Sorry I have not been around. I have been a tad bit busy with getting ready for Europe. I have a little anxiety this time because of traveling with a small child but I think I have gotten a handle on it.
Hula Girl and Genuine Niece went skiing with their Aunt and Uncle! I guess it was an adventure. Hula Girl enjoyed ski school and loved learning about skiing. She had to do it just right. When I asked her about it she said, “It’s so easy….all you have to do is bend your knees and point the tips together and go down.” Her favorite part was the magic carpet rides to the top of the hill. It was the lift. If it’s that easy, I may try it again. Now I remember the reason why I have not skied in years!!! They don’t have bunny hills for adults. They only have green, blue and black and double black.
When I was learning to ski my cousin took me to the top of a hill that looked HUGE and said, “There’s the lift. If you want a snack and to get warm, you’ll meet me there in the cafeteria.” He gave me a shove and off I went down mogul hill. I did not know what I was doing, and I was terrified beyond words. I flew over my first mogul not know to go around them. On my second mogul I flew off of it and caught some air. My tips got crossed in the air and when I landed I hit full force on my chest. UGH!
My cousin had left me in the snow. I dusted myself off, determined to try it again. Still not knowing how to snow plow I flew off one mogul after another getting fast and faster and more out of control. I crashed again. I spent the rest of the time on my rear sliding down the hill. I arrived at the lodge to find my cousin resting comfortably and video taping me. I was mortified. Being a teenager it was the end of the world!
After hearing HG’s excitement over her day in ski school I just may have to try skiing again. I wonder if they have ski school and magic carpet rides for adults? It probably is private lessons and BIG BUCKS NO WHAMMIES!

Yesterday I spent the day dealing with so much garbage that I can honestly say I’m overwhelmed now!
First off, we had a flood in our basement. The main drain shot a fountain of water and it flooded the laundry room and went into the newly carpeted hallway. So I couldn’t run water down the drain. I have become an expert at pulling up the rug and drying it out.
So consequently I had a plethora of laundry to do. So I went to the laundry mat. I dragged 8 loads of laundry with me. I started the laundry and went to finish a few things. Then the bank and the store to get a few things for the trip. I was expecting a package to be delivered. It was Hula Boy’s passport. So I left 20 minutes before 12 because I had to switch over the laundry. I left the signed little note on the house. (because our mail comes in our house) When I got home there was another delivery notice and the other one was still stuck to the mail slot. So I had to solve that fire.
Went down and brought back the huge amount of laundry and also went and rented a snake to put down the problem drain.
A friend of mine met me at the house and he helped me try to snake the drain. It would not even go down the drain. So he took the needle nose pliers and went after whatever was in the way. It was a quarter, then a penny, then a dime and a nickel. This continued until we got to around three dollars. MY SON WAS USING THE DRAIN AS HIS PIGGY BANK! So finally we cleared away the change and started to snake the drain. VOILA….more change and a rag. What am I going to do with this child. When did he accomplish this little bit of orneriness? Who knows. The change had been in there for more than a week. So it’s anyones guess. Not only do I find money in my laundry machine but now in my drain!

I received a lovely package yesterday from a lovely person. Mamacita sent me a little package of music from Les Miserables. She found out about my love of musicals!
At Christmas my children were spoiled by a lovely gift from Deb and Laura.It was such a wonderful surprise.
When I started this journey of self expression I did not expect to meet people. I thought I would write back and forth a little but not expect to receive such wonderful words of support and care. I never expected to carry on to the point of actually wanting to meet them or having a friendship with any of them. I have enjoyed this. No and not just for the presents but for getting to know each of you in a different way.
Thank you….that’s all I can simply say….thank you.

Hula Boy found an ultra sound picture of himself. The conversation went something like this…
HB: “WOOK Mommy…this is me!”
ME: taken off guard “Yes it is sweetie. That’s called an ultra sound picture. It was taken when you were inside mommy before you were born.”
HB: “No NO MOMMY. I in a tank. I in a fish tank”
ME: *wondering how I should take that last comment, “No babe it’s you in mommy’s tummy.”
HB: “Mommy, this picture is me in a fish tank with the fishes”
ME: “Whatever you say!”

May be that would explain his infatuation with Nemo!

I am now starting to recall what it was like potty training our daughter. Our son is definately reminding me. I forgot what half of Denver’s restrooms looked like! As if I could forget the 20 restrooms in a day syndrome. So tell me…when do they discover their fear of public bathrooms? Is it merely a diversion tactic? *sigh….I’m bathroomed out!

