Ok, I've been quiet long enough...

Now there could be many serious issues I could discuss under this topic, but I will choose to write about something much more controversial instead:

David Archuleta from American Idol

Don't hate me, David A. lovers, but I just don't get it. He looks like he is 12. He has a nice voice, if you like that Michael Bolton-ish kind of voice. But it sounds exactly the same on every song. Personally, I think he sounds like he has peanut butter stuck on the roof of his mouth. He has ZERO charisma. The "golly jeez" routine is getting old. He's got no moves - I mean, really - I was tired of the Deacon Shuffle back when I was 14 and going to church dances.

I'm sure he's a very nice kid, but I've just never wanted to throw my bra up on stage for him. I think I would fall asleep if I ever went to a concert by him. And after tonight, I have to speak out. He totally murdered my favorite Neil Diamond song Coming to America. He sucked the life right out of that baby. So now I'm taking action: SAY NO TO DAVID ARCHULETA!!! *And dopey Jason Castro.

Buffet

Pick what you would like....

Today I planted a garden. My first one ever. I've never even grown a tomato plant before. Once I did plant a watermelon seed that I had spit out into a plastic cup and it actually started growing, but then I just threw it away. And it's not even really a garden right now because it is just some seeds in one of those plastic plant-starter things. But I hope that they will grow into some tiny plants that then will be transferred into my currently non-existant garden space into my yard. I'm getting all kinds of agricultural because earlier this week I planted some flower bulbs. At some point this summer we will have Giant Columbine and Lilies of the Valley popping out like crazy.

My 10 Year Anniversary is May 9th. My parents are coming up the following weekend, so JC and I are stealing away for a night to a bed and breakfast. I think the last time we went to a bed and breakfast was when I was pregnant with Little J. Now that I think of it, I think that was the last time we went anywhere together for a night with just us.

My mute Little Man has finally started to talk a little. He says, "Dada," "All gone,""Outside,""Hello," "Uh, oh," "Nah" (no) and "Bubbles." Occasionally he will say "Bye bye" and every once in a very blue moon, "Mama." I get no love.... ;-) He may be a man of few words, but he knows what is going on and he makes his opinions known. Very soon I may be changing his screen name to "Little Punk" instead of Little Man, because he is definitely into and on top of everything. The other day he was in the back yard and the gate had inadvertantly been left open (which I didn't know). He took off. I happened to walk out the front to do something and a lady walking by goes, "Do you have a little boy?" I said, "Yes, I have three. Why?" And she points 2 houses down and says, "Is that one of them?" Aaagh!

I am finally starting to see a little bit of result from my running. I obviously have felt more fit since the beginning, but not a lot physically was happening on the outside. I still haven't lost a ton of weight or anything, but I think things are starting to shift around some. I think some of my fat stores are slowly starting to get used up. Maybe by the summer I will look like this picture. Yeah.....

I hope you have had your fill. Now go get some dessert!

I HEART BON JOVI

We are soo hardcore.

Last night totally rocked!!!! JC and I went to the Bon Jovi concert. Daughtry opened for them. We were a little late getting in after parking and then waiting in line to get in, but from what I saw (about 45 minutes worth) I enjoyed them. And then BON JOVI rocked the house for 2 1/2 hours!!! How awesome is that? Most concerts I've been to the main singers have performed 1 1/2 - 2 hours tops. It was so much fun. Even with the totally drunk girls in front of us that kept slapping each other on the butt all night....

I didn't get very good pics, because I just had my cell phone with me, so I'm borrowing these from my friend Gretchen. Hop over to her blog to see a little composite video of different songs that she took with her digital camera. And my sister got to join in on the action, too, so to speak, because I couldn't help calling her during some of the songs to let her listen in on the jam fest.

In the Sprint Center between Daughtry and Bon Jovi.

Some Highlights:

• They had this awesome screen behind them that would sometimes be 4 screens, sometimes be 2 long screens, sometimes be 2 small screens with one big screen - all different combinations. I don't get how it changed into so many different things, but it did and it was cool.

• He came down and sang in the audience once. He sang on a tiny mini-stage off to the side about midway on the floor level and then walked through the audience.

• One time he took off his vest (sans shirt underneath) and then totally laughed at himself and said, "I'm too old to be showing you my boobies." I didn't mind it, though. :-)

• Chris Daughtry came out and sang "Blaze of Glory" with him and it was totally cool. I think Daughtry actually kind of sounded better than Bon Jovi at some parts. Is that sacreligious to say?
• They sang all the good ones. I especially liked Livin' on a Prayer. They also had fun doing some unexpected Mick Jagger with Start Me Up, Give Me Some Lovin' by whoever sings that, and some Shout. "Now waaaait a minute!..."

Our friends Gretchen and Lonnie.

It was a lot of fun and our boys thought we were cool because we went to the "show" where the "real people" who sing Dead or Alive were (they know it from Rock Band). Just pass me my leather pants...

