Update, laundry, purging, poop, and injuries...

Felix is okay, besides a double ear infection-which the doctor prescribed me an antibiotic that cost $43.00. Difficult to even type that. I try very hard to not do antibiotics for the kids; I'm anal that way- I prefer they kick their illnesses themselves. But sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do. Bring on the yogurt (acidophilus is good to have with antibiotics).

PILE of laundry waiting for me on the "laundry bench". It keeps just sitting there and not folding itself. FOLD YOURSELF, LAUNDRY! Well, that didn't work.

Purged Corin and Silas' bedroom today. Thank you, Miss Heather, for helping me throw away tons of broken, unused, unwanted, unplayed with toys. It was great. And then Felix pooped on the floor, but oh well.

Just broke one of my favorite polka-dotted bowls by Gail Pittman. I was trying to save Felix from burning himself on a hot cookie sheet. He was trying to help himself to more french fries. "I wan mo fren fry, Momma." Crash.

I injured myself (charlie horse in my left leg) leaping to keep Felix from pooping on the floor (again). I am now limping around the house. Am I really 32 years old? I just leaped. I remember at Hope's wedding last summer, Emma Morgan taught me how to do some dance (maybe Cotton-Eyed Joe) and I got a horrible charlie horse. However, I wouldn't give up because I didn't want to admit I was too old to dance for two hours straight. I sure regretted dancing the night away the next day. Ouch.

I "broke" my baby toe yesterday (no inward groans from Mom or Missy). I say broke, but it's very sensitive and pops out of place easily. I used to be quite dramatic about it. Now, there's no one to hear me whine, so I've learned to pop it back into place myself. Ouch.

Tomorrow is going to be cold. Boo hiss. Friday is going to be warm. Yea.

I have the song "Tomorrow" going through my head over and over. You know, from Annie. I'm practicing it to accompany Landy for the talent show on Saturday. Oh yeah, our church is having a Talent Show on saturday. It's great fun. I look forward to it every year.

MUST get up and be proactive about tidying up. Felix just sat down next to me with a big bag of old popcorn. He has socks on, a t-shirt with a Bob the Builder sticker on it (from the Dr.), and nothing else. I love potty-training.

Eardrums and Poop

Felix's eardrum burst today while he was napping. Very strange. He is okay; he acted fine after it happened. Actually, he acted fine before it happened. He has had a slight cold for a couple of days; no fever and no coughing. Last night he cried for a long while before he finally fell asleep. I guess his ear hurt. I'm taking him to the doctor tomorrow morning to make sure he's okay. This EXACT same thing happened to Silas when he was two.

Felix has become 95% potty trained. He has pooed in the potty THREE times. I'm very excited. Um, it's very interesting to see that my two-year old pooping in the potty causes me to be very excited. And just a little pathetic. Ah, this is the life.

Missy's fam...

We went to Birmingham Southern yesterday with a fun group of friends to check out the planetarium. It was great. I went in knowing that the sky was up and came out with a thirst of looking at the night sky to find constellations. The instructor, Ms. Ingram, had the kids make this

star finder thingy and Corin and Silas were bitterly disappointed that last night the stars were covered with clouds. Maybe tonight. It was fun and I love a good field trip with lots of friends.

After we did that, we stuck around Birmingham Southern's pretty campus to take pictures of Missy's brother, his girlfriend , Kelly...and her (Missy's) kids. If you don't know, Missy was my roommate in college and I've known her family since I was eighteen years old. Yep, her parents got onto us for our foolishness just like my parents did. I was terrified of her father when I met him; he looks just like Tommy Lee Jones and has this very serious face. It's a ruse though, he's a big teddy bear- unless, of course, Missy and I were up to no good, then he was all over us. Anyhoo, the first time I met Adam (he's 9 years Missy's junior), he sang Hakuna Matata from the Lion King for three hours in a car ride and I wanted to kill him. He's not nearly as annoying now ;). It IS weird that he's grown up, though; I feel old. They were fun to work with.

Jonathan's Journey

I got the opportunity to go see Rebecca and Keith Thursday at Brookwood. And I got to see the baby (aren't you jealous?). He's doing great and he has a blog (he's already so smart)! Follow his progress at this site.

Harry Anderson and Oatmeal Cookies

To people from Community Presbyterian Church: did you ever notice that Burt looks a bit like Harry Anderson from Night Court?

