I can name three people who will email me in disgust for posting these details. They do not like "ick" in my posts....so I warn them now and follow it with a hefty dose of Monty Python style taunting for their weak stomachs.

....

Did you notice it? I have a bandage on my middle (or as I call it - bird) finger. It is just another "incident" in a string of many. The strange thing is....

....

I can use this:

 and

and

and

and even

......

But apparently I cannot use:

or

or

For some odd reason I am danger prone when I come near these items of seeming innocence.

The colored pencils caused me some grief (this is after a couple of weeks of healing and I am pretty sure from the witchy bump it left that I fractured it). The pencils were on the floor on the side of the my bed and I woke up forgetting they were there. I tripped and broke my fall with my nose on a stool. It hurt so badly that I could not sit up for a couple of days (pressure). I also cut my eyelid as well. Being the big baby I am, I opted not to go to the Dr.'s because they would touch it. I regret that decision, because they might have reduced the scarring by adjusting the skin flap .  It took forever to heal, but I gained the respect of even the toughest of dudes...who could not handle seeing the flap lifted.

 .........

Then there was this sharp witted fellow. It is intended for crusty bread, but it works well on fingers too. I cut my index finger about a 1/3 of the way through.

 The worst part was when it was healing, I'd feel itching from inside. It was a nerve issue according to the doc...who I saw much later of course, because I also opted NOT to go to the ER. I used peroxide, neosporin and non-stick gauze. He did pin me down for a Tetanus shot

....

Then there was another incident. You see...most staple guns look like this:

But they had to go and one up it, because these are tools so they made:

The second picture is a reverse staple gun. The staples exit on the opposite end when compared with the original version. It's actually quite clever..unfortunately I wasn't. I opted to use them interchangeably. Long story short I stapled my bird finger with 1/2" heavy duty Arrow staple. Honestly, I was more humiliated by this incident, because it really did deserve a great big DOH! 

I tried using plyers, but could not remove it for the life of me. A few attempts made me sway. So off to the urgent care we went. I was greeted by a male nurse who was a lower arm amputee. No big deal right? Wrong...it was around 11:00p.m. and this was the night crew. These guys had, as B says "Michelle's issues".  Upon hearing the reason for my visit he waved his arm and smilingly said, "that's exactly what happened to me!" He was kidding of course, but I knew my story was going to become the "ha ha ha we just saw this moron who..." story for them to tell over dinner break.

An X-ray confirmed why I couldn't remove it. It had gone into my bone. Suddenly my simple oops became a big euuuuwwwww. Because I had (as they said) introduced the outside world to the inside of the bone. Here came the nurse again saying "ohhhh just like me...tsk tsk!" Brandon was almost on the floor in hysterics and I wanted to crawl under the bed. The only thing I was concerned with was them removing it and what that might feel like. As I sat there waiting, the man in the next bed was apparently passing a stone and was refusing medication. He was moaning is absolute agony and the nurse was wiggling his arm at me...(((SCREAMMMM)))) They approached with the needle and a solution (saline?) and went right into the finger...then "pop" it came right out! By making the finger swell it forced it out. The doctor handed me an anti-biotic prescription and I was good to go until follow up. As we left the nurse waved his stump and said "goodbye". It was the most bizarre hospital experience I'd ever had, and we'll definitely go back there again.

...

Then there was the deck nail that I stepped on barefooted......I'll spare you.

....

So early this week, Ash was making a sandwich and using a pork roast from the previous night. She asked me to cut it for her. I explained that at her age it was time to start doing it herself. She claimed fear of the knife. I lectured her that she would never learn if she didn't try. So I proceed to give her a demostration of how to hold the roast and cut it. In my best "parent knows everything" voice I narrated each step, when suddenly the roast slipped and I cut my finger instead. With blood rushing down my fingers as my teen watched on in horror, I realized she would be purchasing pre-cut lunch meat for the rest of her life.

We didn't have 800 million to buy the Chrysler building, so instead we settled on a 1949 Chrysler Windsor.

 Ahhh yes...you did the math. So now you want to ask me..." Michelle, what does 59 years do to a car?" Well I will say that California ol' timers hold up better, because they didn't deal with salt and snow rot. But the sun is not always a car's best friend...nor is it mine as I got burned today. Silly me...I forgot that this CA native would be better suited in some polar region where her Irish skin was less susceptible to spontaneous combustion.

