without even trying, they make me laugh...

Rich: Gray, could you please come back here and finish your milk?

Debi: Gray, could you please put your folder in your backpack so you don't forget it?

Rich: Gray, could you please clean up your markers?

Gray (with both sarcasm and a hint of a smile): Gray, could you please save the rainforests? Gray, could you please solve the problem of global warming?

*****
A couple nights ago, Rich and I headed out to buy goodies for the Easter baskets. Hmmm...somehow we ended up at the bookstore, with a pile of books to look at as we sat in the cafe having coffee. While sitting there, Rich's cell phone rang. We knew it had to be Annie, who was home babysitting the boys, because no one else ever calls Rich on his cell phone. But it actually turned out to be Gray. Gray, who despises the phone. Gray who, on the rare occasion that he will even attempt to talk on the phone, speaks in a tiny little whisper. And you know how when you're talking to someone who talks really softly on the phone, you sometimes repeat back everything they're saying, making sure you heard them right? Well, that's what Rich was doing. So this is what I, and undoubtedly all the people at the tables surrounding us, heard Rich say:

"Gray?...What?...He did what?...He's trying to make babies with your blanket?...He put his private parts way down deep in it?"

Okay, I know how tacky this sounds, but I have to tell you, I was laughing so hard I nearly fell out of my chair. Somehow, I'm guessing we weren't missed when we left the cafe. ;)

*****
After swimming lessons last night, the kiddos wanted popsicles. As we were sitting there at the table, I noticed Gray's tongue had been dyed the color of his shirt. Turned to Annie, and so had hers. Max--ditto.

Of course, along with making me laugh, it also reminded me just how much I need to get back to making our own, healthier versions of popsicles. ;)

**********
Before I go, I wanted to say a big thank you to my dear friend, Carl. I'm not sure if he had any idea how much I needed his recent post...but I surely did. I have to admit that for the last month I've been going through a period of severe "feel-sorry-for-myself." Spending waaaay too much time and energy on school in a desperate attempt to get caught up (which is only my self-imposed version anyway) before the quarter ends in two weeks, watching the house fall further into disarray as I do, wondering when on earth I'm ever going to get around to doing our taxes, dealing with lots of Gray's unique needs these days, Easter and Annie's birthday both on the verge of arriving, too much stress and drama in my social world...all of that has added up to the ridiculous state I've let myself wallow in lately. :(

I NEED TO SNAP OUT OF IT!!!! I seem to have forgotten what a gift it is to be alive every day. And I've let what had become a habit--noticing all the good stuff, all the beauty and wonder and silliness that makes life so precious--slip away. Well, I'm reclaiming that habit, and the joy that comes with it.

I still might not be around much for the next couple weeks--just busy, busy, busy--but I hope when I am around it will be with a smile on my face. :D

Have a beautiful, glorious April everyone!!!

I smiled when...

...Rich called me with the news that he got his promotion to Associate Professor. What this means in practical terms? Well, besides a really good excuse to go out to dinner Saturday night, not a whole heck of a lot. Nonetheless, I am very happy for him!

...my dear friend Chris sent me an e-mail that offered great hope and reassurance about matters that have been troubling our family. Thank you. Yet again.

...this week's New Yorker arrived and I saw its beautiful cover. (I so wish I could have found a bigger picture to link to, or been able to get a decent photo of the magazine.) But can't you just tell how gorgeous it is? It's titled "Homage" and is by the unbelievably talented artist, Ana Juan.

...my mom could not hide the excitement in her voice about their upcoming trip. My parents leave Friday morning for a month-long road trip "out West" (in their truck camper). Hitting the Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam, Bryce Canyon, etc., etc., etc. I would have smiled even more broadly had they invited me along. ;)

...Ana posted this Ada Lovelace Day post. Okay, I more than smiled--I got downright giddy about all that lovely women-in-science bookishness. In fact, before I even commented and thanked my dear friend Ana, I went and ordered one of those books. :P

...my daughter uttered these words totally out of nowhere on the way home from the dentist: "I love you, Mom. I think I forgot to tell you that yesterday."

smile-worthy

Because I just really need some smiles. :)

This guy's reading tends to be very sporadic. But he's been on a roll lately. And I just love "catching" him off by himself somewhere with his nose stuck in a book.

Cats with swords. Oh okay...cats with weapons maybe aren't the most soothing thought, but something about this photo just makes me smile anyway. From that look, I'm pretty sure he's prepared to use that sword.

SQUEEEEE...my very own UglyDoll!!!!! I'm in love. Soft, squeezable, huggable love. Thank you, thank you, thank you, dear friend...my, but your timing is impeccable! :D

And you know what else has me smiling? I think I'm really going to try to get back into this blogging thing again. Try. Starting Sunday...with the MOST FUN reading challenge of them all. :D

Have a lovely weekend, everyone!

stuff on my mind

*School's been kicking my ass the past few days. Thus, when I just took a look at the explosion in my reader, I wanted to cry. Why can't I find balance? Why, why, why, why, why am I so incapable of this?!!

