Ode to Thirty - The Final Part

Looking back over the last 10 years of Jonathan’s life, here are just a few of the things that I remember:

• First, he became a friend.
• Then he became a boyfriend.
• He got his degree.
• He started a new career and increased his salary each year.
• Later, he bought and moved into a new house.
• He became a husband.
• He moved into a new role at work.
• He tried a lot of hobbies (including rebuilding and restoring old cars, renting movies, playing racquetball, and running, among other things).
• He became a father.

That’s a lot to do in ten years! I've enjoyed spending my twenties with him and I don’t have any regrets. I hope his thirties are just as good!



Last but not least, I'm not great at writing poems but here's a silly ditty anyway.

My hubby dear is thirty today.
Let’s make it a special day for him.
Won’t you please go by his place and say “hey”?
Perhaps we’ll have a steak or go for a swim?

Although thirty years old seems like it’s a lot,
I can’t say too much that is mean
'cause next year I will be the same age
so what I write may come back to haunt me.

So Booger you’re finally thirty;
Happy birthday on the big 3-0.
I guess you could fill a great big book
with everything you’ve grown to know.

Today I’m wishing you another year
of laughter, relaxation and fun,
surprises, love and happiness,
and when your birthday’s done,

I hope you feel deep in your heart,
as your thirtieth comes and goes,
how very much you mean to me,
more than you can ever know!

Happy Birthday! I love you Booger!

Ode to Thirty - Part Two

(I had to look these up on the internet since I wasn't around that year. My personal favorite is at the end.)

More events from 1977:

• Super Bowl: Oakland d. Minnesota (32-14)
• World Series: NY Yankees d. LA Dodgers (4-2)
• NBA Championship: Portland d. Philadelphia 76ers (4-2)
• Stanley Cup: Montreal d. Boston (4-0)
• Wimbledon: Women: Virginia Wade d. B. Stove (4-6 6-3 6-1)Men: Bjorn Borg d. J. Connors (3-6 6-2 6-1 5-7 6-4)
• Kentucky Derby Champion: Seattle Slew
• NCAA Basketball Championship: Marquette d. North Carolina (67-59)
• NCAA Football Champions: Notre Dame (11-1-0)
• The TV miniseries Roots draws an audience of 130 million.
• Star Wars hits theaters--for the first time--and will go on to be the second highest-grossing film of all time.
• Saturday Night Fever sparks the disco inferno and the popularity of movie soundtracks.
• Elvis Presley dies at Graceland, his Memphis, Tenn. home. He was 42.
• Movies: Saturday Night Fever, Star Wars, Annie Hall, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Julia
• The neutron bomb is developed. Background: nuclear weapons
• Lasers are first used to initiate a fusion reaction.
• Deaths: Charles Chaplin, Bing Crosby, Groucho Marx, Vladimir Nabokov, Elvis Presley
• In the Academy Awards, Peter Finch, Faye Dunaway and Beatrice Straight win Best Actor and Actress and Supporting Actress awards for Network.
• Rocky picks up an Academy Award for Best Picture and All the President's Men wins
• Jason Robards the Supporting Actor and an Art Direction for George Jenkins and George Gaines.
• Walt Disney releases The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, a compilation of three animated shorts.
• Star Wars opens in theaters and becomes the highest grossing movie to date. The film revolutionizes the use of special effects in film and television production, and also popularizes the notion of omitting any sort of opening credits sequence, something that would become commonplace in American cinema by the mid-1990s. In 1977, however, it attracted heavy criticism and director George Lucas ultimately resigned from several film production guilds over his decision.
• The average price of a movie ticket in the United States is about $2.25
• Walt Disney Pictures releases The Rescuers, which instantly brought back an interest in animation that had been lost to both film-goers and critics throughout the beginning of the '70s.
• Jonathan was born.

Ode to Thirty - Part One

In 1977:

