A bird dog

Friday morning I was doing my regular kitchen duty after the kids went to school. At some point, during the dishes, wiping down the counter-tops and swiffering the floor I glance at my little sidekick, Chewie, and see feathers in her mouth. Feathers? In the mouth of a cute little toy poodle?

"Chewie!" I chastized. "No, no. What did you do?" While holding the feathers in my hand, I scoured the backyard. All the while, I am constantly scolding this little dog. "We don't eat birds. No, no." (ironically, I am just realizing that I DO eat birds but, am pretty confident they are no good for cute puppies)

Upon finding a plume of feathers on the basketball court outside, I am convinced my dog will be ill. After a few more no-no's and many stern looks, I return to the kitchen sink while Chewie sulks on a lounge chair nearby.

Right when I turn my attention back to the tasks at hand, out of the corner of my eye, I see Chewie FLY off the chair and under the table. Then a sickening thump, thump.

"Timeout! Timeout! The bird is in the house." I squeal.

As I am jumping up and down and trying to cordone off the table Jeremy just laughs incredulously and says, "Stupid dog."

So, we cleaned up the bird. Jeremy threw in a dramatic flick of the wrist with the dustpan to freak me out. Classic and I still fell for it. More squealing.

Now the question is: Did Chewie really kill the bird? Or, did the bird die and she drug it in?

Here is the dead bird:

Here is the poodle:

You be the judge.

A timeout

I really need a timeout. You know the kind of day that leaves you a bit out of breath and a little confused as to who the heck thought it was a good idea to pack the schedule so tightly. Is there a coach I can blame?

So, before I take the timeout I would like to chronicle the play by play of the day:

6:00am This was actually a late start for me. But, I justified it since I worked WAY too long yesterday. I "forgooed" (Apprentice joke) my morning run so I could help my son with homework and postpone the shower.

6:00am-7:40am Breakfast, lunches, homework etc.

7:40am-7:50am I have a literal 5 minute commute to and from the kids' school. TOTAL. I really do consider it a blessing. The other 5 minutes account for the craziness of taking 2 dogs with me. I never learn.

7:50am-8:20am I freshen up and pack my bags for the day.

8:30am-9:20am A long overdue appointment at Jiffy Lube. And, since I have this free time and I am wireless, I work. E-mails, follow-up and process queues. At this point, I feel like I am off to a good start. Accomplished and eager.

9:30am-11:30am Bible study. This is actually a high point of the day because I am doing a really great study on the book of Daniel. The side note to this however is that I have to really force myself into a social mood today. Not only do I need a "physical" timeout, I need an "emotional" one too. It is just that sort of day when I do not feel like myself and shockingly I don't feel like talking.

11:30am-12:00pm A quick trip home to change the laundry, change for the gym and let the dogs out.

12:00pm-1:00pm Gym workout. Not the best idea when you are all-around tired but, at least it gets done.

1:00pm-1:40pm Lunch in front of my computer. Finishing work. A little annoyance is creeping in because I find myself watching the clock and calculating. I despise that feeling.

1:40pm-2:10pm A quick shower. I am a slow-poke when it comes to getting ready so, this is always a challenge for me. But, I am out the door in time for my next appointment.

2:10pm-3:00pm Down to Carlsbad and back for a quick appointment. Thankfully, I am still running on schedule.

3:00pm-3:35pm Feed the kids after school snacks and squeeze in a little cleaning for the bible study I host at my house tonight.

3:35pm-4:00pm Back down to Carlsbad to drop Noah off at a gym. This is where the poor planning on my part really starts to irk me.

4:00pm-4:20pm Grocery store. Although I went to Costco yesterday, my husbands abandoned cereal bowl thie morning reminded me that I need milk. Duh. Hate that. And, coffee creamer for bible study tonight AND ice. Broken ice machine. Silly inconvenience.

4:20pm-4:40pm Clean the bathroom, swiffer the floor, vacuum and flat iron my hair. All in 20 minutes! That must be a record somewhere.

