Look, Ma! No Brakes!

Wanna know how up your stress level? Drive a big ol' van with 9 kiddos having a grand time. Not enough stress for you? Drive that big ol' van filled with 9 hyper kids down a big hill. More you ask? Drive that big ol' van with 9 hyper kids down a big hill and have your brakes fail. Oh yeah, that is not for the faint of heart. Heck, it isn't for me, and I have a healthy heart.

I will try to positive and look beyond the bad things. I will look beyond the cost of towing and repairs. I will look beyond being cooped up in the van with the 9 hyper kiddos as I wait for my hubby to come get us (he was 40 minutes away). I will look beyond that the brakes went out on a steep hill with no warning.

What I will see is that hubby was not travelling so at least he could come get us. Rather it was me because I couldn't see cramming 11 people in a 5-person Prius (one being an infant in a carseat). We went and got our other car so we could divvy up the kids and continue on to church. I guess it is a blessing we have three cars having bought the hybrid Prius when gas prices started sky-rocketing.

Another blessing is that the van brakes failed when they did. If they failed the day before, I would have lost our new piano hubby was hauling. If they failed any sooner, I would have hit a house or seriously re-landscaped a neighbor's yard. If they failed any later, I would have gone on to a highway unable to stop or in town with more people, cars and buildings. Neither of those scenarios appeal to me. There could have been some serious injury and damage. Although the "Hulk" (aka my van) seems to be indestrucible from the couple of other things that have hit it like a mailbox and the car that rear-ended us. They didn't look too pretty afterwards.

It is hard to not say what if. I am just glad I didn't have to worry about the what ifs. When I realized I wasn't stopping although my foot was about to go through the floorboard, I let the van coast while still trying to get it to stop. I didn't make my turn. I don't think I would have anyway having either rolled or driven the van into the deep culvert. I am glad we are safe. I am glad my heart rate returned to normal (and that it was strong enough to withstand the fright).

They sure do talk funny

I was reminded of how words/slang and the meanings change over the years. I was reminded this morning by an almost horrified 15 yo. Charissa left her shoes (flip-flops) by the door. Her little brother (the 9 yo Jonathan) came by and saw some ants. He put Charissa's shoes on and smashed them.

I was telling Charissa about it a few minutes later, but heaven forbid I used the word thongs instead of flip-flops. So I basically told Charissa that Jonathan borrowed her thongs. Given the meanings of the words now (a thong being a piece of floss guised as underwear), I guess it does sound rather alarming not to mention funny.

I think they change the word meaning to keep parents on their toes and like totally un-groovy ... er cool.

EARTHQUAKE!

I was shaken awake at 4:45 this morning. Actually, I don't know what woke me, but when I did awaken I heard the items on a bookshelf in our room rattling. When they stopped, my first thought was wind or a tree fell. I checked outside. There was no wind. My hanging plant in our sunroom was still swinging. I started checking on other things. I guess I was thinking that sure felt like an earthquake. I live in the middle of cornfields so it couldn't be. We get tornadoes not earthquakes.

Oren came up saying his parakeets went beserk waking him. This isn't looking good. So I call hubby who happens to be travelling and on his way home soon. He says it sounds like an earthquake. He ought to know as he has been in one. So to relieve all doubt I googled it. I found a site and yep ...

A 5.4 earthquakes struck Illinois this morning. judging by the responses it was widely felt too. We are over 200 miles from the epicenter so fine, but what a wake up call!

TimeTraveller

My oldest says she is a time traveller. I laughed at her. Then she showed me this picture. Look at the young woman on the left.

Now I wonder as this is my oldest here and now.

I read about the first young woman. She is referred to as Big Nose Kate. Interesting history to say the least. Charissa is worried about the photo of Kate at 40. I didn't like the reputation of being a prostitute and common law wife to a gun slinger. So glad I don't believe the time traveller theory to explain the look alike.

Eric

Since Eric was born late September, he hasn't had a chance to see green grass or even stay outdoors for very long. Since the weather kinda cooperated (it was windy) yesterday, I took him out to get his first taste of grass. Thankfully, that wasn't meant literally. I think he was more interested in pulling the cats' fur. Eric has a fetish for hair. It doesn't matter to whom or what it belongs really.

It Made Me Smile

Yesterday was miserable. I had chills. I had a fever. I had a pounding headache. I was miserable. To add woe to my misery Eric was feeling better and not using me as his comfort so I was a tad uncomfortable too.

Yet in all this misery of mine (I am feeling better now. Thanks for asking!) I was able to smile. I smiled when I saw my 13 yo's detention slip. It wasn't at the slip itself but who signed the parent's signature line. Joanna (4 yo) gave her permission for Oren to stay after school. The teacher got a kick out of it too.

I smiled at Eric's baby laughs (even 3 a.m. ones like this morning). There is a reason why we call Eric "Chuckles". He is even more hilarious when he is tired. Everything strikes him as funny and worthy of a laugh.

I smiled when my oldest came home telling me she was able to arrange class work with her teachers if I needed her to stay home. I was that miserable. Hubby would be travelling and was worried about me. I guess so was my oldest. That was really sweet of her being willing to stay home and care for me. Alas I am feeling better, and she is bummed she has to go to school.

I smiled because I didn't clean house and had a good excuse. Actually I wasn't smiling as I crawled back in bed, but I was relieved I had a card to play on why my chores weren't done. In my experience the being-sick-card works better than the playing-on-the-computer-all-day-card.

