Operation Organization begins tonight

Today I received a much anticipated little package from Amazon that held the secret to my new, more organized life.  I ordered Project: Organization in an attempt to get control over the somewhat crazy house that I am supposed to be domestic engineer over.   I really had no experience when I started this job, but I think it is time now for some serious training.  Right now?  I am working on our room, which in the aftermath of Chris' stroke never truly got unpacked.  Whenever there wasn't a designated home for something we unpacked, I think it just got sent up to our bedroom or my soon to be craft room.  For all of you organized, fly lady sort of people, this is very new to me.  I am hoping I will come out on top and conquer this once and for all.  And so the war begins.  

Toothfairy Update:  After threatening Chloe with a trip to the dentist to pull out her tooth (that was now behind her front tooth and just getting gross), she let me tie a string to it and give it a yank.  Chloe has always been a little bit of a wimp since she takes after her mama, so after holding a paper towel in her bloody mouth about 10 minutes, we discovered that there were TWO teeth missing from her mouth.  We still have no idea what happen to the 1st tooth's neighbor, but it apparently wanted to fall out too?  I only pulled out one tooth, I swear.  I had to go look back at Christmas pictures to be 100% sure that she hadn't already lost the missing tooth, which she swore she had.  A toy from Target and an extended bedtime later, Chloe no longer has her crazy tooth situation.  Something just isn't very cute about 2 teeth in one spot. Yuck.  (especially when one is hanging down below the other. Double yuck.)  I will try to get a picture of my toothless cutie tomorrow for all to see.  (Try being the operative word.)

Organization Update: Sitting room and most of bedroom done.  Laundry tackled.  Chris now has clean socks. Lots of clean, nicely matched socks.  I think I need to  sleep now so my six little sweeties don't undo everything while I sleep tomorrow morning.  (Ok, probably just two of those six sweeties will do the majority of the undoing.)

Bibliophiles unite

Yes, I am a bibliophile.  I love my books and I think that I have successfully passed that love of books (or obsession?) onto my daughters.  (Although, when we moved, I realized that it is a lot harder for bibliophiles to pack.)  I know that an appreciation of good books was always encouraged while I was growing up (but don't ask me why they didn't burn my SVH books that I read for all of my middle school years) and my parents are still doing their part to pass that on to their grandchildren.  

Every Christmas, my parents give each of the grand kids a gift card to Barnes and Noble.  I think this tradition stems from my dad's many hours spent exploring the shelves of this store.  This is quite the treat for the girls because, although we own a lot of books, they rarely get to go into a bookstore and choose whatever they dang well please.  In preparation for the much anticipated trip to spend their gift cards (which normally lasts at least two hours), I talked to the girls about choosing books that could be a treasure in their library.  Not just a paperback that they would read once and finish in 30 minutes.  A classic?  I book that was part of a series that they enjoy?  Preferably a hardback? (I am a little bit of a hardback snob.  If they make it in hardback and I know I like the book, hardback it is.)  And NO toys this year.  I figure if Grandma and Grandpa wanted us to get toys, they would get us Target gift cards, right?  

      

After much deliberating in the children's section, the girls made their decisions.  Hannah needed a mini story time to decide which book she would choose.  Chloe, my especially indecisive child, just didn't know where to start.  Elise wanted....a Thomas train. (I actually would have let her get it, but she did get distracted by some lovely books)  I thought I would share their choices, as I was pretty impressed with their choices.  Rachel got the most recent installment of the Leven Thumps books.  (which I don't really get but I think they are the closest thing she can get to Harry Potter, so she goes for it)  It is a hardback and a series she likes, so kudos for Rachie!  Autumn got a book about fairies.  Good: Hardback  Bad: Disney fairies instead of the more whimsical and less commercialized Cecily Mary Barker fairies that are all over her room.   Still, she loves it and spends hours pouring over it, so all is great.  Chloe got Strawberry Girl, which is a classic and a hardback so "Yeah!" for Chloe. Hannah ended up with Fairy Foals, which for a horse lover that has a great imagination, is perfect.  The real fun comes with Elise and Lilly because....I get a little more say.  Elise actually ended up choosing a playful picture book, The Little Blue Truck, instead of a Thomas book that she liked.  I was a little shocked, but the book she chose is a quick read with great pictures and a nice ring to it.  Lilly chose (yes, she did!  I swear I had nothing to do with her decisions. wink, wink) a Richard Scarry book that I grew up reading (and have already read over and over to the girls.) and Skippy Jon Jones. We discovered Skippy Jon Jones during piano lessons, trying not to laugh out loud as we read it for the first time.  It is hilarious and is not for the faint of heart. Warning, though: You have to be ready with your fake Spanish accent to pull this one off.  

