Here's to Education

I am hoping that your first few days of the new school year went great. For those of you with no children in the public/private school sector, I hope that you thought sweet thoughts for those of us who do. As for me and my house it was not just another day and certainly not just another day at school. We started in a new district. We being my kids did physically and I did mentally. This was a tough decision for Makely. Kauy was all about it, and me....the jury is still out. I decided to let them make this decision, and I could make the rules that would follow.
The first day started out great...well almost. Makaley begin having her stomach aches about 10 minutes before take off! I finally told her I was leaving and she could either ride with me to her friend's house, or she could walk the 5 plus miles to school...in the heat..with her lunch.
Dropped her off with her precious friend and headed to drop Kauy off. We actually got to school a little early, but his teacher was kind enough to let him just sit in his class.
About 9:30 the school Nurse from Makaley's school called. I was afraid that she had fainted, but the nurse just wanted to discuss medication with me. Towards the end of the conversation she asked if we had ever been to counseling for separation anxiety. hello...we are a close family. And, bless their hearts(love that phrase) my kids just have an older than average mom. Doesn't bother me....unless you think I need counseling for it.
At 3:35, my office phone rang and Kauy was on the other end. The first two words were "hey mom" and then it went to blubber and tears. He was to ride the bus to my parent's house so we could see how long it took. When he got on the bus and told the driver he needed off at "said street", the bus driver said that there was no such street on his list. (There is a street by that name on his route, but since 90% of the people on that street are over 55 and have grandchildren, they don't list it any more). So Kauy got off the bus and called me. Thank you to my friends in the office for helping him out. And we found out that my parents can forget the speed limit when one of their "babies" is needing help. Mom sat in the truck and Dad went in to "handle things". Everyone came home laughing.
At 5:30 I go to pick Makaley up after volleyball practice. Her first day ended up being just fine.
But the 10 sentences for homework became a real 45 minute chore.
Today......Mom and Dad took the kids to school for me. And bless his heart(there's that phrase again), my dad was parked in the wrong lane (out of a zillion) and was asked to move and not block the way.
Kauy rode the bus home. The difference you ask? My dad told him to tell the bus driver to let him off at our house, and dad was there waiting for him. All was well except for the foul words that I hope don't stick with my child. Makaley had practice. My heart broke for her when she didn't make the volleyball team. Not the A...Not the B...and don't know if there really is a C team. Then she tells me that her clarinet squeaked all through band practice and she was the only one that had that problem. She said you could hear her above the whole band, and she wanted to just hide. But then she continues to say...if that weren't bad enough, she went to athletics and upon returning to the locker room, found her lunch had been stolen. Okay...let me preach here for just a moment. Not only did we not make the team...seriously, some person wanted cucumbers, apples with yogurt, whole wheat pretzels and a very bland turkey sandwich on wheat? Pleeease. She went to school last year in a school that many parents would say to me "I would worry about my child going there." In the first week of school last year, she saw a student have a serious melt down and one taken off in handcuffs. There are 7 feeder schools to that school and students had to figure out the pecking order. Never in those 180 days did my daughter ever have anything stolen. She left stuff on her desk all the time. Never in those 180 days was my daughter ever "bullied" by someone (secretly bullied)!!! Okay...can you tell it irked me just a little?
And to boot...It rained all around my house and all I got was a handful of sprinkles.
However.....as Paul Harvey would say: Now for the "Rest of the Story".
Makaley and Kauy ate a great supper. We all went outside and enjoyed the wonderfully cool air while she practiced her volleyball. Down balls, bumps, and sets. She's not really bad, just needs more strength. Tony suggested weights on her wrists and legs for about 2 weeks and then see what happens. She is determined to show the coaches. She was all excited about this teacher or that teacher, and couldn't stop talking about her friends. Kauy was sad to learn that my parents may pick them up at school. He kinda liked the bus. Wasn't real scared of the High School kids that sat with him. And he can't wait to go to class tomorrow.
Maybe I have done a pretty good job with these two. They seemed to handle these two days much better than I have. I have cried both days and I didn't start a new school, miss a bus, practice hard and not make the team or have my lunch stolen. I just went to work.
At first I thought that our first two days could be summed up by the famous Hee Haw song "If it weren't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all." But now I think you could sum it up with something like "I will Survive!".

