IMPORTANT INSTRUCTIONS!!!!

Counting Down #21

I occasionally fantasize about quitting my job and studying to be a doctor. I usually have this fantasy when driving by a hospital, going to a doctor, or watching Grey's Anatomy.

But then I remember I hate blood and get queasy at the site of it.... so maybe that's not such a good idea.

Stanley, Stranger Lady, Woody, & Mama Bear.

I took the kids to Disneyland today to meet my friend Amanda and her daughter Mallory. We had so much fun. I took a pic on my cell phone on the tram ride in. I was looking at it tonight and noticed a couple of interesting things.

1. The gentleman behind the girls resembles a one "Stanley" from The Office.

2. I was going to crop this picture until I noticed Lexi's hand. She asked the Lady next to her if she could hold on to her. How sweet is that? I love her precious soul.

In other news... It's a Small World reopened today. It's been closed for a year or so. Apparently Americans had gotten too fat and they needed to repair the boats that had started scraping the bottom of the attraction. I guess while they were in there, they decided to spruce up the joint. I will say, it was a lot more fun. It was kinda like "Where's Waldo" because there were Disney characters everywhere. It was fun to try and find them.

Here's a pic of Woody.



After several hours of fun in the sun... I mean RAIN.... we went to the Buzz LightYear store to ask a cast member for a replacement back to one of her trading pins. I had her stand in line behind the only 2 ladies that were in line. I called out for Lexi to come stand by us, and when I looked over, Haley had scooted over somewhat. I said, "Haley, make sure you stand right here behind this lady." And then I grabbed Lexi.

It was then her turn in line, so she walked up to the desk and in her sweet voice said, "excuse me sir..." And right at that time, a middle aged man (No Kidding...at least 55) scooted up and was standing less than 1cm away from her... and looked at me and said, "Excuse me, your kid is cutting me." I'm thinking "Your JOKING, right?" But I said, "No...she was here. We have been waiting in line." KNOWING FULL WELL WE WERE THERE FIRST BECAUSE I SAW HIM GET INTO LINE. To which he says, "No... I heard you tell her to stand right behind the lady." Okay...that's it people. I've got a splitting headache. I'm drenched from the rain, and this middle-aged man is trying to cut my daughter off who waited patiently for 5 minutes only to get cut off by a grumpy old man... and I LOST IT.

I don't get Mama Bear very often, but I said, "So you're going to cut a little kid off? Really? That's cool. Come on Haley...we're not going to stand in line with someone who treats little kids like this."

And his response?????

"Two Ponchos please."

Unreal.

So as we are walking away and I am FUMING inside... I'm trying to explain to Haley what went down. Then she started crying...probably cause I was so upset...cause truthfully I think she was clueless when it happened. And you know what she said to me, "Mom...I would have let him go ahead of me."

Pause. Breathe.
If only I had that kind of heart.

Counting Down #22

Every morning in our house begins with some snuggle time and a little of this....



It's Lexi's favorite show "Little Einsteins." We turn the Disney Channel on at 8am and snuggle up for some riveting cartoon time that teaches us about famous composers and artists. Then we go downstairs and have breakfast.

The TV does not get turned on again until I am upstairs getting ready for bed....so it's still on the Disney Channel.

I may have been known to snuggle up in my bed (alone) and watch some Disney Tween Shows. I might have even liked them.

This list includes, but is not limited to...

1 Kings 17.

If you are questioning God...questioning his faithfulness...questioning his power....wondering if he really can meet all of your needs... then read this chapter from the Bible.

If you don't have a Bible...go to www.crosswalk.com and type in 1 Kings 17.

It's a short, but powerful story that will remind you of God's faithfulness.

Counting Down #23

Most broken hearts come from having been in a relationship that didn't work out. I've had a few of those. But I've only had one where I fell hard for someone who didn't feel the same.

It happened in Norway. His name was Oystein. (Which sounds weird for us Americans...but it's actually a very common name there.) I called him Oyster. We became very good friends. And to be fair...he led me on in a bad way. Everything within me thought we would get married and I would live in Norway forever.

