Secret Squirrels

November 16, 2009 at 6:38 AM (Confessions, Family Life, Honey, Trips)

I have a confession to make. The reason that I had a lot going on last week and didn’t really do much blobbing? It was because Honey and I were in Florida.

ALONE!!!!!

Oh yes we were, and it was wonderful! We have not been away together since The Ab-Cat was 2 and The Boy was 5 months old. So, basically,  almost decades. As they are now 20 and 18.

I decided not to mention it until we got back, because it didn’t seem like the best thing to broadcast on the worldwide web that our kids were home alone for the first time ever. The very last day of the trip, I found out that Abby had  posted it on her Facebook. So much for my secret squirrel plan.

We had so much fun! We decided to go for 9 days, as opposed to 2 weeks, because we had never left them before. We weren’t sure how everyone would do. It was as much for us, as it was for them. Everyone did fine.

Except the cats. I have a feeling they were neglected in the lovin’ department. I plan to remedy that ASAP. They are already swarming me. They love the Mama, and Mama loves her kitty-witty boolie-woolies.

Here we are at the start of the trip, at Detroit Metro Airport. Or, as Mrs. Schmenkman calls it, The Armpit of The World. Because we flew Spirit, we were in the old, smaller terminal. Which was quite awesome. It’s the newer, ginormous, Northwest  terminal that you have to walk to China in. That is The Armpit.

We made both The Ab-Cat AND The Boy take us to the airport, because The Boy would be picking us up from the airport alone, and we thought it would be helpful for him to have one trip under his belt. Also, we had  to be fair. Because if one had to get up at at 5:00, and the other one didn’t, the whining would have been catastrophic.

It was a good thing they were together, because as I understand it, they took the scenic route home. Through some interesting neighborhoods. It took the two of them to rectify the situation. Ab said The Boy got SO excited when he finally recognized where they were! I was ever so glad  they were together because if you recall, Miss Ab-ra Cat-dabra cannot navigate her way out of a paper bag without explicit directions. They worked it out!

I need to explain a couple of things about traveling with Honey. He always has an agenda. Always.

He likes to be early. I don’t like to be any earlier than necessary. Honey would say that I cut things way too close. But, I must say, we were there an hour and twenty minutes before our flight.

Before we left, The Boy asked him if those were his “traveling clothes”? Now that he mentioned it, Honey does always travel in this outfit. He has his necessary traveling companions. His coffee and his paper.

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And this. His itinerary folder. I told him this was going on the blob. Because I don’t want you to think I make this stuff up. He is all about the papers on vacation. Newspapers, all those flyers in the boxes lined up on the side of the road, real estate brochures, anything that will help him learn more about his new environment. He likes to be informed. He doesn’t want to miss anything. He likes to explore his new surroundings. We call him Clark W. Griswold, from National Lampoon’s Vacation. He likes to go see The Biggest Ball of Twine.

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And one last thing, and it is the best thing. Because of his relentless exploring, he knows where everything is. He knows where the ice machine is. He knows where the pool is, where you can get the complimentary bottles of water, where breakfast is served and what time. And he remembers all the roads. This amazes me. I can go to the same places year after year, and have a vague idea of where I am, but Honey remembers the entire map, and everywhere we have ever been. He is just as amazed with me. Amazed that I don’t remember ever being somewhere, that I have evidently been before.

We were rather perky for having gotten up at 4 a.m.

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We flew into the Fort Meyers airport by 11. Honey and I just marvelled at that! We have driven to Florida at least 15 times, and it takes forever. We may never want to drive again!

We collected our bags and went to get our rental car. Honey upgraded to an Edge, because the rental guy said it was a better deal. We wouldn’t have to pay any tolls, and some other junk that I can’t remember. That guy stretched the truth about a few other things, and every time we went through the sunpass lane without paying the toll, we wondered if we were going to have  about $800 in tickets waiting for us when we got home!

The next day we took a trolley down to the beach to see a sand sculpting contest. It was the second of three days, so nothing was finished. It was interesting to watch them work, they all had their own ways and tools.

