Trumpets and Fanfare

This is my 100th blog post. Actually, it is not- but Blogger lost it somehow on the day I was SUPPOSED to be at Legoland, and wasn't, I blogged about my lost vacation and Blogger lost it. I have been kind of discouraged about it and busy so I haven't blogged since. I am back and hopefully returning to my normal blogging self.

On my Blog Vacation....... I didn't go to Legoland or Oceanside, because our car broke down on the California side of Primm. We had to get the van towed all the way back to town. The next day (since we weren't in California as planned) we had Kids' Day. It's like Mother's Day or Father's Day. The kids each wrote down three things they wanted to do and we put them in a hat, drew them out and did them. In trying to think of activities I was encouraging them to write down things they don't get to do very often. Emma said, "We do almost everything all the time." I guess the old saying is true- everyday is Kids' Day.
I went back to work. It has been okay, but I have a lot more kids than I ever had last year- I sure do miss those kids that could cut, and write their names, and raised their hands. I am sure these kids will get there, but they have a LONG way to go right now. My school is not in the best area and most of my kids live in apartments and do not come from the most supportive homes. It is sad and tiring. I think I might change after this school year. (Poor Cheryl- don't you feel sorry for me??) I am pathetic.

We have a new family member- a girl. Her name is Sara and her last name is Parker. I have never seen her eyes or heard her voice, so I am pretty sure she is a great baby. We are growing fast here at the Big House. We still a have a baby on the way. Marie is due in the Spring. She is hoping for a girl and we need another one to even things out.

We are getting the back yard done next week. We are looking forward to it immensely. I really want to plant a vegetable garden and some flowers. It is not the ideal season, but it is ideal to plant desert landscape because the plants can get settled before the summer. But, oh, grass will be so nice. We are quite tired of dirt and rocks- we have so many rocks and so many little kids. Kids love rocks. Kids love to throw rocks. That is actually what they are for-throwing. Grass will be a nice passive change.

Emma started First Grade. She likes it I think, but has realized that it is such a long day. She has a few friends in her class and her teacher has come highly recommended. Loredana started back to preschool today. Both of her teachers had Emma in preschool and had a lot to share about Loredana's first day. Jack is eating Cheerios and prefers them to all other foods. He can scoot himself forward, but is not actually crawling yet. My kids are great. I love them. I wish I didn' t complain so much about them.
Doug is still the best husband ever. He's on a movie kick of some kind. He is at Blockbuster right now cashing in two free movies from different promotions. He is more upset about Emma's long day than she is.

PSA #2

Sorry about this second "announcement" on my blog, but I am not sure exactly WHO is going to Oceanside and I don't want anybody to miss out.

ANNOUNCEMENT: We have a group rate at Legoland, CA this Friday, August 20. The group rate is a $14 PER TICKET discount. WOW!! Adults- $30 and kids (3-12yrs )- $24. We are leaving EARLY Friday (around 5:30 am) from Susan Nyberg's house. Call me for directions and reservations. We are packing picnic lunches to keep things as cheap as possible.
Some people who aren't going to Oceanside are going to Legoland, so you can consider that for your family as well. They will be driving home Friday night.

I'm looking forward to the first ever Family Friendly Apex Retreat. I can't wait to relax and catch up with people. We are planning to spend a good portion of the day on Saturday at the beach, but we have to keep Loredana out of intense sun as much as possible because of the medication she is on. I also want to find out when the best time of day is to hunt for shells- anybody know? My kids would love to find shells. Emma is into a big "collection" phase. She is constantly telling me about her new collections. Looking forward to a great weekend.

Churchy Stuff

Yesterday I had two conversations that I found relevant today as I read through Galatians.
1- I was talking to someone who is searching for a "church" to attend. She wants to be involved, but not "committed" to a time constraint (drama, singing, kids- stuff). 2- I was talking to someone about the Saved by Grace instead of Works debate.

Galatians 4: 8-9 "....you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. 9 But now that you know-or rather are known by God- how is it that you are turning back to those weak adn miserable principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again?" Person #1 has been "super committed" to a church service before and her family spent a lot of time making the "service" happen.

Galatians 2:16 "know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified."
Galatians 5:1-2 "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. 2 Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all."

No value to you at all. Wow!!! Don't we all try to rely on ourselves? our strengths? our "gifts"? anything at all we can do so we don't have to acknowledge that we will never be "good enough". We will never get it "right". We need to accept the love and the freedom Jesus came to give. We need to tell people. We need to live the life Christ wants for us.
Isn't it amazing? We humans need the same lessons over and over and over again. The "AGAIN" in the verses above really caught my eye. I know I need the same lessons over and over. Why are we so dense?

