Hello, folks.

It's Monday, Monday . . . la-la, la-la-la-la. Thinking of The Mamas and the Papas.

Well, our super-snowy weekend turned out not quite so snowy after all. Our little niche of the state barely got an inch of the fluffy stuff, and by Saturday afternoon, it had started to melt away.

So the boys were unable to play in it, but since it warmed up and melted off so quickly, they were able to enjoy their trampoline most of the weekend. And thank you again to Mimi and Papa Max. I do believe this gift is going to save my sanity this summer.

Well, I wish there was something more interesting or funny to share today, but things have been pretty much the same around here. Hubby is at a follow-up interview right now, and we are hoping for the best.

We've received word that one job he interviewed for was filled by someone else, which was a bummer, but he was also put into contact with another possible job lead that came out of that interview, so there's something to be thankful for.

So we'll just keep praying that the right job will come along at the right time, and everything will work out the way it should.

And I guess that's it. I'll "see" you again on Wednesday.

Later.

Wacky Winter Weather

Hello, all.

Wow. We have got some snowy weather getting ready to hit.

I know other states have been hit much harder by the blizzard making its way south, but for an area used to mostly mild winters, and even less snowy springs, this wintery mix is a bit of a surprise.

And even where we live, it's not nearly as bad as other parts of the state.

There is no snow or ice for us yet, but by this afternoon it should be starting, and thru tomorrow we might get as much as 10 inches of snow.

Wild.

But the boys are excited. And I mean all the boys. Hubby is looking forward to playing in the snow with the twins, pulling them on the sled, and running around like crazy little snow beasts!

I am looking forward to curling up with a cup of hot chocolate, reading a good book, and cooking a bunch of delicious meals.

So I hope you all have a great weekend, stay safe, and stay out of trouble, but have fun!

Later.

The Potential for Trouble

Hey folks,

We're all mending well after the last few weeks of sick floating around our house.

We were looking forward to the warm, sunny days of spring ahead, but Mother Nature decided to play a little joke, and now it's supposed to be cold for the rest of the week. Which really stinks, because I've been looking forward to playing outside with the kiddos and getting in a little more exercise (which in reality would be all the exercise I'm getting).

So we're just in a cycle right now of being home with the kids, trying to clean up around the house, and working on our own projects.

Well, I'm going to have to find an anonymous soapbox somewhere and start ranting about all the political annoyances I've been watching on the news. I know everyone here (all 3 of you, maybe less) have your own opinions about current events and all things political, and I know my opinion is vastly different from the majority of my family and friends.

So for the most part I have remained silent on the subject, except with my husband, who has no problem mixing it up with me and we get into plenty of fights . . . er, debates in our house.

But I'm beginning to feel a little like a line from the theme song from "Cheers". I just wanna be where troubles are all the same. Where my perspective about the president, the economy, the direction of the nation is shared by others.

Occasionally I don't mind having a good debate about the politics of the day, but I'm not a natural rabble-rouser. I don't like to be the one always in a controversy. I might like to amp up the conflict for characters in my stories, but I don't like to engage in real-life conflicts.

I hate confrontations. I avoid them like the plague. I hide under the couch if I see an argument coming with someone I like.

This would be the people-pleaser in me.

But sometimes I want to strangle the people-pleaser, jump up on my figurative roof with a megaphone, and shout at the top of my lungs exactly what's on my mind. Exactly what I think of everything that's happening in the world, and I don't care who knows it!

However, I know I never will. I just can't bear the thought of others being mad at me, so I keep quiet.

But one day, I may just let loose, and then you'll get an ear-full/eye-full the next time you stop by to check out the blog.

You never know.

Later.

Getting Back to "Normal"

Hey everybody!

Well, today is the day . . . the twins went back to school!!! YAY!

I've been so happy this morning, but tired too. We haven't kept up the best routine over the last week with kids recovering, late nights, early mornings, later nights, sleeping in to catch up, etc.

It was a wild rollercoaster ride of a weekend, and I'm glad we are getting back to normal, or at least as "normal" as we ever are.

Yesterday we went out to Mom's house for the day to have a picnic, which actually consisted of cooking hotdogs and side dishes in the house, eating on lawn chairs under the carport to stay out of the ferocious wind, the boys wanting to play video games the rest of the time, and the baby girl wanting to run around in the yard with anyone who would take her out.

