Union Dues

When hubby and I first started dating, he was in the union at UPS. He's from a big pro-union family and it never occurred to him to pursue management until he wanted to get married and needed to get a promotion to afford school, life, me... I have never been in a union, so I was just happy to graduate from having to pay union dues. Recently the MO district merged with the northern Illinois/Iowa UPS districts. Two local unions were threatening to strike if they didn't get what they wanted, which includes a REALLY great salary and a cap of 8 weeks of vacation. No agreement was being reached, so yesterday Hubby's boss told him to pack his brown uniforms and be ready to head out in a caravan of 15-passenger vans to Chicago this morning. It felt as though he was being shipped off to a battle, packing all his uniforms and kissing his family good-bye. It is actually pretty dangerous, crossing the pickett lines in a hostile environment. They didn't even allow personal vehicles to be driven for the protection of people's vehicles.

Add to that the possibility of driving a big brown package car in Chicago when you don't know your way around and all UPS provides drivers is an old-fashioned paper street map guide. (Isn't that crazy?!) Thankfully a friend loaned Hubby his GPS system to use. So after all the drama and the sad good-byes this morning, there was a "handshake agreement" made and no fill-in helpers were sent. But the thing I'm wondering is this: how does it make sense for my husband, who is in management and not in the union, to go to Chicago to step in for people making a lot more money and getting a lot more vacation time than he is? If the union is supposed to look out for the non-management folks, who is it that is supposed to look out for the management folks? Seems to me that any time there is a complaint from a person in management, he is told to find a different job that makes him happier. I would love for someone who understands all of this better than I do to explain it to me.

The good news is Hubby doesn't have to go. yeah!!!! The bad news is we can't have pb&j for dinner every night this week--and I don't get an "I'm sorry" Giordanos pizza upon his return.

Happy Non-Retirement, Dad!

My dad has worked at Shell Oil Refinery (which has had many names in the last few years) for the past 35 years. He wouldn't let us have a "retirement" party because he's not really retiring; he's just changing careers. So we had a really fun "change of career" party this weekend with lots of family members. He has been an inspiration in several ways, one of which is proving that it's not the career that makes the man. For him, his career was a means to provide for his family. It never defined him. What defined him was his care for his family and his investment in the lives of others through ministry and personal relationships. He has had to work shift work all of those years and had to miss many holiday gatherings, birthday parties, and other events that he would have liked to attend. He always made us feel so special, though, that we never felt like he was missing out on our lives. He scheduled "dates" with each of us and tried to do things that we would like. I remember lots of "before school" breakfasts at Burger King. Breakfast is the only way I could get up and get moving that early. I remember one time that he took me dress shopping because he knew it was something I would enjoy. It was a bit disastrous because he had no idea how much dresses cost, but it was sweet that he wanted to do that for me. He never missed a moment of our lives that he didn't have to. I remember his "larger than life" video camera in the orthodontist's office when I was getting my braces off, his talk with me before my first date, the private good-byes the night before I moved away from home for the first time, and even the pep talk on my wedding day. After reading the "Love Languages" book and discovering that my love languages are words of affirmation and physical touch, I realize that he loved me in my language. I don't know if that was intuitive or accidental, but I always felt loved. Even when I told all the family not to show up at my c-sections, he always came anyway. After being initially annoyed, I was already really glad because his prayers and presence have always had such a calming effect on me. Somehow he knows when I need him.

So congratulations, Dad, on graduating from shift work at a job you tolerated to making your own schedule for a "job" you love. I am excited to see you doing what God has long-ago ordained for you to do in this moment. You are an inspiration to many. I love you!

Funny Conversations

I love that the girls can play together and entertain themselves for a while. Today I was busy making dinner for us and some friends, and I could hear the girls playing. Big Sissy was telling Little Sissy, "Close your eyes and count as high as you can while I hide." Little Sissy, doing what she was told, kept saying, "Un, two, free...where's Ara???" Then Big Sissy would say, "You have to count longer. I didn't have time to hide yet. Count as high as you can while I hide." Little Sissy would start again. Since 3 is as high as she can go, she would repeat, "Un, two, free...where's Ara???" Big Sissy was getting really frustrated, but I thought it was hilarious. They're all so close in age, but they all think they're bigger than they are. Like Little Sissy talking about the baby tonight: "Baby talk baby talk." She was trying to tell me that the baby was talking to her using his baby talk, but she was using her own. I love our life. They just make me smile.

Little Buddy graduated to a "big boy" car seat tonight. I can't believe how big he's getting. He's 5 1/2 months old and wearing 12 months clothes. He now wears the same size diaper as both of his sisters. Weird...

Feeding Elmo

Big Sissy is learning to navigate the Kodak EasyShare program. She loves looking at pictures and has figured out how to open and play movie clips. She just found this one, which is so adorable. It was only a year and a half ago (she was barely 2), but she seems like such a big girl now compared to the way she talked then. To set the scene, I was nursing the baby and she was pretending to give Elmo "mommy milk."

