So Long, Farwell Nablopomo!

Today is the last day of November. You do realize what this means, don't you? The last day of my posting for Nablopomo!!! But for me it means that I don't have to rack my brain for a post everyday.

What was that?? Did I just hear a sigh a relief from my reader(s)??!

Well, that actually that might have been from me! But really it hasn't been that bad. I've enjoyed posting a few things. I think my favorite was writing down the story of Ryan and I. It's nice to have it preserved within my blog, and one of these days I'll get it printed out. I did intend to write more things but I ran out of creative juice. I meant to write about our wedding and the births of each of the kids. Maybe next year. But for now all I can think of is saying good bye to November and having to post every day. In my head is a song that sounds a little like this....

Christmas Movie Trivia

And so begins the Christmas season! It is now ok to see decorations around town and on neighbors houses. It is now ok to hear Christmas music in stores and on the radio. And it is also the time to bust out our favorite Christmas movies!!!

I've compiled a short list of traditional Christmas movies, with a few new(ish) ones thrown in just for fun. Each movie is represented with quote. So how good is your Christmas movie knowledge?? Read the quotes and take a guess in the comment section. When a correct guess has been made, I will add in the answer along with the name of the person who answered it after each quote. (and no cheating!!! please.)

Have fun, and may I be among the first to wish you a Merry Christmas!

1. "If you're really Santa Claus, you can get it for me. And if you can't, you're only a nice man with a white beard like mother says. " Miracle on 34th Street - Caterina

2. "Can we take a direct flight back to reality, or do we have to change planes in Denver?" The Santa Clause - Caterina

3. "Now, come on, get your clothes on, and we'll stroll up to my car and get... Oh, I'm sorry. I'll stroll. You fly." It's a Wonderful Life - Lani

4. "Yeah, you know something... Vermont should be beautiful this time of year, with all that snow." White Christmas - Lani

5. "Aunt Clara had for years labored under the delusion that I was not only perpetually 4 years old, but also a girl." A Christmas Story - Angela

6. "Bah! Humbug!" Christmas Carol - Caterina (although she had guessed Scrooge, but really that's pretty much the same thing *wink*)

7. "Oh, that uh, that there's an RV. Yeah, yeah, I borrowed it off a buddy of mine. He took my house, I took the RV. It's a good looking vehicle, ain't it?" National Lampoons Christmas Vacation - Angela

8. "The thing about trains... it doesn't matter where they're going. What matters is deciding to get on. " The Polar Express - Angela

9. "I passed through the seven levels of the Candy Cane forest, through the sea of swirly twirly gum drops, and then I walked through the Lincoln Tunnel." Elf - Maggie

10. "I must stop this whole thing! Why, for fifty-three years I've put up with it now. I must stop Christmas from coming... but how?" How the Grinch Stole Christmas - Maggie

Black Friday is Black Indeed

I'm not a big Black Friday shopper. In fact I have NEVER gotten up before the sun to partake in the super deals. Only once have I even gone into the stores on the day after Thanksgiving. And even then it was later in the morning. I've never been a crowd type person and I will avoid it when I can. So Black Friday is an easy one for me.

But after reading this story, I now have more reason to stay in safety of my nice warm bed while others are out literally busting down the doors all for the sake of saving a few bucks! It's so not worth it.

A Day of Thanks and Feasting!

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope all my reader(s) are surrounded by family and friends and have a great day!

Ok, I'm off to start the Thanksgiving day feast preparations!

No Laughing Matter

This Thanksgiving, make sure all appliances are in working order. Oh, and it might be a good idea to have a home safety inspection. You just never know when a disaster may occur, and we wouldn't want anything to spoil our day of thanks and feasting. Now would we?

Alternative Dish

We have selected our menu items for our Thanksgiving feast. And we have been to the store. Now all we gotta do is wait for Thursday! Our table will be boasting a small turkey, bbq tri-tip, rolls, mashed potatoes, stuffing, two kinds of grilled veggies (asparagus and zucchini, I believe), cranberry sauce (as my sister in law would say, in the shape of a can), green rice, and pumpkin and apple pie, with vanilla ice cream and cool whip to top it off with!

