Photo won't upload

I took a picture of Gordon this morning that I wanted to share with y'all....unfortunately Blogger isn't being very cooperative with me when it comes to uploading pics. Be sure you come back tomorrow to check it out....I need help coming up with an appropriate title for the picture.

Happy Memorial Day

As we approach the end of Memorial Day, I want to take a moment to honor all of the men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country.

A friend of mine posted this quote on her Facebook status....I hope she doesn't mind that I snagged it....it's too good to not pass it along....

"Thanksgiving is a day when we pause to give thanks for the things we have. Memorial Day is a day when we pause to give thanks to the people who fought for the things we have." ~Anonymous

Maybe I don't want summer to begin

I've been so looking forward to the carefree days of summer. I think I'm more anxious than the kids. I can't wait to spend sunny days outside with the kids, enjoying the warmth and pool, without worrying about how late it gets in the evening.

But last night's events have got me rethinking those thoughts.

Last night was the second time in a matter of weeks that I witnessed a trauma that resulted in an emergency trip to the ER. The first time was when Will cracked his head open by falling out of the hammock. This time it was my nephew, Jerod, who needed emergency medical care.

Jerod was riding his bicycle in the street at Mom's. It's a street that's shaped like a capital T, with dead-end circles on both ends of the top of the T. VERY kid and bike friendly, usually. It all went wrong when Jer was practicing a trick with his bike. I guess it went all wrong, because he ended up getting the underside of his arm all tore to pieces on a hook attached to the front of one of the neighbor's mailboxes. (there's a freebie newspaper that gets delivered to every resident...they attach these hooks to the mailbox posts so their carriers can just hang the bagged newspaper on them)

Mom and Pauline rushed Jer to the emergency walk-in that's about 10 minutes away. A couple of hours and 15 stitches later, Jerod was all put back together again.

So now I'm thinking.....is this the start of a trend?? Will I be witnessing traumas and needing to visit ERs a lot this summer? Because if that's the case, I want to FAST FORWARD straight through to Fall. Maybe even straight to Winter, just for good measure.

I can't handle too many of these kinds of accidents!!

The Girl with the Curl pt. 2

Last night was Grace's turn to have her head covered in curlers. Like her sister, she entered my bedroom at the crack of dawn this morning, asking for me to remove the curlers.

** Didn't she get the notice that Mommy was really really really really really tired because the thunderstorm kept her up last night??? **

Good Momma that I am, I tried to open my eyes enough that I'd be able to remove the curlers. I finger-combed the curls. They really kinked her hair up, which I knew she'd not like. I explained to her that the curls would relax in just a little while. I suggested she eat her breakfast to give the curls time to relax.

The opinionated pre-teen that Grace is becoming dictated that Grace NOT follow Momma's advice. She came *this close* to having a minor meltdown. She hated her hair. She showed this dislike by banging around in the bathroom, grumbling at her mirrored image, and finally by yelling out to me that she didn't like it.

I responded the same way every sleep deprived pre-teen Mom would have. I told her to stick her head under the faucet. And then I promptly buried my head under my pillow.

Grace fiddled with her hair a bit. She spritzed it with the water bottle. She combed it out. Finally, she's happy with how her hair looks. The curls are almost gone, just a little bit of the front still curls.

But my girl is happy. That's all that matters, right?

The Little Girl with the Curl

I recently bought some of those foam hair rollers for the big girls' hair. The same kind that my mom used to use in my hair when I was a little girl. Ahh....the memories....

Dianna asked me to roll her hair last night before bed. First thing this morning, she came in my room for me to take them out.

This is how her hair looked right after the curlers were removed, after a just a little bit of 'finger-combing'....

Less than an hour later, her hair had already relaxed to this:

Who wants to take bets that it'll be pin-straight long before she heads home from school on the afternoon bus? Poor girl, she's definitely got her Momma's hair.

