I Have Been Tagged - Eight Things You Wanted to Know

So, Kristine tagged me.

Only because it's Kristine will I answer......

Where do you dream of traveling one day and why?

Does the world count? Like, here are the highlights....I'd like to see the Netherlands when all the tulips are in bloom. Germany's black Forrest (and then I could visit my cousin Maria). France, because it's romantic. Australia, because it's cool. England and Scotland and Ireland because of the history. Everywhere Nicholas Sparks went with Micah in Three Weeks with My Brother because I loved that book. Oh, and the whole United States and Alaska...You know, just a quick trip.

What do you like to do for fun?

I like to camp. I don't like to get ready to camp, I don't like to unpack from camping, but I love camping itself. And beach days. But because it's getting close to winter, I have to say indoor activities like playing cards (especially against Jake cuz we can get pretty competitive), reading a good book and family movie/game night (which we don't do nearly enough).

And I like to write. Obviously. And I'll think of a million other things to fun to do and wish I'd put those here instead of this, I'm sure. :)

What type of music do you prefer?

I like everything, except scream-o (thanks for that word Kristine!) and rap. Country, alternative, classic, blues, jazz...if it sounds good I like it. In the suburban we have country or Christian on...my pandora is extreme.

What movies or tv shows do you prefer?

Hub and I LOVE 24. We haven't seen the last season yet so don't tell us about it. We get them on dvd and watch a trillion of them in a row. Right now we are watching Apprentice, Ice Road Truckers most Dangerous Roads, American Pickers. My most favorite movies I have recently seen are Julie and Julia and Australia...we don't watch many movies (which is a bummer)>

What frustrates you and why?

Jake said "Is wasting time in front of the computer one of them?" Haha. House work frustrates me, because you work on it all day long and when Hubs walks through the door, it looks like I didn't do a thing....it's ALWAYS there to do. Sigh.

What is your favorite food and dessert?

I usually lean towards noodle dishes or bread dishes. Love me some good bread! Dessert...cheesecake sounds good tonight!

What is your favorite color?

I lean towards browns. I like turquoise and silver in jewelry.

Do you prefer warmer or cooler weather?

WARM!!!!!!!!!! I am a TOTAL summer girl! Fall is pretty, but summer is my favorite. Bare feet every day!

Ending with a funny story.

Tonight, S3 pulled S4's hair and S4 decided it was worthy of being tattled on.

To the big guy, Daddy.

"Daddy, he pulled my hair - hard."

His response? "Well, we should cut your hair then."

S4's response? "No, my hair is fine. Cut his hand off, that's what he pulled it with."

Ahhh, brotherly love.

Jr Discovers How to Make FIre

Jr has been adorable lately, figuring out new things all the time. He totally cracks me up. Says words all the time. For instance....

"Don't eat that, it's nasty."

Jr, "Nasty".

"That's right, now throw it in the garbage."

Jr, "Bye-bye."

He cracks me up.

He also is extremely intelligent. Very much. I am always impressed with what he figures out.

Except today.

He was in the kitchen, eating an apple. I smelled a bit of smoke, but because we have a wood stove I didn't think too much of it....

Until the smoke got super bad.

All the sudden.

Very quickly.

Apparently, Jr has figured out how to use our toaster.

He had just pulled all our school notes off the wall so I had set them on the toaster to put back up later when he left for home...

And at some point, when he was eating his apple and sitting on his little stool, he pushed the toaster to "toast".

When I would check on him, he was sitting there, happy as a lark, eating an apple.

Until there were LITERALLY FLAMES LEAPING FROM THE NOW BURNING PAPER!

The toaster...IS MELTED!

We needed a new toaster anyhow, I suppose.

The crazy thing? Jr thought it was funny and S4, he never even noticed the smoke alarm, the smoke...nothing.

Coffee...I am looking for more coffee....

Terribly Good Morning and Hub's Be Awake

I hadn't written about a school morning run in a while and I thought since this one went so terribly good I would share with you.

Terribly good being specifically chosen words.

I stayed up way too late last night watching the Goonies.

Because I love that movie and Hubs had never seen it. It's a classic, I love it, and I let S1 watch it till they found the ship and then sent him to bed. Not because I am cruel, but because we don't own the movie and they were gonna stretch that last part over half an hour or longer so to bed he went.

Hubs had to be to work a bit early this morning and here's the thing...he has a Buick. That we call the Be Awake. This is why.....

His car is an old 80's Buick. He is especially fond of this car. The door seals do not seal, there is rust all over the lower portion of the door and you can, truly, be rained on or snowed in on with these doors.

Seriously.

The single most prominent feature of his beloved Buick is the noise.

Long ago, the muffler fell off. Now, he believes this makes it sound "bad" in a good way. He thinks it has more power. The boys think it sounds cool, like a Dukes General Lee. They call it Daddy's Race Car. They love the Buick.

I can, I exaggerate not at all, hear him a mile away.

It also works well for an alarm clock. As soon as he fires up the Buick, which we call the Be Awake because when he voice texts me that he is headed home the Droid hears Buick as Be Awake and the name fits so perfectly we just call it that, you can literally hear feet hit the floor.

And then you can look to the ceiling above and follow them as they stumble through the clothes and toy scattered room. Then you hear them trip down the steps and the slap of their hands on the paneling as they feel their way down, because his eyes will be nearly sealed tight with sleep. S2 will then burst into the too blindingly bright dining room to see his Daddy.

Right behind him will be S4, who wakes up talking and happy. His eyes may not be open but he will be saying full sentences as he arrives down the steps, like "Daddy, today is yellow day and I go to school and Moma already picked out my clothes. Are you going to work? Can you get me a bowl? I need cereal. And a spoon. And milk. And a HUG! And a KISS!"

Hubs always starts the Be Awake first, then hurries back in to catch these two boys in his arms for hugs and kisses before he leaves.

Sometimes, S2 will set his alarm for some early time, like 5:30 AM just to spend more time with his Daddy.

Our morning starts this way five days a week, always the same.

Hubby thinks I am being lazy laying in bed listening to it all. But in truth, I love to hear it, even if it is too early for the boys to be awake.

And I am lazy in the mornings.

But this morning I tried really hard to have at least my hair DRY and SOME make up on before I left to take the boys to school. It's not that I don't mind running errands make up less with wet hair, but, sheesh, sometimes a girl wants to look sorta nice.

And I pulled it off.

But in the process, the three youngest went outside to play IN THE DARK and then came in crying because they were bumping into things...shocker. Because they were over tired. And because I let them go outside so I could "fancy up".

S1 was moping around and I realized he had stayed up too late. And he was mad at me...because I had pulled all the clothes they hadn't folded out into the middle of their room and now he felt overwhelmed by the pile...more so because a friend was coming over. Today. After school.

We left on time, only to realize Sadie was loose. In the house. Where she would, certainly, eat all our garbage, our couch, our table, find a way to open the fridge....

And I couldn't back the suburban up because I could not see out the back foggy window.

Tensions were....strained.

As I flipped through the radio I wondered what the boys would remember about me as they grew with their kids? Would they remember a frantic shrill Moma in the morning? A Mom who scanned the radio constantly and never ever settled on one station for long (I'm notorious for "searching" the best song, all the time).

There was complete silence in the suburban. Sleepiness, irritation, anxiety, boredom...it was all there.

And then I struck on one of my most favorite songs.

Stuck Like Glue by Sugarland.

And I cranked it. I sang loud. I did body sways. I used my eyes to convey words to the song.

I had fun.

We were pulled into school with me jiving away.

I seen S3 feeling it. But S1 and S4 just silently got out of the suburban and waited patiently for me to finish singing. S3 would not look at me.

Great.

