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 I just couldn't resist this post!

I like to keep this blog generally lighthearted but sometimes you just need to vent. Venting by nature isn't very lighthearted.

About a week ago, I learned that my former pastor committed suicide.

That was a bit of a sucker punch.

Here's some back story. When we first moved to Pennsylvania in 2005 we struggled with finding a church that fit us. The church family we left behind in Ohio was difficult to replace. The area we moved to wasn't exactly overly welcoming.

We church hoped for a while.

We stayed at Church A for about a year...visited Church B and Church C. And then we found Church D.

Church D seemed welcoming. Not too small, not too big and plenty of children our children's age. We weren't planning on driving nearly 25 minutes every Sunday morning, but we really liked the place.

We grew to respect the pastor as well as his wife and children.

We stopped church hopping and settled there but after attending, as well as volunteering, we were unable to truly connect. We always felt like we couldn't really breach the inner circle. We were kind of on the outside looking in, no matter what we did.

We left.

It wasn't because of the pastor.

It wasn't because of the congregation.

It was simply because we weren't getting our needs met.

We started at Church E and ended up at Church F. We are still at Church F and we have been there for about a year and half now. Hubby seems to have found his inner circle. I'm not sure if I'm still looking for mine.

A few months ago, around Christmas, we found out that the Pastor at Church D wasn't who he was portraying himself to be. He was unfaithful in his marriage and was involved with some women at the church. To say I was shocked would be an understatement.

It felt like a sucker punch.

Granted, we were no longer attending there. However, it felt like everything he had ever said was just a bunch of crap. How could he preach about love and grace while he was stepping out on his wife? On his children? How could he marry our good friends and not repect the vow he was instating.

Still when my hubby told me that he decided to end his own life, it felt like he sucker punched me again.

He made a mistake and it cost him his family.

A mistake that he apparently could not forgive himself for.

It pains me that he lost everything because of his own selfishness. His own need. He leaves behind three beautiful teenage daughters who could have learned how to forgive and move on.

Now that option is gone.

If I'm confused, I can't even fathom what they must be thinking.

As I'm sure know, I spent most of Sunday watching the finale of LOST and I'm still processing my final thoughts. I hope to have them posted either tomorrow or Wednesday by the latest. Did you watch it? Were you happy? Were you disappointed. Right now, I'm a little bit of both.

I had surprise company to watch the finale with. It would have been better if they were Losties too, but alas they had never seen an episode. I'm sure my reactions were more entertaining than the actual episode.



Here's one of the cuties I spent the evening with and below is his sister. Mom and Dad were here too. But let's face it, once you have kids you are second fiddle. LOL JK B&B I love you guys too!





How was your weekend???

• The importance of the dishwasher: One of my favorite home appliances is my dishwasher, and this week I've learned how much I like the one we have at work. Because it is my co-worker's turn to be in the dish room, she has been hand washing all the pots and pans. Hand washing, rinsing and sanitizing. At least we are using paper trays.
• end of the year breakdown: It's not only the kids ready to be done with the school year. It's apparently all of our appliances. This week the freezer broke.
• Middle-Eastern American meal: I don't know whose idea this was, but apparently May is Middle-Eastern American month. Seriously? Our district decided to honor this made up holiday with a meal of Jawaneh, Kousa, Al Koozy and assorted fruit. Say what. In case you are curious it's lemon garlic chicken, spicy rice and a zucchini and tomato salad. Surprisingly, many of the kids like it.
• Soup: Serving soup on paper trays is not a good idea.
• Repetition doesn't work: Every morning the kids in my building say a pledge. In that pledge there is a line that says, "I will treat others they way I would like to be treated." Everyday they say this. Today, I watch a 2nd grader spill his entire tray of peas in the hallway and not a single student stopped walking to help him pick up the mess.

What did you learn this week?

I can't believe that LOST ends on Sunday.

Are you having a viewing party? Or are you, like me, watching it alone. Hopefully, with minimal interruptions.

Tuesdays episode set things in motion for a wild ride to the finish.