Not to be left out of the fun, Grace wanted her hair rolled too. I didn't have enough rollers in the right size leftover, so we only did a couple of strategically placed rollers. I tried twisting the strands before rolling them around the curlers, but the outcoming effect wasn't quite what I had in mind. Grace was a good sport nonetheless -- she's already called dibs on having the right sized rollers for use tonight.

The fact that the back of Grace's head looked like a horrible case of bed-head, she decided to spritz her hair with water to tame the mess and remove the 'curls'. Tomorrow she'll be the girl with the curl.

Reba's photoshoot

And, because I was on such a roll this afternoon, I also processed my niece, Reba's portraits. She and my sister, Rita, came over yesterday afternoon for me to take her portraits. I took every single one of them in my own yard. How's that for resourcefulness?!? ;)

Oh....except three.....there are three of Reba's portraits that I took in front of my neighbor's fenceposts.....Peter, if you're reading this, PLEASE tell me you don't mind! I'd be happy to share any royalties I get from those shots......wait.....I'm not getting paid for these!

It's a good thing I love my niece, ain't it? muah, Red!



(Don't Peter's fenceposts look cool?!? How could I NOT want to use them in my portraits?!)

Toni's photoshoot

I finally got around to uploading and looking at Toni's portraits this afternoon. I was pleasantly surprised by how many I really really really like. I had been afraid that I would find I'd once again bombed at pretending to be a real photographer. I feared having to tell Toni we needed to give it another try and schedule yet another photo shoot.

NOT necessary!!

This first photo is probably the best of the first round of portaits we shot, back in March...

The rest of these portraits were all shot last Wednesday. We used multiple locations. I love that we've used local places for our photo shoots. When Toni is old and gray, she can look back at her portraits and relive memories from her youth.

whispers

We've had a yucky head cold going through our house. First it was the Little People. Nora got hit especially hard.

Next it was the big girls. They've mostly just been experiencing runny noses and watery eyes. Maybe a little cough here and there.

Now it's my turn. Yesterday afternoon I noticed my voice was starting to feel raspy. Within a couple of hours, I was noticeably hoarse. By the end of the night, I was completely without a voice.

I woke this morning no better. I've been whispering to Gordon and the kids, oftentimes having to repeat myself over and over again because they simply cannot hear what I'm trying to say. Its so bad that I should pull a notepad out and start writing whatever it is that I want to say.

Except the Little People cannot read, and the rest have already left for school/work.

So I'm stuck whispering. Trying to get my point across without having to strain my voice. And now William has decided to try to test his limits.

Playing Photographer

Last night I had the opportunity to 'play' photographer again. My friend Carol's daughter, Toni, is a Senior in high school. I did the senior portraits for Carol's older daughter, Dianna, last year.

I have a confession to make.

I'm not a great photographer. I just get lucky sometimes. Every once in a while I see the perfect shot and snap it just in time. Other times I shoot away and capture silly face after blurry face after improperly lit face.

It's no wonder that I've always preferred nature photography. The trees can't suddenly bust out with a belly laugh. Or sneeze at just the wrong second.

Poor Toni. She's truly a doll for allowing me to work with her. Last night was the second time we attempted to capture good shots. I haven't yet had a moment to process the shots we took last night, so I'm not sure how they came out. I think there are at least a few good ones.

The good news is that I'm learning how to work with models. I'm learning how to express my wishes and direct the model into the pose I'm envisioning. It's hard work, but maybe one day I'll be better at the craft than I am now.

Birthday Shoutout(s)

Eight years ago this morning I was doing my best to take my mind off the fact that I was on my second day past the Estimated Due Date (EDD) for my current pregnancy. I remember scrubbing the kitchen floor, scouring the kitchen counters, and baking banana bread. All things I did to keep my mind from thinking about HOW MUCH I wanted my dear baby OUT of my belly and in my arms.

I remember stopping around lunch time, for a breather, and thinking that I really should start timing those pesky contractions. They seemed to be more regular than they had been so far. A tad more intense too. Sure enough, I found the contractions were VERY regular. About 5-7 minutes apart, as a matter of fact.