Now, maybe you just read my list and are wondering what in the world 'green rice' is. Well, let me tell ya....it's my green bean casserole alternative. Would you like the recipe?

Green Rice

1 stick of butter
3/4 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup chopped celery
1/2 chopped med green pepper
2 cups minute rice - cooked
1 can cheddar cheese soup
2 pkgs chopped frozen brocoli - cooked
2 cans cream of mushroom soup

Saute onion, celery and green pepper in butter. Add rice, brocoli and cheddar cheese soup. Salt and pepper to taste. Then add cream of mushroom soup. Put in ungreased cassarole dish, sprinkle with parmasean cheese. Bake 350 til hot and bubbly.

*I usually skip the baking part and just use my crock pot instead, on the low setting.
**If you want the dish to look truly green, then add green food coloring to the water when cooking the rice. I usually skip that part too, the green rice kinda freaks me out.

If you try this recipe, let me know! I'd love to hear how you like (or dislike) it.

You Know the Boy is Gettin Better When....

...you have to tell the boy to;

1) settle down!

2) be quiet!

3) leave your sister alone!

4) stop running!

Yes, Caleb is feeling better. He's not 100%, but he's certainly much much better than he was yesterday. He did come into our room at about 2 this morning, but it was just to tell us that his throat hurt (so no hot shower treatment was need - thank you Jesus!!!).

Now all we have to do is survive this week as the kids are out of school! I think we can manage that.

You Know the Boy is Sick When....

I stayed home from church today (gasp!). But I had good reason. Caleb was not well. Actually, he seemed pretty ok to me, but Ryan told me he should stay home. So I stayed behind with Caleb as Ryan and the girls headed to church.

Caleb was playing with his cars and tracks and generally being his normal little self, with a slight cough. No big deal. He'd watch a little tv then go back to playing and being silly. But then he stopped and just hung out on the couch near me as I perused the blogs and dinked around on Facebook. He said his throat hurt. I gave him some medicine.

Then, after lunch, he didn't want to play. He just wanted to lay down on the couch. I asked him if he'd like to lay down in his room and take a little nap? No, he just wanted to stay where he was. Within ten minutes he was asleep.

This tells me that my boy is not well. The other tell-tale sign is when he doesn't care about missing out on Awana. And when hearing that his friends missed him, doesn't phase him.

Poor guy! It's heart breaking to see my boy not well.

Caleb seems to get croupy when he gets even a small cold. It's just what happens to him when he gets a cold. It must be a result of when he was a baby and had RSV and then asthma (which he has since grown out of, thank you Jesus!). So, now we just know to use the vaporize/humidifier thingy at night. And we've also learned that hot steamy showers that envelope bathrooms are good for croup (as well as chilly night air, but the showers are easier to do and doesn't require us to go anywhere).

So tonight my sad little boy is asleep and breathing in some steamy air. But I won't be surprised if he comes into our room in the middle of the night with the sound of a walrus in his chest.

The good thing is that he doesn't have school this week, so he won't be missing any school days. Not this time at least.

Dear Lord, please heal my boy and help him to get good rest tonight. Amen

T-Y-P-I-N-G

I remember taking a typing class my freshman year in high school. The classroom had about six long tables, three on each side of the room, with an isle down the center of the class. On each table there were three or four typewriters.

Mr. Phillips was my teacher. And he was a stickler for not looking at your fingers while typing! Ho boy, don't let him catch you looking down at the keys instead of at the book as you type! No sir. If caught, Mr. Phillips would take a half sheet of paper and tape it just above the top line of the keys so that when you were typing it would cover your hands and keep you from seeing the keys. Fortunately, I was never caught. Caught being the operative word, because I was certainly guilty of peeking.

Funny that I learned to type on a typewriter, isn't it? Wait, I'm dating myself here. Moving on!

