Jane and I after coffee.

Reading with Julia

Laughing 'til it hurt.

The Lone Star State

I am sitting in the kitchen of my dear friend Jen (you can see her in the archives of October) . We have done several things that we enjoy doing together: We've shopped and talked and went to the gym together. We have had a great visit together and now we are getting ready to make our trek east to Dallas for a night with the old Mom's group.

Yesterday I spent time with Lara. You would remember her from the last post. We had fun talking and laughing and doing alot of what we love to do together most: hanging out! It was perfect.

Yesterday in the late evening I had the opportunity to spend time with my friend and mentor Jane, drinking coffee and learning what we could pray for one another in the weeks to come.

When we arrived here in the Lone Star State I had the most glorious evening at the Law "Ant" Ranch. A lovely, warm, and best of all, fun home full of teenagers and the awesome couple trying to raise them. In the next week I will post pics of the spectacular sunset and sunrise at the Law "Ant" Ranch and my first time solo ride on their quad racer thingy.

Now I get to spend the next 24 hours with some women whom I have had the pleasure to share the experience of young motherhood with...only tonight we will get together with only photos of our precious tots (most of whom aren't really tots but bigger than we would like to admit).

So that is the update. I wish I could post some pics but time is short and a Texas storm is brewing outside...so I better get off the computer!

La Vida Dulce!

Laundry Wars!

I have recently been challenged to a duel.

My dear friend Lara, over at www.frommytexaswindow.blogspot.com has posted her own laundry woes. In comparison to my post on March 17th, I think she may have won. Only because she didn't organize her pile of laundry and make it look "nice" therefore making it look much larger than mine. I spent quite a bit of time making my pile look "just so".

So Lara, here are my hints for dealing with laundry:

1.Close the door and run

2. Blame it on the kids.

About Folding: My friend Becky says that you should just attack it all at once and fold, fold, fold. But she does something completely weird...if the t-shirt is inside out...she doesn't make it right. She just folds it and moves on.

I, for one, cannot do that. Not with T-shirts, nor underwear, nor socks.

Now, I can let it sit on the guest bed for a couple of weeks, but I absolutely cannot put things away when they aren't correctly right side out. Unless, she (Becky) comes over (which has been twice this year) and does the folding for me. Then she can do anything she wants short of burning it (which is sometimes appealing) and I am fine with that.

Thanks for the great post Lara, now I don't feel so alone.

I actually feel slightly better. ;)

Procrastination

Tomorrow I am leaving for a much anticipated trip.

You'd think I would be excited to get ready to go...and truly, I am.

And yet I keep finding silly useless things to do (not that blogging is silly and useless)...I keep calling all my friends (of whom I am about to see) over and over again so that I can waste their precious time as well.

When it comes to packing...I am the queen of procrastinators! The only thing worse than packing is unpacking!

Truth be told I have gotten a few things done. I have packed my toiletries bag so as to make sure I look, and most importantly smell, good while being guests in the homes of friends. I have also taken care of unsightly facial which, in all honesty was becoming quite a problem. This endeavor took up quite a bit of time especially since recently I have had to include the chin.

I also packed 6 pairs of shoes...you know sandals, casual, running, dress and of course flip flops. One extra pair of red shoes...just in case. Seven if you include slippers. I contemplated others but since this is a short trip (and I might buy a pair of shoes while I am there) I thought this would be sufficient. Of course, I could always change my mind.

I have eaten an apple. And a handful of granola. I've called my mother. I've laid out more clothes on my bed than I could possible need for a little trip. I have reloaded my MP3. I got the mail.

Now I must go pack my bag and get ready.

I may not have the opportunity to blog in the next few days. (Maybe on Thursday for a bit of an update) Until then...

The stars at night are big and bright...

(clap, clap, clap, clap)

Deep in the heart of Texas!

After the Rain

I can hardly believe I live here.

These are pictures of my front and back yards.

This is what I get to wake up to with a hot cup of coffee and the smell of wet grass and fragrant flowers and enjoy the latest and greatest feature of the spring season.

I have been trying to figure out how to get video on this website. Especially this morning when I took these pics. There was a flock of geese that noisily flew overhead in anticipation of the lake that is down the street. There are huge (like the size of a large grape) bumblebee's eating their breakfast out of the damp azaleas. There are birds singing exuberantly as they flutter around in the cool morning air. The squirrels are romping around from tree to tree. It's is just very, very neat.

The fog rolled in this morning which makes everything look magical and the smells it produces off of the wet earth (mixed with the fabulous aroma of coffee) are indescribable.



Just thought I would share...

Siesta

Today I did something I very rarely do...

I took a nap.

I have had a long(ish) week. Nothing bad, but this week felt very full and a little long. This is not unusual coming off of a 5 day weekend!

I had a full and busy morning in the house because it was raining outside. We had all the windows open and the Whole House Fan on (which is a massive fan upstairs in the ceiling which pulls crisp air in from outside and makes a fabulous whirring noise that makes sleeping very, very nice) so the air was very cool.

It was the most amazing, beautiful, lovely sleep I have had in years. A true siesta where I woke up not feeling groggy and sad I laid my head down...but feeling genuinely rested and ready for the night.

Now the true test...

I am notorious for suggesting a Saturday night movie...then falling asleep on the couch promptly at 9 p.m. We'll see if my nap (and a diet Coke) holds me over!

Siesta's....La Vida Dulce!

Hat

Yesterday after we all arrived from work and school we decided to go to our favorite store in town: R.E.I.

We went to grab a few essentials for the old S.S. Pina Colada and while we were there I wanted to investigate a couple of items that I had been "researching" on the www.rei.com catalog. One of the items was a cute brown skort that is made for hiking. Because when you are on a trail in the the middle of the wilderness and you haven't had a shower in 2-3 days you still must remain fashionable.

I found the skort in question. There were actually only two skirts left. One in a size 4 and one in a size 16. But for $42 dollars I was glad they didn't have my size.

I did find the second item on my list...the brown hat pictured above. Even though I spent many a day in my youth lying out in the backyard in the Arizona sun, usually with Tropic Sun tanning oil or Crisco slathered all over, I now have become ultra concerned about my face being too sun-kissed. Let's be honest here...I am trying to ward off wrinkles. I had worn a sun hat i bought for our excursion through the country of Montana for the last few years, but last summer it bit the dust. So I wanted to try this beautiful brown hat on for size.

I of course loved it and when I showed that Better Half of Mine he said, "That's cute....I'll buy it for you." I married him 11 years ago cause I thought he was cute and a man of character...but I have to admit his generosity is an amazing perk. I like to joke (fairly often) that I married him for his money...but he'd tell you that I'd spent it long ago...which is a joke that is basically the truth. But I digress...

