lindler5

this blog brought to you by the letter L

2011-12-12T21:18:00.004-05:00

Christmas cards.
i love them.

love them.
love them.
love them.

i love when they begin rolling through the front door.
opening up each envelope.
seeing new photos of families.

and i love creating our own card each year.
finding the perfect photo.
the perfect verse.

i had it in the bag this year.

found the template i loved.
had it customized.
sent it off to a print house.
heavy cardstock.
rounded corners.

my box of cards came in the mail today. i was beside myself with excitement. couldn't wait for kevin to get home so i could show him.

i held them in my hand. turned them over several times.
they were perfect.

kevin came home.
i knew he would give me a big high five & tell me i outdid myself this year.

my plans were to stuff envelopes, address & stamp through the night.

and then...
he burst my bubble.

it says THE LINDERS, ashley.

so it's not the perfect card.
but i suppose you need to proof really well in order to reach perfection.

Merry Christmas.
from the linders.

if it were up to me, you would receive this very card.
cause it's pretty.

but kevin sort of wants it clear that we are the lindLers.

ps - this is the back of the card.

let's take a poll.

really.
would you have noticed?

comments leaning towards my persuasion greatly appreciated.
and to all a good night.

25% off sale - last day!!

2011-11-21T09:28:00.002-05:00

Today is the last day of the 25% off sale. If you have anything on your wishlist, forward it over to me & I can get it ordered. Prices bounce back to original Tuesday.

Here are a few gift ideas for all of the ladies in your life.

The Teacher (if you teach one of my little ones, please cover your eyes)

I love, love, love (do I need to insert another love there?) the Adahleen Pin ($9). It has both a pin & alligator clip on the backside allowing you to use it on cardigans + tees + necklaces + or in your little girl's hair.

The Emma Pin ($6) is the same idea, but a little less expensive.

Both are great options for the female teachers on your list. Everyone loves a little funky accessory.

If you have a bigger budget for teachers, I am sure they would love the Kitchy Apron ($31.50). The kitchen does not happen to be my favorite room in the house, but at least I look cute while chopping + dicing in the Kitchy.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Depending on your price range, here are a few ideas for the ladies on your list.

$30 & under:

Garnet Lizzy (18m to 12yr) - Great layering piece with leggings + ruffles + jeans. Can be worn with a long sleeve tee underneath or cardigan over.

Clarissa Ruffles (S/M/L) - so comfortable you can sleep in them. I confess... I may have done this a time or two. Great under dresses + with long tunics + with flats + tall boots. If you are ordering for a friend, be sure to treat yourself to a pair as well. Maybe 2 pairs. Unless, of course, you are better at keeping up with laundry than I am.

All of the little girl big ruffles are under $30.

Great statement piece.

The Vander Ruffles (18m to 12yr) happen to be my favorite. They go great with so many tops & dresses in the collection.

Leggings are under $25.

Same idea as the adult clarissa ruffles.

The littles will want to sleep in them as well.

The Minny Leggings (18m to 12yr) is a fun little pair that is neutral enough in color to be worn under anything, but with just the right amount of print to make it all but boring.

If you are in the 40ish range, the True Blue Willow (2 to 12) is one of my top picks.

For 50ish you can get the matching Beatrice Willow (S/M/L) for adults.

And honestly, if you are in the $50 range, you can buy pretty much anything on the website.

Go crazy.

Mark every lady on your list off!!

The sale ends tonight.

Call me (803.315.9698) or email me your order if you would like to take advantage of these great prices.

And if this is a gift, let me know.

If your order is shipping to me, I am happy to wrap it up for you MJC style.

Happy Shopping -

Ashley Lindler
Trunk Keeper - Columbia, SC
www.matildajaneclothing.com
Trunk Keeper ID #298
____________________________________

Contact me:

803.315.9698 (c)

803.782.1172 (h)

ashleyl@matildajaneclothing.com

Don't forget my Holiday Open House hours:

Tuesdays - noon to 4pm - my house

Christmas delivery for all orders placed before December 16.

Free wrapping on orders over $100.

2011-11-17T13:45:00.002-05:00

Matilda Jane is beating Black Friday sales to the punch.

So pull out your lists & check it twice. Think of your mother + mother-in-law + sister + sister-in-law + best friend + all the sweet little girls in your life.

I will be hosting an Open House tomorrow...

Friday, November 18
1pm to 5pm
4020 Kilbourne Rd - 29205

Please feel free to pop in & shop during those hours.
Bring a friend.
If you bring 3 friends who purchase, that makes a show for you. So forget 25% off... we are talking 1/2 off & FREE!!

Can't stop by?
Take a peek online & forward your wishlist to me.

The easiest way to shop is to search by size. This will show you items available in all collections. You will not be able to purchase online, but you can place all of your items in a wishlist.

(this is what a wishlist looks like)

I will be entering orders tomorrow once the system reopens at 3pm, so try to have everything you want forwarded on to me & I will work on grabbing all of the items I can. I have a feeling that inventory will be depleted after this great sale, so we need to jump on getting your first picks as soon as possible.

If I don't already have your information in the system, please make certain to provide the following so I can easily enter your order:

shipping address
billing address (if different from above)
email
phone number (easiest way to reach you)

Please feel free to forward this email on to anyone you know is interested in Matilda Jane.

Thanks!!
Ashley

PS - if you are not already on my Matilda Jane email list & would like to be added, please respond back to me.

matilda jane look book

2011-10-23T22:09:00.008-04:00

the girls over at matilda jane are forever putting together some great look books. i think this is one of my favorites. thought i would share...

2011-09-30T12:47:00.002-04:00

seriously.
love.

if you have already seen this amazing line, you know the quality & beauty that is matilda jane clothing.

if not...
you must come have a looksie.

swing by my house tomorrow morning.
10am to 2pm.

gorgeousness awaits you.

new life

2011-09-22T07:31:00.003-04:00

last night was just a regular old wednesday night at church.

i had a matilda jane show.
my mom took the kids to church.
i picked them up.

but when orie met me in the hallway after RAs, something was different.

mom, i want to show you something but please don't get crazy and make a big deal out of it, ok.

(he knows me well.)

ok, i promised.

he pulled a little pad out of his detective jacket (ie, tan jacket with lots of pockets) and handed it to me.

in his second grade handwriting, it read:

today on september 21, 2011 i have asked to receive Christ into my life
(flip page)
but i don't want to be baptized. i want to be accepted by letter.

i didn't freak out.
i just cried.
and gave him a little hug.
and thanked God for working in this amazing little guy's life.

he says he thinks he will be ready for baptism by december.
not sure what the deal is with december, but that is his date.

the thing that amazes me about orie is that he has always had a passion for cultures & he already feels God leading him into missions. he has talked about wanted to share Christ with others for years, but lately he has gotten specific.

he feels a tug towards berlin.

i believe this is God.
i believe this is Him tugging on orie's heart.
i believe that 10, 11, 12 years from now God will have something prepared for orie.

i don't know what it is.
but i hope orie continues to listen.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

as an aside...

orie has accepted Christ
but is afraid to get baptized.

bradley has not yet accepted Christ
but is dying to get baptized.

she asked if she is really, really good can she do it in january.

go figure.

glitters

2011-09-14T07:18:00.002-04:00

i have a pair of glitter toms & wear them pretty much everyday.
if not everyday, every other day.
without socks.

because wearing toms with socks is just not cool.
heck, i don't wear socks with any shoes.
just not my style.

yesterday, my college roommate laura calls to tell me that her almost 5 year old son has been thinking about me.

i visited them in nashville last month.
we don't see each other often.
maybe once a year.

but undoubtedly, i leave strong impressions with connor.

as laura is putting on her new brown & black toms....

what are you doing putting on ashley's shoes, mom?

these aren't ashley's shoes. but they do look like them.

connor picks them up to observe closer. sniffs them.

yeah. and they don't smell like ashley's shoes either.

you're right, connor. ashley has always had stinky shoes. i lived with them all through college.

ok. so i find that hilarious.
a kid that sees me once a year has pegged me as the stinky feet girl.

but i still refuse to wear socks...
and i'm raising one little girl just the same.

those poor morgan + milos of hers...
hold your nose when she takes those things off!!

i can't decide

2011-08-29T21:58:00.002-04:00

this is the story of a girl and her phone.

once upon a time, i had a regular phone.
and it was good enough.

i called people on occasion.
texted people back when they texted me.
and that was the extent of it.

then i met the smart phone.
and got a data package.
and my world changed.

probably not for the better.
but it changed, nonetheless.

so this phone.
i tried to figure out why it is working against me & not for me today.

upon entering the verizon store & telling the rep my issue, he passed me off to another guy who he seemed to feel was more adept at fixing my problem.

basically, he wasn't.
no offense to him.
he was a nice enough guy.
i just have a crap phone.

so, in an effort to rid myself of crap phone, i gave him a suggestion.

hey, why don't we just call this a day. you can just let me buy an iphone & we can be done with it. sound like a plan.

um, no. but...

i know. you can add a line & i can pay only $10 a month & then i can get an iphone. i don't want to do that. i want to get rid of this phone.

well, it looks like a memory issue. we will need to swipe it.

i know. we swiped it a month ago. hence the reason i am trying to put my email back on the phone. and it isn't happening.

he fumbles for 20 minutes more.

hey, i have an idea. why don't you just sell me an iphone? i want to give you my money. i don't want to go anywhere else. really.

no. i can't do that. but i can add a line...

this ridiculous banter goes on for 45 minutes.
he was one of those sarcastic types.
and i love sarcastic types.
you can give them a hard time & you both end up laughing in the end.

but guess what.
i left verizon with my same crap phone not working.

he said he was sorry.
i don't think he meant it.
but i like him anyways.

he did give me a suggestion under his breath.

call *611. be really nice. they might help you.

well, i am nothing but nice.
heck, i can't even hang up on the cold call people that ring me up at the most inopportune times.

i'm so nice i even feel a little guilty calling my phone crap.
cause it's not the phone's fault.

i'm so nice i leave treats for the ants & cockroaches in the yard every morning because i don't want them to go hungry..

i'm so nice...
ok. that was sarcasm.
a little.

but, anyways.

so i call up customer service.

and because i not only have a crap phone, but also crap service on my street, i had to park the car at the very end of the drive with the car running & air blowing.

so i gave it a try.
i told the customer service girl my story.
and i was super sweet.
and i didn't blame anyone.

and i even told her about the quiche that i spilled on the phone & how i was sent a new one or what i thought was a new one & then i found out it was a refurb & that is why it has never worked...

and would it be possible to just let me take advantage of my new every two today?

i didn't even mention the iphone.
cause i'm sure they get a lot of those calls.

she put me on hold.
for a really long time.
and i was thinking this being nice & compliant thing is really working in my favor.

nope.

but she is sending me a new phone - just like the crap phone i have. and this time it will not be a refurb. it will be a reconditioned phone. and that is supposed to make all of the difference.

and just because i am a fantastic customer, they are going to offer me my new every two in december.

yippee.
i get a new crap phone for 4 months.

so this is what i can't decide.

is it that i'm not hot enough.
or that i'm just too nice.

in the verizon store, i think the not hot enough part might fit the bill.

i mean, i was rockin' that 15 year old davidson basketball tee, covered in clorox stains & smears of peanut butter. and i was all sweaty from running errands the better part of the day. and i hadn't taken a shower.

but, hey.
my hair & brows were did.
thanks, maree.

but i guess hair & brows don't constitute someone working in an iphone, does it?

and just too nice.
i didn't know i could be too nice.

but you know what?

my sister-in-law called up verizon & told them she wanted an iphone. and she didn't care if it wasn't time for her new every two. and she had been a customer for as long as i have had my clorox stained davidson tee.

and you know what?
she got an iphone.
just like that.

you know what they said when i told them i had been a customer since the days of bag phones?

thank you for your continued service. would you like to add a line today?

jenn

2011-08-27T21:58:00.001-04:00

a dog & her toy

the gift of giving

2011-08-27T21:42:00.002-04:00

today we celebrated my mom's birthday.

normally, she is not a huge fan of talking about her age.
but today she uttered the new number with a sense of pride.

i'm not telling.
i'll let her tell you that.

i think she has gotten to the point in her life where age doesn't really matter. she is just thankful for each day with which she is blessed.

and the fact that she has already lived 4 years past the age her mother lived to be...

well, i can't even imagine what that must feel like.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

i have probably mentioned this before.
i'm not the most fantastic gift giver.

i'm pretty practical.
and not terribly thoughtful.
and i never buy cards.

don't get me wrong...
cards are sweet.

but they cost $5 these days (i'm making that up - cause, remember, i don't buy cards) and i just assume the kids draw a picture & write sweet sentiments. and in the perfect world, i would write a sweet letter.

but, really.
who am i kidding.

not thoughtful.
bad gift giver.
procrastinator.
and showing up 2 hours late to the party anyways.
(that is not an exaggeration. please don't read that comment with an undertone of pride. because my tardy tendency is something i am not proud of at all.)

so, no.
i didn't write a sweet letter.

but you know what.
the kids.
they totally make up for my shortcomings.

gift giving is totally their thing.

they were so excited about giving bebe gifts for her birthday that they had them picked out & wrapped up thursday.

and what, you may ask, do the lindler kids give as gifts?

(i wish i had pictures. just so you could see their awesome wrapping job & self made cards.)

orie: heart shaped sunglasses & mardi gras beads. they were both green. he wanted to make sure bebe had matching accessories.
bradley: 365 devotional book for girls (let it be noted... this is a book that was gifted to lou that she then gifted to bradley that bradley then gifted to bebe. lots of gifting in the family.)
lou: a tin of dominoes

and you know what.
my mom loved every single gift they gave her.

she put on her glasses & beads & turned around in circles while clapping her hands. she smiled & let out a huge excited thank you when she received bradley's devotional, saying that now she had a book to read to the girls at bedtime. and she told lou that she was going to truly enjoy playing with the dominoes. she even picked through them as lou explained to her which fairy & care bear was on each one.

you know what.
my kids truly have the gift of giving.

and my mom.
she has the true gift of receiving.

it takes someone special to make a kid feel as though their offering is the most special gift that could have ever been received.

thanks, mom, for being you.
i'm so thankful for the 32 years i've had with you.

happy birthday!!

ipads

2011-08-22T08:29:00.002-04:00

orie has decided he is getting an ipad for Christmas.

the conversation went sort of like this:

mom, can i get an ipad?

no, buddy. those things are expensive!!

well, i'll just ask santa to get me one for Christmas.

huh, yeah. i don't think that is in santa's budget.

but i thought santa made everything in his workshop.

well, almost everything. but steve jobs is very careful to not let anyone sell apple products unless they are a direct distributor. i think santa would have to go to the apple store for that one. and $500 is not in his budget for a kid's Christmas present.

huh, ok. so what about a DS. santa brought jake a DS. do you think he makes those in his workshop.

nope. he has to get that directly from nintendo. you'll have to ask him if that is in his budget when you see him.

gracious.
what happened to the days of santa filling stockings with apples, oranges & cinnamon sticks.

i think orie had best forget about santa & start putting best buy gift cards on his Christmas list.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

on another humorous note, a friend posted on facebook that her 6 year old wants an ipad. (why is this happening to us? can't they just wait until they are 20 or something & can buy their own gadgets).

she asked
do you even know what an ipad is?

and her 5 year old pipes in
i do!! it is what pirates wear over their eye!!

her husband's FB response:
honey, i give you permission to buy all of the kids eyepads.

facebook makes you stupid

2011-08-18T07:43:00.002-04:00

ok.
so maybe facebook doesn't make you stupid.
but it showcases in black & white your errors in realtime.

a friend quoted abraham lincoln the other day with

It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt.

i responded that then life would be no fun.

because i love how quick people respond on facebook before they truly put thought into.
thought in head.
type it out.

facebook makes me laugh.
out loud.

sometimes because people are generally funny.
other times because they are generally stupid.

today, i was the stupid one on facebook.
and i am sure there were some friends shaking their heads & laughing at me.

what goes around comes around, i suppose.
it was my turn.

are you ready to hear my absolutely stupid comment of the day?

a friend posted a picture of her dad, looking very dapper in his white suit & hat. her quote under it was my dad waiting for us to come aboard the ship.

and my response:
your dad is captain of a cruise ship. awesome!!

because, really. how awesome would that be. free cruises, right? and if it is disney, family gets free trips to disney world as well. score!!

i check the rest of the news feed & notice the same friend's status update from yesterday.

