Monday, December 31, 2007

We've been busy

It occured to me that while I have been posting on this blog the last few days... you wouldn't really notice. Why? Well, I was getting all my archives over from the blog host I had previous to this one (my account is set to expire tomorrow).

Anyway, now that I've finished that little task up we can resume regular posting!

Here's the other thing we've been up to:

Friday, December 28, 2007

On the Fourth Day of Christmas

--Our DVR unit is totally broken rendering us completely unable to view TV in the master bedroom. And it will be a few days before they can have another device sent to us... This totally sucks since this is the only place that we watch TV, after the kids are in bed and we are winding down our evening... OH AND THAT MEANS NO BASKETBALL CAN BE RECORDED AND WATCHED LATER! This is a big problem!

--On our outing to the local driving range I was terrible. I was completely out of sorts. Frustration and sore muscles (from all the scooter riding, sad really) had my swing all wonky. Large clumps of dirt and grass flew further than some of the golf balls, pathetic.

--Leaving the driving range I stepped in dog doo, which I didn't realize, tracking it into the SUV, and then on to my jeans when I crossed my leg under the other... and of course on to seat (thank goodness they're leather, and it cleaned right up).

--Daddio picked up a new daily wear/camping watch for me! It's PINK and it was on sale too!! $12, gotta love Kohls!

--I finally found a recipe for meatloaf that turned out tasty enough that I would eat it (I'm not a big fan of meatloaf, and Daddio is... so it took a while for me to find something that I liked as well).

Holy Innocents

Today is a very interesting feast day, that of the Holy Innocents. These are the infant boys who were killed by Herod. New Advent mentions them as the first martyrs, noting "they died not only for Christ, but in his stead ." I had never thought of that before. Read the whole article:
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07419a.htm

The Curt Jester points out some interesting theological stuff about unbaptized infants, baptism by desire, and "Limbo": http://www.splendoroftruth.com/curtjester/

It's an appropriate day to pray for the victims of abortion, and for those who have suffered miscarriages.

Thursday, December 27, 2007

I see you!

My view of him.
His view of me.

On the Third Day of Christmas

To be honest, it was pretty much just like yesterday. It started off slow, we did some running around (Daddio needed golf shoes), and then hit another park with a concrete skate area. At this particular park, they have a roller hockey rink that no one was using which made the perfect place to unleash the little llamas with their scooters.

Have I mentioned how wonderful it is to have these little contraptions that fold up in one easy motion and fit easily into the back of the beast so that they can come with us when ever we so choose... trust me when I say that having those Razors in the back of the car are a perfect incentive to have well mannered boys while we run some not always fun errands!

Then home again for a late nap...

And because today happens to be the last Thursday of the month... a few of the moms from our homeschool group are getting together for our monthly Mom's Night Out. A lovely cup of hot apple cider, and then maybe a frothy delight top of the evening...

All in all, a good day!

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

On the Second Day of Christmas

The Llamas spent the afternoon on scooters... even Daddio and Mama had their fair share of riding... It was pretty entertaining actually. Bobcat really has the hang of it. What Bubba lacks in ability he makes up for with fierce determination. And little Snookie, well, something always seems to be wrong with his scooter... if you ask him that is. Towards the end of the afternoon, though, he was really picking up speed and coasting from time to time.

St. Stephen

Brought to you by New Advent:

St. Stephen
One of the first deacons and the first Christian martyr; feast on 26 December. In the Acts of the Apostles the name of St. Stephen occurs for the first time on the occasion of the appointment of the first deacons (Acts 6:5). Dissatisfaction concerning the distribution of alms from the community's fund having arisen in the Church, seven men were selected and specially ordained by the Apostles to take care of the temporal relief of the poorer members. Of these seven, Stephen, is the first mentioned and the best known.

