The Long Or the Short Of It

So, to me, the whole Facebook thing seems to be about getting as many applications in one thing as possible while practically pulling off the whole Instant Messaging thing (if everyone in the conversation is doing the same). Which is great… I’ll probably end up doing it more than I want. After all, it’s one more way to stay in touch.
But it makes me realize that I really do miss posting as much here as I was once upon a time. Not that I have any more computers to handle the load of the “I need on the computer” s around here. Or any more time to write longer posts. Or any more funny, thoughtful or ventful material for that matter. But I’m not really very good at the whole pleasant conversation/chatter stuff. I’m usually either quiet (yes! I CAN be quiet) and listening or I have more to say than can be comfortably put in a one liner.
And I still don’t know if the WordPress/Facebook application is working correctly. You’re supposed to see a brief snippet of my WP posts in FB… somewhere.  But I’m not sure I’ve pushed all of the correct buttons for that.  *shrug*  Oh well.  Look for me on both, I guess.  Try http://www.facebook.com/snpnmnmi

Too Much?

I don’t know… we’ll see. Right now I’m just futzin’ around with the Facebook site to see if I like it. But maybe it’s a bit more than I should be allowed to have. I am easily addicted to communicating with people online… as if I don’t already have enough to keep me busy.

Three More Weekends…

… and I’m already sad!    While a couple of days have been rather hot and humid  sticky and miserable, the majority of the days at the Kentucky Highlands Renaissance festival have been nice enough.  The one Sunday with the storm was very refreshing and at just the right time.  Weather in Central Kentucky is absolutely fantastic right now and looks to be almost as good for the weekend coming up.  If you’re close by, do come!

To my utter shame and horror I was put in the stocks last Sunday.  I know what you’re thinking… “not Goodwife Sely!*  shock gasp  It’s true.  A young upstart was the instigator of this horrible crime against nature itself… so I just want you, all of my true and honest friends, to know that I was set up.  Well, yes *nodding head*.   Set up. 

THIS is my story.   When the front gate opens, Sely walks in, minding my own business.  Not bothering anyone in the world… being my unobtrusive and sunshiny self.  I will admit, I did have to push by Lady Sersha on my way in… but only because my wee one was running to pester one of the vendors.  I truly only meant to help!  REALLY!  And that wonderful man picks up my wee one with all of the tenderness and affection of a teddy bear.  But upon seeing me, he puts her down and (he does respect me so… I am the village Governess, after all) plays me a song.  My own song.  He does not play it for anyone else.  What am I, a poor peasant who gets barely any recognition for all that she does for the noble children of the village, I say… what am I supposed to do?  Shun his generosity to me and instead direct my poor, pitiful, under appreciated attentions to the Lady Sersha and kneel?  Have I mentioned that the *ahem* Lady Sersha goes through husbands like water?  That, somehow all of her poor, landed husbands end up dead after only a few days of wedded bliss life?  And she took offense.

And later, she took advantage of the miscreant upstart blacksmith apprentice’s rude and wholey traitorous act of sitting on THE royal throne to decree that I should be sent to the stocks!  *sharp intake of breath*  I know!  I couldn’t believe it either!  That the nobility would condone and even further such a traitorous act.  And she required some of my friends in the village, more that love, respect and wholly adore me… she forced them to follow through with this scandalous attack on me.  They did not want to, I know!

But there is more shame and humiliation that Captain Amos (!$X@!!) would have heaped onto my poor, miserable peasant head.  I can almost not bear to tell it… *sniff… choke*  He stood behind me, just as brazen as you will, and feigned to whip me… cracking that pitiful excuse for a whip… thinking he would strike fear into poor Sely’s heart.  ME!  But he did NOT!  And when I refused to quake in my poor, pitiful, soleless shoes, he truly DID whip me!  I know!  You are aghast at this terrible treatment of me!