So then I turned into caring Mom. I got to the root of what was bugging S1...he needed to know the ending of the movie. He needed me to know he tries to clean his room. I told him I'd help with the room and then he and I were barely walking into school, me explaining in great detail how they load up with jewels, walk the plank, the ship is free, the hero has jewels in the marble bag to save the day.

He smiled for the first time all day.

Score.

Dropped S3 off, and chatted with the teachers about acorn squash. Because we have deep conversations like that in the morning.

Took S2 to his class, where he was thrilled to hear we were having hot dogs. He gave me a huge hug, not caring one bit we were in front of his class.

S1's eyes lit up when I asked his friend if he was okay with chocolate chip cookies.

S3 and S4 held my hands while we walked to class. They both told me they would miss me and that they liked holding my hand.

They both gave me kisses and hugs goodbye.

I returned alone to the suburban, contemplating the morning.

I think I learned two things.

My boys can be bribed with food.

And that even on rough mornings, those boys know I love them more than anything.

Breathe Writer's Conference Re-Cap

Last year, Sue called me up one day and said "Hey, lets got to a Writer's Conference."

And so we did.

It was there we met Ann who said "You really should go to Breathe with the guild and I this fall."

And so we did.

And we returned again this year.

Ahhhhhhh, there is nothing like walking into a room full of people and hugging the friends you have made over the past year.

Because, these ladies...Ann, Lorilee and Alison...have indeed become dear friends.

My husband always asks me what a Writer's Conference is like.

Um, how do you answer that?

Because, I don't know if you know this or not....but I'm not a published writer. I am a blogger. And if no one ever read this blog, I would have to write anyhow. I love to write. I have to get the words in my head typed on the screen or scribbled in a notebook. And there are a few story ideas jumbling around up there among the 'to do' list and all the laundry I have to fold and dinners I have to make.

The bestest part of a writer's conference (yes, I know I wrote 'bestest'. It's so the Guild knows I have to hang out with them more so they can correct all these mistakes I make. ;) ) is being around a bunch of writers.

But the friends you make there you "get" because they understand what its like to desire to make your writing better. Stronger.

The highlight teacher this year for me was Jo Kadlecek. If I could drop all I am and drive to Massachusetts and become a student in her classes, I would. Honest. This woman was phenominal and I cannot wait to read what she has written. If you do not look her up, you will be sorely missing out. She also introduced me to Flannery O'Conner whom I had never heard of, but will be becoming a student of. She made me excited to write, and her ideas on character writing have me dreaming up great story scenes......

Lorilee Craker did a terrific job teaching us about Book Proposals. This has been a huge unknown to me and she broke it down and made it do-able for all of us. I can't wait for her newest book to come out...it deals with money secrets of the Amish.

Alison Hodgson gave a speech Friday night that had us all in tears. The trials she has gone through as their house was deliberately set on fire....well, you just can't put that into words (even at a Writer's Conference).

Hugh Cook was our special speaker, the guest of honor. Because he spoke Dutch, I asked him what a "hon-yock" is (because that is what my husband was called as a child). He didn't know. The woman serving us snacks, water and coffee all day long said it meant "Trouble Maker". Which makes total sense. I have not ever read Hugh's work...Sadie the dog ate the book. Literally.

Emily Downs did a super quick moving class on how to be published in a magazine. She is an adorable girl who is anxiously awaiting the arrival of her and her husband's first son. I hope we get to meet up with this coffee loving gal sometime soon!

Probably the funniest class Sue and I took was on screenplay writing.

Let me explain.

For Praise and Coffee Night in December, Sue and I are writing a comedy skit for the women. She thought we should take the class to see what we could learn. So we did. And it was how to get your screen play PUBLISHED. I was certain, that at any second, Ted would KNOW I had no idea what he was talking about, that I was totally feigning any knowledge what so ever and would call on me....he did a great job, never called on us, and he gave us lots of info. I just didn't have any interest in screen play writing. I was so thankful when the class was over.......Ted Kluck, I am sorry. I hope you have an awesome screen play career.

