Chef Preston

Preston catered a wedding last weekend. He made 500 truffles - Peppermint, Butter, Raspberry and a 3 layered one (using alot of liqueur)...It was fabulous - he is so talented and artistic.

Halloween (a little late!)

Molly is "Mrs Dracula"...If you can't read G.P.'s shirt, it says "BOB" and those are sponges pinned all over it...get it?

Sweet Rebekah came up with the "Smartie Pants" idea - easy, fun and comfortable...

It was a great Halloween!

All is quiet in bloggerville - not too many updates - not to many comments....Perhaps everyone has been throwing up and they just don't feel like blogging...

That's been our problem....

It is Tuesday night. Since Friday morning (3:15 am to be precise), Someone has been either nauseous, vomiting, having diarreah or in recovery-mode from all of these maladies. By Monday I thought we had all seen our share of the plague, but Tuesday morning took it's last victim and once again the Scrubbing Bubbles and Lysol were positioned by the toilet for yet another round....

I will return when the air is clear of the dark, germ-filled cloud that hovers within our home.

Dinner with friends -Part II

We're feeling pretty popular these days...Yes...another dinner invitation that we could not pass up. We love this couple! Alice is one of my first friends at Altamesa and Alan is a sweethart....Our children are also compatible (very important!). Best of all, they have Maggie...I don't go to their house too often, but when we do I always look forward to bonding with Maggie. She's a pretty little miniature dachsund. I don't know what it is, but Maggie likes me. I felt really honored when she chose to sit in my lap instead of Mommy Alice's lap....

Now here's the question...I would love to have a dog, but is it really logical? After all, I work all day, the kids are a school and Preston's at work....do we REALLY need someone else to take care of? If we did get a dog, what kind would it be?

The Sim's have a 2 noisy terriers in their back yard and a baby Yorkie in the house. I love the Yorkie.He is precious. I also love Cocker Spaniels and Scottish Terriers(apparently, I have thing for terriers that I did not realize until now). So do we just jump in and commit to a dog? I know what will happen...the kids will fall in love, but I will ultimately be the one who makes sure it's fed, pottied and nurtured and I'm already doing THAT for 3 kids and a husband!!!

Of course, there is always the negatives to think of....Mary Chris and the Jack Russell with mange episode...Maggie ate too much fudge and threw up everywhere one Christmas....and most importantly...Rebekah (my oldest) is terrified of dogs. Although, now that she is 11 she is getting better. Alice used to put Maggie in her cage whenever we came over beacause Rebekah was so afraid of her. This goes way back to when we lived in PA. Apparently my dad took Rebekah to the back yard to feed his dog and the dog jumped on her. She was about 3 when this happened and it made her very fearful of dogs. She has pretty much gotten over it, but would getting a dog cause a relapse?

Perhaps I will wait until Preston and I are home alone (empty nesters I believe it's called)...when all of the kids are gone and have their own lives. Then I will get my dog and spoil it...Until then, I will just enjoy everyone else's dogs!

Another question: If we did get a dog what should we get? It needs to look like one of us....Any suggestions?

Dinner with friends

Tonight we had dinner with some old friends and met some new friends. What fun! We haven't done that in a long time! Our lives are so busy with kids, work, chores, etc... that we have not taken the time to just sit and visit with other grown ups. It was fun just sitting around the table talking about nothing in particular....very relaxing. Our kids are now at an age where they don't need to be on our lap and they can play unsupervised for a decent amount of time. Occasionally they would check in with us, tell us something funny, then run off again.

Life is good. Sometimes you just have to slow down, leave the laundry and smell the coffee.

WIFE-SWAP COULD IT REALLY HAPPEN?

We're currently waching Wife-Swap. The premise of the show is where two completely opposite women swap lives....WHO HAS TIME FOR THAT?!?!!? I mean, really, do we really have time to drop everything and just go live in someone else's house? Tonight's show is really extreme - Trailer Trash Mama vs. Ms Manners...It's sooo weird - I could not imagine some other woman in my house raising my kids and hangin' wit my husband - I would probably be closer to the Trailer Trash Mama than Ms Manners...

