Tuesday, November 18, 2008

The joys of DEQ

So all three of our cars tags expire this month. Fun. I started with taking the van (I still have a hard time swallowing the fact that I personally am the driver of a mini-van...then I open the side doors with the remote so my little kids can get in and out all on their own and I'm more okay with it.) The van passes. Great. Next up the truck. We bought the truck off craigslist this summer (I love craigslist) so we could quite borrowing our friends trucks to carry stuff around. It is a real beauty- but the point was a cheap truck. We got that.

I thought the worst thing that could happen is it not passing, but while I'm sitting there the lady is walking around it with a stick that has a mirror on the bottom looking underneath it, then she calls over someone else, and then someone else. At this point (after it only taking 2 minutes this morning for the van) I know something is wrong. I immediately go to the most rational possibility... there must be a bomb underneath, that is why they are looking with the mirror. Quickly talk myself out of that because it is ridiculous. So I go to the next most rational possibility. The truck that we thought we legitimately purchased actually was stolen, (who would steal a '91 Chevy and then sell it for $800?... but that is what I'm thinking) and now they are going to arrest me right there and some social worker is going to come and take my child because he is with me in the car. I start thinking that at least it is only Camden with me, and he is too young to have any memory if he is taken into protective custody and will probably think it is interesting if a police car shows up (I told you I was being COMPLETELY RATIONAL at this point.)

But I'm supposed to pick Hudson up from preschool in 35 minutes, what will happen to him? I get out my cell phone to start calling people and freaking out to have someone go get Hudson... in 35 minutes, only to determine that my cell phone is dead. So now I'm a felon of a mother who can't even remember to charge her stupid cell phone, I'm going to have to use my one phone call at the police station to get Hudson picked up. My mind is going in great places.

At this moment the interesting DEQ lady comes to the window and tells me, "Well, it actually passes the emissions test, but the truck doesn't have a catalytic converter so that makes it an automatic FAIL." So I ask, "What does the catalytic converter do?" She explains something about it making it produce less pollution. I say, "but it passed without it, so why does it need it?" And then typical government, "Because that is just the requirement."

Okay- so our truck that we drive a couple times a month to drop off yard debris and already passes the emissions requirement needs to have work done on it just for the requirement. Guess how much it will cost to have it put on there... $350! (at least we have the greatest mechanic ever in Randy Kosrow). You just gotta love the government. I guess at least I'm not in jail because I was driving a stolen car.

Monday, November 10, 2008

Happy Veteran's Day-the story with 2 punchlines

Dinner conversation tonight:

Ainsley: So tomorrow is Veteran's Day. That is why there is no school.

Hudson: What is Veteran's Day?

(conversation explaining Veteran's Day)

Ainsley: Do we know any Veterans?

Daddy: Yes, Grandad was in the Navy and Grandpa was in the Army.

Mommy: And you remember Uncle Larry right? He spent his whole career in the Navy. (now he is onto career #2 as a WA State Rep.) For part of the time he was the Captain on a battleship called the USS Iowa. It is a big deal.

Hudson: Is that ship a big one?

Mommy: Yes, I got to go on it while he was captain. It was so cool.

Hudson: Too bad he's not a girl so I could marry him.

Mommy: (laughing) Because it is so cool that he was on a big ship?

Hudson: Yeah, 'cause then I could be a pirate.

Edited to add: My Aunt Lois told me that my Uncle Byron is also a vet- somehow I missed that in the family history. He was in Vietnam for a tour. That means all three of the boys in my dad's family were in the service. I've thought today about what it would be like when my boys are older and if they will consider the military. When I told Hudson about Uncle Byron he wanted to know if he still had a gun. If Hudson could enlist today he would.

Sunday, November 9, 2008

A fun party- catching up

So I have been behind it getting pictures off my camera. So behind, in fact, that these pictures are from September. They were too fun to not post just because they weren't current.

You would think the best part of this party was the pool- it was so fun, the edge looks like it drops off and it has an amazing view.
The rock wall slide was also a fun addition.
But the best thing (especially for Hudson) was that they have one of the two original bat mobiles from the TV show. Hudson was so amazed.
Posted by PicasaThey also have this touring bus that is from Yellowstone Park- evidently it was from before it was a National Park because it only says Yellowstone Park on the side. Cool stuff.

