Pennsylvania seems to have an over abundance of lady bugs and they always swarm in the fall. Some of the thousands that literally coat the outside of our house every fall seem to find small cracks to make it inside and spend the winter. As a result, I have lady bugs flying around my house all the time. Most other people I talk to are driven crazy by these "bugs". They kill them and even vacuum them up when they are still alive. I have taken the more gentle approach of living in harmony with them. A fact that my son, Thomas, didn't appreciate the day he ran acrossed the kitchen and ended up with a lady bug in his mouth! Lady bugs are so cute, how could I just kill them? So far none have ended up in my coffee mug like that darn carpenter ant that I almost drank one day. Even if one does I will forgive them!
You'd think that is all I'd have to say about lady bugs, but no, the story goes on (and on and on)! Recently just before I headed off to bed I saw a lady bug on the edge of the pot that I am using to try to grow a cherry tomato plant. She was walking around the rim of the pot and since it is a circle, she just kept going and going and going. I felt sorry for that little lady bug, on the treadmill of life. Just circling and never getting anywhere. Don't we all feel that way sometimes? I didn't try to stop her but just wondered if she would still be there the next morning. The next day she was gone. I wonder if she flew home to check to see if her house was on fire and make sure her children were okay. I'm hoping that she went on vacation.
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
Thursday, January 19, 2006
FOR ERIN, BECAUSE SHE NEEDS THIS RIGHT NOW
Erin is the kind of person who is so easy to be around. That's why I love to just hang out with her and do nothing. When I am in that kind of lazy mood, there is nothing better than the two of us laying in bed and watching MTV. Yes, I know she is only 11 and a good mother wouldn't let her watch those kids cursing and being wild....but we love it.
Erin is also the kind of kid that everyone would want to have. She is so well rounded. She is talented at the things that she loves. She cares about people. If I had a dime for everytime someone has told me how much they like her, I would be rich. I always just tell them that yes, I think she is great too! In my mind I just think about how I am so glad that I am the lucky one to have her as MY daughter!
I am not a person to believe in supernatural things, but Erin is so intuned to my thoughts and feelings she often times "reads my mind"! When I was deciding that we could possibly get another kitten, she was the one that immediately realized from the tone in my voice that I was thinking about it. Recently, she somehow seemed to know that I was thinking about going on a trip to Disney World. She says it was only a lucky guess, but how did she know to guess Disney?! I think that must be why we can be around each other so easily. Maybe we think alike.
Its not just me that she reads so well. Its people in general. I'm sure that she will eventually start a career where she works with people and I think in her lifetime many people will remember her kindness. I'm sure she will make a difference in many people's lives no matter what she chooses to do.
Another thing that I admire about my daughter is her enthusiasm. When she wants to do something, she jumps in with both feet and throws her heart and soul into it. She has the ability to relish every simple moment in things that she wants to do. When she was given a minor part in the school play in the fall, her words were "this is the greatest experience that I've ever had!" I remember that another girl who didn't get the part she wanted, quit in anger, while Erin just lived the moment she was given. Once again, I have to say how lucky I am to be able to be her mother. I get to sit back and absorb HER happiness and make it my own!
These are just a few things that I love about Erin. These are not things that I've "trained" into her. This is who she is as a person. And I very much like that person!
Erin is also the kind of kid that everyone would want to have. She is so well rounded. She is talented at the things that she loves. She cares about people. If I had a dime for everytime someone has told me how much they like her, I would be rich. I always just tell them that yes, I think she is great too! In my mind I just think about how I am so glad that I am the lucky one to have her as MY daughter!
I am not a person to believe in supernatural things, but Erin is so intuned to my thoughts and feelings she often times "reads my mind"! When I was deciding that we could possibly get another kitten, she was the one that immediately realized from the tone in my voice that I was thinking about it. Recently, she somehow seemed to know that I was thinking about going on a trip to Disney World. She says it was only a lucky guess, but how did she know to guess Disney?! I think that must be why we can be around each other so easily. Maybe we think alike.
Its not just me that she reads so well. Its people in general. I'm sure that she will eventually start a career where she works with people and I think in her lifetime many people will remember her kindness. I'm sure she will make a difference in many people's lives no matter what she chooses to do.
Another thing that I admire about my daughter is her enthusiasm. When she wants to do something, she jumps in with both feet and throws her heart and soul into it. She has the ability to relish every simple moment in things that she wants to do. When she was given a minor part in the school play in the fall, her words were "this is the greatest experience that I've ever had!" I remember that another girl who didn't get the part she wanted, quit in anger, while Erin just lived the moment she was given. Once again, I have to say how lucky I am to be able to be her mother. I get to sit back and absorb HER happiness and make it my own!
These are just a few things that I love about Erin. These are not things that I've "trained" into her. This is who she is as a person. And I very much like that person!
