Funny Thing Happened...

While I stood in line to buy my coffee this morning, I thought,
'When I grow up, I'm gonna ... '

And then it hit me.

Saturday

At times, I lament to my husband that people today don't seem to visit like they used to. My grandparents had a sign on their wall when I was little that read:

Come in, Sit down, Relax, Converse.
Our house doesn't always look like this.
Sometimes it's even worse.

I loved that sign. It was one of those kitchey 60's things that, in retrospect, I regret not snatching up and running away with it to have as my own forever. Instead, I have the memory of it - and of people coming and going through my grandmother's kitchen often. And her endless supply of rhubarb bars and coffee - ready for any and every guest to enjoy (especially me!).

Nowadays, I think we are all so busy. That's what I hear a lot, anyway. Even summer - the leisurely, book reading, cloud gazing days of summer. They are flying by. For us, too. And today was no exception.

Today, we started the day with an 8:30 ballgame for the boys. This year baseball has been so much more fun. I think it's because both boys are on the same team. And because both boys are really starting to shine. Today, T hit every pitch sent his way - and enjoyed his first double! And Meiners hit the pitcher with his drive so squarely in the gut that five baseballs flew out of his pockets. And the infield hit that Meiners caught - so unexpectedly based on his expression - brought the whole crowd to its feet.

Meiners is 5 - playing on a team with 7 & 8 year-olds

He seems to be holding his own!

T hits his first double - I don't think his opponent was as pleased.

Dad fills in as line coach today - and gets some praise time in!

After their game, we headed straight downtown to enjoy some All Star Game festivities here in our own StL. The city is aflutter with activities and sights to enjoy. We spent a good portion of the day bumming around Fanfest with these creatures.


Finally, we ended the day in the pool. We didn't even eat dinner until after 7:00. And another highlight came after showers and pjs were done. The whole family went downstairs and videotaped a news program - reviewing the days events, complete with a famous singer (Pooks), an amazing athlete (Meiners) and an outstanding anchor (T).


What fun! And tomorrow, we're going visiting - to the Ks and Co. I should make some rhubarb bars to take along!

Camp

I'm not very talkative tonite. It could be fatigue. The weariness of battling a sleep-deprived 2 year-old for half the afternoon and more of the night. It could be the search for a blessing when fatigue and weariness cloud the vision. Yet, upon close enough inspection, the blessing can be found. It isn't necessarily a blessing to be given a child with a heart defect. And yet, it is. All it requires is a look in their eyes and at their smile and realization slices through. Life is fleeting and it must be lived. Fully.

And these kids do. And at least for one week every year - every summer - they get an extra special chance to live it abundantly. Children with heart defects have been denied access to camps geared, apparently, to healthier kids, at least in the past. To answer this need, St. Louis Children's Hospital began Camp Rhythm. Geared fundamentally and wholly towards kids with heart defects. Healthy ones. And ones who may be seeing the doctor inevitably again soon (praying Mr B showed more perkiness tonite, Em!) . We receive a healthy dose of Blessing.


Thanks. Thanks for the blessing of Heart Camp.

Me & Web Design

Or not.

Working on my template right now, if you're viewing strange presentations of pictures...I've seen some of my favorite bloggers do this stretchy thing lately and I like the look. Now I just have to see if they'll help me figure out my header. Preferably for free, if you know what I mean!

Stay tuned...we'll see who's smarter - me or my computer!

~Karin

Random

I could have titled this post: Quiet. Isn't it nice, sometimes, to sit in your house - two dogs sleeping at your feet, four kids snoring down the hall, and your hubby out on business - just to sit in the ... stillness. Nothing's right with the world when Daddy's gone, don't get me wrong. But there is peace in the quiet, too.

