March Madness

We had March Madness in our home this weekend, and there was no basketball involved. I'm not quite sure how it all happened, because March is usually a relatively laid back month for us- a welcome relief after the February Frenzy. But somehow, several big things ended up on the same weekend, and I spent today in a kind of recovery daze. Our weekend in a nutshell:

Friday

• Made and delivered dinner for a family at church. For most people, this may not be a big deal. I stress about it though, so I was most gratified when the family called wanting my recipes for the main dish and the rice. I told her I would be happy to give her my recipe for the Mexican Lasagna, but... the rice was Rice-a-Roni! Caught red-handed.
• Harassed kids into cleaning their rooms and bathrooms. John Mark pointed out that the tile in his shower is about to collapse onto the floor. Sigh.
• Packed and delivered two kids to church for overnight youth trip
• John climbed on the roof before the rain came again to seal the area around the vent, where rain has been coming in and leaking through Rebecca's ceiling
• Finished tagging items for consignment sale
• Helped Child #3 prepare for 4-H area speaking competition

Saturday

• Took Child #3 (and Child #4 went along for the ride) to 4-H Area speaking competition, in a county far, far away. It was a successful venture, if not a short drive.
• Returned home in time to take items to consignment sale
• Cleaned house and cooked for "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" that night
• While I was driving Third Child to competition, John and Nathanael borrowed a trailer and picked up our new entertainment cabinet for the monster TV my parents gave us for Christmas. (Oh, he loves that TV!) Getting the thing inside our house was quite an ordeal, and we probably couldn't have managed it if our neighbor across the street hadn't noticed our distress and offered the use of a refrigerator dolly. Guest couple #1 arrived 40 minutes early, in time to find us struggling to get the thing out of the box in the living room. They got to help us finish unpacking it, moving it, and then vacuuming styrofoam off the carpet. I bet they're never early again. The kids could not believe that we had purchased a piece of furniture that came pre-assembled :-). I love my new cabinet, but unfortunately, it shows up everything else in the room. This might just be my ticket to some more new furniture, compliments of President Bush. Sometimes it literally pays to have five kids!
• After guests left, John remembered to reattach the handrail on the stairs, which Philip had broken off the week before during some sort of a flying leap. Better late than never.

Sunday

• Praise Team and church on Sunday morning, and then, since we somehow had managed to pick up an extra child on Saturday night, we took her back to her people
• Becca and I shopped at the consignment worker's sale
• We returned home in time to head to CARE group, which also happened to be in the county far, far away. Sundays are long days when there is no nap involved.

Somewhere along the way, I'm going to get that nap.

A Visit From State Farm

It was a typical day, and maybe worse: crayons, schoolbooks, loose papers, K'nex and pillows from the couch lay scattered across the living room floor; John Mark was typing frantically on the computer in an attempt to convince his literature teacher that he knows something about the Civil War; the little boys, having abandoned their math lessons, were squabbling over the last of the cheese slices for lunch; and I was working on lesson plans for co-op classes tomorrow. The doorbell rang. "It's State Farm!" the kids cried.

I trudged up the stairs. "Why would State Farm be at my house?" I wondered. We use Allstate. "Go to your rooms!" I hissed at the half-dressed boys, hoping that whoever it was would not have to enter the house. Counting my blessings that at least I was bathed and dressed, even if the little boys were not, I opened the door. It was my brother! I had to let him in, of course. Matt lives in Tennessee, but he travels all over the country for his job training catastrophe teams for State Farm, and is usually anywhere but home. When he realized he was driving right by our exit today, he stopped in. What a fun surprise!

We shoved the crayons and schoolbooks out of the way and chatted for a while. He climbed up on the roof to see what could be causing the leak in Becca's bedroom (because family ties trump insurance ties), and then we decided to throw schoolwork to the wind and go out to lunch at Wendy's, where Uncle Matt treated us all to burgers and fries. The kids were thrilled with this exciting interruption to an otherwise humdrum school day. The only let-down was that Uncle Matt was driving his work van, instead of his "cool car," as the kids call it. (Oh, the life of a bachelor...) After we parted ways and were headed back home, Philip said, "Thanks mom, for taking us to Wendy's!" "It was Uncle Matt's treat," I reminded him. "Oh yeah," Philip sighed. "Uncle Matt rocks!"

Why, yes, he does.

WFMW: The Untwisted Edition

So this week at Works For Me Wednesday, Shannon's bright idea was to ask everyone else for tips on solving our latest quandaries and conundrums. Oh where to begin...

Actually, if I could just get a good answer to this simple question, it would make my day! Here's my query:

I have a closet full of broomstick (twist) skirts. I like them because they are pretty, comfortable, they're easy to mix n' match, and they hide a multitude of figure flaws. At least, I hope they do... Anyhoo, here's the problem: eventually they must be washed, and if I want them to look pretty again, they have to be twisted. I suppose I must have exceptionally poor twist technique, because my skirts come out looking like a mangled mess in spite of my most careful efforts. Oh laundry divas of the internet, please tell me what I am doing wrong and I will be forever grateful!

It's All Downhill From Here...

or so Becca reminded John in the birthday letter she wrote him yesterday. I think he had a good birthday. After he bought himself a PS3 last week- after discovering that Blu-ray had won out over HD DVD- I figured there wasn't anything I could possibly buy him that he couldn't buy himself. Instead, I called some of his good friends that he hasn't spoken with in many years, and they each called him over the weekend to offer birthday congratulations and harassment. We had a fun family dinner with a cake which John Mark baked and Becca decorated, and later this week, John and I will go out together to celebrate. The boys made him funny cards and Becca wrote a letter giving her father "points" for various things, all of which added to 40 (of course). Here are some of the points she awarded him:

• Slightly humorous at times
• Although you’re protective, you give me enough room to breathe
• You think positive: when someone falls down, you say “If you can still walk, you’re okay” when someone cuts their arm, you say “You’re not going to die” and so on
• You introduced me to my best friend – Jesus
• And you are not as embarrassing as some of the other parents I know
• You are always there to protect us, and I give you three points for that.
• I love that you forgive quickly when we make mistakes, and you ask for forgiveness when you do
• I give you one point for being mine
• And the last is for the hug you owe me for this letter

The whole thing had us rolling on the floor- funny girl! The kids love their dad. We are blessed to have him.

What 40 Looks Like

40 Candles 40 YearsHappy Birthday, Baby! March is a wonderful month because it gives me an excuse to celebrate you.
I love you.

Spring is in the air...

at least for a couple of days. Today we spied the first yellow crocus in our front yard, the dandelions are beginning to make their grand golden entrance, and the little boys are once again enjoying the muddy backyard. I've been getting last year's outgrown clothes ready for the consignment sales, and pretty soon it will time to mow and mulch. I decided it was time for a good blog spring cleaning too- no more snow!

March is a good month: the February Frenzy which occurs on an annual basis in our home is over, we can see the light at the end of the schoolwork tunnel, and yard sales are just around the corner! March is a good month for another reason too, but that's a post for tomorrow...