*I really, really want to make this bed.

*Staci is beyond awesome. I know that's already a well-known fact, but sometimes these things just need to be repeated.

*I promised myself I would NOT check any books out at the library today. Forgot that I had put one on hold though. After one...well, what's a few more, right? (This is what came home with me: Skin: A Natural History by Nina G. Jablonski (the one I had on hold), Between XX and XY: Intersexuality and the Myth of Two Sexes by Gerald N. Callahan, Goodbye, Chunky Rice by Craig Thompson (which I had out not long ago but didn't get around to reading), A Breath of Fresh Air by Amulya Malladi).

*I sometimes send people really stupid e-mails. Sorry, Ana.

*I really need to shut up and get a few more "school things" done so I can watch Criminal Minds.

*Just overheard Max say: "Dad, you should really be ashamed of yourself!" No idea what he was talking about, but it made me giggle. 

the cutest good stuff ever

I was going to save up "good stuff" and just do a big post at the end of the week or something, but I just couldn't save this. It deserves a post all its own!

The Twitterbirds:



I apologize for the poor quality of the photo...but I think you can get the idea of how unfreakingbelievably adorable these sweet birdies are, can't you? And you know what, each one's beak is open just a little bit so it can hold a little message...is that not just the coolest idea?!!

And you know what, each of them represents one of the Stevens family. Can you guess who's who?

Jason, I know you're very humble and don't like to be the center of attention, but I hope like crazy you don't mind me showing these off. You might be modest, but you're also so incredibly talented. And frankly, you're also one of the best friends I could ever imagine. Thank you again. Thank you so very much.

A whole lot of good stuff represented by that one photo.

winter break good stuff

Just a note on something I've learned through this exercise: When things are sucking for me personally, I still find it possible to keep my eyes open for the "good stuff." Not that it's easy, but it's definitely doable. But it's infinitely harder to look for the "good stuff" when someone I love is going through a terrible time. I'm not sure if it's some sort of unconscious guilt about finding things to be happy about when I know someone I care about is hurting. I'm not sure if somewhere deep inside I feel like I'm betraying them by finding things to smile about when I know they're not smiling. Anyway, just an observation.

Feb. 12th "Good Stuff"

*Technically, winter break doesn't start here for another hour (when the boys get home from school), but SQUEEEEEEEEE...this had to make today's good stuff list...Ana, one of the most wonderful people I've ever known, got fabulously wonderful news today!!! Yes, yes, yes...I am just giddily happy for her!!!! :D #luvana


*Darwin Day. Yes, I am married to a science geek. And yes, every year we celebrate Darwin's birthday. Annie has a friend spending the night...and you know, instead of thinking that we were total dorks, I think she actually enjoyed singing "Happy Birthday" to old Charlie.
(Oh okay, I know it was really just the cupcakes she was happy about.)



Feb. 13th "Good Stuff"
















*I was incredibly productive, and accomplished so much! Well, with school stuff anyway. But don't ask me about the state of our home. ;)


Feb. 14th "Good Stuff"

*My hubby spoils me rotten. Yes indeed, he does. A gift card for books...does this man know how to make his "Valentine" happy or what? :)


*Family traditions. In this case, our heart pancakes for supper on Valentines Day. Despite the fact that for some reason, the blueberries hassled me endlessly with their sticking, thus the pancakes didn't come out all that "pretty." Oh well...they still tasted delicious.







Feb. 15th "Good Stuff"

*SQUEEEEE...more awesome news for an awesome friend!!! #luvana


Feb. 16th "Good Stuff"

*Whew. X a bazillion. It's been a tough, tense 24+ hours of worrying. My mom's best friend, a woman I've known all my life, had been having some major health problems lately (coughing up blood, severe exhaustion, etc.) but the doctors couldn't figure out what was going on. Finally it was found that she had an aortic aneurysm (it was in a spot that just hadn't been showing up on any of the scans before)...it actually broke through, but there was a wall of calcium that had kept her from bleeding out. It wasn't even something anyone in her area could handle...she was immediately sent to a leading specialist in the field. He gave her a 50-50 chance of surviving the surgery. But survive she did! And thus far, is doing well.

*Finished The Ask and the Answer. Whoa.


Feb. 17th "Good Stuff"


*Our mini at-home vacation begins! We drove the kids to my parents house, had lunch with everyone, belatedly celebrated my dad's birthday, and then Rich and I headed for home. We took the long way home so we could hit this huge antique mall. Spent a few hours antiquing, having a ball hanging out together. This little planter is my favorite purchase...I'm going to use it in my scrapbooking area to hold pencils, etc. I have no idea why it caught my eye the way it did...it's really not my normal "style"...but I am totally in love with this little deer. :)


Feb. 18th "Good Stuff"

*Oh my gosh...just everything about this day. A whole entire day with my awesome husband. Book shopping. Coffee. Hanging out. Watching a movie. Reading. Just being together, just the two of us. Heaven.


Feb. 19th "Good Stuff"

*Yet another day of relaxing. Used book stores. Art supplies. Discovering this fantastic little vegetarian Ethiopian restaurant. Finding I Kill Giants--finally. More movie time. More reading. More just being together, just the two of us. More heaven.


Feb. 20th "Good Stuff"

*Seeing the munchkins again.

*Eating Animals. Despite the fact that it's possible I will have to pull one of my hide away from the world for a few days defensive maneuvers, because I seriously lack coping skills.


Feb. 21st "Good Stuff"

*Another year in this life. A life that is blessed beyond words. With the most wonderful husband I could ever dream of. With three incredible people that call me "Mom." With the very best friends I could possibly imagine. With so very much more...

*Being married to a science geek. Yeah, I mentioned that above with the Darwin birthday party thing. More proof: Last night, he dreamed that our neighbor won a preserved coelacanth. She didn't want it, and asked Rich if he did. Well duh--no need to ask what he said to that offer, is there? Anyway, he then had to go on and explain to the neighborhood the importance of coelacanth as a transitional fossil. He so cracks me up--he thought this was an awesome dream. Now for anyone who might someday come visit, I promise you he doesn't act this way in real life. Well, not often anyway. ;)


*Said science geek husband is a wonderful cook...and he made me the most incredible manicotti for supper. Mmmmmm...

*Chris's new app. :D #luvchris

*Chatting on Twitter. Oh, how I've missed it. And oh, how I've missed my wonderful friends! Thanks to all you lovelies for an incredibly enjoyable afternoon. #luvana #luvchris #luvamanda #luvjason #luvcare


*Sooooo many awesome-sounding books for my birthday.
















*The USA/Canada hockey game! Sorry Kelly. :( But you gotta admit it was a hell of a game, right? :D #luvkelly

*****
While winter break had its ups and downs (the downs coming in the form of worrying about people I love), I have to say that it was a much-needed and much-appreciated break. I hope that I'll now be able to keep up a little better with the day-to-day. Including blog reading. (Though I will be hitting that "mark as read" button and starting anew.) But if I can't keep up...well, I'm going to try to stop beating myself up over it. I got a wonderful e-mail from the wonderful Care with some very wise words. I'm going to try to remember them. Thank you, dear friend. #luvcare

I hope everyone had a glorious mid-February!

good stuff...the Super Bowl edition

February 7th "Good Stuff"

Well, duh...the Super Bowl!!!!

For many reasons:

*Best reason of all--this guy!


(Another of my favorite photos from last summer.)

I could not possibly be any happier for you, Chris!!! I really couldn't.
Seriously, I'm not sure there's anything that can make you happier than joy experienced by those you love! Savor the feeling, Chris...you deserve it! #luvchris

*New Orleans. Yeah, what an awesome city. What a bunch of strong folks. Congratulations, NOLA!

*The Colts lost!!! Sorry Colts fans, but what can I say...I just don't like them.

*This image:

How can you not get all teary looking at all that sweetness, huh?

*The game was really a good one...it wasn't totally lopsided, it wasn't just a huge defensive struggle, it was just plain fun and exciting!!!

I didn't get to watch much football this season, probably only half a dozen games. Life just gets in the way. But Rich and I still talk so fondly of those pre-kid days when we lived for Sundays during football season. Our routine was always the same...we'd go out for brunch, and then come home and drag our mattress out to the living room and watch football all day long. It was heavenly. Maybe someday life will cease to be so hectic and we can adopt that routine again. ;)

*And one final, silly little note. All the confetti flying at the end of the game...it got Lucky all riled up...he went running up to the TV to try to catch the flying bits. Goofy cat. Made us laugh.

*raises hand extra high*

Yeah, that was in response to the question, "Who just totally sucks at this whole blogging thing?"

No matter how hard I try, I just can't seem to come up with some sort of plan that works for me. It's not so much that I can't seem to post regularly...I probably should wait until I have something worth saying to post, which would see me posting far less often. But it's my blog, and I have the right to be as boring as I want, right? :)

No, it's the blog reading that causes me so much anxiety. Or rather, the lack of blog reading. :(  No matter how hard I try, I can't keep up. There are people out there I adore whose blogs I haven't visited in weeks. And my reader doesn't contain nearly as many blogs as most peoples' do. I'm just soooo frustrated. I had high hopes for yesterday...I was going to get through half the posts in my reader, and then tackle the other half today. Yeah right. With 10+ hours buried in events leading up to WWII, a few more hours spent laundering and vacuuming and scrubbing toilets and baking brownies, a couple with the normal "kid stuff" which involved an extra kid for the entire afternoon...well, I managed to slip in just a handful of posts. *sigh*

So, do I give up blogging, at least until summer when I have a little more time? No. I don't like that solution. Do I weed my reader down even further? I seriously don't think I can...I have it at bare bones right now. Do I just keep on going as I'm going but give up on feeling bad about it? Sounds good, but who can I get to reprogram my brain wiping out the enormous chunk I use on feeling guilty.

