The Birds and the Bees, and the Roaches, Too

Rich headed out to work...it was a dangerous job, but that's why he got paid the big bucks.  The Air Patrol were known for their devil-may-care attitudes and their acuity of smell.

The air was decidedly different.  He knew that it was poisonous immediately; the levels of toxic gas were practically palpable.  He had to get the message out.  He could use snail-mail, but it would take too long.  Besides, the snails were probably dying off from the toxins as he wasted time trying to figure out what to do next. 

Meanwhile, Rod and Rhoda threw themselves at one another in a passionate frenzy.  They too sensed that the end was near.  They didn't have long and this time would be their last time together.

As they went their separate ways they could feel the effects of the powder that they had encountered earlier.  Suddenly a massive energy force bore down upon them as they tried to run and hide.  But now there was no escape; it was only a matter of time.

Meteorites as big as size 13s were crashing down on them; there was a total eclipse of the light bulb; the world was coming to an end. 

Some love stories just can't have a happy ending.

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A little background to this tragic tale...a few days ago we had a pest control company come in order to take care of a few issues we have here.  One of our problems is roaches (are roaches?).  I have been waiting for a couple of days for the powder and spray to start working, waiting for the bugs to start coming out of the woodwork.  What I didn't expect was to open the door when Eliana cried last night, turn on the light (this has become standard procedure for me, so I can do a quick floor check), and find dying (hopefully), MATING roaches.

The guy did say to expect the unexpected.  I suppose I was duly warned.

I Didn't Win an Award, But...

In the future I'll try not to write in such a self-absorbed manner as the previous post, since this is supposed to be about our whole family.  Although when I'm so out of whack it certainly affects everyone in this house.

I did want to say thank you to the folks who left such encouraging and kind comments.  And thank you to my friends who love me, in spite of my...quirks.  And my poor husband who had no idea what he was getting into 12 years ago, but says he'd do it all over again.  (Which, by the way, leads me to believe that he is crazier than I am...)

"You like me...right now, you really like me!" 

I can hear the applause.

Oh, Shut Up, Christina

Sometimes...okay, most of the time, I get on my own nerves so badly that I don't even want to be around myself.  Which when you are your own self, not being around yourself is really difficult. 

It's the little things that seem like such heavy weights, and I wish I had the kind of personality that looked at life with a more balanced perspective.  I know all these things in my head, things that should affect how I live my life, how I treat my kids, what I teach them, how I spend money, where my thoughts wander, how I respond to challenges. 

I have been such a pain lately.  Part of that is feeling lonely, my friends just left, and I don't feel that connected to many people here.  Making the effort is hard.  I have been sad.  Our house is a mess in so many small ways that collectively it feels like a giant monster breathing a foul stench in my face.  Mike is counting on me to function like a normal person during the day so that he can get his work done, an insane amount of stuff he has to do, which I'm sure feels like so many heavy weights to him...and then there is me, one extra weight.  He would never say that, but I feel like that.  And me feeling like that makes me that weight.  It's a self-fulfilling prophecy. 

I knew that psychology class in college would come in handy one day.

I start to feel like life is against me, that I cannot fight much less win.  I'm not strong enough.

Then I read about this family, trying to heal, and this family dealing with a fresh wound, or friends of our family (my parents) who are also adjusting to that new normal without someone because of cancer.  There is disease, hunger, poverty, injustice, slavery, war, terror...burdens that I am not bearing but someone else is.  And there are people out there fighting for a cure, for a meal, for a home, for the right, for freedom, for peace, for safety. 

Part of me wants to crawl under the covers and hide away forever.  Then part of me wants to slap myself in the face, throw some cold water over my head, kick myself in the butt.  I want to say,"Oh, shut up, Christina!"  What can I do instead of all the whining, and all the moping?  I'm sure I could start around my house, with my responsibilities to my husband and my kids.  I could start reading the Bible again.  I could pray for others, those really going through some hard times.  Focus on something or someone other than myself.

When I was much younger I never thought that I would be the kind of person I am today.  I don't want to be totally down on myself.  I think I can be funny.  I'm empathetic.  I can bake some wicked chocolate stuff.  I love my family.  But I struggle with things that I never imagined I would.  It's weird to look at yourself and see such a strange person. 

I don't really know what else to write.  I may take a blogging break for a few days.  We'll see. 

To the Pool Where It's Cool

What do you do with a house full of CRAZY CHILDREN when it's 98o outside?  Oh, yes, the swimming pool saves the sanity of all the moms the day!

This scene we were totally prepared for...the girls having a great time together, being silly, giving each other the bunny ears...

This scene, not so much!

