no, this is not to be put to a tune of the 12 days of Christmas, although later a song may be written.
1. I received my sweet 2 year old coming in on Christmas morning saying, " I am so thankful for YOU."
2. I received 2 middle/high school friends (and my sister in law) eating lunch with me (about the most fun I've had in a while)
3. i received 3 sets of live animals for my children... hmmm.
4. I received my 4 year old waking up at 4 am on Christmas day, so she could have 4 hours of puking and pooping her guts out, resulting in only 4 hours of sleep for me .
5. I received 5 sets of wienie roasters... don't know quite what I think of that.
6. I received my 5 (well 3 plus 2 cousins) children and my hubby at the mall playground, insisting on riding the train, terrorizing the kids, and wearing me out. (on a side note: at lunch in the food court we went to sit at a table, when a stranger felt the need to sit right in the middle of our group just as we sat, and she refused to get back up... hope she enjoyed lunch with us)
7. I received 7 kids who created pure chaos as they ripped apart presents, traded, took, and disappeared all before brunch... I kinda blacked out , don't remember much after that.
8. I received 8 adults at the house that sat in awe at said pure chaos.
9. I received 9 points in a 10pt game of catan, waiting one turn away from winning before my brother pulled the win out of his rear.
10.I played 10 types of games: if you include manipulation, the silent game, trivia, catan etc....
11. I probably had 11 different types of european cookies, pb cookies, sugar cookies, gingerbread cookies, spiced pecans, cake, and more fatty things
12. i spent 12 hours unpacking, finding homes, and washing laundry when we were all done.
Thank you for enjoying my 12 days of Christmas gifts.All in all , a VERY interesting Christmas and thank you to everyone who loved on me w/ cards, pics, hellos. Thank you to my family of 15 for the dozen blankets, jackets, socks and other things that I'll most likely use every day. Thank you for the 18 days of the jesse tree that I actually made it through. And the easel that is proving to be a hazzard for both me and the children as they color EVERYTHING. Merry christ-mas to all and to all a good year.
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Monday, December 27, 2010
Monday, December 20, 2010
My first call to the BBB
So, I love Christ-mas, but like everyone else, sometimes I get bogged down with THINGS. This Christ-mas is different. I decided that I WILL NOT get frustrated. And it's worked well. We've gone to parties, bought the presents, and if I don't go to 1 or 2, and if all the decor doesn't go out this year, it's been all good. My husband has even pointed out that my laissez faire attitude is kinda scaring him.
All went well til the beginning of December! I had 3 or 4 jobs lined up when my sewing machine punched a hole in 2 shirts. BACKSTORY: I took my machine to get tuned in April, after a month (they said 7-10 days) I got it back and it was still LOUD, but I didn't get it back in time to be under warranty. Everything was smooth and then this happened... I decided that I wOULD not use them again, but low and behold, they are the ONLY store in Charleston that repairs my sewing machine... I must return after we fought for weeks at easter.
So i turned in my machine begrudgingly.
How long will this take, sir.
7-10 days at the longest...
I call 2 and half weeks later (I gave them the benefit of the doubt with business days)
Lady, I'm working on it right now. (convenient). I should be done with it within the hour but I'll call you. (time check: 10AM)
I show up at 3pm later that afternoon, and the first thing he says is, "I TOLD you, I'd call you" (this doesn't bode well) I told him this is my ONLY time I'd be in Mt. P before Christmas, so I'd come back maybe around 5:30 (time check: 3pm).
He assured me that of course he'd be open and ready for me. I came back at 515 and the store was locked tight with the lights off... REALLY?????? I'm so livid, I contemplated egging the store, but too many cops present.
It is now 5 days later; surely, my machine is done, it was supposed to be done by 11am last wednesday... so I go in, telling my kids to wait in the car (because it'd be safer).
Hello, my name is Ali Campbell, I'm here to pick up my machine.
Did the man call you?
No, but I figured he said he'd have it ready and it's 5 days later, surely it's done... pause...
the man comes in and points out that it's not ready, that he may even have to order a part if he can't get it to work soon...well, I'm done!
Sir, can I just get my machine back, I've waited a month and Christmas is in 5 days. I still have presents to make, and I just don't want my machine here anymore.
Without thinking, he responds," no."
Excuse me?
" it's in pieces on my bench and I won't be responsible if you lose em or claim i broke them, so no I won't give it back"
pause (as I give the evil eye)
and what does he say? Something to the point of, " That's life. Sometimes we just don't get things back when we want them."
