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Thursday, June 24, 2010

"Where is our ding-gone? Everyone has a ding-gone, why don't we?"

We've just returned home from a three day whirlwind vacation with our whole herd. Yes, we made it home safely with all seven kiddlings in tow - we didn't lose a single one of them! (Mind you there were moments I wouldn't have minded misplacing one or two of them .... temporarily of course.) But thankfully we all survived and lived to tell about it. I wasn't so sure if my Hubby and Teenager were going to live but they did. Our first stop was Canada's Wonderland (an annual June event for our family.) My Hubby and the Teenager worked up the courage to take the plunge on the Xtreme Skyflyer. {Xtreme Skyflyer is Canada's largest free-fall swing. On Xtreme Skyflyer riders control their own ride experience by pulling the rip cord and initiating a 170-foot power flight that takes riders through a breathtaking pendulum swing, soaring a mere six feet above the ground! Drawing its inspiration from skydiving, riders will experience weightlessness and speeds of more than 100km/hr. } They thoroughly enjoyed the ride .....  although their screams could be heard all across the park and they couldn't stop shaking for a while afterward. They tried to convince me to get up there but I chose to live.... besides, who would take care of all my little ones if I splattered on the pavement?
I opted for a safer thrill...... an ICECREAM COOKIE! Look at the size of that bad boy! A large portion of soft serve ice cream squashed between two delicious chocolate chip cookies, then rolled across a bin of chocolate chips. Mmmmmmm, can you say "cellulite?" These things are so good I actually dreamed about eating it a few days before we left for our vacation. I dreamed I brought a plastic knife with me to cut one in half for the little girls to share ..... so when we stopped to eat on our way up I stashed a plastic knife in the diaper bag just so I'd have something to cut theirs with. Sometimes good ideas come in dreams :) A very big "THANKYOU" to the young guy behind the counter who looked horrified when he saw how many kids we had ... and gave us one icecream cookie 'on the house' :)
It was a bit of a challenge to accommodate all our kiddlings in the park. Some were big enough to ride the adult thrill rides, some were just under the height requirements and had to opt for less thrilling rides and the smallest ones had to wait until we ventured to the other side of the park to Planet Snoopy to go on all the rides built just for little ones. And then the big kids had to sit on the sidelines waiting patiently while their little siblings had a chance to experience their fun. Our family loves thrill rides - roller coasters are the BEST! We are training up the little ones to share that passion too :) The Teenager was in her glory, she got to go on everything twice...once with Mom, then with Dad. (Someone had to stay with the little ones while the big kids played - so we took turns.)
Little Susan was thrilled to meet Snoopy in person. She got her picture taken with him too. While we were on the carousel she spotted him in a crowd and screamed "Hey Shrinkey! Shrinkey! Look, it's Shrinkey!" It seems she forgot his name....but everyone else around her will remember that for a very long time :) Little Susan was less than thrilled with the toilets at Canada's Wonderland. They were all the automatic flushing types. A typical four year old just can't sit still, even on the pot. So everytime she wiggled around the toilet would flush and she would try to jump off in terror. She really came to despise those toilets and could spot them instantly when she went into the washrooms. We found one place that had "regular" toilets and she jumped up and down shouting "Yay! No scary toilets!"
Once the park closed and our wee ones (and not so wee ones) were strapped safely into the vehicles (yup, we have to take more than one... can't wait till the Teenager can drive!) my Hubby and I stared blankly into eachothers eyes..... "What in the world were we thinking?" Tired and sweaty, hungry and sore..... and now all we had to do was find our hotel :) Well we thought Canada's Wonderland was an adventure..... trying to find our hotel was almost as much of a thrill. We stopped at Montanna's for a late dinner. We couldn't seem to figure out which way to go to get to our hotel - ya, we were lost... so we got directions from our server 'Mike'. As we pulled out of the parking lot and turned onto the road I petitioned out loud "Please Lord, help us find the hotel" Latoya added, "In Jesus' Name - Amen." to which the Baby shouted "MeeMen" (which is her rendition of "Amen") We did find the hotel but we probably should have been praying harder..... I had three near-death experiences driving on those roads! People drive like they're going to miss the blue light special in aisle 2 at K-Mart.... cutting you off, not letting you in, racing you for the exit ramp.... oh my goodness it took me a few minutes to settle down and stop shaking before I could crawl out of my van - my legs felt like jello and I needed a minute to compose myself.
All the kiddlings were so spent from their exciting day ....after a rousing game of "hide and seek" in the hotel room they fell asleep in piles on top of the beds.
We went to the Medieval Times Dinner theatre the next day for lunch. (yes, we got lost on the way but eventually made it in one piece.) This used to be an event our family regularly attended.... when a child turned six years old we would go to "the castle" for their birthday dinner and to watch the performance. Prior to now, Little Susan had been too young to sit through the performance and we supposed she would be frightened by the loud noises and mock fighting so she had never been here before (obviously neither had The Baby) so this was a first for both of them :) The Baby looked at me for reassurance once the jousting and "fighting" began. When she saw me smile she relaxed and watched with fascination ... while chewing on a whole chicken leg. Little Susan watched the horses and riders, the knights swinging swords and the king on his throne.... she wasn't nearly as interested in any of it until our knight, the "Green Knight" picked HER and gave her a flower. OH MY GOODNESS .... she was smitten ..... she clutched the pink carnation to her chest, cocked her head to one side and batted her eyelashes. "I love him" she said. Little Susan clung to her flower for the rest of the night. I had to put it in a glass of water on the night stand for her at bedtime :) The Teenager thought this was all quite funny and teased Little Susan - I quickly reminded her that not too many years ago SHE got a flower from the "White Knight" when we visited the castle and she behaved the very same way ..... she kept her flower on her dresser and watered it every day until I found it crumbled all over the bedroom floor one day and threw it out before she got home from school. The kiddlings had a great time at the castle with the exception of Daniel. He was pretty put out and sulked for the latter half of the performance. "Why didn't I get a flower like Little Susan? I wanted a flower too." He complained. Hahahaha.
We took my Hubby to the Bass Pro Shop in the afternoon for a Father's Day shopping spree. He really enjoyed himself there .... in "Man Land" as he calls it. It's a man's version of Toy's R Us. All the guys wander through there with that same glazed dreamy look in their eyes.... stopping to touch, read, try out and fantasize about all the awesome toys for big boys. My husband planted himself in an overstuffed camouflage lazy boy recliner. He wanted the whole camo living room furniture set but I had to put my foot down and insist he wait until he has a garage of his own, big enough to accommodate all his "guy stuff." Phew, dodged that one ..... can you imagine this in my livingroom?!? LOL.  We ended up buying a little infant camo hunting cap for The Baby. He wanted to get the camo dress, onesie and jogging suit for her as well but I told him that the hat would be more than enough for now. She wore the hat through the store and chewed on it for a bit once we got into the van.  She will eventually grow old enough to go hunting with daddy like the other kiddos do - he's just grooming her for it now :)
We took the herd to the Toronto Zoo the following day where we baked in the sun walking from exhibit to exhibit only to find the animals were sleeping and hidden out of sight or "temporarily not on display." We found more water fountains in the zoo than animals but because of the heat we were thankful for that.  Our favourite thing at the zoo was Sting Ray Bay where we touched "sting rings" as Latoya calls them, horseshoe crabs and a couple sharks. The "sting rings" were soft and slippery feeling. They seemed to like being touched. There was the odd ray that thought he'd be funny and glide through the water along the side and splash everyone.... funny guy. It left everyone wet and smelling fishy - so gross but entertaining.  Little Susan's favourite animals were the baby goats. While looking at them, Nicholas enquired "why do they all have earrings in Mom?" He was asking about the identification tags attached to their ears :) Another Zoo favourite was the camel rides. Little Susan almost didn't get on.... she was nervous about their large size. The only kiddlings who didn't ride a camel were the Baby and The Teenager.
The Teenager will have a "real" camel ride in the dessert in Israel soon so she wanted to wait for that experience. I am still not sure how she is going to handle it ...... in the dessert in Israel ..... far from home...... with big foreign bugs and other unfamiliar things. If she can't even stay seated in the van when a tiny little spider walks along the window what in the world will she do on the other side of the world? We had to stop the van and "get rid of" the offending arachnid before we could continue on our way - other wise she might have climbed through the drivers side window to escape his clutches .... all the while howling "GET IT, GET IT, MOOOOM, PLEASE GET IT!"
That's okay my Teenage girl, your big, strong daddy will be there to protect you from all the terrible scary bugs...... oh wait, I just remembered, he tolerates those things about as much as you do! (Don't you remember the june bug that Sarah tried to show him - but it fell onto his arm by accident)  LOL, have fun my loves - scream like little girls together and do the "bug dance" but just make sure someone has a video camera - please!:)
We stopped for a bite to eat along the 401 as we ventured home. After using the restroom my Teenager and I came across a fascinating discovery - so bizzare that I had to run back to our table to get the camera and back to the ladies room to take this short video clip.