• Jimmy Carter was elected President of United States.
• French was adopted as the official language of Quebec.
• Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Amnesty International.
• A cyclone in India kills 20,000 and leaves 2 million homeless.
• Jubilee celebrations are held in the United Kingdom to celebrate twenty-five years of Elizabeth II's reign.
• The New York City Blackout lasts for 25 hours and results in looting and disorder.
• The World Trade Center in New York was completed.
• The US Population reached 216 million.
• Opium Perfume was introduced.
• The Trans Alaskan Oil Pipeline opened.
• The US returned the Panama Canal back to Panama.
• The first Apple II computers went on sale.
• NAVSTAR Global Positioning System GPS was inaugurated by the US Department of Defense.
• The first MRI Scanner was tested in Brooklyn.
• The Voyager I and Voyager II were launched unmanned to explore the outer solar system.
• Star Wars opened in cinemas and filmgoers lined up for hours to see it.
• Perhaps most important in Popular Culture was the development of punk music from groups like the Ramones, Iggy Pop's ,Clash, Elvis Costello, The Stranglers, and the Sex Pistols.
• Average Cost of new house: $49,300.00
• Average Income per year: $15,000.00
• Average Monthly Rent: $240.00
• Gas per Gallon: 65 cents
• Bikini: $9.00
• BMW 320i: $7990.00
• Porsch 924: $9395.00
• The US space shuttle prototype 'Enterprise' flew for the first time.
• The last case of smallpox in the wild occured in Somalia.
• First woman Episcopal priest was ordained (Jan. 1).
• Carter pardoned Vietnam war draft evaders (Jan. 21).
• Supreme Court ruleed that states are not required to spend Medicaid funds on elective abortions (June 20).
• US GDP (1998 dollars): $2,026.90 billion
• Federal spending: $409.22 billion
• Federal debt: $706.4 billion
• Median Household Income(current dollars): $13,572
• Consumer Price Index: 60.6
• Unemployment: 7.1%
• Cost of a first-class stamp: $0.13

thirteen months

Dear Julianna,

Wow! Mama is almost late getting this letter written to you this month. It has been a very, very busy month.

Today you are thirteen months old! I know I say this every month, but where the heck does time go? I *cannot* believe that in a month or two it will have been two years since I found out I was pregnant. Jules, the past few months with you have really made me look forward to having another baby. I smile just thinking about you playing with a sibling. For now I’m content enjoying you!

Last weekend we took you swimming for the first time. You had a blast! All of the VERY loud squeals and the smile on your face made my heart melt into a puddle. I can’t wait to see you at the beach this summer. There’s just something about having a baby that makes even the most basic things become fond memories.

This month you learned to shake your head vigorously as if to say “No!” and you nod emphatically in order to say “Yes!” Sometimes you do one when you clearly mean the other, but with a little prompting you figure it out quickly. You are learning how to communicate very well.

Your vocabulary is also growing (along with your little belly) and you have learned new dances this month and will perform for us any time music is played. You also love to blow the flute and whistles at Nanna and Papaw’s house although you’ve taken to calling Papaw “Pap” instead. You can make the sounds of a cow, duck, cat, and airplane now. I can’t even begin to recall all of the words you have spoken at one time or another although the only ones you speak regularly are “bye”, “Mama”, “ball”, and “Pap.”

I took you to our first “class” together at The Little Gym a few weeks ago. You were hilarious! When we first got there you watched the other kids through the window with the funniest expressions of pure amazement and intrigue on your face. When we went inside you got that all-too-familiar mischievous grin on your face as you ran away from me thinking that you were going to get chastised. When I just let you run you were simply delighted. You ran in three huge circles on the large floor mat and then climbed all over everything. When the group sang songs and marched in a circle you ran off and entertained yourself. When the other kids climbed under the parachute you watched from a safe distance and when everyone else blew bubbles and played with the bells you did your own thing wherever you wanted, but it was a blast to watch! I signed us up for the summer semester on the spot and I know that after just a few classes you will find a lot more joy (if that’s even possible) in going to The Little Gym each week.

A couple more things - We also had your picture taken this month by someone with a little more talent in the photography department than your daddy and I. They are absolutely beautiful! You are the cutest little girl ever! (And I’m not just saying that because I’m your mama. Just ask any of your grandparents and they will all agree.) Anyway, I will treasure these pictures forever as I remember how you were at one year old, because my goodness! Have I mentioned how fast time is going by?! Also, just look at your face! You’re adorable!

I made a very important decision this month, Doodle. Even though you don’t know it you were a big part of it. I was trying to decide about whether or not I should continue to teach in the fall. First and foremost, I want you to know that I considered you and how it would affect you in every aspect of making this decision. I struggled with it for the longest time. I had major anxiety about it and I became stressed every time I thought of it, but now that the decision is made I feel (and I sleep) so much better.

I decided to quit teaching after this school year and work from home in order to spend more time with you next year and to get you in a morning preschool program where you could have some interaction with other kids. I am excited about it and all the possibilities it will bring. We can go to “strollercize” at the local parks with other moms! We can go to toddler play groups! Without having to get ready for work every morning I should have more time to do other things, but yet I’ll still have an income to live off of. Without having to drive more than 60 miles each day just to get you to Nanna and Papaw’s and me to work we should be able to go other places on the gas in our gas tank and I can’t wait to see what life as a WAHM brings.

