Are we done yet?
Blogspot's image upload is giving me grief, so no photo today. A video at the bottom though!
Picture my cat Izzy here --->>> {:-X<
One would think that the weekends would be easier as a single parent, but they aren't so much. Some of it is my doing, as I'll explain later, but in general, the world of dirty laundry and pet maintenance doesn't stop on Fri. Sure, there's no "work" for Dad, but as I can attest, "work" was the least of my problems this week. Heck, I'd even say work was fun this week. My quiet cubicle, my computer (sans kid grime), my cd player, why, I might even go tonight and put in a few hours.
Seriously though, it has been a good day. God chose to have mercy on me by sending two of the best weather days of the year our way today and tomorrow. That has made all the difference. There's nothing worse than stress cloaked in gloomy weather.
Sarah rolled in at 7:30 AM from her overnight lock-in thing and promptly fell onto the couch until about 11:30. She said she had a good time despite the bus being an hour and 45 min. late.
While she slept I picked Ben up from his friends house and took him to his soccer game. The game was better than last week in that they didn't get skunked. At one point they actually led 2-0. But then the glory went to their heads and they ended up losing 4-2. I was telling one of the other parents, at this point in the season I'd take a TIE! Hey, 2-2. I can live with that. Next week is the last game of the season, so I'll be the ugly parent on the sideline if they don't win. I'll be the guy ridin' the ref and tripping the oponents as they run by. It's only a penalty if you get caught, right? (Nice message for the kids there.)
Ben played a good game though. He's mainly defense and has finally got the "clear the ball to the outside" thing down. I'm proud of him nonetheless and only will only make him practice twice a day for another week. (I'm KIDDING!)
How can you leave a dog on a leash for an hour, during which time he finds time to dig a foot-deep hole and eat dirt, only to bring him in and have him pee on the floor within 5 minutes. What is that? Note that I usually discover his accidents via my sock. Whenever I step in it my first thought is "Oh, I hope thats water I just stepped in." Like water just appears on the kitchen floor regularly. It never is of course, so I end up tossing the dirty socks into the black hole I call a wash machine. 3 times out of 4 they both come back.
So I decide to reward my kids today for their long week of chores and bad food by getting them each a game. I took Sarah to Evil-Mart and we got her a Thrillville game for the computer. Having made the mistake in the past, we made sure it was on CD-ROM media. We'd bought a game before and it was on DVD which our computer can't read. That was a $20 mistake. THIS time though we were the heads-up saavy consumers and bought the CD's.
It took about a 1/2 hour to install, as it was on 3 cd's. When it was done, when we hit play it read something to the effect of "Sorry stupid people, your computer sucks and you're out $30 bucks". Those technical messages are getting so personal lately.
So on come the tears from Sarah, who of course is exhausted from her overnight thing. Never fear, Superdad will take care of these Bozos and see to it that I get our money back. Off I go back to Evil-Mart and the return counter. I plead my case, complete with my own set of tears, and the heartless clerk just looked at me with pity in her yellow eyes and tsk'd me. So superdad calls Sarah and explains that it was mostly my fault for not reading the hardware specifications and that I would eat the $30.00 so she wouldn't have to. $30.00 to an 11 year old is about 1/2 her net worth and I felt terrible. (Read: Sucker) Needless to say we'll be getting no new games ever for this PC.
All week I've been looking for the measuring cup (mostly for the mac-n-cheese measurement), and was convinced Donna took it for her seminar in Guatemala. Today I found it in the not-supposed-to-be-here cupboard. I have no idea how it got there, though I have been making Ben unload the dishwasher this week...Hmmm...maybe there is a correlation after all.
Things I want to thank God for this week:
1. Supportive friends and family with encouraging words. (Esp. Mom, Dick and Carol)
2. Patty and Brad for Dinner thursday night.
3. The Dennerts, Mazza's, and Huskeys for letting Ben stay with them.
4. Jodie for picking up/dropping off Sarah last night.
5. Great weather
6. Macaroni and cheese
7. Mark for his Chocolate Chip Cookie delivery. (They're good!)
8. The monsoon sound system in my Santa Fe
9. My wife, Jill and their missionary team.
10. This electronic marvel we call the web. It has enabled us to keep in such good contact.
11. Sarah and Ben stepping it up, and keeping me laughing.
12. Norah Jones' velvety soothing, calming voice.
13. Casting Crowns for keeping me focused upward through the week.
14. Paco and Jenni and all the host families. You are awesome people. God Bless You!
15. All the words of encouragement about this blog from everyone.
So, I need to go fold the laundry now...or maybe during the football game...definitely before I go to the airport.
Below is Chester and Izzy at Bathtime...
