Halloween Fiasco

Where to begin? Ava's class had a party at a local farm this morning. We all knew there was a chance of rain. What we didn't know is that we would be STUCK on a HAYRIDE when it came down. It was pretty traumatic for everyone involved. We had only been at the farm about 15 minutes, and we decided to do the hayride first. It was a long trailer full of hay squares pulled behind a tractor. We all loaded in (near the back thank goodness) and the trailor started to make its large circle. Almost half-way into the ride, the rain started coming down in sheets! I had Nate in my lap, and Ava beside me. Both of them just crying their eyes out. Ava was in a plush hooded costume, so the water was not falling on her head, and I was able to cover Nate's head with my jean shirt I was wearing over a t-shirt. Boy was I glad to have that. The tractor had to make it back to the starting point, so we just sat there getting soaked. When it stopped we all piled off in a hurry and ran to a covered shelter. We were wet, chilled, miserable. Nate was shivering. We grabbed 2 pumpkins, which were included in our admission price, and loaded up the car. Did I mention it cost $10 for Ava and me to get in? We were out of there 30 minutes after we walked in...soaking wet and holding two pumpkins. Not fun, but memorable.

All Things Pumpkin

The small group that meets at our house almost every Sunday for a Bible study is having a Halloween get-together this Sunday with food and games. The catch- every food item has to have pumpkin as an ingredient. Cody and I are making pumpkin soup. I wasn't sure there was such a thing, until I looked it up on allrecipes.com. That is a great place to get recipes. I like how many are rated and reviewed so you can see if it's a good one or not. So I found a recipe for curry pumpkin soup that I will try on Sunday. The best part is that it uses canned pumpkin. I wouldn't know where to begin to cook a real pumpkin and use it in a soup. Plus, I don't want to spend that kind of time, since Sunday afternoon is also the draft for our fantasy basketball league. It will take a few hours. Cody and I will be participating online. I've been doing my research on players, so I hope I can put together a good team!

Oh Nate

Nate woke up saying the word every mother loves to hear...it can make a woman melt into a puddle of pure adoration on the floor. Ma-ma. I'm not yet sure if he is actually using it as a name for me, or if it is random babbling. Though the first few times he said it this morning I would have given him the world if he had asked. And he couldn't have been cuter. It was as if he had been planning the whole thing- to surprise me with his new vocabulary first thing in the morning as I gathered him from his crib. His eyes gleamed bright, a hint of smile on his face as he looked at me with expectation. It's as if he knew it would delight me. And it did.

Fantasy Basketball

I just signed up to do something that I have no clue about. Cody and his friends are doing a fantasy basketball "thing"...see, I don't even know what to call it. They were a couple of people short of having a complete group so a couple of the wives have joined in. It has something to do with forming a pretend team of real players and scoring points depending on how well the real players do in their real games that week. At least, I THINK that is what happens. I may not even be right. I do know that it costs $15. I also know there is a big opening deal called the "draft" that involves I have no idea what. This is the first time I have agreed to be part of something I am so completely uninformed about. I have a feeling that I am not going to do so well. I do like the Mavericks, and I enjoy watching basketball. If that can translate into some success at fantasy basketball, then watch out!

Can't Sleep

It's 6 AM, Saturday. I should be in bed, but I've been at the computer for half an hour now. I almost feel like I didn't sleep at all last night, as if I was always in a semi-conscious state on the verge of complete awareness. I've had the hardest time with sleep the past few months. Sometimes it is almost impossible to fall asleep when I go to bed, other times I do okay at that but wake up ridiculously early and can't go back to sleep. I can't even pinpoint my problem, except I think it has something to do with my mind and its inability to turn "off". The irony is that Cody was having trouble sleeping even before my trouble began, and I would scold him about it. I was upset that he was so tired, and I wanted him to start sleeping better. "Don't let your work bother your sleep", "How can you lay awake for hours?" Now here I am understanding in great detail the intricacies of sleep, or lack thereof. I don't plan on turning to sleep aiding drugs any time soon, but I can see why someone would. It's tempting to be able to take a pill and sail peacefully and quickly into slumber. If I wasn't so cautious about medications I probably would have done it already...well, not true since I am nursing. I will barely take a tylenol. If Nate was weaned, the temptation would be stronger. I am going to try soem old fashioned methods first...calming bedtime routine, relaxation techniques, etc. Something has to change though.

Ava the consumer

Ava spent money for the first time today. Last Saturday we had a garage sale and Ava "helped" us with it. So, Cody gave her one dollar. We put it in a small metal box called her "money box" and it has thrilled her for all these days. Today we went to Target so I let her bring her money box. I gave her a few ideas about what she could buy, and she chose candy. A package of Reeses to be exact, from the check out line. I paid for my things, but left the candy for her to buy. She handed the cashier her dollar and received 64 cents in change. I gave her a nickel for her 4 pennies, so now her little money box has two quarters, one dime, and one nickle inside. She is holding onto it and looking inside every once and a while. And, she is licking her chops in anticipation of Reeses after lunch today. It's the first of many many purchases she will make over a lifetime. Pretty neat.

