me to a T - Tracey Odachowski

I’m having a hard time today with that idea.

Accidents happen. And I’m terrified of them.

Ever since Uncle Wayne was killed in a car accident (2 years ago, earlier this month), I’ve been terrified. Immediately afterwards, I was scared to drive or even be in a car. Slowly I’ve gotten better about it, but I live with a small fear every day of some freak accident happening to someone I love, taking them from me.

Then yesterday happened.

Mom called me in the morning to tell me that a man I knew back home was killed in a car accident.

And then I just looked at the link to the local news online. The picture of his white Ford flipped over looked exactly the same as the one from my uncle’s accident.

I haven’t seen Jamie in years, but I know his family all too well. His grandmother played piano for Mom and Aunt Karon when they sang together years ago. We went over to their house Saturday nights for the adults to play cards. Jamie’s mom, Donna, babysat TJ and me as a child. Jamie’s uncle, Greg, was our Sunday School teacher. Jamie’s grandfather, Mr. Bill, is still alive, and our family sits next to him EVERY time we go to church back home. It’s our thing. And now Jamie is gone.

What gets me is that this is not the first time they have been through something like this. A little back story - Mr. Bill and Miss Agnes had 3 children - Janet, Greg and Donna. Years ago, long before I was born, Dad sold his car to Janet. Not long after that, the breaks failed, and Janet ran into a tree on her way to school, killing her instantly. The reason Mr. Bill sits in the pew where he does is that, directly in front of it, you can see the side of another pew with a brass plate in memory of Janet.

Yesterday, Jamie ran into a tree, killing him instantly. Just like the aunt he never knew.

So, my terror is back on high alert again. I can’t imagine living without someone in my life. It has been difficult enough just adjust to Uncle Wayne’s loss, and I still don’t think I’m there. This latest has just brought all of those feelings right back to the surface.

Please have Jamie’s family in your prayers this week. I would really appreciate it.

It’s 1am. It’s cool outside. I figured if there was ever a chance to know if mama bird really does exist, now would be the time.

As I started to pull open the door, I saw a little bird fly away through the sidelight.

Must have been mama.

All is right and good at the Odie front door. Well, as long as she comes BACK.

As I was walking in the door from letting our neighbor’s dogs out, I realized that perhaps it is time to remove our wreath of red berries covered in snow that we never saw for two years in a row. It is time for the Spring wreath. But something caught my eye. Do you see it????

How wonderful is that?!? We have a nest! The birds in the area have always loved my wreaths - evidentally they enjoy diets of styrofoam balls. So, this time, they decided to make a nest in the middle of their food source. They are the TINIEST little eggs I’ve ever seen, and they are so perfectly shaped and colored that they look plastic.

AHA! Mommy mode set in - time for a science lesson! I showed the kids the nest, but of course, my lifting them up was satisfactory. Thank goodness the dining room is right next to the front door. I pulled over a chair for them to have a closer look…

(they really were much happier than this picture shows.) Of course, after the Oooh’s, Aaaah’s, and Ohhh’s were done, Gabe said, “That’s so cool mom! Now we’re going to have 4 pets!” Um, NOT! I explained that the mommy bird was somewhere and would take them away. But here’s my fear - what if our going in and out of the door has put a human scent on them, and she won’t come back? Is that a fallacy? I always heard that if you get too close to eggs, the mother abandons them. Is that true? If so, who in the world can I call to help these little guys out? The Humane Society? I don’t want them to die just because their mother was silly enough to put them in my fake berry/snow wreath! HELP!

Winning HOF can be detrimental to your Weight Watcher efforts.

From Erin (ok, these were No Pudge brownies, and WOW they were good!):

From Pat (YUM! And it was packaged in a cool coffee mug! I LOVE big coffee mugs!):

From the Pegster (Starbucks makes cupcakes? Why didn’t I know this?):

And from Kasey (only I would appreciate a pumpkin cake in March. Trust me, it will make sense when the HOF book comes out):

Hey look. Who knew. You really DO get a crown when you win (thanks Kasey! You are too darn cute!)

I really do have THE best friends in the whole wide world. I cannot believe that they did all this for lil ole me. They rock.

