The mayhem, the mayhem! There’s nothing like three bedrooms piled into the middle of a small livingroom, kitchen and diningroom. In the process of all of this I am running HG all around kingdom come to volleyball camp. NONE OF YOUR WARNED ME! None of you told me that life would be chaotic with a tween. No one said that her schedule would dictate my sanity. I feel as if I have lived in our car. If I have to eat one more on the run meal I will choke! I have to get better prepared.
Unfortunately, with everything else in chaos, Ithink that I will just have to relish in the thought that by Sunday we can start moving back in. HAPPY THOUGHTS. HAPPY THOUGHTS.

It seems amazing to me that one year ago today we were in Russia. Also one year ago today we got the report that our home was flooded. Next week will be the end to that era when we finally put in the last of the flooring. We will finish putting in the hardwood floors this next week.
I feel somewhat nostalgic that our house after being through such turmoil is almost to the point of being done. I told HH that I didn’t want to remodel that kitchen for another year at least. I just want a break from projects and start to live again in our home.
I still am looking for shoes. I can’t seem to find size 11 that works. Ihad a gaggle of shoes and now I have 3 pair. I have money to buy more but can not seem to find what I want. *sigh You would think it would be easier right?
I am thankful today for the new floor going in this week. After a year of hardwork to put it all back together again I just want to hear,”Welcome home Hula family!”

Tonight I was given a gift that some might strage. My mother took me aside and handed me a brown paper bag. She told me that inside it was a gift like no other. I was not to look at it until I got home.
Inside there was a plant. It looked like it probably had been a lilac plant which are one of my favorites. I then saw in the bottom a little note. It took me off guard to see not my mothers handwriting but one I did not recognize. As I opened it the paper cracked with age. I started to read.

“Dear Emma, Please find inside a slip of the old country. Mama and I want you to have a piece of home. This is a piece of the lilac bushes that sits on the property of the big house in Neuchatel. This we give you as a wedding gift carrying on the tradition that was started when your mother and I married and came to the United States. You plant it where your heart is and watch it grow along with your family. We love you and will miss you as we are returning home. God be with you and your life that you are beginning with Milton. May He grant you many happy years as man and wife with many children. Papa and Mama”
They did have many happy years and 4 boys, one of which is my father.
I appreciate the gift of havinga piece of my heritage. Even though it may be in the form of a plant, it is a plant that is over 100 years old. I hope I don’t kill it.

I have officially had a mommy moment where I had not a clue what I was doing. Let me preface this by saying that I grew up with no brothers or or boy cousins around. Of course boys fascinated me. I think that was the case because I lacked boys in my life.
Nothing seems more American than baseball. HB started playing baseball this year. HE LOVES IT. He’s good at it as well. Before the season started I wanted HH to go over and get him outfitted for his season. Needless to say, he got busy and did not get it done. I was left with the chore of trying to find everything a 6 year old needs for baseball.
I walked into our local sports shop knowing I was facing a possible embarrassing situation. I swallowed my inexperience and “manned up”. I asked the clerk for a glove, helmet, bag, heart guard and cup. When he asked me what size of cup I told him I had not a clue. He asked what size of underwear and I told him a 6-7. He then said, “Oh…ok pee wee.” I twitterly retorted, “Don’t tell him that! He may be offended!” I nervously giggled while the sales clerk outright laughed. I purchased the things he needed and went home to get them on in a hurry because we had to get to practice.
The first feat was getting the heart guard on. Although I understand the concept, the contraption is like a maze of twisted bungees. Finally I got it worked over his shoulders and then there was a clip for his pants. By this time I was kind of sweating. I was definitely frustrated by the amount of “stuff” he had to bring and wear. Then it was time for the infamous cup.
I put the cup into the underwear. Ok let’s back up a step. I have never seen a cup in my life. I naively thought that it was like a suction cup thing or like a lick and stick for lack of better words. I then had a new situation in front of me. The cup came with underwear. As I looked at the underwear I saw the slit for the cup to fit into. I put it in. Impressed with myself I had him put it on and then put on the rest of his clothes. He came out like he had been riding a horse. Confused I sat there trying to figure it out. HB then informed me that he FELT like he was riding a horse. This proved positively confusing. I broke down and called HH. I described all of the equipment I had outfitted HB with and then we came to the walking part. I looked up from the phone and saw HB trying to run but it looked more like a gorilla running around. I explained this to HB. He started to laugh so hard he lost his breath. I told him that I put in the cup with the small side up for the smaller bit and the big size down for the larger bits. He really lost it then. He could not catch his breath. He explained that I had it upside down and that HB had to be very uncomfortable. *DUH. I got HB to switch the cup. He walked out with a relieved look on his face. He thought he was going to be stuck with running around with a horse between his legs.
On our way to the field now 10 minutes late from all of the craziness, I looked back to see HB smacking himself….YOU KNOW WHERE! He excitedly explained that it did not hurt this way. Between his chest guard and his cup he played a nice rhythm section. When he stopped he asked me, “Do you think that the other boys know what’s between my legs?” I explained that every boy at this age wears a cup and that yes everybody was the same.
I survived my first encounter with boy gear. I swear when HG starts her period, I will be out of town with my phone OFF! He will have to go to the store and try to pick out all of the stuff and see how he does.

