Almost but not quite

Yes , today is Feb 28 and Tomorrow March 1 and somewhere in-between in the magical realm of time is our anniversary. This year I composed Michael a paper back book through www.mypublisher.com It turned out amazing! I will definitely use them again possibly for a large portfolio of my wedding stuff. The only thing I would change was the font. I tried to cram all of our magical poem and words to the song from our wedding ceremony onto the page. So we might need a magnifying glass when we are old. I did give Michael the book earlier in the month. I don't think he was all that impressed but I love it. If you would like to see it click here then add #787033 to the pass code. Even the picture that weren't that good turned out looking nice.

For those of you who were wondering...the nurse will not be back. Although we found her stethoscope in Maliea's bedroom the other day(?) and will return it to nurses network.

Just when you think.....

...that things can't get any more bizarre.

We noticed the other day that our fairly new industrial sized bottle of vanilla extract was much much lower than it should be. I love to bake but it would be quite the feat to use that much. So then I checked out my other bottles. The orange (80% alcohol) was completely empty, bottle still in the cabinet; the raspberry had about 1/2 inch left; The almond and banana (40%) almost both gone. Hummmmmm. Well Michael marked the vanilla bottle label with where the level of vanilla was. We suspected the nurse.

Are you laughing? 'Cause we are. Bizarre as it seems apparently our nurse has been enjoying our extract. When she went to leave today, I noticed through the Walmart plastic bag she was carrying that she had several extract boxes. Then as soon as she is out the door I hear Chaiya scream and start hysterically laughing, "It is her!" Chaiya had immediately run to the kitchen to check the vanilla bottle out. Sure enough there was more than an inch gone. Check out the photo with the mark.

Unfortunately I needed to call her supervisor. I am not sure how else I could have handled this. I guess Lydia is an excellent judge of character.

Following her bliss

Talked to Chaiya tonight. They are spending the night in Grants Pass,Or. She is tired, beat, burned and happy beyond all belief! The instructor said she was way past beginner level and they will ship the paperweights and other things she made home. All the guys really encourage her to continue and even looked up resources and classes closer to home for her on-line. I am so happy to be able to support her with her dreams!

Happy Valentines Day

My husband is far away in Idaho having the time of his life visiting with old friends. Chaiya is with him having the time of her life because he is letting her drive everywhere!!!! My living room currently looks like a sweat shop with organza all over in strips everywhere as I try to sew them together for a ceiling treatment. Have a wedding reception this weekend. Hired staff. Hope everyone shows up.
Lydia has recovered from a very rough weekend and horrible Monday. Desating to 62 and grey isn't fun for any of us at all! She lost another tooth and can't wait until the toothfairy comes tonight. Lets hope the toothfairy remembers. Unlike Quayde's last one where that crappy toothfairy forgot 3 times in a row.
I am not really a person that cares too much about Valentines, I am not cynical or anything, it's just that my kiddos don't like cherry tarts. I made cherry tarts for years for them on Valentines. One year Chaiya was brave enough to tell me they hated them :) Oh well. This year they got chocolate which is better anyway. Except Lyd, Barbie gummies with hearts for her. Have a great one and remember the best valentine is loving yourself!

QOTD

"My heart is beating a little faster!" Michael after returning from trying to teach Chaiya to drive in a parking lot for 45 minutes.

By the way, he was sweating pretty bad too!

Tonight my dad dropped by to visit and spend time while waiting for my 15 year old sister to get out of a dance. We watched a short film from my new spiritual cinema circle selection. In the film a blind woman teaches a man to see from his heart. My dad barely speaking over a whisper says, "That's how my mom saw the world" He wiped away a tear he didn't want me to notice. I never really stopped to think how much he misses her.
Grandma Ruby has been my angel, my guardian, my comfort. During some really really hard times these last 10 years I have felt her presence so strongly some day (nights too) All I could share though....... tonight with Dad was that she's with me alot.

Mixed emotions

Maliea is my sweet, pure, wonderful one. She is so loving and kind. I wish the world valued that as a talent. Today......Chaiya passed, Maliea didn't. It was their driver's permit tests but you would have thought it was much much more. Chaiya always shines in the 'worldly' view. Which makes her happy and guilty. Maliea feels she isn't good enough. My heart aches for both of them as they try to find their way in this big world. I definitely don't have better answers for how it can be easier on them or me.

