"Face" ing it.

No, I haven't fallen off the edge of the earth, but some days I feel like I have...
We've been a bit busy around our house, and you know how that goes... you think things are calming down, then they pick back up again. Hopefully, we're in a slow time right now. Soccer is over and we'll be gearing up for Christmas soon.

Taking advantage of the momentary slow down, I've been lured onto Facebook. I have spent most of the day off and on, finding friends to add to my list. Lord love a duck, what have I gotten myself into????

Words that the mother of a 2.5 year old never wants to hear...

"I fix it..."
ugh

This kid (John) has a fascination with drawer pulls. He comes to me in the kitchen with that sheepish look on his face and tells me "I fix it." "You fix it?" I ask. "I fix it" he replies and holds his little hand out (like telling me to stop). I pry the lost drawer pull out of his other hand, and head off to the living room to find out where it came from. I should be thankful that it's just a drawer pull. It's been worse...

"I clean it..." just sends chills up my spine and all those little hairs on the back of my neck stand at attention.

I shared this story with my ScrapShare Sisters and they added other "never want to hear" phrases that are equally as spine-tingling: (names removed to protect the innocent)

* "Uh OHHHHhhhhh!" Especially when the child is in the bathroom or kitchen when saying this!

* The ultimate fear is "uh oh" followed by a flush.

* How about a crash upstairs followed by, "I didn't do anything!"

* or the corollary: the crash followed by, "I'm OK!"

* How about a 6-year old who comes in and says, "I cooked you breakfast all by myself!"

* Usually at my house, the crash is followed by, "Sissy did it!"

My Custom Quiz

How much do you know about me?

Click here to take the quiz:
Quiz

How did you do?

Just Two Things

JUST TWO THINGS

Two names you go by:

1. Mommy
2. Theresa

Two things you are wearing right now:

1. t shirt
2. better than sweats Land's End cropped pants (bummin' clothes)

Two things you would want (or have) in a relationship:

1. putting each other first
2. laughter

Two things you like to do:

1. shop
2. scrapbook

Two things you want very badly at the moment:

1. clean house
2. bills paid off

Two things you did last night:

1. watched "Top Chef"
2. stayed up too late

Two things you ate today:

1. toast
2. shared some twisty cheese with John

Two people you last talked to:

1. some solicitation person from Highlights magazine
2. kids

Two things you're doing tomorrow:

1. getting ready for my crop
2. making crop food

Two longest car rides:

1. Shreveport, La. to Austin, Tx
2. Shreveport, La. to Orlando, Fl. (with my parents a loooong time ago)

Two favorite holidays:

1. Christmas
2. Halloween

Two favorite beverages:

1. Coke - ice cold or with vanilla from Sonic
2. pink lemonade

Two things about me that you may not have known:

1. I have never broken a bone
2. I have a secret fantasy to become a famous singer

Two jobs I have had in my life:

1. Speech Therapist
2. Gift wrapping at a local department store (my first "real" job)

Two Movies I would watch over and over:

1. Steel Magnolias
2. The Princess Bride

Places I have lived:

1. Louisiana
2. Arkansas

Two of my favorite foods:

1. cheesecake
2. anything Mexican

My Favorite Things

1. My current favorite song is:
Oh, Holy Night - Martina McBride
non-Christmas - Before He Cheats - Carrie Underwood

2. The last book I read was:
Becoming the Woman of His Dreams - Sharon Jaynes

3. The last book I bought was:
A Thomas the Tank Engine book for a Christmas gift

4. The last cd I bought was:
ABBA Greatest hits

5. Another CD I wanted but didn't buy is:
one of the "WOW" CDs but don't remember which one.

6. Right now, I'm wearing:
jeans and a green Ulitmate t-shirt from Target

7. The last gift I bought was:
digital photo frames for my mom and the in-laws

8. The last time I laughed heartily and loudly:
reading the "innocent things children say" thread on the NSBR forum

9. My favorite holiday ornament is:
the decoupaged candy cane I made in Kindergarden (in 1975 - yikes!)

10. My house smells like:
dirty laundry - gotta get on that

11. The first thing on my to-do list tomorrow is:
mail my Secret Santa gift!

12. If I could sit on Santa's lap and believe that he'd bring me whatever toy I wished for, I'd ask for:
A clean house! ...if only... oh, that's not a toy is it?? Then a Wishblade!