Also, a huge, widespread thank you to all of those who have sent their messages of congrats to me over the past few days. You have no idea how wonderful you all have made me feel. One of these days I’ll actually figure out how to set this blog up so that the comments are emailed to me, and I can respond to them. If anybody knows how, please let me know! It sure would make my life alot easier!

On a more personal note, I just finished watching Akeelah and the Bee with Gabe. We’ve had this movie from Netflix for a good two months, and I have NO idea why it took us so long to watch it. It was FABULOUS! Gabe loved it so much he wants to keep it. He was even clapping for them every time they spelled a word right. It’s amazing that a movie can inspire a 6-year-old like that. He looked at me and said, “Mom, I want to go to the National Spelling Bee some day.” Um, OK! Really, if you have kids, do yourselves a favor and watch this with them!

Me???? Seriously?????? No, the shock has not worn off. But after 5 years of trying, I’m ever so thankful. Shocked but thankful. And if you want to hear me in my latest role as ‘The blubbering, giggling idiot’, click here.

HUGE thank you’s to…
-my scrap crazy mentor, Traci. Luv you and miss you, and I value every word of advice you gave me. Chris will be sending you large quantities of Sonic Burgers and Cherry Limeades as a thank you for him not having to deal with me stressing over HOF every January anymore.

-Erin - for being here Monday. So glad that I could get your screaming voice on the CK website.

-The local gang, and my other favorite scrappy people that I bug nightly on the IMs - for always believing in me.

-Pegster - for sending the HOFf vibes my way. Ooga Chakka!

-My scrubby - honey, you know I love you more than anything. Thanks for being my biggest cheerleader and for being so friggin cute this past week. You really were more worked up than I was this year.

Wait. All of a sudden this turned into some Academy Awards acceptance speech, and I know I’m forgetting people. I think the orchestra just started playing, so my speech is over. But in short…

THANK YOU, CK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Where have I been you ask? Oh, only helping my 6-year-old with his *****42 page***** book report.

Yes, you read that right. 42 pages. That’s six classes of animals, six pages each, plus a chapter divider and a cover. In the first grade.

Call me crazy, but if this is first grade, um, what in the world is 12th grade gonna look like? Of course, he thought it was ultra cool to be able to use his mama’s fun office tools, like my Wishblade, Galaxy markers, stamps, and stamp pads. Oh, and every time we would adhere a picture, he just HAD to make sure it was good and stuck by rolling the brayer over it. LOL.

Anything to keep him happy. But, really, I don’t want to see another picture of a snake eating a mouse again for a long, long time.

Potty training successes today? Zero.

In her defense, we spent half of the day at Gabe’s school for Grandparent’s Day. And, for the time that we spent at home? Let’s face it, it’s way more fun to play w/ Poppop than sit on a potty in front of the t.v. She sat there for a few minutes, and, after admitting defeat, convinced her Poppop to let her get up. I came out of the office, and told her she had to put panties on to play. Dad informed me she already had them on. Ok. Many of you don’t know my dad. If you did, you would know that there was NO WAY that he left his NCAA basketball game action to find a pair of underwear for his granddaughter, no matter how beloved that she is. I was then informed that she found and put them on herself. Huh. She’s getting the hang of it? Ha. So I asked her to lift her dress to show me. Strange. I don’t remember her having a tail. What is this strange appendage?

Oh crap. Literally.

Yeah. I love potty training. Totally. Must keep convincing myself of this. Right.

So anyway, a little aside, back to Grandparents Day at the school…aren’t they so darn cute??

And here’s the three of them working on the little frame craft that I put together for the class:

Ok. It’s 3:19am. I should probably go to bed now!

