OK, OK, I do have to share this ONE story, before I log off for now...
Last Friday, I went to pick the kids up from school. As we were walking to the car, Reece pulled out a toy cell phone he'd snuck into his book bag, and started to "take a call."
He looked at the screen.
"It's my girlfriend," he sighed, slightly annoyed.
He flipped open the phone with mastery level flipping skills, to answer this pestering call from his imaginary girlfriend. The following is what I hear:
"Yeah, hi, babe. How are you?"
Pause.
"Mmm. OK."
Pause.
"Yeah. Love you, too. See you later."
Snap.
Call ended.
[sigh] "She just bugs me."
Now I've gotten pretty good, I think, at stifling laughter in certain occasions, to avoid angering, embarrassing or irritating my children.
But there are times... when it is nearly impossible... not to bust right out... in side-clutching hilarity.
This episode was most certainly one of those times.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Let's Do the Time Warp Again!
It HAS been a time warp. Just two postings after promising myself to keep this blog up on a more consistent basis, I am back after an unintentional hiatus. It was June five minutes ago, I swear. And now it's early September. I don't remember seeing the cosmic worm hole I obviously fell into, transporting me instantly two and a half months in the future. All I know is, I was in my kitchen in Ottawa on a beautiful June day, blogging away about Galen leaving his job in a matter of mere days... and NOW I'm sitting in my den in Lindsborg on a beautiful September afternoon, blogging about how all of those aforementioned plans went to pot.
Although, on second thought... I don't think I can get into the past two and half months in just a few paragraphs. It wouldn't be fair to a potential reader to REALLY get into what happened. I can give more Reader's Digest Condensed Versions, fer sher. Galen's job in Ottawa ended, not at the end of June, but the end of July. The administration kicked up a huge fuss over his announcement in June to take the lay-off and leave, and their reaction was to dangle a severance package over his head to bleed out one more month of work from him.
While all of this was going on, Galen interviewed here in Lindsborg. They loved him, he loved them, and a new job opportunity was born. To the end point - we loaded up the truck and we moved to The 'Borg. (You can sing that sentence to "The Beverly Hillbillies" if you want. We have.) And it's going okay. It's a whole new world of opportunity. Some day I might just spew forth on my continuous astonishment over Life's twists and turns. I never thought I'd live in a town this size. But it's a nice town. We've been impressed with everything. And we've been blessed. More details will emerge, I've no doubt, over the ensuing months of reflection and analysis. Just bear with me.
The individual Bunning updates I think I'll save for another blog. I have a small person here needing my attention, anyway.
To wrap up... watch out for Worm Holes.
Although, on second thought... I don't think I can get into the past two and half months in just a few paragraphs. It wouldn't be fair to a potential reader to REALLY get into what happened. I can give more Reader's Digest Condensed Versions, fer sher. Galen's job in Ottawa ended, not at the end of June, but the end of July. The administration kicked up a huge fuss over his announcement in June to take the lay-off and leave, and their reaction was to dangle a severance package over his head to bleed out one more month of work from him.
While all of this was going on, Galen interviewed here in Lindsborg. They loved him, he loved them, and a new job opportunity was born. To the end point - we loaded up the truck and we moved to The 'Borg. (You can sing that sentence to "The Beverly Hillbillies" if you want. We have.) And it's going okay. It's a whole new world of opportunity. Some day I might just spew forth on my continuous astonishment over Life's twists and turns. I never thought I'd live in a town this size. But it's a nice town. We've been impressed with everything. And we've been blessed. More details will emerge, I've no doubt, over the ensuing months of reflection and analysis. Just bear with me.
The individual Bunning updates I think I'll save for another blog. I have a small person here needing my attention, anyway.
To wrap up... watch out for Worm Holes.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Turn the page, end the chapter, close the book...???
The latest update from the "Galen Job Watch."
Galen and the rest of the Admissions counsellors at OU are for all intents and purposes laid off. They have been encouraged to apply for the new "field representative" positions the university is moving to in July, but Galen feels this is God's way of showing him out of his current situation. Galen has decided not to apply for further employment at OU. His last day is June 26.
This was not a decision made lightly or hastily. We both fully appreciate the risk being taken, of leaving employment, stepping into a recession-burdened economy, without having anything else lined up. While staying at OU until he has another job makes a lot of sense in many ways, it also means precious little time to devote to actually finding the new position, which the past few months have already shown Galen. Plus, to be frank, he just can't take it anymore. It's time to go.
