A Visit with Santa

Each year, I take my kids to see Santa at the local mall. In years past, we have had a really authentic looking Santa, so it's a lot of fun for all involved. This year was not looking to be such a memory-laden year.

On several occasions, we arrived at the mall only to find a line curling around the hallways for miles, and Santa nowhere to be found. Evidently, Santa needs lots of breaks during the day. Probably a union guy! Anyway, we made our third and final attempt today. The kids were finally on Christmas break, and I was running out of excuses. I figured if we hit it early, we would surely beat the crowds and make a quick trip of it. Well, one delay led to another throughout the morning and we didn't arrive at Santa's lair until around 12:50pm. Guess what?! Santa takes a two-hour lunch break. I don't even remember getting a two-hour lunch break when I was working in the corporate world!

I looked into the eyes of my five-year-old, hopeful that she would see that there was no sense to wait over an hour in the already growing line just to see a fake Santa. (She already has figured out that the real one is at the North Pole busily making toys before Christmas.) Boy, was I wrong. She promptly parked herself behind the last person in line and waited patiently. After about five minutes of this, I hinted that maybe we could catch him another time. This was met with a pout and welled-up tears in her eyes. Not to mention, at this very moment, my other kids were complaining about the delay because none of them had any desire to sit on an old man's lap and tell him what they wanted for Christmas.

So there I was . . . waiting in a line, grouchy, impatient and wondering how in the world to get through the next 45 minutes until Santa arrived back at his chair. (Enter the singing angels.) All of the sudden, whom do I see getting on the elevator right on the other side of the 3 ft. high gate behind which we were standing but Santa himself. Laden with packages I can only assume were for Mrs. Claus, he was pushing the "up" button to head upstairs. Maybe a little shopping at Gap before coming back to work? Well, the mothering instinct in me sprang into action. As that elevator door opened, I hopped the gate, hauled my kids over the with me and popped in the elevator with Santa. "Okay, Molly, tell Santa what you want for Christmas!" (Picture me with my sweet smile plastered on my face and Santa scowling at me. Also, play elevator music in the background for your listening enjoyment!)

In the span of about 30 seconds, Molly unloaded her wish list, which consisted wholly of a yo-yo. The other kids begrudgingly told him their present ideas and thankfully, Santa listened and nodded with at least a little bit of interest. Okay, maybe there was no "Ho, Ho, Ho!", but at least he smiled at the children. And I didn't waste all day at the mall. Molly and I went hand in hand throughout the rest of the day, fully satisfied that we had done our Christmas tradition. And Mom was left with sanity intact. The moral of the story . . . Santa can't be everywhere at once, so chase him down when you have the chance!

The Best Advice My In-Laws Ever Gave Me . . .

The sound of breaking glass made me come rushing from the bedroom. "Are you all right?", I cried. "Sorry, I just broke a vase," came my husband's reply. "It just came tumbling out the moment I opened the cabinet. Was it one of your favorites?"

Truth be told, I loved that vase. I used it all the time because it was the perfect blend of color for my kitchen. I would purchase flowers when they were on sale at the market and brighten up the kitchen immediately. But, as I stood there with flowery memories flying through my head, a little voice (or should I say a booming Texas voice) in my head said, "Does it have five-year significance? If not, don't worry about it!" You see, that is the motto that my in-laws live by and remind me of whenever things either big or small start getting to me.

A worrier by nature, I sometimes find it hard to shake off the little annoyances of life. And pretty soon, I find that I am overwhelmed, not by the big tragedies, but by . . . the broken glass, the spilled milk, the stolen purse. It is in moments like this that I often recall my in-laws' words. Do these things really change the course of my life or the lives of those I love over the next five years? If not, there really is no reason to get bent out of shape by them. One of my favorite phrases at moments like this (when I can keep my emotions in check) is "It's no big deal." Sometimes I mean it when I say it. Sometimes I say it to convince myself that it's true.

A broken vase, another scuff on the wall, multiple schedules to coordinate . . . it really is no big deal. These things and many others can be almost instantly fixed, managed or replaced. And when you think of five-year significance, there isn't much in daily life that will have that kind of lasting impact. If I could just live consistently with that in mind, imagine how freeing it would be to be able to only focus on those things which really have significance. . . our spiritual health, our marriages, the well-being of our kids, our relationships with others. Heading into the Christmas season, I look forward to not letting the little things side-track me. I want to keep my mind focused on the important, lasting, significant things in my life.

