Happy Halloween!

Every once in awhile the stars align and I am able to grab the camera without The Natives noticing and when I do.........I present for your viewing pleasure a Halloween Treat.




Please excuse Levi having a meltdown in the background.........

Excuse me. There's been a mistake. I ordered "order" and you gave me "chaos".

Halloween parties at school, last minute touches on costumes, The Natives are literally bouncing off the walls.



This morning as I got six of the seven Natives all into their costumes it was a flurry of chaos and bedlam. Each one wanted me to help them with their costume right now and at one point The SM asked me how in the world a few of them were going to use the bathroom through out the day.......I told him that was their problem. My job was to get them into their costumes and out the door. I'd done my part and more than my fair share. Seven kids.....seven costumes......I used to like Halloween.

All of The Natives (except for the baby) were finally all put together and off to school. I collapsed onto the couch ready to put up my feet and enjoy a cup of steaming hot cocoa when the doorbell rings.......it is my neighbor across the street. She'd passed my baby girl on the way to school. My baby girl who with big round eyes and a look of horror on her face told my neighbor she'd forgotten her homework at home........could I bring it?



I looked down. Me.....in my flannel jammies......hair flying this way and that......morning breath.........nothing new. I've graced the school halls looking thus. I ran around the house searching. Searching for my baby girls home work which I'd seen her working so hard on all week. Is it in her cubby where it should be? Nope. Is it in the kitchen on one of the counters? Nope. Is it up in her room? Heaven forbid if it is.......can't even get her door open to see. I enter her room finally only I can't see the carpet let alone her home work. I start to move piles of clothes, toys, garbage, unmentionables around looking for her homework. Under the bed......on dressers......on her bed.....between the bed and the wall.......in the toy box......under the toy box (which doesn't hold any toys by the way because they are all over the floor) and all I can think is, "If this girl would just learn to be orderly! Everything has its place! Why in the world can't she put things away!" I just want ORDER!!!!!



Guess I should have thought of that before I had so many punks. Speaking of punks....my oldest went as a punk cowboy..... how's that for an oxymoron?





I love duct tape. It's great for making pointy steel toed cowboy boots, sticking a big ol' belt buckle made out of cardboard and tinfoil to your belt.....sticking home work to my daughters forehead........

The parable of the orange vest.

Everyday when I go and pick up my oldest son from school I see a man out walking wearing one of these orange vests. The first time I saw him, there was a lot of road construction going on in the area and so I assumed he belonged to the road construction crew. After seeing this man out walking day after day it became very obvious that he was not a part of the construction crew but a man who loved to go on walks and has a momma who wants him to be safe. Wants those of us driving by to know that this man has some special needs and the rest of us need to be careful and on the look out for him.



This man also has a pair of these that he wears. His have yellow tinted lenses. Lenses that make the world always look bright, warm, and yellow.

Yesterday when I saw this man he had a look on his face that I recognized. I've seen that look before. I've seen it on Levi's face when others are being mean and he is trying to protect himself.

This man was passing by the skate park and some teenagers were giving him a hard time. Now, I'm a momma and when I see little ones being picked on the big momma bear in me raises its protective head and bares its ugly teeth. This man may have a grown body but his mind is a much younger version and when his momma put that orange vest on him it wasn't in the hopes that the public would only see him as he walks along a very busy street and not hit him but if he were in any trouble of any kind we'd take notice, stop, and help him out. Don't let my size fool you...........

I was thinking about who ever this man's momma is. How brave she is to put on this mans safety vest and let him be a big boy and have some independence. It is really hard to let go of your "normal" (define normal please.....ya, that's what I thought) kids let alone a special needs child and when you do, you hope and pray that the world out there will be kind and help you watch out for your baby because no matter how big your child is, they'll always be your baby. Especially your special needs babies who with the help of glasses or not, always see the world as bright, warm, and yellow and are shocked when ugliness appears in the form of another human being making fun of them, hurting them, or teasing them.

I think sometimes we forget that we all come here to this earth with special needs. Some are just more obvious than others. Maybe if we all wore orange safety vests we'd do a better job of looking out for each other as we try our hand at independence.

Conversation of teenagers

I over heard a conversation yesterday between these two Natives. The older Native was helping the younger Native with his math. It went like this:



Native one: I still don't get it. It doesn't make sense. The answer is wrong.

Native two: I just showed you the answer. Look in the back of the book. See?

Native one: It still doesn't make sense.

Native two: It does too make sense. This would even make sense to mom! It's so simple even mom could understand it.........