I love you baby.

Love,
Mama

ow!

I went to Target earlier this morning to buy some soap and other necessities and I picked a pack of soap up to smell it and WHAM!

I'm such a dimweed dooblehead dork!

I busted my upper lip on the health and beauty isle in Target. It bled a little and became a bit swollen and now I look, talk, and eat a bit funny.

Woe is me. *sigh*

more thoughts on running

although i didn't do very well in my race this past weekend i am certainly very far from giving up. with all of the Boston Marathon press coverage on TV this morning i keep thinking back on the 10k and it just keeps coming to me over and over again that, in general, runners make a very supportive community. they cheer for complete strangers and congratulate even those runners in the bottom fifteen. it's just great.

so i'm going to keep on running. tomorrow i'm going to get back on track. i'm going to run three miles tomorrow and three on thursday. then saturday i'm going to try for four and gradually build up my distance. i'm also going to read up on some changes that i need to make to my diet to prepare for a race. i'm going to register for a few more races in the next few months and i'm definitely going to try to reach my goal of running in at least one road race each year until i'm 40.

race results

Recent conversation at my house:

Husband: I can't believe you ran a 10K.
Me: I didn't. I pooped a 10K.

It wasn't that bad, but let me also just say that I'm definitely signing up for another one just to redeem myself.

i just got this email

To: Me
From: Sister
Date: April 13, 2007
Subject: Re: tomorrow's 10k

last year the slowest people finished in one hour and a half. will you laugh at me if it takes me longer than that?

the case of the disappearing and reappearing blogger

What a busy week this has been! And an even busier weekend is coming up.


Friday night my sister is having a housewarming party. I volunteered to bring veggies/dip/chips for that so I've got to go to the grocery store tonight and put that all together tomorrow.

I have a 10K to run on Saturday and I've been slacking on my training. I hope that I can do it. Actually, I know that I can. But I hope that I do. Does that make a bit of sense? My brain is fuddled this morning. The most I have run at one time lately is 3.1 miles ang this race is, of course, double that. YIKES!


Saturday is also my mom's birthday. We are getting together with family that evening for a dessert smorgasboard. (And she's going to LOVE her gift!) My sister and I have decided that for every mile we actually run on Saturday morning, we'll get to sample one dessert that night. Even more incentive to run all 6.2! Mmmmmm.... I'm drooling already. I'm going to make some lemon squares and strawberry shortcake for that on Saturday afternoon while the hubby is at a car show.


Sunday I don't have too much planned besides church and naturally a little me time if I can get it. Then we'll hopefully have some time to watch a little Friends.

Ahhhhh... working for the weekend.


Anyway, Jules is feeling much better now and I think she's completely over the cold. A good nap yesterday and the past couple of night's sleep has certainly helped.

So here's something for you to enjoy today. I was cleaning off my mom's camera for a few hours last night and this morning and I came across tons of cute OLD pictures. Look at how much my baby has changed!

HELP

Ugh! I hate making decisions. I am quite possibly the worst decision maker EVER. I stall and I stall and then I whine and I whine to everyone about not knowing what to do. Then I will “make the decision”, have major anxiety over it, then I will change my mind a dozen more times and put it off some more until I absolutely have to decide. Then I will forget about it and move on like it was no big deal to begin with.

Anyway, I am starting to feel some pressure about making a big decision again and I need your prayers. If you are reading this, please remember me over the next couple of days and say a quick prayer that I will be able to do what is best. Thanks!

Happy Easter!

My mom always likes to dye eggs every Easter. Even since my sister and I had long since been too old, she still looks for kids to dye eggs with. Usually my mom's neice (my cousin) brings her three kids over and they dye eggs together. So anyway, you can imagine her excitement that this year she got to dye eggs with her own granddaughter.

As you can tell from the pictures, Jules wasn't really all that interested in it this year, but maybe next year.

Unfortunately, we didn't get to go to the egg hunts we had planned for yesterday because the little girl was running a slight fever. She's cutting molars again and I think she's got a cold. We did hide eggs in the yard the other day though and here are some pictures from that. Maybe the concept will be easier to understand next year.

Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus' head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen. Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed.

