Good F Words: Family

First Full Day: Fabulous Family Fun Day 2

2012-01-10T09:30:00.001-06:00

Our first full day at Disneyworld was spent in Hollywood Studios. We'd planned our trips to coincide with the early hours available at the parks we wanted to visit. We were those crazy folks arriving onto the park grounds at about 6:30 each morning. This was our first full day of play, and we probably stayed too long and did a bit too much because we were still learning the ropes. However, it was a wonderful day. It started WAY TOO EARLY with breakfast on the bed. Alec could hardly keep his eyes open to eat his Hostess donuts and drink his milk.

Breakfast of champs.

At the park, our first order of business was Star Tours and Padawan Training. These two activities were the primary reasons why both boys wanted to visit this park. Thanks to Fast Passes and an early park arrival, we were able to ride Star Tours a couple of times without waiting more than a couple of minutes in line. I admit I love Star Wars almost as much as my boys, and the ride and the "training" were both awesome. The boys used their gift cards to make their own lightsabors, so that was also very cool.

Star Tours

Making his own lightsabor.

The number one request for the day.

Alec with his handmade lightsabor.

Padawan Training was great. The boys were with a group of about 20 kids and they were given training on how to be jedi knights. Everything was going well until...

Uh-oh...evil arrives.

Seriously freaky looking character. Darth Maul has always given me the heebie jeebies.

Alec was awesome. He was the next-to-last kid who got to fight Darth Vador and when he went onstage he said in this awesome tough guy voice, "I'm not afraid of the Dark Side!" It was priceless. Sooooo wish I would have thought to record video.

Alec battling Darth Vador.

Zach was equally awesome. He had some fancy footwork and the Jedi Knight training him actually had to pull him off of Darth Maul. :-)

Zach battling Darth Maul.

After the Star Wars morning of events we enjoyed the rest of the park. These guys were a hit.

The family with Phineas and Ferb.

The Buzz Lightyear ride was a wonderful blessing. We didn't have fast passes for the ride because we'd spent so much time with the Star Wars stuff, but as we walked through the park a nice man came up to us and handed me his fast passes for the ride. He had three of them and wasn't going to stay long enough to use them. So the boys and I got to do Buzz Lightyear! It was fun. We were all so blessed by the fast pass gifting that we did it later on in our visit at another park.

Outside of the Buzz Lightyear ride. Loved this guy!

Starting to get a bit tired. It was about 5 p.m. and we were waiting on our dinner reservation time of 5:30.

We had dinner in the park at Mama Ristorante, which was really yummy, and when we finished eating it was time for the Christmas lights. Wow is all I can really say. They were breathtaking.

Osborne Lights. So incredible!

This was the response from all of us.

About twelve hours after arriving at the park (yes, I said that), we headed back to the hotel. Before we left, I bought my two tired boys the requisite "ears."

Zach wanted Donald Duck.

Alec, naturally, chose Goofy.

Fantastic Family Fun: Disneyworld Post 1

2012-01-07T21:21:00.000-06:00

Alec and I right before we got in the car to leave for Disneyworld.

Two super excited boys!

Fantastic Family Fun: Post #1

We began our drive to Orlando on December 17. After about a year of planning and talking about it, I think the boys were in that place where surreal and real merge. Alec couldn't believe that the time had FINALLY arrived. We drove a little more than half-way and spent the night in Georgia. On Sunday, December 18, we checked into our Coronado Springs Resort hotel in the afternoon and a few hours later we entered Magic Kingdom for the first time. We had tickets to Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, which began when regular park hours ended.

My sweeties with me in front of the castle.

I debated on whether we should spend the extra money on those tickets, and I am SO glad that we splurged. It was such a great first look at Disneyworld. Crowds were not bad, plus we got to see the parade and the park all lit up at night. It was great!

Our first Disney Activity was the Christmas Party on Dec 18th. We arrived in the park at about 5 p.m.

This was the response when we arrived at Magic Kingdom.

My wonderful boys.

Our first show was Mickey's PhilHarmagic. LOVED it. Zach was trying to look tough, but he loved it too. :)

We did the Haunted Mansion AT NIGHT, and I was a bit concerned about how Alec would handle the scariness. He did great, and actually told me to take this picture.

This was our first ride. Can you tell that Zach is a wee bit excited?

The parade was AMAZING. I loved it!

Who can resist the seven little people?

Love those kiddos.

Pretty.

End of day one. This was taken by Alec. It is one of my favorite pictures!

Festivus

2011-12-17T19:54:00.000-06:00

Okay, first of all, I am a failure with my blogging of late. I'll not make too many apologies, but I should record -- for posterity -- that my last month has been spent editing my novel (due to be published in the spring), and re-editing my novel, teaching, grading, grading, mothering, and grading. Somewhere in the midst of that there were Christmas parties, piano lessons, basketball games, cub scout meetings, a Christmas musical, and I THINK (though don't quote me on this) that I may have cooked some suppers and washed a few loads of laundry and maybe even hung out with my husband once or twice.

ANYHOOOOO...

Today begins the FESTIVUS (that would be a Seinfeld reference for those of you who are younger than 15 years of age). For 2011, The Bishop clan has forgone the normal trappings of Christmas (I did not even put up a tree!), and we are going on the most magical journey together.

Tonight I write from Albany, Georgia, where my family is holed up in a Courtyard by Marriott.
Tomorrow we journey onward to ... yes, you guessed it...

ORLANDO...FLORIDA... (that would be Disneyworld, for those of you who are actually from Florida and might assume other people would visit for any other reason).

The boys have been counting down the days for months. When we actually got into the car this morning to begin our drive, I think we all had a sense of "Really? Is this really happening?" I was also doing the frantic mental checklist of "Did I turn off the..." and Mike was just kind of thinking, "I would rather be going just about anywhere but the most crowded place on earth." :-)

The boys were great travelers today, though my Alec-gater is feeling a bit under the weather tonight. I think he's officially caught the cold I had last week. Hoping he can get a good night's sleep and feel perkier tomorrow.

Tomorrow night we will attend Mickey's Christmas Party, so that will be our first official Disney activity. We're excited! Really, really, I am very excited to get this party started!

Until the next Festivus post...

good Fellas

2011-11-02T15:53:00.001-05:00

My good fellas. I took the boys home a couple of weeks ago over their fall break. My brother was able to join us in Wynnewood for a couple of those days. Those little boys sure do love their Uncle Bo. I think he competes pretty closely with Poppa Jim, which is saying quite a lot.

My boys think going to Wynnewood, Oklahoma, population small, is pretty amazing. I never thought of Wynnewood as any sort of AMAZING place when I was a kid. It was just home. It still is home for me. I guess that it doesn't matter so much that I've lived as much of my life outside of Wynnewood as I have in that town. Home is home. It was good to be home with my fellas. We were only missing Mike.

Alec and Zach, October 2011

My guys with Uncle Bo at a Wynnewood football game.

My guys hanging out in the Sheriff's car at the football game when they got a bit too cold.
It sure is nice to have connections! The boys got extremely excited when they heard
the dispatcher's voice over the radio.

Fishing with Pop. It was not a good day for catching, but we enjoyed dropping in our lines.

My good fellas. Love 'em.

Family Ties

2011-10-27T10:52:00.001-05:00

My sisters and me.

A few weeks ago, I joined my sisters for our annual "Sissy Weekend." These girls aren't sisters by blood, but they certainly are sisters-in-heart. Sara and I were suitemates during our freshman year at Harding. I played softball with Cara during that same year. For our sophomore year, Sara and I were roommates and Cara was our suitemate. Sometime during our sophomore year, I looked up and discovered this girl named Maria hanging out in my room. She was from Philly and had this crazy accent. We adopted her and soon-thereafter she moved into our suite. My life would not be the same without these three friends.

Cara married Kent Jobe (a boy I dated once or twice at Harding). Kent is a preacher at a church in El Dorado, Arkansas. Cara is an elementary school teacher. They have three gorgeous children. Derek is the same age as my Zach. Austin is a couple years younger, and Brylee is their baby sister. The Jobes are scholar-athletes, and all of the kids are very active in sports while also being super smart.

Sara married Jim Miller (a boy Cara dated once or twice at Harding). Jim is a professor at Harding. Sara is a part-time professor there as well. They have two beautiful children. Laura, a pretty little girl who loves to dance, is the same age as my Alec. Grant is three and is all-boy. Sara and Jim and the kids will be taking a Harding University group to Italy in the spring (Hellooooo. Jealous.). Sara will teach and will also homeschool Laura while they are there. I would LOVE to join them for that semester, but alas, I have the much more glamorous job at Southwest Tennesee Community College.

Maria was a year behind us at Harding, so she graduated a year later. She moved to Dallas and had her beautiful heart broken, but was lucky enough to get a super-dooper cute kiddo out of the deal. Her Aidan is finishing up preschool and will be a big kindergartener next year. Maria is by-far the most glamorous of all of us, and we love to make fun of her for being such a Dallas girl. Maria lost her mother to cancer about a year before I lost mine to Alzheimers. We share that loss and our intense love and worry for our fathers.

For this year's trip, we met in Branson and stayed in a beautiful rental home for a nice, long weekend. This was our first non-hotel weekend, and I think we all loved having our own bedrooms and bathrooms. We ate, shopped, primped, ate, shopped, laughed. We share about 18 years of memories, which makes me feel just a tad old. It is fascinating to me how we can pick up right where we left off, no matter how long it has been between visits.

Cara and Sara

Andrea and Maria

Our fancy house on the mountain.

Sara and Maria

We kept seeing these four ladies around town. They made us laugh because this will be us in about thirty more years!

This is Maria dancing to the music in the candy store we visited.

The girls are waiting inside of the tatoo and piercing parlor that we visited.

Sara is getting her upper ear pierced. Cara did the same thing, but I didn't get a picture of her.

My beautiful, sweet Maria.

My sissies. The family ties between us are made of so much more than mere genetics!

Fifth Grade Essay

2011-10-07T09:06:00.001-05:00

Zach had to write a 100 word essay last night about citizenship. The prompt was: "I am a good citizen because..."

This is what my clever 10-year-old came up with. The boy is such fun. (I left spelling as he wrote it.)

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If you think of Batman, he is ahero of Gotham City. He protects theinnocent, scoops up villains, and always helps the police. And if you think about it hard, he is acitizen too. A good citizen is someonewho helps the police, doesn’t litter, takes care of their neibors, and doesn’tcommit crimes. I am a good citizenbecause I don’t loiter or litter. Idon’t cuss either. Insted, I give moneyto the homeless. I respect theelderly. I take care of my neibors’ catswhen they are gone. I am a goodbrother. I make sure that my Boxerpuppy, Rosie, doesn’t get into other people’s yards. I’m not Batman or Superman or Green Lantern,but I am a good citizen.

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This is my boy. He's a pop culture junkie, and can quote every Star Wars, Harry Potter, Looney Tunes, Batman Brave and the Bold show ever created. He is also extremely sweet natured and gentle. He makes me laugh, and he frustrates the crud out of me. He sleep walks and sleep sings and sleep yells. He plays the piano beautifully and has an unbelievable capacity for memorizing tunes. He is the best big brother that I have ever seen, and genuinely loves Alec and looks out for the little scamp. My sweet Zachary Thomas Bishop. He's a keeper!

Flyers

2011-09-27T10:02:00.001-05:00

We've had a few flying adventures over the past few weeks. Mike and his band played at the Memphis Airshow two weekends ago. The boys and I went out to hear Daddy and to see the sights. It was hot and bright out there, as you can see by the squinty face that Alec is wearing in this picture.

My awesome guys.

Look how huge that plane is.

Boys inside of that big ol' plane.

Freedom

My amazing rock star of a husband.

We also created a flyer of our own for Alec's first task as a new Cub Scout. He has really been excited about joining a scouting group. I don't know much about Scouts, so I've got a pretty steep learning curve. Thankfully, Mike has some experience, and Alec is LOVING the whole thing. On Saturday, Alec participated in the Space Derby. He and Mike made a wooden plane that was propelled by a rubberband propeller. Alec choose to make it look like a Green Lantern plane.

Painting the plane.

Alec with his pack.

Alec with his spaceship prize.

Alec with the Green Lantern plane.

The finished product. Alec painted it himself. Pretty good!

Frenzy

2011-09-08T11:31:00.001-05:00

I'm feeling frenzied today. I've been in a cleaning frenzy all morning. I've been in a writing frenzy, but the kind of frenzy where I have the ideas but can't seem to get them into the RIGHT words onto the page. I've got a frenzy of activity in my life with work and children and church-related things. I'm also in a frenzy of worry over my dad, whose health is just not at all what I want it to be.

Dad has to begin dialysis treatments in the near future. He has a couple of tests to complete first, and then the dialysis will begin. I am torn over this news. I absolutely hate the finality of dialysis. Once he begins, he'll never be able to stop. It will be a constant part of his life as long as he's living. This is pretty depressing for him, but it also depresses me because it really means he'll be pretty much stuck in Oklahoma. There will be no trips here to Tennessee to see us. That makes me so sad. He has never seen this home that we've made in Bartlett. When we moved here in July 2009, Mom was already too sick to travel. Now she is gone, but Dad is too ill to travel. I would like to show off my home to my family. It's really not much, but it's ours and we love it. It only makes sense that I want to share it with the people I love.

So the finality of dialysis is the downside, but the upside is that Dad will most likely feel much better when the procedures begin. He will most likely gain some of the strength he has lost. I have to admit that having my dad as weak as he is now scares me. He has always been so strong and healthy. This change in him has thrown me.

We spent Labor Day weekend with Dad. The boys enjoyed their time with Poppa Jim even though he can't do many of the things he used to do with them. They still think he's the best Pop in the world. I'd have to agree.

We also visited the cemetary and got our first look at Mom's headstone. It looks nice. Classy and pretty, just like she was. If you can see on the headstone, their wedding anniversary was Sept. 2nd. They would have celebrated 44 years.

Sometimes Mike complains about the busy-ness of our life with two active boys. His upbringing was a bit different from mine. My childhood was spent with kids in and out of our home. Mom always had enough supper to feed at least one or two more at the table. We spent as much time at football or basketball games as we did at home. I did more than half of my homework sitting in the bleachers before a game. I loved it. I also had no idea that many mothers would NOT have welcomed so many urchins to their supper tables or have been so willing to be at every single activity. I want to be that kind of mom. So even though I sometimes feel FRENZIED with everything going on in our lives, I welcome the crazy. Sometimes crazy is pretty darn good.

Fabulous 37

2011-09-01T07:12:00.002-05:00

Today is my 37th birthday. This seems somewhat surreal since I still think of myself as a 20-something. I wonder if when I turn 57 that I'll still be surprised by the fact that my body is so much older than my spirit. I hope so!

Today is my 37th birthday. It is also my first birthday on this earth without my mom here with me. I'm thinking about her today. I'm taking my boys to Oklahoma this afternoon for the Labor Day weekend so that we can spend some time with Dad.

Today is my 37th birthday. My children sang to me at breakfast. My husband hugged and kissed me and presented me with perfume and chocolate. I've already received texts and facebook messages and it's only 7:15 a.m. I am truly and completely blessed.

Today is my 37th birthday. God is good and faithful. I'm a full year older. I love my family desperately.

I miss my mom. It's my birthday.

Fragrances and memory: London

2011-08-19T09:26:00.006-05:00

I've been enjoying my morning walks this week. The weather is a bit cooler, and the morning air has a hint of fall in it. I like to listen to music when I walk, but I also like to go without the ipod on some days and just t-h-i-n-k. Crazy, I know, but sometimes I feel like my head is going to explode because of all of the noises battling to get inside. It's nice to occasionally just breathe, in...out... and not have SOUND pumping furiously into my ears via those clever little earbuds.