Galen honestly and truly believes God's Hand is in this step he's taking. I have seen him more at peace the past couple of days than I've seen him be in the past few months. I trust him, and I trust Him, too. God will use this time for His glory, one way or another. Galen has already sent out about half-a-dozen resumes around the country and has a list of about twenty more places to send some to. He is networking as much as he possibly can. We are holding ourselves open to any and every possibility. We've even looked into foreign missions, which admittedly, I'm more excited about than he is right now. :-)
But, all I can conclude with is, the Lord will provide. We'll see what happens. We very much appreciate any prayers and support right now. If you want to pray for anything immediate and specific, there is one job in particular Galen has applied for which he'd VERY much like to get, but they haven't called him back for an interview yet.
We're sad. We're hopeful. We're anxious. We're praising. I'm not sure right now, sitting here today what the right analogy is for this. Life is too vast a tale, constantly in the rough draft-writing stage, to fully realize whether we are are turning another page, ending a chapter, or closing an entire volume. I think only hindsight will provide that INsight.
Galen and the rest of the Admissions counsellors at OU are for all intents and purposes laid off. They have been encouraged to apply for the new "field representative" positions the university is moving to in July, but Galen feels this is God's way of showing him out of his current situation. Galen has decided not to apply for further employment at OU. His last day is June 26.
This was not a decision made lightly or hastily. We both fully appreciate the risk being taken, of leaving employment, stepping into a recession-burdened economy, without having anything else lined up. While staying at OU until he has another job makes a lot of sense in many ways, it also means precious little time to devote to actually finding the new position, which the past few months have already shown Galen. Plus, to be frank, he just can't take it anymore. It's time to go.
Galen honestly and truly believes God's Hand is in this step he's taking. I have seen him more at peace the past couple of days than I've seen him be in the past few months. I trust him, and I trust Him, too. God will use this time for His glory, one way or another. Galen has already sent out about half-a-dozen resumes around the country and has a list of about twenty more places to send some to. He is networking as much as he possibly can. We are holding ourselves open to any and every possibility. We've even looked into foreign missions, which admittedly, I'm more excited about than he is right now. :-)
But, all I can conclude with is, the Lord will provide. We'll see what happens. We very much appreciate any prayers and support right now. If you want to pray for anything immediate and specific, there is one job in particular Galen has applied for which he'd VERY much like to get, but they haven't called him back for an interview yet.
We're sad. We're hopeful. We're anxious. We're praising. I'm not sure right now, sitting here today what the right analogy is for this. Life is too vast a tale, constantly in the rough draft-writing stage, to fully realize whether we are are turning another page, ending a chapter, or closing an entire volume. I think only hindsight will provide that INsight.
Updates
I know, I know, I know...
I've looked at a calendar recently.
It's June. This is my first blog in two months.
Don't start. I know.
Excuses? I have none. I just simply kept putting this off. Things have been going on. (And how.) Occasionally the thought would zip across my wee little brain, "I need to update the blog." And then, I'd go do something else.
Although I guess technically, I do have ONE excuse: For about two weeks our computer crashed, and even if I completely devoted every ounce of my mind, strength and will to logging on and blogging... I couldn't have.
On second thought, though, if THAT determined, I could have borrowed someone else's computer, or gone to the library or something.
Hmmm...
OK, I guess I don't have any excuse.
Sorry.
For what it's worth, I'm back. Ta-da.
I've looked at a calendar recently.
It's June. This is my first blog in two months.
Don't start. I know.
Excuses? I have none. I just simply kept putting this off. Things have been going on. (And how.) Occasionally the thought would zip across my wee little brain, "I need to update the blog." And then, I'd go do something else.
Although I guess technically, I do have ONE excuse: For about two weeks our computer crashed, and even if I completely devoted every ounce of my mind, strength and will to logging on and blogging... I couldn't have.
On second thought, though, if THAT determined, I could have borrowed someone else's computer, or gone to the library or something.
Hmmm...
OK, I guess I don't have any excuse.
Sorry.
For what it's worth, I'm back. Ta-da.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
You're HOW old, again?
