Read the article - Superbowl Rejects Pro-Life Ad
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Thursday, January 29, 2009
I felt like I was in a movie today...
I was leaving the grocery store and calculating in my head how much I could spend at the next 2 stores I had to go to after what I'd just spent. I had Ds#4, who is 6 years old, and the baby with me. The checkout lady had stacked groceries in the child seat so I couldn't put the baby in the cart. As I exit the building after putting the baby's booties, gloves, hat and scarf on (actually I put both gloves on 3 times because while I was reaching for the other glove, he'd take off the one I'd just put on and throw it on the ground while I was trying to wrestle his hand into the next glove.)
I pushed the full cart with one hand while I held the baby on my hip with the other arm (and multiple layers of coat & scarf between us) and directed the 6 year old to stay close to me in the parking lot. We just got around 5 inches of snow and the lot wasn't completely cleared. Between the heavy cart, trying to keep the 6 year old near and being one handed, that snow in the lot REALLY slowed me down. I was stopped in my tracks when I realized I hadn't been able to park in the front row, but the next row back. The cars were parked too close together to allow me between them with the cart. Even realizing this, I tried to go straight to my car --nope, I couldn't do it.
We had to go around the aisle of cars, into the drive to get into the parking lot, up the hill, back around the back of the next aisle to get arrive a the trunk of my car. I'm a healthy, spoiled American, this shouldn't be such a big deal! "O.K., honey, let's go around and stay close because cars may need to go around us since we're walking up the main drag." The hill up to my aisle (I don't think I ever even noticed there was a hill there, more of a slight incline) was more difficult to get up than I realized - with being one-handed and the weight of the cart in the snow. So, instead of pushing from behind, I got in front of the cart and pulled. The wheels weren't really turning (clogged with snow), so I was taking tiny steps and with as large of jerky motions as I could manage while keeping hold of the baby I dragged the cart up the hill. I remember thinking 'good, we're there.' We weren't.
As I turned the corner to get to my aisle, the cart got stuck. Not a little stuck, alot of stuck. When the lot had been plowed, the corners ended up with more snow and I didn't account for that. I asked Ds#4 to help push, but he had my wallet, keys and the baby's sippy cup. So I'm pulling as hard as I can and he's trying to push with his shoulders (his hands were occupied). Then we switched and I tried to balance the baby on the handlebars of the cart (which he thought was hilarious) and I tried to hold him and push the cart with my feet and stomach -- it didn't work.
New plan. I left the cart to be run over by a car...if that was going to happen, so be it. I took the baby and the boy and strapped them into the van. I left them to try and dislodge the cart. Just then an old lady offered to help. I hated to take her up on it (I should be helping old ladies), but I really needed help. We managed to push-pull the cart back and forth and get it through the snow to the car.
By the time I got the car loaded up and the cart back to the store (I seriously thought about leaving it in the parking lot, but didn't want it to be in the way of the old lady who helped me or someone in a worse position than me) and got back to the car, the baby was screaming to get out of his car seat. So he SCREAMED all the way home (we didn't get the other 2 places). It was like some weird comedy movie where the main character gets in tangle after tangle -- I'm like a movie star.
During all this I kept thinking of Dave in his warm office talking on the phone for his job. Just then, my job seemed so much harder than his....
I pushed the full cart with one hand while I held the baby on my hip with the other arm (and multiple layers of coat & scarf between us) and directed the 6 year old to stay close to me in the parking lot. We just got around 5 inches of snow and the lot wasn't completely cleared. Between the heavy cart, trying to keep the 6 year old near and being one handed, that snow in the lot REALLY slowed me down. I was stopped in my tracks when I realized I hadn't been able to park in the front row, but the next row back. The cars were parked too close together to allow me between them with the cart. Even realizing this, I tried to go straight to my car --nope, I couldn't do it.
We had to go around the aisle of cars, into the drive to get into the parking lot, up the hill, back around the back of the next aisle to get arrive a the trunk of my car. I'm a healthy, spoiled American, this shouldn't be such a big deal! "O.K., honey, let's go around and stay close because cars may need to go around us since we're walking up the main drag." The hill up to my aisle (I don't think I ever even noticed there was a hill there, more of a slight incline) was more difficult to get up than I realized - with being one-handed and the weight of the cart in the snow. So, instead of pushing from behind, I got in front of the cart and pulled. The wheels weren't really turning (clogged with snow), so I was taking tiny steps and with as large of jerky motions as I could manage while keeping hold of the baby I dragged the cart up the hill. I remember thinking 'good, we're there.' We weren't.
As I turned the corner to get to my aisle, the cart got stuck. Not a little stuck, alot of stuck. When the lot had been plowed, the corners ended up with more snow and I didn't account for that. I asked Ds#4 to help push, but he had my wallet, keys and the baby's sippy cup. So I'm pulling as hard as I can and he's trying to push with his shoulders (his hands were occupied). Then we switched and I tried to balance the baby on the handlebars of the cart (which he thought was hilarious) and I tried to hold him and push the cart with my feet and stomach -- it didn't work.
