Cool Things About My Hearts

Here are a few fun things I wanted to share about my family:

EG said to me a few weeks ago, "You know Mommy, everybody has a collection. I am going to collect words!" She then proceeded to look through the house for magazines and newspapers so that she could cut out words that she liked and put them in a bag. Among her collection: Walgreen's, Lean Meat, and FREE.

All three of my girls are in the Gifted and Talented program at school. They get different and extra curriculum to help keep up with their ... needs. One year LH was given a weekly worksheet covered with different brain teasers. They were the kind that are meant to get you thinking, not really to get a right or wrong answer. One of them was a picture of a palm tree and next to it was a stick figure man with a question mark over his head. The problem read" Why didn't Jim climb the tree?"
LH's answer: Because there aren't any coconuts!

Every single year, all of my girls make all the valentines for their classmates by hand. They start on the first day of February and spend two whole weeks creating and decorating a special valentine for every one in their classes. This is completely by their own choice. I have even bought the valentines from the stores and they are still in the box. They just prefer making their own.

TD never ever stops moving or making some sort of noise. She hums and sings while she is doing her homework because it helps her concentrate. She can't spend an entire meal sitting in a chair, she has to stand through at least part of it. She is also the only one of my kids who as a baby, slept through the night within 3 months, took naps without argument (even as a toddler), and still goes to sleep faster than either of her sisters.

The first book that LH wrote and illustrated was in first grade. She wrote a story and drew pictures about some characters she liked to watch on TV. Since then, she has written many, many more pieces just for the fun of it. Right now she is working on two short stories and one novel.

TD and EG are accused of being twins almost every where we go, even though they are two years apart. They tell people that they are twins, they were just born at different times. They have their own twin speak and they even share a bed every night that we will allow them to. Sometimes, EG will even crawl into TD's bed in the middle of the night in her sleep.

LH loves to make beaded jewelery. She has her own beads, wire, and tools. She has sold them and the buyers had no clue they were made by a 10 year old. You would think that she would wear beautiful jewelery every day, though. But no. She doesn't actually wear the jewelery, herself. She only makes it for other people.

Every now and then DH will get down on the floor and wrestle with the girls or chase them around the house in a tickle fight. He still does this even though LH is in Jr. High.

Our pet the Big Black Dog, is part Border Collie and part Retriever, and all covered in long black fur. BBD has been in our family since TD was 6 months old. He views TD ans EG as his "puppies." when they were very young and crawling, he would guard them and keep them in the play blanket. If they strayed too far, he would lick them to encourage them to crawl where he wanted them to go. Now that they are old enough to play and run outside, he likes to go out with them and "heard" them to keep them in the yard.

Last year, LH was friends with two kids from a year ahead of  her. This is quite a status symbol for a 6th grader, especially since one of the kids was a cheerleader. The other kid was a boy who apparently has some bad history with the cheerleader. For a few weeks, the cheerleader had some pretty mean things to say about the boy every single day and made a point to say nasty things to him as well. LH stood up for the boy and attempted to get the harassment to stop. The cheerleader told LH that she needed to drop the boy or they wouldn't be friends anymore. The next day, LH stood up to the girl and told her that no matter what had happened the year before, no one deserved to be ridiculed every day. Amazingly, the cheerleader backed down, told LH she was right, and never bothered the boy again.

One of the rules in my house is "No tying things to other things." You would think that this would be common sense, but in my house, you can never take anything for granted - especially common sense.

TD'a favorite game is the PS2 version of Atari Legends. It is a collection of the old games that used to be available on the original Atari system. Out of all the games there are to choose from her favorites are the Maze game and the math booster.

In our house we have a No TV rule during the week. Until Daddy gets home, the TV stays off. He only occasionally watches a few shows while the kids are awake. You would think my kids would be bored, but really, they are busy until they get into bed at night with their toys, games, art supplies, and books. They may not know what happened last night on iCarly, but they can tell you them "name" of nearly 30 Polly dolls.

DH has started a Hero Quest campaign using the old board game and some of his collection of miniatures. (Geeks will understand this.) Every one in the family has their own characters that they are very proud of. DH is a dwarf. LH is a magician. TD is an elf. EG is a barbarian - because it is the strongest one.