John 20:6-8

Pictures from THE Birthday Lunch

what I did on my Spring Break

So I‘d planned on taking this whole week of spring break to paint my dining room. It was this totally hideous floral wallpaper that I just couldn’t stand. I got some new dupioni silk draperies from pottery barn and chose a paint color. Luckily I have a very kind family who came and helped me on Monday and we got 95% of it done. Moving out the furniture, taping the trim, three coats of primer, two coats of paint, and reassembling the room. My husband and I still have to hang the new curtains and get a bit of the tape off, but I think it looks really good. I am so pleased to have it done since it is something that I’ve wanted to do for a really long time and I am completely tickled that it didn’t take the whole week like I thought.

excuses no more!

Two weekends ago I had the Virus From H-E-DOUBLE-HOCKEY-STICKS. It seemed to be going around at the time and I have no idea how I got it, but I was miserable for about 48 hours. I was up all night leaning on the toilet and then stayed on the couch the entire next day afraid to eat a thing. It was the day before Julianna’s birthday and I had so been looking forward to that cake. Plus it was also the night before the first race I was signed up for. It was only a 5K but still, there was no way I was going to be able to run it. So I went and watched instead. By the next day I was feeling well enough to not cancel Julianna’s party (and I even ate half of a hot dog and a small piece of cake) but I didn’t run after that for a week.

That virus was the beginning of my demise. I slacked off completely on my running program and then I even had a few soft drinks when I was fighting the nausea. That lead to eating poorly, running none, and drinking more soft drinks the following week.

Anyway, I’ve got to get back on track. I think I’ve only had five soft drinks since that weekend (which means only five total since before Lent started) and I got back on track with my running by signing up for another 5K at the last minute this past Saturday. I felt pretty good about that and then I ran again yesterday. I only have a week and a half until I’m supposed to run the 10K and I’m feeling pretty nervous about that. But at least now all I really need to do is step up my training a little bit and get my diet back together. Wish me luck! I still have 17 pounds to lose

new bathroom adventures

According to the experts, Julianna is too young to start potty training now. But I am more than ready. I certainly don’t want to start too early though and end up doing more harm than good, as they say can happen. I did however, buy a potty seat and go ahead and put it in the downstairs bathroom. Well, this has been interesting.

Without any prompting she always walks in the bathroom when I go in there. I started saying to her, “Mommy has to go potty.” She would just watch.

One day she tried to put her hand down in the potty right after I stood up so I told her firmly, “No, Julianna. We don’t play in the potty.” I showed her the other potty and told her, “This is your potty.” She pointed at it that day and said, “Anna.” So I knew she understood (even though she hasn’t said “Anna” since).

For a week or so after that she didn’t much mess with it. Then one day about ten days ago she came in the bathroom when I was using it and she sat down on her potty without any encouragement at all. So I started describing to her what I was doing. She started mimicking what I was doing (i.e stand up and close the lid). I didn’t tell her what to do. I just told her what I was doing and she did it too.

Now every time I go to the bathroom downstairs, without fail she sits on her potty seat and kicks her legs a bit. Then she stands up and closes the lid. She also rushes over to the big toilet and tries to flush after I’ve already done it. I know this is nowhere near potty training, but I think it’s a good start that she created herself. Here are two pictures of her on her birthday “using the potty.”

bbbzzzzzzzzzzz

A friend of ours (well sort of ours – really my parents’ friend) and his wife had a 4 week old baby boy. He also had unexplainable bruises and fatigue and was diagnosed with AML, a type of bone marrow cancer.

He was just recently released from the hospital and is able to rest at home as his cancer is now in remission. However, he was there for almost six weeks without visitors except for his wife and son. He couldn’t leave his hospital floor and over the course of the six weeks he underwent numerous chemo treatments and biopsies (and as expected, lost some hair). His wife struggled at home with their four (five, six, seven, and then eight) week old baby. You can read about their journey on his blog and post a comment or two if you have the time. I’m sure he could use some encouragement.

Anyway, my parent’s church - the church he works for as “Coordinator of Youth Ministries” - had a dinner fundraiser to raise enough funds to pay his salary for one year and keep him on staff despite the fact that he would be taking that time to recover. The goal was to raise $45,000 and to encourage donations many people committed to shaving their heads once the goal was reached. My father was one of them. He had his head shaved at church last Wednesday. Here are the before and after pictures. I think he looks pretty good. I can't address the temperature difference though.

what an awesome day!

I just won a $10 gift certificate to Amazon.com thanks to Whitney!

Click here and you can win too!

oh goodness I'm behind

I have so much to update on.

But first, a little business...

You know you want a Dyson.