today, tomarrow and forever?

Anyone who has more than one child knows by experience that they all come out different. (sometimes even different looking) My three are defiantly individuals. My girl is outgoing to a fault. We joke that if she knew our social security numbers she would be giving them out! She exudes confidence but still secretly needs reassurance. She is a mini me. As a small child and youth I was painfully shy but as I was looking back I have spent more years being an extrovert than the opposite. My Mr. Danger prefers small groups of people consisting of one. Yup, he doesn't like lots of people and would much rather be playing by himself or with his favorite person, me. Change is very painful for him, vacations hard, and he is easily agitated with situations out of the ordinary. He is my Mr. Monk (from the TV series) That is probably why I like the show so much, it reminds me of my little boy...and my little brother. My last is the fighter, the scrapper, and sometimes with his own siblings the bully. A mans man as described by my father. Mr. Steel plays hard, and yet has a definite spark of compassion. One day he looked at me very concerned, gave me a hug and asked if I was going to cry. His most favorite person in the world is his daddy and his poppie. All boy. Three children so different and yet genetically linked to two parents. One thing I can say, it never gets dull.

window stoppers

The local specialty fabric store is going out of business. They say the closure is caused by the owner wanting to retire and write more quilt books. The fact shipping costs have sky rocked the price per yard also has something to do with it. Cars are lined up outside the store, as women of the 50's and up persuasion file in with that magical discount fabric gleam in their eyes. Most shoppers don't notice the cars are not entirely empty until they come back out of the store. In almost every minivan, SUV, and car there sits the husband, as if some invisible barrier is surrounding the store causing them the remain forged to the seat. Unable to enter, let alone stop their wives from spending wads of cash on textiles, they begrudgingly lift a newspaper to cover their eyes from the oncoming sight of an overwhelmingly large bag of fabric attached to their beloveds arm. Weather its from years of being hen pecked or finally learning there is no hope, they say nothing negative as she steps back into the car. For the next 20 minutes his ears are assaulted with the explanation of how each and every piece of fabric was chosen and what it will someday become. Gone are the days when he would point out the fact the closet contains yards of unused material. Now he sits, listens and smiles knowing after 30 some years that there is truly nothing he can do to change the matter. He is what I like to call a window stopper because this is as far as he goes.

soup-idity

This post could be long and drawn out, but I'll get right to the point. Ive always been an inherent klutz. There IS something in genetics.Its a shame I don't ever remember this fact until its too late. Yesterday, I had this fabulous idea to blend the chicken base to hide the fact it contained onions and celery. I believed it was pure genius. ahem. NOT SO. As I began to pour the boiling hot liquid into the blender a silent wish for a better gadget floated by on the steam. "Those cooks on the food network have it made!" I thought to myself while jamming on the lid. It had been so long since I had used the blender I had forgotten which button to push. Finally after several jabs to the wrong ones I found the right button only to discover boiling liquid expands more than cold.(could have been because it was very full too) I wasn't fast enough to pull my hand away before receiving a large burn on my forearm, just a little reminder for the future. Today it is an ugly purple-red, tomorrow it will probably peel.
in an ode to fractured fairy tales......
The moral of this story- soup in the pot is very hot, but blend and you'll have to mend or wishful thinking leads to soup-idity

taking a short leave of absance

sorry if my blog remains unchanged for a cupple days, I am deeply intrenched in the book Brisingr. Usually I read at lightning speed..but with homeschooling and needy boys, its gonna take a little longer.

think before you eat

Its been one of those months lately. Many things have been slightly askew, the obvious cause being a mom with not enough sleep and a re-occurring puke festival in the middle of the night.


