I'm feeling rather uninspired today. Fortunately for me, I have company. Company I'm perfectly comfortable forcing to write my post for today. And so, without further ado, I present to you my baby brother, Doug:

Hello everyone Doug here just had a fun filled day at the new water park here in Hopkinsville Tie Breaker Family Aquatic center. Myself, my wife Kellie, Alissa and Drew and Nick all got in on the action doing the slides and splash zone, we could shoot at each other with water guns and turn on water valves and get just about everyone in a 5 mile radius wet, it really was a blast and confirms that I really do want children so I can still act like one without people looking at me funny and to carry on the human race and all that good stuff but mostly so I can still have fun, and watch your own children have fun at the same time doing things that you like to do aswell.

I was told I needed to have at least 3 paragraphs so here is # 2 telling you that my loving sister is being mean to me and making me do something that I am no good at. But this is good practice for when I am in Fire Fighter school typing and using my brain again. By the way Andy says Hi.

Well paragraph # 3 is here, this one will be about this past week that myself and Kellie have been on vacation. We left around 8 am on Sunday for Sandusky, OH. to go to Cedar Point amusement park (if you like roller coasters at a good price check this place out) it has 17 roller coasters 15 for grown ups and 2 for children and all for $41.50 but they always have the $8 off with a coupon or a Pepsi can, we came home from there on Monday night/Tuesday morning we drove threw the night and got home around 4:30 am, we got up around Noon Tuesday and relaxed to catch up from the 2 fun filled days we just had and around 4ish we headed to my in laws to visit and winded up going the Famous Mike Linnings for dinner (it is a really good fish place in Louisville). Wednesday we put up our Shed up that we have had in our garage for going on 2 years know but it is done yay! Today Thursday refer to the first of MY paragraphs is this fun filled day.

OK i sort of did it 3ish paragraphs and alot of run run on sentences and probably alot of other mistakes but hey not to bad for some who has done nothing like this in 10 years. Good bye for know

The baby brother Doug Rausch

When Drew was a tiny little baby I would tell him that he was my favorite baby. As a matter of fact, I told him that all the way up until Nicky was born. I'd be holding him, or playing with him, and say "You know what? You are the best baby. You are my favorite baby in the whole wide world!"

Well, when Nicky was born that didn't work any more. Nicky became my favorite baby, and Drew turned into my favorite kid, or my favorite big boy.

It's something I told them so often that sometimes Drew would even ask "Who am I?" and the correct answer was not "Drew", it was "My Favorite Kid". Then he'd ask "Who is Nicky?" so I'd say "My Favorite Baby".

One day, when Nicky was about 2 1/2, I said to him "You know what? You're my favorite baby." And he said "I am not a baby!"

This was true. But what was I supposed to do? They were both kids now, and they couldn't both be my favorite kid. Even though they are both my favorite kids, they'd never go for sharing the title.

So, Drew became My Favorite Drew, and Nick is My Favorite Nick. This is something I say to them every day, often more than once.

A few weeks ago, I said "Hey Nicky? Know what? You're My Favorite Nicky." and he responded with "Hey Mom? Know what? You're My Favorite Mom." And Drew, not to be outdone by his little brother, said "You're My Favorite Mom, too!".

And so it is. At bedtime I'll say "Favorite Boys" and they'll say "Favorite Mom."

I love it.

Sometimes I tell them "You're My Favorite..." just to hear the reply.

The cookout yesterday evening was alot of fun. I am so glad we went! Besides the eating and the actual grown-up conversation, Drew caught his first fish, all on his own.

We arrived around 4, and were the first ones there. No surprise--I am nearly always the first one to arrive somewhere. And our friends know that and were ready for us. Dinner preparations were already underway, and the boys are nearly at home there as they are here so we could just let them play without constant supervision.

After about half an hour, another couple arrived with their 2 year old little boy, and Drew and Nick were excited to show him around. The kids (and the dog) amused themselves quite nicely in the backyard while we sat on the deck and chatted. After the arrival of a few more guests, we all sat down to eat.

The food was excellent--hamburgers and hot dogs and bratwurst, hash brown casserole, chips, deviled eggs (my contribution), and brownies (also me) and homemade ice cream for dessert. Yum! We all ate until we were stuffed--Nicky ate a burger AND a hot dog!

