Whatnot Wednesday: It's Like 10,000 Spoons When All You Need is a Knife

* WARNING: This will not be encouraging. This will be me venting.

* My favorite shoe broke last weekend. In the grocery store. 

* I almost got hit by a taxi pulling out in the parking lot at Mr. Cheap Butts. Later I was kind of disappointed I didn't. The jeep could use a new paint job.

* We're getting a piano tomorrow. Nobody knows how to play the piano in our house.

* Yesterday I typed out a letter to my theater parents and when I went to print it, it was gone. I learned that I had typed it using a program that we only had a 60 day trial for. Guess when the 60 days was up. Yep.

* My tap girls are doing a dance to the song "Hot Chocolate" from The Polar Express this weekend. I went today to get mugs and saucers to use as their props. After my hour and a half round trip, I got home to realize that even though I asked the cashier if everything was in the one bag she handed me, it was not.

* My eye has been twitching for 3 days.

* Monday Josh went to get all of the wood and sheetrock for our set. He realized after he bought everything that he couldn't fit it to bring it home. He had to wait for his Dad to finish work so he could borrow his bread truck. By the time he got home it was freezing and raining and everything weighed 80 trillion tons. That's an exact weight. I'm waiting for him to get out our wedding video and find the part where he vowed to build sets for plays.

* I started drinking coffee today. I guess I'm becoming a grown-up.

* I'm having the kind of week where if you ask me my opinion, I will give it to you. 

* If my Dad were here he would tell me to take some Midol and go to bed. :)

* On a happier note, we have a whole new collection of Coca-Cola glasses from McDonald's. Put those with the new souvenir cups Josh and Eli got at the FSU game and we are totally ready for a dinner party.

* If I had an elf on the shelf he would be telling Santa bad things about me.

* Thanks for letting me vent. I know I'm ridiculous. Even as I type this I am thankful beyond measure for all of the blessings in my life. Even on my most stressful day God allows me a glimpse into other's lives and reminds me that on my worst day, I've got it good. But if you need to vent too, feel free. :)

Holiday Highlights

* Watching my 6 year old, who is a very quiet, serious 6 year old jam to "Tonight Tonight" in the car. We rolled the windows down and he sang the loudest. I heart him. On the way home last night at 11:45 he woke up for a few seconds and that song came on. I heard him singing and I looked in the backseat and no lie, he was singing in his sleep. 

* Seeing Kate snuggle with Mamaw

* Dressing. And potato salad. And sweet potato casserole. And Mamaw's green beans made with oil and sugar that keep all the nutrients in. :)   Okay, maybe I should just write FOOD.

* Watching the "Dancing With the Stars" Finale with the whole fam and Mamaw telling me that Josh and I should be on there. That is totally one of our New Year's Resolutions this year.

* Going shopping the day before Thanksgiving because a cold front came through and my aforementioned 6 year old was literally down to one pair of jeans that didn't have holes in the knees. While we were at JCPenney I saw an artist easel that was half off and told my brother the kids had talked about wanting one. A few minutes later he had disappeared and we were standing in line to check out. I looked across the store and there goes Phil carrying that huge box with the art easel!! He is just the best uncle. 

* My Mom and aunt took the kids to the Dollar Tree while we shopped and Eli got a puzzle, Sarah got a coloring book and Kate got a baby doll bottle. Today they have played with their stuff like it is the greatest stuff ever. I'm thankful my kids are still entertained by Dollar Tree toys! 

* Spending time with family.

I promised Mamaw I wouldn't put any pics of her on FB, but she didn't say anything about my blog. :)

* My Uncle brought his puppy that is a week old and being bottle fed every two hours. It was very entertaining to watch a grown man give a puppy a bottle and hear him talk about how exhausting two hour feedings are.

* My aunt kept the kids at her house a lot so it kind of felt like vacation for me!

* Cuddling on the couch with my hubby.

* Basketball game after the meal. Watching it, not playing. Are you kidding? I could barely walk after eating that meal, much less run around!

* Realizing how much these kids have grown and changed since last year.