Saturday, January 14, 2006
ALWAYS A PROJECT
Angry Prophet asked if we had another project planned for our house. Well, there is always another project planned and usually two or three in progress. A friend of ours who works with Tom had been fed up with his worn out carpeting. Like us he was hesitating to replace it until he was dog free. One day when he and his wife could no longer stand it, they ripped it up leaving bare plywood. When they finished the job they said "there, now our house is just like Tom and Elise's house"!
P.S. I haven't been posting much but thanks everyone for all the nice comments!
P.S. I haven't been posting much but thanks everyone for all the nice comments!
TOO BAD MY KIDS AREN'T JOCKS
Yeah, too bad! Me and my two middle schoolers have discussed whether they are nerds. I think the usual reply is "well, I guess so". They certainly fall far short of "jocks". Erin dances ballet and tap and Thomas runs, Forest Gump style. Remember, Forest was fast and had incredible endurance. Thomas may have been the smallest kid on the cross country team but he was also the fastest. Yes, brag, brag....I hate when I look like I'm bragging so I will stop now. Anyway, dancing and running do not really put you in the "jock" category. Now I will finally get to my point. I secretly think it is super hilarious that other parents feel sorry for you when your kids are not jocks. This feeling of pity seems to be magnified when your kids are also smart. I say "secretly" because how could I laugh in these parents face! Let me give you an example of an actual conversation I had with a mother of jocks. I was walking through the school to pick up Thomas and met her there.
Mother Jock: Hi Elise
Me: Hi, are you watching your son on the wrestling team?
Mother Jock: Yes
Me: I'm here to pick up Thomas, he's on the math team along with the six other kids in the school that actually like math. (This was said in a joking way with a laugh)
Mother Jock: Oh, that's alright, I say that as long as they show an interest in something its okay. (This was said in a way that indicated that I shouldn't be ashamed that Thomas liked math)
Me: chuckle
I mean, really, do people think I would rather have kids that were popular jocks!!??!! Yes, they do, because that seems to be very important in this culture. I laugh everytime someone tries to make me feel better about not being the parent of a star athlete. On the other hand its somewhat sad that people really feel popularity is the key to success. Its hard to feel sympathy for them through my laughter.
I believe the real keys to success don't lie in popularity or high intelligence. I believe a person must have a combination of confidence, happiness, the ability to make good decisions and a really good work ethic. These are the things that I watch for in my kids. Of course I also make sure they are not outcasts and they are able to make friends. I'm also glad that they have the advantage of being pretty smart. Happiness is the most important characteristic because I could never consider someone successful if they weren't happy.
Keep on smiling!
Mother Jock: Hi Elise
Me: Hi, are you watching your son on the wrestling team?
Mother Jock: Yes
Me: I'm here to pick up Thomas, he's on the math team along with the six other kids in the school that actually like math. (This was said in a joking way with a laugh)
Mother Jock: Oh, that's alright, I say that as long as they show an interest in something its okay. (This was said in a way that indicated that I shouldn't be ashamed that Thomas liked math)
Me: chuckle
I mean, really, do people think I would rather have kids that were popular jocks!!??!! Yes, they do, because that seems to be very important in this culture. I laugh everytime someone tries to make me feel better about not being the parent of a star athlete. On the other hand its somewhat sad that people really feel popularity is the key to success. Its hard to feel sympathy for them through my laughter.
I believe the real keys to success don't lie in popularity or high intelligence. I believe a person must have a combination of confidence, happiness, the ability to make good decisions and a really good work ethic. These are the things that I watch for in my kids. Of course I also make sure they are not outcasts and they are able to make friends. I'm also glad that they have the advantage of being pretty smart. Happiness is the most important characteristic because I could never consider someone successful if they weren't happy.
Keep on smiling!
Sunday, January 01, 2006
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
People would be jealous of the festivities here in our household! To start with, there were nonalcoholic strawberry daquiris. First with just strawberries, then with banana, then finally with vanilla yogurt! Woohoo! After that we watched a series of tsunami shows on the discovery channel I rotated the kids through a wash cycle to help keep them awake (a bath for Sarah and showers for Thomas and Erin). After they came out we continued our TV viewing with volcano shows. We will definitely enter 2006 prepared for a natural disaster! Some where in between shows Erin could no longer wait for the fake champagne and we opened both bottles of Weis brand's fine fake champagne! Tom tried to figure out what year it was made but for some reason it wasn't marked on the bottles, hmm, wonder why! We all agreed that the fizzy apple cider was much better than the apple cranberry fizzy stuff! We made our toast to 2006 around 9:00 pm just in case we all fell asleep. BUT WE DIDN'T!! We started watching Times Square around 11:30 pm and watched the ball drop on the channel that had Regis whining away. We thought that would be better than listening to the girl who was with Carson Daley rambling on and on and on. Unfortunately, when the 2006 sign lit up, the camera was focused on Regis counting down out of synch with the actual countdown and not on the 2006 sign! We did see the ball dropping though!
BEST WISHES TO ALL!!
BEST WISHES TO ALL!!
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