ha! I had you wondering for two lines who exactly was doing the puking. Seriously though its not me, if I did partake in the unpleasant activity it would be from having kiddo vomit hit my feet on the way to the toilet. Thus said I haven't had much of a recharge at night and this morning as I drug myself across our 'pristine clean' carpet to the kitchen I realized that we ran out of coffee yesterday. *groan* I continued through the day fighting off the large headache created by an extrema lack of caffeine. With this all taken into account you shouldn't be surprised to hear when my younger son tossed a piece of celery toward me I took a bite without thinking. There was something strangely wrong with this particular stalk, I pulled it away from my mouth to reveal large hairs stuck to it. Reality struck me, no Mr. steel had NOT gotten it from the fridge....he had rummaged through the garbage can for it. Why am I not surprised (said sarcastically). I'm just glad it was on the top instead of near the chicken entrails. Next time I'll remember to pass up his handouts and yes there will be a next time considering the source.

tabliod blues.

Come on admit it! You have been reading the tabloid news below your hotmail account!! (this assuming you have a hotmail account) ((ahem Emily)). Okay, since you cant fess up to it..I will. Yes I have read, on occasion, about 'how to loose weight' and 'what fashions are hot' but most recently was 'clay aiken says "yes I'm gay" It was interesting how they focused on him being a outspoken Christian and led the readers to believe everyone took the news positively. hmmm..*cough* tabloids.

the transporter

Do you ever wounder what possesses mothers to draw toward stereotypical names like soccer mom, purchase ridiculously huge vehicles with more seating that we'll ever need, or tote around bags big enough to fit the kitchen sink into,..along with the plumber? Granted some women don't need family as an excuse for the latter two, but whats really going on? I think many look at it as embracing the inevitable. I myself have worked to avoid the giant diaper bags with friendly bunnies on the side. This authors personal opinion is the whimsical, nastolgic drawings by Beatrix Potter should be left at home, preferably in a book. As for the van, if one day I do become enticed by large and spacious seating capability's my husband will save me from myself. Greg is of the mindset that vans instantly neuter the men who drive them. When I see a 'secure man' dressed in his pink button front oxford driving down the road with 'worlds greatest mom' tattooed on the back of his 4 door minivan , I begin to understand. The only thing I have come to embrace over the 5 years of motherhood is the name mom. Its a title I proudly bear. The soccer part will probably come later, but please if I ask you what you think about the 'mom' haircut, stop me. To answer my own question at the beginning of this post, the reason we openly embrace bag toting, bus driving, and name calling, after the birth of our children (or child) is we have a good excuse....or more precisely 'because I said so, that's why'.

park picnic

the above pic is of the gang before the spin
this is during the spin,...notice the slightly concerned look on Hannah's face

spin faster!

still concerned

not moving,...everyone is happy

Elijah reminded me of that one time when I pushed the merry go round too fast and he flew off...last year. When your memorie is only 5 years old everything feels like yesterday. Hannah and Ivan enjoyed all the thrills of the park as well as the suckers. My three exhausted themselves thoroughly with the exception of my flower girl telling me she was five and old enough to wander around without me. Ha. I found that one funny. Too bad I'm 26 and get to call the shots. Everyone slept soundly (several hours in a row) I only got up once or twice instead of five or six times. Wahoo!

fun pics for grandma judy

whats in a name?

When I was born my parents gave me a gift. My name. For the majority of my growing up years this 'gift' was more simular to a curse. It wasn't bad until I got into school and realized the incompetence of most, to be able to look at a piece of paper and pronounce a six letter word correctly. For some time I thought others were to blame but the older got the more I realized my parents were the ones who deserved the credit. In 3rd grade one of my teachers made a jungle out of it to remind herself of the pronunciation. Rolling Down the Lanea. Yeah, that really lent a hand in getting to know everyone. How did I cope? Had my parents given me a good fall back middle name just in case? No. I went by R.J. in high school and slowly became patient enough with others to not care how they slaughtered it...Eventually I created my own anecdotal story of how my name was given on me. It went something like this,
My parents were hippies and one night before my birth, they were both in their hippie van when my mom took a drag off of her doobie and out came the word Rolana. I always thought this story was a kicker considering how conservative both of my parents were and are. Unfortunately I happened to tell this story as an icebreaker at a new bible study group and the pastors wife, mouth agape, stood stark still in shock. I reassured her I was only kidding (that is in my nature) come to find out she was the serious type. Conversation after that was far beyond awkward. Now later on in life I finally appreciate the uniqueness of my name, a combination of my grandfather and aunt, as well as how it fits who I have become. The fact we named the baby a popular name further solidifies my sentiment on the matter. When we go to the grocery store I hear his name over and over and over. Did I give him a good middle name to fall back on...probably not. Unless he wants to become a spy.

