Off to the Fair!

Family picture time. I don't know about you--but doesn't this just SCREAM "Christmas card"? I totally agree! 

We love these things...can you tell? K especially, would jump out of the stroller every chance he had, to stick his face in a cut out and get his pic snapped. There were more, we didn't even get them all. Maybe that can be our goal next year, to get a pic with *every* face cut-out 'thing'. I have a few pix from years back with each of my kiddos faces in that big tomato head.

It was different for us this year. Last year we mainly stayed in the children's section with the farm animals and participated in all the old time crafts.  We were introduced to needle felting at the fair last year and saw the same demonstrator this year. He is a nice man and does amazing work with felt and needles. This time we didn't spend much time in this section. 

There was SO much to do and see but unfortunately the place is so big we did not realize most of it until we were already on our way out. Regardless, we still had so much FUN this year. 

S was brave enough to ride a mechanical bull! It was the most hilarious thing I've ever seen. By the end, we were all in tears from laughing so hard. We can't stop watching the video of it, over and over.

We were mesmerized by amazing arial trapeze artists. These women were so strong, holding themselves up by their arms or legs on a long, dramatic red ribbon, swirling and twirling.

We enjoyed an old-time inspired acrobatic show that included a high wire walker and women that danced with flaming candle sticks.

We laughed in shock when we took off for an elephant ride! You don't realize how high off the ground you really are until the elephant begins walking away. It was Birdy, S, the toddler and myself. 

I even scored a new hat for myself, since it turned out to be really warm. The weather was nice but unexpected.

The Mr. was primarily in the mood to embrace all the crazy, deep-fried foods the fair had to offer. he was moderate about it in the end but he did get one treat.....

The whole family was able to enter for free since it was a field trip. They said we were going to have to pay for parking but we didn't.

We had a fabulous day.

PSA: Doorways & Floorways

I firmly believe that emergencies in the middle of the night are a true possibility. Therefore one must take all necessary precautions to create an unobstructed emergency escape route. In a 1000 square foot home, housing four children, three dogs, two adults and one bathroom, and all the stuff associated with each, this can be a challenge.

    The vacuum for instance, usually keeps watch outside the hall way closet door. It can’t be too far to the right or the left because then it hovers on the verge of blocking the door way on either side of it. It must be perfectly centered. Doorways must be cleared nightly to create a clear path of exit.

   

     My oldest son closes his door to sleep at night. However, the door only opens partially due to an assortment of random laundry items behind the door. I rarely enter into the man-boy cave he shares with his middle school aged brother so I can only imagine what lies beyond the great divide. The idea though, of not being able to open the door freely can send me into a dizzy rage of midnight emergency scenarios!

    “Ern!” I push against the bedroom door as far as it will go. The door pushes back.

    “What.” the man boy sighs.

    “Ern! I can not get this door open.”

    “Look. It opens.” He rolls his eyes as I shove my body into his realm.

    “No, it doesn’t. This is not acceptable. If there is an emergency and you need to get out quickly...what! What are you going to do then? huh?” It’s only the beginning of the rant he’s heard many times. “Why do we keep needing to have this conversation?”

    

     The door is not blocked from opening, just opening ALL the way. My sons are skinny, it’s not like they can’t fit through it. Their room also contains two windows if escape were ever truly necessary. I have never experienced a midnight emergency requiring me to run out but that is not the point.

    

    Shoe in the doorway: tripping hazard.

    Towel casually tossed: slip and fall.

    Lego: stabbed foot causing a delayed exit.

    Doll: twisted ankle.

    

    One person could fall blocking all other persons from exiting the area. This is serious escape route business, not to be taken lightly. If you need to exit the home in an emergency, all exits need to be clear of debris. Imagine a fire in the middle of the night, it’s dark and you’re groggy. You probably won’t remember that you dropped your slippers next to the bed and need to step over them. Instead, you will jump up and as you put your foot down and pivot to run out of the house half dressed, you will slip!