Gee thanks........punk!

Crackpot Tuesday

Photo by Taste of Home

As you can see I am a huge fan of "Taste of Home". The SM cringes when ever we go grocery shopping and they have a new magazine displayed at the check out. It is worse than taking The Native's by all the candy at the check out.

Mr. T chose Beef Vegetable Soup. Here is the recipe.

Most everyone gave it four stars. The SM and Mr. M gave it three stars and my baby girl gave it four and a half. Bottom line, they all ate it and no one said, "ewwwww what's that green stuff? It smells disgusting...." Which is five stars in my book.



On the other hand, when you have this for dessert and know that you can't even have a sniff of dessert until your dinner is gone........



On a side note. For you a quick viewing pleasure of the wind car in action that The SM helped our baby make.



And this kid. He's a punk. He makes me laugh and smile each and everyday and he got a new helmut to protect his beautiful head. "McQueen" out of all the helmuts I placed before him to choose. Levi wanted "McQueen"! KA-CHOW!

Men. Translation: Boys in bigger bodies

A recipe for little boys and bigger boys:



Ingredients: A little boy who thinks staying in his jammies all day is the norm and a work apron from Home Depot.




Left over peanut butter and jelly on the face of the little boy.




Left over pieces from the gazillion pine wood derby cars your dad and mum have made over the years and might I just add this one little side note......The Mum beat The SM's car the year she made one.......just thought I'd add that....you know...just in case you were wondering.




The final ingredient: A daddy who has the day off of work and comes up with a grand idea to take the fan out of your bedroom and make a wind car with his little boy......I'm trying to figure out who in this photo is the bigger kid......

Counting Sheep

Does it work for you cuz it doesn't seem to be happen'n for me. It goes something like this:

Picture me laying in bed......I'm exhausted.....my body is exhausted......"Oh I am so gonna snog out as soon as my head hits the pillow"!

Waiting.......eyes roll to the left....eyes roll to the right.....crickets in the back ground.......maybe if I close my eyes.......eyelids are bouncing around as my eyeballs roll around in my head........."Oh I know! Let's count sheep! I hear it works".

"One.....two......three......four.....rhymes with door.....the doors that I forgot to clean the sticky jam off of.......the front door is really bad.......not as bad as the porch.......it's covered in squash.....wish someone one would come and steal the squash off my porch........now that we've had a frost......all of my dead plants on my porch look like everyone elses.....wish someone would steal the squash off my front porch.....knock it off, think of sheep.........five......six......seven........I think baby sheepies are so cute......all snuggled up in the grass........grass.......ours hasn't been cut in a long time.......bet the neighbors are wishing we'd just move.......need to tell the Natives to get out there and cut the grass......and dog poop.......that is so gross when you rake leaves and rake up dog bombs.......but not as sick as when I stepped in that dog bomb the other day in my bare feet.......it squished between my toes......shudder......THAT WAS VILE!.......great.....now I'm all riled up thinking about stepping in dog bombs.......sheep woman! Sheep!........cant remember where I left off.......one.......two.......three.......four.....rhymes with snore......The SM is snoring.....that is just so typical.......he can fall right asleep when his head hits the pillow........I wonder if he'll stay asleep if I put my face close to his and stare........I hate it when The Natives do that to me........why can't they come in yelling........they always come in on tip toe.........sneak over to my side of the bed.......lean their faces two inches from mine.......and then....just stare.....and breathe.........creeps me out........that book I just read was creepy......now I'm creeped out.......I hate being awake and creeped out......wish I could sleep.....dang sheep!

Maybe tomorrow night I'll try counting chickens. They haven't hatched yet, think that'll be a problem?

Reflections

I wasn't going to delve much into what took place this last week but I've had some thoughts that aren't a bad thing to be reminded of every once in awhile.

Having a disability to my health and no near future cure in sight is a bit to "overcome". For a year now I've had people concerned about my health and I've shrugged off their concern. I can't live in a bubble right? I'm indestructible. Aren't we all?

This past week I felt like the story of the little old woman who swallowed a fly who swallowed a........and on and on. One thing after another started to go wrong and as usual, didn't realize the seriousness of what took place until loved ones filled me in.

It's kind of tough knowing that anything can come along and broadside you. That all the defences I used to have are now down and the enemy has a pretty darn good advantage. Nothing like walking into and spending the night in the ER a year to date when you were last in the hospital fighting for your life to remind you that you know what? Maybe you aren't as invincible as you thought!