Today my dad became Commanding Officer of the USS Enterprise! We had a wonderful day on board the aircraft carrier for the Change of Command! If you don't know what the USS Enterprise is Google it! This is an amazing honor and a huge deal for my parents!

so i googled it.

um, yeah.
that ain't no disney cruise ship.

idiot moment of the day.
and that was before 8am.

i think i just opened my mouth & proved myself a fool.

disoriented

2011-07-30T00:53:00.002-04:00

it's been a long time.

i shouldn't have left you.

without a dope beat to step to.

(name that tune. and reminisce.)

but for real though.

it has been a long time.

so long that my fingers are fumbling on the keypad.

so long that i have tons to share.

but i'll start out with this dope beat.

(not really, but in classic ashley style, it is a story so embarrassing that i should not tell a soul but instead choose to blog about it.)

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

every now again my family lets me out of the house.

alone.

this was one of those nights.

bunco night.

i set off with the address in my head.

i knew the street.

and i knew in which pocket of town she lived.

i would find it without issue.

with the excitement of being behind the wheel without bickering in my ear or a child kicking my seat, my mind began to wander.

(ok. who am i kidding. my mind always wanders.)

i missed the street.

(which is perpendicular to my own street. and in the neighborhood we once lived.)

but no worries.

i knew where i was going.

i'm driving.

and just before i come to a stop sign, i spot our old across the street neighbor. (actually across the street & diagonal neighbor. but whatever. you get it.)

he is pulling diapers out of the back of the car so i stop the car & roll down the window.

hey rob! how are you? is this where you guys are living these days?

he looks at me strangely.

then responds...

ashley, this is the house i have lived in since i first met you. just across the street from your old house.

sure enough.

i look across the street & to my right.

there sits our old bungalow.

the house we made a home.

where we spent our first 5 years.

where we brought home 2 newborns.

i proceed to explain to him that i have not been drinking, smoking crack rock nor have i been involved in an accident involving head trauma within the past 24 hours.

if only i could attribute it to head trauma.

i ended our conversation with a lengthy explanation of why i thought they had moved & why i was disoriented & then asked in which direction was wilmot. (because i wanted to make myself look even more foolish, i suppose.)

it was 2 streets over.

i knew that.

so i trekked on.

over harden & into wales garden.

(because i was quite certain that was where my friend lived.)

looking for wilmot.

if you are from columbia.

know the shandon/wales garden area...

then you know...

you know...

after driving around...

making several turns...

and finally turning on my phone to figure out just where in the heck i am going...

i realize there is no wilmot in the neighborhood i am driving around.

and the home i am looking for is back in the direction i just traveled.

only 3 blocks from my own street.

i was 45 minutes late to bunco.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

if the DOT added a mental competency portion to the driver's test i would be in some deep trouble. add in the fact that i don't know how to parallel park. the kids would be losing a chauffeur, it seems.

next installment.

ashley v. the telephone pole.

another story that i should be ashamed to tell.

but my van already has part of the story etched in its side.

may as well give the full explanation.

feathers by heather

2011-05-26T09:34:00.003-04:00

(heather in india. check out those feathers.)

feathers by heather

wednesday, june 1

6:30pm

my house

have you been checking out the feather extensions & thinking I NEED THAT? great news!!

heather mack, dubbed THE FEATHER GIRL at clemson university, will be at my house next wednesday to do extensions.

heather interned in boulder, colorado last summer & immediately fell in love with the feather extensions. being a very resourceful girl, she knew that she could figure out how to do it herself. so she bought a rooster tail, a tool box & some extension clips & brought the feathers home to south carolina. before long, she was known all around clemson campus & could not keep up with all of the requests from students.

heather will not be charging anything for feathers on wednesday (salons are now charging $30ish for this service), but is doing this for DONATIONS ONLY. she will be traveling to india in 2012 for her 4th visit. this time she will be staying 7 1/2 months working with a church plant there.

she would like to tell you all about her plans for 2012 & why she has such a heart for the people of india.

even if you don't want feathers in your hair, i would love for you to come out to meet heather. she is an incredible girl & has an unbelievable love for the LORD & for those who don't know Him. she would love to tell you all about her travels, her plans & how God is working in her life.

ps - bradley & lou have been DYING to get feathers in their hair!! if you think feathers won't go over well for you in the board room, don't forget about your mini mes.

if you would like to join us, just leave a message below. feel free to bring your girls (although there is no discrimination here. heather has put feathers in guys' hair as well.) or a friend. the more the merrier!!

J-O-B

2011-05-18T22:35:00.004-04:00

this mama just got a J-O-B.
and not just any job.
an absolute dream job.

wanna know what i'm doing?
well, it starts with matilda & ends with jane.

don't know her?
if you have seen me or my girls in the past 12 months, you have most likely seen us wearing her.

i can't even begin to tell you how excited i am to begin selling these awesome clothes for little girls & their mamas!!

if you would like to become a jane yourself, let me know!!
it is pretty safe to say that you will fall head over heels with matilda jane as well!!

in lieu of...

2011-05-17T08:20:00.007-04:00

(lou waiting to get her adult makeup applied while i am shopping in dia's merle norman. picture has nothing to do with story.)

we met sweet friends yesterday afternoon to celebrate one special boy's ninth birthday.

we hit up the chick-fil-a & while the kids played, i dug around for a free drink coupon in my hello kitty wallet. (vintage, circa 1984. where i used to keep my $2 weekly allowance.)

i grabbed my coupon & walked up to the counter.
lou was tagging along.

handing over my coupon for a free large sprite...
hi. i would like a diet coke in lieu of a sprite please. actually, make it a diet dr pepper. i always forget that your diet coke is minus the caffeine.

i get back to the table.
lou is still tagging along beside me.

can i have my sprite?

no, baby. this is my drink. it is an adult beverage.

but where is my sprite?

i didn't get you a sprite. i got myself a drink. you are going to get ice cream in a bit.

i thought that was the end of the conversation.
but lou sticks around & sulks a bit more.
sometimes lou's sulking turns into frustrations which turns into anger which never ends well (for her).

this is when it happens....

angry face.
fists clenched.
stamping foot.
ugly tone.

(am i painting the picture for you? if you know lou, you know this stance.)

but mom!! you said a diet coke & lou a sprite!!

i almost fell out of my chair laughing.
forget that my child is in need of anger management.
it was time for a short vocabulary lesson.

phrase of the day...
in lieu of

a day to run & twirl

2011-04-12T23:30:00.005-04:00

mother/daughter banquet

2011-03-25T07:31:00.003-04:00

last night was the mother/daughter banquet at our church.

these are bradley & lou's favorites, the koerner girls.
they heart each other.

i heart this face.

and this one, too.

and for those of you who don't see me on an everyday basis, here's an announcement...

i got my hair chopped.

several friends have said it makes me look 10 years younger.

but i dunno.
i am seeing some major wrinklage in that picture up there.

when did that happen, anyways?

snippets

2011-03-24T07:40:00.002-04:00

yesterday, while walking to the baseball field, lou let out an oh my God.

i explained to her that we only use the Lord's name when we are praising Him. or praying to Him. or speaking of His awesomeness in general. we don't use His name in everyday phrases. when we talk about Him it is with reverence.

i then taught her the oh my goot-ness that she could use instead.

this morning on the way to school she got frustrated about something & yelled out GOD! YOU ARE OUR SAVIOR!

now that is some serious calling out to the Lord in times of trouble!!

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

after orie's game i go to retrieve the girls from the big pile o-sand. i see sand flying & quicken my pace a bit. i figure lou is throwing it in someone's face.

i am greeted by a little boy telling me lou has buried his baseball in the sand & they can't find it.

they finally do, after much digging.

it is at the way bottom of the sand pile.

so far down i had to pull it out for them.

seriously.

why?

and where did she come from?

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

orie told me this morning as he was waking that there was something he needed to tell me.

i have put flynn on my diet.

what?

i counted all of his calories yesterday & wrote it down on a postcard. he had 1330 calories. i am helping him make healthier choices.

he has also informed me that he no longer wants to eat candy. and when making a cereal choice in the morning, he reads all of the labels to find out which has the lowest sugar count.

he is seven.

where did this come from?

and can he be my personal dietician?

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

bradley has decided she loves dance.

which is new.

because she hated it a few months ago.

she didn't like the splits they made her do.

after watching her friend madison at 2 competitions, she has decided she wants to join the competition team next year at columbia city jazz & get on stage. she loves watching the big girls especially.

in an effort to help her understand why she was made to work on splits each week, i pointed out one of the big girls raising her leg straight in the air & holding it for a bit.

see, brad. that is why you do splits.

he new thing. running around the house, kicking herself in the head with her leg, and practicing her splits everyday.

it's very interesting.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

lou started drama tuesday.

i'm hoping this will cure her of the elbow-over-the-face syndrome she has when she is performing (for any size crowd - it is always the same reaction).

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

orie is getting settled into baseball. he is the smallest guy on the field, by far. but possibly the fastest. the boy got his speed from his daddy, thankfully.

i guess size doesn't matter when you can fly.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

bradley & lou have become best friends.

they have named themselves the GOD GIVERS.

not sure what that means.

not sure they know what that means.

but they yell it out in the car constantly.

we're the God givers!!

they are also putting together a performance (dance & hula maybe) and would like to invite all of their friends to come. they practice everyday when bradley comes home from school.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

orie is planning a yard sale.

he has made a list of all the items he wants to sell, typed it up on the computer & printed it out. it is quite a markup off of retail. but i will let you all know when it will be.

i am sure he will give the majority of the money to his auntie he.

she is going to india soon for a year & a half. this will be her fourth trip. and orie wants to support her.

when he last saw her at his birthday party, he emptied out his piggy bank & brought down handfuls of coins to give her for missions.

it was pretty priceless.

i'm not sure how much it was, but for a 7 year old, it was huge.

especially considering we don't give a consistent allowance & he didn't know when the bank would be replenished.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

that's just snippets of our life that i don't want to forget.

i'm leaving the bad stuff out.

i'm fine with forgetting about all of it.

give it away

2011-03-16T22:06:00.003-04:00

just thought you should know...

there is a giveaway going on over at the playground.

for a little thing called tot trade.

in the form of $50 bills, y'all.

(actually, that is false advertising. it is a gift certificate. but still a johnny good giveaway.)

head over & enter to win.

oh yeah, and maybe i'll tell you the story of the peessa hut teket a little later.

journal

2011-03-14T10:57:00.002-04:00

taken from bradley's school journal:

anyone want to take a gander as to what happened here?

if you have already heard the story, don't spill the beans.

i want to see if anyone can

(1) decipher bradley's writing

(2) come up with the scenario that would lead to such a journal entry

life with the lindlers.

always interesting.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

if you are wondering how i have been spending my time lately, considering it has not been updating lindler5, you can go visit here to take a peek. leave a comment. let me know what you think.

wardrobe malfunction

2011-02-27T21:59:00.006-05:00

i am a procrastinator by nature.

i really need to remedy this.

my weekend is a testament to this fact.

kevin & i had two fancy parties to attend this week. i did not want to wear anything in the closet so when my sister-in-law, who is shrinking day by day, decided to pass down a pretty black dress from white house/black market, i thought i had hit the pay dirt.

yes, it was a bit large for me as well.

gaping in the chest.

but i figured a trip to the seamstress would fix that.

i picked it up a few hours before our gala that night.

it fit.

did not look perfect.

but i attributed that to the fact that i did not have on proper undergarments.

so i'm not one to take an hour to get dressed, either.

imagine that.

procrastination, remember.

just minutes before our babysitter is due to arrive, i throw on my dress.

something does not look right.

i try on a different brassiere (fancy nancy would tell you that's a fancy way of saying bra).

i feel uneasy.

like maybe i have muffin top of the chest.

when i call kevin in for reinforcements (actually, he had to zip me up in the thing) he concurs that something just is not right.

so the tired old black dress it is.

bah humbug.

it works.

it is safe.

but i wanted something different for saturday's engagement party.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

fast forward to late friday afternoon.

i am still without a dress for saturday.

kevin comes home from work & wants to head out to the ball field. he offers to take 2 out of 3 kids so i can go dress shopping. i opt for bradley, the better of the 3 kids when it comes to shopping partners.

i have in hand a gift certificate to revente.

i've had it almost a year & figured it was time to cash in.

bradley & i stop by revente's last call first.

it is right down from the house & i figure i will give it a try.

no such luck on a dress, but i do walk out with 2 pair of seven jeans, a free people skirt & a doncaster sweater... all for under $50. score!! problem is... they don't take revente gift certificates.

undoubtedly, when you are trying to raise money for charity, you don't want to cash in on donations to another charity (i won the GC at an MDA auction).

makes sense.

ps - bradley was not the best choice on this particular day. i was about to pull my hair out, but trudged on down the road to the original revente - the one that would take my free money.

it is 5:45.

they close at 6pm.

so i grab a few dresses.

throw them on the dressing room.

one fits.

it works.

sort of.

but i, again, attribute that to undergarments.

dagblasted girl stuff on top.

they cause a lot of trouble for me.

i chalk it up as a win & meet the crew for victory pizza.

kevin cheers with me on my score when i tell him the price tag (after GC) was a cool twenty.

yay for me & my frugality!

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

i come home, try on my dress, and begin looking through the closet at my pretty shoes.

i don't have a ton.

flats & flops are my shoe of choice.

but i do have this awesome pair of white BCBGs that my mom bought me almost seven years ago.

it was for orie's baby dedication.

i was feeling super fat - considering i had gained 70 pounds during the pregnancy (yes, you read that correctly) & was nowhere close to getting the weight off.

i guess i was hoping my 8 pound baby was accompanied by 62 pounds of amniotic fluid.

that wasn't the case.

i had just enjoyed the pregnancy diet a little bit too much!!

after crying through the dressing room & 50 different dresses & suits at macy's, we found one that was suitable.

it was not perfect.

nor was it beautiful.

but it would do the job.

next up on the shopping list was shoes.

the one fashion item that is the saving grace on all shopping trips.

i never cry in the shoe department.

never. ever. ever.

and i found this gorgeous pair of white heels.

with an equally gorgeous price tag.

i showed them to my mom.

she almost flipped a gasket.

but i think she felt so sorry for the postpartum frump of me that she justified the purchase with her 20 percent off coupon & sent me home a happy shopper.

i have only worn those shoes once.

the day of orie's dedication.

because they hurt like hades.

but who cares, right?

i was a fat cow, but at least i had some kicking shoes.

i looked G-O-O-D from the knee cap down.

too bad they did not show up in pictures.

so back to present day.

i tried on my blue & white dress for saturday.

spotted the white BCBGs.

pulled them out of the box.

and shazam!!

they were gorgeous.

only problem.

it is february.

not white shoe season.

but, really, is that still the case?

because clinton & stacey said those rules no longer apply.

not wanting to totally embarrass myself by committing a major fashion faux pas, i decided to feel out the waters by asking on facebook.

the responses varied...

but as you can see, most are pretty adamant about no white before easter.

considering kevin & the guest of honors were the only peeps i would know at this party, i decided to play it safe.

all of this was decided on the way home from hip hop with bradley & lou.

it was 12:45.

kevin & i were set to leave at 2pm.

my friend nici is so sweet.

she graciously shared one of her groupons to kick's with me & told me to go buy some pretties for my feet for the weekend.

i was trying to stay away from that option, but desperate times were calling for desperate measures.

so in my yoga pants, fry guys tee, stinky nikes & 2 rambunctious little girls, i walked through the doors of the nicest shoe boutique in columbia.

i told the girl my dilemna.

she pointed me in the direction of a few options.

i fell absolutely, head over heels, in love with a pair of gold wedges.

until she told me the price, that is.

i will be dreaming about these shoes for years to come, but decided i would put my marriage above shoes.

before the girls tore up the store, i chose a more economically priced pair of gold wedge sandals that did the trick. they were even less than the amount of the groupon, so i swiped a pair of birdie earrings (for good measure) & made my way home.

kevin was texting me saying his parents were there to take the kids.

we could leave early.

it was 1:15.

and i wasn't packed.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

as soon as i walk through the door, i am ordered to take a shower, asked where my bags were & given the look because i was not yet ready to hop in the car & head on down carl sanders boulevard.

kevin is bossy.

yeah. i said it.

i'll own it.

but he's mine.

and i love him.

(although some days i don't like him. this moment was one of those.)

i didn't even think to kiss the kids goodbye.

i just showered, threw things in the bag & when i came out they were gone.

the car was already running & kevin was in the driver's seat.

he would have blown the horn had i not come out 2 seconds later.

he's bossy.

and impatient.

let the weekend begin.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

3 and some hours later...

we make it to our destination.

we chat with our host.

tour the house.

and with 30ish minutes to go before leave time, begin getting ready for the party.

i put on my dress.

crap.

with all of the shoe drama, i totally forgot about the boobage issue.

now, just to give you a clear picture of what was going on...

by no means was i spilling out.

everything was well contained.

the problem was that this silky dress was probably made for someone a bit more endowed than myself. i guess. or maybe less endowed? or maybe long waisted? or... who knows.

but the point of the story is the v of the dress gapped open a bit & my undergarments were visible.

if i pulled the dress just so on my shoulders, it was not an issue.

but then it fell back to its natural position...

and there you go.

boobage.

i was almost thinking i could sort of, kind of, maybe get away with it.

but when i went to kevin for the concur, there was instead a resounding NO.

so what is a girl to do when you are in a single guy's house?

i searched my makeup case & came up short.

i did have a hoop earring in there.

so i tried to use it as a makeshift safety pin.

you probably guessed this already.

it did not work.

next i head into our friend's closet & begin searching his dry cleaning.

i meet kevin in there 2 seconds later - he had the same idea.

wouldn't you know his cleaners use staples.

at this point, another houseguest (single male) has gotten in on the witch hunt.

he brings an alligator clip from his dry cleaned shirt.

so sweet of him.

i laugh, clip in on my dress & we all just shake our heads.

at this point, we should have left 5 minutes ago to get to our downtown atlanta location. and that was with the 15 minute, fashionably late, arrival that we had built in.

my friend bridgette had suggested double stick tape when i told her about this situation friday night. you can get it at sally's she told me. this she knows from dance competition experience.

but in my search for suitable shoes, i had totally put the dress issue on the back burner. there was no time for sally's beauty supply when my white shoes were unacceptable attire & needed replacement.

this is when my mind turned to office supplies.

kevin greeted me a moment later with a dispenser of scotch tape.

so picture this.

me & kevin.

2 single 20 something year olds.

a wardrobe malfunction.

and a dispenser of scotch tape.

i figure what the hey, begin doubling up tape, sticking all over my dress, chest & undergarments & head on my way.

halfway down the road it is coming undone.

but i made sure to take my (office) supplies on the road & continue sticking & taping.

the white shoe debacle was the least of my worries.

i was a mess walking into a party in downtown atlanta.

what a vision of loveliness.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

as soon as we walk through the door, we are greeted by the guest of honors & their parents.

kevin immediately tells his friend of my predicament & asks him to seek out a safety pin.

reeves won't look at me to agree or disagree that there is a problem.

he does not want to embarrass himself (cause you can't embarrass me at this point) if in fact my boobage issue is visible to other's eyes.

he declares that he will find me a solution soon.

i want to kick kevin.

i instead look down, see a bit of tape visible & reach down to pluck it out.

i stick it in kevin's pocket.

he is not amused.

throughout the night i hold my plate at chest level.

people may have found that to be strange.

when kevin & i would meet up with our new friends, the 2 twenty-something single guys, one of them would always give me a thumbs up to let me know i am not showing my risque side.

i would constantly find myself pressing down on my chest to make sure all was sticking & smoothing out the lines.

imagine.

girl with plate at chest.

and she feels herself up a lot.

loveliness, i tell you.

kevin sends me to the powder room about an hour into the party.

i pick, what reminds me of crustaceans, off of myself & try to get it all sorted out.

i honestly consider searching the house for more tape, but decide against it.

two hours into the party, reeves, the guest of honor, walks up to inform me that he has asked several people & no one has a safety pin.

lovely.

just lovely.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

the moral of the story could be...

don't procrastinate.

another could be...

i should have gone to sally's & just worn the white shoes.

please don't ever ask me for fashion advice.

i am a walking mess.

and kevin, although he may not like me during the process, loves me for it.

i hope.

and because a picture is worth a thousand words...

(picture stolen from shutterfly site - forwarded from kevin - i'm sure he did not do that for blogging purposes, but it works)

catherine (guest of honor) + pat (one of the single twenty somethings) + kevin + me + boobage + matt (the other single twenty something) + another matt (not present for the scotch tape incident, but considering he is 8 feet tall, i am sure it was visible to him.)

well, what a happened was...

2011-02-18T07:20:00.004-05:00

i sort of left you hanging, didn't i.

sorry, crystal.
and mary margaret.

and anyone else who might still read here, even though i have sort of dropped off of the blogging universe.

but i digress.

so back to this sweet, sweet girl.

and this sweet, sweet picture.

how do the two go together, you may be asking yourself.
i'll start at the very beginning.

(i am channeling my inner julie andrews a la the sound of music. let's start at the very beginning - a very good place to start - when you read you begin with - A-B-C - when you sing you begin with do-re-mi... ok. that just got me in a brighter mood. now i can tell the story without using bad words, i think.)

i was invited to lunch with a friend.
at her house.

now this was not just a regular old friend. this was a friend that was once my client from back in my norwalk days. you probably can't imagine this, but i really, really enjoyed working in sales. not because i was working with pretty things & awesome furniture, but because i loved getting to meet new people. and sometimes those people would invite me into their homes & i would help them design a room or maybe just a piece of furniture. and sometimes they decided to buy something from me. sometimes not. i probably made more friends than sales back in those days.

too bad friends don't pay the rent!!

so this was one of those friends.
and for the record, she bought something from me, too.

she was one of those clients that was super, super nice. we talked & got to know one another. i really liked her. then we saw one another a year later & we are both pregnant with our first child. and then she moves away. and six years later our kids are taking tennis lessons together & i'm like hey, i know you! how ya doin', where ya goin', where ya been?

(i always feel the need to explain my quotes due to their antiquation & lack of modern day relevance. that was a john corbett quote from the sex and the city days. i never disliked carrie bradshaw more than i did during this scene. i think she was cheating on him. or thinking about cheating on him. or maybe i am just making her out to be a lot worse than she really was. but that sweet aidan that i loved, loved, loved greeted her as she walked through the door with a how ya doin', where ya goin' where ya been? & she flipped & walked right back out the door. and they broke up. and that is probably when she went back to big. and i could totally be messing up that scene because i only watched the episode once and it was pre-orie & my memory is not the best in the world. especially not these days. so, that is the back story to the quote.)

i'm telling a lot of back stories today.
i guess that is what happens when you take a blogging hiatus.
you have a lot to say & you forget how to get to the point.

anyone still reading?

so my friend.
our kids are taking tennis together. and then, as is always the case in columbia, we have 20 mutual friend connections. and then her daughter begins atteding awana at our church & is in orie's group & they become friends.

and she says we should have lunch one day. why don't you come over?
and i happily agree because having lunch with friends is sort of what i get paid to do.

oh, wait.
that's not right, is it.
i had probably reassess my job description.

when plan the date.
i have lou & her school friend that comes home with us once a week (integral piece of the story later).
my friend has an almost 3 year old daughter.

they eat PB&Js, play & have a great time.
my friend & i chat & drink sweet tea & have chicken salad.

it was nice.
until...

there is a spat in the den over an aquadoodle & lou begins spouting off about how she does not like it here & my friend's daughter is never, ever coming to her house to play & she is NOT cleaning up. all of this in typical lou fashion, with arms crossed, brows furrowed, lips poked out & foot stamping.

the other 2 girls.
what are they doing?
playing sweetly together & looking at lou like she is from another planet.

this is my cue to make our exit on a somewhat positive note.
yeah, my kid is a brat.
but at least angie & i enjoyed ourselves.

the kids tidy the den.
we begin walking outside.
lou & school friend get in the car.

i buckle lou's friend.
i leave lou to buckle herself.

angie & i get into a conversation about the pioneer woman's new book (which is FABULOUS!!, by the way. buy it. read it. buy your husband or boyfriend or crush a pair of wranglers while you're at it).

lou jumps out of the van & runs around.

get buckled up, lou!!

i talk a bit more.
then, CRASH!!

i slowly, calmly walk over to the van. the back window is busted out. not just cracked. not just a hairline fracture. but totally busted out. and without asking, i know exactly what has happened.

lou begins wailing.
her friend, buckled into the car seat, looks as though she is strapped in a pit of rattlesnakes & one just threatened to bite her.

and if steam could pour out of my ear, it would have.
because of this...

do you see that little thing hanging down from the ceiling?
yeah, that retractable seatbelt?

that is what happened.

you see, my kids can't keep their hands off of it.
when bradley sat in the backseat, she constantly pulled it out of the ceiling, letting it retract back.

so i switched her & orie.

and orie couldn't keep his hands off of it.
he would pull it down between his knees & then let it fly.

keep your hands off of that thing!! came out of my mouth 543 times a day.

well lou, she has never had the pleasure of sitting in the back.
but she wants a go at the the retractable seat belt.

so she grabs it, runs to the front of the van & let's go.
all i can imagine is a sling shot.
a sling shot that could have hit her friend, buckled into her seat, but instead went through the back windshield.

which resulted in this...

i don't hold grudges, but as you can tell, i'm not over this one yet.

so here i am, a guest for the very first time at a friend's, standing in her driveway with shattered glass covering it.

i was sort of paralyzed.
i wanted to scream.
i wanted to cause a scene.

and all of that was bubbling inside of me.
but i stayed cool & calm.
stuck in place.

my friend moves into action & begins sweeping up the shards of glass.
i don't even offer to help.
i just stand there.

lou is still wailing in the van.
she has buckled up at this point.
smart move on her part.

something inside of me clicks into disaster relief mode.

i finally offer to hold the dust pan.
but my friend says it is all ok. she'll take care of it.

so we hug.
i apologize.
profusely.

and i drive away.

embarrassed.

immensely.

steam.
out of the ears.
if it were possible.

lou's friend says nothing during this entire episode.
lou is blabbering & crying & screaming.

all i can say is you will go straight to your room when we get home.

i may have said that in a stern voice.
i may have screamed.

the cool & calm was leaving me with every bump in the road.
because every bump resulted in the shattering of more glass falling into the back of the van.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

i sent lou to her room.
turned on the television for her friend.
began making my phone calls.

first to my friendly allstate agent, jimmy.
he has helped me through several rough patches.
a wreck here. a flattened tire & roadside assistance there.

but never a retractable seatbelt breaking a back windshield.
that was a first.

so then i call the glass doctor.
we make the appointment.
for friday... IF it doesn't rain.

and then, last but not least, i call kevin.

hey, i have some news.

oh, no. what kind of news.

anna louise broke the back windshield out of the van.

what?! how much is that going to cost?!

i knew that would be his reaction, hence my taking care of business before ringing him up. when i told him it would cost nothing & the repair was already on the calendar, he simmered down.

glad he did.
cause i was still boiling mad.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

it began a small drizzle that afternoon.

that was a wednesday.
i know because lou's school friend always comes home with us on wednesdays.
and we skipped church that night.
and my clean sweep quota was due that night.

oh, the clean sweep.

can you imagine...

me loading up tons of rummage for this junior league sale.
putting all three kids in the car.
driving over to the fairgrounds.

it was a chilly night.
orie & bradley complained & chastised lou the whole way.
and with each bump in the road a little more glass shattered.

the kids went to bed super early that night.
one bad apple spoils the whole cart.

or in this case, one kid's big mistake turns mama into someone who does not need to be around children.

i was bitter.
it was going to be a rough couple of days.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

the next day it rained.
not a drizzle, but not hard rain.

it was a thursday.

i know this because it was dance day.
i packed up the kids & we drove down I-26 with a busted out back windshield.

some people smiled.
some people looked confused.
everyone gave a 2 second stare.

and with every bump in the road, more glass shattered & fell into the back of the van.

in the meantime, i had been backing my car into the little garage shed in the back of our house. but knowing that it was going to rain, i threw some garbage bags & packing tape into the van & figured i would patch up the hole while lou was in dance class. thankfully, another mom offered to help. as she & i taped big, white plastic bags to the back of the van, orie sat inside playing with what glass remained in tact & poking at our work.

lou had taught him a lesson in poor choices & consequences.
the window was a visual reminder.
he no longer pulled that stupid retractable seat belt down between his knees & let it fly.

but now.
he played with glass.

i told him not to.
that he would get cut.

please keep your hands off of that.
over & over i said this.

he cut his finger & cried.
i had no sympathy.

does it ever click?

do they ever get it?
when mom tells you not to do something, there is a reason.