Head lice vs. Mommy

Yes, they have invaded our youngest....she has been brave and taken it well, but Mommy is a little freaked out....

A week ago, as I was sweeping dirt under the rug, I thought to myself....

Could I really justify taking a day off work just to clean house and do laundry?

BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR!!!!!

After discovering a colony of "friends" living on Molly's head, I immediately called in sick and armed myself with lice shampoo, lice gel, lice combs, lice spray, laundry detergent and bleach. My washer and dryer ran all day long. All of the bedsheets, coverings, pillows, stuffed animals, hats, headbands, scrunchies, combs, brushes....anything that was near her head had to be cleaned!!!! I changed the filters in the vacuum, vacuumed, then changed the filters again. Everytime she sat on the couch or chair and got up, I sprayed "the spray". I carry "the spray" with me in the car and use it everytime she gets out. I have sat for hours combing through each strand of her hair looking for eggs, nits and yes, the occasional "live one"....I think they are just about conquered...Another day or two and I think she will be lice-free! I DARE them to come back.....I am now an expert-sharp-shootin-lice-removin'- mama! I can spot a nit from across the room, swoop down on it, remove it, dispose of it and sanitize in seconds flat!

I guess I'll think of something else the next time I'm sweeping dirt under the rug!

Our Labor Day Weekend - A Labor of Love

My husband is currently snoring as I post this. He was up at 6:00 am cooking for the Worth Heights Community Center that is currently housing about 200 refugees. Our church provided lunch and dinner today (Sun) and will be providing dinner tomorrow(Mon). Lunch will be taken to the Best Western at I-30 and Beach St because another organization is putting together a big cookout for the community center with bounce houses and the works. We have committed to providing 2 meals a week through the month of September at Worth Heights as well.

Tonight I spoke to Carolyn - she works for the Dept of Parks and Rec for the City of FW and is in charge of working with the churches and scheduling the meals, donations, etc... She had so many good things to say about our church and all of the other churches she has been in contact with. She has been overwhelmed by the outpouring of generosity and love. She also said that 1000 more refugees were coming from Houston tomorrow. They will be dropped off at Clark Field and will have to wait there until they are "processed" and placed in a shelter. Before they go to the shelter, they have to shower and put on new clothes - the old ones must be thrown away...Could you imagine having to do that?

In one of Danny's Blogs some commentors questioned if this hurricane could be an "Old Testament" event...I don't know - Did God see what was going on in that area - poverty, drugs, prostitution, etcccc and decide to "clean it up"? www.wfaa.com showed Tony Evans giving his sermon today - he seems to think that's what happened. God used the hurricane to "right the wrongs" (at least that is my interpretation of what he said)...

It's late...I'm rambling...All I know is that I'm blessed to be part of this effort and have been touched by all of the stories and events that have occurred.

A new kid

A new kid arrived at Sycamore today....He's from New Orleans and evacuated before the hurricane hit. He was sad because he wasn't able to pack his games and other important items. He said that his Dad told his Mom not to pack so much....I'm thankful that he and his family made it here together. Please pray for them and all of the other children and thier families. I cannot fathom what they are going through...

Does Anybody really know what time it is?

Does anybody really care?

I do...My life is run by the clock....I am constantly checking the time. At home, at work, everywhere...What if all the clocks in the world were destroyed - would it really matter? Yes it would....But just for one day I would like to not have to worry what time it was.

Here's my prayer for all of you this week as you work, play and check your watches:

"The Lord bless you
and keep you;
the Lord make his face shine upon you
and be gracious to you;
the Lord turn his face toward you
and give you peace". Numbers 6:24-26

Peace Out!

Ahhh! It's the weekend!!!