On the island:

We see the last four, Jack, Kate, Hurley and Sawyer. They are on their way to rescue Desmond. He is still trapped in the well. Sayid told them on his way out that they would likely need him.

On the way, the finally have a sit down with Jacob. They can all see him, that can all hear him. He tells them that one of them must step up and be the new protector.

To the surprise of no one, Jack steps up.

We find out that Kate was scratch from the cave of wonders because she became a mother.

We see what side Ben is on and it appears to be the evil side. He kills Charles Whitmore and doesn't even flinch when Flocke cuts Sarah Palin's throat.

Where did Miles disappear too? Was he hidden somewhere at Ben's?

Richard took quite a hit from smokey, but I have a feeling that he will reappear on Sunday.

The island cast has been weeded and when Flocke announced he was going to destroy the island, I believed him.

OFF the island:

Desmond is working his magic. He helped Ben see some flash of his former life by kicking his ass, which looked like a lot of fun.

Ben had a family bonding moment with Danielle and Alex. I have to admit it made me smile a little. John took steps towards walking again. Jack bonded with Claire and made a promise to be at his son's concert even if his mystery mother would also likely attend.

Anna Lucia helped Desmond bust Kate and Sayid out of jail. Hurley continues to be awesome, on and off the island. He seems to be just as in touch with his other life as Desmond is.

When he brought the bribe that secured Kate and Sayid's freedom, he didn't bat an eye lash at seeing and remembering Anna Lucia.

Where is Desmond taking Kate? To Jack's son's concert....Where is Miles taking Sawyer....to Jack's son's concert.

What will play out at this concert, I can only venture to guess. What will happen on the island? I can't wait to find out.

How do I picture the last scene?

Jack and Flocke are sitting on the beach. He is wearing white, Flocke is wearing black.

Flocke: "Do you know how much I want to kill you right now?"

Jack: "Yes. I know. But what happened happened."

Flocke: "I wish you had believed me."

Jack: "I wish I would have believed John, not you."

Betty White: Still hillarious at 80.

Do you read with your child?

Do you reward your child for reading?

At school, my kids participate in an accelerated reading (AR) program that encourages them to read so many minutes a night. They are encouraged to take tests on AR books and earn points towards the ultimate goal.

The AR grand prize varies from school to school. Oldest isn't sure what hers is and to tell you the truth neither am I. She reads all the time and often gets in trouble for reading when she shouldn't be.

She will, no doubt, be going to her AR event.

Middle daughter likes to read, but not nearly as much as oldest. It is sometimes a little more challenging to get her to comply. Sometimes my husband reads to her and this counts towards her AR goal.

She records her minutes nightly on a reading log that needs to be turned into her teacher every Monday.

Third graders need to read 100 minutes a week to meet their AR goal. I'm not sure if Middle G has attained this goal or not. However, Little G. has.

That's right. My kindergartner is going to the AR event, as are all of the kindergartners, because they read and achieve a much lower goal as a classroom. I'm not really sure how I feel about this. Little G. is just barely reading. Middle G. has tried her best to maintain this goal but as of yet I'm not sure she has.

What's the big deal? What's the AR Event?--A day trip to the State Planetarium on June 1st.

Should I let her brother attend even if she deserves to go more?

How do you feel about rewarding kids like this for reading? And do you think those who haven't read the required amount of minutes should be left behind?

We are back from our beach trip. Reality slaps you in the face and wakes you up as soon as you get home. I have to say that I look forward to these trips so much and they are worth every penny!

They are better than therapy! Seriously.

We laughed so hard our faces hurt.

We scrapbooked. We drank.

We sang.

We sat in the sun..BY THE POOL.

We got sunburned.

It was wonderful. Refreshing. Rejuvenating.

While we were away. The hail came AGAIN! I'll post some pictures of that tomorrow.

We just had the siding replaced. The roof redone and the fence painted. This time...both our cars were out in it.

This is gonna be a blast.