Books

I am an avid reader. Always have been. From the time I was a little girl until the present, reading has been a frequent, enjoyable acitvity for me. Part of the reason I like it so much is because I'm a fast reader. I don't get bogged down or intimidated by large books, and I see thin paperbacks as a quick one or two day treat. When I used to visit my grandparents for a week every summer, I would read one Hardy Boy book per day. They had the entire hundred and something collection of those memorable books, with bright blue spines. I've had some interesting reactions to books over the years. Like everything, there are going to be some gems, a lot of mediocre, and a few completely awful wastes of time. Some might be surprised to know that I've actually started reading The Hobbit three different times, and each time was so bored that I couldn't make myself get through more than a few dozen pages. I just finished a 642 page book (The Historian) that I didn't really enjoy. In fact, the entire first half I kept thinking how I wasn't enjoying the book, but I had enough curiosity about how it would all end that I stuck with it. The second half was better than the first, but overall the book wasn't very good. My favorite book of all time so far is Pride and Prejudice. To think- I never read it until a few months ago. I was missing out! Sometimes I think I should try my hand at writing a book. It's such a huge undertaking, though. I wonder what it is that motivates people to take that step from thinking about writing, to actually doing it. I know one person that is writing a memoir of sorts (one of Cody's aunts) and it is taking her years of work. I was tempted to start a book after both of my grandparents died this August. I had so many vivid memories of life at their farm in Oklahoma...I was sure I could turn it into an interesting story that people would want to read. But, it was just a temptation. It passed. I know someone that needs to write a book because her style is so witty and alive and fantastic. She's an elder's wife who writes for our ladies' newsletter at church, and happens to be Ava's preschool teacher as well. I laugh out loud when I read her articles. She is honestly the female equivalent of Dave Barry...no, even better than him!
If I ever do write a book, I guess it will be after my kids are in school. I wouldn't have time to do it now, anyway. Maybe by then, the temptation will have grown.

Time

I've participated in some lessons about patience today which inevitably leads to the topic of time. Time is a strange thing to think about. We all have the same amount of time each day, though none of us knows how many days we will have. We all spend our time different ways. Notice, we "spend" it...like money. Just as we spend our money on the things important to us, we have to choose how to spend our time. Although that is a selfish way to look at it, and it is selfishness that leads us to want to control "our" time, and the inability to have control over it is what frustrates us into impatience. I freely admit that patience is something I need to practice. Which means I need to learn how to give up that hopeless pursuit of control over that which can't be controlled. And the deeper root of the problem...stop being so self-focused that my timeline is more important than the reality of life going on around me. I'm not saying I shouldn't have goals, plans, etc. I am saying I need to be flexible and calm. Roll with the punches, smile at the divine interruptions, slow down, put people first, devote more thought to enjoying the here and now, less time on worry and planning for the "what's coming up".

And now I am going to do what I will spend a third of my entire life doing...sleeping. Oh I am tired tonight. I wonder why God created us to require rest...and so much rest! A third of every day nearly. The Sabbath doesn't seem like such a strange idea when one considers how God has even programmed rest into every day in the form of sleep. Why not devote one day a week to rest as well?

First Corny Dog

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Originally uploaded by caligal76.

Well, technically, Ava has had a corn dog before, but this is really her first CORNY dog from the Texas State Fair. The "y" makes all the difference, you see. Cody and I are raising our children right by introducing them to the culinary delights at the state fair. Not only did she partake in a corny dog, but she also had corn on the cobb, ice cream, and funnel cake! Those tickets were flying out fast to the different booths of mouth-watering goodies. That is the main purpose of the fair, in our opinion. Sure, we enjoy the car show, performances, parade, and exhibits...but the best thing about the fair is the food. I was full, happy, and exhausted as we walked back to our truck after spending 4 hours there. My feet were hurting even though I had worn good shoes. To my shock, I looked over and saw three young ladies walking from the parking lot to the entrance, each of them wearing 3 inch heels! Those heels accompanied belly baring shirts and tight mini skirts. Not the most comforatble outfits for the endless walking of the fair. Cody said it was apparently hoochie-mama night although I thought the sign had said "High School" night.