But fear not, my wonderful and true friends.  For the Good Piper Caro had a say in the retribution.  It seems that she somehow came across a certain pair of handcuffs.  And with this pair of handcuffs, the rogue pirate met his punishment!  After suffering her own humiliation at his hands during feast ( calling her insane… crazy… and implying that she was somehow less than intelligent), she did pin him to one side of the feast table with a rolled up rug whilst I was able to secure help in securing his hand in a very secure leather handcuff.  That handcuff just happened to be attached to a similar, but in no way punishing, cuff on my own wrist.

You see, for some reason fair beyond my imagination, the Captain covers his ears and walks  runs the opposite way when he hears my beautiful voice.  *shakes head vigorously*  No, I do not know why exactly he would do that.  Except, perhaps, that he knows the very words I utter are true and honest and strike fear and pain in his miscreant pirate ears.   He has, after all, likened my voice to an angelic choir.

So, the vile pirate had to spend 3, count them, THREE hours chained to me… his greatest fear.  He did not get to lead his precious human chess match.  He was forced to sing his scandalous filth under my stern eyes.  He begged to be let go in order to play a game of rat pucking (which he tied for the win ONLY because I served as a good luck charm, I am sure). 

Oh, do not pity him!  Upon somehow convincing the good Sir Alexander the Bruce to appeal to the traveling masses, who did then beg leniency for the man, he was let go.  And he RAN!  In shame, I am convinced, for his wayward life.

May God have mercy upon his soul.

Tact

Warning:  The following is a “blathering on” and “where is she going with this?” kind of post.

At fair the dear Morrigan and I have this little thing that rears it’s head every little once in a while where she is making royal proclamations and the like… not proper for anybody but a Bruce to do, but then, it is Morrigan, the inept spy.  She’s now been in the stockades for this… but that’s another story.

Her procamations include no taxes.  Otherwise said as tax-less.  I, being the loyal *ahem*peasant in the village, never in my wildest dreams saying even one small word against the nobility *ahem* , make the point to her that we are pretty much already a tactless village.  It’s really a lot of fun, but you may have to be there to really appreciate it.

All of this to say that tact is a very necessary skill that lots of folks just never learn.   Or get lax about (myself included) and let “telling the truth” mask our tactlessness.  And it can be very hurtful to those receiving our truths.

BUT, I am also a strong believer that we are very much in control of our responses to those around us.  Something else that is a learned skill.  You have to be able to hear comments with a large amount of salt and move on.  Maybe there are appropriate steps for you to take, maybe there’s nothing to be done.  But for heavens sake… don’t let it stop you!

In the end, as my Dear Heart says, “What are they going to do?  Take away your birthday?”  You have God and yourself to answer to.  Everyone else is extra.  We care for those around us, we consider their feelings.  Be loving, be kind… but take care of yourself and be repsonsible for yourself.  That includes your feelings.  God loves you regardless.

Barely Controlled Insanity!

Yeah… yeah… I know!  I haven’t been around in a while!  I’ve let myself be slightly consumed with renaissance fair stuff / keeping the home/hearth barely running since mid- March.  Oh, but it has been so much fun!  Week 3 is now lots of fun memories and only 5 more weekends left.

S has FINALLY found some guys that enjoy chatting with him and letting him tag along, so that’s a REAL blessing.  He hasn’t been too hip on the whole thing, since it takes a large chunk of weekend “free time” away (translation- time with a video game controller in hand).  But now he’s seeing that just because he has a place that he is required to be at it doesn’t equal chokehold on his fun.  He can have fun in places totally new to him.  And he’s starting to ease up a bit when talking with the cast… almost as if he’s a part OF the cast.  He’s not one for talking in front of people or being on stage, so this is a real leap for him.

P is a real blessing to me, helping to run down M when cast obligations have me tied up (though S shares the responsibilty) and just being some really nice company.  Her sword dance troupe has performed one weekend and has 3 more Saturdays to go.  We sat in on our own private drop-spindle lesson this past Saturday and she’s getting really good at it (much better than me… shhhh).  I think I’ll have to stick to carding the wool.   

