My Style Weekend Update

One more night of my Critical Thinking class. We are responsible for presenting ten popular fallacies people fall for out of a list of 27 good ones. Here is my speech for the "false dilemma fallacy" where Cookie Monster is shown simply devastated because he is out of milk to wash down his cookies. There are four people in my team, and we are delivering our speech in true Saturday Night Live, Weekend Update form. Cracks me right up! I love school!Here is my speech:

Good evening, and welcome to the (SAY EXACT TIME) news on LOL Fallacious Reasoning TV. My name is Shontell, and I am joined by my colleagues Christina, Kelly, and Andrew.

Before we get into our top story, we have breaking news concerning a certain loveable, blue, fuzzy monster. Cookie Monster was spotted earlier this week slipping into a seriously deep depression when, during his usual snack time of cookies, he was left high and dry with out any milk. The tragedy of it all is that Cookie was apparently so high on sugar from years of gluttony, he failed to consider any other beverage to help wash down his sugary treats. What Cookie has here is a false dilemma. And, now to Andrew with our top story.

No pics, but..

We just got back from camping with our friends at Frenchmens. What a beautiful lake. For those of you who live in Reno and haven't been, I suggest you go before the summer ends, then again when the leaves start to turn, then again when it is time to cut down a Christmas tree. Just beautiful. My kids had a fantastic time getting as dirty as possible, roasting marshmallows at all hours, munching, playing games, fishing, building forts...anything that screams "I am a kid at the beach!" It was almost too great. We didn't want to leave. We packed up our four room tent (huge, I know!) and headed back to reality.

Because we are getting better at this parenting thing, we bribed the kids with a trip to the ice cream parlor if they helped unload everything, shower willingly, and help get everything in order for our new week. It worked. We are all squeaky clean (though our bathtubs could use a pick me up!), my van is back to less than bursting at its seems, and our bellies are full of Baskin Robin's tasty treats.

It was a great weekend together. Just us. Just family and friends. Great memories.

Just one of my all time favorite commercials

Just pause my music on the side there to listen properly. Yah, it's that good.

Isaiah 58

I am missing church. I KNOW I KNOW! I am the church, but I still miss going. In my attempts to read through the bible, I have made it to Isaiah. I only have the rest of the old testament to go, and I am looking forward to it as there are a lot of books I haven't even rustled pages in. Anyway, I read through this chapter, and though it was encouraging, convicting, and full of promises, it made me miss church. Happy Sabbath.

"Shout it aloud, do not hold back.

Raise your voice like a trumpet.

Declare to my people their rebellion

and to the house of Jacob their sins.

For day after day they seek me out;

they seem eager to know my ways,

as if they were a nation that does what is right

and has not forsaken the commands of its God.

They ask me for just decisions and seem eager

for God to come near them.

'Why have we fasted,' they say,

'and you have not seen it? Why have we humbled

ourselves, and you have not noticed?'

"Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please

and exploit all your workers.

Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife,

and in striking each other with wicked fists.

You cannot fast as you do today

and expect your voice to be heard on high.

Is this the kind of fast i have chosen,

only a day for man to humble himself?

I sit only for bowing one's head like a reed

and for lying on sackcloth and ashes?

Is this what you call a fast,

a day acceptable to the Lord?

"Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:

to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke,

to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?

Is it not to share your food with the hungry

and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter-

when you see the naked, to clothe him,

and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

Then your light will break forth like the dawn,

and your healing will quickly appear;

then your righteousness will go before you,

and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.

Then you will call, and the Lord will answer;

you will cry for help and he will say: Here I am.

"If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger

and malicious talk,

and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry

and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,

then your light will rise in the darkness,

and your light will rise in the darkness,

and your night will become like the noonday.

The Lord will guide you always;

he will satisfy your needs in a sun scorched land

and will strengthen your frame.

You will be like a well-watered garden,

like a spring whose waters never fail.

Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins

and will raise up the age-old foundations;

you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,

Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.

"If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath

and from doing as you please on my holy day,

if you call the Sabbath a delight

and the Lord's holy day honorable,

and if you honor it by not going your own way

and not doing as you please or speaking idle words,

then you will find your joy in the Lord,

and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land

and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob."

The mouth of the lord has spoken.

Sabbath

For you non Reno- onions, our church is celebrating a month long sabbath from the regulars of church. For more on this check out our free podcasts through iTunes by looking up Hillside Foursquare Church. Good stuff. Check it out. DO IT!!

Anyway, our family is using this time to catch up on being a family before Mike's schedule sets in. I love God's timing..usually. On the surface, I am tempted to be irritated that SOOOO much is happening at once, but when i began to dig a little deeper, I realize just how right it all is. First, I am a lists, goal setting kind of girl. I like time lines and deadlines. The fact that I have to have EVERYTHING done before September 3rd is a challenge (I hope I am up to it).