Thanksgiving 2010

Thanksgiving 2011

* To top off my holiday highlights today I am remembering the day after Thanksgiving 10 years ago. It was mine and Josh's first Thanksgiving as a married couple. I went shopping on Black Friday with T, and Mammy and Leah and I was sooo sick. I thought I was getting the flu. A few weeks later we found out we were getting a Sarah! I am so thankful for that sweet child!

I am late, but just wanted to wish everyone out there in blogland a Happy Thanksgiving from the Fidlers!

"Tire"d?

There are so many things I am thankful for, but today I feel extra thankful for my husband. We truly are partners and I'll tell ya, the Fidler circus could not keep the 3 ring act we've got going called life in motion without each other. Last night we were discussing how the craziest things always happen to us and Josh told me that if he had to go through all the craziness I was the one he wanted to go through it with. He said, "You make life bearable."  And I had to give him a very hard time about that statement and decided that it would be the perfect sentiment to put on a 13th Anniversary card. "Happy 13th Anniversary. You Make Life Bearable." Ha! But, I know exactly what he means. If at times life is going to stink (and it will), it's important to have someone who will shrug their shoulders with you and laugh. It's all you can do.

When the tire went flat on the Jeep over a week ago Josh came home and started looking for the best deal on a new set. He ordered some from Sam's and they were expected to arrive at the store in 3-5 days. That was 2 Fridays ago, meaning they should have been there by Wednesday at the latest. We've been waiting on pins and needles, checking his e-mail obsessively and crossing our fingers they would be here. We are planning to leave to go out of town tomorrow and tires are a pretty important part of that plan. I will just tell you now that my husband has the patience of a saint. I know, you don't have to say it. I am aware that it takes the patience of a saint to be married to me. I'm glad I could help cultivate that in his life. :)  Anyway, he kept saying he was just going to call and tell them he was going to have go somewhere else, but he never did it. Finally, he just headed out to Sam's to handle things in person. He texted me saying that the website will actually let you order stuff that is not even in stock and apparently that is what had happened. However, they had gotten some and they were expected to get there today. He was just going to sit at the store and wait for the FexEx truck to get there. I won't lie, I've been beyond frustrated. I started wondering what we would do if they weren't on that truck. We had discussed renting a car for this week, but the thought of renting a car AND having to pay for tires when we got back at this time of year (or anytime for that matter) was not making me a happy camper. 

Finally, I got the text saying they were here and Josh was waiting to have them mounted on the rims. Relief. As much as I've loved driving a 15 passenger van around town, I am very eager to once again be able to get out of the driver side door and listen to the radio. I got another text. It said, "Tell me God doesn't give divine appointments..." He went on to tell me that the manager of the tire department he had been dealing with all day is a former pastor who has taken time off to care for his Mom and Father in law and that he thought he needed some encouragement. And my heart swelled with love for this man that I get to call mine. This man who has patiently and graciously dealt with frustrations that would leave most of us (okay, maybe just me) making ugly faces and saying ugly things. And to top it off, he was able to see God's hand in it. That not only did his not so patient wife need to experience some inconvenience in her life to grow some patience, but that today was the day a tire department manager needed some encouragement and Josh Fidler needed to be there to give it. I'm thankful that while I was just tired of the whole situation, he allowed God to use him and saw that the person in charge of the tires was more important than the tires. 

"And as for you, brethren, do not become weary or lose heart in doing right [but continue in well-doing without weakening]."

2 Thessalonians 3:13

I Threw the Plant Away

If you lose a loved one, they give you a plant. It's kind of like when your parents go on vacation and bring you back a t-shirt. "Oh, your Dad died? Here's a plant." Now don't get me wrong, I could not have been more thankful for all of the flowers and plants and cards and outpourings of love from people when I lost my Dad. I do not in any way want to seem ungrateful. I just will never forget when the funeral was over and life was back to "normal" and I looked in the corner of my dining room and I had...a plant. I was simultaneously reminded of how loved I felt during the time of my Dad's loss and how catastrophic my loss was. I was so thankful  for people who had thought of my family and given to us during that time. And I was devastated that in place of a Daddy hug and Daddy advice, I had a plant.