Fast forward a little more than five hours later. I was cuddling with the newest addition to our family. Dianna Katherine, our second daughter had finally arrived.

Now, eight years later, I can't get over how much Dianna has grown. She's long since left the baby and toddler stages far behind. To be totally honest, she's really no longer a 'little girl' either. She has grown into a beautiful big girl. She is determined, strong-willed, high spirited, agile, and passionate. She is creative and loves to read. With the exception of new foods, she's usually very willing to try new things. She loves learning.

Happy Birthday, my angel, Dianna...

Dianna is fortunate to have a few 'Birthday Buddies'. She was born on her Aunt Kathy's birthday. It is also Nicholas's (my brother-in-law's son) birthday. Happy Birthday, Kathy & Nicholas!

RSVPs and Snail Mail

Anyone who knows me knows that one of my biggest pet peeves is when an invitee does not RSVP for a party, celebration, or event. I don't think there's any reason why an invitee shouldn't reply to the host(ess) with a response. It's disrespectful.

Every time I host a party, I KNOW there will be a serious lack of response. I even started adding my e-mail address as a secondary RSVP option, in addition to our telephone number, hoping that more people would be likely to respond. Still, I have been disappointed by the lack of responses I receive.

It can become unbearably frustrating to plan a party like this, but I try my best. I usually over-plan and over-prepare the amount of foods necessary. When all else fails, I just wing it...and then if that doesn't work I paste on a smile and just go with the flow.

I guess you can imagine that I try my best to always respond to invitations we receive in a timely manner. Knowing how much I despise a non-response, I would hate thinking of the stress I may be causing another hostess by my lack of communication.

Imagine my surprise when I checked my e-mail tonight. I had received an e-mail from a faraway relative asking if we'd be able to attend their son's wedding. They need a final headcount by this coming Wednesday.

I KNOW that I mailed that response card at least three weeks ago. It should have been delivered long since. But it hasn't been. It must be lost in the land of nothingness, where all lost mail goes to hide for a few weeks, a few months, a few years, or even eternally.

And now, even with my own best intentions, I have become one of 'those'.

'Those' non-responders.

How my garden grows

I'm not a gardener.

I just play one every now and then.

It's a work in progress, with me learning things as I go along.

I've been wanting to whip our gardens into shape for a while now. I've done bits here and bits there, but never got close to completion on any of them. It's seemed as though they're back to looking wild again in no time.

For Mother's Day, Gordon and I worked in the yard. We worked like dawgs. Ripping and yanking rosebushes out. Shovelling and raking soil and weeds. All very much back-breaking work. I used muscles that I think my body had forgotten even existed!

Here are some peeks at the results of our labor....

The stone wall was COVERED in overgrown roses....we still need to grade out the soil and replant a couple of the rosebushes that I set aside to try to save...

The garden right in front of our house....it's been home to more weeds than I care to admit....now it looks all neat and per-dy, don't it?

This is what I lovingly refer to as the 'Rock Garden'.....see the hosta in the upper left? It's been planted, dug up, and transplanted elsewhere at least FIVE different times in the last three years! I think this shall be it's final resting place for good. At this time last year, you could barely see the big boulder because of all the thorny vines that had taken over. I cleared it out last year and attempted to make it into a wildflower garden, but the seeds I sowed didn't fare too well. Halfway through the summer I gave up on those, grabbed some lillies from Mom's house, bought some other perennial flowers from a local garden supply store, and planted away. It looks far neater and 'put together' with the mulch that we just added this week.

Pizza night/playdate

Here's a little bit of a catch-up post....

Last Friday, both of the big girls had a friend over after school for a playdate. Earlier in the day, I had begun to panic that perhaps I was crazy to allow both girls a playdate on the same day. FOUR big kids, plus my two Little People, could easily spell disaster. Lucky for me, my worrying was for naught. The four big girls all played together so well. They even included the Little People in their play, which meant I didn't have to hear even one little bit of whining!!