(am i sounding bitter? did i mention that already?)

we got the window covered.
i looked even cooler the next time i headed down I-26.

i was that car that you always stare at & wonder why they don't fix their window.
i will no longer judge those people.
i'll just assume they have an appointment with the glass doctor the next day.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

friday arrived.
it was raining.

the glass doctor called to cancel, but i assured them they could do the job under my little shed of a garage.

they showed up.
there was no working electric light in the garage.

i would not allow them to leave me there with a broken window, though.

they fixed my window in the drizzling rain.

anna louise sat at the kitchen table, coloring & watching every move they made.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

this story has become a legend of sorts.

honda odyssey owners across the world have pulled up the picture of the broken window, shown it to their child, and dared them to touch that stupid, daglasted, pain in my tail retractable seat belt that dangles from the ceiling, calling to their little hands like a piece of cheese calls to a mouse.

(ok. so maybe i exaggerate a bit. two of my friends have used the picture for reference.)

and anna louise has been labeled.

her friend cole says they are no longer friends.
when asked why he says because anna lou is daaaaaaangerous, mommy.

and you would think that having created such a predicament would have straightened the child out, wouldn't you.

it didn't.
but that is a story for another day.

just remind me later.
it has to do with a chunk of strawberry blonde hair.

shattered

2011-02-02T21:01:00.003-05:00

look at this face.

isn't she precious.
sweet as sugar.

and that sweet baby girl that i just love to pieces...
broke my back windshield into a thousand little pieces.

a picture is worth a thousand words.
if i said she broke a window, you probably would have imagined a hairline fracture.

not the case.
obviously.

and how did my sweet baby girl do such a thing?

more to come.

lack of words

2011-01-29T03:03:00.002-05:00

a sweet friend emailed me to say she missed me at Bible study & she needed a lindler5 update.

it is nice to know you are missed.

jennifer, this is for you.

i don't know why i have not been sharing lately.

it is not for lack of words.

or lack of things to share.

i think i have just been busy.

with my new project - hop+skip+jump kids.

with a new creative avenue - collaborating with a friend.

with our school's silent auction - want to donate?

thinking about what bradley's class can make for the silent auction - have any ideas?

and with life.

in general.

when i told my friend bridgette that i had been laying off of the blog in order to check other items off of the list, she chastised me & said family is first.

so i guess if i am going to be staying up late at night it needs to be for reasons like writing down memories.

i'll do better.

really.

there are stories to tell.

there always are.

i will leave you with this.

(texted by kevin after dropping off kids at school.)

bradley: daddy, please don't try to be funny. i like it better when you are serious.

lunch line

2011-01-12T13:48:00.003-05:00

this is no cafeteria.
and not your traditional lunch line.

no standing in lines.
no sitting, for that matter.

who has time for such things when you are busy playing with your best friends?

plates & utensils will make a reappearance at dinner time.

daddy insists.

financial challenge (day 5)

2011-01-12T10:06:00.004-05:00

it is the fifth of day of financial challenge.

and i have spent no money!!

actually, it has been quite easy.

there aren't as many temptations to buy when you are snowed in.

but even sitting at home, there can be some challenges.

as of my shower this morning, we are out of shampoo. conditioner? we have 5 bottles. shampoo? zero. i guess we will wing it until saturday.
before the snow, i had plans to meet a friend at starbucks early in the week. my plan was to walk in with my travel mug & apologize for my frugality. a friend offered her starbucks card - but i thought that would be cheating (i make up the rules to this game).
gymbucks start today. i have a ton of them. if i wait until saturday will all of the good stuff be gone?
zulily. the crocs sale ends today. and the peekaboo beans is sooooo cute & selling out quickly.
diet coke. why did i not get diet coke on my last grocery trip?

what i am learning through all of this:

i need to be more diligent with making shopping lists, designate one day to market & end random trips to the store. if i were to run to target for a bottle of shampoo, i would no doubt come back with 2 bags full of wares that i absolutely had to have.
creativity. when dumping the last bit of grinds into the coffee pot yesterday, i remembered... take an empty bag of coffee into starbucks & exchange for a large cup of coffee. (what is more embarrassing for my friend? my bringing in an empty bag of coffee or my own travel mug full of coffee?)
do we really need anymore clothes? i could buy for next winter (i tend to buy out of season for the kids to get the best deals) but is it a necessity at the moment?
see above. kids clothing is my weakness.
while shut-in due to snow, i have taken a liking to hot tea. could this be my new beverage addiction? if so, are they going to tell me in 5 years that it is cancer causing as well?

it has been only five days & already i am becoming aware of my bad habits.

they are hard to break.

should i push this into week 2, considering i haven't been out in the "real world" much since beginning this venture? aside from a trip to the store for fresh fruits, veggies, meat & dairy, i think i can handle it.

i think.

i know.

i can.

i can do it.

getting out my comfort zone.

rethinking daily choices.

i can come up with 20 other areas of my life in which i need to exercise intentionality.

there is a better me out there.

i am searching.

and i can't wait to meet her.

financial challenge

2011-01-07T09:13:00.004-05:00

aren't finances always a challenge?

but i don't mean this in the sense that we are financially challenged.

instead, i am challenging myself with my finances.

that was just a lot of rewording, wasn't it.

basically, i'm going to not spend money.

for a month.

wait a minute.

that might be hard.

and need a little more planning.

so, i'm not going to spend money for a week.

i'm going to grab some groceries.

fill up the gas tank.

dump the debit & credit cards.

put a twenty in my pocket for emergencies.

and live purchase free for seven days.

think i will have a twenty in my pocket by next friday?

hop + skip + jump kids

2011-01-05T07:24:00.005-05:00

have you ever tried to find information around town & just not known where to begin?

i have.

take bradley dancing as an example.

when she decided she wanted to dance, i had no idea where to begin.

i wasn't a dancer growing up.

i didn't even grow up in columbia.

so i just pulled out the yellow pages, closed my eyes & picked a place that looked legit.

thankfully, it was a good choice.

it seems as though the best way to find things out is not through glossy ads or yellow pages, but through the recommendations of friends.

the school our kids attend?

word of mouth.

baseball team?

heard about it from a friend.

the awesome splash pad at saluda shoals?

never would have found out about it had someone not steered me in that direction.

columbia has so many hidden treasures that i, even after being a mom for 6 years, has yet to explore.

some i have not gotten around to visiting.

some i probably don't even know about.

the point of my diatribe...

there is a need for our community of parents to come together.

help one another navigate this wonderful city in which we live.

come out from behind our closed doors & converge.

share knowledge, ideas, hopes & dreams.

(cue james earl jones voiceover)

build it, and they will come.

so i built it.

won't you hop on over for a visit?

if you have a blog, i would love for you to add my button.
(shameless promotion, here)

if you are into social media:you can follow me on twitteror like me on facebook
and if you don't want to do any of the above, no worries.
but please do continue checking in at the playground.i am in the process of building & i need your recommendations to make this community work!!
(end of public service announcement. we will now go back to our regularly scheduled programming of the lindler5 & there whatnots.)

valuable

2011-01-04T11:31:00.007-05:00

this weekend was a great one.

the grands graciously took over parenting duties & the rents headed down carl sanders boulevard for a weekend away.

we were footloose & fancy free.

good times.

all was right in the world.

good friends.

box seats.

football.

we settle ourselves into our seats & await kickoff.

game time.

life was good.

footloose & fancy free.

then the phone rang.

kevin did not recognize the number & almost ignored it, but for some reason he chose to answer instead. he walks off & is gone for a while. concerned, i join him.

what is going on?

it is our security company. our alarm is going off. we think the house has been broken into.

the police are on their way.

our neighbors are called.

it is a waiting game.

in the meantime, i am thinking...

we are safe.

the kids are not home.

all is well.

what would anyone want in our home?

what do we have that is valuable?

i thought of the items that a robber might go for.

all of them replaceable.

none that held real value to me.

except for digital pictures on my laptop.

all of the pictures of the kids through the years.

those i would miss.

and what else could they take away?

my peace of mind.

the feeling of safety.

security.

but we are safe.

the kids are not home.

all is well.

i sat there in silence with a gut wrenching feeling inside me.

not because of valuable things.

but because of valuable security.

i had lost it.

the feeling of safety.

kevin, surprisingly, was ok.

he felt as though it was not a fluke.

not a false alarm.

but he was ok.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

we later get a call from our FABULOUS neighbors (colleen & tim, i adore you!!) saying that all outdoor entrances were secure, there were no shady cars or characters around the perimeter of our block & all seems well.

that was relief.

of sorts.

i was still uneasy & wondered what i would come home to.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

we came home to a secure home.

nothing missing.

that was relief.

true relief.

but it made me rethink things.

i have always been the girl who walks on sunshine.

i hear about bad things.

but they don't happen to me.

kevin has to remind me to lock doors & set the alarm.

otherwise, that wouldn't happen.

but now things are a little different.

that scare.

it made me realize i am never totally protected.

at least not in an earthly sense.

bad things can happen.

to me.

to us.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

on the way to school this morning, orie began asking questions about thieves. he recalled the time my car was stolen out of the driveway & asked if our old neighborhood was a safe one.

yes, it was a safe neighborhood. mama just accidently left her keys in the car. someone came around at the right time, i suppose.

well what about where we live now. is it a safe place to live?

he had overheard us talking about the string of robberies that have taken place over the years in our area & was putting 2 + 2 together.

we live in a safe place now, too. it's just that there are some nice houses around with nicer things that thieves might want to take. but not us. we don't have anything anyone would want. i think they would be disappointed if they tried to rob us.

yeah. no one at our house has anything a thief would want. except for me. i'm the only one who has anything valuable.

if you are reading this & have been around orie within the past two weeks, surely you know what he is referencing.

his money.

santa claus (thanks to generous elves who have traveled worldwide) brought orie a nice little collection of foreign currency & a few books to help him identify their origin & value.

he talks about this collection to everyone who will listen.

he treasures it.

he has shown me, piece by piece, his coins multiple times.

but each night is the same.

mama, can i show you my money again?

he wants to share his passion with others.

he wants them to know what he holds precious & valuable.

sunday night i urged orie on to bed as he was fingering his collection.

but mama. i need to find out where this one is from.

in the morning, bud. you have school tomorrow.

well, wake me early. please don't forget.

i remembered.

i gave him morning kisses & ruffled his hair - but not for long.

he sprang out of bed & darted straight over to his collection.

he remembered his valuables.

as he lay down to sleep & as he woke up that morning.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

what are my valuables?

what gives me security?

where do i find peace?

as i sat silently pondering our possible predicament on that night of football, i was reminded of what a friend had spoken just a few weeks earlier. her family is going through tough times & she said our treasure is not here. our treasure is in heaven.

in Matthew 6 Jesus teaches:

Treasures in Heaven
¹⁹ “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰ But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
²² “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. ²³ But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
²⁴ “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

what are my valuables?
Jesus.

what gives me security?
Jesus.

where do i find peace?
Jesus.

did you know that?
did you know that i treasure the LORD?
have i told you about that which i hold most valuable?

am i like orie?

who carries that which he values close by.
who touches it daily.
who studies it without ceasing.
who tells everyone he knows about it.
who shares even if you act uninterested.
who goes to sleep with his treasure on his mind & wakes with the same thought.

no.
i'm not.

my Bible sits in a nice cozy spot during the week.
not by my side.

i touch God's word, not several times a day.
not even daily.
it is opened the night before our Bible study meets the following day as i cram a week's worth of devotional & study into a measly few hours.

i am nervous sharing Christ around those who don't share my beliefs.
so i don't.

i go to sleep with worldly thoughts on my mind.
and wake with the same.

how can Jesus be my treasure if i don't live as such?

in Deuteronomy 6 moses writes

⁵ Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. ⁶ These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. ⁷ Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. ⁸ Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.⁹ Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

moses is referencing the 10 commandments of which the LORD gave him on mt sinai.

the 10 commandments still hold true today.
but Jesus happened some 1400 years later.
He changed everything.

the veil was torn.

we are separated from God no longer.

we now cling to Jesus.

my valuable.
Jesus.

may i talk about Him.
when i sit at home.
when i walk along the road.
when i lie down.
when i get up.

may He be a symbol on my hands.
may He be bound to my forehead.

may my love for Him be written on the doorframes of my house & on my gate.

Jesus.

precious.
most valuable.

that which no thief can take away.

comin' to town

2010-12-28T00:04:00.002-05:00

santa claus has come & left.
but guess who IS comin' to town..

beside the starbucks on gervais.
i am beyond excited.

delicious.
healthy.
goodness.

go ahead & put gift cards on my wish list.

snobbery

2010-12-27T11:59:00.004-05:00

anna lou spends the majority of her day at the kitchen table.

it is bright & sunny.

it is where she eats breakfast, lunch & dinner.

and it is the perfect spot to work on her art projects.

with Christmas & birthday celebrated within the same month, she has been gifted a huge stock of art supplies to replenish the dwindling stash.

we were down to about 10 markers that were not dried up.

that girl colors like it is nobody's business.

and utilizing the basic principle of supply & demand, an influx of supplies demands reorganization in the art cabinet.

when i should have been packing away the Christmas decorations, i was instead culling through crayons, markers, coloring books, stamps, glue, stickers & play doh.

the end result.

who knows how long it will last.
considering our littlest hands dig through these cabinets 10 times a day, i would take a gander that it won't last long.

a few funny things that i realized during the process.

orie & i are crayon snobs.
sort of like foodies or wine snobs - but of the elementary variety.

i only like crayola.
and if you are going to take the time to create, why mess around with something less than the best?

as i was digging through our crayon stash, i began picking out the non-crayolas. i have crafty plans for their future, but at the moment they needed to find a way out of our supply box.

orie, needing to make a label for one of his organizational boxes (he has adopted my love of labels & sterilite plastic boxes), grabbed one of the off-brand crayons.

in disgust, he looked up to me & says these crayons don't work right.

oh, orie.
you read my mind.

i'm a crayon snob.
proud of it.

and raising 3 others to join my clan.

piggies

2010-12-27T11:06:00.003-05:00

the kids are all about the money these days.

their favorite after school activity is running laps.
not for the exercise (although that is a plus) but for the penny they earn with each lap around the house they run.

when lobi learned they had no place to store all of those pennies, she had a grand idea for their Christmas gifts.

piggies.
and not just regular old piggies, but ones personalized with love.

these are the girls' piggy banks.

seriously.

lobi (aka lori - kevin's sister) painted these.

and now for the real humdinger.

she knew orie wouldn't be into piggies.

and she couldn't very well paint flowers & paisleys on orie's bank.

so she thought & thought & thought.

what is orie into?

other cultures & countries.

and counting his coins.

so she gave him the world.

on a digital bank.

really.

she painted that.

what a treasured gift for the kids.

they have already been asking to do chores & run laps to earn more money. the little jingle they hear when dropping coins into their piggies is quite addicting it seems.

thanks, lobi!!

fail

2010-12-26T23:18:00.004-05:00

snow twice in one year?
and the day after Christmas?

we ran outside to eat a few flakes

throw a few balls

make a few angels

& shoot a few photos.

photo fail.

lou, pull the hat off of your eyes.

better.

photo fail.

photo fail.

orie, work with us. not against us.

uncooperative children get cropped out.

sorry, bud.

photographic proof that i did step out in the cold snow.

at least for 10 minutes... until the kids complained of frozen hands & noses.

let it snow.

last day

2010-12-24T16:53:00.004-05:00

keeping watch.
one last day.

what it's all about

2010-12-24T16:38:00.002-05:00

Luke 2 (King James Version)

Luke 2

1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.