Secondly, most of what is taking place leads to further peace or lots of fun. We have been given our thirty day notice of intent to sell our home. I will admit that I cried for a week, but my husband so happily reminded me that God is bigger than the boogie man; I don't need to be sad, I need to be praying. So we did, and we are going to try to buy our house. In addition, we are smack dab, in the middle of painting and revamping our home. Those of you who have ever done this know how tricky it can be. Those of you who have done this with five children..can you call and give me tips please? We made a master list...ten pages long (literally) of things to be accomplished. We are about five pages into it, but the peace that comes from this organization will be a major blessing and stress reliever. We just have to push through. I am reading Emilie Barnes' Survival Guide for the Busy Woman for inspiration. In addition to this, my kids are branching out to extra curricular activities. This will obviously only lead to humor. Football and cheer leading... it almost doesn't get better than this!

Thirdly, my husband has just been offered the career of his dreams. God's hand has been in every part of the process and my husband has been able to see it. He is allowing God to grow and stretch him in new ways. It is tough for both of us, but humbling to see God doing so much work in our little home.

Please pray for our sanity and a solid finish.

Metaphor help..no I really need help!

Can someone turn this simile into a metaphor, please?

Teaching kindergarten in the public school system is like herding cattle.

Feel free to elaborate- thanks.

Sick of the Cooties

BLECH! Mike and I are sick with colds. I feel like a little kid. I am pouty, grumpy, achy, crazy hot, dopey..you name it. We found out Mike's physical is schedule for this Tuesday. He is a little nervous because if he doesn't pass, he loses his chance to take this job. God is bigger than cooties..he has to be, he invented them. For now, we are snuggled up, heavily medicated, watching Harry Potter while I work on homeschool lesson plans. Fun Fun Fun. Hopefully the meds won't affect my teaching plans.

A Dream Come True

So, many of you have heard by now, but I had to bloggify it. Hot Lips is officially a firefighter recruit for the Reno Fire Department. He got the call today asking him to report to the academy on September 4th. This day is especially great because it was his dad's birthday. His dad died a few months after we were married, so it is a little bittersweet. This is certainly a time for a dad to be proud of a son.

Thank you all for your prayers. He is now waiting for his information packet, then he has to pass a background check and medical physical. All prayers are welcomed throughout that process. We will keep you updated. God is moving much in the Brewer house. Some of it is a bit of a stretch, and some of it is actually putting our money where our faith is. It is easy to say we trust him, but another when we are asked to live it. I apologize ahead of time for the rotten example I am sure to set over the next few months. Prayers for my sanity, energy, and for my role as athletic supporter; it can be a sweaty job...or is that schweaty?

Summertime is Just Getting Started

Beep Beep Coming through!
This is Addison's more glamorous side.


Birthday treats and water filled arm farts... Made to be brothers.

We have become big supporters of the new Reno farm team, Silver Sox. My favorite part of being a kid is not caring that your glasses are cheap, cheesy, and crooked. (Notice Eli, lol)

Summer is about half over. We are still trying to fit in a camping trip, some more gardening, and some more swimming. The next thing we are waiting impatiently for is the Rib Cook-off. All are welcome to visit. Just look for us near the noggin sized onion blossom stand. We will be the fools with corn in our teeth and a lemonade in our hands.

Not so professional hair model

Here is my first attempt at being a hair model. My friend, Marie invited me to be her hair model in a nationwide competition that I REAAAAAALLY want to win. It took a couple of days, a few uncomfortable positions, and frankly, a lot of laying around while people fiddle with my hair, but these are a couple of proofs from the shoot. I had so much fun. It certainly didn't take a lot of brains to do this job, but it took a big step outside of my shell and a lot of working on my rotten posture. If Marie wins, we get to go with her hair buddy, Josie, to Barcelona to do it all over again. Wish us luck :D

The Next American Idol

Doesn't my nephew Adam look remarkably like Sanjaya? I am scared. He straightened his hair because a girl at his school said she thought he would be handsome. It is amazing what 12 year olds will do for a girl.

I did not write this...It was a devotion I read this morning. Interesting though.

AN INVOCATION OF STRENGTH**Are you looking for peace in your life? http://journeyofjoy.com/questions/peace.htmlby Suzanne Benner

"May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loves us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word" (2 Thessalonians 2:16, 17).

Are you weary today? Is your strength failing? Often we find ourselves in situations that require us to pour out physical and emotional energy at such a pace that there is little or no time to be replenished. Raising young children is one such season of life. There aren't enough hours in the day to accomplish all that needs doing; the necessity for constant vigilance is draining and a moment of rest seems weeks away.

Being the primary care giver to someone who is sick or aging is another period of unrelenting demands on your energy. Beyond the physical demands, grief often takes an added toll.

Perhaps it is the strain of broken relationship that is exhausting you. Estrangement from a friend, sibling, or son or daughter exacts a heavy price from your peace of mind. Confession, forgiveness and working through the issues take more strength than you possess. Many times we desire to do these good things that God has called us to, but become discouraged and tired. Thus it is wonderful to discover that our God gave us eternal encouragement and good hope! More than a momentary pick-me-up, by God's grace and love we have access to a continuous supply of hope and encouragement. Feelings fluctuate, but God and His word stand firm forever. Keep clinging to Him.
Questions: What does eternal encouragement and good hope mean to you? How has it been a reality in your life?