The First Snow

I don't care how old I get. There is something magical about the first snow of the season. This morning, I woke up to a world covered in white. Albeit, short-lived as I now stare out at brown branches and the last decaying leaves of Fall. But in the wee morning hours, it was still cold enough for those white flakes to cover the trees in a thick blanket all over my back yard. The gray dawn of the morning combined with the layer of white made the world look a little more clean, even pure.

I stood looking out the window just amazed at the sight of it. I tried taking pictures, but they just don't do justice to what I got to see with my own eyes. I can never look at the first snow of the season without a little skip of the heart or more of a spring in my step. It makes me feel like a kid inside. I can hardly wait for the moment that I can wake up the kids to the sweet sound of "It snowed last night!" What usually takes them moments to wake up takes only seconds on a morning like this. Their eyes pop open as they run to the window in disbelief. It's that moment of pure joy that I would love to bottle up! The sheer wonder of seeing everything clean.

And it never fails on a day like today for the verse to come to mind . . . "Wash me and I will be whiter than snow." What more could we ask than a morning like today to get a small glimpse of what God has done for us for eternity.

Elvis is in the HOUSE!

Wow, it's been over a month since my last blog. And what momentous event brings me back to the incredible, information-sharing tool? A new addition to our household! Now before most of you freak out and think that another Arnold is soon to join the crew (or worse yet, another dog!), let me explain.

After a year of waiting his arrival, Elvis is in the house. Elvis the elk, that is! James got a beautiful elk last year in Colorado, a trophy worth putting on the wall. He actually drove over 48 hours to Colorado and back just to pick him up. Of course, there were a few days of hunting involved in that trip as well!

Now, I wasn't sure that decorating around a giant elk head in the middle of my family room was the look that I was going for. Fortunately for Elvis, his coat coordinates beautifully with the warm hues chosen throughout the house. What was once considered homespun traditional decor has now turned into a cozy European hunting lodge theme! At least, that's what we're telling ourselves! Even so, it is thrilling to see such a beautiful animal. Now if I could just get over that disconcerting feeling during dinner that he's watching us as we eat our elk roast!!

Never fear. I have put my limitations on the dead animals which can be displayed in any one room. With this room filled with pheasant, duck and elk, I think that's enough extra sets of eyes watching us. If James gets any more, he's going to have to start decorating the garage!

Free at last, Free at last . . .

After enduring almost 15 months of his first round of braces, Mason got his off today! If the kid wasn't cute before, now he's a knockout! Girls, watch out . . . those big, brown eyes and pearly whites are sure to break some hearts!

Now, if only we could finish up with the payment plan that quickly!

From the wife of an investment advisor . . .

I have watched more C-Span, CNBC, and Fox News this week than in any other time in my life. It's all that has been playing in our house since this economic crisis began. You see, such is the life of an investment advisor's wife. I know more about our current stock market than I really want to know. I've watched the ticker tape go up and down so many times, my eyes and mind are weary. Between the upcoming election and the seemingly impending doom on Wall Street, our lives are a little less predictable right now.

It is during this time that I am struck by how much security I find that I have when I see that my husband is not shaken by troubled times or worried about the future. The only problem is that when he does get shaken or worried, my stress-level and gloom-n-doom personality go off the charts. Picture Chicken Little crying, "The sky is falling!" to anyone who will listen. I really struggled with that this morning as I was praying over the country's situation. And I realized during my prayer that amidst all my fretting, I failed to continue to trust that God is in control . . . in control of the people we have put in power, in control of the stock market's ups and downs, in control of my husband's business, and in control of my life.

It was a good chance to dwell on Who really has the power in this life, when things seem to be so tenuous and unpredictable. I love Joshua 1:9. I memorized it because of one of my kids' praise and worship tapes a long time ago. "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." A good verse for me to keep in mind as I watch my very talented, investment advisor husband try to navigate the murky waters of this new market.

I'm in love with a Chicago-style pizza!

It was fifteen years ago that I moved away from the western suburbs of Chicago to my present home. There were so many things that I missed, but one of the more shallow, selfish things that I found hard to live without was a good Chicago-style pizza. For any of you who may not be familiar with this tasty treat, it is a large, deep-dish, double crust pizza usually overwhelmingly stuffed with cheese, meat, sauce and any other filling that strikes your fancy.

I searched our area, determined that there must be a pizza comparable to those I found in Chicago. Alas, this is the pizza desert of the world. The pizza around here consists of the thinnest crust imaginable topped with a runny sauce, a paltry amount of cheese and then cut into SQUARES! Yes, you read it right . . . squares. That's almost sacrilege for pizza connoisseurs who know a good pizza is always cut in pie-shaped triangles.