ANYHOOO the steal of a deal just needs a little TLC - TIME. LABOR, CASH.    Say what?... you ask "Don't we have the BelAir project too?" Wellllll, uh....yeah.  It does have all of the original trim, interior, motor & tranny, and that my friends is a big deal.

So here are the pics prior to any work:

......

Where it sat for many, many years.

.......

.....

AUTO LIFE SUPPORT

........

......

BEFORE TRUNK & JUNK WERE ANATOMICAL LINGO:

....

....

WHEEL BE CRUISING JUST AS FAST AS WE CAN NOW

......

....

LOOK NO COMPUTER CHIPS A WARRANTY EXCLUDES

....

....

I A-DOOR THIS RIDE

.......

.....

THE BELAIR WILL HAVE TO TAKE A BACKSEAT TO THE WINDSOR FOR NOW

.....

......

WE HAVE THE BELAIR AND WINDSOR-AIR

......

And of course here is the BelAir....this old gal apparently died waiting for it to be finished. 

.....

....

So there you have it, our new wheels......can anyone give me a lift to the auto-part store?

I love Captain James T. Kirk, but...well...this just speaks for itself.   

 Happy Flashback Friday

 Isn't interesting that our public schools can recognize the differences between a varsity quarterback, varsity pitcher, varsity basketball center, and allow them to excel in those programs accordingly - BUT - cannot apply the same logic to reading, writing and arithmetic...which are supposed to be the primary subjects that our taxes fund.

California 8th-graders face algebra mandate - click here

Oy! I tried to update a picture and delete a widget, and in the process I messed up my margins...drats. I am much too tired to deal with it tonight, so perhaps tomorrow...which for you is likely today.

Do Good Cars Go To Heaven?

Brandon's car, as I lovably refer to as the Landcrapper (old, old Landrover), has finally died. It is parked outside of a scrapyard, as the yard was closed today. Whoaaaa is the transmission.

We bought the Landcrapper used, and from day one it was a lemon. So in a way I am glad to be rid of it. But deep inside me there is a little melancholy stab. We bought the car when Ashley was in preschool, and so although it required more work than an a-list celebrity, it's kinda sad.

So what if the sunroof leaked when it rained. Who cares if "Ashley" was etched into the back window, because Ashley was learning to write and found someting sharp to practice with. Does it matter that the dash was cracked and stuff was hanging down by our feet? And really...just because it didn't get stolen from downtown after sitting for days unlocked in a lot after breaking down ...does that reduce its worth? Yeah..okay, I guess it does

Anyway I thought to myself, awwww it sits in a lot waiting to be picked apart by scavengers. How sad - in fact it reminded me a little of this story.

It then struck me that I was personifying a car...why would I do that? I'll tell you why.... Disney. When I was little, I would fall asleep listening to Disney records. Remember this? Apparently my subconscious does too.

Of course it isn't just our cars that have feelings, our houses do to, at least according to Walt. Remember this?

Okay...enough of my Disney psychosis.

Anyway - we spent ALL day driving around the very hot Inland Empire looking for a 40-60's era classic or muscle car that would provide B some wheels. He is desirous of something in need of an overhaul, as long as it runs....and my preference would be less than 2 plastic tubs of parts. We have an old BelAir with lots of boxes of parts and anyone who restores cars know exactly what I am talking about.

I drove for thousands of miles, or at least it seemed like it, only to find that the car owners had beer goggle visions of their "only need a little work" cars. But harder than the miles and heat were the two teens in the backseat who argued over everything from the radio to the armrest to who started it. It did not help that their dad was egging them on.

He made it up to me by making dinner (he is a far better cook.) It was quite delicious :) So I am off to bed, without proofreading YIKES!

Shell  

 Most homeschoolers and those with a philosophical bent know this man, he is  John Taylor Gatto  . He was a  New York school teacher for 30 years. At the pinnacle of his career and as Teacher of the Year, he walked away. He has identified and appropriately described what nags at us all. 