This morning was a music-free walk. There was a dampness to the air this morning, and just a bit of coolness. I could smell the moisture, and then I could smell the exhaust from the school busses, and I was instantly inside of a memory. A memory of my time in London as a college student.

London has a smell to it. It is rain and diesel fuel, perfume and body odor. It is musty air rushing up at you as you enter the tube stations combined with the smell of roasted chestnuts being sold in aluminum foil packets on the street corner by Cockneyed-accented Londoners. It is the smell of vinegar and salt on the freshest fish and chips wrapped in the London Times. London is the damp odor of wet wool. I cannot remember a single thing about my time in London without also remembering the scents.

We lived in The New Atlantic Hotel for the semester, my little group of coeds and me. The hotel was a winding, twisting, layered concoction of several floors with dozens of staircases that often went nowhere. We were not the only college students inhabiting that hotel, but we were the only ones who didn't openly smoke pot in the hallways. I've never smoked a joint, but I know the sickly sweet smell of pot, and it is London to me.

One of my favorite places in London was Hyde Park, which smells like water, duck poop, and fresh air (always tinged with that scent of diesel exhaust). I'm a small town girl, raised closer to the country than to town, and London occassionally imprisoned me. When that happened, I'd escape to Hyde Park and read, study, and people watch. A piece of soft grass, an old towel to sit on, trees, water, books, and crazy people. There's no better show, no better venue.

London smelled more exciting at night. When the temperature began to drop, the crispness of the air seemed to bring out the scent of cologne on the necks of handsome men. It made the smell of a theatre seem more cultured. It even turned the scent of the tube into excitement. During the day the tube smelled like the people who rode the underground train to work: toast and jam, Earl Gray tea with cream, soap, morning breath. At night, the tube smelled like the people who rode it to play: beer, strong perfume, vomit, popcorn, and something I can only label as Excitement.

I can remember the sight of snowflakes falling on me from a night-darkened sky while I walked back to the hotel after a long day. They were the first snowflakes I'd seen in London, and they were important because it was December and almost time to go back home. Home to Oklahoma, home to Harding in Searcy. The smell of the air that night with the cold scent of snow made me sad. Sad to leave, but also sad because the snow smelled like home...and I missed home.

The fragrance of home, of childhood. Hmmm, maybe next post.

Fragrances and memories. They are all wrapped up together, aren't they?

From Heaven

2011-08-14T11:00:00.000-05:00

I am constantly reminded that my children have such a wonderful, unique view of their world. Last night the boys and I were driving home from Target (our happy place) when Alec asked what Grandmom looks like now that she's in heaven.

Alec tends to ask things at seemingly random times, though if I work hard enough I can usually trace his thoughts back a few minutes or hours or days. For this conversation I didn't have to trace too far. For the past few minutes we'd been discussing the word "amnesia" because he'd heard it somewhere and wanted to know what it meant. After I explained the definition of the word, Alec had said, "So... it's kind of like Grandmom."

Of course, that brought about another round of explanation. So after we discussed the differences between amnesia and Alzheimers, he said, "I'm glad Grandmom is in heaven now because she has all of her memories again. And she remembers us now." At this point I had to open my eyes extra wide to allow the tears to sink back in a bit. Then he said, "So, what does Grandmom look like now that she's in heaven? I think she's young again, but maybe not too young, but definitely not sick and in bed."

Then my sweet Zachary chimed in on this discussion and said, "I think we probably get to choose what we look like when we get to heaven. I mean, maybe it's like picking out toys or clothes, and you get to pick out what you want to look like. That'd be cool."

I said, "Yes, that would be cool. I think I'd pick out the 20 year old me." Alec said, "I bet Grandmom picked out the 20 year old her too. Poppa Jim would like that I think."

Oh, those boys. They are such insightful, wonderful little creatures. They are such blessings. Even when they make me crazy (a daily occurance), I cannot imagine my life without them. My mom thought they were just about the best things ever. I wish they could have had her healthy and whole for much, much longer. I know she's still loving them from heaven.

Feelings

2011-08-10T09:32:00.002-05:00

So today is the third day of school, which means this morning was the third morning of waking up at 6:45. It didn't go so well. Here's the irony. All summer long, on days when no one HAD to be awake by any certain time, Alec-the-stinker was in my room stage-whispering "CAN I WAKE UP NOW?" by 6:30 or 6:45. Every morning. In a super happy mood. Since school has started? Not so much.

This morning while he was eating his happiest breakfast - the one that is almost a surefire guarantee to put a smile on his face -- Frosted Flakes, (I know, I'm a bad mom) he was STILL grumbling and grousing into those sugary flakes of goodness. So I told him, "Alec, time to go change out of those cranky pants and put on some happy ones."

His response? "I'm not wearing any pants. And these are NOT cranky undies." He took a moment to check out the undies in question and then said, "They are CAMO undies."

Feelings. It was a toss up between humored and frustrated, but that is a constant state of being in this household. I'm eternally humorously frustrated by my wacky children.

First Day

2011-08-08T14:01:00.003-05:00

Wow. It just doesn't seem possible. I'm the mother of a 5th grader and a 1st grader. How can my little Zachy be 10 years old and in his last year of elementary school?! How can my baby already be in first grade?!

Every year when I take their first day of school pictures they show me their grades by holding up that many fingers. Alec was excited this morning because he got to hold up a 1. Kingergarten and preschool were kind of difficult to illustrate. And this is the customary "show me your backpack" picture. I love to do these because some day Alec will not be that much shorter than his big brother!

Zachary was out of the car and down the sidewalk in a flash. He did NOT want me walking him in today.

Thankfully Alec was completely fine with Mom walking him in and taking pictures. This is his new teacher Mrs. Potts.

And here's my baby ready for his first day of first grade.

Prayers for a year of knowledge, friends, and blessings!

Family Fun Weekend

2011-08-08T13:25:00.006-05:00

Last year we began the first annual "Weekend of Fun" before school started back. This past weekend was our second annual family fun weekend. We decided to visit the River Park on Mud Island on Saturday morning.

Riding the monorail was pretty cool. It was neat seeing the Pyramid and the Mississippi Bridge from that viewpoint.

The riverwalk itself was pretty disappointing. It was extremely dirty, mucky, yucky. There was even a dead bird just lying on the concrete beside the "river." Thankfully, the view, the paddleboats, and the museum salvaged the visit.

The boys LOVED the paddleboats.

My boys are getting so big. I cannot believe that Zach is a 5th grader and Alec is already in 1st grade. It's a cliche, but so true that time goes by far too quickly.

My favorite part of the weekend was dinner at the Melting Pot. I always enjoy this dining experience. I mean, HellOOO, chocolate fondue! The boys got excited when the fondue pot started to steam.

Other activities this weekend were Build a Bear (for Alec) and Harry Potter 7.2 (for Zach). We ate great food all weekend, which was fun because we've all been eating very healthy for the past month. The boys were excited about donuts on Saturday morning because it had been ages since I'd allowed that indulgence. I'm getting us back on the healthy eating today, but the weekend's food was certainly fun.

It will be fun to continue this tradition each year. I know the activities will change as our boys grow and develop into young men. I'm sure Build a Bear will not be a "cool" activity for much longer, and I'm not sure how long Harry Potter will be THE obsession for Zach. I just want to cherish each stage of their lives because I know I'll be sending them off to college before I'm ready!

Father Fright

2011-08-04T20:00:00.003-05:00

My dad is scaring me.

He is not doing very well right now. I worry about him constantly, and I deal with guilt for not being closer to home. He's having problems with his kidneys, which is not a new thing, but it is a chronic, debilitating thing. He's in stage 4 renal failure, and since there are only 5 stages and the last one is the "it's time for a transplant or daily dialysis treatments," stage 4 is bad enough. He's also having heart troubles. He's been diagnosed with congestive heart failure, and we've learned that his heart is only pumping about 30% of the blood in his body out of his heart.

This is an interesting fact because his body is chronically anemic. He's currently admitted to the hospital in Pauls Valley getting a blood transfusion because he was at least two units short of blood. They may actually put more than two units in him tonight.

He has an angioplasty scheduled in two weeks. I'm hoping and praying that this procedure will provide us with some solutions to get my dad back on his feet. I need him healthy and strong. He's only 64 years old! Please keep him in your prayers. I can't lose him too.

Fourth of July

2011-07-18T21:34:00.003-05:00

This post is a bit belated, but I still wanted to post these pictures. Mike and his group played at Navy Lake in Millington for the Independence Day celebration. It was so incredibly hot that day, and the band was playing on a black, metal surface in full uniform. Yikes! Regardless, he was amazing, as always.

My three guys. How could a girl be THIS lucky?!

Florida Room...Finished! (though not completely furnished)

2011-07-17T12:17:00.002-05:00

Welcome to the finished (though not completely furnished/decorated) Florida Room. Our family has been out of town for the last two weeks, first to church camp and then to Oklahoma. When we returned, we had a completed room instead of a little ol' patio. I am so loving it! I'm trying to get a plan of action for how to furnish it. We want to move the boys' massive LEGO collection out there, so I need to find a cool piece of furniture to hold those toys. We picked up the rust colored chair and side tables at a local antique/consignment store yesterday. The blue chair has been relocated from the living room. My budget is quickly shrinking, so I may have to wait a couple of months to really complete the room. I think I want to find a cool quilt and hang it on the brick side of the room. The bricks are really rough to the touch, and I think a quilt would soften it a bit, plus it might provide some sound absorption. We'll see. I'm also considering completely removing the windows between the living room and the sunroom so that it is an open space there instead of old (ugly) screens. Again...we'll see.

And this is my beautiful wall of windows.

Let me know if you have any suggestions for my room. I really am open to ideas, especially the types of ideas that are budget friendly!

Footwear in the Florida Room

2011-07-02T15:30:00.002-05:00

This just blew me away! The guy is wearing stilts. He walked around doing the high work on the day they installed the drywall. Genius!

Florida Room, post 2

2011-07-01T06:57:00.002-05:00

After the fourth day of construction, it looks very much like an actual room! The door is on.Windows, ceiling fan, and insulation are all installed. On a side note, I find it very funny that they haven't removed the porch swing or the wind chimes yet. The men often sit on the porch swing for quick breaks, so maybe that's the reason it's still up. But the wind chimes?

Those are my guys checking out those pretty windows.

And here it is from the yard. Speaking of the yard, something MUST be done about it! Grass simply will not grow in the back. I think we have too much shade or something. I need some landscaping advice. Buddy Bishop, brother-in-law and landscape god, please fix my yard!

Until the next installment of the Florida Room, in which we will discuss carpets, airconditioners, and walls.

Florida Room, post 1

2011-06-29T08:38:00.003-05:00

My house is under construction. We are a zone of banging, hammering, sawing, tapping, and other various loud noises. I'm not a fan of the noise, but I am very excited about the eventual outcome. We are in the process of turning our back patio into a (drum roll please) Florida Room! I didn't actually realize Florida Room was the official name for an enclosed sunroom until we started talking to contractors, but the first thing that I thought when I learned this nugget of truth was, "Oooh, a good F word!" Yes, yes I AM that big of a nerd.

So, we're under construction. After two days of work, the guys have the frame up and treated and today they are beginning to install windows and maybe siding. Here's what we have so far.

It'll be fun to show progress on this as we go along. The new room will be airconditioned, carpeted, painted, and completely finished (hopefully) in about two weeks!

This is how Rosie passes her time while the guys are banging out in the back yard. She's at the FRONT door where she can keep an eye on everything while also staying away from the loud noises. (Pay no attention to the dirty baseboards or floor.)

And this is where Molly is spending her time. She's trying to camouflage herself behind a loaf of bread on the stove. I think she's trying to look like another teapot. She is really NOT a fan of these construction workers. :-)

Until the next installment of the Florida Room where we will showcase windows and siding.

Father's Day...belated

2011-06-28T09:22:00.002-05:00

Mike's parents were here with us on Father's Day, so I was able to get a precious picture of three generations of Bishop boys.

Mike is such a great father. I am so blessed to be his wife and the mother of his children!

Finally: Shoe Lace Success

2011-06-11T14:16:00.003-05:00

Alec can tie his shoes!

Family... and Action Figures

2011-06-11T02:48:00.000-05:00

The boys and I went to Oklahoma a couple of weeks ago to check on Dad and spend time there. I worry about my Dad constantly. His health just is not what I want it to be. But that's an entirely different post. He loved having the boys with him, and was as silly as ever with them.

We also drove over to Pauls Valley to the Toy and Action Figure Museum. This is a fun way to pass an hour on a hot, hot summer day when we're home. The Museum has toys of all shapes and sizes.

Army guys...

Harry Potter...

Spiderman...
(Alec thought the Spiderman undies were HILARIOUS.)

Star Wars scary bug thingy...

And walls and walls and walls of superheroes.

Family and action figures. Really, what more does a boy need?

Fourth Grade Is OVER!

2011-06-10T06:00:00.000-05:00

This post makes me a little bit sad. Zach will be in fifth grade in the fall. It will be his last year in elementary school. That makes me more than a little anxious and more than a lot bewildered. How the heck did my little Zachy become a 10 year old with a pack of buddies, an ipod, a love for Harry Potter and a spankin' ability to play piano?! I feel like I could close my eyes, turn around, and find a 2 year old blondie with a whole slew of Thomas the Tank Engine trains lined up beside him.

My big guy was the only boy in his fourth grade class who got all A's on his report card all year long. Smarty pants. Mr. Marks only had one girl and one boy with all As. This is Z getting that academic award:

And this is Zach receiving the Citizen Award.

And this is my guy with his pack of school friends. Zach has been blessed with a lot of buddies.

First Grader-to-be

2011-06-09T14:11:00.003-05:00

Alec was promoted out of kindergarten in May. (I'm behind on my blogging.) He had a very good year with Mrs. Todd. I was honestly worried about Alec attending an all-day kindergarten waaaayyyy back in August when he began. Thankfully, he adjusted beautifully and enjoyed school. Of course, I missed him and continued to wish that school days were shorter. I like that my boys go to school, but I do wish that their school day ended at 2 instead of at 3. I've always wished that. Of course, now that we're in the middle of 100 degree weather in June with no school to go to... Hmmm, maybe that school thing wasn't so bad after all.

Anyway, I digress. This is my little man as he arrived on the gym floor with his classmates.

This is Alec getting his hug from the principal. I thought it was sweet that she hugged them. :) I know the 4th graders didn't get hugs from the principal!

This is Alec with his sweet teacher and with his certificate.

Why oh why must they grow up so fast?!

Final day of 4th grade/kindergarten

2011-06-04T15:17:00.004-05:00

I'm about two weeks late with this particular post: Last Day of School. I'm sad that Alec won't be a kindergartener next year, and I'm sad that Zach will be in his last year of elementary school next year. It will be a milestone year for both of them come fall: 5th and 1st grades.

This was the smiling, oh-so-happy duo on their final day of school, May 25, 2011.

Below is a picture of the boys with our pretty new car (Mazda 5) parked on our pretty new driveway. And because I always like to see the changes that have taken place between August and May, the first picture is from the last day of school, and the second picture is from the first day. Alec has grown quite a bit!

Piano Forte

2011-05-21T16:41:00.006-05:00

Zachary performed in his spring piano recital this afternoon. He is such a performer, and it never fails to amaze me how well he does when on stage. He's never nervous...never. He seems to just enjoy the moment, and he truly rises to the occasion. I love it! I'm a proud, proud mama.

