Sunday, January 24, 2010

Maybe Growing Up Isn't So Bad

Yesterday I found a box of old pictures out in the garage and looking through them brought back such happy memories and made me smile. It also made me the teensiest bit sad because I miss my cute "little" kids. Oh, how precious they were and what fun we had - the giggling and the snuggling and the playing. It doesn't hurt that I was also one of their favorite people back in the day. Then they had to grow up and those apron strings they used to hold onto so tightly have stretched longer and longer and their grip has loosened. Almost sounds like a bad thing.

Except for they were cracking me up tonight. I mean really making me laugh. And it just reminded me ('cause I know this but I forget a lot) that while sometimes teenagers can be exasperating, they can also be a ton of fun. I may not get the snuggling (though I still get a lot of hugs) and playing is not quite the same, there's still a lot of giggling. So I'm not the teensiest bit sad anymore.

Labels: joy, kids, laughter, nostalgia

Mused by Jenster :: 8:59 PM :: 6 People musing:

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Tuesday, July 21, 2009

My Work Here Is Done...

Katie's friend, Devon, is spending the night tonight. Todd and Taylor are watching yet another painful baseball game and frankly I'm all baseballed out. So before Devon got here I told Katie that I would come down to the basement with them.

Me: We can watch a good movie and I'll sit in between you guys and I'll text my friends while you're texting your friends and we can do each others' hair and it will be so much fun!

Katie: Um, no.

Devon gets here, says hello to the rest of us and the girls head for the basement.

Me: You girls go on down. I'll be there in a minute. Then we can watch "High School Musical, III" and talk about how cute Zac Efron and Corbin Bleu are while we do our nails!

Katie: Um, no.

I then sit down to play on the computer while the boys watch the incredibly boring baseball game and decide to text Katie downstairs.

My Text: Hey. What's up?

From the bowels of the house we hear, "Stop texting me!"

Meanwhile...

Todd's Text: Tell Devon I said, "Hello".

When he didn't hear any reply Taylor called her on his cell phone.

Katie: What do you want?!

Taylor: Dad wanted you to tell Devon hello.

Katie: I know! I got his text!

Taylor: Okay. That's all.

The sad thing about all this is how highly enjoyable I found it. I suppose I should get a life, but it's these simple things that make this existence so entertaining.

Labels: laughter

Mused by Jenster :: 9:04 PM :: 10 People musing:

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Thursday, November 13, 2008

How Big Is Will??? AKA Go Phillies!!!

I'm in a not very good mood right now for a lot of stupid reasons, most of which if I really examine will point to me as the perpetrator. So instead of thinking about the reasons for my anger I decided to share one of the cutest and funniest videos I've ever seen. I saw it this morning on GMA and then since it took place during the Phillies parade a couple weeks ago it was on the local news tonight. So click on the link below, sit back, watch, and I dare you not to giggle:

Labels: kids, laughter, video

Mused by Jenster :: 11:32 PM :: 4 People musing:

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Saturday, October 11, 2008

Where Do I Begin??

There's just so much to tell that I'm not sure how to go about it. So I think I'll just do a bit of a timeline.

Wednesday PM

I pick up Sing 4 Joy and God's Guitar Girl from the Philadelphia airport, arriving at my house some time between 10:00 and 10:30. GGG has a migraine so she hits the sack while S4J stays up to restring her 12 string guitar. I hang out with her for a while, but by 1:30 I have to go to bed. I totally forget to give her a blanket and she freezes. Lucky for me, she doesn't hold it against me.

Thursday AM

We get up, eat a little breakfast and get ready to go into the city. I turn on the TV to check the traffic report. The weather grid has a Star of David next to a P on Thursday and no Star of David, but a P on Friday. Here's the conversation:

GGG: What's up with the Ps and the Star of David?

Me: That's the Phillies P. Thursday night the Jewish Phillies are playing and Friday is the Gentile Phillies.

Not funny? Well it was when it happened.

While waiting for everyone else, S4J decides to tune her guitar and play a few songs. Did you know she sounds like what you would imagine an angel to sound like? Seriously. She has this beautiful soprano, crystal clear voice. And then GGG comes down stairs and starts harmonizing with S4J and it's amazing.

Oh. I forgot to mention the kids are out of school. We stop to pick up Kristen, Taylor's girlfriend, and then make a quick pass through Valley Forge before heading into Philadelphia. The kids and I already have plans to go to the Franklin Institute to see the Pirates Exhibit (totally the bomb) and S4J and GGG want to touch the Liberty Bell and eat a cheesesteak. So I drive them to the Independence Hall Visitor Center, pull over and kick let them out.

