Oops I did it again...

ME: "Hello, my name is Mrs. Goose Poop and I'm addicted to coloring my hair."

THEM: "Hello Mrs. Goose Poop, and welcome to HCA*."
*Hair Color-ers Anonymous

ME: "In the past month I've colored my hair 3 times. I think I have a problem."

THEM: "Well, the first step is admitting you have a problem, so you're on the right track to natural-color sobriety."


That's the conversation I keep hearing in my head!! I highlighted my hair again this morning, Lord help me!

The American Dream...what is it really?

The American Dream....

It sounds so nice, doesn't it? Every one's chasing the American Dream. White, 2 story house with shutters and a red door. White, picket fence and pool in the back yard. 2.5 kids. The all American job. Relaxing vacations on Spring Break. Your kids are on the honor roll, and the star football/basketball/soccer player. You belong the the local Country Club. Hubby goes to work, wife is a homemaker. You have a fat bank account, and plenty of nice material things. Making it to your 50th wedding anniversary. Apple pie, bbq's in the back yard every summer, and homemade cookies for the kids after school. Football games on Sunday afternoons.

Now I know this is extreme and not all people think like this. But this is *usually* the definition of "The American Dream."

But really...is this what everyone wants? Or is this was society says you should have to be an All American? If you don't have these things, or better yet, don't even want these things...does that make you less of an American?!

It sounds luxurious, eh? Naaahhh...I don't think so either! I think the American Dream is what you make it. A good mix of what you have and what you strive for.

I've always wanted the white house with a red door and a picket fence. But not because society said so, but because I like that style. I don't feel like less of a person because I live in a brick and tan house. Really...2.5 kids? How is that even possible? I happen to like my 7 kids just fine, thanks. Still feel American for it, too. The country club? Naahh...not my style. Am I less than American because we don't take a Spring Break vacation? And *gasp*...we'll probably never be able to take our kids to Disney World! Oh the horror of it all!! I'm confident that Mr. Goose Poop and I will make it to our 50th wedding anniversary. But we'll be 80 before that happens, since we're both divorced, and didn't get married until we were 29 & 30. Are we less American because we're divorced? Does that take us out of the running to qualify for living American Dream?

Well, if so, I guess I'm ok with that. I'm living my American Dream. And if my American Dream doesn't live up to what society says it should, then society can keep its American Dream. Cuz I happen to think it stinks!

Surviving

The other day I read somewhere that there are two simple ways of living. Of course there are more complex ways, but to be short and sweet and simple, you can usually break your life into two categories.

Surviving or thriving.

It said that you will go back and forth, back and forth, back and forth over the course of a lifetime. You may be just surviving for months at a time, then thriving for a few years, and back to surviving for awhile again.

Surviving can be classified as a tough spot. You're making it...but barely. Life is a bit challenging. There are more so-so days than there are great days. Instead of moving forward in life, you are at a stand still. Not moving backwards per say, but not making any head way.

Thriving is when everything is going just as it's supposed to. You feel like you are moving forward in life.

I mean think about it. That's pretty true. You are either surviving or thriving, right? One or the other.

I think back over my life, and I can see it clear as day. I know exactly when I was surviving and when I was thriving. I've gone back and forth, back and forth, back and forth.

As much as I hate it, right now our family is merely surviving. We aren't making any head way, or really moving forward at the moment. Surviving isn't so much a bad thing. I mean, we aren't moving backwards, so that's a good thing.

But we're just...stuck. Stuck here in these days lately. So much has been laid upon my and Mr. Goose Poop's shoulders over the past few months. Situations that no family should have to go through. So much so, that all we can do at the moment is deal with what's been dealt to us, instead of focusing on moving forward...thriving. Thankfully, Mr. Goose Poop and I are on the same page about what needs to be done, and how we are going to deal with what's been given to us.

It's a tough spot, this surviving. The situations we are currently dealing with, they warrant our full attention. The kind where you need to pull up your big kid pants and deal with them. They were starting to affect our kids. And we can't let that happen. Thankfully, our marriage is strong, and we are able to shield our kids from these situations others are choosing to put us in. We need to protect them, so they aren't suffering. And in doing so, we are unable to thrive. We are merely able to survive.

I'm ok with it. I know we will be thriving again soon. I know this is a phase. A phase that will pass. A phase that will bring us that much closer to thriving again. It's in the cards. Maybe not the next card we draw, or even the one after that. But it's in the deck. Maybe in the middle, maybe at the end. But the thriving card is in there.

So for now, we play the surviving card. It's a humbling place to be. But we'll play, and we'll win. We'll beat the surviving card.


~Faith is being sure of what we hope for, and certain of what we do not see~
~Hebrews 11:1
(This is one of my favorite bible verses. I have it painted in my stairway!)