• Canadian Bacon: Kids in grades K-3 have no idea what Canadian Bacon is. Even when you tell them it is ham. One Kindergartner asked if we were serving Deer Meat. Only in Pennsylvania will you get that question.
• Eggs: Posting a picture of processed eggs will get you the most comments you have ever had. To answer some of your questions....they come frozen like bricks. There are approximately 50 eggs in one bag. And yes, when you open them they look like vomit.
• Dishwasher: If your dishwasher starts making a sound like a bug zapper you will likely need a very rare part. This will force you to have to hand wash all dishes for the remainder of the school year.
• Paper Trays: Paper trays are a blessing. Especially when the dishwasher doesn't work.
• Kids make me laugh: There is a hallway display at our school listing commands that you may hear at home. It is written by 1st graders. Some of the commands include: Please stop talking. Give your brother a bottle. But the best one of all time is: Get off the tramp! (I'm hoping they have a trampoline because if they don't Dad may have some explaining to do.)

Have a great weekend. I'm off to the beach for a girls scrappin' and drinking party. I'll be back on Monday!

This week's episode gave us some insight on the Man In Black and his brother Jacob. I was impressed that the writers were able to write the entire episode without once giving him a name. Interesting.

Do you think his name will be revealed in the finale?

The light and dark was present throughout the episode. The boys very pregnant mother shipwrecks onto the island and is befriended by a not-so-nice woman. This woman helps deliver Jacob and the MIB. Then she promptly kills her...but first she apologizes.



Jacob is wrapped in a lovely white blanket. MIB in a dark brownish/black blanket. From the beginning it is clear that the woman favors the MIB. He questions things more. He seeks answers. Jacob is clearly a follower. One who believes without question.

Is this a hint? I do not know.

The woman represents herself as their mother. She shows them a light in the center of the island that represents all that is good, all that is evil, all that is. She tells them that one of them must protect it.

Man arrives at the island. The MIB has a visit from his deceased mother. He learns the truth. He leaves his camp and joins up with the others.

Jacob stays behind.

He wants to please her. He knows that he is not favored. He knows she wishes that the MIB would return.

Throughout the episode they are playing a game similar to backgammon. Jacob always the white player, MIB always the dark player.

When MIB figures out a way to leave the island, crazy mom returns. She tells him that she is there only to say goodbye and then lays him out flat. She goes all Anikan Skywalker on his people. Killing all of them.

She knows that her time is limited and that MIB will come after her. She tells Jacob he must take over the protection of the island. They share a glass of wine, which was slightly odd.

MIB shows up at camp and kills her.

Jacob and MIB fight. He throws him into the river and through the tunnel of light. Jacob releases the smoke monster.

Thinking his mother and brother are both dead he buries them in the cave that our Losties found in one of the very first episode.

"Our very own Adam and Eve."

mmmm.....this is getting interesting.

Your thoughts?

• Gravy. I enjoy gravy, but I don't often make it. What I know about gravy is that if you are going to make it from instant, you better make it ssssllllllooooowwww. So I said I think we should bring the water to a boil and add that packet gradually. This was translated into dump the packet into water and put it in the steamer. For added spice, cook the whisk too. I kid you not....the sub cooked the whisk in the gravy which congealed to the bottom of the pan in the cement-like gravy.
• Boss's boss. If you are having a shitty day, it is likely that your boss's boss will visit. She will see the gravy/whisk disaster. She will find should-be-frozen cookies mixed in with your dry stock. She will come to learn that your sub made enough mashed potatoes to feed a small Haitian village. She will inform you one day too late that there were 'special' muffins for staff appreciation day and that you weren't supposed to serve the not-Panera-like muffins reserved for Muffins with Mom.
• Grandparents day. An order with enough chicken patties for the kids as well as any grandparents they may or may not bring will completely fill the freezer. I almost needed a ladder to find the frozen blueberries today.
• Muffins with Mom. Setting up muffins, juice and coffee for 300 plus by 8 a.m. in the morning is a piece of cake as long as I have my 6 year old and my 8 year old helping. No one could ask for more eager employees.