I went home for a couple of weeks in the winter, and when I returned to Norway, I took the train from Oslo into my little town. Then I had a cab drop me off where I knew Oystein and all my friends hung out on Thursday evenings. It was a very snowy evening. My stomach was full of butterflies as I got out of the cab. I drug my suitcase through the snow and up the walkway to the Pizzeria (cause that's what they call it there), and looked into the window where I saw Oystein leaning across the table kissing another girl.

It was a scene out of a movie....snow falling...me standing in the cold with my suitcase...eyes filling with tears...pit in my stomach...broken heart. And just when I was about to turn around and try and catch the cab...he looks up and sees me and assumingly out of guilt...waves me in.

Luckily my best friend was inside the restaurant and she grabbed me and led me away from "Oyster" and his mistress. I spent the rest of the night catching up with friends...eating Norwegian Pizza...and pretending everything was okay.

I didn't get over him until I moved back to the States.

Why I love Two Year Olds....

Because when you are at Target and try to discreetly put this in your cart....



...a 2 year old will pick it up and say as LOUD as SHE POSSIBLY CAN... "Mom...are these your DIAPERS???"

Counting Down #24

When I was about 7 or 8, my parents took us somewhere... I can't remember where. But it was a big 2 story house and the family had at least two little girls. We spent the night with them.

All of us girls were snuggled up in one bed. The girls' mother came in to tuck us in (I have NO IDEA where my parents are in this story.) I remember she grabbed each one of our feet when she was saying goodnight. She stopped at mine and said, "You wear socks to bed?" And I said yes. To which she replied, "But then you can't feel your toes wiggle around." So I told her to take them off.

I have not worn socks to bed since that day (Except when my feet are absolutely FREEZING). Every time I have got into bed with socks on, I hear that lady's voice, and then I want to feel my toes wiggle...so off they go!

Free your toes people....Let them Wiggle...Set them FREE!

I NEED THIS...

I'm craving it...dreaming about it.

But I will save myself $3.95 and make coffee at home...Begrudgingly.

25 Days of Me.

So the Facebook thing of writing 25 things about myself reminded me of so many more things that I thought I would take it to the blog. It seemed kinda narcissistic to write a 25 MORE things about ME column. So, instead... I will bless you with 1 new thing about me a day....for 25 days. You are SO LUCKY.

#1. In Junior High, I lived in Kentucky. I was bussed to a magnet school across town (30 minutes away.) I had to take 2 busses to get there. On the first bus, the crowd was middle school & high school. The high school kids in the back of the bus used to pick on me because one of the girls liked my boyfriend (who went to a different school and wasn't there to protect me from those bullies.) They called me Ribbons cause I wore a ponytail with a ribbon in it almost every day. So...every mean comment would start with, "Hey Ribbons.... fill in the blank of whatever stupid teenagers say to each other here." It got so bad, that I would take the ribbon out at the bus stop and leave it off until I got on the 2nd bus....where I was one of the "cool kids."

Sadly, I took my cool kid status and my aggression out on a poor little guy named Paul Lynch. No one ever said it outloud, but I KNOW he was special needs. He sat in the front seat of the bus, behind the bus driver. I think he was protecting himself from the other kids. I know that because I would sit close to the front on my first bus ride for the same reason.

He walked with an exaggerated limp (that I could imitate impeccably). He talked funny. His face was covered in zits. He had 2 plaid shirts that he would alternate and he wore beige pants every day. One day he showed up wearing a pair of jeans. But they were way too long and he had to cuff them. Some days I was nice to him. And other days I was mean. To this day, I haven't forgotten things I have said to him. To this day, I wonder where he is and how he is doing. I wish I could take back the things I said. I hope he is okay.

I remember that he loved Jesus. He talked about him a lot. As I grew older and thoughts of Paul started creeping back into my head, I have often wondered if he was an angel. He probably wasn't. Probably just a sad, lonely kid who had found a friend in Jesus. Everyone should be so lucky.

Reflecting back, I know that I have never treated anyone the way I treated Paul. I think that is why it has bothered me so much for all these years. There is no way to apologize. No way to take it back. The only thing I can think to do is to teach my children how to love the unloved...even if it means they aren't as "cool"....so they don't live to regret it.