   

    Speaking of half dressed, one should never, under any circumstances, sleep in the nude. It won’t be sexy when your house is on fire and you have to make a death defying leap out of your bedroom window and land on the rose bushes below. You might think keeping a robe on the end of the bed is the solution to this dilemma. Until... you kick in the middle of your restless sleep, jump up because you’ve been awakened by an earthquake that has shaken your gas pipes loose, causing a leak that suddenly bursts into flames when the deadly gas comes in contact with the sensual candle you left burning after an evening of late night sexcapades, and can’t find your robe because it has become entangled in the sheets and blankets of your bed.

   

     I once knew a girl who’s downstairs kitchen caught on fire. She was sleeping in her room above and had to make a quick exit via an upstairs window. It was the talk of the neighborhood for weeks how she didn’t have any underwear on under her tight blue jeans she had barely enough time to throw on. We had to evacuate our condo for the same incident. My brother spent the entire morning in his underwear holding a welcome mat around his waist.

   

    Don’t be a statistic! Always be prepared for an in home emergency. Clear door ways and wear real pajamas. BE PREPARED!

My Shark-boy

Sammy booked his first commercial and shot it today. He was one of about 11 or so kids w/ shark fins on their backs, swarming in frenzied shark-like circles, stalking a 'mom' bringing home some Sharkies fruit snacks!

It was quite an eye opener for him. I tried to prepare him for all the time he would have on his hands & told him to bring his science book to work on. He didn't believe me. By the end of the afternoon....he was convinced that *next time* he was definitely bringing his science book! lol

We sat around most of the day, eating. They have a table spread that can't be beat. They were short one fin so he wasn't in most of the scenes they shot. Which made the day even more boring & disappointing. Once they released most of the talent, they put a fin on him and he was able to shoot a close up scene. Of course I hope they use it. He was in the group shot, of them huddled in a fruit-snack-feeding-frenzy but I don't think you'll see him cause he doesn't have a fin on. A few of the bigger kids were obnoxious and rowdy and created some not very fun moments. But over all, I think it was a good experience for him. After they shot his individual scene, we were released and he was on cloud nine. I'm sure the endorphin boost from the running they made him do & the sweet Sharkies snacks they had them eat had something to do w/ it too. :-)

Afternoon visitor

Today an elderly homeless man approached my porch and began talking to my front door. I thought he was about to knock but as I looked out the peep hole, he was talking. I couldn't understand him at first. I think he was saying something about, if I needed yard work done.  Just as I was telling oldest to go out and talk to him, he walked down the porch, still talking, back to his wheelchair on the sidewalk. I think he was using it as a walker?

I didn't recognize him, so he must be new to the neighborhood. We get a lot of pedestrian traffic where we live. We see (and hear) quite a few regulars. Last week the same man walked by our home, very late every night, screaming & cursing. One of the nights, again very late, my oldest son and I froze in silence when we heard him stop yelling and his cart stop rolling, right in front of our house. We were both sure we heard walking, up to our front window. The curtains were closed but the windows were open. There was silence as we both held our breath. Finally, after a few moments, his cart began rolling again and we let out a sigh of relief.

This isn't the first time we've had strangers approach our home. One time, years ago, a woman pounded on our door around six or seven am. The Mr. groggily answered, fearing some sort of emergency. The woman, whom we'd never seen before, nearly demanded that she needed to pray for us. The Mr. reminded her how early it was and how strange it was for her to be pounding on our door like that. She finally settled down when he told her she could pray for us, on our porch but he was going back to bed. I don't know what she prayed because I think it was in another language.

Another time, we were having a back yard barbecue for Mother's Day. A woman walked by, again we did not recognize her, and asked what we were cooking. The Mr. and my brother explained we were having a back yard barbecue for mother's day.

