sticky note

in a couple of days we will be leaving to go to camp....for close to a month! I hope to blog some while I am there but not daily as I am in the habit of doing while at home. I hope you can pull yourself away from my blog and survive without my day to day ramblings, if not please stay in bed and read uninteresting books until I come back..that should help! I will leave you with this short poem in order to further quell your anxiety

I wish that I could blog today

But I cannot for I'm away

by mamagriffith

given a voice

It was tradition in my growing up family, on those boring mundane evenings when all good conversation had come to an end, to guess what the dog might be saying and give him (or her) a voice. When we picked up Nancy, our great Dane, it was obvious what she would sound like if able to communicate through words. Heavy German accent, occasional Swiss curse word, and a major superiority complex shown by her overly aggressive assertions about other dogs. Nancy has had quite an opinion on everything for almost 8 years. Frank, the cavalier king Charles spaniel, has been a bit of a mystery until three days ago. He is English, so we tried civilized Britt but it just didn't seem spot on. Then we toyed with uncivilized Austin powers British, that too fell short. His personality is so obsessive, needy, dependant, easily intimidated and a follower. How do you put a voice to that? It could have been the upcoming Halloween or possibly from gazing down into those ugly, bulgy little eyes of his which swim opposite directions in the cavity of his head. Whatever the case it came to me. Igor. Yes, that certainly sums up who he is, and strangely I can see him fetching bones for Dr. Nancy-Stein's experiments..cant you. So beware your hen houses might someday be raided by a monster created from kibble and left overs, all because of the little minion's inability to say no. happy Halloween, harvest, or fall celebration!

along lifes road....

It came to my attention yesterday what a great guy I married. It wasn't an easy adjustment at first. Living single tends to make a person slightly self centered...with me at least. This journey together hasn't been on a strait smooth road either. In fact there were portions of the drive we wernt in agreement on. Those times of staring out the window in silence or needing to stop and look at a map together but when I look back to all the road construction we had to sit through and the curves we had to slow down for I realize how far we really have come.
Last night as Greg played with the kids and put the boys to bed with a story I couldn't help but smile thinking perhaps the mommy weekend had been just as good for him as it was for me! Moms tend to have the upper hand when it comes to the nurture nature. I use to jump right in and take that crying baby in my arms...out of daddy's arms, because I knew just what they needed...hmmm..or was it because I couldn't stand not doing anything? Now much older and a little wiser I have began to see the need for me to step back and let some instances be a daddy only fix. One of mine is injury's. I'm not afraid of blood or pus, but it gives the kids a chance to see daddy as the owie fixer. "You need to show your daddy, He takes care of owies" I say as they run to me crying. (obviously when he is not home I take care of it) another is playing with tools and fixing cars in the garage. We live on a very busy road. I admit to still having feelings of mommy nervousness about them working with him so close to a street, but its just one of those things a moms got to get over in order to allow dad the chance to see what I see.
As we lay in bed last night Greg turned to me and said something. It was from a deep part of his heart and I will treasure it for eternity
"You know mamagriffith, I have been thinking. That boy or girl that we are going to adopt is alive right now. Somewhere, waiting just for us. Just the right one for our family."
I couldn't say anything except comment on how true it was. The compassion in his words blew me into speechlessness and will stay with me until forever.

halfway through

the deeper I get into Washington virtual academy the more I like it. The lessons are sketched out for you but they encourage the parent to teach what the child needs to learn and skip over what they already know. As we journey through the school year I am coming to the opinion WAVA is basically homeschooling with a teacher to help you through the tough spots and to keep you accountable. For me its very important to have. Every day I check in, see what my girl has on her plate, and plan out the day. There are those days where we take it easy. Every now and then we log in other activity's under the subjects she is taking, with no worry might I add because the school encourages you to mix it up sometimes. The one thing I can point out about the school I don't care for is all the activity's are at least two hours away...but for us that is nothing new!

new room

This last week I decided it was time. The three kids have been sharing a room in order to leave our extra bedroom open for guests but I had a distinct feeling the boys needed some room from the girl,...aka not being told how to play with thier toys. Her face just beamed as she lugged boxes of HER toys down the stairs into HER room. All I could do was laugh, seeing her enthusiasm thrown into decorating and organizing each baby into its own bed. Her smallest doll slept in a glove.
Our agreement is when guests come she sleeps on the floor in our room. She was more than happy to comply. Although we are learning to deal with new hurdles like slamming the door, we are all much happier with the arangment.

and the winner is....