To people not from my church: my pastor looks a bit like Harry Anderson from Night Court. I like Harry Anderson; I think he's funny. What happened to him after Night Court anyway? Curious. I am a lurker on Burt's blog. I love his posts. Check him out.

Today is going to be rainy. Pooh. The only consolation is that March comes NEXT WEEK! I have piano lessons today and I have to admit something... I do love piano lessons, but I really love that I give my friends' kids piano lessons and then my friends stay and chat. Today Leslie's and Crissy's oldest daughters take lessons and they will stay and chat. Decaf coffee and a nice dessert- with a 30 minute piano lesson thrown in the mix. It's something I'm looking forward to. I love having good friends who like to chat over coffee. Got nothing to do this afternoon 'round three? Pop in. I'll make a fresh pot of coffee. I'm thinking oatmeal cranberry cookies for something sweet. Oatmeal cookies always sound good in the winter. Mmmm...

Told Quinn I'd make breakfast; have a great Thursday!

I feel it in my bones...

I love this feature (...) I use it all the time.

I feel spring is coming. Somehow, my body senses that it is right around the corner. I have started to get more done and feel capable of actually accomplishing what I am supposed to do during the day. It's been November since I felt that way. I feel that yesterday with Paige and Heather helping me that it jumpstarted my system. Thanks again, girls. There is so much that needs to be done before our supposed move to Jackson (we're not %100 yet) that I think I've felt overwhelmed about getting it all done. There are clothes to get rid of from the boys, toys to go through and purge, and general crap to discard. I think I'm ready to get started with that stuff.

Felix is nearly potty-trained. Woo hoo! He has been able to pee on demand for a while now and I've felt guilty that I haven't started training him. So, last week I just slapped some underwear on him and left the house. That's the only way the I can get started: making myself take him potty ALL the time. He has only had one accident. I think it's because he doesn't like to be messy. No poopoo on the potty yet, but he brings me a diaper and says "I go poopoo now". This is okay with me for now. We'll worry about poopoo on the potty when he feels more comfortable, or when I run out of diapers.

Silas is excited that he no longer has to wear Pull-ups anymore! He has always been a hard sleeper and has never been able to wake up to go to the bathroom, but recently has been able to wake up and go. I'm glad to not spend that extra money. Felix wakes up dry pretty much everyday so we may not have to do Pull-ups for him. Crossing my fingers.

We got a recent report on Rebecca and baby Jonathan. Everything looks good so far and his vitals are normal. He is on oxygen, but the doctors say that is normal for him being so early. Rebecca is recovering well. I'm so thankful that he is doing well.

I love Tuesdays and today is gorgeous!

He's Here!

Baby Jonathan is here! He weighed in at 1 pound and 14 ounces. He's in NeoNatal right now and momma is recovering. Pray for her as she recovers and for baby Jonathan as he grows. Pray that he thrives. The Lord is good. Will update as I know more information.

Update: Quinn said this morning that Dr. Ross said that he was feisty and that he peed on him when he was born. Pray that he continues his feistiness!

Urgent Prayer Request

Please pray for the Ray family. Keith and Rebecca (some of you may remember Keith from Southeastern) have been expecting their first son after several miscarriages. Rebecca was due in May. She started early labor early Sunday morning and, after many efforts to stop her labor, is due to give birth any minute now. She is 25 weeks. Please pray for the health of the baby and the continued strength of Keith and Rebecca, who are struggling emotionally. I will update as soon as know more.

What happens when...

What happens when all the kids are off on President's Day, and I have the women over after jogging for lunch and general good times? Paige goes freaking nuts.

She saw that something had spilt on the garbage can (a week ago but anyway) and decided that she couldn't let it go. So she cleaned it. Then she cleaned the wall behind the garbage can, then she cleaned the cabinet next to the wall, then she cleaned ALL the cabinets. Then I got the camera because I had to memoralize Paige going crazy; she's usually so calm and collected. She kept saying she was so happy. CRAZY.

Then she cleaned the stool in the kitchen. Then Heather jumped in.

What she can't just stand there and watch Paige clean by herself! That was my job. I was still in shock a little anyway. They are the cleaning queens. I am not. I am the queen of, um, other stuff that's not cleaning. Someday I will hire a housekeeper. Someday. Sigh...

They asked where my Murphy's Oil Soap was.

I don't have Murphy's Oil Soap. I did have Pine Sol (unopened and forgotten-I told you I use Windex). They cleaned the microwave, all the canisters, the coffee pot, hand-mopped the floor, the baseboards, the walls. I helped. A little. What can I say? They are cleaning queens and I was at a loss for words. Besides I was slightly afraid of Paige. She looked like a woman posessed (note picture at the top of post). I didn't want to get in her way. Anyhow, my house is C-L-E-A-N. After they left, I hand-mopped the bathrooms (with Pine-Sol) and wiped down the front door.

Still need to do the fans (need a ladder) and don't ask about the inside of the refrigerator (even though the outside is topnotch). I'm feeling pretty good about my house. Now I can have company. Anybody up for Phantom?

A Picture or Two, Gamecube, Cartwheels, and Cheesecake

I wanted to share this with you all...

Isn't he cute? He is modeling one of Maja's patterns for Maja's Heirlooms. If you don't know about her; she and her husband own the house we live in and she creates these beautiful outfits for children. She has asked all three of the boys (Corin and Silas were little and those pictures are not on my 'puter) to model her clothes and I am only too glad to oblige her.

My boys are playing Gamecube with their Daddy. I dislike video games (however, I have been known to play Mario Cart from time to time with hubby). We made a new rule this week that they could only play Gamecube on the weekend because they asked every 15 minutes (during school) if they could play. ALL DAY LONG. Anyway, we decided to give this new rule a whirl and make video games a true privilege and not the expected thing it had become. The music to it is driving me nuts.

Thanks to Parents Night Out at the church (thank you lovely volunteers!), I bowled last night and beat Quinn in a game. Yeah, it was pretty awesome. We went with Josh and Paige Mitchell and Jason and Anne Marie Webb. So fun. He did NOT let me win and I resent that you were even thinking that. I did not win over everyone (Josh apparently bowls in his spare time), only over Quinn, which is really the only part that matters. I did a cartwheel after I got a strike which may cause you to think, "must she be the center of attention always?" Short answer, seemingly, Yes. Long answer, Josh Mitchell (lawyer extraordinaire and deacon at our church) double-dog-dared me to do it. I must defend my honor. Would you turn down a double-dog-dare? I didn't think so. I also was enticed to do a one-handed cartwheel, but was able to do that (even though it's been at least 5 years-maybe 10 since I've done one) with ease-and no injury. I am a pretty good cartwheeler, even if I do say so myself. Isn't that something you wonder about people that you meet? "Yeah, she's cool, but can she do a cartwheel?" Well, I can. Now you know. And, yes, pretty much I'll do one on demand.

I made a yummy cheesecake on Thursday for our lovely dinner. And now it's sitting in the fridge, calling to me at all hours of the day. I had a piece for lunch today, with carrots for a veg. There are at least 930 calories in a slice of homemade cheesecake. And I use 2 and 1/2 pounds of cream cheese instead of the normal 1 and a 1/2 pounds, as the Philadelphia Cream Cheese recipe for cheesecake calls for it. That is between 75 and 125 calories per BITE. Yikes. Honestly, that is the only reason I haven't polished the rest of it off. I am a big cut-off-one-bite-at-a-time kind of gal, but I've had to restrain myself. And I now that I've ruined cheesecake for you forever, allow me to recommend something delicious. Get a slice of cheesecake (highly recommend the recipe I alluded to earlier-google it) with a drizzle of condensed milk and fresh blueberries. Mmmmm.... Cheesecake is not hard to make, but somehow it's gained a reputation of being difficult. Mine are never pretty, but they are easy to put together and yummy. Get yourself a springform pan and give it a whirl.

I wanted to leave you with some cute pictures of my kids (do you never tire of seeing them?).

Si feigning surprise...

Corin doing some schoolwork...

Felix helping Daddy fix the car. With a big hammer.

Good night, bloggers of the world...

Okay, okay... here are the Valentine pics...

Maybe Later...

So I took pictures of what the kids did for Valentine's Day. But I don't feel like posting them. Maybe later. This has been the first Valentine's Day that we've really participated in something fun. We made Valentine boxes (Corin made a robot and Silas made a giant face that says 'Feed Me Valentines) and we also made homemade Valentines. Yep. Homemade. Sure did. Won't EVER do that again. I was up late coming up with cute sayings and writing them down and then, since I was the only one who wouldn't burn myself with the hot glue gun, I spent the majority of the morning glueing them together. The boys sure did have fun though. I'm just a poophead Mom who doesn't enjoy Valentine's Day. Corin came home with 19 Valentines. He made 24. He couldn't decide who he wanted to give them to. Grrrr. Oh well. Quinn brought me home some lovely Gerbera daisies and we had homemade cheesecake for dessert last night. And Lost came on. Totally addicted to that show.

I think I could very easily do a rant on Holiday Ridiculousness. I hate how companies market holidays. Christmas, Easter, Valentine's Day, St Patrick's Day, Labor Day, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, you name it. Actually, everytime I type a holiday I hear a jingle in my head of something I would hear on the radio or TV. Example: "SALE, SALE, SALE! It's our ANNUAL ________ Day SALE! Huge Savings! Come on DOWN!" And, of course, Halloween (maybe my favorite) gets a pass. I didn't say I wasn't a hypocrite. As I think about it, I'm sure it's not the holiday itself I dislike (there's no harm in Valentine's Day or St. Patrick's Day), I guess it's just the marketing to try to get you to feel guilty if you don't buy this or that for your 'special someone' or 'your kids'. Annoying. I think I hear "Every Kiss begins with Kay" from November to February. Let's not even talk about President's Day. Whatever. Who celebrates President's Day? Car Dealerships, Furniture Companies, and Department Stores. Super annoying. Mmm, I'm grouchy. Too much cake today at the Valentine's party done for our homeschool group. Maybe I'll make some coffee. I probably just need to drink a huge glass of water. And take an Advil. Maybe two. Maybe later.

Mmmn...

Happy Valentine's Day to my sweet husband. The Lord gave you to me and I've been blessed by you. How is it possible that you love me? Sometimes I look at myself and think "Good grief, I'm crazy and nuerotic and presumptuous and overdramatic, how does he ever love me?"

Thanks for loving me, in spite of me being me.

Happy Over-Done, Completely Fake, Hallmark Marketed, okay-I'm-a-little-cynical-about-Valentine's Day. I love you tons.

An Old Battle Continues...

This morning I decided that I would torture myself by trying on clothes that are 5 pounds too small for me... Now I'm depressed and annoyed with myself. I know that I am not the only woman who does this. It starts with picking out something to wear. We are painting Valentine's Day boxes today, so I'm electing to wear older jeans and an older shirt. My jeans feel too small, but just a little bit. I feel the panic rising in my chest as I zip up my jeans and head to the bathroom mirror to take a look. They don't look too small EXACTLY, but I feel that they are more snug than they were the last time I put them on. So I head back to my bedroom and stand in the closet and pick out every single pair of pants that are the size of my jeans and methodically try them on to see if they fit. And now dresses... And now skirts... If I could easily get to my shorts I would try them on, too. This method is a must for me and now I've made an enormous mess in my room because, of course, I don't hang anything back up. It's almost like a binge try on session that I temporarily lose my mind. And I've confirmed what I now know; I've gained five-ish pounds. (A scale is not good for me to have because I get a little crazy with the numbers. Imagine that). I slip on the old jeans again and decide that it will make me mad all day to wear them. So I put on newer jeans that I know will get paint on them. Now I'm almost ready to give up on the day and sit in pajamas. Sigh. The thing is, I'm training for a 5K three days a week and am doing weight training. And I know what you're thinking- you gain with weight training first, but not in your middle! I think I've been hungrier with running so I eat more. And I've been panic eating in the evening for some reason. Grrrr. The old battle continues. Why can't I just eat when I'm hungry and not eat when I'm not?

Simmering in my mess....

NKOTB... round two

Seriously, I saw that Christa had referenced their reuniting on Abbey's blog and I just had to see for myself. So, I googled New Kids on the Block Reuniting and, um, they sure are! Better get your tickets now! Iron your special florescent button down, pull out your favorite peg-leg jeans, and buy some Freezeit! hairspray because they are on their way to a city near you! No concert dates are posted yet.

I do not understand the boy band craze and never could get it. I suppose I did hum "Hangin' Touch" occasionally when I was fourteen, but maybe it's because they played it 1 gazillion times a day on any given radio station in 1990. Give me REM any day. I remember this girl, Kathy, in HIGH SCHOOL (of course I mean that high school was too old to be into these guys) would have this "polka dot" day for the New Kids and she and all her friends would dress in polka dots and wear their New Kids pins on their shirts. And I would cast disdain to them from across the room, roll my eyes and go back to sulking about my super-depressing existence on this earth while listening to Depeche Mode and Pink Floyd. (My poor mother- sorry Ma.) My mode of attire, as most of you have probably guessed by now, was too much eyeliner and black t-shirts. Not goth, but more like a wanna-be beatnik. Ho-hum. I still love me some Depeche Mode and Pink Floyd. Anyhow, I just thought I'd help get the word out about New Kids... OMG, they are so AWESOME!

Love ya Ginger...

Why is Randomness so Fun?

I do not understand when fellow blogger friends say that they have nothing to write about. My verbal diarrhea is so potent and perhaps I am so arrogant to think that you want to hear about EVERY THOUGHT that goes through my brain. I have to control my blogging tendencies. Seriously, I think I could blog all day. ALL DAY. Do you want to hear about the smell in my refrigerator? Got it. How about the last time I cleaned the litter box? okey dokey. Who doesn't want to hear about my kids throwing up? That is serious entertainment. How about when I talk about my obsessive compulsive habits? Gotcha. I love to read about other people's OC habits; perhaps because it makes me feel better about my own. Do you want to hear about all the cute things my kids say? Who doesn't? Are you some kind of weird person who doesn't want to see pictures of my cute kids and listen to me ramble out their cuteness? I do not blog about everything I think. I want to keep you guessing. "Oooh, what is she going to blog about today?" That's my job. Or one of them anyway. Self-assumed, of course.

I was spending some quality time this morning watching Flight of the Conchord clips. And then I was thinking, "are their mothers proud of them?" And then I thought about that I don't think I could've been a famous actress or singer who ever says bad words or does questionable immoral things onscreen because my mother would watch. Of course she would. She would want to support me, but then she would be disappointed because I had compromised my morals to be famous. But maybe I would've tried to convince her since I was younger that I must pursue my art and then she would be proud of me because I had accomplished my goal. I think about this stuff when I watch a movie where the actors are doing something that maybe you shouldn't do in front of a camera. Their mothers had to have watched them doing that! And probably their aunts and grandmothers. And then I'm embarrassed for them. If it were my family and it were me that was famous, then they probably would've planned this whole big family thing where they would've watched my movie all together and then this horrible uncomfortable silence would come and they would be embarrassed and disappointed in me. And that's why I didn't become famous. It was a choice I made for the sake of my extended family.

Why can't I learn to play the guitar? This annoys me. I should know how to play. I cannot get past the point of my fingers hurting.

I think I want to get my haircut. I'm thinking a Katie Holmes kind of cut. Maybe.

I always think when I get my haircut short that it's going to look way better and then I do it and it doesn't. And then I wish it were long again because at least I can put it in a pony tail. But somehow I have this bug in my brain about getting my hair cut off. And I know I look JUST LIKE Katie Holmes. This is another thing about getting my hair hacked. I think that I should (I don't know why) look like the celebrity who I'm thinking my haircut is most like. And I don't. I look like me with short hair. Which sometimes I like and sometimes I don't. So I probably will. Maybe. Or not. I'll probably just do it impulsively one day without thinking about it and VOILA! I've got short hair. Maybe.

I need to dust my fans. What I would really like is to get Texas Aggie in Florida to come up and clean my house. As an experiment. And of course she wouldn't charge me. It would be a tutorial. This chick is hard core. She did a post about her house cleaning techniques and I was struck about how UNCLEAN I was. Not gross, mind you, but just not as clean as my Texas friend in FL. Check out her last comment on my previous post. Tex, that's an invitation. I'll take you to the Botanical Gardens and Dreamland Ribs afterward. And I can look at your great hair. She does have fabo hair.

February is almost halfway over. Daffodils should be here soon! And then spring is just around the corner... And then comes the wisteria, which is my absolute favorite part of spring in the south. Gorgeous! It just takes over everything (and probably is slowly killing the tree it has wrapped itself around) and the smell is so Springy. Quinn asked me (because I hate winter) if I would rather live in a place with little winter, like Florida (which is where I grew up-which is probably why I don't like winter). And I thought about it and then realized I loved Spring in Alabama because it's after the winter and it gives me something to look forward to. You just can't beat wisteria for beauty. I love to watch the daffodils bloom, as well as the irises, lilies, and lenten roses (which grew all over our yard in our previous house in Birmingham). I brought some of the seeds over last spring to the Poolhouse, but I don't know if they'll bloom this year.

I need to clean the refrigerator I referred to earlier. The spilled pickle juice is getting to me. It spilled three weeks ago, maybe longer. No one has said anything when they come over, but maybe they're being nice. I don't know if I would go into a house of a friend, curl up my nose, and say "does it smell like PICKLES in here? Blegh." Maybe I would. And then they would cry and I would feel really bad. "I mean in a good way it smells like pickles. Who doesn't like pickles? For real. Don't cry." Yikes.

I want some pointy-toe black zip-up boots. Now's the time to look because boots are going to be on sale. I have a hard time finding zip-up boots because I have large calves. Shutup, I do. I remember one Christmas my in-laws got me this gorgeous pair of Nine West zip-up boots and I was so excited and tried them on. And they didn't zip up. How humiliating. I got rid of a whole bunch of shoes the other day, including my old zip-up boots, which have a round toe and I want a pointy toe (as I just stated). Quinn came in and asked if I was getting rid of ALL those shoes and I proudly said YEP. Then he looked in the closet and saw the remainder of my shoes. He just stared. I asked him what he was staring at and said all the other shoes I wasn't getting rid of. Hello, there are only 25 pairs left. And that's both seasons. Okay, I have shoe issues, but I do have a knack at finding shoes at really good prices or getting them for free from Miss Toni, who is this cool lady at my church is gives me her hand-me-down shoes sometimes. Speaking of good prices, the Pant's Store in Leeds is having their annual warehouse sale, which is awesome. Last year, I got nine pairs of shoes for myself for $5 or $10 a piece. I also got a cool pair of flip flops for Quinn and Stride Rite shoes for my kids for el cheapo.

Well, the house is berzerkly messy now, even though it was fine two hours ago. Must go and do what I must. See ya.

Say it ain't so...

The stomach bug has arrived in our house, it's unwelcome presence entered yesterday afternoon. It has left Corin and is hiding, lurking in somebody else. It's my least favorite part of illness (you know, because there's a favorite part of a stomach bug): the waiting to see who gets it next. We've got Sprite and Jello waiting in the fridge and I've got a chicken baking to make chicken noodle soup. We're ready, kind of. Are you ever really ready? Quinn and I both have plans tomorrow night- he with the manfest at Matt Davis' house and me at the Mohr's with the boys for fondue night. So does anybody want ME to come over with my infected children? Nah, I'm guessing not. A cold is one thing; I can handle a runny nose but a throw-up virus is quite another indeed. Women (at least my circle of friends) have an unspoken kind of rule: Sure, you can come over with your kids with runny noses, or even a cough, but DO NOT (on purpose) come over with a throw-up virus circling above your family. Throwing up is so unpredictable and if it accompanies its painful cousin, diarrhea, then YIKES. There are messy carpets in the future. Felix was whining before his nap and now I'm just waiting for the two-year old vomiting to begin. So here we go... Hope you don't get it.

Bosch, an artist I never knew I liked...

This picture is hanging up on the wall outside of our kitchen in the house. I've always loved it, but mostly because of the way we acquired it. Quinn and I went to Bar Harbor, Maine for our honeymoon. We flew out of Portland to fly home. While we were waiting for our flight (there was a delay), we decided to walk around downtown Portland to check it out. We went to a used bookstore and were checking out the old books. I don't remember what book we purchased, but this print was folded inside of it. And it wasn't just the print; it was a 'Seasons Greetings' card. Did someone give this card as a Christmas card? Very weird. No really, look at the print. The man on the right is conning the guy on the left and then someone is taking the swindled guy's wallet. Anyway, Quinn remembers that I didn't like it very much at first but I've grown to love it. I like the colors and the general darkness of the print. And that it came folded in a book; forgotten by someone else. We never the knew who the artist was, and really didn't even try to research it. We just bought a cheap, plastic frame and hung it up. Great conversation piece.

This morning, Quinn was checking his e-mail and Twoey (Matthew Taylor) had sent us a link to the artist who did the painting. The painter is Hieronymus Bosch and this painting was done between 1475 and 1480. The title was in dutch and their was no translation on the site. There were other works on the site and I really liked them. This is my new favorite. It's called the 'Ship of Fools'.

It's kind of small, but the painting is described in this way:

"In The Ship of Fools Bosch is imagining that the whole of mankind is
voyaging through the seas of time on a ship, a small ship, that is
representative of humanity. Sadly, every one of the representatives is a fool.
This is how we live, says Bosch--we eat, drink, flirt, cheat, play silly games,
pursue unattainable objectives. Meanwhile our ship drifts aimlessly and we never
reach the harbour. The fools are not the irreligious, since promiment among them
are a monk and a nun, but they are all those who live ``in stupidity''. Bosch
laughs, and it is sad laugh. Which one of us does not sail in the wretched
discomfort of the ship of human folly? Eccentric and secret genius that he was,
Bosch not only moved the heart but scandalized it into full awareness. The
sinister and monstrous things that he brought forth are the hidden creatures of
our inward self-love: he externalizes the ugliness within, and so his misshapen
demons have an effect beyond curiosity. We feel a hateful kinship with them. The
Ship of Fools is not about other people, it is about us." Nicolas Pioch

I love this picture and I love the description by Pioch. It captures the hopelessness of the unfulfilled life. Even Bosch is on the ship- he painted himself there- with a 'sad laugh'. Even as a believer in the Sovereign God of the Universe, I find myself aboard the 'ship of fools' from time to time, wayward and lost in my own selfish desires. I want to find this print somewhere and frame it, with my other Bosch print. I love how he captures humanity.

The Sharps stop by...

So Crissy and the kids came over yesterday afternoon before a pancake supper at our church. Crissy and I watched Ferris Bueller's Day Off (great movie) and the kids played outside. Which is, of course, where they got the ingenius idea of rolling down the hill in the front yard in the big blue tube thingy. No injuries were reported, except for some ant bites. It looked fun. Not for me, of course. My children think that Maggie and Ty are geniuses, so they do anything they think is a good idea.

Felix got into my make-up this morning. He thought he was great. He actually did try to put it on his eyes and was highly disappointed when I spanked him. I hope I didn't confuse him with my laughing and taking his picture...

Over the Rhine with Garrison Starr

Wow! What a concert! I woke up yesterday morning with Over the Rhine on the brain. Quinn and I were originally going to go, but then he had decided to stay home (lack of funds for a babysitter). We called Rachel, who was thinking about going and gave her Quinn's ticket (Happy Birthday dearest). So yesterday I got a call from one of Quinn's former students, Meredith, and she was calling because she had seen that OtR was coming to Workplay and she thought that I would like to go. And then she offered to keep the kids for us so we could go. She and Abby Falls trecked out here and kept the babies for us so that we could all go together. Thanks girls; what a lovely gift!

We had a great time! The Tillery's rode with us, as well as Rachel and Laura Morgan, minus the G man (babysitter issues). When we got to Workplay, Jeremy and Christa Soileau were there, as well as Abbey and Michelle, oh, and Thomas, the 5K guy. Garrison Starr opened and she was quirky and had good banter with the audience. I liked her style. Then, after a short break, out came Over the Rhine. Honestly, I think this concert was my absolute favorite time of seeing them. They are phenominal live. She is so pashionate and their music is so original. I love to watch her face when she sings. Amazing. I feel stupid even trying to communicate how cool the show was. You'll just have to check them out for yourself. They are coming back (again!) to open for Ani DeFranco on March 15 at Workplay. I'll be there.

Just 'cause I knew you wanted to see...

This is the finished deer head. Welllll, I think he's going to bleach the head.

Worryitis

I woke up an hour ago (2:30) too warm and with an acute case of the worries. I'm yawning as I type, so hopefully that means that I can go back to sleep before Monday morning begins. I thought just voicing my thoughts would help me get some clarity and that my lovely friends would remind me with just Whom I'm dealing.


We're not 100% about going to Jackson yet, but I know we're probably going to seminary very soon. Seminary has always made me nervous because of the expense. There are scholarships and church matching grants available, so I hope we are able to qualify for those. I think what has me worried and up in the middle of the night is just HOW the Lord is going to have us live. What does my life look like in seminary? I'm nervous about leaving the baby (who's not a baby anymore) if I were to work. Actually, working outside the home is giving me a little anxiety. I haven't had to put together a resume in years. Unless we decide to put the boys in a private school (which would have to work out by a miracle), they will be going to two different elementary schools, which makes me nervous. What about Quinn? Will having a part-time job be too much for him? There are a hundred different little worrisome thoughts swirling in my head. I'm even worrying about food and such, even though that's ridiculous. We've never gone hungry and I pursue cheapness in many ways.


I feel that we are pursuing a call. I know the Lord will provide for our needs. Hello, we are living in the Clayton's pool house, which is what I'm reminded of when I'm worried about the Lord providing. I guess I'm just fearing the unknown. What does the future look like for us?

Pics of the Trip to Jackson

Wanted to just post some pics of the trip. There are a lot from inside the chapel, but I loved the lighting in there and Quinn loved the Puritan style pulpit. We headed out earlier than we intended; right after lunch. Missed the busy boys. It was a great trip and hopefully we'll know more about our decision in the coming month or six weeks.

Please pray that we would do what the Lord is calling for us.

Our first day visit at RTS Jackson

It's like 5:something in the morning and I didn't sleep very well. Perhaps it was the cup of Starbucks that I had last night at the women's Bible study that I didn't bother to ask if it was decaf because I was so cold. Yesterday was one of those days that the cold just sticks to you, like on the inside of your skin. It felt so good to crawl into bed last night, but caffeine just kept kicking my butt all night long. I thought somebody knocked on our door at 4:30, but I think I've seen too many CSI episodes.

The first day on our trip was great. Quinn and I had a great trip over; it's nice to go somewhere with just him. I took silly pictures that I'll post later. We got to the seminary right at one, when the skies promptly began to downpour. We waited in the admissions office for our tour guide, Kevin Corley, to come and watched it rain. I kept thinking: "Are we going to walk outside in the rain? Surely not. It's raining. And it's January." I was wrong. And I was wearing high heels and had good hair. Oh well, hair went up in a clip and feet were numb for the rest of the day. Kevin was great. He's from Homewood actually. After we walked around campus, Kevin put us in his car and drove us to the married housing a couple miles away. I sat in the back seat and noticed a photo album on the seat that said "Kevin's book of church signs". I was intrigued. I love cheesy church signs. I asked if I could look at it and he laughed and said a friend had made it for him. The married housing is, um, tiny, but there are lots of married couples with kids who live there, so if we decided to go, that would be an option. After the housing tour, we were taken back to talk to a professor (Dr. Waters) and then to attend Covenant Theology taught by Ligon Duncan. Awesome class and I felt convicted about my lack of knowledge of Covenant Theology. I think I might read 'Christ of the Covenants' when we get back home. It's highly recommended. I was greatly impressed by Dr. Duncan. He spent the first 30 minutes of class asking each student (there were about 40 people in the class) about their home and church they group up in and he even noticed us and asked about where we went to church. At the break, we slipped out to go check in at the hotel. We had a dinner invitation so we really needed to just check in and go. The dinner invitation came from a lovely couple named Lincoln and Melinda. We got there at 5:15, and smelled the delicious smell of homemade bread. Nice. It tasted just like Macaroni Grill's bread. I kept thinking of Anita and her love for bread. Yummo. They have three children under the age of 3 who were very sweet and well-behaved. Even the one-year old. How can that be? Anyhoo, we talked about seminary life and they showed us their townhouse. I helped her load the dishwasher and discovered she loved Over the Rhine. Cool. After dinner, Melinda and I rode to the "Mrs. In Ministry" Bible Study that the seminary offers for seminary wives and I got to meet a lot of women. I'm glad I got to go to that. They had a speaker on Time Management, which inwardly made me cringe (I'm not very good on time management), but it was very good.

Quinn picked me up from the Bible Study and we went back to watch the end of Lost.

All in all, a great day. Quinn was impressed by the faculty; they seemed very unified. Lincoln told us last night that they have to sign off on the Westminster Confession every year. Today, I'm dropping Quinn off at a class at 10 and then I'm trecking over to the public schools in Clinton (where we would be zoned) to take a tour. I'm also looking at a private school that gives scholarships to seminary students' children. After the school tours, we'll head out to lunch with the head of admissions and then back to the seminary for a final class. We then want to see a couple of churches and talk to them about internships. There are a lot of PCA churches in the area, and so subsequently there are a lot of internships. Then we'll head out for home.

I'm anxious to see what the Lord provides for our family.