Stephen's life previous to this appointment remains for us almost entirely in the dark. His name is Greek and suggests he was a Hellenist, i.e., one of those Jews who had been born in some foreign land and whose native tongue was Greek; however, according to a fifth century tradition, the name Stephanos was only a Greek equivalent for the Aramaic Kelil (Syr. kelila, crown), which may be the protomartyr's original name and was inscribed on a slab found in his tomb. It seems that Stephen was not a proselyte, for the fact that Nicolas is the only one of the seven designated as such makes it almost certain that the others were Jews by birth. That Stephen was a pupil of Gamaliel is sometimes inferred from his able defence before the Sanhedrin; but this has not been proved. Neither do we know when and in what circumstances he became a Christian; it is doubtful whether the statement of St. Epiphanius (Haer., xx, 4) numbering Stephen among the seventy disciples is deserving of any credence. His ministry as deacon appears to have been mostly among the Hellenist converts with whom the Apostles were at first less familiar; and the fact that the opposition he met with sprang up in the synagogues of the "Libertines" (probably the children of Jews taken captive to Rome by Pompey in 63 B. C. and freed hence the name Libertini), and "of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of them that were of Cilicia and Asia" shows that he usually preached among the Hellenist Jews. That he was pre eminently fitted for that work, his abilities and character, which the author of the Acts dwells upon so fervently, are the best indication. The Church had, by selecting him for a deacon, publicly acknowledged him as a man "of good reputation, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom" (Acts 6:3). He was "a man full of faith, and of the Holy Ghost" (vi, 5), "full of grace and fortitude" (vi, 8); his uncommon oratorical powers and unimpeachable logic no one was able to resist, so much so that to his arguments replete with the Divine energy of the Scriptural authorities God added the weight of "great wonders and signs" (vi, 8). Great as was the efficacy of "the wisdom and the spirit that spoke" (vi, 10), still it could not bend the minds of the unwilling; to these the forceful preacher was fatally soon to become an enemy.

The conflict broke out when the cavillers of the synagogues "of the Libertines, and of the Cyreneans, and of the Alexandrians, and of them that were of Cilicia and Asia", who had challenged Stephen to a dispute, came out completely discomfited (vi, 9 10); wounded pride so inflamed their hatred that they suborned false witnesses to testify that "they had heard him speak words of blasphemy against Moses and against God" (vi, 11).

No charge could be more apt to rouse the mob; the anger of the ancients and the scribes had been already kindled from the first reports of the preaching of the Apostles. Stephen was arrested, not without some violence it seems (the Greek word synerpasan implies so much), and dragged before the Sanhedrin, where he was accused of saying that "Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place [the temple], and shall change the traditions which Moses delivered unto us" (vi, 12 14). No doubt Stephen had by his language given some grounds for the accusation; his accusers apparently twisted into the offensive utterance attributed to him a declaration that "the most High dwelleth not in houses made by hands" (vii, 48), some mention of Jesus foretelling the destruction of the Temple and some inveighing against the burthensome traditions fencing about the Law, or rather the asseveration so often repeated by the Apostles that "there is no salvation in any other" (cf. iv, 12) the Law not excluded but Jesus. However this may be, the accusation left him unperturbed and "all that sat in the council...saw his face as if it had been the face of an angel" (vi, 15).

Stephen's answer (Acts 7) was a long recital of the mercies of God towards Israel during its long history and of the ungratefulness by which, throughout, Israel repaid these mercies. This discourse contained many things unpleasant to Jewish ears; but the concluding indictment for having betrayed and murdered the Just One whose coming the Prophets had foretold, provoked the rage of an audience made up not of judges, but of foes. When Stephen "looking up steadfastly to heaven, saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God", and said: "Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God" (vii, 55), they ran violently upon him (vii, 56) and cast him out of the city to stone him to death. Stephen's stoning does not appear in the narrative of the Acts as a deed of mob violence; it must have been looked upon by those who took part in it as the carrying out of the law. According to law (Leviticus 24:14), or at least its usual interpretation, Stephen had been taken out of the city; custom required that the person to be stoned be placed on an elevation from whence with his hands bound he was to be thrown down. It was most likely while these preparations were going on that, "falling on his knees, he cried with a loud voice, saying: "Lord, lay not this sin to their charge" (vii, 59). Meanwhile the witnesses, whose hands must be first on the person condemned by their testimony (Deuteronomy 17:7), were laying down their garments at the feet of Saul, that they might be more ready for the task devolved upon them (vii, 57). The praying martyr was thrown down; and while the witnesses were thrusting upon him "a stone as much as two men could carry", he was heard to utter this supreme prayer: "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit" (vii, 58). Little did all the people present, casting stones upon him, realize that the blood they shed was the first seed of a harvest that was to cover the world.

