A Poem for Sally

I've accepted this challenge much too late,

But now it's my turn to ruminate.

We've been consumed by the day to day,

Perhaps I will give you a play by play.

Disease and illness is well upon us.

Infection, bacteria, or another virus?

Both mom and dad have had a bout,

As we start to feel better our boy's are in doubt.

One boy had strep and another pneumonia,

Lately that's why I haven't phoned ya'.

From toddler to boy the baby has grown,

And decided a new bed for his own.

With crib too dangerous and mattress on floor,

He prefers to sneak out and sleep by our door.

In the guest bed with fever Jaime "slept",

While I tended a sick boy all night in my bed.

I long for the time when good health is dawning,

But as for now, I will just keep yawning.

Rallying the troops--so to speak!

Jack is the Bishop at our church and one of the members of the congregation has a daughter who appeared on Wheel of Fortune last Friday. So what did that mean for us? It meant: pull out the folding chairs, hang up the sheet for projecting the picture (our large screen plasma HDTV that we ordered just hadn't arrived yet...HA!), bring out the munchies, and PARTY!!

We had kids playing upstairs (except those who were big WOF fans!) while we crammed into our basement watching the tv and the sheet projection to see how Susan Hill of Radford, VA (now married & living somewhere else, but that is neither here nor there...) did with good ol' Pat and Vanna! While she didn't win, she came in a close second winning a trip to Jamaica and $17,000--pretaxes of course, post tax ends up around $9,000, minus the cost of the trip to get out there.

Looks like Jack and I need to reconsider out debt repayment plan. Jeopardy? Deal or No Deal? Reality TV? I hear there are quick and easy ways to become a millionaire and we are jumpin' on board! Anyone want to buy some Amway?

Worse than cutting coupons, yet you still endure!

I have always loved the bumper sticker that says something to the effect of, "It'll be a great day when our schools get all the money they need and the air force has to hold a bake sale to buy a bomber."

That being a bit dated, and frankly too long to be on a bumper sticker anyway, I am changing it to "It'll be a great day when our schools get all the money they need and we don't have to clip our box tops and soup labels anymore!" (Brevity was never my strength, but I don't write bumper stickers either!)
But since schools never get the money they need, we cut. Not only do we cut, but so do all of our friends and family members! A few days ago, F got a great letter in the mail from my brother-in-laws mother (Thanks Carpenters!). An envelope with 100+ box tops in it! He was thrilled. My grandmother (thanks Gma Meacham), sister, neighbors, and friends are all helping our local school and for that we say, THANKS FOR ALL YOU EAT! And thanks for taking the time to dig through the trash when other family members were careless and threw the Box Top away! So far this year we have turned in 532 Box Tops, putting F's class in 1st place for his grade level and 2nd place for the whole school. So keep cutting, saving, and sending!

Happy Valentines Day!

So I surprised Jaime by taking the day off from work today (a sick day actually). Then, I proceeded to sleep the majority of the day. I have been sick for a couple of days now. I thought I was on the up and up, but I guess not. The young women from church did a service project last night and babysat all the kids for a date night. We had a fabulous meal at the Thai House. We then did some amazing shopping at some of our local stores (Cato, Dollar Tree, Auto Zone, and Kroger). You gotta love small town living.

Jaime-

I love you so much. I am sorry that I am sick. Thank you for everything. You are the love of my life and I am so truly happy to spend my life with you.

Love,

Jack

P.S. I know this "love note" kind of sucks, but my head is seriously cloudy in my current condition.

Susan B., Grimke Sisters, Ida B. Wells, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Sojourner Truth--I hear ya callin'!

It was early, and it was cold. We were a motley crew, but I dragged the boys along with me as I went to cast my vote in the VA Primaries today. Being the only one voting in the Democratic election the entire time I was at my polling place, I was afraid I was in the wrong place. But, all eyes on the lone Democrat, I strolled up and had my own 19th Amendment Moment.

In spite of my own house splitting the party vote, I was exited to be voting for a woman!! While I am confident the race/gender card would have also split the original suffragists votes, I feel like I am in a win/win situation.

"That man over there says that women need to be helped into carriages, and lifted over ditches, and to have the best place everywhere. Nobody ever helps me into carriages, or over mud-puddles, or gives me any best place! And ain't I a woman? Look at me! Look at my arm! I have ploughed and planted, and gathered into barns, and no man could head me! And ain't I a woman? I could work as much and eat as much as a man - when I could get it - and bear the lash as well! And ain't I a woman? I have borne thirteen children, and seen most all sold off to slavery, and when I cried out with my mother's grief, none but Jesus heard me! And ain't I a woman? ...
If the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down all alone, these women together ought to be able to turn it back , and get it right side up again! And now they is asking to do it, the men better let them.
Obliged to you for hearing me, and now old Sojourner ain't got nothing more to say."

Sojourner Truth (1797-1883): Ain't I A Woman?Delivered 1851Women's Convention, Akron, Ohio

Emeril, Bobby, and Wolfgang shed a tear for me

So I wouldn't consider myself a chef by any stretch of the imagination. But I do think I am quite adept at churning out a pretty good meal, and pretty mean dessert. That said, I have a confession to make.

The Dubyks came to visit this weekend and one night Stephanie said she'd make cookies while we were out running errands. Great. She asked me for my cookie sheet and I pulled out, well, the skankiest pizza pan still in circulation. It's true. It is the only pan I own and I bake everything on it--from chicken nuggets to almond cookies! When I need a little extra room, I toss the extras on the bottom of an extra springform pan. At the point where I pulled out my oversized blue easy bake oven spatula, and proceeded to use my children's safety scissors to cut chives, Stephanie initiated an intervention.

So thanks Dubyks, for rescuing me from the depths of the kitchen ghetto and helping me experience my own little piece of kitchen magic! Now I think I am ready for my Food Network debut!

And before you judge--I know you have your own kitchen confession, so judge not, lest ye be not judged!!

My baby is not a baby...

S turned 2 today and it was filled with lots of friends and family. Our weekends guests, the Dubyks and the Carpenters, in addition to just our family, helped make it a festivity-filled birthday weekend.

Everytime we started to sing Happy Birthday to S the past week, he would start squealing, so we quit. (To be fair, he does this anytime I start singing anything to him). He is our bashful child, hesitant of the songs and attention.

But once all eyes were off him, he opened up and I got a quick shot of my true baby, who isn't really a baby anymore.