Lawn Mowers, Bull Riders and Those behind the mask

The lawn saga continues on and on. I was able to share it with my massage therapist last week during my session. Love those days. But I really loved what she had to say other than the fact that she thought she needed pink underwear like mine since her husband liked pink! Now, for you faint of heart...those of you who are not able to handle the vocabulary of the world, click off now! I would like to share with the rest of you who can handle it, the words of the massage therapist! She worked long and hard on my shoulders. Asked me what I had been doing that made me so tight? Of course....I have been hauling a heavy gas weed eater around. She worked on my lower back. Then she began to work on my rear. She compliments my "pink" and then exclaims: "Trina, for a woman your age, you have, may I say, the tightest ass!" I just about rolled off the table laughing. She repeated the comment when she continued to the other cheek. I laughed again. So, that mower is good for one thing. I may have a tight ass, but she really had to push through the fat to find it. I wish that everyone could see that! But I have a tight tush! And I got it from hard work! (Okay, so she may not have meant it that way, but hey, I am taking it to the max.)
Then for the rest of the massage, I explained to her the landscape and the mower. After talking to some of my neighbors, I have discovered that the previous owner wanted to be a farmer/rancher. Therefore he bought a tractor. He just drove it every three or four months and plowed up the dirt. No disc. No planting of seeds for wheat, maize, cotton, or grass. Just till up the dirt and watch it wash away in the rain. So...now I have 5 acres of land that are uneven, sloped, riveted, sandy, and filled with grass burrs. All because he wanted to be something he wasn't! Hello, Barbie and I are the same age. I would love to look like Barbie. But I don't. I just don't think the rest of Abilene is ready for me to walk around in no bra, painted on underwear, and clothes that are skin tight. I just don't think that would work. I don't have the figure for it. I am thinking that he didn't have the true meaning of the word tractor...well unless he thought his tractor made him sexy. So, I work hard at being Barbie with a real woman's figure!
This brings me to my thoughts as I was riding that tractor for 4 hours yesterday. Something that has been on my for the last few days. Something that hurts others more than it hurts ourself. How many of us pretend to be something we truly aren't. This is one thing I struggle with and try not to do! It is hard sometimes!!! But I want people to love me for me. I love my family...but I don't want people to love me because of them. I want to be loved for me being me. So...yesterday I went to dinner without styling my hair, or applying makeup (of course, I was so tired I couldn't lift my arms up to do any of that!!! I had been holding onto the wheel of a lawnmower). i told the wait person that I was totaly exhausted and sleepy, but I would be a very polite diner. Point is....I didn't cause anyone to pass from this life because I was just me. I didn't get shunned. I was allowed to enter a restaurant and order dinner......without styled hair and makeup!!! And, even though I was totally exhausted, I was still courteous and fun to the wait staff. I was without my mask! It was wonderful!!! As for who I am at home versus school and public life. I try to be an open book. Ask my students.....Ask my kids. I will chew them out in public as well as in private. I will love on them at home as well as in public. The question to myself yesterday during that 4 hours was: When I get my feelings hurt, or am frustrated with someone, or angry with someone, am I hiding behind a mask when I don't step out there and voice my thoughts (not in an ugly way, but even in a kind way?) Is that a mask, or is it just my way of keeping peace among all people?
As for the bull rider in the title? I won't even pretend to be a bull rider, but after 4 hours of a bucking lawn mower, I think 8 seconds would be an easy ride. It's just getting off the bull that would get me!

