Mama, I'm excited about my bounce party

Sass's birthday is coming, and we've decided to have her birthday party at one of those indoor jump places. We went to a party there in the fall, and everyone had a blast. My children weren't even feeling so great -- allergies, in case you might think that I take sick children to birthday parties :o) -- and even they had a fantastic time.

With Sass's birthday in January, the weather is always fickle. She's a run around type of party girl. She'd want her party to be outside if we had it at home, and January isn't exactly good for outside parties. This year I decided that we'd have it elsewhere, where we could invite more people and "play big." I asked her if she wanted that, and she was indifferent, but when we went to pay for our reservation, she was thrilled. Beyond thrilled. Ecstatic!

That was three days ago, and she hadn't mentioned anything about her party. She requires a birthday countdown on the calendar though, and she's talked about being 5 almost nonstop.

Last night she was just drifting off to sleep, and she said in her sleepy little voice, "Mama. I'm excited about my bounce party."

Those gentle little moments are what makes mommyhood so precious to me.

Idiocracy, updated

I finally rated Idiocracy on Netflix. I decided to rate it 4 stars. I know I wrote that I was undecided on how I felt, but I really did like the message. Also, the more I think about it, the more I think it's entirely possible that the annoyances were intentional to exacerbate the viewer's feelings.

Reality squashes idealism, at least for now

I can't believe it myself, but I've realized that I'm becoming more and more mainstream. The frugal and slightly crunchy version of myself doesn't like things like individual packaging and boxed meals. But the truth is that some of those things make my life easier. They've been inching their way into my cupboards and refrigerator without my recognizing it.

I was making a store list of things that we need, and I was shocked to realize how many convenience things were on it.

Individual bottles of Sunny D. The children LOVE that yucky Sunny D. It's the only juice that they really like. If we have a big jug of it, they won't bother to drink it and we waste it, but they'll each drink at least one of the little bottles a day.

Individual cups of applesauce. Same thing. No one eats it out of the big jar, but the individual cups are always a hit.

Clorox wipes. I have children, 'nuff said. :o) Actually, for my "big cleaning" I use old cloth diapers because I always feel like they clean better, but the wipes are great for spur-of-the-moment cleaning. And, trust me, that spur-of-the-moment cleaning comes several times a day when you have a boy.

Microwave macaroni and cheese. Spyder doesn't like it, and it isn't Sass's favorite, but it's just about all that Olivia will eat. If I make a regular box of mac & cheese, most of it goes to the trash. Surprisingly, this makes the individual ones are more cost effective.

Individual bottles of soda. We don't drink enough soda any more to justify buying the big bottles -- or the cans! I open one of the individual bottles, and I'll drink out of it for two or three days. The last six pack I bought (Diet Pepsi, 16 oz bottles) has lasted for three weeks, and there is still one bottle in the fridge.

Individual cups of yogurt. Or worse, Gogurt. Again, no one will eat the yogurt if it's in the big container. That includes me though. I like the blueberry yogurt, and it's just not as good coming from the large container.

Mix and bake packages of peanut butter cookies and chocolate chip cookies. Sometimes Sass just gets the urge to make cookies, and I hate to disappoint her. I really prefer making cookies completely from scratch, but that takes longer, and she (of course) doesn't always choose the most convenient time for cookie-making. With the packages, I can just add oil and an egg and we're ready to go. I haven't moved to the frozen cookie dough, so I suppose that's something.

Swiffer dust cloths. These things are the best for getting up the dog hair that is always on the floor. I'm told that microfiber cloths can be used in the same manner, but I just keep thinking that I'd simply be sending the dog hair through the wash. I'd rather just send it packing.

I'm sure that there are some things that I've missed, but these were all on that particular grocery list. And these probably aren't a big deal to most people, but I feel rather hypocritical in buying them. I was, after all, a breastfeeding, cloth diapering, moderately crunchy one when my children were younger. As they've gotten older I'm turning from my old crunchy ways. Now I feel like I'm more mushy than crunchy. Perhaps as the children get older, the pendulum will swing back in the crunchy direction once more.

Friendship

I am more and more grateful for my friends every single day. I make friends pretty easily, but only the superficial sort. Julie laughs at me because I can (and will) start conversations with anyone, just about anywhere. But that's all they are really, just superficial conversations.

My true friends, the ones that I really share with, are much fewer, and they're very precious. I tend to guard those friendships quite jealously. But in the past year Carla and Brenda have taught me how to have more openness between friends, and I'm thankful for that.