Then the boys remembered their fishing poles, and everyone decided it was time to fish. There was some initial hesitation when it came time to bait the hooks, but both boys got over that rather quickly. The next obstacle to overcome was casting. I had spent some time with them yesterday afternoon teaching them how to cast, but they didn't seem to get the importance of that very sharp hook on the end of the line. We all spent several nervous casts dodging the hooks, and hoping they didn't manage to hook themselves or each other! Eventually, though, they really got the hang of it, and it wasn't 10 minutes before Drew caught his first fish. He reeled in a nice-sized blue gill all by himself, and he was so very excited. It took some convincing, but eventually he took it off the hook on his own and released it back into the pond. He was too worked up after that to concentrate any longer on fishing, though, so there were no more fish caught by the kids. Andy caught a small bass, however, using Nicky's Spiderman pole.

Around 8:30 Nick began to wear down, and Andy had to leave for work at 9:00 anyway, so we had to leave. I was a little disappointed, because I was enjoying myself quite a bit. But there really wasn't any other choice, so home we came.

And that was when round two began.

Nick could not relax. He was up and down, thirsty and hungry and having to use the bathroom. He forgot to tell me goodnight. He forgot to tell me he loved me. He forgot to hug his daddy before he left, and when he realized he had missed his chance there was a major meltdown. He forgot to pet the kitty one last time. He forgot to cover up right.

You get the idea.

At midnight, when Drew had been sleeping peacefully for nearly 3 hours and I was so tired I could barely hold my head up, Nicky finally gave in and fell asleep.

In my bed.

But, oh well, at that point sleep was sleep.

I am very tired today.

We have a fairly small circle of local friends. All of my friends from college live far away, and Andy's childhood and college friends aren't conveniently close, either. Both Andy and I have acquaintances at work, people I'd refer to as friends in a workplace capacity but not really folks that we socialize with much outside of work hours. Neither of us grew up here, so any friends we have we've had to acquire in the past 11 years (that's how long I've live here--Andy's only lived here for 7 years).

However, we do have some friends. Slowly but surely we're finding our place in the community. And I'm so glad, because I do want to do some social things. Christmas gatherings, holiday cookouts, birthday parties, etc...

That's why I was so disappointed that we weren't invited anywhere for Memorial Day. I've been asking everyone for a week or more "So, what are your plans for the weekend?" just seeing what everyone is up to. The answer was the same from nearly everyone. "Nothing much," they'd say. Occasionally it would be "swimming" or "remodeling" or something not exciting, but I heard no plans being made for gatherings.

I was really hoping to go somewhere. I'd have a party myself, except we're having the birthday bash in a month and a half, and I can't afford to do that twice in such a short period of time. So I figured Andy and the boys and I would grill our own burgers and hang out here.

Then, at 8:30 on the Sunday night before Memorial Day, my phone rings. It's Mark. "What are ya'll doing tomorrow afternoon?" he asks. "We're planning a little cookout--wanna come?"

Now, I asked him on Friday what they were doing, and the answer was "Nothing much. Maybe some fencing." I said definitely we wanted to come, and asked him what happened to the plans for farmwork. He said that he and Mandy felt a little loser-like for having no plans on Memorial Day, and since no one invited them anywhere they decided to have their own party.

What's really funny is that every single person he's called to invite, late on Sunday before Memorial Day, has accepted without hesitation. No one is having a party. We're all losers.

Or, we were. Now we're all included. Yay!

I am acquainted with some of the people attending, others I've never met. Perhaps we'll make some new friends.

I hope everyone has a nice Memorial Day. A big Thank You to all those who serve to keep this country free.

When it comes to photography, I have a long way to go. I am aware that some of my photos are very nice, some may even be nearing professional quality. But many, many more of my images are no better than snapshots, even when I make an effort to make them something more.

Not that there is anything wrong with snapshots. No. As a matter of fact, that's one of the biggest problems I have. I get so caught up in trying to have the "perfect" shot that I'll overlook that fact that the picture is cute. It may not be a professional quality photograph, but if my kids are happy and smiling then it's alright. And I've thrown away pictures that were fine but not technically perfect.

Have I ever mentioned I'm a bit of a perfectionist? Yes? Well, I'll say it again. I'm a bit of a perfectionist.

The other thing that often stands in my way of great photos is the camera itself. Don't get me wrong--I have a very nice camera. A very nice camera with lots of settings. Lots of settings that I can never remember to change.

I know what the settings do. Thanks to many, many books and advice from my pro photographer friend and tons of experimentation I know what they do. I am totally familiar with aperture and shutter speed and iso and white balance. I know how they work together and individually. I can change the focus points, and use the camera to meter and then manually enter all of the settings. I can't always do it on the fly--the workings of the camera are not yet instinctual to me. But I'm getting there.