4:40pm-5:00pm Commute across town, thankfully opposite Carlsbad or I would really look stupid to take Grace to tumbling. And, we managed a quick stop at Blockbuster. I have been a victim of the abandonment of the "no fees ever" policy. Needless to say, I am gonna win this time.

5:00pm-current Blogging in my car when I should be sleeping in my car. So, I think I might do just that. 25 minutes until tumbling is over. Then, it is the mad dash to get the kids to Jr. High group and back to my house to entertain guests. Maybe after this nap I won't have to force the smile.

Timeout.

A thought

Psalm 56:3 "When I am afraid, I will trust in you."

Swine flu.

I am actually not afraid of H1N1 (the medical address given to an ugly sounding illness). I really am not afraid...most of the time.

When the outbreak of swine flu hit, I will admit, I followed the news very closely. I would test the waters of "alertness" with my husband who would give a 'tsk tsk' and remind me of the facts. And, the biggest fact is: about 40,000 people die of complications from the flu each year.

So, when I was in doubt or feeling a little overwhelmed I would rely on logic. But, sometimes logic doesn't work. And, I am firmly convinced that logic and reason are the most clouded when it is dark. Yes, dark, like at nighttime. The same time of day when you were a kid that all your fears of the boogie man and Freddie Krueger seemed actually logical and reasonable.

Friday was a pretty busy day both schedule-wise and mind share-wise. Jeremy and I had a pretty major meeting in Temecula at 4pm and Noah had a 9pm basketball game. In between the two appointments, Noah and I needed to find an outfit for a wedding that we were leaving for at 9am Saturday morning. Technically, poor planning on my part made for a pretty crammed Friday night.

As Jeremy and I raced down the 15 freeway after our Temecula meeting at 6pm Friday night, a smidge of anxiety set in. Initally, it was easy to brush off. Since a.) I was hungry and b.)Noah was also hungry and equally anxious to shop and get to the gym to warm up. So, as my phone lit up with texts and calls from Noah approximating my arrival, I had to conciously remind myself to chill.

Abating the hunger was the first task at hand for Noah and I. He is very serious about eating light before a game so, Chik-Fil-A was a good option. Chicken tenders and a lemonade was a safe option 2 hours before a game.

Then, off to Nordstrom Rack to tackle the "outfit" portion of the night. 20 minutes later, by the grace of God, we walked out with a complete ensemble of shirt, pants, belt and shoes. Mission accomplished.

At this point, I was feeling good. Meeting: check. Healthy dinner: check. Wedding outfit: check Off to the basketball gym:check....Wait, not the regular gym, a school 10 minutes away. It sounds close but, normally we head to a gym 4 minutes away. So, 20 minutes vs. 8 minutes round trip suddenly sounds HUGE when I mentally run down the list of everything I have to do before an early departure for a big wedding weekend. My anxiety returns and heightens.

I seriously sped to the gym. As I am recalling it now, I was really an idiot. I did not get there any faster, I just wore out my brakes a little more effeciently. It makes me so crazy when I do that. I gun it to each stoplight and slam to an abrupt stop.

But, here is when the rubber REALLY meets the road. As Noah was getting out of the car, he looked at me and said, 'my stomach kinda hurts'. As I looked at him shadowed in the yellow of the overhead streetlight, my stomach did a flip-flop. This is somewhat of a "learned" behavior since he is my firstborn and when he was sick as a baby and toddler, I was somewhat of a nutcase. But, at this moment, in the dark, my fear and anxiety reach a new level. "You'll be okay," I squeak out. "Play hard, I will be right back."

As I sped back to my home to pick up Jeremy (yes, I still raced to each stoplight) I texted and called Noah.

He finally returned my call and promptly informed that a local highschool was closing due to the H1N1, aka 'oink oink' flu. At this point, I cannot win.

"How is your stomach?"

"Fine mom."

