FRIDAY FIVE

Five Best Albums Ever
1. Joshua Tree-U2
2. Hysteria~Def Leppard
3. Ropin' in the Wind~Garth Brooks
4. Jesus Freak~DC Talk
5. Pet Sounds~Beach Boys

Five Best Shows On TV Now
1. Modern Family
2. The Middle
3. Anything featuring Bret Michaels
4. Flash Forward
5. 24

Five Best Things About School Being Done
1. No more making lunches
2. No getting up at 6:00
3. No more driving to school
4. No more phone calls from teachers
5. No more homework

Elephants and Donkeys

I am a political gal. My heart skips a beat just thinking about yard signs. I spent hours in college knocking on doors for different candidates. Yes, I am a conservative. Yes, I prefer the Republicans over the Democrats. HOWEVER, let me clarify a few points and because this is a political post I get to use bullet points! Woo hoo!

• I do not hate Barack Obama. I find the Facebook "joke" about praying for his death rather annoying. Pres Obama seems to be a good guy with a true conviction that his policies and ideas are right for the American people. I admire that in a guy especially after the Clinton years which seemed to be more about power and sex than serving the American people.
• I do not love all Republicans. Lots of them are big . . . .doo doo heads.
• I am frustrated by the church's political division. Some churches openly campaign for candidates on both sides and I don't agree with that. I don't recall Jesus declaring a political affiliation.
  
• Faith and politics are not independent of each other. Many people take Jesus's command to serve the poor as a reason to vote Dem. Others take the belief in the sanctity of life as a reason to vote Rep.
  
• I love a good discussion with a liberal who has a well thought out point of view. I can respect that and even agree with some of their points. However, I can not take a discussion with someone who votes Dem b/c Daddy was in the union or because of race or because Oprah said too.
  
• The flip side of that point is please respect me a thinking person who is not an intolerant racist war monger.
• Know about your candidates. Many people know more about Yo Gabba Gabba or Tiger Wood's sex life than they do about who is running for school board or county council in their own district.

The polling place would have been way cooler with an open bar. Maybe free cocktails after you vote!

Following the Crowd to Vodka

I was too good for her. I eschewed her blog as too commercial. Too fancy-schmancy. I tend to not read the books everyone else is raving about. I hate the hit songs everyone loves. I never see the movies that are all the buzz. I just can't follow the crowd. Even when the crowd is right. I finally broke down last night and followed the crowd. Instead of leading me straight to hell, the crowd led me to a beautiful plate of pasta drenched in vodka. Yep. VODKA. How could that be a bad thing? You tell me. Or on second thought . . . please don't.

People, I give you Pasta all Vodka from Ree Drummond aka The Pioneer Woman.



I am now a devoted member of The Pioneer Woman's cult. This is the best freakin' pasta dish I have ever made. We were licking the skillet. Literally. You would have thought I had raw brownie batter in there.

So now that I have caved, I am obsessed. Kinda goes with my personality. I'm really not a half-way kinda girl. I'm all in. Now I gotta go buy more vodka. Again, not a bad thing.

Crack Would Be Healthier

I would have made a fantabulous meth addict. I have never been a smoker but I have lots of friends who describe to me the feeling of sweet joy upon the first drag. I have felt that feeling. That moment of pure bliss when every tension leaves your body as a new chemical surges through your blood. What is my drug of choice?



Those hot salty sticks of fried potato goodness. I gave up french fries for lent and let me tell you it was the definition of sacrifice for me. I can plan my entire day around getting some fries. Now I need to give them up before I have to start shopping at Catherine's.

The Corner of I'm Right and You're Wrong

Choosing school for your kids is complicated business. So many factors go into the decision and so many people have something to say about your decision. When Caroline started school she was our only kid and our trucking business was going pretty well. The cost of Christian school wasn't an issue and we glibly considered it the "best" school choice. As we navigate a new reality which includes the possibility of public schools, I am learning how truly judgmental parents can be. There are plenty of right/wrong issues in parenting but school choice is not one of them. God calls each family to a different path. Some families are called to homeschool. This is a huge committment, even more of a lifestyle choice than a way of educating your kids. Many parents are called to send their kids to Christian schools. I also believe that God calls certain families to be in the public school system. Several years ago, I wouldn't have said that. I didn't really think God would call you to send your kids "there" (said with the proper amount of disdain in my voice) My BFF has been fighting sending her kids to the public schools for years. They have homeschooled and sent them to a small Christian school. She made a brilliant comment the other day.

