Eyebrows

So I took the girls in for a haircut today. Lydia has decided she wants her bangs to grow out, and promises to pull them back when they get too long. We'll see! Since we were there, and Rachelle had a few extra minutes, I decided to get my eyebrows waxed before next week's appt. in an attempt to save some pain. Fewer hairs is supposed to equal fewer pains ~ not sure about that! Anyway, with my little audience at hand, Rachelle pointed out that the freshly waxed eyebrow looked sooo much better than the hairy one. When asked what she thought, Laurel pointed out that she thought the unwaxed eyebrow looked better because it wasn't all red like the waxed one! The perspective of a 7 year old!

What to Do?

I am not really sure what I should be doing right now! It seems like there are lots of things I should be doing, but I am not sure what they are. This typicallly happens this time of year. We have 3 full weeks of school left.... teaching/assessing needs to be finished....scores need to be recorded.... parent signatures need to be collected.... report cards need to be completed.... ordering needs to be done.... copies need to be sent to the Educational Service Unit to be prepped for next year (.5 cents/page = dirt cheap).... meetings need to be attended.... banquets are too many.... but here I sit, blogging about all of these things, doing none of them because none of them can really be done at this moment.

So I should probably get off my keister and think about doing some sort of exercise. I am NEVER going to make it through Jenn's yoga class if I don't get movin'! But instead, I will probably saunter to the dryer, stopping at the tea kettle on the way to turn on the water, switch the laundry, brew a cup of jasmine tea, and read a book instead. I may do a sit-up or two. Maybe a few downdogs, and a pigeon if I feel fiesty. We wouldn't get too crazy, though!

Interstate Travels

I have an obsession with license plates....not the kind of obsession like my mother who has some fancy math problem she does with every license plate....I love to ponder where everyone is from. I especially love travelers from out-of-state. I always wonder where they are headed....to visit family or friends....are they headed in the direction of home or away....have they been gone on business or pleasure....are they excited to be traveling or weary?

Last night we came across this little Subaru that was pulling a very little trailor. It had a young (dark and handsome, if I might add) guy in it. It was packed full of stuff, and was traveling from New Jersey. I couldn't help but wonder where he was headed and why. Was he moving to live with a girlfriend? Maybe a new job. Maybe hopes of a better life due to tough times had. Would he travel all night or stop in some little Nebraska town? So many things to think about!

Straight and Narrow

That is Laurel. She is going to keep me, her sister, her dad, and anyone else on the straight and narrow. She will hopefully not be the playground police, but probably already is! Tonight it was my turn to be put back on the path of righteousness. We were driving home from getting her glasses adjusted in Columbus. I was listening to Froggy 98 (the local country station) and the song, "She Thinks my Tractor's Sexy" was playing. Laurel advised me to find something new to listen to because this song had some naughty words in it! Needless to say, I quickly switched it the KGBI (the local Christian station). Sometimes God works in mysterious ways, and other times they are very blatant!

Anxious

I am so anxious for the real gardening to begin. Our little town received a grant to replace old, dead trees with mature ones. So, they are currently in the process of cutting down and replanting a ton of trees. I am assuming that this is the source of the huge mulch pile out at the brush pile north of town. Regardless of where the mulch has come from, it has been many years since we've had the opportunity to haul home free mulch by the truckload. I should say, Jarod's had the opportunity. I, of course, am always at home waiting to offer my ten-cents-worth about where it should go, and I am also in charge of laying down the newspapers to cover up the grass underneath. It has been wonderful because we expanded the area between our two trees out front, and it would have cost us a fortune to fill that all in with purchased mulch. I appreciate Jarod's willingness to embark on the inexpensive, yet cumbersome, task. It wreaks havoc on his allergies, and isn't too great for his back, but when the price is right, you do what you got to do!

However, it is not that much fun to just spread around mulch. Planting flowers is much more fun. I saw this lady at Walmart with these two really beautiful ferns in hanging baskets. They had obviously arrived before the helpers in the garden center drowned them with their "per shift watering." Which leads me to think that I should risk the cold and get mine before the helpers drown mine, too!

Creative Clovers

We finally have our 4-H group in full swing! We have four families involved, 8 actual members, and a few younger brothers and sisters who are along for the fun! At our first meeting we did a craft for St. Patrick's Day and got organized. This meeting we had a full agenda, a cooking lesson (stuffed celery) and practiced our measuring skills! Lots of fun!