Front Porch moment

Today's lesson on yard work is small. Pull weeds while it is sprinkling! You can't tell if it is sweat or rain running down your forehead, cleavage and back. However, I do have a question. At the time of the flood, why did the Lord leave us mosquitoes and grassburrs. He could have done away with both, and I would have been okay with that! One would think childbirth, passing kidney and gall stones, and dealing with Social Security is punishment enough.
On a better note!
We are a "Front Porch" family lately. Twice today, my children and I sat on the porch to watch our newest friends........ Tiny, Flower, Mumble, and Spot (the hummingbird clan). Our front porch has also grown to include two baby birds who rest there at night. However, our front porch included some other important friends through out the day who were as mesmerized by our little birds, as we were. Grandad came for a spell; Tony came for supper and sat out to watch, then Ashley and Jordan came calling. Tony just couldn't believe how relaxing and cool these guys are. We visited and watched the birds.
After two days of enjoying these hummingbirds, we decided to check out where they nest and sleep at night. We found a great site to read and enjoyed several videos. We were watching the amazing video where the mother was feeding her two babies. After about day 28 the babies are fairly grown, and the mom is still feeding them a mixture of insects (spiders) and nectar. She does this by sticking her long slender beak down into the mouths of the babies. My daughter without missing a beat said: "That's gotta hurt! That gives a whole new meaning to a nosey mom!" Enough said!
Loving our front porch times!

Lessons in yard work.

I bought this awesome mower last month. Every male within shouting distance of my house (about 5 of them) think I got a steal and did great in purchasing it. I agree! So...with such pride I took off mowing my "Green/Red Acres". I started with the front at about 1:20. It was a pretty wild ride the first round....I had NO idea how to drive that thing, and it was in high gear. I am certain "passerbyers" thought I was hysterical. After that, I moved to the "bar ditch" and then to the east side of the house. That is where I made the startling conclusion....there is not enough money in the world to pay someone to mow from the east back to the rest of the 5 acres. Oh my stars! If your child is asking to go to Six Flags and you have no money....send them to my house. They can mow the law and get the same bone cracking, teeth jarring ride as they would on the roller coaster; and you saved money. Or, if you are wanting to loose weight bring it on. Do you remember the little machine that ladies used to use where they stood up, put this belt around their rear end, turned the button to on, and the belt started shaking their butt? I now own that machine, except that you are seated. And you don't want to stop the mower to take a break because you feel like a pilot starting up or shutting down the airplane. Then there are so many buttons and levers that you have to move just to stop the thing...you keep mowing for 4 1/2 hours straight so all you have is water to drink (a bottle in the cup holder which is deep enough to keep it from bouncing out). Finally, I was majorly concerned that my boobs would be hanging to my ankles by the time I finished bouncing around. Did you know that IF a large object gets stuck in red clay mud, you can't just sit there and rock it out? So...lesson learned. Eat, drink and pee before getting on the machine, and slow down when you see the ripples in the upcoming area. And for the mud...well, let's call it a science experiment.
The next lesson...... I have a beautiful view and am working on having a beautiful front yard. This morning I assigned each child a job to help me with the yard before it began to rain. The son was to rake the rocks out of the yard and the daughter was to hoe the weeds out of the front bed. I was busy raking dirt to put in grass seed, and fertilizing. They both lasted a whole 20 minutes or so. Hello? Who is the old person here? (The same one that by herself climbed to the 1/2 way point at the falls in Colorado....) I also ended up finishing the rocks and had to go fill the culverts that my daughter created. I must say that I taught her to use the hoe correctly, but I think she thought I said "hole".
As for the final lesson in yard work, we experienced it tonight. We sat in the back enjoyed the smell of rain as we admired the green grass and trees and smell of flowers. Then we sat on the front porch, swathed in a cool rainy breeze, looking at the freshly mowed beautiful green weeds and the distant blue hills blanketed in clouds while our three humming birds played at the feeder just two feet from us. Even better.......I sat there tonight in my jammies, drinking coffee and two precious children on either side. Hmmmmm love me some yard work!

Steps....