I Love my new hat! I asked the clerk in the store to cut off the tag so i could wear it out. I did take it off briefly while we went into a restaurant to have dinner....but only because my son gave me that Please-Don't-Embarass-Me-Like-You-Did-The-Other-Day-When-You-Sang-That-Crazy-Fiber-Song-In-Front-Of-My-Friends look. But After we ate I got in the car, put it on and wore it all the way home and didn't take it off until after the kids had been read to and put to bed. It was only when I announced that I was going to go brush my teeth that that sweet man of mine asked, "Are you going to sleep in that hat?"

To which I replied, "I'm thinking about it."

I woke up this morning still happy about my new hat. i like it because it is fun, and it is brown with blue stitching and the inside is lined with fabric in tiny pink, yellow and maroon lines. It will be great for summer weekends at the lake in the kayak.

But, secretly, I also like it because when I put it on I feel like a cross between Audrey Hepburn and Gilligan.

Well...maybe just a very fashionable Gilligan.

La Vida Dulce!

True Confessions

I just ate a sugar cookie...


...while on the treadmill.

New

Happy Easter

I Love Easter for so many reasons.

As a child I loved it because it was the begining of a new time. The winter was over and the world was coming to life again. Even in the desert there are a subtle changes between winter and spring. The signs of change weren't just left to the landscape and the weather. Every year I got to purchase a new dress and some shoes.

As an adult I love this time of year because I have a deeper knowledge of why Easter is spiritually important. This is the second Spring I have experienced in my home in the east and yet the new-ness of spring is just as exciting...

The trees outside only 4 weeks ago looked dead and lifeless without their leaves.

Those beautiful flowers I posted three days ago were non-existent a month ago. The ground where they now are firmly planted was nothing...literally, nothing but dirt. I had forgotten they had been there last year.

Which is why I love Easter...because it is a celebration of Christ. Who chose to die on the cross to save me from the certainty of death. Going from winter to spring reminds me that there will be a time when i am no longer alive in this world, but will arrive in Heaven like the glory of spring time.

But, in the meantime, he has made me new right now in this place. I no longer have to be bound in those things that so easily bind me. I can be free like those emerging Iris buds....one morning they are wound tight in a bud that couldn't be pried open if I used my own hands, but when the time is right it springs open. Free and beautiful.

I love Easter because Christ didn't do this just for me; but for anyone who believed that God sent Him. We need only to admit that we need Him and invite Him into our lives.

You can be new too.

What I love the most about springtime and Easter time is that it gives us insight into who God is and why we can trust Him: He isn't flashy. He isn't loud. He is majestic. He is real. He is fragrant. He is approachable. He is trustworthy. He has a plan. His timing is perfect. He is stong, yet He is gentle.

He cares for me. He cares for you. (1 Peter 5.7)

He makes us new.

There is a song by Bethany Dillon that is my favorite right now I wish you could hear it instead of just read it but if you want to hear a bit of it you can go to www.bethanydillon.com to listen to it:

New

What is this sun that conquers mountains

Singing over what has been asleep?

What is it that softens all my doubting?

It’s You

Morning brings a hunger for new eyes

That have been covered by the hurt of yesterday

Who could create in me the vision of a little child?

It’s You

You take an ordinary day

And turn it into flowers like the month of May

Yes, You do

And You see all my pain

And cry over it for hours till I’m new again

Yes, You do

When I have been the victim of familiarity

When my heart has fallen into sleep

Healing is the voice that awakens me

And it is You

You,

You make me new…

With love,

Kellie

P.S. Now would be the time to tell you that i I also love Easter because of chocolate bunnies. Oh, and also Peeps. Stale Peeps. As a kid my Mom would open them when she bought them and let them get hard so on Easter morning they would be not new....but old...and hard! Just the way I like them! Yummy!

The year of the Kayak!

She's here! A piña colada colored kayak.
We can't wait to get to the lake!

Garden

This blog is far from being a lesson in horticulture, but there isn't anything that makes me more happy and thankful than going out side on a spring Saturday morning, with a good cup of coffee, for a walk around my yard.

This morning at 7am the birds woke me up and I could smell my coffee all the way upstairs. I sleepily poured the java and looked out my kitchen window to see that my iris's had all opened up! They are almost 3.5 feet tall with the most beautiful fragrance...it is just amazing to me.

The white zinnia's are also opening and the baby pink ones are on the way.

And, of course, with the good comes the bad...

...poison ivy...growing within 30 feet from our house...

The Dreaded Day

Last night I looked out the window and saw a flash of light. It had been a long day and I had just put the kids in bed. Being tired I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me.

It flashed again...and again... and I realized that I had witnessed the first fire-fly of the spring/summer season. He is out a little early but it was a sign of the warm days to come. Which means that the Dreaded Day is fast approaching.

I start to anticipate the Dreaded Day around January 1st. Through February and March it is what motivates me to keep up the work-out routines, even though it is frigid in the mornings.

But no amount of running or pilates can ever make the Dreaded Day easier...

Because nothing makes shopping for a bathing suit fun.

I don't care what size you are or how many stomach crunches you have done...if you have popped out 9 and a half pound babies or are approaching middle age, there is some loose skin and some cellulite somewhere on that body. I am no exception.

For several years now I have uttered great praises for the tankini. It's a two piece, which allows for the descrepency in size between the "top half" that's apparently fallen and taken up residence in the "bottom half", giving you the option to buy different sizes between pieces.

In the search for the perfect suit your mind tells you it must be flattering, and yet not too revealing, and you shouldn't have to sell you first born to afford it...it should be reasonably affordable so when your husband gets the credit card bill he doesn't have a heart attack (cause ladies, it doesn't matter how good it makes you look...if he looks at you and has flash backs of the day he paid that bill...the effect is lost).

The Tankini is great because you get the coverage of a one peice with a modest style of the two piece. But there is a catch.

It will cost you twice as much.

This is highly irritating and adds to the stress of the entire day.

After you have tried on 122 different bathing suits, and picked the 2nd one you put on (you wanted to buy the 1st becasue it was perfect, but at that price you could put a pool in the backyard), you are physically exhausted. Triple this exhaustion if you mistakenly brought your children with you. The stress is so great that you decided to head for the food court and find the nearest Cinnabon store...Which makes you feel guilty since your new suit only fits just right, but only as long as you don't go on a chocolate binge or are PMS'ing.

Lastly, the thing that makes this experience even tougher is that this is a task that must be done alone.

I laughed when I was talking to the hubby several years ago when he was on the way to a retreat, his sleeping bag in his hand. I asked him why he was bringing the bag if there were going to be double beds in each room. His simple answer: Kellie, men don't sleep together.

I really couldn't understand that because women do everything together...but now I do. When it comes to buying a bathing suit: Women don't shop together.

As I have shared the vast array of insecurities and hang ups in my life: from fear of spiders to dysfunctional laundry problems, I thought I would share this issue with you as well. Mostly becasue I know that I am not alone...I've heard you crying in the dressing room next to mine.