*****
I started this day off with a major shot of happy! *hugs dear friend*
*and then hugs some more for all the sadness and grief that remain*

February 6th "Good Stuff":  Yesterday, despite its typical busyness, gave me plenty of smiles.

*Okay, this picture is obviously not from yesterday. But it's one of my favorites from last year. Just look at those three boys...can't you just tell they're up to no good?!! Yep, well, there's lots more mischief to come this August!!!
"It's real! It's real! It's reeeeeeally, reeeeeeally real!!!" That's been my chant for the last 24 hours, because Chris got his airline tickets! There are just no words to describe how incredibly happy and excited I am! :D #luvchris

*Just look at all these shiny new crayons! My darling husband was out doing the grocery shopping and running some errands yesterday...and he brought these home just for me! Aren't they just bee-yoo-tee-fool?!! (And don't even try to tell me that I'm the only "grown-up" who adores crayons, because I know better!) #luvrich

 *Double-decker kitties.

*Okay, so the photo isn't the greatest, but this bookcase is so cute and full of homemade charm. And guess how much it cost us? Nothing! Someone set it out for the trash! Rich saw it when he was driving Gray's friend home. We just had to clean off the snow and nail in a couple of brads to stabilize some loose shelves.

a week's worth

In an effort to not make this the longest, most boring post on record, I've decided to just go ahead and publish the past week's good stuff. Okay, it still may be the most boring, but at least it will be a shorter version of boring. :D (And no scolding--I am not picking on myself, I am merely affirming that the minute details of my life may not make for the most gripping reading for others. #luvana)

*****
January 27th "Good Stuff"

*Gray's concert. Yes, he was nervous, but never came close to breakdown mode. So happy for him. So very, very happy for him. :) And his best friend came to watch the concert, sat right up front in the audience in front of Gray...thus there were actually a couple of awesome smiles seen from Gray during the concert! (Honestly, we didn't even expect to see his face, as lately he tends to hide behind his hair whenever he's feeling uncomfortable.) Unbelievable, in such a wonderful, wonderful way. Plus, the concert was actually very good...the kids played awesomely well! Have to admit I wasn't expecting that. ;)


*Max and his graphic novel spree. He's kicking my butt. He finished up Zelda Oracle of Seasons last night, bringing his graphic novel total for the year up to five. (May not seem like much, but believe me, it is for this reluctant reader.)



*Finishing Annie's quarterly report!!! Such a relief to have another one of those behind me.


January 28th "Good Stuff"

*Gray's school raised more than twice the money they needed to build the classroom in Kenya. But no, they're not building two classrooms. Instead, they decided that all the additional money is going to be used to build a medical dispensary at the school. Is that not just beyond awesome? I swear I tear up every time I think about it. :)

*Ordering in pizza.


January 29th "Good Stuff"

*The boys didn't have school (grading day). Oh how I love the more relaxed mornings that "no school" brings. And not having to pack lunches. I know, that's such a silly job to despise, but despise it I do. ;)

*The power of words. I received two e-mails today that brought home this point. One from Gray's teacher, one from one of my best friends in the world. Two very different subjects. But what they had in common: both were ten words or less and both positively made my day! Yep, the power of just a few perfectly chosen words. :D #luvchris

*Finally finished another book. Eleanor Roosevelt: A Life of Discovery by Russell Freedman. I'm ashamed to admit how little I knew about her, beyond this vague notion that she was one incredible woman. So I not only enjoyed this book a great deal, I learned a lot, too. Can't beat that, right?


January 30th "Good Stuff"

*Kitteh pictures to cheer up a sick little boy. :) #luvana


January 31st "Good Stuff"


*We finally decorated the Valentine tree!


















February 1st "Good Stuff"

*Gray had a truckload of homework tonight, but he didn't fuss about it one little bit. That's one for the "miracle" category.

*We've had our Gazelle Edge for about a week now. I've done 30 minutes on it most days since...and I'm still not sick of it yet. ;)

*I finished another graphic novel--In the Small by Michael Hague. But lest you think I'm putting a dent in Max's lead in our little family graphic novel race, let me assure you that this is not so. He's finished yet another two--an Avatar book (not the movie, but the awesomely cool animated series The Last Airbender) and a reread of the Garfield Treasury that his "big brother" sent him. #luvchris


February 2nd "Good Stuff"

*I'm happy with the way my little Valentine thingies are coming out. Now if I can just finish them and mail them in time.

*Rich, knowing that I've just been blue lately, hired a babysitter (Annie :D) and took me out to dinner and then to B&N for some book shopping and coffee. Which yes, also led to new books coming home with me. That's like good stuff on top of good stuff on top of good stuff, right?

new books, blame, and good stuff (quite the uninspired title)

Decided that I ought to get caught up here on the doling out of blame. My latest two trips to the bookstore need to be accounted for.