I can count my true friends on one hand, excepting Skeeter, since he's in a class by himself.

Brenda makes me laugh more than just about anyone. Sometimes she can make the most simple thing seem roaringly funny. She's so down-to-earth, and I love that about her.

Carla is probably the sweetest person I know. That sounds so banal, but it's true. She's so genuinely caring, and I love spending time with her because I always feel that her gentle nature rubs off on me just a bit.

Julie is the one that I always call "the sister of my heart." On the surface, we're a study in opposites, but I'm always slightly surprised to find that at heart we're quite similar. I look up to her as well, since she so Together and Unruffled. That's so not me, but I wish it was.

Michael is my second-oldest friend. We've been friends since we were 11 or 12, and we've been "best friends" since we were about 15. Michael and I call each other brother and sister, and that's really how it feels -- as if we've known each other forever and we belong. Our lives don't mesh at all -- I'm married with little ones, and he's living the bachelor life -- but it doesn't really matter.

Michael Ann is my oldest friend. We grew up in church together, and we've been friends since we were about 6. We have so much history together that we can go without really, truly talking for months and then pick up where we are with no effort at all.

So that's it. My one hand of true friends. I did the list as alphabetical since that seemed most logical, but I'm slightly amused to discover that the alphabetical list is also in order from newest to oldest in my life.

The art of napping

I was able to take a nap today! Yes, really! Skeeter and the urchins were in the computer room playing games and studying verses for church tonight, so I took advantage of having another adult be in charge for a while. :o)

Once I was settled into my napping position and I was able to think without hearing, "Mama!" every few moments, I had a small epiphany.

I have rules for napping.

I've already mentioned how particular I am about my bed, but I never realized that I had developed rules for napping too. (Quite possibly since I don't get to nap very often!) Here are The Napping Rules, in no particular order:

• The bed must be made.
• I must use Skeeter's pillow.
• I must nap crossways on the bed, not in the usual "sleeping" position.
• I must nap on my right side.
  
• I use my cross throw as a cover, covering from my waist to my neck.
  
• As mentioned before I don't take off my shoes during the day (even including napping) since my feet are kind of dangling off the side of the bed.
• I always wake up groggy, and I have to have about 15 minutes to acclimate myself to the waking world.
  

So there you have it, The Napping Rules as I remember them at the moment. :o)

Friday Fact

Something about me that you probably don't know:

I absolutely hate dill in anything other than pickles. I've no idea why, but I just can't stand it. And I can always taste it if it's in there. My grandmother used to make dilled green beans and the smell would send me running out of the house.

Idiocracy

I'm very seldom confused about how I feel when I see a movie. I usually have very definite feelings one way or another. But Idiocracy definitely gives me one of those confusion moments.

Essentially, Average Joe and Average Rita are put in stasis chambers to be reawoken in a year. Not long after they are put into the hibernation mode, the project is shut down. They don't wake until 500 years later, only to find that the America has dumbed itself to the point that they are the smartest people alive.

I absolutely love the premise of the movie! Skeeter and I have discussions about this very idea quite a lot. Sometimes I'm shocked and horrified at some of the things that I see on television or read in the newspaper, or even things that I see when we're out and about. Sometimes it seems that we Americans expect to be told what to do at every turn, leaving us without any real need to make our own decisions. This movie points out all of that and more.

But as much as I liked the overall premise, the movie was a little too "over the top" for me to really like it as a whole. The "stupid" characters just got on my nerves! Maybe they were supposed to, but I found myself actually cringing when I saw certain characters come onto the screen.

Recommended only for people who can look past the stupid humor and mourn the death of Common Sense.

Two miles!

Woohoo! I've officially moved up to 2 miles for my walking video!

Tonight I actually did 2.5 miles, and I really could have gone further, but it was 9:30, and I had to finish up a few things before we could get settled for the night. I did the two miles on Sunday as well, but I completely skipped yesterday. Bad me! It wasn't intentional, but just due to bad scheduling.

I never would have believed it possible, but I actually enjoy -- and look forward to -- my walking. Now that the first mile has gotten easy, it's even more enjoyable.

The bad thing about working out? I'm not a person who sweats a lot, but my face gets extremely red when I get hot. And it stays flushed for about two hours afterward, so I have to do it at a time when I don't have to go out anywhere when I'm finished!

Overheard

Spyder (age 8): In 30 years when I have no teeth . . .

I had no idea I was so ancient.