If you are facing political apathy and sensing a dissatisfaction with education, I suggest you read this book..in fact I triple-dog-dare you to read this book:

Underground History of American Education

----

On the Fourth of July, you may find this political quiz interesting.

 Where do you land? World's Smallest Politcal Quiz -click here 

Debbie Schwarzer is a homeschooling mom and attorney for Homeschool Association of California (one of several large homeschool organizations in CA).

She was one of the many attorneys representing CA in the critical re-hearing that took place June 23rd. Here is an interview with her from a San Francisco radio program today.

Radio Interview Click Here  (It's 53 minutes, so grab some coffee or tea)

Be it my desire to share today, or my lack of creativity - I wanted to post a link. It is a bit...okay... totally.. off topic, and will not appeal to some - but hey, just consider it a "brief" and "safe from a distance" glimpse of how my brain jumps from subject to subject...

I am a follower of economic trends and economic blogs. We also are in the financial industry, so I am frequently frustrated by the lapse that occurs in larger media reporting. As described by its founder, the Implode site was meant to expose some ugly economic/lending trends, but by de facto has become an industry site where many flock to both read and provide the most current news.

Mortgage Implode Site 

This site operates much like Drudge in that he follows industry bloggers and links their most relevant stories. This seems to be 1-2 days ahead of regular media.

I know...I know... I promise to get back to my regular format.

There's nothing like a good find, and a good find should be shared....unless you have found candy, which should then be hoarded and eaten after the kids have gone to bed. ..sorry I draw the line there. Although these ladies have been offering their sage advice for some time, not everyone is aware they are out there.

Lee Binz - The Home Scholar  Lee offers a lot of advice, but I follow her newsletters specifically for for her high school and college experience.

I saw an interview today with Rob Mitchell.....wow.  His story stopped me in my tracks. With circumstances like an over the top movie script, this man has written about his trials and triumphs on his journey to spiritual maturity. 

I am posting this, because although we hear of things like this - we seldom come into true contact with it.  

Bio about Rob Mitchell and his official book site

Click here to read the first chapter of Castaway Kid, by Rob Mitchell (PDF)

Here are the actual casework documents from file

Here Mr. Mitchell briefly describes his book; his story is nothing short of inspiring.

PLEASE SILENCE MY PLAYER TO THE RIGHT

>>>

>>>>

In order to spare you a long diatribe, I will use terms in this post which may resonate as cliche. They are the culmination of many experiences and eye opening lessons.

I received an email, that apparently has made its rounds for some time. I hate to admit it, but it made cry to the point of sobs. For during the last three years I have come to realize that character and the Golden Rule so many of us were raised on are both absent in our government and are suffocating under our society that desires only to achieve and acquire. Now while achievement in itself can be quite good, it becomes troublesome when it is sought after regardless of method or consequence. As our economy has soured (which will grow much, much worse as OPTION ARM loans begin to reset) we are beginning to see a lot of politcal CYA on both sides of the aisle.Why? Because lobbyist rule our politicians and the people are merely hurdles to be manipulated.  

...

I also spend a great deal of time among familes with special needs children and our business brings us to many people who face unexpected harships (like the cancer and foreclosure). The recurring comments and treatment they receive from both the business and daily world make me physically ill. I am left wondering things like, what causes people pursue greed?. Why are people so angry and hostile with special needs children and their families? Surprisingly it is very common. Maybe it boils down to being driven by fear and insecurity.

 ....

Character.....sigh.... Where has it gone? Perhaps my idealism of our nation's founding is just that - idealism. Perhaps the principled character was never really there the way we think it was, but I like to think it is something we are capable of. Seeing the people in this video reminded me there are people out there who see the bigger picture. I have to think God had the same reaction I did to this "this dad gets it." 

The email contained the following: (Thanks for making my morning Sondra and for always being someone of tremendous character and a dear, dear friend!)

The son asked his father, 'Dad, will you take part in a marathon

with me?'.  The father who, despite having a  heart condition, says 'Yes'.  

They went on to complete the marathon  together.  Father and son

went on to join other marathons, the father always saying 'Yes' to

 his son's request of going through the race  together. One day, the

son asked his father, 'Dad, let's join the  Ironman together.'  

To which, his father said 'Yes' too.