Our hands were numb and tingly for a while after that - but they sure were dry!
Grandma Windsor spent a few days with us this past week. - Here are a few funnies from our house to yours:
* "Grandma, you look beautiful in your pajama top" said Daniel.
* I was drawing a map for Grandma to give her directions to get her back to the highway to go home. Daniel got very concerned and enquired "Grandma, don't you know where your house is?!?"
* Grandma was going home today. As Grandma pulled away from the curb and headed toward home Daniel turned toward me and sadly said "I miss her already!" (she wasn't even to the corner yet)
* While sitting on the porch Little Susan suddenly asked "Where is our ding-gone? Everyone has a ding-gone, why don't we?" (she was referring to a door bell)
* While sitting on the porch The Baby reached up to pet our dog Buzzy who was sitting on my lap. She picked up his paw and brought it to her face .... and smelled his foot (paw) then gave a shiver and made a funny face as if he had stinky feet. The Baby probably just got tickled on her nose by the fur on Buzzy's paws - but it sure was funny to observe.
* While having spaghetti for dinner, Little Susan complained that it was too hot to eat just yet. My hubby tried to help her out by spreading it out on her plate to cool quicker. Little Susan looked up at him with an overwhelmed look in her eyes and whined "Daddyyyyy, I don't want THAT much!" (Once it was spread out it looked like she had more spaghetti than she had previously.)

