Wednesday, September 27, 2006

serenity now

Today is cut off chunk in traffic day because nevermind that the "cushion" she has left is in case of sudden stoppage is not an opening she is saving just for you, you three ton semi-truck! in case you didn't realize that you are not a mini cooper!!!

Friday, September 22, 2006

The Hurricane


The Hurricane hung out with me at work yesterday afternoon. Here is a drawing he did for me. I have blue hair. He was going to give me red, and I said I didn't like red, and he said, "ok, blue hair then." I almost got red eyes, too, but I gently suggested the black.
After the portrait I put him on a laptop and hooked him up with the disney channel games. He navigated around a laptop like nobody's business! He played game after game, and read all the little instructions by himself. He talked away at the game, to UFA, and to me.
Thanks for keeping me company little guy!

Thursday, September 21, 2006

The Fair

We ate: stuffed sopaipillas w/green chile & beans, frito pie, corn dogs, funnel cake, cotton candy & picked up an indian taco for the hubbs.
We saw: horses, a duck & her babies, a pig & her babies, a dog & her babies, a goat & her babies, a pygmy goat & her babies, a donkey, a cow, people get shot into the air on a rubber band, & TONS of freaky people. I thought of all the material I could send to susiebadoozie and will now start working on the hubbs for a camera phone...
We also saw: PRCA Rodeo. We saw bucking bronco riders, and rodeo clowns, and calf roping, and riding-around-three-barrels-really-fast(I'm positive that's the technical name for the event) We saw a man jump over a car standing on the back of two horses!

The Hurricane stayed at school all day. I originally only had two tickets for the rodeo and was going to send my mom and Travidoo, but at the last minute I got two more tickets, so we all got to sit in the box seats, which means we were two rows up from the arena. Dirt was flying, horses were RIGHTTHERE, cowboys were walking by, it was very exciting. (no honey, we weren't "checking" anyone out, it was just fun to be so close. I only have eyes for you. How do you feel about Wranglers, though? JUST KIDDING!)
The severe weather alert did come about, mostly high winds and then on our way home, hurricane like rain.
Transportation and entrace to state fair: $10
Food at the state fair: $40
PRCA Rodeo: $0, compliments of my work
Experiencing all the interesting types of people from our enchanted state: priceless
So priceless, I don't want to see any of them again until next year.

Wednesday, September 20, 2006

The best laid plans

Tonight we are supposed to go to the state fair. I got tickets for my mom to see the rodeo (translation=guys in tight jeans)
  • The H man came in this morning and said his tummy hurt. I basically told him to suck it up and get ready for school. I'm from the go anyway and then if you are still sick at least they know you're not faking it generation. So, we'll see if I get a call from the nurse letting me know to come pick up my child. Please note- he ate a pop tart for breakfast and was loading up on doritos for lunch.
  • My computer is telling me there is a SEVERE weather alert for ABQ tonight.
  • Rele called when he got home from work, the ER in the hospital downtown. They saw two people last night who had been shot walking to their car from the state fair.
  • Today is Dollar Day at the fair! Which means everyone in the state will be there because it's only a dollar to park and a dollar to get in! Yay! You know how well I do in crowds.
    I'll let you know how goes, if it goes...
  • Sunday, September 17, 2006

    Stats

    USC 28
    Neb 10

    SF 49ers 20
    Rams 13

    Jeff Gordon came in 3rd!

    SF Giants got rained out

    Pitts Pirates 3
    Reds 0

    AND my brother proposed to his girlfriend in St. Louis!
    Congratulations David & Lori!!

    Tuesday, September 12, 2006

    Mi Hijo

    Tonight I gave the boys a haircut. I know, how do I find the time when I am a working mom and I send them to public school so obviously I am not teaching them anything and why would I take time to cut their hair myself because Hello! we all know working moms don't like their kids and don't bother to even acknowledge them?! In case you missed it, here is a basic rundown:
    working mom + public school = you are SO going to Hell!
    stay @ home mom + they stay at home, so what more is there? = pure, unadulterated, straight to Heaven, perfect person!