The bodies of men stoned to death were to be buried in a place appointed by the Sanhedrin. Whether in this instance the Sanhedrin insisted on its right cannot be affirmed; at any rate, "devout men" -- whether Christians or Jews, we are not told -- "took order for Stephen's funeral, and made great mourning over him" (vii, 2). For centuries the location of St. Stephen's tomb was lost sight of, until (415) a certain priest named Lucian learned by revelation that the sacred body was in Caphar Gamala, some distance to the north of Jerusalem. The relics were then exhumed and carried first to the church of Mount Sion, then, in 460, to the basilica erected by Eudocia outside the Damascus Gate, on the spot where, according to tradition, the stoning had taken place (the opinion that the scene of St. Stephen's martyrdom was east of Jerusalem, near the Gate called since St. Stephen's Gate, is unheard of until the twelfth century). The site of the Eudocian basilica was identified some twenty years ago, and a new edifice has been erected on the old foundations by the Dominican Fathers.

The only first hand source of information on the life and death of St. Stephen is the Acts of the Apostles (6:1-8:2).

Tuesday, December 25, 2007

On the First Day of Christmas

Good day, and Happy Birthday Baby Jesus!

Today is the first day of Christmas, which means I will joyfully listen to Christmas music... of course come morning none will be played on the radio, so my CD's and my own singing will fill these walls (my poor children)... I'm totally hoping to score a Noel CD on sale!

Our tree went up on Friday (the 21st, as mentioned previously), and how long will it stay up??? Well, my good readers, till the last day of Christmas Proper (check out your missals)... drum roll please... January 13th, the baptism of our Lord. Usually we take it down after Epiphany, you know the 12th day of Christmas... but we're goin' with the actual Christmas season this year.

So, what was under said tree for the little llamas of the house... well they each got a scooter (we're going to work on balance before we attempt bikes again), each a new flashlight (shock resistant of course) for camping, and transformer underpants (no Christmas is complete without either underpants or socks, right?).

(It only took 50 tries this morning after Mass to capture this image!)

From the Llama family to yours, may this be a blessed Christmas season!

Sunday, December 23, 2007

Snaggletooth Christmas Part 2


When it rains it pours. Tonight before bed, Bobcat lost two more teeth (bottom row, on either side of the two in the middle which are permanent), and Snookie lost the other bottom center tooth next to the one he lost on Thursday. Bubba and Bobcat both have one more loose on top which will probably go within a week or two. They are so tickled by the resulting speech impediments.

Snaggletooth Christmas

Everyone has a hole in their head today. (And their pants, evidently. Sad-lookin' little ragamuffins, aren't they?) Snookie lost his very first tooth on Thursday. Sadly, we weren't here for it. My mom was babysitting and Snookie used the loose tooth as an excuse to get out of bed and complain. Why do grandmothers always fall for these lame excuses? She felt sorry that it was bothering him so she helped him take it out. I don't believe it really needed to come out at that moment. Kind of a bummer that we missed out on his first tooth. My mom is so gullible. Anyway, I digress. He's pretty excited to have joined the big boys' club.


And Bubba lost his third tooth (the first one from the top row) before church this morning. He's very amused by his own lisp. Bobcat's top tooth has been gone for months, surely the replacement is on the way soon.




And that is a Christmas tree you see there. Who says procrastination doesn't pay? If you wait until December 21st, the trees are on super sale. This one is very high quality, and pre-lit. I do prefer colored lights, and lots of them, but you just can't beat the convenience. Considering that we have to rearrange the furniture to accommodate the tree, we just can't seem to get motivated. We put it up Friday and decorated Saturday. Here's a fun game - click on the first image above for a larger version and play "Count the Santa's". Heh heh. I know there are varying degrees of Santa-ism among very devout and God-fearing people. I'm not criticizing anyone who enjoys the fantasy, but it's just not our thing.