Isabelle

I am not saying I don't love her for a lot of other reasons, but Isabelle has only been gone for a few hours and I am exhausted. That girl is such a huge help around here. My husband is home because I am working on homework and he is off on weekends. He is only able to offer limited advice and help through the low points of the redneck race. He just randomly hollers stuff like "Addison, stop licking that!" or "Sam, stop crawling up on the entertainment center" or "Addison! Dang it, can't you poop in the toilet yet!?" or "Sam, stop crawling on me. Go skin a cat or something." I am not overly certain what that last one means. It scares me. Between sayings like that and that deer head hanging on my wall, I am beginning to think I married a redneck.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOOOOU!

Samuel Fisher has turned one!! YAY, Baby. We played in the sprinklers and that ginormous ball in the picture. We grilled and just spent time together as a family. It was relaxed and perfect. His birthday presents included this sweet speedo, a push walker, a John Deer tractor to ride along on, squeaky blocks that Moby can't seem to leave alone, and an insane spinning toy that makes way too much noise for a children's toy.

My mother got him these speedos. They are really only appropriate on little boys under two.
Sam is just starting to take steps. We got him this walker hoping to help him along. Notice the ensamble: speedo, push toy, princess wand. I love it. Fascinated by the fire from his candle, he became a little violent when I pushed it away from him.
Mike decided Sam needed to celebrate his first birthday as a man; we had grilled corn, steaks, and beer.
MMMMM. Finally a taste of birthday cake. I decided to steal my brother's tradition and make Sam a JELLO cake each year for his birthday.
I have now celebrated our last first bday. sigh. It is nice, but a little sad. We are teaching our last baby to walk, eat, and make kissy noises. I talked to a friend today who said she thought about writing a book called Eighteen Christmases. She said that is really all we have with them. I got teary immediately. Even though I have been awake with Samuel for the past two nights while he is teething, I am working hard to cherish every moment. Even the not so fun ones.

Sam

I decorated Sam's name to hang above his bed. Eventually it will say "Sam I Am," but for now it just says Sam. I love it. Apparently so does Sam :D

Why I like Mike #15

He sure knows how to treat a lady.

Click on my title for further details.

Layla's a graduate

This is Layla, her teacher Ms. Stephanie, and her friend Erin on graduation day. Everyone is getting so big. Layla is anxious to start kindergarten, but I am a little nervous to be her teacher for fear of holding her back. She is turning out to be way smarter than I am, and I don't want to screw her up. Elijah is looking forward to be the oldest kid in class. Next month we have to take Isabelle shopping for uniforms for school this fall. That is going to be weird, but we are looking forward to this new season in life. I will still have three students (and one mister messy Sam) but with Addison as a preschooler, I doubt there will be a day without serious humor. I figure, by the time I am done homeschooling my children, I will have greyed years before I was supposed to, but my laugh lines will be my most prominent wrinkles.

I think I am getting old

Theatrical Trailer Tonight, my sister-by-law-friend-by-choice and I went on a date. I like to date people regularly to keep things lively. Anyhoo, we started at Applebee's and finished with a movie. We watched Mr. Brooks with the past his prime favorite, Kevin Costner. It was a pretty decent movie. Lots of comic relief (although I must say, whether the movie was intentionally comedic or not makes no difference for me; I find humor in the most unhumorous situations. i.e., like when my other sister-by-law-friend-by-choice called me for the fourth time in a morning. Only this time she was calling to say that her earlier remarks of "where the heck is my housekeeper! That lady better be dead or in an accident!" were no longer appropriate considering her housekeeper died in a car accident on the way to her house. I know..not really funny, but kinda funny.)

Again, I digress. The movie is worth the watch. Only, I jumped so many times I nearly peed..twice. After each incident, I hollared CLEAR. That is what people yell when they want to get their heart beating again. I was completely my mother. I had it all-the gasping, the heaving chest, the OH MYs in a way too loud voice. I either need to get out more, or I need to limit my time in public. I am not sure yet. Lucky for us there were only 6 people in the theatre.

Just in case I didn't have enough lives to ruin...

I thought I would plant a garden. We have a great backyard. We have a brick planter box that spans the entire perimeter of our backyard. While my mother-n-law was in town, she instructed us in the art of planting, weeding, seeding, and soiling. She has the greatest garden and taught us a bunch. Even how to plant our cucumbers in a hill. We planted cucumbers, jalepenos, green bell peppers, watermelons, daisies, eggplant, crookneck squash, cherry tomatoes, pumpkins, any herb you can think of, and an insane amount of wild flowers. It feels great to take care of our plants. The kids have had a great time checking to see if they have sprouted any yummy treats. When we first got started, Mike's mom asked if we would have to worry about squirrels. I said no, of course in this populated area. Little did I know one little such varmin would come right from the Brewer household....our own resident Squirrel, Addison has been picking the tomatoes! She knows she is wrong to do it, but that doesn't stop her from snatching a little green one and taking off hellishly across the yard. I think she may be a rabid squirrel. Every time she does it, I think of that creepy racoon Will Ferrell tried to hug on Elf. lol.

