What Brady Are You?

You Are Bobby Brady Ultra competitive, you will do almost anything to win.
From pull ups to pool sharking, you're very talented.
And while everyone is aware of your victories,
they still (affectionately) consider you to be a little brat!

http://www.blogthings.com/whatbradyareyouquiz

This is so not me!!! =)

A friend of mine (Confessions of a Lutheran Husker) posted on his blog about a great former Nebraska Cornhusker assistant coach, Turner Gill. I thought I would add a quick comment. Although I haven't been a husker fan long, and compared to my friends and husband, I'm not a "true" fan. I have to say that I have always admired Turner Gill. I thought it was great that he took the team after the game and lead them in a quick prayer. He was patient and yet demanded a lot from his players. He is missed by many and how I wish he was our head coach. =)

Thanks for the reminder of a great man he is. The posts are: Post #200--Five Questions and Turner Gill, continued

Enjoy!

What Kind of Coffee Are You?

You Are a Frappacino At your best, you are: fun loving, sweet, and modern
At your worst, you are: childish and over indulgent
You drink coffee when: you're craving something sweet
Your caffeine addiction level: low

What Kind of Coffee Are You?

If she told you to jump off a cliff

I get it now. When I was a kid (many of you may relate), my mom used to tell me things that just seemed stupid. Like if you sit too close to the TV, you will hurt your vision. How can that be true? I always believed that the statement was so false. Sitting by the TV can only help clarify my perception and make me focus more. So, that statement was not true, I could hear more over my brother and sisters if I was closer to the TV. But mom had a point, it was not good for my neck, my ears, and probably my eyes. But the way she worded it just sounded so stupid. Then today happened.

Child 1 was playing with toy. Child 2 comes over and wants toy. C1 won't give toy, so C2 hits C1. Enter me, and C2 goes to timeout.

An hour later, C2 was making noise while other kiddos were watching movie (they were being good). Asked C2 to settle down. Then C2 decides to bang hands on toy piano. Told C2 to stop. 5 minutes later, C2 decides to continue to torment kiddos and by this time me. Time out goes to C2.

10 minutes (I kid you not, just 10 little ole minutes) goes by. C2 was playing with Child 3. C3 says to C2, "Play with me. Come sit on my back." Well....as this seems harmless, C2 has been warned multiple, let me repeat, multiple times for being rough with the other kiddos. So, without my knowing (since I was changing a diaper) C2 does decide to sit on C3's back. But proceeded to push C3's head into the floor giving her a fat lip and having her bite her tongue. As I am talking to C2 about how disappointed I am that he did this....my mind wanders. To the other phrase that rings through my head......"If she told you to jump off a cliff, would you do that too?"

So, at this point, I am just trying everything in me not to say that. Instead, I send him to a quiet place to think about what he did. We talk when he comes back. It starts as I ask questions and he avoids answering them. Then C2 does something, he starts to listen. He realizes that I am not upset at him, but his actions. Although I can't get him to understand common sense (that doesn't come until after we are 25 and then it's only used for those who understand that power) I feel better about the situation. I know that he is only using these tactics to get attention. Even though it is negative attention, it is attention. Now if I can get him to realize that good things make more attention than bad.

So what other statements can remember from my childhood.
2 rights don't make a wrong.
Don't run with scissors.
It's too quiet in here.
I love you no matter what. I think I'll stick to this one.

Monday

I love nap time! I don't care who you are or where in the world you live, but if you have a little one and have been spending all day home with them, you just love it when they zonk out for nap. Today, I have 6 kiddos. 1 almost 1 year old and the other 5 range from 3 (almost 4) to 23 months.
Yes, I love my daycare. Each day is a new challenge. Today, 2 of the 6 kiddos came back from a week home with mom. The older one threw this big fit when mom left. First he said he wasn't coming in. Then, when mom left him in the car (thinking he would just follow her if she left), he crouched down on the floor of the backseat in hopes she would think he was inside and drive off with him too. Then she brought him inside, that's when the fun began. He started wailing! Then when she left to go to work (right after she put him down), he chased after her. My husband had to guard the door. Thankfully, he started to realize that he was "stuck" at daycare and started to settle down. Today was not as bad as previous. I have had him cry and put on a fit for a whole hour. Another, he cried more when mom didn't wave goodbye. Fortunately, each episode has been shorter than the previous and we went to only a 3 minute tantrum today. Hopefully next time will be just a tear. =)

The rest of the kiddos are great! All just toddling around and playing. This morning, I only had 2 time outs for all the kiddos. That's a wonderful morning? Why yes it is. That means the rest of the morning was spent playing nicely, sharing, interacting, and growing to be big kids! Oh how they all want to be that big boy or girl. Each day when you give them that praise, they sit up straight with their shoulders high and smile the biggest smile!! Oh, how I could go back to those innocent years! I love the smiles, the laughter, the fun. May we all have a little kid inside of us all the time. It makes life so much better!