The truth is, it could have been a plaque, a casserole dish, or a piece of jewelry. There just isn't a "thing" that can replace a person. And of course, that isn't the point. It's not there to replace them, just to comfort you. To remind you of that person and those who loved you through their loss. I came to love my plant. I don't exactly have a green thumb or the best history with plants. I always say that I won't buy plants because it is premeditated murder, but I made sure to care for that plant. I called it my Resurrection  plant because there were times it would start to look pretty bad, but it would always come back. Well, over the last month or so, I couldn't get it back. It was gone. But I also couldn't bring myself to throw it out. So it sat in it's pretty little planter in my dining room, a sad, shriveled up mess. This week, I finally threw it away. 

It was a little symbolic that it happened this week. There is no holiday that makes me think of my Dad more than Thanksgiving. It represents everything my Dad loved-food, family and football. His birthday is also next Saturday and so that just adds to my feeling that Thanksgiving was his holiday. When I was still at home he would always wake me up to watch the Rose Bowl Parade because he knew I loved it. Last Thanksgiving we went to my sister's house and, as I did with all holidays last year, I went into overdrive trying to plan things to stay busy and doing my best to do anything but really deal with the reality of our first holidays without him. This year, it won't be so easy. We will soon be leaving for Mississippi to visit family. And my Dad's grave. I just felt sick to my stomach writing that. Because my Dad has a grave and a headstone and instead of trying to figure out what to get him for his birthday I'm trying to decide if I should take something to place on his grave. This will be my first time to visit the cemetery since we buried him, almost two years ago. I've been dreading it for months. Trying to prepare myself. Wondering how it will feel. Not really wanting to know how it will feel. 

The truth is, my Dad is gone. And that is a reality I've been dealing with for two years. It's something I know every time I go to Panama City and don't see him, every time I want to call him and I can't, and every time I post a pic of my kids on FB and he doesn't comment and say that they are his beautiful grandchildren. But in the craziness of life I have no choice but to keep going, keep moving and as Elisabeth Elliot said, "Do the next thing".

As I put my plant in the trash and prepared my heart to visit my Dad's grave I felt that was the message spoken to me. It's time to do the next thing. Does that mean that I will magically stop grieving or mourning my Dad? Nope. As each day passes I've just realized that his absence in my life will be felt stronger and stronger. There will be more he misses out on, more I want to talk to him about, more I wish I could tell him. Daddy's are not easily forgotten or replaced. Not the kind that I had. Not the kind who make sure you stay safe, make sure you stay happy, and make sure you feel like you matter to somebody on this earth. It truly is a loss, and there are no special words or amount of time that makes that better. But, as birthdays and holidays and anniversaries approach (and the seem to all be at the same time for my Dad), it is tempting to dwell on the ache in my heart. It is tempting to overlook all of the many good things in my life and focus on this one loss. It is tempting to shrivel up like that plant and hide in the corner. Thankfully, I have a Heavenly Father who does a much better job of caring for me than I did that plant. I am counting on Him to keep me not just going, but growing. 

A poem quoted by Elisabeth Elliot
Do The Next Thing

 "At an old English parsonage down by the sea,
there came in the twilight a message to me.
Its quaint Saxon legend deeply engraven
that, as it seems to me, teaching from heaven.
And all through the hours the quiet words ring,
like a low inspiration, 'Do the next thing.'
Many a questioning, many a fear,
many a doubt hath its quieting here.
Moment by moment, let down from heaven,
time, opportunity, guidance are given.
Fear not tomorrow, child of the King,
trust that with Jesus, do the next thing.
Do it immediately, do it with prayer,
do it reliantly, casting all care.
Do it with reverence, tracing His hand,
who placed it before thee with earnest command.
Stayed on omnipotence, safe 'neath His wing,
leave all resultings, do the next thing.
Looking to Jesus, ever serener,
working or suffering be thy demeanor,
in His dear presence, the rest of His calm,
the light of His countenance, be thy psalm.
Do the next thing."

Bears, Mice and Church Vans, Oh My!