Million Minutes

My friend Barbara used to say that she "would rather have a million free minutes than a million free dollars."
Don't start on all that mumbo jumbo about how if you had a million dollars you would free up a bunch of your time. Yeah- we get how money works. Think about it in terms of everything else staying the same. If you have a job now, you would have the same job then. Would you rather have the dollars or the minutes? The minutes I'm talking about are completely FREE. You can use them whenever you want and other people can only be present when you are using your minutes by your invitation. The minutes wouldn't take away from time with your family, or your job, or your "life". The minutes would be extra to do with as you please. Free minutes- like a long distance plan. Sign me up. I'll take 'em. You can keep the million.
You see, I don't know if Barbara still says that phrase or not because I don't see Barbara. Time has a way of getting away from you and before you know it, too much time has passed and Barbara and I are more like strangers. Once, she was one of my best friends. Now, a stranger. If I'd had some free minutes, maybe I could have saved our friendship. Maybe not. I'll never know. I saw some of my oldest friends tonight- they were at the restaurant with my Girls' Night Out. We talked briefly. Time- it is very precious. I am losing time. I don't know how to get a hold of my schedule, but I've got to. I'm very busy accomplishing nothing and not spending time with people who are important to me. If only there really were a million free minutes, how great that would be.

Ladies' Night

Tommy, This One's For You

I was looking forward to Girls' Night Out tonight, but now......

I was getting things done today. I was on a roll. Jack was in his doorway jumper having the time of his life. He started fussing, so I look over and POOP. He had pooped. It burst through the leg hole of the diaper, slid down his leg onto the floor. He's in the doorway jumper, remember? He's jumping all around. Jumping in the poop on the floor, helping the leg poop slide closer to the ground with every bounce. Jump, Jump, Jump.

Anybody else having a shitty day can meet me and some others at Buca Di Peppo on Lake Mead at 7:30. No husbands. No kids. No poop.

Things and Stuff

Loredana is out of the hospital. She came home on Monday. She is back to her argumentative self. She is beautiful. She is fiesty. She is my daughter. I love her and I'm glad she's back- frustrated screams and all.

Ladies Night Out........ I would like to get together on Monday, August 9. (I hate blogs as announcement boards, but I also hate phone calls.) More details to come, I hope you can come without your husbands and without your kids- what would that be like? Let's find out.

"What do I want?"..... Slow thinker. I'll have to get back to you guys about that one. My answer sucked. I should have a more real, honest, accurate answer in two to three weeks. I'll let you. Thanks for dinner-yummy.

My report cards are done. One more full day and a half day- which is really a quarter because kindergarten is only half day to begin with and then on Friday it is half of that. Three weeks off. We are planning to go to Oceanside- anybody else? Let us know. I would also like to get another family trip in too, but I don 't know if that is going to happen.

Church Family


Today, Loredana was admitted to the hospital. Today was the Parker Family Baby BBQ (which I was kind of supposed to be in charge of but- failure). Anyway, not the point of this blog.
Today I was reminded of what real church is. Not "what time", not "where is it", not "how do you do such and such".

Today, I was a mental, emotional DISASTER. I am sorry if I didn't tell you about Loredana, or I tried not to tell you. I didn't want to be crying in front of everybody everytime some one asked, but what I wanted more than anything was to be somewhere having a really good cry. OR I wanted to go around acting like everything was normal. (Remember my blog about asking for help when you need it- I still suck, willy badly- as Loredana would put it. However, my church stepped up. That's right I said, "my church". You see we all like to confuse and segment and classify. You can't do that so easily when family is involved. When something happens in a family all the members are influenced-good or bad. My church family was influenced by the fact that Loredana is in the hospital and Kenny & Kelly are about to have a baby. People showed up early, ran to the store, babysat, made beds, cut food, cooked food whatever needed to be done. They adjusted their lives to help, as all good families do in times of crisis and celebration.
Families change their structure. They add people. Occasionally they lose people to death. People within a family might change their name and not call themselves something that they once did, but they are still part of the family. People within a family might move to a different house to live (or "worship") in, but they are still part of the family. They are still part of the "church family".
If you held my baby, cut vegetables, cleaned the kitchen, cooked, took pictures, wrote lists, cleaned the floor on my week, watched my kids, prayed in a large or small group for my daughter, missed us at a birthday party, or did anything else to make my life easier this weekend-you are my church. You are my family. I love you. I thank you. I hope I can be there for you when you need it.
Now I need to go write 21 report cards and get some sleep.

Loredana update- hopefully, she is coming home tomorrow.