Because Friday nights are Pizza Night here in the Crazy household, and because I usually make our pizzas fresh, I asked the kids if they wanted to make their own pizzas. They LOVED it! Everyone had a blast making their own custom personal pizzas.

Except Will. Will didn't want to stop playing outside, so he missed the chance to make pizza. Don't worry -- he didn't starve. I made a regular sized cheese pizza for the kids to eat too!

Nora got into making her own pizza too....hers is the ooey, gooey, mess in the upper right of this first picture. She ate every last bit of it!

Two more single serve pizzas in the oven...

And a picture of everyone enjoying their creations! It was such a hit -- I'm definitely going to have my kids make their own pizzas on a more regular basis!

Field Trip and Colonial Day

Today is a double whammy for the Multiagers at our elementary school. Dianna's class is taking a field trip to two different local farms. They've been discussing farm life and animals in recent days, as a preparation for what they'll see, hear, and learn today.

Grace's class is participating in a 'Colonial Day' at the school today. They will get to experience bits of colonial life today. They'll make and taste colonial foods. They'll play colonial games. Many of the children will even dress in colonial costumes for the day. (The school had some on hand for the kids to borrow)

Both girls were very excited this morning to be participating in today's activities! I asked them if I could take their picture, to share with you, my bloggy friends. They both readily agreed.

Grace was so excited to get dressed up for today that she put her costume on as soon as she woke -- before she even came downstairs for breakfast!

Dianna was sure to wear a pair of barn boots today, because you never know what stuff you may step in when you're visiting...well...BARNS.

Not to be left out of the photography session, Nora insisted I take her picture too. How is it that she can look so dang cute, EVEN when she's all mussed up from sleeping?!?

One pose just simply wasn't enough for Eleanor. She kept insisting I take another pi-churrrrr. I realize she looks quite pained in both of these next two pictures, but I swear it was just that she was trying out a new 'cheeeeeeez' face.

Update on Dianna's lunch choices

Dianna and I went to the store last night to buy some bread and milk. While at the store, we picked up a couple other items. We got apples, bananas, some yogurt, peanuts, and cheese sticks.
This morning, I instructed Grace to make her own lunch. Being an almost-5th grader, I believe she's more than capable of making her own lunch. Hey, I was making my own lunch long before i hit the 5th grade!

I was about to instruct Dianna that she should make HER own lunch too. Then I had a split-second thought about how there truly is a 2year age difference between the girls. How would it be fair of me to expect Dianna to behave and be at the same responsibility levels as Grace? Yes, I think I'm behind the ball when it comes to having Grace take on more responsibilities, but that doesn't mean that Dianna should be thrust into more responsibilities at the same time too.

So, instead of telling Di to make her own lunch, I told her that WE would make her lunch together. My thinking was that I'll guide her into making good choices for snacks while I prepare her sandwich. It worked perfectly!

Better than perfect, actually.

Di asked me what she could pack for a snack. I asked her what she thought would be a good, healthy snack to pack. She looked in the freezer, saw the Go-Gurts we bought yesterday, and said that would be a good choice.

I reminded her that she'd need two snacks -- one to eat after her sandwich at lunchtime and one to eat at snack time. Then she remembered the peanuts. She said, 'I think I'll have peanuts. They're a good source of protein!'

With that, she grabbed her snacks, and placed them in her lunch bag with her sandwich and thermos of water. No tantrums. No sputtering that she didn't like/want what I'd packed.

I'm chalking this one up to a success for Mommy!

Happy Mother's Day!!

Once again I have been bowled over by the kindness, caring, and love from my hubby and children. So far, for Mother's Day, I have been treated to a yummy breakfast of french toast, I have been bestowed a bajillion handmade gifts and cards, and I've been showered with love and hugs and kisses. Today I truly feel like the most loved, best appreciated Mommy ever.