M is the center of her own stage!  She makes friends wherever she goes at fair and is just having a ball being 4 at a renaissance faire!  I’m so happy that the site is enclosed on all sides (so she can’t really get out of bounds without somebody seeing), she has friends her own age to play with and there are about 20 adults and teenagers on cast “happily willing and even head over heels happy to have her as their shadow”.  Everybody loves her (which makes Mom relieved).  Her choice of cast personalities to cling to would make a mom flinch – the village drunk, the sneaky (and inept) spy and our own anachronisitc pirate – if they weren’t wonderful people in their own right.

As for me, lots of chiding the children that walk through our gates… asking them if they are one of mine, posing riddles for them to answer and playing string games with them.  Screeching at the top of my lungs to all of the young people of the village who don’t pay attention to me, walking away while muttering anything and everything under the sun, complimenting the local nobility ad naseum (you are the sun rising, the sun setting… the wind as it blows through my hair, the cool water as it flows over my toes… on and on and on) and usually winning a fiercest battle cry competition in human chess (it seems many people have not so fond memories of their own mothers screeching through their childhood neighborhoods after their not so innocent children).  We even got to play a game of red rover out in the rain yesterday evening!

Loads of fun!  Our Captain Amos calls it barely controlled insanity.  I would have to agree.  Come join us if you can!  Fair runs through July 19th.

http://www.kyrenfaire.com/

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?page=1&aid=2168801&l=30d04396e0&id=38316614

http://videos.sturmphoto.com/

http://www.albannachmusic.com/

http://www.davidrross.org/

Good Day and Well Met!

I’m fairly excited!  You’ve seen me mention the renaissance faire, so now I’ll tell you a bit more.  Rehearsals for cast got started a couple of weekends ago.  Interesting to go from only knowing someone through what they post on a message board to meeting them, singing and joking with them and trying to come up with scenes to act between our characters.  See, this isn’t one of those things where you get handed a script and you memorize lines.  Oh nooooo!  That would be too easy!  But it has been a fun challenge for me.

I knew going into it that I was doing it to give my chidlren another example… you CAN try something new and act like a fool and enjoy it.  I hope they realize it is not something that comes easily to me.  But of course, if I’m doing it well, maybe they don’t know!  And hopefully they will learn a bit more about soemthing historical.  A lot of license is taken with the subject matter, but still.  How could you fail to pick something up if you are immersed in it for several months?

So we go about 45 minutes away for practice on the weekends, the whole brood.  The tweens are tasked with keeping M within sight and fairly happy with snacks and playing with frisbee and ball and just roaming around the site… but M hangs out with me and the cast quite a bit too.  Thankfully, the cast fairly loves her!  The first day we were there, she lays down on the gravel and starts making a dirt angel!  So, one of the characters, the “town drunk” comes up, plops down on the gorund and starts making them as well.  I warned him!  You better watch or she’ll be your best friend for life!  And she was, for the rest of the day!  One of the acting activities had us acting like animals.  He was a sloth (fitting for a town drunkard, don’t you think?) and she decided she was a cat… or a dog… it changed quite a bit.  But whatever she was, it was an animal that was always hissing and barking at him!  Good practice for the patron corwds, I guess!  A week or two later I hear from someone else that he has remarked how cute M is.  yeah!  Wait til you get to know her!  LOL  no, she is a cutie, and she does add an extra little element to the fun, so all’s well!

One of the things I was most concerned about was getting that Scottish accent down.  But it has been surprisingly easy!  The director had us hold jellybeans under our tongues the first day and that basically did it!  Besides the rolling r’s, everything else is just a matter of getting your mouth to move down instead of opening wide and to the side.  We have been cuationed… there are to be no hillbilly Scots in this village!

I’ll share more later… the kiddoes need the computer and M wants to play a game.  have a great day!

Camping Again

Whew!  I’ve had things that kept me hands and me mind occupied for the past little bit… so I’ve not been here.  ARGH.  I will think, “you should write that down”… and then I don’t get a chance until I have forgotten more than I put on the list!  So here I am, and here I’ll be for the next few minutes… until a child “needs” the computer.