Friday 5- De-Cluttering edition.

brought to you by: http://revgalblogpals.blogspot.com

With Jo, Jon and Chris all moving to college and University accommodation there has been a big clear up going on in the Coleman household. We have been sorting and trying hard not just to junk stuff, but actually to get it to where it can be useful. On a brighter note we have used Freecycle ( check it out) to provide the twins with pots and pans etc that other folk were clearing out.

Making the most of our resources is important, I have been challenged this week by the amount of stuff we accumulate, I'd love to live a simpler lifestyle, it would be good for me, and for the environment I think...

With that in mind I bring you this Friday 5;

1. Are you a hoarder or a minimalist?
I am actually in the middle. There are some things I do keep for reason. Those items are usually craft type items or things that I can see making a creative use for in the future. And clothing my son has outgrown. We do hope to have another child someday and if we have a boy, we have lots of clothes for him. If we have a girl....start from scratch.

On the minimalist side, my husband's closet, kitchen, and basement get a 3 month look over to see if there is anything that goodwill may take more appreciation in or use more than we could. I have given many things away, including pans I now wish I had and clothing that still may have the price tag on them. My view is that if someone else needs it more, than I will assist them in that need.

2. Name one important object ( could be an heirloom) that you will never part with.
I have 2. I have a dinning room table w/5 chairs. It was my grandpa's. As I recall my dad telling me, my grandpa & grandma bought them at my Great Grandfather's auction for $15 all together (back in the day). So it's been in the family a really long time. It's real oak and the chairs all match. The table has claw feet and can be extended to 8 feet. We have had 12 people sit around the table at once before. Over the years, the table and 2 of the chairs have gotten stained. I hope to give them some life by re-staining and varnishing them again.

I remember as a child sitting at the table and trying to put my feet up on the base. It took quite few years. I also remember my grandfather playing solitaire on the table. After my grandma died, he lived in his house alone. He spent so many hours playing solitaire that he wore the numbers of the cards. It's a joke in my family that this is the only way my grandpa won the game. he didn't know what card was what.

The second item is a foot pedal sewing machine. Grandma purchased it from my great-uncle. He worked at a furniture store and gave them a discount on it (I believe it was around $35). I remember it being in the back room when I was a child and we were told not to play with it. That did not stop my brother and younger sister from "looking" at it. I love this machine and when I brought it to my home, I found so many items in it that were used and put in drawers from my grandmother. It brought me closer to her. Most of my memories of her were in the years we knew she had Alzheimer's Disease. So, to have a piece that she used and loved before she was so sick, just gives me a piece of her I never had as a kid. It means the world to me.

3. What is the oldest item in your closet? Does it still fit???
I have a bridesmaid dress I wore in 2000 to my best friend's wedding. Yes, it still does fit (thankfully, I had lost a lot of weight after my son was born). I only keep it because it is beautiful, I paid a lot of money for it, and I still hope someday there is something formal enough for me to wear it again.

4.Yard sales- love 'em or hate 'em ?
I love them! Usually I can find some clothing for my son or toy for the daycare/son that would be beneficial. Occasionally, I can find some good pictures or wall accessories to hang up that will aid in our decor. I have to say, I like to find a bargain and don't mind fixing the item up either a bit to make it more appealing. Once I found a large painted flower wall hanging. The frame was in good shape but needed some TLC. I paid only $3.00 for it. I spent $8 in paint and the picture is as good as new. Looks great and my husband and I couldn't be more pleased!

5. Name a recycling habit you really want to get into.
We do try to recycle plastic, cans, and glass, when we can. We have a recycle bin that took the daycare kids awhile to realize it wasn't a trash can. Now we talk about it with them and our son. Anything we can do to help the environment.

And for a bonus- well anything you want to add....
Remember, to recycle is to love to reuse and restore.

Thursday Thought

I have to admit. I am an addict. I am addicted to HGTV. It's sad to say that I know who and what you are talking about when you mention Clive Pierce, Designed to Sell, Design Star and many more shows on this channel.