Now, If anyone has known me for longer than a day, you'd know that my emotions determine a large part of what comes out of my mouth, but I was literally so flabberghasted that I couldn't TALK. I just said, bye and walked out...
So, I'm 30, and now for the first time i'll be calling the Better Business Bureau because this is ridiculous. And if you're near fashion fabrics on coleman, please don't go to them for business...
oh added bonus, he told me that (although he had to order a part and it was just sitting in pieces on his bench) he could probably get it fixed by this afternoon. I'll take that bet!
All went well til the beginning of December! I had 3 or 4 jobs lined up when my sewing machine punched a hole in 2 shirts. BACKSTORY: I took my machine to get tuned in April, after a month (they said 7-10 days) I got it back and it was still LOUD, but I didn't get it back in time to be under warranty. Everything was smooth and then this happened... I decided that I wOULD not use them again, but low and behold, they are the ONLY store in Charleston that repairs my sewing machine... I must return after we fought for weeks at easter.
So i turned in my machine begrudgingly.
How long will this take, sir.
7-10 days at the longest...
I call 2 and half weeks later (I gave them the benefit of the doubt with business days)
Lady, I'm working on it right now. (convenient). I should be done with it within the hour but I'll call you. (time check: 10AM)
I show up at 3pm later that afternoon, and the first thing he says is, "I TOLD you, I'd call you" (this doesn't bode well) I told him this is my ONLY time I'd be in Mt. P before Christmas, so I'd come back maybe around 5:30 (time check: 3pm).
He assured me that of course he'd be open and ready for me. I came back at 515 and the store was locked tight with the lights off... REALLY?????? I'm so livid, I contemplated egging the store, but too many cops present.
It is now 5 days later; surely, my machine is done, it was supposed to be done by 11am last wednesday... so I go in, telling my kids to wait in the car (because it'd be safer).
Hello, my name is Ali Campbell, I'm here to pick up my machine.
Did the man call you?
No, but I figured he said he'd have it ready and it's 5 days later, surely it's done... pause...
the man comes in and points out that it's not ready, that he may even have to order a part if he can't get it to work soon...well, I'm done!
Sir, can I just get my machine back, I've waited a month and Christmas is in 5 days. I still have presents to make, and I just don't want my machine here anymore.
Without thinking, he responds," no."
Excuse me?
" it's in pieces on my bench and I won't be responsible if you lose em or claim i broke them, so no I won't give it back"
pause (as I give the evil eye)
and what does he say? Something to the point of, " That's life. Sometimes we just don't get things back when we want them."
Now, If anyone has known me for longer than a day, you'd know that my emotions determine a large part of what comes out of my mouth, but I was literally so flabberghasted that I couldn't TALK. I just said, bye and walked out...
So, I'm 30, and now for the first time i'll be calling the Better Business Bureau because this is ridiculous. And if you're near fashion fabrics on coleman, please don't go to them for business...
oh added bonus, he told me that (although he had to order a part and it was just sitting in pieces on his bench) he could probably get it fixed by this afternoon. I'll take that bet!
Friday, November 19, 2010
My website
My kids and I always love to play what would you do... we've done all sorts of things like "what would you do with a million dollars" "how would we bring in customers if we owned a subway", but then i asked myself "what would I do if I could make my own website".
I'm dying to make a website that I could ask questions about race, religion, or even how to work technology without people thinking i'm hinting at something and therefore being a bigot, insensitive, or just dumb. I would but my friends are too passionate about what they believe. Even if I could ask the question without anyone judging me, everyone who would respond, would then be judged. come on it's true!
The problem is some of these questions are on everyone's mind. How am I supposed to understand YOU when "I should already know that" or "you should not ask things like that"... And then what about things that are subjective... I don't know anyone who can be objective. Well, maybe you can :)
I mean, I'm 30, shouldn't I be able to find out things like this. I guess only 80 year olds can get away with saying insensitive things and people humor them.
I'm dying to make a website that I could ask questions about race, religion, or even how to work technology without people thinking i'm hinting at something and therefore being a bigot, insensitive, or just dumb. I would but my friends are too passionate about what they believe. Even if I could ask the question without anyone judging me, everyone who would respond, would then be judged. come on it's true!