Anyway, we pushed through our laziness and got it all done. We've even wrapped all the gifts, and the lights are up on the roof. (I should replace this one burned out bulb that I didn't notice until last night. I thought I had checked them all on ground level. Grrr. We shall see if scrupulosity prevails over sloth. So many vices to choose from...) It's ironic that we had more Christmas cheer before we had children. But now that the work is done, I'm glad, and the house does look nice. And smells great too, as the Llama is baking cookies today. Here's a close-up of our favorite ornament.

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

How many?

22

Find a Ultrasound school near you

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Cool Idea

For those who still have Christmas cards left, you should send one to the White House. They will send you back a letter around New Year's, it's kind of neat. And who knows, your card may end up on display in a presidential library one day. We first heard of this idea when we were greaduating from high school. Our government teacher told us to send an invitation to the White House and we would get a letter of congratulations back from the President. It worked. It was President Clinton... but still, kind of neat scrapbook material. There's your nifty idea for the day.

Ron Paul

What do you all know about Ron Paul (the presidential candidate)? I had only heard him dismissed as a wacky Orwellian conspiracy theorist on some conservative websites and radio shows. But his website is pretty interesting. He's a former OB/GYN that is very pro-life. He supports school choice and vouchers for private schools and tax credits for teachers, and is probably the only candidate that even mentions home schooling on his website. He really emphasizes border control.
I'm not sure I agree with his very anti-war, isolationist ideas, but otherwise his statements really resonate with me. It doesn't look like he really stands a chance of winning, but hopefully there will be enough support to influence and shape the policies of whomever does get the Republican nomination.

Homeschooler wins Heisman

This is a really cool story about a successful homeschool student. Tim Tebow, a home schooler raised by missionary parents, won the Heisman Award, college football's highest honor, last week. Tebow played high school football in Florida while still being homeschooled. Florida law allows home schoolers to participate in extracurricular public school activities.

Here's the full story:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22162696/

Monday, December 17, 2007

Photos from the weekend

Busy weekend at Casa de Llama. Sunday was our seventh wedding anniversary (that's an entire quarter of our lives), so Saturday night we went out. No sitter, the boys came with us, it's kind of become a tradition). Dinner at Buca di Beppo (you must try the chicken glorioso). Then a tour of Christmas lights and dessert at Steak 'n Shake.

Sunday afternoon, we made our annual gingerbread house. We just buy a kit from the store, nothing too fancy or difficult, but it's fun.



Sunday night, we put the boys to bed early and had a romantic dinner at home. We used our wedding china. We have service for 16 (long story short - we thought we lost our original eight, felt sick about it for three years, I eventually bought a whole new service for eight, and then we found the originals...) so we feel obligated to use at least some of it at least once a year. No cooking required for the Llama - I got everything from Central Market (overpriced, but yummy). I grilled a couple of awesome steaks, and the sides were pre-cooked, just reheat in the oven. Paired with a nice pinot noir. And turtle cheesecake with coffee for dessert.


Happy anniversary, my sweet and feisty one!

Christmas Shoes

Does anyone else get annoyed by that song? I think it's ridiculous.

We're not totally grinchy though, we put up some decorations this weekend. Everything but the tree. We don't have a tree, actually - we did a real one last year, and gave away our old fake one. I'm waiting to find a nice pre-lit tree on sale closer to the 25th. I was going to stick to our "Penitential Advent" theme until the 24th, but when I came home Friday, MommaLlama had taken the decorations out of the closet. It's been a rough week, she needed to see something cheerful. So we're pseudo-Christmasy. Actually, I heard on the radio that the Vatican Christmas tree went up last week. So I guess if the pope is ready to decorate then we can too.

We also wanted to set up the nativity because we got our new piece in. The nativity scene was always very important in my family when I was growing up. We had a beautiful porcelain set that my grandmother actually made herself, and it was always displayed prominently. I started a set for us the year we were married. I wanted something very nice, heirloom quality. I chose Lenox "China Jewels". I started with just the holy family and a shepherd, and have added a new piece or two every year since then. Unfortunately, it's been retired this year, so from now on I'll have to buy second hand pieces on eBay to complete the set. I got the donkey this year, he arrived on Friday. My first ever eBay purchase, and actually it was fairly priced and in excellent condition. I have all the important pieces, but there are a few more animals out there I would like to have. You should see the elephant (presumably ridden by one of the Magi). It's enormous and intricately detailed and has a lot of colorful decoration on the saddle. I should have bought it when I saw it in a store in 2000, but it seemed out of place with our small collection. Now it's going for about $350 on eBay. Yikes.