    Sorry, we are so over all that so let me try again here.
    The boys got a haircut tonight. As I was cutting my oldest son's hair, I looked down at his feet and I am in a state of shock. He has MAN feet! He no longer has the little chubby boy feet. They are long and narrow and we wear the same size shoe right now. Which isn't really a major accomplishment since my feet are small, size 5 to 5 1/2, but still, HIS feet are as big as mine. I really do enjoy seeing my kids grow up and learn new things and I am a bit anxious to see what they will do with their lives, but somehow I thought it wouldn't really happen right now. Or so fast. Or ever, really. It's bad enough that he's in middle school and rides his bike to school.(ok, enough w/all the gasping and vespers! Honestly! I might as well tell you also that I let them drink soda sometimes and I have cheetos and pop tarts for them to eat. AND sometimes we have cereal for--DINNER. Yikes!)
    Moving on.
    My son is becoming a quazi-man. I don't like it.
    Reality isn't really so much fun sometimes, but then your son says, "I like your shoes mom," and you know, some girl had better thank her lucky stars for her MIL, who taught her son well. Then she better thank her lucky stars that I don't punch her in the face for thinking that she could ever be good enough for my son and she better never cross me or else! So, I'm probably not ready for him to have a girlfriend yet?
    Not so much. I better look into some after-school sports...

    Monday, September 11, 2006

    Bay Area hopefuls...

    49ers 7
    Cardinals 21

    SF Giants 2
    SD Padres 10

    Pirates 2
    Reds 4

    Jeff Gordon finished in 31st place.

    Not a good day for me in sports.

    Tuesday, September 05, 2006

    The way I see it.

    Read this article and then come back to me.
    This makes me so angry. How stupid and ignorant can you be? When Jesus walked the Earth did he go around encouraging his disciples to only talk to Christians? Did he say that we should stick our heads in the sand when things aren't centered around God? I'm sorry but this mentality makes me furious. The whole reason we don't have prayer in our schools anymore is because we as Christians sat back and let it happen. The whole reason our schools are going to pot is because we as Christians have pulled all our children out of public schools so we therefore no longer have any influence nor are any of our children witnessing to those that need it the most. The way I see it, we have taken our light and hid it under a bushel, just like the song says we shouldn't do and it's also in scripture, Matthew 5:14.
    I honestly do not understand this mentality. If we only go to Christian schools, or heaven forbid, homeschool, then only work in a christian environment, and only socialize w/people that go to church, then my question is, when do you fulfill your purpose to witness and tell of God's word? If we shut ourselves off and only have minimal contact w/"non believers," wouldn't that be called a cult?
    Remember what happened to Jonah when he didn't go and preach like he was asked to? There's a whole book about it.
    My Bible very clearly talks about how Jesus consistently went out and touched everyone's lives. Not just the pretty people, or the people he saw in church, or even the people that came to Him. He sought people out and when there was a need he went and showed of God's love by his actions and his words. God wants us all to be with him in Heaven, the choice is ours, and it's our responsibility to make sure everyone has been given the opportunity to hear about God. It's up to us to live and be Christlike so that people will see that we are different and want to know where our strength comes from. He called us to be fishers of men.
    How sad for people to even say that Christianity is the best kept secret.

    Matthew 5:16
    Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.


    addendum 1:
    I just re-read the article and now I'm upset about another thing this person is saying. He says, "the vast majority of Christian children who attend public schools lose their faith."
    A. Where does this information come from? Are ALL of our kids losing their faith?
    B. Would that really be the fault of the public schools or should we maybe take a look at how we've run our household and the example they've had? How involved are we as parents in their school? Since this man is making some pretty broad generalizations, let's give a little leeway to me also. I know that you can have the most devout Christians who have raised their kids in the church and done everything humanly possible to make sure they are also Christians, and yet they become heathens like no other. We also have to consider the child that had the worst example of family and the most heinous of upbringing's and then goes on to become a pastor or even a shining example of how we should live and loves God whole heartedly.
    C. I would like to know how many kids have been home-schooled or gone to a Christian school and lost their faith. Of the people I know personally who have been homeschooled, I would say only a couple are still firmly rooted in their faith AND living a clean lifestyle, not to mention the few that actually graduated. I also went to a youth group at a church that had a school. After those couple of years of torture, I promised myself that I would never, as long as it was possible, NEVER send my kids to a christian school. Those kids were the most pretentious, stuck up, socially retarded, and just plain meanest kids I have ever come across. The way I saw it was, that you send your bratty little kids to a Christian school so they can walk around like their poop doesn't stink, and they will never learn to welcome people and be friendly because they have only ever had to socialize with the ten other people in their class, and you will have kids that have no idea how to deal with real world issues when they are no longer in their little bubble.