This is his performance:

He played "Hedwig's Theme" from Harry Potter. His piano teacher, Mr. Anthony, was very pleased with Zach's performance. Zach and Anthony do a lot of talking during their lessons. They both love Harry Potter, and they both love dogs. Anthony said that the owner of Bartlett Music Academy was very complimentary of Zach, saying that Z "had an amazing musical instinct." I agree wholeheartedly! This is Zach with Anthony.

I love my sweet, wonderful, musical Zachary Thomas Bishop!

Fantasy Cheerios

2011-05-19T01:09:00.005-05:00

Tonight I dreamed of Mom.

She was sitting in her spot on the love seat, flipping through a Redbook magazine and asking me about college, about my roommates, if I was dating anyone interesting. Her hair was perfectly primped and she was wearing her signature raisinberry lipstick. She told me I needed to be eating more fruits and veggies and taking longer walks. She said my hair needed some highlights. I was so happy to hear these sage bits of advice that I burst out laughing.

I woke up laughing, but now here I am on the living room couch at 1:16 a.m. with a bowl of Cheerios, a heart of sadness, and my own form of therapy: writing. It seems almost cruel to have had her so real and so tangible in my dream when the fantasy can't come true. At 1:18 in the morning, such sadness warrants Cheerios. I mean, the very name of the cereal seems like a guarantee that it will help "cheer" me.

Zachary has a piano recital on Saturday, and Alec has a double-header worth of tball that day as well. She would have eaten the whole day up with a spoon and a smile.

This week, I need to work outside in my flower beds, and I just really want her here for advice on that. I did not inherit her abilities with pansies and hostas. I wish I had, but instead I inherited her need/love for chocolate. Unfortunately, I feel like chocolate at 1:20 a.m. would just be way too over-the-top even for me; fortunately, a bowl of Cheerios seems appropriate. Cheerios are supposed to be heart healthy, and my heart could use a little something good tonight.

The whole thing pretty much sucks. Grief, that is... not Cheerios. Cheerios and writing seemed to have done their collective job of helping me deal with that all-too-real fantasy.

And actually, I really do need some highlights.

Feline Fun

2011-05-16T12:18:00.003-05:00

My posts of late have been on the morbid/sad/depressing side. Thought I'd lighten things up a bit. My boys LOVE Simon's Cat videos. If you have a feline in your family, you'll find this funny. You might see humor even if you aren't a cat person.

I'm not usually one for potty humor, but this IS a blog for "f" words...

This one just made me laugh.

Funerary: –adjective, of or pertaining to a funeral or burial:

2011-05-11T12:59:00.000-05:00

I've been researching headstones because my dad has asked me to help him pick one out for my mother's grave. This is a daunting task. First of all, while I do enjoy a good shopping trip, I can't say that the idea of shopping for a suitable funerary monument is something I relish. I've been looking online trying to get ideas so that when I take my dad this weekend we won't be starting from scratch.

Dad said, "No vases or angels or crazy stuff attached. Needs to be simple." If you know my dad, such a statement would not be a surprise to you. What is surprising is how hard it is to actually find a tasteful, simple headstone without the crazy stuff attached. There are a LOT of really tacky monuments out there, and while my mom absolutely loved Elvis Presley, she did not love his tacky mansion when we visited Graceland years ago. She wouldn't want the crazy.

Like any new endeavor, picking out a headstone has a learning curve. For example, I've learned that styles include pillow top, flat, slant, and the standard upright. I've learned that nothing is even remotely inexpensive. I've learned that there are several color options such as grey, black, and mahogany --which are expected-- and others such as imperial red and exotic emerald pearl which are a bit unexpected. I've learned that you can actually put a bench instead of a headstone. It is truly overwhelming.

I don't look forward to this task, but I plan to be prepared. While looking at headstones is weird on so many levels, finding this online today gave me pause for another reason. Kind of hard to see, but the names of the Volkers are Michael and Andrea. I guess it's time to update my own will.

Feeling my way through grief

2011-05-04T14:44:00.002-05:00

Grief is a funny thing. It can consume. It can tickle. It can stain. It can sneak up and knock a girl flat before she even feels it coming.

My mother died on April 5th. Tomorrow is May 5th. Because of her disease, my mother had been leaving me in bits and pieces for years. I think that I expected to be completely relieved when she was finally gone, when she was at peace and in heaven. Instead of being completely relieved, I've been shocked by the pain of grief. Why is it that I'm grieving for a woman for whom I spent the past two years praying desperately that God would bring home? I wanted her to pass on, so why do I miss her so much now?

I've come to the realization that while I was praying for God to bring Mom home, what I desperately wanted was for God to heal her. I wanted to go home and find her gardening in the flower beds instead of vegetating in her hospital bed in the piano room. I wanted to hear her sing Elvis songs (badly) instead of hearing myself sing hymns to her. I wanted her to just get up and walk and talk. I wanted her back. I didn't want her gone. I wanted HER.

And so I grieve. Some days are easy. A few days in the past week have been hard because I'll be blindsided by a Mother's Day commercial on the radio. I discovered quite by accident that I had no business being in a Hallmark store, a Family Christian bookstore, or anywhere near the card aisle at Target. Not even Walgreens is safe. Mother's Day stuff is killing my heart right now.

I've suddenly found myself in tears while driving, while shopping, while watching television, while talking to friends, while reading a book. I've never been an overly emotional woman, so the overabundance of tears has been a bit disheartening for me. I don't really like to cry. I don't really feel better after a long, hard cry. I just feel headachy and sad.

Grief. Honestly? It sucks.

Fun with 10 year old boys: Zach's bday party

2011-04-15T21:51:00.004-05:00

Finally, my boy gets to have his long awaited sleepover. We were supposed to have had this last weekend, but circumstances demanded a postponement. Zach and his two best buddies have had a wonderful Harry Potter party. We've had a lot of imaginative play, and they've had a movie marathon. Alec went to bed at 8 p.m., and the big boys have been eating (and eating, and eating, and eating) and giggling and tooting and giggling and talking everything Harry Potter while watching the newest movie together. Tyler and Zach M. are sweet, smart, wonderful boys. I'm so glad Zach has these guys in his life! Above: Zach and his Rosie.

The t-shirts I made for the boys.

Watch out. The wizards are at work.

Alec, the cutest little brother ever.

A happy, happy Zach.

Zach M. casting a spell.

Zach and Tyler.

A proud momma with her sweet, wonderful, amazing 10 year old boy.

Happy birthday, Zach!

A Woman to Remember

2011-04-12T13:32:00.002-05:00

This is what I wrote for Mom's funeral. Of course, there was no way that I could have made it through a reading of it, but our friend and minister Todd McRay read it for me:

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Mom loved kids. She loved her family. She loved her man. She loved the Lord. Our mother was not perfect, but her imperfections made her the amazing woman that she was. She was proud, but her pride was for her family. She was just a little bit vain, but her vanity was tempered with humility. She enjoyed her regular trips to the beauty shop. She liked having pretty hair and pretty nails, but she also loved digging in her flower beds. She would often get her nails glossy and perfect only to happily destroy them by working in the yard. She had an unapologetic love for chocolate. We had a candy drawer in our house that was always filled with the good stuff, and it was as much for her as it was for us. She often had a Butterfinger Blast from Sonic as her supper on a hot summer night.

She was just a bit greedy when it came to spending time with her grandsons. When the boys were babies, I was often pushed aside while she rolled around on the floor with them. She had a wonderful lust for reading and a passion for teaching children to read. Books and magazines were always close at hand in our house. Her bible was worn from heavy use. While she was, quite possibly, the least lazy person I've ever known, she did love sitting on the couch and watching old movies on TV. A rainy day was the only excuse she needed for a John Wayne or Doris Day movie marathon.

She had a bit of a temper and her wrath was often sparked when one of us tracked mud through the house. Her wrath often found mischievous outlets, such as her tendency to dump ice cold water on Jimbo when he failed to get up and ready for school on time.

She was generous with her smiles, generous with her hugs, and generous with her love. No, she wasn't perfect, but she was pretty amazing.

As children, we knew our home was open to friends. It wasn't unusual for our family of four to grow to five or six at supper time. It wasn't odd to find an extra head on a pillow at night. It wasn't abnormal to have an extra passenger in the car on the way to a football or basketball game.

She took joy in her family and in her friends. She took joy in her students and, later, in her grandsons. She fought the evil disease of Alzheimer's for so many years. The disease stole pieces of her from us over the years. It managed to take memories from her, but it cannot steal our memories of her. Let's remember her as the woman we loved: a woman who loved kids, loved her family, loved her man, and loved the Lord.

Forget-me-not

2011-04-10T20:21:00.004-05:00

My mother passed away on April 5, 2011. She was 63 years old. I'm mourning her loss but rejoicing in her new residence in heaven. My heart is so heavy for my sweet daddy though. They were high school sweethearts, married at 20 years of age, and together for 43 years. He said, "We were together for a long time, but it sure wasn't long enough."

la fête (party!)

2011-04-02T20:21:00.004-05:00

It's that time of year again in the Bishop household: birthdays. Mike's birthday is March 21. Alec's is April 1, and Zach's is April 1o. We have some sort of birthday cake/cupcake/pie in our fridge for weeks at this time of year.

My baby boy turned 6 yesterday. What a sweet little man my Alec Michael has become in the past year. He has mastered the art of being a kindergartener. He's reading and writing. He's adding and subtracting. He played basketball, and is now playing t-ball. He is learning to tie his shoes, and he's desperate to lose his first tooth. He loves to tell knock-knock jokes, but not as much as he loves to push his older brother's buttons. He has this weird little thing about bare feet and NEVER wants to be without socks. He almost climbed into the bathtub with his socks on tonight. He has the sweetest little dimple beside his mouth, and he has the longest eyelashes surrounding beautiful blue eyes. He's extremely affectionate and extremely aware of the role that God plays in his life. His prayers are thoughtful and heartfelt. He discusses heaven as though he's already been there, and he always, ALWAYS, makes us laugh.

We celebrated his birthday yesterday with a special lunch at school. Mike was even able to have the afternoon off, and he joined us for a lovely school lunch and birthday cupcakes with Alec's class.

We also had a birthday bash at Chuck E Cheese yesterday. Alec loved every minute it of it. The best part of the party was when he danced with Chuck E Cheese, though my second favorite moment was watching him try to grab tickets in the Ticket Grabber. He ended up having a couple of big tickets get caught in his crown which was very exciting.

Today we took the boys to the zoo and rounded out our Celebration of Alec. The weather was perfect for a zoo trip. Alec has always been a cat fan, so our first stop was Cat Canyon.The bears are always my faves. Caught these two playing in their river.

My baby boy is skipping and jumping right into his 6th year. I pray God's blessings on him!

Four-legged family naming

2011-03-27T17:38:00.003-05:00

So, we've added a new member to our little, happy clan. My dad gave the boys an early birthday gift when we were in Oklahoma a couple of weeks ago. We are now the proud owners of a 3 month old Boxer pup. She's quite a handful, but is super sweet. It took us awhile to find the perfect name for our four legged family member. Most of you know that we already have two cats: Molly Rainbow and Oliver Whiskers. Molly and Oliver were named for Thomas the Tank Engine characters, so we felt it was only right that the puppy should also have a "Thomas" name. Hence: Rosie.Of course, then we had to come up with the perfect middle name for Rosie. With Molly, Zachary gave her the middle name of Rainbow "because she's a girl and girls love rainbows." (He was 6 years old at that time.) For Oliver, Alec gave him the middle name of Whiskers because when we brought him home his face was tiny but his whiskers were all over the place. For Rosie, Zachary really wanted a name from Harry Potter to serve as the middle name. Hence: Lovegood, for the character of Luna Lovegood (whom we all love!).

So, we have our own sweet Rosie Lovegood as part of the Bishop family. Mike said her name sounded a bit like a stripper's, but Rosie quickly made Mike fall in love with her.

Here she is in all of her cute glory. What a sweet addition to our family.

Fast Forward Spring

2011-03-12T17:59:00.002-06:00

We've been "springing forward" all day today (on Saturday instead of Sunday). Last year we began this fast forward of the yearly daylight savings in spring. Sunday mornings were always so hard because of that lack of an hour of sleep, so we started setting our clocks on Friday night instead of on Saturday night. My boys have been an hour early on everything all day. Thankfully it was a gorgeous day and they've spent most of it playing outside. It's 6:01 p.m., but they believe it's 7:01. They are winding down for their baths and bedtime.

It works really well for us. Might help some of you for next year!

Forty

2011-03-08T11:33:00.003-06:00

My husband will be turning 40 years old in a couple of weeks. This is noteworthy for two reasons: 1) I am 3 1/2 years younger than him; and 2) I am not turning 40 for another 3 1/2 years. No, seriously, it's a big deal turning 40, right? It's a big forty-something deal, and I want to do something special to commemorate this momentous occasion.

So... what should I do? I...got...nothing. Seriously, I'm usually somewhat clever at coming up with fun, creatively-inclined ideas, but for this particular occasion, I really have NOTHING.

So, if you've ever read my blog and have ever thought it was even slightly, miniscule-ishly entertaining, please, please...PLEASE post an idea for Mike's birthday!

Foray into the Fanciful: Finding a Literary Agent

2011-03-07T08:13:00.003-06:00

I feel like an idiot.

That, in itself, is an uncomfortable feeling. Add to it the fact that I will, quite possibly...no, most likely, end up feeling like a failure, and the entire experience is definitely frustrating.

I've begun the close-to-hopeless search for a literary agent. Has anyone else ever spent days and days and days trolling the internet for literary agents who are currently accepting submissions from NEW WRITERS? It's funny because I don't consider myself to be an inexperienced writer. It is, quite honestly, all that I've ever done. Even before teaching writing at the college level, my jobs were serving in the advertising field (ahem...writing) and then serving as the public relations person for a college honor society (more writing). In college, I earned scholarships writing for the yearbook, then editing the yearbook, and finally serving as the Editor-in-chief of the school newspaper. Writing is what I do.

So, why is it that this process of basically selling myself to anyone who will take a gander and actually READ my writing is so completely nervewracking? I'm taking a foray into the fanciful world of book publishing, and frankly, it's not much fun.

Over the weekend I sent out a handful of carefully written and edited "query" letters to agents. I know that I need to send out about a hundred or more of these letters, letters that basically beg an agent to read a few scant pages of my novel. The task of querying is rather formidable though. One must first locate a agency that is actually accepting submissions, probably no more than 1/2 of agencies are accepting unpublished writers. Of those that remain, each agent has a specialty or a certain type of writing that they especially like to represent. Of course, not all of them want to represent an action-oriented romance.

I'm learning a lot about the publishing business. The main thing I'm learning is that getting published by a reputable firm is really, really, really...REALLY... hard. What I don't understand is how the crappy books that I often stumble across in my own pleasure reading ever get past this stage of the process. Seriously.

So, if anyone has a great Uncle Charlie who happens to work at Random House or perhaps a cousin Bess who is a literary agent over in Nashville, please (pretty please?) pass me their info. I sure would appreciate it!

Faithful Love

2011-03-03T08:49:00.003-06:00

Feb. 2011

He was singing "You Are My Sunshine."

Feeling Navy Blue

2011-02-17T11:38:00.004-06:00

Today I miss my mom.

I'm not sure why, but spring-time weather always makes me lonesome for my mother. My fellas and I are leaving in the morning to spend a long weekend in Oklahoma. I wish more than anything that during our visit I could go clothes shopping with my mama.