I consider myself to type pretty fast. And I was curious as to exactly how fast I am. So I went over to TypingTest.com to find out. Now I don't feel so confident. My highest was 58 wpm (with a 98% accuracy). I know I could have a higher number if I would stop going back to correct my mistakes. Oh, and there is also that nasty little habit of peeking at the keys. Mr. Phillips would not be pleased.

So what's your WPM? Does Mr. Phillips need to come over with his little piece of paper to help you along?

It Was a God Day (and no, that's not a type-o)

My day started at about 4:30 this morning. A call from a friend who was at the ER with her daughter, she needed me. I'm not known for being an early riser. Not in the slightest. In fact, I balk at any occasion that gets me out of bed before I'm ready. But there is something about being needed by a friend and being used by the Lord that made this day good.

It wasn't an easy day, but it was good.

So as I sit here (sipping some Oh My Chai!, just got some the other day!) I am tired and ready for bed, and it's only a little after 8:00! Who knew a night person could be sleepy so soon after the sun goes down?! But I think I'll read for a little bit, then go to bed. However, I won't stay up too late, for one never knows if they'll be called upon in the middle of the night.

So don't stay up too late....I'm just sayin'.

All for Love

In junior and senior high, at church, my youth pastor had this saying when talking about teenage girls and their one reason why they did silly or non-intelligent things because of a boy they liked, it went like this....'because I love him!'. It was always said in a fun, humorous way, and always in a tone like a teenage girl would use - whiny. But I have found another use for the phrase, and I use it to describe why I have done things that I said I'd never do when I was a parent. Here are a few occasions that I excuse myself for all because I love my kids.......

* buy character clothes or shoes - Caleb has a a couple sets of superhero pj's, a few Cars t-shirts, and is on his second pair of cartoon shoes (right now he's sporting Spiderman, his hero of choice).










* allow, or buy, my girls clothes in any shade of pink - I'm not a pink girl myself and the thought of donning my children in it kind of repulsed me, now their closet fairly radiates the hue.











* have my girls wear silly pigtails that stick out of the side of their head - it's so stinkin' cute, I just can't help myself!















And I don't regret any of it. Not one bitty bit!

School Pictures

Last month Mae and Caleb came home with the proofs from the school pictures that had been taken. The sad thing is that we don't like them. Not a one. Both of their smiles look fake and nothing like how they normally look when happy and smiling. The other sad thing is that we have decided not to buy any. The prices of the packages, coupled with the available sizes in each package were not worth it. We don't want a gazillion wallets (or smaller sizes) and we don't need a plethora of 8 by 10's. So we opted to buy none. I console myself with the fact that we take plenty of pictures of the kids during the year. And we have also decided that we will take a group photo (of the kids) taken after the holidays to make up for the fact that a) we didn't purchase school pics and b) we haven't had a group shot of the kids in over two years. Yeah, it's about time.

But tomorrow is picture day at Isabel's school. I already know that we won't be buying any. Besides, if she is anything like how her sister was at the same age, then she won't want her picture taken (and will refuse) anyway. But I still need to have her looking nice and pretty, for their will be a class picture taken. Besides, I took a picture of Isabel the other day after she had her hair cut. I think it can pass for a nice solo picture. Don't you think??

YouTube Tuesday - Lost Season 5 Trailer

It's still Tuesday and I am posting this just under the wire for my Nablopomo post for the day. Too bad I've been battling a headache for the past couple days. I haven't felt like spending a lot of time on the computer delving into the past (doesn't help the headache situation). So today I bring you a trailer for the next season of Lost (even though those who follow the show have probably already seen it). All I have to say about the wait for the next season is....2 more months!!!!



*Whew, glad I got that taken care of! Wha...??! I have to post again tomorrow? Crap.

First Comes Love, part 3

I like to figure things out, and if given even an teensy bit of info I can easily solve a mystery. Ryan may not have known this about me at this point, but he did a pretty good job of throwing me off when it came to giving me my ring.

I was anxious to get that band of gold and diamond on my finger. I was ready to stick out my hand at any moment! But every weekend Ryan kept me waiting. We hadn't even set a date yet and I was waiting to be 'official' before we did (but that didn't stop me from ordering my dress!). It didn't take me too long before I figured out that he was waiting for my birthday to give me my ring. Ryan was going to take me to San Fransisco for the day, and I knew, just knew!, that he was going to give it to me then. I was absolutely, almost, certain.