"Call me Mr. Steel."

the reason I like chickens..

Some of the relatives on my husbands side wounder what possesses me to love chickens so much. At first I reply, because I do. After thinking about it I have come to a conclusion better than my usual cop out answer of 'just because' To make it more interesting or entertaining I will put it to poetry.

chickens

..

most do not understand

a thing which makes me smile

the sound of hens a-clucking

along a country mile

..

It satisfies my heart

when with their skirts up high

they look like saloon dancers

bending low to catch an eye

..

they squabble and they squawk

they bicker and complain

at times becoming fowl

treating others with disdain

..

But when I look up close

and watch them with my eyes

I notice how familiar

the malice in their cries

..

many times I've found myself

a chicken in the past

picky picking others faults

squabbling to the last

..

so when I see them scooting

around a farmers yard

I'm reminded to be kinder

and not to tease so hard

..

by mamagriffith

.............

You will have to excuse the format, I don't write poetry much anymore. Hopefully you will be able to understand my meaning behind it in order to steady your thoughts on my sanity!

beach bums

granted at least 6 months out of the year are filled to the brim with torrential rains, but when its not a complete downpour, its a lot of fun. This morning I grabbed my friend April and her kids to have Saturday doughnuts and play on the beach ( a tradition whenever I go to visit my parents) They only ate the sprinkles which apparently is their tradition! Aprils oldest was the one child who successfully finished the whole thing... both April and I ate all of ours regardless of the extreme lack of coffee. I considered getting some but I had taken my parents puppy with us. As most of you might know..., puppies, leashes and the beach is a terrible combination but throw in three kids and it moves into the humiliating circus act category. Hope your Saturday is as good as mine!

considering insanity

every now and then I think it would be nice to foster or adopt. Not necessarily nice for me, but nice for a child out there who needs a chance and a family. When I was in high school I was determined to adopt and have a multicultural family if I never met that someone. Now I am intrigued as I watch family and friends go through the process we as Christians go through when we are adopted into Christ's family.

"Who knows where God will lead our hearts, the important thing is weather we are willing to follow"

Koo Koo Burah

A long time ago (10 years ago this next summer) God asked me if I was willing to leave my family and stay in Africa. I struggled, Cried, Pleaded, and Reasoned. Did He give in? No. He wanted to know. It wasn't until I had looked into the night sky over Africa, seeing a water drop of His glory captured in the heavens, that I answered him with a yes and instantly understood what He had wanted from me. Jesus wanted willingness. I did not stay in Africa. Instead I took home the knowledge that Christ sees what is best for me, and will shape my life if only I am willing.

Would I ever open my heart to another child and love them unconditionally? I don't know. For now I will watch others, remaining open to what God may have for me in the future, whatever that may be.

sicky snuggles

Why is it that the evenings which seem to have no end seem more restful. Perhaps its the tremendous amounts of coffee I chug. I call coffee 'the morning after beverage'..it doesn't eliminate a precious entity instead it kick starts you into surviving another day and perhaps wakes you up enough to see the God given gifts right before your eyes. Last night all three kids had runny noses and couldn't sleep. The joys of multiple children are you get to comfort sick crying babes, all at different times of the night. My Mr. danger was the 1st at 11:00, Then came Mr.steel @ 12:00, followed shortly by the little wildflower @ 12:30 who woke Mr danger around 1:00 who in turn woke Mr. steel and my wildflower around 3:00...so you must all be thinking after settling them down for the night (aka last three hours of early morning) I too slept heavily. Nope. I was worried my husbands alarm clock wouldn't go off and woke myself around 4:30 then 5:30. After a long night of musical beds I became delusional and invisioned the three sleeping past 7:00...No again. They woke at 5:45 like usual. My loving spouse called from work this morning concerned for my emotional state and found himself relieved upon hearing the caffeine induced cheeriness contained in my voice. Some say necessity is the mother of all inventions. I believe the inventor of coffee must have been a mother.

