This is bad...unladylike...hilarious...What's a mom to do?

I live in a house with 4 men, so this may be less offensive than I believe it is. If I'm wrong, I apologize in advance.

Bart, my college son, told me a while ago that he tries to impress his friends with his...uh...gas. "You try really hard because you think it's going to be a big one, then it's like, pppbpbp. You want to impress them and all you do is make them laugh at you."

I had to laugh at that. "Impress your friends with THAT?"

"That's what friends do today to impress each other, " he replied.

I said, "That's shallow."

His reply, as uncontrived as anything he has ever said: "It's not shallow. It comes from the inside."

One quick question

Why does my body remember the 27 months of my life that I spent pregnant better than it remembers the 21 years I had never been pregnant?

Adoption update

I found out today that the wait for referrals may be going down to 5 months.  If our paperwork went in as we hoped, that may put us back to March or April if things cooperate. 

It's going to take me that long to recover from babysitting our two nieces from China. 

"A God moment", as my friend says

I hope I don't get in trouble for this.  I'm not claiming it as my own (and anyone who has been to a wedding or to church in the past 16 years or so would know it, anyway, most likely) and I found it on the Internet, anyway.  I just had to share this from yesterday.  Several things to share from yesterday, but this is the one thing that sticks out in my mind.  The explanation comes at the end of the song.  I think I know a little about how those who read David's prophetic psalms immediately after the event actually took place must have felt, in a convoluted sort of way.

If home is really where the heart is
Then home must be a place that we all share
for even with our differences our hearts are much the same
And where love is we come together there.
 
Wherever there is laughter ringing
Someone smiling, someone dreaming
We can live together there
Love will be our home.
Where there are children singing
Where a tender heart is beating
We can live together there
Love will be our home
 
With love our hearts can be a family
And hope can bring this family face to face
And though we may be far apart our hearts can be as one
When love brings us together in one place.
 
Wherever there is laughter ringing
Someone smiling, someone dreaming
We can live together thereLove will be our home.
Where there are words of kindness spoken
Where a vow is never broken
We can live together there
Love will be our home
 
Love will, love will be our home
Love will, love will be our home
Love will, love will be our home
Love will, love will be our home

  
This was written by Steven Curtis Chapman around 1988.  I saw it yesterday morning as I was going through my new music book while I was waiting for the wedding party to arrive.  This song has always touched me, but yesterday I didn't think I was going to be together in time for the wedding.  All I could think was, "What we're doing and what he has done is EXACTLY what he was talking about and he didn't even know it then!"  And then, when I got home, I had an e-mail from Rich saying that the Chapmans were going over to China  for number 3!!  SO prophetic for him and SO meaningful and encouraging to us!

Stress parade!

Life.  Gotta love it.  Here's what's happening at the Reid household:

• I have a bedroom in my living room while the real bedroom is being fixed after the roofing mishap last fall.  My LR has been that way more often than not since April.
• Last week, when Brian was supposed to be fixing the bedroom, our neighbor's water line broke.  He was put in charge of that mess that is still a mess.  My LR is still a mess because of this, too.
• By Thursday, Brian had determined that our main drain was once again taking on tree roots.  He has to unclog it.  I foresee another week with the BR in the LR.
• I have been doing interviews and site-based training this week when I wanted to be cleaning and practicing.
• The boys don't understand the meaning of the words "clean up ______"--whatever I choose for them to clean up, so I come home from work/practice/interviews to find messes that are worse than the ones I left.
• Today is the wedding and I still don't feel good about Pachelbel.  Doesn't help that life is nuts here.
• Brian had to work this morning after working 66 hours already this week.

Once again, my neck/shoulder is giving me fits.  I HOPE that it will subside by 3:30 this afternoon.  If it doesn't, my stress-physical irritant theory is over.  I really don't think it will be over.

Must be off.  I have to go dress so that I can find my way to the piano to practice that *$&#! song.

Time out

Playing for a wedding this weekend, so I am working on the wickedness of Pachelbel--"Canon in D."  If I'm not haunted to death this weekend for totally screwing up his masterpiece/torture-piece during the wedding, I should return Sunday or Monday.  Until then, keep an eye on Rich's blog for laughs.  First time rafting.  Should be interesting.  I know it would be if it was me.

Re: Philosophizing

I wish I could put the whole e-mail on the blog. What Ted said got me thinking and not quite logically. Ben sent an e-mail that was in response to Ted's e-mail/blog that corrected my flawed thinking. Before it was over, this is what I saw of myself.