Thursday PM-ish

The kids and I go on to the museum and have a great time there. Meanwhile, my friends from Hawaii drive to the city from New Brunswick and I periodically talk to Stephanie on the phone trying to figure out when we can meet up. Meeting up doesn't work out and the kids and I eat at a delicious hole in the wall across from the museum. We then drive back to our house.

At this same time S4J and GGG have touched the Liberty Bell, run through the Independence Hall tour and eaten the required Philly Cheesesteak, and are now on a SEPTA train headed to the airport. They meet up with His Girl and the two other Chicas, Liswilla and Junus. All five of them deal with Attila the Car Rental Clerk and finally head for The Cheesecake Factory at King of Prussia in their white minivan.

Thursday PMer

Taylor and Kristen and I leave for KOP with GGG and S4J's stuff. I drop them off at one entrance and then park in the deck across from the Cheesecake Factory. Soon a white minivan full of crazy Chicas shows up, we transfer the luggage and guitars and head in for a delicious dinner. While we're waiting for our food Stephanie and her family come to KOP and I leave the party for a few minutes to talk with them outside the restaurant. They're going to browse the mall and we decide to meet up after dinner. While I'm away the Chicas play with my camera and take all manner of photos which will be shown on this very blog in the near future.

We eat, we laugh, we chat, we just generally have a great time. Afterwards the Chicas are anxious to get to their house in Amish country and rest up after a hard day of traveling. I locate Stephanie's family and get to visit with them for another 30 minutes or so. I find Taylor and Kristen and we leave for home, dropping Kristen off on the way.

Friday AM

I'm not feeling so hot. Maybe too much food the night before? Most likey. I've also probably lost whatever weight I gained eating said food.

Friday PM

My morning ailment has passed. I drive to the Chica's Amish basecamp for dinner, a devo and a little praise and worship. OH, and a whole lotta laughing! It is so much fun AND reviving at the same time. These girls are wicked funny.

Friday Way-PM

I leave the house at 11:15 and drive through an abandoned Lancaster which was totally creepy in a Children of the Corn kind of way. So I sang my Jesus music with the iPod at the top of my lungs. I make it home to see Todd for the first time since the previous Sunday when he left on a business trip.

Saturday

Nothing exciting whatsoever to write home about. It was just nice to hang out with Todd.

Sunday AM

Todd and Taylor go to first service and Todd writes mean things about me, calling me a heathen and all, on the attendance card. I attend the second service and work the third, dispelling any hint of heathenism with the gracious giving of my time.

Sunday PM

I drive to Lititz to catch up with the Chicas and find them at an ice cream parlor. I lamely park my car, as usual, and jump in their van. We drive over to the General Sutter Inn on Main Street for dinner. S4J will be posting food pictures at some point on her blog.

After dinner we head to Calvary Chapel Lancaster for their evening service. Turns out it's a very small congregation and they don't have services on Sunday evenings. Instead a group meets for a chapter by chapter study of the Bible. Not at all what we are looking for. But the people are so gracious and they move from the small table to the meeting room next door. The pastor encourages S4J and GGG to grab their guitars from the van and we have an impromptu worship service before delving into a few of the Psalms. What an incredible blessing it turns out to be.

Sadly, I have to say goodbye to the Chicas until the next time I might get to hang out with them.

Monday AM

My take on the Chicas. S4J, His Girl and GGG are EXACTLY the way they seem in their blogs. Funny, gracious, kind-hearted, serious about their faith - all you have to do is read their blogs and you know them. Liswilla and Junus don't have blogs, but it's obvious why they're friends with these women. Sweet, fun, great sense of humor... just a few ways to describe both of them and I'm so glad I got to meet them.

I'm finally finishing this post. I know I'm leaving out so very much, but I'll post more as it all comes to me. I just had to get this up with my spin before the rest of the Chicas get home to their computers and tell their side of the story!!

Labels: food, friends, fun, God, joy, laughter, touristy, weekend plans, worship

Mused by Jenster :: 10:26 AM :: 21 People musing:

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Friday, October 10, 2008

Teaser...

I have so much to tell you all. SO MUCH! But I'm headed out the door again to meet up with the Chicas in Lancaster.

PEACE OUT!!

Labels: blessings, friends, fun, joy, laughter, touristy

Mused by Jenster :: 3:50 PM :: 8 People musing:

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Saturday, August 09, 2008

All Together Again

This morning I jumped in the car, opened the sunroof, started my favorites playlist, ran through Starbuck's, and set the GPS for Katie's camp in Maryland. Karen (Todd's GPS) took me through green, rolling hills and a patchwork of various crops, mostly tall corn, before leading me over the Susquehanna River and into the campground.