a great bra

I wholeheartedly agree with your choice in the pole! nothing lifts the spirits..and other things like a well made push up! thanks for voting.

girls weekend revieled!

girls weekend revieled!

toy store

The Purple Cow toy store rests snugly on the corner of a very busy street in Astoria. Most people window shop as they pass by sometimes stopping to relive their own childhood for just a moment. Brave parents open the door and let their ever eager children in with warnings of 'behave yourself' and 'if you throw a fit we WILL leave' The parents then go to browsing, convincing themselves of their children's upright behavior in public. One small shopper of 5 asks the store owner what she could by for this much, as she holds up a dollar and $.50. Instead of telling the child to find their already bedraggled parents and ask them, she excitedly helps her seek through the small toys for just the right one. We visited once while the youngest was potty training and deposited our very own pee spot on the carpet. Thankfully we are still allowed through the door but let it be known we never forget to hit the bathroom beforehand now! The tall shelves are lined with unique toys from japan to the UK. The store now carries a line of recycled milk jug toys which look as if they could be run over by Emily's suburban without breaking. Wouldn't it be fun to run a toy store? What would you stock the shelves with? The possibility's remain endless.

the retraction statment

every good publisher has to come back across their work and find they have been in error. I say good publisher in case you have ever picked up the star or sun times, not that I have *wink* something came to my attention two months ago. Something BIG. Before beginning the conclusion I have to set a backdrop for all those out there who do not partake in the unfortunate event of hearing me jabber on and on and on about nothing.

Keep in mind you are being let into a not often shared, personal part of my life


8 Years ago my husband and I met and got married. It was, as some say, a love match. We just knew. Two and a half months after meeting we were engaged. He had been one of two children. I was one of five. I figured he would be okay if we bumped it up to an even 6, he thought 2 might be nice...after several years of no kids. Selfishly I pushed, and I do mean selfishly! I wanted kids and darn it I was gonna get em! No ones life is left untainted by regret and this is one of mine. Neither of us, even for a day, regret the presence of our children. My sorrow lies in my unwillingness to wait for him to be ready. Together, we decided to be done. It was and is difficult for me to give up fertility but I know it was the right thing. Inevitably I assumed Greg was firmly planted on his stance of no more babies and went on to announce to my friends that(these are the following statements to be retracted) he would never want to adopt, always proclaiming I mamagriffith would never lie to myself and think he would change his mind. Never..and..Always...closed adverbs, no room for growth, change or prayer. Two months ago I decided to ask him to pray daily with me about adoption and make a final decision about weather we would or would not be a part of another child's life. I didn't want to join the masses of people who say 'we always thought about it' The more we prayed and looked at it, the more unsure I became...the more sure Greg has become. He even researched it online without me, then he suggested we look at the class schedules and find a good time. Yes, my jaw dropped and I realized my many loud and obnoxious words had been in error. Thus the retraction.

Crow tastes bad, but if you swallow quickly and chase with humility, the feeling fades. Eventually it becomes a resorce you can draw upon. Your own personal bank-of-insight.

I hope this helps those who have seen my recent blogs understand just a bit more

Novelties

The book is almost always better. Movies are easy to digest, quickly finished and sometimes satisfying but in the end the novel reins supreme. Most think that because the author is not restricted to a time budget, like a director, he is able to paint more life into his characters. Truthfully though, it all boils down to imagination. When you eyes affix themselves to a page and you are instantly transported into another world everything around you seems to fade. Instead of sitting outside a screen observing, you are placed beside the character accompanying them on their journey through whatever peril or heartbreak. No one has gazed upon the world you now see, even the author is unaware of the scenery being viewed because she herself saw it differently. Occasionally on your journeys you might affix yourself to a character doomed to die and out of disappointment put the book down. I admit to skimming through a few paragraphs just to save my hero from more ill fated mistakes. He, after all, should have known better than to walk into so obvious a trap! If the author has spun their tale favorably the reader finds part of themselves left in the book and goes back to re-read it in order to seek out what was lost. Then in their frustration recommend it to friends with the hope they too will leave something behind inevitably creating a following. "Have you read that book? My favorite part was the...." You see now what I mean.

Beware a good book for it may transport you to far off lands but when you finally come back be sure your housework will not be done and you might just find your toilet clogged with an entire role of TP....The culprite having already escaped notice.

so sad.

A two year old son and Mommy's camera spells disaster! I recovered it from him and placed it on a shelf to heal. Yesterday I slipped fresh batteries into it to no avail. It turned off immediately after it turned on. No pics to post of the trip or anything else for that matter. I am stuck jabbering on about nothing for a few more days.