The problem is some of these questions are on everyone's mind. How am I supposed to understand YOU when "I should already know that" or "you should not ask things like that"... And then what about things that are subjective... I don't know anyone who can be objective. Well, maybe you can :)
I mean, I'm 30, shouldn't I be able to find out things like this. I guess only 80 year olds can get away with saying insensitive things and people humor them.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
For those who need support parenting.
Here's the backstory. two days ago we sat down to potroast and veggies for dinner. We don't have it very often and to me it's a special meal. Everyone was eating just fine when Ella decided that she couldn't (ok wouldn't) eat anymore. It would have been ok if she had eaten more than 1 bite. Now, we've been struggling a lot lately to get her to eat and with her ballet performance coming up, she's dancing a few hours each day. She needs food to keep up. She's eating a small carb breakfast, giving away her lunch, and then refusing dinner (while asking for candy). I do not blame her ballet because NONE of them are like this.
Johnny decided that she wasn't getting up from the table til she had eaten something. I left to go out while Johnny put them to bed, and as the story goes, he went to put zoe/ada in the bath when the fight began. Ella threw her plate of food across the floor.
Now, the child better be glad that I wasn't home, but Johnny took care of it as well as he thought fit. After a lot of tears and discipline, Johnny called me saying she felt SUPERBAD and she wasn't allowed TV for the rest of the week and sent to bed. Hmmmm.... real bad? well, since she dances every day but tuesday this week, I'm going to up the anty.
She came home yesterday from school and I told her nothing with a screen. No TV, no computer, no video games. And we've had some scary vans in the neighborhood so no roaming looking for friends.
I love Ella. She would rather be bored than think about the problem. My child IS strongwilled. I dont know who she thinks she might be punishing by just sitting in one spot for EVER, but something she needs to deal with. I tried to help her, she said she'd rather complain about how she's just sitting there doing nothing... ok.
After she got angry pointing out "if I had known that my punishment was going to be so bad, I would have eaten" I told her to remember that for dinner. She was great for the rest of the evening, she helped out, and listened, and used her manners.
Then Round 2. We sat down with spaghetti and bread. she knew ahead of time what she had to eat. I warned her before she ate her bread that if she ate her bread and then claimed to not be hungry so she didn't have to eat dinner, that we would repeat last night so to think carefully if she'd be able to eat it all, and maybe eat her pasta first. She said ok and seemed to be doing ok.
Til johnny got home. I told him the situation before I had to leave, and I heard as I left "I'm not hungry anymore"... ooch. Johnny said after a couple hours of battling, he said, "you know I felt bad for your yesterday. You really seemed sorry and crying, and I expected you to not lie to me anymore" Her response: "I never said i wouldn't lie to you again. It's your problem that you believed that, and I'll do it again"
pause for dramatic thought affect. She wrote mean notes on her door and wouldn't talk to johnny, and for the first time woke up with the grudge still. I tried to talk to her, but you could hear the bitterness in her talking. How painful. for all of us. And this reminds me of what I was teaching on Sunday to the youth group.
Ephesians 2: 1-8"
" As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and Satan... gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following it's desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.
" but because of his great love for us , God , who is rich in mercy made us alive with christ even when we were dead in transgressions-it is by grace you have been saved... [he did this] in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- not by woks, so that no one can boast"
Sometimes I think I'm so good and i have always made great decisions and what is right, but even a 7 year old can be sinful. As a 30 year old I am SO dirty with the pains i've caused others (transgressions) and the pains I've caused God (sins) that I really am by nature an object of wrath, and shouldn't be allowed out into the general public.
THank you God for your grace when I don't want to share it. I pray that Ella sees one day your incomparable riches of your grace expressed in kindness. Until then, I'll try to remember what you've done for me and act accordingly because the next verse says
" For we are God's workmanship, created in christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do"... chapter 1 reminds me that you fulfill all things in every way, so whether I "fail" or not, your plan will be accomplished, but i'm hoping to be a help.
So remember parents: we can be down on our kids, we can be down on ourselves, but there is redemption for every person: WHOLLY.
Johnny decided that she wasn't getting up from the table til she had eaten something. I left to go out while Johnny put them to bed, and as the story goes, he went to put zoe/ada in the bath when the fight began. Ella threw her plate of food across the floor.
Now, the child better be glad that I wasn't home, but Johnny took care of it as well as he thought fit. After a lot of tears and discipline, Johnny called me saying she felt SUPERBAD and she wasn't allowed TV for the rest of the week and sent to bed. Hmmmm.... real bad? well, since she dances every day but tuesday this week, I'm going to up the anty.