    addendum 2:
    I have had this article in my planner for six years now. There is a date on it of October 22, 2000. I've kept it because it really says what I feel in a much better way than I can.
    It is written by Lee Fruh
    "Tori, our youngest, started kindergarten this fall. She didn't go quietly. The week before school started, she boldly declared, 'Mom, I'm not going to school. I'm going to stay home with you and be stupid.'
    In many ways, her mom and I would prefer that. Not that she be stupid, but that she stay home. We take no joy in the thought of what she will endure in her academic career: stubbed toes, broken hearts, confusing concepts, tests of faith. But in Tori's case, we know that going to school is the best way for her to prepare for life. Particularly, the Christian life.
    You see...Christians go.
    God set the example. He sent His Son out of comfort and safety into the hard, cold, painful reality of the world. Then after Jesus endured it all--including treachery and murder--He turned to those dear to Him and with His last words while on earth said, 'Go' (Matthew 28:19) For 2,000 years now, His followers have left their houses, towns, countries and cultures to go.
    It's morning now. As I work at my computer, it occurs to me how incredibly quiet it is. No doors slamming, no shouting, no pitter-patter of little roller blades marking up the floor, no interruptions in the middle of a profound thought.
    Meanwhile, Tori is in a school yard, running, giggling, screaming. There is sand in her hair and a bruise on her shin. Already she's beginning to pay the price for going.
    Daddy feels a tinge of sadness, but no regret. Because Tori is learning to do what Christians do...they go.

    Friday, September 01, 2006

    Bragging Rights

    I have to brag. We went to the Hurricane's Open House at school the other night. (we all know H's notorious past in regards to school "issues.") Needless to say, we weren't exactly chomping at the bit to attend this particular soiree. It seemed important to the H so we went.
    We went to his classroom. We looked at his desk. We checked out all his papers and journals. Rele noticed one binder w/bar graphs showing different areas of progress. All the bars were colored in to the top. Hmmmm....
    H's teacher comes over to greet us. She says she has to tell us that she was warned that H was all crazy like, and had to be watched, or some bullcrap like that, that some neurotic person who doesn't know how to deal w/rambunctious boys fed her, because hello, boys aren't supposed to make noise and wrestle and be all BOY like.
    Whew. Sorry. Back to the moral of the story.
    She then tells us, that, that is NOT the H she knows. The Hurricane has been nothing but polite and helpful, and respectful, and even on the playground she hasn't noticed anything to be alarmed about. I.E.-nothing to give him a stupid re-direction slip for!!
    We tell her that he was so excited to have participated in the Fantastic Fun day. We told her that in fact, it was his first one, because last year with THAT OTHER teacher, he never got to go. She.was.flabbergasted people. She kept saying she didn't believe us. I said, he didn't get through the first week w/o a $@#$^#^&^ pink slip.
    She was *beside* herself w/disbelief! She said our son was a joy to have and that she wanted to keep him for herself and she wished her whole class was made up of Hurricane's. (More or less, I might be paraphrasing just a bit)
    Oh, and BY THE WAY, she would like to know if she can turn his name in to the people that test kids for *gifted classes* because he is already at a second grade reading level. His comprehension of words and such is beyond everyone else.
    Say it with me, please-BOO YA!!!!
    My little baby H is a smart boy and he displays good manners for his teacher! I almost hugged her and licked her face. We had such a horrible Kindergarten year and struggled so much w/his teacher and that stupid counselor, that to hear her praise our son, it was such a weight off our shoulders. I'm so glad that this teacher seems much more in control of the class and of course she obviously knows a good student when she sees one!
    I think this calls for a margarita to celebrate getting through the first month of school without incident from the H man!
    Now, as for the other two spawn...