I never want to forget these precious memories. We need to take some video of Little Sissy right now. She is in a phase where her favorite phrase is "Yeah me am." Sometimes it's really cute, like when I say, "You are doing such a great job" and she responds with, "Yeah, me am." Sometimes it's not so cute, like when I say, "You are not getting up until your diaper is changed" and she responds with, "Yeah, me am." In any case, the WAY she says it is adorable.

Myers-Briggs Personality Profile

Hubby is teaching a class at church about spiritual gifts. Part of the process of finding our place in the body of Christ can include taking a personality inventory test. I love these tests. You can take one for free if you're interested on www.keirsey.com. Once you get your profile, you can see more information on www.personalitypage.com. So the interesting thing is that I took this test when I first got married, and I took it again tonight. My personality has changed somewhat. I guess this shouldn't be a surprise. After all, I've gone from working in an office to being a mom, from working with grownups all the time to working with kids, and from being a newlywed to being a seasoned wife (no, hag is not the word I'm looking for). The thing that makes me sad is that I've gone from being intuitive to being sensing. This is the part that has to do with how I take in information. Do we trust our five senses (Sensing) to take in information, or do we rely on our instincts (iNtuitive)? Maybe it's because I've lived in the Show-Me state for the last 9 years. I don't believe anything unless you show me. I'm very practical and down-to-earth. I don't really want to know about something if it's only a theory. I want solid proof. The parallel to this is how low I scored on the spiritual gift of "faith." It's not that I don't have faith. It defines who I am. But I have a very hard time understanding or trusting God for the supernatural. I want a scientific answer for everything. I am struggling with this, but at the same time I understand that everyone has different gifts. That's the whole point of a body. If every body part were an eye or ear, it wouldn't function as intended. You get the idea. I just don't want to discourage those who do have that gift. In case you're wondering, my spiritual gifts seem to be teaching, hospitality, knowledge, and wisdom. I'm still figuring what this looks like to use these gifts in the church, but it's fun to interact with others and see how God has designed us so uniquely and how we all function together to build the Kingdom of God.

No-Bake Cookie Recipe

I'm not exactly dieting. I'm just not buying pre-packaged sweets any more. So now if I want sweets I have to make them from scratch. This makes Hubby happy. He doesn't have to worry about his weight, and he gets yummy treats when I have a craving. Tonight I was making no-bake cookies, and I came across a typo that made me laugh. It said to mix the ingredients, boil them, add the other stuff, yadda yadda yadda. Then it said, "drop them by spoonfuls onto waxed paper (optional)." The last sentence read, "Add nuts or coconut." I know the optional part was supposed to go with the last sentence, but the placement of the period made it sound like dropping the batter onto waxed paper is optional. Instead, you could just scoop it up by the spoonful and put it directly into your mouth. Yummm....my kind of recipe!

Three Little Monkeys Took a Bath

First Solid Food

Little Buddy is a little over 5 months old now. We didn't document anything on the day because we were in Indiana and forgot to take any pictures. Tonight he got his first cereal. He seemed to like it. The only problem was keeping his little fingers out of his mouth!

Our Little Mermaid

The Rain in Spain

We got to do our annual date to the Muny last night. We saw one of my favorites, My Fair Lady. I was laughing because it's the first time in 3 years that I got to go to the Muny and wasn't pregnant! 2 years ago I was having contractions, and last summer was my first time wearing maternity clothes during my pregnancy with Little Buddy.

If you don't know the story, it's about a phonetics professor who takes in a "flower girl" off the streets. He enters into a bet with a colleague to see if he can make her into a lady in 6 months by changing the way she talks. He's rude and demanding, and by the end she falls in love with him. The weird thing is, as I think about it, that he's still rude and demanding at the end. I guess that works for some marriages. It ends with her coming back to the professor's house and saying, "I washed my hands and face before I come" and the professor responding with, "Go fetch me my slippers." We all clapped and cheered because they were together at last. This is the beauty of a musical. Even a bad marriage seems fun if you can sing all day. One of the catchy songs is "Just you wait, Mr. Higgins." It's about her plans to kill him. Maybe I'll try singing the next time I'm really angry. Seems to always result in a happy ending. :)

Here's my favorite quote from the night:
"She's an owl, sickened by my sunshine."--Professor Higgins in My Fair Lady

Exercise Ball

This is my last post for today, I promise. I was just realizing as I looked through my pictures how far behind I am. I took pictures of this because it absolutely cracked me up. I blogged a couple of weeks ago about wanting to start exercising, etc. I bought an exercise ball, actually to sit on for my back, but it came with an instructional DVD. I tried it a little bit but got intimidated and gave up after a few minutes. Little Sissy, though--she was into it. The exercise ball was too big for her to manage with her little legs, so she got a little Nerf softball to exercise with. Hilarious!!!

