I do love primary

Today I got to substitute in Primary. It was awesome. Hear are some of my favorite things and as Dave Barry would say, I swear I am not making this up:
Watching Ethan spell out his name on the chair label his teacher made for him
Having Ethan tell me about camping and making s'mores
Singing Primary Songs-simple yet so profound
Watching my pal Cami be the awesomest music leader
Being a visitor and getting serenaded by a welcome song
Watching Nathan be Wicked King Noah and put on his "mean face"
Learning that Alma wrote on the "Grass" Plates
Singing "Tabernacle Choir Style" and putting my whole heart into it
Having Marlee turn around while I was singing thusly and, with a look of utter shock on her face, put her hands over her ears (Mendy, this totally made me laugh-she was so cute!)
Having sweet little Leah, who doesn't know me at all, snuggle up, physically put my arm around herself, hold my hand and totally trust me just because I'm her Primary Teacher
Getting Justin to calm down and be happy
After telling him to turn around so he wouldn't fall off the chair, having Calvin tell me that if he gets hurt it will be okay cuz he'll just stick his head right back on
Eating pretzels on the floor while sitting on a towel with 4 little kids
Having Leah explain Amanda's "robot leg" to me in the sweetest possible way
Watching Amanda dance and twirl while we sang Do as I'm Doing
Learning that the Holy Spirit is not the same thing as the Holy Ghost because, duh, one is a spirit and one is a ghost
Hearing sweet, pure little testimonies about the most fundamental truths of the gospel coming from 4 and 5 year-olds
Getting that candy bar! (I actually think every primary teacher should get a candy bar every single week)

Okay, on that happy note, having fed the missionaries, packed the car, arranged for rides, helped Sara and Sam get packed and made the last of the breakfast burritos (with my darling, probably-as-exhausted-as-me husband's help) I'm heading to bed for a few hours then heading up to the beautiful Pennsylvania hills for a week.

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A Day at the Beach

Here is the fun we had at Bethany Beach over in Delaware-more of a cottage town that Ocean City, but with some nice shopping and lovely views. It was a good day.

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Two of the Worst Hours of My Life Thus Far...

...were yesterday, but they're over, and today, blessedly, was a new and very wonderful day. There's no point in reliving the series of unfortunate events, but I have hope that there will be mending and healing. Though I'm not going to share the gory details here, I have to say that knowing that loving eyes and caring hearts would be reaching out to me through the fiber-optic network gave me comfort. That, and the perfectly timed company of a wonderful friend. But, like Forrest Gump, that's all I have to say about that.

I'd much rather talk about today! Today was me and 10 kids aged 8-18 on the loose at Six Flags. It was so much fun. I love being an Auntie. I can be so much more fun than I sometimes am as only a mom. Today I wore both hats and it was great. These particular visiting cousins have not spent much time with my kids or the other cousins that live out here, owing to the 2300 or so miles between here and Arizona, but they are close in age, so it was great fun to see them all together. The older ones went off to ride the roller coasters and the younger ones and I took in the gentler rides then parked ourselves at the wave pool to swim the rest of the day away. This picture is only 7 of the 10 heading back into the park after lunch. The other 3 couldn't wait to get back to the fun, so they headed off by themselves. They were totally obedient about checking in every hour, about never going off alone and basically taking care of each other. The highlight of the day was when my darling nephew said to his other cousins, "This was a very enjoyable day!" I think the crush of 9 cousins all in the same place at the same time has been a little bit of an adjustment for him and the fact that he was happy made the day perfect.

Overall, it was exactly what I needed, I just didn't know it. In the middle of all the obligations I've willingly taken upon myself (did that sound rehearsed?), knowing that Eric will be out of town tomorrow and Saturday, I was having serious anxiety about just falling off the map for two days to play with my family, then spending all day Saturday at Seminary Inservice then leaving for camp on Monday morning. Yet, in a very tender-mercies sort of way, in the party atmosphere of this little amusement park; experiencing the sweetly satisfying company of extended family; my brain settled down, my heart stopped racing and I remembered that I had a really great week last week and pretty much have everything under control for next week. I even had my card exchange cards all planned out and had started assembling them in plenty of time. See what happens when I don't have my last minute routine? See what happens when I'm organized? My brain sabotages me. Sheesh. Sometimes I just want to be done with this whole natural (wo)man thing.