The problem is, I can never remember to do it. That is my biggest weakness as a photographer. I'll get the camera out and set it specifically with a higher iso and lower aperture and custom white balance to take photos of the boys indoor in lower light, maybe with the flash. Then I'll download the photos to the computer and put the camera away--without changing the settings. The next day I'll grab my camera bag for an hour or two of photography at the farm, and only after I get home will I realize that the camera was still set for indoor, low light shots even though I was shooting in bright sunlight. Many of those just aren't salvageable.

I try to make an effort to return the camera to more general settings at the end of every day so that if I want to take a snapshot quickly I'll be able to, but I only actually do it about 50% of the time. I'm seriously considering investing in a small, compact (but higher megapixels and still nice) point-and-shoot pocket camera to use for my everyday snapshotty stuff and keeping the big boy for my planned photography. At least that way I won't ruin my everyday shots by taking them with screwy settings.

What do you think? Any of you with wonderful ideas for making me remember to put my camera back on basic at the end of the day? And before you suggest writing myself a note, I've tried it. It keeps getting buried under stuff on the counter or lost in space.

He didn't mean to, but Chris over at Rude Cactus ended my blogging block, at least for one post. After reading his post this morning about Post-it notes, it occurred to me that I do much the same thing. Only I make more than notes, I also do lists. Sometimes notes to remind me of lists.

When I was a little girl, I was always amazed by the way my dad could remember stuff. I'd ask him the night before to copy something for me at work, or to bring me something home, and he'd remember. Now, I don't know for sure that he didn't have list upon list in his truck or at work, but I don't think so. I think he could just remember stuff.

I can't. Or, at least, I don't think I can. Because sometimes I write myself a note and then lose it but remember anyway what I was supposed to do.

Anyway, I make lists. Grocery lists, to-do lists for short-term and to-do lists for long-term. I write things on calendars. Multiple calendars. I have a notepad by the computer at home and at work, and both always have notations on them about something or other. I'll write myself notes in the evening and put them on my purse or in the fold of my phone to remember my lunch or to ask the sitter a question. Every Friday I write a weekend to-do list on the dry erase board on the fridge, and wipe stuff off as I accomplish it.

I am a list maker.

I am also a little, um, obsessive about some things. Or maybe perfectionist would be a better word. At any rate, I like to be prepared, and I like things to go as planned.

So, the boys' birthdays are coming up. July 20 and July 22, to be exact. It works out well that the 21st on on a Saturday, so the party can be the day between. I am pleased. I've been on the boys for a month or so to choose a theme, and this past week they finally decided. They want to have a hunting/wildlife/camo party. They are in agreement.

Let me tell you, while I am so pleased that my kids are individuals and don't follow every trend, it would be so, so much easier to have a Superman party. Or even John Deere, like the past 2 years. But no, they want hunting, so hunting it will be.

So, my list for the party (what? of course I've already started planning) looks something like this:

1. Find camouflage party decor (NOT army camo, hunting camo).
2. Find hunting-themed cake ideas
3. Make and order invitations, mail first week of July
   
4. Goody bags? What in a hunting goody bag for little kids? Assemble.
5. Food? Drinks? Make list and shop Friday before party.
   
6. Gas for the grill one week before party
7. Borrow card table & chairs from Mark
8. Borrow tables from Mom and Dad. Chairs, too?
9. Gifts for boys? Scooters or bikes, maybe?
10. Mow grass Friday before party, freshen any flowers that don't look good.
11. Ask neighbors for permission to park in their yard

Not a bad list, right? I've located some camo plates and napkins, but they're pricey so they'll just be for cake, I think. Otherwise I'll just get brown and green and call it good. I just won an auction on e-bay for some large pieces of camouflage fabric that I'll use as table covers. My boss says he's got an entire box of deer antlers that I can use, and I have friends with duck decoys that I may borrow to float in the little wading pool. I think for the cake I'll just make flat cakes or buy sheet cakes undecorated and put deer and turkey figurines on the top--I can get those at Tractor Supply. See the photo at the top? That's for the invites, which I've already ordered and received.

So, I'll need your help with goody bags. What can I put in a "hunting" goody bag that will be appropriate for children ages 1-10 and won't cost me an arm and a leg?

See? I like to be prepared. It's only 2 months away...