On a positive note: Exactly one month from today I will be celebrating 11 years of marriage. Last night that sweet hunk of man approached me and said he had a "thought". Let me tell you that when he approaches me with a "thought" I always give my full attention because it means it is something BIG. This is no exception. Last summer we became fast friends with a family that owned a couple of kayaks. It was a blast to go to the lake and paddle around with the kids. On Sunday we had seen a kayak for a reasonable price and (not to count my chicks before they hatch) we are thinking of purchasing that as this years gift to each other.

The really good news: IT is generally known that life jackets make you look chunky no matter how great the suit is...so if you accidently indulged too much in that Cinnabon trip or on that chocolate frenzy just throw on that life jacket and blame it on safety.

A Mr. Rogers Kind of Day

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood. The new flower of the week is the Azalea. The hot pink ones have been blooming like crazy and now the light pink and white are starting to wake up.

And like a good southern woman I went out and watered them this morning with a cup of coffee in my hand and fuzzy pink "house shoes" on my feet.

Kona didn't like being left outside and so she risked getting into big trouble by sitting at a window in a room where she isn't really allowed...but look at that sweet face!

La Vida Dulce!

Inter Blog Memo

Agenda: Gingko, Slugworth, and Phyto Chemicals

Item of Business 1:
You know it has been along time since the last blog when you can't remember your own computer password! I would take gingko to help my memory but I can't remember to take it.

Item of Business 2:
Do you remember Slugworth from the old Willie Wonka movie. He was that bald "bad" guy who would go around to the golden tickets winners and whisper in their ears. Well I am beginning to think that there is a Slugworth type of person lurking around the halls of elementary schools across the nation. And he is whispering old jokes to our kids.

My kids come home everyday and tell me stories, jokes and silliness that I learned almost 25 years ago...really you'd think some new material would go around. For instance, The Boy got in the car a couple of months ago chanting "I got you where I want ya, Now I'm gonna eat ya!" If you remember there was a "scary" story about kids being in a house alone at night. Upon arrival at this house they here a distant voice chanting the words above. In the end it turns out that a monkey has picked his nose and is chanting at his "find". This to me is truly a scary story...Because I don't like mucus of any kind. And I don't want to see, hear, or think about anybody (even a monkey) eating it.

Two weeks ago The Boy got in the car with a sheepish look in his eye and said, "Mom, how do you spell 'I Cup'?"

I, not paying a whole lot of attention because I was just trying to get out of the carpool line alive, spell, "I-c-u-p"

He says, "Get it! Get it!...I-c-u-p !"

Yes, yes, I get it.

Yesterday he gets in the car and looks kind of serious. He says "Mom will you remember me in 20 years?"

This tugs at my heart strings and I say " Oh Sweety Yes! I will remember you in 20 years! I could NEVER forget you!"

Then there was quiet.

"Will you remember me in 1 year?"

"Absolutely"...although I was wondering what was going on in that little brain of his since he is acting quieter than usual.

About 30 seconds later he says "Knock Knock."

I say, "Who's there?"

"I thought you said you would always remember me!"

And he laughs so hard I think he might actually pee in his pants.

He was incredibly happy that he had played a joke on me and I told him that was the oldest joke on the planet...that they even had those jokes when cavemen existed.

He said that if I had heard them before then why did I fall for them...how come I couldn't remember them....refer to Item of Business 1.

Item of Business 3:

As you know I have been teaching music to 2-5 years olds at a local pre-school. I have been doing lots of research on different things especially to find music ideas on the unit themes the school plans for each month. One of the themes for this month is the Five Food Groups.

So in my research I found that at www.dole5aday.com in the teacher section you can download some pretty entertaining songs about fruits and veggies. My favorite one is entitled Phytochemicals. Although Fiber and Salad Sisters come in a close second.

Happy Friday!

Happy

Can I tell you how happy these flowers make me?

And Baby Makes Five...

APRIL FOOL'S!!!

But i did survive the 5K and that isn't a joke.
The hills weren't as bad as I thought they would be and I made good time.

The picture above was taken before the race.

This is at the finish line. I was happy with the my time finishing at 29:10.

Now the good part of the day...hanging out with the 'fam'.

Happy Weekend!

Psychosomatic Itching

I can't stop itching!

Having chicken pox in the house reminds me of the many chicken pox stories I have heard over the years.

For instance, in college I was a nanny for a family with 4 children. One year the 5 year old came home with chicken pox on Thanksgiving weekend and proceeded to pass it down to the siblings. Of course nobody got it at the same time, one child would get it and then every 14 days another child would start popping out with pox. That sweet family literally had chicken pox in their home from Thanksgiving weekend until after Christmas. Yikes!

Then there was my friend in Texas who never got the chicken pox as a child. She was planning a wedding in her home town and didn't feel well. On the morning of her wedding she woke up and was covered in chicken pox! She spent her honeymoon on a tropical island covered in sores, feeling awful and more than a little bummed.

My oldest brother got them when he was 15 (or so) years old and it was really horrible.

My youngest brother broke his clavicle in a accident and while in a sling to reset the bone he began to start itching.

I was a more fortunate than the stories above. I had them as a little kid with only a few pox marks and, according to my mom, was not really bothered.

So as I sit here and scratch my psychosomatic itching I have to remind my self that I have been exposed more times to chicken pox than most people...So stop scratching already!

Change of Plans

If I could give this Spring Break Holiday a new name I would call it:

"Change of Plans"

Our original plans for last weekend wasn't a mountain plan but a beach plan. Our trip was planned as a trip with friends, but our friends caught the awful bug that has been going around and so we changed plans.

Then of course when we got to the mountain we made decisions every day in which we
"Changed the plans".

When we got home from our trip our friends had there own "change of plans" so yesterday I spent the day looking up things to do in and around town, and like a fool who hasn't learned, made more plans.

I had planned to sleep in this morning but at 5:45 The Girl crawled in bed with me and said she didn't feel good. I noticed last night that she was flush in the face and thought she might look a bit feverish but I decided she was wind blown from the weekend. She awoke not feeling right but couldn't explain what was wrong. She said she was thirsty. So we got up and went downstairs in search of a glass of water. She complained that her shoulder itched "really bad".

This is when I lifted up her shirt and noticed that her back was full of chicken pox.

So...this is the plan...we are quarantined to the house for the next 7-10 days.

It probably is the best time to get chicken pox since our friends are out of town, and the zoo is two hours away, and the museum is actually pretty expensive...

I did think it was funny though this morning when I told the kids we could plan on renting movies this afternoon off of the cable provider (it's cheaper and more convenient than renting from a store) but when I went to purchase the Wallace and Gromitt rental I was told that the movie rental option was closed down for the day due to...

..."planned" maintenance.

AUUUGHHHHH!!!!

Spring Break: Part 3

Most people I know choose to spend there spring break getting away from the cold weather. Leave it to me to find cold weather on our break.

