12:19 lunch date

Today is my daughter's birthday. She is seven years-old and Jeff and I had the honor of peeking in on her life at school. She asked us to eat lunch with her and so we did. We picked up some McDonald's and put on a badge and waited for her in the cafeteria.

We did get to see Tristan finishing up his lunch. Doing the boy thing by trying to shove the last six inches of his footlong hot dog into his mouth so he could go to recess. It did make us happy to see that there are "lunch monitors" who excuse the kids to recess when they are done. They have a neat system that keeps the chaos controlled by having numbered rows of tables for each class. There is a continuous flux of kids coming in and eating and leaving for recess. Pretty cool.

Well at 12:19pm Trinity and her friends made it in. Since this is the first year she is at Roosevelt Elementary, I have been concerned that she doesn't have a group of friends, but it ends up that she does. While Jeff and I sat down with her to eat, eventually one by one, Jeff got pushed off his side of the table to make room for another of her friends that needed to squeeze into the group of smiling girls. Pretty soon we sat across from seven girls who eat their lunches and shared their food with one another. A cupcake went to the left, a cracker sandwich to the right.

Next to me sat a boy from our neighborhood who is in Trinity's class. He announced his presence by saying "Trinity hates me". I know Alex and that he is a handful, so I tried to start up a conversation with "I'm sure she doesn't hate you, why do you think she hates you?" All the girls were a twitter, "He chases us", "He tries to kiss us", "He thinks we are his girlfriends"... Seven little heads were nodding all over the place.

That led to who was who's girlfriend/boyfriend. Everyone LOVES Neilson (Little boy in red shirt eating grapes) but really he isn't a nice boy.... just cute.

The whole time I was just aglow, because of the simple reason that Trinity's friends were a little rainbow! Blond girl next to her, Mexican girl on the other side, Asian girl next, etc. No longer is she the only girl with dark hair in her class. She is exposed to diversity.

For about 25 minutes I got to experience her world. Little did I know that I would get a gift on her birthday.

Sweet Home Alabama

I don't know what it is about this silly movie...

But I totally have to watch it...

Reese Witherspoon...

Makes me think of my pastor Darryl...

The first time I met him he mentioned that she was the next "Julia Roberts"...

From Pretty Woman...

So she was bad...

I wonder if he still feels the same was about her...

But I can't stop watching the movie every chance I get...

Kinda of like potato chips and chip dip...

Can't help myself.

Sick at home, (I love it)

I called into work today.

I spent last night on the toilet and throwing up. Not with the same vigor as last weekend, but just as frustrating!

I had called the doctor who said that it could take up to a week to have my stomach start feeling better. Eat bland foods... blah, blah, blah!

I slept in until 10am and sat at my kitchen table in the sun, in silence... and I loved it.

I miss being at home. I've pretty much been working full-time since the company's round of layoffs. Some nights I have even skipped on dinner and went straight to bed at 6pm. Probably a combination of getting over the flu and working.

I'm trying to decide whether or not to pollute my environment with tv and try the recliner on for size... or plug in the iPod and get to work cleaning and organizing.

I will admit that there is a little voice in my head saying "You could just do some work from home."... maybe that is what Saturdays are for.

Wish me luck!

Quality time

Ever since I cam home from Lima, Jeff has set up a schedule to get the kids on the bus every morning. (Usually I just drive them and let them sleep a little more.)

Well this morning they were dragging and the older kids got "punished" by having to ride alone on the way to daycare. Well the funniest thing happened (key in music, or press play below)...

We had the best conversation about sports, where they would drive if they could, what school is like for them... all in the extra 15 minutes that I spent with them. Instead of my last mom memory being of me yelling at them to hurry up, it was of explaining that many sports can be played by both girls and boys. I even named more tennis players than I thought I ever remembered.

Then this song came on the radio...

Find Your Wings

It’s only for a moment
that you are mine to hold
The plans that heaven has for you
will all too soon unfold
So many different prayers I’ll pray
for all that you might do
But most of all I’ll want to know
you’re walking in the truth

And if I’ve never told you
I want you to know that
as I watch you grow

I pray that God will fill your heart with dreams
and that faith gives you the courage
to dare to do great things
i’m here for you whatever this life brings
so let my love give you roots
and help you find your wings

May passion be the wind that leads
you through your days
and may convictions keep you strong
guide you on your way

May there be many moments
that make your life so sweet
but more than memories

I pray that God will fill your heart with dreams
and that faith gives you the courage
to dare to do great things
i’m here for you whatever this life brings
so let my love give you roots
and help you find your wings

It’s not living if you don’t reach for the sky
I’ll have tears as you take off
But I’ll cheer you as you fly
I will give you roots and help you find your wings