Anyhow, in the spirit of gratitude and positive thinking, all is well, really. As most of the tee-shirts I own say, "Life is Good." I like to joke that sometimes I wear those shirts as a declaration and sometimes as a reminder. Today's blue one went on this morning as more of a plea, I think, but ended up being a joyful shout-out to the universe that my current appreciation of continual rebirth really has meaning.

I am looking forward to our Auntie-Cousins day trip to Bethany Beach tomorrow and I am especially looking forward to my seminary meeting on Saturday. Then bring on camp, because it will be great too, mostly because I won't be doing it alone. I forgot that and got tricked into thinking I was alone, but I never was, and never will be.

"We turn not older with years, but new every day." -Emily Dickinson

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The End of an Era

Tonight, Evan "graduated" from 5th grade. Tomorrow marks the last day of my 14th consecutive year at Bollman Bridge Elementary School. I find myself quite emotional at the thought. I have been breaking into unexpected bouts of tears all year as folks keep mentioning that this is the Nuss family's last year. I have been associated with BBES longer than with any institution or organization in my life other than my family of origin, the church and my marriage. I wasn't even in my childhood ward that long. It will be so strange to drive past and not wonder what my child inside is up to-automatically checking my watch to see if it's lunchtime, or peeking over to see if I can tell which grade is out for recess.

I've volunteered in cycles over the years, always preferring hands-on work with the students rather than PTA stuff. Some years I've been more available than others, but there is value in becoming familiar with your child's teachers and administrators. I've never sought nor received special treatment because of my involvement, but breaking the ice by just being at school gives one so much more of an understanding of what school is really like for a kid, and for a teacher for that matter. I have a lot more respect for teachers than I used to, and I can more easily discern when my kids need to be supported in their little complaints about school and when I need to take the teacher's side. I think I've done 6 memory books, worked in the media center (my favorite, of course) worked one on one with reading recovery, done Math Flash (a flash-card based math recovery program) been the Friday Folder mom at least 6 times, helped with many parties, baked many cupcakes, and taken a couple thousand photos. There are a few people who have been there as long as we have and it really feels like home-like its part of our Main Street world. It has been a foundation of my children feeling like they have roots in the neighborhood, like this really is where they come from. Evan had absolutely no fear of Kindergarten because by the time he started, most of the teachers knew him, the office staff knew him, and he loved going to school with me all the time when he was little. He was my constant companion when I volunteered in the years just before he started. We are so fortunate that, after moving around a great deal in our early marriage, mostly by choice, we have been able to be settled here for so long. This is not one of the "desirable schools" that real estate agents try to point new families to, but it is real, the people are hard-working and there is diversity, which is important to me. I really don't want my kids to know only rich white kids. That is part of the reason we've stayed here.

I guess I can place my emotions in the symbolism of this particular milestone. It means my kids really are growing up, and that the future is barreling toward me faster than I ever thought it would at the age of 20 or even 30. Time is compressing, and this is the evidence. When I think about where I was at the age of 19 and 11 months and where I am now, it's like Harry's first experience apparating with Dumbledore. I've been squeezed suddenly from one place to another and hardly know how I got here. I have a lot of school ahead, and plenty more volunteering to do, but there is just nothing quite like Elementary School. It is so safe, so innocent, so comfortable. The children, while they are growing up faster, really are still pure. I have always felt the spirit in attendance at BBES. So, I will miss it.

I pay tribute to all the people who have had a hand in my children's upbringing, who've helped them, praised them, chastened them, offered opportunities for growth, and been an important part of our family. The public school system is sometimes more exasperating than exhilarating around here, but in the end, it can work. Farewell, BBES...

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Friday and Saturday

I enjoyed the last of the pleasant weather before we get blasted this week. Friday was a very fun day for everyone. I had lovely company during the afternoon while Corinne's boys and then later Corinne and Sheely were at my home. Xavey and I blew bubbles and ran Evan's RC monster truck through the yard. Preston was quite undone by the truck that moved by itself-he was really frightened, but he recovered and had a great day.

Later on, the kids pretty much all had plans--Eric took Sara and Evan to an Orioles game with Grandma and the visiting cousins and Johnathan and Sam hung out at home. Johnathan was supposed to go out with some of the young adults, but he wasn't feeling great after his dental appointment. Whilst my darlings were all happily occupied, I had another great time with Holly. I had the honor of showing her around her first yarn shop. She is a natural with the knitting--she is doing amazingly well, and I'm not just saying that because I know she reads my blog ;o). I've pretty much seen it all as a knitting teacher and she has the knack. She and I then had a lovely night out looking at books, eating and getting started on a sweater for her soon-to-arrive little one. Pretty much the perfect evening!

