Computer Time

A friend of ours brought two of their boys over to play this afternoon.  Part of the time they played the computer while Panda would watch (since she's only 2 years old).  Here's an exchange between her and Lady Bug:

Lady Bug:  Paanda!

Panda:  Whateee?

Lady Bug:  Panda, come HERE!

Panda:  No, I 'pwaying' the 'pyuter'!

CREEPY!!

My husband found a brown recluse in our kitchen sink today!  It was another giant.  I have no idea where it came from or why it was in the sink. I'm just thankful that HE found it instead of me this time!  There are some advantages to having a husband who is a teacher and has summers at home, especially since I don't have boys to kill my bugs.  (Lady Bug will catch bugs, but she won't kill them!)

Good News!

The Lutheran blogosphere is exploding again, I'm sure!  I'll chime in on adding this all important link to welcome our friends Pastor Todd Wilken and Jeff Schwarz back to the airwaves!  If you haven't ever listened to the show, your chance is coming soon!  I can't wait to listen to more Christ-Centered, Cross-Focused Radio! 

Update on that Summer Break

Brian does get a break after all.  His jury duty was cancelled.  Now, it's time to get started on the "honey-do" list.....

Thunderstorms

After having thunderstorms the past 5 nights in a row, we've grown accustomed to having our lights flicker on and off.  Last night as my husband and I were standing in our room during another round of thunderstorms, the lights flickered off and on once again.  As we stood looking at each other wondering when the electricity would go out, Lady Bug popped around the corner and said, "Just kidding!  It was me!"

Steven Curtis Chapman's Loss

Steven Curtis Chapman lost his 5 year old daughter in a driveway accident.  I pray for his family. It is such a tragedy.  This is an all too common way for children to receive serious or fatal injuries.  We have really been working hard with our children to stay on our porch where they can be seen when vehicles are in our driveway.

With the Help of Sixlets

Last June, Monkey was diagnosed with moderate hearing loss in both ears. To our relief Children's Miracle Network covered the cost of the hearing aids.  Her world has changed so much for the better since receiving the hearing aids.  Children's Miracle Network contacts us to ask if we would be willing to allow Monkey to be photographed for a foundation newsletter.  

Friday we went to a photography studio to get the pictures done. Monkey decided to play shy. The photographer's 10 year old daughter tried to work with her. (she was so sweet)  The photographer tried having her sit on my back while I laid on my stomach.  Finally, I pulled out the bribery.  Sixlets. Monkey loves sixlets.

I told her that if she would smile she could have sixlets.  No success.... Finally, I was getting ready to hand her one to entice her a little more but instead I dropped it and it went bouncing across the floor.  She started laughing.  Ah ha, I found the trick.  I left her in her spot and told her I was going to throw sixlets at her.  It worked like a charm.  She started giggling and smiling as I threw sixlets at her.  The photographer started snapping like crazy.  She warmed up and we were even able to get some great pictures with her violin.

I can't wait to see the finished product!  I'm hoping to get a copy of the disk soon too.

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday to Monkey (our middle daughter) who turned 5 yesterday! She had a fun day.  I will blog more about that later....

Summer Break...

Just when Brian thought he was going to finally get some recovery time from school.... He found out that the very first day of his summer vacation he has jury duty!  Poor guy!

Just call her "Panda"

I've been trying to figure out some cute nicknames to call my girls, so that I don't use their names on my blog.  I went to the movie "Expelled" with close friends of ours last Friday night.  During the preview for "Kung Fu Panda", my friends pointed out one image that fits my youngest daughter (2 years old). She loves to eat and has a little belly that sticks out.  She also loves her belly button and goes  to sleep by sticking her finger in her belly button!  So, if you want to see the inspiration behind her new nickname, go to this movie trailer and the clip I'm talking about is about 35 seconds in.

Helicopter Parents

Cheryl, I'm borrowing your reader warning:  "Vent mode - ON"

I can relate to Rev. Mark Schlamann's blog on the WT entitled "Raising Wusses and Wimps" It fits right in with my frustrations of this evening.

