Winner

Do you remember when you were little and you'd receive those letters in the mail? I mean to say, when your parents received those letters in the mail? :-)  The kind that had big bold lettering on the outside envelope that claimed you had one a milion dollars. Ed McMahon sometimes had his picture on there too. Weren't they exciting? And, did you have any doubt you were going to be a millionaire?  I remember painstakingly scratching off every contest and just being sure they would show up at my door any day to congratulate me and hand me a gigantic-size check.

Last week, I got something in the mail and thought my son might have some fun scratching the contest. He was so excited when he saw our number matched. His first sentence, "Now I can pay for all of my books." 

I am not sure where that came from. It isn't like he is in college or trying to pay for room and board in the 3rd grade. Whatever the case, all weekend he asked when we were going to go pick up our money from the store.

I am sure it was a big letdown to hear my explanation that we would have to buy a car to be eligible or do other things. Maybe next time, next contest. . .

Sent to the Principal

When my son first went to Kindergarten and I got a phonecall from the school the first week, I realized the fear and dread of seeing the school's ID on my phone. Seriously, the worst. Rarely, is it ever a "hey, just wanted to let you know how cute your kids are". Did I say rarely? I meant never.

I don't think the experiences forthcoming are funny now, but since I related them to my friend, who was literally laughing her head off, I guess I'll record them here and maybe get a smile in something like fifteen years when and if my children are able to venture off into the scary world of parenting. Wait, did I say fifteen?

So, three weeks ago, I left my house on a school morning, in somewhat of a hurry which is totally normal. My husband was asleep (unusual) and I asked my 4 yr old if she wanted to come with us to school (we generally walk). She replied no and said she would stay with Daddy. This was repeated, just in case I might forget that she wanted to stay. She didn't have any pants on.

As we frantically walk out the door, she changes her mind and starts crying that she wants to come. I firmly said "No, you don't have any pants on. Stay here with Dad."

Two kids and I left. We enjoyed a nice stroll through the Enchanted Forest and walked on up to school. I even had time to chat with some of the parents while waiting in line for my son's class.

Well, one of his classmate's mother, Cindy, who also happens to live on the path to school rushes up to me and says, "Did you know your daughter is walking by herself past my house?" To which I reply, "What is she wearing?" Cindy then tells me that another neighbor (I will give him a name too since he occurs in my 2nd story), Gary, is walking with her and that a number of parents have reported her to the school. I take off running back towards home. I find her walking with Gary. He was gently talking with her and being kind (by the way, he is always either late for school or 30 seconds away from tardy). I hugged her and we began the journey home. Apparently, she had made it about three blocks by herself till Gary started walking with her.  and she was fully dressed in her pajamas, so at least she had the frame of mind to dress herself. She may or may not have had on underwear.

Later that day, I got a call from the school telling me how a number of parents had reported a little girl walking alone to school and that this wasn't the first time (?!!!). I listened to this message on my phone and thought it best for me to find a cave somewhere to hide till my kids turn 20. I did call and sort out some details. She hasn't actually walked to school by herself before.

Story #2 - the next week

Feeling like Mom-of-the-Year, I begin the next week thinking about how I am going to happily keep track of my youngest each day and yadi yadi yadi. Well, one morning, my youngest was safely at home (oh - I should insert here that my husband in the above story had NO IDEA any of the details. He woke up, showered, ate breakfast and left for work all in the time the 4 yo wandered the streets by herself) with her dad, probably watching a documentary on Icebergs. The older two kids and I were at the school. I usually hold onto the backpacks while we climb our hill to school (you think hill, picture straight up for almost a mile - ok, there is a flat stretch, but only one block). Again, I was talking with parents at my son's classroom. After a few minutes, I thought, "I better get my daughter's backpack to her, I forgot to give it to her when I dropped her off a few minutes ago." At her class lineup area, her friend told me, "She took off." Oh brother, not again. So, I rush back down the hill toward home and meet up with Gary, who again had reassured my daughter and turned her back toward school. He claimed a "lady with dogs" had stopped my daughter and suggested she go back to school. My girl was just going to retrieve her backpack. By herself.

The Saga Continues...