Springtime should make a girl feel pastel pink or spring green, maybe a sunny yellow. When I was in high school and later in college, and even later as a married mother of a little one, my mom always took me shopping for new spring clothes. A pretty new blouse or a new pair of sandals is just what we needed on those first early days of warmer temperatures after the dark, drab of winter.

My Grandma Hollie was also a fan of the spring time shopping spree. Every spring while I was a student at Harding University, she managed to either take me shopping or to send me money to buy a new church outfit, "something pink or pretty" is usually what she'd recommend.

This spring I don't have my grandma or my mom to take me shopping for something pretty, pink, or appropriate for spring. And so, I am feeling so very navy blue.

Fiction: Mine this time.

2011-02-04T16:53:00.003-06:00

Lately I've been reading over the novel I wrote a couple of years ago: the one that is still sitting unpublished because I can't seem to reach the point where I'm officially "finished" with it. Everytime I read it, I make subtle changes. Then I go back and change things back. Obsessive much? Yep.

Anyway, this is the prologue. Maybe if I see it this way I'll start getting into the mood to let it go. We'll see.

Prologue
June 1, 2005

LeAnn Blankenship sang along with James Taylor as she piloted her Subaru Forester through the light, early morning traffic. Her commute was exactly 1.8 miles from the little townhouse on the waterfront that she shared with her husband to her bakery and pastry shop in a quaintly refurbished area of Bremerton, Washington. Just a ferry ride across the Puget Sound was Seattle, which was where her husband Brady worked as a web designer.

This day in early June promised to be beautiful: sunny and a forecasted high of seventy degrees. The rain of winter and spring was gone and the gorgeous days of summer were blooming. LeAnn loved the summer months in Washington. It was generally sunny and warm, though not the atrocious, meltingly hot temperatures from her childhood in central Oklahoma.

She flicked on her turn signal and pulled neatly into the parking lot for her shop. Sweet Nothings was her pride and joy. She’d opened the bakery four years ago at the age of twenty-five and had steadily grown a clientele who coveted her seasonal pies and double chocolate muffins. The week before she’d filled an order for 100 muffins, purchased by a local church and shipped to soldiers serving in Iraq.

LeAnn parked in front of Sweet Nothings and cut the engine. She grabbed a tube of lipstick from her purse and quickly swabbed on a glossy shine before gathering up her things and levering herself from the vehicle with only the tiniest of groans. She was thirty-seven weeks pregnant with a full, round tummy that merely exaggerated her petite size. Just over five feet tall, LeAnn had straight, blond hair that fell to her shoulders. This morning it was swept up and away from her face into a loose ponytail. Her hazel eyes were tastefully accented with muted shades. The uniform for the day was a pink pair of cropped maternity pants and a sleeveless, white eyelet maternity blouse which contrasted nicely with the lovely shade of bronze on her arms. A lightweight, hooded grey sweater fought off the early morning chill.

LeAnn walked across the empty parking lot. The sky had not yet begun to hint at summer’s early sunrise; time to start the pastries, muffins, and croissants that flew out of the shop each morning as commuters stopped in for breakfast.

LeAnn juggled her keys, purse, and a manila folder full of notes for a new recipe as she opened the door to her shop, punching in the appropriate code to disable the security alarm. She walked through the store, flicking on the lights and pressing the button on the sound system remote. The melodic sounds of Alison Krause and Union Station warmed the atmosphere.

Suddenly LeAnn realized she’d left her drink in the car. She unapologetically admitted her addiction to Dr. Pepper. The combination of sugar and caffeine in her soda was the one thing she refused to forgo, even while pregnant. Dr. Pepper was her replacement for coffee each and every morning. Never acquiring the taste for Seattle’s drink of choice made her stand out in a crowd in this part of the country where coffee carts could be found on every street corner.

LeAnn grabbed her keys and started back to her car. She was halfway across the parking lot when she noticed a dark sedan swerving all over the road that ran in front of Sweet Nothings. The beams of the headlights danced drunkenly across the pavement. She watched in horror as the sedan abruptly lurched off of the road, bounced over the curb, and came toward her at a high rate of speed. Mouth open in a silent scream, she turned to run back into her shop. She wasn’t fast enough. Before she felt the impact of the bumper she wrapped both arms around her protruding stomach, curling herself into a protective shell over her unborn baby.

Minutes later, LeAnn’s part-time assistant drove into the parking lot. She found LeAnn lying motionless on the gravel parking lot, the ground beneath her turning black with blood.

Funny (really funny) 4th grade fiction

2011-01-26T17:56:00.002-06:00

The Habitat of the Pink Lion Chicken

by Zachary Bishop

age 9

The pink lion chicken is an animal that lives south of the Jingle Jangle Jungle in the forests of Marble Head. I don't really know why they call it Marble Head because it looks like a knuckle. What's with that? Anyway, as I was saying, the pink lion chicken usually lives underneath an eleven-sided natural acquarium. The pink lion chicken likes to threaten any type of dolphin that enters its lair. His lair has several small refrigerators filled with wampanogs, which are small, pink animal crackers. Now, the pink lion chicken has a little, secret hole that he can go into so that he can enter the aquarium. The aquarium has water during the day, but at night he turns it into Jell-o so he can romp and play on top of it. The pink lion chicken is not really a lion or a chicken. It's actually a bunny rabbit. Next time I'll discuss the habitat of the orange-striped cat monkey.

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Zach cracks me up. His assignment tonight was to write a paragraph using spelling words on the topic of a wild animal's habitat. This is what he came up with. He's hilarious!

Frosty Frollics

2011-01-13T09:47:00.002-06:00

I love this picture of Mike. Can you see the snowball flying at him? That was courtesy of Zach. Zach packed 'em small and tight and let 'em fly.We had a couple of snowdays earlier this week. The boys were thrilled, naturally. I was pretty pleased myself. Mike was even told to stay home from work on Monday so the whole family enjoyed the day together. The snow was the good kind, a bit wet and fluffy, and made for good snowballs. The backyard had a bit of sun, so we actually didn't even get too terribly cold out there.

I'm not one of those women who looks especially lovely in a hat of any kind, but I liked the snow on the tree behind me in this picture.

Below is one of my favorite pictures. Can you see the snowball in between Alec and Mike? Can you see it in mid-air? Plus Alec just looks ornery, and I love that. Alec took up residence in the playhouse. He threw balls down, but did NOT want anyone throwing balls up at him.

This is Kevin.

These are my guys with their new buddy Kevin.

Kevin is ready to defend his snowy fortress. Gotta love boys!

Frankly my dear...

2011-01-05T13:48:00.003-06:00

Is it because I'm getting older that a brand new year no longer holds so much mystique? Perhaps. Perhaps, it's been coming on for awhile. Mike and I have never, in our almost 15 years of marriage, done the New Year's Eve party route. We've never really been big on making the resolutions either. Maybe it's because we live fairly tame lives and we don't really have anything truly worth swearing off? I mean, yes, I need to lose some weight, but I've needed to do that since I was 12 years old and I don't really think that RESOLVING to do it on Dec 31st will inevitably make me a skinny person. I wish, but I also doubt... highly. So, the whole New Year's Resolution Thing kind of makes me a bit ho-hum. I just don't really see the point. Frankly, I just don't care. The numerous commercials and fad diets and health clubs that profit from the American tendency to RESOLVE each new year makes me just a bit sad.

Having said all of that, Mike and I have made the decision to try to cut back on our web surfing time. I think that spending a week in San Saba with Mike's family (a week in which most everyone there spent considerable time web surfing) and then spending a week in Wynnewood with my family (a week in which NO ONE spent time on the computer because there is no internet service) opened our eyes to what is needful and what is excessive when it comes to computer time. Yes, while in Wynnewood there were a few times when having the ability to quickly get online and find a particular piece of information would have been helpful. However, we were always able to find the needed information by simply using the phone book (YES! They still exist!) or by reading the newspaper (Yes! These also are not extinct!) Because the computer wasn't really an option, we spent many an evening laughing and talking with my dad about all kinds of topics. Mike and I agreed that we have, in the past, spent too much time just spending time on the computer. We had no motives or higher purposes in being online, we just WERE online. We've agreed that this is bad for our relationship and bad for our children. So, we're cutting down on that. From now on our laptop shall remain in the office and not toted around the house to be used while also watching television or while the kids are playing. We want to be more present, more accessible, and less distracted. I don't want my kids to have to compete for my attention with a 14 inch computer screen.

I guess that could be construed as a new year's resolution, but I prefer to think of it as a mutual decision made with my husband on how to be better parents and spouses. The timing of the decision had more to do with two weeks spent with family and less to do with the time of year.

While I may seem cynical on the whole new year thing, I'm really not! I do wish you and yours a wonderful and blessed 2011.

Frazzle dazzle

2010-12-15T08:54:00.003-06:00

Whew, what a month. Wait, I need to repeat that. Whew!! What a month. Between preparing students for finals and then grading those finals, I've also been running around from one activity to the next with our boys. Mike's also been busy with Christmas concerts. This is a crazy time of year. It leaves me feeling slightly frazzled, but also very dazzled by my children. They are pretty amazing.

Zach is playing basketball for the second year. I'm really enjoying watching him start to understand the game. He's still one of the littlest on the team (curse my height-challenged genes), so he's not playing post or getting a lot of shots, but he is hustling and proving to be a decent little guard.

In addition to bball, Zach has also been busy with our church's Christmas musical. This year the plot of the play revolved around Zach's character, who was a busy dad that thought his job was more important than Christmas. Zach and all of the kids were great. It's fun to see our children's talents emerging.

Of course, I can't leave out Alec! He's also playing basketball this year. My littlest man is not the fastest kiddo on the court, but he is the cutest! He's been so fun to watch, simply because he has no idea what's going on. They tell him to put his hands up to play defense, so he just wonders around the court with his hands up. He still can't quite get the ball to the rim, but was very excited to hit the bottom of the net yesterday. He's having fun, and that's the only thing that matters.

This will probably be my last post until after the holiday rush. We're leaving on Saturday for Texas and then Oklahoma. Looking forward to some family time! Love to you and have a great Christmas!

Flabbergasted: past participle, past tense of flabbergast

2010-11-29T17:35:00.003-06:00

Flabbergasted. This is one of the better F words out there. It is one that I keep in my reserve of fun words to use at appropriate times. Today I used the word in one of my college classes. Imagine my surprise when a student raised her hand and said, "Did you just make that word up?" I was...well...flabbergasted.

I am appalled at the ever-decreasing lack of vocabulary of our nation's youth. Yes, I am 36 years old. Yes, I am not a twenty-something anymore. Yes, I'm on the downward slide into middle age (or perhaps I already slid there and just didn't realize it). Perhaps, when I feel the need to discuss the nation's youth, I am simply screaming to the world that I'm past my prime. Perhaps.

I don't think so, but regardless, I think that our country is failing its current and future generation by de-emphasizing the arts and the textures of literature. We don't read enough. The children of this country do not read enough. Their parents do not read enough. And this breakdown of the love of literature is creating a cycle of idiots who don't know the word FLABBERGAST. Texting while driving does not a reader make. Facebooking on the sofa while "Dancing with the Stars" provides the background noise does not a reader make. DVRing your favorite shows and spending hours each week watching them does not a reader make.

There are so many things that I see and hear as a teacher of writing in a city college in Memphis. The saddest thing is that my students aren't fluent readers. I ask them if they've read any Maya Angelou and they say they've never heard of her. I ask if they've read Annie Dillard and I get the same answer. I ask if they've read John Grisham or Jane Austen or Ernest Hemmingway or Michael Shaara or C.S. Lewis and only get bored shakes of heads. Not even a Harry Potter book? How about a good old fashioned romance? Nora Roberts? No, no, no. Well, crap, no wonder they are lost when I use words like commemorate or maim or incredulous.

If you are a young parent with preschool and school age children in your house, READ TO THEM. Start now... today. There should never be an excuse to not read. I don't care if you are tired or if the day has been too long. READ. Your babies will do so much better in school. Their state test scores will be off the charts if they are readers. They will learn to love books and will, therefore, be lovers of learning. READ.

If you are a student and you feel like you have too much homework, do your work and then read something for pleasure. Turn off the Wii and read. Load a book onto your ipod and listen to it. It counts as reading. Your mind will love the language and you might actually enjoy it.

If you are older, perhaps sliding into middle age or perhaps you already slid and then slid a bit further, continue to read. Browse the bookstore, go to the library, get your Nook books and read. Don't put off reading until your next vacation. Read every day. It will keep your mind sharp.

READ!

F...ummm.. hmm (family has been done way too much) Sigh

2010-11-23T10:44:00.003-06:00

Well, this post is kind of anticlimactic after the awesomeness of the big 2-0-0. I guess life goes on though, right?

This is the week of Thanksgiving, and I have so much to be thankful for this year. God is truly good. He blesses me daily.

Mike's parents left yesterday after a nice weekend visit. We enjoyed seeing "Santa Vs. the Snowman" on the IMAX screen at the Pink Palace. We also did the tour of trees there and the boys saw Santa. It was a fun day. That Santa at the Pink Palace was the real deal, too. Even Zachary thought so. He was no mall-fake Santa.

Anyway, tomorrow we head to Wynnewood for a Thanksgiving visit. I'm picking up a Honeybaked Ham and my sister-in-law is doing the turkey for us this year. I've definitely got the easier end of the deal.

Happy Thanksgiving, dear readers!

For the 200th post...

2010-11-09T20:50:00.006-06:00

This is my 200th posting on the Good F Words blog.

I thought I would try to come up with 200 things for which I'm thankful and/or odd little facts about myself. If any of my three readers actually read through the entire post I will be INCREDIBLY impressed!

1) I'm thankful for Jesus.

2) I'm thankful for the Holy Spirit.

3) I'm thankful for Mike.

4) I'm thankful for the friendships we've made in the last year.

5) I'm thankful for my Zachary Thomas Bishop.

6) I'm thankful for my Alec Michael Bishop.

7) Zachary was supposed to be Madalyn Nicole, but he surprised us all by being born with a penis! ( Now honestly who thoughts you'd see the word penis on #7?)

8) I was in such shock after Zach's birth (and the emergency C-section) that I started hyperventilating.

9) The doctor actually put me under with anethesia because I was so freaked out!

10) When I woke up I asked Mike, "Did we REALLY just have a baby BOY?!"

11) Between my two boys, I lost a pregnancy in its 12th week. The miscarraige was devastating.

12) I'm not thankful for that loss per se, but I am thankful that Alec came along right after.

13) I had a hard time deciding on a boy name when pregnant with Alec.

14) We liked Jack (rhymed with Zach) and Zander/Xander (alliteration with Zach).

15) One night when Mike was on a road trip during that pregnancy we were talking on the phone and he suggested Alec. That was the one! I liked the A to Z theme.

16) I'm thankful that Alec is my sweet cuddle bug.

17) I'm thankful that Zach is so smart and so tenderhearted.

18) I'm thankful that Zach is showing a gift for music.

19) And for acting.

20) And for writing.

21) I'm thankful that Alec is learning to read, and that he loves it!

22) I'm thankful that Alec is showing a gift for art.

23) I'm thankful for the beautiful soul and beautiful hands of my husband. He makes music!

24) I'm thankful for Tracy Anderson and for her awesome friendship.

25) I love to teach writing. I like a tight pronoun-antecedent agreement.

26) I love a strong three-point thesis statement.

27) I love making people laugh...