And so it starts:
The other day we were talking about plans for the month of April, and I turned to my youngest son, who is celebrating his sixth birthday in April, and asked him, "What do you want to do for your birthday?"
Without missing a beat, he replies, "A party. And I want GIRLS to be there, Mom."
***
Our middle son recently got KU-blue highlights in his hair. He's been wanting to do this for months now. Galen's and my philosophy in this realm is rather relaxed. "So long as you're clean and covered, we're happy." So, during Spring Break, off we went to my hair-person, Lou, and she did a great job. As we walk in the door coming home from the appointment, my oldest son immediately starts in on teasing and chiding his younger brother about his hair, expecting a rise out of him. AJ very calmly waits for a break in Kagen's ramble, and says almost under his breath, "Well, the girls dig me no matter what my hair looks like."
Kagen hasn't made mention of AJ's hair since.
***
This last one isn't funny, so much as it was odd, and I feel compelled to share it.
About a month ago, Kagen went to a Christian concert with our church's youth group, and got home rather late at night. An hour after he came home and we all went to bed, the phone rang. Thinking it was someone from church, informing us of a wallet or MP3 player Kagen had left behind or something, I answered the phone.
It was a girl I didn't recognize, asking for Kagen.
Still trying to rise out of my sleep-induced stupor, I told his cute young thing very politely, "Kagen is not available right now. Can you call back *in the morning*?" We exchanged good-byes and I hung up. I'm just a cool Mom that way.
It wasn't until I plopped myself back in bed that it really hit me what had just happened. Not only had a GIRL called... but called at 1:00am to talk with my son about something. What the flip? Is she SERIOUS?
My musings were short-lived, as that a mere fifteen minutes later, the phone rang again.
The time for coolness is over.
I picked up the phone and said the following: "Darlin' it is one o'clock in the morning. People are sleeping in the world right now. Please do not call again until morning." And I hung up on her.
Yes, I told Kagen about it the next morning. He reacted with a decent mix of laughter and embarrassment. I got the distinct impression I had not beleagured a budding romance or anything. But my Cool Mom peg did slide down a notch or two.
Casualties of love and war, apparently.
***
The other day we were talking about plans for the month of April, and I turned to my youngest son, who is celebrating his sixth birthday in April, and asked him, "What do you want to do for your birthday?"
Without missing a beat, he replies, "A party. And I want GIRLS to be there, Mom."
***
Our middle son recently got KU-blue highlights in his hair. He's been wanting to do this for months now. Galen's and my philosophy in this realm is rather relaxed. "So long as you're clean and covered, we're happy." So, during Spring Break, off we went to my hair-person, Lou, and she did a great job. As we walk in the door coming home from the appointment, my oldest son immediately starts in on teasing and chiding his younger brother about his hair, expecting a rise out of him. AJ very calmly waits for a break in Kagen's ramble, and says almost under his breath, "Well, the girls dig me no matter what my hair looks like."
Kagen hasn't made mention of AJ's hair since.
***
This last one isn't funny, so much as it was odd, and I feel compelled to share it.
About a month ago, Kagen went to a Christian concert with our church's youth group, and got home rather late at night. An hour after he came home and we all went to bed, the phone rang. Thinking it was someone from church, informing us of a wallet or MP3 player Kagen had left behind or something, I answered the phone.
It was a girl I didn't recognize, asking for Kagen.
Still trying to rise out of my sleep-induced stupor, I told his cute young thing very politely, "Kagen is not available right now. Can you call back *in the morning*?" We exchanged good-byes and I hung up. I'm just a cool Mom that way.
It wasn't until I plopped myself back in bed that it really hit me what had just happened. Not only had a GIRL called... but called at 1:00am to talk with my son about something. What the flip? Is she SERIOUS?
My musings were short-lived, as that a mere fifteen minutes later, the phone rang again.
The time for coolness is over.
I picked up the phone and said the following: "Darlin' it is one o'clock in the morning. People are sleeping in the world right now. Please do not call again until morning." And I hung up on her.
Yes, I told Kagen about it the next morning. He reacted with a decent mix of laughter and embarrassment. I got the distinct impression I had not beleagured a budding romance or anything. But my Cool Mom peg did slide down a notch or two.
Casualties of love and war, apparently.
***
Monday, March 23, 2009
A Parallel Universe
I'm thirty-four, for your information.