Trying to get out of this "I'm right/you're wrong" arrogance is getting harder all the time. (BTW, I'm not big at all on propogandists--hence, the Moore comment; however, I realize that Fundamentalists are propogandists on a much more dangerous level than Moore ever could be considering the damage that is being done to what and whom.) I appreciate your thoughts. To be honest, I usually try to rationalize when I realize that I've really screwed up. I spent time today digging myself out of a sort of humiliation that was good. Just when I get on my high horse, I get taken off. And before you apologize, don't. You weren't the one who put me on the horse and you certainly didn't whack me off of it. You just helped me down. Quite a difference.

Stubborn pride comes in lots of forms. I guess one of my most stubborn (besides needing to be at least somewhat logical which rarely, if never, seems to happen) is my pride in my country. I grew up loving the flag and the anthem and the 4th and everything else that goes along with it. I'm nost saying that's wrong, but it is when you turn a blind spot to what is more important--such as the Truth. The Founding Fathers made mistakes. They were human and they were blinded by their desires, too. (Hence, slavery.) But we're making bigger mistakes by turning them into God-fearing heroes who wanted only to form a nation that was "under God." We talk about the Boston Tea Party and the spats with King George and the slave trade and all the other stuff, but in church and in proper circles we concentrate on a few folks who came over here looking to get away from a country that was oppressing them because of their religious views. We stop there. We don't continue into the other things. And that is sad for several reasons, but mostly because, when we get to the place where we look at these men and their lives and the reason for our country, we miss the fact--no, we IGNORE the fact--that they were human and had flaws like their philandering and their tempers and their rebellious sides and their stubbornness and we turn them into gods who "did it all for us." No, they didn't. They did it all for themselves! OK, they saw the future to a degree, but mostly they wanted to be rid of a king and his oppression and they knew that the future wouldn't have to put up with George, regardless of who else might come along.

The more I thought about [Ben's] words today, the more I thought about the Epistles. Paul never looked to the day when Nero was gone and a new dawn would spill forth; he looked for the day he would see Jesus face to face. Peter, James, Jude, John--none of them lamented Roman occupation, either. They concentrated on things that "were not of this world."

As I thought, I realized something else--I'm terrified of seeing the day when our government strips all of our legal securities away and we're left with only ourselves and our God. What does that make me? An idolator, no less. I'll admit that when the election fiasco of 2000 was droning on day after day, I prayed harder than I ever had before. I didn't pray for a stronger faith. I prayed that George Bush--the perceived Christian--would be put into the White House. And I couldn't really say that I believed he would be a "better president" than Gore (and I'm not saying Gore would make a better president than Bush), but I could say that Bush seemed to agree with me on values and the issues that were important to me. That tells me now that I don't rely on Jesus to be my comfort and my stay; I rely on a government that is run by human beings to keep me secure. I'm surprised I didn't freak for real when those planes flew into the WTC and the Pentagon. My government let me down. It allowed those people to come over, hijack our planes and use them as flying bombs.

And I'm doing the same thing now. Bush will only save us from Kerry; to others, Kerry might only save us from Bush. That isn't what is important. Thousands upon thousands have believed in God regardless of their government's endorsement, and they've been the stronger Christians for it, too. I don't really want to be oppressed in the way so many have been, but I do want the faith so many have had. Maybe you don't have to be oppressed in the way they have been to get it, but it can't be all a bed of roses. I want my bed of roses and my faith, too, to paraphrase a phrase. I'm not sure that can happen.

Commentary

Rich just about has the idea. He forgot the other one was involved, though. It may be cliche, but it's more like Larry, Curly, and Moe.

Crammed week

In the past few summers, I have realized I am in the sandwich generation. That's not so bad. Most people--blessed people who see their parents grow old to become grandparents several times over--find themselves in that situation. My problem is that, quite often, the one slice of bread doesn't realize it is not as fresh as it used to be until it's too late. Then I'm the one who finds herself stressing over how to get it all accomplished.

In other words, my father HAS to have a garden and I'M the one who gets to deal with the harvesting.

First, let me say that I'm not trying to complain. I don't mind gardening as much as I mind, say, a root canal. I like what I get from the garden and I have found this year that I really enjoy canning. My biggest stress is trying to do everything I need to do when summer rolls around when the garden comes on. This year is worse because of the extras that are going on at my house.