Meals on Wheels

One day last summer Macy (Laurel's friend) received a mid-morning phone call at our house that her aunt would be picking her up to help deliver Meals on Wheels. The girls decided they would go along for the adventure. That one day turned into twice-a-week, and then days off of school, and who knows how often they'll rope Mary Ann into taking them this summer. It may be more days than not! Today at noon they had a Volunteer Recognition Dinner. Laurel attended with the other kids. She was the first person to have her name called. It is my understanding that she just flew out of her chair, wildly waving her hand for her certificate. She loves visiting the "old people," and has nicknames for all of them. Both girls point out the homes they deliver to as we drive through town. It has provided many life lessons along the way...including what happens when you find someone deceased. Laurel has such a grasp on life....a deep understanding that I think many adults don't have. I attribute much of it to her faith. Neither girl batted an eye when I told them that one old gentleman who had died no longer needed them to bring him meals, God was going to make him dinner from now on!

Thanks, Merrill!

Merrill came to babysit this afternoon while Julie went to Kelly Veskrna's funeral. It worked out great because Laurel was out of school at 1:30pm and needed a place, too. I really appreciate her willingness and ability to come over and stay with the girls during the school day! Thank goodness for home schooling!

So while Merrill was here, I asked her to help me find a new template for my blog! She was great help and saved me a ton of frustration! Thanks Merrill for B & B! (babysitting and blogging)

Crystal Clear

Clean...crisp...clear as water...sweet...hmmmm.....2Brothers from James Arthur Vineyards. We had this wine the other night when my parents were here for dinner. It was very good and I enjoyed it at the time; however, I didn't really pay much attention to how clear it was...probably because I was too worried about Lydia eating all the fish that was cooked for my parents on Good Friday. (Note to selves - more fish, less chicken!) But tonight when we opened another bottle it was the first thing that I noticed. It looked like water in a fancy glass.

I really like wine. I like the sweetness of it. I like how it makes me feel all warm and toasty. I like that it quiets my mind. But more than all of those things, I like to see how the taste changes with different foods that you eat. Just this simple glass has a completely different twist when accompanied with a nice, warm brownie. It would be interesting to see how it might change with some cheese or something like naan or bread. And yet it is so good just by itself! Intriguing how something so simple can be so complex!

Looking Forward

I feel a little bad about posting such a crabby post on such a special day yesterday! But I guess I can't be accused of giving jaded perspectives!

So today I shall blog about some very exciting things I am looking forward to! The first of course is our little trip to San Francisco! I think this is going to be the perfect start to a very fun summer! For the past two summers I have contemplated hosting a "backyard crafts session" in my backyard. I think it would be fun for the girls, and I think my little third graders would be interested too! However, everytime I bring it up, Jarod just thinks I've gone off my rocker and shrugs his shoulders and says, "whatever". BUT...this year is different....I've found someone as crazy as I am who thinks it is a great idea! So in addition to 4-H, Lori Robinson and I are going to try out this little Backyard Art "project". It is going to consist of a weekly, hour-long crafting session. You can sign up for only one session or all of them, and we are limiting it to ten kids (not counting our own) per session. I think it will be a lot of fun, and hopefully not too much work! That will run for 6 sessions.

Another thing that I have wanted to do for the past few summers, but haven't, is visit my college girlfriends. So this year when Jarod packs up and heads south to Alabama for Nationals, the girls and I are heading due east. We will visit our friends, the Mavins, in Grinnell, IA for a few days, and then we will continue on our way another 4 hours to Goodfield, IL, to see the Gudemans. I cannot wait for the whole adventure! Lots of kids our age...lots of fun times to be had...lots of wine and hefeweizen to be consumed! Dad may just beat us home! That little adventure will take place mid-June.

As for the rest of the summer....who knows what we may do! I do know we won't be going to any t-ball games...."It's just not my thing!" ~Laurel. We will be having 4-h a few times a month, preparing our projects for the fair. We will be taking private swimming lessons for the first time. Hmmmm....the possiblities are endless!

Easter Sunday

Hoping everyone had a very blessed Easter Sunday! We spent the day at the Ockanders in Gretna. It was a nice day; I will give it three stars and a wish!

Star #1: The church services in Gretna are always contemporary at 10:45am, and it is so fun to have a band and sing upbeat songs. I always feel the presence of the Holy Spirit when we visit Good Shepherd. Pastor Woerhling is such an amazing pastor...so in tune with the Lord and his people!

Star #2: How can you go wrong with ham, hashbrown casserole, green bean casserole, rolls, jello salad, lemon meringue and peach pies. Needless to say, I am still stuffed, but it was soooo good!

Star #3: The kids had so much fun playing together. Now that Eli and Korben are 2 and 3, the kids can go downstairs and play with the toys, and the adults can visit (or watch golf~ick!). This was the first time that we've really seen that independence and I think they had a great time!





Wish: I know better than to go empty-handed. I typically head into Omaha after we eat for something to do; however, with it being Easter, I didn't do that. I CANNOT just sit....and watch golf....and have minimal conversation. In my family, we visit...about everything and everyone. Jarod's family is just different in that way. So, I usually busy myself with a list of goods that I need, or a book from home, or any handstitching that I might need to do. Today....nothing. I did chat with Kristi on Facebook for awhile! That was a huge treat ~ and I think we came up with a plan for the girls and I to extend our visit to Iowa into Illinois to see the Gudemans, too! So that was great! I did outlast all of the children in coloring, too! They came and left in shifts! Lesson learned...NEVER go empty-handed to the Ockanders. A lesson I learned a long time ago, just something I needed reminding of!