The good news is that the kids had wanted to see real snow since the first day we pulled out those warm winter sweaters and crawled into my electric heating blanket. I am glad that they got there wish...even if it wasn't in winter but on the 5th day of Spring.

We decided to brave the night on Saturday night. This decision was made because we weren't entirely ready to go home yet, but also because I was determined to use those new sleeping bags we had just purchased at Target the day before!

We did all the camping requirements. We roasted Marshmallows and had smores. We used the wonderful camping latrines, which were very clean but have niether heat nor hot water, and of course you have to go immediately when you feel your bladder getting even the tiniest bit full...there is no waiting until you are doing the pee-pee dance because it takes you 20 minutes to take all those layers and jackets off...this was worse for me becasue I was wearing ski bibs.

I also had cowboy coffee. Which wakes you up and makes you feel like climbing the highest tree and jumping from branch to branch like a flying quirrel. It was wonderful.

This entry opens with a picture from the end of our trip. We were able to stop at a spot that looks over a portion of the Smoky Mountains. The sun was starting to peak out as the clouds finally moved on. It was beautiful.

We are glad to be home and now we have 5 days ahead of us without having to pack lunch or get up early or find matching socks...

The sun is shining and I am in my warm house. Now all I have to worry about is getting to the bottom of this pile of "camping" laundry and getting on my treadmill. As if camping in a spring snow storm wasn't enough adventure for my spring break I am also running a 5k next Saturday which, for the most part, I am totally unprepared. It's not that I can't run 3.3 miles but this course is all up-hill. Which may be a problem...so now I will spend this next week training like crazy so I don't embarass (or hold back) my running partner on Saturday morning...which ironically enough, is April Fool's Day.

Spring Break: Part 2

On Friday morning we arrived at our camp site and went for our hike. WHen we got back to the site I tackled my job of setting up the tent. It was very cold and the snow was on the wet side. It wasn't sleet but it wasn't exactly totally snow yet either. It was coming down hard and everyone was getting wet and cold and it was looking a little bleak. We didn't want to abandon things but we couldn't just stand around there either. The snow started to come down hard and we realized that a fire or cooking dinner while being pelted with wet snow wasn't going to work...nor did we have a shelter to stand under to eat...so opted to leave the tent at camp for the night, find a hotel, and hope for the best the next day. It was a good call. It snowed all night leaving camp with 3 inches of beautiful white fluffy snow. Here are a few pictures of the camp when we arrived:

The Spring Break Adventure

Part 1

It's the first day of spring break for the kids and we wanted to start the break with something fun. Our first plan was to go to the beach but at the last minute we made a decision to visit the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.

It took us about 4 1/2 hours to get there. I took Friday morning off at work and we headed out on Thursday night with plans to spend Thursday night in a hotel since we would be arriving around 11:00pm or so...What we hadn't planned on was that upon arrival it would be snowing.

AS a side note, we enjoy camping because it is relatively cheap entertainment that provides a breeding ground for quantity family time...And when you have "quantity" you always end the trip with abundant memories of "quality" time. It's a win-win situation...unless you weren't expecting inclement weather and you aren't exactly prepared. There is a family story my Dad tells about him and my mom. They were a young couple who decided to travel from Arizona to my mothers home town in Montana. Traveling in flip flops and tank tops in a VW beetle and they ran into a blizzard completely unprepared...well all I can say is the tradition lives on. And this "cheap" trip cost us about $300 in sleeping bags and other "keep us warm" Target expenditures in a small town in western North Carolina. The good news: You are never that far from a Target store.

When we arrived in The Great Smoky Mountain National Park it was snowing but not really sticking...Although we could see in the distance a distinct snow line where it was easily a few inches deep. Little did we know that in the course of our 48 hour stay we would be in the middle of that snow storm and that distant snow line would drop way below our little spot on the mountain!

Here are a few pictures from the first day of our adventure...

When You Need It

You know, I spend a good portion of my week telling people to pick up there shoes and to put them where they belong ( i.e., the closet.)

Of course today when I had to kill a spider in my kitchen do you think i could find a shoe anywhere within a 20 foot radius?

Of course not.

Random Poll Participants

The following is a reply to those who commented on the Random poll for this month. I have to say...the participants took this poll very seriously and did very fine research:

Blaw: Your sacrifice of 9 WW points shows the depths of our friendship....I am honored! I am so sorry that you cannot tell the difference between colors...that is a very sad thing. As far as the spring colors, I like them because they all have a taste similar to the yellow ones...which makes me happy...that's my story and I am sticking with it! ;)

lara: You re-arrange your eggs for balance? And you think I am anal retentive? And what is your M&M order...I also eat them in order, starting with the red (if The Girl isn't around to eat them for me) to get them out of the way...Because I don't like the way they taste...in case I hadn't mentioned that.

Anonymous (aka-Mom & Dad): I could just picture you running to the Circle K! And the Mister and I laughed out loud imagining you explain the green M&M phenomenon to Dad. I appreciate your thoroughness in this "very scientific experiment" but I have to say that you may have to be withdrawn from the final tally because you are grandparents...I think becoming a grandparent makes your taste buds unable to differentiate between colors and forces your taste buds to side with the grandchildren...I will work on that Creme puff test!

Random Poll

On Saturday nights when we don't have other plans we have a family tradition of having dinner in front of a family movie and eating pizza. This is fun in many ways and one of the reasons the kids love it is that they get to have candy (we funded a great beach vacation for our pediatric dentist this year...so the kids are now on a "candy only on the weekend" plan).

This weekend we each had a handful of M&M's. I was cuddled up on the couch with The Girl and I kept giving her my red M&M's. She finally said "Mom, how come you aren't eating your reds?"

I told her that I don't like the taste of the reds but that yellow were my favorite. She laughed and said in a way that felt a little condescending "Mom, all M&M's taste the same."

I looked at The Mister and asked if he had put her up to this. We have had a debate for the last 12 years about this very subject. He is unable to differentiate between the colors of M&M's. I believe it is because he has not consumed the amount of M&M's that I have in my lifetime.

A couple years ago, he was so convinced I couldn't tell the difference we decided to hold a very "scientific" taste test where I closed my eyes and he dropped random colored M&M's in my mouth. The one that was yellow I got right...Although with the other colors I was less successful. He felt that this proved his point. I felt that I wasn't at my peak performance and in my defense, they were the peanut M&M's and I think the peanuts confused my taste buds.

So here is the random poll for the month:

Can you taste the difference in the M&M's colors? Which one is your favorite?

A Coffee Moment...by Kellie

Last Weekend when I woke up it was beautiful outside. A fog had rolled in and it was actually warm outside...around 63 degrees. Perfect running weather. This picture was taken right before my running partner and i went running. By the time we got back the fog had mostly burned off and left a shiny glistening dew that sparkled in the sun. Great early morning coffee weather!

Then the day was perfect. The kids and I planted seeds last week and they are sprouting like crazy. So in the next few week i hope to give a glimpse of our little garden. And if things go well, those of you who live nearby will have to come over for a big salad.