For instance:

Back in April, we started working on the ceilings that were damaged last fall when we put the new roof on. Now it is July 12 and Bart and Brennan's room is in the middle of my living room for what is starting the third straight week. Brian's had other obligations, too--not to mention unforeseen events like our neighbor's broken water line that he is now fixing. But it is old. REALLY old, especially when I put up with Brett's room for a month.

I have 20 extended days to put in over the summer every year. Now I'm on site-based, to boot. Add to that the prospect of a new baby this time next year. I'm trying to get my extended days put in--as many as possible--BEFORE school starts, but now I'm down to, at the most, 16 days before school begins. And I seriously doubt all of those will come to fruition. Do I pray for snow days or do I go in on those weird off-days? Or both? Who knows? I just know I don't want to go to school--even if I can take her, which I can--next summer until after I've had some time with her and the rest of us together.

And in this month alone I have a wedding for which I have to practice because I'm playing and I found out the songs last Thursday, at least one more SB meeting, senior pics, Sunday night youth groups (have I ever mentioned how much of a waste I feel Sunday night church is? I am NOT a night person, and by night I mean any time after 2:00 PM.), another eye doctor appointment (Ode to Glaucoma) and who remembers what else? And this week the garden makes its full-force debut.

I REALLY think most of my problem with my neck/shoulder this weekend had less to do with strain and more to do with stress. I used to throw up when I got uptight. Now I just hurt.

And yes, I prefer the hurt. Even when it hurts THAT much.

A realization

I believe that I may be more concerned about saving people from themselves than I am about helping them to find true salvation.

Philosophizing

Rich has posted his feelings about "President Kerry? Over My Dead, Decaying Radioactive Body" in his blog, and with good reason. This man wants to be president, but the comments he made on "Larry King Live" make it obvious to me that he is more interested in holding the office than he is in serving the country. Reminds me of another recent "president."

I confessed the other day that I am a Republican. I will say that I don't plan to vote straight-ticket just because I AM a Republican, though. I hope I can give myself a little more credit than that; however, most of their stances are my stances and a lot of the Republicans who are lashing out against the President and the Iraq policy and FMA and a lot of other stuff wouldn't get the time of day from my button-pushing finger.

But actually I am here for another reason.

Dave will preach again Sunday. He will probably preach on some political issue such as FMA. Mitch Ruth read a great deal of the Declaration of Independence last Sunday as a lead for his Communion thought, and then went on to discuss the aftermath for those who had signed it--who had committed an act of high treason against the king. Mike has discussed the fact that the people who founded our country were devout believers in God and in Jesus--as though you can separate the Two.

All this boils down to one question: why? Why all this attention to American history in church on Sunday mornings? Why can't the whole hour be filled with Bible-Bible. Why the mix of the Bible and our history?

I have a simple answer: we are learning a different history than what actually took place.

Our schools teach that the Founding Fathers were, by-and-large, Deists. They say that they believed God created the world and the universe, then decided to sit back in his rocking chair and said, "OK. I'm finished. Let's sit back and watch what happens." If our media says anything about God at all, it is pretty much in that same light--and even that is more complimentary than what we usually hear about Him as they discuss Him. Usually, the only reference we hear on TV to God anymore is when His name is spoken in vain.

And I can go on.

The truth of the matter is that, when you read the Declaration of Independence, you see that the Founding Fathers felt that God had a lot more to do with their lives--and the future of this country--than just sitting back and watching what will happen. They believed that HE had put them in that place and in that time for the very purpose that they performed--to the point that they lost their homes, their families, and their lives. And if they wanted to prove their point that God ordained everything that happened in their lives, all they had to do was point to the cross to say that He was at LEAST "interested" in their lives.

My point is this: it is a sad statement on our society when the Church has to tell the truth concerning the founding of our country as it points the way to the Truth. Maybe some think that it is a moot point as long as you're pointing toward God, but I say that we should always give credit where credit is due, at the very least. And God created us and he gave us this country and he gave us his Son.

I don't know if this makes any sense at all, so maybe I can put it in a nutshell: people like John Kerry make me sick. Men throughout the past 200 years have given up their lives, their futures, their families, their security for this country's security, and now this man can't even sacrifice a few hours--at the most--of his time to get a security update because HE'S CAMPAIGNING TO BE PRESIDENT? He wants to lead the country, but he doesn't believe the basic principles of the Bible? He says life begins at conception, but he votes against the Laci Peterson Act? And he claims to have a faith with a Christian foundation, but he doesn't support a law banning homosexual marriage? And he doesn't care enough about the country to support our campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan?

