puts things in perspective

Kainon served his 5 days of suspension rather uneventfully. The teachers were supportive and though he missed football games, his grades didn't suffer. Overall I am very proud of how mature he handled it all.

He went back to school Wednesday and played his final football game of the year last night. It was a cold night and we had all 6 kids bundled up in the bleachers cheering for their big brother.

Then after a passing play our receiver took a hit that he didn't shake off. It wasn't a feroscious hit but you could tell his bell had been rung.

Then he started seizing.
Ambulance finally arrives.
This is not good.
Then Life Flight helicopter arrives.
We all pray for him and wait.
News starts as we are all heading home around 11pm. He is in brain surgery.
We pray. We hold our kids a little tighter and a little longer as we tuck them in to their beds.
Wee hours this morning we hear that he didn't make it. An 18 year old boy from our small team, our tiny town, was lost this morning.

Kainon was stunned. He shuffled out to the bus stop early. I could see him standing there in the dusk. I walked out to give him another hug knowing he was going to have a very rough day but needs to be with his friends at school. I let a tear fall because as I hugged him all I could think was "I'm glad it wasn't you."

i want to punch that kid in the nose.

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cussing makes people think you are too stupid to think of something else to say*

*that title is what I tell my children to keep their mouths clean. With that being said I would be a wealthy woman if I had a cuss jar on my desk at work.

Kainon was watching the kids and Zeph called someone a "bitch." Kainon jumped on him.

Kainon: What did you just say?
Zeph: Um... I don't know.
Kainon: Yes, you do and don't say it again or you'll be eating soap.
Zeph: I'm only in Kindergarten. I can't know what all these words mean.

Kainon: exhale Just go to your room. Mom can deal with you.

maybe the kids should have their own blogs.

Its Parent-Teacher Conference Time.

Thats right, the time when you have to sit in a tiny little chair and see where your kids dot falls on the graph of other kids dots. Its where you are held responsible for when your child is a turd in class. In our history, its also an opportunity for the kid in the hot seat to deflect "My mom and dad shower together." (Trin - conferences 2009)

The trend these days is to bring the child with you to their conference. I kind of liked meeting the teacher without them as the child waiting anxiously to hear how the report went. We brought them all along. This was Zeph's first time in THE CHAIR since he is in Kindergarten. I was worried when the principal stopped us in the hall to tell us she asked Zeph how he felt about his conference and he had told her he was nervous. "I just don't know which way its going to go. " he confessed. It was easy, breezy. He's bright, but EXTREMELY competitive (don't know where he gets that) whether its finishing homework first or finishing snack. She did commend how he interacts and encourages his classmates. (finally, the ego is getting in check?)

Trinity is much better this year about turning in her homework, though her desk is sloppy (have you seen her room?). Miah's teacher is VERY peppy. This has been a positive yin to Miah's tortured artist yang. Miah's writings these days focus more on pandas and humor and less on gloom and doom. Junah is ahead in his subjects but he tunes out his teacher when he doesn't want to pay attention (I kind of do this during work meetings too). Wrigley has finally found his groove in middle school. Its hard to be that cool. Kainon is As across the board and all of his teachers commented on how respectful he is. He just needs to give others the opportunity to share/answer. Savannah is excelling in her alternative school. We just have to keep her going.

For the most part things went really well. Our kids are geniuses of course. All seven are doing fine scholastically, but there was also a common theme of blabbermouths. Our kids can't stop from sharing their thoughts whether its with their neighbor (love how teachers call other students their neighbor) or during class discussion. I feel responsible for this. Not parentally as much as genetically.

At home we sit at the table most of the time and we take turns talking. Junah points out which of his rude friends interrupt. I try to teach them to listen to each other and not just wait for your turn to blurt out. But their mother is a motormouth. I talk ALOT. I talk FAST. It takes practice for people to listen as fast as I talk so that they can keep up with what I am saying to them. In school I was always sat in the hall (even in high school) for talking out of turn. *Funny thing about that is I remember running into Jason in high school because he had been sent to the hall too. I speak my mind. I always have an opinion. Over time, I have learned to contain my commentary to the appropriate settings and I am confident the kids will learn this as well.

For now, I can look forward to 12 more years of conferences. I don't think I will ever be told they are shy.

not even kidding

Went to a beautiful wedding out at a ranch on Saturday... and then:

• The wedding locale was WAY out there so we didnt' have time to stop for gas. I was sure we would run out on the way there or not be able to leave, but we were on time.


• Wedding was fab.


• Miah was asleep on a table around midnight so it was time to head for home. Fingers crossed that we'd make it to gas station.


• Tire is flat on gravel road by ranch exit. ugh.


• Can't get donut off. ugh.


• Get my dad from wedding so he can shine his brights for us. Get donut on. ahhh.