Also several of you have asked how I am liking my job. And in short...I LOVE IT! I don't have much time to expound right now but things are going well and I feel thankful that the right job was given to me at just the right time...La Vida Dulce.

I'm back!

I know it has been 8 days since my last blog.

I got trapped underneath this pile of laundry and couldn't get out.

It took a couple of days for people to notice that I hadn't been around...but then they ran out of underwear. That's when they went to the laundry pile in the guest room and heard signs of life.

Actually, I let the pile grow on purpose until today. I sort of hoped that the luck of the Irish would happen and a little leprechaun would come iron, fold and put away...and maybe make dinner too...only no corn beef and hash...more like Irish Fajitas or something.

Alas, the only Lucky Charms here are in the cupboard...and even they aren't lucky cuz somebody already ate all the marshmallows...

A Poem

Kellie Bellie,
Sometimes Smellie,

How does your garden grow?

Well...

Without talent, nor a rake...

Quite frankly, I don't know!

The End.

_______________

These are Camellia flowers that are blooming in our yard! They are fantastic! I wish I could take credit for their beauty, but alas I cannot.

This time of year, when all the dead things come to life it reminds me of the Creator.

He makes amazing flowers in just the right time.

And He certainly doesn't need my help...

He takes care of things

In the garden...

In life.

"Observe how the lilies of the field grow;

they do not toil nor do they spin,
yet I say to you that not even 

Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.
But if God so clothes the grass of the field,

which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace,

will He not much more clothe you? "
Matthew 26:8

Spring Fresh

In the last few months when I put Kona's collar on I noticed that she smelt perfumey.

I couldn't figure out what was going on...or how we lucked out getting a dog whose odor was "spring fresh."

But I figured it out recently...I was doing laundry and Kona came over and stuck her head in the Dryer...I wasn't really paying attention to her but when I turned around I saw that she had pulled the fabric softener sheet (that I had just thrown into the dryer) out and placed it on the kitchen rug. Then she used her teeth and paws to smooth it out and make it flat on the the ground. Then she proceeded to roll around on it...Making herself spring fresh! Then she tore up the sheet, again using her teeth and paws, and then left the remains all over the kitchen floor. Too bad she can't learn to pick up the scraps and place them in the garbage that sits two feet away. Of course I haven't yet figured out how to get my 2 kids trained on how to do this, so I might be pushing it with the dog.

This knowledge solves a mystery in our house. It turns out Kona has been sneaking up stairs.

When I do laundry I take the clothes fresh and warm from the dryer and then I take them upstairs to the guest bedroom where I fold them and then put them away. When I get super busy the clothes sit on the bed for a couple of days. I was trying to figure out how in the world those fabric softener sheets would manage to get downstairs and shredded on the rug. Now I know...She was sneaking upstairs (she is usually confined to the kitchen and living room) and bringing her "ode de doggie" sheets to the kitchen.

As if laundry and pet ownership weren't already a thorn in my side... the dog stealing my fabric softner might be the final straw...

I shouldn't complain...this is a great improvement from rolling in poop.

It Starts!

The second day of March and I couldn't be happier!

Wanna know why?

Because Spring is on the way!

How do I know this? Because the Daffodils have already popped up...everything else is still sleeping but these sweet colorful blooms are a happy promise of the warm days to come!

In celebration I better go shave my legs and paint my toe nails...It's been a long winter.

Capri's! Shorts! Flips Flops! I have missed you!

One Year

It was one year ago today that we pulled up our Texas roots and headed east. I thought I would record this day not in my words but in the words of a song from the musical "Rent" and, more importantly from the Word of God.

To my Arizona family - I cherish you.

To my Texas Family - I miss you.

To my "new home" family - I am thankful for you.

You are each gifts in different seasons of love.

Seasons Of Love -

Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Six Hundred Minutes

Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Moments so dear

Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Six Hundred Minutes

How Do You Measure - Measure A Year?

In Daylights - In Sunsets In Midnights -

In Cups Of Coffee

In Inches - In Miles

In Laughter - In Strife

Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Six Hundred Minutes

How Do You Measure A Year In The Life?

How About Love?

How About Love?

How About Love?

Measure In Love

Seasons of Love.

Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Six Hundred Minutes

Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Journeys To Plan

Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Six Hundred Minutes

How Do You Measure

The Life Of A Woman Or A Man?

In Truths That She Learned

Or In Times That He Cried

In Bridges He Burned

Or The Way That She Died

It's Time Now - To Sing Out

Though The Story Never Ends

Let's Celebrate

Remember A Year In The Life Of Friends

Remember the Love

Remember the Love

Remember the Love

Measure In Love

Measure,

Measure Your Life In Love.

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,  may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Ephesians 3: 14-17

May the Lord Make your love increase and overflow!

1 Th 3:12

In Love,

Kellie

Four Whole Years

I can't believe that the Winter Olympics are over!

How sad I am that it will not be until 2010 that I get to sit on the couch and watch the exciting game of Curling.

That game is amazing. It really gets my adrenaline up to watch a sport that the commentators described as a cross between a game of chess and shuffle board...All while wearing attractive bowling shoes which slide easily on ice.

It was just so exciting.

What will I do for the next four years?

Intervention

Well, the first step is to admit you have a problem...So let me explain...

Two weeks ago today my friend came to see me and she came bearing gifts. She came with cute little toys for the kids and she brought me something that I wanted to ask her for before she came but knew that there was never any need to ask...She would bring them: Flour tortillas from Central Market/HEB.

There is actually a funny story about how she got to the store at closing and had to beg a clerk to smuggle her some (any!) tortillas for her poor friend on the east coast who was going through CM Tortilla withdrawal. If you live in her town and see her ask her about the "Tortilla Caper" ...Its actually quite funny and proves that I have great enablers in my life!

Anyway, she came over with 6 dozen tortillas (wrapped individually by the dozen) and her famous homemade "Salsa Caliente". As a side note I think she named it this just for me because she knows about my salsa pet peeve... (there is a BIG difference between salsa and hot sauce- and it irritates me when I make salsa and people say "nice hot sauce...", but I digress)....back to my sweet friend...for a self proclaimed white girl from Indiana, she makes some mean "salsa caliente".

So we get home from the airport and I opened one of the tortilla bags and start handing them out to my kids for snacks. I put the other 5 packages in the freezer. I had half-jokingly said that I was going to ration them and make them last until I could get back to Texas myself....

What a lie that was.

And here is my trouble...

There are only 6 tortillas left in the package that is currently open and only 1 dozen left in the freezer... I could have a panic attack over this situation...but luckily there's medication for that.

OK...That might be an exaggeration, BUT everyday this week I have had a bean burrito for lunch except yesterday when I ran out of beans and rolled up a cheese stick and nuked it instead. This afternoon I suddenly had a cheese aversion... So I scrambled an egg (with some of Bec's Salsa Caliente--which has done wonders for the residual congestion left over by the flu!).