I miss having my sisters and sisters-in-laws around so much and spending time today with Corinne and Holly eased that pang an awful lot.

Saturday started out with my 8 mile run with Sue. We had a good run-our time was in our normal range and we felt strong. The weather was spectacular-about 60 degrees when we started out and low humidity. I saw three people I know on the trail and that's always fun. After that was my marathon shopping trip for camp. My kids are now being tortured by stacks of Little Debbie treats and cereal in my living room. My colleague in the kitchen is a dear friend whom I've known for years and if the fun we had shopping is any indication, camp will be a blast. More important than the fun was the fact that we worked together and made decisions in perfect harmony. We got about half the shopping done. Some things were way more expensive at BJ's so Patty is going to look at Costco. Some things we'll buy up there near camp in Altoona or Bedford. We'll buy the produce at the wholesale market on the Monday that camp begins. The great thing about doing the food is that I'll be able to observe Sara and see her occasionally, but I can still be pretty invisible to her so she can have her own camp experience.

I spent a horrific afternoon defrosting my very old freezer that we got for 100 bucks about 100 years ago. I'm thinking that I would sacrifice a lot to get a new, frost-free model. There are about a million things I'd rather do than defrost the freezer, thus it doesn't get done often enough and I have to use words like horrific to describe the process when I do get around to it. Uff.

Then we went over the Lurman Woodland Theater. I hadn't been in years and it was just lovely. We had to leave at the intermission because Evan got a headache, but I highly recommend the experience if you get a chance this summer. It is free, and the atmosphere is totally casual-there's a sandbox and a field for kids to play in while the concert is going on, folks are seated all around the stage on blankets and having picnics. There are bathrooms and a concession stand right there, and it's easy to get to. The schedule for the rest of the summer is here. There is all kinds of music and it is a great chance for families to do something together.
I swear I don't work for them, I just really think it's neat.

When we got home we lit a fire in the outdoor firebowl, had our nightly devotional out there, and then watched a movie together. Johnathan went over to a friend's house and all was well in the Nuss household.

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Observations:

Sara and Evan are off with Grandpa and the visiting cousins to Washington D.C. for the day. I am working on camp food as much as I can today. This week has been great. My list has worked like a charm, things have stayed together, and I was even organized enough for a totally impromptu trip to the temple with my good pal on Tuesday night. She called and my first instinct was to say no, but as I looked around, I realized that things were under control and I could go. I had finished my list for the day. It was kind of a wierd feeling. Dinner was made, the house was clean, homework was done, Who da thunk it? One of the guys on Mythbusters once said,"It's almost like we know what we're doing!" That was exactly how I felt when it dawned on me that I could leave feeling totally calm about how things would be while I was gone. It was wonderful to have that time with her. She's in another ward, and so our time together is precious.

When I have a week like this when I'm so busy that I know I need extra measures to keep my on track, I get in a mode where I'm focused and determined, and get so much accomplished and have margins in my day for thinking and serving and relaxing without guilt. When this happens, I always stop and wonder why I don't live my life this way all the time. You would think I would, but I don't. I have to allow the sad realization that I really am an adrenaline junkie. Just like any addiction, I need to work on weaning myself off of it and learning to function without always being one step away from the precipice. Of course it comes from the flawed thinking that freedom means a lack of structure. True principles remind me that freedom always comes from structure, as long as it's the right structure. Order brings peace, disorder brings forced motivation and the rush of the push to get things done combined with the temporary high of being sucessful under pressure. I hope I'm getting wise enough to desire the peace more than the rush.

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Something fun for this weekend

On the campus of my high school in Catonsville, there is a wonderful community amphiteather that hosts free shows all summer, the Lurman Woodland Theater. This Saturday, Al Pettaway and Amy White are playing for FREE! It is a lovely little theater in a grove (my school campus is huge, with much of the old estate it was built on preserved as groves and open fields. Bring a blanket and a picnic and it is great fun. The duo playing on Saturday are amazing musicians and perform in the folk-Appallachain-Celtic traditions, if you like that sort of thing. I don't know if my kids will be interested, but I may try to talk my hubby into a date night.

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Crossing things off

My week got off to a great start yesterday. I pretty much got everything I needed to done and fit in a few bonuses. I'm keeping track of my progress here. The pasta salad, always an adventure, turned out great with leftover chicken, sicilian cracked olives, artichoke hearts, mozzerella cheese, broccoli and orange sweet peppers. I tossed it with a combination of almost-gone salad dressings, so as usual, it was a delicious, but never to be repeated combo. That is the story of much of my cooking because I love to try new things. I was imagining that I looked and cooked like Giada Dilaurentis. I'm pretty sure that is why it tasted so good.