Operation Red Jericho

Book #2 for the year. I finished Joshua Mowll's Operation Red Jericho last night! This was a book that Spyder found at the bookstore, but he's been interested in something else, so I read it. :o)

Set in the 1920s, the book centers around Becca and Doug, two young teens whose parents disappeared a few months before while on an expedition in China. Since then, the two have been shuttled between relatives. The siblings aren't all that good at following rules, and Doug in particular is quite mischevious, which usually leads to trouble.

This book is the first in a trilogy, and while the writing is sometimes flat, the book design is absolutely fantastic. The design alone will appeal to reluctant readers. It is presented as a set of papers that were inherited by the author. The book filled with schematics, newspaper clippings, photos, maps, Doug's sketches, and Becca's diary entries.

Recommended to readers who love the adventure genre, as well as to those who like books that are more "interactive."

My church

I absolutely love going to church. Not just going to church to see everyone, but going to sit and listen to the sermons and spend uninterrupted, focused time in prayer.

If time travel was actually possible and my younger self could see that paragraph, she would faint from shock.

When I was younger, I enjoyed going to church for the activities (and occasionally for the sermon). Now, as an adult, I'm eager to get to Sunday morning service every week just so that I can hear the sermon. I always come away with a deeper knowledge and a passion for the Lord's Word. There could be any number of reasons why I like church so much more as an adult, but I'm sure the main reason is because I'm more mature in my faith.

Unlike my younger self, I spend time reading my Bible every day. I spend time in prayer every day, and I seek out Christian writers, even if it's just for fun (like Dave Meurer). Tonight when I left the church, I put in a CD of a sermon from our last revival. The old me would never have considered doing that!

I am so grateful to attend such a loving church where the pastor and the people encourage me to grow in my faith.

Oh woe is my car!

Again with the car troubles!

The urchins and I had finished our errands and had run back home for a moment. It was on the way, and Sass wanted more chocolate milk, so I ran in to make some. When I got back to the car (less than 2 minutes), nothing. Not even the "rrr . . . rrr . . . rrr" from before. Just a little "click" then nothing.

*sigh*

Well, we're skipping homeschool playgroup today. What are we doing instead?

• I'm cleaning out my plastic containers. My container of containers is overflowing, and I'm organizing sets and tossing the rest.
• Sass is cleaning the fridge. (Yes, she really is -- and it was her idea!)
• Spyder is drawing. Art class yesterday inspired him.

I suppose it's a good day anyway.

Up for a challenge?

Nancy at The Ultimate Creator has issued a walking challenge! Come on and walk with us! I just emailed with my miles for the week (8.5 miles since last Friday, thankyouverymuch).

Now that the weather is getting a little better, methinks that I can convince Skeeter to wander over to the little walking trail at the park around the corner. The city only just built it this fall, and we've only been there once. The urchins will love it!

Friday Fact

Something about me that you probably don't know:

Eating plain bread makes me have hiccups, usually all day. White bread is the worst, but it happens with wheat as well. Eating bread with something else is fine, but plain bread gives me hiccups every time.

Sometimes I can get rid of them with some breathing exercises, but they're usually back within an hour or so. The reoccurrances only stop after I've gone to sleep for the night.

Those pesky resolutions

Okay, here it is.

I am going to be more active this year.

There. I said it. I've never made a real New Year's Resolution before, not one that I had any actual intention of keeping.

This actually started in November 2006 when I decided that enough was enough. I borrowed a Leslie Sansone walking video from Brenda, and I found that it was really easy to do. That's exactly what I needed -- easy. Walking? HEY, I can walk! Well, there's a little more to it than just walking, but basically, that's it. It's fast paced, and the movements are varied enough that it's not really boring.

I used Brenda's video for about a week -- long enough to figure out if I was really going to do it. I bought the DVD in December, and I've been doing one mile a day faithfully for about the past three weeks. Ironically enough, I got the DVD in the mail the same day that my car died, and the urchins and I walked 3.5 miles home. Uh, no. I didn't do the program that day.

The first mile takes exactly 16 minutes. At first I was really tired at the end of that first mile, and I had to make myself do it. Now, it's not that difficult to get to the end. Skeeter has been doing it with me since December 30. I had planned to move on to the second mile on January 15, but I may wait until February 1 to give him the time to catch up, so to speak.

So now it's out there. You and the tic marks on my calendar can hold me accountable.

Boy of the Painted Cave

My first read for the new year!