MOBY

Fathers Day seems to be a time of big changes around our house. Last year I had Sam I Am on the 13, just a few days before Fathers Day. This year, we had a new kind of baby.

This little guy is the newest family member at the Brewer gang. I arranged for Mike to stop by at Lou and Joni's to pick up his fathers day present after work a few weeks ago. He knew what he was getting, but we told the kids he was bringing home a friend. We cleaned the house all the while I fielded a zillion questions about our mystery guest. They were certain it was Pappa Shaun (McConnell) but I told them Daddy's friend was only about two-years-old. WHAT!? They were completely stumped. Mike called when he was around the corner and I made the kids come in the house so there was no early peeking. It was perfect. The kids all went running outside to meet their new friend. Moby was so excited he peed on EVERYthing to leave his mark. He has definitely realized he is not the leader of the pack with so many others competing for attention, but he has found his place at the Brewer's.

He is a great snuggler. Sam regularly uses him as a pillow and Moby loves to sleep at the base of Isabelle's bed every night. Addison calls him "Movie Dog" because that is how "Moby Dog comes out in squirrel language. We have also dubbed him Molblerone, MoMo, MoMan, Moby Richard, and Mo-mer.

The kids wake up every morning and let him out, feed him, and fill his water bowl. We are working on his listening skills so we can let him play out front more, but he gets a little excited at the sight of new face to lick.

So thank you, Friends, for giving us the greatest fathers day present ever for our family.

Oh Thank you Lord!

Math is all done. I got an A. YAY for A's!! That is all for now. Oh, but hey Jessica, remember when you tried to crochet and it was scary? Just wondering.

Conversations in Bed

This was inspired by meesta Ben's post about deep thoughts and his mattress.

Me- You know what is a terrible name for a sandwich?
The Man-what?
Me- loose meat sandwich. It is gross.
The Man- I had a pulled pork sandwich today.::giggle::
Me- ew! That is equally as gross.
The Man- There is Pulled Pork, Loose Meat, Chicken Jerk...
Me- ew. And tube steak. That is gross. I am hungry.
The Man- I think I want to shower before bed.
Me- Kay....

Brew-ha-ha at the Brewer's Pad

Just thought I would give a run down of life and the goings on around here.

Today, Layla Grace graduated from preschool. We are very proud. She got to recite one of their verses over the microphone, which just proved that she really could be a rockstar someday.
She will be homeschooled for kindergarten next year.

Isabelle is almost totally signed up to attend her new school- www.coralacademy.org
She is looking forward to mingling with outsiders. I also think she is a bit apprehensive about stepping out into the school scene again. It has been 4 years since she has been enrolled in a school. :/ It will be great though, because it is totally God calling her to school.

We are ecstatic over her choices of teacher-they are the Mo and Jo of Reno. SERIOUSLY so weird. SHE is totally organized like Joelle, and other than her odd habit of talking over you when she knows what you are talking about, she has Jo's super skills as a teacher. HE has the fro to match his southern counterpart. He also recognized Eli's sweet Napoleon boots for what they are, which gives him an 'A' in our book. He is a math wiz, which will help to cover the areas Isabelle isn't as strong in. We are happy with either teacher.

Addison gave Sam-o-sauraus a haircut. So special. He is shaved completely now to hide the hideous bald spots she gave him. So special. The greatest part for me is when Sam waves, he does this Hitler salute. We look like we are proudly sponsoring the great white race around here. I keep threatening to give him a little Hitler 'stache to go with his new do.

Tonight I take my final exam in math class. This class has been crazy painful for me.

Mike passed the physical portion of his Fire Fighter's test earlier this week. We are waiting to hear where he ranks to see if he gets scheduled for an interview. Many prayers needed!

We have a new addition to the family. His name, depending on whom you talk to, is Moby, Movie Dog, Mo, MOMO, Moby-licious, or Moby-kins. These last two are just weird so we are trying to steer the kids back to Moby. Elijah wanted to give him a middle name. I suggested Richard. To me, it is really the only name that fits. In real life he is a large golden lab retriever. He is super. Even Addison loves him now.

Addison has taken to putting her self in time out. It is helpful because it saves me time, but it is strange.

We have been painting and downsizing. Getting ready for spring has never been so stressful or pretty. We have all new furniture in the living room, and the kids have new room set ups. Things are moving a whole lot slower than I was expecting, but it looks like a brand new house.

We are still awaiting the Wheel check. Soon...very soon. :D

That's about it!