Short of shipping the good stuff in from Chicago packed in dry ice, I had resorted to making my own. A time-consuming and not always so predictable effort to say the least. Well, tonight, my world changed. We have just started frequenting a new pizza chain here in town, Papa Murphy's. At this particular establishment, you order your pizza, pick it up and bake it at home in your own oven. A few weeks ago, we tried a traditional pizza and found it to be very good. When we got our pizza, I noticed that it came with a menu of other pizzas that they could make. Lo and behold, they advertised a Chicago-style pizza . . . Right!!

Leaving my skepticism at the door, I broke down tonight and ordered one, hoping beyond hope that it would live up to my expectations. When I picked it up, it look pretty scrawny. I didn't have a good vibe about this. But after a few minutes in the oven, the whole pizza started to rise and look a little more promising. By the time the buzzer rang, I had a perfectly-cooked, golden-brown, double-crust, scallop-edged pizza. And the taste was even better. I'll concede that it still doesn't hold a candle to Gino's East, but it was definitely a respectable substitute. So if you ever stop through and have a hankering for some Chicago-style pizza while you visit us, just say the word and I'll order one up for you!

Cleaning for friends . . .

Why is it that I clean my house especially well when I know friends are coming over? I am hosting a book club tomorrow at my house. It won't be a particularly hard group to host. They are some of my closest friends. They don't expect a lot of food or fussing. Yet, I always seem to be compelled to clean just a little more thoroughly before they arrive.

I guess it's because I have a couple of friends who are especially neat and tidy. There are only rare moments that I ever see their house less than spotless. And those moments are usually short-lived. I assume that if they keep their houses that way, they probably expect other places to be equally as well-kept. In fact, I would bet that they notice when other houses aren't quite as clean. In fact, I know they do. Oh, they may not say anything, or they may even say that mess or dirt doesn't bother them. I'm not sure I buy it.

You see, several years and many kids ago, I used to be a neat-freak myself. My house was spotless any time of day, and I took great pride in that. I had a friend who was the exact opposite. I loved her to death, but was always amused at how untidy her house was. I would find myself "helping" her out when I went over for coffee. I would just quietly grab a dishcloth and start cleaning her breakfast table or maybe her counter top. Well now, the shoe is on the other foot. I find my friends quietly wiping up my counter or helping in other ways.

Don't get me wrong. I appreciate the help, but I don't want them to think I'm a slob. I'm really a neat-freak stuck inside a very over-busy, mother's body. So I clean just a little harder before people come over. I find it necessary to prove to them that the mess that normally prevails at our house has not gotten control of me. That being the mother of four is not as overwhelming as it looks. That I can handle it all and clean my own house, too. And yet, how does that make them feel, in turn? Doesn't it put the same pressure that I'm feeling right back on them?

I will never forget going into the bathroom of my neat-freak friend's home one time only to find it less than tidy. I'm not talking disgusting. There were just water marks and finger smudges here and there. The toilet paper roll was empty. The sort of stuff that happens in our homes every day. It was at that moment that I felt great relief. My friend's life was not perfectly kept . . . it was normal just like mine, complete with all of the little messes that come with it. I instantly felt a little more comfortable in her home.

This whole predicament leaves me with two choices. 1. Embrace the dust bunnies, finger smudges and piles of school papers as part of my God-given, blessed life or 2. keep on cleaning, putting on the facade of perfection that not only wears me out mentally and physically, but also puts a barrier up between my friends and me. I think I'll just clean the first floor today and call it a compromise!

Funny sayings . . .

Molly has been on a roll lately. She never ceases to amaze me with the things that she says. In all her comments, interject a good dose of attitude and spunk. Here are just a couple of things she has come up with recently. . .

Last week at football practice . . .
Me: Maybe we can go to get ice cream after football practice if you are really good. (yes, I do bribe my kids with food!)
Molly: Mom, I like the way you're thinkin'!

This morning as Maggie left for school. . .
Me: Bye, Maggie, have a great day. Love you.
Molly: Bye, Maggie. Love you. Oh (sigh). . . she's growing up so fast, isn't she?!

Hurricane Ike!

Haven't blogged lately. Just the normal excuses. Picking up 8 garbage cans full of debris in our backyard after 70+ mph winds due to Hurricane Ike, kids home from school due to long-term power outages from Hurricane Ike, lack of sleep due to wind noise from . . . Hurricane Ike. Did I mention that we live in the Midwest?!