It's not lost...

**In the van this morning on the way to school**

Dylan: "Mom, when can we go back to the library? I want to get a new book."

Me: "Maybe one night this week. I am almost finished with my last book. Then we can go. You haven't even finished your fishing book yet."

Dylan: "I know, it's because the words are too small for me to read."

Me: "No, they aren't too small. They just aren't jumbo like you're used to with the books from school."

Dylan: "Yes they are. I tried reading it to Jake the other night, but the words are too small to read."

Jake: "They are pretty small."

Dylan: "Yea, I need a magnifying glass or something!"

McKenzie: "We have one you can use."

Dylan: "No, we don't."

McKenzie: "Yea, Christian's."

Dylan: "No, Christian's is lost. He lost it."

Christian: "It's not lost...I just don't know where it is right now!"

**The conversation ended right then and there. I was laughing so hard I almost drove off the road because I couldn't see thru my tears!!**

My Strange Addiction, Girl's Weekend, Missing My Husband, and other random thoughts for today...

Have you ever seen the show My Strange Addiction? I've only seen it two or three times. This morning, while doing a certain something (I'll get to that in a minute), I saw a commercial for it. And then my brain wandered...these people are really weird...and then I looked in the mirror, and thought "Oh my goodness...I'm addicted!"

You see, when I looked in the mirror...I looked like the Bride of Chuckie (and to be honest...I once was the Bride of Chuckie...litterally...the ex's name is Chuck!!), but I'm talking about that weird-haired doll thing. (I wish I had my camera, I'da taken a picture. But I don't, so I didn't.) Anyway, back on topic...the reason I looked like that weird doll thing is because I was streaking my hair. A.G.A.I.N!! I had on the weird shower cap thing with holes in it that you pull your hair thru and color only that part of your hair. And as I stood there listening to that commercial looking like the Bride of Chuckie...I thought maybe I really am addicted to coloring my hair. I mean, see post below...I just colored my hair 2 weeks ago! But already I got bored with it and had to do something about it. So I woke up this morning, and decided to streak my hair. There you have it...I'm addicted to hair color!

(Tyler just came out a few minutes ago with his potty seat on his head like some kind of hat. I told him to take it off, that it's gross and now it's getting in his hair. I should give him a bath, shouldn't I? Nah...he's supposed to go to his dad's tonight!!)

On to topic numero dos...I'm pumped up for this weekend. It's one of my favorite weekends of the year. Tomorrow around 10:00 am my BFF (I feel so high school using that abbreviation!) is coming to pick me up and we are north-bound. North-bound to the cottage for our annual Girl's Weekend. We're on year...gee I don't even know, 10 maybe. All of us girls head north for a night. No boys allowed. There is usually about 12-15 of us, though this year there'll only be 11. I know it doesn't sound so fun to ya'll...but the thing is...the cottage has been shut down for the winter. We go and live like cavemen for a night! No running water, and a furnace that pretty much does nothing for us. When Tracie and I go to bed (yes we're 30 years old and still sleep together!) at night up in the loft...we can still see our breath! And Tracie and I make the trek over yonder to the creek (since the lake is usually frozen solid) and fill 5 gallon buckets for water. We heat the water for dishes. And you aren't allowed to flush the toilet! Which means toilet paper ends up in the trash...not the toilet! Every 10 or so pees, someone goes in and fills the toilet tank, and we flush. And then we repeat the process for the weekend! Sounds fun, eh? We sit around drinking, playing games, gossiping, and eating around the fire place. We also have a (both moms and grandma...please close your ears and skip below!) sex toy party. It's great fun, and I just can't wait until the morning!

Topic three...Wednesday morning I sent Mr. Goose Poop off to 5th grade camp. Jonah's class is going to camp this week, and Mr. Goose Poop volunteered to chaperon. They left Wednesday morning and are due back late tonight. As much as I like having control of the remote, and having the bed (and covers) to myself, I miss him. I'm ready for him to come home now. That's all.

(Tyler just came up to me and said "Look mom, my forehead and hair is wet!" I asked him how it got wet. He told me he stuck his head in the toilet!! I wish he would have told me before...I would have given him some shampoo and made it worth his while!!)

My house is (fairly) clean, the sun is shining, and I have new hair. Girls (you know who you are), the Chex Mix is in the oven as I type this, and I'll see all your smiling faces in the morning!