In fact, I'm wondering if my 8 year old could have made the gravy better. At least she would have followed the directions...

This week's prompt at Mama Kat's asks...how do you know your kids love you? I know that my kids love me because...

1. They regularly clean their room without having to be asked more than 40 times.
2. They never complain for more than an hour when I cook them a nice dinner.
3. They only need to be told 15 times to put their shoes on and then they jump right too it.
4. They always hang up their wet bath towels the morning after their bath when they hear me coming to check.
5. They never remember to say "God Bless You" after I sneeze because they already know how blessed I am.

But in all seriousness....I know that my kids love me because when I fell down the stairs on Tuesday they all hollered from their beds "Are you okay, mom?"

And that is all the proof I need.

I'm not a big fan of Jack-centric episodes, but seeing as we've gone two weeks without LOST I didn't care what this one was about as long as it was new.

It's opens with a clever play on words. Jack is at the hospital and he tells Locke that "He may be a candidate." Of course, he isn't talking about island life. He is talking about fixing John. Helping him to walk again.

John isn't very keen on the idea.

This tale begins on Saturday morning at approximately 9:30 a.m. Middle G and Little G. are off with me to Little G.'s swim lessons.

Regular readers will remember just how much I loathe swim lessons.

Little G. is still swimming level three with Crazy Eye. I should note that I'm most likely going to hell for calling his teacher Crazy Eye. But alas, that is another tale.

As indicated in previous posts, while my son loves to swim, he doesn't necessary like to do the elementary backstroke. There is no chance that he will make the Olympic swim team and I'm okay with that.

Crazy Eye hates me.

I'm not exactly sure when I realized that she hated me, but it is quite obvious. Even my 8 1/2 year says things like "Did you make the swim teacher mad?"

After three straight weeks of Little G doing nothing but crying at swim lesson (Did I mention that I pay for these) I decided to bribe him with a trip to the dollar store. A trip he has been dreaming of taking since my dad sent him $5.00 for Easter.

"Don't cry, do you best and we will go to the dollar store."

He hugged me. He did his best. He didn't cry. He kept up with all those big kids who need only to kick one time and they've crossed the entire pool.

Crazy Eye noticed the improvement.

At the end of the class she said "Wow, Little G. did so much better today. He seems to have gotten over his hump."

Since I'm a firm believer in Say what you mean and mean what you say I said, "It's probably because I bribed him."

Expecting a chuckle or a possible bonding moment, instead Crazy Eye responded with "That's a shame" and walked away.

Just when I thought I couldn't dislike her more.

But alas our adventure was just beginning. I'm wearing this awesome pedometer and lately my dog has been getting more steps than me so I came up with the brilliant idea of taking the stairs.

In the stairwell was a new exit. Clearly marked EXIT. The door lead to the alleyway between the YWCA and the church parking lot that held our van.

It seemed like a no brainer to go out this door and head straight to the van.

Now I must admit to you that I was slightly taken back when the door shut behind us and it had no outside door handle, but still there was no alarm and what was the worse that could happen.

I'll tell you what can happen. You can get trapped by barbed wire fences in all directions. You can find nothing but padlocked exits. You can realize about four seconds too late that you may get trapped in the alley with your 8 and 6 year old in 80 plus degree weather without nary a drink.

Now Little G. could fit between the wall and the fence and desperately wanted to be Lassie and go for help but I wasn't that desperate. I mean he would have needed to punch in a five digit code to get back into the YWCA and then he would have had to find the stairwell we were trapped in all without being kidnapped which seemed as likely as a LOST plot.

So we waited.

We knocked on the door for awhile to no avail.

Soon our hero arrived.

No he wasn't some sexy guy fresh from the pool. He was the gay next door neighbor who decided to take a break from painting and come out on his deck.

He put a ladder over the fence and helped us all climb into his yard.

I'm very thankful he wasn't a serial killer.

Our weekend flew by. I can't believe that Monday is near over already. It started out with Middle G. sneaking in to my room around 6:30 a.m. on Saturday and dressing up my foot. Yep...that's a picture of my heel.