Maybe I'm not exactly coherent tonight. It's been a long week. And maybe I'm being judgmental and nasty and Pharisee-ical, but people like this guy put me at my worst. OK. I GO TO MY WORST WHEN PEOPLE LIKE THIS GUY START UP. He can't make me, I guess.

But I will say that some folks want to rewrite our history to make it support their agendas. Michael Moore has a propaganda campaign that is said to out-do Hitler's. B. Clinton not only put us in the position we are now with the terrorists, but he also has kids in BIBLE COLLEGE (not that they're more holy, but still...) "confused" as to what sex is and isn't. H. Clinton has us all believing that "it takes a village" to raise a child--and she isn't talking about the neighborhood moms watching to tell YOUR mom what you've been up to as you've played on your street. The plot is sinister. The outcome is what will determine whether our nation will continue on a path that, up to now, has only been trodden by us or if it will go by the way of Rome.

I know that God is in control and, as I have said before, Rom. 8:28 still holds true and that is regardless of who makes it into office in November; but I will also say this: I feel that our country will face times like we've never seen before if Kerry is voted in. We saw our country go in 20 years from a country that celebrated the Year of the Bible to a country that celebrates Gay Pride days across the country, just because of the "leadership" of one man. And I believe that, if Kerry gets in, we ain't seen nothing of a fight yet.

Our Founding Fathers are flipping in their graves.

Who knows? The next years may separate the men from the boys--or the sheep from the goats. Are we ready to face that trial?

Beans and adoption items again

32 quarts, three of which haven't sealed thus far. I know what's going on now. If I'd figured it out earlier, I would have fixed it before now. Just need to remember to put an empty jar in the "dead" space. It may take me a little longer to can, but at least I won't be dealing with cans that won't seal.

Finally got all our stuff sent to Sandy.

One more item

I forgot to mention that our neighbor and great-aunt fell at 3:00 AM last Thursday and broke her arm in the process. She didn't call the ambulance until about 9:00 or so that morning because "they don't open until 9:00." Thank goodness it was only her arm!

At least no one wonders why those of us who know her and love her worry.

Ollie and Stanley

"Another fine mess."

Worked on the basement kitchen last yesterday until I was almost sick. Who knew you could cram so much junk into so little space? ICK! Today, I finish it. I'm hoping to find a place for my magazines, etc. I just HAD to clean out the pantry and a way to it. Canning season again and I'm out of space.

While I was at it, I found about 8 bottles of salad dressing, 12 cans each of cream of celery and cream of chicken soups and nearly as many of cream of mushroom, 2 packs of napkins, 2 cans of spaghetti sauce and a jar of apple butter. That's not saying that is all that is on my "store-bought" shelf. That is just all that really hit me as unusual finds.

The up side is we kept the girls last night. Emma is as rambunctious as Sarah isn't. She wears us out!

A few of my favorite moments:

--Brett nearly wet his pants watching Emma eat a cookie. She makes the greatest faces.

--Bart watched Monsters, Inc., with Sarah. She sat for a while with her head on his shoulder, then she pretty much climbed upon his lap without quite going on all the way. Bart sat there with her with his arms around her and answered every question she had as patiently as anyone could. He even let her put his glasses on her head. I realized that, as much as I usually want to kill him anymore, he's going to be the one kids feel safe around. Brett's a tease; Bart is the one who makes you feel cozy.

--Emma is at the stage where she's trying to be independent when she eats, but she doesn't always make it. I nearly had a plate in my lap at one point and I did have several bites on me and on the floor before she lost interest. Watching kids learn to eat by themselves is hilarious.

Now can someone please explain how I had 2 sets of door-to-door people last night--in unrelated events? And how many phone calls can one get when the phone is behind 2 filing cabinets, 10 boxes, and assorted junk?

It happened for the first time in 21 years

Brian forgot today is our anniversary! I don't ever remember beating him to the punch on anniversary greetings, but I did this morning!

Now before you think I was nasty about it, think again. I'm surprised the man knows his own name. He's been working upwards of 70 hours a week--mostly in 5 days--so he's walking around kind of zombie-ish at times. He's in Lexington today, working on a church around Tates Creek. I hope that means he's going to be home earlier tonight.

You know you're wiped out when...