Speaking of… I was hoping after getting this wonderful new tippity tappity under my fingers and the accompanying machine that makes it run, that things would run a litle smoother with 3 people needing to use the computer and there now, technically, being two in the house.  It hasn’t happened that way.  *rolling my eyes*  Everybody wants to use the new computer!  And then, once we got past the “but I hate using the old one… it hangs up… blah,blah,blah… well, then it became something about everything they do has to be done with speed.  It’s a good thing they didn’t have to use a computer when they were dial-up.  So even thpough we have two, it’s as if we are working with only one well-loved friend… the other is too loud, too slow, too… whatever.  In fact, I don’t know how I’ve managed to have the computer for these few minutes this morning without hearing “when you gonna be off, Mom?”

So, what can I choose to catch you up on?  First, the weather looks like it’s bouncing back to a spring-like state today… mid 50’s by noon.  Which is good, because I have a tent that has been standing out in our backyard since Sunday, ostensibly to “dry” from the rain we got when we went camping last week.  See, the thing is, it needs to be dry to keep it from mildewing in the bag while stored and unfortunately, it has rained and flurried every day since we put it up.  So today looks like the day we’ll get to fold that behemoth back up and see if it’ll fit back into its original bag.  Sort of like those maps you hate trying to re-fold.  We’ll see what happens.

Ah, the camping trip.  Since we had our new behemoth tent (3 rooms this thing has… fairly decent for a family of 5), I told the children we would get in at least one camping trip in the spring, before the renaissance faire gets started in May.  And that trip happened to come about last week, during the local spring break week.  Yes, we homeschool, but several things we do are scheduled to do function within that calendar, so it was still the right week to try to make something work.  We did miss my Dear Heart, who couldn’t get away from work and other responsibilities… but it was a good chance for some “us time” without the book work forcing us into the standard teacher/student roles.  We went to one of my favorite places in the world, Cave Run Lake. 

And there was only one thing that I really wanted to do while there.  Besides enjoying the time with the children… walk up that mountain trail!  I haven’t been up that trail since I was probably around 13 myself.  Oddly, it has gotten both smaller and steeper at the same time.  How did THAT happen?  P and I even created a series of 3 letterboxes to plant along the way… we’ll see if they are ever looked for.   But I’m getting ahead of myself.

Wednesday was a beautiful day!  Nice weather to set a tent up in.  Which is really a good thing, cause it took about 3 or 4 hours to get it up.  Now, stop that laughing!  We had never put this tent up before and like I said… it was large!  But we did finally get it up, after a little arguing and a lot of the standard speech… Come on guys!  It won’t do any good to argue that you’re doing it right and the other doesn’t know what they’re talking about!  Let’s just try stuff and we’ll get it up eventually!  Let’s work together!”  We also found out that the bathouse we thought would be open and therefore we chose our site based on, was not open… and we would have to walk through all kinds of brambles to get to the one that was.  Oh well.  And surprisingly, there were quite a few folks camping!  I think I counted 6 other sites occupied in our loop alone.  Of course, that’s nothing like the peak season when every site is taken… but still a lot for a week or two into the beginning of the camping season!  Mostly families… but one group of what looked like college students.  After pitching the tent and gathering some firewood  (”I think that’s enough, Mom… No son, it’s not!  It will burn up in 5 or 10 minutes!”), M wanted to go walk to the “pond”… yeah, in actuality it’s  a lake, but really… a body of water is a body of water.  So we walked down to the lakeside and walked for about 1/2 an hour before heading back.  Got a nice toasty fire going, enjoyed an early bedtime for M (I guess we wore her out) and the twins and I sat up basking in the firelight and the standard stories form my childhood.  Sleeping that night got a little nippy, but we survived without any dew collecting on our sleeping bags… that was not an incident we wanted to see repeated from October.  But we didn’t have to sleep anywhere near the sides of big Bertha, so we all stayed dry.  THAT night.

The next night, and our last, was a different story.  But again… getting ahead of myself.  We woke up and got moving somewhere around 7… so we had about 3 hours to wait for my Mom and sister (with the baby) to come join us.  We piddled around with the fire… ate girl scout cookies, apples and dry cereal for breakfast (because I forgot the milk…) and got water on for coffee and hot chocolate.  I think I might feel fairly confident about my camp stove abilities if I get one more shot to work with it.  LOL

When the others arrived we sat my mom, who was not going to be able to walk up the hill, down by the fire with a book, piddled around for a little while more while we exchanged traffic stories and other camp set-up tales.  Then we started on our hike.