These are all books that will be much loved as they grace our bookshelves. (and our floor.  and our couch.)  Every year I struggle with just letting them redeem their gift cards online to save money, but there is something rather priceless in perusing a bookstore.  You normally come out with something completely different that you came in for and it is kind of like trying on a dress before you buy it.  I've never been able to get into buying my clothes online for this very reason and I guess I haven't totally accepted always shopping online for my books yet. Amazon does  have its place, but I hope bookstores are always around.

The Keeper of Bees

"There always had been lips that should have spoken up and told the Creator how wonderful was the mystery of the earth and the majesty of the sea and the beneficence of the sunshine and the healing hours of moonlit darkness. "

"...when he thought Life, he thought merely of that one thing he might possibly do and what it might possibly be that would give him some justification, when he faced his Maker, for the spending of his latter days."

Too busy reading to blog.  Here is a sampling of Miss Gene Stratton Porter, wonderful authoress of my all time favorite book, Laddie and of my current read, The Keeper of Bees.  

Girl Scout Cookie Time.....

Well, tomorrow marks the start of girl scout cookie season.  I have to admit, I am not incredibly enthused about it, but the girls are dragging my along for the ride. (kicking and screaming, I might add)  So here is my contribution to cookie season.  If any of you are wanting to buy cookies from someone (in the Portland area), let us know and we will hook you up.  We have three very enthusiastic girls that are ready to sell cookies to anyone and everyone. (After 9 am tomorrow, of course)  My favorite?  Samoas, hands down.  The big problem?  Chris and Autumn (dang those braces) can't touch them and I....shouldn't.   Here is our e-mail if anyone is hunkering for some yummy girl scout cookie goodness. mylittlewomenandme@verizon.net

I love my visiting teacher!

In our church, there is a system in place that assigns all of the women a visiting teacher who is supposed to come once a month to visit and basically be there when you need someone.  (spiritually, physically, etc...)  Having said that....I have the best visiting teacher ever and I am not sure why because it isn't like I deserve one.  I am not so good at getting to see all of my chickies once a month, but I do try.  Really.  And anybody that I have visit taught in the past that is reading this should get comfort in knowing that I feel much guilt over being a bad visiting teacher.  Major guilt.  

Ok.  Back to why I love my visiting teacher.  

A.  Her husband and her came over as soon as they heard about Chris in church and offered to bring over a very delicious meal.  

B.  They randomly stop in to see if we are okay and it is normally when we really need it. 

C.  Her husband introduced us to Forest Grove's Gingko tree. Not super useful, but cool.  

D. She came to visit and said "Why don't I do your dishes while we talk?"  Wow!  Do people really say that?  She could have told me that I won a million bucks and I don't think I would have been as excited.  

E. They sat with us in church to help with the girls while I ran out to take care of Lilly  

F.  They have a great big dog that they let the girls ride (however briefly) 

G.  Her husband just stopped by and took our very dead tree out and is burning it right now. (at his place, not mine)  

H.  They brought over fresh baked sodium free bread on top of it all  

I. She is a mother of a ton of kids (7? Oh, I guess that is only one more than me.  Scary.) and she homeschooled most of them. 

 J. They came and snow plowed our street so we could get to church.  

Down to earth and fabulous.  Now I just need her to teach me how to make her bread so delicious.      I was at the sink tonight thinking about how I needed to get my tree out when the door bell rang.  Yep.  My visiting teacher's husband and sons, sent at her behest.  

Remember that quote by Spencer W. Kimball about how God answers our prayers through other people?  So many prayers answered by one family.  Thank you, Heavenly Father.  Thank you, Matiako family.  