First though, the non-blame books:

The Value of Nothing by Raj Patel. I am sooooo excited to read this book...it just sounds incredible. If it lives up to its description, it sounds as if it not only addresses the failings and unfairness of our world economy, but it offers hope and ideas. And as I was just admitting to a very dear friend, as optimistic as I try to be in my own little personal life, I tend to be extremely pessimistic about the future of our world in general. So pessimistic that it can leave me hiding in depression for days at a time. So yeah, I'm all for a little hope.

Created Equal: Voices on Women's Rights by Anna Horsbrugh-Porter. Another one I'm really excited to read! Okay, I guess that's sort of a no-brainer, huh? Obviously, I really want to read these books...otherwise, I wouldn't have bought them. This isn't a long book. It appears to be more of an introduction to the state of women's rights around the globe today. Among the issues it discusses are education, violence against women, slavery, and poverty. I may have to wait to read it though...when Annie saw it, she immediately asked if she could borrow it.

The River of Lost Footsteps: A Personal History of Burma by Thant Myint-U. I'm really tempted to blame this on poor Eva, but I guess that wouldn't be fair. See, I really wanted to get From the Land of Green Ghosts because of her review, but the bookstore just didn't have it. But I was determined to read something about Burma, so I picked up this book instead.

Nylon Road by Parsua Bashi. A graphic memoir. What can I say...you all have turned me into a graphic novel junkie...seems as if I have to get my fix every time I hit the bookstore anymore. ;) This wasn't the book I really went looking for...thanks to Ana, I really, really, really wanted to get my hands on I Kill Giants, but they didn't have it. But this book caught my eye...and then made its way home with me.

Collage Lab by Bee Shay. One of those impulse buys. One of my biggest personal goals for the year is to make more time for "playing" in my craft room. A goal, I am to the point, failing miserably to meet. This book makes a massively fun addition to my inspiration library.

And now we come to those books that I refuse to take personal responsibility for. ;) Points go to:

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley. I have been wanting to get my hands on this soooooo badly ever since reading Carl's review! It just sounds so utterly delightful and fun. (Irrelevant side note: I was surprised to realize that this was the only novel of the whole bunch.)

Complications: A Surgeon's Notes on an Imperfect Science by Atul Gawande. Yeah, no way Eva's escaping blame for this one. And somehow I suspect that blame for Better will be forthcoming as well.

The World Without Us by Alan Weisman. Don't even have to tell you who gets the blame for this one, do I? Yep, the lovely Ana made it impossible for me to resist. And I suspect she doesn't even feel guilty about it. ;)

*****
Whatever day it is "Good Stuff"

*Annie started her latest college course last night. She's taking Arabic. And she came home just as excited as could be...chatting away, showing me the letters she's learned to write so far, talking about the course in general. Don't you love the way that enthusiasm is simply contagious?

*Last night was also the first night of Rich's evolution class for this semester. And all went well! I suppose on the surface it seems a silly thing to even worry about...we certainly haven't worried about his other classes that start this week. But yeah, because it's evolution. And there's been precedent for attracting people who don't want to learn, don't want to listen, don't want to ask questions, but simply want to be disruptive and obnoxious and threatening in an effort to promote their religious agenda. The first semester he taught this course, things were so bad that we actually worried a bit about his safety. But Rich was so happy when he got home last night, said his students seemed engaged and enthusiastic and asked really great questions...and well, it's just a relief.



*There are times when this kiddo has me wanting to pull out all my hair in frustration. And then there are times like these...yep, my heart just melts. I think I shall never tire of watching the munchkins sleep. :)

*Sooooo happy for Chris!!!! And the city of New Orleans, in general, too. :D

*I've been trying so hard the last few weeks to come up with an idea for "something," but just couldn't come up with anything I was satisfied with. But that proverbial lightbulb lit up yesterday! And I don't just like the idea, I love it! (Hopefully, it will turn out the way I envision it in my head.)

abandoned

Like I need any more reasons to feel like a loser. I'm admitting temporary defeat. To both a book and to a crafty project.

The book: The Grapes of Wrath. Not because I don't like it. But because I have a feeling I would love it, if I could give it the attention it deserves. And I just haven't been able to do that thus far. Five pages here, another five there, two here, and four there...just not the way to get the most out of this book I fear. Not the way to get the most out of most books for that matter. But I really want to give this one the time it deserves. So I'm just setting it aside for now...maybe I'll be able to start it over this summer. We'll see.

The crafty project: These opera gloves. Annie saw a picture of them in the Lion Brand yarn catalog and fell in love. So when I was able to find the pattern on line, I decided to make them for her for her birthday. But they've been a real pain. And they seem to be turning out to be too big for her arms...despite the fact that I checked my gauge (something I'm usually too lazy to do). I think it's just her skinny little arms. So I'm setting them aside, too. To possibly finish when she's done growing. If she still likes them then, that is. In the meantime, I think I'll just see if I can't design some on my own for her. Again, we'll see.