28) unless they are laughing AT me.

29) I like pretty things.

30) I like being a little bit girly.

31) I love Bath and Body Works Coconut Lime Verbena...

32) and the new scent Butterfly Flower.

33) I love Yankee Candles...

34) I was editor-in-chief of my college newspaper and that made me feel pretty important.

35) Since college I've worked in advertising, in public relations, and in teaching.

36) I'm thankful that I was able to be a 100% full-time, stay-at-home mom for five beautiful years. I'm thankful that since Zach was born in 2001 I've never had to work more than part time.

37) The last time I got a pedicure, I chose a dark purple color and I really loved that.

38) When I was in grade school I loved Aaron Cox because he could play piano and he was my buddy.

39) When I was in middle school I still loved Aaron Cox because he was cute, played piano, and was my buddy.

40) At some point Aaron just became my buddy and he eventually married my friend Kenya.

41) There are people that I haven't seen since high school, but I still think of them on a regular basis. Good thoughts for good people.

42) When I was in high school I loved a boy name Eric Johnson.

43) He broke my heart into a million zillion pieces.

44) Part of the reason why I wanted to leave home after high school was because of Eric Johnson.

45) I am so thankful that I left home and went to Harding University.

46) I loved Harding.

47) My college experience shaped me and provided me life lifelong friends, many of whom were roommates.

48) My first roommate at Harding was Heather Wiese.

49) Heather is now a business owner and jetsetter in the Dallas area.

50) Heather goes to Paris and New York on a regular basis.

51) I'm thankful for Heather and for the history we share.

52) I'm thankful that Heather is doing what she loves and that I'm living a life I love.

53) My second roomie at Harding was Sara Looney.

54) Sara was my bosom friend (name that book!)

55) I still e-mail/talk/text Sara every day.

56) Sara is still my bosom friend more than 17 years after we met.

57) Sara married Jim Miller, who now is a professor at Harding.

58) Sara teaches part time for Harding.

59) They have two sweet kiddos.

60) I'm so thankful for Sara and her family.

61) My friend Cara started out downstairs from me in the dorm our freshman year.

62) We played intramural softball together.

63) She was loud and funny and extremely competitive.

64) We hit it off and the next year she wiggled her way into being my suitemate.

65) Cara married the first boy that I dated at Harding: Kent Jobe.

66) Funny thing: Cara dated Jim (Sara's husband). I dated Kent (Cara's husband).

67) Cara is an elementary school teacher in Arkansas and her hubby (my first HU date) is a minister. Cara and Kent have three awesome kiddos!

68) My friend Maria somehow found her way into our girl-family during my sophomore year.

69) One day she just showed up in my room and never ever left. The next year she was a suitemate.

70) Maria was our social butterfly.

72) I'm so thankful for Maria and for her sweet little A man.

73) My senior year we added a couple more girls to the roommate situation: Kathryn and Melissa. They were hilarious and fun and I wish I would've had more than one semester with them.

74) When I was 15 years old I put on Jesus in baptism and began to live a life of faith.

75) That year I went to Camp Blue Haven in New Mexico for the first time.

76) CBH changed my life.

77) I met some awesome people at CBH. If you were at CBH with me, consider yourself added to point number 77.

78) Jenna Blankenship Howard was one of my counselors and she was amazing.

79) I once caught Jenna Blankenship making out with Mark Howard in our cabin. This was way before any wedding bells had rung. Scandal!

80) Jenna's little sister Jenise was one of my closest CBH friends.

81) Jenise and I wrote each other (snail mail) for years and years. We still keep up!

82) Eventually Jenise and I ended up back at CBH as counselors together.

83) Someone else was at CBH that summer.

84) That someone played a guitar.

85) He pursued me relentlessly.

86) He introduced himself to me as "Hey, I'm Mike."

87) He proposed to me less than two months after we met.

88) We got married a year later.

89) When we married, I dropped my unfortunate middle name and legally became Andrea Stark Bishop.

90) My bridesmaids were Sara, Cara, and Maria.

91) By the way, does anyone know what my unfortunate middle name was?

92) Three days after Mike and I married, we were on our way to Chicago to join the Navy.

93) We're still in the Navy.

94) I am thankful for the two perfect babies that the Navy paid for in full. No hospital or doctor's bills. I think I had to pay $12 for meals with Zach.

95) Since we married, we've moved from Chicago to

96) Norfolk, VA to

97) Millington, TN to

98) Wynne, AR to

99) Millington, TN to

100) Chula Vista, CA to

101) San Diego, CA to

102) Port Orchard, WA to

103) our current home in Bartlett, TN.

104) I AM SO THANKFUL FOR MY CUTE HOME IN BARTLETT!

105) I am also very thankful for the upbringing that I had in Wynnewood, Oklahoma.

106) I'm thankful for my parents, Jim and Linda Stark.

107) I'm thankful that I was raised in a household with two parents who loved and were in love.

108) I'm thankful that my dad is a wonderful, AMAZING man who is devoting his life to caring for my mom.

109) I HATE ALZHEIMERS.

110) I'm thankful for good days with my mom.

111) I'm thankful for the years of good memories made with my mom.

112) I'm thankful for the many Christmases when she danced around the Christmas tree and sang (very badly) along with Elvis Presley.

113) I'm thankful for the many Christmases when she accidentally gave me twice as many gifts as my brother.

114) I'm thankful for my brother, who will always be five years older than me and about a dozen years less mature.

115) I'm thankful that his wife Kristy puts up with him.

116) Seriously, I'm thankful for Jimbo and Kristy and for their superstar status as AUNT and UNCLE. My boys idolize them.

117) I'm thankful for Mike's brother Buddy.

118) I first met Buddy at Cresta del Monte, the family cabin in New Mexico.

119) I immediately fell in love with him. He had (has) red hair. I've always had a weakness for red hair.

120) I'm thankful for Buddy's new bride Jessica.

121) I wish I could hate Jessica, but I cannot because she's just too awesome.

122) Seriously though, let's compare:

123) I am an adjunct professor of writing at Southwest Tennessee Community College...

124) Jessica is actually Dr. Jessica, professor of mathematics at San Diego State.

125) I am 5'2" and "pleasantly plump" while...

126) Jessica is close to 6' and is fashionably trim and athletic.

127) I am cute; she is beautiful.

128) She's also very sweet and likeable so I guess I'll just have to get past the urge to hate her.

129) I have a set of in-laws that raised my husband to be kind, gentle, loving, and faithful.

130) I am thankful for Mikie and Dwayne Bishop.

131) When I was little I helped my mom grade her 2nd graders' papers. She let me grade when I was in elementary school.

132) When I was in elementary school, grading papers was COOL!

133) I don't really love grading papers anymore.

134) I really SHOULD be grading papers right now.

135) I have about 45 ungraded essays staring at me from my office floor right this minute.

136) Ummm, I think one of the essays just snarled at me.

137) I wanted to have another baby, but it looks as though that is not meant to be.

138) Most days I'm completely fine with not having another child.

139) Every once in awhile though, I long for sweet baby breath again.

140) I wanted a baby girl, though I would not trade my two beautiful boys for a dozen baby girls.

141) I was a cheerleader in high school, but I've always regretted quitting basketball my freshman year.

142) I was a big ol' nerdy nerd girl in high school but amazingly enough I still had friends.

143) I am thankful for childhood friends that I still consider friends even though I haven't actually seen many of them in years and years. I'm thankful for the good people that I went to school with and to church with all of my childhood. I'm thankful for the Coffey family (and for sweet little Ilena who I used to babysit!).

144) I am thankful for my HUGE family of cousins.

145) On my dad's side of the family, I was one of nine first cousins.

146) On my mom's side of the family, I was one of twelve first cousins.

147) Going to see a grandparent was rarely boring for me. I had/have some truly awesome aunts and uncles.

148) My Stark grandparents both died while I was in high school and I regret that I didn't know them while I was an adult.

149) My memories of them are wrapped up in smells (tobacco, laundry soap, fresh air, dirt from the garden) and in tastes (ice cream, root beer floats, fried chicken) and in touch (cotton housedresses, soft kittens, leather boots).

150) My Hollie grandparents both were still around for the birth of my first child. Grandpa died a couple of years later, while my Grandma died last month.

151) My memories of them are fresh and clear.

152) My grandpa was a tease and always made my grandma laugh.

153) I'm thankful for Grandma Hollie's love of the lord. She raised a family of believers.

154) Okay, my hands are starting to go numb.

155) I can't feel my fingertips.

156) I'm such an exaggerator. Seriously though, numb hands.

157) Are you actually still reading? For real?

158) Okay, secrets are interesting.

159) My (not-so) secret girlhood crushes are:

160) Brad Clampitt, Wade Smith, Jamie Williamson, Brandon Neimyer, and James Allen (all from Wynnewood)

161) All of the above crushes were completely innocent and kept close to my heart. Never pursued.

162) Non-Wynnewood crushes:

163) Kirk Workman, Shelby Smith, Nathan Mellor, Rick Chitty, Andrew Johnson, and many many other Harding boys that were so fleeting that I can't even remember their names anymore.

164) I have nine small flat moles (freckles really) on my thigh that are in the shape of the big dipper. Seriously.

165) I have a dimple on my face that my mom said was the result of a fall when I was a child. I cut my cheek on my bedside table and it created a cute dimple. Not 100% sure if that is correct.

166) Mike has two adorable dimples.

167) Alec has a super cute dimple as well.

168) I hope to someday take my children to London (well, all over the UK) and show them all of the wonderful things that I saw when I studied abroad. I went with the Harding in England group of 1995. I think it was 1995.

169) I've never really considered getting a tatoo.

170) I'm not much on drinking, but I do love some Tylenol PM on occasion.

171) I've always wished that I had long black hair and big green eyes.

172) I've also wished for smaller boobs.

173) I wrote a novel two years ago and think it is above average, but I'm too overwhelmed to really TRY to get a real publisher to look at it.

174) I'm considering self-publishing my novel.

175) I've started a second novel and I think it might be even better than the first.

176) I love to write. I guess that's not a secret.

177) Holy cow, 177.

178) I occasionally say bad words just because I think they are kind of fun to say... dammit.

179) But then I feel bad for saying the bad words, so I don't really do it very often.

180) I ache over the loss of my mom's memories.

181) I ache over the love that my dad shows her on a daily basis.

182) I ache knowing that my boys will never really know how awesome she was when she was healthy.

183) I ache for the Lord to take all of her home soon.

184) Sometimes I have a real, accute, almost painful need for chocolate.

185) This morning I ate chocolate cheerios for breakfast.

186) My husband makes me extremely happy on a regular basis.

187) I can't think of a time in my life when I ever doubted the presence of God.

188) I can't think of a time in my life when I ever doubted that someone on this earth loved me.

189) One of my most proud moments in life that has nothing to do with my children is when I was awarded BEST GIRL CAMPER at Camp Blue Haven. That was awesome.

190) Another most proud moment was the day that I received my ACT scores and saw that I'd made a 30. That was also awesome.

191) Crazy thing is that a 30 wasn't enough to get me Honor Scholar status at Harding. At Harding my 30 was just so-so; it was a pretty good ego bust.

192) The first "B" I ever received was in French, during my freshman year of college. I cried.

193) Told you I'm a nerdy nerd girl.

194) I want to be a full-time writer, but I'm not sure how to make that pay the bills.

195) If I could live anywhere on earth, I think I'd choose a place with mountains and trees.

196) My favorite tree is the aspen. My favorite flower is the tulip, or the lily, or the daisy, all happy flowers in my opinion.

197) I am thankful that Wynnewood, Oklahoma, was my home for years 2 through 18.

198) I am thankful that Michael Dwayne Bishop has been where my heart is for the last 14 years.

199) Thank you for reading!

200) I'm thankful for the many friends that God has placed in my life during our years of moving from place to place. He's always given me at least one good girlfriend in each city and those friendships have been the greatest of blessings.

------------------------------------

Wow~!

Found: Heartbreakingly Sweet Old Photos

2010-11-05T11:48:00.001-05:00

This morning I've been looking for old pictures for a school project that Zach is working on. I spent a lot more time than I'd planned because, in the process, I kept running across pictures of Mom. Had to take several crying breaks. These are some of my favorites. Why can't she still be like this? I hate Alzheimers.

This first one is especially precious because it also has my sweet Grandma Hollie and my Auntie Sue-Sue in it.

I miss my mom. I want to argue with her again.

Fourth Grade Fiction (again)

2010-11-04T17:54:00.000-05:00

Here's another work of art by Zach. He cracks me up.

Birthday Party Blast

Early that morning I woke up with a start. It was my friend Austin's birthday party. I went over to my turtle in his tank and said, "Goodbye, Tommy." I went downstairs to get breakfast, the nourishment I needed. After breakfast, Mom grabbed her purse and took me to the party.

To my amazement, the party was at a turquoise building with a giant hamburger on top. Austin ran up and said, "Hey Zach, I was wondering when you would get here! Guess what. My mom had enough money to rent a rocket! We're going to Mars for my birthday party!."

Austin led me to a curtain and we went through it to find ourselves inside a rocket. First we started the engine. Then we blasted off. When we got there, we put on our spacesuits and entered a huge tower. Mars looked like a big red rock, but the tower was filled with aliens! An alien gobbled like a turkey when it spoke to me. I said, "Wow, this is amazing." We had a blast.

Frightful

2010-11-02T08:16:00.000-05:00

What a frightful weekend. Alec came home from school last Wednesday with a tummy ache. That turned into a Thursday and Friday of stomach bug. He was feeling better on Saturday so we all dressed up and went to our church's Trunk or Treat. Alec was still pretty low-key and only wanted to go to about 5 or 6 "trunks" before sitting with Mike and me and handing out candy. Zach had a ball with his buddies Zach M. and Tyler, all of whom were dressed as Harry Potter characters. I'm glad Zach enjoyed the Trunk or Treat, because a few hours later (at 12:45 a.m.) he started vomiting. Bless his heart, Zach had the bug much worse than his little brother. He was in seriously bad shape all of Sunday and the better part of Monday. My house and its creature comforts were also greatly affected by this virus. I am still doing laundry. After almost a week of sickness, I do believe that every blanket, sheet, and pajama item in my house has been or will be washed.

Thankfully though, we did get a few pictures of Halloweeny things!

My little "man-bat" (as he calls himself) with Harry Potter:

Mike went as Popeye for Halloween. Didn't take much to complete his costume.

Molly and I both went as black cats.

And this is Zachary with his two buddies Zach M. and Tyler. It really warms my heart to see these three boys together. I see future Harding University roomies!

Fall at the Farm

2010-10-22T20:02:00.001-05:00

The boys and I enjoyed a quick trip to Oklahoma early in the week. They've had an entire week of fall break, so we took advantage of the time and headed to Wynnewood. My guys love going to Wynnewood. It's so funny to me because as a teen I couldn't wait to leave Wynnewood. Alec says it's the best place on the whole earth though. I'm thinking it's because he's spoiled rotten by his Poppa. The cowboy atmosphere probably adds quite a lot to the mystique too. Nothing like an old trailer to play on.

Poppa Jim also never backs down from a Nerf gun challenge. He is, therefore, the king of kings in the boys' eyes.

Dad was in better shape than I was expecting on this visit. He had energy to do a lot of playing and he thoroughly enjoyed his grandboys.

We had one really good day with Mom. I went in one morning to feed her and started singing the old "Good Morning to You" song. When I said she looked like a monkey, she started to laugh. She laughed and made eye contact off and on all day. Alec told her some knock-knock jokes and she giggled like crazy. It was a good day. The next day was not so good, but I'm thankful for those moments of joy with her.