AVON JUNKIES ..... Avon Campaign 17 has just begun. The order will be placed on Tuesday July 6th at noon.  Please have a look at the online brochures and contact me :) See "My Avon Business" page for the complete listing of current online brochures available.

~ A very special Thank You to Margaret M for the strawberry pie..... what a delicious blessing that was.

~ Praise Fellowship Church India Missions Trip BBQ & Yard Sale Fundraiser
Our goal is to raise more than enough funds to purchase a new generator for the orphanage and a vehicle to be used for transportation for the orphanage & ministry.
Saturday June 26th from 7 am until 1:00 pm or so. All proceeds from the BBQ will go directly toward the India Mission’s Trip.
Bring a friend or two .... come on out and support this very worthy cause!
 
~ Share the love..... forward this blog to your family and friends. Tell them to join our mailing list to receive regular updates!
 
Have an incredibly blessed week :)

Sunday, June 20, 2010

"Wow Mom, it's just like the newer version of our house, like we've been upgraded!"

This may look like an ordinary old beat up colander but it represents my inheritance to me. This is the colander I grew up with. It strained the pasta noodles Mom would cook on the weekends, the vegetables she would cook up to go with dinner and the roast pan drippings she would use to make gravy for our yorkshire pudding. It was the makeshift disco ball we used to dance around the living room with when we would shine a flash light through it and watch the cool star patterns of light on the walls and ceiling. We pretended it was the funny hat the hairdresser used to put on grandma's head and poke her hair through with a crochet needle when she went for her hair appointment. We played with it in the bathtub, running water through it over and over again, never tiring of the way the water fell through the small holes like a shower. It was the bowl we used to hold popcorn until we learned that melted butter seeps through the bottom of a colander faster than you realize....and no, the salt does not plug up the holes to keep the butter from leaking ot all over the floor. It was the "green strainer" I grew up with and still feel oddly attached to today...... so finally .... after many years of pestering and badgering, my dad decided to bequeath the family colander to me just recently. My kids don't appreciate the value it holds for me. All they see is an "old green strainer with a chip out if the edge" but I see a lifetime of memories.  It causes me to contemplate my own children and wonder what memories they will hold dear when they grow up ..... will a certain piece of furniture or a particular photograph evoke strong feelings  and emotions for them? Will any of them get nostalgic over grandma's good china or daddy's beat up lazy boy recliner? I hope they one day appreciate the stack of boxes I have stored in the closet, filled with momentos I've collected for them through out the years. From the decorations on my baby shower cake for the birth of my first baby - the Teenager.... right down to the outfit our newest addition, the Baby, came to us wearing (a small green one piece short set) and all the school art projects, report cards, mother's day gifts, and sappy love poems in between.

Speaking of the Baby ..... it is with great pleasure and motherly pride that I can now announce that her adoption is now finalized! It is finished. She is legally ours and I finally feel like I can breathe again. This month marks the end of an old chapter in our lives and the beginning of something brand new.  Her adoption day was long awaited and very excitedly aniticipated. Little Susan was giddy and prepared two days prior. She was going to visit with Papa for a bit while we attended court with the Baby. Little Susan was anticipating having her Papa all to herself. She gathered up four videos (two Dora and two Bible Man movies) and her Bible backpack. She was determined to keep Papa's interest. On the morning of the "Big Day" she woke up and got dressed quickly, she watched the door as she ate her breakfast - Papa was coming to pick her up and she wanted to be ready for him. When Papa arrived she ran through the house shrieking "he's here, he's here, my Papa is here!" She put her shoes on (the wrong feet of course and had to take the time to switch them around) She felt so special - you could see it on her as she clutched her bag of movies in one hand and held Papa's hand tightly in the other while they walked across the street to the van.
We took the Baby to the court house. We had waited for this day for a long time. I kept having to mentally remind myself to breathe - as I'd catch myself holding my breath waiting .... waiting to wake up? Waiting for someone to burst my bubble? Waiting for that all too familiar feeling of disappointment I'd grown accustomed to over the past few years. I felt like I was operating on auto pilot and I wouldn't allow myself to feel the exciting emotions one should feel on such a momentous occassion - not yet, not until I know this is real, not until the judge signs the papers and makes it legal ... then I can breathe.
We met our adoption worker in the main lobby of the court house. The Baby was in a silly mood. She was very active and wasn't happy in one place for any length of time."Noooo" she squealed when I tried to sit down with her. She arched her back, determined to slide off my lap and onto the floor. I had to walk her around to keep her content :) When it was our turn we took the elevator upstairs to meet with the judge. The Baby didn't want to sit near her, she was a "stranger" and she wanted nothing to do with her. The judge made some small talk, signed the papers, posed with us for a couple pictures then shook our hands and we were done. As we left the courthouse and walked toward our van I could almost feel the scissors severing my puppet strings. I felt lighter, a weight was lifted, I felt free. No longer bound to an agency but free. We are a real family now .... and it feels so right.