This past week, I get a phonecall on Tuesday from the school (insert rock in stomach) saying, "Your son is here and doesn't know how he is supposed to go home today." OK, this is getting ridiculous. We went through all of this before school. I can spare my few blog readers all the details. Suffice it to say, I explained what he should do, sat back down and not five minutes later, I get another call from the school saying, "Your daughter is on the bridge looking very confused. So, we are sending the principal out to bring her back up to the school."

You see, even writing all of this is giving me a rash....

Tuesdays are my busiest days where I have the tightest after-school schedule. I rushed up to school, retrieved my daughter, didn't ever see my son on his bike, but turned around and started heading back home wondering when social services would be showing up at my door. My son was at home. All is well.

Sort of.

This is a new week, I'm pretty nervous.

Brilliant!

To sum up the month of April, I must say one word -- Brilliant! The colors around here have been so gorgeous and literally brilliant in their many shades. I can't help but feel happy with so much to see all around. That is, I am trying to let the colors seep into my cantankerous soul . . .

That was a fun word to say. And, I am not cantankerous all the time, but anyway . ..

She has ways of making me cantankerous

The colors:  I planned to go to a garden and snap some pictures, then I kept thinking of specific favorite bursts of color in my own neighborhood, so I just stayed home.

The bushes and trees literally bloom here in the Spring - so pretty.

Guess this doesn't do the pretty pink tree justice, but it is one of my favorites - so delicate and feminine

Isn't that cool? Rhododendrun on top and azalia (or chamelia) on bottom -- LOVE

One of my very favorite parts of walking to school was seeing this little beauty pop out in the neighbor's yard - oh, and the girl is cute too :-)

Not kidding -- EVERY day my daughter and her friend gather armsful of mostly weeds, but colorful nonetheless; she is with her closest friend this year

We moved to this area in May seven years ago, so my first introduction to WA was to see that I lived in the Garden of Eden. I love the Spring.

Eleven

My friend sent me this and since she is someone who simply radiates optimism and strength, I will pass this on :-).

Here are the rules:

1. Post these rules.

2. Post a photo of yourself and 11 random things.

3. Answer the questions set for you in the original post.

4. Create 11 new questions and tag 11 people to answer them.

5. Go to their blog/twitter/facebook and tell them you've tagged them.

11 Random Things

1. My life is fairly an open book -- which means I hide very little. I have no poker face and I am blunt. If I am happy, I smile. You get the picture.
2. Music is something I've gained a sincere appreciation for in my life. I am grateful for my neighbor Sophie, from a long time ago, who told me about a presentation she was doing in a class at school about how a person's attitude can be changed with music. I had never before considered such a thing (music to me at that time in my life probably consisted of singing in primary at church and practicing the piano -- which could be a whole 'nother' blog). I love music, all kinds (actually, I have yet to appreciate rap, I just can't enjoy it, never could dance to it and when I recently heard it played as the "pump everyone up" music before a basketball game, I just couldn't get into the choppy rhythm). Anyway, I can listen to the syrupy voice of Anne Murray, feel like I am in California with the Beach Boys, go back in time (wayyy back to my senior year in high school) with Soundgarden and Oasis, and most recently just love Johnny Cash. Music makes me happy.
3. I am really a loner and mostly OK with it. I love socializing with friends, but truth be told, I am happy as a clam jogging by myself and being by myself in my house. I think my problem is that I just can't think of more things to say to people in a social setting . . .
4. That said, reminiscing about past memories and experiences with friends and family is my top favorite social thing. Doing so gives life more meaning and pizazz and motivates me to make more memories.
5. I fully plan to have a wig some day. I think it sounds fun to be able to just plop a hair-do on my head and call it good, for the whole day.
6. I have had an inordinate amount of embarrassing moments, I like to call them "character-building" - wonder what I should do with them all?
7. I LOVE where I live. In fact, I mostly have always loved where I lived, wherever it was. Once I met a person who had nothing but complaints about where he lived, where he grew up, even where his wife grew up. I don't EVER want to be like that.
8. Raising children is very humbling. I am at the mercy of a much greater power than my own, heaven help me I pray.
9. In a recent personality questionairre, I learned my love language is "Words of Affirmation". I can live a couple of months off a nice compliment.
10. I believe in angels.
11. Lastly, when I was learning "how to be a Mom" for the 24 years before I became a Mom, I had no idea I was comitting the next 20-40 years either preparing, cleaning up from, or cooking 3 meals EVERY day.