I have been trying to wait until I have the energy and mental capability to write in a coherent, well organized manner. Well, I'm giving up on that. I've come to the conclusion that it may be mid January before I have energy or a structured thought. So, instead I will just ramble, post pictures and try to update you on WASSUP! Can you already tell this is going to be bad?

Mostly what is up is lots of activity. Lots and lots of activity. Monday night at work Barbie told me she wanted me to come up with some Christmas dances for my classes to perform at an event the first Sat. in Dec. I knew we would be doing Christmas dances, I just didn't realize it would be so early in the month. With next week off for Thanksgiving that gave me this last Thursday and the Thursday after Thanksgiving to teach the dances (that I hadn't yet choreographed as of Monday night).  YIKES! That sent my brain into overload. 

Tuesday and Wednesday we had theater practice. Wednesday I looked up and saw this on stage.

In case you are wondering, that is, in fact, a bear. And no, there is no bear character in our play. Our "Scrooge" just decided he felt like dressing as a bear. I don't know y'all. I can't explain it. I just roll with it. And thank God that I have a job where sometimes people come in costume. It's fun. And hard to take anything seriously. And sometimes I take things too seriously.

I started feeling a cold coming on at some point between Tuesday and Wednesday and wanted to curl up in a ball and cry. I just felt bad. Not real bad. Just the "I want to lay on the couch with a blanket, fuzzy socks and a good movie" kind of bad. And I knew that wasn't going to happen. So I pressed on. And found excitement in my newfound favorite cleaning products. Baking soda and vinegar y'all. Do you use it? It's so great. It's like a chemistry experiment everytime you use it. My excitement over cleaning products can only be matched by the fact that we just got a new Dollar General Marketplace right by our house. It has bananas y'all!  Very exciting stuff.

As hard as it is to top that kind of excitement, Wednesday night was even more exciting as my class at church packed boxes for Operation Christmas Child. We've been collecting money for several months now and I was very pleased we were able to do boxes for  5 boys and 5 girls.

We have been waiting on my new tires to be delivered and they are taking their sweet little time. That means I've been driving the church van. Fun times. My favorite part is that the driver side door is broken so I have to get out and in of the passenger side. You should see the looks I get. :)   The biggest bummer is that the radio doesn't work. It was a long 45 minute drive on Friday to drop these boxes off in Panama City. Especially after I spent all week listening to a most random collection of songs to dance to for Christmas and the end of the year recital. If anyone saw me, yes I was the girl in the church van singing "Bugle Boy", "Let It Snow", and a song called "Absent Minded Mice".  Oh my, I have to tell y'all about that.

No one can appreciate this the way my blog readers can. So, a couple of weeks ago I was telling Barbie I was trying to figure out a song for my Tiny Tots to dance to at a community event we were having. Barbie, having no idea about my history tells me she has the perfect song. It's called "The Absent Minded Mice"!!!! So for the last few weeks I've been singing "We're always hungry cuz we can't find the cheese, can't find the cheese, can't find the cheese."  Today I dressed my child as a mouse wondered if I will ever be free of mice. It's ok. I like this one. :)

I didn't think I was ever going to convince Kate to put those ears and tail on. Or dance. She wasn't having it. I had bribed her with Barbies and threatened her with naps. Then, we got to the event and there was a big inflatable slide. That was it. The bribe she would accept. We even got a video of her dancing. I'm in the back doing the music and acting a fool because one of the girls kept looking back at me, despite the fact that  there were 2 assistants dancing in front of the girls. It was so funny. If I did the dance she would do it too, but she was facing the wrong way! It is also a jerky video because Josh was being attacked by a yellow jacket while he recorded it. Oh well. The point is, Kate danced and we have proof. 

Thursday was a day full of Christmas dances. I was feeling really stressed out because I wasn't feeling good and coming up with dances is one of those hit or miss things. Thankfully, they came to me that day and my girls worked super hard to learn them. Yesterday I finally got my hair cut.  I feel like I'm acceptable for public viewing now. I just love my hair lady. She totally knows that when I say, "I'm kind of bored and want to do something different" what I really mean is "Please just trim my split ends and leave it exactly the way it is because I don't have time to go through the emotional transition of new hair".  She's good like that. 