She came home yesterday from school and I told her nothing with a screen. No TV, no computer, no video games. And we've had some scary vans in the neighborhood so no roaming looking for friends.
I love Ella. She would rather be bored than think about the problem. My child IS strongwilled. I dont know who she thinks she might be punishing by just sitting in one spot for EVER, but something she needs to deal with. I tried to help her, she said she'd rather complain about how she's just sitting there doing nothing... ok.
After she got angry pointing out "if I had known that my punishment was going to be so bad, I would have eaten" I told her to remember that for dinner. She was great for the rest of the evening, she helped out, and listened, and used her manners.
Then Round 2. We sat down with spaghetti and bread. she knew ahead of time what she had to eat. I warned her before she ate her bread that if she ate her bread and then claimed to not be hungry so she didn't have to eat dinner, that we would repeat last night so to think carefully if she'd be able to eat it all, and maybe eat her pasta first. She said ok and seemed to be doing ok.
Til johnny got home. I told him the situation before I had to leave, and I heard as I left "I'm not hungry anymore"... ooch. Johnny said after a couple hours of battling, he said, "you know I felt bad for your yesterday. You really seemed sorry and crying, and I expected you to not lie to me anymore" Her response: "I never said i wouldn't lie to you again. It's your problem that you believed that, and I'll do it again"
pause for dramatic thought affect. She wrote mean notes on her door and wouldn't talk to johnny, and for the first time woke up with the grudge still. I tried to talk to her, but you could hear the bitterness in her talking. How painful. for all of us. And this reminds me of what I was teaching on Sunday to the youth group.
Ephesians 2: 1-8"
" As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and Satan... gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following it's desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.
" but because of his great love for us , God , who is rich in mercy made us alive with christ even when we were dead in transgressions-it is by grace you have been saved... [he did this] in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- not by woks, so that no one can boast"
Sometimes I think I'm so good and i have always made great decisions and what is right, but even a 7 year old can be sinful. As a 30 year old I am SO dirty with the pains i've caused others (transgressions) and the pains I've caused God (sins) that I really am by nature an object of wrath, and shouldn't be allowed out into the general public.
THank you God for your grace when I don't want to share it. I pray that Ella sees one day your incomparable riches of your grace expressed in kindness. Until then, I'll try to remember what you've done for me and act accordingly because the next verse says
" For we are God's workmanship, created in christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do"... chapter 1 reminds me that you fulfill all things in every way, so whether I "fail" or not, your plan will be accomplished, but i'm hoping to be a help.
So remember parents: we can be down on our kids, we can be down on ourselves, but there is redemption for every person: WHOLLY.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
working dysfunctionally
This is the name of my book I'd like to write. Yes, when you turn old (or 30) it's time to write atleast one book and think you'll actually be successful. I would like to write a book about my families. Now the name is slightly deceiving. I do'nt want to give the impression that there's something wrong with any particular member of my family, but that 1. every family is crazy and 2. craziness has to work together.
I have had friends ask for pictures of a particular house to confirm such craziness, but hey, that's offensive (darn it. wish I could; sorry :(....) The only thing that's holding me back from writing this GREAT NOVEL is well, my dysfunctional family. How can I publish stories of my childhood/adulthood without offending someone... how would you like me put something about you in a book that you thought was completely normal (it's not) and let others laugh at you.
So at first I thought I would just wait til they died... yah, I'm that sick
but then there's even repercussions from that. How do you tell someone's mom, sister etc that their relative is crazy and worth laughing at. personally I think I could just write this book about me, or maybe anonymously. I would also like to write stories from the dysfunctional families I just know. so add a story if you dare.
So, really the book is about how even such completely different families can make things work even when they come from such opposites... because frankly, I may think johnny's family is crazy, but he thinks mine is just as crazy (and secretly, we all agree).
so, if you hear a story about my "friend" you may never know who I'm talking about... maybe me, maybe my mom, maybe my mother in law... just don't tell them. ;)
I have had friends ask for pictures of a particular house to confirm such craziness, but hey, that's offensive (darn it. wish I could; sorry :(....) The only thing that's holding me back from writing this GREAT NOVEL is well, my dysfunctional family. How can I publish stories of my childhood/adulthood without offending someone... how would you like me put something about you in a book that you thought was completely normal (it's not) and let others laugh at you.