HIstory

Let me just say that I love history, but sometimes I feel better before I learn about things. The Man and I are watching some special on the history channel about the craziness of the 70s. Hilarious generation for the most part....except for Mr. Jim Jones. ::shudder:: For those of you not as familiar, he was the "pastor" that began a church turned commune and then encouraged over 900 of the people to drink their lives away to cherry Flavor-Aid cocktail. I have heard this story in an off the cuff sort of way. Tonight, though, they showed video taken during the mass suicide. They gave it to the babies first. Then they encouraged the families to lay down together, face down, kind of in a pile. There were clusters and rows and rows of people. Those little babies. I don't like sadness. There was one little chubby baby boy, right around Sam -0-Saurus' age. He was laying down next to his mommy. ::sniff:: Stupid emotions. Stupid people. Stupid Jim Jones. Stupid history.

Why I like Mike #14

HE IS HOME!! The Man had a fun filled weekend where he allowed the fish of the east to control his brain. But now, he is right where he should be...asleep soundly on my living room sofa while I tap tap away on my puter. I never thought I would like him as much as I do now. I always thought we would just be existing after 11 years of marriage. God has done a great job of keeping my Hot Lips irresistible. I know that 11 years of marriage and 30 years of bdays isn't really old, but when I was younger, I thought life was over near 25. I remember when Mike and I were still dating. He told me he would be willing to wear cowboy boots when he is 26. I don't know why he picked THAT age, other than we both must have thought 26 was really old! i still haven't been able to get him into those boots, but we have a better grasp on what elderly really means. Here, let's do word association-

black-white

old-new

elderly-Louie (not Louise)

see..we have a better grasp. ::snicker::

traveling

You just have never flown until you get on a (delayed) flight with a drunk guy, a 97 year old birthday boy on his first flight, and a girl and her baby, the girl who is apparently stretching out her earlobes so her daughter can spit spit wads through them when they all get bigger. Oh and don't forget about the guy who has to holler when he speaks. Watch for me on Punk'd. I really think I was being filmed as all of that could not have been a coincidence!

It is good to be home. See you all on Sunday.

Thanks Friend.

My friend No(dot dot) el inspired this post with her blog topic. We are in full spring cleaning mode over here. We have a ridiculous amount of things we are giving away and hopefully selling in a couple of weekends at a neighborhood garage sale.

We have decided to stay put rather than finagle a new house for the Brewer Clan. There were too many what ifs and too many things to wrangle to make it work. Sometimes it is necessary to step out and follow God even if nothing seems to be adding up. Other times God asks you to step out and then allows you to step back once you have made a wise decision and followed him. We are experiencing the latter. It is interesting to be in this space, but I like it much better than pressing my own way, only to have it all fall apart once I am done throwing my tantrum and God has let me have my way.

I don't want to do anything because I have won an arm wrestling match with God. I want to focus on being in God's will and being grateful for the blessing he is giving me.

Anyway, off topic!!

For any of you interested in amphibian life, we have a really great turtle that needs a new home. In our attempt to downsize our belongings, our stress, and our responsibilities, we must say good-bye to Miss Daisy. She really is a great pet. She even has a sweet tank, a gold fish friend, and a pacostimus that works wonders with the algae. Let me know.

I am Seriously NOT making this stuff UP!!!

I know you have all heard that there are two kinds of people in this world- those who love Neil Diamond and those who don't. But those are not the two types of people I am going to talk about right now lol. I am going to discuss the "book smarts" and the "street smarts." For those of you who feel you are a fine balance of both, I am here to burst your bubble and say there is just no such thing. My sweet Layla Grace is turning out to be incredibly book smart. I think you know then that she is a bit lacking in the common sense. She is not at all dumb, just incredibly gullible. BUT without her we wouldn't get to hear super stories created in the depths of her churning wheels like this one:

Scene- Yesterday- Mike stays home from work; he is still in bed; kids and I are getting our morning going.

Addison(stumbles across some of Layla's nursing souvenirs: a large rubber glove and a doctor's mask.

Addison(mask on, glove on, with hand up in a "let me check your prostate" position:

Mommy, FUNNY!

Me: Yes, Addie, you are very funny. Go get Daddy. Tell him to "bend over, Daddy!"

Addison: Funny mommy!!

Addison runs quickly to the bedroom where the innocent man is dozing.

Addison(in a loud voice): BEND OVER, DADDY!! HA HA HA FUNNY!!

Meanwhile, we are all giggling in the other room. Addison runs back out to the living room.

Eli: HA HA HA HA Did you say it, Squirrel?

Layla (confused look) :Did he bend over? : /

Me: ROFL!!!!!!

And the dirty talk just keeps on coming!!

So, I have to backtrack before I tell the story I came here to share. Sorry, Gina. You know I love you, but this was just too funny to keep to myself.

Some time back, Addison was doing what two year olds do when they are naked: getting familiar with their "region." She kept shouting "my butt, my butt!!" then she would giggle and run. When I finally tackled her, I, in a very mommy way, explained that that isn't her butt; that is her vagina. (sorry boys. No one really likes to say that word lol) She said "oh, sorry (giggle giggle) Gina." Gina-as in my friend's name. I didn't bother to correct her.