Anyway, I just spent a luxuriant hour really reading my friends' blogs and can I just say again how grateful I am to have sort of stumbled my way into this? There is something about being able to read and then write about life that allows feelings to be expressed and personalities to be discovered in a way that I love. For an introverted homebody like me, it has been a wonderful way to make connections I might never have made otherwise.

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Navigation

So, when I have multiple projects coming up, I make a certain kind of list. It's a little more detailed than a calendar, but not an exhaustive things-to-do list. I could relate it to making myself a sort of map of my upcoming tasks so I can get a bird's-eye view of a particularly complex period of time rather than risk getting bogged down at ground level. Usually, I keep my schedule mostly in my head and I can picture it fairly well. Sometimes I have so many things going on, I need a little help to navigate through the shallows. Processing things in this way also helps me break the big projects up into manageable bits. As things go along, I will actually cross things off to show myself I'm making progress. Often I get motivated and get more done in the early sessions and get ahead of the game, sometimes even while I'm making the list--THAT is a major triumph for me :o)

Monday:
Morning: Start Monday cleaning, Knitting Lessons, order flowers for 5th grade graduation, process memory book orders, send out emails about Generation of Excellence to Seminary parents and kids. Figure out who still needs help. Email Matt to find out if we are still having an auction on Saturday.
Noon: Lunch with a pal
Afternoon-evening: Monday cleaning, revise shopping list for camp food, email Patty to get Monkey Bread recipe she likes and Jill's shopping list, family home evening
Dinner: Pasta Salad with leftover chicken

Tuesday:
Morning: Continue working on shopping lists for camp, revise summer-tee knitting pattern, email students with revisions, Knitting Lesson at Shop, go to dollar store to price balloons for 5th grade graduation
Noon-thirty: Walk at Supreme with a friend
Afternoon-evening: Knit, read, help Johnathan with photog merit badge (oh yeah, fill out the forms to be merit badge counselor), go to pool with kids if weather is good or go over to moms to see the cousins from Arizona, Sam needs to study for finals
Dinner: Tacos

Wednesday:
Morning: Plan out pre-cooking for camp, decide on the "Garnish of the Day" (camp theme is Let Virtue Garnish Thy Thoughts Unceasingly), plan out daily messages for camp kitchen white board, Knitting Lesson at 10:30
Noon: Workout
Afternoon: Work on sock for class, check over pattern
Dinner: Mac and Cheese (activity night tradition)
Evening: Teach sock class at shop, kids and Eric to activities

Thursday:
During School: Tie up all loose ends for camp food, test Monkey bread recipe, start making breakfast burritos to freeze for camp
Afternoon: Make reminder calls about Generation of Excellence and certificates on Sunday, Pool?
Evening: Enrichment (don't forget to pick up Keira), Eric to late dinner with Client-kids home alone
Dinner: Breakfast Burritos ;o)


Friday:
Morning: Tie up loose ends for 5th grade graduation, knitting fun with a pal
Afternoon: Home with Corinne's kids-can't wait, by the way!
Evening: Make reminder calls about Sunday and Auction if its happening, E-mail Janice the names for GofE, hang out with Beth and Layne-maybe a movie?
Dinner: Homemade Pizza

Saturday:
Early Morning: 8 miles with Sue, catch up on laundry
Daytime: Time with Beth and Layne? Garden work
Evening: Auction???

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Pictures after all...

Today Jeff sent us several photos. This one just makes me weep with the beauty of the moment. This is Elder Nuss getting ready to baptize Hermana Yaniled in the Caribbean Sea. Bless his companion for capturing such a beautiful image. If you click on it to see it actual size, you'll their smiles.