Edited to add: Of course, you are all invited to the party! Our house, 5 PM on Saturday, July 21, 2007. Somehow I think all of you are too far away to attend, but if for some reason you'll be in the area call me and I'll hook you up with some directions!

Well, I seem to have come up against a blogging wall. I simply cannot think of anything I want to write about. I even skipped Saturday in hopes that I'd have something thought up by today, but I don't. I'm not officially asking for ideas, but if you have anything you'd like to hear about please let me know in the comments section, or e-mail me.

So, since I've nothing to say, I'm going to post a quick weekend recap. This weekend was a little unusual for us, because Andy was in the middle of a schedule change and was actually home. The entire weekend. It was weird. After so very long of not spending much time together, it's difficult to remember how to be together. There were periods of tension resulting from the fact that he doesn't know our routines and continually tried to impose his own.

At any rate, on Saturday I got to run my errands with only one child. That was a treat! Nicky came with me, and Drew stayed behind to help Andy with the yard. It had to be done that morning because I had to return a borrowed weed-eater by noon. So, while Nick and I were out on the town, the yard was mowed and trimmed and the carport and driveway blown off. Nice.

Then I returned the weed-eater, and spent a few hours alone (while the boys, all 3, had naps) with my camera at the farm.

Saturday evening was our local festival, Little River Days. We took the boys and they had a blast. We ate festival food for supper, took the horse and carriage ride, and each kid got a balloon and a soft frozen lemonade. It was nice.

Sunday Andy took the boys to church, and I bailed. I just didn't feel well most of yesterday, headachy and crabby and stiff and tired. They got home around 1:30, and again all 3 of them took naps. Then there was some playing in the yard, on the trampoline, and in the pool. And then, because I just couldn't face the thought of fixing dinner, we went out again. You'd think we were rolling in money or something, the way we spent it this weekend. We not only went to O'Charley's, we hit the new DQ for dessert!

Today it was back to life as we know it, except Drew is at the sitter instead of school.

And so it goes.

I just came from the Kindergarten Awards at the school. I watched Drew get presented with an attendance award--best attendance for all of Kindergarten (all 3 classes, not just his). He also received a poster made by his teachers with photos from throughout the school year, some taken by me and others I've never seen. There are side-by-side photos from the first day of school and from last week. I can't believe how much more grown-up he looks in just one school year! We had cookies and juice and took photos of him with all of his friends.

And we got his report card, where it not only shows marked improvement from the first grading period, it says "assigned to first grade".

So that's it. He's a first grader.

Oh my.

The up:

Drew got an award at school today. He received a medallion for reading 167 points worth of Accelerated Reader books. 140 got you a medallion. There were only 34 kids in the whole school (K-5th grade) that achieved that goal. Only about half of them read more than Drew. The kid that got the trophy, though, read over 350 points worth of books. He's a second grader. Drew says he's winning the trophy next year, although he's very happy with his medallion. It's engraved with his name and the school year and how many points he had. Very cool. I am so, so proud. And tomorrow I'm attending a Kindergarten Awards Ceremony in Drew's classroom. All the kids will get something, so he'll get another award tomorrow. And then school is out for the summer, and Drew is officially a first-grader.

So, after the awards, I switched kids. I dropped Drew at the sitter and picked up Nick to take him to the screening for pre-school.

Drew didn't get to go to pre-school, because we don't meet the income requirements (for a family of 4 you must make less than $27,000 annually, before taxes) and he didn't have any speech or hearing disabilities. And we can't afford a private pre-school. He was disappointed, and I was disappointed, but we got over it and missing pre-school doesn't seem to have affected him academically or socially.

Nick, on the other hand, has that speech thing. I've mentioned it before--his r's sound funny, and his s's, and he replaces some sounds with alternate sounds that he seems to choose on a whim. Since we still don't meet the income requirements, this is his shot to get into school next year.

We arrived at our appointment, and even though I told them we didn't meet the income requirements we had to fill out the paperwork for it. Then we went through the entire evaluation process--nearly 2 hours. Nicholas tested very high in almost everything--motor skills, comprehension, language development, and vision. But, he's got a slight hearing deficit in his right ear, and the speech pathologist ranked him at a 2-3 year old level in articulation and understandability (he'll be 4 in a month and a half).

So, I figured we were in. We went to the final station to hear the results, only to be told that the only way anyone was accepted into the program today was to meet the financial requirements. I had to schedule another appointment in mid-July for a "re-screening" where another speech pathologist will test his articulation and language abilities again. Then, if he passes (fails?) he'll be accepted into pre-school for the fall. If not, we're out of luck, even though we've already been told he's got a problem.