When we left Hudson said, "I want to come back to this place and have my birthday party here." I'm afraid they don't rent out their house sweetheart.

Saturday, November 8, 2008

Soccer 2008

Today is Ainsley's last soccer game. This ends our first season of more than one child in an activity at a time. It was fun, but did make for busy Saturdays. We are pretty happy to get our weekends back.
TThis was Hudson's first year playing soccer and Ainsley's third. It was amazing to see the difference in how Ainsley has progressed and so fun to watch four -year-olds try to play soccer. After Hudson's first game he was on cloud nine because he had scored three goals. On the way home he wanted to call everyone he could think of to tell them about it. When we ran out of people he said, "Remember that Great-Grandma who is in Heaven now?" Yes. "Do we have her number?"
As much fun as they had playing, I still think their favorite part is the snacks at the end!

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Friday, November 7, 2008

We've had better weeks...

One of my favorite worship songs right now is Blessed Be Your Name. I've thought about it quite a bit this week. It is sometimes much easier to sing Blessed be Your name when "the streams of abundance flow" and were in the "land that is plentiful." This week I got to focus on still singing it even when it seems more like "the road marked with suffering" and "the darkness closes in." All the little things we dealt with this week are hardly suffering when compared with what many people are dealing with. Still, they are not fun. What is good is having the opportunity to trust God regardless of what is going on, and bless His name whatever comes our way.

And now I'll go ahead and use the Internet to complain to about our week. 1. The renter that is in our Gresham house (we didn't sell it when we moved, we thought it was the bottom of the market at that time *HAHA* and so we would keep it a year or so and sell when the market recovered a bit) lost his job so they are having trouble paying rent. (he is a sheet rocker/mud worker- not the best time for construction work)
2. My refrigerator quit working- still under warranty fortunately- but the company can't find one of their service people to come and fix it so we are now on day 6 without it.
3. Two days after finding out our house renters deal, the renter we have in the condo (before Ainsley was born we decided a great college plan would be to buy a rental for each child...good plan... but we've never made it past the one... how far will one condo rental go with three kids tuition?) called and told us he was in financial trouble and couldn't pay rent and would move out in the next week or two. Great. The good thing is he has lived there for 6 years. The bad thing is he is a single guy that is not what you would call a great housekeeper. So it's going to take a bit to have it ready to rent again. Hopefully we can find someone soon.
4. Last night for some reason I lost my voice. (I'm not sick really) Good times parenting without a voice. Just a little thing that makes for a long day.
Anyway- thanks for letting me vent Internet.
I'll just keep singing (in my head, without a voice) Every blessing you pour out I'll turn back to praise. When the darkness closes in Lord, still I will say, Blessed be the Name of the Lord, Blessed be your glorious name.

Thursday, November 6, 2008

A mother's dream

Hudson from the backseat of the car:

(why do my kids think about what they are going to be when they grow up when we are driving somewhere?)

"When I grow up I'm going to be a football player, and be in a band, and play the drums with the band, and play basketball, (pause) and be a pirate."

In junior high when he says "why do I have to learn algebra, I'm never going to use it?" what am I going to say when his career plans are to be a pirate athlete that plays the drums?

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

And some you lose.

My guy lost, way back in the primaries. McCain...never my guy. Palin... my girl lost. Four years ago it was way more fun when my guy won, and Lydia was born!

But the thing is, I am glad that in the country I live a black man can be elected president. My vote would have probably gone for him if it wasn't for the fact he promised Planned Parenthood the first thing he will do in office is sign FOCA. And if it wasn't for Supreme Court nominations. Oh, and I don't really agree with his health care plan, or his economic plan, or his foreign policy... But if the most liberal democratic senator had to win, I'm glad it was him.

He is the president of the country that I live in and love. So I will now spend the next four years praying for him and his advisers. And I will focus on the fact that although this is a great country and I am blessed to live here, It is not my true home.

P.S. (do you do "p.s." in blogs?) As Eric said last night (we watched election returns, and the Saturday Night Live special taped from the night before with them while eating fondue. The fondue was by far the best part.) maybe the Republicans will spend the next 2 to 4 years finding their soul. Let's hope so.