Needless to say, M was not too happy about having to walk a bit more than usual.  I broke down and told her that if she couldn’t behave I would take her back to Mamaw and she wouldn’t be able to see the pond from the top.  That worked for a little while.  At about the half way point she says “momma, I don’t want to behave… I want to go stay with Mamaw”.  Uhm… yeah… too late for that!  I ended up carrying her on my shoulders for about 3/4 of the 4 mile hike.  Still, not too bad, I don’t think.  Once to the top we stripped off shoes and socks, ate some apples and enjoyed the view for about 1/2 an hour while the baby ate.  It was s great walk… a little taxing at times for this one who is out of shape… but worth it!

The letterbox series, if you’re interested!

Mamaw slept in the truck that night and the rest of us piled into the tent after the wind and the storm that had threatened all evening got going, around 10:30 or so.  And, surprisingly we slept good!  The rain came down but we stayed dry!  Mostly.  There were a couple of puddles that we never quite figured out how they formed…. but we mostly stayed dry.  Woke up abruptly when the storm picked up.  My P wakes up, looks at her watch and proclaiims that it’s 7:30.  WOW!  I must have slept good!  Turns out it was only 4 something… she calims she was tired and read her watch wrong… uhuh… oh well… back to sleep for a few more hours, praing that the rain would let up enough to let us strike camp.

Which it did.  Headed into Morehead for some breakfast (because, who wants to eat in that kind of weather) and some hot coffee and made it back home by 2:30.  We had a really good time, again!  Maybe we can sneal one more in with Daddy before the end of May and faire season starts.

Don’t Drink The Teabag

Yes, I’m up and at’em this morning.  Trying to get caught up still yet from my January sickness.  And I’m just now feeling as if my brain is coming out of the fog.  Does it seem to take forever for you to get back on track?  I guess I have a little red roadster mentality inside me somewhere.

Trying to get through some stuff, sipping my Early Grey and I just about chomped down on the tea bag.  That is how “with it” I am this morning.  Of course, I’m trying to be with it with other things, so perhaps my brain is just not up to muti-tasking just yet.  It shouldn’t be that hard, though… type… sip tea… breath… do not ingest tea bag.  Shaking head.

The three year old is doing her funny 3 year old stuff again.  The other day she’s sitting on the table watching her “bubby” (how I loathe that nickname) watch a “crazy frog” video on youtube.  Go google it… I’ll wait….

The videos are funny in a mindless entertainment sort of way.  But the 3 year old is sitting on the table, just bopping along with the music and all of a sudden shouts out “that guy rocks!”.  She says that kind of stuff all of the time.

Just a little while ago she found some little safety mirrors.  She is in the doorway between the office and the living room and just groaning and growling…. “OW!”…”Auuuuugh”… and the like.  When we look at her, she’s holding one of the mirrors up to her face and looking at her small little scratch by her mouth, moaning like she’s going to die.  Had she not had the mirror, I’m confident she would not have remembered the scratch was even there.  But she’s glaring into that mirror like the person in it did this to her and boy is she going to pay!

Well, I’ve got to go get some more catching up done.  Hope you feel better soon Took!

By the Way…

I’m going to take the banner off of my side bar, because I have finally rented and seen “Expelled- No Intelligence Allowed”.  Most excellent movie!  Besides supporting the claim that Intelligent Design was and is at work in the world, that there should be no problem with intelligent people pointing to our Creator in this amazing world of ours… Stein also asks the question “just where would we be if we do NOT allow for the possibility?”  Free will and basic kindness to each other can easily be shuffled out the door if the universe will do what it will and only the strong are meant to survive.  Of course, he makes the point much better than I do.  Watch it with your teenagers, if you can.

Getting Out?

Not on your life!