And you know, I'd be OK with all of this if it just seemed fair. But it doesn't. Because there was a family behind me who didn't speak English. They had to have a translator just to answer the questions. And the translator spoke in a very loud voice, which is how I know he's a farm worker (around here they make $7 an hour) and his wife is a stay-at-home mom. I guarantee you they live in housing provided by their employer, because I'm familiar with their employer. And they arrived at their appointment in a truck marked with the farm name. They have 6 children. He's in the United States on a work visa, and his children were born here. So, my tax dollars are paying for public pre-schools that I may not be allowed to use, but the family who came to this country and couldn't even be bothered to learn English or become a citizen for the past 6 or more years get to send their children sailing through the system with all the perks I've worked so hard to provide. And I could go on and on and on, but you get the idea.

So, recap of my day: Went to work, went to Drew's school to proudly watch Drew accept his award, went to Nick's pre-school screening to find out I have to have him re-screened, came back home and now it's time for dinner.

Have a good evening, ya'll.

Did I tell ya'll that we have a new cat? No? Well, we have a new cat.

We still have Fern and Daisy inside, and we still have Spot-the-best-cat-ever outside. This past weekend, a new stray found our home, and Nicky immediately claimed him as his kitty and named him Midnight.

Midnight is the sorriest excuse for a tomcat that I've ever seen. He's long haired, and had more mats than actual fluffy hair. He's skinny, and beat up, and covered in fleas and ticks. He's very friendly, and very loud with a distinctive yowl. And did I mention he's a tom? A stinky, territorial, spraying tomcat.

Well, he hung around for a few days, and as Nicky was already in love we figured we'd better clean him up and make sure he's healthy if he's going to stay. So, on Monday, Andy and Nick took him to the clinic. They knocked him out and then went to work. He got a flea and tick bath, and shaved down to remove all of the matted hair. All the ticks were removed from his skin, and all of his wounds treated. He got a shot of antibiotics and was dewormed and vaccinated. Andy neutered him, because that's the responsible thing to do. And the neutering takes care of all that nasty tomcat behavior. We figured if he still wanted to stay at our house after we did all of that to him then he must be a pretty decent animal.

And he's still at the house. Of course, it takes a little bit after the neutering for all the hormones to make their way out of his body, so he's still acting like a tom. And apparently he blames me for the mistreatment that he endured, because he spent the night last night in my truck. And he, um, marked his territory.

Yeah.

I got in the truck this morning and was nearly overpowered by the stench of tomcat urine. If you've ever smelled it you know what I'm talking about.

Oh. My. Goodness.

So Andy spent 2 hours and $70 of our hard-earned dollars this morning having the truck professionally cleaned. The seats were shampooed and the hard surfaces cleaned and it was even washed and waxed. It looks really nice.

And it no longer smells like tomcat urine. No, now it smells like strawberries. Alot like strawberries. It's quite overpowering--with the windows rolled down you can smell the strawberry scent a good 15 feet away.

I'm not sure which is worse--the cat pee or the strawberries.

I told you yesterday that I gave Andie D. permission to ask me 5 questions--any 5 questions--and I'd answer them honestly. Today is the day, so here we go:

How many brothers and sisters do you have, and what is your position in the birth order of your family? Do you believe that birth order affects personality? I am the oldest of three children and the only girl. My brothers and I are spaced 3 years apart, almost exactly. I've never really given alot of thought to the birth order/personality thing, although I know my mom is a big believer in it. I'm not even really sure what traits first- middle- and last-born children are supposed to have. I can tell you that I am opinionated and strong-willed and bossy. Does that sound right for a first-born? Possibly that's a birth order trait, or perhaps I just inherited it from my dad...

What would others say is your most annoying habit? Honestly, I don't know. And I'm sure not asking anyone what about me annoys them, because then I'd be all self-conscious and stuff. I can tell you that I bite my fingernails and that it drives my children to distraction when I do. I know that it annoys my co-workers sometimes when I do ALL the work (not because I'm trying to be a show-off, but because I'm bored. unfortunately, that leaves them bored, too...). It annoys my husband when I leave him lists of things to do on his days off. You guys can tell me what annoys you about my blog, if you like. Then I could do some housekeeping...

What's the big story you haven't written yet but will someday? Um, well, I don't know the answer to that, either. Gee, I'm not much fun, am I? I'm not really a story-teller on my blog, I think I tend to write more about what's on my mind in the moment. But I can tell stories, if you like. What stories would you like to hear? I did tell you how I met Andy, and about that car accident, but beyond that I don't think I've shared much history.