But overall, it was a fun day.

Tomorrow, Dear Hubby has another interview (double YAY!). We are very excited about it, but also a little concerned because this job would require us to move to another city within the state. It's only a little over an hour from where we live now, but we really love the area where we live, the kids are in a great school, and we are quite fond of the house we're in now.

But we'll do what we've gotta do when the time comes, and go from there.

And I think that's it for now. I'm gonna get busy cleaning and writing, and I hope you all have a great week!

Later.

Sping Break is Over

Hello all.

I must say, I am so glad today is Friday, for many reasons.

No 1: My husband has his first of three interviews. Yay! We're hoping to hear good news from at least one of them over the next couple of weeks.

No. 2: The kids are on the mend, finally, and hopefully they won't be passing anymore germs around to each other.

No. 3: I'm hoping for warm weather so we can get out and have some fun over the weekend.

And most importantly: The kids are going back to school on Monday! Not that I don't love my kids, and I'm grateful that they've had the week to recover from being sick, but I am so ready to have a little time away from them.

The baby girl will still be home, but when her brothers aren't with her, she seems to stay a little more calm.

But for as much as I've been talking about them being gone, I've enjoyed some of the great snuggly moments we've had while they've been on Spring Break. And I wish very much they had felt better so they could have played outside and enjoyed their new trampoline a little more.

Anyway, I hope everyone has a great weekend, and I'll post again on Monday.

Later.

Like Father, Like Son

Hey people,

Well, it's Wednesday, and I have a confession to make.

I fell off the meatless wagon . . . right into a big ol' pile of beef, pork, and chicken!

Over the weekend while we were at my mom's house, I kept realizing that to not eat meat, I was eating a ton of garbage (chips, cookies, crackers, etc.) just to fill in the gaps between meals, and I've gained probably five pounds in the process.

So I decided to go back to eating animal sources of protein.

I only made it three weeks going meatless, but hopefully next year I will do better.

Today is a pretty sad day for me. It is my Dad's birthday. He would have been 57. I miss him all the time, but keep his memory alive by listening to the music he loved, and remembering the stories he used to tell.

In fact, I was reminded of him so much over the weekend by my brother, who is the very image of our dad in looks, mannerisms, and attitude.

Dad had this strange habit of telling outlandish stories (no wonder I've wanted to be a writer all my life) about how he received certain scars throughout the years. He was not the most careful of men, and became inflicted with multiple wounds in his lifetime.

A scar on his arm was received from a flaming arrow during the Battle of the Washita. Another scar on his hand was received during a knife fight, and the scar across his forehead was when Geronimo jumped from a tree and tried to scalp him (it was actually just the tree that tried to do it, but he liked the added flare of an imaginary attack).

So my brother was sitting on the couch with me and one of the twins, when my son noticed a round scar on his uncle's arm. The boy asked what happened there, and pointed.

My brother, without a moment's hesitation, said, "I got shot in the arm."

My son's eyes were as round as saucers. "Really?"

My brother nodded. "Yep."

I shook my head, the wet blanket on the fanning flames of my brother's tale. "No, sweetie. He was hit in the arm with a piece of metal, and the doctor had to take it out."

The child looked to his uncle for confirmation of my explanation.

My brother shook his head and whispered loudly to the boy, "It was a bullet."

I scowled. "It wasn't a bullet."

My brother ignored me, and kept his gaze locked on my son's. "It was a bullet."

I whacked his arm. "Stop telling him that. There was no bullet."

My brother nodded at my child, who still stared with wide-eyed wonder at his hero uncle. "It was. I got shot in the arm by a bad guy at the farm."

"Were they trying to steal the cows?" My son was no longer listening to anything I said, he only had ears for the wild tale my brother was spinning.

So I sat back and listened to his ridiculous story, but couldn't help grinning because of how like our father he was in that moment, and how much I miss all those crazy stories Dad used to tell.

I miss you, Dad.

Later.

Home Again Soon

Hello, folks.

Well, I am actually writing this post on Sunday evening, because we are still at my mom's house, and I only have internet access tonight at my brother's place.

We will be spending tomorrow getting ready to head home, and bringing lots of stuff we really don't need back with us.