Actually, thanking God that we are lucky enough to be this far inland and praying for those who aren't.

A Man and His Grill

After fifteen years of loyal service, our ol' Weber grill finally bit the dust. There's something so testosterone-laden about searching for the new perfect grill. It's not about color and style as women would generally look for first. It's purely about power - in other words . . . BTUs baby!! And our new grill has plenty of them . . . 42,000 to be exact. Enough to sear any steak or burger to mouth-watering perfection. Here's a little pic of the Big Daddy cooking up some of those manly elk burgers on his new "heated up to the max" grill. Now we just have to figure out what in the world to cook on that new little side burner that comes with it!

The Five Benefits of Cleaning Your Kitchen

I have decided that for the next couple of weeks, I am going to spend my precious few hours of freedom each school day cleaning my house from top to bottom until the whole thing sparkles and is completely sterile. Therefore, I started with the most important room - the kitchen. Now, I'm still not completely finished (I'm not kidding when I say it will be sterile when I'm done!), but much to my surprise, I found five wonderful benefits of my new cleaning regime . . .

1. After hours of dunking my hands in buckets of cleaning solution, the tips of my nails are now shiny white and clean. Just a coat of clear nail polish, and I'll look like I spent a day at the spa!

2. I set the automatic cleaning cycle on my oven and returned two hours later to a sparkly new oven - and took the credit for cleaning it!

3. When cleaning out the snack bins that I hid all my goodies in, I found the most decadent chocolate truffles from Whole Foods that I purchased three months ago. And in fact, they taste almost as good as when I first bought them!

4. Easy Off isn't just for ovens - it works great on my stove-top and my vent fan filters. Grease beware - my Easy Off has been unleashed!

5. I can count scrubbing the counter tops and mopping the floor as my workout for the day (at least I keep telling myself that)!

Okay, enough of the yapping . . . I'm off to clean again!

A Day in the Life . . .

There are moments when I feel , as a stay-at-home mother, that I'm just spinning my wheels. Many days, I wonder where the time has gone and what I actually got accomplished. So, I thought I would take a few moments to really look at how I spend my time. Here was what my day looked like yesterday.

6:15am - wake up to get in those 200 ab exercises. Will it really help after four children?
6:30am - pull ham off the bone that I cooked last night for split pea soup. Added to soup and package up in containers for a family in need.
6:45am - check on Maggie to see if she's getting ready for school.
7:00am - make breakfast for Maggie and coffee for myself and JT.
7:15am - take chicken from the other pot of soup I was working on last night to de-bone it at some point for chicken noodle soup for us.
7:30am - get rest of kids up for school
7:45am - get Maggie out the door to the bus.
8:00am - get breakfast for Matthew, Mason and Molly
8:15am - clean up dishes from last night's soup frenzy.
8:30am - make sure all kids have brushed their teeth and combed their hair.
8:45am - out to the bus with kids and second cup of coffee.
9:00am - throw in a load of laundry and start folding laundry from yesterday.
9:30am - organize all car-pool rides and schedules for nightly kids' sporting events.
10:00am - clean up basement in preparation to cut large pieces of material for stage curtains at church
10:30am - Throw another load of laundry in and fold some more.
11:00am - Work on e-mail and paperwork for school.
11:45am - Get Molly off the bus
12:30pm - Friend comes over to cut the material for church . . . all 100 yards of it!
2:00pm - Take a moment to play with Molly and get a little reading in.
2:30pm - Put one more load of laundry in. Forget the folding for now. I'll do it tonight.
3:15pm - Maggie returns from school. Take time to chat with her about her day.
3:30pm - start homemade cookies for the kids and for the family in need.
4:00pm - put salad together for family in need and package up rest of dinner.
4:30pm - deliver soup, salad, biscuits and cookies to family in need.
5:30pm - quick pour cereal for my family before football practices and youth group . . . what happened to that chicken noodle soup?!
5:45pm - leave to drop Maggie off at a friend's house so that she can get to youth group on time.
6:00pm - attend Kindergarten curriculum night.
7:00pm - clean up kitchen from food prep and "dinner".
7:30pm - take a call from a friend. A welcome break in the day, except that I continued to work in kitchen while talking.
8:00pm - work on homework with boys because they "forgot" about it right after school.
8:15pm - go pick up Maggie at youth group.
8:45pm - start getting the children to bed and fill out more paperwork from school.
9:00pm - Put last load of laundry in the washer and fold the rest of the laundry.
10:00pm - Finally flop into bed to watch the RNC and finish the book that I've been reading.