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This one took first place. Of course, it was finished then.

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This was our favorite. It was called “Food Fight”. The dolphins were tossing around puffer fish. He was an especially personable man and seemed to enjoy interacting with the people. He didn’t win the contest, but we found out later that he won the people’s choice award.

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The next day we went to Sanibel Island. We had gone there once with my Grandma Georgia when Abby was 9 months old. We shelled a little and watched a whole bunch of guys surf with kites. Sometimes they came right up out of the water! It was a perfect day for it, nice and windy.

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We then went over to another beach further down the island. There was no one in the water. Imagine that.

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Honey had the trip broken up into three parts. This was the shopping part, because our location was in a shopping rich area. I had no problems with that! We didn’t buy too much. I did score a bottle of chai!

We were in Fort Meyers for three days, and tomorrow I will tell you about the second part of the trip.

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I Have A Dream

November 6, 2009 at 5:47 AM (Family Life, Help Me Please)

Now that the calendar has flipped over to November, my thoughts, as well as all retail decorations, have turned to Christmas. My thoughts are of one thing. The Christmas Picture.

At the beginning of the year, I was all cocky. Oh, I have all year to get that. Our cousin Lindsay married her honey, Robbie,  in March, and we seriously tried to get a good one. During the summer, it crossed my mind several times, and I tried to get one at a family function where everyone is usually dressed fairly decent.

And now, here it is the beginning of November, and I have no presentable picture for our Christmas card.

There’s still Thanksgiving.

We have a lot going on for the next week, so posting could be spotty.  Have a fun Friday!

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Way Back When-sday-The Beginning of AquaMouse

November 4, 2009 at 6:14 AM (Family Life, Honey, Muggins Q. Mouse, Way Back When-sday)

Three year old Mousey at our neighborhood pool. She logged a lot of time on those steps.

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We loved the neighborhood pool so much, we put one in when we moved down the road to our newly built home in 1999.  It was GREAT for years! Now? Not so much. Honey just takes care of it, and no one really goes in it.

This must have been the summer before we moved in, because that is the temporary fence. I’m pretty sure this was the first time we ever swam in it. If you will notice, the small mouse hand pointing the #1 finger. The other kids were holding their fingers up.

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Here is Honey teaching 4 year old Mousey how to swim, without the floaties. She was fearless with them, and in about 15 minutes, was fearless without them.

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Ta-Da!

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She loved being thrown around. From an early age,  she was like a seal in the water.

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Or a sea monster.

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I think that Way Back When-sday went swimmingly!

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This and That

November 3, 2009 at 8:06 AM (Family Life, Friends, Honey, Muggins Q. Mouse, This and That)

Our Halloween had several activities going on, but none of them were trick or treat related. Our children have reached the age where this is all but a non-holiday.

Evidently, so have the kids in our neighborhood. We had a grand total of 7 knocking on our door. Maybe our ugly yard scared them away.

Speaking of our ugly yard, the City Sewer Guy called yesterday afternoon to set up another meeting. It will be the week before Thanksgiving. Still praying for that end result.

I wasn’t going to make our traditional Halloween snacks, until The Boy said that they were the best thing about Halloween anymore. Well, how could I resist that? They are SO yummy. Just what Honey and I need. Extra snacks.

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Thanks to LMNOP for taking the picture. I couldn’t get the flash to work and she is a professional. She also said that she knew  when she came in the house that the plate of cookies was staged for the blob. She’s like a little baby genius.

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I have been knitting a lot. Halle Berry enjoys napping in the nest-O-scarves.

The AquaMouse was in fine form on Saturday. Her team had their Division meet and they came in first place! She swam 3 events. A 200 medley relay with 3 other girls (her leg was the butterfly), and individual 50 freestyle and 100 butterfly. Her times in the  medley and the Fly qualified her for the Conference meet. Don’t I sound like I know what I’m talking about? I’m totally copying off the schedule paper.

