Tuesday, December 20, 2005

It's nine degrees outside!! Brr



Aunt Jan taught Emma some words in Spanish when she was visiting this summer. Since then, we've been working on our Spanish vocabularies. We know some body parts, how to count and a few phrases. We went to the church last night to help with the benevolence Christmas packages. On the way home, she kept telling me she didn't want to go home. Then she said, "How do you say I don't want to go home in Spanish"? LOL

Wednesday, December 14, 2005

Barking up the Wrong Tree


Yesterday, Emma told Adam "you're barking up the wrong tree". We laughed, a lot and when I asked her where she heard that, she said, "Big Bird". Man she kills me. Never a dull moment. This is going to be a fun Christmas. She's loving it.

This morning, we were making Christmas cookies and she kept sticking her fingers in the batter. I told her to quit sticking her fingers in the batter and she said, "I'm not, this is my thumb" and showed me a batter covered thumb. She's a smart one.

I thought this was cute, and appropriate:

NOW HIRING

POSITION:
Mother, Mom, Mama, Mommy, Momma,Ma

JOB DESCRIPTION:
Long term, team players needed, for challenging permanent work in an, often chaotic environment. Candidates must possess excellent communication and organizational skills and be willing to work variable hours, which will include evenings and weekends and frequent 24 hour shifts on call. Some overnight travel required, including trips to primitive camping sites on rainy weekends and endless sports tournaments in far away cities. Travel expenses not reimbursed. Extensive courier duties also required.

RESPONSIBILITIES:
The rest of your life. Must be willing to be hated, at least temporarily, until someone needs $5. Must be willing to bite tongue repeatedly. Also, must possess the physical stamina of a pack mule and be able to go from zero to 60 mph in three seconds flat in case, this time, the screams from the backyard are not someone just crying wolf. Must be willing to face stimulating technical challenges, such as small gadget repair, mysteriously sluggish toilets and stuck zippers. Must screen phone calls, maintain calendars and coordinate production of multiple homework projects. Must have ability to plan and organize social gatherings for clients of all ages and mental outlooks. Must be willing to be indispensable one minute, an embarrassment the next. Must handle assembly and product safety testing of a half million cheap, plastic toys, and battery operated devices. Must always hope for the best but be prepared for the worst. Must assume final, complete accountability for the quality of the end product. Responsibilities also include floor maintenance and janitorial work throughout the facility.

POSSIBILITY FOR ADVANCEMENT &PROMOTION:
Virtually none. Your job is to remain in the same position for years, without complaining, constantly retraining and updating your skills, so that those in your charge can ultimately surpass you

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE:
None required unfortunately. On-the-job training offered on a continually exhausting basis.

WAGES AND COMPENSATION:
Get this! You pay them! Offering frequent raises and bonuses. A balloon payment is due when they turn 18 because of the assumption that college will help them become financially independent. When you die, you give them whatever is left. The oddest thing about this reverse-salary scheme is that you actually enjoy it and wish you could only do more.

BENEFITS:
While no health or dental insurance, no pension, no tuition reimbursement, no paid holidays and no stock options are offered; this job supplies limitless opportunities for personal growth and free hugs for life if you play your cards right.

Happy Holidays!!

Dana

Friday, December 09, 2005

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!!




There is a good reason for my lapse in updates. We've been having too much fun. We've had play groups and play dates and craft days and more. Several weeks back I wrote a post saying that I was down and missing my friends and that I hadn't really made any here yet. Don't get me wrong I still miss my friends in PC and Alabama but God must have heard my pleas. I always know that when I've gone through a tough time, that something really good is coming because the tough times are Satan trying to stop the good. In the last couple of weeks it feels like we have gotten over some kind of hump. It seems like some of the relationships that we have been trying to develop are coming through. Also, we've seen some things here recently come out of the kids in the youth group where we're like, "yeah, that's what it's all about, that's why we're here". Some times it amazes me how clearly a teenager can think. I just love it when God does those little things and it's as if He's saying, "Don't worry, I got it, I know what I'm doing".

I got my first experience driving on snow last night. It was a little scary but exciting too. I kept having this urge to do doughnuts but I refrained. My friend Sam had her baby last night and she called me to sit with her little boy until her family could get there. I got to the hospital around 5:45 and there wasn't a snow flake falling and by the time I left at 7:30 the roads were covered. It was crazy. Most of it melted away and we were just left with a little on the grass and a few slick spots today but we did get enough to have a little snowball fight when we got home to last night. Our neighbors must have thought we were crazy. Just the three of us, in the dark throwing snow balls. Oh what fun!

We took Emma to see Santa the other night. She did pretty good. She went right to him and got up in his lap but then she kind of froze and wouldn't say anything. When she got down, I said, "you didn't tell Santa what you want". She said, "Maybe we can write him a letter". We went back today and she saw him again and she told him she wanted dress up clothes. When we got in the car to leave she said, "wait, Santa didn't give us my dress up clothes". These things can be quite confusing for a two year old. Tonight, Adam and I just stared at her for about ten minutes watching her rearrange ornaments on the Christmas tree. I think we both were thinking, "how did we get here" the past two years have flown. Some times she seems so adult.

Tonight, I went to a Christmas party with my Mom's club. It was so much fun. I really like those girls. I love what we do but some times it's nice just to get to be me and not the youth minister's wife.

Well, I could go on and on but I need to go to bed.

Merry Christmas everyone!! Just 15 more days!

Love,

Dana

Thursday, December 01, 2005

CORPORAL PUNISHMENT?

I want to hear opinions on this. What is your belief on Corporal punishment of children (spanking)?