"I'm a mother!" she said and asked if she could have a burger. Not really knowing how to respond, the Mr. let her have one, but not until after she also asked for cheese on it. We still laugh about that one.

Destined to Fail

Somedays I wake up and I just know.

I do everything in my power to prevent it. I will change, I think. I will prevent it by being more organized, so nothing is lost. Time can be salvaged when I have everything in it's place. I will be grateful for all I have. I will be content. I will be more diligent about accomplishing all these things. I am spiritual--I know it's not in my own strength-so there is no need for epiphany from that angle.

I will go to sleep earlier so I can get up earlier. I am doing what I am meant to do. Everything is in order. And yet....the failure comes. Perhaps, it is the unaccounted for unknowns, the variables in life. It's not even something major--but it's there.

The giant F word that is scarier and bigger than the other 4-letter word.

FAILURE.

Oh people will tell you it's not a failure IF you learn something from it. So I try to make amends by searching for the lesson; vowing to learn it, know it, memorize it and prevent ever encountering the F word again. It's uncomfortable. It's irritating. It makes you squirm. Like a piece of sand in your shoe. I know it's there and it won't kill me or even cause a blister but it's there and it's not meant to be.

Somedays it doesn't seem so over whelming.

Other days, it's everything.

The printer has run out of ink-when I need it. Figure it out. I think running late-but there's a still a chance. I've got everything packed but still I forgot something. I have to turn around; lateness is now inevitable. Being late is undesirable but it happens. I'll be there and that is what is important. The classroom door is locked. Go around, get everything ready first. Can't find what I need. Swore I packed it. Near tears for something that is not worth crying about but it feels so important. What's two absences in 16 weeks worth of classes? It's not perfect attendance-that's what. And it's a million other adjectives I don't want to be.

Perfection. Obviously is unattainable. I know that. I have accepted it in some areas...other areas it comes naturally, perfection or excellence is easy. Something gives, or not.

Failure is part of everything. Not to be avoided, maybe? Embraced. Accepted.

There will be failure.

Being a human that fails-is such a cliche. So normal.
Can I just avoid that part? :-)
Let's call it something else. Something less formal--and less final.
Failure period.
Can it be "Failure comma"? Or "Failure semi-colon"--like a checklist! Be sure you accomplish that honey-do list of failures today. sweet smile. sparkle tooth. ding!

I can embrace and accept I failed today. I will choose something else to succeed at but it might not be until next week. For now-I'll call it a wash. I give up. Stop fighting. When I stop fighting, it's not as uncomfortable anymore. I take a deep breathe and settle in. I'm still here.

I see a water fountain, the back of it is spraying a skinny but strong stream of water. Broken pipe. The pipe has failed it's intended purpose. But it's not leaking all over the sidewalk. It's streaming into a rose bush and other foliage and grass. The water isn't exactly wasted, you just won't be able to drink from it for awhile. It makes me laugh because the way it's spraying makes me think of pee. Obviously, my inner 11 year old needed to take a break from all this 'adulthood' for a minute. I want to take a picture-but I know it won't mean anything to anyone else. It's a significant failure. And I'm laughing about it, aloud.

"It was a Barf-O-ramaaaa!"

Remember that line from Goonies? It was the first thing that came to mind to describe the night I had. My pleasant dream took a strange twist when I heard: "Guh" and a splatter, "Guh" and a splatter, then one more "Guh" and splatter. I was awakened by the Mr.'s voice, "S are you okay?" I wasn't dreaming. The sounds I heard were vomit being sprayed all through my hallway. Thank goodness for wood floors!

S threw up three times before he made it the six feet to the bathroom. Then he threw up some more when he did make it. The Mr. got up and I wished I could pretend I was sleeping through it....It seems the farther and farther the kiddos get from the infant spitting up & diapers stage--the weaker my stomach gets. My abdomen knotted as I walked in the hallway and began to gag. I left the scene to grab the vinegar and began pouring it all over the floor. That was much better. I can handle the scent of a natural fluid like vinegar!

