While the cat's away, the mouse will...

All day school is the best thing that

ever happened to this little boy.

He's found a wonderland he never knew existed:

time alone on the computer and his sissy's bedroom.

I'm just still getting used to a quieter house and all day school.

I'm sort of thinking he's got the better end of the deal....

Random Thoughts Thursday: I ate an octopus at midnight edition

There's really nothing else to say. My parents host pool parties at 11 p.m. for their friends that work at China King. Two out of twenty people speak english. The rest cook amazing food, shove the girls in the pool, stare at the Americans as if we're the minority (because we are), force squid and baby octopus into your mouth, tell my parents their house is worth 3 million dollars in Shanghai, laugh at the tour of the house and how my Dad's socks are labeled blue, brown, and black by my Mother, and generally have a wonderful time. NONE of the staff had ever been inside of an American's home. I smiled when my Dad said he was expanding our family and adopting them all. It was the weirdest and best party ever. And now I'm really, really tired.

Happy Birthday Erick

Happy birthday, hon.

Thanks for being willing to dance your own idiotic birthday gig this morning

while being lasered in the forehead by a three year old.

You make life a lot more fun.

Happy 32nd!!!

Saturday night

I just played a great gig at a nice downtown hotel and pretended like I was LAdy Gaga when I was walking in with my violin. How lame is that? For one, I don't listen to Lady Gaga. Two, I don't wear outlandish outfits. Three, I play a stringed instrument and live in the Bible belt. I figure that's about as far away from Lady G as one can get. I just know that rock stars frequent that place, so my mind was imaging ridiculous things.

She probably would have valet parked and not walked 2 blocks in 2 millimeter heels she bought at Ross for twenty dollars.

I am obviously not a rock star.

The only reason I'm on the computer is because my little girl just got out of bed and insisted it wasn't fair that I got to have a cozy night all by myself watching T.V., so I turned it off. Yes darling, your Dad is sleeping in a man-tent in Colorado with his buddies and has been there since Thursday rummaging around in Vail at the largest rummage sale in the NATION and I am stuck here deciding whether or not to avoid Matthew McConahoohah or Adam Sandler on Saturday night!!!! Aggghhhh!!!! It's a glamourous life.

At least I was LAdy Gaga for two minutes.

Here's the latest around our house:

a. We're down to one hamster. Don't ask.

b. ALL of my grass is dead. We don't water grass for some reason.

c. I bought an animal print comforter that makes me very, very happy.

d. I'm waiting on new windows to be measured and ordered. Apparently major hail storms make this an impossibility for the next 18 months or something...

e. My parents will be hosting their second 'China King wait staff/managers' pool party this coming Tuesday night at 11 p.m. My parents don't speak chinese. Their Chinese friends barely speak english. Needless to say, I love my parents and their open hearts. I WILL be there with my camera this time!

f. Flat chested Chinese women sometimes refer to themselves as 'airport' (flat like a runway) My Dad overheard their conversation about 'airport' and thought they misunderstood that word for 'swimming.' He then proceeded to do swimming moves in the restaurant to show them what the word swimming meant. "No, not airport! SWIMMING!!! (as he's re-enacting the breast stroke by the sushi...no pun intended) Dad, they understood your word for swimming. You just made a spectacle of yourself.

g. I'm out of things to say. I think I'll eat some ice cream and hope I don't see my children again for another 12 hours.

Good night!

p.s. Erick, pa-lease come home soon.

It was a big day

Raegan's first day of first grade

Sometimes it's nice to have a talker as a child. I know who made the right choices, who has the most honey in their honey pot, who she sat with at lunch, who was disrespectful to the teacher, how you put your head down on your desk when you want get a drink of water, how many recesses they had, and how many hairs are on the head of her teacher.

Whew. Thank you for just jumping right in there, little girl.

Your Mom and Dad are eternally grateful!

Things

I'm coming down from a candy corn high. There's also a huge bag of oreos sitting on the kitchen counter and I'm about to delve into those. Where that thought is going I don't know. This has been a hard but wonderful week. I'm so thankful for good friends and family and the beginning of another school year. I won't lie, I have a hard time every year seeing how fast my kids have grown and how much they are beginning to branch out away from the Mother Hen. I think it's slowly getting easier, though. All it takes is a few jumps on the trampoline (a trip to the restroom because I'm the Mother Hen), some more jumps on the trampoline, some rolling around on the ground in a big tickle fest....and all is right with the world.

I have just decided that I'm going to make the most of every waking moment that I have with my 'babies' and I'm not going to be so melancholy and sentimental. A little, maybe. I just want to try to be really productive with our time and energy and just have fun and enjoy life! I drove past the guy that stands on the corner by Mardel's today (you know who he is) that jams out to his i pod and bounces his Pizza Hut sign to an invisible beat. That guy is making the most out of a potentially miserable job in the HEAT and is having the time of his life. I love him for that.

Hmmm. I just needed to say that on this eve of eve of the first day of school. Somewhere my daughter is toodling around on the scooter with Dad, my son is no doubt making a big mess in the bathtub, and I'm just happy. Please remind me I said this when some crazy mothering hormone comes in and knocks me off my blissful feet. For now, this is as good as it gets.

Thank you to all of those who have asked about and prayed for our family. After holding on for a week following his accident, my cousin passed away Thursday evening. He was a loving husband of 20 years, doting Dad to an only daughter, son, brother, nephew, cousin, friend to many, and incredibly talented businessman. He was all of these and much much more. We were all saying how he lived 81 years in a 41 year old body. He was constantly on the move, always looking for the next adventure, and was above all the proudest Father in the entire world. His little girl spent her thirteenth birthday leaning over his bedside helping make decisions that no child should have to help make. She wanted to sing to him in front of everyone and sang 'Wind Beneath my Wings.' Steve was her hero, and she let us all know she wants to be just like him when she grows up. I have no doubt she will.

We will forever love you, Steve. We will FOREVER miss you. We're heartbroken, we're devastated, but we're hopeful. Hopeful that there is a greater picture in all of this. Hopeful that others will see God's hand working throughout such a seemingly senseless tragedy.

One thing is for sure, we're all counting the days until we see you again. We love you, Steve-O!

Colorado 2010

We really did have a fabulous vacation in Colorado, but I'm just having a hard time going through pictures when my mind is elsewhere. I will put some on here at some point, I'm sure. These have been a few hard days for my family. If we could pack up and move to Wichita temporarily we would. Obviously, we just can't. So, after a quick trip there and back again, all we can do is wait for e mails every few hours from family that is there. Last night and today he has struggled some. I don't mean for this to be a downer post, it's just kind of where we're at right now. People have been really supportive, and so many friends and strangers have gone to the hospital to visit. I never realized how supportive the biker community is when a fellow enthusiast is injured. There have been several groups that have just stopped by to pray. This is a self portrait he took on his bike from his i phone the day before he had his accident.

We love you Steve.

Prayers for Steve

On Thursday morning August 5th, my cousin Steve was involved in a motorcycle accident in Garden City, Kansas. Traveling with two friends, his motorcycle went into a "high speed wobble" while attempting to pass a semi. Steve lost control of his motorcycle and was taken by ambulance to Garden City, Kansas, then airlifted to Wichita, KS. He is in very critical condition. Steve and Traci have one daughter, Mallory. Your prayers would be greatly appreciated! Steve's caring bridge website is right here....