My husband thinks I am crazy for watching this channel all the time. Tonight, I got the comment that I watch too much of the HGTV channel (& Reba - the sitcom), but I have to say, it's fun. I don't see what the difference is between this and his sports channels. I enjoy seeing how people work on a project from start to finish. He loves to watch a sports game (preferably football and baseball) from the first quarter/inning to the final second.

I love to find new ideas to update and remodel our home. And I find that a lot of our stuff can be organized much better than we have right now. Now if I can convince my husband that I can do this too. =)

A funny story

So, I have a better story tonight then yesterday....

My son's favorite book (right now) is called "The Tiny Whiny Tadpole". It talks about this little tadpole that just wants to leap. He meets a lamb, bunny, and grasshopper who all can leap, but he can't quite yet, but he "soon will". Well, at the end of the book, he meets this BIG BAD FISH. And the book has the fish say, (which my husband and I say in deep low and loud voices) "I AM THE BIG BAD FISH AND I EAT TADPOLES!!!" Well, my son had found that he can say that too. Tonight, I was washing dishes and he was pretending to be the BIG BAD FISH. I didn't think anything of it, but all of the sudden I was the tadpole and the little rascal bit my leg!!! I let out this yell (which my hubby could hear all the way out at the shed at the far end of our yard). I quickly explained that we don't bite, we pretend to bite. Later I checked and I have a bruise on my leg in the shape of teeth marks. My husband was quite surprised. He didn't believe that our son bit me that hard until he saw the marks.

Good day!

It's a good day. I have only 4 kiddos...all sleeping now! =) They have been playing well, I have gotten my phone calls made, supper put together, bills looked over, table cleared, and even have had time to have lots of interaction time with the kiddos. Not bad and it's only 1:30 pm. =)

Things are good. I hurt my back last week, so that put me in a rut as far as keeping the household up. However, things are much, much better. My back isn't in any pain. I have had no major trouble lifting a few things here and there. Next week, the baby is back and I'll have to lift him again (they had vacation this week....great timing!!)

My husband is working and son at school. Both are doing well. Last night was a hoot with my son! He was "trying" to go poop on the potty. He has some good and bad days. Mostly good. But last night, I caught him tooting. I suggested he sit on the potty. He did and we sang songs and laughed and such. Well, 2 minutes after getting off the potty from a failed attempt at going poop, he pooped his pants. So, he went and "cleaned" himself up. I went and grabbed a Reese Buttercup and gave one to my husband and when my son came out, he wanted one. We explained that since he goes poop in the potty then he can get one. My son ran to the bathroom to "do the duty". Well...about 10 minutes later, my husband got up to check on him. He found our son on the potty with his pull-up on his head. He looks at at my husband grins and says "It's my Birthday!". No poop, but a great laugh!!

Never ending day!!

So, my day is been pretty long!! I can't believe how much stuff I have crammed into one day. More details later....but for now, I will leave you with one word.

AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

Friday Five: Meetings, Meetings

Reverend Mother has the RevGalBlogPals Friday Five this week:

In honor of a couple of marathon meetings I attended this week: 1. What's your view of meetings? Choose one or more, or make up your own: a) When they're good, they're good. I love the feeling of people working well together on a common goal. b) I don't seek them out, but I recognize them as a necessary part of life. c) The only good meeting is a canceled meeting.

c) The only good meeting is a canceled meeting. Usually, I find meetings to be boring and usually fully of lots of items that don't need to be discussed, or will be discussed and nothing will be done about them after the meeting is over. I have been at only a couple meetings where I feel that items addressed will be completed, worked on, or even touched. Most meetings they are left alone until the next meeting arrives.

2. Do you like some amount of community building or conversation, or are you all business?
I prefer building a community. Getting to know each other makes the day or days more enjoyable.

3. How do you feel about leading meetings? Share any particular strengths or weaknesses you have in this area.
I would much rather lead a meeting. If you ask any of my friends or family that I do well at following directions (if the directions are clear and make sense) but I excel at taking control and working on getting things done. I have no problem delegating or working with others in a leadership capacity to get things accomplished.

4. Have you ever participated in a virtual meeting? (conference call, IM, chat, etc.) What do you think of this format?

5. Share a story of a memorable meeting you attended.
I loved attending meetings at the Lutheran Student Center. I was a member on the student board for a year. The leader was our minister (he later married my husband and I). Each meeting was meant to get to know the other people, work on making things better for the college students that attended church and strive to make LSC a better campus ministry. Each meeting left me a bit more excited for what I could do and made me want more.