I left the hair salon and made my way to the school for an extra rehearsal I had scheduled for the theater kids since we will miss next week. I called it a "prop party" because I figure people can't resist a party, right? It was really a day I wanted them to bring in things they had that they thought would work for their costumes or scenes so I could see what we have and what we still need. I was so exhausted and could barely talk by the time that practice started so I just sat back, watched them come out in blue wigs and the craziest outfits you've ever seen and just laughed. I am pretty sure I will be crying come the week after Thanksgiving when we are officially in practice everyday, stay up all night building sets, nobody knows their lines mode. But for now, I'll laugh. 

All week I have willed myself to get better because tonight was a big night. The first official Fidler girl's night out. Josh and Eli were invited to the FSU game so I decided that me and the girls needed a fun night, too. I let Sarah set the agenda because that's what she does. She's my planner. She chose Olive Garden, pedicures, shopping, and milkshakes from Chick-Fil-A.  Pretty good, right? I have to be honest, I wasn't crazy about the pedicure. You will know how weird I am when I tell you this- pedicures stress me out. I don't know what my deal is. I'm just really ticklish, and I always feel like I need to help the lady working on my feet, and I HATE massage chairs. I know! I don't know what's wrong with me. I have sensory issues for real. But, once I was in the chair and my feet were in the hot water, I calmed down. 

And, no matter what it was worth it to watch my girls. They were born for the beauty shop.

                                              They picked a blue and a gold color.

                                                 These girls know how to do a girl's night out!

Sarah told me twice that this was the greatest night ever. So that makes it the greatest night ever for me. :)

I'm just feeling so thankful for the gifts I've been given-the jobs, opportunities, responsibilities, and the cool church van to do it all in. :) I'm especially thankful for the people this season has brought into my life. Even the ones in bear costumes and mouse tails. 

The Color Purple

So just last night I talked about God providing rest in times of busyness. And here I am for the first time in about 2 months on a Saturday with nothing to do. I am feeling torn right now. You see, we were scheduled to have family pictures made today and you may remember from this post that I've been a little obsessed with these pictures. However, my firstborn awoke me several times throughout the early morning to inform me that she had just thrown up. She's at the age that she can handle things like that on her own, but she just needs me to know about it, you know? Anyway, she is looking pitiful on the couch right now and I know she is sick. She is a girl on the go, so when she doesn't want to go, she is sick.

I am beginning to think these pics just were not supposed to happen today anyway. Yesterday I got out of the Jeep when I got home from picking Kate up from school and heard a sound. It just happened to be all of the air coming out of my passenger side tire. Awesome. Josh was running a bread route yesterday and today (I don't know if y'all have noticed this, but these things always seem to happen when he is in another town) so I am vehicle-less. I've had a gift certificate I got last Christmas that I was going to use to get my nails done and nobody would ever answer the phone when I tried to make my appointment. I can't find Kate's skirt. It has vanished from the face of the earth. Due to being vehicle-less I can't get my hair did, and I have to tell y'all that it is probably the greatest act of mercy ever that we have to reschedule these pictures because I need a haircut more than anybody has ever needed a haircut in their lives. Did I also mention that FSU is playing Miami today during our scheduled photo shoot? Or that we have to cook for our Thanksgiving meal at church tomorrow? Okay, so maybe this wasn't the best day ever. The problem is that the only other day our photographer could schedule us in is next Wednesday. Not exactly the most convenient time for us, but hey, I will totally check my kids out of school early and cancel theatre classes for pictures! But only if I get my hair fixed!!!! :)

The truth is I've been excited about shopping for our outfits. I've put a lot of time and thought into the perfect color coordination. And after discovering Awkward Family Photos I realized just how important this decision is. I mean, this might have seemed the obvious choice for fall pictures, but I just don't think we could use this for our Christmas card.