"Don't touch your mouth or your eyes. Wash your hands after the game. I will be there in a few minutes. Watch your Gatorade."

"Gotta go." and he hangs up.

He played great. 18 points out of the 26 the team scored. We made it home and to our beds at a decent time.

The sun came up the next day. No swine flu. I suddenly feel more logical and reasonable.

A busy week

This has been a busy week! The days have totally gotten away from me. And, alas not many blog updates. Too bad this thing can't read my mind.

So, no new verse yet again. I have honestly lagged on my review of the others. I really need to start disciplining my time. Or, get off the treadmill. If running is a priority, I think "quiet time" should take priority.

Anyway, I cannot believe it is Thursday! I took on a big project at the church and while it is exciting, it is a bit overwhelming. I am super-big on the dreaming part of things so, the developing and design is a bit of a stretch. But, things are rolling and I am feeling quite accomplished.

A big wedding is on the horizon. Jeremy's little sister is getting married in Arizona on Sunday. So, my to-do list is growing like mad. Why oh why do I always wait until the last minute? The first thing I thought of upon opening my eyes this morning was JEREMY'S SUIT. Argh! Thankfully my dry cleaner loves me. Yes, I do have a personal relationship with Annie the dry cleaner. One of the many things my kids tease me about.

Well, I am off to squeeze in a little housework and maybe crack open my "Daniel" bible study for a bit. I promise to post soon!

A quickie

In my last blog post I shared a little saying that I remember from my childhood. And, it reminded me of another silly wall hanging that was also in the kitchen of my house. It was a bell...yes, an actual bell that you could ring. (and, oh yeah that thing could be annoying)

Inscribed on this metal bell wall hangy thingy was the quote:

When in danger or in doubt, run in circles, scream and shout.

It was funny then, and it makes me smile because I still think it is funny. Hmmm. Hang a bell in a kitchen that is the home of 4 children and 2 full-time, hard working parents? I think we were all too busy to ring the bell much but, whenever we had guests in the house you know, they rang the bell.

A Wednesday

First off, I am not going to memorize a new verse this week. I really feel like I need to meditate on the ones I have already chosen and be sure I really "know" them. I would love to hear any tips or updates from you as to your system of memorizing or how things are going. Feel free to leave a comment. ;)

Also, I am thoroughly convinced there are not enough hours in the day sometimes. I am having one of those "I am almost overwhelmed because I have so many things I want to do/could do/need to do" days.

Por exemplo, the things I NEED to do: clean out my closet (yuck), organize the armoir/bookcase/catch-all (yuck), purge 2-3 cabinets in the garage (yuck). Yuck, yuck, yuck. Yes, that is how I feel about those and why they are ALWAYS on my list.

The things I WANT to do: exercise (actually ran already today), yoga (DVD player no workie cuz I am no techie), read (see all of the above and below to know that I tend to get distracted)

Things I COULD do: sleep (hmmm), and blog (whoops...this is what I AM doing)

Anyway, now you might understand why I say almost overwhelmed because, I am really not overwhelmed at all. Just confused.

But, before I get all drama on you, I will tell you what the Lord has been showing me recently. "Dwell on what is good." So, I will count the run, the returned e-mails, dishes done, 1 load of laundry, 1 important phone call, removal of Christmas lights (yes, 4 months overdue and actually on Jeremy's list. Probably another blog in itself), 30 minutes of reading and this writing this blog as victories! I am fairly confident all the things on my needs list are going nowhere.

Once I post this, I am heading to my favorite chair in the quietness of my bedroom. There, I plan to read my bible, review my verses and grow in my parenting. I am currently reading "Age of Opportunity: A Biblical Guide to parenting Teens" by Paul David Tripp. I am not too far into the book but, it came with high recommendations and so far I have really enjoyed it.