Here are a few photos, per Nicole's request. This is the whole set.



This is a close-up of our 2007 addition, the donkey. He was actually mentioned in the bible, if you're a stickler for historical accuracy.



These are two of my favorite pieces, the standing camel (2005) and the palm tree (2004). There's also a kneeling camel that I want to add someday.

Friday, December 14, 2007

Your heart and your mind

This morning at Mass the priest said something that I thought was very interesting...
"Your heart can talk your mind into anything." He stopped there and asked very one to think about that for a moment before he continued.

If your intellect is seeking Truth, then your heart will follow (to KNOW, love, and serve the Lord). But if you become disordered, and go with feelings... allowing your heart, your feelings which are not informed, lead the way. By leading with your heart, and allowing your intellect to drag behind... what is going to do... rationalize the heart's choices. It is easy to rationalize sin when you become disconnected from God! This turns our relationship with God upside down. No longer are we seeking God, moving upward... we become our own god... with obvious backward direction!

The Lord certainly knows how to speak to you at the right moment in a homily doesn't He...

In my extended family (my parents and sibling), this very issue... leading with feelings, has caused a mountain of trouble. They have become so disconnected from the Will of the Father, that they've created an alternate reality. A reality that exists without objective Truth, purely driven on their personal will and completely self centered. As an outsider, called upon in time of utter crisis', it's usually too late to make any visible difference... no matter how I try.

Over the years, I've tried different methods in order to reach them... to help (because the current crisis is one of a long line that spans decades). Since they are so feelings oriented, I've tried appealing to their feelings. Other times I tried to help with their guilt, the financial burden, and even to their rationalizing intellect... to no avail. The alternate reality simply will not allow Truth in... not even from the loving voice of their daughter.

What has kept me up at night (last night til the single digit hours appeared on the clock) is what's my role? If I'm honestly seeking the will of the Father, informing my intellect...??? I guess the first answer would be to continue to pray for them.

My problem comes when I deconstruct what is asked of us... to Know, Love, and Serve the Lord...
-I'm informing my intellect - To Know
-I work diligently to love the Lord daily - To Love

Serving is the problem... that is the point I reach when my answers run short! It's not because of a lack of trying... simply because all service is met with a door in the face.

Life would be so much easier if people would just do the RIGHT THING!

Thursday, December 13, 2007

St. Lucy Pray For Us

Saint Lucy: Feast Day, December 13.
Symbols: cord; eyes on a dish; hitched to a yoke of oxen; in the company of Saints Agatha, Agnes of Rome, Barbara, Catherine of Alexandria, and Thecla; kneeling before the tomb of Saint Agatha; lamp; swords

Saint Lucy lived in Sicily about 300 years after Jesus was born. Her parents were Christians, even though many people in the world at that time were still pagans, who worshipped other gods. The ruler of the country was a pagan and he made it against the law to be Christian. But Lucy's parents loved Jesus very much, so they were Christians and they taught Lucy about Christ too. She grew up loving Jesus and wanting to give her whole life to Him.

When she was grown up, something wonderful happened. Her mother wanted Lucy to marry a rich young man, even though he wasn't a Christian. Lucy didn't want to marry at all, and prayed to God for some way to persuade her mother that she didn't have to marry the rich young man.

Lucy's mother became ill, and they both went on a pilgrimage to the tomb of Saint Agatha to pray for healing. When Lucy's mother was miraculously healed, Lucy told her mother about how she had asked God for help so that she wouldn't have to marry. Lucy's mother changed her mind, and told Lucy that she didn't have to marry the rich young man. Lucy was very happy.

But the rich young man was not happy. He still wanted to marry Lucy, and he was very angry when she wouldn't marry him. He wanted to punish Lucy, so he told the ruler of the country that Lucy was a Christian. This was true, but it was also against the law.