Today is one of those days that I greet with mixed emotions. It is kin to New Years and Mother's Day. It is great because it is Sunday. Even better today because I sang on the praise team with my dearest friends! However, it is a very, very, very hard time of the year. This year presented me with a first. A first that I felt like I blew until my friends told me that I hadn't really blown it.
You see, I make my children go to the store and pick out all the cards for Grandparent's Day, Birthdays, Valentine's, Mother's Day and Father's Day. They can pick out whatever they want as long as they have read it and tell me what they like about it. My daughter always has a great reason..usually what the card says about the person. My son...well, "I picked this one because one year I made PawPaw a paper tie for Father's Day" or "Grandad loves Mickey Mouse". So me make our trek to the store for our purchases. We are standing with cards in hand ready to move to the register when my son grabs a card and says, "I want to buy this card instead". It was a card with Mowgli and Baloo on it. When opened, it plays the song "I Want to Be Like You" from Jungle Book. That is one of his all time favorite movies. Watched it just last weekend. So I suggested we read what it said before switching out. As soon as I began on the front, my heart sank. It read: "I want to follow you around and do the things you do, AND, Daddy, here's the reason...I want to be like you." Then it plays the song. No sooner than he got to the AND part, he realized what it said. It brought the love of a movie, two characters who rolled, played, worked together and got in trouble together, with the realization that he couldn't buy this card for anyone in the family. He looked up at me and said, "But I love this card". I didn't think before opening my mouth and told him that we could buy it, but the only one that would enjoy listening to his voice and a song from a $7.00 card would be the birds out at the cemetery who listened to it. We loaded into the car and headed for home. I heard no laughing, talking or singing from him on the way home. I looked in the rear view mirror only to see him just sitting there. If you know my son....this is NOT typical of him. I asked if he was okay, and he said he thought he would just take a nap when we got home. (Well, he didn't...too much to play with) I felt so sick for him. This was the first time I ever saw in him the acknowledgement of where we stand in our life as a family. I truly think that it wasn't that he couldn't have the cool card....it was the fact that he couldn't have it because there is no one in our house to call "Daddy".
So...after second service today, my heart was heavy. Not about the sermon thoughts, but the fact that I was going home to two children who heard "Father's Day" several times today, and they both understood what we are missing. I called the house and told them to start lunch without me if need be. I had an errand to run. I went to the same store. Found the card and with the two dollar off coupon from yesterday, purchased the card. You can record a thought before it plays the song. and so I recorded:
"K. May you always follow in both your Daddy Kelly's and your Heavenly Father's steps so that your kids will want to follow in your footsteps and sing...." then it plays...."OOOdo, I want to be like you-oo-oo......
We love you Lord. Thanks for sending our "Daddy" here for a short time, but thank you that he is with you because he chose to walk in your steps!
The card...will be found around bed time.

If you didn't know..

Venus is a planet containing a lot of "assed". Yep, it is on the power point! I don't know whose face was more priceless...my mom or my daughter. BUT...we smiled and said..."really?" So next time someone is being a jerk....send them to Venus!

Is there a comic in the house?

We are watching Last Comic Standing, and I am laughing soooo hard. Not at the comics, but at my son as he laughs out loud. Of course you would have to be here to hear him repeat the funnies. He has us laughing so hard we can't even hear the end of the jokes. His true laughter is infectious. Love nights like tonight....and those nights last week when he was the only comic standing at our house.

Let me share with you the joys of this energetic child.

• We got a pool for his dog. He asked me why there was a warning label on a pool that doesn't hold much water. Next morning in the pool filled with about 3 inches, we found a little mouse floating around (all feet sticking out and tail straight). As he walks by, K. says very matter of fact, "Hmmm, guess he couldn't read the warning label."
• We have enjoyed listening to the radio as we drive across town a gazillion times a day for our camps and work. One of my daughter's favorite songs come on and without missing a beat he sings "She threw up....in the middle of the road. Where the wheat fields grow and the winters cold....An American funny."
• I asked the kids to check the Constable's car next to us to see if it was a friend of ours. My daughter asked what a Constable was and K. replied..... that's the stuff you put on your hamburger. (Okay, you probably had to be there to laugh at that one)
• Friday, one of my favorite Don Williams Songs came on. When it finished, I heard a little voice in the back singing...Living on toes tonight. Living on toes tonight. I told him that was not the words and my daughter said....well it is if you are a chigger!
• Probably one of my favorites....he was in horse camp last week. Not exactly the big cowboy, but he was working hard. He had a dirt ring around his neck that was a sign of where he had probably spent most of the morning. Any way, he is hauling his saddle back to the barn on the 3rd and final day and looks up with that precious dirty fact and asks: "Mom, do you that that S. (his friend) and I can team rope?" Without cracking a smile, I replied.....yes, as soon as you learn to put on a saddle. My thought really was...rope? We haven't even mastered leading the horse to the arena

I love my kids. May not like what they do all the time, but I do love them!!!!