13. If I could holiday shop in ONE store, all expenses paid, I'd shop at:
Best Buy

14. If an angel alighted on my doorstep today and said, "I'm here to grant a Christmas wish," I'd wish for:
A clean house - oh wait, I already asked for that... well, I think I would ask for a trip to Disney for my family.

15. When I see a bell ringer while out shopping, I:
let the kids drop in money, otherwise I smile and continue on my way. I've usually already donated through the mail.

Things you love A to Z

A - autumn and apple pie (hot, with ice cream please)
B - baby feet - just gotta kiss 'em every time I see 'em!
C - caramel apples and hot cocoa - with mini marshmallows
D - do nothing days when you can stay in your jammies until bedtime
E - Easter egg dying, getting your fingers all mulit-colored
F - friends - the ones who know the "real" you and love you anyway
G- gifts - getting and giving them, but giving them more
H - Harry Connick, Jr. - LOVE to hear him sing...
I - icicles - long, clear, drippy ones
J - jeans - comfy, casual, broken in
K - kisses - especially the wet sloppy ones from my 15 month old
L - laughing - big, laugh 'til you wet your pants laughter
M - movies - the popcorn, the candy, snuggling up with my hubby in the dark
N - napping babies!
O - opening presents on Christmas morning - paper and tissue everywhere!
P - Paul, of course, and puppy breath - so sweet
Q - quiet mornings before the kids are awake
R - red roses - or roses of any color, really
S - sleeping in with my hubby, scrapbooking and ScrapShare
T - taking a long, hot bubble bath - uninterruped if possible
U - under the covers reading a book when you're supposed to be asleep
V - vacations! seeing new places, getting away from the daily routine
W - words of enouragement
X - x-rays! it's soooo cool to see what's inside there
Z - zoo trips - I love seeing all the animals

In Memory of My Dad

My dad passed away 9 years ago today. This is something that I wrote 2 years after he died. There have been more grandkids born since I wrote this, and I still think about him every single day. I miss him so much.

"I can't believe it has been nearly two years since Daddy died. It happened one week to the day after my son's birth. It seems like an eternity ago, but I remember it like it was yesterday.

I had to have an unplanned c-section, so my recovery was more difficult than we expected. Alan was the first grandchild for Mom and Dad, and they had come to stay with us to help out. After a week, Mom went home so she could return to work. Daddy was newly retired, so he would stay another week. My husband, Paul, went back to work that Sunday morning, so it was just Daddy, the baby, and me. We had a quiet morning. I had taken a nap while Daddy looked after Alan. We ate lunch - he had peanut butter sandwiches. I don't remember what I ate. We sat on the couch watching a nature program on television while the baby slept. I left the room for just a moment. I don't even remember why; but the events that happened next, I don't think I will ever forget. I've replayed them in my memory a hundred times or more.

When I came back into the room, Daddy was still sitting on the couch, but he was gasping for breath. His fists were clenched tight and his face was blood red. I called to him and patted his face, but he wouldn't respond. I dialed 911 and asked them to send an ambulance. He was still gasping for breath. The woman on the phone told me to get Daddy on the floor and tilt his head back to help him breathe. Somehow, I slid him onto the floor. By then, he was no longer fighting to breathe, but his face was still blood red, and he took a breath only every few seconds. His eyes were open wide, but he still wouldn't respond when I called out to him. What felt like hours, was probably only a few minutes until the paramedics came. They started an IV, put a tube into his throat, and shocked his heart. They didn't say anything, but I think I knew he was already gone. As they put him into the ambulance, a friend came to stay with the baby and me while my husband went to the hospital. Just a short time passed before Paul called to tell me that Daddy didn't pull through. It was over. He was gone.

Daddy was only 53 years old, but the thing I will remember the most about his life was how he cared for his family. Daddy worked for the same airline for 20+ years and for as long as I can remember, he worked the night shift. It paid more money than earlier shifts, and was easier on him in the summers because he worked outside most of the time. He worked all night, slept during the day, and managed to participate in almost all of the activities of his children. He coached softball teams for my sisiter and me, and football and baseball teams for my brother. He rarely ever missed a game when I was a cheerleader, or a parade when my sister was in a marching group. None of us ever worried about college tuition. The money was always there when we needed it. We all had vehicles to drive when the time came. Not the newest or the sportiest in the eyes of a teenager, but reliable transportation that got us where we wanted to go. We didn't live in the finest, biggest house, nor have the most expensive things, but we were never without attention or love. His father died at age 60, when I was only 8 years old. Soon after, Mom and Dad started building our house on the land where his mother still lived. He thought we should be near Grandmama, and Daddy did most of the work on the house himself. When Mom's father died, Daddy wanted to put a house for Granny behind our house, so we would be close if she needed us.