"We have been praying for God to provide (financially) for _______ Christian School for years and the money hasn't been there. Maybe we need to open our eyes to the idea that God has a plan and a purpose for our kids in the public school."

Brilliant. Often in the Christian school enviroment I grew up and am presently involved in as parent, has a superiority complex. Then again, I know some homeschoolers with the same idea. And some public schoolers. So no one has a corner on the "I'm better than you" market. Christian school parents tend to throw around Christian school-ese phrase "Trust God to provide" This is generally uttered by people who never have had a financial struggle. I'm not talking about the "I can't afford to go to WDW this year" struggle but true "I lost my job and am worried about foreclosure" financial struggle. This statement loosely translates to "If you never go out to eat, only shop at Goodwill, do not have cable TV or internet access, and only drive one car, you can go to Christian schools." Which translates to "If you lived how I say you should, you could afford it."

I'll say it again. God has a different plan for each family. One plan is not superior than the other. God is not absent from the public schools. He does not only go where invited. He is sovereign and that includes the public schools. Do I love my local Christian school? Absolutely. My girls have learned so much and have had some amazing teachers influence them. Am I a little freaked at the option of public schools? Um, yeah.

Jeremiah 29:11 says "'For I know the plans I have for you' declares the Lord 'Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future'" Notice that verse does not include the condition "If you go to Christian schools."

Go Vikings! Eeww.

I have always dreamed that one day my daughters would love what I loved in middle school~cheerleading! So far, so good. Caroline walks around the house doing cheers and would wear her cheer uniform every day. This week the ICHS (boo!) cheerleaders invited the middle school girls to come stunt with them. Caroline is a flyer and boy did she get to fly! They put her up in a full and even tried to do a liberty. The ICHS girls were really sweet and helped my middle school squad learn how to stunt. They can't wait until next fall to really work on it all! Caroline is bummed that she probably will never be a Viking. I'm OK with that.

The Family Meal . . . and other great pieces of fiction

ME~C'mon guys, dinner's ready.

RANDOM CHILDREN WHO CALL ME MOM~What are we having? YUCK! She touched me/breathed on me/broke my toy/hit me/kicked me/won't share! WYATT NO! Why do we always have chicken/beef/venison? Why can't we have hot dogs/peanut butter/pizza? I HATE this. How many bites do I have to eat to have a snack?

I love to cook. I love to try new recipes or just mess around in the kitchen until I find something I like. We have all read the studies and know that kids who eat at the family dinner table do better at everything from preschool entrance exams to nursing home longevity. Our church culture puts extra pressure on us to not only produce a healthy meal (well, at least one with meat and 3 sides with Velveeta in them!) but also have family devotions. These little nuggets of time where we impart great spiritual truths to our offspring. What "they" fail to mention is that these wonderful benefits of the family dinner come at the cost of a big fat ulcer for Mommy. Is a 2 1/2 year old even capable of sitting for more than 5 minutes? Well, mine is not. Everyone has an answer for how to get through dinner time with 3 small kids and I am not a fan of any of their easy answers. I am trying to let go of the guilt and embrace the idea that a 20 minute family dinner complete with devotions and pot roast with three sides is just a fantasy. Life is all about survival with small kids and I need to start letting go of the Pottery Barn catalog image of motherhood. We have all these "should do" ideas about how to plan every moment of our kids' lives. If I don't force Wyatt to sit and eat dinner, then he will do drugs in his teen years. If I don't force Greta to try 5 bites of everything, then she will grow up to be a person who only eat chicken nuggets. Wow. Once I put that in writing it looks really stupid. So today I vow to give myself permission to suspend the traditional family meal time until a later date. How much later? How 'bout college?

Go Fight Win

These are my girls~the middle school cheer squad. I have had such a good time coaching them and I love them all to pieces! This is there very first mount at a game. Caroline is the flyer on the far left. Go Crusaders!

