Yesterday morning, our house was attacked...literally. While we were all still sound asleep and hugging our cozy little blankets, some elementary school boys decided that their early-morning wait for the school bus needed a bit more excitement. Here's how it all unfolded:
Semi-conscious around 7 a.m., I thought I heard the doorbell ring, but because it was so early in the morning and there would be no reasonable explanation, I wasn't sure if I had imagined it or not. I nudged Chris out of bed to check on things and wasn't surprised when he came back and said that nobody was there. Well, after getting all cozy again, the doorbell very audibly rang a second time a short while later. Once again, Chris got up to answer the door. I caught only bits and pieces of the conversation that ensued between Chris and a woman whose voice was unfamiliar. It had something to do with a boy, a bus stop, a rock, and our window. Someone would be contacting us about it later in the day. Fabulous.
When Chris came back, he confirmed that our window had, indeed, been broken. The kid who was responsible for breaking it lived just across the street and one house over. How lame are we? We didn't even know that a kid lived there, nor did we know this kid's parents. We live in a fairly quiet neighborhood where people apparently don't like to come out of their houses let alone talk to each other. OK, maybe that's just US, but anyway, we're getting to know these neighbors a little better now.
Last night, while Chris was putting his new license plates on his car, this boy and his dad came over. I wasn't outside at the time, so I don't know what words were exchanged, but I'm sure they were friendly ones, because we couldn't have cared less that our window was broken. I guess we just had a lot of faith that the right thing would be done. Sure enough, the kid brought with him a handwritten letter that read:
"dear house 2718,
My name is J.... T..... . I'm sorry about throwing a rock at your window. You see my old friend C... threw a rock at your house but that one did not hit your window. Then I wanted to see how far I could throw a rock. And then it hit your window but I did not mean to hit your window. So I am really sorry. So I promise if you want me to do any work for you I will do it. And again I am really really sorry for hitting your window. And I will never ever touch a rock ever again.
to house 2718
from J.... T....."
I couldn't help but feel a little sorry for the kid. Just imagining the panic-stricken look on his face when he saw the window break takes me back to lessons I had to learn in my own childhood. Chris said the boy looked to be about 7 or 8 maybe. I thought it was really nice of him to offer, in his letter, to do work for us, and while I can think of plenty of work that needs done around here, I'm sure that little J.... is learning a valuable lesson from his parents right now, so, of course, I won't take him up on his offer. His parents are taking care of fixing the window and are more concerned about it than we are, really. It is nice to know that we live among respectable people who would make sure that the damage was repaired promptly and who would also expect their child to take responsibility for his actions and do whatever he could to right his wrong. I think that is really admirable of them, and I will remember this when my own kids get into mischief someday. Meanwhile, it's not so bad, because now we know who these people are, and heaven forbid their identities be cemented as "the parents of the kid that broke your window." I think I'll have to remember to take some cookies over one of these days...
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Polka Party -- Polkin' Around in West, TX...
Am I really dancing out here in the middle of nowhere? No, but I am moving really, REALLY slow. This month, I walked a whopping 35 miles. This trip is going to take longer than I estimated. This brings my total mileage to 105 miles. Just 1,842 more to go. Boy, am I feeling a little out of shape!
Facts about West, TX:
Population: approx. 2,695
History: Located just north of Waco, West was founded in 1882 after the completion of the Katy Railroad and became a successful railroad town. The surrounding farms still produce an abundance of wheat, maize, corn and cotton. Along with settlers from the East came Czech and German immigrants who found the surrounding fertile land to be similar to what they were familiar with back home. The town was named after Mr. Thomas West. West served as postmaster while opening the first general store and who later became a successful businessman.
Unofficial Nicknames from the History Book:
"Czech Heritage Capital of Texas",
"Home of the Official Kolache of the Texas Legislature"
"Home of Scott Podsednik of the Chicago White Sox"
"Home of Westfest"
West Today: Downtown West is most known for its Czech bakeries, gift shops and antique stores. Some of the oldtimers still can be heard speaking Czech. There's not much more to tell you about West.
Attractions in West and the Waco Area:
Westfest Polka Festival
Baylor University
Armstrong Browning Library
Bosque River Stage
Cameron Park
Cameron Park Zoo
Dr. Pepper Museum
The Earle-Harrison House and Gardens on Fifth Street
Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum
Texas Sports Hall of Fame
I hope you've enjoyed hearing about my virtual visit to West. See you next month in who knows where!