This, in and of itself, is no big deal to me. I do not delude myself about aging, or getting older, or maturing, or whatever you want to call it. I realize full well, that, no matter what my oldest son says, I'm still very young in life. I'm over it, trust me.
But what does get to me about being thrity-four is how vastly different my life is now at this age, than what I had once envisioned for myself looking ahead to this age. I do not so much long for the life I had once idealized for myself, as it's just so... DIFFERENT from what I thought it would be. Robert Frost's poem about the road less travelled has been hitting me between the eyes the past few birthdays.
See, what was SUPPOSED to happen at the age of thirty-four was this: Two B.A.'s in music and music education under my hat, in addition to a master's degree from a conservatory as yet unnamed. I would have left my educational pursuits after my master's degree and failed on the professional circuit for a couple of years, but nonetheless gleaning valuable life-long experience and wisdom from the myriad of big cities, snooty orhcestras, and gruelling auditions I will have willingly walked myself into. THEN, I was going to take on teaching at a private studio or university. Believe it or not, I even had envisioned going from a university teaching position to directing a high school vocal program. Somewhere in my late twenties, I would meet Mr. Right and consdier getting married after the age of thirty. Somewhere around the age of thrity-five, we might possibly consider having a child. Maybe two. Depends. Before Kagen was born, I had no idea how I'd do around small children. Older kids, no problem. But younger ones??? Well...
Oh, how vastly different life has turned out! As in, laughably so! Again, with what I hope is a genuine acceptance and contentment of God's will in my life, and not a painful facade veiling a deep-seated quiet desperation, I do not long for what I once thought would be. Really. I have been placed where I am unmistakenly by the Author of Life, and so much of my life as it is NOW is so blessed with God's love and grace, how can I long for anything else? Different, but not inferior in anyway.
I spent my thirty-fourth birthday last Saturday, not thinking about maybe having a child and hashing out the pros, cons, whys and wherefores with my husband of a couple of years, but I DID spend it with my husband of 12.5 years, and our four children at a park, having a picnic, where we got messy, dirty, wind-swept and worn out with the fun.
God can be SO obvious sometimes, can't He?
This, in and of itself, is no big deal to me. I do not delude myself about aging, or getting older, or maturing, or whatever you want to call it. I realize full well, that, no matter what my oldest son says, I'm still very young in life. I'm over it, trust me.
But what does get to me about being thrity-four is how vastly different my life is now at this age, than what I had once envisioned for myself looking ahead to this age. I do not so much long for the life I had once idealized for myself, as it's just so... DIFFERENT from what I thought it would be. Robert Frost's poem about the road less travelled has been hitting me between the eyes the past few birthdays.
See, what was SUPPOSED to happen at the age of thirty-four was this: Two B.A.'s in music and music education under my hat, in addition to a master's degree from a conservatory as yet unnamed. I would have left my educational pursuits after my master's degree and failed on the professional circuit for a couple of years, but nonetheless gleaning valuable life-long experience and wisdom from the myriad of big cities, snooty orhcestras, and gruelling auditions I will have willingly walked myself into. THEN, I was going to take on teaching at a private studio or university. Believe it or not, I even had envisioned going from a university teaching position to directing a high school vocal program. Somewhere in my late twenties, I would meet Mr. Right and consdier getting married after the age of thirty. Somewhere around the age of thrity-five, we might possibly consider having a child. Maybe two. Depends. Before Kagen was born, I had no idea how I'd do around small children. Older kids, no problem. But younger ones??? Well...
Oh, how vastly different life has turned out! As in, laughably so! Again, with what I hope is a genuine acceptance and contentment of God's will in my life, and not a painful facade veiling a deep-seated quiet desperation, I do not long for what I once thought would be. Really. I have been placed where I am unmistakenly by the Author of Life, and so much of my life as it is NOW is so blessed with God's love and grace, how can I long for anything else? Different, but not inferior in anyway.
I spent my thirty-fourth birthday last Saturday, not thinking about maybe having a child and hashing out the pros, cons, whys and wherefores with my husband of a couple of years, but I DID spend it with my husband of 12.5 years, and our four children at a park, having a picnic, where we got messy, dirty, wind-swept and worn out with the fun.
God can be SO obvious sometimes, can't He?
Thursday, March 5, 2009
If you're not in Kansas today, I feel sorry for you.
