basketball cards

These babies should really be worth something in a few years, when Michael is a rich and famous...uh...alphabet belcher?

A decade of marriage

In 1997 I was lucky enough to meet the one guy who was willing to be shackled to me for the rest of his life. Nate and I got married ten years ago today. In this installment, you will have to permit me to veer into a sentimental realm, an area in which I am not particularly comfortable. I am thankful for my better half, and I hope we will be blessed with several more decades to journey through together. I am thankful for our parents' example of faithful Christian marriage. I am thankful for having married into a wonderful family. I am thankful that my husband loves me despite knowing me so well. I am thankful for his intelligence, how he has provided for our family, and for our shared sense of humor. I am thankful for our four naughty, delicious children. Happy Anniversary Nate - I love you!

p.s. Wikipedia says the 10th is the Tin/Aluminum anniversary. How underwhelming is that?

out with the old

I inaugurated a new winter coat this week, which I was forced to buy when the zipper on my coat of 11.5 years finally failed me. Pictured is my well-worn and faithful (until last Saturday) protection from the wintry elements:

Now, I know what you're thinking. "An old coat? Who gives a flip? What a dopey, inconsequential blog post. I'm never coming here again." And you're mostly right. But I got to thinking of all the things that have happened to me while this coat was in my possession. I struck out on my own, met Nate, got married, had 4 kids. Also, some really important things happened to me, like when I ate my first Big Mac and endured my first ingrown toenail. All under the watch of this old corduroy coat.

Xmas presents to myself

This snapshot of some of my junk on the end table reveals what I've been up to lately. I bought myself Buffy the Vampire Slayer seasons 1&2 with some Christmas money. Nate and I are slowly making our way through season 1 after the kids go to bed. The special effects are lame-o but the humor that pervaded all 7 seasons is there. My brother Andrew bought me Little House on the Prairie season 1, which I already own, so I exchanged it for The Office, season 4 (Yes, I like LHOTP. If you don't, you're a Nazi and I can't help you). Season 4 of The Office is the truncated one, due to the writer's strike that year. It's enjoyable, though not as good as previous seasons. And when I lock myself in the bathroom to hide from the kids, I read Charlotte Bronte's Villette. I'm not quite halfway through, and it's not as entertaining as Jane Eyre. Not pictured are Friends seasons 5&8, from Nate, which I haven't gotten to yet.

Gleeful Maniacal Pancake Destroyer

"Face the Choice"

Back-to-School Shiner

To kick off the week back at school after the nice long holiday break, Adrienne came home yesterday looking like she'd been in a bar fight with some dude named Guido. The school nurse called me in the afternoon to inform me of her mishap, which was basically 'eyeball meets icy pavement'. When she said "this is Mrs. So-and-So, the school nurse" I groaned "oohhh" in a way that made her laugh and admit that no one ever likes hearing from her (well, maybe if you school nurses ever contacted us for a pleasant reason...). Obviously, it's bruised and puffy and looks painful, but she insists it's not. This faux-stoicism presents itself whenever my kids manage to mangle themselves in some way. After every loud clunk in the house, someone will immediately shout "I'm okay!" The kids don't even like to wear band-aids, lest the slightest special attention should lead to a trip to the doctor - that evil giver of shots and yucky medicines.