P.S. Happy Birthday, Kelly! I hope you had a wonderful day. :)
Monday, November 5, 2007
Lawyer Jokes
Last night, as we were about to go to sleep, Chris and I got to talking about this summer job search that is seriously stressing him out. Why must we stress out about a summer job at the beginning of November, you ask? Because we must. Until he has a summer job, Chris has apparently decided that he will stop smiling, and that's no laughing matter. I can't help but feel sad and discouraged for him, too. He's doing really well in school and has certainly put a ton of effort into this hunt so far without much luck. Honestly, I don't have any doubts that he will find something that is right for him and for our family, but in the meantime, why can't he just be my old smiley Chris? I miss him.
I can't seem to offer much more than the usual reassurance that I love him and know that he will find something. I tell him that these places that have interviewed him but not given him offers don't know what a mistake they are making. He is such a hard worker and is very dedicated. Some future employer will be very happy with Chris. Until he finds those people, though, I'm afraid I'm just losing air.
So, just before we went to sleep, in one last feeble attempt to cheer him up, I asked if I could hire him. He looked at me like I'm nuts or something. "No, seriously, I need an IP lawyer. Can I hire you?" Smiling, I expected to hear my old Chris come back with something witty. "No, because you can't pay me anything."
Anyone have some money I can borrow? I think I'm going to need to hire a lawyer.
I can't seem to offer much more than the usual reassurance that I love him and know that he will find something. I tell him that these places that have interviewed him but not given him offers don't know what a mistake they are making. He is such a hard worker and is very dedicated. Some future employer will be very happy with Chris. Until he finds those people, though, I'm afraid I'm just losing air.
So, just before we went to sleep, in one last feeble attempt to cheer him up, I asked if I could hire him. He looked at me like I'm nuts or something. "No, seriously, I need an IP lawyer. Can I hire you?" Smiling, I expected to hear my old Chris come back with something witty. "No, because you can't pay me anything."
Anyone have some money I can borrow? I think I'm going to need to hire a lawyer.
Saturday, November 3, 2007
Pond Springs Elementary Fall Festival
Today was the annual Fall Festival put on by the Pond Springs Elementary PTA. Since Grandma has been the much-loved office lady at Pond Springs for about a dozen years now, the kids and I always go to support her and her school by participating in all the fun activities they have set up. Today was no exception.
However, there was a slight glitch in the plans this time. Our family was among four that were assigned to clean our ward meetinghouse today. It turned out that Chris had to be in Tulsa for a school competition, and since re-scheduling our cleaning assignment by switching with another family was really not quite feasible (after all, next weekend is our anniversary and Chris' semester really will only be getting busier from here on out...not to mention the holiday season is fast approaching), I decided I'd better just go and represent my family this weekend. I had a feeling that I would be pretty useless if I had to drag the kids along, so Grandma graciously offered to babysit at 9 a.m. so that I could get to the church early and get the cleaning out of the way before we'd missed too much of the school carnival. Thank you, Mom, and thank you for everything else you did while I was gone. You folded my laundry, you fed the kids and got them dressed and ready to go, and you cleaned up around my kitchen. Who knows what else you did... Thank you!
The Fall Festival this year was just as great as it always has been. The big difference was that Ashley came along this time. We missed going last year because we were out of town, so this year was actually Ashley's first time to go. She must have been having a great time, because she wanted to go everywhere and she wanted to see and do everything, and she wanted to do this ALL BY HERSELF. She is Little Miss Independent, that's for sure. And that's putting it quite nicely. It was a challenge to keep her from running off. Anyway, both Ashley and Zachary loved playing the games and taking part in the fun activities.
Here is Ashley at the ever-popular Lollipop Grab. There's nothing like starting the day off by giving candy to a baby.
Way to show some school spirit, Mom! We always enjoy the fun carnival food in the school cafeteria.
I love the expression on Zachary's face in this next picture. Don't worry, Zachary, that horse is going nowhere.
Which came first: the chicken or the egg? The object of this "Egg Toss" game was to throw the stuffed chickens and try to land them back into the egg. Apparently, somebody is NOT smarter than a 5th grader!
The Duck Pond is always a favorite with the kids. But why is it that they always want to run off with the ducks?
The kids got to go up into this fire truck and take a look around. One of the firefighters let Zachary try on some protective gear and see what other equipment is transported on the truck. He then asked Zachary if he had any questions. All Zachary wanted to know was when he could have a ride. I love how little kids are never too embarrassed to come straight out and ask for what they really want.