2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)

3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)

5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.

7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.

18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

19 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

21 On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived.

Christmas afternoons

2010-12-23T15:32:00.004-05:00

sweet tastes.

sweet sights.

that's what our Christmas afternoons are made of.

evolution

2010-12-23T00:56:00.002-05:00

the evolution of a gumball dispenser.

this is orie's gumball dispenser.

it is empty because lou crawled up on the kitchen counter, opened the cabinet, snuck into his candy & ate all of the gumballs.

orie was sad.

gaga found a solution.

he bought orie more gumballs.

but they were too big for his gumball dispenser.

orie was sad.

gaga found a solution.

a bigger gumball machine.

but forget the gumballs.

it is filled with this special gaga mix.

so a refresher course.

little gumball dispenser + too big gumballs = big old trail mix dispenser

orie is no longer sad.

thanks, gaga.

advice dispensary

2010-12-22T23:53:00.005-05:00

i met a friend tonight for a quick starbucks date.

the option was gervais or 5 points.

i chose gervais.

for the street view.

my back was to the street & i was busy chatting, so i had no view.

but i received something better.

advice.

unsolicited advice.

it all started with a guy wearing a let them eat steak shirt asking are you ready for Christmas? he was just making small talk, waiting for me to reciprocate so he could share his plans.

i bought my girlfriend an engagement ring for Christmas!

i congratulate him.

the barista is preparing our peppermint mochas so i make a little more conversation, asking how he is going to pop the question.

very carefully is the response from behind us.

let them eat steak & i both laugh.

i wait to hear his answer to my question.

but very carefully has more to say.

very carefully: so is this the girl you know you can live with? or the girl you know you can't live without?

let them eat steak: oh, i know i can live with her.

very carefully: no. let me ask that again. can you live with her or can you not live without her. because there is a big difference. you need to make sure you can't live without her. take it from me. i've married the girl i thought i could live with... and we are no longer together.

very carefully has a lot more to say & let them eat steak listens. but he has his peppermint mocha in hand & is inching his way towards the door, wanting to get back across the street to longhorn.

let them eat steak: ok, i'll take your advice.

very carefully turns back to me now that our soon to be engaged friend has left, sharing with me all of his wisdom.

and i listened, as i always do.

and i got it.

i understand.

you need to marry the person you can't live without.

and they need to not be able to live without you.

otherwise it won't work.

but i had a couple of problems with his advice...

1) let them eat steak has the ring. it's wrapped & under the tree. he's not taking it back. he's going to pop the question, no matter what wonderful words of wisdom you might have.

and 2) my biggest issue... very carefully was wearing vibrams. the five finger shoe. in starbucks.

sorry.

but i can't take advice seriously from someone who wears shoes without soles.

like a kid in a candy store

2010-12-21T00:16:00.003-05:00

like a kid in a candy store.

that's my dad.

every once in a while, he will stumble upon something that strikes his fancy & he RUNS with it.

he & my mom are both that way with antiquing.

they hit the auctions, small town shops & ebay.

mom is always giving me a verbal inventory of the goods in their house making sure i don't chunk the good stuff when she is dead & gone. (she talks about when i'm dead & gone a good bit.)

now that is depression glass. don't give that away to goodwill, ok. and this picture was something, something, something...

i told her the last time she was talking about when i am dead & gone that we wouldn't touch a thing, but would preserve the house just the way it was. it could be my own little house in the big woods.

but, honestly, it's a good thing she is telling me all of this. she knows how i am about chunking.

i don't know what my parents are scouting out when they go antiquing.

i think they just know it when they see it.

and when my dad caught sight of a vintage candy machine, he was smitten.

he knew just who it was for.

orie.

he called up orie to tell him all about his find. they discussed the possibilities. mostly money making possibilities. but all had to be put on the back burner. this money making machine needed some maintenance & my dad was off to do some research.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

i had forgotten all about the gum ball machine until dad called.

baby, tell orie that i have his gum ball machine ready. i'm going to bring it by tomorrow.

oh, ok. i'm sure he will be excited about that.

tell him i've got it filled up, too. i decided to put a trail mix in there because i know they will want to put money in it all the time. i knew you wouldn't want candy in there.

oh, ok. that's great.

i put it on a stand for you. and i have all of the mixes so you can keep filling it up. i made up my own trail mix of stuff i thought the kids would like to eat.

oh goodness, dad. you went all out, didn't you.

i dared not ask him how much this cost.

i was having recollections of the safe.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

give my dad a problem & he will find a way to solve it.

orie's problem was that the girls were getting into his room & messing with his stuff. (i say stuff, because it is not toys. he doesn't really play with toys. it is just stuff.)

orie told my dad his problem.

my dad solved it.

with a fireproof safe.

complete with keys & combination.

seriously.

this safe is of better quality than mine & kevin's personal one.

another one of those don't ask how much this cost situations.

so orie filled his safe with all of his valuables.

silly bands & chap stick.

not kidding.

that is what he wanted to protect from the girls.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

dad showed up at our back door, just as he said he would, with a huge candy dispenser in hand.

i don't know what i was expecting.

but not this.

he made another trip out to the truck & brought back 3 bags full of nuts, raisins, cheerios, M&Ms & chex.

this is for orie. you don't get into his trail mix. ok.

ok, dad. i know.

and then he left for one last trip to the truck.

he came back with 5 rolls of nickels.

a roll for orie.

a roll for lou.

a roll for bradley.

and 2 rolls to make change for all of orie's customers.

orie, come listen to this.

dad put a nickel in the machine & turned the handle.

out came a tiny offering of trail mix.

did you hear that?

what, gaga?

did you hear that handle turn? cause that is the sound of you making money.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

kate kate, one of our fabulous friends & sitters, came over that night. orie grabbed her immediately & brought her over to the candy dispenser.

kate kate, do you have a dime?

yes, why?

cause if you give me a dime, i will give you a nickel. then you can get some trail mix out of our candy dispenser.

i think my dad taught him that trick.

double your money.

kate kate is sweet.

she did it.

several times.

between a banker for a daddy, an entrepreneur for a grandfather & an accountant for the other grandfather, it's no wonder this kid has his mind on his money & his money on his mind.

so the moral of this story...

if you come to visit, be sure to bring your nickels.

or better yet, your dimes.

no matter the currency, your serving size will always be the same.

to all a good night

2010-12-17T00:10:00.005-05:00

twas the night before the last day of school...
which means time for the school play!!

i really did not know what to expect.
i thought it was the same-o, same-o as in years past & had Christmas clothes picked out for orie & bradley.

orie balked & told me he was a country bumpkin & was wearing jeans & a white shirt.
i dialed a friend to concur.
orie was right.
he usually is.

i really need to stop scanning school handouts.

it was the cutest school Christmas play i have ever seen.
(also the first, but does that really matter?)

twas one crazy night before Christmas

if you link above hold out & listen for the martha stewart song.

that was a real hoot.

here is my country bumpkin.

thank goodness orie pays attention to details.

he would have looked a bit out of place in the black & red argyle sweater i had laid out for him.

and what is one crazy night before Christmas without santa?

meet santa mr. rhodes.

santa mr. rhodes is probably one of the nicest guys you could ever meet. he is jolly & kind. always joking. the love of every child that has the joy of riding his bus.

the fact that he dresses in his santa suit on the last day before Christmas break each year makes the kids love him even more.

orie & bradley are not on his bus, but they know the legend that is mr. rhodes.

he is an icon within the school.

and he is retiring.

tomorrow.

due to health issues, he has made the decision to hang up his hat.

it is sad times.

during the last scene of the play, santa mr. rhodes made his way down the aisle of the auditorium & onto the stage where all of the kids were sleeping. i can't remember the details of what happened next except santa mr. rhodes turning around to wave at the audience & saying

merry Christmas to all.

and to all a good night.

maybe it is my hormones.

maybe i am just a sap.

but i cried.

that sort of cry that causes me to wipe my nose & blot my eyes.

kevin, surprised by my reaction, grabbed my hand & asked what was wrong.

i cried more.

i tried to explain.

how he has been sick.

and he is retiring.

and this was like his final goodbye.

but it didn't make sense.

so i just pushed kevin's hand away (if you touch me i cry harder) & tried to pull myself together.

did anyone watch tom brokaw's final broadcast?

do you remember the way you felt when he signed off?

knowing the nightly news would never be the same?

that is sort of how it was tonight.

it was like mr. rhodes' personal sign off.

merry Christmas to all.

and to all a good night.

i know i'm not the only one who is going to miss this special man.

thanks, santa mr. rhodes, for being you.

finn

2010-12-14T12:56:00.003-05:00

finn's back.

and this time he did not come bearing treats.

i guess i deserved that.

i have thrown a few rolls of toilet paper in my day.

but why won't this sneaky little elf look me in the eye?

and what will really happen if i touch him?

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

kevin sent me an email a few days ago titled ELF ON THE SHELF.

can we order one of these? was his question.

order one?

we have had one for 2 Christmases now.

i think we even named him, but it was over 2 days ago so i can't remember.

i didn't play the game very well. i just plopped him up on a shelf & there he sat. hence the reason no one remembers the little guy. not even the kids.

but get kevin involved in something & it is going to be done right.

i returned home one afternoon to find finn (the new name of our forgotten elf) hanging out in a poinsettia.

we can't touch him, mom! if we do, he will go away. FOREVER!

oooo-kay.

let me tell you, i have fallen in love with this little guy.

mornings are easy as pie.

no more grumpies refusing to wake.

the kids bounce out of bed & rush downstairs to find where he has hidden & if he has come bearing treats or tricks.

and when they find him the SCREAM with excitement!!

over dum-dums.

let me give them a dum-dum & it is just normal business.

but finn? he gets SCREAMS!!

yesterday we returned home from school & finn was missing. he was previously perched on top of the television.

orie: where is finn? lou, did you do something bad?

lou: no. i didn't. i promise.

orie: mom, did you touch him?

me: no. i haven't touched him.

bradley: i bet lou did something. he has probably gone back to the north pole. what if he doesn't come back?! (in tessie oh my goodness! oh my goodness! fashion.)

me: can he really go away & never come back? (i don't know the rules. this is between kevin & the kids.)

orie: yes. if you touch him his magic disappears & he will not return. and if you are bad, he will go tell santa. i wonder where he is. (looking behind the television, hoping to find him there.)

me: i wonder, too...

but he's back.

i wonder what little finn has up his elf sleeve for tomorrow.

santa's list

2010-12-14T00:53:00.002-05:00

about a month ago, i gave the kids several sales ads & toy catalogs & said have at it.

they made their lists.

lou dictated & i scribed.

dora dress. cinderella watch. sticker book.

bradley wrote 500 things down.

only about 3 of which i can decipher.

orie was very thoughtful & careful.

money from around the world. stones from around the world (found in catalog). littlest pet shop rescue center.

santa went to work & found 3 appropriate gifts for each child.

santa was pleased.

and then santa's world was turned topsy turvy.

bradley: mama, orie is giving me all of his littlest pet shop.

me: really? all of it? the littlest pet shop that he would not allow you to breathe heavy on a few days ago?

(i am finding this very, very strange.)

bradley: yeah. he said he did not want it anymore.

me: (calling to orie) hey, bud, what is this about you giving away your littlest pet shop?

orie: it is too babyish for me.

me: oh. well why did you put it on your wish list to santa?

orie: well, i did want it, but i have changed my mind. i need to rewrite my letter anyways. lou wrote ooolah on it.

(dummy me. i procrastinated mailing the letters to santa.)

me: santa has probably already gotten that for you.

orie: no he hasn't. we have not mailed the letters.

me: but i emailed him.

orie: well, can you please email him that i no longer want a littlest pet shop?

me: (defeated) ok, bud. i can do that.

reason number 2045 to not procrastinate.

the prayer list

2010-12-09T08:36:00.004-05:00

if you are ever sick, be sure to let us know.

we will put you on our prayer list.

and if you ever get on our prayer list, you are not coming off.

like my great aunt, sis.

after visiting her in the hospital, the kids prayed & prayed & prayed for her.

God was working.

she got out.

but lou continued praying for sis in the hospital.

it was not until she physically saw sis, not in the hospital, at thanksgiving that she dropped the sis in the hospital from her prayer list.

but she did not drop sis.

she has a new request for sis.

God, please give sis a husband, cause if she haded one i could pray for him, too.

like mother, like daughter.

at one point i, too, was determined to snag sis a husband.

it was my main goal for a while there.

i was going to set sis up on a blind date.

it didn't work.

for a couple of reasons.

1) i was 10. 10 year olds don't have a lot of single male friends their great aunt's age.

2) as stated earlier, i am sanguine... and i get bored with new endeavors quickly.

lou, let's see if your please give sis a husband works as well as please help sis in the hospital did.

God works in mysterious ways.

sis, look out!!

sanguine

2010-12-09T00:02:00.004-05:00

last weekend was a girl weekend.

it was a great one.

we laughed.

we cried.

we laughed so much we cried.

let it be noted: 12 hours in a car with 5 girls within less than 48 hours can make for interesting times.

all i can say is thank you, al gore, for the internet.

and for phones with internet access.

roundabout hour 3 on the drive home a friend asked what is sanguine?

i chose not to answer because i had been put in my place 30 minutes earlier. see, i thought i had a great vocabulary. i was brought to my knees in despair when crystal blew my vocabulary bank out of the car window. i wanted to challenge her to a vocabulary bee, but was sceered.

she took 4 years of latin. and went to law school. and liked to study.

and me? none of the above.

so i passed on my imaginary vocab queen crown & slouched down in my seat defeated.

so back to sanguine.

during the deeper still conference, beth moore described herself as a sanguine & someone in the car asked what that meant.

i kept my mouth shut & let esther gather her wiki knowledge.

this is what wikipedia read:

(well, esther read it. but from wikipedia.)

The Sanguine temperament personality is fairly extroverted. People of a sanguine temperament tend to enjoy social gatherings, making new friends and tend to be quite loud. They are usually quite creative and often daydream. However, some alone time is crucial for those of this temperament. Sanguine can also mean very sensitive, compassionate and thoughtful.

this is when esther pauses for the laughter that is erupting.

are you sure that is the definition of sanguine? or of ashley lindler?

i laugh.

esther begins again.

Sanguine personalities generally struggle with following tasks all the way through, are chronically late, and tend to be forgetful and sometimes a little sarcastic.

esther, you are making this stuff up.

my love of sarcasm was a topic of conversation mere miles earlier. esther is pretty crafty. i knew this was her in drama mode.

no i'm not. i am just reading.