Very recently my husband was awarded the additional responsibility of traveling to Minneapolis along with his regular duties at the office here. I am thrilled for him. I know that if anyone could make the positive changes necessary in the satellite office, it's my man. And I'm proud of him. I'm maybe a tad bit nervous for him, but really not, because I know he'll do a great job. I just miss him tonite. I know Meinie does too. He and Pooks are headed to Camp Rhythm this week - which I'll have to share with you one day. What an incredible blessing heart camp is to my kids. And T is headed to Grammie Camp. Being the only heart healthy kid old enough to understand that he's the only one not going to heart camp, Grammie stepped forward and offered her undivided attention and fun for the same duration. T's going fishing, swimming, & eating at Bob Evans. All the thrilling adventures a 7 year-old boy can expect with Grammie. Meanwhile, the hearties are headed to - you guessed it: fish, swim, and well, eat only the shredded cheese off the taco bar for lunch if you're Pookie (and nothing else. unless there's kethcup. well, then: SCORE - in her mind, anyway.) So Sash and I will be winging it. Alone for good parts of the day. Keeping the ship sailing on course in the evenings until Thursday this week. And then again in another week.

And it's all good. There are no vacations planned for us this summer any longer. But, if I may literally quote a friend of mine this evening (thanks, Franchesca!):

It feels like vacation to me,

this time of my life. Not that it's effortless,

but maybe because it's priceless.

I love you, Honey! See you soon!

~k

Your Attention Please. Seriously.

Hey, ya'll. Can I tell you that it is VITALLY important that you review your bank statements on a regular basis?! My husband reviews ours daily. I'm not saying that a daily review of the statement is necessary, but please please please look at it. Today we noticed a $59.95 charge on our DEBIT card. As you know, Mr J and I run marathons and half marathons. We have used our credit cards to pay for these races. Today, Active.com, the company who mediates the payments for the races, charged us $60 without our authorization to 'join their club.' You may immediately think, yeah right - you probably just forgot...etc. etc. etc. But no. This was an UNAUTHORIZED debit from our primary checking account. We would not have known had we not checked our debits and credits lines diligently. And this is not the first time we have been bamboozled.

Last week, upon reviewing our AT&T bill, my husband noted an additional charge for a professional voicemail system that we never signed up for. He called and discovered that the company had 'received authorization' via an email address - that has never been ours.

Please. Review your statements. And call on them to make sure your fees are fully recovered. Thus far, AT&T has rectified their issue fully and we are awaiting a return call from Active.com.

edited to add: active.com canceled our 'trial membership' today, indicating via email their sadness at our sudden departure. hmmm. didn't really know the ship was sailing til I was thrown in the life boat. Whatever. At least the problem is solved!

Impatient

I think it's pretty clear that I am not a patient person. After all, our summer girls' bedroom redesign is only about half completed, but I couldn't wait to show you Pookie's corner. Tonite, I must show you the wall on Sashi's side of the room. I still haven't faced Target again after ruining half of their shabby chic collection with my coffee - in other words, still no rug or lamp or seating. But I'm in love with this wall - inspired by Layla at The Lettered Cottage (even though not all the pictures are in the frames yet!)

Does anyone else create something and then be so completely enamored by the creation that you have to look at it over and over. Sit in front of it. Staring at its wonderfulness? I do this with every card I make (that I love). Without fail, I prop it on my headboard and fall asleep in the glow of that creation's beauty. The same phenomena has occurred in Pookie's room. After we spread out the new comforter and the art was on the wall, I laid down on that bed and just stared around the room. I actually did the same thing in my own room when I finished that re-do earlier this spring (I still have some things to do in there. But, Pookie's hopes and dreams trumped mine for the time being. Her smiles over her room transformation are worth not having my chocolate-stained bamboo shades in my window, or my own photo wall completed yet!)

What I'm noticing lately, though, is that my impatience is perhaps hitting a summit. Perhaps I'm just noticing it more because I see it oozing from the responses I see in my sweet little girl. Pookie is a darling. She is very social and loving and fun. She is everything a mom would desire in a daughter. And she strives to be just like me. And lately, that ain't always pretty. Lately I've witnessed her snap at her brothers. I've seen her snap at her friends. It sounds horrible when I hear it coming from her mouth. They are my words. But they are coming from her mouth And...um. Hello? Do I say that like ... like that?

Wow. More is caught than is taught, as my mother-in-law explains. And that which is caught often ain't pretty. I am vowing to realize where I react versus respond. I want to answer in love versus anger. I pray for His help. Cuz I have a lot on the line.

Many blessings as we travel this road.

~Karin