The Traitor Tree

Remember my favorite tree? Well, it went rogue on me today and threw my child out of it. Thankfully, and I do thank God for this, he was not seriously injured, although he should have been.

The scene: Little J and Big J were climbing in it, I had just gotten in from jogging so I went inside for a drink and to think about starting dinner, JC was working on a bike. (Little Man was taking a late nap).

I am inside, but the door is open and all the sudden I hear a little scream and a thud, thud, thud, coinciding with an "Oh!!" kind of yell and a bunch of commotion. I knew what had happened before I was even out the door. And from piecing all the details and vantage points together from all parties involved, here is the story as close as I can tell:

Little J has been being ever braver and climbing higher and higher each time he gets in the tree. And when I say higher, I'm talking at least a good 15 feet up there, if not more. See in this picture where the top of our roof coincides with the tree? That's about how high he has been climbing to. He decided he wanted to go even higher and started to get up into the skinny branches way up at the top. Big J told him they would not hold him. Right then, Little J steps on a small branch and it breaks, causing him to fall. JC says he looked up and saw him falling through the branches (he was the yell), getting tossed around like a little rag doll. He even skidded over Big J's head, that happened to be facing down because he was flipped over upside down. After he made it through the branches, he fell the remaining 5 feet or so flat to the ground, on his back.

By the time I got out there, he was laying on the ground pale as a sheet and breathing all crazy and crying. He never lost consciousness, he wasn't bleeding, and he wasn't screaming in pain. He was winded, and obviously frightened, and his back and head were scratched up and bruised. Once he calmed down a little, he could talk and told us his head and his left side hurt. He wasn't confused, his pupils were reacting, he could squeeze my hand and all that, but we still took him into the emergency room just to be sure. They checked him out and had him pee in a cup to make sure there wasn't any trauma to his kidneys since he said his side hurt, and then two hours later we walked out. The doctors were kind of amazed that he was as fine as he was, especially falling from that high.

I'm sure he is going to be very sore tomorrow, and I know how close he was to being seriously hurt is beyond him. He told Big J, "You should get hurt and go to the hospital because you get all these cool treats!" as he showed him his sticker, his ice bag, his bag of cookies and a water bottle.

I am so thankful he was watched over. And I'm thankful that I didn't actually see him fall because I would have been freaking out beyond usefulness.

The Answer to Little J's Riddle

What is in the sky and wiggly?

Lightning.

Around the Water Cooler

It's another edition of Around the Water Cooler. My version of random subjects lumped into one post.

Topic #1: What the...?

I was shocked, shocked I tell you, by American Idol's results last night. Michael Johns was my second favorite, and one I definitely think we will hear from in the future even though he got the boot. I think going first and wearing that "I'm a painter in Paris" outfit while singing an Aerosmith song did him in. I think if he had worn what he had on last night and performed it like he did last night, he would still be around.

Topic #2: Observations of a 5-year-old

While Big J was in his Tae Kwon Do class, Little J and I were sitting next to a woman who is pregnant. She is due next week, so there is no doubt she is pregnant. At one point during the class, Little J leans over and "whispers" (I say this in quotations because it is whispering according to Little J but no one else) in my ear, "I think that lady is going to have a baby because look" and then he discreetly points toward her stomach. This was shortly followed by, "Why does that girl keep scratching her butt?!" in reference to one of the students in class.

Topic #3: Crazy People

Just for the record, the compound down in Texas that was busted for marrying off and impregnating barely pubescent girls is not part of the church I go to. Never has been, never will be.

Topic #4: The Definition of Resiliency

A couple of weeks ago I was at a lunch and had brought up a show I had seen regarding all the orphans in Africa, and how sad it was to me to see them living on the streets and not having the basic things I think a child should be able to have. There was a girl there that I didn't know very well. And she began to share her story...

She is originally from Guatamala. Her mom was an alcoholic that was always coming home completely wasted and/or with different guys all the time. When this girl was 8, one of these men molested her and her mom didn't believe her and the guy actually ended up moving in with them. So she ran away. She lived on the street until she was 13.

At that time, a friend told her she knew someone who could get her into the U.S. but she needed to get up to Mexico. So she managed to get herself up to Mexico, filled out the "official" paperwork, and paid this person the money she supposidly needed to get into the U.S. Then he sold her for $600 to a man here.

She was kept by this man for 5 years, until he ended up being deported, at which time she was able to get away. She now is 23, a mother of two children, and in a very stable, happy family life. She is a good person. She is an attentive mother. She is beautiful. She is kind.

I just sat there not knowing what to say and trying not to cry into my burrito. I just told her that I thought she was a great person to begin with, but after hearing her story, I have so much respect and admiration for her. She had experienced more in her young lifetime than most of us will ever see, and yet here she was unjaded and warm-hearted. What an incredible example to all of us. It is truly a choice what we make of our lives.

