For our American Friends and Family

Today was minus 43 Farenheit! Yup! It was bitter cold and this morning the fog lay on the ground like a goose down blanket (thick and lumpy? YES!). Oh, I don't think they took the windchill into account for that temperature. Schools were closed; buses weren't running and the diehard smokers were even second guessing their desire to have a smoke. :)

That smokey haze that makes it look like a bad picture is the fog(taken at 7:30 this morning) but here is a much better and lovlier picture that Marc took of the fog at some point. While we were going to work you couldn't see the on-coming cars until they were right beside you, the on-coming pedestrians either. It was so foggy that we heard a small voice come from Jellybean in the back seat of the van, "Daddy, I think we are very, very lost. I don't know where I am."

Now to do a little preaching to myself and my fellow weather complainers...

This cold snap has brought tragedies along with it...several deadly accidents and this...to name a few. So, I set my inconveniences aside from this annual occurance of harsh prairie weather; who cares that I have to plug my van in all the time or go start it several times during the course of the work day just so it will start at home time? Who cares that we need to dig out our long johns and undershirts and can't go outside for more than 5 minutes at a time? My kids are safe in their beds and for that I am so very thankful.

Ah..."The grapevine"...

What would we do without that precious grapevine? How would we survive without our daily dose of "harmless" gossip? I can tell you that I am completely sick of it! It utterly disgusts me!!! I listen to people talking about this person or that person and how she is doing this or that and it is revolting. I took a bit of a stand on it today and I don't regret it at all.

I also got a personal reminder of what it is like to be the one being gossiped about. Rush came home from school today telling us that she had been called to Student Services. The lady there then proceeded to tell Rush that she had "heard it through the grapevine that you been hit by your boyfriend."

Let's disect this for a minute:

1. Rush doesn't have a boyfriend therefore he could not have hit her.

2. Where are the witnesses to this so called beating? I can tell you where they are; one of them is downstairs doing her homework and the other is in her house with her family feeling quite badly about what she accidentally did to Rush. I can also tell you that neither of them saw my daughter being beaten by her non-existant boyfriend.

3. It says in The Bible, "On the testimony of two or three witnesses a man shall be put to death" (Deut 17:6) but these teachers and staff have tried and convicted some poor boy that doesn't even exist because of the "word on the grapevine".

4. If my daughter can look you in the eye and tell you with an unwaivering voice that that is not what happened and proceeds to tell you what did happen, do not call her a liar.

I understand and appreciate the motives behind their concern. I also think that it is great to know that something would be done if my daughter were to have a boyfriend right now and that boyfriend should happen to be silly enough to lay his hands on her, that the teachers will promptly act. I find no fault in them arranging a meeting with her to talk with her about it; I do find fault with whomever did the talking without doing any listening.

Why are people constantly on a witch hunt? Why must there always be a scandal? Perhaps we live in a society with too much CSI, Law & Order (both of these shows I like to watch occasionally too) or too much Desperate Housewives or Grey's Anatomy or something. Why, oh, why do we have to always have someone to hang even if there is no reason to hang them? If my son can darn near poke his eye out doing up his binder my daughter can become severely bruised by a suddenly opened locker.

People seem to constantly have to be talking about someone else or putting their nose in someone else's business or something. It seems it is more probable for them to believe the scandal. Sometimes the truth is just the truth.

Just look at that face!!!

I came home from BPs last night to see this on my beautiful baby's face...

She was accidentally hit by a locker at school when the child next to her opened their locker in quite a haste. It took a lot for this mama to not find out who this child was and beat their butt. That wouldn't have been the greatest thing for me to do as a Christian but that was my carnal instinct. I couldn't look at her last night without wanting to cry for her and I am really hoping that when they saw her today that they realized the consequences of their behavior...

From the mouths of babes

Last Saturday while the kids were eating breakfast I was folding some clothes in my room. Bug came into the room to ask me a question that was weighing heavy on his precious heart.

So, no beating around the bush, no nothing...here it is and how the heck would you have answered this spur of the moment?

"Mom, if God doesn't talk to you for a real long time does that mean He doesn't live in your heart anymore?"

Jeepers.

HUH???

Bug is "afraid" of the dark; when I tuck him in I need to make sure that the bathroom light is left on or he has a panic attack and can not go to sleep.

He is not feeling well tonight; his nose is so stuffed up he can't breathe through his nose at all so I got him some of that Watkins stinky oil stuff to put on a kleenex to destuff him. As I was leaving the room, he asked if I could get him a cold cloth, which I usually use when I have a headache or am just not feeling 100%. I asked him if he wanted it to cover his eyes and he said yes.

Uh, okay?

I got the cloth, put it on his eyes for him and went to leave.

"Mom?", he says to me as I am leaving.

"Yes, Son?"

"Don't forget; you have to leave the bathroom light on."

I am not too sure how that is going to keep it from being dark in his room with that cold cloth draped across his eyes...

So, there is light in my son's room; he just can't see it.

Do you know what this means?

It means that she is growing up more and more everyday. It means that she getting closer and closer to adulthood:(... It means...it means that she can start buying some of her own clothes, some of her own eyebrow waxes, some of her own streaks, some of her own shoes and some of her own fries at the caf!!! Wahoo!!!!!!

Good times at the library

As much as I have gotten annoyed with our boys in green while serving them at BPs (not these ones in particular), I must confess that Jellybean and Bug have both really enjoyed their monthly meetings at the library for story time and a rousing game of Scattegories with these guys.

At one meeting, while being encouraged to play the game, Bug was asked what was something that he was afraid of. He looked that player straight in the eye and told him, "nuttin'!". The guy was so thrilled with Bugs answer and is really taken by our little man. Each time he sees Bug he asks him what he's afraid of.