Next....

The last two night have been long... without much sleep. I call them Next Kid nights. In other words, Lydia needs suctioning , Quayde is throwing up, Thayne wants to nurse yet again. So I go from one child to the next serving their needs and trying to make them as comfortable as possible. Tonight I am hoping that it is not a Next night and that sleep will be my friend!

Finding Time

I am a person that truly believes that we "talk" ourselves out of time. How many times a day to we think negative 'time' thoughts? Things like ,"Hurry, We'll be late" or " There just are not enough hours in the day" etc... I think that we create that lack of time. My dear friend, Kristi, knows I have been playing with time for years. I listen to my statements. I re-enforce the belief that I always have enough time to do everything that is important as often as I can. I usually can guess what the correct time is within a couple of minutes. I never wear a watch. I didn't keep a calendar/planner until after Lydia was born. Then it was a do or die situation so I had to. We do not have real television in our home. I think that is an incredible time waster. We do watch videos for school and fun occasionally. More than I would like, but it is 6 to 1 in this house sometimes. I always like to believe that I have more than enough time, it is a much happier/ joyful concept than lack.

I have been working with a lady for a church function. She needs to decorate for a conference for 280 women. It's a brunch with speakers. It has taken me 3 weeks to convince her she doesn't need to number the tables since they will be colored coded. I have made the choice to only email her and talk in person because if I am on the phone she will talk for over an hour and never get anywhere. I need to send more light and blessings her way! (improve my attitude) Years ago I learned a concept about phone calls...almost always you can get what you need said in 1 1/2 minutes or less. Then if you choose there is always the fun part of talking as long as you want.

Today I felt a huge shift as I dropped off the three older children to various destinations. The two older girls had babysitting jobs and Quayde went to a friends house. Homeschooling has been such a joy as I have never needed to be in a car dropping five kids off to different schools constantly. They are getting older though. The girls are going to test for their driving permits . Whoa! Am I really ready for this? Maliea legally doesn't need us anymore since she is over 18 but the process of growing up is still present.
I look in the mirror and the grey hairs are just starting to come in more than strays. I think the toddler is doing it! I'll be forty this year. So we will see how time and I stay friends as I think I really am a very vain person.

medieval birthday

Quayde had 6 boys over for his party with quite the age range. Since he is a popular boy with lots of friends, we had to limit the party to a manageable size. Still it was wild at times. We started with colored stained glass window pictures, then juggling or the attempt. We then watched a video off of youtube.com of master jugglers to see how amazing they were. Our journey then took us to a choose your own medieval adventure, in which our first choices almost got our fingers chopped off for killing one of the King's deer in the royal forest and having our little sister die from hunger. Next we had to go out to find the dragon scales that a baby dragon had shed in the back yard. We played a game trying to break off our ball and chain we got when we were prisoners in the dungeon. Then we had another choose you own adventure where at the end we became master goldsmiths in the guild. Our supper at the banquet table was eaten with our fingers and consisted of grapes, cheese, bread and chicken legs. The boys got to keep their goblets that they drank "wine" from. On to slaying and eating the dragon and presents. As each child presented their present to King Quayde , he presented them with something from the royal treasure chest. They got a dragon egg (glitter putty), build your own knight figure, gold chocolate coins and royal ring pops. They also got to take home 3 of the dragon scales they collected earlier. Huzzah!

Before he is slain

In a few hours the house will be invaded by knights of all shapes and sizes. I just finished Quayde's birthday cake. It didn't turn out as nice as I wanted but he loves it and that is all that matters. So I thought I would post a picture before it got slain by the king and his knights.

In the mirror

Chaiya and I were comparing our reflections this evening. Scars, wrinkles, etc... When I made note of the fact Chaiya has a serious nose. Her reply," Yeah, So serious it could scrape the Titanic"

On another note ; I realized as I was exiting the truck this evening and looked at the moon that we have invited 6 boys over tomorrow night for Quayde's birthday and the moon will be full.
Off to make a dragon cake and say some protection chants or something for my sanity.