I smiled because the kids eventually all went to sleep. The house was peaceful. I crashed before hubby could start snoring too loudly. That was definitely worthy of a smile.

National Library Week Fun

Next week is National Library Week (April 13-19). In celebration the kiddos' school is re-naming their school lunches after books. Running with that idea, we are celebrating in our household too. It will make the week go faster at least especially the couple of days hubby travels. It also annoys my hormonal 15 yo. I have earned quite a few eye-rollings from her.

We are actually going to kick off the week the day prior with a story-teller featured at our local library that day. On the way home, I'll pick up some strawberries. That will be for Sunday's feature. Each day that week features a book or author we enjoy.

Sunday: Angelfood cake with strawberries and cream in honor of The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry and the Big, Hungry Bear (a favorite of Joanna's). We can even make funny disguises to hide ourselves too. I don't think the older hoppers will go for it, but it will amuse the younger set.

Monday: Dinner will be alphabet soup and bread shaped into letters. After dinner we are going to our library. The older hoppers can get books while the younger ones can listen to storytime.

Tuesday: We are honoring the author Laura Numeroff. For breakfast, we are having Cookie Crisp cereal (If You Give a Mouse a Cookie). For snack, we are having muffins (If You Give a Moose a Muffin). Dinner will be a pancake meal (If You Give a Pig a Pancake).

Wednesday: This is our busy day, but we will make time for some Teddy Grahams snacks. My oldest remembers a book she enjoyed at bedtime called Bears in the Night by the Berenstains. We love the Berestain Bears. I have used them to teach many a lesson about picky eating, too much TV, gimmees and such.

Thursday: This will be our dog party night. We will make silly party hats and have hot dogs and cake for dinner. This is all in honor of one of the all time favorites in our house, Go, Dog. Go! by P. D. Eastman.

Friday: We have a school carnival this night. Perhaps just an extended dog party? LOL!

Saturday: Dinner will be in honor of How to Eat Fried Worms. All day long I will be using gummy worms added to our meals. They will be swimming in the syrup for our waffles. In our sandwiches or soup for lunch. They will even be coming out our meatloaf for dinner (added after cooking). Of course, you have to finish the day with dirt cake for dessert. We will be watching the movie too.

Turnabout is Fair Play

Do you know what a pain it is to write sentences? Maybe that is why it is used to punish children for misdeeds. Parents too.

This past September 11th we took the kids to deliver some goodies & thank yous to a police officer and returned soldier we know. We made a stop at a ice cream place on the way home for treats. It was raining when we returned home. Grasshopper #2 was standing in the rain refusing to go in the house. What do I do? I picked up a rock and tossed it against the back of his leg and told him to get moving. He did but not before stopping and whipping around.

"Mom, did you just throw rocks?" Uh-oh! This is the kid who had to write sentences for throwing rocks at his little sister to annoy her. He also received a gash and trip to the ER for a couple of staples courtesy of an older sister defending a little sister. "I think you need to write sentences." Dang punishment! It was such a good idea when I enforced it.

So at 8:30 that night I was writing "I will not throw rocks at people" 25 times. I gave the sentences to #2 who promptly declared that they were his most prized possession and wanted it laminated. Whatever, kid. Don't push your luck. Fair play is just grand.

Cheap Entertainment ...

Unless they drop my camera, of course. It wouldn't be too cheap then to repair or replace it. I mentioned in my food blog, Cornbread & Cookies, that we are easily entertained in this household. My 13 yo decided to have fun with my camera and entertain himself.



Note: No cameras or 13 yo boys were harmed (for harming the camera) in the making of this video.

Linguistic Intelligence ...

Heck, I am just glad to have some intelligence. I am really doubting the functioning of any remaining brain cells lately. I did always want to be a teacher (actually teach children music at the church I attend). I do like to write too and even learned a new language, ASL, to help translate a few years back. Now if I could just convince my hoppers that clean rooms are best.

Your Dominant Intelligence is Linguistic Intelligence

You are excellent with words and language. You explain yourself well. An elegant speaker, you can converse well with anyone on the fly. You are also good at remembering information and convincing someone of your point of view. A master of creative phrasing and unique words, you enjoy expanding your vocabulary. You would make a fantastic poet, journalist, writer, teacher, lawyer, politician, or translator.

What Kind of Intelligence Do You Have?

A Child's Prayer

We raise rabbits and do so for selling them or meat. We also say family prayers each morning together before each heading off our separate ways (hubby to work, kids to school and me back to bed).

This past winter all three of our does gave birth. There were 17 bunnies born but due to a cold snap we lost all of them. We held off mating our rabbits until it warmed up a bit so not to repeat the sad misfortune. My 11 yo was heartbroken as she takes care of the rabbits and has a soft spot for all the baby bunnies.

Minnie, one of our does, had a litter yesterday. It is windy and chilly (at least it isn't freezing or below zero) so we have been careful to keep the nest box well insulated. The new litter made it through the night. We hope they continue to make it. It doesn't hurt to ask for help either.

This morning my 11 yo offered the family prayer. She prayed that Minnie's babies could live and grow old ... pause ... "at least until Dad gets a hold of them." There a few irreverent snickers around the table (myself included and hubby was trying hard not to laugh).