Whiskey River

It's Cody that's the big time Willie Nelson fan in this house, but I enjoy the red headed stranger every now and then myself. I especially love the song Whiskey River. It came on while I was driving a few days ago and I turned the volume way up which happened to reveal how cruddy the sound system is in my 97 Nissan. Last time I had that song cranked up it was in Cody's new Silverado and it sounded incredible! A Chevy truck is a more fitting vehicle, by the way, for listening to Willie. Anyway, the best parts of that song are the pure instrumental sections. The rhythms and warmth of the instruments just soak into me and make me want to get up and dance. Willie's voice on the lyrics isn't bad either, and although I am not into heavy drinking, I feel a connection with the words. This song is one of the best of all time. If you've got the CD, pull it out and have a listen.

crib sheet...aghhhhh

Either I am completely inept, our crib mattress is a shade too small...or maybe a combination of both? Perhaps others have this problem and it's not just me after all. My least favorite chore around here is changing the crib sheet. It's impossible! I feel like a complete failure while trying to wedge that crib sheet onto the mattress. Do they make these things too small on purpose? I stretch one corner over the mattress and as I stretch the opposite corner, the first one pops loose. I try two corners on one end, only to have them both pop off when I attepmt the other end. I yank, pull, groan, pull some more, almost cry, and eventually have it on "good enough". "Good enough" means it has a 60% chance of staying put while a child lays on it, however, the corners of the sheet are not well lined up with the mattress corners, there are wrinkles all across the surface, and the seams look as if they may burst apart.
I am considering hiring someone to change Nate's sheets from now on, or maybe I can sweetly ask my mother-in-law to do it every time she comes over to visit.

Our Little Dora

Ava has quite a developing imagination. I realize this probably won't mean much to anyone that hasn't seen the show Dora the Explorer, but Ava has taken to pretending everyone in our family is a character from that show. She, of course, is the star Dora. Nate is Boots the monkey (best friend and sidekick of Dora), and I am Swiper the Fox. Swiper appears at least once in every show to try to take something away from our heroine and her dear monkey, but is repelled by the phrase "Swiper, no swiping!"...to which he replies "oh man!" We've been playing this for days now and today Cody got a part. He is the backpack. Now that might not sound very exciting, but Dora's backpack is an integral part of the show. It talks, sings, provides whatever she needs, and stores the stars they catch along their adventure. Pretty good for an inanimate object. In fact, it may even be a step up from the fox (dirty rotten thief!) Ava...ur-um, DORA likes for me to talk to her and Na..I mean, BOOTS, as if we were in an episode, which will involve some attempted swiping on my part. This play-acting can come in handy though, I must admit. Ava didn't want to come to the table for dinner tonight. But, when I started calling for Dora, she came running with a smile on her face. Yeah, I know, I took the easy way out. But, who doesn't like a little game of pretend every now and then?

Dear Diary...

I found my old high school diaries last week in a box in my closet. I read through the pages with a mix of interest and disgust. It's sad to think about how wasted my teen years were. Wasted with insecure, naive, boy-crazed, self-centered, fearful, lost thoughts. I was a desperate person then. Desperate to be loved, to succeed. Every little thing was a major crisis. So many hours wasted on worry and self-doubt. I know it's common to experience these trials in the teen years, but I do believe that my case went beyond the normal mix of hormones and emerging independence. Frankly, it's a miracle that I ever came out of such a dark insecure time with a shred of self-appreciation, decency, and hope for a good future. If I had known then how many wonderful things lay ahead of me- the amazing husband, precious children, solid friendships, spiritual growth, joy, and security...then I wouldn't have been such a basketcase. I would have chilled out and ejoyed life. Woulda, coulda, shoulda...helps me remember to enjoy where I am now so I don't repeat my mistakes.

Magical Pumpkins

Pumpkins fascinate me. I am drawn to them. Short, squatty, tall, skinny, perfectly round, bumpy, huge, tiny, a particular shade of orange, white, or even blue! (although orange will always be my favorite) Even the name "pumpkin" is fun to say. The word feels sweet and comfortable to my mouth. I've always been conservative when buying pumpkins each year, but deep down I would really like to purchase dozens of all shapes and sizes. Last year I drove by a house that had dozens in their yard. It was one of the most beautiful sights I'd ever seen. It made me smile, and I found myself wanting to drive by that house as often as possible. Every year, a church near here fills their side yard area with hundreds of the most gorgeous pumpkins. They come from a Native American farm in Arizona I think. I like to take Ava (and this will be Nate's first year) to this pumpkin patch and take pictures. They have some incredibly huge pumpkins and also they all seem to have such character. These are not the typical grocery store pumpkins. They are brighter in color and have more defined vertical ridges. It's never very busy so the pictures I get have only my children and pumkins in the frame, nothing more. I like to do this when the weather is cool, and I just saw that the high on Thursday is only 70! So, that might be our pumpkin patch picture day.
I can't wait to go wading through the pumpkins, watching my children delight in them. Beautiful, unique, playful, fall-ish, stemmed, earthy, magical pumpkins.