Not all days are that hectic, but it's not usually too far off. I just thought I would take a moment to "toot my own horn" and also congratulate all of you mothers out there who do all this and even more without batting an eye. It is a full-time job, and you do it well. Keep up the good work! You are all amazing women!

Matthew turns 10!

Just some pics from the 10th birthday party for Matthew. We hit a new hot spot called GlowPutt. The pictures don't really capture the fun, since everything was in the dark, lit up by black lights. We loaded up the kids with glow-in-the-dark necklaces, bracelets and flashing magnetic lights that most everyone wore as an earring! Everybody had fun hitting their fluorescent balls around the 18-hole course.

Afterwards, we went home to enjoy pizza, a football made out of cupcakes, ice cream and the biggest Nerf war that our basement has ever seen. Everyone went home happy and exhausted!

Quote of the Day

Molly - upon returning from her first day of Kindergarten as said to Poppy and Nana who were getting the full report . . . "Oh, riding the bus was really cool. We don't have to wear seatbelts, but the driver does. Tee, hee, hee!" Oh the joys of breaking the rules!

School Days, School Days . . .

The house is finally quiet. My littlest one went to her first day of Kindergarten. I was amused by the way she did it. In the past I have put each of my children on the bus. Each was a little apprehensive, maybe even a little confused about where to sit, what to do, who to ask for help. Each glanced back at me as if to say, "Am I okay? Am I doing this right?" Each waved a somewhat less-than-confident wave to me as the bus pulled away.

Not Molly! She lined up with the rest of the kids and marched right on to the bus. Did she sit in the front seat with the other frightened kindergartners? No! She walked confidently to the back of the bus and took a seat next to a child twice her size. I can only imagine what conversations they had on the short ride to school. Did she wave? No, I couldn't even see her among all the other older children.

When she got off the bus at school (Yes, I did follow my child to school. No, I did not cry!), she walked over to where her teacher was waiting. After giving her a quick hug, she continued on as if to go into the school with the other older kids. You have to understand that the rest of the kindergartners were still huddled by the teacher wondering what to do next. Not Molly. She knows where to go, what to do, who to ask if she doesn't. She is a veteran and hasn't even had her first official day at school yet. I guess that kind of attitude comes with spending countless days visiting the school to see her older brothers and sister.

So watch out, elementary school. Miss Molly is in the house and she's ready to take on anything you can throw at her! Good luck in school, Molly!

And They're Off . . .

Well, it happened. . . the first day of school. While Molly doesn't go until tomorrow (I don't remember "phase in" days when I was in kindergarten!), the rest of my kids woke up early and headed out to the bus stop this morning.

Maggie was the first to go. Our first year with two different schools and two different bus schedules. Actually, it was kind of nice just to have some time with her this morning before everyone else had to get up and start getting ready. She was ready to tackle middle school, although admitted to having just a little nervousness over the unknown. At the end of the day over a big pile of homemade puppy chow, chocolate chip cookies and milk (oops . . . I'll do a healthy snack tomorrow!), she had many tales to tell and acted rather nonchalant about the whole thing. Such a budding adolescent!

Matthew and Mason headed out next. Off to elementary school once again. Surprisingly, both of them were quite excited to be going back to school today. I think they were ready for a break from one another. Since we have so many who join us at the bus stop, one of the moms generously supplied everyone with doughnut holes and coffee. Yum. I love my neighbors. The moms were fighting the kids for first dibs! Both boys came home very excited about their classes and their teachers. Matthew was even carrying a new book home that he wanted to read. I've died and gone to heaven. My oldest boy actually wants to read!! Hallelujah for a teacher who has lots of great books for BOYS and understands how to motivate them to want to read them!

I'll let you know how tomorrow goes when the youngest finally makes her venture into the world of elementary school . . . right after I enjoy a cup of coffee in the complete and utter silence of my own house!

Pic of the Day

Just in case you doubted that all the craziness that I speak of really goes on daily at our household. Mason getting ready for an all-house Nerf War. Let the battle begin!!

Slip Slidin' Away

There are moments when my kids are running around the house at full tilt that I wish I could just harness all of that energy for some useful purpose. Well, it finally happened. A few months ago, my dear friend brought over a catalog with a product that she thought was perfect for me. You see, she knows me well enough to know that I hate to clean my wood floors. I can get the dusting, vacuuming and toilets done, but when it comes to that final step of cleaning the wood floors, I just crumble.