My kids have resorted to eating tortillas for breakfast and I have let them eat them...Because after all we have DOZENS in the freezer!!!! What was I thinking?

When it comes to tortillas I am a failure at rationing.

So it's likely I won't need a Tortilla Intervention...Because from the looks of the tortilla hungry people in this house I will be going cold turkey in about 48 hours.

Maybe I'll hide the last bag of tortillas....What they don't know won't hurt them.

The Best Medicine

It's been a bit of a long month. It started out with major anxiety issues. Then I got the flu. And this last week my heart is heavy over the sudden loss of the dynamic youth pastor at our church in Texas. Although I didn't know him well my heart aches over the loss that my church family is experiencing. However in the middle of a more difficult month I am reminded of the amazing gift we have been given: Laughter.

I read an article about the importance of laughter this week and how critical it is within the context of family. It talked of how laughter brings people together and allows people a respite from a life that is sometimes more hectic than funny.

Laughter is particularily important to children who need it to feel a sense of belonging and well being. It reminded me of the times when my family in Arizona gets together and laugh over those family "legends" that seem to get more and more ludicrous with the passing of time. And now that we have kids the stories are even better.

My kids love to laugh. For instance, a couple of weeks ago we were all sitting at the dinner table and The Girls's lips were red and swollen because they were chapped. I had just bought her and The Boy new chapsticks and had told them not to loose them. The Girl was complaining that her lips hurt and I asked where her chapstick was.....To which she responded without words but with a look that said "I lost it within the first hour you bought it."

The Boy then pipes up and starts in on how she should be responsible for her stuff and that "Mom had said to keep track of the Chaptick".

To which I replied, "Oh yeah?, Where is your new chapstick?"

"Um, I lost it?"

This is when The Girl, who had just taken a sip of water, burst out laughing and showered her brother with the contents of her mouth. That's when we all started laughing...And cleaning up.

Every night since then The Girl has retold the story laughing (with The Boy) like it is the funniest thing that has ever happened.

Yesterday The Boy came home from school and asked if we could get online and find a website that has to do with a gorilla named KoKo. He wanted us to send money to her foundation because "gorillas may become extinct". I told him that we could look at the site but that we probably wouldn't be sending money. Of course he asked Why? I told him that his Dad and I like to give our money to charities that help people. With tears in his eyes he reached over so I could hug him. The Girl, my 6 year old animal rights activist, who was sitting on the counter licking peanut butter off a spoon, starts indignantly asking me questions: Don't you care that the gorillas are going to be extinct? Do you know that means that there won't be any more gorillas? If we don't send money to help save the gorillas who will?

This was all in a build up to the final blow (or so she thought). With a slight smile on her face she says:

"What if Kona (our dog) was a gorilla? Would you send money in then?"

I burst out laughing...And fortunately so did The Girl. I think he new he should probably laugh at this moment, in the event that my answer wasn't favorable.

Save the gorillas...as if i didn't live with two monkeys.

M.I.A.

For those of you who are worried....I am still alive.

I have spent many years avoiding the flu shot because after all I "never" get the flu.

Well next year I will be the first in line along with all the old people waiting for the flu shot because I now understand what the "flu" really is.

Today is the first day that I have been out of bed since Sunday...When they say that the flu knocks you down from out of no where...They aren't joking. I was fine on Saturday and on Sunday I was sick, sick, sick.

Unfortunately, it couldn't have come at a worse time. My sweet friend flew all the way in from the Lone Star State and we spent most of her vacation parked on my couch; with her bringing me glasses of water with lemon and coaxing me to eat toast. She got to listen to me hack and sniffle and sneeze all while trying not to breathe the same air.

The weekend wasn't a total loss.

We did get to go to the Cheesecake Factory for dinner (which was yummy) and there was a lot of girlie bonding that proves when two good friends come together over chocolate it doesn't matter where you are, or how sick you are, or how long it has been since you have last seen each other--friendship takes the crumbs in life and makes a cheesecake.

Don't Blink

There was an ad in a parenting magazine that I found when I was pregnant with The Boy. It was a black and white picture of a beautiful baby with big eyes. The words on the side of the picture read like this:

31,536,000 seconds.

525,600 minutes.

8,760 hours

365 days.

1 birthday candle.

Don't blink.

I cut that ad out and placed it on the fridge before I even gave birth to The Boy and whenever I would open the fridge on a sleepless night, or during the day when realities set in on how parenting is (mostly) hard work, I would see that ad and it would remind me that life is precious and it will certainly go quickly so enjoy it. I eventually pulled it off the fridge and put it in his baby book, but it made such an impact on my mind that I think of that ad often...especially in times when I start to believe that things will never change...that we will always be struggling with a certain issue (i.e. - sleepless nights, diapers, learning to read...it goes on and on!)

Today we celebrated The Girl's 6th birthday and it seems hard to believe that 6 years ago today I accidentally pushed snooze on a 5:30am alarm and the hubby and I were almost late for the scheduled birth of our second child! Of course nothing could've happened till I got to the hospital...But we felt a little guilty. That would NEVER have happened with the first baby!

3,153,600 minutes later and here we are.

This weekend will be filled with Princess parties and cake and ice cream and the prayers of a Mom and Dad that time would slow down...Just a bit...But just in case...

...Don't Blink.

I Can Bring Home the Bacon

Well...Just a small slice of bacon....

It is amazing how this world revolves so much on the "Who you know" principle. Such is the case in my life.

This time last week I was doing pretty much the same thing. The Wednesday schedule includes my laundry, cleaning the bathrooms and sweeping and mopping (although I usually push this last chore off until I can no longer take the look (or feel) of my kitchen floor.

Today I am sitting at home in blessed silence after spending three hours teaching music to 4 year olds. And if you think pre-school isn't a high risk job, then you have never spent thirty minutes with 10 pre-schoolers with wooden rhythm sticks in their hands.

How did I get this job? Well it all started out with the kindergarten class Christmas party...Although we have to call it a "Winter Party"...I volunteered to play my guitar and sing some Christmas songs. Little did I know that another parent in the class would remember that I played guitar when the music teacher at her school quit last week...And she would call me. I would tell her that I have never taught music before and although I can play the guitar I usually don't choose to play in public. This is when she told me that 3, 4, and 5 year olds are not really public.

So last week I interviewed (for the first time in almost a decade) and this week I can suddenly add "Pre-School Music Teacher" to my resume. Of course this is right on course with some of the other crazy (but very true) things I could put on my resume. For instance: ICEE drink promotional bear, or tap dancing Foley's bag (for a grand opening), and my all time favorite-- Nanny to Vegas on a highjacked plane. Sounds like a country-western song.

I think this little job will be fun, relatively easy, and put a little pocket change in my cute little handbag that matches my shoes.

