Friday, November 27, 2009

Happy Thanksgiving and some bad-ish news

Hope y'all had a great Thanksgiving! We did :)

The bad-ish news is that I have a whopping case of carpel tunnel and have to take a break from typing (and therefore blogging) for a good while until it clears up. I will certainly be reading all y'all's blogs, but I may not be commenting, since even typing this short post is making my tendons scream at me :( S'okay. You can all leave sympathetic comments here. I'll be fine in a week or two.

Till then!


Friday, November 20, 2009

Seven Quick Takes Friday




1) I really love the Quick Takes meme, but so seldom have a chance to write on Fridays. If there's a post up here on Fridays, it's usually because I've written it earlier in the week and set it to autopost. But today I've decided to postpone my workout time till the kids wake up and we're going to do a Denise Austin Kid's Fit video together. It's all in the interest of mentoring the kids in a healthy lifestyle. I'll let you know how that goes...

2) I really do intend to finish up The Story of Us and I'm really not on a power trip. It just takes a while to dredge up a coherent story out of all the bits and pieces of my memories. I've already remembered stuff that I should have included earlier in the story... Such as a famous platter of shrimp that J and I shared when our families went out to dinner (we eat shrimp on every anniversary now). Also, I did find a few diary entries that were low enough on the embarrassment scale to actually share, but now they're moot. All that to say, I will finish the story, I promise, just let me take my time and do all the quality control needed to produce a series worthy of this most excellent blog. (*snort, choke, giggle*)

3) The Holiday Crazies are about to begin in the house of F. This weekend we take off for my parent's house to see my sister (this one) perform in a local production of Fiddler on the Roof. There's something about that show... It's like a family tradition. Or kinda. J and I sang selections from that show for our first public appearance together "after it all went down". You'll hear more about that later-- see number two, above. Anyway, we'll be back for two days and then off again for J's family's place for Thanksgiving. Can I express publicly just how grateful I am to be spending this holiday with J's family? Remember last year's harrowing experience?? Yeeeeah....

4) I've been coming to a depressing realization recently. I want to write more fully about it later, but for now I'll say it looks like I'm going to have to give up my precious nap time writing/reading/relaxing time in favor of giving Sofi more undivided attention during her school work. I am NOT looking forward to this. Advice and encouragement from moms who have survived the transition to No Naps would be appreciated... (Sofi isn't napping, she just has free reading time while Judah naps)

5) I am conducting an experiment in my bathroom to discover how long a shower can go un-scrubbed before the tub ring spontaneously generates life. So far, so good. I'll let you know how that goes, too.

6) I finally put up my button from Dawn! It's over there in my sidebar and you can click on it and read all about our big cross-country adventure with Two Mommies, Two Toddlers and a Princess. I have every intention of continuing to edit the pictures that never made it up (due to crappy hotel internet) and add them to fill in the holes in the story, so check back in a few weeks and see if there's anything new :)

7) If I don't go right now and wake up my children, Judah will not nap today. That would be bad. I must go. I will talk to all y'all later!



Tuesday, November 17, 2009

The conversation with Kristin

I mentioned in the comments of a previous post About Us a conversation I had with a friend that I still remember vividly. She asked me to remind her of it...

J. was still a year or two away for me, but K. had recently begun courting her future husband and she and I were discussing courtship, marriage and other such things that occupy the minds of teen-age girls. There was a several year (can't remember exactly?) age difference between K and her young man and we were talking about how people might view that and whether or not that was socially acceptable in our time. I mentioned to her my grandparents marriage of (at the time) nearly fifty years and the 18 years age gap between them. I expressed my intention of marrying a man at least three years older than myself, as I thought that would ensure a stable and mature relationship. K was skeptical, however...

But how are you so sure you'll marry someone older?

I just know it's the best thing for me.

But what if you meet a godly young man who's just perfect for you but a few years younger than you or something like that?

Oh, that won't happen.

But what if it does and what if you fall in love??