Bumbo Bathtime

Hubby is working evenings this week, so I've figured out how to get all the kids a bath by myself. I put Little Sissy and the baby in first. When he's done I take the bath ring out and Big Sissy gets in. They play while I'm getting the baby dressed, then the baby sits in his Bumbo seat while I wash the girls. So far it's working. Tonight the girls were reading books to him in the bathroom...very cute.

4th of July

I forgot to post the pictures of our 4th of July. On the holiday itself we went to Indiana to be with Hubby's brother's family. He's quite the pyro and put together a 20-minute fireworks display on their own property. The guys spent probably 6 hours that day building boards and tying fuses. I was very impressed with the outcome, and it was great for me to put the little ones to bed and then just go outside and enjoy the show. Strangely, it was very cold that night. We made coffee and wrapped up in blankets. Seemed like it should be a football game instead of a fireworks display. Next year I'm going to set up a concession stand for the neighbors.

The weekend before the holiday, though, we went to the Bethalto fireworks in Bethalto, IL. My family attends church at Cornerstone, which sponsored the event. We didn't actually make it to the fireworks, but I hear they were really great. We went for all the games for the kids. They had clowns, pony rides, inflatables, face painting, eating contests, and other stuff--all for free. Even the snacks were really cheap. There was no alcohol allowed on the premises, and they had live Christian music on the stage (including my bff from childhood and my sister--they're famous!!!) If you're ever in the area around the 4th, you should definitely check it out.

Undeterred

Big Sissy was back at the park again today. Today I sent Daddy, and I stayed home with the napping Little Buddy. This time Little Sissy got the bloody lip when she pushed the swing and then stayed there while it came back and hit her in the face. They do take after me. :)

So the scratches from yesterday are almost gone. Don't tell Big Sissy that...she's milking the Band-Aid thing for all it's worth. You can slightly see the rubber-tire-playground-floor burn on her forehead, and the shadow across her nose is the little scratch that's left. She called herself Stripey all day. Once she stops hurting, she LOVES boo boos. They're like battle scars to her, to be worn proudly.

Hard Lesson

I have the hardest time persuading my 3-year-old of ANYTHING. She works things out in her mind and is fully convinced. She is not a people pleaser. I think I'm going to be proud of this attribute when she's mature in her faith and emotions, etc. For now it's painful. Take today, for example. I've been telling her since we got our swingset that she can swing on the monkey bars, but it's too far of a drop to jump down on her own. "It's okay, mom," she says. "I'll land on my feet." I promise her she won't, I explain how she's still pretty small and it's a long way down, etc. I reason with her. I plead with her. I sometimes even threaten her. Then I don't take my eyes off of her. But today we went to a park. Hubby is working evenings so I left Little Buddy home to nap and just took the girls. I was holding Little Sissy when I heard a scream. Big Sissy was already dangling from the bars and about to slip when she realized I might be right. You know that sick feeling you get when you can see something bad ready to happen but you can't stop it? That's the feeling I had as I tried to maneuver down all the steps, through the hoops, etc. to reach her. Of course she fell. Her mouth was bloody, she has scrapes on her forehead, her nose, her chin, her knees. She just kept crying, "You didn't make it in time. You didn't make it in time. You didn't make it in time." I wanted to cry too because I want to protect my babies from everything. I guess this is what they call discipline by natural consequence. I'm so sad she got hurt. I just hope this lesson means that next time I tell her, she'll believe me. Of course there will be more things, but I'm hoping the scale will start to tip in favor of "Mommy knows something" before she gets REALLY hurt! I'll try to post pictures tomorrow, when we've all slept and it doesn't seem so traumatic.

Family Pizza Night

We are becoming quite the predictable patrons of Cecil Whitaker's customer appreciation day. Every Tuesday night they have large cheese pizzas for $3.99. Since this is our kids' favorite food, we have made Tuesday nights our "family night." I had to laugh tonight because as soon as we walked in the door our cute little waitress rattled off our order in question form. I feel like Norm on Cheers. We get the same thing every Tuesday and end the night with both girls getting gumballs out of the fun machine.

Tonight was different in that I either encountered a person with Touret's Syndrome or the rudest man alive. There was a heavy woman who walked out to her car. He stood there staring at her with a scornful look on his face, clicking his tongue like the school librarian used to do when I was talking too loud, and saying, "waddle waddle" the whole time she was walking. I felt like I was watching a train wreck. I didn't want to watch but I just couldn't believe he was doing this out loud. The next woman who came in had to endure his gaze right at her chest. Thankfully he broke the awkwardness by making a rude comment about something printed on her t-shirt. Then I was getting a piece of pizza and he actually came over and touched the pizza, which was balancing on the napkin holder. "I just would hate to see it fall on the floor," he said. I would too, but I sure would hate it to see it on your face if you touch my pizza again.

That's all for tonight. I'm off to re-read Redeeming Love, my favorite book. I think I need a reminder about grace.

Missing Cell Phone has Returned

Thanks to the faithful search team, my missing cell phone has returned safely home. Actually, I found it this morning in the pocket of my robe. Yeah!