Buy the way......you have to see the commercial where the guy is drunk and his friend asks for the keys....the guys says no and then the friend finds a way to get the keys. I heard it once on TV tonight..........4 times in the living room after it was done and over! Of course...laughter filling the air here.

And the next animal is....

What is up with me and the animals? This time....a turkey. Okay, seriously, the last two times..a turkey. Now, I could use the plural form, but I am not certain if it is the same turkey or not. BUT....If I were a detective on some TV show (that I love to watch on Mon. evening) I would say it was the same one. Both times, she has been standing there in the middle of the road. Instead of taking of and "flying" away, she begins to run. Well, we decided this morning that she runs like a dachshund puppy with longer legs. Not only does she run, but she runs down the middle of the road. Right down the middle of the road...in front of my car. My son decided that she is practicing fleeing from the hunters. My daughter just sits and laughs at the way it runs. I am simply seeing that bird with dressing, cranberry sauce, and some gravy! How did Ms. Noah not see the animals for what they really were? Breakfast, lunch and supper? Oh, and beef jerky is a great snack!

I am no ark!

I had to post the previous thought before I could continue on with the next. (If you haven't read yesterday, then Stop now do so before moving on.) You see, just the thought of being on the ark was scary enough for me. I didn't even talk about the smell as my friend Sarah suggested because "smelly animals" are part of my life...whether they have two feet or four. And even though I would have needed some medication for the boat ride, I never thought twice about actually being the ark...........until Friday!
Friday we woke to thunder, heavy rain, and water everywhere. The amount of water was nothing until I hit the intersection of Rebecca and Catclaw Dr. There is where the water met the door, and my heart went to pounding. Not because of the water (I am in left turn lane and cars on all sides throwing water everywhere), but because as I am focusing on the road, my precious daughter begins to scream. It sounded something like high pitched noise and then "A mouse __ the car". Excuse me? which preposition did I hear? In? On? And, since I couldn't really decipher, I just started to scream with her. I still didn't see anything but quickly decided that screaming might keep "it" away! I began to frantically search for a dry spot where I could pull over and open the door without filling the floorboard( and I drive a Tahoe!) It was as I was looking toward the right side of the road that I saw it! The mouse. He wasn't in the car, he was on the car. Well, not on the car, but actually riding on the windshield wiper for a moment. So, I screamed! She screamed. "It" (although I could see the underside, I didn't ask it to sit still long enough to decided male or female) so, "It" soon got off the windshield wiper and tried to run to her side of the car and jump onto the mirror. The next tidal wave sent "it" scampering back into the place where the wipers lay. As the wipers would come on, "it" would run back and forth from my side to hers trying not to be hit by the wipers. This continued for some time. Soon "it" ran down on the hood so I hit the brakes thinking I might throw it! Ha...small but mighty and right back into the wiper hole! More screaming. Then "it" decides to attempt a run up the window. More screaming. All the time, my son is in the back cheering "it" on saying how "fun" this is! I drop the son off at school, and our passenger stays with us. I don't know how far it is from his school to mine, but I can tell you that it takes 6 minutes in dry weather, and in wet weather it takes much longer especially if you are screaming off and on. Like that mouse could hear me yell to get off the window!
So, I wonder....When the floods came and the boat door shut, were there animals trying to get into the ark with Noah? Did Mrs. Noah scream when the mice were playing in the ark? Did God get all of those animals to rest so that the dog didn't chase the cat who chased the mouse who would have driven me to screaming? And was Noah the typical man who says "It is only a mouse for goodness sakes. It can't hurt you much less get into the car!"
I am so thankful for the rainbow. I would have been worthless on Noah's ark! God made for this time in this place and I am thankful that we haven't had to build an ark...
Go ahead...pass out. Two postings in two days. You probably think I have time on my hands. Well, I actually do. Tony is out of town, and hello....it is too wet to work in the yard. Think I will go put mothballs in the garage.

3 days and 3 nights...but not griping!

