Luke made a video all on his own as a project for school. They had to recite or sing a fairy tale or rhyme and then tell how the story makes them feel. I think he did a great job!

Luke likes to watch a cartoon called Kick Buttowski. It’s about a rowdy suburban kid who loves to pull stunts wherever he goes (think Evil Knievel at age 8). I have never liked this show (for starters, I hate the name…), but I think it’s fairly harmless, so I allow him to watch.

Until I noticed something on the episode he was watching today. It disturbed me greatly. Kick was breaking into the library after hours to retrieve something of his that was mistakenly placed in the drop box. As he moved through the library (I know I’m giving this more explanation than necessary, but that’s what I do) he kept passing by a large sign that read: “BOOKS IS FUN”.

Now while I am sure the creators of the cartoon intended it as a joke, it really makes me wonder what age group they are targeting with this show. The storylines are always extremely juvenile, and I would assume would only be appreciated by anyone under the age of 10, but then they throw in grammar jokes? Perplexed, am I.

Someone told me I should blog more. I don’t believe ‘should’ is a valid reason to do anything, but here goes.

Lately I’ve been good. Not bad, not super great. Just good. But that’s okay because as my stepmom said to me recently – we’re either headed into a storm, in the middle of a storm, or coming out of a storm. For me, I am coming out of the storm. I can see the wreckage and I am itching to clean it up. So feeling good is a nice change and is, well, a really good feeling.

It’s been almost three years since I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.  M.S. does not go away. The experts have yet to find a cure. It is very unpredictable and very scary.  Even when I am not in the middle of a storm with M.S., the threat of its return is always looming.

What have I learned so far? That it is what it is. I must stop feeling guilty for not being able to do the things I used to be able to do. Why? Because it is ludicrous to call yourself a failure for something you did not cause.

I am also learning to communicate my needs to the people who can help and strangely, want to help. Asking for help is not a sign of giving up.  It’s a sign that I understand my limitations and care enough about my physical and mental health to not kill myself trying to do it all. In addition, I know that with a few tweaks and adjustments, I can still accomplish much. Taking short breaks more frequently throughout the day are highly effective. I may be slower, but I will never stop moving.

So while I am not currently in an M.S. storm (I’m like Seattle, always a little bit of rain here and there) I am learning to deal with it. And that is some valuable stuff. The past three years have been a mess of ups and downs and a couple of curveballs, but through a crap-ton of prayer and support from people who apparently love me dearly, I am coming out stronger.

Natalie loves to wear what she calls “princess dresses”. Really, anything that flies up when she twirls qualifies. With beautiful, curly blonde, Farrah Fawcett hair, she is my girly-girl. Lately when we put her to bed at night she quietly sneaks out of bed after we shut her door and puts princess dresses on over her pajamas. She’ll also add a pairs of pants or two, so often she’ll get up in the morning wearing three layers of clothing.

She’s our little Fashionista. A trend setter for sure!

Natalie, or Lolly,  as she refers to herself, is growing to be a beautiful girl and full of joy. She is a comedian for sure. She knows how to make a joke and she has impeccable timing. Sure, at 2 1/2 years old she has a limited vocabulary, but she doesn’t need it. She mostly uses her eyes. This morning, I kid you not, she rolled her eyes at her brother.

I think she may grow up to be a drummer. A left-handed drummer at that. This girl will make a drum out of anything. Cups, bowls, boxes, Dad’s head, you name it. If it is relatively flat, it’s fair game.

I used to call her “Baby Girl” but she has quickly proven that that nickname does not fit her at all. This girl has enough personality to fill a stadium, and she is as tough as nails.

Also, she loves butterflies and flowers.

Luke did a fabulous job decorating his birthday cupcakes for bringing to school. This one was by far the best:

Happy birthday big guy. I love you!

It’s not a metaphor. We have a squirrel problem. They have chewed holes into our soffits and have been taking residence in our attic. We need to patch up the soffits but first we need to be sure we have successfully evicted all the squirrels. Mike borrowed some traps from his grandfather and is luring the squirrels with peanut butter covered crackers (because who doesn’t love peanut butter?). So far he has caught and released four (freakishly large, I might add) squirrels into the wild (a.k.a. the next town over, far away from us). We trust they will not find their way back, but rather they will find each other and make friends and perhaps start a support group to discuss the trauma they have all been through.

And speaking of peanut butter. I have found my new favorite cookie recipe.  You could say these cookies are dangerously good.  The batter consists of three ingredients: sugar, eggs, and peanut butter. Luke and I baked some last night and we were discussing the deliciousness as we sampled the finished product. I commented that of course they were delicious because they taste like peanut butter, and “Who doesn’t like peanut butter? Except for Aunt Vicki, because she’s allergic to peanuts.” I said this, and then Luke repeated me. Repeatedly. For the next twenty minutes he was going around saying in his adorable sing-song voice, “Who doesn’t like peanut butter?… except for Aunt Vicki. Who doesn’t like peanut butter?… except for Aunt Vicki.”

Bringing me smiles lately (in no particular order):

• Jim Gaffigan
• The Detroit Tigers
• My daughter’s beautiful blonde curls
• Ginny Owens
• Reverend Charlie Jackson
• My son’s silly sayings
• Sweater weather
• Familiar faces at church
• Swiss cake rolls
• $3 tank tops

What little things make you smile?

It is dark and the house is quiet. I am showered and dressed. Coffee is brewing. I have the whole day ahead of me. It feels good.

I do love the early morning, and yet by no fault but my own, I rarely get up early enough to enjoy it. I ought to start making a habit of it.

Since I have a minute (or three), I might as well give a brief update from the Richmond household.

Luke is now in preschool. He is 4 years old now, and full of energy. It seems he gets smarter and funnier and more precocious every day. He loves preschool, but is still a little shy yet with the other kids. He knows one boy in his class from his toddler soccer team. His name is Miles, and Luke tells me he stands by Miles whenever he can. We are very excited about the school Luke is attending. Our dear friend is the principal, and also the school is well known for its Chinese immersion program. Luke is in a Chinese class for half of his days, and he is learning the language and culture. It’s a good thing, because as we all know, China is taking over the world.

Natalie is fantastic. She will be 2 years old in November. She has 7 teeth now, almost 9! My kids are late bloomers with the teeth but once they start coming in they just keep on coming. Her hair is a beautiful curly blonde. She’s my little Goldilocks. My baby girl. Luke loves her, and she loves her brother. I don’t know what else to say about Natalie except that she is a happy child. She certainly has brought joy to our lives. Even when she is throwing tantrums she makes us laugh. The tantrum happens nearly every time she is told “No” and I tell you, she has made an art of it. She first drops to her knees, and then throws her arms and face to the ground in front of her. It is quite a theatrical performance.

Mike is doing well. He does an amazing job with the kids, and boy do they love him. He is the glue that holds us all together. So much so, that I have to be careful to not make him my new personal Jesus.

We are all good. Blessed. Thankful for what God has given us.

Before I forget, I will refer you to my sister’s wonderful recap of our recent retreat to the monastery. I couldn’t have said it any better than she has.

http://kariunrath.blogspot.com/2011/09/st-gregorys-2011.html