SAHM I Am . . . .Or Not

I'm having one of those days. I have had thousands of them since I began my stint as a Stay At Home mom in 1998. I feel like a dog chasing its tail. I have a mountain of work to get to and all I can muster the energy to do is hold Greta on the couch with her Tupperware Barf Bowl. I do laundry. I make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I clean up gobs of toothpaste. I build Lego trucks. I untangle American Girl hair. And so on. I'm OK with all of that. It comes with the territory of the choice I made to stay home. My frustration lies in the fact that I seem to be the only mom who doesn't love her stay at home mom-ness ALL THE TIME. Or at least according to Facebook every other SAHM thinks they have the greatest job in the world and loves spending every waking and non-waking moment with their kids. Are all these moms lying or am I truly the only one who gets sick of being a human kleenex all day? I chose to stay home because I thought it was important to be the one with my kids. I wanted to make the choices for how they spent their time. Problem is I am the one to blame for how their spend their time. . .is there any defense for "Yo Gabba Gabba"?

I can't even complete the thought right now. Someone is screaming and I can't ignore it anymore.

Stupid Is As Stupid Does

Our school came down with a new rule this week aimed at the middle school kids.

Any use of the words "stupid" or "shut up" will result in a demerit.

Any use, regardless of context or intent. Any use. Am I the only one here who thinks this is STUPID?! We already have a rule about being disrespectful. Be the adult, use your discretion, and enforce it when appropriate. Don't need to start making a list of words. "Stupid" can be used appropriately or inappropriately, just like hundreds of other words in the English language. If your goal is to stop 11-13 yr olds from being smart mouthed, saying "Don't say THIS word" is the wrong way to go about it. You better believe they spent the whole day yesterday saying stupid and shut up as much as possible. Rules without brains behind them are a recipe for rebellion. Kids act out when rules make no sense.

We have an awesome group of kids in our little middle school. They are smart, funny, friendly, well behaved and respectful. I coach the cheerleaders so I spend a lot of time with these girls plus the girls and boys from the basketball teams. All good kids. A little rowdy and immature? Absolutely. They are supposed to be rowdy and immature. They are IN MIDDLE SCHOOL! This is 2010 and if our biggest problem is kids calling stuff and each other stupid, we got it pretty good! Or well? Good? Whatever.

My Before Post

Why is it so hard? I mean seriously. Eat less food, move more. How freakin' hard is that? Very hard. I (heart) food. I love to cook it. I love to smell it. I love to eat it. I particularly love to eat it when everyone else is not bugging me. It's my treat that I look forward to all day long. My sister says our family's mealtime conversations focus around when and what we are going to eat next. That is so wrong.

January 2002 I was at an all-time high weight and an all time low. My mom was in the middle of her losing battle with cancer. Tim and I had been trying to have a baby for over 3 years. We finally gave up and started to pursue adoption. We were really excited about it. I decided that since I wasn't going to be preggers I was going to be skinny. I went to Weight Watchers and over 10 months I lost 30 pounds. I felt amazing and looked better than I did in college. Somewhere in mid-October 2002 I found out I was pregnant. Holy cow. How did THAT happen?!? Well, I know how it happens. . . . I was 2 pounds from my goal weight. Amelia was born June 2003, Greta was born January 2005 and Wyatt showed up July 2007. I never got back to where I was in October 2002.

Why can't I get there? I have gained and lost the same 10 pounds a zillion times since then. I have a million excuses but no valid reasons. I'm not one of those "never take care of myself" moms. I have no trouble getting away for a few hours to shop and EAT. I just can't seem to stick to it. Why? If I knew the answer, I probably wouldn't be fat. I want to be that cute thin athletic mom who does things with her kids. I want to wear cute clothes~it's hard enough to find stuff that doesn't make me look like either a teen or a grandma!

So here's my before picture. This is for me to look at every time I want to eat. Every time I want to skip my run. Every time I think I don't look so bad.

Random Randomness

Unemployment blows. Nothing much else to even say about it. Tim is home. ALL. DAY. EVERY. DAY. He's at the computer or on the phone all day long but it's pretty hard to keep it from sounding like the Nick Jr soundstage in the background. Wyatt is so colossally bored. I feel for the kid. He goes outside to play in the snow and that lasts about 10 minutes. He plays Legos and trucks. That lasts another 15 minutes. So that leaves Wyatt and I 11 hours to keep ourselves busy. When the girls were this age, I could get stuff done. They loved to "help" do housework. Wyatt sees a pile of clean laundry as a opportunity to throw things. He sees bathroom cleaner as a tasty snack. He sees a vaccum as a ride-on toy. He is so BOY. Sigh.