***Edited to add the following***

After I published this post, I sat Tyler down with a snack on the couch to watch Oomie Zoomie, and settled in for a nice conversation with my mom. When all the sudden Tyler is screaming bloody murder! He comes running into the kitchen, and told me he got a pretzel stuck up his nose! That's right folks...I gave him some of those mini pretzel sticks for a snack and he shoved one up his nose, then proceeded to break a piece off up there!! Oy!! And he didn't just stick it up there, he shoved that darn thing all the way to his brain! I let my mom go, and searched frantically for my tweezers. Two days ago, they were on my dresser from the latest sliver removal. Now? There gone! Of course! Tyler tells me dad has some in his shop. Ah yes, yes he does. Why didn't I think of that?!? I race downstairs. Wondering if I have enough time to get Tyler to the hospital to get the pretzel removed from his brain before I had to pick the kids up from school, or if I was going to have to call my mom and ask her to pile 5 kids in her truck at 3:10! I was sure I wasn't going to be able to dig that thing out of there. But, as luck would have it, the tweezers reached his brain and I removed the pretzel! Thank you Lord!! No, really, thank you!
And now it's taped up on the fridge along with his first ever stitches, the bean-bag bean he shoved up there a few months ago, and the monstrous sliver McKenzie had dug out of her foot on New Year's Eve! My fridge is quickly becoming a gallery of things we've removed from our kids!

I got new hair!

Well, ok, not new hair, but a new color. You see, I change my hair color/style more than I change my underwear. It's like an addiction for me. I color it or cut it, and I love it...for about 4 minutes. Or, if I'm lucky, about 4 weeks. Then I need something new. Something different. I can always tell about when a picture was taken of me by what color/style my hair was.

Let us take a look over the past few years...

Here's Mr. Goose Poop's and my engagement pictures in August of 2009. Long, dark red hair. It's so not the best picture, actually I pretty much don't like it one bit, but it shows off the color of my hair good.

Here's our group family pictures in September 2009. Long, light red hair.

This is me (Mr. Goose Poop and I are in Michigan, my bff and her husband are in Michigan State) in November 2009. Plain jane brown.

3 days after the Michigan/Michigan State picture, at our wedding. November 10th, 2009. Now it's light brown, and I added some blond, red, and dark brown highlights the night before.

Here we are in the summer of 2010. This picture was taken June 6th, 2010. Now were medium/short, blonder hair, with some red highlights.

And now in July 2010. Shorter yet, blond hair.

Here I am at Tracy's Bridal Shown on August 21st, 2010. Smack dab in the middle in the back and white polka-dots. Brown with blond and red highlights.

And at Tracy's Bachlorette Party on October 6th, 2010. Back to plain light brown.

And at the wedding. Dark Brown with super blond highlights. It's actually pretty short again in this photo, but you can't tell cuz it's all slicked back behind my head.

And remember this ridiculous picture of me and my sisters on Thanksgiving 2010? Now I covered up the blond highlights, and went back to medium brown.

Mr. Goose Poop and I Christmas Eve 2010. Starting to grow out a little, back to plain light brown.

New Year's Eve 2010. Light brown, few sporadic highlights. That's right folks, I changed my hair between Christmas and New Years.

Here's a picture of my sister's and I again just a few weeks ago. As you can see my hair is nothing fabulous. (But is getting long, eh?)

And, that's what sparked the change again. My sister Morgan looked at me this night, and said, "Wow, you're hair's so normal. It's just...just...plain 'ol brown! I don't think I've ever seen you with just plain brown hair for this long. With no wild highlights going on!" The very next day, I went to Sally's and bought the stuff to do my hair!!

This is what it turned into. The picture isn't really good. Well, considering Tyler took it, and he's only 3, I guess it's ok. It wasn't meant to be a picture of anything much, but come to find out...I'm usually behind the camera, not in front of the camera!! So it's the only one I have since I've colored it.

So as it turns out, I'm now a red head again. Though it didn't start off that way in the beginning. I used a different brand of hair color. I'm a member at our local hair salon supply store, so I always use salon quality products. But I tried a new one this time. And when I was finished, I stepped out of the shower with PURPLE hair! It took a few washes to turn to a normal, I-can-live-with-this-color. But there you have it. A walk thru the last year and a half of my hair!

Mr. Goose Poop wants me to grow my hair out long again. I'm just not good with that. But I'm being a good wife, and attempting to do it. So I can only imagine I'll be changing the color of my hair every 2 weeks instead of 4 for awhile!!

Say it isn't so...

So today is Friday....and can I just tell you....TYLER'S BEEN WEARING UNDERS SINCE MONDAY MORNING!! (ok...not to bed, but all day long!) And he *knock on wood* hasn't had one accident!!

Mr. Goose Poop and I were seriously starting to think he'd be in diapers for the rest of his freakin' life! We've tried the whole potty training thing, and it wasn't working. Tyler just wasn't interested. It was at the point where we'd see his face turning red, and scrunching up, and we'd whisk him off to the potty, knowing he had to poop. That danged kid would sit on the toilet for over an hour and not poop. I'd tell him he wasn't able to get up until he pooped...he didn't care. He's sit it out. I'd give up. Put a diaper on him and not 10 minutes later, you guessed it...he'd poop in his diaper. Ahhhh....