For  those who don't know, Ironman is the toughest triathlon ever.   The

 race  encompasses three endurance events of a 2.4 mile (3.86 kilometer)

 ocean swim,  followed by a 112 mile (180.2 kilometer) bike ride, and

ending with a 26.2  mile (42.195 kilometer) marathon along the coast of the Big Island. Father and son went on to complete the race together.

 SILENCE MY PLAYER ON THE RIGHT

I have been buried up to my eyeballs in legal paperwork, so I have not been able to post or get to friends blogs this week. My kids have been really patient and supportive, but it's because they know what it's like to be in our shoes. sighhhh....many years ago...

As soon as I am done, I promise to get back to visiting blogs and posting more completely useless posts! Meanwhile if you are looking for some good reads try  Arby's Archives and Kellieann - they never disappoint and I guarantee you'll become regular readers.

Have a super weekend with your families, because they are priceless!

Shell

In and effort to avoid pregnant, dimpled or dangling chads in the next election, the Broward County voting commission has initiated several "vote by Wii" trials. Upon completion each participant is given a sticker that displays the phrase "Wii voted".

Your turn to add a caption :)

I just wanted to give a shout out to my man and say HAPPY FATHER'S DAY! I am both proud and honored to call you my husband and I think you are such a wonderful dad to our kids.

Love ya, B!

We are feeling a little like this ...because Kellie (my cousin's daughter) just graduated. Now of course this odd feeling has nothing to do with the fact that she graduated, because this brilliant and talented beauty could graduate with her eyes closed...well the school work part...not the ceremony part, cuz grad gowns and heels with eyes closed..not a good idea. SOOO anyway, it's just that we suddenly realized that she was all growed up.

This is hard to handle considering we took these just a few months ago.....

Kellie with B

Kellie with me

All three of us

And Kellie with Ashley

And here she is in her cap and gown with some type of olympic medal...actually they are indications of her performing arts program and honors. See! I told you she was smart and talented.

Kellie is now heading off to a fine university, though she is completely aware of the fact that she is still a part of our family. In fact, she has been reminded that she will never escape...MWA HA HAA HAA always have our love and support.

And having been a part of this family for as long as she has, she knows I could never end my post without including.....

CONGRATULATIONS KELLIE! The world awaits...just be sure to look left, right and then left again (she and her cousin Ashley both need regular reminders of this. ) OXOXOXOXOX

When I was young I saw a young girl on the film screen. She inspired me, because she was both daring and resilient. Her name was Tia (Kim Richards).

And she was the sister half of the Tony and Tia duo from

I thought, "I want to be like her." Except deep down inside I knew I really couldn't, because she could do things that I could not. You see no matter how hard I tried, I could not communicate telepathically.  

She wowed us with her dancing skills in the marionette scene (you can silence the music player on the right)

She even returned for more adventures in

She was perfect...but I wasn't the only one who thought so. Apparently my husband (below) did too.

How could I possibly compete?   My ponytail holders with orange acrylic balls and my suede palomino horse could never hold a candle to Tia's powers.

I lacked the screen time as well. But I was willing to do the unheard of...as here I am wearing a dress (without my much preferred black cowboy boots.)

But thankfully the 80's came and he forgot all about Tia. Besides, we had something in common B & I...

This

With which I could do things like:

Once he saw my big hair & bang teasing skills -  he was mine!

Happy Flashback Friday!

You know her as this:  calm, polite and warm hearted

 But I know better.

****

Otherwise known as my daughter, this seemingly docile gentle creature has talents unknown to most. For she has flare for the dramatic..from whence it comes I doth not know... 

Of course she considers humor a thing to be despised before noon, which is about the time she would crawl from her dark room be it that she had a choice. But once noon has arrived, a metamorphasis takes place. She goes from this:

to this:

to this:

to her most natural state of...

....weird (according to B, this would be my genetics)

Her zany yet entertaining nature has always been present...irregardless of venue. 

 Never let her see that you have a camera

and when you ask her to dress for jogging, you might get this

There are hundreds of these pictures, and while some of them are reserved for her wedding video, I will post them from time to time. She is a crack-up to have around, and the effect of her humor has convinced me that my bladder is no longer my friend.