As I was walking into the ER last week I thought, "You have got to be kidding me! I already did this a year ago and look where it landed me"! I don't like that place.

The flu....which gave me a kidney infection....which has caused other complications which I am still trying to recover from. The kidneys aren't cooperating but I will have them know I am not one to be messed with. They'll listen. They have to because you know what? As I was laying in bed yesterday it truly hit me how fragile life is and I was near tears thinking about how I don't want my children to grow up without me. I thought if I could just make it until my kids are grown but who am I kidding? I'll want to see them with their kids....and their kids....

Not everyone gets that blessing and opportunity and I'm not saying that I won't. What I'm trying to say is it hit home pretty hard and I'm grateful for the moments that I have had, am having, and hope to have.

None of us are in charge. We don't know how long we'll get to be a part of each others lives here on earth so once again may I remind you, hug your kids, your spouses, your parents, your siblings, your loved ones, and let them all know how much you love them because none of us know when we'll be broadsided.

Crackpot Tuesdays

The eldest native made his choice and he chose Teriyaki Sandwiches.

Thankfully this is a recipe that is already typed up for you all nice and purdy like and even has a mouthwatering photo to adorn itself. I love the internet!

When I thought of this crackpot idea I seriously envisioned myself bouncing out of bed on Monday and back at it. Positive thoughts are half the battle right?

Boy was I glad that the eldest chose this recipe because anything more difficult and I'd have thrown a box of mac. and cheese in the crack pot and then wondered why after sitting there for hours it was still a box........

Very simple to make. Seriously the hardest part is mincing the garlic and hey! I've been known a time or two to skip that part and just throw in some ground up powdered garlic.

I didn't have any gr. onions so we used chives that are amazingly still alive in our poorly neglected garden and pineapple chunks. We decided that crushed pineapple or pineapple rings would be better. The Chunks are too big and kept falling out.

The Natives declared it a unanimous vote. The sandwiches are messy but they are five stars!

And for your viewing pleasure......a few things that have been going on around here since I've been down..........



Adding some more rows to this......




Starting this for my baby girl.........




Starting on these for my niece which are actually going to go to another niece cuz....there was a problem with the pattern....that's my story and I'm sticking to it!.......I'll tell more another day when I actually get them finished and show you the end result........





And much growing and hopping around of these!

Mondays......what a crock!

I have decided to try something new here in this household. I have decided to make Monday's crocky potty days.

I don't know about you but it seems like Mondays are filled with everything under the sun that somehow was put off during the weekend and somehow I'm supposed to get dinner in there at a decent hour........never happens......and all the while as the Natives are shoveling grub into their faces I am chanting "faster faster faster SHOVEL FASTER" because we still have this thing called "Family Home Evening" that we do and the clock is ticking, ticking, ticking......getting later...later..later....and we NEVER make it to bed at a decent hour on Mondays!

I think I just blew something typing that last paragraph.....



Now that it is Fall and this Native thinks he wants to try wrastlin'......yea......practices fall on what afternoon?........Just one more thing to do in a day SO!

Crocky Potty Monday starts here and now and hopefully won't officially end here and now. Please see this through Rachel. If there is one thing you can see through.....let it be this? Hush! This is my blog! I can't type with all this racket going on in my head.

Obviously I can't tell you what we think of the meal until TUESDAY cuz....we'll be eating on Monday but......this is a work in progress okay?? Here's the deal Sparky! I am going to let The Natives take turns choosing what it is we are going to be making. We'll cook it up in the crocky potty on Monday and give you our reviews and recipe on Tuesday. How's that sound? "This is gonna be good I can tell"! (Why am I still stuck on Nemo....)

As for this past week and being "Gone with the Flu". Scarlett is happy to announce that she has made it through once again and as for the flu, if she never see's it again.......quite frankly she doesn't give a darn........

I caught it!

By CAM CARDOW



By RANDY BISH

See ya on the other side!

What have I been doing all week?

Good thing we're not orthodox considering the kind of flu The Natives have..........

My name is Nemo and I'm stubborn.

Hi! My name is Nemo and I have this habit of seeing something I want to make and thinking that I can make it no problem. It doesn't ever enter my mind that one might want to take lessons or instruction first. I can do this!

I roll up my sleeves and dive in head first and at some point come up for air wondering how in the world I've made such a mess of things because, "I can do this"!

I've done this with quilting, cooking, sewing, and now........knitting.




Awhile ago I bought this yarn. Isn't it divine?