The catalog showed these wonderful slippers that you just put on your feet and glide around in. The bottom is covered with nubby micro-fiber "fingers" that sweep up all the dirt. When you're done, you just remove the bottom of the slipper, throw it in the wash, and you're ready for the next cleaning. Now, I really didn't think it was worth buying them and paying for shipping. But . . . when I saw them in the local housewares store the other day, I couldn't resist. I bought two pair. I figured I couldn't have all four kids wearing them at once, or we would have mass collisions. Notice, I did not say that I was going to wear them. I do have my fashion standards! The moment we got home, my kids fought over who got to wear them first.

Let me tell you, while I still need to mop on occasion, my wood floor is now sparkly instead of dusty. So if you happen to see a bright green or pink blur whizzing past in our house, never fear. It's just my kids doing their chores. I think I'll go sit in my chair and enjoy a cup of coffee!!

Ready . . . Set . . . Hike!

There's something exciting about watching boys play football. In a day and age where the lines between femininity and masculinity are becoming increasingly blurry, it's nice to take a moment to let boys be boys.

Little League Football just started up their 2008 season here. The first year that we were involved with football, I must admit that I was a little more than hesitant about letting my boys play. Something about watching them be crushed under a sea of humanity just seemed too brutal for my little guys. But they both begged to be a part of the action. You see, both of my boys are "all boy"! So with as much padding as I could possibly buy (and a little extra that I tried to tuck into the unprotected spaces), I sent the oldest one, Matthew, on to the field, worried sick that we would be racing momentarily to the emergency room with a broken bone.

What I didn't plan on was the excitement that I felt at watching my boy run, tackle, sack and score on the field. Admittedly, it's not always exciting. We are talking about little boys, who often run around more in a pack rather than as a well-oiled machine. But after years of yelling "Don't hit your brother!" or "Don't trip your sister!" or "Boys, no wrestling in the family room!", it's just a liberating moment to let your boys be boys . . . to let them do what comes naturally, flinging their bodies around in the hopes of knocking someone off their feet!!

This year, I have both boys in football. Fortunately, Mason gets his introduction into football in the seemingly safer manner of flag football. He has a one-year reprieve before getting his clock cleaned in the tackle league in 2009. So anytime you're here in the area over the next couple of months, come join me in the stands as I holler, scream and jump on the sidelines, cheering on my boys as only a good football mom can do!

Middle School, Here We Come!

On the day that class assignments were delivered, our phone rang non-stop from morning till night. The air was filled with talk of good versus bad teachers, prissy versus cool girls, and laments over not being in the same classes together. There were also shouts of joy when a friend was found who had the same schedule. Thus begins our journey through the minefield of emotions, growing pains and awkwardness that we call Middle School (Junior High for those of us over the age of 25!).

I count my blessings that I get this next few years to acclimate myself to this new world before we enter the high school years. So far, it has been a fun journey. Maggie is, for now, a delightful, budding woman. Talk to me in a year and see if my opinion changes as the hormones increase!

And she has made spectacular choices in friends. Many of her friends were assigned to her "team" at school so I am assured that in this first year she will be surrounded by wonderful, grounded girls. Unfortunately (and so far the biggest disappointment this summer), her friend pictured above did not make her team. Not only do these two make me laugh because of the obvious physical difference in height, but they are truly funny and creative together. I can only hope that this teaches Maggie to maintain friendships even when you aren't together every minute of the day. It's a lesson that I need to continue to learn as I try to maintain a closeness with those who don't live around me anymore

So off we go to the next phase of our very entertaining lives. I'll keep you updated on the exciting adventures of middle school as they unfold! It should be a wild ride! :)

Mighty Molly

Wow - what a morning! Molly had eye surgery this morning. Over the last few years, the doctor had hoped that Molly would outgrow the need for her bi-focal lenses. Since this didn't happen naturally as she grew, it was decided that it was time to surgically help matters along. Fortunately, we are under the care of a wonderful doctor who has performed this type of surgery hundreds of times. According to the doctor, all went perfectly, and we fully expect at the 7-day check-up to fill her new prescription for single lenses! Here's just a little photo commentary of our morning.

8:45am - Arriving at the hospital

9:00am - Look at my new jammies

10:20am - Off to get my eyes fixed!

11:00am - Wow, that anesthesia packs a punch

11:20am - I'm outta here!