For a long time after Daddy's death, every time I thought of him, the only thing I could see in my mind's eye was the sight of him on my couch, struggling for breath, dying before my eyes. My father was always such a strong man, and to see him so helpless and not be able to do anything for him has haunted me these last 2 years. But, slowly, as time has passed, I have begun to remember the little things about our lives and dwell less on the events of his death. I remember funny memories from family vacations, he and my brother wrestling on the living room floor, walking down the aisle at my wedding, him holding his first grandchild. I remember him teaching us how to drive his standard transmission, the day I moved away to college, the silly nickname he gave me, and how he enjoyed working in his woodshop. I remember that he loved classic cars, vintage airplanes, world war documentaries, and how he would always bring us all a box of candy on Valentine's Day.

I have thought about Daddy every day since he died. I think about how proud he was of his grandson, and how proud he would be of his two granddaughters that have since been born. I think about how he would still be taking care of us, even though we are all out of the house now. Just after his funeral, I was told of a promise he made to my mother-in-law. He promised to help look after her when my father-in-law could no longer because of his serious heart condition. Daddy was always taking care of his family.

Now I have a family of my own - my husband and our two beautiful children. Children who can drive me to the brink of insanity one moment and bring me to tears of love the next. I spend every moment of every day caring for them, worrying about them, and loving them, just as my father did for us. Many times I have wondered if there was something I could have done that day to save him. I think I know now that there wasn't. I don't know if he felt any pain, or if he knew I was there with him; but I do know that Daddy died like he lived - taking care of his family. I may not have been able to do anything to stop his death, but I hope I can honor his life by being the kind of parent he taught me to be."

Sugar Wafers

My son has discovered Sugar Wafers. James' preschool class had them for a snack last week, and when I picked him up, it was all he could talk about.

James: "Mom, we had these cookie things for snacks. They are sugar -- something."

So after a brief 4 year old's attempt at a description, I figured it out. We used to have them quite often as our Sunday School snack, but they never made this much of an impression...

James: "Mom, can we go to the store and buy some Sugar Wafers????"
Me: "Well, I just went to the store, but the next time I go, I promise I'll get some." I seem to go a couple of times a week, so the wait wouldn't be long.

The next day, when I pick him up - "Did you go to the store today?" No, I just went yesterday. "When are you going to the store?" I don't know, but when I do, I promise I'll get the Sugar Wafers. The next morning - "Are you going to the store today?" {sigh} This goes on all week.

Finally, Sunday afternoon, Amanda and I head to the store. As I'm getting into the van, James pokes his head out of the back door to yell, "Don't forget the Sugar Wafers!" It's a good thing he did, 'cause I forgot to put them on the list. Down the cookie aisle we go to search out the beloved Sugar Wafers. I got the biggest bag of Sugar Wafers they had. Now, if you're familiar with this particular confection, you'll know that they are usually packaged with 3 flavors/colors per package - orange, pink and brown. I don't know if they are actually supposed to be flavored, because they all taste the same to me - vanilla. But to a 4 year old, color is terribly important. In Sunday School, James always requested the orange, but would only eat pink if there were no other options, and brown was never chosen. So, I get the orange-only bag.

At home, he practically knocks me down, "Did you get the Sugar Wafers???" Yes, honey, I did. They just happened to be in their own sack, and he yanks them out, and says (dejectedly), "Where are the pink and brown ones?" Oh. My. Word.
Well, honey, you don't like the pink and brown ones, do you? "No." Well, that's why I didn't buy those. "Oh. OK." Then he bounces off happily into the house to dig in.

I guess this touches me because every time I eat Sugar Wafers I'm reminded of my grandparent's house. My Granny always had these when we visited. Orange was my favorite "color".

My Grandmother's Purse

Well, I'm stepping out a little further into the 21st century. This is my first attempt at blogging. When I was trying to come up with a name for my blog, this title was one of the finalists. My Grandmother's purse was a typical grandma-type purse. Black leather (all year long), with all sorts of compartments and tuck-away places. In it, you could find just about anything. There was something for entertaining - usually a pen or stray crayon and a little notepad, something for comfort - a kleenex or hard candy, or something for fun - lots of loose change that nosey grandkids could take home for their piggy banks. I guess that's what I hope my blog will become - a place that has all kinds of "stuff" in it. Random thoughts and musings, as well as memories, and maybe even a profound thought or two (I hope).