Fantastic Fourth Grade Fiction

2010-10-13T15:47:00.000-05:00

My son is creative! Below is a sample of his writing. He's pretty awesome, right? This is 9 year old writing at its finest!

------------------

Yesterday morning in my backyard I was playing with my little brother Alec in the garden. Suddenly a force I can't name sucked me through the garden plants and straight into the past. When I got there I found myself in a forest next to an astonishing machine. It looked like a tube with numbers all along the sides and a time that looked like an alarm clock glowing from inside the tube.

I didn't know where I was so I went for a walk down into a valley. After awhile I figured out where I was. I was in the middle of a war! Unfortunately, it was World War I. I saw soldiers everywhere. They blended in with the trees because their uniforms were camouflaged. The men looked like they were in their mid-twenties. There was gunfire everywhere. It was indescribable. The gunfire sounded like bricks falling to a concrete floor. When the bombs fell I staggered and then fell down to the ground. I immediately got up and ran away. I went back to the weird looking machine. I got inside and dialed the numbers for October 13, 2010, the date and year I wanted to go back to.

When I pressed a button I looked out the window and saw a world of colors. When all of the excitement stopped I opened the door and there was Alec in the garden waiting for me. That's the end of my story.

Finding Peace in the Memories

2010-10-10T20:44:00.000-05:00

The above picture was taken in 2003 when my parents brought my grandmother to see me in San Diego. We were living in California and I'd often send her pictures of a little bitty Zachary playing in the sand near the ocean. My grandma said she'd always wanted to walk barefooted on the beach. She usually got exactly what she wanted! She wanted to be with Jesus and she got that desire on Tuesday night. She called my Aunt Sue Tuesday night and was having a hard time catching her breath. When Sue arrived a few minutes later, Grandma was gone. She had an open Bible beside her and a romance novel about a cowboy in her lap.

My memories of Grandma are wrapped up in smells and sounds. When I was little they lived on a cattle ranch out in the middle of the country: 300+ acres with a LOT of black cows ambling around. My grandma always knew my favorite foods and went out of her way to fix chocolate cream pie and brownies just for me. She also made homemade donuts there in that farmhouse kitchen. She'd sit me down on a barstool and let me stir icing and dip the warm donuts into the glazes. The kitchen smelled like heaven and my brother and I ate donuts until we felt sick. They were so good, better than any Krispy Kreme!

She taught me how to play dominoes when I was still really little. She was a fierce competitor and made me feel so proud when we scored points together as partners. She could look at the dominoes laying on the table and know exactly what was NOT out there. Her brain was sharp up until the day she died. My grandpa was a big ol' tease who loved to rattle Grandma with a poke or pinch every now and then. When they played cards or dominoes he'd call out, "Oooooh, watch me now, Gladys! Watch me now!" He'd cackle and laugh and she'd shake her head at him, trying not to grin. After Mike and I married we played dominoes with my grandparents on a few occasions. We were always outplayed and we never failed to laugh over my grandparents' antics.

When I was in college at Harding University, my grandma always bought my Bible class textbooks at the end of every semester. She gave me top dollar, of course, but she also expected me to discuss those texts with her. The woman knew the Bible. She immersed herself in the Word.

A couple of months ago she passed her old wedding band to me. She'd given it to my mom several years ago, but asked my dad to let me have it now instead of later. I was wearing that ring the night I got the sad news.

My sweet Grandma Hollie. I miss her, but I know she's receiving her reward, and that eases the pain.

Fall Favorites

2010-10-05T10:15:00.000-05:00

My favorite season of the year is most definitely fall. When I was a kid, fall meant football games with my family. My parents were both involved in the education system in a small Oklahoma town. Mom taught 2nd grade and Dad was a school administrator. They were both extremely involved in school events. Didn't matter if it was a 6th grade scrimmage, a band concert, or a State Final football game, we were usually there. I grew up in the stands and knew more about the game of football by the time I was seven than a lot of high school boys know when they are playing the game. I still love football and am pretty proud of the fact that I've converted my husband to the side of life that will yell at the television on a good Saturday afternoon.

Fall also means fragrance. I love the smell of the air when it is crisp and cool and just a bit dusty from the falling leaves. Yum. Love the smell of food baking in the oven, an oven that sat unused all summer because it heated the house too much to use it.

Fall also means fashion! It's finally time to pull out the hoodies and boots and warm socks. Today I'm wearing tights and boots and a sweater... I could not be happier. I know many women love summer clothes and showing off a good pedicure with fancy toes in their summer sandals. I admit that I enjoy such things, but if I had to choose, I'll always go with the cooler weather clothes!

I love fall!

Meatal Stenosis...what?!

2010-09-26T22:20:00.000-05:00

My Zachary is having "minor outpatient surgery" tomorrow at LeBonheur Children's Hospital. I hate when things are called minor but seem incredibly major. Zachary is 9 and is more than old enough to understand anatomy and surgery. He's not excited about having someone cut into his boy parts. I'm certainly not excited about it either. I pray for his doctors and nurses, that they will be sure of hand and kind of heart. I pray for his spirit, that it will be easy and unburdened. I pray for his little brother Alec who still has to go to school and have a "normal" day while everyone else in the family is doing the unusual. I pray for success and quick healing for my boy. And I pray that he will not be bothered by this sort of thing ever again! God be with my baby.

Family Traditions

2010-09-24T19:00:00.000-05:00

It's Friday night and my family is about to enjoy one of our family traditions: pizza and game night. I think we started this when Zach was a kindergartener and Alec was 2. Back then it was one medium cheese pizza and Hi Ho Cheerio. Now we order two pizzas with lots of different toppings and play Monopoly or the Wii. It's a good way to end the week, and I always love the lack of cooking involved.

Another tradition of ours is to share favorite moments of the day over the supper table, and yes, we do eat at the table every night that we're home. I think it's important for a family to sit down together and share a meal.

A third tradition of ours is to bake something together on the first day of school. This year Alec started school a few days after Zach, so we baked brownies for 4th grade and cupcakes for kindergarten.

Saturday mornings are almost always greeted with cinnamon rolls and cartoons. This is as much for Mike as for the boys. My husband has a weakness for breakfast rolls (and for Star Wars: The Clone Wars.)

I hope that when my boys are grown that they will look back and fondly remember our family traditions. What are your family traditions?

Fourth Grade Celebrity

2010-09-22T18:59:00.001-05:00

My boy Zachary has had a big week at school. He's completed his art project at school, which was a self-portrait. I think it is pretty awesome and he's pretty proud of it.

He was also one of a handful of fourth graders chosen to have a speaking part in the fourth grade musical last night. He did great! That boy has no fear when it comes to speaking on stage.

He also completed his Native American Village diarama. He chose to do the Shawnee tribe and I think his diarama turned out great!

He's a superstar! My superstar is going to have surgery on Monday. We'd really appreciate your prayers on his behalf!

Fingering strings

2010-09-17T19:00:00.000-05:00

I know I've said it before, but I just feel the need to say it again. My husband is incredibly good at what he does. He is gifted, but also extremely hardworking at his craft. Plus he just looks pretty dang good in that uniform!

Old Photo of Mom

2010-09-12T19:55:00.000-05:00

My Aunt Lida emailed me some old pictures last week. This one just hit my soft spot because it of the smile. This was the girl my dad fell in love with about 50 years ago. They have been married 43 years, but were high school sweethearts as well. Look at that smile!

Fighting Closet Monsters

2010-09-09T19:49:00.000-05:00

Okay fellow moms and dads. I need words of wisdom on fighting off a 5-year old's irrational fear of the Dreaded Closet Monster. Alec is terrified of the scary things living in his closet and the fear is getting worse instead of better. Anyone have a tried and true tactic for fumigating closet monsters from homes? I'm getting desperate!

Family Time and Catching Up

2010-09-06T17:46:00.000-05:00

I haven't done very well with blogging lately. I taught a summer school class in July, which took up a lot of my time. When the class concluded I took on a kitchen painting project that took up much more time and energy than anticipated. Then, of course, school started back and my summer to-do list kind of went out the window. On that to-do list was: #7-Catch up on blog. Hmmm...

Anyway, here we are on Sept. 6, Labor Day. I celebrated my 36th birthday on Sept. 1 and then went home to Oklahoma with my little guys for a quick weekend with my parents. My dad was improved since our last trip home. My mom was about the same. I suppose that when she doesn't worsen in a couple of months, that is actually a good report. I spent some time with her, brushing her hair, singing to her, talking to her, putting lotion on her, etc. At one point she looked right at me and called me Mama. It hurts when things like that happen, but it hurts more when I spend time with her and she only stares into some unknown world and mumbles like she is frightened. I will take her mistaking me for my Grandmother anyday over those terror-filled looks and mumblings. I hate Alzheimer's.

It was very good to see my dad with more energy. He's still not back to "normal" but I'm not sure that we'll ever see normal again in my family. He certainly enjoyed his grandsons, and I can't really ask for more than that. He and Alec are special buddies. Alec spends a lot of time snuggling with Poppa Jim when we're home and Dad just treasures that time. Zach has kind of outgrown the snuggling stage, but he still thinks his Pop hung the moon.

My dad humbles me with his love and devotion to my mom. He is the very best of men and I ache every time I see him brush a hand over her forehead. He is so good to her. When I run into people in the small town of Wynnewood everyone says, "He's a good man, Andrea. He's doing a great job with her." I've always thought my dad was a gentle giant, but more and more I'm seeing that gentleness and more and more I aspire to his devoted love for my mom.

Anyway, so we're back home and readying ourselves for getting back to school tomorrow. I'm going to try to do better with my posts!

Four in the car

2010-07-15T15:29:00.001-05:00

We are heading back to Oklahoma for a super quick visit tomorrow. I'm currently teaching summer school for Southwest so I need to be back in time for my class Tuesday night. I'm so thankful that Mike got a bit of time off; he's going to be able to make this trip with us. It's pretty rare for Mike to be able to go to Wynnewood with us, exceptions being Christmas and Thanksgiving. So this will be a special treat.

Some of you know that my dad's health has been poor for the past couple of months. He's still not doing well. We have recently found out that his kidneys aren't functioning properly, a result of the diabetes that he's been dealing with for the past fifteen years or so. He's also extremely anemic, which is leading to other issues as well. I'm hoping to get a better idea of his condition while I'm home. He's pretty good at making things sound better than they are. He doesn't ever want to worry me.

So, we'll leave tomorrow and will come on back to Bartlett on Tuesday.

Until then...

Fashion Friendly: Closet Makeover!

2010-07-07T19:36:00.000-05:00

My husband, the man I dearly love, had a productive day off yesterday. He did a nice little closet makeover for the boys' room. Here is the before picture:

And now the after photos. He added shelves on the sides (see the third photo where there's a stuffed Yoda sitting on top?) and another hanging bar down below. The shelves now store most of the board games and puzzles. The lower hanging bar now holds Alec's clothes so that he can reach them without any help from me. Soooo awesome!

I love our fashion friendly closet!

Freedom

2010-06-27T15:43:00.000-05:00

Last night Mike played an early Independence Day concert in the little town of Atoka. The boys and I were able to go out and hear him play and enjoy some fireworks. Our friend Lindsay and her two cuties joined us for some good ol' fashioned small town Americana.

I was raised in a small town so I can fully appreciate the significance of a town gathering in which goats and fireworks are both welcomed.

Alec felt the need to chill.

Here's our little party of Navy band fans.

Zach is holding Miss Gentry, the apple of our collective eye in the Bishop household. We're all pretty smitten with her!

My husband has been playing for military bands for 17 years. He's a true professional who often plays in less than perfect conditions. I am always amazed by his talent. Plus, he just looks really CUTE in a uniform!

My beautiful boys.

Fathers' Day

2010-06-20T16:47:00.001-05:00

To the fathers in my life, thanks for providing your children and your children's children with love and generosity and laughter. Happy Dads' day to you all.

Fettered

2010-06-17T14:01:00.000-05:00

As promised, this will be the post about how things were at home in Wynnewood. I honestly can't talk about my mom without leaking salty wetness from my eyes. I am broken. I just can't say it any better than that.

On this visit, my main concern was that my dad was NOT his usual cheerful self. For several days he seemed tired and run down and (dare I say it... depressed?) just not HIMSELF. He is a diabetic and I am constantly concerned about that aspect of his health. But on this trip, the problem turned out to be two-fold: 1) he was having back pain from the labors of caring for Mom and 2) he sustained a Fiddleback spider bite. Obviously the spider bite was the primary concern. His lower leg swelled up and he got this HUGE clear blister on his leg. I begged him to go to the emergency room while I stayed home with the boys and with mom. I swear the man was stubborn enough to argue with me. Thankfully he was a big ol' wimp when it came to Alec's tears. Alec cried all over Poppa Jim and a few minutes later Dad loaded up and drove to the hospital. Hours later he arrived back home and then began the long process of healing: vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, headache, and other loveliness. He was so incredibly sick.

When the boys and I came back through Oklahoma about a week later, Dad was doing MUCH better. He was still only eating chicken noodle soup and some saltines and I swear he'd lost about 10 pounds, but his attitude was better. He enjoyed the boys and that is what I needed to see.

So... about Mom. Well, she is completely bedridden. She sleeps about 20 hours or more each day. Sometimes I think she would sleep nonstop if it weren't for my dad's persistence. He wakes her up for meals and then talks to her until she slips back under again. Sometimes she awakens from what must be bad dreams and just cries. Tears flow from her eyes while she stares sightlessly up at the ceiling. When that happens he comes to her and soothes her and brushes her hair and tells her how pretty it is. Oh my goodness. I'm crying again.

Her meals consist of applesauce, gelatin, yogurt, and ice cream. She chokes often, especially when drinking, and I know it won't be long until she is unable to eat or drink and will have to be given a feeding tube.

While I was home we spent a lot of time reading to her. Zach read a Magic Treehouse book to her. I read about three other children's chapter books and Alec liked when I read picture books to her (and to him) so we read dozens of them. Every time she awakened for even a few minutes we read. I also talked to her when I was in the house alone with her and told her that I would take care of Dad when she felt like it was time to leave. I can feel her holding onto him. It's the strangest thing. She can't talk, she can't walk, she can't even feed herself, but she knows him. She loves him.

My brother and sister-in-law were in town for a couple of days while we were there too. My mom's eyes followed my brother when he was in the room. She seems to recognize him, or possibly she sees the similarites between my brother and my father.

I don't know how much longer she'll be on this earth. I can't imagine it will be much longer, but with this disease it is best to expect the unexpected. I sometimes imagine that the fetters that are binding her to this earth are ugly, rusty chains. But I know they are more likely chains of love and longing. My boys have started talking a lot about heaven and about what it will be like there. I know this sudden interest is because I've mentioned Grandmom going to heaven when she is finished here on earth, when she is set free.

Alec asked last night if there would only be wine to drink and bread to eat in heaven. I told him I couldn't imagine a heaven without chocolate ice cream because that is my favorite and his favorite and Grandmom's favorite. He seemed content with that answer, but later asked me if Grandmom would be able to walk again in heaven. It is always on my heart and mind, and obviously the boys are thinking about her a lot too.

Peace. I'm praying for it. I am praying for the kind of peace that unfetters the soul.

Furry Friend

2010-06-16T08:11:00.000-05:00

Ivan the dog, Mike's brother's constant companion and our favorite canine friend, died on Saturday. Ivan was a part of the Bishop family almost as long as I have been. Buddy adopted Ivan just a few months after Mike and I got married. He's been with us for every summer and every Christmas and every other visit in between for the past 12 and 1/2 years.