1. I’ve been to the hospital for pneumonia a week and a half ago and recuperating from that…
2. Have you looked outside??  Well, outside MY window, anyway… snow and ice have kept even the city schools closed all week.  We’re in for a tiny warm up tomorrow (41*… down from the 51* they were hoping for).  But then another bought of snow dumping on us Monday and Tuesday (supposedly little or no ice, though).

Now, if a foot of snow wouldn’t threaten to pour into my doorway should I open it, I would be stir crazy by now.  A few days ago I did manage to creep, slowly and with MUCH caution, outside to check for any tree damage and how the dog was doing down in his lot.  (Yes, he’s fine… plenty of fur, plenty of straw and a well positioned doghouse that he refuses to use.  He’s a cow herder… they’re meant for such things.)   Lots of limbs down… the sound of ice crashing down off of the roof one night was exciting…. but no real damage.

Inside, we lost power for about an hour one day and we are trying to resist the urge to use the kerosene heater (no outside vent=poor air quality for the lungs).  It could be worse… some of our friends have been without electric since Wednesday.  The tweens in turn have gotten their own chest congestion, but not near as bad as pneumonia or even bronchitis… just upper respiratory stuff.  They’re apparently young enough to bully through.  S is bucking the down time all the way, though.  He absolutley HATES being cooped up inside when all of this snow is going to waste.

So, I’m going to go read through and catch up on some of your lives, then I’m gonna go do something else restrained and quiet, wihtout physical exertion.  Hmmmm…

New Alphabet

“W, H , Y-ma bean”  and then she sang “now I know my A B C’s”

Earlier she and I were “playing” junior manopoly.  We replaced a die for the Mr Manopoly, who can’t “count” the little squares he’s driving over for squat.  I had M count along with me… 1…2… and she jumps up and down… “I can know my numbers now!”

She’s an intellectual genius, she is!

Colors and M

This isn’t the Christmas recap… sorry… it’s coming, but probably a weekend thing.  THIS weekend?   Oh, I don’t know… depends on if I can get the Christmas tree completely down or not.  Well, no.  It really has nothing to do with that.  Cause one minute the lit but undecorated tree inspires me to remember my wonderful holiday season, the next it just yells at me that I’m being a “put-offer” and I should just get it done and get life back to normal around here  the table moved back into place and things straightened back up a bit more.  We have more physical room without the tree up.  But there’s also a little gap left in my spirit… a gap that equals dull and boring and routine.  I’ve got to change that!  Giminy… taking the tree down is NOT the end of all smiles Tammy!  Get your act together!

OK… now that that is out…  The little everyday things are starting to crowd around in my head and beg to be written down before I forget them.  And since we have this wonderful new computer (yeah!), it’s actually a pleasure to tap on the keyboard a bit.

Whether or not ya’ll know it, I check my blog often.  I like to see who’s lurking, where they’re coming from and use my sidebar to get to all of your pages.  This morning in my blog stats I find that somebody has navigated to my page who is Almost an Empty Nester.  Huh!  If you read this (you’ll have to know who “you” is, cause my stats only tell me so much…) I’d love to know how you found me!  It’s just the curiosity in me.  She’s got a nice blog, though,  so go check her out!  What a nice time in your life… to be awaiting a new family member!  Anyway, I scan down her list of blogs she likes to read and there’s little ol’ me.  Huh!  She must like inconsistency and long gaps between writings… *blush*. 

She also had a little quiz to take, so you know I did!  It’s a little difficult to pick my answers, though.  The first one really got me.  Cause, if you must know, several of those choices would make a great Sunday for me.  I just could not pick practicing my faith… I’m not sure about that.  I love going to church, teaching or learning… talking and sharing with all of my family there.  But getting “it” all together and going anywhere when I have to be “on time” is not going to be a favorite activity.  Now, if my Sunday School class would come here to my home for breakfast and searching and sharing… THAT would be a wonderful Sunday!    Anyway, here’s my color quiz:

VIOLET

You surround yourself with art and music and are constantly driven to express yourself. You often daydream. You prefer honesty in your relationships and believe strongly in your personal morals.

Find out your color at QuizMeme.com!