The kids were pretty star struck, awed and quiet for the first little while but now they are old pros at dealing with these "celebrities" (local anyway). I don't think I would even give it a second thought as to if it would be worth it next year...if they want to and time permits...we'll be readin'.

"IT" has hit our house

Oh yes, it really, really has. The flu is here and with a vengence. BigB & I both got our Flu shots this year and so I was hoping to be spared of this gross, degrading virus.

Rush and Jellybean got it bad but seemed ok as they went off to bed tonight. Bug never really got too bad; in fact, instead of sleeping as he should be, he is currently in bed singing "The ABC's" at the top of his lungs. BigB seems ok just under the weather. I have slept 90% of today and still feel as though I have gotten no sleep at all.

It is difficult to get nutrients in us. I did not want to break my fruit & veggie fast; today is the last day! I did wind up breaking it for a piece of toast this afternoon to try to settle my stomach. I was certain I would be going to work tomorrow but now I really don't know. I guess only morning will tell.

So, off I go to bed with hopes and dreams of a virus free morning.

A little test

Here's a little video of Tuff taken last Jan while the kids were sliding near our house. (This is pretty much just an experiment to see how this video thing works with Blogger.)

New Beginnings in 2008!

What a week this has been!! What a year actually. Things have changed for us so much in the past 11 days and it has all been in a good way! I feel excited for 2008!

Here are some of the updates:

BigB is officially going to Bible College. He still has his job but will be at school during the evenings.

Rush got permission to finally begin the Bible Study she has been seeking at her school. She was met with great opposition at first and was told flat out no. She stuck with it and things are just falling into place.

She also has a part time job...a paper route. It's not a large paper route but a good enough size to get a decent pay cheque for a 14 year old.

I got my application for school sent in and the deadline for that is Jan 15. I was very stressed out about it, even called my husband a jerk for no reason, but I prayed as I dropped that envelope in the mailbox. It is no longer in my hands; it is in God's and, if it is not for this year,
there is always next.

Our T.V. has gotten quite a rest the last 11 days. In fact, it has barely been turned on. We have been spending our time playing board games as a family or downstairs singing.

The changes I have seen in our family in the last 11 days has astonished me! It also excites me!

He shoots, He...falls down again

The last day that Tuff and Baby K were here with us we all went skating. I say we all but I really mean everyone but me. I have been more of an observer these days when it comes to activities that could hurt my shoulder now that it is starting to heal. I am the official photographer.

Jellybean spent more time on her butt and belly than anything but she kept getting up and trying again. She's quite a trooper that one. Bug did pretty good. He actually went out on his own with no help from anyone this time around. Unfortunately he slipped, caught a fair bit of air and landed right on the back of his head; luckily, he did have his helmet on. It took him for enough of a loop though that it took him quite a while to decide to get back on the ice again.

We had a good time on the ice even with all the bumps and bruises and bruised egos and went to go home for hot chocolate. We decided to see if Grandma and Pa had hot chocolate so we could visit with them and ended up ordering a couple pizzas for supper before we left. All in all, it was a fantastic afternoon. Which proved to be a bit much for Miss Rush as the last picture will prove.

Is there a doctor at the hill?

Or more appropriately Bowling for Dummies.

Yesterday I took Jellybean and Bug sliding at Little Red where we were joined by my brother, his 2 boys and 3 of their friends. To say we were the hill bullies is an understatement. To say we were causing havoc and carnage is also an understatement. It wasn't our fault though! They were ALWAYS accidents.


When the kids & I first got there and were waiting for the others Bug and his co-pilot went flying down the hill and got turned around zooming backwards without being able to see where they were going. A last minute warning was yelled out but, alas, it was in vain, and they were bowling for families. The dad got out of the way, barely, but the mom and daughter wound up on top of the slide and its riders. Mom & child were mad; Dad thought it was funny.

Arrive the rest of our crew. S went down the hill with Jellybean and another girl and they, again, caught great speed. At the bottom of the hill, they hit a kid; I heard the pop from the top where I stood holding slides for kids to get on. I was on the phone with BigB, screaming "Oh no! Oh no!". I watched this kid as he flew up in the air and watched as my brother caught him. He just reached up and caught him and in the panic of the moment and the worry if he was ok, that looked funny-S catching him.


Dr Ramji, our local pediatrician was there sliding with his family and I looked around for him but the kid seemed to be ok. He had just been recovering from a nosebleed and S and the kids gave him a really good one. No one from our crew got hurt...S got covered in the kids blood.


Bug went down the hill on a little one person slide. I watched him as he zoomed downt he hill and I heard another pop followed by howls like I have never imagined. I ran down the hill as fast as I could until it felt like I would lose my footing and I didn't feel like tumbling down the hill with a buggered shoulder so I scooted the rest of the way on my butt to find Bug standing looking at a 9 year old boy as he howled at the top of his lungs. He thought his leg was broken; for a minute I thought his leg was broken. His leg is NOT broken.


Bug wanted to make sure he was ok so he followed him and his mom to see. He also thought they were going to call the police on him. No police were called.


Throughout the rest of our time at the hill we hit a total of 8 people, one incident involving 2 of our own kids...The only real injuries though were of those 2 kids.

All the injuries yesterday could have been prevented had people been using their noodles and watching for people at the hill sliding instead of just standing at the bottom of the hill in a daze foolishly thinking they were safe.


Who is with my brother and I in going together and getting a Cast Clinic and X-ray booth at the bottom of the hill? It could prove a worthy investment especially when the "cousins" get together!