This past weekend we saw the end of another season here .... DANCE. Five of seven of the kiddlings had dance this year and all of them had their year end recitals on Saturday. Our little girlies had their turn on the big stage after lunch. They were so excited to get flowers from Daddy but Little Susan was a bit sad that she wouldn't have "Crance Crass" (dance class) anymore. Latoya said she didn't mind, she was just going to miss dancing with "Charlie" (the only boy in their class.)
Our boys had their show in the evening. They did a wonderful job! I was such a proud Mommy :) Nicholas was such a trooper. He performed very well , even after such a painful experience with his fingers and the jeep door.
With the school year coming to an end, it's a good time to consider some new kind of sport or activity to introduce to the herd..... this will take some thought.....  I am open to suggestions :)

We're still trying to sell our home. Our realtor called and said it was time to hold another open house so I began the usual cleaning and decluttering, sorting and getting rid of. I even rearranged a few rooms to make the place a little more appealing. When the kids came home from school the one day Shane was so impressed with what he saw. "Wow Mom, it's just like the newer version of our house, like we've been upgraded!" he said excitedly :)
I took that as a compliment but was still not as impressed as the kids were.... after all I WAS just coming down from an adrenaline rush .... from wrestling with the girl's set of bunk beds.... how many times can a person put a set of bunkbeds together and STILL get them wrong?!?!?!
During my second rebuild the phone rang. It was my hubby calling. I asked him if he was in the area and was able to stop by to help me separate the beds (yes AGAIN, I know you already helped me turn them around on your lunch break but I did something wrong .... I said I did something WRONG ... and I have to redo it again.... ) and turn the top bunk around.  He said he was already back at the office but would give me a hand as soon as he got home after work. I hung up and decided I couldn't wait for him to come home, I needed to do it now. So I did it myself....
and after the bed collapsed a couple times I was finally able to get the parts all in the right places and put the bed back together again .... just as my sweet hubby came in to assist me. He left work to come rescue me - cause he knows me well enough to know that I wouldn't wait for him and I'd attempt to do it myself :) and he didn't want me to get hurt.
Thanks Babe, I appreciate your thoughtfulness .... but where were you ten minutes earlier?!?!?!


Please feel free to share the laughs ~ Forward this blog to your family and friends and encourage them to join our mailing list too!


The Contest is still on....

We have yet to find a winner...... Forward this blog to 3 people. If they join our mailing list, your name will be entered into a draw for a FREE AVON product (valued at $168.00) on Tuesday June 29th. (Email me the names of the people you forwarded this blog to) I will email the winner on Wednesday June 30th and will publish the winner's name in the next blog posted. You're free to forward this to as many people as you wish :) Every 3 names added constitues one ballot toward the prize.

Also.... Just a reminder that the Campaign 16 Avon order will be placed on Tuesday June 22 at noon. If you haven't already placed your order, please have a look at the online brochures and contact me :)  See "My Avon Business" page for the complete listing of current online brochures available.
Here is an "awww" moment from our house to yours:
As we drove along the 401 Little Susan was in awe at the beautiful sun set out her window. "Look at that sun Mama." she gasped breathlessly. "Hmmm, I think Jesus put that right there for you Baby girl." I said to her. In a tiny voice full of wonder she replied, "I lookin' at it with my heart Mama."

Have an incredibly beautiful Week :)

Thursday, June 10, 2010

"Men are like that sometimes, they don't always notice the obvious."