*****
January 23rd/24th "Good Stuff"

*It looks like I really, truly am going to get to meet the sweet, wonderful Amanda!!! I've known this was a possibility for a couple of weeks, but I'm sort of weird--I do my absolute darnedest to not let myself get my hopes up for things. I tend to look at things from the worst case scenario side (so I can often find myself pleasantly surprised) as opposed to looking at things from the best case scenario side (and ending up disappointed). But now that we've come up with a very doable plan...well, SQUEEEEEE...I get to be giddy!!! And I sooooo love to be giddy! :D #luvamanda

*I've been extremely productive school-wise today...and that feels so good, because I really needed to be. I feel so good about my progress that I think I'll take the evening off and cheer on the Saints.

*Rich cooked Boca Burgers for dinner...yum...and it's time to go eat right now.

busy, but happy

I had high hopes for 2010...that I was going to keep myself more organized and not let myself get behind on things. Yeah, not really working out that way. ;)

Does anyone else feel guilty when they can't keep up with their blog reading? Especially with the blogs of your very favorite people? *sigh* I hate it!!! I mean, in a way, it seems silly to feel guilty about it. Everybody goes through overly busy patches. I know I certainly don't feel offended or hurt when someone doesn't read my blog...so why do I worry that other people will feel that way? Just silly, I know.

On the homeschool front, I managed to get a lot of work done last weekend, but I'm afraid it just wasn't enough to make up for how unbelievably far behind I got in December. So I'm still sort of in overdrive here trying to finish up all that needs done before the end of this quarter. (The quarterly report is due next Friday.) After that, life will hopefully calm just a bit as new deadlines will be off in the distance. :) Yep, after I get that report written next week, I hope to regroup. We'll try for a little more organization then, I suppose.

Anyway, I'm not complaining. Just explaining. Hopefully, I will then be able to get my act together and make my "good stuff" lists on a daily basis, actually finish some of the many books I have going finished, catch up on what's been going on with everyone, get some creative projects finished...

*****
the last few days of "good stuff"

*Having my own personal music picker-outers who introduce me to awesomeness I would never discover on my own. Ana, I finally listened to the I Am a Bird Now CD. *hanging head in shame that it took me so long* Already I'm in love. Antony's voice is pure heaven. And I just know that I'm only going to fall more and more in love as I have a chance to better soak up the lyrics. Thank you again! #luvana #luvchris

*And also in the #luvana #luvchris category: Having friends you trust so completely that you can discuss touchy issues without fear, make awkward confessions knowing you won't be judged, and share goofy little anythings with the knowledge that they won't think you're a complete idiot.

*Feeling optimistic about getting a "new start" after this quarter is over.

*Thrifting with Rich yesterday. Damn, but I love hanging out with this guy! :D We hit three thrift stores, and found lots of great stuff, including a new coat for Gray. His winter coat was sort of falling apart (not a good thing in upstate NY), but we found him a wonderful one that looks practically brand new. And I found some great stuff for Annie. She's so awesome in that as much as she loves clothes, she never feels like she has to have new, brand-name stuff. We buy nearly all our clothes from thrift stores, and we secretly worried that someday that would start bothering Annie. Bad me...not giving her nearly enough credit.

*And speaking of Miss Annie, she got her grade from her last college course. Another A. So proud of her. Not because she's "smart"...that's the luck of the draw. But because she works hard and she tries new things even when she's nervous about them.

*The boys both gathered up their money...they didn't have much, but they scrounged up their change and whatnot and each came up with almost $5...and donated it to the Walk for Kenya fund raiser Gray's class is hosting. And Annie gave each of them $5 as well. Rich and I were of course already sponsoring both boys, and we never asked them to donate their own money; they all just did it on their own. It just makes me very happy to see that their hearts continue to be caring.

*Anticipation! It's just soooooo wonderful to have awesome things to look forward to, isn't it?!!
--Mom and Dad gave Rich and I a "coupon" for four days/three nights of babysitting in February. They've been doing this for the past several years, keeping the kids for a few days over winter break. Rich and I always have sooooooo much fun! Going wherever we want, whenever we want. Eating whatever and whenever we want. Staying up as late as we want without having to worry about the munchkins getting us up. Yes, it's positively heavenly!
--Hopefully getting to meet Amanda in May! Still working on this one, but am very hopeful. #luvamanda
--And ZOMG...the cat is already out of the bag, so I don't feel like I'll jinx it anymore by talking about it, but one of my very bestest friends in the whole freakin' wide world is coming to visit in August!!!!!! Giddy, yeah, that doesn't begin to describe how this has me feeling! And I've got a houseful of people here sharing the giddy, too! #luvchris

catching up

from the last several days "Good Stuff"