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Letters from Jeff

We heard from Jeff this week. No new photos, but lots of good news. He is doing very well and loves the experiences he is having. He seems untroubled by homesickness, and is handling the day-to-day challenges he is having quite well. He had to go to the dentist yesterday, and while I haven't heard how it went, I know he'll be fine. He was able to take care of all his preparatory dental work pretty much on his own last year. He had his wisdom teeth pulled while he was out in Provo at school, so he's had some experience doing adult things like this. I'm glad he was so motivated and independent before hand, when I was available to help him if he needed it, so that now he's not fazed by having to take care of these kinds of situations with no availability of parental help.
Being a selectively neglectful mom always gives me mixed feelings-should I do more for them? Is it really okay to let them wear dirty clothes because they didn't get their laundry done??? I'm sure I've made the wrong decisions at times and not done enough for them, but seeing Jeff have real-life success with adult life helps me see that there's wisdom in letting them find out how much they can do without my help. It requires supression of pride and selfishness from me, because a great deal of motherly validation comes from knowing your kids need you as well as from turning shiny, happy, attractive little evidences of motherly skill out into the world for all to see. When others find out that Evan chooses to wear the same socks for a week, what must they think of me? I have finally gotten to the point where I don't mind what they think of me. I know I've taught him better than that, but the time comes when I have to let him choose for himself. Hopefully if I give them leeway in largely unimportant areas like socks, I can still wield some influence in the areas from which I will not budge, like morals and modesty.
From the time Sara was a wee bairn, she has not wanted my input on her appearance. I could never touch her hair and she started rejecting my choices for clothes at the age of 3. But, it seemed that as long as she had the freedom to wear pretty much any combination of colors and styles, I was able to put my foot down about sleeves and skirt lengths and tightness. I could live with that. Sure, I would have loved for her to always look so pretty and perfect. I knew she would be my only girl. It was hard to see her walk out the door totally mismatched and looking like a gypsy. The trade-off is that from the time she was two, she's known that sleeveless, short and tight are not options, but just about anything else is. She was a modest gypsy. Now she has developed her own cute style. More important to me is that we do not argue about modesty. In fact just the other day she brought me a darling dress she gotten as a hand-me-down from a friend. It was strappy and short and she came to me with a list of alterations and solutions already in hand so she could wear it. She didn't even think to wear it as is. I was so proud of her. So, in spite of my mostly imperfect parenting, my temper, and my sometimes disorganized ways, there are successes in my mothering life that show me that my kids are being blessed and that powers beyond my own are taking up the slack caused by my worrisome weaknesses. If they need me, they know I'm here, but I'm glad that their source of strength comes from knowing they can handle every-day life.

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Johnathan's Week

This week I saw my second son graduate. It was not old hat, as some moms told me it would be. It was tender and exhilerating and happy and everything else, just like Jeff's was. Johnathan is so different from Jeff, and I rejoice in that. Because of that, our experiences with his schooling and graduation have been singular and special in their own way. He is an extraordinary boy-sensitive and smart and hard-working.

He also graduated from seminary tonight with 4 years of perfect attendance. You may scoff and say "But it's in his house, big deal." Not so. Neither of my other sons has that accomplishment. He has just as much of a chance of oversleeping as anyone else. So, I am really proud of him for that. He spoke tonight at the ceremony and focused on missionary work and on his plans to serve a mission. He spoke of Eric's conversion story in college as well as some of Jeff's mission experiences. It was definitely a moment that helped enlarge the view of motherhood to include a few tangible rewards.

He continues his strides into the real world this week as he gears up for his Eagle Project on Saturday. I'm happy that he chose to set that goal, and I'm okay with him getting it at the last minute, because he has taken ownership of the process. It will really be his Eagle award. I'd rather him do it this way and experience the weight of responsibility than race to have it done by a certain age and have it basically be earned by me. I only push so far in these types of activities-the rest had to come from him. Soon, he gets to feel the flush of accomplishment, not me.

Anyway, here is a brief photo retrospective of the life of Johnathan-my darling second son...most like me in personality of any of my kids, yet filled with the strength of his dad-a very nice combination.


Here is is as a newborn. He ended up being a planned C-section so I remember getting up , showering , putting on a cute comfy outfit, a little make-up, doing my hair and going to the hospital--totally relaxed. It was actually a relief for me because with Jeff I had labored for 12 hours then had the C-section anyway(he never even entered the birth canal). We knew Johnathan was at least a pound bigger and the doctors figured I just had no chance of delivering him. Then, they put me, all cute and relaxed and reading a book while I waited to be prepped for surgery, in the regular labor ward! (this was a long time ago, ladies-birthing suites and centers were still a novelty unless you lived in California) so all these dear, miserable, laboring women had to watch me be wheeled past. I protested and they let me wait in the hall. Sheesh. ...
Everything went fine-I have been blessed with very uncomplicated C-sections and was usually back up on my feet in a week or two.