Just when I think I can fit nothing more into my week things inevitably happen that leave me juggling my time and energy late into the night. My "To Do" list keeps growing and there are less and less items scratched off of it these days. With so much to do in a day I have to jot down even the smallest of details otherwise I risk "forgetting" about it and disappointing one of the little ones. #1. Look up FREE summer programs #2. Get photos printed for the kiddlings albums #3. Update Wills (before heading to India - I know, not a pretty thought but certainly necessary) #4. Update the church website and add new events #6. Set up Daniel's "Funkeys" on the computer (a game he got for his birthday in February - see how behind I am!) #7. get groceries (eating is overated anyway let's just eat out and save on dishes ... we don't have time to do them anyway) .... and the list goes on. All it takes is for one "unplanned event" to occur and it causes chaos in my world. This week was "one of those weeks." I managed to get Buzzy to the groomers (as you can see in the picture) now he's sporting a cool new do and a fancy "Hot Wheels" neck tie, the Teenager to the stables to help with the horses and the exceptional riders program, the little girlies to their dance recital dress rehersal (a real feat after having to get them both dressed in their costumes with hair and makeup done), Latoya to her speech assessment, the Teenager to the hospital to get more xrays and a consult with the surgeon, preparations for year end class field trips, the three boys dressed in costume and off to their dress rehersal for their upcoming dance recital, and as I am headed out the door to bring my sister back home (from helping me herd my little ones around today - thank you Sis, you are a blessing to me) suddenly my world comes to an abrupt stop with one phone call..... it's my husband.... he sounds panicked .... he tells me that as they were all getting out of the jeep to go into the rehersal, Shane closed the jeep door ..... while Nicholas' hand was on the door frame ..... his hand got crushed in the door. I grabbed an icepack and headed out the door to assess my little guy's squashed appendage. The 4 minute drive seemed to take forever.
I found him sitting in the jeep sobbing with a ziplock baggie of ice on his hand. Three fingers were visibly injured and starting to swell. This would warrant a trip to the emergency room for sure.
We got in right away and got xrays taken care of. They placed us in a room, gave Nicholas more ice for his hand and some pain medication and there we waited..... and waited .... and waited ...... and while we waited we played doctor with masks and gloves we found in the room. We made stick men out of tongue depressors and played hide-and-seek with them. We blew up surgical gloves and drew faces on them and made them into turkeys and chickens and bounced them back and forth to each other. Daddy came in and played around with the overhead light pretending to interrogate Nicholas while he lay on the bed giggling. Daddy went back home to bathe the rest of the little ones and get them off to bed. Nicholas and I were just about to cast his foot - just for something to do, when the doctor finally came in (4.5 hours later) and checked him over. It appears that one of the three fingers might be fractured, so they drained his fingers to reduce some of the swelling and wrapped and taped his fingers together and sent us on our way. We should have at least gotten a free bedpan for our time. Nicholas was happy to be out of there but not so thrilled when I told him that "yes he did have to go to school tomorrow." His only consolation was the fact that the bandages were so noticable..... he would be able to "show it off" easily. How could you not notice a hand wrapped up looking like it belonged to a ninja turtle (that's what he said it looked like before I sent him off to school the next day.)
Speaking of "being noticable" ....
The Teenager and I were on our way home from shopping one night this week when I noticed the hair salon was still open. I wanted to get a hair cut so I called home to make sure things were okay with my Hubby and kids and to check and see if I had time to get my hair done. He said "Make sure they take enough off." What he meant (in Dutch) was "make sure they take enough off to be worth the $$$ it was going to cost." Hahaha. I figured since the Teenager was graduating next week she should get her hair cut while we were there. So we both settled in for a shampoo, cut & style. By the time we were done we both looked and felt great. Time to go home and show off our new do's to Daddy. When I walked in the door he looked me over and said my "hair looked great" ..... then told the Teenager it was time to get ready for bed. He never even realized she had just had her hair done as well! She looked at me wide eyed and I gave her that look that means "be quiet - don't say a word." I met up with her in the kitchen and reminded her that "men are like that sometimes, they don't always notice the obvious." I told her to keep quiet about it and see how long it takes him to realize she got her hair cut too. Well... that was three days ago and he hasn't even noticed. Grandma came in lastnight sporting a new do and he noticed that right away. Papa looked at the Teenager with a grin ... he KNEW she was waiting for her Daddy to notice her haircut :) So as my dear Hubby is reading this blog ..... please take a good hard look at your daughter tonight and compliment her on her new hair cut...... she's been waiting for you to notice :)
***ATTENTION***
We FOUND a DOG on Grand Avenue in Chatham, in  the parking lot in front of Manna video and convenience Store on May 31, 2010. If you recognize this dog or know of someone who has lost a dog like him, please contact us to claim your pup. He is quiet, clean, non shedding and house trained and missing his previous owners. Thanks!
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The Mailing List
I just wanted to let you know that we've noticed some of your email addresses are on our list twice! If you have been receiving email updates regarding this blog more than once a week, please contact me immediately to adjust the mailing list. Please feel free to share the laughs ~ Forward this blog to your family and friends and encourage them to join our mailing list too!
The Contest
Forward this blog to 3 people. If they join our mailing list, your name will be entered into a draw for a FREE AVON product (valued at $168.00) on Tuesday June 15th. (Email me the names of the people you forwarded this blog to) I will email the winner on Wednesday June 16th and will publish the winner's name in the next blog posted. You're free to forward this to as many people as you wish :) Every 3 names added constitues one ballot toward the prize.
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Here are a few funnies from our house to yours:
* Little Susan followed me into the washroom one morning. "Mommy, why is your bum so big?" she asked with wide eyed innocence. "I don't know baby," I replied, "I think it's an allergic reaction to chocolate."
* Little Susan was trying to sneak up on a butterfly. "You have to stand on you TEE PEE TOES" she said. This is especially funny because she is native :)
*After school one day my brother James said, "Dad, Can you talk like someone from British Columbia .... like with a british accent?" Hahahahaha
* Little Susan came out dressed as a princess. "Wow, that's a beautiful crown you have there Susan" I said. "It's holding my BRAINS (bangs) up." She said matter of factly.
* The Baby was playing in the baby pool on the back porch. I removed her diaper because it was so full of water. "So cute! What a fat bum." my sister teased. "Looks just like my wife's butt" says my Hubby ..... Oh boy, are you in trouble man.
* After dinner I fed the Baby a yogurt. "Can I have a yogurt too Mommy." inquired Little Susan. "No honey, the Baby didn't eat as much as you - she's a baby." I reasoned. "Mommy, I'm just yiddow too." replied Susan.
* As Shane was coming off a time out he loudly announced "I'm NOT going to have kids! They'll just run around and break stuff in my house and not listen!" He quickly confided that He wants a Hummer instead :)