If you could be a superhero, what would your name be and what superpowers would you have? Well, that's an easy one, because we're all about superheroes in our house these days. According to the boys, I'm FlashGirl. She is not, as you might be thinking, someone who goes around opening a trenchcoat and showing her stuff to strangers. No, FlashGirl can run super-fast, like Flash on the Incredibles. So fast you can't even see her feet and legs, because they're just a blur. And, FlashGirl is very, very pretty. Sometimes I'm Wonder Woman, too, or SuperGirl. But mostly FlashGirl. Now, if I got to choose, I don't know what I would be called, but my superpower would be to have super amounts of patience. Perhaps I could be ToleranceGirl? NiceWoman?

What gives you the most satisfaction in your life? Now, this question seems simple on the surface. I'm supposed to say my kids, right? Or my family? And while they give me tremendous amounts of love and happiness and craziness and frustration and sadness and fun and joy and debt and heartache, I'm not sure family or kids gives me the most satisfaction. I think that's something that has to come from inside, from me and only me. And over the years that's been many different things. Graduation from high school, and from college. Making an A on a difficult final exam. Buying my first vehicle. Landing my first real job. Buying a home. Giving birth, twice (except that was more of a feeling of relief!). Watching my oldest go off independently on his first day of school. Watching my youngest conquer his fears and put his face under the water in the pool. Knowing that I'm (well, we're) raising 2 little boys in mostly the right way. I think currently I'm most satisfied with my progression as a photographer. I love making an effort and creating something beautiful that people actually appreciate, something that makes other folks smile. Enabling someone to look at something in a different way than they might have.

OK, well, there you go. I answered the 5 questions, and I hope I got them "right". I think I'm supposed to open the floor for any of you to sign up, and then I get to ask you 5 questions which you will then be obligated to answer on your own blog. But I'm changing the rules, mostly because I'm a little lazy but also because I think that these were really good, insightful questions and I'd like to know the answers to them about you, too. So, if you want to play, answer these 5 questions on your own blog. Make sure you leave me a comment that you're doing so, and I'll check out your answers.

This is my mom (and one of my brothers):

It's Mother's Day. I told you guys this last year, and I'm going to say it again. I just don't write long, emotional tributes. I don't have it in me. So you're not going to get 3-5 sappy paragraphs about my mom.

I will tell you that my mom rocks. She's awesome. She's super nice, and super smart, and alot more patient and kind than I'll ever be. I can only hope to be half the mother that she is and always has been.

My brothers and I were raised in a great family. A mom and a dad that loved us and provided for us unconditionally. We lived in the country with room to roam around. I had a horse. We had a swimming pool. We had nice clothes and toys and shoes and didn't ever go hungry. Our grandparents and aunts and uncles and cousins were a part of our lives from the start, sharing birthdays and holidays regularly. I just assumed that everyone lived a life like ours.

Even though I had friends (my best friend, actually) whose parents were divorced, even though I was aware that there were kids in my class who were "poor" (and in some cases poor is probably an understatement) it just never occurred to me that their lives might be less than perfect. I just never considered it, even though I should have. I should state for the record, however, that I didn't (and don't) discriminate. I was friends with everyone, especially the underdog, and I put myself out there on a limb more than once sticking up for kids that were being picked on.

Now that I'm an adult, with a family of my own and more real awareness of the world around me, I realize that I should not have taken my life for granted. I know that there are children who don't have loving parents. There are families that are hungry, and that don't have a home. There are people in such despair that they no longer want to be alive. There is abuse, and neglect.

Sometimes I actually feel guilty. Guilty that I've had it so good. Guilty that sometimes I feel sorry for myself because I'm having a hard time making ends meet--but I have a home and food and a job and am so much luckier than some people. Guilty when I buy my kids yet another Power Ranger when there are children with no toys at all.

It was my parents who made me the person that I am today. There doesn't need to be a Mother's Day or a Father's Day for me to think of my parents, because I think of them every day. I talk to them several times a week. I love them and they love me and we all know it. But I guess, since it's Mother's Day and all, I'll take this opportunity to publicly thank my mom for giving me a life that alot of kids only dream of.

Thanks, Mom (and Dad).

And, since it is Mother's Day, I took the opportunity to get you a really cool gift. Because I do love to give presents, especially those that are just perfect for the recipient. I can't wait to give it to you!

