Boys don't shoe shop!

I fear this blog may turn into all the reasons why a girls would have been so much fun for me! I remember when I found out that Ethan was going to be a boy, I went into a bit of a funk...since I thought he was going the be the last and I was going to have all boys (by the time I was pregnant with Wade, I had completely given up hope!). Anyway, I was whining to Jesse about how he couldn't possibly understand since he would always have someone around who would want to wrestle and be dirty and feed rodents to reptiles with him but I would never have anyone who would want to go shoe shopping with me. I was right...


This is how ridiculous they are. Jesse and I were out driving to look at some land when Jesse spotted this snake in the road. He yelled for me to stop the car and turn around (and I have asked myself a hundred times since why I listened!). The snake angrily coiled and started striking at Jesse when he got out of the car so, the next OBVIOUS act would be to catch it, right?! He told me to watch the snake while he found a stick. I in turn looked at him in disgust and said...really...not gonna happen. So I got assigned stick hunting duty instead.

Jesse caught the snake, curled it around his arm, and said let's go. Until that point, I had not fully realized that is was going to travel with us not only to still go look at the land, but back home. Does everyone agree that I am a fairly awesome wife and mother at this point?

We got the snake home and turn-taking to hold said angry snake ensued. I was pretty sure the fun was going to end here. I was mistaken. The snake was then put on the ground, and bothered to get all angry again so Garrett and Cole could each take a turn learning how to catch an angry snake. No joke! I wouldn't make this up! This, apparently, is fun to the male population!


Here's how the next conversation went:

Me: (slightly panicked and worried-like) Oh My Gosh! They are going to get bit! What happens if they get bit?!

Jesse: (in a semi-disgusted tone) Well, then I guess they will have one hole on the top of their hand...and one on the bottom.

Sigh...I'm going to look for shoes.

Friends...

"A real friend is someone who walks in when the rest of the world walks out." Walter Winchell.

So...friends. Although my meager entries have truly been reflected on my crazy family and, more specifically my kids, the blog really is about me. If I ever get even remotely regular at this blogging thing, it will be about the events that surround me, and, by default, my perspective and feelings towards any event as they are my words doing the telling. It's reflecting my world as it revolves around this amazing life I lead. Now, don't get me wrong! By 'amazing' I don't always mean 'good', although there is TONS of 'good'! But amazing can have some fairly negative elements in the right situation (reference blender entry below!) Lately, my amazing has evoked quite a bit of introspection, inspection, and reflection which have enlightened me on my feelings on friends. So, as this is about me, I wanted to write about these thoughts in a way that I hope I will be able to reflect should the gumption arise.

Over my life, friends have appeared, disappeared and evolved. I have rarely been able to accurately predict any outcome, and have yet to be disappointed. I now also watch my kids with their friends and have watched how their friendships with various kids develop...or stagnate. Friends come in so many different packages and it seems they often also have a variety of functions. I am pretty sure everyone knows what I mean about that. I mean, I feel like for so long I thought that a true friendship had it's strength based on similarities. I found, instead, that the deepest friendships have immense differences! Those differences are tempered with respect and are non-judgmental. We can talk about two different sides of the same coin, question, explain, listen, and grow from each other. I am so grateful for the differences of the people around me and even more-so for their loving me despite our differences. You guys are simply divine!

With the crazy life we have had the last couple of years and the way my family is growing and changing, I have been able to gain real appreciation for my true friends. Surprisingly, to me anyways, some of my friends that have been the most supportive, inspirational, comforting, and reliable were not always the ones I predicted. They aren't necessarily the ones nearby or the ones I am able to talk to often...they may be ones I haven't talked to in months! Yet they have always been there and would drop anything to help me or be there for me if I ask. I have to express gratitude to all my friends and I am so grateful for not only what I learned from them, but what I was able to take from those friendships as well. I am fortunate enough to know some awesome women...women that have been such an example to me in SO MANY different ways. Friendship is definitely a journey of sorts...and the journey has been fantastic!

And to take me full circle to the quote above, it is so true. The friends that have been true friends to me have stayed with me, let me cry, let me laugh, listened to my garbage, rejoiced with me in my good times, and have always 'walked in' and stayed with me when the rest walked out. And, honestly, not all friends we have are meant to walk in when the rest walk out...some are there the rest of the time and are gratefully appreciated. And yet, there are the ones that stick by you! You can't knock a true friend!

And he shall be called "Stumpy"...

Okay. First, take a deep breath and prepare yourself to take your time and indulge in the post that will have to hold you for what will probably be another couple months if the past truly is an indicator of the future. Next, I would like to begin by saying that our family does occasionally function normally with little to no permanent damage. Unfortunately, I seem to only focus on the negative and love, apparently, to showcase the downside of life! With that said, I will preface the following story by stating that he is fine!
So, here's the story. Wade put his hand in a hand-held blender and turned it on. Yikes! I know! To top off the story, I wasn't even home...Garrett was babysitting. Quality parenting folks! I have to say, Garrett did a fantastic job of taking care of him and got him to the neighbor's pronto, who then met me at the fire station at the end of our road with Wade. Long story made really short, we got to the hospital, were admitted, and Wade had surgery by the hand surgeon the next day to fix some royally messed-up tendon in one finger. All fingers are still attached and should have normal function at some point.

So, is some comprehension occurring? My life is NOT NORMAL! The chaos is to the point of ridiculous! Sadly, I have taken to calling him "stumpy". I think it's funny. Even funnier, Wade will now ask me to hold his stump instead of calling it his hand...isn't that priceless?! And my somewhat warped sense of humor is a little bit enjoying the look on the snow birds' faces when they ask him what happened and he very politely and bluntly tells them he put it in a blender. You can't buy stories like this!

In addition, I have continued to get some not-nice comments about my horrible lack of blogging. The suggestion that I could print my blog at the end of every year and have a yearly momento makes me laugh a little...that would obviously be one very short book! I do enjoy putting the stories on screen...when I get to it, it just seems so hard to get to it! And now that I look back at my meager selection of posts, I notice a theme. I apparently only post during tragedy and stress. I am pretty sure, somehow, I am going to get a knock on the door from some random agency concerned for the welfare of my children.