It is not often that I am glued to a book that I can not put it down. I enjoy a good book, but I know that I can not get lost in a book because the children would start concocting recipes including loads of sugar and my husband would be complaining yet again how he loves to wear clean underwear and I was not fooling him by recycling by sniffing them. (Yes, gross but necessary at certain points!)
I must admit, I am hooked. I started the book last night while HB was having a raging fit that HG was not home and no one was upstairs with him so he could fall asleep. GADS. He was just a bit jealous that she got to go on an overnight camping trip with all of her friends and their parents from her school.
This book to which I am referring is called,”The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.” It is written by Mary Ann Schaffer and Annie Barrows. The writers in this books reminds me of someone I love and adore. I especially enjoy her writing. Yes, my dear friend Mamacita. She could make a pile of crap sound like a castle of treasures. The way the writer in this case willy nilly’s around, I LOVE IT!
If you have not read it yet….DO. You will fall in love with the dear people of this island, even the witchy ones.
Run as fast as you can to get it. You will not be sorry. It is now in paperback.

I can not believe school is out! Didn’t we all just start? This year has been a blur.
This is the year of change. This next scool year we will be changing schools. We feel it is time. The school that they are going to has become more and more legalistic and now my foot has to come down. These are my children….our rules, our decisions, our life. Yes we have been provided with their lives to take care of, but I can no longer sit by and see my daughter going to school in a dress when it’s below freezing. It is not teaching them modesty or good choices. I can not longer hear them preach about rock music when our choices may be different. Personally, I like a variety of different music. I can not sit by and let the brainwashing begin. I was raised very similar and I rebelled BIG TIME. Our choices are our choices.
So both children will be going to a new school. I will be getting to know a whole new group of ladies. I am nervous but excited.
Yesterday being the last day of school means that today is sleep in day. HB woke up with t he chickens. Mercy.That’s just how we roll.

So it is done. We had 6th grade graduation on Thursday and Kindergarten graduation on Friday. I am officially a mom of a middle school hormonally challenging going in to 7th grade girl and a crazy running by the seat of his pants with his hair on fire 1st grade boy. It seems so strange to me to think of my babies as being this age. I know that to those that have been in the trenches longer understand that I have merely closed my eyes for a moment. In just another breath of a second they will be graduating…going to college…married….children of their own. I keep forgetting that I will be 40 this year. I don’t feel 40. I don’t feel that they should be 11 and 6 almost 12 and 7.
I know this is how my own mother felt as she saw our passing years, and wondered what happened. I understand my mother more and more as time goes on.
For today I may need to cry just a minute and then be thankful for the they are indeed growing up. I think back to our seven miscarriages and know that I am thankful for the opportunity for them to grow up. I am just not ready for it.

I was driving down the road the other day and saw beat up car that looked like it had been through the mill. Inside this car was a bunch of teenagers all piled in like sardine. I thought about the fact that I had done that as a kid. I also though about the fact that it is highly illegal now here to not have everyone in a seat belt.
I came home and shared this with my neighbor. She then told me that her teen son had been in an accident a few weeks ago and had a few too many kids in the car. The accident was his fault. He rear ended someone. The insurance company would not cover everyone in the car because they were not in seat belts. Most of the car accident was not covered by insurance.
HOLY MITES. I can see their point. Yet I also know that he was probably distracted and that is why he rear ended the lovely Lexus in front of him. The cost of his joy ride? It is now at around $250,000.
At this point I do not have to worry about HG….yet. It is only 31/2 years away. I remember myself as a teen driver and worry that she will take after me…or even after her daddy. OH MY! Be still my overbeating heart.
I will enjoy today. 11 year old HG and 6 year old HB. Yes today willbe just fine thank you.

I decided to jump on the sexy board and wear something that was a secret under my skirt. I bought a thong. Not because of the sexiness…REALLY but because with the skirt it didn’t have those obnoxious panty lines.
On Easter I went to church with a thong on. It was my secret. I giggled because it really would not be all that attractive to be seen in a thong, but my secret was safe…until after the Easter Brunch.
At brunch I was getting that dental floss in my backside sort of a feeling. It is not very comfortable at all mind you and my slip was catching in the lacy part that was obnoxiously laying a little twisted because I had put them on in a hurry.
I went to the bathroom and fixed the twisted string thing and went back to having brunch at church. During the “sharing” time the thong crept into places that no thong should creep. Dear heavens I was being invaded by my underwear.
I quietly walked out of the class and walked to the bathroom in disgust. I had bought the underwear on good word that they would be comfortable and the best thing EVER. NOT.
I got into the bathroom and quickly removed the itching, crack dividing nuisance and pitched them in the trash. I knew I could not return them. I was not about to endure another moment of uncomfortable skivvies.
I walked back into church with a wicked grin on my face. It was kind of breezy that is for sure.
We had Easter dinner and were with family until the evening. That night as I got ready for bed HH saw me take off my dress. He looked at me with a puzzled expression. Then he dared to ask it…”um…Honey did you go Commando all day? “NO!” I said this a bit emphatically as I started to blush. “It was not all day. It was partially through brunch that I realized the thong was not fit for my body. I took it off, pitched it and went “commandess” the rest of the day. A look of shock and amazement showed on his face. Yes, his girl went “commandess” at church and survived Easter without underwear. All I have to say is that I would rather go commandess than wear a big girl thong. Just sayin’

Since I did not post yesterday I can officially say that things went well yesterday. I still kept with my eating breakfast habit. That in itself is an accomplishment.
This week I will work on not only eating breakfast, walking 3 times a week,but also I need to drink water. The great nemesis to me losing weight besides my choices has always been water. This week I commit to drinking more water. This one will be a struggle but I think I can do it.
Health….here I come.