Pic of the Day

Wet and Wild

Yesterday couldn't have been a more gorgeous summer day.  It was even what I would call unusual for an August day.  Normally, we would expect high 80s, maybe even 90s, with a lot of humidity.  Instead, we had sweatshirts on in the morning because the temperature was only around 55 degrees.  While the day started out cloudy, the clouds soon parted and the afternoon was amazingly cool and sunny.  There were even little white puff-clouds left in the sky just to give some texture to an otherwise flawless blue.  The afternoon temperature - 75 degrees.  PERFECT . . . except if you were part of the Arnold family!  Let me explain.

We have waited all summer long to go to our new water park,  Zoombezi Bay.  It's only a few minutes away from our house, so it has sat there taunting us with its humongous, colorful water slides and waterfalls.  Originally, we were supposed to go on Mason's birthday back in June.  The day before we were to go, the forecast was not promising.  There was rain and cool temperatures expected.  Because it's not inexpensive to go there, we decided to delay our trip until a better day.  That delay has lasted throughout the summer.  Each time we have tried to go, either weather or schedules or unexpected things have kept us from it.  So when we decided that August 11th was the day, there was nothing that was going to stop us!

We didn't plan on going until 4:00pm on Monday because of some special discounts that we had - buy one, get one free means a lot in our family!  So at 3:45pm, we loaded everyone up and headed off to the water park.  I figured I could stand anything for four hours until the park closed for the night.  Let me just say that the park was not crowded.  In fact, there were only a few hearty souls who had braved the elements as we had.  And cold doesn't begin to describe the water temperature.  It is amazing what kids will withstand for a little thrill.  They jumped right into the water and began to play in the kiddie land, letting giant buckets of that same water dump on top of them.  We even managed to hit all of the water slides multiple times.  

Only later did we realize how cold the kids were.  As we stood there, all slightly blue and covered in goosebumps, Molly said, "Look Dad!  I can shiver and talk at the same time.  That's a talent!"  Despite being so cold, there were very few complaints all evening.  Toward the end of the evening, we chose to float together down the lazy river, some of the warmest water in the park.  As we floated along, I took a moment to look around.  There was no fighting, no whining, no bad attitudes.  All I saw was six smiling faces, my family enjoying each other, helping each other and loving the time together.  I love being a part of this zoo!  

The 2008 Olympics

As the fireworks burst over the "Bird's Nest" in Beijing last night, the kids were having their own Olympics right in our backyard. We had some of our friends over during the opening ceremony to kick off the start of the 2008 Summer Olympics. The party was complete with lots of Chinese food and games. My friend, Susan, came up with all the game ideas. There were relay races of all sorts, football tosses and a "flinging disc" that went a little awry. The kids were fierce in the competitions, asking for line judges and "redos" when they thought the results were unfair. It was a hoot to see how intense they got. In the end, each of the three "countries" represented had a win under their belt and went away happy.

Clean up!

There's something very therapeutic for me when I have a load of laundry going before the kids even wake up in the morning. This morning was one of those mornings. Still in my jammies, drinking my first cup of coffee for the day, I took a quiet moment to fold the load in the drier from last night and get a new load going in the washer. I even had time to pre-treat stains with my favorite stain remover, Fels Naptha. It's a delightful bar of soap that seems to take out almost anything you throw at it, even set-in stains. Alright, enough of the product endorsement. Back to the story at hand!

The most exciting part was that the load going in the washer the final load. All of our laundry bins are empty and our drawers are now full again with clean, neatly folded clothes. You have to understand. This doesn't happen often in our household. With a family of six, the laundry is abundant. In fact, it is absolutely never-ending. I do okay with the washing and drying. It's the folding and putting away that I struggle with. There are many days that the kids search for clean clothes only to have me tell them, "Go look for something in the pile of clean stuff on the laundry room floor." That's where it sits until I manage to find the time to fold it and put it away. Worse yet, "Look in your dirty bin. Maybe there's something you can wear one more time before the wash!" Don't worry. I never make them turn their underwear inside-out! :)

But this morning is different. For this short time (maybe as short as one hour), I'm going to enjoy looking at my clean bins, my neatly folded stacks and breath a sigh of relief. Just wait until the kids wake up. That's when the laundry starts again! What's that I hear . . . the sound of last night's jammies hitting the bottom of the laundry basket?! Hmm . . . another day has started!

My Garden

Sometimes, the moon aligns just right with the stars, and the rain is plentiful, and the sun shines just enough. It's in these rare moments that my garden seems to flourish. I fancy myself a gardener, but in reality, I'm just a slave to the elements. I can prune my plants, fertilize them, water them, but if Mother Nature doesn't agree with me, the flowers just don't thrive.