Hubby is very excited because we are bringing railroad ties home from the ranch to get started on our flower beds in the front of the house. I think I won't be seeing my husband again for quite some time now that he has a project to sink his teeth into.

But the kids have had a great time, and I'm sure we will be back soon to help with more ranch work.

For now, I think that's it. I'll post again on Wednesday.

Later.

We're Off Again

Hello, all.

I hope you are ready to enjoy the weekend. We are getting ready to hit the road again, and headed for my mom's house in Thomas.

The kids are excited to go. They love anywhere that isn't home, stuck in the house with mom and dad, being forced to clean their room and pick up their toys. Not that they don't have to do that at grandparents' houses, but it's just different and more fun there than at home.

And I wish I had more to say, but I really don't.

We're excited that hubby has two interviews in a couple of weeks, and hopefully there will be an offer from one of them. But we have no solid information yet, only optimism and prayer, and we'll keep you posted on what's happening.

So I guess that's it. Have a great weekend and do something FUN!

Later.

Bouncy, Bouncy, Bouncy

Hey, folks.

Hope you are all having a great week. We are doing well.

Everyone is on the mend from our many days of sickness, and I am so happy to have our family feeling better. We're not completely over it yet, but we're almost there.

Which is a very good thing because this week we were fortunate to receive a trampoline as a gift from Hubby's parents.

THANK YOU, Mimi and Papa Max!!

And to be honest, I think Hubby is just as excited to have the trampoline as the kids are. As soon as he found out it was in at the store (we had to order it), he rushed out to pick it up, and couldn't wait to get started putting it together.

He worked on it all day yesterday. And I do mean ALL DAY!

Morning, afternoon, evening and night. As soon as the kids were in bed, he had the garage door open, the outside lights on, and was working away.

The boys were so excited when they got home from school and saw the trampoline in the driveway (hubby had to put it together on the front drive instead of in the backyard where it will go because we had a big rain the night before and the backyard was too muddy to work). They can't wait to bounce, and bounce, and bounce.

And neither can I!

The weather is getting warmer, and it will be great to throw them out into the yard to play on the trampoline and wear them out!

And I am also excited to get to play on it myself. It's been years since I jumped on one of those, and I know it will be great exercise, too.

So, that's what's happening in our little world. I'll try to post a picture of the trampoline when it's finished.

Later.

Our Weekend

Good Morning, all.

I hope everyone had a fabulous weekend, and are ready to start the work-week.

We are, sort of.

This whole daylight savings time thing has us all turned around. We WAY overslept this morning, and barely got the kids out the door in time for school.

But thankfully they understand that if they are late so many times they will miss recess, so getting them to hurry instead of their usual fuss and whine routine before grudgingly pulling on their clothes was bypassed this morning.

Everyone is still a little under the weather, and we were the same way all weekend. One of the boys was fine, the other was tired, coughing soooo hard for his little body, and sleeping whenever he could. But he was in very good spirits.

Now, the baby is a different story. She still wasn't feeling well, coughing and a runny nose, but for the most part she seemed to be okay. A little more fussy than usual, but manageable.

Until.

My mother-in-law and I came home from a writer's meeting, which was great. My brother-in-law and sister-in-law had stopped by and were outside playing with my husband and the boys. The baby was still taking a nap.

Everyone sat outside on the back patio since the weather was so nice, and after a while, my husband took his turn to go check on the Little Darling, and came back out carrying the blurry-eyed, angelic little girl.

Then she saw my sister-in-law. Her baby-face crumpled as soon as S-I-L smiled at her, and she wailed for the rest of the night if S-I-L even looked at her.

I felt awful. This child used to love my S-I-L. She would lay in her arms for hours and sleep the day away if she could. But now, no way.

The only thing we can figure out is that my S-I-L used to have super long, gorgeous curly hair that fell in waves down her back. After they got married she cut it and now has this amazingly fabulous short and sassy 'do that I would sell a kidney for. (What can I say, the girl has gorgeous hair!)

SO maybe the baby just isn't used to the change in hair-style and is protesting the only way she knows how.

But the Princess also had no problem working her magic on my brother-in-law, and now has him totally and utterly in love with her. In fact, she managed to add insult to injury by wailing when she saw S-I-L, but eagerly reaching out for B-I-L to hold her as she cried.