Soldiers came to take Lucy away and sell her into slavery for being a Christian, but God protected her. No matter how many men tried to lift her, she could not be moved. They were so angry and so afraid of her because they couldn't lift her, that they tried to set her on fire! But God protected her from the flames. She told the soldiers that she was protected by the power of the Lord Jesus Christ, and that she wanted to serve God.

Finally they took her to prison, where it was very cold, damp and uncomfortable. She died in prison, and went to Heaven. Jesus welcomed her and she is very happy there. Saint Lucy can pray for us, and often people who have sore eyes ask her for help.

Brought to you by: http://www.domestic-church.com/

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Christmas cards...

We finally ordered our Christmas cards... and wow, that turned into a little more than we expected as far as annoying stress goes. Finding the right card, the photo(s)... Daddio picked a photo that I would consider a non-traditional Christmas picture for a card, but honestly I decided I really didn't care (he did try several services with multi-photo choices and none worked, so he just picked the best family shot out of the lot). Trying to get the yahoo's to pose for a picture, or having them made this year didn't seem all that appealing... so non-traditional it is!


So what did we pick...

Because we're cool like that...

Sunday, December 9, 2007

Busy busy...

That seems to be the name of the game today as well. After an early morning jaunt to the store for ingredients, it was time to get goin' on the cooking for today's party. Our 2nd annual Daddio family Christmas gathering at Grandma's house (because we don't take part in their Christmas Eve Present Extravaganza, they started a whole new thing so that we would come for that). On the menu: Crab Artichoke Dip, and White Chocolate Macadamia Nut cookies.
Bobcat was my trusty sidekick in the kitchen. He chopped crab and artichokes, red peppers, and even minced come garlic. I think it helped that I had a small bowl of peanut M&M's on the island as we worked... and if I remember correctly there was also a small glass of egg nog as a reward for such a helpful attitude!

The end result was both pretty and tasty! (I should probably note that in the finished picture, the beer and wine belong to momma and daddio :-)

Saturday, December 8, 2007

Roses in bloom

What a busy Feast of the Immaculate Conception. It started off with morning mass, and then some time at the local fast food joint for a little breakfast and indoor playtime.

When we got home and let the dogs out, what did we find on our rose bush in the back... roses... a few fully opened and several buds.

At noon we met with our new engaged couple... for some reason we are qualified to mentor engaged couples preparing for their marriages... I'll be honest, I was a little nervous (no this isn't our first couple... it's our second to actually have come over... two were a no go). But all turned out great. They are a very nice couple, and we connected with them right away. I'm actually really looking forward to our next meeting!

After they left, we jetted over to my parents home to hang their Christmas lights on their house... and mom made gumbo (especially for me... 'cause I asked real nice). Then home again we came for a late bedtime!

Thursday, December 6, 2007

The decision

This got pretty long. It might be boring. Just warning you now.
===

I accepted the offer. I'm really looking forward to this. In one sense, it feels odd because I'm going back to the office that I left to take my current job. But things have changed. My current company has changed since the beginning of this year. There are fewer advancement opportunities than there used to be, and they've redefined the roles so that I'm not really interested in being promoted to that job anyway. Meanwhile, things have changed back at the old company, for the better. There's a new manager, morale is way up, and I will be exposed to more challenges on larger accounts. I'll get to round out my technical skills, and be very marketable when the next opportunity comes up. I feel kind of weird about going back to where I've already been. I can't help but feel that if I'd stayed put, I would have been even higher up the ladder by now. But, I don't regret the decision to take my current job. I have learned a lot over here that will serve me in the future. I will be more understanding of what my producers are dealing with, and I will be better to do business with as a result.

