[my home is] Out of Order

I am attending to household duties that have been neglected since someone lent us season one and two of LOST. We will be with you shortly. (I hope.)

This is actually an email someone sent me:

Cell phones - New Law

According to a proposed new law that would go into effect July 1, 2008 you will no longer be able to use a cell phone while driving unless you have a 'hands free' adapter. I went to Circuit City and they wanted $50 for a headset with a microphone for my cell phone. Having a friend in the cell phone business, I talked with him and was able to come up with an alternative, working through Office Depot.

These kits are compatible with any mobile phone and one size fits all. I paid him $0.08 each because he bought in quantity. Then we tried it with Motorola, Sprint, Verizon and Nokia units and they worked perfectly. Also, forward this to anyone you know, who has a cell phone, and who may want one!

I can hear you laughing. I thought you could use a laugh. WE ALL NEED TO LAUGH MORE...... HAVE A GREAT DAY

Just an FYI

Good morning all . .

An e-mail that I have to respond to asks what my daily day is like.

One day hasn't been like the other yet, so I'm still waiting to answer that.

In just a few moments I'm going to sweep out the mini-van. Get my daughter up, dressed, fed for school, drive their class to a theater production.

Drive back in time for sign song worship practice with the deaf Pastor Carlos and my co-missionary Yesenia.

By then I assume I will need to pick up kids and daughter from school.

Meanwhile I have a 2 year old who is mastering the final touches on potty training (putting pants back on after a potty visit, not to use 1/2 the toilet paper to wipe-you-know-what-why-don't-you-just-let-mommy-do-it! and you still need to use the potty when you are busy having fun, cause it is not true that "no one will notice"!~!!) and a 7 month old who needs to get nursed and feed and nap at some point during all this fun.

That will bring us to lunch and there is laundry, dishes, and more fun yet!

Whew!

I'm tired already.

A meme

You Will Not Be a Cool Parent

And that's pretty okay. While your kids may not think of you as a friend, they will respect you. You know that kids need discipline and structure, and you're not afraid to give it to them. Just be careful that your strictness doesn't lead to rebellion. It's good to have standards and rules, but you don't need to have an iron fist when enforcing them.

Would You Be a Cool Parent?

And you know what? I'm OK with this.

A friend is

A friend is someone who shares with you how to cook stuffed bell peppers in the microwave!
yum!
XOXOXO~~~

Health Benefits Of Being Overweight

Health Benefits Of Being Overweight

A new report suggests that being overweight is not as harmful as is commonly believed, and actually confers some surprising benefits.

Being five to ten pounds overweight could protect people from ailments ranging from tuberculosis to Alzheimer's disease, research indicates. Those carrying 15 to 25 extra
pounds are better able to recover from adverse conditions such as emphysema, pneumonia, and various injuries and infections, states the report.

Thirty to forty pounds of flab could help fend off breast, kidney, pancreatic, prostate, and colon cancer. And an extra fifty pounds on the scale may improve eyesight, reverse
baldness, cure the common cold, and reduce global warming.

In general, the report concludes, overweight people are happier, more successful in business, smarter, and friendlier.

The study was funded by a research grant from McDonald's, Burger King, Jack in the Box, Taco Bell, Domino's Pizza, Starbucks, Haagen Dazs, Sara Lee, and Krispy Kreme.

Received from Steve Sanderson.

Brought to you by GCFL.net: The Good, Clean Funnies List
A cheerful heart is good medicine... (Prov 17:22a)
http://www.gcfl.net/

Here I Am to Worship

Here I Am to Worship

signed in ASL -

Go and be blessed.

Not feeling myself these days . . .

Click on the name to go to the name generator link . . .

Me as a hobbit: Tigerlily Sandydowns or Laecla Jumpswell of the Bree

My Elvin name with these guys would be: Lómédith Queen of Gondolin. They made me queen! Sweeeet!

I got a Star Wars name of: Micpf Shoax Notchevy of Tylenol which I don't like at all.

And then this:

My Star Trek alien name is Maiell S'Talon.

Take The Star Trek Alien Name Generator today!
Created with Rum and Monkey's Name Generator Generator.

and who are you today?

Wordless Wednesday

Many interruptions

Is it just in ministry? Is it just my life?

One reality that I have accepted is that my life is never ordinary, in a rut or regular, and that is in large part because I can count on interruptions to my plan daily.

I may have nothing scheduled but I can count on Rita coming over, or my co-missionary calling or Carlos text messaging me . . .

There is always something.

I am very grateful for this, since it guarantees that my life will never be boring.

Still

At moments I would like no one to call me, no one to need something, and no one to come over.

Like today.

I've been needing to deal with the mountain ranges of clean laundry I have piled up (and piled, and piled and piled . .) , and since we went to the swimming pool the other hot day, I've got those towels in another pile along with all the swimming gear here and there dispersed around the usual toys, used sippy cups and forgotten this and that that the children leave as a trail - I'm guessing in case they ever get lost . . .

To deal with the heat of the day and the energy of the kids and my list of "to do" I sent them outside to play in the small pool and when they came back in the house I had them take off their wet clothes and allowed them to put on a video of Blues Clues while I worked. Not feeling the need to require them to put clothes on, because - hey, I've got nothing planned nor know of anyone coming over, the day is my own - *roll eyes here* - and they like to be "organic" anyway . . . .

Wouldn't you know my brother John popped in. Literally, he was in Ensenada for a something and he wanted to just say hi! I think he was a bit flustered (as was I) at finding two birthday suited kids jumping up and down at his arrival!