What I do know is, if she does well at this next event, she qualifies for the State Finals! And that would be nothing short of AMAZING!!!! Imagine, our Baby Mouse swimming with the big fish!

She doesn’t think she will qualify, but she didn’t think she would make it this far. We are just so proud of that Fly Girl!

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This is her cute little stance. She always does it. The other swimmer is getting near her. She is getting READY to dive in!

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Off she goes! She’s a beast.

Today is that funky election day, so our high schoolers have no school. Mouse said last night that she heard it was because the voters were scared of the highschoolers.When did adults get so wimpy?

As a happy result, The Mouse and I are spending a half day together. She needs to go to the mall to have her glasses fixed. The arm fell off, and I cannot do my usual trick of jamming a toothpick in the hole to extend it’s life. The hole is too small. In all of my 35 years of wearing glasses, I have never encountered this phenomenon. I should have copyrighted it while I had the chance.

Since we will be in the area, a trip to the Value World will be in order. That ought to make her the happiest Mouse in the land.

AND, when Mrs. Schmenkman was here, and we were spending all that quality time together with the other Capri’s, we heard from Capri Patt that there was a new Sonic that had opened where there used to be a Denny’s. And it is RIGHT NEXT DOOR TO THE MALL. I have read many blogs telling of the unimaginable delight that is the Sonic.

I have been to Sonic exactly twice. Once, years ago with my family in Orlando, where they had ice cream, and where I did not, because I was actually embracing my low carb life style  in the correct way. The second time, was when Schmenky was here 2 weeks ago. Capri Patt and The Ab-Cat had ice cream, Schmenk ordered a  sugarfree limeade, that the worker girl did EVERYTHING in her power to switch to a CHERRY limeade, and I had a Diet Coke. With ice. That is one of the things that I have heard ya’ll waxing so poetic about. Supposedly, the ice at Sonic has magical properties.

It was a very good Diet Coke, but I don’t know about all that magical stuff.

All that to say, I have not eaten their food. So, perhaps today, Mousey and I will partake of the food. If we do, I will surely let you know. But I have to tell you right up front. Food is food to me. This annoys Honey to no end. He likes to think about food, and talk about food, and talk about how to prepare food. I could either enjoy a yummy meal or have a bowl of Cheerios. It’s all the same to me. I’m just meeting a need. The need of satisfying hunger.

Hope you all have a Tom Terrific Tuesday. Who was Tom Terrific anyway? I forget.

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Happy Halloween!

October 31, 2009 at 9:09 AM (Family Life, Muggins Q. Mouse, Our Boy, The Ab-Cat)

Scenes from Halloween ‘01.

A groovy, peace and love, Ab-Cat. Dumping the candy bucket. Let the trading begin! I SO remember doing that with Beeve. We were all about the gum. My Mother was all about the candy bars.

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Miss Mouse was her old standby. A cat. I think her collar said Frisky. The Boy was a doctor. But he couldn’t just be a regular doctor. That would be boring.

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He was Dr. Zaius from The Planet of the Apes. Ah, those were the days!

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Way Back When-sday-Pumpkins

October 28, 2009 at 6:28 AM (Family Life, Muggins Q. Mouse, Our Boy, The Ab-Cat, Way Back When-sday)

This was Once Upon A Time when we used to carve pumpkins. The last couple of years, they just sat out on the porch looking natural. Then I would throw them out into the field as a special treat for our pets, the groundhogs. Or whistlepigs, as I learned from Capri Patt last week. I am an absorbant sponge of information.

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This was the year of Harry Potter for The Ab-Cat. She went as Hermoine herself . Her love for all things Harry was at its highest point that year, although she remained a Potter-head for several more. My best guess was she was in 7th grade.

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I’m not sure about the look The Boy was going for this year, but he had been all about the knives and swords since he was about 3. He was probably Albert Einstein that year. He was also in an Albert Einstein phase for quite a while. If my best guess was correct above, He was in the 5th grade.