We were enjoying a wonderful evening of music with our children.  The older two played solos on the Suzuki solo recital.  We came home to find a message on our machine from a parent of a first grader who was upset with the results of the upcoming talent show.  Maybe I'm being overly sensitive or maybe I'm just plain grumpy.  My husband has spent so many hours away from our family doing his school "jobs" (some of which are voluntary on his part - the talent show being one of them).  The other night he was up until 2 a.m. and then awake again at 5 a.m. just trying to get things done.

Back to the talent show.  Brian has been given one hour out of the school day at the end of the year to allow the kids to perform in a talent show.  So, he has to have auditions to keep the performances within that time frame.  Doesn't it stand to reason that if there are auditions for something that some kids will not make it?  Why is this such a difficult concept?  Furthermore, why are parents flying in to attack the teacher who has given his own time to organize this event, instead of teaching their kids how to deal with disappointment?  I guess I'm just fortunate that I had good parents.  I didn't make everything that I tried out for, but they did not try to come to my "rescue".  Instead they taught me to buckle down and try harder next time.  I worry about some of these kids in the future, but in the meantime.....GRRRR!

Meeting Fun

I had a brief meeting today at the hospital for my evaluation.  We met in the cafeteria so that I could just bring the girls and let them have lemonade while we met.  After the meeting we were heading to the parking lot when the girls noticed the geese walking close to the parking lot.  They had four babies with them.  They were a bit too far away for us to see very well, so I told the girls to hurry and get buckled in the car and I would drive closer to them.  As we starting driving, my 8 year old said,  "Cool, this is like a hospital safari!"

Hiding

I walked toward my two year old who was playing in the play yard in our basement.  I asked, "Are you ready to take a nap?"

She said, "No, I hiding.  You can't come in."  And she shut the gate to the play yard.  

I thought it was pretty cute!

"Help-a-What?"

In our house, we are always searching for shoes.  We have places for those shoes, but they just don't seem to make it there.  So, here is the conversation between Brian and our almost 5 year old:

"Daddy, I can't find my shoes."

"I think I saw them in the bathroom."  (she runs upstairs....and returns right away, with shoes)

"Oh, THANK YOU Daddy, you're so 'helpable'!"

A Little Beauty

I had the pleasure of playing the 1st bassoon part in the Bethany Orchestra Concert on Saturday evening.  We played Beethoven's 2nd and a Rossini Overture.  

We certainly aren't the New York Phil.  But, we are a group of musicians who enjoy playing and put our heart and soul into our performance.  I personally love slow movements the best.  It is so nice to be a part of something beautiful every now and then!

Which Way Did They Go?

On our way to the store:

"Mom, why are we going this way?"

"Because I want to."

"Well this is not a short cut.  I think they call it a long cut."

Baptism Birthday!

On this date 37 years ago, my husband and I were both baptized as babies.  (Now you know how old we are)

Another interesting fact about this date is that our oldest daughter was due on this date.  (However,  she made her appearance 10 days early)  

Work Ethic?

From my 8 year old:

"Mom, I was thinking that I want to own a store.  (pause)  But, that would be too much work."

"What kind of store?"

"Well, like Walmart, but smaller.  About the size of our house.  I would sell books, clothes, and .....meat."

Familiar Tune....New Words

My husband, on occasion, has exceptionally clumsy days.  We were eating supper on one such occasion,  when he decided to refill his water.  As he was adjusting the water in the sink, some dishes that were drying next to the sink, fell into the sink.  He picked them up placed them back in their spot and said, "There, that should fix it."  As he was walking away one of the pans next to the sink began to fall.  It hit the floor with a loud crash scaring my husband who was adding ice to his water.  Without missing a beat our 4 year old daughter starts into a chorus of "London Dishes Falling Down..... Scaring Daddy."

Ummm.....NO!

After our daughter (who loves bugs) heard my spider story:

"Hey, Mom, wouldn't it be cool if that spider was 2 yards wide and 2 yards tall?!"