You nearly walk out of your bedroom after dressing before you realize you're not finished dressing and you go watch the weather that afternoon only to return to the kitchen to find the water running and it's been running for SEVERAL minutes because you left it running to go see the weather several minutes earlier, before the actual weather came on and you write sentences that go on forever because your brain can't process where to put in the punctuation

Green beans and cabbage

Yesterday Dad, Rich, Brian and I picked 3 bushels of green beans. By the time I finish the processing this evening, I will have canned 68 quarts.

I also froze 28 pints of cabbage yesterday.

A new rung on the pathetic ladder

We grilled out tonight. I actually put a hot dog on the grill for the dog dog. Then I cut it up so that he wouldn't get choked.

An addition and a disappointment

I forgot one thing that I'm doing:

Cooking for tomorrow

You know what irks me? I'm a Republican. I'll admit it to anyone. Today, though, I wanted, ever so briefly, to become a Democrat. Here's the scenario:

The phone rings and I break my neck to get it. This woman tells me, "I'm calling for the Republican party and we'd like your opinion in this survey." Fine, and I tell her so. "Please listen to what Mr. Newt Gingrich has to say." OK. I listen to Newt talk about how the news media and the likes of Michael Moore are lying about the current state of affairs in the war on terror and the current administration just to get into office. Well, DUH. Then he continues to say that 13 freshmen Rep House members are facing an uncertain futures because of all this and that the Republican Party needs my financial help to make sure that they stay in office over the lying, sneaking Dems.

Now, wait a minute.

Didn't I just hear I would be taking part in a survey?? I didn't hear anything remotely sounding like a dollar sign when I agreed to stay on with Newt. But then Newt started talking more and more about needing money.

Then a different person comes on to follow up Newt. Did I hear him all right? Yes. How about keeping these endangered freshmen House members in by contributing $75-100?

Yeah, right.

Those in charge of such phone marketing, listen up. If you had asked me straight up from the beginning if I would contribute something to the campaign, I sure wouldn't have contributed $75-100, but I may have contributed $10-25. Better than the dead line you got in response, isn't it?

Let's try a little honesty next time. You're starting to play dirty like another party we know.

Adventures in Reid-land

Today we're:

Taking Mom to get her hair cut (Me)
Putting up Brett's ceiling fan (Brian)
Moving furniture out of Bart and Brennan's room into the living room(Brian and Brennan)
Drywalling Bart and Brennan's room (Brian and Brennan)
Washing the dog (Me)
Cleaning the bathroom (a necessity after washing the dog) (Me)
Going to the store (Me)
Putting groceries away (Me)
Cleaning the kitchen (again; a necessity after going to the store and cooking) (Me)
Fighting with Bart (All of us)
Anything else we can find, it seems

What I want to do:

Read a book
Take a nap
Watch Spiderman 2
Watch Shrek 2
Hire a maid

Brian is Superman

If I've counted correctly, Brian has worked at least 66 hours this week--30+ of that overtime because of the way they do overtime where he works. He's praying Dad doesn't want to do anything this weekend. He's whipped.

On the other hand...

Forgot to mention:

A few posts ago, I was concerned about the $$ that we would need soon. Wouldn't you know, the next day we found out that a lot of what we thought we needed to pay this month has already been paid? That means that a lot of the cash I thought would be flowing out this past month (I hate June) is actually staying IN! That means we should have the money to pay Sandy.

And the delays should give us plenty of time to get the CAWLI payment together! Behind every problem there is a good reason. Romans 8:28 never fails!

Need a gripe moment

We went into this adoption process DETERMINED to be organized and efficient. We have been. By April 19, all of our paperwork was finished. By April 20, all of it was out. All we had left was some documentation about our time in adoption education, etc. That is an on-going process, so no biggie. We thought we were set.

We forgot that Frankfort has goals that are in direct opposition to ours.

While one department has been fairly on-the-ball--with the exception of Bart's documentation--the rest are sitting on our paperwork for whatever purposes they may have. My main concern is that the people are not the ones sitting on it, but rather they have given our paperwork to their birds or cats or gerbils or whatever to "sit" on. You have to wonder if these folks run out of newspaper sometimes and they decide to use your documents as liners. I deal with Frankfort enough at school to realize that they really don't have a clue. That being said, the proposed scenario is not out of the question.

Anyway, now our March-April dates seem to be passing quickly from us and we're dangerously close to a May travel date.

Oh, Sir Isaac Newton, why did you have to be so correct?