Well.... I just won't fall in love with someone younger than me. I just won't. That's all there is to it.

Haha, the joke's on me! There was more to the conversation, but the part that looms largest in my mind is that-- for obvious reasons.




P.S. For those of you who don't know us well, J isn't 30 yet ;)

Monday, November 16, 2009

He did what??!!!???

Where we left off...

But unfortunately for me, J could not read my mind. All this time things weren't traveling at quite the same light speed for him that they were for me. He was still just adjusting to the dawning realization that there might be something in this talkative, weird-ish, opinionated young woman that he just might not be able to do without. And so, you know what he, in all ignorance of what it might mean to me, went and did?



So, as we said our goodbyes in the parking lot of the lodge. Souvenirs had been purchased, final pictures had been taken, all the gear was packed. Just before we hopped into the van, J handed me a brown paper bag rolled up in a bundle.

"Here, I bought you this"

"What is it?"

"Open it on the way home."

I scuttled to the back of the van and secured a seat away from the prying and curious eyes of my siblings. After it got dark enough on our evening drive, I slowly unrolled the paper bag and pulled out a beautiful silver and malachite ring.

A WHAAAAAT???? Hoooold the phone....

A ring.

*pop*

I blew a gasket.

A here-I-bought-this-for-you-in-a-paper-bag RING.

Of course, in his mind, it was simply a sentimental memento of a memorable weekend spent in the delightful company of one another, but for me!! It was a Ring. I mean, I'm only a woman. Rings mean one thing and one thing only. Am I right? Back me up here, sistahs. And here is a will-you-marry-me without the GUY and wrapped up in a paper bag and opened in the back seat of a van with all my siblings oogling at me over the backseat.

I think I may have cried for a week. Maybe two. I cried because I was confused and in love and only seventeen. I cried because I had hoped for a kiss and a promise with my ring and somehow I felt a little cheated. And then I cried because I heard that J was going to the prom that weekend. With someone else.

Head's up to you men (both of you) reading. Neverevereverever give a woman a ring and then take someone else to the prom. It sends mixed messages.

Of course, to do him justice, making me cry in those days was fairly easy. So don't think too badly of J. I mean, really. What's a man to do? He saw me admiring the rings in the gift shop, so he bought me one. Logical and thoughtful, right? Of course, right.

But in the meantime, here I was with this ring and no proposal, no prom, nothing. What's a girl to do? If only I was brave enough to read you the journal entries of the next several looong excruciating weeks!






P.S. J says it never occurred to him that going to the prom with another girl would upset me, since both of us knew my dad would NEVER have let me go with him. And he says "our relationship wasn't really at the point where we were technically "exclusive".

Saturday, November 14, 2009

...And I'd also like to thank....

I just wanted to drop a quick post in here are thank all y'all for your encouraging comments on the last few posts about child-training. It's such a great motivater to hear that y'all think I'm on the right track! I'm greatly inspired to keep on working to bring my children up in the Lord and I do hope that the Lord continues to show me the way to do that. I will happily share with you what I learn along the way and I'm sure some of that will come from all y'all's blogs as well. I thank the Lord for all of you who encourage me in my mothering-- both bloggy friends and those IRL. It's such a blessing to have a community of like-minded women (and a few men, too) to provide support and encouragement.

THANK YOU!


Wednesday, November 11, 2009

More about Us

I have to say that there were several sets of circumstances that served to accelerate the development of our relationship into something more than friendship. For starters, I don't know that it's possible to play a French Maid to someone's Rapscallion Count and not fall in love.

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I was not responsible for that bit of type-casting there. Ah no. It was my mother. I am actually going to "out" my mother here and tell y'all her deep dark secret. That is, she'd already decided she wanted J for a son-in-law and she was obviously casting this show with an eye to the future.

And while I'm at it, let me go ahead and implicate my in-laws, too. Sandy? Henry? Y'all know you helped out. Don't try to deny it. Poor us. We were the victims of a major parental conspiracy, is what. Albeit, quite willing victims.