We were lucky enough to spend a week with Ivan at the family cabin in New Mexico. I'd like to think that he had a great week with us. I know we certainly enjoyed our last time with him. We hiked, played, snuggled, gave treats for tricks, and just enjoyed his lolling tongue smile. Ivan died just a day after we all left the cabin to go back home. Poor doggie. We miss him!

Freewheeling

2010-05-26T16:24:00.001-05:00

The boys and I leave for Oklahoma tomorrow. We'll be on the road for close to three weeks. We'll spend a week with my folks, then drive to Colorado for my brother-in-law's wedding. This is Mike's brother, Buddy. After the wedding we'll spend about a week in New Mexico at the family cabin in the Pecos Mountains.

Lots of traveling, lots of people to see, lots of memories to make. I'm having quite a bit of anxiety about how we'll find my mom. I know it will be bad, very bad. I'm just so heartbroken and so torn in my hopes and prayers about her. I just want her back, but at the same time I just want her at peace. It's really hard to pray when your heart and mind are not in sync.

So, prayers are coveted: that we will be safe, that we will make beautiful memories, that Mom will find peace.

I'm sure I'll have a lot to blog about when we return. Until then. . .

FANATICS: Star Wars in Concert

2010-05-19T09:09:00.000-05:00

Last night was the long awaited Star Wars in Concert. We gave Zachary the tickets for this for his 9th birthday in April. The boys were bouncing off the walls all day, and were wide-eyed by the time we actually arrived at the Fed Ex Forum at 6:30 last night. We had an hour to walk around and see the museum and the characters. The boys loved seeing their favorite troopers!

When we got to our seats we were pleasantly surprised by our location. We'd purchased the nose bleed seats, but for some reason we were moved down a level. We were still up pretty high, but the view was great.

This is my illegal picture of the concert. We weren't supposed to use flash photography during the show. I honestly forgot. Alec reprimanded me!

The boys loved the concert. I admit it was pretty cool. I'm not the fanatic that my guys are, but the music is really captivating and it was fun seeing the lightshow and the movie clips.

This was one happy boy on the way home:

This one was asleep just a few minutes after getting into the car. I wasn't sure he'd make it all the way through the concert. He climbed into my lap for the last half hour or so and got really quiet and still (neither of which are the norm for him).

It was a great night!

Floaty, fanciful, free, forty-wink giving fix: HAMMOCK

2010-05-12T13:24:00.000-05:00

I finally, FINALLY found my hammock. I've been wanting to put one in the backyard since I first saw this house, before we even owned it! I saw all of those awesome trees and thought, "Yep, this is the perfect backyard for a hammock." Last summer we got here too late in the season and all of the hammocks were gone from store shelves. I almost missed out on them again this year. I went to FOUR different places and finally found this one at Target. It was the last one in blue and red on the shelves. They had one in green and purple left too, but those colors don't match our house. Anyway, here we are, almost a year later, and my hammock dream has finally come to fruition.

The boys and I hung the hammock yesterday afternoon. They spent most of the day playing in it, and fighting over it. It was even a great place for a snack and a juice box.

For those of you who know my boys, you know they are HUGE Star Wars fans. They've named this half of the yard the "Wookie Forest" because it is shadier and the grass grows thicker and taller. They were very excited to have a new "base" in their Wookie Forest. I may have to put another hammock out there for myself. I'm afraid this one is going to get appropriated by smallish boys.

I love it!

Fact: Zach is Awesome

2010-05-11T17:58:00.000-05:00

Today was the third grade award ceremony at Zachary's elementary school. He received the President's Honor Roll medal, which is awarded to students who make all As for three consecutive grading periods. He also received the Citizenship award. While these two awards were great, the BIG award was the Best All Around Boy award and my boy received that one as well! Yay for Zachary! Above: Zachary with teacher Mrs. Nelson and the Best all Around Girl, Channing.

Above: Zach with his super proud daddy.

Family fun in Mississippi

2010-05-10T10:21:00.000-05:00

Mike and I took the boys south this weekend for a quick visit with my Uncle Bill and Aunt Lida and family. Uncle Bill is my dad's older brother. I find it incredibly interesting that these two men, who haven't lived in the same state in more than 40 years and who rarely see each other, are so MUCH ALIKE! It is quite funny actually. They are both incredibly intelligent men with incredibly dry senses of humor who refuse to take any sort of medication for pain and who stay up half the night watching television because they are insomniacs. They drive the same model (and maybe even year) trucks: Ford Expedition. They bleed crimson and cream, both being die hard Oklahoma Sooners fans. They dislike crowds and stupidity. They have two grandsons that they spoil rotten. And, as my cousin Rene put it so well, they are both total SUCKERS when it comes to those grandsons.

My Aunt Lida was a huge hit with my boys. I mean, what 5 year old boy wouldn't LOVE a great aunt who will eat blue snow cones and then show off the end results? She is such a fun, energetic soul and being in her home was wonderful. She took us to Uncle Bill's nature center, which was awesome, and to the zoo and bowling. The boys had a ball!

The thing I enjoyed most was seeing my cousins and watching our children become instant buddies. My cousin Rene has a 6 year old son named Will. Alec and Will became thick as thieves after Will walked into Uncle Bill's house wearing a Star Wars t-shirt. That's pretty much all it took to break the ice. Zach was older and wiser than Will and Alec, but I think he enjoyed big-brothering them both.

My cousin Edith Lynn has the sweetest little man in the universe. His name is Jay Ethan and I'm sure you can see he's a little bit of heaven! Poor little guy developed an ear infection while we were there, so we didn't get to snuggle him as much as we would have liked. Edith will just have to bring him to see us soon! My favorite memory of these girls was when I stayed with them for a week right before I started high school. We giggled and laughed and they introduced me to "Death by Chocolate" at Bennigan's restaurant. Such fun times, and reconnecting with them this weekend was a blast! Below from left: me, Rene, Edith. See any family resemblance?
What a great weekend!

First Day of Freedom and Funny Photos

2010-05-05T13:49:00.001-05:00

Today was my first official day as a happily unemployed teacher (for the next three months anyway). Monday I gave my college students their final exams, then graded them, then did the official paperwork and submissions to get their grades posted for the semester. Yesterday I met with my homeschoolers for one last time and returned all of their portfolios and final research papers. It feels very nice to not have a single paper in my house that needs to be graded. I really love the job that I do. It is a huge blessing to me that I get to do what I love. It is even more precious because I get to take a break from it and come back fresh every fall.

Since it was my first official day of freedom, I enjoyed myself! This morning I spent a happy hour shopping for my dear, dear friends, the Horners. As of this afternoon they are the happy homeowners of a lovely house right here in my neighborhood. I am so excited that they are so nearby now. In our almost thirteen years of marriage Mike and I have never had close friends within walking distance. Now we do! Our lifegroup from church pitched in to help set the Horners up with necessities in the new diggs. It was fun shopping for them:

I also spent a good hour or so just wandering around Old Time Pottery today. I was looking for a hammock for our backyard. Didn't find the hammock, but I did find some cute things for the yard. That was fun.

Yesterday the boys got ahold of my camera and, apparently, had a bit of fun with it. I always enjoy seeing the perpective shown when children are behind the lens. You might enjoy these pics by Zach and Alec:

Here's to summer!

Fifteen

2010-04-24T13:53:00.001-05:00

I have lost fifteen pounds over the last three months. It's not coming off very fast, but it is (thankfully) coming off. Fifteen isn't all that much when you consider that I need to lose another 50 or so to be at a healthy weight, but fifteen is enough that I'm starting to see solid results. My clothes are becoming loose or just too big. That is encouraging.

This morning I packed up my winter clothes for the spring/summer. Instead of putting them into the nice Sterilite container that I normally use, I decided to pack them into an old, battered suitcase. I'm hoping that by the time fall/winter rolls back around, the whole lot of those clothes will be so big that I'll just take the suitcase over to Goodwill and donate the whole thing. That will be my goal.

I'm always looking for a kid-friendly, healthy meal or snack idea, so if anyone has a suggestion, please let me know!

Navy Band MidSouth

2010-04-23T17:44:00.001-05:00

Today I got a chance to see my fabulous husband perform on the Navy Base in Millington. First of all, you should know that I really don't get a chance to see/hear him play as often as you might think. Most of his gigs are out of town or for closed audiences. I only get to hear him a few times a year. Today the band played in Millington, and it was open to anyone who could get onto the base. That meant me! I am always blown away by his talent. Everytime I hear him perform I think, "Wow, he's awesome!" and then I look around to see what everyone else is thinking. This afternoon I heard some whistles of approval and some "D@m*, he's good!" I have to agree with the sentiment. He really, really is good. I'm so proud of him. I wish that I would have thought to bring my camcorder, but alas, it slipped my mind. I do, however, have some pictures of him. He's the adorably hairless wonder.

Seriously falling behind!

2010-04-17T21:23:00.000-05:00

I'm ridiculously behind with my blogging. I just keep telling myself that I'll get caught up again as soon as I'm finished teaching. Only about three more weeks in the classroom, and then I'll feel like I can breathe again. The end of the semester is always a bit breathless for me.

Anyway, the boys had their big birthday party last weekend and I want to blog about it, but I'm short on time. I'm going to try to post a link to photos that I just uploaded to snapfish. We'll see if it actually works!

I promise to start doing better soon! Click here to see the pics and let me know if it works or not:

http://www5.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=4249784014/a=106540065_106540065/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink/COBRAND_NAME=snapfish/

Fancy Face

2010-03-20T08:34:00.001-05:00

Zachary has some new specs. He looks pretty handsome!

Wayfaring

2010-03-10T13:47:00.000-06:00

I had a hard time coming up with an "f" word for "road trip." After a couple of weeks of sickness and a delay in our travel plans, the boys and I are heading for Oklahoma tomorrow. We hope to leave at about 9 in the morning so that we can make the 9 hour drive before it gets too late. Mike will be staying home and working while we're off "wayfaring."

I'm not sure what I'll find at home this trip. I do know that my mom is confined to a wheelchair now. She is wearing adult diapers and has very little bodily control anymore. I know that it will be heartbreaking. But I also know that my sons are THRILLED to be going to see Poppa Jim and I know my dad is beyond thrilled to get to spend time with them. I plan to take along more than enough grading to do while I'm there. I hope to be able to send my dad off with my children. I'll sit with Mom and try to grade a bit here and there.

Prayers are always appreciated for my parents. I am not sure when enough will be enough for my dad. At what point will he finally say, "Okay, I can't do this anymore."? I know that I would have passed that point about a year ago, but his love for and dedication to her is just astounding. When I talked to him yesterday, he calmly told me he'd been in the middle of changing the sheets on her bed because she'd had another accident the night before. As we were talking, I could hear a steady stream of nonsensical words in the background. Sometimes she starts to talk, and it is as if there is no "off" button on her brain to let her know that it would be okay to stop talking. The talking is really more a babbling of sounds rather than words. A cacophony.

I know God has a plan for my mom. I know that. But my heart is so confused and sometimes I do wonder if He has taken the best parts of her on up to heaven. But why would he leave the rest behind? I don't know, but I'm certainly struggling to have faith and confidence in His will.

I just realized that my title for this post is relevant for another purpose. My mom is like that wayfaring stranger in the old hymn:

I am a poor wayfaring stranger

While traveling through this world below

There is no sickness, toil, or danger

In that bright world to which I go

I know dark clouds will gather o’er me

I know the pathway’s rough and steep

But golden fields lie out before me

Where weary eyes no more shall weep

I’m going there to see my Father

I’m going there no more to roam

I am just going over Jordan

I am going over home.

I’ll soon be free from every trial

This form will rest beneath the sod

I’ll drop the cross of self-denial

And enter in my home with God

I’m going there to see my Savior

Who shed for me His precious blood

I am just going over Jordan

I am just going over home,

I am just going over home

Fighting germs

2010-03-08T19:24:00.000-06:00

I've had a sickly household the past couple of weeks. First Alec, then Zach, and now me. Bleh. I'm starting to feel disconnected from the world. Wondering what is happening in everyone else's homes?

Froggy Fun

2010-02-28T18:21:00.000-06:00

Alec's "homework" this weekend was to bring home Froggy, the class "pet," and show him around. We had to write our adventures in the Froggy journal and add some pictures as well. Alec LOVED this assignment. Thankfully the weather was awesome this weekend and we were able to enjoy quite a bit of outside time. This is our Froggy report:

We had a great time with Froggy. On Friday, Alec and Froggy played outside in the backyard. Froggy really liked sliding down and swinging on Alec's playground set. Alec was happy to introduce Froggy to Darth Ribbit, our own family frog friend. Darth Ribbit and Froggy quickly became best buddies. On Friday night, Froggy enjoyed pizza and game night with our family. He liked watching Alec play golf on the Wii.

On Saturday we took Froggy to the Memphis Zoo. Froggy and Alec loved the leopards and lions, but Froggy's favorite animal was the Kimodo Dragon. Alec wondered if the Kimodo Dragon could breathe fire, but Alec's daddy explained that it was really just a big lizard with a funny name. Froggy also enjoyed seeing the other frogs that were real, especially the blue Poison Dart frogs.

On Sunday Alec woke up with really bad allergies and didn't feel like going to church. Froggy and Alec's moms stayed home with Alec. Alec and Froggy played a computer game about Oscar the Grouch on PBSkids.com. On Sunday night, Alec's brother Zachary vacuumed the living room and Froggy had to plug his little ears.

We had a great time with Froggy! Darth Ribbit and Alec are "hopping" Froggy will come back soon.

Fantasy: Story by Zach

2010-02-24T18:38:00.001-06:00

Zachary wrote the following in response to an assignment to write a fantasy story using 12 spelling words. I'm typing it up as he wrote it. I think it shows a lot of promise! Shoot, I have COLLEGE students who have less creativity and many more errors! I wish you could HEAR him read this aloud. His presentation makes it even better. (Maybe I should record him.)

-----

Once upon a time there was a normal cat named Oliver. He was like all cats in the day. He used his food bowls to eat and drink with. He slept all day. He used his litterbox when nesasery! But at night? He changes to. . . Super Kitty!

He plays piano and violin, litsens to the radio, and can even talk! Super Kitty usually saves people. He has these powers: super strength, he can fly, he can go threw anything, he can see through anything, and he has laser eyes. He has a sister named Rainbow Kitty. Together they save lives.

One day Super Kitty saw that the bull rodeo was in trouble! He told Rainbow Kitty and the duo set off. When they got to their destantion the audience in the medium sized stadium were going crazy. Just then they saw Bad Dog: their arch enemy. "Hello Super Kitty" said Bad Dog. "You are going to pay for what you've done" said Super Kitty. "Ya ya, right" said bad Dog. "Like you always do. But first I am going to create my own evil rodeo, and here is a video for demonstration." After the movie the kitties shook their heads no and made their move. But right before the duo were going to punch Bad Dog, Rainbow Kitty had an idea. She made a rainbow bridge and a rainbow net. She trapped Bad Dog and then Super Kitty called the police.

When the due got home it was late. They two kittys ate cereal, watched a pioneer movie and went to sleep.

The end.
---------------------------
Written by:

Inspired by:

Funny Alec-isms

2010-02-16T13:18:00.000-06:00

When Mike picked up Alec from Bible class on Sunday, Alec's teachers were giggling over something Alec had done in class. They explained that Alec had been given the "role" of Jesus in their reenactment of the story of Jesus falling asleep in the boat while the apostles were scared of the storm. So Alec (as Jesus) was laying in the boat sleeping. When the other "apostles" woke him up because they were scared of the storm, Alec (as Jesus) yelled, "Hey! I didn't get enough sleep last night!"