Had to post once more tonight after watching the 2006 documentary MAXED OUT It was both enlightening and frightening.

Below are two clips. One is an onterview with the director and the Harvard professor. Following that is a quick "did you know" with the attorney.

So many quickly dismiss these people to their own faults- but as someone with industry experience, I can say these companies specifically marketed them along with you, as well as your college age kids. I hope you get a chance to see the whole movie.

Reading John Taylor Gatto today, got me looking around. I came across this interesting interview.

Too tired to post my thoughts tonight, but living in California where nanny laws rule supreme, this got my attention.

Don't look at these links for at least 15 minutes after eating. If one looks at each state's ranking, we might understand why everyone is on a different page politically.  What's in store for California 

Do you know how your state ranks?  Compare your state's taxes here.

Among his more memorable qualities, was Tim's piercing gaze.  

Your turn to add your own caption! :-) Hope you survived Monday!

You did it.....I did it....let's face it, just about everyone did it. We all sang a School House Rock songs during a test when we were in Mrs. (insert teacher's name here) 's class.....then we went to recess to play four-square (tap tap  Danny Melvin's rules, in my case). 

I am a musical learner. Put it to a song and I can recite pi for hours. These t.v. PSA like jingles were among my favorites. For I was that weird child, much to my familiy's dismay, who memorized all the commercial jingles from the television. The only problem, as I mentioned HERE , is that I don't always hear things correctly.  "Conjunction Junction what's your FUnctionnnn,  hookin' up cars mer fum br dee hmm hmm. So perhaps that would explain Mrs. Armstrong's comments on my report card in 2nd grade. This woman mistakenly thought I was daydreaming, when in fact I was trying to remember the words to the songs. (Please silence my player on the right and watch all of the youtubes...even if it's just their beginnings.) 

So let's go back...backk....wayyyyy baaaaaaack. It's Saturday morning and you pour yourself a bowl of Lucky Charms. You walk over to the t.v. and turn it on. You use the plyers to turn to the right channel, and sit on your bean bag which is resting upon burnt orange, avocado, or gold carpet. And you see this:

You then run back to the linoleum floored kitchen to check what came at the bottom of the cereal box. SCORE! You have gotten the baking soda submarine.

Hark! Do I hear commercials? Back to the bean bag!

Chores are not too far away, so you run to your room and don your Toughskins

and Buster Browns

 Someone is up now, because you smell the Hills Brothers perkolating. Your attention gets pulled back to the t.v. Here comes:

Suddenly a PSA comes on....wow...could this really happen?....nah

DRATS! The cartoons are over with for the day....I wonder what it would be like if cartoons were on all day...that'll never happen. Oh well, I guess I'll watch this:

The next show is just a bunch of old people sitting in a circle talking about the economy? Whatever that is. Time to go outside until those streetlights come on. Get your glove, Mrs. Sharf's driveway crack is third base.

Time is just about up. So we travel forward again, returning to the present...WAIT! Let's stop here and rest a minute. I want to give you one last look back. But be warned, these people are actually entertaining themselves outside. The adults are playing with the kids...and not just those who require supervision else they'll eat rocks. The second clip just made me laugh. Have a Super Weekend! Spend it with your spouse and kids, and if you can - go outside. It costs nothing to enjoy each other, and if your legs are the same shade as mine...um...we could use the sun 

Enjoy!

THIS NEXT ONE IS A MUST WATCH FOR A GOOD CHUCKLE

ASSIGNMENT: Name your favorite cereal and Saturday show.

Lloyd claimed that sticking your finger through your nose was not the same thing as sticking it in your nose.

your turn, add your caption in comments

I haven't posted a lot about my son Adam, as he HATES the attention. But I came across some of these and it just gave this mom warm and fuzzy feelings. So this flashback, I take you back to the days when my son would gladly introduce himself to you with a - "Hi, I 'm Adam - but not the Adam from the bible."

Here's Adam in glasses....well sorta

Oui, Oui, Monsieur! C'est magnifique!

On his way to ride the park train...Norman Rockwell, eat your heart out.

Foaming bath soap only lasted for one bath in our house. This would be why.

Adam loves maps and is leading the way. I am realizing just now, that he didn't have the best view here.