Love you all.
God Bless.
Jim
Picture my cat Izzy here --->>> {:-X<
One would think that the weekends would be easier as a single parent, but they aren't so much. Some of it is my doing, as I'll explain later, but in general, the world of dirty laundry and pet maintenance doesn't stop on Fri. Sure, there's no "work" for Dad, but as I can attest, "work" was the least of my problems this week. Heck, I'd even say work was fun this week. My quiet cubicle, my computer (sans kid grime), my cd player, why, I might even go tonight and put in a few hours.
Seriously though, it has been a good day. God chose to have mercy on me by sending two of the best weather days of the year our way today and tomorrow. That has made all the difference. There's nothing worse than stress cloaked in gloomy weather.
Sarah rolled in at 7:30 AM from her overnight lock-in thing and promptly fell onto the couch until about 11:30. She said she had a good time despite the bus being an hour and 45 min. late.
While she slept I picked Ben up from his friends house and took him to his soccer game. The game was better than last week in that they didn't get skunked. At one point they actually led 2-0. But then the glory went to their heads and they ended up losing 4-2. I was telling one of the other parents, at this point in the season I'd take a TIE! Hey, 2-2. I can live with that. Next week is the last game of the season, so I'll be the ugly parent on the sideline if they don't win. I'll be the guy ridin' the ref and tripping the oponents as they run by. It's only a penalty if you get caught, right? (Nice message for the kids there.)
Ben played a good game though. He's mainly defense and has finally got the "clear the ball to the outside" thing down. I'm proud of him nonetheless and only will only make him practice twice a day for another week. (I'm KIDDING!)
How can you leave a dog on a leash for an hour, during which time he finds time to dig a foot-deep hole and eat dirt, only to bring him in and have him pee on the floor within 5 minutes. What is that? Note that I usually discover his accidents via my sock. Whenever I step in it my first thought is "Oh, I hope thats water I just stepped in." Like water just appears on the kitchen floor regularly. It never is of course, so I end up tossing the dirty socks into the black hole I call a wash machine. 3 times out of 4 they both come back.
So I decide to reward my kids today for their long week of chores and bad food by getting them each a game. I took Sarah to Evil-Mart and we got her a Thrillville game for the computer. Having made the mistake in the past, we made sure it was on CD-ROM media. We'd bought a game before and it was on DVD which our computer can't read. That was a $20 mistake. THIS time though we were the heads-up saavy consumers and bought the CD's.
It took about a 1/2 hour to install, as it was on 3 cd's. When it was done, when we hit play it read something to the effect of "Sorry stupid people, your computer sucks and you're out $30 bucks". Those technical messages are getting so personal lately.
So on come the tears from Sarah, who of course is exhausted from her overnight thing. Never fear, Superdad will take care of these Bozos and see to it that I get our money back. Off I go back to Evil-Mart and the return counter. I plead my case, complete with my own set of tears, and the heartless clerk just looked at me with pity in her yellow eyes and tsk'd me. So superdad calls Sarah and explains that it was mostly my fault for not reading the hardware specifications and that I would eat the $30.00 so she wouldn't have to. $30.00 to an 11 year old is about 1/2 her net worth and I felt terrible. (Read: Sucker) Needless to say we'll be getting no new games ever for this PC.
All week I've been looking for the measuring cup (mostly for the mac-n-cheese measurement), and was convinced Donna took it for her seminar in Guatemala. Today I found it in the not-supposed-to-be-here cupboard. I have no idea how it got there, though I have been making Ben unload the dishwasher this week...Hmmm...maybe there is a correlation after all.
Things I want to thank God for this week:
1. Supportive friends and family with encouraging words. (Esp. Mom, Dick and Carol)
2. Patty and Brad for Dinner thursday night.
3. The Dennerts, Mazza's, and Huskeys for letting Ben stay with them.
4. Jodie for picking up/dropping off Sarah last night.
5. Great weather
6. Macaroni and cheese
7. Mark for his Chocolate Chip Cookie delivery. (They're good!)
8. The monsoon sound system in my Santa Fe
9. My wife, Jill and their missionary team.
10. This electronic marvel we call the web. It has enabled us to keep in such good contact.
11. Sarah and Ben stepping it up, and keeping me laughing.
12. Norah Jones' velvety soothing, calming voice.
13. Casting Crowns for keeping me focused upward through the week.
14. Paco and Jenni and all the host families. You are awesome people. God Bless You!
15. All the words of encouragement about this blog from everyone.
So, I need to go fold the laundry now...or maybe during the football game...definitely before I go to the airport.
Below is Chester and Izzy at Bathtime...
Love you all.
God Bless.
Jim
Comments