But I'm proud to say, he's been in unders since Monday morning. Oh Lord, Heavenly Father, Gracious One...please, if I never ask for anything again...please 'o please let him be done with the diapers. I promise I won't ask for anything ever again, for as long as I live!!!

Oh the things you get excited about when you're a parent!!

On a much different note...I just sent Mr. Goose Poop and McKenzie out the door for a Daddy-Daughter Dance.

She looked stunning! (Can you say that about a 10 year old?!? Doesn't seem right!) Yes, there were tears shed. And I can only imagine what it'll be like when I send her off on her first date. (If I'm still alive to send her off when she's 44!)

Here she is...

Unbelievable she's this old already!! She's like a...a...a...a young lady or something!!

A little bit of this...A little bit of that

Another smorgus board of a post!! So much has been going on here, that I just can't keep up lately!

Here's some pictures of last week's "Blizzard of 2011!!" I wouldn't quite call it a blizzard, but there was a ding dang lot of snow here. School was closed Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Come Friday morning Mr. Goose Poop and I wanted to run far far away!!

Here's Dylan on top of a snow mountain in front of our house after Mr. Goose Poop cleared up the driveway!

Jonah digging out Mr. Goose Poop's car!! Poor kid got the raw end of the stick!!

The snow was so deep in the street cars were unable to get up the little hill, and Mr. Goose Poop's car wasn't moving! So he started to snow blow the street!!!

Mr. Goose Poop cleaning off the van. It doesn't look very deep in this picture, but the van was parked in between 2 houses and didn't get much snow on it.

Have I posted pictures of the snow hill Mr. Goose Poop built in the back yard yet? I think I did...but this is it after the snow storm. It looks level to the neighbor's driveway, I know. But actually the neighbor's drive is about 2 feet taller than ours. And as you can see, the snow hill is about 2 feet above their drive. So the snow hill is now a 3 lane 4 foot high hill in the back yard!! The kids have a blast on it! Here's Jonah, McKenzie and Jacob ready to take a ride!

Jonah and McKenzie snow-boarding down the snow hill!

Carter's turn!

The weekend before the storm we had Mr. Goose Poop's 2 sister's, their husband's, and their kid's over for the night. There were 15 kids and 7 adults in my house!! It was a tight squeeze here. My house is built for about 3 people, we already squeeze 9 into it on a daily basis, but 22 was pushing the limit! This is what my kitchen looked like after they left!

Look...no clean silverware!! Only some knife's and a couple of those weird pumpkin carving knife's.

A small price to pay when spending time with my 2 sisters!

Here's our traditional "sister's photo." Why 'O' Why can't we ever just get a normal friggin' shot of the 3 of us?!? This is the 6th one taken after my niece finally declared she's done taking pictures of us!!

As a reminder...here's the one of us girls at Thanksgiving! This is about the 12th shot taken of us. And I still look like some sort of doofus! I look like I'm doing some stupid weird lean!

Over this past weekend we took my Girl Scout Troop dog sledding! I know, cool, right? What a great opportunity for the girls! It's not every day you get the chance to go dog sledding. They had an absolute riot! And even though meeting up at 7:00 in the morning on a Saturday wasn't the best idea we ever came up with, Sonya, Patty (the other leaders), and I had a great time.

Here's McKenzie learning to steer a dog sled.

Playing with Whiskey...one of the dogs that would be taking us for a ride.

McKenzie gearing herself up (or calming herself down) before sledding. She was actually a little worried that she was going to fall out!

Here's Sonya and I. She dubbed us the "Fearless Leaders!"

All ready to go for a ride!

Off we go!

We all made it back in one piece! And it was so fun!!

There's the past few weeks at a glance. Our family is going through some hard times right now, and prayers are welcome. Details to come at a later date. Superbowl is (F.I.N.A.L.L.Y) done in a few, and I'm excited to get my husband back. Even if it is for only 7 months. I'll take what I can get!!

Aughhhh....

Day 3 of this crap, and I'm typing this with my tongue. Why you ask? Oh, that's because my arms seem to no longer work anymore!

As for the abs you wonder? Ha...that's funny!

I have some great pictures of the kids playing outside this morning after the "great blizzard of 2011" but no energy to post them! Later maybe...

Here's a mental picture....

Day two of P90X, and I can barely wipe my own ass!!

How's that for a mental photograph for ya!!

Who knew?

That you had a muscle that ran from your hip bone all the way to your armpit? I didn't...until this morning when I got out of bed and mine was on fire!

Stupid P90X!! Seriously, what did I get myself into??