Here Adam decided his face was an excellent palate for crayola stamp-marker. (Much better than the permanent black marker he once decorated the wallpaper and carpet with.)

I love things like this. Adam's answers were always among the most unique, which was an endearing quality to me. (in case you can't read it - I am as pretty as flowers, space and Pluto (which still hold planetary status in our home, Kuiper Shmiper belt...BAH!)

But there is nothing better than going to kindergarten open house and seeing on the wall (where the people are crowded around and giggling) that your son considers you to be VERY ASYMMETRICAL (see circles)

As a mom of a kid with ADHD and mild Asperger's, I am truly disgusted ......no...I'm *(&#)*!@$%#^ pissed off by both the teacher & school district. My son and our family lived this absolute hell before homeschooling, until 5th grade. My son was nearly destroyed by the bullying. Credentials eh...I am going to politely walk away from this computer, because I am so angry I am liable to kill my keyboard.

Video interview with mom, click here.

It's been a while and it's time to post a M.O.M. (Mom of Mention) - My M.O.M. this week is Shannon Y. Shannon is a homeschooling wife and mom of four. She had to take a hsing break this year, because of radiation treaments - but she is looking to homeschool again this fall. You have never met a nicer lady and I am inspired by her upbeat and positive attitude. I award her my M.O.M., because her attitude is so selfless and resilient.

I have reached a point in my life, where I think I am starting to get it. I am understanding what's important. I don't mean mentally understanding that, because that's easy....I mean consistently living it. Things don't phase me like they used to and I see things so differently. Coming across people like Shannon, is like getting angelic glimpses of the way we are supposed to be. I hope tomorrow I am able to move a little closer to being what God had in mind.

My gratitude today: I am thankful for the opportunities to glean wisdom from people like Shannon.

My prayer: That Shannon comes to enjoy good health and the time she would like with her family. 

The picture above is a favorite of mine.  Be somebody's guardian angel .

Okay - I know we are coming off a long weekend and we're all a little tired and cranky, but we need to get into gear folks. So how about this as a weekday morning opener. Maybe it could be a Monday thing - Michelle's Monday Makeovers, since I get impatient waiting for Fridays (Kellieann's Flashback Fridays.) Now we can have twice the fun!

Take a shot at adding your own caption to this picture:

"Doris realized her mistake was mixing Fred's Viagra with Wonka's Fizzy-Lifting drink."

...your turn :-D

This song and the artist are just phenomenal. The lyrics and her voice give me the goose bumps. Mandisa has an amazing smile, when she performs live. (Silence my player on the right before playing:-))

Vet Faces Lawsuit For Flying American Flag 

Wow, I am still crying.   The Joyful Journey posted an amazing letter for Memorial Day. It was a letter from a mom and dad to their boy, a soldier in 1945.  

It gives you a glimpse of the reality people faced........and still face.

Hey blogger buddies, a friend shared this site. It is some simple html code to prevent right-click copies of your posts.  Dynamic Drive Click Here  Happy blogging!

Shell

Ashley and I spent the weekend making some fun new YouTubes with Brandon :-)  

Wicked - What is this feeling

Carrie Underwood's - Before He Cheats

We listed our house again, so when I got the call today for a showing (within the hour)  I went into psycho cleaning mode. This is when everything on the counter gets wiped into to drawer below it and my mail winds up in the freezer.   In the past, we have locked our small black foundling cat (Shadow) in my bedroom.  I though it would be a lot easier for the people and our agent if we took the cat with us this time.

So after cleaning as though the Queen herself was arriving, we jumped into my car with both the dog and the cat. We had cut it so close that I didn't have time to grab her travel kennel or my shoes. So we headed out.

Now Princess, our dog (obviously another foundling- because Princess is not the type of name someone like me uses) is a seasoned traveler. She enjoys laying her head down on the seat divider and catching some z's as we motor along.  The cat on the other hand was found at 4 weeks old and has never really left the house.  She was the runt of the litter and apparently has no idea she's a cat. Needless to say, the car ride was bit traumatic. Keeping her footing was not the issue, but rather it was the visual effect. With eyes as big as saucers, one would have thought she was seeing a divine being descend from the sky. She could make no sense of why her surroundings were suddenly moving by at 40 mph. Mind you this is the cat who will try to attack the spider web on the opposite side of the glass....for 40 minutes. She is a little slow on the take.