The Mr. and I tag teamed and worked effectively at wiping up everything with out having to actually touch anything by using our feet. It pretty much required using half the load of freshly washed towels and a bunch of old cloth diapers. I prayed that no one else would get sick. Please!!! Figured I'd clean the toilet before I left for school in the morning.

S took to the couch--I guess he wanted to have a quick escape route, just in case. I fell back into bed and the Mr. was already asleep. I don't know HOW he does that so fast! What felt like a minute later but was actually 45, I was awakened by the sounds of more vomiting.I thought it was S again & figured he didn't really need any help this time since he made it to the restroom, right?

Then I felt guilty and got up to realize it was Birdy! ugh. Poor girl was vomiting into the still vomit splattered toilet from the previous user. I made sure she didn't touch a thing and put her hair back in a rubber band. The second load of towels had just finished from the dryer and I was able to wrap her weak and shaky body in the warmth of a fresh one. I laid one over S in the living room and took one to bed myself. I prayed the toddler, or any of the rest of us, wouldn't get sick!

Before I knew it, the alarm was going off. I got up to get my assignments together and realized there was just NO way I was going to make it the 8 miles to school on my bike this morning.  The Mr. had a job today and wouldn't be home, two vomiting middles and a toddler were no match for oldest alone. I felt panicked at the thought of missing school--especially when I had assignments due. It's a hard call for a normally straight A student! I felt like I needed to email all my professors and make special arrangements to turn in my work--then I realized they expect an absence here and there and late work is accepted, if even for a lowered grade. duh! One day wouldn't kill anyone.

Besides that, these kiddos, they are my priority, above all else. I just couldn't leave them like that, feeling so sick. I didn't even want to. I wanted them to know that and feel that. I will be here, when they need me. They are important.

The Mr. left and I stayed in bed, the toddler joined me and fell back to sleep. Birdy woke up dry heaving and S used the towel I had laid over him. It was a long day and I got a lot of laundry done.

Sometimes....it's like that.

First week of school for me.

Can't keep track of my book bargains, which ones have I ordered? Where should I buy it from? Does anyone have this book? Assignments due the first week. Writing sample due and approved. Prerequisites taken concurrently. Figure out a reliable and safe bike route. Determine a wardrobe that accommodates riding my bike to school. Navigate the pedestrian and auto traffic. Where's the bike rack closest to my class? Finagle a roomier bag that can hold my books and tennis shoes. Check up on my graduation status. Kindle? Electronic books? Did someone mention breakfast? Lunch? When? Do I know anyone in my classes? Bangs. Hairband. Sunscreen. Remember names. Classrooms. Time. What time is it? Wake up early. Go to bed late. Desks too close together, no leg room. Where am I going? How long have I been awake? What day is it? 3 days in. 4 days in. Not dropping. Do I recognize that kid from somewhere? Toddler woke up early. Did Birdy get her math done? Why hasn't the dog poo been picked up for 5 days? Where are my flip flops? I need to wear shoes. Make-up? No make-up? Does it really matter if I wear blush? Mascara is a necessity. Shower? morning or night? Why did I get bangs? Sweat dripping down my face. My sunglasses broke. Get a new pair. Price has gone up. Free printing at the library. Bring 5 copies. Bring 25 copies. Forget the copies. Find the lab. Make a report. What's a lab report? Absent minded professor. Long lines. Feel dizzy. Crying for no reason. Dehydrated. Not enough opportunities to use all my words. Have nothing to write. Drive to LA. Audition. Move quickly. People waiting. Rush. Slow down. Slam on the brakes. Sit in the sun. Respond to email. Send email. Email professor. Do I know you? Breathe. Don't forget to breathe! Nail biting is back. read this text. Find this story. What is a scene? Dialogue. Edit. Condense. Be efficient. Waste time. Focus. Hug. Yep. Return library books. Tea.

Welcome back.