From the mouths of babes

This is the prayer the kids' Sunday School class wrote this summer. It made me chuckle. Grant wouldn't fess up to any participation in any of the lines - he maintains that he just colored (which I am not buying since he is about as quiet as his mother!).

Hi!
How's it going?
We will worship you every day!
Thank you for games and food and gifts.
I made my sister cry.
I'm sorry!
Keep us safe .
AMEN

Well, it's back to just the two of us at home during the day. He misses having his sister home every day to play with, but it isn't long before he is off to preschool himself. And KINDERGARTEN next year!?!?! But we are not going to think about that just yet.

Another Milestone

Bryn started middle school today. Since middle school starts in 5th grade here, I realize that she is technically not REALLY middle school age, but still. Time flies.

 

We sent her out the door and she never looked back. Sniff. That is my forward looking, independent kid, I guess.

Reports from her first day were good. I decided to go into this year without gathering much info about the specific teachers or the administration to avoid any preconceived notions. So far, things are going smoothly. Now to get through day 2.

Enough Chicken

Ya know...I don't even really like chicken much anyway. I would much rather have a big, juicy sirloin or a burger or even a little minute steak. And I could eat crab legs or shrimp or oysters all day long. But chicken? Meh. I have struggled for years to find a way to cook chicken that gets me all excited right down to my intestinal core. Hasn't happened.

I guess it is just as well since I have evidently been forced into making a decision about whether or not I am going to boycott Chick-Fil-A because of the owners opinion on the "traditional family" and where he donated portions of the monies dished out from chicken lovers the world over.

I don't have a terribly long blog in me on this particular subject. I have read many blogs that did a far better job of summing up both sides of the "argument". And while I do believe that Dan Cathy can say and believe whatever he wants about whatever he wants to, I also believe that he donates to organizations that oppose equal rights for homosexuals. I find it offensive that he donates to these groups, just as I would find it offensive if he donated to groups that support dog-fighting or segregation in schools. I believe that homosexuals and dogs and black people (among others) should be treated with dignity and respect. And I believe that if you publicly state an opinion that people find objectionable, they have a right to say they think you are an idiot (and boycott your business). Is that nice? Probably not. Should one use pleasant words and simply say they disagree with your opinion and smile and move on. Probably. But that isn't the way the world generally works. People tend to become hateful and irrational and emotional when they feel attacked or offended. Is that ideal? No. But it is reality - and we all know it. So if you choose NOT to shut your mouth, you run the risk of this reality occurring. I don't think it takes a rocket scientist to figure that one out.

So will I be eating at Chick-Fil-A anytime soon? No. Because just as Dan Cathy has a right to donate his money and efforts to what he believes in, I have the right to keep my pennies from going where I wouldn't normally put them.

Now I remember...

why I haven't been blogging much. I don't feel like I have very much to say. Surprisingly enough, I have been relatively mellow lately. I haven't gotten worked up over politics or stupid people or the fact that Kansas resembles a ring of hell complete with dead, brown grass and temperatures that make crying about them pretty pointless as the tears evaporate as soon as they are squeezed from the tear ducts. Although I am a little put out by the fact that I currently have no running water - it seems that Tonganoxie has been having a hard time keeping the water pipes together lately.

I did want to mention, though, that today marks Aaron's and my 13 year anniversary. If I weren't feeling so lazy, I would scan a nice wedding photo. We had the best wedding and reception ever (and I am TOTALLY unbiased). Aaron is still a wonderful husband, father, provider and garbage taker-outer. He puts up with a lot of craziness from me, and I am so happy that 13 years later, he hasn't run screaming into the night. Well, except for that one time. But he came back.

Anyway, Bryn tells me we have running water again. Time to go flush the toilets and rinse the breakfast dishes.

Hello Again!

It has come to my attention that there are actually a few people who stop in here to read and they have wondered where I have gone (thank you all 3 of you loyal readers!). The problem when I stay away so long is the need I feel to recap all of the events I have missed blogging about. So here it goes... We muddled through the spring and early summer. Here are some of the highlights...

• We celebrated the kids birthdays (10 and 4 - wow) 
• Bryn finished 4th grade
• Grant had his last day of Parent's Day Out (onto preschool next year)
• Bryn and I took a Spring Break trip to St. Louis on the train with Riley and Victoria
• The Hunger Games move finally came out 
• Bryn played soccer and took a theater class at the Arts Center
• Grant played blastball (a fast paced and kind of hilarious form of t-ball)
• I went to Vegas with Krista and got a tattoo (OK...it was only a temporary one. I still can't commit to a real one) 
• I finished my tenure as Library Board president - yippee! Now I am treasurer...
• All of us visited Idaho and I went to Brave Girls Camp (more on that later, most likely) 
• I survived another year of VBS. Probably more importantly, all of the kids survived another year of me at VBS 
• All of the grandparents came for a visit (not all at the same time, although even that might work as they are all pretty well behaved!) 
• We took a family canoe trip with friends 
• Bryn went to Animal Camp for a week 
• Aaron and I went on an adult canoe trip with friends and laughed our asses off all weekend. Actually, we laughed a lot but none of my ass disappeared in the process, unfortunately.
• I bought a guitar that I have no idea how to play.

As always, when I list our goings-on, I feel like it is way too short a list to be taking up so much time in my life. That being said, I have been working hard to simplify my life and quit living at such a frenetic pace. Some days are more successful than others in that regard, but I figure it gives me a goal to keep working on. Or something. At any rate, dear readers, I am back...frenetic and crazy and always full of opinions.

Nap, interrupted

Despite the fact that their are some bigger, more unpleasant things I could be complaining about, I decided to hone in on something that is really just a slight blip on the radar.

My nap (which I had high hopes for as a cure for this nagging cold and cough I have acquired) was interrupted today by a phone call from a local man who seems to be quite convinced I am trying to steal his identity and rob him blind. Evidently not satisfied by the fact that I have already talked to the bank 3 times, his wife 3 times, two different vendors AND had money immediately transferred from my account to his as soon as I was made aware of the problem, he had to call just to throw in some condescension and unasked for advice on personal banking matters. Awesome.

Now in all fairness, the man involved in this bank issue has reasonable evidence to suggest that I am indeed trying to use his debit card number. Since he does not know me, he obviously cannot know what a lovely and honest human being I am (no laughing, please. It is my blog and I have a right to my delusions). But trust me when I say that if I did ever decide to go into a life of crime, I am going to take off with A LOT more than $26 and some change. And I probably am not going to call you back and straighten things out in less than 15 minutes of being notified there is an issue. All of that aside, I understand you being upset that there is a problem. But once it has been resolved, please LEAVE ME ALONE! Phone calls to my home to say things like "do you not look at your card when you type the number when you order things online?" and "I know you have already taken care of this, but I thought *I* might just need to get involved" are not only annoying, but kind of offensive.

I know there are bigger things to worry about...Death, cancer, rocky relationships, the fact that Grant's teacher just called to tell me there is a case of head lice in his class. But complaining about a small blip makes me feel better. Now I am off to wash some bedding and check noggins for parasites.