I couldn't decide what I wanted to do with it until I saw this pattern from this company. So, yesterday I went to our local yarn shop and bought me the correct size needles which I am learning you can have every needle ever made and it will never be the correct size you need so you'll have to go and buy.....another set of needles. Just know that in advance k? I'm sharing my knowledge here cuz it is sooo vast.

Home from the yarn shop and I started to knit all the while with this little voice in the back of my head saying: Marlin: Clearly, you're not ready, and you're not coming back until you are. You think you can do these things, but you just can't, Nemo!




Ya, I know I should probably get help on this project but, "I can do this"! And I'm going to keep telling myself this and when I finish this project and one sleeve is 10 inches longer than the other and I can't tell the front from the back I'll do the same thing with it that I have done with countless other projects that I've made and realized that maybe before I start another project I should get some help. (Whew! Out of breath with that run on sentence.)

I'll blame it on a faulty pattern. There's a ton out there I'll have you know. Faulty patterns.....faulty recipes.......

Networking. I'm totally into it.

I was talking to my neighbors sisters mother in laws best friends plumbers dry cleaners daughter and found out the coolest thing!

It's called blogging and a few years ago when I was introduced to the world of blogging and encouraged to start my own by this wonderful best friend and sister of mine I had no idea what I was in for.

Blogging sounded like something I regurgitated that resembled some form of squash after it hit the gag reflex. What was the point?

The point is.....I have made friendships I would have never met if not for blogging and I have been blessed by the talents and gifts of others that I myself can not do or would not know where to look for to buy.

When I was a kid......okay, who am I kidding. I still like to do this: Driving around at night out in the boonies people rarely cover their windows with drapes or blinds so you can see into their homes as you drive by and your imagination runs wild with stories you've conjured up as to what goes on in those soft yellow lit rooms.

There is a blog that I like to peek in on. It is this blog. Twin sisters write this blog together taking turns and I find these ladies to be very talented and full of ideas that appeal to me. One of their posts was a tutorial on making these stars.



I loved the idea of looking through this window on a dreary winter day and seeing pinwheels in primary colors.

The other day, I was reading another blog that I like to follow and the author posted a photo of some yarn she'd just purchased. I fell in love with the yarn. She also posted the link to the gal who she'd purchased the yarn from. I was delighted. Along with blogging I've embraced shopping from home on the internet and the gal behind the yarn did not let me down.

I told her what I wanted, the colors, and she set to work finding them and dying the yarn for me. Back and forth we'd e-mail as she'd ask questions, I'd answer. I'd ask questions, she'd answer.

Yesterday a package arrived in the mail. I opened it and it was Christmas in October! All because I'd peeked into someone else's blog. Wanna see what I got? Here's a little taste:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=31909186

"Come in, and know me better man"! (Charles Dickens)

I would encourage you to go and visit other people's blogs. You might be surprised at what you find, the things you learn, lives that touch you, and friendships that are made. Oh, and don't forget to leave your card (a comment) before you leave. No doorbell ditching aloud.

I know my turns coming.....it's the curse every parent plants on their child.

This photo has a story. I do not know what the original story was/is but it goes way back in our family. The question is, how far back? Where did it originally come from? I don't know.

This photo hung in our barn. Everyday since I was a tiny girl I would see it hanging on the wall in the barn. Why in the world would this photo be hanging in someone's barn? Did my parents hang it there or did it come with the place when they came all the way out from New Jersey to Montana and bought the farm house that was over a hundred years old, barn included?

Also in this same barn was a box that appeared to a little child as being huge! It was ignored for several years until the sides started to deteriorate or little fingers started to dig holes into the sides of the box spilling forth the shipping contents onto the barn floor. If you took the packing peanuts and folded them in half they made a really cool popping noise and were then dropped onto the cement floor as more were pulled from the box, folded in half, and after hearing the delightful popping sound dropped. Eventually more and more of the packing peanuts found their way to the floor and the hole in the side of the box grew bigger and bigger until one day the item the packing peanuts were protecting was revealed. DIAMONDS! An entire box full of diamonds. Big ones! I can remember holding one in my little hand. The diamond covered my entire hand. For some reason, I was satisfied with just one even though I could see there were many more of several different sizes.

I'm not sure how long I played with that diamond before my mother found me out and explained to me that it was not a diamond but in fact a piece of glass that went to her chandelier and I needed to put it back so that someday when she had a home she could hang her chandelier in, she'd have all of the pieces.