The drama unfolds....

I know that you are all going to be very disappointed, but you missed out on "quite the drama" tonight at the Kang residence.  I will set the stage first.  Chris has returned to work this week, working full days all week so far.  We've been packing his little low sodium/ low cholesterol lunch and trying to make sure that there was a nice low sodium/low cholesterol dinner awaiting his return home.  All has been well until last night and since last night was Tuesday, all was really only well for one night.  Ugh.  I've really tried.  Really.  Which leads me to the drama.  Last night, Chris comes home to a dead car battery (Thank you, dear sweet Hannah, for loving to turn your light on in the back!) and his dinner that I had set aside on a nice little plate on the counter had been all eaten up.  (minus ONE ravioli....gee, thanks, girls.)  I had a nice talk with the girls about how eating his dinner was very inconsiderate, especially since he is at work all day providing for our family and extra super duper especially since they knew it was his dinner.  Fast forward to tonight.  I had to feed the kids before they left for church, so we had to eat dinner without Chris again.  The girls ate a gigantic dinner and all I can figure is that they worked up a major appetite running around Out of This World.  I set aside a nice plate for Chris and made it very clear that nobody should touch it.  Very clear.   Nurse Lilly.  Read a book.  Come back to the kitchen and voila!  His plate had a tiny bit of hash browns left.  (breakfast for dinner)  I got to put my very frustrated detective hat on to figure out which very inconsiderate children had done this very thoughtless thing.   I felt like I was an interrogation officer.  Should have called my dad for some tips.  Instead it was the same old threatening an early bedtime for everyone if the dirty rotten scoundrels didn't confess.  Is it just me or is that incredibly wrong?  It isn't like they didn't get a big dinner.  And here is Chris, at work all day, very limited on what he can eat and I have a dinner for him that is sodium free, potassium chalked, with all of the food groups in correct proportion....and they eat it?  Sigh....just when I thought my girls were practically perfect in every way.  

Funny part of the whole thing?  Hannah asked me how I knew who did it. (I guess she missed the confession)  She said, while patting Chloe's tummy "Is it because she looks pregnant?  And Rachel's tummy is flat, flat, flat?  You knew she ate it all, huh Mommy? "  Thank you for making us laugh, Hannah.  And Hannah really was a very pleasant child for the rest of the night.  I think it was because she really enjoyed not being the kid in trouble.  Shaking things up at the Kang House.   I should have taken a picture of the girls in a line up for tonight.  Next time, okay?

Tooth Fairy Update:  Hannah lost her 2nd tooth last night!  The tooth fairy, like always, was a little late.  Luckily, she (or maybe her tooth fairy assistant) came by the time Hannah went to recheck her pillow.  Chloe, on the other hand, still has hers hanging, waiting for a gust of wind to blow it out.  

In with the new and out with the old

Happy Late New Years to all! We have been enjoying a mellow New Year's with family, just hanging around enjoying our loved ones. As the New Year came, I started reflecting over the past year, which I feel has been a whirling mess of craziness mixed in with wonderfulness. (How is that for a description?) I feel like, considering how many things have happened this last year, we have come out ahead of it all. We have not only survived, but I feel like we are in a better place than we were a year ago. And, of course, as soon as I start thinking about our survival of the past year, I start thinking about all of the many people that made that possible. All of our wonderful friends and family out there that played such a large part in keeping me sane and helping us get through pretty tough times. We have been so blessed by our Heavenly Father throughout all of this, doing everything possible to help us keep our heads above water during the thick of it and sending us many people that have blessed us with kindness. There is a quote by Spencer W. Kimball that I love and that I feel completely applies to our last year. "God does notice us, and He watches over us. But it is usually through another person that he meets our needs." That quote IS the past year. Thank you, all of you wonderful people out there and may I return the favor in 2009.

Camera hospitalization update: Camera Works rocks. They fixed up my camera like new (a loose screw on the main board? Sounds like my problem in life.) for a mere $45. I love you, Camera Works. Now can you ship my camera to me so I can still take family pictures for everyone? Please?)