*Can you see the smile behind that book? It's enormous!!! Yes, the smile is good stuff. And yes, the boy with the smile is good stuff. But you know what else is good stuff? The unbelievably sweet, incredibly thoughtful, perfectly wonderful person that put that smile there!!! Thank you again, Chris! I get all teary every time I think about you doing that for Maxidoodle. #luvchris

*And speaking of Chris, there's also this good thing totally related to him. Having one's hopes soaring! :D I am soooooooo unbelievably freakin' excited about something that I can hardly stand it!!!! But it's not a done deal, and I shouldn't be getting my hopes too high yet...but I just can't help it!!!! (I know, I know, I haven't really explained, but I've got this fear of jinxing it.) Seriously, the whole possibility of it has me floating on air... #luvchris


*I was finally cleaning up the Christmas cards we'd gotten, and I was so thrilled to see this beautiful card again. Handmade by the lovely Amanda. I can't tell you how much I love this card...it has such a calming effect on me every time I see it. In fact, I plan on framing it and hanging it in our bedroom. #luvamanda

*Overheard:
Max to Rich: Would you rather be a person, a booger, or a robot?
Pretty much a no-brainer as to how Rich answered that one, huh? ;)


*Miss Annie's "style" (even when she's trying to hide from the camera). Actually, what I love most of all is that she just trusts her own style and doesn't care what other people say. Believe me, none of her friends dress anything like her!




*It's conversation heart season!!! The time of year when I go into sugar overdose heaven.

*Another incredibly wonderful person had a birthday--Jason, I hope your day was magical! #luvjason

*Gray's teacher. She is simply the best.

*This video. It just makes me smile. :)

*Two games of BookChase with Annie. Even though she beat me both times.

*Another trip to the bookstore with my sweetie. Sans children. Coffee in the cafe. Gift cards to spend. Ahhhh...

*Fresh snow! We've had five straight days of unseasonably warm weather here, and it had done quite a number on melting our accumulated snow. Grass was visible in places...argh. But that travesty has been taken care of. (At least for a few days...as they say it's going to be really warm again later in the week.)

and yet more of the good stuff

January 9th "Good Stuff"

*The awesome project that Gray's class has come up with and has been working hard on all year to get ready to introduce to the whole school. They call it "Walk for Kenya." All the kids in the school will be wearing pedometers for one week. They made all kinds of designated courses and whatnot throughout the school. Anyway, they are trying to have all the kids' steps add up to walking from their school to the town of Maseno, Kenya. They are getting people to sponsor them so they can pay to have a classroom built in Maseno (they are working with an organization called Building Futures). Anyway, their big kick off assembly is this coming Tuesday. Gray is very nervous because his class has to sing and dance in front of the whole school...but on the other hand, it's quite obvious how very proud he is of how they're doing something to make a difference. :D

*My lovely friend Kara guilting me into motivating me to get back to my diet blog. Well, it's not exactly a diet blog, but sort of...and I don't know what else to call it. And I honestly can't believe I put a link there so everyone can see in numbers just how fat I am. Anyway, I'm glad to be thinking about it again. Changes need to be made.

*Okay, I am probably the only one who finds this so funny, but when I went to make a comment on Kara's most recent post on her "diet blog" the damn let's-try-to-cut-down-on-spam-by-typing-in-random-letter-codes thingie was "waffles"!!! I kid you not...is that not just an evil thing to do to people trying to lose weight?!!

*Helping Rich come up with his own 50 x 50 list. Of course, he has a few more years to finish his list than I do.

Okay, I'm back and there are probably other things that I could add to this list, but I just sort of emotionally drained myself...so I just want to add this one last thing and call this a post.

*Wonderful friends who listen to my emotional dumpings. And who still love me anyway. (Well, I hope they will anyway.) Thank you Amanda and Ana...really, thank you so much.

Hello 2010!!!

Just popping in to wish everyone a very joyous, productive, peaceful, loving 2010!!!

I must admit that I so love the optimism I always seem to feel as a new year begins. :D

*****
December 31st "Good Stuff"

OMG...yesterday was one of those days when I just felt as if I was floating on air. Extraordinarily beautiful news from a few different friends. It's not my place to share any of it, but oh my...yesterday was one of those days that I just wish I could bottle and take a swig from whenever I'm feeling down.

as I ramble away some more

Think I need a break from geometry today. I'm not complaining, mind you...relearning geometry is not the worst thing I can imagine (though not the best thing, either, of course). But I actually sort of enjoy doing proofs. Anyway, I think I've been doing too many of them the past few days. Last night I dreamed that I was a assigned a two-column proof to "prove" that the Printz winners were deserving of their praise. Yeah, I know that makes no sense, as is the way with dreams. And, as is the way with dreams, it made perfect sense within itself. Bottom line, I think I'll switch to some Envi Sci prep today.