One petting zoo plus a dozen or so kids equals CHAOS! I could have gotten some great footage of the kids holding rabbits, feeding goats, or chasing chickens, but I wanted to make sure that no animals were harmed in the process. At one point, I saw Zachary trying to lift this gigantic rabbit, practically by its neck, before the poor thing wriggled itself free and hopped away. Another adult carefully helped him hold one of the smaller bunnies.
I thought this was a sweet picture of the 3 bunnies guarding the baby chick. Either that, or they were all ganging up on it and planning to have it for lunch.
Ashley was so funny when she interacted with the animals. She'd get just BARELY close enough to touch one, but as soon as she made contact, she'd run away as fast as she could, squealing with delight. Here she is, not looking QUITE as happy. I think she had her mind set on going someplace at the time.
It doesn't look like it in the picture, but I swear this goose was almost as big as Zachary!
Isn't this baby goat just adorable?
Awwwww....
Ashley enjoyed the Moonwalk for about 5 seconds before I had to rescue her.
Help! I've fallen and I can't get up!
Our last stop of the day was at the Dino Dig, because, after all, kids love playing in the dirt, don't they?
I think the problem was that Ashley wanted to play in the REAL dirt...in the playground on the opposite side of the parking lot. This is what I believe led to Tantrum #17 (I didn't keep track. It could have been #41.) It was officially naptime at that point, so it was time to call it quits.
Thank you, Grandma, for another fun-filled Fall Festival. You are a real trooper to put yourself through all that for our benefit. You really are Super Grandma!
However, there was a slight glitch in the plans this time. Our family was among four that were assigned to clean our ward meetinghouse today. It turned out that Chris had to be in Tulsa for a school competition, and since re-scheduling our cleaning assignment by switching with another family was really not quite feasible (after all, next weekend is our anniversary and Chris' semester really will only be getting busier from here on out...not to mention the holiday season is fast approaching), I decided I'd better just go and represent my family this weekend. I had a feeling that I would be pretty useless if I had to drag the kids along, so Grandma graciously offered to babysit at 9 a.m. so that I could get to the church early and get the cleaning out of the way before we'd missed too much of the school carnival. Thank you, Mom, and thank you for everything else you did while I was gone. You folded my laundry, you fed the kids and got them dressed and ready to go, and you cleaned up around my kitchen. Who knows what else you did... Thank you!
The Fall Festival this year was just as great as it always has been. The big difference was that Ashley came along this time. We missed going last year because we were out of town, so this year was actually Ashley's first time to go. She must have been having a great time, because she wanted to go everywhere and she wanted to see and do everything, and she wanted to do this ALL BY HERSELF. She is Little Miss Independent, that's for sure. And that's putting it quite nicely. It was a challenge to keep her from running off. Anyway, both Ashley and Zachary loved playing the games and taking part in the fun activities.
Here is Ashley at the ever-popular Lollipop Grab. There's nothing like starting the day off by giving candy to a baby.
Way to show some school spirit, Mom! We always enjoy the fun carnival food in the school cafeteria.
I love the expression on Zachary's face in this next picture. Don't worry, Zachary, that horse is going nowhere.
Which came first: the chicken or the egg? The object of this "Egg Toss" game was to throw the stuffed chickens and try to land them back into the egg. Apparently, somebody is NOT smarter than a 5th grader!
The Duck Pond is always a favorite with the kids. But why is it that they always want to run off with the ducks?
The kids got to go up into this fire truck and take a look around. One of the firefighters let Zachary try on some protective gear and see what other equipment is transported on the truck. He then asked Zachary if he had any questions. All Zachary wanted to know was when he could have a ride. I love how little kids are never too embarrassed to come straight out and ask for what they really want.
One petting zoo plus a dozen or so kids equals CHAOS! I could have gotten some great footage of the kids holding rabbits, feeding goats, or chasing chickens, but I wanted to make sure that no animals were harmed in the process. At one point, I saw Zachary trying to lift this gigantic rabbit, practically by its neck, before the poor thing wriggled itself free and hopped away. Another adult carefully helped him hold one of the smaller bunnies.
I thought this was a sweet picture of the 3 bunnies guarding the baby chick. Either that, or they were all ganging up on it and planning to have it for lunch.
Ashley was so funny when she interacted with the animals. She'd get just BARELY close enough to touch one, but as soon as she made contact, she'd run away as fast as she could, squealing with delight. Here she is, not looking QUITE as happy. I think she had her mind set on going someplace at the time.