So at first I thought I would just wait til they died... yah, I'm that sick
but then there's even repercussions from that. How do you tell someone's mom, sister etc that their relative is crazy and worth laughing at. personally I think I could just write this book about me, or maybe anonymously. I would also like to write stories from the dysfunctional families I just know. so add a story if you dare.
So, really the book is about how even such completely different families can make things work even when they come from such opposites... because frankly, I may think johnny's family is crazy, but he thinks mine is just as crazy (and secretly, we all agree).
so, if you hear a story about my "friend" you may never know who I'm talking about... maybe me, maybe my mom, maybe my mother in law... just don't tell them. ;)
Thursday, October 28, 2010
fear is in the eye of the beholder
Driving through my neighborhood, there's a house that put some CRAZY things in their front yard. There are men dragging women by their hair, someone stabbing someone in the back... and when I heard about it, I was like who'd do that? When I saw it, I could tell it was teenagers...didn't look like a big deal, but then I started hearing stories of kids having nightmares looking at it.
I remember watching poltergeist when I was YOUNG... for years I struggled with whether to open or shut the closet door because I didn't know whether I wanted to see it coming, or try to shut it out for as long as possible.
I still find myself jumping into bed when it's dark in the room so that stupid clown doesn't try to drag me under.
I'm 30 years old and I am still somewhat afraid of the dark. wow!
Did you know there is a flashlight, but no such thing as a flashdark?
I think just about ANYONE who goes into true and utter darkness (like those caves) has an instant fear when the lights go out. I'm pretty sure Gollum was so jumpy in the Lord of the Rings because of the darkness that was surrounding him for so many years.
The funny thing: people get used to the dark...
I may hate the dark, but after years of being married, I can now admit that I can go to the bathroom without turning on a light... not comfortably, but done.
How sad that my children still scream when I enter the party store, but I didn't even notice the gruesome scene at the door. How sad that I couldn't see the harm in the dumb things teens put up in their yard, but a lot of kids were having nightmares... I've gotten used to it.
How many other things am I used to?
How many years ago was it taboo to get pregnant in school, but now we just kinda shrug when the teens let us know they can't remember who knocked them up.
And something that makes me cringe, may make you kinda giggle. Fear is definitely in the eye of the beholder.
things that I am terrified of: divorce, abuse, abortion, and denial... that last one sounds silly. but what if you knew the truth, and someone could repeat it back to you, but then deny it... what if I said, "man I hate it when someone _____________," and you're like , "oh yah me too!" but then when I pointed out, "uh that's what you're doing" you give an excuse why it's ok for you... i had a friend who once said, " Iwould never be friends with someone who loved Jesus", and I was like, "oh, you mean me" and they said, "well, you're the exception." I'm kinda afraid of that... what does that say about me... is that good or bad for Jesus? Does that mean you think I 'm a poser... or what?
So what are you afraid of that's silly? what are you not afraid of that maybe you should be? Do you still hop 4 feet into your bed.... are you allowing your children to watch inappropriate tv because it doesn't scare you anymore? Time to reevaluate our fears... just in light of halloween :)
I remember watching poltergeist when I was YOUNG... for years I struggled with whether to open or shut the closet door because I didn't know whether I wanted to see it coming, or try to shut it out for as long as possible.
I still find myself jumping into bed when it's dark in the room so that stupid clown doesn't try to drag me under.
I'm 30 years old and I am still somewhat afraid of the dark. wow!
Did you know there is a flashlight, but no such thing as a flashdark?
I think just about ANYONE who goes into true and utter darkness (like those caves) has an instant fear when the lights go out. I'm pretty sure Gollum was so jumpy in the Lord of the Rings because of the darkness that was surrounding him for so many years.
The funny thing: people get used to the dark...
I may hate the dark, but after years of being married, I can now admit that I can go to the bathroom without turning on a light... not comfortably, but done.
How sad that my children still scream when I enter the party store, but I didn't even notice the gruesome scene at the door. How sad that I couldn't see the harm in the dumb things teens put up in their yard, but a lot of kids were having nightmares... I've gotten used to it.
How many other things am I used to?
How many years ago was it taboo to get pregnant in school, but now we just kinda shrug when the teens let us know they can't remember who knocked them up.