As an aside, do you notice that cute couple in the background in the picture above? Yeeeeah. That is who you think it is. That young fox-- the dangerous one. You'll notice Sue and Ben in the background a lot in all these pictures of J and me. While all the parental contingency was getting all involved and picketty about the two of us, they were in the background, flying low, under the radar.... I have the pictorial proof. Stinkers.

So, it's not possible to play a French Maid to a Rapscallion Count and not fall in love. Nor is it possible to go on vacation with said Count's entire family and not at least entertain thoughts of this type of thing;



Especially since we were going up into the mountains. PhotobucketAnd we stayed in the honeymoon suite! Photobucket

Can you really blame a girl for dreaming? Really...

So I did. I dreamed. I imagined my first kiss on the summit of Sharp Top. I imagined long talks as we strolled through the verdant forest. I imagined all manner of things. Matter of fact, in re-reading through my diary of the time just now in preparation for this post, I quite embarrassed myself a with the blatant romanticism of those imaginings. When I die, someone better come get those diaries and burn them before my kids read them...

I did not, however, imagine carrying these two little Turkeys **:

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Up this:

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Yes, carrying. We carried them up Sharp Top. Almost the entire way. Matter of fact, those two Turkeys (for lack a better, but still polite term) dogged our trail pretty much the whole three days. I don't know whose plan that was, but I have my suspicions.... Needless to say, there wasn't any of this:



...or first kisses, or private talks. There was plenty of walking, though. And a little platonic cuddling-- although Susi shoved him out of the blanket and took his place right before Henry took this shot:

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My siblings. Always looking out for my romance.

There were also some sweet moments like this:

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J took that picture. He asked me to climb out onto the rock so he could take my picture. *swoon*

All in all, it was a beautiful time. I fell solidly in love. I admitted it to myself. I loved this young, absent-minded dreamer with the beautiful hair and the elegant fingers. I loved his way of thinking about things, I loved the plans he had. And once? I almost kissed that curl in the back of his neck. Right in front of God and everybody.

But unfortunately for me, J could not read my mind. All this time things weren't traveling at quite the same light speed for him that they were for me. He was still just adjusting to the dawning realization that there might be something in this talkative, weird-ish, opinionated young woman that he just might not be able to do without. And so, you know what he, in all ignorance of what it might mean to me, went and did?



**for those of you who do not recognize those two little turkeys, they are my sister, and J's brother-- about four or five years old at the time.

Monday, November 9, 2009

You've GOT to see this :D

And show it to your husbands! The truth is out! Women DO have a higher pain threshold than men. *grin*




Sunday, November 8, 2009

You only have to ask once...

ETA: I think I fixed the commenting problem...if not, would someone email me and let me know? Thanks Hos, for alerting me :)


I love my husband-- I've loved him for nearly fifteen years and I love talking about him and us and our story. You asked for it-- I shall deliver!


Jeremiah and I first met when his family (homeschooling at the time) attended a performance of our chorale, which must have been Christmas, 1995-- the year I was sixteen.We were doing a show called "All Is Well". I was, at the time, sporting this look:

That's me, second from the left, with the weird smirk)
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Needless to say, I didn't exactly knock his socks off initially. Matter of fact, he may not even remember this encounter. He swears he does, but I have my doubts...

The fall of 1995, J's family (four brothers) joined our home school Music Club-- The Storysingers. Ohhh my. I wonder if Mrs M. knew what she was doing. She just walked right into a chicken house full of hormonal teenage hens and set down not one, not two, but THREE fine young foxes :D Granted, Ben was pretty young at the time, but you all know how that turned out. Young foxes are the most dangerous kind, apparently.

Basically every girl in our group had a crush on those boys at one point or another that first year. (Do NOT try to deny it, girls, you know the truth. I was there, and I was watching...) I took my turn like the rest, but it was short-lived. I was turning 17, after all. It was time to get serious about marriage and such. I wasn't getting any younger. And I was determined to find an Older Man.