I thought about saving my color choice for the big reveal of our pictures, but then I remembered nobody but me really cares. :)  And....I may be in the nursing home before we get these pics made. So, the color palette I went with is purples and grays. A special thanks to my cousin, Lauran for supplying a great link on pinterest that has every color option you could think of. Purple has always been one of my favorite colors. It goes back to the days when my Mom dressed my sister and I in the same outfit but different colors. Jenny was always pink and I was always purple. I even had a purple phone. Remember the kind you used to plug into the wall? Yeah, one of those. :)

Me and Jenny in our pink and purple. We still really like ice cream. :)

So, this last week after hours online searching for the perfect clothes I headed out to actually gather them. I just don't trust ordering clothes online. I was disappointed I couldn't find the dress I wanted for Kate in the store, but I decided to go more simple with her outfit and focus more on the accessories. Oh.my.word!  How fun! EVERYTHING is purple now! I found the cutest hair accessories and some super cute tights to wear under her black tutu skirt (if I ever find it). I even got purple shoes for me!!! It is probably too much purple, but remember, I love purple! They kind of look like these, but mine are a little different.

Originally I was just going to wear my boots. I finally broke down and bought new boots. And jeggings. I thought the world might come to an end. But, the jury is still out on how I feel about them. The truth is, they are the most comfortable shoes I've ever worn. The jeggings too. I imagine they are how pajama jeans feel. I've gotten lots of compliments on them, but I've also been told they look like stripper boots. Personally, I feel like a pirate when I wear them. So, what I'm saying is that even though I've decided to wear them, I'm not sure I want a family pic in them to forever immortalize the stripper pirate look. 

This picture cracks me up. Me trying to be trendy. My 4 year old too embarrassed to be seen with me. Sarah wearing my too big for her coat because we can't find hers. This is how I imagine our family pics will turn out. It's just a guess.....

Anybody else noticing a theme?

So, I have a few days now to get a little more organized. Here's my new To Do list:

- Find Kate's skirt

- Get my head shaved

- Buy Eli black socks

- Decide if I should try to pull off purple shoes or pirate boots

- Get my nails done and pray they last at least long enough for a picture

- Lose 10 pounds and get a tan (this is a constant on my to do list.....)

- Meditate and think happy thoughts and tell myself that I will not lose my cool even if Kate is hiding in all of our pics.

-Stock up on candy and all other means of bribery.

-Look forward to winning the next big contest on Awkward Family Photos!!!

I will leave you with a past winner of a family picture. This could only be better if we were wearing pumpkin suits......

Overwhelmed

There are many times I feel overwhelmed. Overwhelmed by exhaustion, bills, activities, chores, emotions, and sometimes, even people. When I was depressed "overwhelmed" was my word. I told myself often that I was overwhelmed. As God healed me He used the words of Psalm 61:2 to speak to me. "From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I."  So many times now, He has led me to a rock that is higher than me. In times of need He has provided. In times of busyness He has given me rest. In times of discontentment and grumbling He has opened my eyes to just how blessed I am. 

This last week I've experienced a different kind of "overwhelmed".  Over and over God has reminded me of where He has brought me. Where He has brought me from. And it's overwhelmed me. When I say "God is good", I mean it. The other night I drove up to my house with fall decorations and a yard full of scooters, tricycles and balls. And I wanted to cry. I had just heard a heartbreaking story about a girl whose life will never be the same because of a tragic circumstance. And it occurred to me how unbelievably blessed I am that God's grace has covered so many of my bad choices and His Spirit has empowered me to avoid others. It is overwhelming.

I often share stories of the chaos and craziness of motherhood. I can't tell you we've outgrown that stage. Just today Kate didn't want to stay at school because she didn't like her shirt and my tire went flat as soon as I got home from the school. But, in the midst of the craziness and chaos, I have felt overwhelmed by the gift I've been given by having these little people in my life.  Their Daddy, too. I've given up asking God why He's been so good to me. I've just started thanking Him. I've learned it's all Him. 

Highlights of my week in motherhood:

* Wednesday night Eli wrote "E loves Mommy" on his paper at church. What can I say? Mommy loves E.  :)

* Today Kate asked me what she should name her kids. I know, this should be terrifying after her announcement that she has a boyfriend. But I love that she thinks being a Mommy is  a good thing. She decided on the names Jasper and Kyla.  