Ashley did her best to keep the cat calm and from ripping around the interior. All was well until our first traffic light. Red lights, cats and leather seats do not make for a good situation. Princess was looking a bit disgusted by the whole thing, but the cat who is used to giving no regard for others didn't notice. She decided that the best place for her was between Ashley's back and Ashley's seat. She was quite insistant. Finally we pulled over and Ashley grabbed a blanket from the back and was able to create a cave on her lap for the cat, who sought shelter within it. Poor Ashley gave out the call (or wince) each time we met with another light or speed bump.  When we got home, Shadow was released in the entry way and had that look one gets, while they ponder if the lights were planes or UFO's. She is still quite disgusted with us, but I am sure she'll recover.

  .....

The last few weeks I have not participated in FlashBack Friday. I had a lot on my plate and nothing came to mind for flashing…back that is. So looking through photo albums I decided it might be fun to post excerpts from some old Christmas letters from years gone by. SCREEEEEEEECH….WWWAAAAAIIIIITTTTT!! Don’t leave -  You may have envisioned a very nice but dull trip through my memory lane. But come on now this is me. You know, shake her and hear the marbles rolling around, me. So let’s travel back in time, back…back…back to a time when I could head downstairs without forgetting why I did. Back to 1995 to the land of typewriters:

 ....

1995:  

“Adam has been growing a lot! At 14 months old, he weighs 4 pounds less than his sister and is almost as tall. We are often asked what he eats. We reply with “dairy, meat, bread, vegetables, fruit, Christmas ornaments, rocks, soap, etc…” We try not to stereotype our children by insisting they play with gender bias toys. In fact, our son plays with Ashley’s doll house - he just does it a little differently…..Ashley might put the dolls on the second floor, while Adam might stand on it. Although we find humor in this King Kong reenactment, Ashley does not. He also plays with her kitchen set. Just the other day he brought me the oven door (which up to that point had not been detachable.)”

 ..........

1996:

(We had opened our business and moved into our first office)

 .....

“Brandon has worked really hard to get his office in order. We have all pitched in to help where we can. I was put in charge of painting, but found myself transferred to floor cleaning. Might I add that a Bissell Carpet Cleaner can hold an entire gallon of paint?...who knew. Needless to say, Brandon was so impressed with my skills that he dubbed me a “go getter”, as in put down the paint and “go get” dinner. Adam (2) was more than happy to donate his time and skill to helping in the office. I was quite impressed by his coloring, but unfortunately Brandon preferred white walls.  Ashley was quite the office professional; one can only assume the bright pink happy faces she added to the loan documents meant borrowers were credit worthy. Things must be going really well, because Brandon insists he no longer needs our help. J

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Ashley is definitely on top of things. She lets us know to stop at each red light and she notifies people standing near restrooms that her mommy or daddy is going potty. When we return, she praises our efforts by saying “I am so proud of you!” and then offers a sticker or candy.  (Not in the letter – once, outside Nordstrom’s restroom, a rather well dressed, elderly woman came out of the bathroom. She was very elegant and engaged a 2 year old Ashley in conversation. Ashley had seen from whence she had come, and deemed it perfectly acceptable to ask the woman if she had pooped…I died right there, but realized it was a result of our potty training discussions. The woman promptly departed.)

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Adam has become quite the big boy! He recently started sleeping in a bed…our bed that is.  His Winnie the Pooh bed is very appealing, but my feet hang off the end. Adam absolutely loves trains and he also fascinated by cause and effect relationships. For example, the remote changes the channel, a switch turns on his train, and pulling mommy’s eyelids apart in the morning will get him orange juice. 

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At the tender age of two, Adam has mastered the television and satellite system. This made his dad quite proud…that is until Adam began changing the channel during “This Old House”. It is quite funny to watch them go back and forth changing the channel until Brandon wins. This is due to Brandon being the larger of the two. However at Adam’s current growth rate, Brandon my find himself watching more Disney channel come January.

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Ashley has a lot of patience for her age and no longer minds waiting while we look up the vocabulary words she uses. I can’t recall using words like ridiculous, brilliant and incredible at 3 ½, but she uses them in her speech regularly.