Yesterday, Alec was talking to my dad on the phone. For those of you who don't know my dad, he is primarily bald with the little fringe of hair around the back. Alec said, "Poppa Jim, I'm going to be like you when I grow up, and I'm going to shave the hair on my head. But I'm going to leave the little bit around the back just like yours!"

My silly Alec Michael.

Favoritism

2010-02-12T10:39:00.000-06:00

My husband and I have a DATE tonight. We're celebrating Valentine's Day just a tad early. We have a new babysitter coming over. She's youngish (14), but she's also the eldest sister of four siblings, so she's had plenty of practice at home. I am hoping that she loves us and that we love her (as a sitter) because I have been looking for a steady sort of "regular" sitter since we moved here.

Anyway, I'm rambling off topic. My topic is "Favoritism."

Mike and I are going to Melting Pot for our date tonight. We also went to Melting Pot for my birthday in September and will probably go there for our anniversary in May. I LIKE it, truly I do. It's my favorite restaurant. I have never had a bad experience there. It is a special sort of place for special occasions. I like that when we have a reservation for 6 p.m., we know that we'll be sitting at our table at 6 p.m. ( and not waiting out in an overcrowded entryway until a table is ready.) I love the food, but I especially love that when we're there we can just take our time and talk. No one is rushing us out the door so that they can seat another guest. It is leisurely.

On the summers that we are able to take a vacation, we invariably go to the mountains of New Mexico to spend a week at Mike's family cabin. It is what we do. Santa Fe, cool mountain air, leisurely cabin time.

I think we are creatures of habit, and when I sit down and really THINK about that? Honestly? It kind of bugs me. But it only bugs me on an intellectual level. I think we should probably be more adventurous, but at the same time I am so incredibly happy at the thought of going back to Melting Pot tonight that I don't know why I'd want to try anything new. I like routines, they make me happy.

What about you? Do you have a favorite spot to go to by yourself or with loved ones? Or are you more adventurous? Any suggestions for me?

Flakes of snow (please go go go)

2010-02-09T10:13:00.000-06:00

Well. . . I think I'm ready for spring. Don't get me wrong, I'm a fan of snow. I really do enjoy it. And I am also a fan of the occasional snow day, both as a parent and as a teacher. However, this is our fifth snow day in the course of about a month and I'm starting to get 1) stir crazy; 2) irritated; and 3) concerned about my own students' coursework.

Believe it or not, in spite of my lofty concerns, my children are just thrilled with the snow. Yesterday's flakes were the soft, wet kind that make perfect snow balls. Today it is just too cold and too windy to enjoy, plus we haven't had any new precipitation. The really frustrating thing for me as a parent is that we are within walking distance of Zach's school, the roads are clear, and yet school is out for the day. Aaaggghhh.

Regardless. . .

FINALLY: A Living Room Makeover

2010-02-03T19:13:00.000-06:00

Last week Mike and I made a much needed makeover for our living room. The boys' Christmas toys had completely taken over one corner of the room and I was going a bit insane. In addition, our old TV cabinet was looking pretty sad. (Yes, we are THOSE people who only have one TV in the house and it is pitifully small.)

Anyway, we found an old, but solid wood, hutch at my new favorite junk store and brought it home. About an hour later we had an instant transformation. You can see it in pictures:

Old tevevision cabinet:
Aaagggh! Too many toys!

New TV cabinet + toy storage area:

Wow, look at that awesome drawer perfect for Imaginext guys.

Ooooh Look!

The complete transformation!

Figure of Speech

2010-01-31T11:56:00.001-06:00

This morning the boys were bugging Mike about playing the Wii this afternoon. He told them "probably not." Later, I told the boys that if they were really sweet and played well with each other then I would put in a good word with Daddy. Zachary said, "Okay!" Alec said, "What's the word?"

He wanted to know what that "good word" would be. I could see the wheels spinning. He was thinking, "If only I knew that good word, maybe I could always get what I want!" Silly, sweet boys.

Furry Friends (and a gap toothed grin)

2010-01-19T18:21:00.000-06:00

My boys are big fans of stuffed animals. Alec especially loves his "sleeping buddies." Last week we went to Build a Bear Workshop to spend Christmas giftcards and to celebrate successful report cards. The boys were thrilled to see the new Star Wars outfits for their new buddies. Alec made a green frog, dressed him as Darth Vader, and called him Darth Ribbitt. Zachary made a brown bear, dressed him as a clone trooper, and named him Clone Captain Bearemy. Clever, funny boys I have. (That was a weak attempt at speaking like Yoda.)

Funny thing about my boys and Build a Bear Workshop: We've gone about seven times in the past three years. Each boy has built about seven buddies. Alec has built a frog, a tiger, a lamb, a rabbit, a kitty, a pumpkin cat, and ONE bear. Zachary has created a SIX bears and one dog. He got a bit wild and crazy one day and decided it WAS (maybe) okay to build something other than a bear at Build a BEAR. My boys are so very different in their personalities. Zach is a rule follower. Alec is. . . not. :-)

This is Alec in his pjs with his new sleeping buddy keeping him company while he works on Playhouse Disney online. This is part of our morning routine on preschool days. (Don't pay attention to my MESSY office.)

This morning Zach pulled out a tooth, so we've got another gap toothed grin! I love those silly smiles.

Following Mom

2010-01-14T09:59:00.000-06:00

I've been organizing pictures this week and I was struck by something. One year ago my mom was able to walk unassisted and talk fairly coherently. The pictures show it better than I can describe.

Dec. 2009

July 2009----------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------

March 2009

Dec. 2008------------------------------------------------------------------------

One year's time, 365 days. How can this disease be so awful?

Fun makeover

2010-01-11T13:47:00.000-06:00

Thanks to some Christmas money from Mike's parents (Thank you, Mikie and Dwayne!) the boys' room got a nice little makeover last week. I found this awesome hutch at an "antique" store a few miles from the house. It has become the chapter book/LEGO storage area. The boys' LEGOs were starting to drive me bonkers and this seems like a nice solution for everyone involved. Plus, it looks awesome!

The regular bookcase got a good cleaning out. I was so sad to do it, but most of the board books have been boxed up and sent to the attic. Sigh. My babies aren't babies anymore.

This is the reading corner of the room. I LOVE love LOVE having a little sofa in their room. It makes it a great place to hang out!

Hey, I posted again! Aren't you super proud of me? :-)

Phoooooeeee. Can't keep up!

2010-01-06T13:23:00.000-06:00

Okay, so I'm not sure how I'm going to manage maintaining a blog! I'm struggling to stay on top of responsibilities these days. Two kids and two teaching jobs and a hubby and a household and an ailing parent are just adding up to be a LOT for me. I want to try to document the last month of our family's comings and goings, and I think the best way for me is to just upload a bunch of photos.

Zach had a wonderful Christmas musical in December. He played the part of a Christmas ornament named "Tex" who learned the true meaning of Christmas. It was a great performance and my little man showed a lot of promise as an actor! He's amazing.
We also spent time with Mike's family in Texas. FINALLY got to meet my sister-in-law to be. Buddy and Jessica have their date set for early June. The boys thought Aunt Jessica was pretty awesome.

The weather in Oklahoma was snowy and cold. Wynnewood got about 12 inches while we were there. The boys LOVED it.

I admit it was pretty and I enjoyed playing in it with my children, but it did create problems with travel and with taking care of my mom. My mom is still home; still being cared for primarily by my dad. We were able to stay about a week and help him out; I can only say that I am in awe of his stamina. I can't believe he's still managing her care alone. She is now completely home-bound. Her world revolves around a "lift" chair in the living room and a hospital bed in the adjoining piano room. While I was home she began to have issues with incontinence and I had the responsibility of braving the snow to go buy adult diapers for my mother. I was so thankful that I could be there to help my dad though. She fell once while we were there and I shudder to think of what might have happened if Mike weren't there to help get her back up. My dad's love and devotion to her leaves me speechless and in tears. He is a good man indeed.

We loved seeing my brother and sister-in-law while we were home.
The boys found some of Dad's old army digs. Wow! That was instant entertainment.

Anyway, random photos to follow. Please post or e-mail me to keep in touch!

(Zachary's got a girlfriend!)

This is a photo of my sissy's little girl with my boys! Cuties!

Falling behind

2009-12-09T21:20:00.000-06:00

I am such a blogging slacker lately! Life just seems to get crazier by the day. Zach is currently involved in piano, our church's Christmas musical, and basketball. This means that we are spending a lot more of our family's "free time" attending dress rehearsals or piano recitals or basketball practices or games. I'm finding it difficult to summon up the energy to blog. However, I'm seeing a light at the end of the crazy, extracurricular tunnel! Zach's big musical performance is coming up on Sunday. I hope to be able to post some pics or a bit of video of that. I just sat through the dress rehearsal tonight. It is such a cute program. And there are some talented children involved in it (of course, my child is one of those extremely talented)!

Quick story. On Monday, Zachary had a piano recital. He walked up on stage, sat down at the keys, played his song beautifully, and then my boy stood as though to take his bow. HOWEVER, he did not bow; nor did he walk down the steps to return to his seat. Instead, he J*U*M*P*E*D from the stage. Mike looked at me with an eyebrow raised and said, "He just did a rock star jump off of the stage." I could see the glint of pride in that fatherly eye! I just laughed because it was so unexpected! Funny, funny boy.

2009-12-03T11:29:00.000-06:00

I realize we are now into December and I should be posting Christmasy sorts of things. But I am slightly behind this year! I've usually put up my Christmas tree and have the house all decorated by now, but I haven't done that yet either. My point? I'm belatedly posting a couple of Thanksgiving videos of the boys. They are too cute to overlook, even though Thanksgiving is now over and done. I hope your holiday of thanks was enjoyable.

Four Dollar Day

2009-11-19T09:46:00.000-06:00

Yesterday morning I put on a sweater that I had not worn since last winter. As I zipped it up, I felt a crinkling in a front pocket. I pulled out four crisp, folded $1 bills. It was a fun way to start my day.

Later that morning, I taught my developmental writing course at the local community college. I have to admit that I wasn't very excited about this class when we started in September. But it has become one of my favorite groups of students, and one of my favorite classes to teach. Yesterday my students were performing group presentations on grammar principles. I sat, pleasantly surprised, as I listened to group after group present their assigned topics: past participial phrases, dangling modifiers, adverbials, appositives, and relative clauses. Pleasantly surprised because they actually had fairly firm grasps of these topics. Pretty pleased with myself already, my heart almost burst when one of my students came up to me after class and said, "I never thought I'd be able to explain how to identify a relative clause. But I can! I feel pretty smart, Mrs. Bishop." Coming from a developmental student, that was a huge admission.

To top off my great day, I received the following e-mail from a senior faculty member:

This shouldn't be a postscript, but I want to let you know that I received your folder of sample graded work and I'm very impressed

by the quality of your comments.

I especially like the way you build criticism into a framework of praise.

You're doing a great job.

It was a great $4 day!

Family Talent

2009-11-14T18:14:00.000-06:00

I don't proclaim to be among the talented musicians in this family. It definitely comes from the Bishop side of the family tree rather than the Stark side. Nevertheless, I LOVE that my children seem to be as interested, and as naturally talented, as their father in all things musical. It's just fun! Zachary has a piano recital coming up in the next month. Alec is already asking for piano lessons, but we're going to hold off on that for at least another year. Mike says that children will learn to read music much better if they are already proficient at reading words. Anyway, I love that we have music in our house!

Fun with Fall Folliage

2009-11-07T11:35:00.000-06:00

There's not much to add here. Photos say it all:

Ft. Hood

2009-11-06T10:13:00.000-06:00

Have you seen the news about the tragedy at Ft. Hood in Texas? If you haven't, here's a link: http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/11/05/texas.fort.hood.shootings/index.html

I'm having a hard time blocking out this little bit of tragedy. It keeps popping into my thoughts, invading my normally hard shell regarding "news." I think of my husband working on a military base. I think of the security measures present on such bases. I think of the families living on Ft. Hood, of the patients who had been seen by this shooter, of the families of the dead and the wounded. Tragic doesn't even come close to an appropriate description.

What are your thoughts?

Frighteningly cute cuties

2009-11-03T18:41:00.000-06:00

Halloween! This year we enjoyed our first ever trunk or treat at our church. Zach was a clone trooper from Star Wars; Alec was a red Power Ranger. They loved their costumes and they really had a good time with their buddies at the trunk or treat. The two cuties in the pic with my own kiddos are the children of some Harding friends that we've rediscovered here in Bartlett.

By the end of the night, my littlest one was so tired that he curled up in the back of the car with a sleeping buddy. He slept hard that night!

Fall

2009-10-28T14:01:00.001-05:00

We made it out to the pumpkin patch on Saturday. Thanks to the rain, rain, rain we've been having here in the mid-south, the place was a muddy mess. However, we were undaunted in our quest for the perfect pumpkin. We rode a "hayride" (think smallish flatbed trailer hooked up to a smallish tractor) and we walked among the orange gourds. Enjoy the pictures. I love a good pumpkiny background in photos, don't you?

Good F Words: Family

First Full Day: Fabulous Family Fun Day 2

Fantastic Family Fun: Disneyworld Post 1

Festivus

good Fellas

Family Ties

Fifth Grade Essay

Flyers

Frenzy

Fabulous 37

Fragrances and memory: London

From Heaven

Feelings

First Day

Family Fun Weekend

Father Fright

Fourth of July

Florida Room...Finished! (though not completely furnished)

Footwear in the Florida Room

Florida Room, post 2

Florida Room, post 1

Father's Day...belated

Finally: Shoe Lace Success

Family... and Action Figures

Fourth Grade Is OVER!

First Grader-to-be

Final day of 4th grade/kindergarten

Piano Forte

Fantasy Cheerios

Feline Fun

Funerary: –adjective, of or pertaining to a funeral or burial:

Feeling my way through grief

Fun with 10 year old boys: Zach's bday party

A Woman to Remember

Forget-me-not

la fête (party!)

Four-legged family naming

Fast Forward Spring

Forty

Foray into the Fanciful: Finding a Literary Agent

Faithful Love

Feeling Navy Blue

Fiction: Mine this time.

Funny (really funny) 4th grade fiction

Frosty Frollics

Frankly my dear...

Frazzle dazzle

Flabbergasted: past participle, past tense of flabbergast

F...ummm.. hmm (family has been done way too much) *Sigh*

For the 200th post...

Found: Heartbreakingly Sweet Old Photos

Fourth Grade Fiction (again)

Frightful

Fall at the Farm

Fantastic Fourth Grade Fiction

Finding Peace in the Memories

Fall Favorites

Meatal Stenosis...what?!

Family Traditions

Fourth Grade Celebrity

Fingering strings

Old Photo of Mom

Fighting Closet Monsters

Family Time and Catching Up

Four in the car

Fashion Friendly: Closet Makeover!

Freedom

Fathers' Day

Fettered

Furry Friend

Freewheeling

FANATICS: Star Wars in Concert

Floaty, fanciful, free, forty-wink giving fix: HAMMOCK

Fact: Zach is Awesome

Family fun in Mississippi

First Day of Freedom and Funny Photos

Fifteen

Navy Band MidSouth

Seriously falling behind!

Fancy Face

F...ummm.. hmm (family has been done way too much) Sigh