Do you see what's going on here?!  Three girls + three boys + giggling??!  Equals three moms saying,"What?!"  A little taste of what's to come, I suppose.  (Sigh.)

"TIME, YOU STOP THAT!  YOU SHOULD NOT DO THESE THINGS TO MOTHERS." 

(That's a reasonable enough request, right?)

The boys were just doing their thing...they swam and chased each other, played a little beach ball volleyball.

And this one?  Oh, he'll be right there with the rest of the boys giving moms heart attacks because he'll be making the girls giggle and act all goofy.  For now, he's all curly blond hair, big blue eyes, mess of a cutie pie...

See?  He's so sweet.  When he's sweet, that is!  (That's what I say about Christian, too.)

This girl here, not the one in the sunglasses, but the other one...she's quite the match for blondie up above.  The two of them together...hilarious. 

While the big girls were in the big pool jumping off the diving board, little miss thing devoted herself to some diving action in the baby pool...look at that form...

a little bit of splash on the entry, I don't know what the judges will have to say about that...

It's hard to argue with that face, though.  What a proud moment!

We'll cut her some slack; she can't read, after all.

Eliana didn't really get wet that day.  I was taking pictures and so she was trailing me...

having her own brand of fun. 

Shifting gears a bit...now that everyone is gone and we have to entertain ourselves once again, we don't really know what to do.  That transition is so hard for me, and just as hard for the kids.  I sure do miss these people!

 

What else can I say?  Until next time, dear friends...I love you!

They Finally Take Me Out to the Ball Game

Mike has asked me to go to the Rangers baseball games on more than one occasion.  I, however, am often (or always, depending on your point of view) ruled by my obsessive-compulsive tendencies.  My fear of germs gets the best of me (literally) and I don't do things like go to a public place where thousands of people gather and touch everything around them, and cough, and spit, and puke who knows where.  The rationality behind these thoughts is at least questionable, and I know that-in the very tiny part of my brain that has a micro-milli-gram of rational sense.  The truth remains, though, that my fears keep me from going places and they keep me from taking Eliana places as well.  (Don't ask why I am able to let my other kids do stuff...I never said I made sense.)

Then my friends show up with their kids...and Mike wants to take everyone to the ball game...and everybody is really excited to go...and they all want me to go too...and of course we can't leave Eliana behind all by herself at home...and the peer pressure is too great.  How can I say no?

So, for the first time since we've had tickets for the games (Mike's been taking the big kids since last summer) Eliana and I attended a Rangers game.  We sat in the stadium seats.  We were surrounded by people.  And we had a GREAT time. 

FEARS, YOU ARE CONQUERED!

Well, that isn't quite true, but I do feel like I personally achieved something.  And now I will show you some really fun pictures that I took (Mike took some of them) which helped distract me from thinking about anything that may have taken away my fun time.  And I promise the rest of this post will not be all about me.  It is the five Walkers, after all.  And this time the five Walkers were together at the game, along with some of our best friends.  Baseball and good buddies...it doesn't get much better than that.

We headed out in two cars, and ours was full of girls. Except for Mike, our driver.

In the car, he put his hand on mine and told me he was glad I was going to the game.  I was really nervous, but I was glad, too.

There were thirteen of us total moving like a small herd of cattle across the parking lot toward the stadium. 

There's just something about little girls holding hands...

By the time we got inside, the game had started, but our fun was just about to begin...

Michael Young hit a home run right after we sat down, and of course everyone went nuts; the girls cheered as loudly as anyone else!

Young hit two homers that night...here he is crossing home plate later in the fifth inning.

The boys are keeping their eye on the ball, while Amy keeps her eye on her youngest...

Now here's an all-American family at an all-American game...

This guy belongs to Rebecca...

He also went to a game on Saturday with Mike, just the boys.  He told his mom later,"It's just like in the song!  'Buy me some peanuts and Crackerjacks...'"  He told her it was awesome.  How precious is that?

The Rangers played a great game.  They got hit after hit...

Their rookie pitcher Derek Holland struck out 10 Mariners (sorry, Jeff and Laurie)...

Can you imagine pitching 118 balls at 90 mph?  That beats my fast pitch by about 90 mph.

While hanging out at the ballpark, I discovered that I really like this game.  Apparently I am in good company.

Another home run!

Fireworks!

Cotton candy!

Love among the brothers and the sisters!

We stayed almost the entire game; the Rangers won 7-1.  Before everyone started pouring out of the stadium at once, which, of course, would mean no one was actually moving, we packed up and headed to the cars.  You would never know it was as late as it was by looking at some folks...

But others were feeling the late hour...

At the end of the day I would say it was quite a night.  And I think I may do it again.  Go Rangers!