Nicky made me this for Mother's Day:

I also got a handwritten card from Drew that says 'I love you Mom' and he drew a picture of me with long green hair because he thinks 'it would look nice that way'.

I have good kids.

I visited Drew's class today for photos. I took nearly 150 over the course of 2 hours. I took many, many shots of the students individually and several group shots. This one is, by far, my favorite. Click on it and choose to view it "large" on Flickr to really see how much fun the kids are having. Drew is smack in the middle, in case you're hunting for him--blue shorts and shirt.

And, the best news: It looks like my dad will be home from the hospital tomorrow. Yay! He spent just over 3 weeks there with various issues, but he's on the road to recovery and should be heading to the house in less than 24 hours.

It seems as if the end of the school year is bringing busy times for us. I sort of thought things would slow down a bit, but we're pretty much booked solid for the next two weeks. Here's a peek at our upcoming schedule:

• Tomorrow 9th: 1:00 I am to be at Drew's classroom to take photos. Photos inside of the kids and the teachers in the classroom, and then outside on the nature trail.
• Thursday 10th: Drew has a field trip to Christian Way Farms and to the Fire Station.
  
• Friday 11th: Drew has a rewards trip to the skating rink because he earned the required number of Accelerated Reader points (actually, he earned twice the required number!)
• Sunday 13th: Mother's Day
  
• Monday 14th: Field Day at Drew's school
• Monday 14th: Andy's birthday. He's turning 33.
• Thursday 17th: Tentative Awards Day at Drew's school
• Thursday 17th: Nick's Preschool screening appointment
• Friday 18th: Last day of school
• Monday 21st: I have no babysitter this day. Anyone want to come stay with the boys for me?

And sometime in all that stuff I'm scheduling a photo shoot with the teenagers that I took shots of this past fall, Amber and Dustin. And a shoot with my sitter to take her kids' soccer pics and her daughter's 16 year birthday photos. And I need to get the flowerbeds mulched. And the yard is needing mowed twice a week these days. Plus, you know, laundry and cooking and dishes and cleaning and grocery shopping.

Whew. I'm a little tired just thinking about it!

If you didn't catch the photo of Drew in the tractor tire down there in my Photo Sunday post, check it out. I took this one today as a companion photo. I thought they might be neat framed and hanging next to each other (or maybe matted in the same frame). The lighting is all different in this shot because the sun was shining brightly (it wasn't the other day) and because the tractor is sitting in a different spot. Still, I think it's cute.

And check out his shoes. Aren't they great? I have 2 pair of Crocs, and each of the boys have a pair, too. They love them.

I helped to work cows yesterday. I didn't think I did all that much strenuous stuff, but I woke up this morning sore through my shoulders and back. I must have worked harder than I thought! I also managed a decent sunburn on my neck and nose. I keep getting sun while I'm wearing t-shirts of varying styles. By the time I actually put on a swimsuit I'm going to look so funny--tanned arms and neck and face with pale shoulders and back and legs.

OK, that's all for today. Boring, I know. I'll try to think of something more interesting for tomorrow.

It's time to announce the winner of the Guess How Many Hot Wheels contest! I had fun--wasn't this fun? Thank you all for playing. Now I wish you were all the winners, but the rules in place state there will only be one. Perhaps next time I'll set up something for runners-up, whaddya say?

First let me remind you of the rule that it's the person who guesses the closest number without going over that wins. Because I had 2 people guess who were very close, but guessed a number that's higher than the actual number. Those 2 people were SusanP and Susie.

So, the actual number of Hot Wheels in that pile (and there are more outside and in the truck and I'm sure there are some lost somewhere, but I'm only counting the ones I showed you in the photo) is 346. That makes Stacy the winner with her guess of 250! And I'm guessing she could use a little something extra right about now, because she's a mom of 3 and is due with baby #4 in just a few short weeks. So Stacy, head on over to my Flickr gallery and browse around. Leave me a comment on the photo that you want to be yours, and I'll have it printed up for you. Also, please e-mail me with your mailing address. Congratulations to Stacy!

And now, I've just gotta say, 346?! Oh my goodness. That's alot of cars. Did you know that Matchbox cars cost about $1 apiece? Not alot when you want to purchase a small treat for your kids. But wow! Take into account all the cars in other places in our home and vehicles plus the ones that have been lost, and we have $400 or more worth of Hot Wheels! That blows me away. It also makes me not want to count any more toys, because I know how much that stuff costs individually and I don't want to think about how much money my kids have sitting in their toybox!