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No surprise here, Our Mousey was a kitty-cat for the majority of her Halloween outings. Actually, when she was 2 and 3 and 4, she probably had her cat costume on 4 or 5 times a week. Everwhere she went. Yes, that was us at Meijers. This is 2nd grade Mouselina.

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I heart these Precious Pumpkins!

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Two

October 12, 2009 at 6:21 AM (Family Life)

Happy Birthday, Goomba! Two already, how did that happen?

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We all went over to Beeve and Stacey’s house on Saturday night for a little birthday celebration.

Mr. Brown, you have two lovely daughters.

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See that stick? It makes a weird, moaning sound when you tip it over. The Boy and LMNOP gave it to Goomba. I did casually mention to The Boy that he should remember that there will be consequences for his actions, when he has children of his own. Paybacks.

Goomba received many nice gifts. I think he most enjoyed playing with The Annoying Stick, and an empty Folgers coffee container. He brought  it around to each of us, to make loud animal sounds into. You never can tell what the kids are going to enjoy.

Honey really had him wound up. He put a rattle-y ball inside the coffee can and shook it real hard, while turning The Annoying Stick upside down. Goomba was dancin’! Oh, he loved all that noise!  Honey told him those were special  Morning Toys!

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Honey and The Girls hijacked my phone that night. Taking pictures of Mousey’s extra long tongue. And her bent elbow that looks exactly like a bum. It is now my background picture. The Annoying Stick is now the ringtone on my phone.  The really sad thing? I don’t know how to change it.

Why they do me like that?

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Who is proud of that freakishly long tongue? Who looks like Princess Growl-Tiger?

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This was Goomba’s other favorite present. A baseball and bat. Otherwise known as a weapon. The Guy’s were all a little uneasy. Having watched many episodes of “America’s Funniest Videos”.

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We bought him this, along with some boring clothes. Mousey and I were shopping together, and she said she wanted to get it for him. Evidently, she has fond memories of the book. I thought it was amusing as well. We bought an extra copy for our Grandchild Hope Chest. Full of all the classics. “Good Night Moon”, “Guess How Much I Love You?”, “I’ll Love You Forever” and “Everybody Poops”.

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The Boy and LMNOP stopped by after work-y.

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This could have been on “America’s Funniest Videos”.  As The Boy was smooching The Grandpa, he tipped his cake plate over and his ice cream plopped on the floor. He claimed the 5 second rule and plopped it back on his plate! Ewwww! My Dad laughed so hard, we thought he was was going to have to sit down.

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These three were in their own world. As usual.

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This was my favorite picture of the evening. Goomba and “P-Paw”, working a puzzle.

Happy Birthday, Friend!

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Way Back When-sday-1995

October 7, 2009 at 6:13 AM (Family Life, From the Heart, Honey, The Ab-Cat, Way Back When-sday)

It was 14 years ago today that the kids and I were in the car accident that altered the course of our lives. I wrote about it here last year. Honey had the date wrong for years. The kids would not be able to tell you if you asked them. One, maybe two, might  know the month. I can’t seem to forget.

While I don’t want to seem maudlin about this every year, I feel I need to address it. As I address all things on this blob. Be they trivial, or somehow, important to me. There is a veil of sadness that descends. It affects me. To deny it, would be dishonest.

I can’t help but go back and remember that day, that season of our lives. Re-live it, re-think my decisions, remember what our family was like on October 6, 1995. We had a good life, a happy family. Not perfect, by any means, but we knew we were blessed.

I wish that I had kept a journal of those days after the accident. To record all the ways that the Lord showed us mercy and grace. How He provided us with the support that we so desperately needed, daily. How prayers for our family ricocheted across the country. To remind myself of all the “God things” that happened. He did all those things to encourage us, to help us remember that we weren’t in this without Him.

Whenever I say “I wish…” about anything, Honey always says, “I wouldn’t waste a wish on that”. I’m here to tell you that I would waste a wish on that.

I have a box, up in my closet. Filled with cards and notes from people, known and unknown. Praying for us, lifting Abby before the Lord, asking for healing. I have not looked at them in a long time, but I keep them, because I know that I will want to go through them again. Someday.