I am looking forward to the fact that we still have another day! I cannot believe that we are a month and a week away from the last day of school! We have so many fun things planned for this summer...but we'll save that for tomorrow!

Waste Not

I received this email from a dear friend. It is so true that I thought I would post it here!

I grew up with practical parents who had been frightened by the Great Depression.. A mother, God love her, who washed aluminum foil after she cooked in it, then reused it. She was the original recycle queen, before they had a Name for it... A father who was happier getting old shoes fixed than buying new ones.

Their marriage was good, their dreams focused. Their best friends lived barely a wave away. It was the time for fixing things; a curtain rod, the kitchen radio, screen door, the oven door, the hem in a dress. Things we keep.

It was a way of life, and sometimes it made me crazy. All that repairing, eating, reusing, I wanted just once to be wasteful Waste meant affluence. Throwing things away meant you knew there'd always be more.

But then my mother died, and on that clear summer 's night, in the warmth of the hospital room, I was struck with the pain of learning that sometimes there isn't any more.

Sometimes, what we care about most gets all used up and goes away...never to return. So... While we have it.... it's best we love it... And care for it..... And fix it when it's broken...... And heal it when it's sick.

This is true..... For marriage.... And old cars.... And children with bad report cards...... And dogs and cats with bad hips.... And aging parents..... And grandparents....And friends ....We keep them because they are worth it, because we are worth it. Some things we keep.

There are just some things that make life important, like people we know who are special..... And so, keep them close!

Facebook Quiz

I like Facebook! I really like Facebook! I love knowing what my girlfriends are doing from afar! I care when one of them has a sick kid, or gets something exciting like new knitting needles in the mail! I am also not going to deny that I have taken my share of those cheesy Facebook quizzes, even if half of them are grammatically incorrect. However, today was the topper: "Where will you go when you die?" Seriously...I am not kidding! Just the thought that one would even feel compelled to take that quiz to see what the answer is makes me freak out! My answer is, "If you need a Facebook quiz to tell you where you are going when you die, we have some SERIOUS chatting to do!" And the audacity of the creator of the quiz! Ok, I am going to close now, before I really explode. But I will close on this thought ~ I know where I am going when I die, because Jesus Christ died on the cross for my sins and is my Savior! I will live my life to be a living example of His love, and pray that my family will do the same!

Spring in the Midst of the Storm

Fun with Fur-iends on a Fur-iday

In the process of cleaning out her mom's house, Diane found these fur coats to be donated to the One Act Dept. Diane, Jason and Laurel had a blast hosting our own Fashion Runway!

Sleepover

Due to the fact that all of my girlfriends live too far away and traveling with little ones is not much fun, I seldom get to have them come for a sleepover. Diane doesn't need to sleep over because her parents live a block away. So last night and today was a special treat. After our dinner last night, Tricia stayed over and planned to just hang out today. Jarod was in St. Louis, Lydia and Laurel were at my parents', and it was so much fun to just talk about whatever we wanted with minimal interruptions while we made ebelskievers for breakfast. When the weatherman announced that the day would look pretty decent (minus the 40 mph wind), we decided to take the girls to Lincoln shopping. I needed to buy fabric for a sewing project I want to tackle during the snowstorm. We bribed the girls with a ride in Tricia's cool car with a built-in DVD player and a trip to Ivana Cone. They were very good and we had a fun time! I think I should have another slumber party sometime soon! Anyone want to visit!?

Proud of Myself

I am pretty darned proud of myself! Tonight I am having 5 women over to have dinner. My friend, Tricia, is cooking Thai and Indian food. Mostly different curries. This has been a food adventure for the Ockanders lately, and I am excited to try to some new things. However, that is not why I am proud....I am hosting dinner in 3 hours and I did not spend the day cleaning, scrubbing, stewing, fretting, folding, freaking...the usual! After kindergarten round-up Lydia and I ventured to the library to check out books and visit with Gina. Then we checked out the little new antique shop (Boo hoo my vase was sold in the relocation process!), and then after doing our business at school we hung around to visit with a few people. We stopped off at the flower shop and had the special treat of picking our stems out of the cooler in the back, and sealed the deal with a nap on the couch! I shoved the laundry that is clean in the closet. I kind of washed the kitchen floor, and I will probably vaccuum. I am hoping that Tricia doesn't want to shower tomorrow so I don't have to clean it, and if my guests are lucky I might change clothes before they get here! Bring on the wine so nobody notices the cobwebs, just the gerbera daisies in the middle of the table instead!