So I waited.

I waited in the house when he came to pick me up. But he had to use the restroom first before we quickly left. That's ok, I'd rather have him give it to me when we're in the city anyway.

I waited as we sat on a blanket in Golden Gate Park and had our picnic lunch. That would have been a nice place. It would have been a great setting for a momentous occasion.

But still no ring.

I waited in the car as we parked outside the San Fransisco Zoo. I thought 'Ok, the zoo is......well, nice. I can imagine Ryan producing a little box when we sit by the monkeys cage. That can work.'. But before we got out of the car to go inside the zoo, Ryan gave me a present! It was a large present (large when one is expecting a small package containing a ring, that is). But it was a teddy bear. With no ring. It was just another birthday gift. And again, no ring graced my hand as we returned to the car after the zoo either! *hmph!*

And still I waited as we walked in and out of shops on Pier 39. Wouldn't an official proposal at the end of the pier make for a romantic story? Well, it didn't happen there either. And it had started to rain and our day was winding down, so we decided to head home.

By this point I was very much disappointed and inwardly embarrassed. We were driving back home and all I could think of was how I had told everyone, my family, friends, co-workers, that I was getting my ring that weekend. The next day was Monday and I dreaded going to work with a naked finger. But as we drove home, Ryan said something about renting a movie or doing something else when we got back into town. And a little light of knowingness began to glow, deep down inside me. I knew Ryan's plans for the day were not yet over. Hope was born! My ring was coming!!!!

As we pulled into town and Ryan took me to my parents house, after we picked up a movie to watch, I went inside to my waiting parents. Thankfully no one jumped up to ask about a ring or details of the day, and as Ryan got settled I quietly talked with my mom and sadly told her that I did not get my ring (there was still a small part of me that was not convinced I was getting it that night, so I truly was embarrassed and sad to tell her). The night was coming to a close and so my parents said goodnight and went to bed. But Ryan and I still had our movie to watch.

As we settled in for the movie, Ryan gave me a card. Another birthday card. This one had a black and white picture of two kids dressed up as adults (which were quite popular those days). The little boy was standing in front of the little girl and was holding a bunch of red roses out to her. On the inside of the card was Ryan's written words of adoration and declaration of love..........and his official request for marriage. Of course I had tears in my eyes at this point, and as I closed the card I told him 'yes'. Then!, finally!, after all this time!!!, he brought out the little band of gold and diamond I'd been waiting for all day, and he slipped it on my finger. Ryan had secretly hid the ring in the bathroom when he had picked me up earlier that day, and the entire day had been planned to string me along (the stinker!).



So I went to work the next day with such a story to tell! But I didn't wear my ring. I wanted to show my mother first, and she had left before I got up that morning (hey, it was a late night so I had slept in, ok?!). But as soon as my shift was over, I raced home, put on my ring and drove to my mothers work to show her!

Soon after, we set a date. And I just had this feeling that July 13th was going to be a great day.

We Interupt the Regular Scheduled Posting for This Very Important Announcement.....

~~~ Isabel has been moved to a big girl bed ~~~

*sigh* I knew this day was coming, but I was in denial. We didn't wake up yesterday with the purpose to move Isabel. It just kind of, well, happened.

The day began just like any other typical Saturday in our house. We went to Costco and loaded up on necessities (and samples, and lunch). Then the kids and bikes were hauled to the park. And while Ryan and I sat and watched the kids, we decided that it was time to cut the cord and swap out the crib for the toddler bed.

before


We've put off this move long enough. So it was time. I'm still not looking forward to dealing with the change it will bring....putting Isabel to bed countless times a night as well as finding out exactly how early she gets up in the morning.

after


Contrary to how I've been feeling, Isabel is so very ready. She was excited about her new bed and the new arrangement in her shared room with Mae. Isabel even placed a few of her things just so around her bed, so she's certainly put her stamp of ownership on the room.

I tried not to think about this momentous occasion in my home as I tucked her in and read her a story. I tried not to think about the crib and how it has been a part of our daily life for seven years and how strange that it is no longer there and never needed again. I tried not to think of my little girl, my baby!, in her big girl bed with a big grin. And I tried not to cry.

But I keep telling myself that although the crib is in pieces in the garage, it can still be put back together! (right???)

***this has been a message from the Emergency Blogcast System. Regular scheduled posting will resume tomorrow. (beeeeeeeeeep!)

First Comes Love, part 2

Ryan and I dated for a total of 2 1/2 years before getting married. Not long for a couple of youngin's. For about the first half of that time we continued to work together. Our manager knew of our relationship and allowed us to continue to work together even though it was against store policy. Little did he know of a few rendezvous in the walk-in freezer. I'm not sure, but the frozen chicken stars may have covered their little eyes a few times when we shared a couple of kisses. (insert embarrassed blushing here) But within that first year the owners found out that we were dating and I was transferred to another restaurant.

When not working together, we spent our time going to movies and plays, and day trips to San Fransisco, Yosemite or Lake Pincrest. We had picnics, hiked trails and took our bikes and rode the paths. For his birthday that first year, I took Ryan on a dinner cruise on the Sacramento delta. Don't be overly impressed, it didn't end up being the grand excursion I thought it would be, but it was an experience we shared. And on my birthday, Ryan took me to San Fransisco to see Phantom of the Opera (he knew it was my favorite). Yeah, that blows away the previous birthday adventure.

By the end of our first year together, Ryan had transferred to San Jose State University with Car Design as his career goal. He continued to live in town, but was traveling back and forth, an hour and a half each way, during the week for his classes and new job. And I quickly missed our mid-week evening times together....like when he'd be outside my class when I finished, or when I'd spot him there before I got out and I would smile or sometimes he made me laugh (which is generally not appreciated by college teachers and they'd shut the door). So by the end of that spring semester he was ready to move to the university and go full time, and the fall of '95 marked his official move away.

As we both prepared for his move to San Jose, we were looking at our relationship. By this time we had been dating for a year and a half and breaking up was not an option either one of us considered. And the next logical step for us seemed to be marriage. So before Ryan moved, we were unofficially engaged. The next big step was for Ryan to talk to my parents (dun dun dun!), which he did, and they gave their consent (thanks Dad, thanks Mom!). And a summer wedding of the next year was in the works as I cried my eyes out as Ryan's little white Honda Civic took my betrothed an hour and a half away from me.

The fall of '95 was an exciting time. My lifelong dream was within reach as I planned for our wedding. Ryan was now gone all week at college and super, super busy with his major, but still made time EVERY WEEKEND (save one) of that entire school year to come back to see me. We shopped for my ring, and bought one. Then I waited for him to give it to me. Yes, he made me wait (the stinker!).

First Comes Love, part 1

I met Ryan when I wasn't quite out of high school. He had graduated the year before me and was already in the college group at church when I went to an audition for a musical that the group was putting on that summer. This was my first interaction with the college group (even though I knew most of the people since they had been through the high school ministry in previous years). I went and, as expected, recognized most of the people auditioning, but there were a handful of others that I did not know. Ryan was among the unknowns. My first thought when I saw him was something like 'I'm gonna like this college group!' (how shallow was I?! -don't answer that.). And he did not disappoint! But it wasn't until later in the tour of the musical that we actually met and began to get to know each other.