But there was something about that young man. He was quiet. Shy-ish. Intellectual. Boyishly handsome. And oh! be still my heart! His hair curled all up around his ears and there was this one perfect curl right in the middle of the back of his neck that just made me swoon. And his hands... I have a thing about hands, have I mentioned that? He has long thin fingers and squared off, manly nails. *swoon again*

Ahem.

Anyway. He also read Tolkein and Lewis, loved fantasy novels, was a math whiz and an excellent writer as well. It proved to be an irresistible package. Friendship and long conversations about books and our Faith gradually turned into something special-- something more than friendship. Something new... something exciting.

Or at least, for me it did. Unfortunately J is one of those endearing people who suddenly looks up and realizes they are in the middle of a forest and have no idea how they came to be there. All the way up through the winter of '97-'98-- his senior year at a private high-school, J did not look up. He did not notice he was standing in the middle of the forest, nor did he notice that there was a lovesick...let's go with hen, since I'm using up my quota of metaphors pretty quick here... trailing after him through that forest. Things did not look good for me. Not good at all, folks.

Thursday, November 5, 2009

November 5th

Remember, remember the Fifth of November,
The Gunpowder Treason and Plot,
I know of no reason
Why the Gunpowder Treason
Should ever be forgot.
Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes, t'was his intent
To blow up the King and Parli'ment.
Three-score barrels of powder below
To prove old England's overthrow;
By God's mercy he was catch'd
With a dark lantern and burning match.
Holloa boys, holloa boys, let the bells ring.
Holloa boys, holloa boys, God save the King!
And what should we do with him? Burn him!


I've always loved the story of the Guy Fawkes Plot. Have you told your kids this famous story of intrigue and daring?? They'll love it!

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Wow

It was fun to see that a couple of you actually had some great ideas for posts :) I'm saving Laurie's for later, 'cause it takes a little more work, but I've been cogitating over it...

Septembermom, about helping you son's reading comprehension... You say he's very visual and has trouble keeping his mind on his reading? Is this only with school related material, or also with "free reading" type things-- ie, fiction? If it's reading of all kinds, I'd recommend that you try out some graphic novels. Obviously he does eventually have to learn to read regular books, but perhaps motivating him with a more graphically exciting genre will lead to more proficiency and interest in reading in general. And you might be surprised just how much great stuff there is out there in graphic novel format. For example, did you know that the classic Boxcar Children Series is now available in graphic novel form? There's even a graphic version of Cinderella!

If he reads fiction fine and only has trouble keeping focused when he's working on non-fiction reading, then my solution would be to try having him read out loud. Not as much fun, but will certainly help him stay in touch mentally with what his eyes are seeing. This is the problem I have. I love to read fiction! As long as the word pictures are flowing through my (also very visually oriented) brain, I'm good, but as soon as things start to get technical... whoo baby. I'm gone! :) Any time I have to follow directions or memorize facts, I HAVE to either say it out loud or graph/outline it with a four-color pen. A Bic Four-Color pen is the only reason I survived freshman history. And economics. And calculus. Blech.

Hosanna asked about our trip pictures... Well, I did post as many of them as I could. Crappy hotel internet and all... I have tons more as well as a super cute little button that Dawn made me (thanks, Dawn!) and I'd planned to post all the pics and link up all the posts to that button in my sidebar, but.... I just got un-motivated (sorry, Dawn...:( ) Perhaps your request will motivate me once again! Who else is interested in seeing more pictures?? Anyone?


Tuesday, November 3, 2009

We're over the flu...

... but I still have the blogging blahs. I'm still reading and commenting here and there and I'll be back eventually, but... meh. I got nothing to say. Anything y'all want to know? Stories you want to hear? Questions you've been dying to ask me if I'd only just shut up long enough to hear them?


Now's your chance :)