My mother is a lady. She was born in New York City and when she gave birth to seven daughters and one boy she was bound and determined we'd grow up to be ladies and a gentleman. I'm sure all went to plan until we moved to the farm. Mother packed up her beautiful chandelier in the hopes of bringing it out one day, polishing it up, and hanging it in an entryway that would best show off its prismatic light.

My mother never gave up trying to teach us girls how to behave. I think that at some point she hoped that the chandeliers inside of our cardboard box exteriors would one day shine.

One evening as we were all sitting around the dinner table eating, I picked up a spoon full of red Jell-o, slurped it into my mouth and turning to my sister said, "Look, it's a zit"! I then took my fingers and squeezed my cheeks making the Jell-o start to pop out of my mouth. A quick glance at my mother and the look on her face made me suck in the Jell-o quick. A little too quick and as I choked and coughed, out came the Jell-o flying across the table. I sat there in horror. Dripping off of my mothers face and eyelashes was slobbery red Jell-o and underneath the red Jell-o was an even redder face. A face so red with anger that I sat paralyzed waiting for what was to come next trying hard not to start giggling but my face turning a bright red to match my mothers from the effect of holding in the giggles.

My mother sputtering turned to my father and said, "Bud! Do something"! It was then that I noticed another red face. The face at the head of the table trying to suppress a laughter that could not be suppressed. Tears streaming down his face he looked at me and said, "Rachel, apologize to your mother"!

My poor mother. All she wanted was her daughters to grow up to be chandeliers and instead I grew up to be a photo of a baby with spaghetti all over my head.

Grocery Shopping on a Budget

Having spent many years going grocery shopping on a limited budget with chillin's in tow. I now have a PhD (Pretty Huge Distaste)in this department. Many have sought me out for advice and counseling. I have had a 99% success rate and today because it is 10-5-09, a day which must have meaning to someone in this big wide world I give you my advice for free. But only for a few short moments and then it goes back up to full price.

You have heard the rule many times, do not go grocery shopping when you are hungry. This is critical! So critical that I tell my clients the second you walk into a grocery store, go straight to the candy aisle, grab a package of Twizzlers, open the bag, take out a few pieces of licorice, and eat as you walk through the grocery store. I have found that peanut M&M's work well too. It just depends on how often you want to be putting your hand into the open bag while trying to load groceries.

If you have children with you, grab a box of the gooiest crackers or candy you can find. Rice Crispy treats are perfect. Just make sure it is something that when they bite into it, it snaps their jaws shut just as fast. Then, proceed with your grocery shopping. This takes care of wailing caterwauling children for the duration freeing you up so that you don't end up in the aisle with fly swatters beating your kids.

If you do these things you will have a 100 percent success rate. I did however have one client that this did not work for. You'll see why in a moment. There's always one....... Names have been changed to protect the innocent.

Bawlinda came into my office and related her experience. Here is what she said, "On Friday I went grocery shopping. I hadn't eaten anything in awhile. I remembered your counsel which has always helped me in the past so I beelined it straight to the candy aisle and grabbed a package of Twizzlers and ripped them open. I proceeded to walk down aisle after aisle trying to grocery shop but my mind was in such a state that I couldn't focus! At one point I found myself standing in front of a display of hot cocoa. So many to choose from. I couldn't decide which flavor so I put one of each into my cart. I continued on down the aisle and into the next. The baking aisle. I needed something in that aisle but I couldn't remember what it was. What I found was a sale sign for Guitard chocolate chips. The shelf was empty. The sale was really really good. Standing next to me loading shelves was a man stocking the shelves. I approached him and asked him if there were anymore in the back. He told me that he didn't know. He thought the store might be out. You can not imagine how this made me feel! I asked the man if he realized that the world was going to come to an end NOW! He was a kind man, or he was afraid of me, either way he left and said he'd see if he could find some in the back for me. I waited and a few minutes later he came back with a box. I grabbed the box from him thanking him to which he gave me a strange look. I told him, he wasn't planning on actually putting any of those on the shelf was he, and I took the chocolate chips and threw them into my cart along with the cans of hot cocoa.

I'm not sure how long I spent in the grocery store wandering up and down each aisle trying to figure out what it was I was supposed to put in my cart. When I made it to the check out and loaded my groceries onto the belt I still had no idea what I'd bought. All I knew was that it cost $130.00 and when the cashier asked me about the opened bag of Twizzlers I told her it was a shame paying full price for 1/2 a bag of candy".