The end of the day Saturday was the Writer's Panel, where you can ask them all what ever it is you would like to ask all the speakers from the conference. It's always informative and light hearted. Afterwards, we ended with a devotional.

The most unforgettable person of the whole conference was a woman named Kim. I do believe she and I and Sue will all be having coffee sometime soon and will no doubt become good friends. She was trapped in the Ukraine for eleven months and 13 days with her newly adopted four year old son before she had to flee for their lives. When did this happen? Years ago? Oh no, she just got home this spring.

Wow.

Her family was sitting here in the states, her husband, her daughter....not able to do a thing.........

I can not grasp my mind around it.

The highlight of the weekend was the girl time. It just is. It's getting together with a bunch of friends, it's Sue and I watching chick flicks and talking into the wee hours of the morning, it's complimenting some friend on her outfit, or heels, or boots, or hair....it's bonding. It's fun.

I strongly suggest you come on out next year to Breathe Writer's Conference.

And I returned home to, well, to be totally honest, there is a dead mouse somewhere in my house and I can't find it, my boys were all sick with the flu, my husband was sick, everyone was starving and I was late as the lone person in my family to run to church the next morning to teach Sunday school....but I returned home renewed and refreshed and excited to write. And write well. And write lots.

Stay tuned.........

A Country Girl Learns How To Curl Her Hair

...we think. We hope.

As I mentioned in the last post, I just have been informed that I need to grow up and learn to use a curling iron by my stylist. I trust my stylist. I mean, you should really trust your stylist completely.

I have straight hair. Straight. V E R Y S T R A I G H T H A I R. Straw has nothing on me.

I tried to curl my hair the day after Darcy the stylist did. It looked Daisy Duke-ish on one side and flat on the other side and crimped all over. So I wore it in a pony tail. And I had to admit, just having taken the time to attempt to curl my hair made my pony tail look ultra stylish. I decided to keep trying....

But the next morning, Sue and I were headed to a Writer's Conference (more on that later) so I went for my safe straight hair because, as Sue explained about herself, "I was born with a curling iron in my hand", and she assured me she would teach me and I would be a pro in no time.

I wasn't too sure.

About me, not about her.

It was ever so much fun hugging all our long lost buddies (Ann, Lorilee and Alison) when we arrived at the conference and, being girls, our hair styles came up and there was some discussion if my hair would even hold a curl.

But the next morning Sue was determined to have me conquer the curling iron.

She decided to see how I was curling my hair, so she had me basically pretend she wasn't there and just go to curling. I took the curling iron up in my hand, tried to get it to connect with my hair (hey, it's a trick if you aren't used to looking in the mirror and getting it to connect where you need to!) and began to curl.

Sue nearly screamed. She couldn't get me to drop that curling iron fast enough. Horror was written all over her face.

I thought I had burned my hair right off. Except I hadn't had my curling iron on my hair for any time at all. I had only begun to twist my hair up.

"You really DON'T know how to curl your hair!" she gasped.

I didn't.

I learned.

You need to curl your hair fluidly. Never against the holder thingy. And you have to use hairspray that literally works like glue. And you never want "fish tails" like I was giving my hair.

Sue expertly curled my hair, checking off helpful curling and styling tips as she did.

I love girly time. In a house full of boys, I just drink it up. And apparently I was in desperate need of it.

The next day, home alone with all my boys, I decided to attempt it again. I had to consciously think what I was doing....I had to concentrate fully. S4 came into the bathroom (we only have the one bathroom) and his jaw dropped open.

"What.

Are.

You.

Doing?"

he asked incredulously.

"Why are you pulling your hair like that?"

I tried to explain.

It didn't work.

But I did curl it. I had Jake take a photo of me and send it to Sue. She told me it was "darling". Honestly, I need more girl time because her calling it "darling" just made me feel "darling". I don't use the word "darling" nearly enough.