I arrived just in time to witness three kids being baptized in the pool, one of which is a Little Homie of mine. Thankfully another one of my Little Homies had the good sense to defy the rules and take her cell phone so the dunkee could call her parents. Since they'd come to watch I only had four girls to drive home instead of five.

Now, I know first hand how, um, uh, well, how should I say... annoying middle school girls can be. But I also know first hand how much fun they can be. They had me giggling the entire way home.

I dropped the other three girls off at their houses and then brought Katie home. Todd was on his way to our humble abode after working the tech booth at a funeral and for about five minutes we were all in the same dwelling at the same time. Then Todd and I ran to Lowes where we picked up a patio table with four swivel chairs for eighty bucks!!! So not the set I want, but how could we go wrong? It will eventually be our back up when there's too many people for one set. But I digress.

After running some errands we came home to relax in the living room with both the kids and the dog. I promise you Sookie was the most content she's been all week. Then again so was I. Yes, it was only a week, but I missed Katie so much I could hardly keep from speeding on may way down this morning. Oh wait. I didn't keep from speeding. But whatever.

Anyway, it's just nice to be all together again. It makes me happy!

Labels: family, friends, joy, kids, laughter, love

Mused by Jenster :: 5:23 PM :: 12 People musing:

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Thursday, June 26, 2008

A Bunch of Good Stuff

So what's up? Nothin' much going on here. Just the usual. You know. Todd's at work - he's got major short timer's disease, but he's making a valiant effort; Katie's babysitting; Taylor's at CIY in Tennessee - kind of like church camp only much more intense. Katie's Little Homies are going camping this afternoon through Saturday morning so Todd and I get some just us time. I think I'm going to make reservations at that new Italian restaurant we were going to eat at for our anniversary, but they were booked. Yeah. That's a great idea.





We watched "Fools' Gold" last night and LOVED IT! The chemistry between Kate Hudson and Matthew McConnohotty is nearly palpable. It had everything I love in a movie. Adventure, romance, humor, an exotic location and even a bit of history. Well, made up history, but still.




The prude that I am was a little disappointed at a flash of anonymous boobies. It's PG-13, for cryin' out loud. It was a quick flash, but so very unnecessary. It reminded me of when I was in 8th grade and my AT group went into Hollywood to see Romeo and Juliet at Grauman's Chinese Theater. Really cool experience, but the boys in the group were thrilled when Olivia Hussey jumped out of bed, baring her chest. (But really, what do you expect with a name like Hussey?) The girls were just embarrassed. And a little envious. Or maybe that was just me.



OH! Have I told you we actually have a Sonic AND a real Starbucks with a drive through now? Maybe two miles from the house, if that. The only problem with the Sonic is it's such a novelty up here that they have to have traffic managers with walkie talkies directing cars who are waiting for the next available slot. It's totally insane. I mean, I love Sonic and all - you know I do - but it's not THAT great.

Last Sunday after Youth Group a bunch of the older kids went to Sonic. They parked in the lot and walked over to order and eat at the picnic tables out front. You order in the same kind of speaker box as if you'd pulled up to a slot, but you give them your name so when they come out they know where the order goes. So here's the conversation with the Sonic chick and my son:

SC: What's your name?

T: Taylor.

SC: What is it?

T: Taylor.

SC: Tyler?

T: Taylor.

SC: What was that?

T: Billy.

SC: Billy?

T: Yup.



This is the top of the swimsuit I bought for Hawaii the other day. I consider it was a good day because I didn't cry in the dressing room. Didn't even feel the urge. I certainly don't like the way I look in a swimsuit. Heck, I didn't like it when I was 40 pounds lighter. But it is what it is so there's no sense getting depressed about it. But what thrilled me was the fact it's just a normal top and it just happens to hide both my mastectomy scar (my left mastectomy scar is pretty high up) and my port scar. I also got two different bottoms - red regular bottoms and a coral SwimMini.



This morning I found a great deal on plane reservations for my parents to come up for Thanksgiving. So I called Mom and we booked those babies before they went away. Mom and Dad actually get in on my 43rd birthday. I think we'll celebrate with a chocolate cake and 29 candles. It's just been the four of us for the last two Thanksgivings so we're really looking forward to having some family to help us celebrate.



All this goodness leads me to today's verse.

If you, then, though you are evil,
know how to give good gifts to your children,
how much more will your Father in heaven give
good gifts to those who ask him!