Avon Campaign 16 has begun. Check out the curent online brochures and let me know if there's anything I can get for you. The next order will be placed on Tuesday June 22nd. See "My Avon Business" page for the complete listing of current online brochures available.

Have an incredibly blessed week!
Lucy

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

"WHOSE poo is it?" I asked .... afraid to hear the answer.

I could hear the babyish sound of Little Susan's voice rhythmically chanting "kick shuffle kick shuffle kick shuffle...." I assumed she was practicing for her upcoming dance recital. As I looked down to see what my little one was upto I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing out loud and putting a stop to her performance. Little Susan was kneeling on the floor in front of our old dog Buzzy, she had his front paws in her hands and she was moving them back and forth "kick shuffle kick shuffle" she sang. Poor Buzzy sat very still looking up at me with bewilderment in his eyes. It was that same kind of look in his eyes that he had the morning after his "big operation" when he bent down to clean himself and realized "something wasn't quite right" ..... that "what is THIS?" kind of look. My poor old Shih Tzu had had that look on more than a few occassions.... like this week for example... I have probably mentioned before that I tend to get a little neglectful toward my old dog with seven kiddlings to care for, and often don't find the time to take him to the groomer until he is walking into walls because he can't see through his fur or sliding all over the floor because his nails need a trim. I usually feel so ashamed that I've let him go for so long that I have to bathe him and brush him out before I dare take him to the groomer for fear they'd call puppy protective services on me for such neglect. One time I had my hubby drop him off at the groomer for me as I was running on a tight schedule. I was partly embarassed by how dirty my old guy was (the dog, not the Hubby) and I didn't want to have to face "that look" from the groomer..... the kind that says "do you even LIKE your dog?" So I was relieved when he dropped him off and picked him up for me. But when he put my old pup on the floor and he began to prance around and show off his new hair cut I was stunned.... "where did his ears go?" I asked. "What are you talking about?" my Hubby replied. "His ears..... the long fur on his ears... it's gone - where did it go?" I said in disbelief. "I got it cut off." He said matter of factly. "If I'm paying THAT much for a hair cut for the dog I am going to get my money's worth." He stated. I couldn't believe it. My Shih Tzu looked like some wire hair terrier. "He is SUPPOSED to have long fur on his ears and tail - it's his breed - I like it that way." I argued..... but it didn't matter .....  the damage was done. Although I appreciated my hubby's help in this situation, I made a mental note to do it myself next time.
So this time as I began to prepare Buzzy for the groomers - bathing and brushing him (I KNOW that's what I pay them for... but it's just a weird thing with me okay?!) I realized the base of his tail was very matted. Great, not only do I bring a dirty and stinky dog to the groomer but now he has matted fur as well - what kind of a pet owner am I? I wondered out loud how his tail got looking like this and just as the words left my mouth I remembered sometime the week before that Shane and Nicholas came racing down the stairs to tell me something they thought was so funny. They said Daniel was playing with a poo ball in his bed. (ya, you heard it right) "WHAT?!" I hollered. "Ya, it's hard and round and it was on his bed" they giggled breathlessly. Fearing the worst I ventured to ask "Where did this poo ball come from?" They looked at me like I was insane. "Mom, it's POO!" Shane laughed "It came from...." "NEVERMIND" I cut him off,  "WHOSE poo is it?" I asked .... afraid to hear the answer. "It must be Buzzy's, he had something on his bum earlier."Nicholas said with a straight face. "(sigh) Buzzy can't get up the stairs and onto a bed he's so old. How did the poo get upstairs?" I asked. And then it hit me.... Babe our old black & tan coonhound, must have carried it up there..... SO GROSS.  Then Daniel came down stairs looking guilty and shaken. "Where is it?" I demanded. "I put it in the toilet." he said in a small voice. "I didn't know what it was, I though it was a ball" He explained "but it smelled bad." Hahahahaha, I tried to hold it together but I almost choked. "Go disinfect and wash your hands, right now." I blurted out with tears streaming down my cheeks. {Lord, I thank you for children - I can't imagine how boring my life would be without them.}
So Buzzy's dirty bottom and matted tail were likely a result of him being a little "under the weather" last week. Needless to say I bathed him and used ALOT of conditioner on him to try to loosen that matted mess but it wouldn't let go. So I did what any reasonable person would do - I cut it out with scissors. He pranced around the kitchen thinking he was "all that and a bag of chips", he didn't even know everyone was laughing at him because of his stumpy nearly-naked tail. Poor Buzzy, all he really had left was his dignity ...... Now I have to wait until the fur around the base of his tail grows back before I can take him to the groomers for a haircut... what on earth would they think if I took him looking like THIS?
Eating meals together as a family is a big deal to us. Even if it's just hanging out on the back deck sharing warmed up leftovers. That's just what we did one night this week ... before the rain of course. I like the fresh air and freedom of not being surrounded by walls. The little girlies like to watch the "birdies" come to the bird feeder and eat dinner with us. The boys like the fact that they can "accidentally" drop food on the ground and not have to worry about cleaning it up .... one of the dogs will take care of it. I just like the casual relaxing atmosphere...... that is until those pesky mosquitos show up.  I first noticed the little girls squirming at their little table under the crab apple tree. "What are you scratching at?" I enquired. "A skeeto bite bit me!" said Little Susan, her voice full of distain. "Ya, the skeeto bites are trying to eat us." voiced Latoya. "Just squash them." I offered, and went back to eating. Then The Teenager started scratching and swatting at "skeeto bites" too. "Mom, can I go eat inside?" she asked. "No, certainly not, we eat together.... just finish up quickly."  I said. "I've got an idea!" my Hubby announced, and marched into the house with a look of determination on his face.