[insert picture of pee in a potty here]

We just might figure out this potty training thing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Today has been a GOOD day in the fight against good vs. bodily functions. Emily has not peed in her pull-up AT ALL - ALL DAY LONG! WOO HOO!!!!!!!!!!!! Granted, she did make a lovely puddle in the middle of the kitchen floor after lunch, but I’ll let that slide. I think I just may have found the key - sitting the potty in the middle of the living room floor. I kept reading about it, but never did it. So, this morning, I prompted her that it was time to go sit on the potty. She wasn’t thrilled. Started whining, big time. And then it hit me. So I pulled it out in the middle of the floor. It worked! She just didn’t want to leave the Wonder Pets was all! So, she sat there for nearly an hour. First she peed a trickle. [insert mini-partay here] She got a lollipop. But she didn’t want to get up yet. (um, OK!) So she sat there a little longer. And peed more! So, she got a few M&Ms. And, wow, she was SOOOOOO proud of herself!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Then, of course, it was nap time. No accidents. Then had to get Gabe. Still no accidents! So, back to the potty, where she sat down and FILLED IT! That’s where the picture that isn’t comes into play above. No, I didn’t actually take a picture, but I did contemplate it. LOL. Oh, and she gets so tickled to wipe herself and help me empty it into the big potty. The big treat for her came when it was time to flush. I have no idea why, but that’s her favorite part. All of these weeks that I’ve been working on it with her, she has kept wanting to flush, but I wouldn’t let her b/c she didn’t do anything. But today, her face was BEAMING!

Oh, please, dear God, let this streak continue. Please rid my world of diapers for the first time in 6 1/2 years. Amen.

Do you think he is too big for this yet???

Please note Emily looking at her nutty brother as he struggles to get out of the car…

I love my boy. Have I said that enough lately? Love him. I love that he finds joy in EVERYTHING. That he never bores of a toy. That he still wants to ride in the car that he received for Christmas five years ago. That he can laugh at himself. There is just something so awesome about that.

At the same time, I’ll admit, it does make me worry. Perhaps he may not be the cool kid. I want him to be the cool kid. But he is SO gentle-hearted, he doesn’t exactly fit that ‘tough guy’ mode. Shoot, his 2-year-old sister can tackle him. She’s a better tough guy than he is sometimes. Then, through my worry, I sit and think about just that. I realize that, despite the fact that he may never be the cool kid in school (although he doesn’t do too bad of a job! the ladies sure love him!), that he is going to go grow up to be an AWESOME man. You want your boys to grow up being gentle, kind, and full of wonderful values. And he is. He corrects me when I say bad words (like, um, hate), and praises me when I correct myself (and say, “dislike” instead). And on the same note, Emily being a tough little chica is also just want I want. I WANT my girl to be able to take command, to say no, to be comfortable in her own shoes. To be as far unlike Britney Spears as I can possibly make her. And she sure is so far.

Ok, so I know that I’m thinking about 20 years ahead at this point, but it’s just where my mind wanders when I look at my kiddos. Love them. Tons.

And speaking of seeing the future, this sure looks like about 15 years from now:

And who is she talking to? Only her favorite phone buddy in all of the world - her Poppop. That kids sure does LOVE to talk to him! She luuuuuuuuuuvs her Poppop. Lucky her - he’ll be here in less than 24 hours. He’s coming down to go to Grandparents’ Day at Gabe’s school on Friday, at which I get to do the craft w/ the kids and the special guests. We’re making a foam magnetic frame, and I’m going to take pics of all of the kids and their guests for them. Can’t wait. Then, hopefully, we’ll knock a few things off of the to-do list over the weekend. That’s the best part about Dad coming - he fixes stuff. Way better than Chris or me. Top of the list is the VERY leaky faucet in the Master Bath (my side, of course). It got so bad that we shut the water off to it. Lo and behold, the water bill was $20 cheaper this month. That is frightening. We’re reorganizing the playroom, too, so Chris and Dad will probably tackle that, as well. Should be fun!!!!! I LOVE having visitors! (except now I have to clean tomorrow. Darn.)

Totally forgot about posting this when I was typing out my sobfest last night (i.e., my previous post). But here is a pick-me-up…I made my next little Weight Watcher goal! I try to make little goals at a time (so I can feel more successful LOL). After I hit my 10% goal, I wanted to see ‘6′ as the middle number (i.e., hit the 160s). AND I DID IT! Wednesday when I weighed in, I was jumping up and down when I saw her write that 6. Man that felt good. I was stuck in the 170s for what seemed like FOREVER. Haven’t seen the 160s since Chris came home from Iraq, and that was only a very brief stint in the 160s at that. So, that feels good. That’s my feel good thing for the week.