• Make it to gas station. ahhh.


• Headlight burns out. ugh.


• Driving home and pulled over for having headlight out. ugh.


• Given citation for headlight. ugh.


• If we go to court to show light is fixed then we won't have to pay a fine. ahhh.


• 7 miles from home and donut tire goes flat. ugh.


• Dad is following us so we stuff all of us into the car to finish the trek. ahhh.

We put everyone in bed around 2am. We didn't get out of bed until 11:30am and fixed the car up Sunday afternoon.

Now, I could have been stressed but how when 1) I didn't cry at all through the ordeal and 2) WE SLEPT IN UNTIL 11:30AM....WOW! Now that is worth celebrating.

we should be a reality show.

And one to grow on.

Beefcake's birthday continued. After we were finally able to sit down... (after daycare pickup, bank, gas, taking food to football booster club, picking up Kainon from his football game, eating dinner, cleaning up....)

We had the presentation of gifts...

Junah: Red and blue bottles of Powerade and he did pushups in honor of our Beefcake Dad.

Miah: A mug labeled "Beefcake"

Wrigley: Long sleeved tight shirt to show off the muscles (noticing a Beefcake theme here).


Trinity: Breathmints (cuz her dads a good kisser. ha.

Zeph: A picture of a donut which resembles a log of poo, but Zeph clarifies it is a chocolate long john. (Beefcake theme over.)Jason takes Zeph for Donut Day when the two of them sneak off to Casey's before daycare, so Z wants to return the favor.

Savannah: Ankle socks because Dad's long ones are nerdy.

Kainon: After crushing Jason's leg by sitting on his lap during gift presentation, he gave him two lottery tickets.

Mom: 2 tickets to a Grateful Dead tribute band concert.



Its the little things that make our life what it is. Happy Birthday to My Jason, aka the Beefcake Dad!

its been that kind of week

The CEO of my company rode down the elevator with me at lunch. He was heading out to his frequent lunch date, our female VP of Finance.
CEO to me: So how is married life?
me: Its great. He's taking me to lunch today.
(awkward pause)
CEO: How long do you think that is going to last?
(i look at both of them.)
me: Hmm. I don't know. When did you stop taking your wife to lunch??
And I wonder why I'm not promoted.

I am sick of my job situation and want to work for myself, with my Jason as partner. I am exploring. This could be VERY interesting. I sense a manic phase coming on. Cool. Thats means I'll be crazy productive... until I need a 2-day nap in about a month when I crash.

I have finished several books which need reviews.
Super bizarro category:

• Book of Revelations - A male ballet dancer is kidnapped by 3 nuns who put a hole in his scrotum chaining him to a wall and forcing him to perform ballets for their masked friends. maybe they just dress like nuns.
• Mariette in Ecstasy - nun has a love affair with the Holy Spirit and no one believes her. i think the other nuns are just jealous.

I'm a follower category:

• The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - The first 150+ pages sucked pondwater but the rest was yummy enough that I read the second one.
• The Girl who played with Fire - Moves fast but I wouldn't watch the movie. Not my type. I think the main character should be played by Keira Knightley.

Sounded interesting:

• Room - Its about a woman that was kidnapped at age 20 and held in a 11x11 room for 7 years. She has a son in there who is 5 now and ithe story is told from his perspective. I liked his point of view but I was pissed at his mother a lot. Then I felt guilty about it. I showered a lot during the reading of this book.

My Jason's birthday is tomorrow but we're celebrating tonight because all the kids will be home. Kids are naturally short on funds (with the exception of Wrigley who always has a five spot) so I told them I would help them with little gifts. They've givene me their list and we present tonight: This ought to be good... see you tomorrow with the b-day run down.

stay out of my purse

I understand that Education budgets have been cut. My parents are teachers and I know they feel it. Many teachers in our district were let go last year. In one of our neighboring towns the schools have cut middle school sports due to funding. See, I get it. I am empathetic and caring.

Now, I am complaining. Um, no one else is rolling in the dough either. My company did layoffs a few months back. My Jason and I have both had paycuts. Yet, on a daily basis we are hit up for money, for supplies, for food, for snacks, for money to be sent to school. I hate to be the bad guy who always says no, but it is really out of hand.

• School fees, milk fees, book fees, and in high school class dues. All a pain, but they go with the territory.


• Bus fees, we live too close to the school for the kids to ride the bus for free but too far for them to walk without leaving the house in the dark to get there on time.


• Supplies that now include Clorox Wipes, trash bags, 3 boxes of tissues, and don't forget lumbar support for the teachers chair (okay I exaggerate a little.)


• School book fair... where the kids end up buying erasers, toys and Justin Bieber posters. ahem... not books.