Labels: birthdays, blessings, family, fun, God, holidays, homies, humor, kids, laughter, movies, nostalgia, random, reconstruction, vacation, Verse of the Day

Mused by Jenster :: 9:41 AM :: 16 People musing:

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Saturday, May 03, 2008

My Week In Arkansas, Part One

While I'm not even close to being a linear thinker, I do believe stories are best when started at the beginning. So here it goes.

Wednesday, April 23:

Todd and I stopped at the local Wawa on our way to the Philadelphia airport for gas and coffee. In that order. Gas for the car. Coffee for me. I don't think we'd even made it to the freeway when I'd spilt coffee on my pristine white tee-shirt.

I've only ever flown Delta out of Philly and the Delta terminal is horrible. Old, dirty, nothing good to eat... This time, however, I flew out of the US Airways terminal and it was much better. So much better that I wish I would have foregone the Wawa coffee. Next time I'll know better.

I had a two-and-a-half hour layover in Charlotte, North Carolina. Now that's a nice airport! Just look.




A pretty Wright Brothersesque Biplane.






A really cool clock mobile in the middle of the main terminal

And because Brian Jones (our pastor) hates is such a fan of NASCAR I snapped these shots just for him.

The sign says Charlotte, NC - June 19, 1949: The first NASCAR strictly stock race. Who knew an airport could be so edumacational?

I arrived at the Little Rock airport about 30 minutes before Michele did. By then it was time for dinner so we ate at Ruby Tuesday just a few minutes from my parents' house. We then proceeded to stay up way too late.

Thursday, April 24:

We all woke up. And this would be where things started going downhill. Do you remember the following paragraph when I was talking about removing wallpaper?

Bad idea. It was put directly onto the wallboard except for a few places where they had Spackled something - the spots we tried. So we made three times more work for ourselves than we would have had we just primed the wallpaper first and then painted.

You did remember it? Why didn't you remind me!?!? It was a major case of deja vu, except Rhonda wasn't there to relieve some of the blame! Oh, it all started out okay. In fact it was pretty fun. Pulling off wallpaper and watching it come away without a hitch. And then... and then... I can't even bring myself to say it. Just see for yourselves.





The brown is where the wallboard ripped.


This is where I was sweating profusely, thinking what have I done? Surely they're going to disown me after this! While on the outside I was reassuring them that I knew what I was doing and it would all turn out fine.

My mother even told Todd that if the kitchen wasn't finished the following Tuesday she was taking my ticket and flying to Philly until I got it fixed. I think he was kind of excited because he said, "Great! Then we'll get dinners cooked and a clean house and washed and ironed clothes..." and I can't remember the long list.

In my defense, there was a spider in the garage and Michele drowned it in Raid. But it wasn't just your everyday, average spider. No. Not this one. Take a look:



That's right, folks. It was a bonafied Black Widow. Between the shock of finding a lethal arachnid only a door away from the kitchen and the fumes from the aerosol poison I wasn't thinking clearly and, ergo, the kitchen wallpaper debacle.

** Side note: If you haven't noticed, my talent for procrastination is only superseded by my gift of rationalization. **

Terri wasn't coming in until the next day and when she called, my mom told her what I did. She said, "Doesn't she read her own blog?" Shelli hadn't read it and I was all, "What? What did I write?" So Michele and I went to read it and when we got to that paragraph there were serious tears and crossed legs and red faces and trouble breathing.

** Both my sisters left comments on that particular post and I just want to say for the record, those comments are erroneous at best, bald faced lies at worst. And I don't think it's fair when two people gang up against one helpless, defenseless, much younger person **

That evening I went to dinner with three of my good friends, Teresa, Rhonda and Beth. Rhonda couldn't believe what I'd done because, well, I'm pretty sure I swore I'd never do it again after the office fiasco. But my memory is faulty so... Anyway, it was fun catching up. The waitress took our picture and I'd thought about posting it, but I haven't figured out Photoshop/air brushing yet so no such luck.

***

Stay tuned for the next riveting installment of My Week In Arkansas.

Labels: blog, domestic failure, family, friends, home improvement, laughter, travel

Mused by Jenster :: 7:38 PM :: 18 People musing:

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Saturday, March 15, 2008

One More Thing

As Taylor was sitting next to me on the couch this evening he hit my shoulder with his noggin. And I said ---

You butt headed me!

And then Todd had to pause the movie because I started laughing so hard I was crying, which is contagious, and pretty soon we were all hysterical.

And Taylor's all, "Mom called me a butt head!" And I'm like, "I meant head butted!" And Todd's going, "That's Mom for you." And Katie's totally, "Stop or I'll wet myself!"

Yeah. Good times.

Labels: family, laughter

Mused by Jenster :: 10:11 PM :: 10 People musing:

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