the long and short of the matter

Well...Today my daughters hair was the longest its ever been. Not surprisingly she told me to cut it off. Our household deal is you keep it you comb it. Something I came to years ago when she started her hairbrush fit throwing. She has, up until recently, brushed it when asked and washed it. Alas, today she was through. I whacked it off, shaping it into what I like to call the sewing scissor bob. Sigh.

faves so far..

the quest for reading through the library continues. Our favorites so far in the A section are as follows-

• Dimitri the astronaut by Jon Agee
• Tina's diner by JoAnne Adinolfi
• Monkey Do by allan Altiberg
• Billy and Blaze by CW Anderson
• Watch out big bro is coming by Jez Alborough
• Green Wilma by ted Arnold
• Fly Guy by ted Arnold

The kids are really getting enjoying all the new titles as am I. The number of books ahead might look daunting but fortunately I love a good challenge, it also helps me to remember to read to the kids on a daily basis.

I havent been gone, just missing

Whenever the 6 cousins are together nothing gets done that will not be undone minutes later. I finally put the train track into the recesses of the laundry room after stepping on it and breaking one of the pieces. Everything around here has been 'speak loudly and walk with a soft step' but my nerves are not shot. Its fun to live vicariously through their joy considering I myself did not have cousins close in age. My youngest and my sister in laws middle are well matched and the closest in age. They will soon be THE force to be reckoned with..my husband still holds firm that our youngest will be some sort of mercenary or assassin, I would settle for base jumper. Its still a struggle to feel connected to the community here, more than a year after moving. I hope it comes soon, the connection I mean, otherwise I will be doomed to fail. Failure, like a dry graham cracker with no milk attending, is difficult to swallow. On the lighter side my daughters kindergarten is going well! Its amazing all the stuff they send you. I'm talking boxes and boxes full of scholastic supplies and guidance through lessons via the Internet. First week was fantabulous..with the exception of the teacher. Where are those poor starving yet intelligent college students bent on home educating other peoples kids when you need them? I will update more on the courses in future posts.

a photo to remember

for all those who think my house is constantly in a state of cleanliness, here is the proof it is not. I hope this brings you some comfort about your own household state, and encouragement. you might want to say "yes, my house is filthy. But look at the Griffith's house, Ha!" If so please be my guest.

All this filth can be summed up in two words.

Hog slop.

Newsflash! book worm eats books, gets sick

This year during our winter deluge I have decided we are going to read through the entire children's section in out local library. Being the methodical person I am, we have started in the 'A' s. We take home 10 books then the three pick their favorite from amongst the pile.

My daughters favorite was

Dmitri the astronaut by Jon Agee

Mr. danger chose

Tina's diner by Joann Adinolfi

and the baby liked

monkey do by Allan Ahlberg (Its about a monkey that causes trouble and gets into mischief..sound familiar?)

harvest moon

Last night took my breath away. I stayed up late finishing some hemming projects for the fire department. It must have been 11ish when I plodded up to bed. Instead of crawling beneath my covers and recharging for the next day I found myself drawn to the gorgeous amber moon beckoning me from my window. With a blanket wrapped around my shoulders I sat in amazement at how small we really are. It was like you could feel the earth rotate beneath your feet. The sky, usually darkened by fog and clouds was alive, filled to the very brim with stars. Orion, Ursa minor, and Draco gleamed down at my small self sitting in the window daring me to adore. I began to sift through my stargazing memories halting at one night in Africa where the galaxy above me was so phenomenal it took my breath away and I found myself drawn like a moth to a flame, entranced in silent awe.