Often, when pursuing a new hobby, interest is lost quickly when it ceases to be engaging or fun.

really. you are making this up. for real.

nope.

They are very much people persons. They are talkative and not shy. For some people, these are the ones you want to be friends with and usually they become life long friends.

crazy.

any other sanguine friends out there?

if so, that is probably why we are friends.

so basically, in a recap...

i am the girl you want to be friends with.

not start projects with.

cause i get bored.

i am the girl you want to visit at her home.

cause if i am meeting you somewhere, i'm going to be late.

and i might forget about it & stand you up.

i am the one you want to take to a party.

not the library.

i'm too loud.

i'm the one that you have to realize what i say may not be what i mean.

the sarcasm.

lots of sarcasm.

ps - sarcasm is lots of fun if you like the shock factor. i love to see the shock factor & then say that was a joke, you know.

pss - sarcasm is not very endearing in 6 year olds.

psss - maybe i need to lay off of it a bit.

pssss - i don't see that happening. it is engrained in me. looks like i will raise another. but better to be sarcastic than cynical, right? right.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

i just remembered the vocab word from my duel with crystal.

ubiquitous.

i said it meant obscure.

she said it meant being everywhere.

she was right.

i was way wrong.

do i at least get points for giving the antonym?

crystal, i am studying.

it is on like donkey kong.

be sceered.

be very sceered.

i want my vocab queen crown back.

choices, choices

2010-11-23T22:12:00.002-05:00

i have been anxiously awaiting the final edit of our family portraits.

today was the day!!

and brooke did not disappoint.

choices are good.

i just don't know how i am going to make them.

ps - if you are a grandparent, it might behoove you to weigh in on a favorite. (i know i am your favorite, but that is not what i meant. a favorite photo.)

on my feet

2010-11-22T09:20:00.005-05:00

i can't say that i am always on my toes.

heck, lately i can't even stay on my feet.

literally.

i have always been the clumsy sort.

probably why kids called me ostrich in 5th grade.

and another guy called me clown when i played high school basketball.

ps - calling names is not nice. it sticks with a child. even when they are 31 years old. and do you know what the difference is between boys & girls? boys call you names to your face. you sort of have to respect them for that. girls call you names behind your back. makes me wonder what other names i was called that i don't even know about...

so i thought i was over the clumsy stage of my life.

i have taken my fair share of falls.

many of them with an audience.

but it had been a while.

then the other night, while helping clear up after dinner with friends, i made a quick turn & my feet were totally swept out from under me.

it was one of those totally surprising falls.

my hands were full.

i did not even think to catch myself.

kevin reached down to help me up, but i had to sit there for a minute & collect my bearings.

who cares that several couples are milling about around me.

i just busted my tail & needed to think about it a minute.

i chalked that one up to slick floors & boots.

surely, that was the case.

but then last night happened.

i can't even figure out my misstep.

i was walking across the street - in a bit of a hurry, but not running - and all of a sudden lost it. i was on my knees before i even knew what had hit me. but the thing was, nothing hit me. i just slipped.

i pulled myself to my feet & looked around.

no one saw me.

whew.

i then examine the damages.

asphalt burn on hand & knee.

ouch.

i haven't had one of those in years.

what is going on?

i had on ballet flats this time.

there were no slick floors.

it seems as though i need to relearn how to walk.

funny thing is, i had just recently been working on my walk.

that pair of ballet flats i have.

the ones that i busted my tail in & skidded on asphalt.

they are pretty groovy.

so much so that i bought a pair in 2 different colors.

sort of like when i used to shop at the limited.

if it works, buy one in every color.

but i am not so sure these shoes work for me.

number one: they are slick bottoms. sort of like those sam & libby's that i wore seventh through ninth grade. even though they weren't good to me. (i have a list full of embarrassing moments that involve me falling.)

number two: those cool studs on the back. they beat the heck out of my ankles.

how? you might ask, do those sweet little studs get to your ankles.

well, if there is a will there is a way.

and it seems as though my feet have a will to mess with me.

after suffering through many bleeding ankle situations, i decided to confer with a friend.

hey, bridge. will you watch me walk & see what i am doing wrong here?

she happily obliged.

she's a good friend like that.

you kick in your foot. like you are walking a straight line.

(she demonstrates my walk)

try to walk like this.

(and she walks for me)

i study the walk, noticing that her legs stay the same width apart.

i walk over to my runway, concentrate & try to emulate what she has done.

i end up looking like a cowboy with a corncob stuck up my backside.

no, no, no. like this.

(she demonstrates again)

i try the walk.

to no avail.

this back & forth goes on for several minutes. a few friends gather around to watch & add commentary. they are really trying to help.

it does not work.

so what is a girl to do?

i can't even walk right.

much less do it without falling on my behonkus.

but i can walk straight.

that should count for something, right?

so if you see my walking & i don't say hello, please don't take offense.

you may think i am just not paying attention.

but the reality is there is a lot going on in my mind as i go through the motions.

heel to toe.

legs shoulder width apart.

don't kick your ankles, less they will bleed.

and whatever you do, stay on your feet!

stay clear of distractions.

go slow.

as i read my walking instructions above, i am realizing i need to take heed & utilize as i go through the motions of my life.

maybe this is the lesson the Lord is trying to teach me.

i keep falling.

He keeps picking me up.

sometimes i fall with an audience.

sometimes i am the only one who knows my mistake.

sometimes i feel it coming.

sometimes i am blindsided.

but the fact of the matter is, unless something changes, i will continue falling.

thank you, Lord, for your grace.

thank you, Lord, for your presence.

and thank you, Lord, for giving me the senses to realize i need to quit slipping & stand on the solid ground that you have provided.

it is time to slow it down.

steer clear of the distractions in which i so easily get entangled.

stop just going through the motions.

if i want to stop falling flat on my face, it is time i focus my mind.

on Him.

i've learned to walk once before.

but it is time rethink what i thought i once knew.

the path.

the purpose.

the presentation.

i am putting one foot in front of the other.

and praying i stay on my feet in the process.

white Christmas

2010-11-21T23:04:00.004-05:00

it's beginning to feel a little like Christmas.

not a lot.
a little, i said.

i'm not the let's pull the decorations down from the attic & get ready for Christmas as soon as we shed our halloween costumes sort of girl.

i am more of a let's eat turkey, let it digest, go shopping, fill the closets with unwrapped gifts, let me think about wrapping them, then wrap them & hey we need a place to put them so let's put up the tree sort of girl.

but this year i feel as though i have a candy cane pointed at my temple.

and kevin is holding it saying we need to get decorated because we are going on vacation & then you are going to alabama & i am going to georgia & when are we celebrating lou's birthday? & then we have Christmas pageant & we have parties & parties & more parties & when are we going to decorate for Christmas?!

huh? huh? huh?

i've said it before.

i'll say it again.

i love Jesus.

all day.

everyday.

Christmas?

and all the busyness comes with it.

not so much.

bah humbug.

i guess i'll go decorate now.

pass me the egg nog, please.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

so it's beginning to feel a little like Christmas.

it is not nutcracker season quite yet (ok, that i love about Christmastime) but we have seen our first show of the season.

white Christmas at town theatre.

the kids & i went to the matinee today. if you have not taken your child to see live theatre, do it. it is by far the most magical entertainment you can offer them.

our seats were separated so orie & bradley sat by themselves up front. lou & i were in the way, way back behind a really tall, tall guy. (lou kept not whispering i can't SEE!) basically, i mention this because orie & bradley are so mesmerized by live theatre that i knew there would be no issue. and we had family friends keeping an eye on them. and they were sitting beside old ladies who would probably hit them with their cane if they spoke too loudly.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

you think i am making the old lady with a cane stuff up?

i'm not.

this is not a crack on old people.

i love old people.

they are great listeners & have the best stories.

i could hang out with old people all day long.

but somehow, we always end up at performances when the assisted living buses empty out the droves. such was the case this summer at a columbia city jazz performance. the kids were talking too loudly or moving around a bit too much & an old lady behind them poked at them with her cane. her friends were mortified, but she just gave the kids the stink eye (meg) & held tight to her cane in case it was needed in the near future.

white Christmas was one of those situations.

still hopes & the presbyterian home were representing today.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

back to story.

orie & bradley up front with old ladies.

lou & i in the back.

(there is no point there, really. just trying to get my bearings in the midst of this diatribe.)

while waiting in line to be seated, i made friends with a gentleman i recognized from church.

actually, he recognized us first.

we lined up behind him & he says

you were at first baptist this morning, weren't you?

yes, we were.

i recognized those tights your daughter has on.

(it was one of those funky matilda jane combos. she was conservative on top. funk on bottom with bright red clogs. did she dress herself this morning? ummm, sort of. kind of. i may have had a small part in the funk part because she had not traditional tights to be found.)

well, you were at S&S cafeteria this afternoon, weren't you.

(i recognized him at lunch today as being an FBC guy. but i could not put a face with a name.)

why yes i was.

seems like we are hanging out at all of the same places, aren't we.

we make conversation. he sees that the kids & i are separated & offers an extra seat up front to me & lou. i declined the offer, but at intermission sought him out & scooted in beside him & his family.

i think he enjoyed watching the play through lou's eyes. as lou sat there in wonder & amazement, i would catch a glimpse of him in my peripheral view tapping his wife & pointing at her. he is a grandfather to a 17 month old. i bet he was calculating how much longer he had to wait before he could sit his grandson on his lap at town.

the performance was great.

i love a musical that surprises me with familiar tunes.

like blue skies & sisters.

(did i mention this is one of those Christmas classics that i have never watched? i have a long, long list of Christmas movies i need to see. miracle on 34th street. it's a wonderful life. but i have seen ELF 100 times.)

but the funniest moment of the entire show was when (and i totally can't give all of the backstory to make it funny. just go see the show.) one guy popped the other guy on the backside & said that'll sweeten your pancakes.

lou laughed hysterically.

i laughed hysterically.

we couldn't stop.

really.

for like 5 minutes.

even after the show has moved on to more serious acts.

we both stop for a second.

then i get another chuckle.

and lou laughs out loud saying over & over that'll sweeten your pancakes.

i am sure our new church friend is happy at this point to have offered a seat to us.

maybe he will forget my name.

lou & i finally pulled ourselves together, but only after snow started pouring from the ceiling.

distraction works for my kids... and myself.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

take your kids to see a show this Christmas.

whether it be

White Christmas at Town Theatre
A Nutty Nutcracker Christmas at Columbia Children's Theatre
Christmas Pageant at First Baptist Church (you will see all of the lindlers but me in this show)
Singing Christmas Tree at Shandon Baptist (it's back... and my mom will be singing her heart out in this one)
The Two Claras with Columbia City Jazz (young kids with crazy talent)
The Nutcracker with Carolina Ballet (at the renovated Township)
The Nutcracker with Columbia City Ballet (at the Koger Center)
The Nutcracker with Columbia Classical Ballet
Sista Girl & The Soldier: The Urban Nutcracker with Vibrations Dance Company

just make sure you go.

watch the performance.

but also watch it through the eyes of your child.

that'll sweeten your pancakes!!

and it might just get you in the mood to put up the Christmas tree...

or not.

family portraits

2010-11-16T16:54:00.002-05:00

we had family portraits taken this weekend.

the weather was beautiful.
the photographer was great.
and the kids were on cue.

like this pose...

not posed at all.
just bradley draping herself on top of kevin & lou & orie filling in the gaps.

we showed up at the park with a bunch of HUGE balloons.
when i say HUGE, i mean it. like 3 feet HUGE.

i can't wait to see how those pictures turn out.

if you would like to book a session with brooke, you are in luck. she has decided to extend her photo sessions & has several days open. i hope tuesdays are good for you because that is what she has available.

you can view brooke's portfolio or find out more about the mini sessions she has available.

and hopefully the photo i have posted above is not the best out of the lot.
because that would just sort of ruin the Christmas card surprise, wouldn't it!!

frow up

2010-11-07T22:11:00.002-05:00

lou frowed up.
5 times.

so we were on quarantine this weekend.

poor lou.
she missed 2 birthday parties & visiting with bebe & gaga & playing with cousin mallory.

as if frowing up was not hard enough.

she also missed sunday school this morning.
she wanted to make sure i stopped by to tell ms cynthia & mr james why she was not there.

she loves ms cynthia & mr james. a lot.

the kids & i tiptoed (not really, i had to remind them 10 times to be quiet) inside the house to find this.

lou & her daddy asleep & snuggling up.
i guess the aftermath of frow ups is not so bad.

oh, what a beautiful morning!

2010-11-05T07:31:00.005-04:00

i miss my granddaddy.

there is so much that i have forgotten about him.

the little things.

today brought a memory.

in the midst of bradley screaming.

because her favorite pink spirit shirt that holland gave her was not clean & she had not worn it in 2 weeks & it should be clean & she did not have another spirit shirt that she wanted to wear & she was definitely not wearing her spirit dress.

in the midst of orie screaming.

because he couldn't find 2 white socks & i accidently stepped on his finger & i chuckled at his extreme reaction & he hit me on the leg & i sent him outside to think it over & i offered him a banana but he wanted cereal & he refused to get in the van so i drove to the end of the drive & he waited 2 seconds & then ran to get in.

i opened the van door.

he threw himself in & screamed some more.

and then lou, not wanting to be left out of the screaming drama, screamed because she could not buckle her car seat.

** do you ever feel as though raising your children is like a game of chicken? who is going to concede first? i do. right or wrong, i play a lot of chicken. like with the van. i thought about just going to school without orie. would i have done it? i don't know. i am so glad he did not make me get that far in the game. **

i took a deep breath & sang to myself.

oh, what a beautiful morning.

oh, what a beautiful day.

i've got a wonderful feeling.

everything's going my way.

i sang it to myself in sarcasm.

(for those of you who don't appreciate my sarcastic ways, know that i use it on myself as well.)

and to maybe view this morning in a different light.

i wondered why i pulled that song out of the hat.

and then i remembered.

that was my granddaddy's song.

i had a lot of sleepovers with my granddaddy.

and that is how he started each day.

i miss him.

terribly.

for those of you who need a different perspective or a little skip in your step, listen & memorize the chorus.

let it be your mantra.

the mornings are mental for me.
too bad i did not start out this day riding my horse through the cornfields singing about the haze of the meadow or the cattle like statues.

i think i need to go up to the school, hug my children & remind them that i love them.
i wonder if they will scream at me.

behind the scenes

2010-11-04T10:57:00.005-04:00

have i ever mentioned how much i love our school?

i have?
yeah, i thought so.

have i ever mentioned how much i love our school counselor?

i haven't?
well, she is pretty incredible.

undoubtedly, i am not the only one who thinks so.
the state department of education thinks she is pretty great, too.

SC ETV is kind enough to offer their studio & services to the department of education for training videos & such. counselors around the state are eager to learn new ways to teach their students so the department of education asked ms knight, our school counselor, to record a lesson that she teaches her students.

so that is the backstory.

the lindler kids were asked to be in the video because
1) she needed 3 or 4 kids
2) they could get there in 1 car
3) i probably happened to be in her face when the thought crossed her mind

the kids were thrilled at the thought of being on someone else's television.
i was thrilled to get a peek at the studio.
kevin was thrilled to have a valid excuse to skip work.

just kidding.
kevin loves field trips just as much as i do.

it was pretty neat to walk the halls of ETV & see memorabilia of shows from the past. it was like a timeline of the station & their productions.

meeting the producer.
lou is shy.