 He came back out moments later with a small handheld device that reminded me of some kind of scanner thing they used to use on the old school Star Trekk movies. "What's THAT?" I asked. "It's a Therma Cell Mosquito repellant device." He stated. "Oooh, and what is that supposed to do exactly?" I teased. "Well, it disperses repellant into the air. It is butane powered and portable. I use it for hunting and it works great." He explained. I have to admit I was disappointed. It looked much more interesting than that.... why couldn't it have been some sweet electronic device that sends sound waves into the air stunning and immobilizing those pesky "skeeto bites" and rendering them sterile and maimed? Wouldn't that be much more satisfying than just a glorified "portable mosquito coil?" He proudly set it on the table and we all watched with anticipation..... as a mosquito flew toward the smoking device. "WOW, that mosquito musn't know that he's not supposed to be here huh?" I offered. "Well it takes a few minutes to warm up." He defensively stated.
The boys were still being bitten and they complained loudly. My hubby told them that it only has a fifteen foot radius and that they should come closer. So we all hovered around the patio table watching the wisp of smoke rise from the odd looking device (as we swatted at "skeeto bites" that were flying around the back of our heads.) Then my Hubby picked up the Therma Cell and waved it up and down around each one of us - I felt like I was in a Catholic church service and the priest was swinging the incense.LOL. As he "scanned" the baby I mustered up my best Dr. McCoy impersonation and announced "She's dead Jim." He was not impressed with my humour. As a "skeeto bite" buzzed around the baby's head I suggested that "this thing must only work for hunters" as I started clearing the table and ushering the kids indoors and away from the annoying "skeeto bites." After all, it IS my job to protect them.....
Last night I was quickly reminded that you can't always protect them from everything. The little girls were playing quietly in their bedroom after dinner time while I helped the boys get showered and ready for bed. Suddenly there was a heart stopping moment when we all heard that awful "THUD" and felt the floor shake. It only took a split second for me to visualize what had just happened in the other room. You could tell by the sound that someone had just fallen a great distance, hard. I pushed past the kiddlings and raced into the girl's room to find Little Susan on her hands and knees staring up at me with a look of shock on her face, blood trickling from her mouth and her face already beginning to swell and redden. She took a deep breath and started sobbing as she reached for me. I picked her up and ran to the kitchen and laid her on the counter barking orders to the other children who had gathered around quietly with horrified looks on their faces. "Get some clean wash cloths, get me an ice pack..." I directed. Latoya admitted that they were playing on the top bunk (completely forbidden but obviously ignored) and that Little Susan was jumping on the bed when she just fell over the railing and  onto the floor below. As I checked over her body for signs of trauma I worked to stop the bleeding in her mouth - Praise God it was only a split inside her lip. No loose teeth, nothing else broken, not a single impact mark anywhere else on her little body... just her face. It seems she took the full impact of the fall all on the right side of her face. Her face hit the floor before the rest of her body - but she was okay.
Thank God for the area rug, Thank God that the ceiling fan was off, Thank God that she is so small and flexible. I stood silently amazed as I held an ice pack to her face knowing fully well that she could have easily snapped her neck upon landing or a miriad of other terrible, tragic things...... but she was okay..... still sobbing and swollen and certainly sore but alive and in one piece. Thank you Lord for being so merciful. I later took Little Susan to the mirror to show her the damage. She stared at her face in awe then opened her mouth to examine the cut. Her eyes grew wide and she looked horrified. "I don't want to fall again." I silently prayed that all of life's lessons wouldn't be this intense for my kiddlings.... how will I ever survive?
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Here are a few funnies from our house to yours:
* My Teenager is beautiful, smart, friendly, funny, trustworthy, respectful and obedient .... but she's also a big chicken when it comes to little creepy crawlies (Sshhh, she takes after her Daddy). The Teenager and I were on our way to do some serious shopping - without the usual parade of kiddlings in tow - FREEDOM! We had just gotten into the van when she let out a shriek "A Spider, A Spider!" Wow, I thought we must have a tarantula in here somewhere..... good Lord, get out of the van and save yourself...... "Where is it?" I hollered. "There!" she screamed pointing to the window. The teeny weeny spider was on her window - on the OTHER SIDE of the glass. I stared at her in amazement. "Are you for real?" I asked. "Well I thought it was on the inside of my window" she admitted sheepishly. "Oh, like this?" I quickly countered as I pressed the button to lower the window. "NOOOOOOOOOO!" she screamed and wriggled into the seat. "MOM, DON"T DO THAT PLEASE!!!!" she hollered as she tried to climb out of her seat and onto my lap - trying to get as far away from the tiny Arachnid as she could possibly get. "Good Lord girl get a grip" I teased as I rolled back up the window. She settled herself into the seat and only jumped a few dozen times whenever I reached for something - thinking I was reaching for that button again. Hahahaha. Once we got to the store I had to coax her out of the van.... she was sure the little bug was waiting in hiding for her to step out of the vehicle. It seems my big girl isn't so big after all :)