Topic #5: Useful Government

Every time I watch something about people, especially kids, living in horrible conditions it just breaks my heart. I often wonder why I have been so blessed. I also wonder why things that could easily be prevented or eradicated for minimal cost and effort, such as malaria, are still killing millions of people. I was impressed on Idol Gives Back how Gordon Brown, the Prime Minister of England, said that their country would provide 20 million mosquito nets to Africa. If England can do that, every other country should be able to do that and more. Why doesn't the UN get together and do something useful?

Topic #6: A Riddle for You

Here is a riddle that Little J made up. See if you can figure it out. The winner will get a notable mention on this blog. :-)

What is in the sky and wiggly?


Go back to work now.

I'm in a Quandary

In order to keep myself motivated to get in shape, I had decided to run in both the June 7th Hospital Hill 1/2 Marathon and the October 18th Kansas City 1/2 Marathon. That is until tonight when I was reading on their websites that there is a ban on headphones! I guess technically the race I just ran in, since it is endorsed by USATF also, should have banned them, too. This is what the sites say:

Hospital Hill's (*sidenote - you know it is a bad thing when the word hill is used in the actual race title. I checked out the course map and it is pure hills) says : "USATF sanctions Hospital Hill, and USATF insures this race. We have to follow USATF rules to keep our sanctioning and insurance, and the suits and lawyers have made clear that without insurance, this race will not occur."

KC Marathon says: "No headphones, iPods, strollers, dogs, skateboards, bicycles, rollerblades or motorized vehicles will be allowed on the course."

AAGH! I know I haven't had my iPod that long, but I've kind of become addicted to it. I rely on it to push me through. What's a girl to do? And what kind of sick person decided it would be a good idea to take the music away while people punish themselves running unnatural distances??!!!

I'm ticked off.

Catch "Medium" Tonight

I realize that everyone from this neck of the woods will be watching and cheering on KU in the NCAA Finals tonight, but if that doesn't interest you, check out tonight's episode of "Medium". JC's cousin, Davah, came up with it. She will be credited at the beginning. *Although she does say that the writers took a lot of liberty in adding extra violence and steamy scenes. Congratulations, Davah!

Bad Genes and a Thank You to Josh Morgan

Since other things have been going on, I failed to mention a milestone (of sorts) that happened in Big J's life. About 2 weeks ago, he got glasses. I don't know why all the bad genes get passed down, but he is even a grade earlier in getting his eyewear than I was.

Big J has had no problem with having to wear glasses. I think he secretly thinks it's really cool. I, however, remember being a little embarassed about having to wear glasses (circa 1981 glasses were SO cool). But thanks to Josh Morgan, a cute little blond boy who I had a crush on since 1st grade, I wore them with pride.

The first day I came to school with them, I didn't put them on right away. Josh sat in front of me and turned around and said, "So you got some glasses?"

I replied timidly, "Yes."

"Let me see them."

"No."

"Come on, let me see them. I promise I won't laugh."

So I pulled them out and put them on. He looked at me a few seconds.

"Cool," he said and then turned around.

After that, I wore my groovy glasses with no problem. So thank you, Josh Morgan, for not being a jerk and helping me feel confident enough to wear those huge, round, thick glasses with my initials in the corner of the lense.

55 Years Young

April is a month of birthdays for our family - 6 to be exact. So you may see more of these posts throughout the month. I'm a little late in the day getting this up, but I wanted to do a shout out to my dad because it is his birthday today. I love my dad for a lot of reasons, and my sister listed a few fun things about him here, but something he said to me once when I was a teenager I still remember. It meant a lot to me at the time and even now. He told me, "I really like you. Of course I love you, but I really like you, too." So here's back at you, Dad - I love you, but I really like you a lot, too! Happy Birthday! I hope you are around for another 1/2 a century :-O

True Crimes

THE PERPETRATOR:

THE WEAPON:

THE CRIME:

I came home yesterday from picking up Big J at school and right when I walked in the door, I saw this on our kitchen wall (it's about the size of a quarter):

There were also two small scibbles on the kitchen floor. Then my eyes immediately saw this design on the side of our kitchen counter:

I called Little J down asking him what the heck was going on and if he had marked anywhere else. I could tell by the look on his face that he had - and it was bad. I told him to show me. He took me into the living room, all the while my heart failing, and said, "Over there," while indicating the general direction with his head.

"Where?" I ask.

"Over there. Behind the couch."

"Show me."

So he takes me around the side of our loveseat and shows me this -










Are you ready?












Are you sure?

Here's a close-up in case you want a better look:

Here's another angle to capture the full effect:

This masterpiece on the back of my loveseat is a detailed image of a Star Wars battle. I have NO IDEA what was going on in his head to make him do this! He was our wall scribbler when he was a baby, but the kid just turned 5! He knows better. I almost cried. He told me he "just loves to draw so much" and was "scared he was going to run out of paper." He also told me that he thought it would "make our couch look cooler." Well, in that case....

If anyone is interested in a 7-year-old loveseat with an original work of art by a yet-to-be-discovered artist, let me know.