OK, then, that wraps up the first ever contest at Life's Little Adventures. I hope you guys had fun, and if you did perhaps we'll do it again in the future. In the meantime, have a great Saturday and tune in tomorrow for Photo Sunday. I have some pretty ones this week.

Today, WesleyJeanne over at Mountain Mama wrote a post about the Dora the Explorer collection that her daughter, Owen, has. Owen has Dora, Dora, and more Dora. And I said to her in the comments section, you should see how many Power Rangers we have. Or how many Hot Wheels cars.

And so, look here. Look at all the Power Rangers:

That is just the action figures themselves. That photo does not include the Power Rangers motorcycles, 4-wheelers, cell phones, magic communicators, t-shirts, comic books, or jeep.

Yeah, they have alot of Power Rangers.

But what they really have alot of is Matchbox cars. Look here:

I just counted them, and I was amazed at the sheer number of cars. Not to mention the big 18-wheeler that hauls them, or the various pieces and parts of track for them to race on. I bet you can't guess how many cars there are. I bet no one can.

So, let's have a contest. Everyone who wants to play just go ahead and take a guess at the number of cars. Post your answer in the comments section of this post. I'll give it until the weekend, and then post the correct answer. The person with the closest guess gets an 8x10 print of their choice from my Flickr gallery, delivered to your door. If anyone gets the exact number, I'll make it a matted and framed 8x1o print, delivered to your door.

Of course, you must be willing to give me your full name and mailing address if you win, so that I can ship your prize.

So, hop to it!

edited to add: the person with the closest guess without going over will be the winner. And the pile is about 3-4 vehicles deep in the center and thins as it moves towards the edges. If that information makes any of you want to change your guess, I'll accept amendments from the 5 people who have answered so far... I'll announce the winner on Saturday.

Briana over at Life With Boys (check out her new layout. it's awesome!) tagged me for the Seven Random Facts meme. I'm supposed to list seven random things about myself that ya'll don't already know, and then I'm supposed to tag seven people to do the same.

Well, after blogging for a year and a half, I'm not sure I can think of seven things about me that you don't know. Not anything I feel like sharing in a public forum, anyway. But I'll try. And that tagging seven people rule? I'm skipping it this time. If you'd like to do this, great! Leave me a comment saying you're in and I'll be sure to check out your answers. But I'm not requiring it of anyone, OK?

Alright, then...

1. I love inkpens. I have favorite pens, work pens, letter-writing pens, scrapbook pens, and more. And I am very possessive of my pens. At work I keep a variety in my lab coat pocket at all times--a red one, a black one, a blue one, a fat sharpie, and a thin sharpie. Andi if I let you use one, I will stay right there until I get it back. At home I have nice pens, and even the boys know better to use them without asking.
2. I don't like to wear shoes. I like to buy shoes, and to have shoes, but when it comes right down to it I'd rather be barefoot. And it annoys me when Andy and the boys insist on putting on shoes just to walk out on the deck, or in the yard. I mean, yeah, you should wear shoes if you're leaving the property. Or riding a bike. Or mowing the grass. But really, what's the point in taking the time to put on shoes just to walk 30 feet to the trampoline and take them off again? Or taking more time putting on and taking off your shoes than it takes to walk to the truck and back? Evey time I see Andy putting on shoes when I don't think he needs them I call him a city boy.
3. I don't like my hair. I'm pleased with the color (yes, it's natural), but it never, ever behaves like I want it to. It's very fine and has mind of its own, and it doesn't matter how I cut it, how I style it, how long I mess with it, or how many products I use in it, it looks the same. 15 minutes after I leave the house with my perfect hairdo, it looks exactly like it did the day before and like it will the next day.
   
4. I cut coupons out of the paper every week, and save them in a coupon file. I have them organized by product and by date. But I rarely remember to take them to the store, and end up discarding more than I use.
5. I can't sleep at night if I'm aware of an open closet door or drawer anywhere in the house. I will lay there and obsess about it until I finally get up and close it. The blinds in the bedroom have to be pulled down, too--unless the window is open. If the window is open the shades get pulled the the height of the sash.
   
6. I'm pretty sure that my kids are more intelligent than I am. And I'm scared of what will happen when they realize it.
7. I had a wonderful childhood. I have terrific parents and brothers and a very close, wonderful extended family. And I finally realize how unusual that is any more, and I totally know how lucky I am. I hope my kids feel the same when they're grown.

So, there. Seven totally random things about me.