The personal benefits are substantial. Besides a little more money, I will not be traveling at all (maybe once a quarter, rather than once a week). We (wife and I both) really didn't mind the travel. I wasn't really gone all that much. We had adapted, and accepted it as a necessary part of me bringin' home the bacon. And I did enjoy getting out in the field. But it will be nice to come home every night and ever-so-gently encourage the boys to finish their school work. And I'll be able to re-commit to a hobby or two. I've been missing band practice for months because travel made me miss a few concerts, and the weeks that I was home I was with the boys while mommy went to band. Now that I'm home, I can try to find a reliable weekly sitter and get back into that. Or maybe commit to some golf lessons. I wanted to take a six-week class last year but I wasn't able to commit to six straight Wednesdays. Hey, maybe I'll even return to some personal healthy routines now that my work hours are set. Perhaps wake up early to walk or run. We'll see. At the very least, we know what time I'll be home every night, so we can plan regular family meals and cook healthy things rather than take advantage of convenience foods on my way home from the airport.

My current manager has not spoken to me in several days. He's in another city, so we don't speak every day anyway, but he didn't even respond to my notice that I was interviewing last week, nor my notice that I accepted today. It's kind of awkward... I've tried not to burn any bridges, because you just never know what the future holds. I might be working for or with some of these folks again one day. (Believe me, I've wanted to tell them off, and I've held my tongue.) But I do think I've expressed my thoughts about some of the events that lead me to actively seeek out a new job, and I think they've figured out that I'm dissatisfied. I have done my job still, to the best of my ability. Oh well. Life moves on. They couldn't seriously expect me to stagnate here forever. I think he's more worried about how his employees' dissatisfaction reflects on him as a manager.

My celebratory round of golf this afternoon was fun. My putting was awful, but I had some nice hits, and kept it mostly in bounds. Only lost four balls, that's a huge improvement. And now for the first beer. Good night.

She left me again...

She says she wants to do the grocery shopping in peace, without the boys. I think she just wants to drive my car... It's cool, I dig girls who can drive a stick.

Wednesday, December 5, 2007

Couldn't resist

So I've been on an apron extravaganza around here. I made the 'kitchen' apron on Monday evening and was pretty pleased with the way it came out... but I wanted more!

Tuesday during naptime I decided to whip out another. After studying the pattern for a few minutes I wasn't complete happy with the way that I thought it would come out... it would've looked unfinished to me on the backside. So I did a little twist on what they recommended by making it a double-sided waist apron... and they added ric-rac around the pockets and seams (with a solid fabric)... which wouldn't really work with the busy print I had. I went with a pretty purple groegrain ribbion to finish the pockets on one side... and left the others plain on the reverse. I also lined my pockets for more durability, which is something that was not included on the orginial pattern. Also by making it reversable I did without the binding around the outer rim! I chose a zig-zag stitch for attaching the waistband and pockets as well, I thought it added to the fun of the print.

I'm quite pleased with the finished product!!! The pockets are a lovely size... my hands fit nicely in them... as well as a water bottle (you never know when you might get thirstly vaccuming or what not).
If you are wondering about the fabric (hey, you never know, some of you might)... all of it (except the purple waist band) came from the same garden collection I picked up a few years ago when making my crochet/knitting yarn bag. I'll pull that out and add a picture of that at some point... it is pretty cool too.
Watch out Suzy Homemaker... MommaLlama's in the house!

Monday, December 3, 2007

Good news!

Thanks for your prayers. I received a job offer today, from the company that was my top choice. The other company has asked for a second interview which is scheduled for the 12th. I'm trying to decide whether to take the first offer and withdraw from the second, or put off the first one until I've seen the other one through. Lots of things to consider. I'm leaning towards accepting this offer because I believe it will be a more challenging and rewarding job with more future potential. But please offer another prayer for us as I consider how to proceed.

But it's great to know that one way or another, things will be better soon. And that I will get the satisfaction of resigning from my current position... This will be the first change I've made with no regrets at all.

Aprons, aprons... and more aprons!

The Apronista has continued finding great aprons for giveaways. The designers at Creative Outlet Designs, and Bee-Bops Party wear have generously donated an apron each to the lucky winners.

Of course I would LOVE - LOVE - LOVE to win one of these lovely treasures, but I'm not holding my breath... so instead I decided to go ahead and sew up a new apron for myself (maybe just maybe that will lead to me winning one... ). I keep all the fabric scraps from all the projects I've worked on over the years, and that is what I'm using for this apron. Unfortunately this will be a very spring/summery apron with a garden them... but it is a new apron, and that is what I've been wanting!