Fast forward to a couple days later at the dentist's office where my friend, Gina, is our Dental Hygienist. Addison, who we all know as uncooperative, was more than willing to do whatever Ms. Gina told her...only she couldn't seem to remember her name was Gina (Geena) and not G-eye-nah! Sigh. I was cracking right up, but poor Gina. I explained what was happening, but every time Addison had to talk to her, she insisted on using her "name."

Gina: did she just say it again?

me: cracking up!! YES!!

Again, fast forward to two days ago. I was changing Sam's diaper and Addison suddenly became nosey. She said "oh, Sam's Gina." I told her Sam doesn't have a Gina, lol. stop saying that. "she said, "oh-sorry. His genius." I lost it. She didn't get what I meant when I said "I am sure he would like to think that is his *genius!!" LOL

Math

So I am in the math for dummies class, and it is going about how I expected: very sadly. I am relieved that I don't have my usual six papers due in the next five weeks, but my teacher (if you want to call him that) has successfully taken any happy notes right out of this class. I am a words/people person. HE is a numbers/nerd person. We aren't exactly compatible.

When I listen to him explain things, I am reminded of those people visiting a foreign country but speak none of the native language. They are reduced (by their own choice) to moving their mouth largely and slowly while shouting their words in hopes to be understood. Why people think this works is beyond me.

When I worked at a school in Vegas, I had the great experience of working with pre K/K deaf and hearing impaired kids. I found myself trying this strange tactic. The look I received regularly was one of laughter and sadness. They both thought I was hilariously idiotic and sad for themselves that I was their teacher. Sigh.

This is precisely the look I find myself giving to this poor man in charge of teaching my class. Despite his slow speech (not at all for my benefit, but more likely the after effects of his happy hour celebrations) and his obscenely large hand movements, I am just not getting what he is trying to communicate. If I had to tell you everything I have learned based on his communication skills, I would have to say birds with former full beards often get pulled over in the airport for mistaken identity. Yes, I realize this has nothing to do with Algebra. It does seem to have a large deal to do with why I am not learning math from this man.

Thankfully, I remembered my ear plugs last night. I was able to tune out every nonsensical thing he had to say and work with my team. I got almost all of the answers right. Maybe I should ask the University for a raise in pay.

Baby steps

Who knew buying a car could be so chatty. My poor husband. HA! He found us this very pretty vehicle, but the guy selling it has serious chatting skills. I realize this can be a great skill, but it is nothing compared to nun-chuck skills or drawing skills.
The greatest part? On a whim, or prompt from the Holy Spirit, my husband decided to check the Las Vegas RJ classifieds after lots of slow luck in the car hunt. He called these people and they were vacationing in Reno..with the van! He ran out to see it, and they fell in love with Layla Grace. I recommend taking her to any deal.
We are in negotiation with the good ole chatty doctor.
Will keep you updated. Meanwhile, pray for my incredibly
UNchatty husband to be merciful lol.

oh my

Isabelle and I had the second stage conversation of "THE TALK." ACK!! I will spare her the possible embarrassment and just share my favorite line.

From the mouth of my baby ::sniff:: amid fits of giggles- "WHAT! Like the DOGS when they want to have babies??? ::gasp:: YOU AND DADDY h-u-m-p??!!"

and yes, she spelled it out. I nearly ran the car off the road to keep from laughing hysterically.

And the Movies came rolling in...

OOH GOODNESS. Today the UPS man delivered 12 movies to my door. All greats ranging from Fiddler on the Roof, Princess Bride, and The Apple Dumpling Gang, to the kids picks of Princess Diaries, Ice Princess, and Open Season. Tomorrow should hold more greatness...and my Algebra book, but that isn't nearly as exciting.

All of these classic movies are compliments of Wheel of Fortune and my DVDEmpire.com winnings. Check them out, they actually have some good deals!

Farewell to all!!

NO NO!! I am not going to stop blogging. :) I was saying goodbye to our debt! WAHOOOO! The Man and I just paid off a good chunk of our debt! We threw the kids' b-day parties and spent the rest of our tax return on Mike's tires and bills. My Wheel money should be coming soon, so we will be purchasing that long awaited family vehicle. God has really blessed us! We are also in the market for a 4-5 bedroom house. Just in case any of you are selling or know someone who is, send us the info! We are looking to move in July or August.

I realize this picture is also on my homeschool blog, but I didnt want anyone to be left out. Nice and goopy! Gotta love it. lol

Random thoughts

I know I have time to do everything I want and need to do. My choices are all wrong. I am too lazy to drag myself out of bed each morning, I watch too much TV, and spend too much time on the computer.

Lord, thank you for helping me with the areas with which I struggle. I know the bible tells me you are able to do more than I can possibly imagine. I don't mind doing hard work. I just wish I could keep the right balance. I feel you have given me all the tools I need to be a great wife, mom, daughter, woman, and friend. My problem is that I only seem to look at the tools.