Well, I am off to settle my mind and do a little relaxing. Oh, and I will share a somewhat cheesy but wise saying that was embroidered on this little wall hang thingy that hung in my kitchen growing up. I think I remember it so well because my mom was a very "busy" and clean mom and us kids would always playfully tease her for her prominent display of this saying. But, despite all her cleaning and busyness she was still an amazing mom. (yet, another blog) Anywho, here it is:

Cleaning and scrubbing can wait 'till tomorrow for babies grow up, we've learned to our sorrow. So, quiet down cobwebs and dust go to sleep, I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep.

p.s. I actually got goosebumps while I was writing that. Silly, I know. But, next to the saying was a picture of a woman rocking a baby and I suddenly remembered rocking my babies. And, (sniff) now I am off to read a book about parenting my TEENS!

An observation on family life

Although I desire to eloquently fashion the following thoughts into something intriguing and creative. It just ain't gonna happen. (yeah...I used ain't)

• Spring break brings high expectations. But, Life has commitments. Our recent Sunday was huge, and someone wisely scheduled a Newcomer dessert for Monday night. Since Jeremy and I sincerely wanted to be there we postponed our departure from San Marcos. The dessert turned out to be quite fun but, shortened the "break".
• At the last minute, we resorted to heading to Vegas with the family. I know what you are thinking. To quote Grace's teacher : 'nothing says Jesus like Vegas' ;) She is right. Not the best from a "worldly" or "believer" standpoint but, it actually works for us. A pool, a wax museum, arcades and window shopping. We make Vegas happen. (lol)
• Just when things are going so right...a mini-tragedy strikes. And, the victim is quite possibly the strongest member of our team.
• Grace gets the flu...or food poisoning? The verdict is still out. But, it was bad.
• Yesterday, in the height of her illness, the sun finally warmed the desert ( I heard it was chilly everywhere) and little Goose popped her head up and said she could go to the pool.
• It was like a miracle!...for an hour and a half.
• Oh yes, it returned...in full force.
• While the boys cut out to an arcade, she profusely apologized for ruining MY vacation.
• Right here is where I seriously tear up. She is a fighter. And, I reassured her that I was fine and wished it had been me. She shook her head and said "no".
• Although she got sick many times and twice in the car on the way home, she thanked me numerous times for taking care of her. (I am either doing something very right or very wrong in my parenting)
• I am going to err on the RIGHT side. Just because I desire to dwell on the positive in life. And, based on the 3-4 people who are praying that no one else get sick, that is the right thing to do. I also refuse to live in fear so...I amnot thinking about what may happen. :)
• Back to the trooper: Grace is currently on the couch, well over 24 hours later, dutifully sipping pedialyte, eating bananas and 2 bites of white rice thus far. She insists on playing by the rules. :) No sicky since we touched home base around 4 today.
• Which brings me to another reason for the quick spring break trip: Noah had a basketball game tonight at 9pm.
• Yes, much too late. And, bummer thing that the "team" had to split up. Jeremy went to the game and I am CURRENTLY (as I type) receiving text message updates as to what is happening across town.
• As I typed "team", I realized how closely we really all function. Aside from the quick trip to the arcade and a side trip to find a stuffed zebra (Grace's current animal love, and brother chose the zebra) the boys stood vigil by her bedside. Vigil sounds a bit ominous, honestly Jeremy was studying for Sunday and Noah was on his Itouch. Side note: Noah runs like a 'fraidy-cat at the first sign of vomit. It would be more funny if it weren't your daughter that was getting sick. Either way, we all hunkered down in the hotel room.

So, the boys are on their way home from the game. Noah's team lost but, apparently he played his best. I realize that is quite a random list of notes from this last week but, I really wanted to just chronicle the day to day happenings in the McGinty household. It is always amazing to me how blessing mixes with trial which mixes with blessing which churns out as life.

One last note: At one point Grace looked at me and asked, "Why?" This was during one of those 'wiggly, I can't be comfortable, I am so miserable, you are all just waiting on me and I want this to go away before I vomit again' moments. All I could muster was, "This too shall pass. It will go away." And, she said "I know."