Today's ?? for the masses is how on earth does one home educate small children and keep a clean house? Its either one or the other and right now my house looks like a hurricane hit. Perhaps in killing a few trees by using paper plates I can cut down on dishes. If you have any better advice let me know.

ah,....now I remember

tonight I painted a picture for my fathers office. If I can hold off it will be for Christmas. The painting turned out rather well, that is until I finished it. This is when all the flaws made themselves apparent to me. Its something about putting it behind glass. I have resisted the urge to chuck it all together. My instincts tell me it turned out quite well..just not perfect. *sigh* no wonder I haven't painted in so long. The picture of it will have to wait till Christmas-my dad actually reads this sight and thus rendering it unsafe. I hope curiosity gets the better of him and he comes up to try and winkle it out early! (good luck)

title unknown

mull
–verb (used without object)
1.
to study or ruminate; ponder. –verb (used with object)
2.
to think about carefully; consider (often fol. by over): to mull over an idea.

—Synonyms 1. consider, weigh.

Some families debate, some disagree, some ponder. We, the Griffiths, mull. When a question or curiosity arises we attach ourselves to it, mulling it over and over until the answer or solution appears. We canvas it with literature, marinating with thought and prayer until all aspects are covered. That is when we finally make a decision. I often take years to decide to buy something and although it looks spontaneous it is indeed an act of pre calculated analization.

While on my mommy vacation I came across 'lip plumper' and in hopes of reviving my paper thin kisser. I had in fact researched it several years ago but found myself still hesitant. "buy it" Nyssa prompted, but still I swayed. I then realized what was missing. The field research. A lip gloss user. Only after getting an informed opinion did I buy. If I could read the fine print it would say something like "for optimal results use on full lips" yet I'm satisfied. I figure my lips went from deflated balloon to anxious soccer mom (any improvement is better than none!)

Another thing we have recently mulled is adoption. Its a door I previously considered closed. I think God has been nudging it open bit by bit. Through research via the Internet and talking with friends who have adopted we have decided to go to the classes in order to make an informed decision about the future. We are both on the fence about it. In a couple of months we will know weather we want to adopt or if we feel like our family is complete as is. I just don't want to be that person who says "we always talked about it, but never decided" Not for us, no no.

And lastly on our list of things to mull, a seven passenger wagon. Yes, we are still in minivan denial! We are thinking either Volvo V70T5 or Mercedes E320. Only time will tell.

I hope your weekend was as phenomenal as mine! There will be a blog about that, oh yes, oh yes!!






Thank you Internet for things like dictionary.com and Wickapedia. without you I would ever be second guessing my dictation of life.

Hold please

When I realized my usual two nights off wouldn't work out this year (women of faith) I started to stress. Everything inside of me needed the get away and for a time and I feared it wouldn't happen. If not for a famously good friend it would have been another year before overnight girl time. Today we are on our way to Portland. I packed my Bobbi blu wedges and the coat Greg got from new york for my birthday (last year?) also my silver jeans. Its important to look nice for Starbucks! Whatever the case Its going to be allot of fun and Ill blog some pics of the whole thing. Right now your stuck with the past.

Enjoy baseball field-the ugly baby in the back is me.

Just more proof that my girl doesn't look much like me!

hahaha, this picture is hilarious because I remember my dad trying on his navy costume through the years and every time it seemed to shrink up just a little more!

my sister elizabeth, my grandpa holdng joe, and my sister orlena

My Grandpa was a wounderful man. He loved kids. Its hard to understand why some die so young. I cherish the memories.

Myself, Joe and Dan at a park

who's the goofball? I am I am!!!

my older brother Joe at a car show

the picture itself would make an amazing painting with a little color tweaking

When my brother sets the date with his fiance, perhaps I will attempt it!

restorations

A promise is a promise. When my daughter was learning to ride without training wheels this summer I told her she would earn a larger bike once she got the hang of things. Last weekend I made good on it. Yes, I drooled over the brand new bikes with streamers and bright pink hello kitty stickers on them, but I decided to do what my dad often did. We went to the dump/recycling center! I myself have fond memories of dumpster diving to find perfectly good items which had been discarded . My own mother didn't know until after the fact and would have forbid it if not for the fact that these misadventures often took place on her day off. The day dad had us. The recycling center is a cakewalk in comparison. We strode over to the bike section and found just the right size, paying a whopping 5 bucks. The tires were flat, the paint was faded and it had more than a little rust. It was perfect. Now after new tubes, a can of chrome paint and soapy water it is transformed from a junkyard heap to the coolest bike any 5 year old could own. It felt good to restore it together..It felt even better to keep my promise.