I've been working with Bawlinda over the weekend and as of this morning she seems to be doing much better. Through much talking she admitted that she'd had a rough few days. Her handicapped son had had an attack and she was emotionally distraught over the situation. We agreed that not only should she not do any shopping but she shouldn't be out driving the next time she is an emotional basket case. This is why Chinese take out was invented. Next time, we're hoping for 100% success.

Thank goodness it was Mr. Z huh mom!

Every once in awhile Levi has a habit of not wanting to come home from school. He'll be walking along and decide that is far enough and plop himself down. I don't know if he is tired but he refuses to move and is belligerent. One of The Natives will run home to tell me while another Native sits with Levi.

Yesterday my baby girl came running into the house and told me that Levi wouldn't come home. I jumped on my bike knowing I could get him to come home because he loves to ride my bike. As I got closer to the school I noticed not only Levi's brother sitting with him but someone else. A teacher who I remembered seeing somewhere but........wasn't sure where. He introduced himself as Mr. Z.

I took one look at Levi and knew this was more than his usual, "I'm going to be a pill and what are you going to do about it"? He was laying down and there were tears in his eyes.

Mr. Z kindly told me that he'd wait with Levi and his brother and I took off back home to get the truck. When I drove up Mr. Z picked up Levi and put him in the truck. THANK YOU MR Z. Levi isn't tiny.

As we were driving home Levi's brother who has had Mr. Z for math and thinks Mr. Z is totally cool said, "Thank goodness it was Mr. Z as the crossing guard today huh mom"!

So ya, Levi's had an attack and I'll talk about that another day. For now, I just want to point out how small the world is and how cool it is to live in such a small world over seen by a loving God.

As I stated, Levi's brother had Mr. Z for math. Mr. Z is cool. This was the report. Up until today I'd never met Mr. Z. I have a friend. A really good friend. A gal named Misty Cox. Yup! Thee Misty Cox who was published here on Friday. I read Misty's post and then looked at the photos on the side bar. I read the bio's under the photos and thought nothing more.

Fast forward to today. I pull up and see Levi on the ground. I start to explain to Mr. Z about Levi and he tells me he already knows. I don't need to explain......he reads my blog! You do? I apologize. What a painful experience for anyone that reads my blog. I go back and get my truck and when I get back to Levi a neighbor is standing there. I read her blog. She says to Mr. Z and I, "You are both bloggers, I have a question". Mr. Z blogs? Really? Huh.... I come home and am taking care of Levi. During a small interlude before the throwing up phase I go to my neighbors blog and look up this Mr.Z who says he reads my blog. I see his blog, I see his photo, and would ya know? I've seen that photo before! Here! When I read Misty's post.

Cool! Thank goodness it was Mr. Z as the crossing guard yesterday!

I didn't need that mom.......

I believe my first right and obligation as a parent is to embarrass my children.

As The Natives were getting ready for school this morning I noticed all of their stuff piled on the island. I made mental notes as to who's stuff went with who, what papers needed to be returned to teachers, you know the drill. When my two Junior High Natives went out the door I was busy getting Levi into the tub and yelled the usual "Bye, I love you, Have a good day"....

After getting Levi situated in the tub I came back downstairs and noticed one of the Natives binder still on the island. I hurried and looked at the clock. Is it possible he is still standing at the bus stop? I ran out the door and looked down the street and with relief saw that he was still there waiting for the bus along with all of the other Junior High kids in the area.

This is the moment when every parent stops and checks them self. "Do I run back inside and make myself presentable and chance the bus coming and therefore missing my child or do I just go for it and scar my son even more thus ensuring when he goes out into the world nothing could be worse than having me for his mum".

Let your imaginations flow with me for a minute. Bed head which makes Medusa look tame, yesterdays make up running down my face, pajama pants that don't like to stay up, a raggy t-shirt, nothing supportive supporting those which need support after giving nourishment to many Natives, and slippers. All that was missing was the terry cloth robe and curlers.

Take the image I just painted for you and that was what went running yelling her Natives name at the top of her winded gasping voice over and over as I ran to the bus stop.

As I got closer I heard one of the Junior High kids ask my son, "Is that your mother"? Neither one of my sons had turned around up until this point when the Native who was asked turned and then nudged his brother......the one I had been yelling his name out all the way down the street. The poor boy turned and shuffled his way to me and then said, "Mom, I didn't need that".

Really? Well, in that case before I go schlepping back home let me give you a big ol' slobbery kiss on your cheek and a pat on your bahootie cuz I'm your mummy and I'm entitled to embarrass you! It's my right.......it's my obligation.....it's what I do.