November 26 - Heard Around the House

Skyler: We need to give Jasper a bath. (I re-named the dog.)

Me: Yeah, but I really don't like wet-dog smell, so I don't wanna.

Skyler: Well, he'll just smell like Seth does.

Ha! :-)

November 24 - Looking Ahead

Last night was busy on all fronts. Dale took Skyler to Cub Scouts, and I took the other two for some non-crowded, pre-Black-Friday-but-the-discounts-still-apply mall shopping. While we were still out sniffing new computer smell (we have an Apple Store now!), Dale came home. I'm the one lucky enough to park in the garage, so he always has to get out and work the keypad. In the midst of that, a van pulled into the drive and a young man hopped out, hocking "The Ultimate Carpet Cleaner".

It was 8:45PM, and very dark. He said something along the lines of, "We can knock till 9, and if I can just get in to look at your carpet this could change your life." Funny how experience makes what would have once been annoying feel downright threatening. Dale promptly informed him this was inappropriate and asked him to leave.

I'm pretty sure all his hackles were up, because he got rather tense just relating the story when we returned home. Which made me mentally flash forward about 30 years. Here's what I'm picturing: two old people in rocking chairs on the porch, loaded shotguns on our laps, keeping watch with scowling faces. In a gravelly, Clint Eastwood voice, "Dang people - get off my land!"

If this happens to me, please intervene! Seriously, how hard can it be to disarm a 70 year old?!

November 18 - Hard

Last night we had the pleasure of flying through 3 parent teacher conferences for 3 pretty cool kids. I am grateful for strong schools, caring teachers, & kids who aren't too terribly difficult to educate. Looks like our biggest academic struggle is a little organization to bring the B's up to A's. Plus the new homework philosophy when teachers noticed that masses of rote homework weren't effective for learning had me doing a little happy dance in the 3rd grade hallway.

All that is really great. We are blessed. What made last night hard was the anticipation of spending 2 hours zipping between 3 different school buildings with hungry kids & putting on a happy face for everyone - with both my 1st & 2nd husbands. Awk. Ward.

I have not mastered this co-parenting cr**, I mean "important life skill", yet. First time I've been seriously tempted to take Xanax since I had to spend 4th of July with Scott's whole family a few months after he left. (My doctor prescribed it specifically for that situation at the time.) Yuck.

November 10 - Still Spooked

Last Wednesday, after volunteering in Skyler's classroom & treating a couple patients in town, I stopped home to use the bathroom between patients. And walked in to a very scary disaster. Every door was open: cupboards, drawers, basement, front door, back door. Every light was on. I thought, "Who had a chance to come home this morning & why on earth would they leave everything open?!" Then, "Oh crap!!!" I grabbed the dog, the phone & ran!

The last week has been a whirlwind of already scheduled really important stuff like Skyler's 8th birthday and the AND conference and my dad visiting from Delaware. Plus hours and hours of clean up, financial and identity protection, police follow up. Ugh! My fantastic husband actually describes the first impact perfectly here.

We're still kinda freaked out. We lost a lot of "just stuff", like computers and cameras, and some irreplaceables, like all the digital photos and journaling from the last 2 years. Painful.

But certainly not the end of the world. Here's my take-away: security is an illusion. All the "stuff", even our family members and pets, is God's anyway. While it is smart to steward well the blessings we're given, ultimately we don't control them. This week I'm working on surrendering with grace. It's not my favorite. I'm not good at it. But I am God's child and I believe in His plan.

November 2 - Random Personal Thoughts

I found myself trying to explain The Eagles' Hotel California to the kids this evening. Turns out that despite an entire Week of Prayer devoted to exploring the evils of this specific song, I still don't get it. Hunh.

I voted today, in an old brick building in the middle of a cow field. Midterm elections aren't nearly as exciting (expensive?) as the presidential ones. I'm pretty sure politicians don't intend to be evil, and they try their best, but it seems pretty difficult to trust anyone these days. I always feel like I'm missing part of the story. Still, if we don't exercise our rights, one day we might lose them. Power to the people and all.

I've been sick for about a month. Yuck. My doctor is on maternity leave after having twins (awww), and the practice referred me to MedPoint. Waited over 2 hours and the official 2 minute diagnosis: bronchitis. Finished second round of antibiotics today, still coughing up blood. Not. Awesome.