If my blogs are a little more infrequent it's cause I am getting used to the schedule...Or I have been rendered unconscious after a serious exercise with Rhythm sticks...But hang in there I will return! I am sure that hanging around with Toddlers 9 hours a week will bring lots of blogging material.

La Vida Dulce!

Never A Dull Moment

When you live with a kindergartener there is really not any day that goes by that you don't have a good laugh. Sometimes those laugh are born out of a need to do something other than cry. Sometimes those laughs are rip roaring belly laughs that make you glad you get to be a first string player in the game of parenting.

In kindergarten you know your letters but you haven't necessarily learned to use them in words. My kindergartener can read a few small words like: me, hit, or to. She has not mastered bigger words such as: Diminutive expressions are often superior.

Occasionally she will look for things to spell. For instance she wanted to write a story about a hyena name Pinduly who is the main character of one of her favorite books. She likes to look at the title words and then copy them in her own journal. The world of words has now been open to her...Although if it doesn't rhyme with 'cat' she usually doesn't have a clue what she is spelling.

So when she came home last week with hurt feelings and a sad look in her eye I wondered what was going on. She told me that she had been in the painting "center" in her class and when the teacher took her art work down she laughed and then she showed it to the teachers assistant and she laughed too. Honestly, I kind of blew it off by changing the subject and , ashamedly, offering her a chocolate chip cookie.

However when she got home she cleaned out her back pack and opened her beautiful piece of art. Austin took one look at it and burst out laughing, which didn't help the situation. I took a gander at the entertaining illustration and began to explain to The Girl what was going on. She then joined her brother on the floor in a round of raucous laughter.

One of the great things about the kindergarten classroom is that it has labels for everything from the pencil holders to, yes, the bathroom where on the door hangs a plaque with bold letters spelling:

T-O-I-L-E-T

Another fit of laughter came this afternoon. The Girl was looking peacefully pensive. I asked her "What are you thinking about?"

To which she honestly replied, "My future husband."

Finally (although not at all the end), last night I had made enchiladas for dinner. The kids aren't always happy about enchiladas but occasionally I choose to make what is pleasing to a grown up palette and the kids have to eat it because they can't cook.

She then looked at her enchiladas and said she didn't really like them. To which a told her that I was sorry but to eat it anyway...

She was quiet for several minutes as she poked at her food with a fork.

Then she burst out with a sentence that I hope I remember if I am ever served a meal I don't particularly like:

"I can't believe baby penguins eat their mother's throw up!"

She then proceeded to eat her enchiladas.

The days may be tiring. They may often be tedious. They are almost always routine.

But they are very rarely dull.

Bloggers Block

I do all the right things....

I take vitamins, I exercise, I wash my hands more than people with OCD...and yet I have caught another case of the sniffles.

This would be the 4th time I have caught a cold since August...

Let me make this announcement:

I DON"T EVER GET SICK!

I don't have time.

But apparently this year is the exception.

And when I don't feel well I have trouble writing.

And breathing.

And sleeping.

But let's think about some good news....

I am again an Aunt.

I have a new niece who was born a week ago. She is precious!

More good news...There is chocolate ice cream in my fridge...It's good for the throat.

Reputation

In October my friend Jen gave me a gift bag full of birthday gifts. This was one of them:

Then for Christmas my friend Lara sent me this:

Then this morning I was talking to Lara and she say's in reference to the beginning of our friendship: "I remember thinking to myself 'Man!, that girl drinks a lot of coffee.'"

Well...I had an epiphany this morning! After I got off the phone with her I went to pour another cup of coffee and next to my pot was the little wall hanging pictured above.

It occurred to me that it isn't entirely my fault that I am a large consumer of that awesome warm decoction...

I have a lot of good friends!

I'll Take The Raisin Bran..Hold the Raisins

In August I had decided I was going to clip coupons in an attempt to shave off some of the expense of feeding my family. I really gave it a valiant effort and did keep up with it until December 1st. It just doesn't work out for our family...I ended up buying a bunch of food that my family doesn't ever eat, and although it was fun to come out of the store having saved 50% off the total bill it didn't make sense because much of that food was left sitting on the pantry shelf.

For instance, sometime in early October I bought a box of Raisin Bran. The kids turned their noses up and the Mister said he would stick to his old Cheerios stand-by. So the job of consuming that box was up to me.

Here's the deal, I actually enjoy Raisin Bran...I just don't like the raisin part. It isn't that I don't think raisins are a fine source of iron and fiber, and blah, blah, blah...I just don't care for them. So the task of eating Raisin Bran became a chore because I would pour cereal into my bowl in little bits with one hand, while picking out the raisins one-by-one with the other.

As I sat at the table eating and reading the cereal box I thought it was ironic that in big letters splashed across the top it said "25% More raisins!". Yes, I know...why couldn't they do that with Lucky Charms when I was a kid...It would have been fabulous with 25% more marshmallows.

So, Raisin Bran , although a bargain at $1.50 (after the store card and coupon) ended up taking a lot of space on my shelf, and in the long run wastes precious resources...just think of those poor depressed grapes that get picked out and thrown away!

It has taken me 3 months to get through that box of cereal because one of the requirements of breakfast is that it should be quick and E-A-S-Y . It shouldn't require too much thought, to many gadgets or to many "steps". Oh...and it should also taste good, be nutritious, and make me not feel hungry until noon.

Unless there is a coupon for Pop-Tarts (with a strong cup of coffee). Then the rules change.

Random Poll

Every once in awhile in TX I would come to coffee with a "Random Poll" Question. For instance I was curious once if my friends washed their feet every time they showered or only once or twice a month. This led to some silly conversation, but also helped me to know who I was going to borrow shoes from...Although it turned out that nobody else in my circle of friends have enormous feet like me.

I miss the "Random Poll" and decided I could incorporate it into La Vida Dulce.

Today's Random Poll was brought on by my son this morning when he asked for breakfast. He wanted a bagel cut in half and toasted....but he only wanted the top. This was OK...Because The Girl only wanted the bottom half.

If you have to split a bagel with a friend which half do you take, the top or the bottom? Maybe you prefer an English muffin? Do they have differentiated sides or all sides created equal?

Once You Start You Can't Stop...

I was thinking this morning...

I washed my hair with shampoo and conditioner, then sprayed it with leave-in-conditioner, added mousse to the roots and hair "goo" to the ends, I am told this will make my hair shiny and supple, not dry like straw.

After the application of the hair product I put moisturizer on my face, applied under-the-eye cream, concealer, and lip balm, an attempt to keep my face moist. Then I realized that my hands, elbow and arms were dry, so it was time to find the lotion.

After completely drying my hair I had to spend 15 minutes just putting away all the stuff I had to pull out. It seems the older you get the more creams and lotions it takes to just keep you from cracking. I am not talking about warding off wrinkles here...I am talking about just looking "natural". This of course is the winter-time routine...the summer one is worse because it requires sunscreen too. It never seems to stop.