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Some M-isms for you this new morning…

My little 3 year old has picked up A LOT of things from her older siblings.  No longer is she the little being who knows nothing else but to be acted upon.  She’s now at that most interesting time… emotions are right under the surface because showing them means things happen.  Yes, there are the ubiquitous tantrums.  Though she knows it doesn’t make anything happen for her, if she doesn’t get what she wants she will lay down on her belly with her head in her arms.  Sometimes she continues crying.  Sometimes just the act of lying down, having me ignore the behavior and getting up again is enough to blow the storm clouds away.  But for the most part, she’s starting to understand that the crying fits will get her nowhere… good or bad. 

The emotional little child that makes me curious, though, is the one who, just this morning, pats Sissy’s hand and croons “It be ok sissy… it be ok”.  Or the little lady who will run to the side of a crying baby and start hushing it and wanting to put a calming touch on the wee one.  Last night it was W’s baby boy and the only thing she could reach was his socked toes.  By the way, this baby boy has a sister M’s age… they are constantly bickering over the correct way to “mother” the little one.  It is VERY funny!

If, during the course of our school day, I start to loose “it”… you know, voice raises just a bit and I pull out my angry eyes (but that never happens in your homes, does it?), she will run to the rescue of her older siblings with “you hurt my bubby’s/sissy’s feelings”… “no mom, no!”.  And she is forever apologizing for things…. “waury mom”.  Even if I’m not in the same room!  You better believe when I hear her say it I’m running to the scene of the crime!  LOL  Mostly it’s just some little something… a spilled cup of water or she’s “broken” something that is easily fixed.  But you see, the apology doesn’t seem to be her way of getting out of something (I’m not even in the room or she’s had many past experiences- the spilled water- to know it’s no big deal).  But it does seem to me to be genuine regret for what she’s done.  I don’t know.  Maybe you think I’m reading too much into my child’s behavior.  What I know is that if I continue to respond to her as if it’s genuine regret, then that is what she will learn.  I LOVE rasing my children!! 

This past weekend we were at P’s volleyball game and she was upset because she couldn’t join the gymanstics class in the other part of the gym.  So, down on the floor she drops, crying.  Her Daddy tisk-tisks and remarks that she is spoiled rotten.  He has very little patience for public displays like this.  I have to admit, they make me flinch.  But I’ve always worked under the assumption that a harsh reaction is just as apt to continue the behavior as a crooning “give-in” reaction.  She laid there for a minute until she just couldn’t help but stop the crying and divert her own attention back to the gymanstics class activities.  Then I went over, picked her up, remarked that the behavior was not appropriate… and acknowledged her desire to be a part of the class… and diverted her attention to a potty break.  When we came back she was ready to cheer for sissy, walk the bleachers, play a little bouncing-ball game with Daddy in the recently vacated half of the gym and make a friend.  She is a little body, full of emotional tumbleweeds.

Out of the blue, without anybody’s attention fully on her, she will shout out “BEHOLD!”.  She’s got some little thing she has marked on, or a dress-up piece she’s put on or something else she feels is worth attention and comment from her adoring masses.  And we give it!

She has been very concerned about baby Jesus recently and just where He is.  For our church’s  Christmas madrigal, she was a shepherd and close enough to see “baby Jesus”.  One night he was crying, the other night he was happy.  And, of course, his happiness was because of her presence.  You’ve really got to love the simple A=B that children have.  After everything was over, and for the month since then, she wants to know where He is.  So I explain that He wants to be in her heart… that he’s not a baby anymore.  She tells everybody that Jesus is in her heart… and, by the way, he likes blue… and pink… and whatever else she thinks babies like.  This past Sunday she comes into my Sunday school class (ours ALWAYS lets out after all of the other classes, and my chidlren are ALWAYS waiting for me, and my class is never REALLY finished… probably a bit of why I would love to have class here at my home… no time restraints) and announces that she has found baby Jesus and he is back in the corner of the church!  (Just in case you were wondering….)  I smile as I write this…  my 3 year old has something that most people loose.  Without knowledge or being “of age”, she’s close to Jesus.  And she knows that SHE makes Him happy.  Her being makes Him happy.  And I cry because she’s on a path that He wants her on… closer to Him.  Tickling His socked toes, crooning sympathy to those who need it, doing little things that should beckon great attention and somteimes being righteously indignant at injustices around her.