Word Wisdom from Wee Ones

Dishwasher soap is..... "Dishwasher Juice"

Hashbrowns are ......  "Hash Crumbs"

Circular objects are.....  "Roundings"

After sneezing....  "Mom, I just 'bless-you'd' on my blanket.  But, it's ok I'll clean it up."

We're Known in Her Heart

Kleenex alert for this post.  

The following is an email that my Uncle sent to my Dad.  My Dad then passed it on to us.  My Grandma is in an assisted living facility.  She has Alzheimer's.  My Grandpa was a LCMS pastor while he was alive.  He passed away in July 1999.

Hi Sibblings and Siblingette,

I wanted to share a Mother's Day moment with you.  This morning I had to go early to usher at church so Marlene picked up Mom.  We called the day before and told her what time we were going to pick her up and she wrote it down.  When Marlene showed up to pick her up she said, "Look who's here.  What are you doing here?"  So, Marlene helped get her socks and shoes on and when they were walking out the door Marlene noticed a big bulge in Mom's pants pocket.  She asked what it was and Mom pulled out a pair of underpants.  They both laughed and said it wouldn't be too funny if she had the sniffles at church and pulled those out to wipe her nose.  Mom said she was going to put those back and get a handkerchief.  A few moments later she came walking back from her bedroom with a black sock in her hand.

Mom is pretty much lost anymore in church and we point out where we are in the liturgy.  I think she still likes to go to listen to the singing and see other people.

When I brought her back to her apartment, I sat down with her and she opened up Mother's Day cards.  She opened Jerri's and mine and each time I asked her who it was from and she didn't remember.  After a while she said "I don't know who they are in my head but I know who they are in my heart."

Before I leave I always give her a big hug.  This time I gave her a hug and then I gave her another three "from Jerri, from Ray and from Fred".  Then I gave her another big hug from all the grandkids and everyone else that was thinking of her.  She said softly, "I don't want to let go."  I said, "Neither do we, Mom, neither do we."

Love you all,

Mark

I just had to share.  I am very blessed with my family.

Of Students and Spiders

Three of my piano students (two fifth graders and a third grader) walk to my house directly from school.  They have learned that they always go directly to the bathroom and wash hands before touching the piano.  

Today, one of my students came out and informed me that there was a spider in our bathroom. I wondered why they didn't just kill it, but walked to the bathroom to investigate.  Upon entering the bathroom, my student also informed me that the spider was in the air register.  I looked down the vent and sure enough, there was a spider.  It was BIG!  I hate spiders, especially BIG spiders.

Now, my student was telling me that I should just pick up the register cover.  She even volunteered to do it herself.  But, after seeing this thing, I decided to go after some spray.  

I don't have any sort of bug killing spray in my house.  The best I could do was Windex.  I proceeded back to the bathroom (which is rather small) with three girls close behind.  To see the register the bathroom door must be closed.  I sprayed the register and out ran the spider - straight at us.

You have to picture this:  Four of us "trapped" in a small  bathroom with the door shut and  a large spider coming at us.  The four of us screamed.  Two of the three girls jumped onto the toilet and one onto the side of the tub.  They were yelling, "Kill it!"  I looked around for something to squish this enormous spider and the only thing I could think of (quickly) was the Windex bottle in my hand.  As I'm raising the bottle to go for the kill, the girls are screaming, "Oh, gross, not the Windex bottle!"  With every strike they groaned and screamed.

I stopped to look at this monster and try to identify exactly what kind of spider it was.  It was a brown recluse!  Ok, I'm a teacher....so, I took this moment to educate my students.  I  coaxed them from their perches on the toilet and tub to come and see the violin shape on the back of the spider.  The four of us were gathered around this withered spider when one leg started moving, then another.  More screams and they're back to their perches!  This spider, who looked dead a moment ago was coming at us again!  I went back to the Windex bottle.  I sprayed again first and then squished and with each squish again came the groans and screams of my students mixed with my own screams! 

I cleaned up the carcass with about 7 squares of Bounty (you can't be too safe) and took it outside to throw it in the trash.  I certainly didn't want it to come to life again and find it's way out of my trash inside!