New plan. I left the cart to be run over by a car...if that was going to happen, so be it. I took the baby and the boy and strapped them into the van. I left them to try and dislodge the cart. Just then an old lady offered to help. I hated to take her up on it (I should be helping old ladies), but I really needed help. We managed to push-pull the cart back and forth and get it through the snow to the car.
By the time I got the car loaded up and the cart back to the store (I seriously thought about leaving it in the parking lot, but didn't want it to be in the way of the old lady who helped me or someone in a worse position than me) and got back to the car, the baby was screaming to get out of his car seat. So he SCREAMED all the way home (we didn't get the other 2 places). It was like some weird comedy movie where the main character gets in tangle after tangle -- I'm like a movie star.
During all this I kept thinking of Dave in his warm office talking on the phone for his job. Just then, my job seemed so much harder than his....
Sunday Doughnuts
A friend and I were talking after church last weekend, (Hi, Laura!) that it has gotten so expensive to go out for doughnuts after church because our kids eat so much. I suggested we make doughnuts after church. Then I found some doughnut posts. I doubt we can compare to Dunkin' Doughnuts (our personal favorite!), but it could be a fun activity for the kids.
I'll have to let you know how it turns out!
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Jenni asked me how to post my blog into facebook. This post is just for her.
Go to your profile page.
On your wall under "What are you doing right now?" is a tiny gear with the tiny word "settings".
Once you click on "settings", my page says
Click on automatically import and it takes you to options you can import into your Notes. Click on Blog and enter your address.
Let me know if it works and we should be friends on facebook.
You can find me : J e n n at t h m g dot c o m
Go to your profile page.
On your wall under "What are you doing right now?" is a tiny gear with the tiny word "settings".
Once you click on "settings", my page says
Stories Posted By YouYou can automatically import activity from...other services to your
profile.
Let me know if it works and we should be friends on facebook.
You can find me : J e n n at t h m g dot c o m
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
25 Random Things About Me
I got tagged on facebook, but this blog feeds into my notes on facebook, so I'll just post it here. (if you're not on facebook, ignore the previous sentence because it won't mean anything to you).
- My children are the most wonderful gift I have and the best day of my life was the day God made me a mother.
- My children are the most challenging thing I have to deal with because they reflect my strengths and weaknesses soooo much.
- I went to 11 different schools in my first 8 years of schooling.
- I love books.
- I love to drive a 5-speed car and can hardly wait for the day I can ditch my mini-van for sporty-red-5-speed-something.
- I LOVE being Cathlolic -- "I GET to be Catholic"!
- I don't have a single grey hair.
- Except for aparagus, I LOVE vegetables.
- I weigh more now than I ever have in my life ... and I really don't care.
- Jesus has been my best friend since I was 10.
- I love Breyers chocolate mint chip icecream.
- Our 15 year wedding anniversary is coming up and between lack of money and nursing a 1-year old, I can't think of ANYTHING fun to do.
- I love the feel of dishes, they can be so sensual (in a good way).
- I'm almost 41.
- I could eat sauteed onion on almost anything.
- I struggle with being too brutally honest and tactless.
- Being the mother of 5 kids is a badge of honor I wear proudly and I salute ANY and EVERY mother!
- Whenever I'm scared or unsure I always go back to what I KNOW is TRUTH and work my way from there -- it's like a mantra for me.
I am so NOT gentle with the children in my life, so my new favorite saint is St. Anthony because he was so gentle in his love of the Christ Child.- My worst year was 13 : my dad kidnapped us 1200 miles away and told us we'd never see our mom again.
- I love plaid.
- I'm a terrible housekeeper.
- My heart melts everytime I get near a baby -- especially my own.
- Almost all my friends are better friends to me than I am to them.
- I'm looking forward to the day when I can be a free spirit again and ride a shopping cart through an empty isle going as fast as I can make it go like I did when I was 22 instead of being the kind of person who says "get your hands out of your mouth" 73 times per day.
One more way to get books!
I just joined and am really having fun with this! It's an online book swap where you clear your shelves of things choking them and request books you want for FREE! (you pay for shipping to help another soul enjoy the book you're ditching).
I listed 13 books and had 2 immediate requests and 3 other books are waiting for people to confirm that they want the books I listed. Each book I've sent has cost me less than $2.50. I can't even buy used from Amazon for that price!
When you list your first 10 books, you get 2 FREE books (without sending any of your out!). One credit = one book.
I really like books! Paperbackswap
I listed 13 books and had 2 immediate requests and 3 other books are waiting for people to confirm that they want the books I listed. Each book I've sent has cost me less than $2.50. I can't even buy used from Amazon for that price!
When you list your first 10 books, you get 2 FREE books (without sending any of your out!). One credit = one book.
I really like books! Paperbackswap
Friday, January 23, 2009
March For Life
God willing (if the baby's cold gets better) Dave and the kids and I will be able to attend Fort Wayne's March for Life.
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