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Ashley has been growing like a weed and has mass quantities of ringlet curls. I recently mentioned to her that I wished I had hair like hers. She exclaimed “Oh mommy you do!”, and she proceeded to part my hair at the roots saying “see…right here!” (She of course was referring to color, and I proceeded to make an appointment for my next weave.)

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Both children are very interested in nature. Just the other day Ashley observed how the ants in our yard resembled the ones from our ant farm. Ashley was not alone in her discovery of the ants, however Adam chose another method of observation…I must say we did find it a little tricky to remove them from his tongue.”

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Okay….my urgent need for coffee has required us to return to the present.

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One thing I have learned over the years is that the mind definitely smoothes out the edges of hard memories. It tends to lessen the blows and allows us to reflect with humor and fondness. If you have a few minutes today, pull out an old photo album and take your own walk down memory lane. You will find yourself feeling a little more nostalgic and thankful for your family. Have a great Friday, friends.

We always have fun checking YouTube for funny and lame things related to our studies. If you have read or reread these books recently you will get the humor. (be sure to silence my player on the right.) Below it I will also include Homer's Odyssey in 15 seconds. You have to watch it a few times to appreciate all they included. But first The Nun's Priest's Tale.

I came across this today and it just made my Mother's Day! Well...my kids and hubby actually "made my day", but more and more I am meeting or coming across parents and people who care for special needs kids, and they just make you pause for reflection. This is awesome :-)

Happy Mother's Day to all of you devoted mommies!

Daughter's illness leads mom to take in 120 needy kids

Woman fostered so many children, including those with major disabilities, because 'I didn't have an excuse not to. It's a kid's life in the balance.'

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/strickland-family-kids-2038637-children-pedone

You couldn't ignore Alena Strickland and her family if you tried.

First there's the sheer size of it: three biological children, four adopted children and four under legal guardianship. They are but a small representation of the more than 120 needy children of all races and ages to whom she has provided foster care since 1985.

Then there's the way they communicate: Ronnie, 18, and Tanisha, 17, are deaf, and the whole family can use American Sign Language. Eleven-year-old Mikey is blind and mentally disabled, the result of being shaken as a baby, and only communicates with short, guttural sounds. Timmy, 14, who was caged and molested as a baby, is severely autistic and will loudly blurt out anything that crosses his mind, which makes for the occasional awkward moment.

Last year a charity provided the family with annual passes to Disneyland, and that has become their refuge.

"No one stares at us there," said Strickland, who lives in Lake Forest with her children and husband, Phil. "It's the one place we can go and not feel ostracized. We all fit in. That's our vacation."

Balancing the medical, emotional, social and physical needs of so many needy children is not an easy task. But for Strickland, it's also a no-brainer.

"I've never said no to taking in a child, ever," she said. "I did it because I could. I didn't have an excuse not to. It's a kid's life in the balance."

Strickland had no clue that her life would be forever changed when she stumbled across a baby girl named Latoya.

In 1985, Strickland's infant daughter Jamie battled aggressive skull infections and was in and out of Children's Hospital for treatments and more than 100 surgeries; one of her roommates was baby Latoya, who was born prematurely with severe intestinal issues and abandoned by her parents. Strickland was horrified to learn that it was not uncommon for overwhelmed new parents to essentially walk away from babies with medical issues.

Months passed and Jamie and Latoya, who were the same age, began to share milestones: first words, first birthdays, even side-by-side potty training. When Strickland learned that Latoya's condition was terminal, she asked if she could take in the little girl who had never left the hospital, "so she could die at home."

Strickland learned how to operate the medical equipment necessary to keep Latoya alive. She learned CPR, mastered feeding her through a gastrostomy tube and caring for her central IV line. Latoya stayed with the Stricklands for two years, until a relative claimed her.

Then the phone started to ring. L.A. County's child welfare agency knew that Strickland was now skilled at caring for a child with medical needs; would she be willing to provide foster care to another, and another?

"It wasn't something I planned to do. I just kept saying yes, yes, yes," Strickland said.

Strickland took in children who were on dialysis, who were dying from cancer, who had suffered head