This was when he was about two. Jeff is 4. I was all of 24 going on 25 here. Johnathan has had every kind of hair-curly and very dark, dark auburn, straight, silky and bright red and here, fading to a lovely strawberry blonde and already so thick so as not to be believed in one so young.

Here he is three, and his hair has gone totally blonde. He never was a towhead-that beautiful white blonde (like Corinne's sweet little Preston) but always a lovely light, golden, ripe-wheat- rippling-in-the-breeze kind of color. It will still lighten up to that in the summer. He wore this style of red, round glasses from the time he was 2 1/2 till he was about 6 or 7, then we couldn't find them any more. I picked out the first pair because he was so little, then I guess he got used to seeing his face in those glasses and he picked them out on his own thereafter. I LOVED that Harry Potter's glasses were round.

Fast forwarding quite a bit, here is his standard pose for helping me set my lights for a studio shoot. I love this though, because he is quiet and not that demonstrative, but he really has a wonderful sense of humor and fun. Its good to see a serious, sensitive kid be silly sometimes.

Congratulations, Johnathan!

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8 Random Facts About Me

Tag, I'm it! Holly tagged me for this fun way to get to know each other better. And what would we all do without Tom's of Maine toothpaste-its the best!

The rules:
Each player starts with 8 random facts/habits about themselves. People who are tagged, write a blog post about their own 8 random things, and post these rules. At the end of your post you need to tag 8 people and include their names.
Don’t forget to leave them a comment and tell them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

1. I go in cycles wearing make-up. I usually get dolled up for church, but during the week I will go weeks without it. Then, at some point, always, always, always, because of my pale skin and wee little eyelashes, someone will ask me if I'm ill on a day that I'm NOT wearing make-up. Then, I tend to get back into putting on my face...at least for a while.

2. I love quotes-literary excerpts, song lyrics, scriptures, etc. I have many quote books and read them regularly. I love to use quotes as inspiration for journaling, for photos, and for personal study. I need to share them more. I used to have my email set up to rotate through a collection of about 50 random quotes that I had collected, but when I had some computer problems, I lost them. I am now motivated to compile a new collection.

3. I am using Weight Watchers to try to, uh...watch my weight. It is a good system with enough flexibility to work for me. I have learned a lot about portion control. I have also learned that I can get away with 2 tablespoons of chocolate chips straight from the bag and still be within my points allowance. Yessssssssssssss. I am trying to be happy with slow and steady progress, even though I really really want to be skinny for my family reunion. Proof that "Vanity working on a weak mind produces every kind of mischief..."

4. Which leads me to this juicy fact: I prefer (should I whisper this heresy?) Jeremy Northam's Mr. Knightly to Colin Firth's Mr. Darcy. Colin just doesn't pull it off for me. Okay, okay the wet shirt scene is great, because he moves so well. In spite of that, I like Colin better when he's slightly bumbling and vulnerable-I prefer him in Love, Actually; What a Girl Wants; and Nanny McPhee. Jeremy Northam in Emma is is just so perfectly dreamy. Sigh...

5. I can't go to sleep unless I have my clothes picked out for the next day. This is due to my seminary years, I'm pretty sure. During the week, I pick out both my seminary clothes (have to wear Sunday Best every morning) and my outfit for later. Even if its just jeans and flip-flops, I feel much better when it's all ready.

6. I used to be able to pretty much recite every scene from Monty Python and the Holy Grail from memory. My favorite scenes (don't fence me in on this) are when King Arthur is talking to Dennis: "Help! I'm being repressed!" and of course the French Guards: "Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries!" and, we can't forget The Holy Hand Grenade: "Three shall be the number thou shalt count, and the number of the counting shall be three. Four shalt thou not count, neither count thou two, excepting that thou then proceed to three. Five is right out."
Ahhh, I'm gettin' giggly just typing this stuff.


7. I love animals and am grateful for all the good times we've had with our pets (currently a dog, two cats, a hamster, and a cockatiel) over the years, but I am looking forward to attrition giving us the eventual opportunity to be a human-centric house rather than one that feels faintly like an african safari.

8. The first time I ran a marathon I lost 7 toenails. They turned black and fell off. They grew back and I learned that running shoes should be 2-2.5 sizes larger than regular shoes so your foot has room to spread out when it hits the ground. Since I got properly fitting, good quality running shoes, I've never had any more toenail problems.

Well, that is a pretty random list. Hope that last one's not too gory for you. I have not been able to check everyone's blogs every day, so I'm wondering if most of the folks who read here have already been tagged. If not, consider yourself tagged. I'd love to read more lists.

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