4 things

Now, here's a fun little meme, courtesy of LutherPunk.

4 Crushes:
1. My husband - met him years ago, but then met him again at a Jars of Clay concert. The crush was set. It took 1 1/2 more months for him to notice. Then I had to go through his brother to get "permission" to date him and for him to be ok. We're all cool now. =)
2. Brian F - friend from college. Such a great guy with a great heart. It took me a bit to realize it was just a crush, but I thought for a while that he was the one.
3. Jeremy S - college friend. He had a heart of gold and would do anything for a friend.
4. Jeff M - childhood friend. His family went to my church. I used to chase him around the playground and declare that he was my boyfriend. One day, he just came up to me and pushed me down saying to "stop saying that". That ended that crush.

4 Pieces of Clothing I wish I still owned (and/or that still fit):
1. Husker t-shirt that said: "Got 5?" It implied the championship games won under Tom Osborne. =)
2. Shoes I wore to my husband's brother's 1st wedding. These shoes were a bit small, but they were the best shoes. I bought them the morning of the wedding, because my shoes I brought were too tight. The new shoes were so wonderful and looked great too!!
3. The dress I wore to my husband's brother's 1st wedding. It was a short dress that made me look great! 2 years later, my hips got too big and I couldn't fit it. Now that I lost weight after my son was born, I wonder if I could again.
4. The suit I purchased in college. I loved the feel and the fit. And it looked good on me. Another item given away to charity due to big hips.

4 Names I’ve been called at one time or another:
1. Krugie (principal from High School)
2. DJ
3. Don (brother in law)
4. Birtha (silly name made up at camp)

4 Professions I secretly Want to Try:
1. Bed and Breakfast
2. Coffee Shop
3. Craft Shop
4. Massage Shop

4 Musicians I’d most want to go on a date with:
1. Richie Sambora
2. Jon Bon Jovi
3. Bryan Adams
4. Harry Connick Jr.

4 Foods I’d rather Throw than Eat
1. Lutefisk (yuck!!!)
2. Lots of Pots - ask my husband
3. Tuna
4. Sweet Potato

4 Things I Like to Sniff
1. A baby's head after a bath
2. Bed after been fabreezed and has new sheets
3. Tulips on a spring day
4. Memorial Stadium right before kick-off (the atmosphere just gets to you and you get all ready for game day!!)

So, today is 9-11. It's hard to believe that it has been 6 years since the towers collapsed. I was working in a financial services office and I assisted clients with the money market. That was a tough day.

Through it all, I am amazed at the human spirit and how we all can prevail. As a country, we have overcome much. As individuals, we have seen the horrific scenes and have moved on.

May we never forget!

Saturday

So, today has been a good day, very productive. I wish I could have more days like today!

Friday Five: On Survival

brought to you by: http://revgalblogpals.blogspot.com/

Authorities are looking for adventurer Steve Fossett in the Nevada/California wilderness. A woman was found alive after nearly two weeks in the mountainous wilderness of eastern Oregon. Amazing stories of survival are all around us, if we just take the time to look. Sally has the Friday Five this week, much more serious than usual - but also, I think, important.

So many of us are overcomers in one way or another, so many have amazing stories to tell of God's faithfulness in adversity. And so I bring you this Friday 5;

1.Have you experienced God's faithfulness at a difficult time? Tell as much or as little as you like...

When my son was born. The doctor came in and told us they are 90-99% sure he had down-syndrome. Not news any first time parent wants to hear. For about 2 hours, we were in disbelief and totally scared out of our minds. Around 2 hours later, the Genetics doctor came in and told us that she did not believe that our son had DS (which after testing proved to be right). Even both were personal opinions, both scared us. We spent a lot of time praying and soul searching. We both felt God was there.

2. Have you experienced a dark night of the soul? If so what brought you through?

My son's ordeal stated #1. Support from my husband and prayers helped so much.

3. Share a Bible verse, song, poem that has brought you comfort.

Jesus wept. John 11:35 This verse shows me that even the big guy himself had some tough days. He felt sad so he wept. So in my deepest hours, I believe that not only am I crying, but He is too, and wanting to make my pain all the less.