It is as if I am window shopping, maybe even testing out the tools to see how well they work. In the end, I don't know how to incorporate them into everyday life. Maybe part of me thinks "they are behind the glass; that will take too long to access. I will just stick to my old ways." What is great is that I didn't even have to purchase them! They are all my gift from you, Lord. Perhaps I am treating them like a never-to-be-handled gift of fine china. My experience tells me you wouldn't equip me with worldly china. In fact, if you were to give me china, it would be unbreakable. Maybe I don't trust the capabilities of the tools you have given me. I am beginning to see where the issues lie. I trust you. I trust and am thankful for the tools with which you have equipped me. The problem is I don't trust myself. I can't rely on me to make the right choice or work properly alongside the arsenal you have provided.

"GOOD!" you say, "allow me. You shouldn't be getting involved anyway. I am God and you are not. Stop trying to control so much and let me love you. Let me care for your children. Let me help your husband become the man I want him to be. I appreciate your effort, but you really have no idea what you are doing."

I can't possibly give God the leading position in my life if I continue insisting my ways. There is just too much of me in every situation. My mouth says I have died to my old self. My haughty glances, in my mind, convey to others that I have arrived. (HA!) My measly acts of service prove to others I am generous. When it comes down to it, there are a whole lot of me's, my's, and I's and not nearly enough glory to God. My actions do not follow what I say in my mind or with my mouth.

Forgive me, Lord. For 26 years I thought I was walking semi-steadfastly down this path toward you. In my mind, I was about half-way to the finish line. Now I realize those weren't strides I was taking, but baby steps. I am still at the beginning.

Conversations with babies

My favorite age for children has to be when they are just learning to form words. Especially when most of their vocabulary sounds like dirty words to outsiders. One very special example of this came about on Saturday when my brother and his wife and children were shopping at Costco, browsing the sample section. My sister offered my nephew chocolate and he was concerned that his 18month old sister was getting left out.

Roni (SIS) Makena, do you want some chocolate?

Makena- Cock

My Brother- Umm. Makena wants something else.

Everyone close by- LAUGHTER!!

Cost of a Costco membership-$30/year

Cost of a Costco trip- average of $100

Hearing your daughter say her first dirty word- priceless.

WHEEEEEEEEEE l

Hey just wanted to send out an invite to any of you who A) read my blog, B) know me personally C) know how to get to the Cook's house, and D) like dessert to come to the Cook's for the Reno chapter of the Wheel Party :) We will meet at 7pm on Thursday March 1st for a little treat eating and watch the show. Don't bring anything except your family and your clapping hands. Give me a call if you are able to make it.

ps- for those of you who can't make it, my show actually airs on Monday February 26th. :) Feel free to call, but we won't be home until after small group.

Those Quiet Bible Times

I was writing in my prayer journal about how lame I was for not getting to my quiet time until just a little while ago. I had my list of reasons all day long, but I could feel God just waiting for me. Anyway, when I asked God to show me something through my reading I expected a gentle nudge toward keeping God a priority or sticking to my commitments. Instead I got 2 Chronicles 14: 14 "..They plundered all these villages, since there was so much booty there." SNORT! I couldn't help but laugh out loud. I can't believe I didn't get to have this one all day. I guess that is what I get for waiting so long lol

*PS I KNOW there is no rule against reading your Biblio at night.. but considering all the pouring out I need to do all day, it works best for me to set up for the day. I think many moms can relate.

Emotional stages

They say there are different stages a person goes through when faced with a difficult situation. I have been through a few with my car situation. Today I am angry. It will pass, I am sure. We can't go to church this weekend because we don't have a ride and The Man has school. Then we can't go next weekend because I will be out of town and The Man will have no way of getting the younguns' there. All of this would be an un-issue (my own special word) if we had a large enough car. I hate being patient. I am no good at it. Four years now we have been praying for a car. Isn't that an overly long time to wait for something? We pray with the kids every night about a vehicle and the only thing we have heard so far is how big it should be. That's all. Just how big. So this weekend I told the kids we wouldn't be able to go to church and they were just so sad. :( This causes me sadness which quickly turns to anger. Not at anyone..just the situation. While I was busy stewing this morning, Isabelle came out of her room and anounced that if she can't GO to church she is going to have church here, in her room. She gathered all of my worship music papers, set her table up for craft time, and opened her bible to Mathew chapter 4. She led the kids in worship, read them their lesson for the day, and ended in "Kidland" with making cards for their Kidland leader family to tell them how much they were missed. SIGH I see in them exactly what Jesus meant when he said we should have child like faith. I have so far to go.

oh, and Ms. Stephanie, thanks for having such a great impact on my children. You are very loved by all of us!