I’m Here…

Just trying to stay focused on a few things to be a “good girl”. I tend to get sidetracked easily (could you tell that about me?) and I’m trying to make more deliberate decisions about what I do and when I do it. Mostly trying to keep things picked up around the house so that I get better at that whole “housework” thing. Cleaning for the 12th Night party last weekend was intense. And we have a group coming to the house next month for a culture lunch. WOuld like to avoid “intense” again for as long as possible.
But I have been doing stuff! Check Out my historical garb page for recent sewing exploits!

A rundown of the holliday season in the works!

The Bell

Wish I knew who to credit for this… it is beautiful!  Merry Christmas!

THE BELL
I KNOW WHO I AM
I am God’s child (John 1:12)
I am Christ’s friend (John 15:15 )
I am united with the Lord (1 Cor. 6:17)
I am bought with a price (1 Cor 6:19-20)
I am a saint (set apart for God). (Eph. 1:1)
I am a personal witness of Christ. (Acts 1:8)
I am the salt & light of the earth (Matt 5:13-14)
I am a member of the body of Christ (1 Cor 12:27)
I am free forever from condemnation ( Rom. 8: 1-2)
I am a citizen of Heaven. I am significant (Phil 3:20)
I am free from any charge against me (Rom. 8:31 -34)
I am a minister of reconciliation for God (2 Cor 5:17-21)
I have access to God through the Holy Spirit (Eph. 2:18)
I am seated with Christ in the heavenly realms (Eph. 2:6)
I cannot be separated from the love of God (Rom 8:35-39)
I am established, anointed, sealed by God (2 Cor 1:21-22 )
I am assured all things work together for good (Rom. 8:28 )
I have been chosen and appointed to bear fruit (John 15:16 )
I may approach God with freedom and confidence (Eph. 3: 12 )
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Phil. 4:13)
I am the branch of the true vine, a channel of His life (John 15: 1-5)
I am God’s temple (1 Cor. 3: 16). I am complete in Christ (Col. 2: 10)
I am hidden with Christ in God (Col. 3:3).. I have been justified (Romans 5:1)
I am God’s co-worker (1 Cor. 3:9; 2 Cor 6:1). I am God’s workmanship (Eph. 2:10)
I am confident that the good works God has begun in me will be perfected. (Phil. 1: 5)
I have been redeemed and forgiven ( Col 1:14). I have been adopted as God’s child (Eph 1:5)
I belong to God
Do you know
Who you are?

I Always Liked Her!

Your result for Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz…

You Are a Katharine!

You are a Katharine — “I am happy and open to new things”

Katharines are energetic, lively, and optimistic. They want to contribute to the world.

How to Get Along with Me

• * Give me companionship, affection, and freedom.
• * Engage with me in stimulating conversation and laughter.
• * Appreciate my grand visions and listen to my stories.
• * Don’t try to change my style. Accept me the way I am.
• * Be responsible for youself. I dislike clingy or needy people.
• * Don’t tell me what to do.

What I Like About Being a Katharine

• * being optimistic and not letting life’s troubles get me down
• * being spontaneous and free-spirited
• * being outspoken and outrageous. It’s part of the fun.
• * being generous and trying to make the world a better place
• * having the guts to take risks and to try exciting adventures
• * having such varied interests and abilities

What’s Hard About Being a Katharine

• * not having enough time to do all the things I want
• * not completing things I start
• * not being able to profit from the benefits that come from specializing; not making a commitment to a career
• * having a tendency to be ungrounded; getting lost in plans or fantasies
• * feeling confined when I’m in a one-to-one relationship

Katharines as Children Often

• * are action oriented and adventuresome
• * drum up excitement
• * prefer being with other children to being alone
• * finesse their way around adults
• * dream of the freedom they’ll have when they grow up

Katharines as Parents

• * are often enthusiastic and generous
• * want their children to be exposed to many adventures in life
• * may be too busy with their own activities to be attentive

Take Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz at HelloQuizzy