It doesn't look like it in the picture, but I swear this goose was almost as big as Zachary!
Isn't this baby goat just adorable?
Awwwww....
Ashley enjoyed the Moonwalk for about 5 seconds before I had to rescue her.
Help! I've fallen and I can't get up!
Our last stop of the day was at the Dino Dig, because, after all, kids love playing in the dirt, don't they?
I think the problem was that Ashley wanted to play in the REAL dirt...in the playground on the opposite side of the parking lot. This is what I believe led to Tantrum #17 (I didn't keep track. It could have been #41.) It was officially naptime at that point, so it was time to call it quits.
Thank you, Grandma, for another fun-filled Fall Festival. You are a real trooper to put yourself through all that for our benefit. You really are Super Grandma!
Friday, November 2, 2007
Halloween
We had a pretty good Halloween here at our house. I didn't get to take many pictures, because our camera INCONVENIENTLY decided to stop working, so I will just re-cap our day's events:
Zachary had his gymnastics class in the morning. All the kids were told to come in costume, but since I didn't think Zachary would be very comfortable moving around in his chef's outfit, I had to come up with a suitable alternative. Luckily, Zachary has this cute baseball shirt that, when worn with his gray sweat pants, looks like an actual baseball uniform. It worked out so perfectly that Zachary decided that he was going to wear it trick-or-treaing, too.
After class ended, we stopped by Papa Murphy's on our way home to pick up lunch. They were selling these cute take-and-bake jack-o-lantern pizzas for Halloween, and I thought the kids would get a kick out of them.
Grandma came over after work and helped entertain the kids while I picked up around the house. (Thanks, Grandma!) Then, we got the kids ready for trick-or-treating and headed out to hit the neighbors up for some candy.
Halfway down the street from our house, Ashley, whose nap was interrupted earlier in the day and was already getting sleepy, spotted a red, two-seater wagon identical to the one we have. She persisted in trying to get into that wagon, so I went home and got ours and we took the kids around in it. The kids loved it, and they loved trick-or-treating. It was fun to watch their reactions to every little thing. Zachary proudly went around telling everyone, "Hey! I'm a baseball shirt!" I thought it was funny the way he identified himself like that. Ashley, dressed up as Tigger, got a lot of attention, too. Everyone thought she looked adorable. She was definitely on a mission, though. Even though she might have been tired, she marched right up to each house (with me by the hand, of course) and went through the motions as best she could, taking her cues from Zachary before leaving quite satisfied with her pumpkin bucket just a little fuller.
I think Zachary and Ashley both enjoyed seeing the other children dressed up, but they were especially fond of the little dog that was dressed up as a devil. A little while later, Grandma spotted Grandpa's car pulling up to our house, so we took him with us on one last street which ended up being the home stretch. Chris was home when we arrived, and he and Zachary enjoyed passing out candy to the other trick-or-treaters while Grandma and I tried out a new recipe for some apple turnovers that we all later enjoyed with vanilla ice cream. It was a fun night, even though it was also very tiring.
Zachary had his gymnastics class in the morning. All the kids were told to come in costume, but since I didn't think Zachary would be very comfortable moving around in his chef's outfit, I had to come up with a suitable alternative. Luckily, Zachary has this cute baseball shirt that, when worn with his gray sweat pants, looks like an actual baseball uniform. It worked out so perfectly that Zachary decided that he was going to wear it trick-or-treaing, too.
After class ended, we stopped by Papa Murphy's on our way home to pick up lunch. They were selling these cute take-and-bake jack-o-lantern pizzas for Halloween, and I thought the kids would get a kick out of them.
Grandma came over after work and helped entertain the kids while I picked up around the house. (Thanks, Grandma!) Then, we got the kids ready for trick-or-treating and headed out to hit the neighbors up for some candy.
Halfway down the street from our house, Ashley, whose nap was interrupted earlier in the day and was already getting sleepy, spotted a red, two-seater wagon identical to the one we have. She persisted in trying to get into that wagon, so I went home and got ours and we took the kids around in it. The kids loved it, and they loved trick-or-treating. It was fun to watch their reactions to every little thing. Zachary proudly went around telling everyone, "Hey! I'm a baseball shirt!" I thought it was funny the way he identified himself like that. Ashley, dressed up as Tigger, got a lot of attention, too. Everyone thought she looked adorable. She was definitely on a mission, though. Even though she might have been tired, she marched right up to each house (with me by the hand, of course) and went through the motions as best she could, taking her cues from Zachary before leaving quite satisfied with her pumpkin bucket just a little fuller.