It has been raining for 3 days. I am not complaining about 3 days of good soaking moisture. Somewhere during the day I was asked if I could imagine 40 days and nights of this. No I can't. Worse that that, I can't imagine 40 days and nights on a boat with 2 of every animal! I have always loved the story about Noah but now that I am the mother of two, owner of a dog on anxiety medication and owner of a house with cement floors and 10ft. ceilings.........(how did they muffle the sound?)I really love Noah and his story. Maybe I should love his wife even more!
Seriously....40 days and nights with nothing but rain; on a boat with no swimming pool, shuffle board, ping pong table, or better yet, no bottles of nail polish, no computer, DVD's, ipods or iphones? And then, my son would be asking(no probably not asking) to ride the elephants, swing with the monkeys and tell jokes to the hyenas. Of course if the animals are "resting" then I can't imagine the "Hey mom, M said that......" "I DID NOT....He ....first and then..." "No that is not the way it happened..can I tell you just one thing..." Don't forget the "I'm bored". And let's not overlook the bolts of lightening and rumbles of thunder that awakens my son so that he can find his way into my bed, chair, bathroom whatever. Maybe in the ark, everyone just picked an animal and slept beside it. So, I am thankful for this rain, but am so glad that I don't have to endure it in a boat....with animals, and no entertainment. Of course...can you imagine how nice it was to land on dry ground? My son seems to have landed in the best mud around town. I have yet to put up the broom. And by the way....I would sleep next to the owls. It seems that today my sentences all start with "Who?"
I can hang on...I will take the rain....we have trees to plant!

Random thought...

It may be difficult to really tell in this picture, but this mom has all her ducks in a row. How many times do we wish we had all our ducks in a row so that........(you fill in the blank). BUT, look closely. Not all of her ducks are facing the same direction. That would just be my luck! So the question is....Is it still okay if you have all your ducks in a row, but they are not perfectly arranged? Will it still be the same?
We are getting ready for the local county livestock show. I promise you we think our ducks are in a row, but when we get in the arena..........one thing can send them scattering! Ever tried to keep a pig focused? Ever tried to keep pigs and kids focused? At the same time?
Our ducks are in a row but I promise....they aren't facing the same direction. Let's see what the outcome is. I will give you the scientific results next week.

It's not just football....

I have had several thoughts on the Texas & Alabama game last night. Things like..no matter what, Texas won. Whether it be by the quarterback from Southlake or the quarterback from Tuscola...of course, the one from Tuscola is much more powerful a player(in my eyes) and stats. And thoughts like... is my explanation to my children about extortion not judgemental. Of course there were other thoughts....like when my daughter said....trust Mom, just trust and they were behind by three.
But the main thought has been the one that tugged at my mind all day. The thought of how our lives are parallel to that game last night. You see, like the Longhorns, we attend all of our trainings, listen to the coaches, read the play books, and work hard to be good. And through these things, we prepare to play our hearts out on the field of life. We find confidence that we are on solid ground. We catch passes, we throw the ball, we sometimes just punt and sometimes we score. There are family and friends traveling along with us that cheer and there are those that boo. We continue to listen, read, and work hard. Then suddenly we are hit, tackled or blindsided by something whether it be bigger than us or smaller than us. We are no longer able to sing our "swan song" of life. We are sitting there like a duck..quacking and calling out.
Last night Colt taught us all a lesson. Not a lesson about football. But a much better lesson on showing God to others. When life fumbles and we can't recover, we don't stand there and talk about how great we are, how hard we played and that how we should have been given this or that. We stand and say "I don't ask God why. I just know that He is in charge, and I stand on His rock.
It's all in the word! The 3 letter word. It's on HOW we handle.......it's WHO we let handle it.
My heart hurt for Colt and the whole team. I so wanted him to have that final glory of championship. He had planned for this for years. Probably since he could hold a ball. However, once again, I got my wish, but only the way Colt could really do it. He did get the championship......when he gave the Glory to God in the middle of a broken heart.
It's not just football..........it's a lesson we need to live. I don't do it as often as I should.
Way to go Texas......Way to go Colt.....Thank you Lord for the safety of all.
It's my life and I'm stickin to it.....but I will try to better it!