On another note, Caroline is having a fantastic time with cheerleading. I've been helping coach her squad and that's been a lot of fun. The girls are a riot and I'm trying really hard to be an appropriate role model. (Snort. . .)

Same Post As Every Other Blogger Today

It's that time of year. . . .everyone feels compelled to a New Years Resolutions. I am a realist. I always slide back to my old ways by Jan 19 so I'm not a big fan of the tradition. Funny thing is I do it every year. This year I will lose 30 pounds, save $10,000, clean my house every day, read my Bible more, play with my kids more, exercise, blah blah blah blah. I looked back in my old journals a noticed that the ONE year I actually DID lose 30 pounds and spend more time reading my Bible was the year I wrote down my resolutions in my journal. Things that make you go mmmmmmm. . . .

So here you have it.

1. Lose 25 lbs. I am done having babies and have no reason to be carrying around extra weight. It is unhealthy in so many ways not the least of which it increases my risk for breast cancer. I also feel yucky. I gained 4 pounds since T-giving and my jeans are tight. I hate that.

2. Read my Bible more. I go in spurts. I do my stuy for small group but usually not a whole lot more. Looking back in my journal I had a phase where I was copying certain verses and letting those guide my prayers. Need to get back to that.

3. Organize the toys. I don't think my kids have a ton of toys. The neighborhood children have asked me where all the toys are hidden so they don't think my kids have enough toys! They are big fans of things with lots of pieces though. Legos, puzzles, Polly Pockets, Little People. I need a better system to organize them because when the playroom is not a mess, they actually PLAY there!

4. Tim needs to find a job. Yesterday. In the South.

5. Stick to a schedule. I was the schedule nazi when my kids were babies but now that Wyatt is out of the baby phase I am not. I miss that predictablity.

So here's to 2010. What's your plan?

Merry Christmas

Nothing much to say but here's a few snapshots of Christmas.




Me with Greta and my teeny new niece, Meredith.


Wyatt looking old enough to get move out and take a wife.




Christmas 2009 will officially be recorded as the Holiday of the Legos.



Caroline with my niece Joanna. Caroline truly believes Joanna is the coolest person on the face of the planet.

It's Christmas. . . .We're All Miserable

I wanted to write a wonderful and insightful post about the joy of the holidays and family and friends and peace and love and blah blah blah. It kept sounding exactly wrong. This post is from last Christmas and it bears repeating. So without further ado I give you my thoughts on Christmas. . .

I used to love Christmas. I loved it so much that fifteen years ago I got married at Christmas! I loved the lights and the music and the hustle and bustle and the food and the drink and the food and the drink and the fa la la la la la la la. . .but somewhere between there and here I got lost. Here I sit at 30-ish-something and I am wishing it was January. How wrong it that? Very wrong. Somehow in my mom-life the entire holiday season has become a never-ending chore list. Buy this, bake that (or buy this to make it look like I baked that). Go to festive parties with sassy-mouthed girls and a boy who feels compelled to put his grimy paws on every object lower than 36 inches. Keep everyone happy all the time! And don't forget matching! Everyone must match! (OK, that's my own neurosis, but a girl is entitled to one or two.) I want the joy back. I want the peace on earth. I want to not insert cuss words in the middle of fa la la la la la. I don't want my kids to remember Grumpy Mommy at Christmas. They are all destined for therapy anyway but maybe they can at least say, "Mama screwed me up somethin' BAD but Christmas shure was good!"

I have been thinking and stewing and praying and stewing and praying and stewing about this since Halloween. For me to get where I need to be this holiday season, I need to be specific and intentional. So here are my "Holiday Resolutions"

1. I am going to venture into the store I really really dislike~Family Christian Stores~and find a new advent devotional. Then I will order it from Amazon. :-)

2. I am not going to second guess my shopping. When I find a gift for someone, it is done. No rehashing to make sure it's perfect, "fair" to others on my list, wondering incessantly if they will like it, ect. I will follow lists and suggestions but I will not drive myself nuts.