I think Zachary and Ashley both enjoyed seeing the other children dressed up, but they were especially fond of the little dog that was dressed up as a devil. A little while later, Grandma spotted Grandpa's car pulling up to our house, so we took him with us on one last street which ended up being the home stretch. Chris was home when we arrived, and he and Zachary enjoyed passing out candy to the other trick-or-treaters while Grandma and I tried out a new recipe for some apple turnovers that we all later enjoyed with vanilla ice cream. It was a fun night, even though it was also very tiring.
Speechless
If a picture is really worth a thousand words, right now I am speechless. I just got my camera back from Best Buy on Monday after it underwent repairs due to an unfortunate accident that was my fault. I actually rejoiced the day I got the news that it was fixed and ready to be picked up, and I vowed to myself that I would be more careful from now on. Well, it worked long enough to take a few practice pictures, but then, just as I wanted to take some shots of the kids heading out the door for trick-or-treating on Halloween night, it began acting possessed. I turned on the camera, and the lens zoomed in and out a couple of times before, ultimately, the thing shut itself off. Needless to say, I was not amused with this "trick". So, back to Best Buy we went yesterday. I sure hope it can be fixed for real this time...
I just love free stuff!
As soon as I quit working to be a stay-at-home mom, I began signing up to do online surveys. I really don't remember what was going through my mind at the time. Boredom? Probably not. I probably just got an invitation sent to me by email and decided to go ahead and sign up. Perhaps my interest was sparked by the few times in the past where I have been rewarded for sharing my opinions. For example, once my sister and I both got invited to be in a focus group to help a local radio station decide what kinds of music the public wanted to hear. We spent an evening at a downtown hotel listening to bits and pieces of popular songs and were each given $50 cash for our time. I know those opportunities are few and far between, but I honestly do enjoy taking surveys (as long as they're not too long and I don't have to listen to someone asking me the questions in monotone.) And I ESPECIALLY like taking part if there is something in it for me.
And lo and behold, the free stuff has come! Today it was free diapers for me to try out on one of my kids. Not just one or two diapers, but *34* free diapers! Woooohooooo! Too bad I just ran out yesterday to stock up on those, but those can surely wait. I'll gladly test out this product, answer a little questionnaire, and sit back and smile because I just saved us $15!
Yes, a lot of the surveys I have taken over the past few years have had to do with infant hygiene, but I have also been the proud recipient of other fun things. Let's see... There was a free box of cereal not too long ago. Before that, 3 free jars of pasta sauce, free baby wipes, free shampoo, and free ice cream. That ice cream survey was probably the most exciting. The package showed up unexpectedly on my front porch one day with directions on the box to "Keep Frozen." I had no idea what I was opening up at the time, so as you can imagine, I was a little bit nervous. To my great surprise, inside was a pint of ice cream packed on dry ice with a plastic pouch containing instructions and a $10 bill. "Eat this ice cream and take our survey and have fun spending this money"...is pretty much what it said. That one was a lot of fun. And there are other free things that I know I'm forgetting, not to mention all the survey points I've redeemed for cash and gift cards.
Don't you just love getting free stuff? I would love to hear about the free stuff that you have received.
And lo and behold, the free stuff has come! Today it was free diapers for me to try out on one of my kids. Not just one or two diapers, but *34* free diapers! Woooohooooo! Too bad I just ran out yesterday to stock up on those, but those can surely wait. I'll gladly test out this product, answer a little questionnaire, and sit back and smile because I just saved us $15!
Yes, a lot of the surveys I have taken over the past few years have had to do with infant hygiene, but I have also been the proud recipient of other fun things. Let's see... There was a free box of cereal not too long ago. Before that, 3 free jars of pasta sauce, free baby wipes, free shampoo, and free ice cream. That ice cream survey was probably the most exciting. The package showed up unexpectedly on my front porch one day with directions on the box to "Keep Frozen." I had no idea what I was opening up at the time, so as you can imagine, I was a little bit nervous. To my great surprise, inside was a pint of ice cream packed on dry ice with a plastic pouch containing instructions and a $10 bill. "Eat this ice cream and take our survey and have fun spending this money"...is pretty much what it said. That one was a lot of fun. And there are other free things that I know I'm forgetting, not to mention all the survey points I've redeemed for cash and gift cards.
Don't you just love getting free stuff? I would love to hear about the free stuff that you have received.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