(all who believe that stand on your head. but she does like to hide behind her hand as she tells people i'm shy...)

this is their stage.

they could not stop themselves from turning around to stare at themselves in the monitors.

kevin & i were in the sound booth while the kids & ms knight were in the studio.

i like buttons.

i really wanted to play with them.

this is my favorite.

ms knight beats a drum.

the kids do their deep breathing exercises.

check out lou.

this is the exact face she has during prayer time at our house.

regardless, i am thinking of investing in a drum.

and teaching the kids yoga poses.

or maybe just locking the door to my bedroom while i breath deeply & beat a drum while in the downward dog position.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

the kids were great.

ms knight taught them a lesson on how peacekeepers stand up for themselves. she told a story through 3 roses - red, yellow & white. she's a great storyteller.

they listened closely & raised their hands & waited patiently to speak.

and then she lost lou.

she took off her shoes, rubbed her hands all over her feet & stuck her hands to her nose.

she did this a total of 20 times.

then she rolled over on her back & stuck her legs up in the air.

rolled back over to her bottom.

rolled back over to her back.

she was good as long as she could be.

i'll give her that.

they had been in the studio for an hour at that point, testing cameras & white balance & sound & all of that technical stuff. by the time the cameras actually rolled for the 15 minute lesson being taught, her self control was exhausted.

have i mentioned how much she makes me laugh?

and that i adore her?

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

daddy always gets in the pictures.

they were able to sneak a peek of the unedited recording.

how cool is this?

what an experience.

for all of us.

i would have given my front tooth just to make it onto the mr. knozit show when i was a kid.

really.

joe pinner, if you want to pull out the pink panther & reenact, i bet i can get my mom to find that tooth somewhere.

when i grow up

2010-11-04T10:07:00.004-04:00

i signed up for another committee at school.
imagine that.

kevin, if you are reading this, don't worry. i will keep it tame. promise. i am totally behind the scenes & just a teeny, tiny little worker bee. i won't even be working that much. really.

with all of that being said, i probably still won't get your white shirts washed in a timely manner, will i.

ok, back to the topic at hand.

i signed up to help out with the FAB (fine arts booster) auction.

i have never been able to attend the event, but have worked behind the scenes to work with the children on class projects. i am sure i will do that again this year, but i am also in charge of acquisitions in the "children" category.

enter pitch here:

do you own a business that caters to children?
do you believe the children are our future?
do you feel as though the arts is an integral piece of our children's education?

would you like to support your community & gain valuable advertising at the same time?

well, you are talking (metaphorically speaking) to the right lady.

you have a wonderful opportunity to support a local school, the arts & the future of america all while introducing yourself & your services to the community.

leave a comment & i'll give you a call so we can chat more about this great venture we can embark on together.

end of sales pitch.

i bet you want to start a small business now just so you can give to our FAB, right?

somehow (i know how. i don't pay attention.) the FAB website snuck past me & i discovered it for the first time today. it tells all about the fine arts program & has pictures from auctions past.

i stumbled upon one of orie's class projects & was quite amused.

from the mad platter.
what i want to be when i grow up.

can you find orie?
he is orange.

any guesses as to what he is?
hint: he is wearing a tummy symbol.

i think he has since moved on to missionary.
i think this career move will be much more rewarding than the other.

and here is the class project that i poured my blood, sweat & tears into.
(ok, not really. but i did stay up late one night assembly all of the kids' artwork.)

pretty neat, huh?

do you even know what it is?

no.

i am going to blame that on the glare of the camera flash & not on my inability to craft & collage.

it's a palmetto tree.
collaged with paintings from the children.
collaged on top of pictures the children drew.

i am not artsy, so it is all about the layers for me.

i totally would have purchased this one, but i think kevin had swept me off to some faraway island to bask in the sun & sip coconut concoctions.

honestly, i don't know why we weren't there.
but made up memories of a private island vacation suits me just fine.

got talent

2010-11-01T18:43:00.004-04:00

when bradley heard that there would be a talent show during the fall festival, she was thrilled & determined to be in it.

ok, brad. but what are you going to do?

she thought a moment.

i'm going to hula hoop around my head.

she answered emphatically.
it was no joke.

i thought it was pretty hilarious. heck, could she even hula? much less around her neck? i mean, who hulas around their neck?

so i facebooked it.

wouldn't you know two other friends chimed in & said let's get the kids together to do a routine.

sure. whatever.
but i don't even know if my girl can hoop.

ends up she can.

sort of.

kind of.

maybe.

i had no clue she would go through with it, but she did.

seems as though the stage is her second home.

even if she doesn't know the routine.

here she is with courtnie dancing to chubby checker's let's twist again.

(the 3rd partner ended up not making it.)

and let the head hula hooping begin.

if you want to learn maybe you & brad can practice together.

i hear it is the up & coming thing for college scholarships.

one can only wish.

dark or light

2010-10-31T14:16:00.004-04:00

anyone want to voice an opinion?

dark or light?

time warp

2010-10-31T14:13:00.004-04:00

we may have meshed a few eras here.

poodle skirts.
letter sweater & jacket.
ponytails & slicked back hair.

i made a special trip to kershaw & dug around in my parents' cedar chest to unearth my dad's kershaw high treasures.

i also found my mom's miss SC pictures & the sash she wore during the competition. wow. she was one pretty lady. my dad is a lucky man.

sort of like orie is one lucky boy to be sandwiched between these two pretty ladies.

like father like son.

happy halloween!!

sick a rat

2010-10-31T13:35:00.002-04:00

lou loves to sing.

and dance.

usually, i know what she is trying to get across through the melody.

but in this instance, i could not figure it out.

i'm a sick a rat.

lou, what are you singing?

i'm a sick a rat.

i'm a cigarette?

where in the world did you hear such a thing?

owie.

orie, why are you singing about cigarettes?

i don't know. we heard it on alvin & the chipmunks. you know, when they dance like this... (holding hands out in front of him & waving them towards the floor).

and that is how beyonce's all my single ladies became i'm a cigarette.

to lou's credit, the chipettes are a little difficult to understand.

dinner, anyone?

2010-10-25T15:17:00.005-04:00

orie has always had a bit of an entrepreneurial spirit.

he has tried his hand at sales but no one was biting.
tough economic times, i suppose.

but everyone has to eat, right?
he has now decided to go into the restaurant business.

(what comes home in orie's school bag)

give him a call if you would like to place an order.
he can customize meals to suit your dietary needs as well.

ps - i hear the eyeball water is delish!!

goodbye, cherry grove

2010-10-24T15:48:00.004-04:00

cherry grove has been in the mack family for 32 years.
this weekend was our final goodbye.

twinkle toes

2010-10-21T22:28:00.007-04:00

monday & thursday are PE days.

the rules:

no dresses or skirts.

tennis shoes required.

the no dresses or skirts part always gives us a run for our money.

i don't even buy pants for bradley anymore.

a pair of leggings here or there, but for the sole purpose of going under a dress.

and jeans?

fuhget about it.

i can bring home a pair with the back pockets full of bling & she still ain't wearing them.

such is my life with a girl who has fashion opinions.

the last time i went shopping for her, i texted her pictures to make sure she would wear the clothes i had picked.

she is FIVE!!

does this seem absurd to you?

it does me.

but no longer want clothes with tags hanging in her closet.

and i am not fighting the clothes battle anymore.

(except for that brown sweater dress. she will wear that brown sweater dress, by george.)

did i create this monster?

surely not.

did i?

can i blame it on my mother?

or kevin?

they are always my fallback guys when it comes to blame.

so, back to PE.

last thursday was a PE day & bradley could not find her tennis shoes anywhere.

this is the kid who has 5 headbands hiding under her covers at any moment of the week.

and this is the kid whose sink is filled with globs of toothpaste.

and this is the kid who lost pen & pencil privileges in her room after writing her name on her sheets.

it came as no surprise that she lost her tennis shoes.

but i did not have time to search for them & it was time to G-O.

my solution?

the clunky hi-tops that she wore during our mother/daughter hip hop routine last spring.

see bradley's shoes above?
those are her hip hop shoes.

i was going to teach her a lesson.

we take care of our belongings.

we put them in their place.

we wear ugly shoes when we lose our tennies & it is PE day.

she was not happy.

at all.

so she dressed herself that day.

in a shirt too small & leggings too short.

and clunky hip hop hi-tops.

she screamed.

she cried.

she even missed breakfast because of all the drama.

but she was going to learn a lesson.

seriously.

how do you lose tennis shoes?

kevin called me after dropping off the kids.

i did not realize how silly she looked until i watched her step out of the car & clunk her way into the school. her poked out lip just topped off the look.

i bet she will find her tennis shoes as soon as she gets home, right?

i guess so.

as soon as i met her at the bus stop that afternoon i asked her in my cheeriest voice did everyone love your shoes?!

no. no one liked my shoes. i never want to wear these shoes again!

i guess we need to find your tennis shoes, don't we.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

monday was PE day.

we had still not found her tennis shoes.

i tried to skim by & sent her to school in her keens.

bradley returned home from school that afternoon & informed me that mrs curtis said i can't wear my keens in PE anymore.

dagnabbit, dangblamit.

time to go shoe shopping.

again.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

shoe shopping for orie is easy.

he runs into tootsies & picks out a pair of tennis shoes.

jake passes down his baseball cleats.

william passes down his brown church shoes.

we are good to go.

but the girls.

and shoes.

that is an ordeal.

they have clogs.

blue & red.

but they hurt their toes.

and trip them up.

they have polka dot shoes.

lou has black.

bradley has brown.

but you can't wear brown with black or black with brown.

(i guess you could. but it bugs me.)

and bradley's keens smell like foul garbage.

no exaggeration.

she took off her shoes in the van yesterday.

i had to roll down the windows.

it was that bad.

so i was off to buy another pair of shoes that were going to end up smelling like foul garbage & would be hidden under the bed or in nooks & crannies somewhere around the house.

enter the twinkle toes.

oh my.

cuteness x 100.

and they light up!!

i never, ever, ever thought i would purchase a pair of light up shoes for my kids. i have prided myself on going 6 years without purchasing shoes with lights or characters.

but these.

so cute.

i could not pass up.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

mamas of girls...

how do you get around buying shoes in every color?

and what are the must haves on your buying list?

and what are your favorite/well made brand/styles?

and how do i rid the keens of that smell.

aside from burning them.

thanks.

the end.

blue lights

2010-10-21T21:35:00.002-04:00

i'm a single mom.
at the moment.

kevin is in nantahala.
or that is what i thought.
when my mom asked, i told her that it must be somewhere in the outerbanks.

shows how much i know.

nantahala is not a beach.
it is a river.
and he is rafting in it.

and climbing 40 foot walls.
and swinging through trees.
which is quite a feat for a 36 year old man afraid of heights.

i don't mind kevin being out of town every now & again.
it means i can be a slobby as i want for days on end.
and no one cares if pineapple & carrots are what's for dinner.

but the one thing i am not a big fan of...
morning duty.

kevin & i both have alarm clocks.

his alarm goes off at 6am.

he hits snooze until 6:30.

my alarm goes off at midnight.

(which is really 10ish because i never reset it months ago after a power outage)

and it is a staticy radio station.

kevin finally unplugged it.

obviously, he is in charge of wake up.

when kissing him goodbye yesterday i made one final request.

not to have sure footing when climbing 40 feet in the air.

not to hold tight to the ropes while swinging through the trees.

not to wear his lifejacket while going through the rapids.

hey, will you make sure to call me tomorrow morning? just to make sure i am awake?

i even had a backup plan.

wednesday night at church i was asked to volunteer for the fall festival.

i said i'll have to talk to kevin about that.

kevin, did you read that?

did you almost choke on your spit?

(if you know me, you probably know i say yes first then ask kevin later. i am not the best at communication. there. i said it. i am the problem, ok.)

the guy asking me to volunteer knew that asking kevin was a joke, so i tried another line.

well, i woke up this morning & told myself that i couldn't say yes to anything. today is my no day. so ask me tomorrow. i will say yes tomorrow.

ok. i'm an early bird. i'm going to call you at 5:30 in the morning.

great. call me at 5:30 tomorrow morning & i promise i will say yes.

seriously. i'm calling you.

seriously. great. i need a wakeup call.

my backup plan did not call me.

but i woke up on time anyways.

and i volunteered for the fall festival today.

actually, i volunteered myself & kevin.

kevin, did you read that?

put it in your blackberry, ok.

oh, and while i am at it, we have a teacher conference november 3 at 3:30.

put that one on the calendar, too.

(how is that for communication?)

so i woke up on time.

orie & lou were already piled up in the bed with me so i just rolled them on out & scooted them upstairs to get ready. bradley is the one who gives me a hard time in the morning. she wants to stay rooted underneath those covers as long as possible. but i have figured her out. all i have to do is put her in the bear hug (cause she H-A-T-E-S snuggling) & she squirms away so violently that she squirms right out of the bed.

sad.

but true.

at least 2 out of 3 of my children allow me the snuggling i so desire.

my normal morning routine is to get the children clothed & fed & hand them their bags as they walk out the door.

kevin is the transporter.

so today, having added two extra tasks to my list (hitting snooze until 6:30 & transporting) i was bound to forget something.

they had on clothes.

they ate their chocolate cheerios. (which orie refuses because some granola told him he shoulc not eat cereal that turns the milk a different color.)

and they were buckled & in the car.

zee bags! zee bags!

we forgot zee bags!

i thought about turning around.

for a moment.

but in the words of the cornelius brothers & sister rose...

it's too late to turn back now.

i'm all flustered.

trying to get to school on time.

determined not to get a pink slip on my watch.

and then in the dark of the morning.

reflected in the back window of the van.

are flashing blue lights.

my heart sinks.

i know the drill.

i pause a moment.

begin slowing down.

and the lights are gone.

that is when i realize.

it was bradley's twinkle toes.

that called for a DD large cup of coffee.

skim milk.

vanilla.

please.

the end.

reading rhythm

2010-10-20T10:01:00.003-04:00

my junior league placement this year is pretty awesome.

i get to read.

and be read to.

can't beat that with a stick.

i have a sweet little first grader that i meet once a week.

we talk. we read.

that's it.

today as i was walking her back to the classroom, i heard mary j blige in the background.

interesting...

but that was not the most interesting part.

as i reached the class & dropped off my reader, i saw that mary j was not being played for pleasure only.

the teacher was holding up sight words.

the children were dancing around the classroom.

and they were chanting to the beat.

that. that. that. that.

spell it!!

T-H-A-T. T-H-A-T. T-H-A-T.

next word!!

(and the teacher switches cards)

this. this. this. this.

spell it!!