EG confided in me her plan to take over the world. She will go to the zoo and find the monkey cage and the elephant enclosure. She will throw dirt at the monkeys and make them believe that is was the elephants that did it. Then she will throw poo at the elephants and blame it on the monkeys (monkeys always throw poo, you know.) In the ensuing battle between the elephants and monkeys, she will use a mind control device to take over the minds of the animals while they are distracted. Then, she will use these animals to TAKE OVER THE WORLD!!! The only problem is, the entire plan hinges on whether or not I will let her go to the zoo.

DH insists that we kiss goodnight - on the lips - every night before bed. Sometimes I stay up later, writing. Sometimes he stays up later, crafting. No matter what though, we always get our goodnight kiss.

The greatest purchase I ever made was a new bed. DH and I bought a Tempurpedic mattress set and I have been in love with it ever since. I never thought I would be one of those crazy people who can't stop talking about how awesome something is that they just bought, but here it is, three years later and I still gush about what an awesome mattress I have. 

Just after high school I dated a guy who bought me a pair of Dr. Martin boots as a gift. When my #2 sister was in high school (and I was still at home) she would routinely steal them and wear them to school after I would leave for work. We fought viciously about this every day. When I had my oldest, the boots became too small, and I gave them to her with no regrets.

All three of my girls know that Pocahontas was not the name of the woman who married John Rolfe. Her name was MahTohKah. Pocahontas was an affectionate name of a father to his daughter. Her name was changed to Rebecca Rolfe when she married John and moved to England. Every year when the schools talk about pilgrims and Columbus day and all that my girls are very vehement about making sure their teachers know all of these facts, too.

My brother was able to talk to animals when he was young. He actually managed to get wild song birds to land on his hands.

When LH broke her arm the first time, four years ago, she told the doctor that was putting her cast on, "I've had three open heart surgeries. This is nothing." Strangely, though, the mere thought of getting shots or getting blood drawn will throw her into a panic.

DH proposed to me on the Las Colinas Riverwalk in the grass amphitheater on one knee with my grandmother's ring as the engagement ring. Also, the wedding rings we used when we got married were white gold bands we had purchased - actually haggled for - a year before we were even engaged. We decided that if they were good enough to wear before, they were good enough to wear after. We have been married more than 10 years and we still wear those ring.



I like to take my girls "Treasure Hunting" at Goodwill. They love to find the best deals on unique clothing. They each have their own style and taste, too. When we outgrow the clothes, if they are still in good shape we donate them right back to Goodwill for someone else to "discover."

I grew up drinking coffee from a young age, as was the tradition in my family. My husband however, only drank it when it was below freezing and he was on night watch in the Marines. A few years ago, I convinced him to try flavored coffee and creamers. Now, HE is the one reaching for the coffee pot first thing in the morning and he can tell - by taste - the difference between Columbian and Hawaiian beans. I tell him I have turned him to the Dark Side...of the Bean.

For Christmas one year I didn't buy any candy at all for the stockings. Instead I filled them with little toys, fruit and whole nuts. They never missed the candy.

I keep the hair from all of my girls' first haircuts in my keepsake box. I also still have the love notes my old boyfriends wrote to me back in high school. I guess I am just sentimental that way.

My Wonderful Poppa spends a few months every year around the holidays with us here. I look forward to this tradition every year.

When my kids describe their classmates they describe them as peach, light brown, or dark brown. They never use racial or ethnic names. They just describe what they see. They also have no hesitation about walking up to someone in a wheelchair or on crutches and striking up a conversation with them. They have a wonderful ability to see HUMANS instead of people and I never, ever, want that to change.

DH has taken several IQ tests and he has scored above genius level on all of them. My parents also both scored genius level or above on IQ tests and were once members of MENSA. I often tell my kids that their grand parents and father are all of Genius level intellect so I know they are. too. (it's usually when I am trying to get them to use said intellect, but that is neither here nor there. ) I have never taken an IQ test.

My mother and father-in-law are the most generous people I have ever met. They have given more than anyone could reasonably be asked to give, and then they give more. And they do it without comment or though of repayment. It is just who they are.