* Before deciding on names for her children Kate told me she wants to be a ballerina firefighter. I hope that means she will entertain people while the fires are being put out.

* At dance last night Sarah had a slap bracelet. I took it and was playing with it while I watched the girls dance. I realized I was bleeding and had somehow managed to cut myself with a slap bracelet. (I am talented like that.) Sarah was so upset and threw the bracelet away right there! This morning I had already forgotten all about it, but the first thing she asked me was how my hand was. She is so compassionate!

* Tonight, Eli asked if he could go grocery shopping with me. I decided to just take him because I feel like I don't spend as much one on one time with him. I couldn't believe he wanted to go grocery shopping, but he wanted to hold the list and mark stuff off. I think he may have also figured out he has a better chance of getting a few extra things that he really likes if he "helps" with the shopping. :)

* I'm in love with these babies. And overwhelmed that God loves me enough to put them in my life!

Whatnot Wednesday

* We survived Halloween. All 8 weeks of it. Seriously, I don't remember Halloween ever being so involved. The good news this year was that all of my kids picked super easy, super cheap things they wanted to be. A cat, a Seminole, and Rapunzel. And they were pretty cute, if I do say so myself.

I really need to fix my F on my pumpkin, but I figure, why bother? I should probably wait until Kate is 10.

* Speaking of Kate, she informed us last night that she has a boyfriend. And that they were moved to different tables. That sounded like trouble to me, but her teacher assured me they moved all the kids around. Thank goodness! I don't know what to do with this news. Sarah has NO interest in boys and I actually found something she had written kind of like a journal entry where she talked about one of her friends and she said, "I don't know what's wrong with her. I think she likes boys."  Yeah, Sarah, what is up with that????

* I think I've changed my mind about the colors for our family pictures. I actually got out of bed at 12:30 last night to Google sweaters and dresses and shoes. For real. This is getting out of hand. I'm not sure why I'm obsessing over this so much. Have I mentioned that I'm not even sure if we have a time between now and Christmas that we could have them made? That may be God's way of telling me to GET OVER COLOR SCHEMES FOR PICTURES. SLEEP.  Ya think?

* Tonight I had a really neat activity for church to teach the 10 Commandments. I had cut up slips of paper with all of the commandments and put them in envelopes. I left one commandment out of each envelope and attached a piece of candy to it.  The kids had to glue the commandments in order and guess which one they were missing. It kind of turned into chaos and craziness. Especially when I realized I left the envelopes with the slips of paper at my house. That's right, I put the envelopes I had prepared back in the box and took the empty envelopes to church!!! I had to get someone to sit with the kids while I ran to my house. I decided then and there that is why God made me a preacher's wife. So I will always live in the parking lot of the church to be able to run back and get stuff I forget. 

* Kate and I had a great talk about commandments while I was preparing. I told her they were rules. Like that we shouldn't steal. She said, "Or be still. Or eat candy. And go to bed."  Gotta love the commandments according to Kate. :)

* When I got home tonight "My Best Friend's Wedding" was on. I love that movie, but it still breaks my heart. It also always makes me long for a night of dining accompanied by our table breaking out in "I Say a Little Prayer For You".   I remember my friend Pao had the soundtrack for that movie and we spent many a day in her car belting it out.

* Two of my guys from theater class needed a ride home after practice today. One of them could not find his shoes. We thought some of the other kids took them so we went to find them, but they didn't have them. And the school was locked by this point. I asked him if he had any other shoes. He said the only other pair he had were in his locker. In the locked gym. We ended up having to go back to the elementary school and the two guys somehow managed to find a way in (I don't want to know how.)  Did I mention this guy is in 9th grade? It gives me no hope for my future. I was really hoping that by the time my kids are that age I will not spend 95% of my life looking for shoes. Seems like there is no such hope....

* We are planning go to our high school's homecoming game this weekend. We haven't been to one since we graduated. I'm wondering how old it will make us feel.

What has your week looked like? Do you have any "big" plans for the weekend?