Captured by beauty and held fast. If only there had been time enough to take it all in..perhaps there is no such thing as enough time, I'm beginning to wonder. Right before I pulled my weary body from its window seating a shooting star cut across the atmosphere, making it the best night in a very long time.

cheep thrills

poverty they say is the mother of all inventions....hm perhaps that's a misquote? whatever the case may be, we found another avenue of cheep entertainment today in the form of a nearly empty blueberry field. It reminded me of the first few pages of the children's book, 'blueberry's for Sal' when Sal listens to the kerplunk kerplunk of blueberry's hitting the bottom of the pail. Fortunately we didn't meet up with any mother bears but it was a good hours worth of entertainment and cost a measly $3.00 considering the blueberry season is horrible this year.

List of cheep-o stuff to do with your kids

1. MC Donald's (with the play place)
2. berry picking-$1.50 lb
3. zoo (ha ha I cheated and have a pass)-free
4. Ice cream cones- $1.00 each
5. $1.00 movie rentals (dust of that old VCR)
6. trolley ride -$2.00 person for a half hour ride
7. seaside aquarium-$7.00 adults, most kids free
8. oh and when I am ultra desperate, the play place at Freddy's but somehow that one ends up being the most expensive..considering its in a supermarket.

baby love

Its blatantly obvious that my daughter loves babies. Imaginative play often swirls around her 9 children all born around the same time, within a few minutes of each other to be more precise. The presence of a playhouse on the hill seems to stoke her 'mother love' all the more. My very favorite part is when her babies misbehave, though it often leaves me to wounder if I am ever as bossy as the mother she portrays herself. Her children do holler quite loud. In fact it is very similar to when my three all pitch a fit at the same time, yet she loves them unconditionally. My daughter has always been perceptive far beyond her age. I am not in any way the most spiritual person. As a mom I have found it difficult even to sit down quietly let alone prop a bible on my lap, but I have tried very hard to convey the unconditional love Christ has for me to my kids. Its not easy to love the three when they have picked all my flowers, poured coffee on my floor or disobeyed me right after I told them not to. Its not easy, but then again it is. Its easy because I see what they may be someday. I love them because I love them, I love them because I can love. When I am out of love, I draw upon the love Christ gave for me because he also has no reason to love me and chooses to love anyway, perhaps he too sees what I might be someday.

every teen girls must have list...from the 80's

While rummaging through the shelves at our local video rental store I happened upon, in my opinion, one of the greatest films made in the 80's thus inspiring me to the point of list making. To make this 'list' more interesting I am adding my husbands must haves from that time period.

must see movies girls

1. wild hearts can't be broken
2. the incredible journey of natty gann
3. the man from snowy river 1 and 2

husband comment-oh gag,.I think that the man from snowy river was my top hated along with that natty gann one that one was so B-O-R-I-N-G

must see movies for boys

1. space balls
2. UHF
3. aliens

most used accessory girls

1. hair pick (to make that perm you got even bigger)
2. plastic sunglasses with neon sides
3. fanny pack..oh yeah

most used accessories for boys

1. buck knife
2. 22 rifle
3. bmx bike

mamagriffith comment- whats 80s about a buck knife???and no one had bmx bikes..

husband-what your laughing at me,..speak your mind woman. that's what I did in the 80s carried around my knife and built jumps for my bike...ask my mom

mama griffith- oohhh kaaayyy

most gnarly ride- my pick

1. ford pick up truck with the light bar on it (thank you back to the future)
2. mustang
3. fire bird

and the dudes say

1. Lamborghini diablo
2. trans am
3. amc eagle

mamagriffith-what,..never heard of it amc what?

husband-the all wheel drive of the 80's

music picks -girls

1. MC hammer was oh so cool
2. dc talk (yes they are that old)
3. vanilla ice ice baby or new kids on the block

music pick guys

1. mike e and the g rap crew
2. Michael peace
3. Michael Jackson

mamagriffith- you liked Michael Jackson

husband-everybody liked Michael Jackson then, but my parents. so I didn't get to listen to allot of his music but my friends thought he was cool so I did too.

mamagriffith- yeah I remember asking if vanilla ice was ice-cream. Humiliating. but after I figured out who he was i thought he was cool too. I use to go to skate world just to listen to their music.

that's all I can think up tonight!