Why I Like Mike #13

Last night at school, he interviewed for the position of class leader for this semester of the Fire Academy. Of course he got it. :) And, it wasn't just any interview. They called in the freshmen and second varsity class, and he had to interview in front of everyone! Talk about pressure! He will be sharing the honor with another guy in his class. I wish I had half the determination he does. He just DECIDES and does it! I tend to come up with a grand scheme, spend some money toward accomplishing it, and take a nap...or spend my night posting blogs. Why can't I get past the laziness. I have zero self discipline. This could be bad.

collecting words

Not enough of you read my homeschool blog to post this there, but I need some help. Isabelle has finished her list of words she needs to know how to spell before the end of third grade. YAY you say, but that leaves us four months of wordless schooling. Here are some samples. Feel free to add some. Isabelle won't appreciate it as much as I do, but thanks.
HELPFUL
ANNOYINGLY
HERSELF
CLOAK
STITCHED
OCTAGONS
STURDY
PLOWING

Keep on Keepin on!

In keeping with my get healthier theme, I have come up with a daily food journal that I feel is helpful. Every get healthy/diet/live it plan recommends writing down what you eat and your accomplishments if you are going to be successful. So far I realize a few things about myself: I don't eat nearly enough food (although what I eat is pretty healthy), I don't drink enough water, I don't spend nearly enough time in the word (not bird or grease), I do not stick to my household routine! On the positive side, I do eat fairly healthy, I do well with my portion sizes, I eat more dairy than I thought which is great because I pretty much hate dairy, and I do a good job of eating every couple of hours. Today, I am working at doing just a little bit better in each section. I can't share my food journal with you people, because I am unable to use the return feature on my blog (stupid) so if you happen to want a copy, email me and I will forward it off to you. :) Happy eating.

Ellen

I am trying to get the life on track, which, for me usually happens when the newest Brewer baby is pushing his or her first birthday. This time, I am not going to wait. Sam Fisher is decidedly a great sleeper and with the rest of the kids so independent and able to help out with The Squirrel, I have a few minutes in the morning to focus on me. I don't know why this is such a struggle with women, but I know I am not the only one who has to decide daily if I am going to read my bible, shower, or exercise first thing in the morning. Probably I should always choose my quiet time, but when I see a window around lunch time that is free from the usual household hulla-baloo (children arguing over breakfast in the next room, children throwing cheerios at each other to see if they will stick, other children hating this game and shrieking in disapproval, first set of cheerio throwing clan riddled with giggles because it is causing so much discomfort-thus an added bonus to the discovery of sticking cheerios...sigh) You get the picture. Anyway, Ellen has recruited Bob Harper (Biggest Loser)the show, not my personal take on him) to get her ready to host the Oscars in about a month. He has given her a list of foods she may eat, an exercise regimen, and opened it up to others with the hope that each of us will lose ten pounds in one month. Now, by the Biggest Loser's standards that is piddly for a months worth of working out and dieting. For me, it is just what I needed; any more would be too much! In addition I am re-starting my bible study, Becoming the Woman God Wants You to Be. The author takes the approach of focusing on every important area of our lives (body, spirit, mind) and adding positive elements that will naturally get rid of the negative (ie, drinking the right amount of water each day will leave you not so thirsty for pop OR memorizing scripture will give you ammunition for battling those lies from the devil.) I am not big on new year resolutions, so I am hoping I am in this for good and not needing to repost this next January. Wish me luck. I would like to hear any healthy tips you all have that seem easy and have stuck in your regular routine. Personally, I am a freak for smoothies, which is a great way to sneak in vegetable servings and yogurt. I have also replaced my computer chair with my exercise ball.

Why I like Mike #12

He still gives me butterflies after 11 years of marriage. Oh, and DAMN he is hot!

This made me giggle

When someone asks me to save his place in
line so he can take his son to the bathroom,
I agree, but when they come back I exclaim,
"Hey, what's going on? No cuts!" Then I
love looking over my shoulder and waving at
the loser as he fumes at the back of the line.
People need to learn just what a true
commitment to Space Mountain involves.

(Doug Sykes)

Life choices

This is going to be a big year, and I don't mean in the form of my belly! HA! At least I hope not. On New Year's Eve, The Man and I listed many of the things that would change over this next year. For us, they note worthy.*We will be debt free by April * Sam will learn to walk :) * Addison will really begin talking* our children will turn 1,3,5,6,and 9. Mike and I will turn 31 * Mike will graduate from the Fire Academy * Addison will begin preschool * We will get a family vehicle allowing our family to ride together and argue on the way to church like a normal family * I will submit my book to the publisher I have been talking with * We will move into a new, hopefully bigger, house that we own * Sam will say his first word * There is a decent chance we will not have a baby * Layla will start kindergarten, Isabelle will begin 4th grade, and Elijah will be a first grader * Eli and Layla will learn how to read * The Man and I will celebrate our 11th wedding anniversary * I will become a sophomore in college * Mike will earn his associates degree * I will get rid of my maternity clothes and any baby clothes that don't fit my existing children * I will get rid of much baby paraphernalia such as the swing, playpen, bouncy seat, pacifiers, bottles, breast pump, etc. * Sam will get more teeth so we can stop calling him baby squirrel * I will get a check from the Wheel of Fortune * I will get to buy $1000 worth of movies on someone else's tab * I will be on national television and Wheel parties will be thrown across the nation in my honor * These are just a few of the great milestones we came up with. I would love to read what the rest of you are looking forward to this year.