It's 78 degrees today, which is fantastic in and of itself. Forty-eight hours ago, it was *just* above freezing and there was snow on the ground. (The midwest is a meteorologist's DREAM, I tell ya.)
But what I'm REALLY excited about, is something I saw in my yard today.
Today, I saw in my dilapidated ol' flower bed some tiny green shoots just peeking out from the old mulch.
That one dash of green amongst the sea of sad brown in one fell swoop wiped away my "winter contentment" and has infected me henceforth with "spring fever." Talk about your air-borne viruses. I don't know if there's an antibiotic for this particular fever, but even if there is, I don't want it. It's a fever I'm savoring right now. I will relish in it for WEEKS, I promise you.
And, it's a fever most likely all the more complicated by the rash treatment we made on our old shrubs late last fall.
Let me ellucidate this backstory:
It starts with my house color: I hate it. I have since I first laid eyes on it. It's just not me, not US. I've been itching and planning to get it all painted away since we closed on the house, no lie. Compounding that problem was my deep-seated dislike on the over-grown barbury and evergreen shrubs which were dominating the front facade.
Last fall, I had in my wee little brain the idea that "now" would be the perfect time and weather to paint. But, of course, we have to get rid of the old shrubs first! That just makes sense, right?!
So we organized a day for both sets of our parents to come to our house, with chains and ball-hitches in tow, and yank that horrid flora-mess out of my yard.
Said yanking and further lawn clean up ensued relatively easily enough, praise be. SO, now... it's time to paint.
Late September went by... still plenty of time.
Early October slipped through our fingers... well, we were busier than we thought we'd be.
Late October zipped past, laughing and pointing at us... WHEN are we going to get this done?
Early November was a blur... Do we dare start NOW?
And then... Thankgiving. I had to admit defeat.
So, the roots of any existing flora lying dormant in the ground hasn't been the only thing "sleeping" this winter. My precious manilla folder containing my paint samples and landscape plans has been gathering dust in my desk drawer.
And now, according to that one glance of that one small green shoot, it's time to rifle out my plans and succumb to the fire of the fever.
Spring Fever, that is.
[sniff]
Just enjoy...
It's 78 degrees today, which is fantastic in and of itself. Forty-eight hours ago, it was *just* above freezing and there was snow on the ground. (The midwest is a meteorologist's DREAM, I tell ya.)
But what I'm REALLY excited about, is something I saw in my yard today.
Today, I saw in my dilapidated ol' flower bed some tiny green shoots just peeking out from the old mulch.
That one dash of green amongst the sea of sad brown in one fell swoop wiped away my "winter contentment" and has infected me henceforth with "spring fever." Talk about your air-borne viruses. I don't know if there's an antibiotic for this particular fever, but even if there is, I don't want it. It's a fever I'm savoring right now. I will relish in it for WEEKS, I promise you.
And, it's a fever most likely all the more complicated by the rash treatment we made on our old shrubs late last fall.
Let me ellucidate this backstory:
It starts with my house color: I hate it. I have since I first laid eyes on it. It's just not me, not US. I've been itching and planning to get it all painted away since we closed on the house, no lie. Compounding that problem was my deep-seated dislike on the over-grown barbury and evergreen shrubs which were dominating the front facade.
Last fall, I had in my wee little brain the idea that "now" would be the perfect time and weather to paint. But, of course, we have to get rid of the old shrubs first! That just makes sense, right?!
So we organized a day for both sets of our parents to come to our house, with chains and ball-hitches in tow, and yank that horrid flora-mess out of my yard.
Said yanking and further lawn clean up ensued relatively easily enough, praise be. SO, now... it's time to paint.
Late September went by... still plenty of time.
Early October slipped through our fingers... well, we were busier than we thought we'd be.
Late October zipped past, laughing and pointing at us... WHEN are we going to get this done?
Early November was a blur... Do we dare start NOW?
And then... Thankgiving. I had to admit defeat.
So, the roots of any existing flora lying dormant in the ground hasn't been the only thing "sleeping" this winter. My precious manilla folder containing my paint samples and landscape plans has been gathering dust in my desk drawer.
And now, according to that one glance of that one small green shoot, it's time to rifle out my plans and succumb to the fire of the fever.
Spring Fever, that is.
[sniff]
Just enjoy...
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