T-H-I-S. T-H-I-S. T-H-I-S.

i was enamored.

i couldn't pull myself away from the doorway.

another teacher stopped in the hallway to enjoy mary's beats (her favorite song) & we struck up a conversation. she said it is amazing to see the kids during testing, bouncing in their seats, spelling out the words to the beat they have learned them.

how thankful i am for educators who think outside of the box.

season 2

2010-10-20T07:23:00.002-04:00

orie finished up his second season of baseball last night.

another mom & i had a very deep conversation about life & came to the conclusion that baseball is the cutest sport out there.

seriously.

look at this.

couldn't you just eat him?!

kevin & tripp did a great job of coaching.

these guys are for real.

here is tripp giving out game balls.

and even though there is no score taken (yeah right) somehow stats were compiled & each player received an award for their contribution to the team.

orie received the golden cleat award for his olympic speed on the bases & (my favorite) most intimidating pre-swing routine.

really.

you should see the kid beat the home plate before each swing.

now, all he needs is to swing with such gusto!!

told you.

baseball brings the cute factor.

and the hot factor.

at least for one baseball daddy i know.

this little man is going to rest up & eat his wheaties.

watch out for him in the spring.

he bring a mean pre-swing routine.

half full

2010-10-12T07:39:00.003-04:00

i was in charge of school this morning.

i don't do it like daddy does.

he has us out of bed by 6:30.

i was still snuggled under the covers at twenty til.

he makes sure they are at the breakfast table by 6:45.

i was sitting on top of my children & tickling them at ten til.

he is out of the door by 7am.

i was having them cram cheese toast down their throat at 7:10.

he has a prayer road.

i give motivational speeches.

ok, guys. today is going to be a great day!! right?! let's all say it together...

today is going to be a great day!!

only lou joined me in my chant.

orie, is today going to be a great day?

i don't know...

come on, bud!! it's all about the attitude. the day is what you make of it.

lou, is today going to be a great day?

(while swinging her arm in the "great, hunky dory" gesture. does anyone else do that?)

yes!! today is going to be a great day!!

bradley, is today going to be a great day?

(while swinging her arm in the "great, hunky dory" gesture & smiling hugely)

maybe!!

orie, is today going to be a great day?

(with a look of scorn & a voice to match)

maybe.

man, some kids are just born to be optimistic, lukewarm or pessimistic.

my goal is the bring them all over to the sunny side of the street.

party manners

2010-10-11T23:41:00.003-04:00

having a mickey mouse party?
here is a cute idea.

super cute until the lindlers get into it, that is.

i found dum-dums spilling out of orie's pockets as we were leaving for the night.

oh my goodness, orie! how many did you take?

i don't know.

hand those over, buddy.

he gives me all that was filling his pocket & i start walking towards the car.

wait, mama. there's more.

he then bends over & starts pulling them out of his shoe.

his SHOE!!

gracious.

having a party?
invite the lindlers.

we have party manners down to a tee.

spurks

2010-10-11T23:20:00.003-04:00

AWANA is kind of our thing around here on sunday nights.

orie started when he was 2.
bradley when she was 1.
and lou was attending AWANA in utero.

(all of that to say the kids came while i taught.)

they love it.
always have.

but this year, bradley has been really loving it.

she is a spark.
but if you ask her, she will tell you she is a spurk.

(this is a result of my overemphasizing her need to work on her rrrrrrrs. because she does says it like -urrrrrr. try it. you will see what i mean.)

she loves her spurks vest & all of the little patches that go on it.
she even made me iron them on.
i never iron. not even patches.
this was a feat.

i think she has shown everyone who walks into this house her AWANA vest.

and she loves her spurks bag.
especially that it is red.
not blue like her brother's.

randomly, throughout the week, she will grab her spurks bag, pull out her book & go over her verses.
without prompting.

i think she may be peeking.
but i can't be sure.

i am so thankful that she has such a love for this little club.
i am so thankful for her teachers that work with her each week.
but most of all i am thankful that she is so very excited about hiding God's word in her heart.

bus stop

2010-10-07T15:10:00.002-04:00

they have been begging.
so we finally did it.

welcome to the family

2010-10-07T08:39:00.006-04:00

we have a sweet new baby boy to announce.

welcome john ross faulkenberry!!

john ross was born friday morning.
don't ask me weight & such.
i can't even remember my own kids' birth weights.

isn't he a sweetheart?

and here is his sweet mama.
(and me. and cousin jennifer.)

i know, lacey.
you didn't want a picture of you in the hat to end up on facebook.

well... this is the blog.
not facebook.

and i never, ever, ever get to put a picture of myself on here.

but because i love you, here is a picture without the super cool hat.

isn't she pretty?
even laid up in the hospital bed, about the birth a baby!!

can you believe the girl put on makeup at 4:30 in the morning before heading over to the hospital?

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

but, wait.
i have another new family member to introduce.

meet shelby.

isn't she cute?

she doesn't live here.
she just visits.

she is our god-dog.
and orie is her god-father.

(god-father responsibilities not yet to be determined.)

orie totes her around like a sack of potatoes while bradley screams don't let her near me!! i'm sceeered!! i don't want her to jump up on me!!

and then orie promptly puts her down, laughing as shelby bounds over towards bradley, chasing her all around the backyard.

that was great exercise.
for both bradley & the puppy.

maybe a bit cruel, as bradley is terrified of dogs.
but beneficial to her health, nonetheless.

obsession

2010-10-07T08:10:00.002-04:00

i am a little obsessed.
with matilda jane.

i have spouted my adoration before.

i know.

but i just wanted to let it be noted.

again.

at the moment, i am tracking a fedex truck.

on that truck is a big ol' box of matilda jane.

i wish it was all for me, but a couple of friends have orders packed up in that box as well.

can't. wait.

i'll tell you who else can't wait.

one of my friends ordered several adorable outfits for her daughter. she texted me two days ago asking about the ETA for our clothes. her daughter is in a talent show & the stage is just calling out matilda jane's name.

i didn't know.

emailed the trunk keeper.

checked facebook.

went on a witch hunt.

and whadd'ya know.

i was sent a shipping confirmation that very night.

the talent show is at 6 tonight.

let's hope the box hits my front porch well before then.

obsessed much?

maybe. a little.

but i am glad i am not the only one.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

you may not yet be obsessed with matilda jane, but i will tell you something that could get you a little more on the bandwagon.

want to hear it?

ok.

a $500 MJC card.

oh, what i would do with that!!

want one?

you have to pimp out your child.

sort of.

not really.

well, maybe a little.

matilda jane is looking for models for their spring 2011 photo shoot.

email a picture of your sweet girl (yes, girls only) to modelsearch@matildajaneclothing.com by october 11/midnight.

if you win, my referral fee can be the demi tunic tank. or the katie cape. or pretty much anything in the adult line that is not already in my closet.

like i said.

just a wee, tiny bit obsessed.

groupon

2010-10-07T07:16:00.002-04:00

groupon just came to columbia.
at least, to my knowledge, they just came.

and what is groupon?

group + coupon = groupon

local businesses throw out a heck of a deal (yesterday soak offered $70 mani/pedis for $35)... but it is only available if a certain number of people purchase.

for instance, trustus theatre is now offering $20 tickets for $10.
if 25 people do not purchase, it is not available.

good deals, people.

and Christmas is coming.
we need all the good deals we can get our hands on, right?

sign up.
get daily emails.
get great deals.

heavy heart

2010-10-04T20:40:00.004-04:00

my heart hurts.

because i sent a child to bed without dinner.

and he screamed.

a lot.

because that child has gotten into the habit of lying.

and he has gotten good at it.

too good.

there are lots of excuses.

i forgot.

i didn't know.

and the one that hurts me more than any other.

no i didn't. she is a liar.

i don't know the answer.

i have pulled out exodus. explained that he is breaking one of the big 10. not just a rule that i came up with because i thought it would be a good idea. but one that God Himself gave to His people.

i have explained that if he admits his wrongdoing before i find out from another source, he will get a pass. as long as he asks for forgiveness & learns from the experience.

i have also explained that lying will have the harshest punishment of all.

no passes.

sadly, i have come to a place where i immediately assume he is being untruthful.

if there is a discrepancy between the siblings, i lean towards the girls' side.

unfortunately, in most cases, i am right.

i don't want this for us.

i want trust.

honesty.

an open relationship where he feels as though he can share his thoughts, feelings & mistakes with me.

my heart hurts because of the path we are going down.

i just want to slam on breaks.

screech to a halt.

i have told him that i will always love him.

that i will always forgive him.

but that i am sad because i am slowly losing that unquestionable trust that i once had.

now all i can do is hand it over to God.

praying that He will work in his heart.

the catwalk

2010-10-01T03:48:00.002-04:00

remember right said fred?

oh, how i loved that song.

i'm a model. you know what i mean.
and i do my little turn on the catwalk.
yeah, on the catwalk. on the catwalk, yeah.
i do my little turn on the catwalk.

i would totally work it.

in my room.

by myself.

i never made it on the catwalk.

good thing. i would have most likely tripped, fallen on my face & knocked all of the skinny girls down like dominoes.

but saturday afternoon, i will do my little turn.

sort of.

not really.

but part of my DNA will be up there doing their little turn.

and that counts for something, right?

sort of.

not really.

how did this all come about?

well, what a'happened was...

my friends dea & conni from KD's called me...

to say they were participating in a fashion show for the KDs...

who are raising money for the (i so wish i could type another KD) children's trust of south carolina...

and they thought the little lindlers would be perfect models for their clothes.

basically, they fit the requirements.

big boy.

medium girl.

little girl.

we can showcase a wide array of KD's offerings.

the only section of the store we are skipping is infants & toddlers.

the kids were beyond thrilled to drive over to devine & try on their new duds.

and then head over to the play area while i chatted with friends.

ps - the treehouse has a pretty awesome setup for the kids. mine actually request going to the treehouse because they want to play with the toys. it's all about the dollhouse. i am thinking one of those may be making an appearance around here soon. maybe decemberish.

and the clothes!!

oh, my!!

so soft.

so comfy.

so simple.

and so green.

(green like organic. not green like the color.)

who knew organic could also be described as eco-chic?

want a sneak peek?

orie

kate quinn organics - corduroy blazer
kate quinn organics - striped shirt

frugi - froggy jeans

bradley

kiwi - jumper

kiwi - long sleeve tee

anna louise

adooka - circles pocket dress

but not these adooka leggings - because KD's has sold out. they are gone.

don't those look so very lou-ish?

she needs a pair. really.

(dea is going to try to make it happen. she will be calling next week to see if she can snag a few more pairs of these in brown & cream. i'm on the list. you can be, too. give dea a ring.)

cute, right?

if you want an in real life peek, come see us saturday afternoon.

KD mother/daughter fashion show

saturday, october 2

1 to 3

marriott downtown

van jean & laroque will be representing for the mamas.

i can't wait to see what they model.

tickets can be purchased at the door for $20.

come out.

give the kids a big wave.

see pretty clothes.

and support the kappa deltas as they raise support to prevent child abuse.

FYI: i did my homework. these sorority girls aren't just into pretty dresses & socials. they raised over $40,000 for the children's trust last year.

wow.

what a cause.

what a way to contribute.

ribbons for mei mei

2010-09-27T13:47:00.005-04:00

i have a friend with a heart for adoption.

jennifer & john adopted a little girl from china over a year ago. this sweet girl has brought an unbelievable amount of joy into their home. they have found a desire within them that cannot be stilled & have begun the process to adopt once again.

there is room for one more little girl.
not only in their home, but also in their hearts.

you probably already know this, but adoption is a tough process.
mentally, physically & financially.

please be in prayer for this sweet family as they are once again embarking on the adoption journey.

prayer of the utmost importance, but there are more ways in which you can help this family.

if you have a girl (or know a girl or have ever seen a girl) who would enjoy beautiful ribbons for their hair, jennifer has wrapped up one of every color & would love to share them with you.

this is operation: ribbons for mei mei.

each pack of ribbons purchased will go towards the o'cains adoption fund.

you can visit jennifer's blog to read more about ribbons for mei mei & learn how you can be a part of something special.

nickname

2010-09-27T08:56:00.003-04:00

kids are awesome.

give them a name & they can make fun of it in some form or fashion.

take me.

ashley.

what in the world can you do with that?

well, i was...

ash.

of course.

and flash.

don't assume that was because of my speed.

cause it was not.

not much else you can do with that, right?

wrong.

as time passed, i might be referenced as...

ash-hole.

this was all in jest. cause i couldn't really see someone furious yelling out obscenities at me like ash-hole. could you?

and my personal favorite of the grownup years...

ash-tray.

thanks, kevin cox.

love you.

mean it.

kevin cox was a college football buddy of my kevin's. my entire freshman year, while in the presence of the *UMOC, i would hear what's up ash-tray? it was glorious.

* UMOC = ugliest man on campus

kevin named himself this.

go figure.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

anyone can come up with a nickname.

some people use their creativity.

some people use their humor.

and some people combine their creativity & humor to torment a child with their nickname.

i think boys are more prone to rib their friends with horrible nicknames.

that is probably why kevin was a bit obstinate when naming our children.

orie in particular.

we can't name him orie! people will make fun of his name!!

but, keviiiiiiiin. that was my granddaddy's name. and how are people going to make fun of him anyways?

they'll call him OREO!!

oreo? is that all you can come up with? because i love oreos. they are yummy chocolate & cream goodness that are even more delectable when dunked in milk. you've got to come up with something better than OREO.

he couldn't.

so our firstborn, as you all know, became orie.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

kevin was right.

kids call him oreo.

but this is the kicker.

orie tells them to call him this name.

did you know orie is going around telling people his nickname is oreo?

yeah.

well, what do you think about that?

i don't think anything about that. if he wants to be called oreo, then let him be called oreo. what's wrong with being called a cookie?

isn't it funny.

kids are quick.

i bet someone tried to make fun of orie one day.

and instead of getting upset, he just figured if you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

and, anyways.

oreo beats ash-hole any day of the week.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

so here is your monday share.

what was your nickname growing up?

good, bad or indifferent.

i told you mine.

it's your turn now.

26.2

2010-09-22T09:41:00.006-04:00

i have a friend.

she has a dream.

no, it's not for racial equality.

thankfully, we had some great pioneers to pave the road for that one.

her dream is in numerical form.

26.2

she wants the sticker.

and not only does she want the sticker, but she wants all of her friends to own it too.

but you can't just own it.

you have to earn it.

i had seen those stickers adorning the back windows of several vehicles around town & wondered to myself is that a low frequency radio station or something?

yeah, i know.

i am ignorant about a lot of things.

little did i know, the 26.2 was a badge of honor & pride that one earns only after joining the elite team of marathoners.

um, yeah.

i don't know about that one.

i can barely run five steps without grasping my side & sucking wind.

but she has a dream.

and she is working towards it one baby step at a time.

you know, if i were a really good friend, i would step up & start the couch to 5K alongside her.

wasn't i talking that talk about this time a year ago?

oh, it makes me tired just thinking about it.

nonetheless, i am donning myself her accountability partner.

what that means?

i will harass her daily & make sure she is staying on track.

anyone else out there with the 26.2 dream?

anyone else out there already in the 26.2 club?

if so, keep pushing!!

i have nothing but respect for you.