Early morning

Other than my children not eating enough, my chief mommy complaint is the total lack of sleeping late. Don't assume its ME who wants to sleep late, though some days I do beg my children for just 5 more minutes. The simple truth is I would love one to two mornings a week of solitude with my coffee cup and bible. A 'good parenting' example, given in many books, is the serene picture of a dutiful mother getting up before her kids to read her bible and pray. Her children filter down the stairs only after she has finished. I tried it a few times but I realized no matter how early I planned to get up they would inevitably be up two minutes earlier. Instead of remembering mom with her bible on her lap drawing close to the savior, they might end up scarred with the image of mom waving her bible in the air yelling "don't you understand how much I need this?" Not quite what I was going for. Working out is something else best done in the AM with as few witnesses as possible. Although a running commentary on how much mommy's body flops can be amusing, single digit kids can be too honest sometimes!

My poor apathetic soul, I have began to feed it again figuring a little is better than none and as far as working out...I might only get as far as the cover of women's fitness in the checkout line of Fred Meyer's or a 2% late instead of 1/2 and 1/2. Its not hopeless. When they are teens I might find myself on the other side of the fence. Then I'll let you know weather the grass is really greener.

mamagriffith runway

A good friend from the UK came last year and sported her wool coat she put together on her own. It was a gorgeous red wool, knee length, British style coat. Perfectly tailored to her slim, post baby frame. My own dreams of putting dresses and trousers together without aid of a pattern halt the moment I go to cut the $10 a yard wool blend sitting in front of me. These small inklings of sewing superiority come from seeing the contestants on project runway gladly hack away at beautiful material without even a thought of who is paying for it, because they know 'it ain't them!' Just imagine the possibilities if someone else was purchasing all the raw materials. Mama Griffith- designer genius-sews with pure gold thread on diamond studded fabric- ha, perhaps someday..more likely never. For now the simplicity pattern company has solved my problem with the release of their project runway pattern line. How convenient and just in time. Now all I have to do is cut and sew. Oh and find the time!

Award

This award is in Portuguese and translated says, “This blog invests and believes, in proximity” [meaning, that blogging makes us 'close']. This award was given to me by one of my blogger friends (welcome to the married life) Its a great compliment and I would like to pass it on to one of my favorite Internet reads. A blog that makes me laugh, sometimes tear up, and often comforts me in the knowledge that I am not the only one who's daughter is a socialite. I bestow this award to 'give a little leeway' Because through blogging I have been able to attain a close friend who lives far away. Thank you for all your encouragement, keep up the good writing!

The bell always rings except on the days they leave the door open to the fabric store in wheeler. Friendly faces greet incoming shoppers eager to hear of what new project is being dreamed up. A place where they know your name. I admit to being a frequent face there through the past years. Some see their dream jobs working as working in big corporate settings. Mine is a fabric/ coffee shop. Two of the worlds best things lumped into one. We would even stay open past 8:00pm! Oh and be family friendly- this means a kids corner with toys and a TV. Oh the endless possibility's of ones own imagination. Please let me know if you yourselves have been able to imagine up real live cash along with wishes and dreams, I am still working on it. Apparently I have also been dreaming about the ability to retain quilting knowledge without actually doing it. I went to sew out a baby blanket for a very good friend of mine and WHAT A DISASTER! It started out okay,..until I sewed it together. Since I purchased all new fabric for the project, it was obvious I wasn't going to just throw it out so I took the rainbow shaped disaster and cut it again into smaller chunks hoping somehow I could salvage the disaster and make it look great. Still working on it, I will make sure to post a pic when its done.

wagon train.

Most anyone who went to school in the 90's played the Oregon trail game at least once. I played it in Jr. high. Usually after my children freeze and my livestock die of starvation I either turn back or perish alongside my family. Fun game huh. I have yet to meet anyone who has made it across the rocky mountains. The mere thought of this ancient computer game had escaped me until yesterday I was browsing through the game catalog for my phone and ta da, there it was. I think I might buy it just for the nostalgia....Perhaps they made it a bit easier, then I could have bragging rights. "oh, your stock died and you family came down with pneumonia while you were attacked by Indians? that's too bad. What? oh yes I won the game. We got the best plot of land. Then they made me Governor."