I started and finished Boy of the Painted Cave this morning. I'm still undecided whether I would recommend this book to another adult. For a child, I would, definitely. The pre-historic setting shows a life far outside the modern child's imagination. I can only imagine what Spyder will say about eating mice!

It's a very easy read, and there is enough excitement to capture most young boys. The main character, Tao, is an outcast in many ways. He wants to be a Chosen One to paint on the cave walls, but he cannot. Because of a lame foot, he should have been left to die at birth, but his mother (an outsider herself) chose to keep him. Upon her death, he was raised by an older woman in the clan. He is already an outsider because of his differences, but even more so because he challenges the traditions of the clan in wanting to create the cave pictures. Ultimately though, he is cast out from the clan because of befriending a young wolf.

The book has several elements of conflict: man vs. nature, man vs. society, man vs. man. One idea that I hope would resonate with readers is that Tao is steadfast in his desire to learn his art. He is respectful to his leaders, but he takes his separation from his clan as an opportunity rather than the punishment that is intended.

Beginning the new year

If how you spend New Year's Day is indicative of how your year will be spent, then I'll be a happy woman this year.

In fact, the whole New Year's weekend was good.

Saturday was spent around the house -- cleaning, laundry, playing with the dogs. It was pleasant, and relatively typical of a Saturday when we don't have outside commitments. It was very rainy, so we were all perfectly happy to stay inside.

We went on Sunday to retrieve my car, and so far all seems to be in working order! We didn't stay at my parents house very long. My sister and her boyfriend had just left to go home. They had been there for over a week, and Mom and Dad were pleased to have the house to themselves again. Dad gets tired very easily these days, and I wanted him to be able to rest well.

We got back home around 5 pm, and we spent the evening playing card games and board games. That was generally how we rang in the new year when I was growing up, and I was perfectly happy to start that tradition in my own home.

On New Year's Day we decided to see a movie at a little local theatre, and I left for work not long after we got back home from the movie. I haven't worked in three weeks, so I was even happy to go in. Even the manager commented that I looked "refreshed." :o)

All in all, a very satisfactory way to start the new year!

Clean as mud?

My friend Joan gave Sass a container of Crayola's Sudsy Mudsy for Christmas this year.

Oh. My. Gosh. She loves it! This is, after all, my girl who would rather play outside in the mud than just about anything.

And truly, as far as bath time fun stuff goes, this is one of the best ones we've used. The mud is really soap, and it actually smells really good, kind of fruity. It does turn the water an icky brown color, but that's the only drawback for me. Sass thinks it's cool though. LOL!

It even comes with its own little shovel to scoop out the mud. Too cute!

Clean-up is actually a lot easier than with most of these types of bath toys. It does leave a pink residue once the water is gone, but it only takes wiping out the bathtub with a wet washcloth to get rid of it. No scrubbing like with the bathtub crayons. YAY!

We'll be getting more of this stuff!

Friday Fact

Something about me that you probably don't know:

I cannot read books that are written in present tense. I think it's because I can't believe that what is happening in the story is happening at that moment. I see the story as more of a record of what has already occurred.

Recent reads

I realized last night that I've really gotten away from mentioning my lastest reads, so here are a few of the more memorable ones from the last few months.

• The Frog Princess. Cute, cute, cute! I love books that retell a traditional fairy tale. This particular one . . . well, I'll let you read it. This is one that Sass and I read aloud. Spyder joined us too, but he decided that I read too slow for him, so he finished it before we did. We have two of the sequels, but we haven't started the next one yet.
• Eragon. Very traditional epic fantasy, and occasionally wordy, but overall quite good.
• The Chronicles of Chrestomanci, Volume 1. Nice, easy fantasy. Complex enough to be interesting, but still on the fluffy side.
• The Moorchild. Lovely, lovely story with wonderful characters. I was entranced.
• Montmorency and the Assassins. The third book in Eleanor Updale's Montmorency series. I didn't like it as well as the first book, but better than the second.
• 84 Charing Cross Road. Absolutely charming, and a must-read for book lovers. 84 Charing Cross Road isn't about the books though. They're more supporting characters. The main characters are Helene and the staff of the bookshop, and the story is the relationship that develops. Since I'd first read this book a few years ago, this was a skimming sort of reread, like looking through a familiar photo album. You know what to expect, and part of the fun is remembering.

In reading this list, it's blatantly obvious that I've been spending most of my time on children's and young adult books. It started out as a way to stay ahead of Spyder, but I've been enjoying this retreat.