• Football: The boys are to sell coupon books, do a phone tel-a-thon to raise money, and the booster club is to do fundraising while sending food for away games, making food for the night before, blah, blah, blah.


• Sell coupon books for grade school, sell food or something (i threw it away) for intermediate school and make gift baskets for clubs to sell.


• Lets also toss in that to go watch my own son play sports I pay $5 for an adult and $3 for kids just to get in the gate. Ridiculous.

The Duggars financially support all of their bazillion children and have no debt. Maybe its because they homeschool and they don't have to pay for bi-monthly annual fundraiser acceptance fee dues.

One of the kids is going to have to stop eating. Its for the good of the schools. I'm sure they'll understand.

quit rubbing my hair

I have short hair. You know this. I blog this. I feel its a good look for me, its low maintenance and it gives me an excuse to take scissors to my head for "a trim" when I get the hunkering for it. However, my short hair is somehow like a pregnant belly that people feel they have the right to touch without asking or acknowledging that I might not want them to.


Here are the people that touch my hair:


1) Women in the bathroom or the elevator: "You're hair is so sweet. Do you just love it?"

This is usually done while they have their hands on each side of my hair framing my face. I fear they might pinch my cheeks next and ask me when I got boobies.

2) Men who think I'm one of the boys: I like to play football and (as demonstrated in this picture from the weekend) don't mind getting dirty. But why do guys feel the need to rub my head in a "hey sporto" kind of way. I'm sorry you didn't have a little brother growing up, but I am not it.


3) Children who find me adorable: I see lots of women with short hair. Many are even grandmas, but kids rub my hair as if they've never seen it before. Its like I'm a puppy. Okay, I kind of like this one... well, unless their hands are sticky. Then, yuk.

"But Mom, I could be your meal ticket."

Kainon needs a personal assistant. Anyone interested?

Let me say that I love my boy. He is an overachiever to say the least. He is a freshman in high school this year. So far, he has earned a starting position on the varsity football team. He is a first chair double bass player in the orchestra. He is an A student. He is a class representative for student council. He is a member of the Water Conservation Club and I'm sure he is in some other activities that I don't have written down in my calendar.

I was worried at first when he would eat, sleep and breathe preparing for the life of a college student athlete. He spent his summer biking to weights, working out, football camp, shooting hoops at open gym, biking home and going to basketball practice. In between those activities he would be reading classic literature to prepare for college. He would sit in our chair and stress about not knowing what type of scholarships he would earn in four years. I was tempted to check him for ulcers. "Kainon, go play with your friends. RELAX!" He now fits friends and dances into the equation too.

I'm proud of him, I am. However, for every activity there is a practice, a game, a performance, a meeting, a field trip slip, a packed lunch, a fundraiser.... you get my drift. Did I mention he is not old enough to drive himself to 6:45am practice?!?

I'm not complaining. I'm proud that he is so driven and involved. I like that he is so active and works hard for his successes. He is just a lot to keep up with.

ahhh...... I hope he remembers us in his acceptance speech someday.

The vows

And the gushing continues... We wanted the wedding to really incorporate the kids, so we felt making vows to them as well was important.
Into this commitment Jason and Kortney bring with them seven, wonderful, interesting, and very entertaining children: Savannah, Kainon, Wrigley, Miah, Junah, Trinity and Zeph.

These children will look to you for stability, guidance, and as an example of a loving marriage, based on mutual respect and a love for Christ. Do you, Jason and Kortney, promise to love all of these children and their unique personalities? To play with them, discipline them, encourage them? To be committed listeners, to be fair, supportive and available for them as you are for each other as long as you both shall live? We do.

And we also wanted our vows to reflect who we are, not what tradition says your promises must be.

Jason and Kortney have written their own vows.

J: I vow to show you in some way everyday how much you mean to me.
K: I vow to always remind you why I am blessed to have you as my husband.

J: I vow to always bring you Caramellos.
K: I vow to never change the station when a Waylon Jennings song is playing.

J: I vow that raising our children will always be a joint venture.
K: I vow to defend you and our family with a force field of prayer and awesomeness.

J: I vow to never let you win without trying my best.
K: I vow to not be too proud to ask for your help when I need it.

J: I vow to walk beside you as your life long companion, and on the rare occasion you need me to, I will walk in front and protect you.

K: I vow to be supportive and help you solve your problems, often by using color coded spreadsheets.

J: I vow to never let you leave the house in the wrong clothing ensemble.
K: I vow to be someone you can be proud to bring home to your mommy.

J: I vow to remind you that the things that make you different from everyone else are the things that make you perfect for me.
K: I vow to love you, not just because of the man and father you are, not just because you crack me up, but because you are my soulmate and I was created to be with you.

J: Do you vow to be my wife? I do
K: Do you vow to be my husband? I do