December 29th "Good Stuff"















*This tea. Mmmmm...heavenly. Doesn't quite edge out my all-time favorite, Hot Cinnamon Spice, but it certainly puts up a good fight. Even better good stuff--the awesome friend who sent it to me!!! (Thanks again, Chris!)

*Listening to my incredibly sweet boy chatting away on the phone with a friend. Maybe that doesn't sound like much, but truly it is. Seeing the joy that Gray is experiencing in having a good friend literally brings tears to my eyes. I don't expect that he will ever be much of a social creature, and that is perfectly fine...but having one good friend can make such a difference, and I'm so very happy for Gray that he has found someone that he can be so comfortable with.

*The perfect poem. The kind that overwhelms you. The kind that is more than just an intellectual, or even an emotional experience, but that is also a full-blown physical experience. "Tulipomania" by Katrina Vandenberg was that poem for me yesterday. I will reread it, and reread it, and reread it, and it will continue to haunt me.
And this "good stuff" also came to me with the help of others--obviously Katrina Vandenberg, but also Ana who urged me skip ahead in the book to read this poem, and Chris who so sweetly gave me this beautiful book of poetry (Atlas) for Christmas. Thanks guys!

When I decided the other day to record the "good stuff" daily, I assumed that I would just list one thing per day. But I guess this is part of the beauty of the exercise...in making the effort to notice the happy things that daily life brings, I'm finding that my days are overflowing in them...

out of whack, but looking forward to a new year

Warning: I am about to whine. I will try to get it out of the way as quickly and painlessly as possible, but whining it will be. And then, I shall get on to the good stuff.

I have never been so anxious to say good-bye to the month of December as I am this year. Isn't that pathetic?!! I hate that I feel that way...I don't like feeling like such a cranky old grump. :( Usually, December is my favorite time of the year...always hectic, but manageable. This year nothing seemed manageable. The month started with the flu. Totally knocked me out for days...and I usually refuse to let anything stop me. (In fact, it refuses to totally release it's grip on me even now...the chest pain and coughing seem determined to hang on.) Anyway, this set me back immensely on holiday preps. I spent the next few weeks in overdrive. Then last Saturday, we headed to my parents for our annual get-together with some extended family. We left Annie there to spend some time with her grandparents. The next few days I really went crazy, trying to finish up some gifts I was making, finish up the wrapping, cleaning the house, preparing beds, and mostly cooking, cooking, cooking. Because my parents and my brother always come up and spend a few days with us over Christmas. They were due to arrive late Thursday morning. On the verge of collapse Wednesday night, but finally feeling that I had my act together for the following few days, Rich, the boys, and I sat down to watch A Christmas Story. And about halfway through, Rich said, "I feel like my face is on fire. I think I have a fever." Sure enough, 102.8 degrees. Yes, he had somehow managed to come down with the flu. So, I immediately had to call my parents and let them know. We worked it out that they would just drive up in the morning and drop off Annie, and then head back home. So I then spent the next hour or so taking everything out from under the tree and digging out and packing up all the presents for my parents and brother. Spent the next morning, dividing up all the food I'd been making for the past three days so I could send half of it home with them. Spent a good deal of time simply in tears because I was on the verge of exhaustion from being sick for so long and working so hard, just to have it all seem to be for nothing. And this is why I just want December to go the hell away.

BUT.

I've really had sooooooo much to smile about this month, too. I really, truly have. And so much of has been because of the incredible friends I have made through blogging. Honestly, I've cried tears of pure joy on more than one occasion this month due to the unbelievably thoughtful, generous, loving words and actions of friends that I'm not sure I even deserve. You all know who you are. And I so hope you all know how very much I love you.

And ZOMG, was I spoiled with gifts! Rich and I had agreed to cut back...but I don't think he listened. ;) (Granted, some of the books came from the library book sale, but still!) And oh my goodness, the lovely gifts I received from friends...my heart nearly burst.

Here's a picture of all the goodies that will make my reading life even more delightful:

Not only did I get this amazing stack of books and so much money in gift cards that I feel almost guilty about it, but I got beautiful bookmarks, some of them handmade, tea and chocolate to savor as I read, the most beautiful and comfy handmade slippers imaginable, and the most special handmade Calpurnia doll that this world has ever seen.

This is far more spoilage than any one person needs, I know. And yet, I received even more...some crafty supplies, office supplies, and a gorgeous framed photo that I fell in love with the first time I saw it (from the talented photographer herself).

You know, bottom line, as cranky and ugly as I've felt much of this month, I was inundated in love. And thus, my new year's resolution, a few days early:

Make every day a good day! (Okay, so I totally stole this from Annie...it was her New Year's resolution back when she was four years old. Smart kid!) Treasure the little things (and the big things) that make life so beautiful. Remember that the not-so-good stuff is a part of life (and truly it's an important part in helping me see how honestly blessed I am). Never miss an opportunity to say, "I love you," and never miss an opportunity to show it through actions. Be appreciative. Live.