast fully cooked
1.50 Private Selection Frozen Meal, any size, any variety
1.00 Butoni Refrigerated Pasta or Sauce
1.00 off 2 boxes of Pepperidge Farm baked Naturals snack crackers
75 cents off Private Selection Frozen Appetizer
40 cents off Kroger Nice n Elegant Napkins
50 cents on Heinz Cocktail sauce
1.00 on 2 Triscuit crackers (on sale this week)
3.00 on one Private Selection Tiger Shrimp Ring, 20 or 30 count

For my Grandchildren

In my email inbox, I find this email with the above in the subject line.


The email reads,


"I still make snow angels"

My children are blessed with young at heart grandma, who won't stop enjoying life.

I am blessed with a mother who reminds me to take time to enjoy the simple pleasures of life.

Not believing, is sometimes seeing...

I have noticed of late, that I am becoming a bit pessimistic and cynical.
So when I heard the weather report of 4-8 inches, I scoffed.
Won't happen.
When I heard people rumble about school closings, I scoffed.
Won't happen.
I couldn't possibly experience the joy of shutting down of activities and busy-ness this weekend.
I am ever so grateful, God chose to ignore my little cynical self.
I went to bed ever so early last night.
I even looked at the olders and said, lights out by....
I am going to bed.
Consider yourselves tucked in.
10 hours later, hubby is waking me up to tell me the car is fixed.
30 minutes later still bleary eyed and staring at the tv for weather closings and then onto the internet cause I was too impatient to wait on the scroll bar anymore.
All that I had scoffed at, really did happen.
Schools did close,
Lots of snow did fall.
I don't know the final count in inches.
I just know my kids did school as usual, they hung out with one another. We picked up the Date Mobile, took it back and got it again and came home just in time for me to take 1 1/2 hrs. nap.
Hockey games canceled (go figure?). Much to my pleasure.
They have a practice instead...maybe they do, not us. We shall see.
All that I have left on my calendar is a hair appointment and church.
I have a few kiddos begging to do History. So maybe we will do that as well.
Hot cocoa, naps, and a fire in the fireplace...sounds like a perfect weekend.
Maybe perfect enough to knock me out of the doldrums and my cynical attitude that caused me to scoff so heartily at the weather man this week.
For now, I am just enjoying the giggles I hear in the basement as all 5 kiddos are getting along and having fun!

Date Mobile update!

Hubby Just Called !
I was RIGHT!
I WAS RIGHT!
It was the air compressor keeping the car from starting.
Who knew I could figure out such a thing about cars?
I can't even change the oil in a car.
I doubt I have the strength to change a tire.
I probably could if forced to, but for now I just rest in the capablity of hubbys arms to take care of it all for me.
But this time, I can say I helped!
And I didn't have to get dirty hands.

Who knew??

I could be a budding auto mechanic?
This week I received a call from hubby dear to please come get him from work.

His date-mobile won't start.
Date-mobile = Ford Taurus.
Bucket front seats
does not fit all 5 kids
We could go on a date & not look in the backseat & see car seats & maybe for a moment imagine ourselves 15 years younger.
The Date-mobile.

DM has been making a clunking sound for a few days. Big O Daddy O was waiting for the weekend to work on it. The Date-Mobile became insistent on receiving some undivided attention.

So Big O Daddy O starts working on the problem related to the car not starting. He checks the battery. He checks the starter. A few other things. I ask about the clunking. Couldn't the clunking be the problem? BODO told me earlier in the clunking stage, the clunking was related to the air compressor.
"Oh, I forgot about that."
"Maybe"
So he mentions it to his car buddies. A few other hmmms, yep that could be it.
So BODO is off to see if the air compressor is why the Date Mobile won't start.
Then we have the option between air conditioning this summer or no air conditioning.
The difference is in $$ comfort and dollars $$
But either way, it is cheaper than a car payment. The Date Mobile is paid for. Not pretty, but paid for.
In the meantime, I am reveling in the fact, I helped BODO out with the car. AND I didn't have to get my hands dirty! I just had to remember something he said.
Beautiful!
Now he can't say I don't listen or remember anything he says!
Beautiful!

Be Careful of Your Thoughts...

Early this week, I was reflecting on how grateful I was my children liked their names.
Never once had they bemoaned their name or wanted to change their name.
A lot of prayer went into each of my children's names.
For some of the kiddos, a lot of negotiation and reading on the meaning of names between the mom and dad.
Then out of the blue, Daddy's Buddy informed me he wanted to change his name.
It is to be:
Cad Bane (a bounty hunter from Star Wars)
Of course for this posting it has taken a coordinated effort of the 3 older ones to tell me how to spell this name. My hearing isn't the best and I am a little Star Wars illiterate. Never seemed important to know each name belonging to clone troopers and bounty hunters.
But Cad Bane ?
In all my wonderful motherliness, I very calmly inform Daddy's Buddy
I prayerfully named you.
I will call you by the name chosen for you.
If I change the name I call you, it will be to call you, "My sweet, sweet, buttercup" cause I love you so much.
DB: "NOOOOoooooOOOOOOoooooo"
He has agreed I may call him by the name chosen for him before he was born.

He tried again with Big O Daddy O this morning.
BODO not knowing the previous conversation said something similar and the kids were floored.
The Mom and Dad UNITED!
Score for the Parents!
No the kids weren't floored we were united. They were floored by the similarities in our responses.

Results are in...

Doc's office finally called. My MRI was normal.
Well, they found no abnormalities.
So if I may, I will interpret that as meaning they found a brain!
As for the cause of what is causing me all this drama...
Have absolutely no idea.
They were kind enough to schedule an appointment with a neurologist.
For now, I am getting more feeling back in my face.
Today, my neck hurt.
Mixed blessings, I know.
I could actually tell hubby he was being a pain in the neck today.
Nah, he has been sweet about this.
Letting me sleep as much as I need to.
Letting me hide in my room when the steroids kick in and I need to disappear so not to say or do anything I wish I hadn't.
The kids have been sweet with their hugs and taking care of their momma.
They have also shown a tremendous amount of wisdom about when to stop what they are doing. Their way of helping me to not go beyond grumpy. 2 days till the steroid fun is over!

HOw did he get so smart?

We have a house rule. No computer games until 3 p.m.
Hopefully, then, the older kids are done with school.
This morning, Flutter Nutter was busted by the older kids.
He was caught behind our bed playing DS.
Fun Mom: What are you doing?
Hockey Player: Are you suppose to be playing DS?
Flutter Nutter: No, but I am hiding.
Fun Mom: Even though you are hiding it is still disobeying.

I guess the rule doesn't apply if you can't be seen?
Gotta love the 4 yr. old's logic.
Yeah for Fun Mom and Hockey Player. They were so gentle in how they corrected him.
Then Big O Daddy O stepped in.
'Cause the mom was trying so hard to not fall over laughing.

Brothers...

I love catching these brother moments.
They will find any spot to gather together.
Even admist the piles of laundry.

Home Alone on Sunday...sorta

Little Princess and I stayed home sick today and tonight.
She had a brief moment of ickiness last night, but we felt it best to quarantine her for the day.
I have to admit it was fun!
She and I curled up on the floor this morning and created Chixos/Pixos Girls.
Something she received for her birthday and we just haven't had time to play with them.
Then tonight the men went to watch football with Grandpa, Fun Mom had youth group which left Little Princess and me to hang out again.
What to do? What to do?
What else?
Braum's ice cream, a movie and a game of SkipBo.
This Mom is thinking we ought to play sick more often!