And Hubs is a huge fan of the new look. It took me a full 2o minutes I figured.

And then we had this picture taken (yes, same shirt as before. Hubby REALLY likes this shirt on me.)

Moma May Look Pretty, but She Sure Felt Like She Failed

How's that for a title?

We have been down with the flu this week. It hit us all the sudden and it hit us HARD. Yuck.

Yesterday, I laid in bed and could hardly move. S4 laid in front of the heater vent all day and wailed that he would surely die because he would never be able to eat, drink, play football or talk normally again. S1 was thrilled that a whole day marathon of Swamp People was on the History Channel. All. Day. Marathon. Of. Swamp. People.

But today the boys assured me they were well enough for school and I woke up feeling human again too (coffee greatly helped this human feeling along). So....I made plans to pick S4 up from school early and told S1 that I would check on him too and if he wanted to go home at eleven, too, he could.

S4 was mad when I arrived to pick him up. He had been hoping to eat the school's hot lunch, he wanted to stay with his school buddies, he felt fine, no one else had to leave...I bribed him with a cheeseburger. I did. I said, "I'll take you to McDonald's if you leave now...."

So he did.

He then informed me that when he grows up he would like to be a cowboy first and work in a cheeseburger shop after that. Such high hopes!

I checked on S1, he seemed fine. Our school is in the midst of MEAP tests (and I just have to say, purely from a mothers heart, I detest MEAP test time).

I felt all must be perfectly fine when 1:30 rolled around, and I went in to get my hair trimmed for the first time in....well, we figured about three months. How does that happen? How do you just "forget" to care for yourself?

Sigh.

But Darcy does wondrous things with my hair and I am so trying to grow it out and I pointed out to her some model with hair I love...and she informed me it was time for me to learn to curl my hair and if I master it now, I will love it when it gets even longer. It'll give me a bit of oomph.

It sounded wonderful, she made it look wonderful. I haven't used a curling iron since..........a long long long time ago.

I am not sure my hair will ever look like this again......

It was tons of fun chatting away in the beauty salon and I said my goodbyes, had enough time to go to the grocery story before the boys got home from school, feeling pretty and cute when I noticed the blinking light on my cell phone.

It was the school.

S1 was sick. Could I come get him?

He had sat there for one full hour, waiting for me to come get him.

I drove over the speed limit to get him.

I gave him the biggest hug. I apologized profusely. He told me it was okay and "Hey, your hair looks really nice, Moma."

I love that boy!

Since the day was 15 minutes from ending, I decided to take all the boys home. They were thrilled, well, except for S1 who wrapped up in a blanket on the couch and pulled his hat over his eyes. My poor boy.

Ug, Moma fail today........thank goodness they still like me. And that they like spaghetti because I didn't get to the store to get the buttermilk to make the Pioneer Woman's fried chicken. Again.

Another day, another try (and a new talent to perfect...the curling iron).

Surrounded by Turkeys

On our way into school today, I was scanning the radio for some good song all five of us could sing along too. Usually I am the one to point out sites on the sides of the road, but today it was S1...

"Hey, there were a ton of turkeys in that field back there," he announced calmly.

Three boys cranked their heads back to the field we were passing just as fast as they could. But we had passed the line of woods and couldn't see them.

"Really? You REALLY seen turkeys?" S4 grilled him.

"I really did," he answered.

The three younger boys began firing questions at him and recounting stories of when they had seen turkeys in our field, the neighbors yard, the camp ground we stayed at, etc.

"Do you see lots of turkeys?" S4 asked S1.

"I see them all the time. I'm surrounded by turkeys," he answered sarcastically.

It took everything in me not to burst out laughing. The insult was lost on the boys as they were trying to figure out how it was their big brother seen turkeys all the time and they didn't.

And then this song came on and it took us the rest of the way to school, and this is one of our favorite songs so all ended happily.