Today I do what I do every month. I take in the collection of coins, and bills I have collected in the laundry. You know the collection that a person finds in the bottom of the washer or clanking around in the dryer or in the pockets of someone’s jeans.
Every month I have quite a collection. I do not generally carry a purse so all of my change is in my pocket.
So today I gathered up all of the cash and took Hula Boy with me to the bank. It was quite a bit of change this month. Probably because I did some shopping around Christmas and New Years. Anyway, I got the total back from the bank teller and was shocked. The total for my mad money for the month was $127.42. CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT?
So honey put on your dancing shoes…we’re going out on the town! (now only if he could dance *sigh)

NOT CONSTIPATION!!!!!! Contemplation.
Since we found out on Saturday that we are leaving for Belgium in like what 11 - 13 days (depending on the passports) I have been beside myself trying to figure out what to do with a 2 1/2 year old boy that has a HUGE amount of energy. I’ve contemplated Benedryl. He’s like me though…it only makes him hyper. I’ve even thought about a little JD in his milk. Hey I wouldn’t do it, or would I? Sanity VS insanity! A quiet sleeping child instead of a child that sings “Jingle Bells” at the top of his lungs over and over again. HUM….
So I’m open for suggestions today. I know that HG will be a gem. I’m never worried about her. BUT HIM now that’s a different story.
So help a mom out and give me some suggestions for a 12 hour flight!

I was reading Laura’s entry from yesterday and thought about the places I was afraid of when I was a kid.
In my childhood home we had a basement that would make your skin crawl. For some reason the pantry in the basement felt the creepiest. I would hide there sometimes for hide and go seek because I knew my sister wouldn’t dare open the door. We were both terrified of the neatly organized shelves of canned goods!
My grandparents had a farm that was originally homesteaded in the late 1800’s. My great great grandfather found the place and farmed it. (in fact we are still farming it to this day) Their attic was full of dead people’s treasures. Being that my grandfather was the last survivor of all of his siblings he got the house and everything else.
We use to sneak up the creaky stairs and look at the dusty accumulation of old phonographs, radios, pictures, music boxes, telephones…etc. There was one thing that ALWAYS creped us out. It was a horsehide coat. It was so awful that anytime we would see it we would run for cover.
My grandparents didn’t want us snooping around, but we just couldn’t help ourselves. We were on a farm with nothing to do except snoop. One day that snooping brought us face to face with a mystery.
We were looking through the trunks in the farmhouse and noticed a picture of a young woman. She had haunting eyes that looked like she had seen a ghost. I asked my grandfather about her and he briskly explained that it was his sister, Aunt Ida, that died of spinal meningitis when he was a boy.
Upon further snooping I discovered that all of them had spinal meningitis and she was the only one that died. Strange? I thought so. That stuck with me for many years.
When my grandfather was dying I asked him about Aunt Ida. He explained that she was a haunted soul. She had only one purpose in life and that was to be a mother and a wife. When she got pregnant at 17 by the neighbor boy she hid it for as long as she could.
My great grandfather was a very abusive man. He didn’t know any different. When he found out she was pregnant he loaded her up and took her to Lincoln. There she was to give birth and give up the baby or she wouldn’t be allowed home. He rules with an iron fist so anything he said…went.
She gave birth to a girl and mourned the fact that she had to give up her child. She did it and went back home a broken woman. The neighbor boy she got pregnant by wouldn’t talk to her anymore. In fact he had moved or something had happened to him because he wasn’t there anymore.
After that my grandfather felt that she had given up the will to live and so die she did. She just needed an excuse. Spinal meningitis seemed to be the ticket out of pain and she took the expressway out.
In the bedroom that my grandparent’s stayed in when they lived with my husband and I, there is a dresser that was hers. In some strange way it gives me the creeps but is comforting at the same time.

I think my imagination is on overload!! For those that know me they know that my imagination with playing Barbies is like subjecting me to the most extreme tickle torture. I dislike it but I do it. I still honestly think my imagination came out with my first born!
Today though as I looked into my children’s eyes I saw something different. I decided to take a break from trying to keep things orderly (orderly with 5 kids…pshaw) and play. I generally suggest a game because that’s straight forward. It doesn’t take imagination. So I suggested a game. Playing a game that a 2 year old as well as a 7 year old would be interesting in is like spitting into the wind and not getting it back in your face.
I went downstairs and all of the kids were on the recliner chair. They had the chair folded all the way back and it was touching the sofa. It was a “bridge” to the island where the crocodiles could not get you. So instead of freaking out because they were climbing on the furniture, I let my pettiness go. I started growling on the floor, snapping and slithering. The kids were screaming and pretending like they were swimming to get to safety. On went the game. In the end….I actually enjoyed myself and I know they did too.
So I’m off to make “foul soup” (chicken noodle soup) and sandwiches. After all of that playing…everyone’s ready for lunch.

I am excited! My husband has a job! We found out Saturday that the lay offs that were expected were not in his department. The Oracle/PeopleSoft merger did not affect him. (big whew!)
Some other unexpected news happened. Last night my husband came into the room and said, “I have been extended in Belgium.” and “How fast can you get the kid’s passports in order?” *blink blink…blank stare*
The month of Febuary we will be in Belgium trying to be a “normal” family!! All of us are very excited. I’ll be saying,”Bonjour” to the locals in just 2 weeks. *shiver with excitement
Enjoy the rest of the weekend.