Through the course of the tour of the musical in LA that summer, we started to hang out with the same people. Although I had an attraction for him, it was not mutual. We were becoming good acquaintances, but that was it. (hello, future wife here!!!) Not only did I think Ryan was easy on the eyes, but I was also attracted to his love for God and his desire to live for Him. It helped, too, that he made me laugh!

As the summer was winding down and we all began to focus on the start of college classes, a new home bible study was starting up, and Ryan was the leader. He was also looking for people to join in with him. Ryan asked many people in our mutual group, including myself. Seeing how I didn't belong to one yet, it only made sense to join. But at this point I was also sensing no return in my attraction for him, so I began to let the idea of us go. So I joined the home group and enjoyed the new friend I had made. And that was it, until later that winter....

When I started attending the local community college I also had the mission to get a job. Being the picky person that I am, I was getting nowhere. A few interviews, but no call backs or offers. Fast food was not at the top of the list for possible future employers. In fact, it wasn't even on the list! But after much discussion with anxious parents for me to get a job!, I finally turned to Ryan for help. You see, Ryan was a shift manager at a nearby Carl's Jr. Again, never on my list. He had offered to help me get an interview, and after one of those discussions with my parents, I finally asked for an application. Low and behold, they were hiring and offered me a job. And so began our working relationship.

It didn't take long either. We didn't work together all the time, but when we did we were able to talk more. That's when he was overcome with admiration and love for me...... Ok, so he finally broke down and asked me out.

After working with Ryan for a little bit, I was no longer able to push aside my attraction. We were talking more and I just couldn't help but enjoy it! I wondered if I was becoming too obvious or if our coworkers or lead manager were thinking we were talking too much or getting too close. I remember sitting in the break room one day and Ryan was looking at the schedule for the week when he asked me if we could get together. Being the guilt ridden person that I was, I thought he wanted to talk about our working relationship and define some boundaries or say that we needed to back off or something (mind you, we had never expressed any feelings for each other, we were just getting started!). So I had no idea that he was asking me out on a date! But I agreed to get together that following Saturday.

The days leading up to that date were nerve wracking! I vacillated between fear and excitement. However, my friends finally convinced me that the meeting was not, in his mind, a time to talk about how we were working together. And they were right.

Ryan picked me up in time for lunch and we went to a nearby grocery store and bought deli sandwiches and walked over to a little man-made lake. We ate while sitting on the dock, and just talked and enjoyed our leisurely time together. Afterward, we decided to go to a movie, Mrs. Doubtfire (not a movie I would recommend today, but it was better than the other options). On our way to the theater we were seen by a coworker. Talk around the employees were sure to fly now. What were we doing anyway? Why were we together? Well, as we continued to the theater, we talked about it. We were on our first date. Yes, we were dating (insert inward glee here!). And I was able to answer those questions with confidence (albeit with a little blushing!) later that night when I went in for my next shift.

So, as of January 9, 1994 Ryan and I were together.

New-ish Toy!

Yesterday my neighbor down the street told me that she had a bunch of stuff ready for the Salvation Army and did I want poke through the books and things before they came? Um, YEAH!

So we went over after school and I pulled out several books. Plus she had some clothes that might fit Mae along with a Light Bright! Well, all the clothes fit Mae (horray again for hand me downs!) and the kids are loving the Light Bright.

The best thing about the Light Bright is that it's a newer model than what was out when I was a kid. It's a Light Bright Cube, which means that two, and possibly four, kids can play with it at once. That is if all the kids can crowd around the cube, poke in their pegs AND still get along. But I suppose that's a battle for another day. As for today, Mae and Caleb had fun breaking in their new-to-them toy!

I'm thinking that hand-me-down toys are pretty cool too!

What I Wanna Be

On the way to school this morning, Caleb told me that he was thinking of what he wants to be when he grows up. Here is our conversation;

Me: Oh yeah buddy, what do you want to be?

Caleb: Either a cowboy or a police man.

Me: And what do cowboys do?

Caleb: They ride horses and rescue animals with their rope.

Me: And what does a police man do?

Caleb: They rescue people and give tickets to people who are driving.

I love his perspective! It's fun to get a peek into how he thinks of the world around him. I wonder what he'd say if I asked him what a mom does?! Maybe I'll do an update later today when he gets home from school.

Family

I remember a little poem or saying from my high school drama class. The teacher used it to help us enunciate our words and speak more clearly. Today I am taking that poem and putting my own spin on it. So it goes something like this.....

Whether the weather be cold.

Whether the weather be hot.

We'll be together

whatever the weather

whether we like it

or not.