Before I leave y'all to your celebrating, I wanted to take a moment to wish all of the Mothers in my life a Happy Mother's Day. May you each be showered with love like I am.

MIDDLE School already??

Last night Gordon and I attended a Parent Orientation for the local Middle School. As almost-5th Graders, Grace and her classmates are preparing to move on up to the Middle School next year. The Middle School organized last night's event to help the parents get to know the school and learn more about the programs our children will be participating in next year.

Can it really be so?

Am I really old enough to have a Middle Schooler?

Last night's orientation was very informative. Gordon and I got to hear about what a typical day for a 5th grader is like. We toured the school and got to talk to a few of the 5th grade teachers.

I'm not sure I'm ready for this. Can't we just keep her in 4th grade for another year?

Challenges in Dietary choices

With the title I chose for this post, I bet a lot of you are assuming that I will be posting about my own dietary choices and how they are affecting my path towards a healthier body. Nope. Not today.

Don't assume things. You know, the whole 'ass out of you and me' thing. The stakes are too high that you'll be wrong in your assumption.

Like your assumption about today's post.

Instead of chatting about my journey with Weight Watchers, I want to chat about my journey with a picky eater. A picky eater who can sometimes try to be demanding. A picky eater who whines and cries when said demanding doesn't result in the favorable outcome she was seeking.

For those of my readers who don't know which of my children is the ultimate picky eater, we're talking about Dianna. My mini-me in every outward appearance, but my twin's mini when it comes to all things attitude. (Hey -- don't blame me, Sis.....Mom's been pointing out the striking similarities between Di's behavior and your youthful tantrums since shortly after Dianna started throwing them!)

Let's talk about this morning's events, shall we?

I was making the girls' lunches before getting ready to send them outside to wait for the bus. Every day I make a sandwich for each girl, refill their thermoses full of cold water, and then pack two snacks. One to eat after their sandwich at lunchtime, one to eat during snacktime.

Keeping in mind that both girls' sandwiches have a grain-based food (because of the bread or graham crackers used.....yes, Grace eats her sandwich as a graham cracker and PB....dunno why....she just doesn't like a lot of bread.....), I try to vary the snack options for the girls. I like to try to have multiple food groups represented in their lunch bags every day. So I usually plan for a Go-Gurt, a cheese stick, some fruit, or raw veggies to be one or both of the snacks packed each day.

With Dianna's very very very very very very very very picky dietary choices, packing a well balanced lunch can be a tad difficult from time to time. Especially when said child suddenly announces she no longer likes a food she has always eaten. Hell hath no fury like Dianna on a tantrum.

This morning I gave the girls a choice of raisins, apple slices, or a banana for one of their snacks. Grace chose a banana. Dianna wouldn't make a decision. She whined that she didn't want any of those. She wanted grapes. Sorry kid, the grapes at the store didn't look too good, so Mommy didn't buy them.

Tantrum ensued.

I explained to Dianna that if I had cheesesticks or Go-Gurts in the fridge/freezer, I would have offered those. But I don't. Fruit was the option. Fighting about it was not on my agenda today.

Still more tantrum.

In the end, I caved a tad. The clock was ticking ever so close to the time the bus comes to pick the girls up. So I offered her Fig Newtons. They're part fruit, right?

RIP Herman

Herman* kicked the bucket. I may have had something to do with it, but I'll plead the fifth. Don't want to incriminate myself.

I'm thinking Herman's demise was that he was neglected, not fed or stirred in a timely manner. By the time he was remembered, it was too late. A last ditch effort to feed him didn't work. He never perked back up. He remained thick and gooey and just didn't 'smell right'.

So I dumped Herman.

Never fear, though. Gordon will NOT have to go without Herman Pancakes again. I have started a new Herman already. This new Herman is growing by leaps and bounds. He's bubbly and smells oh so yeast-y.

Gosh, I'm good. ;)

* For those wondering just who or what the heck Herman is, you may wish to go back and read about the Sourdough Pancakes I made a few weeks back....