* As Little Susan was getting out of the bathtub and drying herself off, Daniel opened the door to the bathroom to "go" cause it was a "mergency." "Get out! Don't see my makeit Daniel!" Little Susan shrieked. Which translated means = "Get out! Don't look at me naked Daniel!"

* My dad shared a funny I wanted to include here. My little brother (Yes I do have a little brother. He is 30 years younger than me - "interesting" I know.... your virility seems less and less impressive the older you get, doesn't it Dad? Hahaha. Anyway...) My little brother sometimes sleepwalks. My Dad said he was at the computer the other night and James crawled out of bed and quietly wandered over to the laundry hamper in his room and began picking away at a sticker on top of the lid.... just standing there picking....when my Dad asked him what he was doing he mumbled something about "picking the sticker", Dad called him over and gave him a hug and kiss and sent him back to bed. He relayed that he was overwhelmed by the pure innocence of his sleepwalking boy, in that moment he was the sweetest, most cuddly kid - no attitude, not back talk, no ulterior motives..... don't you wish all kids would sleep walk a little more often?

* Daniel came home from school obviously very excited to share some news with me. "Rachael's baby is so cute!" He announced. "It's head is this small." He said, indicating a small size with his hands. "Oh, she must be brand new." I reasoned. To which he replied "Yes, they just "got it" a week ago." Hahaha, Being a former foster & adoptive family, in our house children are acquired - NOT born.
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We are still in Avon Campaign 15. The order will be submitted on Tuesday June 8th. Feel free to browse the brochure online and let me know if there's anything I can get for you :) Delivery will be made on Friday June 11th.
If you’re on FaceBook I have an Avon Group set up. Stop by for a visit.
I also have a new Avon Website…… a wide variety of methods to shop Avon :)

Have an incredible blessed week!
Lucy