3. I will let my kids be kids. Yes, they will need to follow the rules and not play football with Nana's pretties or Grandma's 785 teeny weeny ceramic things but they are kids. At least at Christmas, they need to play with their cousins and have fun.

4. I will watch "Elf" and "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" at least 3 times each.

5. I will not try to be Paula Deen because no one really likes my cooking anyway. I will only cook elaborate dishes for myself or for fun. When asked to bring an appetizer, I will bring something I have made before and that is easy, cheap, and quick. I don't need to search everything the Neelys have ever made to find the "perfect" recipe. It doesn't exist.

6. I will try ONCE to get a Christmas card photo. If I can't get it in one afternoon, I will reuse the same one from last year. Only Wyatt has really changed anyway.

7. I will Christmas shop with my BFF late on weeknights. The mall is open til 10:00pm and Chili's in open til 11:00.

8. I will burn CDs of Christmas music I actually like instead of listening to the same 8 songs over and over on 93.9. While I'm at it, I will make a peaceful worshipful, CD and some fun ones too.

9. I will bake for the neighbors and invite them all to church. Again. Maybe the holiday season will make the "no thanks" turn into a "we'd love to."

So there is my concrete plan to reclaim the holiday joy for myself! Fa lalalalalalala. . . .

Reason #358 Why Wyatt Will Need Therapy

When you have 3 big sisters, you end up with pink snowman sheets.

He's not so good at the Big Boy Bed yet. Every night he cries "Wyatt no big boy! Wyatt's bed!" And here is "Wyatt's bed"~in the wood pile.

Why You Won't Be Receiving a Chirstmas Card

Caroline is telling everyone to shut up and Wyatt is unwilling to give up the pipe.

Amelia looks good here.
If Mom had a clue how to use her camera, this one could have worked. Perhaps.

At least Gracie looks cute.

Evidently, Amelia has issues.

Wyatt is done.

This was about as good as it got.

FRIDAY FIVE

FIVE BEST THINGS ABOUT THANKSGIVING
1. Stuffing~the bread kind with sausage and celery
2. Red wine with turkey
3. Football
4. A turkey sat on a backyard fence song
5. Being thankful

FIVE BEST TRADITIONAL CHRISTMAS CAROLS
1. Hark, the Herald Angels Sing
2. Joy the the World
3. Away in a Manager~as sung by Wyatt
4. Carol of the Bells
5. O Come All Ye Faithful~in Latin

FIVE REASONS WHY I AM GOING TO RETURN TO BLOGGING
1. The novelty of Facebook has worn off
2. Too many people read what I write on FB
3. I have a lot to say
4. I wish I hadn't quit
5. Pretty new templates now available for free!

Summer is almost over. . .

. . . and what do I have to show for it?

• a deep empathy for Kate and a desire to see Jon neutered
• the knowledge that PayLow is NOT the lowest priced supermarket in South Lake County
• a pre-teen who thinks she can sleep til noon
• a toddler who thinks he can swim
• the knowledge that the government requires Tim to randomly drug test himself~is that really random?
• the disappointment in never seeing a White Sox win in the Twinkie~dome.
• pasty white skin without a hint of a tan
• a working knowledge of "fins to the left"
• a whole bunch of new friends
• the loss of my patience
• the return of my true blond hair
• a hole in my summer where Hilton Head should have been
• an appreciation for Yo Gabba Gabba
• 15 hours lost to helping Jillian find Mr Right

FRIDAY FIVE

The Friday Five is BACK! I know you were missing it. . .

FIVE BEST WINES THAT I HAVE DRUNK . . .DRANK. . .DRINKED
1. The Monster Red Zin
2. Cakebread Chardonnay
3. Houge Reisling
4. Zen of Zin
5. Ravenswood ICON

FIVE THINGS I WOULD DO WITH $1,000,000
1. Buy new carpet
2. Pay CPCS tuition
3. Buy a Honda Odessey
4. Move out of this "lovely" area
5. Hire a nanny so I could take naps

FIVE JOBS I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE
1. Restaurant owner/chef
2. L&D nurse
3. White Sox sportscaster
4. Buyer/designer for Gap and Gymboree
5. Princess