meet the gang

I have had many friends. Some who come into my life for a short time, others who stick around. Its interesting to see who is in the relationship for the long term. I like to call them my forever friends. Dan, Matthiew, Bill, Nathan, and I all graduated at the same time from the same school....Okay Bill and Dan graduated after we did but really, who cares almost 10 years later! Now that we have finally grown up (not really) we have spouses to add to our gang making it all the better. It took some of us a few tries to find just the right one. Someone who fit in. Now the only ones left are Dan and Matthiew. Those poor girls, they will have to pass the most rigorous of tests and perhaps even run the gauntlet as the other wives look on in sadistic pleasure. Why are longstanding friends so important? My best answer is history. It was something which boggled my mind when I moved around the states so much. "What on earth links these people together?" I often asked. Come to find out its the constant test of time and strain of life which brought us to a place of comfort. We all went out to dinner a couple of nights ago. We schemed and planned about the future, as usual. Road trips are our favorite past time. Unfortunately until next august that is all it is. We have been planning a trip to the Utah salt flats for speed week, nothing but sunshine and shopping for us girls. Poor boys, left all alone with hundreds of fast cars. What will they do? Hopefully Matt will join us. I think we will make him a t-shirt that says 'Single, hot and financially responsible!' I am ever so grateful for this experience of long term friendship. This year I have officially known them for more than half my life! I will try to dig up a past pic. at a later date for comparison.

pics from the summer

driving tractors at grandpas is this boys favorite thing to do

This is the face..Cant you tell he is smiling?

Pixie girl

the flu # 2

Its been ages since I have slept on the floor. As I pulled out the sleeping bag and fluffed it, I thought of how much I would end up regretting my decision to pull an overnighter in the family room. Not too bad. We..meaning two out of three kids...had the flu again. Mr danger managed to get all his puking out of the way at Fred Meyer on Tuesday. What a relief! Generally the flu is my most preferred sickness because it usually only lasts one day unlike the constant cold we continually have all winter long. Not this time. Defiantly thinking about flu shots. You never know they might have gotten the right one this time *snicker* It is worth a try at least. Today we were going to go skating with the online school community. Somehow I think puke would be harder to clean up off a roller skating rink. If anyone rolled through it...yeah you get the picture. So here I am tapping my fingers on my keyboard hoping and pleading with God that they are well for mob on Wednesday. It would be so nice just to chat for an hour with other moms about nothing in particular.

a bridge to somewhere

Costco.
The mecca for parents who have more than one child.
Costco shopping day.
The fear of most parents.
It all started when I neglected to fill my tank in our town convinced that the $.20 price difference per gallon was more than I could bear. When we left the house my gas gauge was firmly on empty. Everybody who drives a car knows you have at least a few gallons left after that right? I did the math silently in my head and headed past the last resort gas station on my way to the Meglar bridge. When we reached the edge of the bridge I glanced down to discover not only had it dipped beyond the empty mark but had proceeded further than I have ever seen it go. 'Oh, PLEASE God, don't let me run out of gas on the bridge' I piously prayed. The bridge length seemed to triple from over a mile to at least three. More and more doubts compiled themselves in my consciousness 'Great, I'm gonna get stuck on the road and never live this one down. How am I going to explain my way out it. I wounder if the news would report me as an idiot driver.' I tried desperately to calm myself down as we began to crest, the car feeling as it was gas hungry. Amazingly, we did not live out my biggest humiliation fear of stopping traffic across the bridge, we barley made it to the gas station in time. While I watched the gallons pour into my barren tank I vowed never again to cut it that close and I thanked God for saving my heiny yet again.
Costco shopping seemed a relief compared the drive and although Gregory decided to vomit all over the floor at Fred Meyers my nerves were not shaken. We finished up in a mere two hours and headed home. Might I add, with a very full tank!

aaaarrrrgggghhhh!!!!

Book three of the Eragon trilogy did not end...I have to wait another 2!!! YEARS!!!! aaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!! other than that the book was masterfully written and researched and on a whole I enjoyed it page to page.

the call.

When I moved here over a year ago, something I don't want to do is start another M.O.B. ( a mom support group) Its allot of work and since we didn't have a church home I could justify it.



Jonah running away from Nineveh makes allot of sense now. Moms are not vile and evil, rather they all have differing opinions about how raise children etc. Imagine that stuffed into a conference room full of screaming kids.

"If mama ain't happy no one is"

and yet, though diverse, my last group of girls got along so well. I'm praying about it even though I know what God wants me to do. I'm hoping he will change his mind! I'm going to give the pastor a call and discuss it with him further. Yes, the church even has an espresso machine...be praying for my heart. I really haven't wanted to tie myself to this city in fear of being stuck. It might be just what I need.