The shocking truth.

you can kind of make out a bobby pin shape

The baby feighning sympothy..truthfully he just wanted to poke it

eventually we had to ask him to go sit down further away from the 'Firee Burrrnnnn'

His hand all bandaged up

What a day we had yesterday.

I has run downstairs to find a suitable pair of shoes to bike ride in when a blood curdling scream reached my ears. It was not the usual 'my brother just walloped me over the head with a stick' cry, No this was the 'something extremely bad happened and you need to get there right away' cry. I immediately turned and raced up our flight of stairs to discover Mr. danger (no not the baby) clutching his hand screaming. The smell of burned flesh stung my nostrils as I pulled the hand he was cradling and opened it. His little thumb was black like he had touched a flame, three of his fingers had deep blisters and more burns. Picking him up, I thrust his hand under cold water thinking he had lit a match, that is when I caught the sight of the bobby pin shaped burn. He had stuck a wayward bobby pin into the outlet and electrocuted himself. The circuit breaker didn't shut off, so I am glad he is still alive..It definitely could have been allot worse. We went to the emergency room just to make sure it wasn't worse than we thought. He is now home recovering with his thumb and two fingers bandaged up. Hopefully this event will help the others remember not to touch electrical outlets.

huckleberry havoc

Many of you may think the meek huckleberry is easily convinced from its bushy home into your jam jar. Not so my dear misguided friend. Each year millions of berry's are produced. Most are left to the bears. Not to conserve but to preserve...a persons sanity. The picking process is only the beginning.

First you strip the branches of the ripened, and some green, berries. I have yet to meet the person who takes time to pick each pin head sized berry individually.

Secondly the berrys are taken inside along with a multitudes of bugs, spiders and snails who have hitched a ride on the bucket-o-death.

The third step is the most labor intensive..now you get a chance to accurately count the number of berries you have picked today. Most all of them still are clinging onto their thread size stems....of which should be removed. In the future the state might consider this good work for all those convicts in jail. Forget cleaning up the highway, even I can bend over and pick up cans with little effort or humiliation, make 'em clean huckleberries.

After two hours of sifting, plucking and tossing your finally ready to throw them in the freezer. Two months later, when all your other jams are used up, Its finally time to pull them out and turn backbreaking work into edible paste suitable for kings.

as a last note in parting let me give you a morsel to mull...If a person is truly loved deeply, I'm talking close to marriage commitment, they receive huckleberry jam for Christmas...not blackberry.

no longer pacified

For the last two days in a row the baby has proclaimed war on the entire household. His hearing and responding capability's are close to Nil, he has chosen instead to torture his siblings by unmercifully picking, poking and screaming. Yeash. Nothing more simple than weaning your kid off of their beloved pacifier. With the middle boy I told him he could only have it in bed. His solution was staying in bed. My vein hope was the baby would follow suit. Nope. instead he reacted by throwing an anger fit. To each his own. Every now and then I see those steel blue eyes look at me like he's calculating in his head how much longer I can hold out. Fortunately its longer than him...I hope.

the day

Well, today is the start of the next 20 or so years of my childrens schooling. Dosn't that just sound like a lifetime? I am praying a better alternitive for the latter future, like a tutoring nanny who works for free. Whishfull thinking? Yes and isn't it just marvelous.

des empreintes de train très grandes

this morning we made a track to rival anything we have ever built.

'a train track,very large'

Do you think they stopped fighting over space??

no.