And something that makes me cringe, may make you kinda giggle. Fear is definitely in the eye of the beholder.
things that I am terrified of: divorce, abuse, abortion, and denial... that last one sounds silly. but what if you knew the truth, and someone could repeat it back to you, but then deny it... what if I said, "man I hate it when someone _____________," and you're like , "oh yah me too!" but then when I pointed out, "uh that's what you're doing" you give an excuse why it's ok for you... i had a friend who once said, " Iwould never be friends with someone who loved Jesus", and I was like, "oh, you mean me" and they said, "well, you're the exception." I'm kinda afraid of that... what does that say about me... is that good or bad for Jesus? Does that mean you think I 'm a poser... or what?
So what are you afraid of that's silly? what are you not afraid of that maybe you should be? Do you still hop 4 feet into your bed.... are you allowing your children to watch inappropriate tv because it doesn't scare you anymore? Time to reevaluate our fears... just in light of halloween :)
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
a scene from the Ali Mixer Campbell movie
I went to okeefenokee swamp last week. It was just me and zoe and ada in the car. Imagine if you will, driving down one of those highways that make you wonder every 5 minutes if you should turn around because maybe you took the wrong road and there are NO cars out there. I felt like I was in a place that either was from what's eating gilbert grape, or part twilight, and part french kiss (yes, but you'd understand if you were there).
I looked out my window and saw many abandoned farms. they had rows dug out, but over time weeds had taken over. It reminded me of Isaiah that I was studying. In chapter 5 there was a story of a vineyard, where the gardener chose the most fertile land, choicest vines, best materials and worked that vineyard, setting up permanent protection and great care. But after he planted his vines, they still made bad grapes. He had expected so much fruit that he made a winepress, but ended up with nothing, so he allowed thistles to take over and refused water on he land... all to represent God's work with the israelites and his disappointment in their lack of faith.
Why do I mention this? Doesn't happen very often that I notice and have those kind of reminders.
so I keep driving as I hear my girls wonder if we're there OVER AND OVER. I bribed, plead, I even dared zoe to close her eyes for 30 seconds because I KNEW that she would fall asleep, none to my avail. Eventually as I ignored them, I finally heard silence. I look in the rearview mirror and see both girls asleep. I turn up my 80's music and have that time... you know it; it's that time where you break out into the loudest silent dance party you can think of because you can drive in silence.
now keep in mind that it only lasted for 30 minutes... it ended with Zoe screaming because her booty hurt and she couldn't get comfy and she was tired and , and, and...
I can't take it anymore: get out! I pull over on the empty road and force my children to get out of the car and have a dance party in the middle of the road till they were too tired to stand. "No more complaining anymore, or you'll be forced to walk down the road while I drive behind you!" about 20 minutes later, I pull over to take a picture, when I notice that the cars stopping next to me are my family coming from florida... for the rest of the ride, I get to drive along with my sister, brother, the cousins and my mom... what a great ending to an ... um... interesting drive. I guess this is what happens when you're 30.
I looked out my window and saw many abandoned farms. they had rows dug out, but over time weeds had taken over. It reminded me of Isaiah that I was studying. In chapter 5 there was a story of a vineyard, where the gardener chose the most fertile land, choicest vines, best materials and worked that vineyard, setting up permanent protection and great care. But after he planted his vines, they still made bad grapes. He had expected so much fruit that he made a winepress, but ended up with nothing, so he allowed thistles to take over and refused water on he land... all to represent God's work with the israelites and his disappointment in their lack of faith.
Why do I mention this? Doesn't happen very often that I notice and have those kind of reminders.
so I keep driving as I hear my girls wonder if we're there OVER AND OVER. I bribed, plead, I even dared zoe to close her eyes for 30 seconds because I KNEW that she would fall asleep, none to my avail. Eventually as I ignored them, I finally heard silence. I look in the rearview mirror and see both girls asleep. I turn up my 80's music and have that time... you know it; it's that time where you break out into the loudest silent dance party you can think of because you can drive in silence.
now keep in mind that it only lasted for 30 minutes... it ended with Zoe screaming because her booty hurt and she couldn't get comfy and she was tired and , and, and...
I can't take it anymore: get out! I pull over on the empty road and force my children to get out of the car and have a dance party in the middle of the road till they were too tired to stand. "No more complaining anymore, or you'll be forced to walk down the road while I drive behind you!" about 20 minutes later, I pull over to take a picture, when I notice that the cars stopping next to me are my family coming from florida... for the rest of the ride, I get to drive along with my sister, brother, the cousins and my mom... what a great ending to an ... um... interesting drive. I guess this is what happens when you're 30.
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