4. Is "why suffering" a valid question?

I don't believe that anyone wants to suffer or does anyone want anyone else to truly suffer. So, asking why God would allow this is valid. However, we do need to understand that God did give us a world with no suffering. Unfortunately, Adam and Eve didn't want to keep it that way. I can only imagine how wonderful this world would be with no suffering. But I can't blame Adam and Eve on using their human instincts so eat the fruit. Someone else down the road would have taken the tasty treat at some point. It was bound to happen. I'm just thankful I have someone to share my suffering with.

5. And on a lighter note- you have reached the end of a dark and difficult time- how are you going to celebrate?

I start by saying a prayer of thanks. It's usually a quiet one or one in my head so I can truly tell God how much I appreciate Him and His help through my time of need. Then I gave my husband and son a much needed hug. No matter what went through my head, I want my family to know that I love them, no matter what obstacles we have ahead.

Bonus- anything you wish to add....

Even though the DS (#1) was an issue when my son was born, he has overcome many more health concerns ("failure to thrive" aka not eating enough to support his growth, a horse shoe shaped kidney, small size, 4 surgeries by the age of 4). Through it all, my husband and I have gained a lot of strength from God and from each other. We always question why bad things happen to good people, but through each adversity, we find that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. I believe that everything happens for a purpose. And even though God does not give us our sorrow, he shares it with us to make the pain less.

Alter Window in SD

Meaning of window in picture.

The hand in the upper left corner represents God the Father. The symbolic meaning here is based on Psalm 98:1. "His right hand, and His holy arm hath gotten Him the Victory."

At the upper right, the Dove is representative of the Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Holy Trinity.

The Stone Cross, itself, which frames the window, represents the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, the Son of God.

The Crown of Thorns, represents the mock crown Jesus was forced to wear during his ordeal.

The remaining symbols are representative of Christ's passion and death, beginning with the Cross and orb flanked by the cross palm leaves symbolizing our Lord's triumphal entry into Jerusalem.

The next symbol denotes the Last Supper with the cup of wine, the Chi Rho representing Christ and the crosses representing the 12 Apostles. The red cross at the lower left represents Judas, the use of the blood color indicating the blood of Our Lord at this traitor's hands.

Following this are the sword used by Simon Peter to sever the ear of Malchus, the servant of the high priest, and the helmet denoting the soldiers who arrested Christ in the garden. Next is the Pillar and Crossed Scourges symbolizing the torture which Jesus had to undergo at the hands of His captors.

Crossing to the right side, the three crosses on the Mt. Calvary remind us of the crucifixion, with the Latin letters INRI on the center cross meaning "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews", and the lightning of God's wrath striking Christ in our stead.

Further down, the empty tomb symbolizes Christ's resurrection with the banner of victory denoting his triumph over death and evil. The Fiery Chariot here, is used as a symbol of Christ's ascent into heaven. The derivation is from the fiery chariot of which the prophet, Elijah, was taken up to heaven.

At the bottom the scales of Justice and the Crown represent Our Lord's kingly office and the trud justice we can expect from Him on Judgment Day.

The drops of blood interspersed throughout the window are used to emphasize the shedding of Christ's blood for our sins.

Paperwork

So, my biggest frustration right now is the paperwork that I have to maintain for my daycare business. I have to record meals, attendance, etc with the food program. I have a hard enough time trying to figure out what I am going to eat. It's not that much easier for planning kids meals. Today, I get (mind you this is a "right" of mine) to plan next week's meals. I figure if I am going to do that, I am going to start planning for the next month. This will make it easier in the long run, but it is still a big pain.

On the good side.....I have 4 very exhausted/sleeping children upstairs. The 11 month old refused a morning nap, and the others are just tired....not sleeping much. It's much better to have them so tired they are cranky before nap, then I know they will sleep. =)

I'm in timeout.

So, I'm in a timeout period right now. Not for anything I've done, but just to reflect and make sure that the way I look at each day is in a "child-like" way. You know, how does a child reflect on that subject, object, decision, action? So many of my days lately, I have been saying, "I want that" and not reflecting on how thankful I am for the things I have right now.

1. I have a wonderful (which is an understatement for as much as he puts up with) husband who has not only agreed to be with me for our the rest of my life, but he helps me through all the tough times, laughs at the funny ones, and makes my days so much better.

2. Then there is my 4 year old son. He is a blast! Yes, he does cause a few (some days many) hairs to stand on end and some anger to boil out of my ears, but he does love me unconditionally and would go to the ends of the earth to tell me too.

I just want to be more happy with life now and not worry about the "what ifs" or "why not mes" God has things planned for me for a purpose, help me to remember that.