What can I say?
I know better.

It was a good thing he did snap me back to reality since it's much better an uncle getting enthusiastically mooned then the pastor for the Deaf. Because, yes, as soon as my little flashers could, they were dressed and more suitable for company when pastor Carlos and his little boy dropped in needing to use my printer and ask a few questions.

And my mountains of laundry? Still there for me to work on tomorrow.

Although, tomorrow Rita is coming by . . .

Is it hot here, or is it just me???

I heard there was snow in Minnesota . . . is this true?

We are in summer weather here . . .yesterday it was 90+ degrees and we all headed to the near by pool.

Today the kids played in their small pool here and I made iceies for the first time with orange juice, Gatorade and ice.

They loved it!

I was just glad to have thought of it.

It was a blessing!`

Plus, two of the gals that went with me and work at Rancho Sordo Mudo are pictured at video marker 00:35 . . . .
How cool is that!

Soda?

From my 2 year old:

"Where's gran'ma?"

"She went home far far away to Minnesota."

"Oh, gran'ma get a soda!"

Pleasures and treasures

Three things that have been my privilege to introduce to the deaf here in Ensenada:

• Smores


• Root beer floats (one gal asked us "you came up with this idea?!")


• Taco Salads

I'm left wordless . . . .

We're busy, busy . . dreadfully busy . . .

Beth Moore is coming to San Diego, and so am I.

I'm excited about going, and what I'm finding is that several of the missionary ladies around here are going too . . .

(Heather - did you just roll your eyes?) ;-)

And this whole week we've had house guests, who make me feel young-until we stay up talking until close to 2am- then comes 6am, when my boy wants to nurse, and I feel old again.

Very very old.

*OH!*
Post Script - Our deaf lady friend, Rita, is going to have a little boy! I took her to the doctors to interpret and her ultrasound showed that the baby was not shy one bit to let the world know he' s a boy!

Oh the fun in store!~

One thing I've noticed about this life I lead - it's never the same from one day to the next!

I probably won't get to blog much this weekend. Got a bridal shower, game night, house guests, school meeting, and other things going on . . .

I anticipate enjoying every minute of it!

Well, maybe not so much the school meeting . . .

Portrates

As my previous post implies - my mother, who was here visiting us, has returned to her home in Minnesota. Just before she left she wanted to do something that she'd been waiting for us to do for a long long time.

Formal family portraits.

She even offered to pay.

We had a 10am appointment, which is the "good" part of the day with three small children, and had we been able to keep that appointment - I'm sure I'd have nothing better but some GREAT looking family portraits to show you.

As it is, my life is never so dull.

We got out the door late. Really late, and it is a three hour journey for us to go state side - so at the boarder I call and make a second appointment for 2pm.

We didn't make that one either.

I won't go into details. Anyway, I've pretty much have blocked from my memory why we didn't make it at 2pm. But we finally rolled in at about 3 something. I apologized and would have just thrown in the towel and not have taken portraits that day except that mother was leaving in a couple of days and she . . . well . . . she insisted. She had a valid point that if we didn't do it then, more than likely this would happen on the calendar of manana a.k.a. never.

I'm certain the high school-er at the counter rolled her eyes, smacked her gum and with a sigh said . . .yes, we could still get our pictures done that day . . there was a spot open at about 5pm . .

At about 4:30 the receptionist's apparent BFF introduced herself as our photographer, and with a sigh that belied her statement, said she was ready for us - but we weren't ready, cause I had taken the kids window shopping to pass the time and was just getting back now to nurse and to change them into their clothes. Oh well . . . rush to brush hairs, and slap some make-up on me, get shoes on . . . well, who needs shoes! Go go go . . .

Meanwhile - all you parents out there - you KNOW 4pm is the whine and dine hour, right?

Everybody is tired, baby needs a nursing, and if you recall we're just coming off of more than 3 hours in the car . . . I won't regale you with the chaos that it was with bribes, threats and tears . . .

The result: a photographic documentary of a melt down:

Notice the "If you guys don't smile and ACT HAPPY so help me . . .!!! " look that I've got going on!

Finally with a good does of joker action from dad we got some smiles, but you can just see the tears yet on my son's face.

By the way - guess where I am in this picture of grandma with kids? Laying on my back under my son's stool holding his legs so he doesn't hop down and run off. Lots 'o fun.

And just think, folks, these are the pictures the photographer KEPT! Yes, these are the good ones!

This was worth it, though . . .

*Sniff**Sniff*

We couldn't agree what the problem was.
Soon after I had gotten the car washed, it started to smell.

SMELL!!!

He was apt to blame some kid and an accident or a lost diaper . . . I said it smelled like something died.
I've heard of animals crawling into the mechanics of the car and getting caught . . . 'tis possible . .

We had both forgotten that it wasn't long ago when we had mom in the car.

Mom.

Eccentricities -

Everybody has one or two - or more

My mom would be categorized in the "or more" group -

One of her "things" is to pocket stuff. Crazy "I'll just put this here for now and deal with it in a bit." and then forget about it stuff. Like leftover chicken wrapped up in a napkin in her purse, cold old fries in a coat pocket.

Like raw turkey frank hastily wrapped in plastic in the map pocket of our car stuff.

That was the dead thing I was smelling.

I am thankful that it was my husband who found it - we dropped mom off March 18th, and at least the day before I know we didn't have access to those turkey franks . . . so sometime before then . . . .

So a shout out to my aunties that chauffeur her around -

Check your map pockets . . .