I have a feeling that in a few years the tide will turn, and my sister-in-law will be back on top, and that my brother-in-law will be just another guy watching the football game while my sister-in-law bribes her niece with cupcakes in the kitchen.

We'll see. But overall the weekend was great and I hope our week goes well, and yours, too.

Later.

The Strange Things Kids Do

Good morning, everyone.

It is Friday, and we are off to Tulsa this afternoon. Yay.

Well, this post is going to be a total embarrassment to my kids one day. What goes on the net is forever, they say (whoever "they" is), and someday my teenage sons, or their friends, or their girlfriends might go looking through my blog archives and stumble across these humiliating stories.

Aren't all teens supposed to be embarrassed by their parents anyway? Maybe if I'm lucky they'll have a good sense of humor about it.

Probably not.

The thing is, at this point in their lives, I'm trying to figure out how to keep them in their pants.

The minute they get home from school backpacks get dropped on the dining room table, we rush to the bathroom, and emerge two minutes later naked from the waist down. Occasionally they're completely naked, but mostly half.

I guess I just find it strange the amount of time I spend trying to get them to put their clothes back on.

And why? Why do they want to run around the house naked?

I don't get it.

Maybe it's a guy thing.

Maybe it's a little kid thing.

Maybe it just is what it is.

So I guess I'll just keep insisting they put their clothes back on, and hopefully there will be a day when I don't have to chase giggling naked kids through the house with a pair of underwear in each hand.

Later.

Sick Day and Exciting News

Hello, all.

Well, it's a really pretty day here. The sun is out, the temperature is on the rise, and it should be a beautiful day.

Except for one tiny problem . . . Twin A, Dear Hubby, and I are all sick.

Twin A has been feverish and vomiting since Monday night, and this morning Hubby and I both woke up not feeling too groovy. And this really stinks, too, because we are supposed to be headed for Tulsa this weekend to hang out with Hubby's folks.

The boys are totally psyched to go (even chose to skip a birthday party to go), there is an important writer's meeting I want to be at Saturday afternoon, my brother-in-law and sister-in-law have a new house and we want to see it, the in-laws laid down new hard-wood floors that I've heard look beautiful, and honestly, we just want to see everybody.

So I hope and pray we are able to fight back the germs and get everyone healthy enough to go.

Plus, a special announcement on behalf of my mother-in-law, Carla Stewart. She has just signed a two-book deal with Hachette (the Christian imprint of Time-Warner) for her novel, A Dandelion Day. The book is set to release in the spring of 2010. The second book, which has not been given an official title yet, will release in spring 2011.

We are all SOOOOOOOO excited for her, and can't wait to read the book.

Wonder if I can get an autographed copy?

Later.

Carnivore vs. Herbivore

Good morning, all.

I hope you had a fabulous weekend, and are ready to jump in with both feet this week.

I am not.

Mostly I'm tired and ready for another weekend, minus children. Not that our kids aren't great, and I love them with all my heart, but oh, my gosh.

We have got some whining going on with one of the twins like no body's business. This kid is gonna kill me. I think my husband and I may both suffer from hearing loss and nerve damage from the high-pitched squealing he's been doing.

I've only heard animals in pain make the sounds he's making because his brother got to a toy first, or he was coloring on the floor in the middle of the living room (after we told him to color in his room or at the dining room table) and his little sister ran through, knocking crayons and paper everywhere.

I'm also a little on edge with the whole meatless thing. I knew it would be hard, but I guess I really didn't know what I was in for when I started this.

This will be my sixth day with no meat. I've been eating plenty of other foods; peanut butter, eggs, beans, cheese, etc., but they just aren't the same.

And the funny thing is, I can't seem to get my husband to stop eating my veggie meals!

For example, I made black bean and salsa quesadillas Saturday night. I cooked seven or eight, hoping to be able to save some for lunch the next day. Hubby had a steak in the fridge ready to go.

But he was all over my quesadillas, and I had one left! I asked him what was up with that?

He just shrugged. "Your quesadillias were good."

Well . . . thanks, I guess. Now, stay out of them!

So we'll see how the next few weeks go. I never really thought I'd have a problem keeping my carnivore husband out of my herbivore cuisine, but it looks like that may be the case.

And that's it for now. I'm off to make my yummy oatmeal (said with tongue in cheek; I'd prefer bacon, eggs, and toast . . . especially the bacon!).

Later.