This is not my dog, but I would like to be doing what this dog is doing all weekend long! Back in the old days Preston would call me and say.."it's the weekend" and it used to mean something...Now it means that we are going to be really busy until it's time to go back to work on Monday. Not that I am complaining...I love my life, but sometimes it can get a little hectic....and what's up with all of this laundry? Does anyone hate mopping the floor more than me? I'm glad football season is starting. On Saturdays, when I get a chance, I love to lay on the couch with college football on...it has to be Saturday because college football sounds different from Pro football. I love to listen to college football while I am laying on the couch, half asleep - imagining cool weather, sweaters, khaki pants and scarves in places like Ann Arbor, MI or State College, PA...Nothing sounds better than college football in the fall, on the couch when you are half-asleep.

The Crock pot is a friend

I love my crock pot! School is back in session and starting next week we will be in full swing with work, homework, dance lessons, choir practice, scouts, sleepovers, playdates, chores and all of the others things that we fill our lives with. One of the things that we have done is eat together as a family. No TV, no sittin' in the living room, no eatin' in shifts.....We do it together or not at all! I know we have all read and heard the importance of this activity, but sometimes it is not always easy to accomplish.

That's where the crockpot comes in handy. I got up 15 minutes early this morning so I could put together dinner. It was beef tips and mushrooms over noodles. When I got home from school, Molly and I took a swim, and then all I had to do was cook some noodles, saute' some zucchinni and cut up a cantaloup....Dinner!

I usually do the beef tips or a roast. Does anyone have any other good recipes? I would use it more if I knew some good ones.

Bon Apetit!

School's In!

That just doesn't sound as good as School's Out.....I guess the correct title should be Back to School!

What a great week! The kids started last Tuesday at a brand- new school with brand new -kids and brand- new teachers. They did great. My kids are so well-adjusted in spite of their parents. They decided they would like to go to the same school that I work at as a teacher's aid. It is a wonderful little school hidden away near Edgecliff. I am assuming that Sycamore School Road was named after it since it was built in 1973 - hence the mascot "Superstars". When searching the web I was surprised to find that there are other Sycamore Schools in the US and they are also the Superstars - I guess it just has a nice ring. Sycamore Scorpions sounds too mean...Sycamore Saps is too sappy...Sycamore slimeballs...see there is no other choice but Superstars.

I have been asked by some of the students why we are "Superstars". They think it sounds "gay". I then go into a lengthy dissertation eplaining that the early 70's were a time of change. Hippie's were on the way out and disco had not quite hit the scene yet. The Carpenter's had great song out called "Superstar" and who could forget the movie "Jesus Christ Superstar"?...So in 1973 being "Superstars" was really cool and progressive.

They still think is sounds gay.

I love blogging. I spent way too much time drifting from Blog to Blog last night and enjoying myself tremendously. After messing up my setting and getting frustrated, I called my hacker friend Brian and he fixed it all up! My links are the ones that I like the most....It is amazing to learn what is really on people's minds. For instance, Danny proudly advertizes his Blog on the Altamesa TV's Sunday Mornings. So I visited expecting to find some serious churchy stuff. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised to find a week-long discussion on snack foods, lunch boxes and crocheted hats. My friend, Joanie, is my advanced English student friend who uses alot of big words and can articulate anything she is thinking really well. She has a lot of strange thoughts....Trey is also a strange one...Again, I marvel at the extensive use of big words and advanced English! Henny is my friend that keeps it all real and Lindsey is who I would want to be if I had to do it all over again (as long as I got to marry Preston and have the same 3 kids!) Finally, I love my husband - that's all I need to say!

Peace Out!

W-O-M-A-N

I thought I would add a picture of myself! Does this robe make me look fat?

I'm new at this

I have so enjoyed visiting blogs of my friends that I was finally forced to create my own in order to respond to some of them. It seems that I always have something to say in response to whatever the profound word of the day is.....Whether it be the Batman/Superman dilemma on Trey's or the Vacation Quandry on Jen's. I really am not sure how all of this works and how you will actually find me and if I will have anything profound to say...but at least now I can add my 2 cents worth!

OXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO