Wretched Cold

I'm absolutely exhausted, but am feeling that I should touch base with the world. Of course, it must done in a random list format. And, because I'm the biggest wimp alive, I must link everything that I'm doing with my wretched cold.

First, I have a wretched cold. WRETCHED. Sore throat and headache and the whole business. I'm Zycaming like nobody's business.

I'm in Birmingham for the week and it's fabulous. I'm loving hanging out with friends and enjoying the familiarity of being home, even though I have a wretched cold.

My home church is doing our version (snotty Presbyterian voice) of VBS that we call "Camp Cornerstone". I have traditionally helped with the music (the fun, super, exciting cheerleader!!!!!!!!) and this year is no different. I love to do it, despite my wretched cold.

For some insane reason, I passed up a gorgeous pair of brand new Ralph Lauren seersucker pants (with the tags still on!) at the thrift store today. WRETCH-ED cold. Why, oh WHY!!!!!!! Careless and silly girl that I am! $3.99!!!!!!! Oh, how I loved those dear, DEAR pants. They spoke to me and I spat them out as if they didn't matter! And now they're gone, GONE! Who would pass up brand new Ralph Lauren seersucker pants with the tags still on? ME, ME, ME! I need a minute.

I'm still not over the last one. Seriously, I fantasized about outfits with those pants. And cute wedges.... Sigh. Wretched cold has affected my sensibility.

Well, please consider (because of my wretched cold- I love, LOVE a drippy nose and a nasally voice) that this has been considered "line dropped".

It's 10 after 8:00 and I'm going to bed.

Sarcastic on My Speed Dial

I dearly love, love to be on hold with the LOUISIANA State Department of Health because that is where the MISSISSIPPI State Department of Health's website listed it's "help" number to request applications for Chip (Children's Health Insurance Program). I kept thinking, "why does the hold computer voice keep telling me, 'Thank you for calling LaChip in Louisiana', I thought I was calling the Mississippi Chip program. Alas, no.

I also love that the guy laughed when I told him that Mississippi's website had Louisiana's number to call. Isn't that SO funny? 20 minutes on hold for his dear laugh. Thank you so much.

The next thing, in my enlightening series of phone calls, is the Mississippi Department of Health answering machine telling me to call back later. Because they were busy. Oh. Click.

The reason that I'm calling to find out about insurance for my children is that, with the Public School position, MY insurance is free. Not my kids. Or my husband. So we're trying to figure stuff out.

I did get the interview, by the way. It was today at 10am and it went well. I got to meet the music teacher and I'm waiting for the Principal to call me back and let me know if I got the position. She told me I did well on the test. I swallowed the urge to ask for my results. Even though I'm VERY curious.

I did not blog yesterday because of a sudden onslaught of the evil "BLADDER INFECTION". There is a reason that in those AZO commercials that the girl screams in pain and frustration. Thank goodness for my dear doctors at OBGYN South, who heard my pleas for relief and called in an antibiotic. I am a complete hypocrite about antibiotics when it comes to my absolute discomfort. I can (and will) endure a cold and sinus infection with courage and resolution to NOT get an antibiotic, so that my body will fight the infection itself. I will usually not get the children an antibiotic for illness, unless the doctor is absolutely for it. He does not like to prescribe antibiotics, unless there is a real need. However, there are some things I will not endure because of the sheer discomfort. And I will scream for antiobiotics until someone gives it to me. The same is true with childbirth. I am a complete weakling with pain. Why will I endure a cold and a nasty cough, but will not endure troubles in the female genre? Don't know. I feel better today because an antibiotic. Smile.

I'm packing and getting things ready a trip to G'ma's, followed by a weeklong trip to Birmingham. Woo hoo!

Must Go.

The Test

I left for the interview (or so I thought) at 9:42am, giving me 18 minutes to get to the school and was eight minutes early. Can't be too early, right? I walk into the school office (side note- I always feel like I'm about to be in big trouble in any school office) and stood at the counter nervously. A big man, whom I recognized as NOT the principal, came into the office and told me he was Nate. Um, hello Nate. He told me the principal had to run an errand, but she would be back soon and was I there to take the test? I answered in the affirmative and he pointed me to a place behind the counter where there was a test booklet (gulp), bubble sheets (gulp again), and two #2 pencils. Thank you, Nate. I saw down at the desk and gazed in horror at the title of the test booklet. Stanford Achievement Test.

Yes, Ladies and Gentlemen. The SAT. I think I looked and blinked at the book for a full minute. I was told that I would be taking a test to be an assistant to the Music Teacher. She told me the whole process would take about two hours. I (very stupidly) assumed that I would take some sort of test (not the SAT) and then have a chitty chat with the principal. Apparently, no.

After my initial shock wore away, I opened the book and started in. Ah, English. I love grammar and all things that involve Language Mechanics. Nerdy. I know. Reading Comprehension, Language Mechanics, Language Expression, Spelling, and writing a paragraph on a subject of my choosing. Easy, peasy pudding pie. Well, for the most part anyway. And then came the math. I was pleased to discover that I wasn't taking the ENTIRE SAT, but only certain sections of it. There was a basic skill test on math. You know, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and, ah, percentages. I totally blanked out on the percentage question. I completely forgot how to do it. FORGOT HOW TO DO IT. I sat there trying to figure the problem out, redoing it over and over, knowing that I wasn't coming up with the correct answer. After about 15 minutes, with nothing else to complete, I left it blank (I hate to leave spaces blank-no bubble to fill in on that one or I would've guessed) and packed up the papers and booklet. I sheepishly told the principal I had forgotten how to do percentages, which she laughed off and told me that I could miss six out of twenty on the math page. Thank goodness she had a sense of humor. I felt pretty dumb. She told me she would grade the test and call me tomorrow about an interview. Of course, this is pending that I'm not an idiot. Tomorrow. (By the way, "Tomorrow." is not a sentence. I did that for emphasis. Total artistic breaking of grammar rules. I did it on purpose. Just so you know.)

How could I forget how to do percentages? I shop all the time and KNOW how take %35 off a coveted jacket. I don't know. Brain cramp, I guess. I am still having trouble remembering. Perhaps I need to shop to feel better. Eh? I NEED to work on my math skills.

Today, Today

I got up and ran this morning with Andrea (my in-laws have the boys). I like having someone to run with. It makes the running so much more endurable. I enjoy the accountability and the conversation. She has trained for a marathon, which means she's way faster than me at a three mile jog. AND she rode her bike 5 miles to my house. A-HEM. Super wow. So now I feel exercised and caffeinated (I'm on my second cup of joe).

Today is my job interview and assistant test (????) at the elementary school. You read right. I heard about the job on Wednesday, dropped the application off on Thursday, and they called me Friday about an interview today. They haven't even gotten my reference forms back yet! I did click with the principal on Wednesday and she encouraged me to apply for the position. So, we'll see what happens. I have to admit, I'm quite nervous. I haven't had a job outside the home (except for a nightmarish two month stint at Cracker Barrell in 2004) since before my eldest was born. The job does include free, state benefits and I would have the leisure of being at the school for the boys. And I think I would enjoy the position. I would probably try to see what it would take for me to become certified as a teacher of music. Felix (my almost three-year old) is my concern. He loved Mother's Day Out last year and I think he would love "school" (as he puts it), but I would love for him to stay with a family. I do not know what will happen yet, nor what is even available at this point. I'm still pursuing the whole thing until, as I said before, it is unpursuable.

Quinn starts Greek today and he is a little nervous. Although, it is a little disconcerting that whenever you tell someone (former Greek students at RTS) that you are about to embark on Greek, they respond with wide-eyes and "oooooo". I would love to hear someone say, "That is so great. I love Greek. LOVE IT." I know that is a woman's response, but still. Pray for him as he starts. Greek and Hebrew will be his toughest classes this year and he wants to do well.

Today, TODAY is a big day for both of us. What shall I wear? I heard Quinn mumbling the same thing at 2am this morning about Greek. I'm guessing he'll wear cargo shorts and a t-shirt. Maybe he'll put on a polo or something. I, actually, am about to commence the wardrobe attack. I do LOVE to dress. I'll probably go conservative (didn't I hear you say that you wanted to know what I was wearing?) and do black dress slacks with black stilletos and my pink button down. I'm actually wearing it in the picture on the right. Maybe I'll throw on a black patent-leather belt. You know, for kicks. And just to say, "hey, I'm a little spunky". I think I'll just walk in (Broadway style) and throw up my arms and say, "Ta-dah! I'm here!" Man, I wish I knew how to tap dance. I'm guessing that that would make me look crazy and not "qualified" for the position.

Must commence commencing. Toodles y'all.

Another World (or two)

I've lived for the past few weeks (it seems) in another realm. Just before we moved to Jackson, I picked up Pride and Prejudice (the movie with Kierra Knightly) at a yard sale. I have tried (and tried) to read that book, but get frustrated (ah, bored) with the beginning (the conversation is TEDIOUS) and so I put it down. However, there are so many people that I know that love it, so I thought I'd give the movie a try and see if it had a good story and then maybe try again. I know that that is cheating and it's not my usual protocol (I usually read the book and scoff and condemn the movie to shreds), but I really wanted to see what the stupid thing was about. The movie is really good (in my usual OCD manner, I've seen the movie half a dozen times since we've moved here) and now I'm ready to try the book again. Love, LOVE me some Mr. Darcy. I do not know why my fascination is piqued about such books. Perhaps it is the style of dress, or maybe the lack of modernity that is so prevalent in our society. Perhaps it is the foreign protocol of men and women that we no longer live by. The heroic nature of the men and even the strength and quiet way of the women. It's not weakness, understand, but a mysterious quiet that evokes you to understand what they are about. I'm very interested in the protocol that we no longer live with. What women were "allowed" to do or say, and what a burden they were on their families if they didn't marry well. I would really not call myself a feminist by today's standards (or one of those crazy women you see who are radically obnoxious-I do not think all men stupid and irrelevant), but I cannot imagine living in a time where I was invisible. It is really almost confusing to me, that my ancestors lived by such rules.

Anyhoo, because I've seen this movie and had just finished some Anne of Green Gables books too (different era completely than Pride and Prejudice, but still another realm that I've never lived in), I was curious about some different kind of books. The other day, I went to the library and checked out Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The House of Seven Gables". Wow. He IS a little wordy (look who's talking), but incredibly perceptive of the reader and tells a great story. This book sets you in a completely different mindset. It is almost as if a mist has enveloped my person and I'm smelling the mildew of the house (of seven gables). I hear the footsteps on the stairs and I smell the ancient roses in the garden. I hear the whispers of ancestral grumblings and woes and experience the scowl of the mistress of the house. The book is about a family who's ancestors two hundred years prior (in the Puritan age) had participated, even condemned a wizard named Maul to death. Just before he died, he put a curse on the family who condemned him. Then, out of pride and arrogance, the great judge assumed the wizard's property has his own, knocked down his residence, and built his own great mansion atop of the dead man's family property. Thus follows pride, regret, remorse, audacity and, of course, the general feeling that the house is haunted. I love it.

Let me share with you something I found particularly relevant to me. The author is speaking about a man of primary importance in the book, Jaffrey Pyncheon, and his role as a judge. He is arrogant, but is regarded as an important personage in in the town where they live, treated with respect and dignity because of his title and reputation. Hawthorne states about his tendencies as an important figure:

... With these materials (speaking of wealth, real estate, and offices of trust), and with deeds of goodly aspect, done in the public eye, an individual of this class builds up, as it were, a tall and stately edifice, which, in the view of other people, and ultimately in his own view, is no other than the man's character, or the man himself. Behold, therefore, a palace! Its splendid halls and suites of spacious apartments, are floored with a mosaicwork of costly marble; its windows, the whole height of each room, admit the sunshine through the most transparent of plate glass; its high cornices are gilded, and its ceilings gorgeously painted; and a lofty dome...

So, yes, this man has built his reputation as a beautiful building, but alas:

...Ah, but in some low and obscure nook- some narrow closet on the ground floor, shut, locked , and bolted, and the key flung away; or beneath the marble pavement, in a stagnant water puddle, with the richest pattern of mosaicwork above- may lie a corpse, half decayed, and still decaying, and diffusing its death scent all through the palace! The inhabitant will not be conscious of it, for it has long been his daily breath! Neither will the visitors, for they smell only the rich odors which the master sedulously scatters through the palace...

Chills ran down my spine as I read it, not only because of the author's ability to explain his character, but because it hit so close to my own humble palace that hides so deep a corpse. We are all in need of redemption. We are kidding ourselves if we think we are good enough to not require it or to be able to acquire it by our own good merit. I love that Hawthorne hinted (screamed is more like it actually) at his own humanity. Good book. I will finish it in the morrow.

Things A'float in My Mental Boat

I just got back from a Mrs. in Ministry meeting. I'm really going to love going to that. I think I'm going to try to plan a game night next Tuesday at my house with some of the ladies. Can you say "Mexican Train"? CHOO CHOO!

Before my meeting (doesn't that sound important?), Quinn and I (with the boys) were invited over to Woodman and Scott's house for dinner. Woodman is my sister-in-law's sister-in-law and I love to say that. Say it three times fast. Wooh! That is soooo fun. Anyway, dinner was very good and I'm looking forward to getting to be better friends with Woodman. And maybe she'll help me with decorating ideas for my house, because she does a lot of her own decorating and it is impressive.

I dropped off an application today to be an assistant to the music teacher at Silas' elementary school. This avenue dropped in my lap yesterday, and so I'm pursuing it until it is no longer, uh, persuable. This is a huge deal, and I don't know what else to say about it right now.

I found a weird thing in the silverware drawer today. I do not know what it was, only that it kind of looked like a cross between a kidney bean and a bug with no arms, legs, antennae, or head. It totally freaked me out and I stood looking at it for a full five minutes, waiting for it to say "boo" or something. I eventually, after much encouraging coaching from myself ("it's okay- just take it to the big garbage can outside- it can't possibly get you- it has no head") snatched at it with a big paper towel and threw it in a cup and took it outside. Running. I nearly passed out. I'm okay now.

Quinn put training wheels on the little bike for Felix today. He's so excited to ride a bike like the big boys. Poor thing. He wants to be big so bad. "No momma, I not a bayba, I Beex." "No momma, I bigga now." I don't like it when he tells me he's not the bayba (pronounced Bay-bah). I do like it that he still calls me "momma doodah". I don't know where this came from, but it is sure cute. He's nearly three and I can't believe I don't have a baby in the house. Maybe later. I would love to have another baby (maybe two) someday. One big project at a time. Seminary is my baby right now. Goo goo.

My in-laws are coming on Sunday evening to take the boys until Thursday. Blink blink. Whatever will I do? Thursday, Quinn and I will drive to G'ma's for the fourth of July. Jason (Quinn's cousin) and Michelle will be there, as will Kerri (Quinn's sister) and Mitt (um, Woodman's brother and my brother-in-law), and Quinn's brother Chris. It will be a blast, as always, and we will be wall to wall people, which sounds horrible, but is actually great fun. I'm looking forward to it, as well as a wee vacation from the boys.

Perhaps I'll get the rest of the wallpaper peeled. Yeeeaaahhh, I'll probably not. I'm reading The House of the Seven Gables right now by Nathaniel Hawthorne. He's wordy with his descriptions, but I'm loving how spooky the book is. I might just have to finish reading and listen to creepy music. Mmmm, fun times for Kim. I may just throw in some Edgar Allen Poe for the heck of it. I highly recommend Poe for raising the hair on the back of your neck.

And on that note... go to bed.

How to Have Fun In Jackson, MS

1. Wake up early (4am) to change the sheets of the baby's bed who wet it. Then allow him to kick you in your own bed until 6:15.

2. Get up and decide to go running before it's too hot.

3. At 7:30am, attempt to run and decide that you have to go running before 6am to not get hot.

4. Come home and tell the baby "no" to popsicles 15 times. Get him water instead so that he can pour it out somewhere else. On purpose.

5. Make husband breakfast (because that's the kind of wife you are) and then shower to get ready to go to the library, which was the original agenda for the day.

6. At 9:15, come out in kitchen with wet hair to get some yummy cherries, only to hear dearest of husbands say, "maybe we should get our Mississippi Driver's License today."

7. Gulp. Say expletive inwardly. Get out ironing board to iron a shirt and give him a look.

8. Groan inwardly as he tells you, "it doesn't matter that we have valid Alabama Driver's Licenses, we have to get a Mississippi license." Fine.

9. Dry and curl hair, put make-up on, and get dressed to go to the lovely Dept. of Public Safety. Then, remember that your Social Security Card is SOMEWHERE in the attic. The very hot attic.

10. Daringly mutter expletives out loud in the attic as you try to find the stinkin' card. In the attic.

11. Make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the children at 10:22 so that we don't have to stop for lunch.

12. At 11:10, (why does everything take so long to do?) load troops in the car and trek to downtown Jackson.

13. At 11:30, stop at Social Security office because hubby didn't know where his card was. (Where IS that card anyway?) Wait in lobby with no chairs and three boys for an hour while he gets a copy of his card from upstairs somewhere.

14. Head through more of downtown Jackson, which is cool, listening to Nickel Creek and laughing with your husband. This is very fun and one of the most enjoyable parts of the day.

15. At 12:45, find the Department of Transportation and get all of the children out, only to be told that you are looking for the Department of Public Safety, located a couple miles down the road.

16. 12:47: load troops back in car, asking the question, "why isn't the DMV located at the Department of Transportation?" Also, ask yourself, "Why are there so many government buildings in Jackson?", and "Why are they located all over the place?"

17. Answer the question, "Because it's the capital, smarty-pants."

18. At 12:55, pull into Department of Public Safety, enter the building with three hungry (sandwich has really done nothing), impatient boys and TAKE A NUMBER. We are numbers #88 and 89. Now serving #70. Not too, too bad.

19. Sit and wait. Sit and wait more. Watch numbers blink across screen with everybody else in the room. Remember that it took 15 minutes TOTAL to get your Driver's License last year in St. Clair county, Alabama. That includes parking and going to the bathroom, AND paying for new tags for both vehicles. And it was the best Driver's License picture EVER.

20. 1:35 Ding! #88!!!! Hop up lightning fast or they will call the next number.

21. 1:45 Finish up with nice DMV lady (Can you believe it, she even complimented how good the children were being!) and take your mediocre-pictured Driver's License and walk to the lobby to wait for hubby who was called just after you. Note that the number blinking on the screen has just turned to 96 and the last number on the Take a Number thing is 42. Be glad you got there when you did.

22. 1:52 Tell middle child to stop asking for a milkshake five times in a row.

23. 1:54 Tell middle child he is not ever going to get a milkshake, in his life, because he can't stop asking for it.

24. 1:56 Note that the baby is chewing gum. From where? Hopefully not the floor, next to the Chiclets gumball machine.

25. 2pm Hubby finishes up (his picture was good-unfair, he doesn't even care) and we head to load up.

26. 2:20 Pull into Sonic near our house to take advantage of the Happy Hour Half-Price Slushees. Why does yours taste like mothballs? Who knows. Decide not to throw it away because you're starving.

27. 2:45 Head to Gamestop to let eldest child spend birthday money.

28. 3:00 Head to Library to let children quietly check out books and sign up for the Summer Reading Program. (Or to let children run about like wild banshees while you sign the children up three weeks late for the Summer Reading Program). Check out Carol Burnett show and Little Women DVD's to watch without hubby, who will totally make fun of you.

29. 4:00 Head home to repeatedly tell the baby "no" to popsicles because he just had a slushee.

30. 4:30 Make dinner early. 5:00 Get children bathed early. Watch reruns of the Muppet Show (also at the library) with the children and hubby. 6:15 Hubby goes to bed early because he's very sleepy. 7:30 Children go to bed early because they are worn out.

8:10 Day is successfully over.
And now, after an exceedingly long day, which was actually pretty fun, why don't you polish off the rest of the chocolate mousse cake with cold, COLD whipped cream and watch the Carol Burnett show until you fall asleep on the couch.

Dining with Friends

Dinner went well (aren't you SO glad). I know you've been waiting on pins and needles. I used Angel Hair pasta instead of Fettuccine pasta because of dearest husband, who doesn't like Fettuccine as much as Angel Hair (he calls it big, chewy pasta). He liked it, but I thought it did better (held the sauce better) with the Fettuccine pasta. Live and Learn. The Chocolate Mousse Cake was my favorite part of the evening (dessert usually is). Have I ever done this recipe for you before? I'm too lazy to check so I will give it to you anyway.

Chocolate Mousse Cake

1 stick of butter (PLEASE don't use margarine- it would kill me)
7 ounces bittersweet chocolate (Ghirardelli bittersweet is my favorite)
2 tsp of water
2 tbsp of all purpose flour
2/3 cup sugar
3 eggs, room temp

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Melt butter, chocolate, and water together until smooth. Allow to cool. In separate bowl, stir together flour, sugar, and eggs. Pour flour mixture in with chocolate mixture. Pour into greased loaf pan. Set loaf pan in a 13x9 pan with 1 inch of water in the bottom of it. Bake in 400 degree oven for 40 minutes. Serve with fresh whipped cream (so much better than cool whip). To make fresh whipped cream: Pour lots of whipping cream in bowl, stir in about 2 tbsp powdered sugar, and beat with mixer until it looks like whipped cream. It's very easy. Enjoy. This is also one of my favorite things to make for company. It's cheap and it makes such a gorgeous presentation.

Melinda and Lincoln were fun to be with. Lincoln is one of the types of men that I'm easily intimidated of. He's quiet and thoughtful and seems very thorough about his life. I found myself thinking, before they came, about, "what stupid things are going to come out of my mouth tonight?" This is a very real fear of mine. Unfortunately, with Verbal Diarrhea (a disease I'm afflicted with that has no cure, btw), when one hangs out with someone who is quieter and more thoughtful, the more the person with VD (not venereal disease, perv) feels they must speak. It does not matter what you say, very unfortunately, as long as the words come spilling out of your mouth. I did have this fear tonight, as I was preparing the meal, but I need not have feared, because he laughed and seemed very human. Melinda has a great phlegmatic sense of humor and I enjoy being around her immensely. She did bring her fabulous bread, which she is most modest about, but I applauded and bravo ed her efforts. Out loud for all to hear, of course. I want to try and make it soon.

On a completely different note...
I've been thinking about the Nicene Creed lately, especially this line:

...God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God; begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made.

I think it's beautiful. And I feel that I should memorize the whole of it and stand on a mountaintop and say it into a valley with the echoes of it falling around me. God of God. Light of Light. How majestic.

And I speak of dinner. Life continues and He is the God of the Universe. How minute am I and He speaks. God of God. Light of Light.

I love the way it sounds.

Dinner Guests

We're having company tonight! Woo hoo! WOO HOO! I glory in company. I have the slightest suspicion that Quinn suggested inviting Lincoln and Melinda over to get me out of my slump. And perhaps to give me a leetle bit of motivation to really clean the house. No matter! It has lived on "tidying up" for three weeks. I'm taking a break right now from sweeping sheetrock dust out of the downstairs half-bath. It clouds up as I'm sweeping it and is everywhere. And I'm doing the laundry.

SO, the MENU:
I think we'll have a pasta recipe my mother made while she was here that was super delicious, healthy, and unique. I've asked Melinda to bring her delicious focacia bread and we'll have corn (because I've got it coming out my ears). I will make Chocolate Mousse Cake with fresh whipped cream for dessert because that's so simple and unbelievably good.
I must share with you the pasta recipe because I feel confident you will try to make it soon.

1 16oz package fettucine noodles
1 bag of baby spinach leaves
1 chopped onion
3-4 cloves of chopped garlic
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2-4 tablespoons of butter
2 cups parmesan (or more-depending on your preference)
your choice (and quantity) of meat (I'm using chicken tonight, but last week had it with shrimp which was delicious).

Saute onion with garlic with a couple tbsp of EVOO until onion is tender. Add cooked, chopped chicken to onion mixture and saute. Let sit. Boil fettucine noodles in water with salt and some EVOO until it's ready. DO NOT DRAIN. Get a big (BIG) bowl. Place butter in the bottom of bowl. With pasta scoop, get a couple of scoops of pasta and place in bowl on top of butter. Add some parmesan and a couple of handfuls of fresh spinach. Add a couple of spoonfuls of chicken mixture. Toss. Repeat layers until everything is added together. The water from the fettucine noodles, butter and olive oil from chicken mixture make a light sauce and the spinach wilts from the heat of the pasta and chicken. Yum, yum, yum. My dad does not like spinach and he loves this recipe. My children also gobbled up every bite and had seconds (Corin had four helpings).

I've got to get moving... Houses can't clean themselves, you know.

Lazy Sunday

Today has been a good day with my family. We watched the children play in the sprinkler (in lieu of baths, of course) after we had gone for a walk in the neighborhood. This morning we went to Providence Presbyterian which is two, (count 'em) 2 minutes away from the house. It's too soon to know where we will decide to attend except that my hubby LOVES Redeemer Pres, which is about 25 minutes away. I like Redeemer too, except that it's 25 minutes away. Redeemer is unique in the fact that it is one of those rare, racially diverse churches. It has a beautiful harmony about it and the pastor is eloquent and relevant. Providence was conservative (a lot of liturgy and choral music) and the people were very friendly. And it was TWO MINUTES AWAY from our house. I actually remembered that I had forgotten to turn on my oven this morning during Sunday School and so I excused myself and drove home, turned on the oven, and drove back and was seated by my husband exactly 10 minutes later. Impressive, no? When we got home from church, the smell of roasted chicken wafted under our noses. After lunch, we all laid down and I fell asleep for nearly two hours. That NEVER happens. It was nice.

I did have some tears today. First, I miss my church. I miss Burt and Steve. I miss my friends. I miss the music at Community. I guess nobody has a violin, cello, guitars, conga drums, and mandolin in their church music. Secondly, after my nap, I kept thinking that I just wanted to walk up to my Maja's or Anita's and see what they were doing and perhaps have a cup of coffee over some lovely conversation. I almost drove over to the married housing townhouses to just see what people were doing, but thought that might look a little desperate. Well, I AM desperate to have some bosom friends. And to have a church that we attend. I've kind of prepared myself to know that the summer (maybe longer) will be spent visiting churches and deciding where to attend.

My house is quiet now. I'm listening to the Shins and am contemplating laundry. Perhaps I will sleep on the contemplation of laundry. I must, MUST get grades done for Corin. I need to register both of the older boys for school soon. Back to the grind.

I've Decided...

I've decided that my kitchen likes to be messy. It told me so. Why would it not want to be messy? My children love being caked with dirt. Why would my kitchen counters not want to be caked with concreted grits and sticky with honey? Don't talk to me about roaches. Roaches smoaches. If I can't get concreted grits off of the counter, then how can they? Live and let live, right? Yeah, yeah, GROSS, I know.

I've decided that cutting corn off of hundreds of cobs is hard work. If you, by chance, come to Grandma's anytime for the next year and eat corn and I am with you, then, please know, I will announce to you and everyone at the table that I may have actually cut the corn you may be currently eating off the cob in June of 2008. Now, if my mother-in-law, father-in-law, or G'ma are at the table, then it MAY have been them, too. So, I may (maybe) shut-up and not say anything, except for, "do you like the corn?" and then smile to myself. There were 500 ears of corn pulled from their stalks today. I brought home a dozen ears and 6 boxes of frozen corn that were previously shucked and cut from the cobs. Good stuff. This summer, since we do live closer to Quinn's Grandma and Papa, I would like to learn how to can, make jelly from Muscadine Grapes that grow on a vine in their garden, relearn how to shell peas, and garden in general, since I am a general idiot about those things. It just seems so responsible to do. Who votes for being responsible? Um, me, didn't I make that clear? Are you not impressed by the very idea of me learning new things? Do you think I spend too much time at the computer? For shame...

I've decided to teach my cat how to clean. She's very smart AND she can do tricks. Like: meow when her food is two hours old that, in fact, her food is two hours old and MUST be changed. NOW (meowing, of course). More tricks? Um... Her other tricks are far too numerous to recount.

I've decided I want to eat all the frosting from a leftover cake. Nobody will notice and I will be the only one who feels sick tomorrow. Except that the guilt from eating the frosting is actually more overwhelming than the sick tummy that will come later. It is very good, though. Perhaps I should post the recipe. Only if you repent from the "too much computer" comment (the very idea). Very well, here is the delicious recipe:

Marshmellow Fudge Frosting:
1 stick butter
2 tbsp baking cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups mini marshmellows
6 tbsp milk
1 pound of powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Melt butter and cocoa in saucepan over low heat. Add marshmellows and heat until melted, stirring to blend well. Remove from heat and stir in the milk, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Pour over warm cake.
There is a cake recipe that goes with this frosting, but, quite honestly, a cake mix does just as well. Quinn loves it with yellow cake. Just poke holes in the cake after it's finished baking (13x9 pan) and then pour the warm icing over the cake. Slice cake immediately after pouring the icing, so that the icing can slide down the slices. Yummy.

My pour husband went to bed at 6:45 with a slight fever and a general sick feeling. Pour thing. I hope we're not all in for a round of illness. I actually keep looking at the clock, trying to will it to 8:00 so that I can go to bed with the children. I'm sleepy, too.

We're supposed to visit a new PCA (Presbyterian Church in America) church tomorrow. It's very close to our house and I'm excited to visit. We'll see how the man (the man being hubbo) is in the morning.

I've decided I've yawned too many times and it's time to read to the children (7pm), so that bedtime is close. If my children go to bed now, then they will rise at 5:30am. And yet I'm sleepy. SLEEPY.

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Randomonium

I have a cramp in my left calf. I can feel a little ball of cramp-i-ness in my muscle. I went running and it happened when I was running. I came home and Quinn told me to eat a banana. No banana at my house. So I decided to eat a great big bowl of spinach leaves, blueberries, a scrambled egg (fried in EVOO), and red wine vinaigrette in the hopes that two super foods (spinach and blueberries), stretching, and a big glass of water would help. No dice yet. Maybe soon. Also if you think my salad sounds a little bleah, it was actually pretty good. Salty and sweet. It needed slivered almonds for crunchiness.

I have not blogged about doing the food journal. Suffice to say that I'm sufficiently obsessed. I do recommend it if you feel that you are taking in way too many calories or you feel that your helpings are too large. It makes you think about each morsel you put in your mouth and what you drink. However, I have the tendency to take things too far in the hopes of completely controlling one facet of my life. It's a game that lasts forever. Will I win? What is winning? Sigh.

My nearly three your old kisses ALL THE TIME. I hate to tell him to stop because I have to pry kisses from my eight year old.

I have many pictures to post.

My kitchen is disgusting and I sprayed Scrubbing Bubbles in my bathtubs two hours ago. I have sheetrock dust all over the half bath and ashes everywhere from when I pried the big brass thing off the fireplace two days ago. I need to vacuum, especially upstairs since I hate to drag the vacuum cleaner upstairs. It's too heavy.

I'm listening to Cake. I like Cake.

Tomorrow, we're going to G'ma's to help bring in the corn. It's supposed to be cloudy and I'm glad. I love corn on the cob.

Speaking of storms, I'm loving this brief, dreamy non-humid weather we're having. It's tolerable to stand outside without feeling like you're going to catch on fire.

I miss my sister.

I need to bathe. Dried sweat is not a pleasant aroma. And the baby is kissing my armpit. Gross.

I'm dreaming of painting the living room, my bedroom, and the bathrooms. I want to hang pictures and make this place feel like home. I guess that's why I haven't posted pictures of what we've done. It's not finished. And I'm lazy.

I need to go to the library and check out some books. Thanks to Laura for e-mailing me her booklist. Wouldn't it be great if she had a running booklist on her blog? YES, saith the masses. Hint, hint.

My calf still hurts. So much for super food. I guess I'll cave and take an Advil. I need to get off my duff and get stuff done before we leave tomorrow.

Good night all.

It's My Duty

Because it is my responsibility to give you information that you do not need, I am here today to recommend to you another hilarious blog. It is called "Stuff White People Like". And I laughed. Alot. Again. Please read here about why white people like bumper stickers. Of course, Crissy Sharp was here with me and we read it together, and it was late. But it's still funny.

The Sharps left this morning. Sigh. We had a wonderful time. Yesterday, we found a small beach for the Ross Barnett Reservoir in Jackson. So fun. And today we're all a little scorched. We did get wallpaper peeling done. Well, Crissy did. She's a little weird about peeling wallpaper.

Last night, Crissy and I attended a Mrs. In Ministry meeting. This is a Bible Study held by seminary student wives. It was great. I'm really looking forward to making friends with ladies in the group. It is my understanding that some of the ladies want to start a book club. I'm all about it. It was also good to be with a group of people who are in my same boat. Everybody knows how hard it is to have your spouse in school full time. I need to learn to be more supportive and intentional with Quinn.

Just so you know, I am weak and selfish. I am narcissistic and sarcastic. I tend to jump immediately to self-pity and bitterness. My husband needs my support when he's discouraged. Please pray for me to be a better wife.

Fail Blog Promo

see more pwn and owned pictures

This gloriously, funny picture is from a new blog that Greta introduced to me. Crissy and I spent about an hour last night laughing our booties off looking at it. Not all of them are G-rated, just so you know. (Some are not PG). I probably shouldn't even recommend it, except that I laughed. ALOT.
I do like that the word FAIL is printed across the fail pictures. That's really my favorite part.

Top Ten Things to Remember About Removing Melted Black Crayon from the Dryer... And Clothes.

10. Refrain from poking yourself in the eye with a skeyer. PUT IT DOWN! You may scream very loud, if you wish. There. I feel better, too.

9. Don't jump to conclusions and scream at the children. It might not be there fault. Especially if your husband works for UPS, where they used black, oil-based crayons to write on stuff.

8. Wd-40 works well(ish) for (kinda) removing black crayon from brand new shorts I bought for my hubby. Be sure to apply plenty of Wd-40 to affected area and then follow with Dawn dish liquid and let sit for 10 minutes or so. Then wash clothes in super hot water about a hundred times, removing black ring around the top of the dryer with Windex after every wash. Do not be surprised when, after the gazillionth time the clothes are washed there is STILL a ring in the washer. It's alright. SURELY, that MUST'VE been the last ring.

7. Unless you are a Cirque de Soleil acrobat, do not attempt to use toothpaste to remove crayon caked on in the dryer. It's painful and it could've used a lot more flexibility on my part. I did see it on a website somewhere, where the victim of melted crayon caked onto dryer got the drum squeaky clean. I'm convinced there wasn't a three year old trying to kiss her arm the whole time. And that she could bend herself in a complete circle. Windex worked okay-ish. Black crayon still got on my next load of sheets. But just a little. I'm not a perfectionist.

6. The smell of WD-40 in overwhelming amounts smells like your house will blow up. It hasn't yet. I'll let you know tomorrow.

5. Do not yell too much at your husband who accidently left a UPS crayon in work shorts. Especially if he's been up since 3 am. And especially if you've mentioned several times and he helps try to get the stains out. Getting irritated with him only makes him grouchy. Nagging does, too, just for the record.

4. Remind yourself, yet again, that you should always check pockets before you put pants in the washer. And then double-check before putting them in the dryer.

3. Caked-on crayons that melt in the dryer still work.

2. Goo Gone is a good product. You can find it in Walmart in the laundry section.

1. Call yourself the queen of Science Fair Projects and document the whole thing with photography to use in your kids' next Science Fair. I wish I had thought of that earlier today. Dang.


UPDATE: The Sharps arrived. Secrets are: they brought our grill, which we didn't have room for. And steaks. Quinn grilled them for supper. And now I'm sing Hallelujah. All is forgiven in the area of black, oil-based crayons.

Calculation

Problem:
1 Momma happily cleaning in the house.

1 Momma decides to pull out dry clothes of dryer and give them a fold.

1 Momma, horrified, discovers clothes are covered in black something.

1 Momma, getting angrier as clothes are pulled out of dryer, calls boys to ask them who put crayons in their pocket.

3 boys deny crayon in pocket, scared of Momma's face.

1 Momma looks in dismay at pile of RUINED clothes, except for a lone black shirt.

1 Momma cleans the dryer, hoping that the sheets that are in washer don't get ruined in dryer.

What do all these equal? 1 exceedingly annoyed momma who will be behind in all the chores because of Googling how to crayon out of clothes, including a brand new pair of shorts that are Quinn's. Pooh.

I've Got Secrets and It's Killing Me

I love keeping secrets. Even though 98% percent of the time I cannot do it. Usually, I will say to Quinn, "I've got a secret". Then he'll look at me with a rye smile and say, "well, you'll tell me before the day is out, so why don't you tell me now." Well, phooey to that. Actually, the secret is being kept from the children, really on the fear that it wouldn't pan out. The Sharps are coming today (good friends of ours from Birmingham) and I am doing a little dance everytime I think about it. A little pirouette in the kitchen, a little head-bop when I make the beds, a little cabbage-patch when I'm walking up and down the stairs. It will be so fun when they pull in the driveway sometime late this morning and see the boys' reaction when they open the door to see them there. There will be much rejoicing and dancing in the street. Happiness will abound, especially since my parents left this morning and they were sad and asking them to stay. Forever. More on that in a sec. I also have TWO secrets being kept from Quinn, but, alas, I cannot share on the chance he may read this before the Sharps arrive. I may have to go to the hospital in a minute because I'm literally about to burst into a gazillion pieces because I WANT TO TELL. Please don't tell me secrets. Even if I beg you to. Ignore my promises of not telling anyone. I physically cannot handle a secret. I think it must be a condition.

My parents did leave this morning. We had a good visit. I have lots of pictures, but must get to tidying in a second, so I will not post them now. On Monday, we took my parents to the secret, magic world of Papa and Grandma's in Kosciusko. We took them for a tractor ride and rambled through the gardens. They loved it and I hope we can take them there everytime we visit. Note: the Natchez Trace Parkway is one of the most beautiful drives in the United States. Can you say, "no billboards?" It's just a two-lane highway that has no stoplights, no restaurants, no advertisements, and plenty of historic markers. And lots of lazy susan flowers, which I forgot to photograph. I had a wonderful time in Florida (lots of pictures from that trip as well) and really good visit with Mom and Dad. I'm glad I went.

Must get going to scrub the potties...

Happy Birthday Sloob-a-Doo!

Last year at his birthday party:


Today is my eldest child's birthday and he is eight! Good grief. Talk about making me feel old...

This is last week at Grandma and Papaw's house in Florida:


Ain't he a cutey? Happy Birthday, sweetie!

PS... He asked for the ice cream cake that Missy made last year for his and Logan's birthday, but only if I could make it as good as Missy. Gee, thanks.

Kim, aka- the "Networker"

I went to my Aunt Cheryl's last night to watch a movie (Phantom of the Opera-woo hoo!) with her, my cousin, and my cousin-in-law. When I got there, Cheryl asked if I wanted to take a personality test. okee-dokee. Are those things ever really right?

Dead on. I was really quite impressed and a mite offended. Under struggles:

"You may sometimes be prone to talking too much, being disorganized, impulsive, too emotional, too optimistic, or exaggerating. Sometimes you tend to overcommit and overlook key details."

(crickets chirping with perhaps a bit of stifled laughter)

Me???? Prone to talking to much? Exaggerative? Disorganized? Too emotional? I overlook key details?

Yes. Yes. Yep. Yep, again. And, alas, yep. I was actually laughing as I read the struggles because I was wondering when the guy who made the test actually jumped out the computer to shake my hand. I just didn't see him. Under strengths:

"Networkers, like you, are normally strong communicators. You are outgoing, engaging, lively, optimistic, gregarious, persuasive, fun-loving, enthusiastic, and inspiring."

Under "preferred activities":

" Because you function best when given the opportunity to influence, meet, or entertain others, you need variety and opportunities to present your new creative ideas along with a minimum of detail work."

I like "minimum of detail work". They could have said, "loves to make an idiot of herself (I always picture a court jester when someone says I like to entertain others) and call it 'creativity'. Hates to sit and do work". That actually would've been pretty accurate.

Look here to see my results.

If you'd like to take the test for yourself (it's only 16 questions- it took me about 5 minutes), then click here. Read the directions and scroll down the page.

Vine St.

I saw a ghost yesterday.

I saw her in a restaurant eating a sundae with her friends. I followed her to her normal haunts, I watched her laugh as she walked across the street. I listened to her weep over silly crushes and I saw her sitting on a window ledge, her feet dangling over the edge, reading a book. I wanted to scold her as she made rash decisions and carelessly disregard sunscreen. I followed her as she cut class and went to the beach and I watched her wait tables. I listened to her arrogance and naivety and spied on her as she snuck into Disney hotels to swim in their pools.

Yesterday, I met a girlfriend of mine at Celebration (weird Disney-owned town that's a wee bit like the Truman Show) so that the kids could play in the public sprinkler system they have. I did this in March when I was here, but took the toll road. This time I took the main highway that runs through St. Cloud and Kissimmee and was catapulted back 14 years. After I graduated from high school, I attended a small, Christian College that used to be located in Kissimmee. As I was pulled into my memories, I turned on Over the Rhine's "Eve" and just dove in. I had not traveled on that road for at least 10 years and it was surreal. I passed the old restaurant I used to wait tables at (now a Chinese restaurant) and the Friendly's (now with broken windows and weedy sidewalks) I used to go to to get sundaes with masses of friends. I passed Old Towne where groups of us used to go and walk around. I kept seeing my face and remembered thinking the thoughts of yore. I passed the Perkins I used to get coffee at and where I was (unsuccessfully) taught how to play chess. I remembered rebellious thoughts and Dottie Datsun and going to the beach. I remembered struggling over my waking adulthood and having a bank account closed by the bank because of ill use. I remembered slurpies and sunburns and road trips. I remembered meeting Missy and I frantically tried to call her to have her join me in my nostalgia. It almost felt like an out-of-body experience. I didn't really wake up until I pulled into Chik Fil-A to get lunch.

It's interesting thinking about the metamorphosis we go through as we age. I want to laugh at myself back then, drama queen that I was (yeah, yeah I know I'm still a drama queen). How many girls will I be before I die?

Safe travels

It's been a busy couple of days! We flew into Orlando (with no adverse effects-thanks for praying!) at about 1:30 on Thursday and have been going and visiting non-stop ever since. It's been great to see family and cuddle new babies and laugh with everybody again. Yesterday my sister and I took the kids (all seven) to Cocoa Beach and last night went to the Silver Spurs Rodeo in Kissimmee, FL. Yep, the rodeo. It was a lot more interesting than I thought it would be. There are some crazy people who like to do weird stuff- hence, ride bucking bulls and try to stay afloat on them for eight seconds. I say afloat because they really seem to be in the air above the bulls. And then the crazy guy gets bucked off the bull and scrambles up to avoid being kicked in the head by the angry bull. Reiterate: kicked in the HEAD by the ANGRY bull. GET UP, absurd, crazy man.

I slept until 8:00 this morning- which is entirely against my nature and will get ready in just a minute to hopefully find a red light saber in the city of Orlando somewhere. I promised my nephew, Cole, that he could have the said item for his birthday and now I cannot find it. Red is the key here. I did see a purple one (the only one I saw) at the local Walmart, but he wants red. MUST FIND RED (monotone-robotic voice).

Anyway, just wanted to give a quick update. More to come later.

Va-ca-tion-ish

Well, I'm very (very) sorry to say that the bathroom wallpaper upstairs has not been peeled before I go to Florida. I really (really) wanted to get that done before I left. And I didn't. Yes, Crissy, I'm a loser. And lazy. Please forgive me. And then come help me peel it. There (brushing my hands off from guilt) now that that is done...

I've been packing all day. Why, oh why, does it take eight hours for me to pack for a trip? My mom reminds me everytime that we visit that they DO have a washing machine, just in case I want to do laundry (which I do every day). I overpack (understatement). I do not know how to underpack. Or to pack just right. The whole time I packed my bag, I kept thinking to myself, "just pack three or four outfits". Nope. What if I don't feel like wearing what I packed? What if I wished I had packed the blouse I decided against. It's happened before, despite the fact that I overpack. And it's not that I go to all of these important places. We basically sit around and do nothing a lot. Or hang out. Or swim. Or go to the park. Oops, I just thought of something else I "need" to pack... And, I'm back.

I'm excited about taking the boys on a plane. Corin and Silas have both been on a plane, but they were both babies and do not remember. They are just crazy excited. I'm also a wee bit nervous because of ears hurting and tummies being upset. I threw up on the plane at least once when I was a kid. I think my mom said I threw up a on a flight attendant once. Cringe. So what can I do, except for have them chew gum and drink Coke. Benadryll is out for Corin (who has a HORRIBLE reaction to it-it makes him crazy). I might pack a little for Si and Beex. It's only an hour and a half flight, so maybe it'll be grand. I remember the last time I flew, Silas was a tiny baby and Corin was two and it was dreadful. I think I cried when I saw my Dad and said, "I'm never doing THAT again." And now I'm doing it. With an extra kid. Maybe I'll have a good story. Anything will be better than this drive to Florida. Well, hopefully.

Now I must go finish obsessing over the suitcase before Quinn goes to bed. I hope to be able to blog while I'm visiting the fam.

If you think about it, PLEASE pray that my kids don't puke on the plane. I will.

Quinn, Melinda, Folks, and Andrea

Quinn started his new job yesterday. Today and tomorrow he is required to be there at 2am for training and, to top it off, his first class started yesterday. He says he's doing okay; tonight he'll probably crash early. I told him that I wished he could've started next week, but he said he's glad to get this first part over with.

I had Melinda over for coffee this morning. You may remember the name from this post about our first trip to the school in January. She and her husband had invited us over for dinner on that trip and I really liked her. They made us feel very welcome. Anyhoo, she and I, I think, will be good friends. We chatted about Anne of Green Gables, (in which she felt the same annoyance I did over the last Megan Follows movie. Did she even read the books? Megan Follows, that is), C-section births, Over the Rhine, seminary, and other such things. It was lovely and I plan on seeing her a lot.

Around lunchtime, I packed up some lunch and headed to RTS to meet Quinn. We had lunch with a lot of other families and it was nice to meet some more people. I'm really looking forward to going to the Mrs. in Ministry meetings they have here. When I get back from Florida, I will be all about it.

Andrea asked me today if I went camping. I smiled at her. It's funny to think that I originally thought we were so much alike. Basically we both like to run and bake. And there's where the similiarity ends. I told her I WOULD camp, if there were bathrooms and electricity close by, and preferably in a camper. With air conditioning. She has a great laugh.

Well, that's my life up until 1:00 today. Maybe I'll update you on the rest of my day tonight. Pins and needles.

Link List Update

After much procrastination, ta-dah!, I updated my link list...

If you do not see yours on there, then it means I don't like you. Oh, I mean I overlooked it. Let me know. When I say I overlooked it, it means that I actually did everybody I know and then forgot to save it a whole bunch of times. ANNOYING. So don't get angry, just get even. Leave me a nasty message or just tell me what you think of me. OR, you could just leave me a nice comment (cussing me under your breath) and let me know that I forgot you.

I've heard that Donna Brumlow has a blog and I can't find it. Help me out.

A New Project (obsess much?)

The time is currently 7:52 on my microwave and the house is quiet, except for the whir of the washing machine (always). Why is my house quiet, you may ask? Because everyone, except for me, is asleep. Quinn went down at about 7:00 (with just a wee bit of help from the old Benadryll) and the boys went down about 7:30. So now I'm awake. By myself. Oh, what, WHAT shall I do? I will not peel wallpaper. I do not want the cursing to wake up the children. I will not mop, even though the floor is a bit sticky from popsicles (I gave in). Nope. It's Blog-o-rama time.

Today, because I do not have enough to obsess about, I started a food journal on Nutrimirror. I was mildly curious about my calorie intake per day so I instantly became overwhelmed with curiosity and decided I would start a food journal blog. I googled "food journal" to get some ideas and saw this free site where you can enter what you have eaten and it tallies up your calories and so on. So, no new blog (how boring is a food journal anyway). Quinn is skeptical of it (I tend to go WAY overboard with something like that) and is kind of watching me with his eyebrows raised. What he doesn't know (don't tell him- Babe shut your eyes) is that I ALREADY obsess about food. Typing it on a website is, uh, a good way for, um, me to, hmmm..., educate (YES!) myself on making better choices (oh yeah, that sounds great) in my food intake. Who's against education? NOT ME.

So, here are a couple of reasons why I wanted to do a food journal:

A long time ago I decided to not drink Coke and Dr. Pepper anymore because of their high calories and zero nutritional value. I will have one very occasionally, but it has to be regarded as "dessert" in my brain. The same goes with Mochaccinos from Starbucks, sweet tea, and really pretty much any drink that has calories. I usually drink water instead. Sounds great, right? Yeah. Great. On the flip side, because I do not KNOW the caloric value of a huge piece of chocolate cake, then I don't worry about it. And eat a lot of it. The same was true with homemade cheesecake until I found out it has 1200 (!!!!!!!!) calories per slice. Talk about ruining it for me. I will not eat a huge bowl of ice cream (because it's not good to do that), but instead will eat a big scoop of ice cream in a coffee cup (packed down) with hot fudge, marshmallow, and caramel toppings drizzled all over it (Oooh, that sounds delish right now) because that is supposed to be better (again, in my head it is better). I eat a lovely bowl of GoLean Crunch in the morning because it has lots of protein and fiber to keep me full longer, but will eat handfuls of dry cereal because it's just THERE. I'll make a nice salad with carrots, baby spinach leaves, chicken, and tomatoes for lunch and then eat the rest of what the children don't finish because it's not FINISHED.

All these to say, I was MILDLY curious what my caloric intake was and I will watch it over the next few weeks to see if, just by paying attention to what I'm doing, I will make better choices in what I eat. And, I'm looking for a new way to drive my husband crazy. Bingo.

Popsicles and an Airplane

Yesterday I cleaned the whole house. It looks clean and it smells clean. Let's see how long it lasts. While I was cleaning the kitchen yesterday, Felix came to me asking for a popsicle. I had bought popsicles while the Sharps were at our house and the boys had eaten them all this week. Felix loves popsicles. He asks for them all day, without ceasing. "Momma, I have popseekle?" "Momma, I eat popseekle now?" "Momma, I eat popseekle for 'nack?" We ran out of popsicles two days ago. I have not yet purchased more popsicles. However, this does not stop a relentless two year old from asking every ten minutes as long as he's awake. My answer is the same, "Felix, we are out of popsicles. Would you like something else?" To which he always says yes. Then we hunt him something out of the pantry and he eats it, only to come to me later and ask me for more popseekles. No, no it IS cute. His little voice is slightly lispy and he's learning how to put sentences together. However, it is highly annoying to be asked the same question over and over again, especially as persistent as he is. I do not remember my older two doing this, and yet I'm sure they had some similiar knack they used to do to grate on my nerves.

Well yesterday, in a momentary lapse of reason (hmmm, Pink Floyd album), I told the boys that we would be flying to Florida on Thursday for a visit to Grandma and Papaw (my parents). I had told the older ones this before, but had not mentioned it to Beex on purpose, because of his habit of asking me a kajillion times about whatever. And THEN, I said to Felix, "We'll have to tell Grandma how much you like popsicles so she'll have some for you." And, FREEZE. I regretted saying those two sentences almost as soon as they exited my mouth. For the rest of the day, and already three times this morning, Felix would come and say, "Gwanma said to get my popseekles momma?" "Momma, we fwy auhplane to Gwanma's and get popseekles?" "Momma, we go latuh to Gwanma's house and get popseekles?" "No momma, you say Gwanma get me some popseekles." Later, under his own deduction of reasoning, figured out that Connor (my sister's youngest) lives in Florida so he would then throw "Conna" into the mix. "Momma, we fwy auhplane to Gwanma's and see Conna and get popseekles a'day (today)?" I tried to teach him to say in 5 days, but that really only confused him. Even during our movie night last night, he leaned over to me and whispered, "Momma, I see Conna and get popseekles a'day."

And now, as I'm posting, he has come to me, kissing my arm and saying, "Momma, you tell Gwanma to get me popseekles? I go see Conna and we have popseekles a'day? Momma, you say Gwanma get me popseekles? Momma, I hungry for bekfast."

Mother, please, PLEASE, buy some popsicles for my poor, deprived two year old.

A Guilt-Driven To-Do List and a Wee Bit of Random

Peel more wallpaper.. yes, yes maybe tomorrow.

Write some thank-you notes... I am HORRIBLE about thank-you notes. No really, ask my mother-in-law. Cringe.

Clean the bathrooms. Let me remind you, I am the only woman in a house with four males.

Go to the Post office to get stamps for said unwritten thank-you notes and to mail Chris Sharp's MP3 player back to him.

Mail a recommendation someone asked for me to complete.

Clean kitchen and vacuum. These things will get done tonight. They involve no thought and are instantly gratifying.

Some random thoughts:

I read somewhere that people who have blogs are narcissistic. Well, Matt D has called me narcissistic, I guess. He has a blog, too. This information has made me think about why I blog (since I constantly must defend myself). Maybe it's because I require constant affirmation and validity. Maybe because I find it therapuetic to see my thoughts. Maybe I just like it. Hmmm. Why do YOU blog? Are you narcissisitic (like me)?

I went to my Bible Study today with the ladies and enjoyed it. I took a Pecan Pie, ham sandwiches, tomatoes, juice boxes, and 2 pounds of strawberries. The girl who hosted the study looked at my food and said, "Why did you bring so much food? Did you bring lunch for everybody?" Um. Because? "I thought we were supposed to bring stuff for lunch." She smiled and said, "oh, well it looks good!" I think they usually bring food for their kids and a little something for a snack for the ladies. Ah. Now I know. I did feel a little silly. There was a lovely girl from England there and she said, "Oh, what a feast!" I felt like I looked a little desperate for people to love me. "Please love me; look I have PIE. And sandwiches. And strawberries. And juiceboxes." Sigh.

Today, Andrea, my new friend (how long do I have to call her my new friend?), asked me if I played soccer. I replied, "Well, my boys play soccer. They were on a league in Birmingham." I loathe soccer season but know it's good for them.
She shook her head and said, "No, do you play as a family?"
I do not know why she is asking me these absurd questions. "Um, well I WATCH them play." And gripe about the too cold or too hot weather. "But, no, I do not play." I do NOT play sports that have a ball flying around in the air. I am one of those people who get hit in the face. I like to run. And in highschool I did rowing. No flying balls aimed at my face. And then I looked at her. With incredulousness. "Do you?" On purpose?
She says, "Well, yeah! That was my sport in highschool and college. Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that some families play behind the seminary on Friday nights at 6:00."
Oh. "Thanks. I'll tell Quinn." Quinn was interested, but had decided to mow the yard. Maybe next time. And I will sit on the bleachers, in mortal fear of being asked to join the game by another woman. Because then I will have to play. Until I get hit in the face. hmmmm...

Well, I am being entreated for a trip to the potty with Beex. Must be off now.

Will Work for Seminary Classes

Quinn got the job! His hours will be from 4 until 8AM. So it IS possible that he could have 6 to 8 hours of sleep, just not likely. I am trying to build up piano students to start when school starts in August. There is a need for piano teachers in the area we are living in and so I hope to have 20 (or so) students by late summer. Here's to wishin' and hopin' (and thinkin' and prayin')-go ahead sing it, I'm actually doing the choreography in my head.

Today we went and got tags for the vehicles which was SUPER fun. Remind me when I do that again that three little boys do NOT enjoy standing in line at a government office.

Along that same line, why do children see an aisle in the grocery store and think, "I must run as fast and as hard as I can. NOW!"? Not sure how many countless "conversations" I've had with my children about not doing this. Ugh. I have a headache. I think I'm just going to start being the crazy lady who people stare at in the grocery store who screams at her children relentlessly. I just need to get some pink sponge rollers and allow them to go with no shoes on. "BOY! How minny tiiimes do I haf to tell yew to stop yer running! Don't make me pull off da big belt. Ya know I'll do it, tew. Now, go get yer momma some uv dat der chocolate-brownie ice cream. Der ya go. Tank ye."

Today I also ventured to our neighborhood park, on foot, with the children. This was also not a good choice on my part. They were so exhausted and I was exhausted by screaming bike-riding instructions at them the whole time. Next time I'll drive. I did meet my other new friend, Melinda today at said park with her three little ones. The children played in the mud to their hearts' content while we chatted about seminary and stuff. It was good.

It is only 6pm now and I am ready for the kids to go to bed. I keep looking at the microwave clock waiting for the time to change to 7:30. Please.

Need to tidy up and think of something wonderful to make for the Bible study tomorrow...

Good night, dear blogger friends.

An Interview

Quinn has an interview at 3AM at UPS in the morning. 3AM? yeparooski. He's hopeful to get it.

Pray that he does.

Off to kiss the boys goodnight.

Poop, poop, poop

No, no plumbing problems. Just poopiness, in general. So far, being in Mississippi has felt a wee bit like vacation and now it's beginning to feel like, well, like we live here.

I know we actually do live here.

I miss the 'ham. I got an e-mail from our Moody Church today announcing a potluck lunch on Sunday for the Jennings, who are missionaries in England, who are also home for a brief visit. I can't go. Poopiness.

I've been taking a few days break from peeling wallpaper. Secretly, I'm waiting for Crissy Sharp to come back and light a fire under my butt. Peeling endless wallpaper is not fun for me. I have hung up pictures in my butter-colored kitchen. They look good. I know I've promised pictures, but I don't feel like doing anything right now. Poopiness, remember?

We went to the party the other night and had a good time. I forget that it takes time to become friends with people. I've been invited to a Bible study on Friday morning. I will attend.

It's raining today and I'm watching the pine tree in the back yard, waiting for it to fall on the house. Pessimistic? Nooooo...

We went fishing this morning with our new friends, Mike and Andrea. Andrea and I are a lot alike. We both run and love to bake. We will probably become better friends. Except that she likes to fish (and lots of other outdoor things, bleah) and I don't (way, way, way don't). We got rained out at the pond and she was helping the men load stuff in the vans, soaking wet, while I comfortably waited (warm and dry) in the van for the stuff to be loaded. I may have pointed and laughed at her. Maybe. And then felt bad because she doesn't know me that well and she just figured that I'm a lazy jerk. I'm not a lazy jerk. I just don't like to get wet. And I didn't fish, right? Okay, I'm a lazy jerk.

I'm making potato soup in the crockpot for dinner and it smells good. Potato soup and Elizabeth McGinnis's cornbread recipe sounds divine.

I'm re-reading (for the millionth time) the Anne of Green Gables series. I can never get enough of Anne. I wish I were friends with her. I also wish I were more like her. Yes, I know she is pretend.

Well, I guess I'm going to try and organize some stuff upstairs. I wish somebody would pop in and ask for a cup of coffee. I may make some anyway.

Maybe the poopiness will go away when the rain subsides.

Up and Running

I'm currently sitting on the floor of Quinn's office typing a new post. We have internet now. Uh, woo hoo. There are a couple of kinks still, but hopefully we'll get everything settled out in a day or two.

We are getting settled and the house will be a slow go. Go here to see what we've done so far. Crissy put up some great pics and a nice list of what we've taken care of. We DID get a lot accomplished with the Sharps here. It's nice to have slave labor. I do LOVE the house. It's big, BIG, and it has lot o' storage. I've jogged around the neighborhood and think, "um, we are not supposed to live in this neighborhood; it's too nice." I'll have to give the illusion I belong. The neighbors have been lovely and the streets are quiet. The inside of the house is really great. I love the big, open kitchen and dining area and Quinn has a small office upstairs that just suits him to a tee. The boys are adjusting well (so far, so good) and hopefully we'll be making some new friends soon. We've actually made a couple of friends; Andrea and Mike, who came by last week to welcome us to Mississippi. Andrea is the head of the "welcoming committee" at RTS's Mrs. in Ministry. We went to church with them yesterday at Redeemer Pres and tonight they invited us to a BBQ with some families from RTS. Woo hoo! I've made my Triple Chocolate Bundt Cake to woo them to be friends with me.

I hope to post pictures soon. We've painted the kitchen a lovely, butter yellow (not SUNSHINE yellow, Scott) and I love it.

Also,

Abbey and Virge- I do love peeling wallpaper that comes off easily, however the bathrooms have MULTI layers and the sheetrock is coming off, too. They will have to be spackled and sanded. I also (secretly, shamefully) love to peel sunburned backs. Quinn calls me a monkey.

Must go get ready for the BBQ (and friend-making).

More later (because I have internet now).

Toodles

Things I hate...

Not having internet access. Monday. 12 noon.

Peeling wallpaper.

Faux wood panelling.

Missing Alabama.

Saying goodbye.

PEELING WALLPAPER.

Waiting to meet new people.

Sitting still. It only makes me feel guilty with so much WALLPAPER TO PEEL.

White carpet.

White walls. I KNOW they're practical and neutral. Super boring.

All of the wet, soggy boxes in my backyard. Oh yeah, the neighbors are loving us.

How high gas is. Seriously folks in big government buildings, the conspiracy must end.

More to come soon...

We do not have internet access yet and occasionally we get some other wireless, but only for a brief time (today is the first time I've looked at my e-mail). Hopefully this week we will establish our own account. It hasn't been on the list of priorities. I will post pictures when I have them. Everything has been going well, though there have been minor problems (we are still waiting for hot water). The kitchen is newly painted and the house is mostly unpacked. I will update later.

Stay tuned for more!

The Inside

Well, indeed, we did close on the house on Friday and I have brought home pictures. I am excited to get in the house and make it our home. Here are the pics...

Some ideas for the house:

Ripping out the carpet downstairs (in living room and dining room) and putting in Pergo wood floors. BTW, if you have a Habitat for Humanity thrift store in your area, I would definitely check them out for new Pergo floors. I bought our floors yesterday and saved over $900 buying them from there ($50 dollars a box at Home Depot vs. $22 dollars at the Habitat for Humanity store).

Painting the fireplace.

Painting the chair rail and panelling a darker color for contrast and a more modern, finished look.

Painting the kitchen a sunny yellow.

Repainting all the bathrooms.

This is all we can do right now. The upstairs paint looks good (even if it is white, white, white) so that will stay as-is for now.

To answer some questions: we bought the house as-is (it's a foreclosure), there was no appraisal or inspection (it would not have changed the price of the house because it was as-is), and, yeah, we are crossing our fingers a bit as we move in. Quinn is very handy.

Are you kidding?

Well, we didn't close yesterday. And we've been waiting yesterday and ALL DAY TODAY. So now at 4:30 we are HOPEFULLY going to close in the next 30 minutes.

ANYHOO... the party that was planned for tonight has been changed to tomorrow night. Come if you can! Go here for more details....

Or e-mail me.

Out the door now...

Be Anxious For Nothing

Yeah, right. I wish I could! I've been waking up at 4 or 4:30 for at least a month now and just would love to sleep until 6am.

I'm thinking about the house, cleaning the house, decorating the house, moving away from the 'ham (that's Birmingham), and worrying about jobs and such. I'm breaking out like a teenager and my house is a wreck. Poor Corin is having a hard time with moving away from everything we've ever known. Last night, I went to his class at church to make sure he had made it there and he looked at me and said, "See ya in three years, Mom!", which, ironically, is the amount of time that Quinn has left in Seminary. Silas is totally fine with everything, which means that he hasn't thought about it long term yet. In about a month he'll look at me with tears in his eyes and tell me he misses his friends. Felix is.... hungry. "Momma, I want a snack." He'll probably be more sad to move back to Birmingham because Jackson will be the place he remembers.

Today, we are heading off to close on the house. We're taking a whole bunch of boxes (thank you, dear friends, who've helped me pack) and I hope to bleach the toilets and windex the counters and shelves in the closets. I WISH I could have the carpets cleaned today, but we do not have power or water at the house yet. We need to take care of that today. It's a packed day! Better get started.

Party, Party, Party

This is Scott. He likes to fish. Can you tell? He calls me Hollywood occasionally. I think he called me Brittney Spears once when I wore a white linen suit. Yeah, he's like an older (much, MUCH older) brother. He has a lovely wife. Her name is Melissa. I do not have a picture of Melissa. She is funny, sarcastic, and endures Scott for a husband. They have a good story. They are also throwing a Bon Voyage party for Quinny (as he occasionally refers to my husband) and me on Friday night from 6pm until whenever. He asked me to post the info on my blog for all of my non-Community-Presbyterian-Church-friends to see and to let them know they are invited. Hop on over to his blog to get more info. Just click on his name.

PS... There is no childcare... hence, I need to find a babysitter.

WE GOT IT!

This is a completely different house than we had looked at before and I hinted to it on Saturday morning's blog, but was hesitant to mention it. It is a foreclosure and we are taking it as is. It's very big (for us) on the inside and it's in a gorgeous neighborhood. A contract is being written as we speak and we are closing on Thursday sometime. There will be before and after pics coming soon. Thank you for praying; the Lord is gracious! And if you have been around me this past week, thanks for not shooting me. (I've been a little emotional- a little over the top, if you will). I'm very glad there is closure and we actually have a place to move to one week from today. YEA! I'm so EXCITED!

Hangin' out with O'Jay and Chelle

O'Jay is what my babies call Quinn's cousin Jason. I think Silas did it. Jason and Michelle had us over for dinner last night and it was fabulousness. They are our only blood family in Birmingham and I'm sad that we're leaving them. However, the consolation is that Grandma's house is in Mississippi and we congregate there for holidays. I feel bad for people who don't get to go to Grandma's in Mississippi.

Brittney (my oldest niece) cut my hair last night (you can kind of tell in the picture) and I love it! Shorter, but not as short as I was thinking earlier (I chickened out a bit)- I can still pull it up in a ponytail- but with lots of layers. Michelle dried my hair for me using a round hairbrush (the way her hairstylist does it) and I really want a round brush now. I am a bit of an idiot with a round brush, since it gets caught in my hair everytime I use one. But maybe next time...

It was good to sit with family. We laughed and joked and had general good times all around. I love that we've gotten close to them. I actually refer to them as brother-in-law and sister-in-law and my children have always known them as Uncle Jay (O'Jay) and Aunt Chelle. I love that they love my kids. Thanks for having us over, guys. We love you all...

Happy Mother's Day!

A day lily always reminds me of my mom. I know we had them when I was growing up. There's something understated and beautiful about them that reminds me of her. So from the daughter who always required much attention, I love you. The older I get, the more I see you knew. Thank you for your sacrifice, your consistency, your kindness, your creativity, and your love. I appreciate and love you.

Love always,
Kimmy Sue

Boys will be Boys

We had an awesome day in Jackson yesterday. I do have news about a maybe house, but I've decided I will be superstitious and not jinx things up. There. That's a logical, adult decision. I'll let you know more details if things pan out.

Observations from yesterday:

Jack Sullivan and Dowell Davis are two of the funniest human beings ever. They had a ton of one-liners. I laughed all day.

Dowell Davis occasionally watches Jackass on MTV. He's a grandpa.

The previous observations lead me to believe that boys will be boys. Really, boys don't ever get past 12 years old. I mean, their bodies do, but, nope, not their brains.

Chick Fil-A's newest milkshake is awesome. It's like Jamocha Shake on steroids. And it's only 500 calories! Unfortunately, that kind of ruined it for me, but it was still good.

Men like to drive around and look at stuff.

The original Dreamland Ribs in Tuscaloosa is a dumpy hole-in-the-wall, but the ribs are awesome.

I like that my husband holds hands with me in public.

I need a haircut.

Happy Anniversary to us!

Nine years ago tomorrow I married a man who loves me for who I am. He is gentle and kind and an excellent father. He is far above me. For real, am I dreaming? I love him. Happy Anniversary babe.

PS... control yourselves, ladies. I know he's hot.

As Inigo Montoya says, "I hate wait..."

The last few days have been difficult. It has been hard for me to trust in God that we will have a place to live. Married housing is available, but only the two bedroom. I am tired of waiting, but waiting is what is on the agenda. Tomorrow we head out for Jackson to see what we can find. I have been encouraged by friends who have told me how quickly they were able to acquire their houses. I'm very blessed to be in my church; friends have jumped to help with the children while we are gone. Thanks. I'm praying for resolution.

On a different note, I'm in love with big rubbermaid containers that match. I like stacking them and I like putting them in my closet. This is a new concept for me; everything used to sit in laundry baskets or old boxes. With my friends Heather's help, I organized my closet, organized pictures, and boxed my shoes. I keep looking in my closet because it is so organized. And pretty! Perhaps this will spur me on to future organizational efforts. Everything is ready to pack in the moving truck, with the exception of clothes. Clarify, everything in my closet is ready to pack. I'm nowhere near done with the house. Yikes. Maybe more today. For the first time in our moving history, I have cleaned out closets and under beds BEFORE the day of the move and I hope it makes a big difference in moving day. What usually happens is that there is junk everywhere the day of the move and it fills up most of the van. And it takes me hours to clean up. I am hoping we can avoid this.

So another day goes...

Disappointed

We didn't get the house. It was sold to somebody else who was countering the same time as us. So that's it.

I guess.

Welllll....

I know you all are just WAITING by the computer to hear my news. What IS she going to say? We are waiting on a closing date. We have agreed on a price and will hopefully close soon. Wow. As promised, here are some pictures of the inside of the house.

It's a great house and I'm excited. We are in no lack of dark panelling, as you can see. And textured, gold wallpaper in the master bath. I do not have pictures of the bedrooms (there was one of the master, but I can't find it in my pictures) and I have not seen the house personally. Quinn says that it has big bedrooms and that the living area is very roomy. I did go look at Pergo yesterday and I like the hardwood (looking) floors. How can they make it look so real? Anyway, we will paint the kitchen cabinets and the panelling. The bedrooms, foyer, and hallway also need painting. The Pergo will go from the kitchen, through the dining rooms, into the living room and foyer, and then down the hallway. We will replace the carpet in the three bedrooms. We will probably use all neutral colors (for resell), but neutral colors do not make me happy. Life goes on.

Speaking of going to look at flooring yesterday, remind me next time I want to go shopping with no stroller and my other two kids, that it is NOT a good idea. Just tell me, "Kim, why don't you wait until Quinn comes home?". Pretty frustrating. I think I actually growled at the children.

Last night, we celebrated Cinco de Mayo (we're all such big celebraters) with the Claytons. We had fajitas and other yummy latino cuisine. And then dessert. Maja made something called Chocolate Swiss. It was chocolate merengue with cut-up (non-cooked) apple, a scoop of ice cream, and homemade chocolate sauce. Delicious. The apple really added a touch of tartness that was surprisingly good to this non-apple loving gal. It wasn't that hard to make (who doesn't have chocolate merengue lying around their kitchen) and I wanted to lick the chocolate sauce out of the sauce pan. Maybe I did, a little.

I'll let you know more details of the house as they come.

House Anticipation

We're still waiting on word about the house. Quinn says he thinks we'll get it. Maybe we'll know today. I have a feeling the next two weeks are going to be CRAZY.
I kind of hope so, actually. I think crazy-busy is the only way I'll be able to not think about leaving my world of security and jumping into the black abyss of the unknown. (Maybe a little overdramatic- maybe).

I have library books to return today and I'm thinking of going to Irondale to return them so that I can swing over to the Habitat for Humanity Outlet store. You can donate stuff for the cause of Habitat for Humanity, but you can also buy their surplus for super cheap. It's like a thrift store for housing items. If we get the house, we'll probably get our floors (brand new Pergo for CHEAP)and maybe light fixtures and fans (we'll have to see what's available) from there. I'm fighting the urge the go to Sam's and buy enough toilet paper to stock us for a year. We're almost out again. AGAIN! I hate buying toilet paper. I also have this thing (in my crazy head) that I have to have everything we'll need this summer BEFORE we move into the house. Why can't I go to Sam's AFTER we move in? Because I know where the Birmingham Sam's are located. That's a good reason. I AM going to Aldi before we leave to get milk at $1.99 each. We'll chunk it into coolers for the four hour drive to Mississippi so that I'm stocked for a week and a half. I will miss Aldi's cheapness. I actually did speak to an Aldi bigwig this week (at Roebuck's Grand Opening store) and asked when there would be an Aldi coming to Jackson. Not anytime soon, unfortunately, but for you folks in St. Clair county, there's something in the works!

Hopefully, my next post will be something like "We got the house!". Stay tuned...

Unbelief

I would, but cannot, rest in God's most Holy Will. I know what He appoints is best, and yet I murmur still. Yet I murmur still.

Help my unbelief.
My help must come from Thee.

Being a Girl

I love being a girl. I like heels. I like make-up. I like to wear a dress. I love wearing an apron when I'm cleaning or cooking. I like hot rollers and hair spray. I like being told when I look pretty. I like shaving my legs. I don't like plucking my eyebrows, but I don't like a unibrow even more. I actually enjoy the strenuous effort I put into making myself up. I love shopping. I love finding an incredible deal. I like standing in my closet trying to decide color combinations and shoes. I like listening to pretty music and imagine myself running through a field somewhere with my arms spread open wide (no snakes or bugs, of course). I like to do a random cartwheel. Or cheer. Or dance. I like to sing broadway tunes and songs from Disney movies. I like being romanced. I like costume jewelry. I love that it's me who does the mommy thing. I like being the nurturer. I like crying over girly movies. The whole thing. I love it. I love being with girlfriends who know me. I love to laugh with them and be silly. I love to talk about real life and struggles and know that they will encourage me and help me see Christ. I love being treasured and loved and held. I love that my husband loves me. I love being a girl.

Still waiting...

Things are still working for the house... The back and forth thing is happening right now. Patience, patience.

I found this picture yesterday when I was looking for something else. "Kim and her trusty Windex will save the day!"

A House?

I am sipping my coffee and thinking what I have to do today. I am NOT packing today. Tomorrow I'll slip back into cleaning out another closet. Today I may go to the thrift store to look for bar stools and maybe a book shelf. Bar stools and a book shelf? (you may ask) Well, we have made an offer on another house in Jackson. Can you say 2 1/2 weeks? Yes, because that's when we're moving there. I'll let you know what works out. I actually really like the house. It's a 3 bedroom, 2 bath (2 car garage) house in a neighborhood with sidewalks. It's in great condition, but is very outdated on the inside. You know what that means: HARD WOOD PANELLING. Lots of it. So, my ideal dream is to close on the house next week (sometime) and then replace all the carpet and linoleum (which looks original in the 1979 house), paint the walls, kitchen cabinets, and panelling before we move into the house on May 19th. Doable? We'll see. I will post pictures of the inside if we get the house. I'm trying to not be panicked about the whole thing (whoever heard of closing on a house a week after making an offer?), but I know we're going to move SOMEWHERE two weeks from next Monday. Our other option is married housing, which appeals to me, but is small and we wouldn't be able to resell after seminary. What does my life look like a month from now?