During this entire routine I was thinking about the year I was in 6th grade and asked my mom if I could shave my legs. She consulted that Woman's Handbook that women have in their heads (but of whom no one owns a hard copy) where it says that after a certain age you may tell your daughter she can shave her legs, but as a women of the human race your are required to give this warning: "Once you start, you can't stop."

There are many other things that must not be in the handbook, because they have caught me by surprise. I think I should write an entire section for the Woman's Handbook that has a chapter like this:

Warnings on getting older: The 30's... Every part of you will get dry. You will be required to purchase all sorts of face creams and potions just to keep you from shriveling like a raisin. You may buy these products in any smell according to your preference but be warned...some smells don't mix. It will take you 2 hours to get ready from start to finish unless you forget to dry your hair and go out with a wet head. In which case you will have a really, really bad hair day. When you reach your 30's your hair is tired so you must use product that makes it look....well...younger. Oh, by the way...Once you start you can't stop.

Also in this book:

Chocolate: A Staple Through the Ages: You were given chocolate as a child when you didn't appreciate it. You ate it through your teen age years when you actually had too much moisture in your face and it gave you acne. In your 20's you learned about the emotional value of that precious commodity. But now, in the teachable 30's, you know...Once you start you can't stop.

There are many other chapters we could add to the 30's section of the Womans Handbook. But at this point I have only 3 years tucked under my belt in this catergory...and I have a long list of things that always need doing...for example the never ending pile of laundry that must be faced today or I may have to send my sweet family to school and work wrapped in paper towels and scotch tape.

Laundry...yet another thing that --Once you start you can't stop.

The Closet Cleaner

I wish I could confess that I am the best housekeeper in the world.

I do like a clean house, and there are some things I do "just so". I could tell you my housekeeping efforts are all about having a beautiful house that is pristine and always clean... but just between you and me, it's more about power! and control! (said gleefully with a look of intrigue... and perfectly waxed eyebrows)

How do I know this? Well, I remember the day (not so long ago) I came home and that sweet man of mine had rotated the silverware holder to the right 90 degrees, just so you didn't have to reach way into the drawer to grab a butter knife: "It's hard on the hand"says he.

I wouldn't say I had a conniption, but I wasn't real sweet either. I vaguely remember saying something about the kitchen being "mine" and "how would he like it if I came to his work and re-arranged his desk?"...I did eventually acquiesce and see things from his point of view...but it took a couple of days to not mutter under my breath when I went to make toast.

He would also say I have "laundry issues." I would call it "organization". I would say that they have to be folded a certain way so that all those clean, fluffy towels all fit into the cupboard correctly, and also, they should be color coordinated... so when you open the linen closet it looks nice. Because you never know who might knock on your door at any minute and run up the stairs and open up your linen closet in need of a towel folded the "right" way.

It doesn't matter that under the towel shelf (in that same closet) is the blanket shelf, which is overflowing and a complete disaster (not to mention not color-coordinated). It is so out of order that you have to push really hard to get the closet to completely close. However, for some reason in the winter months, I can let this go...mostly because that shelf is on eye level with my children who decide each night that they are cold...and each morning they re-decide that that blanket didn't work, and should try out a new one. Somewhere in "the mind of Kellie" I decided if a task looks too hard to gain control of the best course of action is to simply ignore it. Maybe someone will magically appear and clean it...or maybe one day you will accidentally make your coffee way to strong and have a caffeinated surge of energy that creates a "fantastic idea" to get those blankets back to it's color-coded glory. Of course these things always lend itself to more work...Cause you can't possibly just do one shelf...you'd have to organize the whole thing...this is why it is best to just ignore it.

However somethings you can't ignore...even if you try real hard. Yesterday I cleaned the fridge. Something had died in there. I had waited a couple of days in hopes that the box of Arm N Hammer would do the job I hired it to do, but there wasn't enough arm to hammer that stench. I couldn't find anything that was causing this odor, but when I was done it smelled more like a fridge-a-daire ought to...

This morning the coffee was so good I was glad I made half a pot. I always make a half a pot, but usually only drink 9/10ths of it. This half-pot habit is from the good ole Texas days when 4 out of 5 days of the week I would share that pot with a friend. After I drank the coffee (which is really only three cups worth) I had a "fantastic idea."

Honestly, it was planted there by one of my Texas coffee "regulars" when she mentioned yesterday that she had done a complete overhaul of her downstairs but still needed to get to organize that dreaded under-the-stairs-closet.

The closet under my stairs had needed to be cleaned out since the day after we unpacked the moving boxes almost one year ago. It had become the place I threw things that I didn't want to deal with, from arts and crafts stuff and unopened bank statements (yikes!) to that one afternoon last year when we came home from the last day of school with two huge brown paper bags filled with the contents of a 7 year olds desk...quite frankly I am surprised we didn't have a stench there too.

Why is it that projects always seem so fun when you start? But when you get that closet unloaded and out on your family room floor you begin to wonder why in the world this idea sounded so "fantastic". I found myself having thoughts like "This is some great Spring Cleaning...too bad spring won't be here for another three months, by then you will have to do this all over again."

I separated all the crayons from the markers and pencils and gel pens and put them in separate boxes and got out my label maker machine and labeled each box accordingly (this didn't work so well when the kids didn't know how to read). Nobody actually reads those labels but me....but it makes me feel hopeful, plus when people come over it gives the appearance that your organized. Even though the truth is if you open the door any other day you are taking your life into your own hands.

Now, three hours later, I have completely re-organized the arts and crafts closet/storage unit/pit. It took me so long that the coffee buzz had worn off and I had to start in on the Diet Coke to finish.

Now, for about two hours before anyone comes home I can sit there and enjoy how everything is in it's place. Color-coded, labeled, and may I say, oh-so-beautiful. Of course this is alot like a wedding or a thanksgiving meal: what took hours to fix can be (and will be) undone so fast you can't see it happening with the naked eye.

Hmm...do I feel like re-arranging that blanket shelf...

Nope, it smells fine and I can still get the door closed...I'll just ignore it.

Happy New Year

Whew! The last of the Christmas boxes have been put away for another year!

I seem to be suffering from a bit of writers block. Of course it could be because I am still busy trying to think of resolutions to make for the New Year...Or maybe it is because I can't type and try to fold laundry load #7 of 2006 at the same time.

I will tell you a story I have saved for such a time as this...

One day last summer on a warm afternoon I learned I must always choose my words wisely. Even if only in a quick and informal conversation.

I was talking to my neighbor and her college aged daughter. I had just purchased a new pair of shoes. When we were talking she mentioned that she wanted to find some new shoes for the beach. This is where I burst out a statement that I will never again do in public: "I just bought a new pair of thongs for $15 bucks at Costco!"

My neighbor and her daughter looked at me with eyes that told me something was desperately wrong...except it took me a few seconds to register what it was...this is when I practically shouted "Flip Flops! Flip Flops! I bought a pair of Flip flops!"