I have a place up in my heart that is full, full, full of the love  and kindness that was shown to us. Our Family, our church Family, Friends, Abby’s school, and strangers opened their hearts to us. You don’t forget things like that.

People cut our lawn, made us meals, did our laundry, cleaned our house, cared for our children, visited us while we lived at the hospital for 7 weeks. Did for us, when we could not do for ourselves. 

Though he stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with His hand. Psalm 37:24

That’s what happened. He upheld us with His hand. He used a lot of you that read this blob. And a lot of others who don’t.

When Abby was in the PICU, there was a cassette player above her bed. We brought her favorite lullaby tape from home. It was a Disney thing that all 3 of our children loved. We brought others as well, but she requested this one over and over. I’m pretty sure that she was not listening to the words, but I was. It was heartbreaking.

A dream is a wish your heart makes
When you’re fast asleep
In dreams you lose your heartaches
Whatever you wish for, you keep
Have faith in your dreams and someday
Your rainbow will come smiling thru
No matter how your heart is grieving
If you keep on believing
the dream that you wish will come true

The first time that she was able to stay awake and alert for any length of time, she asked for her colored pencils. I gave her some lined paper that I had in my purse. She drew a rainbow. That entire 7 weeks in the hospital, she drew rainbows. We have much of her rainbow collection. I believe those rainbows were a kiss on the cheek from God.

So, even though the last 14 years of October 7ths have not started out as the best day, it always works itself around to the part that I like remembering. God’s faithfulness. I cannot have one, without the other.

We still  have a good life. And a happy Family. And we will SO never be perfect! Or normal. We are still  blessed.

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Summer of ‘95

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This was in the little devotional thingy that came to our e-mail box this morning.

But it is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the
Lord God, that I may declare all Your works.
Psalm 73:28

Timely, I must say.

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Way Back When-sday-Fall With Ab-Cat and Mousey

September 30, 2009 at 6:15 AM (Family Life, Muggins Q. Mouse, The Ab-Cat, Way Back When-sday)

 It’s looking fall-ish up here in The Mitten. Nippy temperatures and changing leaves. Always one of the very best parts of living in Michigan.

Here we are way back in the fall of 1996. This is at our old house.  Two year old Mousey was enchanted with throwing leaves this particular year.

It looks like Honey is strapping the 7 year old Ab-Cat into her RGO walking braces. I see her little walker in the top right corner.

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 Picture courtesy of Abby!

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Like I said, Muggins was all about the leaf lobbing.

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Get er!

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There is our old house. There have been 3 or 4 families living there since we left, and no one has ever painted over the country blue that we applied 20 years ago! It is right down the road and we drive past it many times a week. We used to always say “Hi, old house!”

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Abby was such a good big sister!

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This is my favorite, she is giving her a smooch!

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Thanks for rolling around in the leaves with us Way Back When!

Is fall visiting your neck of the woods?

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No News

September 24, 2009 at 7:54 AM (Family Life, From the Heart, Help Me Please, Muggins Q. Mouse)

I have no good news to share. The Sewer Debacle is not looking promising.

I had a post in my mind about my new watch, but that didn’t go as planned. After I exchange the new watch  later today, perhaps I will have something to tell you.

I was also going to post a picture of Mousey’s swim meet. Honey did get ONE good one, after extensive cropping. But the swim meet ended poorly, and I don’t mean the score. I don’t know if I need to subject you Folks to another sad tale. Of course, Honey with his mad skillz, did actually catch the disaster on film. If we can figure out how to post it, you can see it all go south.

I have also just realized that I am periously close to The Mark. That could possibly be contributing to the feeling of pervasive sadness and general unfairness of life. Sprinkle that with a heavy dose of PMS, and you might want to visit this blob again in about 2 and a 1/2 weeks.

Go read Big Mama and June over at Bye Bye Pie. They usually make me feel better, and are a much better choice at this juncture. Maybe you will like them too.

OK, that’s enough of that.

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