This year was different. We had an amazing start to the summer. The temperature was cool and the rain was abundant, sometimes to the chagrin of the farmers in our area. But just when we thought we were going to float away, the sun would come out to dry everything up just in time for the next big rain. In this environment, my garden has flourished. In most parts of my yard, the landscape is very manicured and planned. Picture lots of boxwood hedges, hydrangeas, roses and ornamental trees. It tends to blend in with all the neighbors' yards. Beautiful but somewhat bland.

But in one small terraced bed on my side yard, I leave everything a little more to chance. I have packed this bed full of so many perennials, I can't remember some of their names. In fact, I occasionally find a few that I don't remember planting at all. This is by far my favorite bed. I see it every day when I come out my side door or when I pull up into my driveway. And it's always changing. It's filled with blooming foxglove and columbine in the Spring; daisies, black-eyed Susans and cardinal flower in the Summer; and Autumn Joy sedum and some kind of little blue flower in the Fall. See, I told you I didn't know all the names! No matter what time of year you look at it, there is always something bursting into new color. I also keep my bird feeder there so that my little feathered friends can enjoy the view. But my freakish fascination with them is for a whole other blog!

This bed has been a labor of trial and error. Like I said earlier, my green thumb does not come naturally. I am more of the mindset that if a plant can't make it in my lovely clay soil without a lot of babying, then it doesn't need to be in my garden. I just don't have a lot of extra time to be nurturing these plants along. My hands are full doing that inside the house for my kids. These plants are hearty, self-sufficient and delightfully prolific. It took six full growing seasons to finally fill this bed, but it was worth every minute.

So take a moment to enjoy the vista that I see every day. I wish the picture could capture the breathtaking mix of colors, but there is just so much that a camera can do to reproduce the colors that God created. He has such an amazing palette. And we are so fortunate to be able to sit down for a moment and just look at His wonderful work.

Just do it!

Okay, I have to admit, this is my very first attempt at blogging. I'm not as eloquent as my sister Carol, or as creative as my sister Debbi, or even as brilliant as my brother Jack. I'm the entertainer in the family. Sometimes crazy, sometimes ditsy. Most often, slightly out of control. So blogging may prove to be an interesting adventure for me. And somewhat entertaining for my readers!

I am the mother of four amazing children, whom I am sure that you will hear often about in the near future. There's Maggie (11) who is just on the cusp of womanhood and proving that adolescence is going to be yet another adventure in our lives. She is an amazing girl who is shaping up to be an outstanding woman. Matthew (9) is our athlete. Built like a brick, he proves to be a force to be reckoned with out on the football field. Yet, he is also the one who is most likely to take your breath away with a thoughtful comment. Mason (8) is our wild man. Always willing to take on a new adventure, he has followed in his brother's sporty footsteps. And with all of the Lego creations that this boy comes up with, we may have the next Frank Lloyd Wright on our hands! Then there's Molly (5)! Spitfire, clown, joy. She's our little entertainer. The things that she says and does never cease to surprise us. And I have never seen such an outgoing child. She will never be without a friend.

Over all this craziness, there's my husband, James. Going on our 19th year of marriage, it has never been dull. We met in college; were married right after graduation; lived in Chicago for four years and now reside in Dublin, Ohio. He is my best friend and helper in every way. He is amazing with the kids, teaching them things I never could like how to hit a golf ball, how to shoot an arrow, how to sight in a BB-gun. Did I mention that he loves the outdoors?!

I'm the matriarch of this clan. I've been nicknamed Twitchie and Hami most recently. Any of you who are familiar with animated movies will realize that my family considers me to most resemble a slightly neurotic, ADHD squirrel. I will admit, I have my moments when I can see the resemblance. Did I mention that I'm already on my fourth cup of coffee this morning?! I stay at home taking care of my children. In my spare time, I play tennis, rock it out in a band at church and read lots of books.

All in all, it's a great family. But it isn't boring. I called our blog The Arnold Zoo. Most days, you will find us with not only our four children, but also with my children's friends playing nearby. At any given moment, it's not uncommon to have up to 12 children playing in the house. I keep finding myself amazed at this because I'm not the most cuddly mom in the neighborhood. I bark at them to clean up their messes, make them eat food in the kitchen and demand that they use their manners. Evidently, I just provide the best snacks, so they keep on coming. I really have to stop making those chocolate chip cookies all the time!

So, consider showing me some grace as I start this new faze of my life - the Internet connection faze. Hopefully, it will be entertaining at the least, inspirational at it's best. But most of all, I hope that it will keep you connected with our family as we grow up along this road that we travel together.