YOUR TURN TO ANSWER MY QUESTIONS

1. If you knew today was your last day on earth, how would you spend it?

Walking through "The Enchanted" forest with my kids - letting them pick up every bead they find, and turn over every rock
Reading our favorite stories together - might include: "Seven Silly Eaters" or "Read-Aloud Rhymes for the Very Young" or "Animals Should Definitely Not Wear Clothing"
Singing and Dancing - our "Dazy Crances"
Holding hands with my husband and hugging for at least 8 minutes
Must have a phonecall with my parents - can my mom be sewing in the background? And, my dad - I'd like him to say something like ,"Now you're mad" or "Have you run out of questions?"

2. Do you dance crazy when nobody is looking?

As mentioned above, we do have a crazy dance (did you catch that - my youngest made that up), and do it as often as we'd like :-)

3. Who is the first person you call when something happy happens to you and you want to share?
My sisters. I just go to the one on my "menu" who comes first and if she isn't home, I go to the next one. This happens on a fairly regular basis. If I strike out five times (including my parents - they count too), I leave a message saying something like, "Everybody hates me, nobody likes me, guess I'll go eat worms." 

4. What was the last dream you had about?

Let's make this interesting -- I don't remember my last dream, but I will state here I have had MANY dreams of high school sports, usually basketball. I am late for the game and Coach Paskins is there and Karen. And, without fail - I am in my underwear. I usually don't realize what I am wearing till I've been running up and down the court.

5. What is your favorite feature on a person's face?

Eyes - must go for those eyes

6. What was the worst punishment that you received as a child and why?

Spanking -- definitely remember being spanked when I poured my sister's perfume all over her room

7. Are you usually late, early, or right on time?

late -- apologetically

8. Have you ever come upon an accident? Tell me about it.

Thankfully No


9. Have you ever had an imaginary friend? Do tell. :)

I have had millions of imaginary friends. I had them till I was in 8th grade or something. There were something like 5 boys in town and ME. So, I played by myself all of the time (it's not like I had any siblings -- ha ha). I had the greatest house and yard and school-across-the-street-with-an-amazing-playground. So, I was always outside. Much of the time, I was Miss America on my rollerskates and I think my name was usually Christina. If the wind was blowing just right, my hair would "flow" and I'd look great for the pictures that I'm sure all of my imaginary paparazzi were taking.

I can't be disloyal to my few real girlfriends in my small town. I played with Emma and Kelly and Sonia in those years too. But I digress. . . the question is about imaginary friends.

10. What is your favorite word?

I am often coming up with words that are unusual and using them endlessly, or at least till I find a new word. Today, I learned about the word "retrenching" -- I want to start using that word, it means:

retrench (v) - Bing Dictionary

re·trench

[ ri trénch ]

1. economize: to reduce something such as costs
2. cut something out: to cut out, cut back, or omit something
3. reorganize: to stop doing something in order to reorganize or rethink something

Synonyms: cut back, economize, save, save money, tighten your belt, make savings, make economies, make cuts, draw in your horns

I like that last phrase - "draw in your horns" -- I could use that with many people - ha ha

11. If you could have a slave for a day, who would it be, and what would you have them do?

It would be a Colette-Clone and I would have them do everything I need to do every day - cook, clean, chauffeur, etc. I would then, head off on a hike or a trip to the ocean or the mountains

11 New Questions

1. I'd love to hear your top favorite books - like maybe three and why you liked those books.
2. Who was your first favorite Hollywood crush?
3. If you could legally/morally do anything what would be your vice?
4. Please share a time you felt close to God
5. See, I'm all over the place with these questions. Tell me about your first best friend.
6. If you could tell give your teenage self some advice, what would it be?
7. If you found $20 on the sidewalk, what would you do with it?
8. What is your idea of "fun"?
9. Running out of thoughts here.... this post has only taken me three weeks to write . . . state your best marriage advice (even if you aren't married, you are the pro).
10. On a roll here, tell some parenting advice.
11. Lastly, Give your definition of a strong woman - no names, just definition.

11 Tagged People

1. Melissa - you knew this was coming to you didn't you?
2. Janie
3. Jessie
4. Linnae
5. Cindy
6. Oh, should I be putting last names here? Let's just say most have had the last name Fuller:  Erin K
7. Jody
8. The following names are Non-Fullers that I think might read my blog: Sonia
9. Monika
10. Wendy A.
11. Sheila M.