Lazy Sunday Afternoons

Today was a lazy Sunday Afternoon at my house, but that was not how it was suppose to be. Our College Small Group was suppose to come to the house for lunch (chili) and then hang out until time to go to church for our Harvest Festival. Well, for various reasons, only Brandon, Brooke, and Miranda came. The rest were out of town or had other things to do this afternoon. I almost canceled, but I am so glad I didn't because Dawn, Michael, and Ann came over and ate with us. We sat around the kitchen table and talked and ate, and then everyone just kinda landed wherever and visited. What a lost art! Miranda crotched while Brooke and Dawn were on the computer. The boys were playing some video game while Ann flitted around the house playing. Emily sat on the couch and talked to whoever sat beside her, and I piddled the afternoon away. It was a nice afternoon of friends and family that was totally unexpected. Aren't those the best?

Watermelons and Traditions

Today was the annual Watermelon Cutting at Jones,

and since this event is something SGA sponsors, I get the task

of ordering the watermelons. Sounds simple enough, but like everything else that sounds simple,

it never really is.

To have any event on campus you have to deal with at least three other departments.

There is gargage detail that goes through housekeeping,

event set up (tables, chairs, and whatever else is needed) through maintenance,

workorders, emails, etc...

Well, I tried to get out of having the Watermelon Cutting this year because I just didn't want to deal with it. I was quickly shot down by my boss.

When I asked why, I was told it was a tradition and we were going to keep doing it.

Well, I begrudgingly set it up and even went to the store before work this morning

to pick up the plastic forks.

Then 11am rolled around and people started gathering in front of the Chapel. Michael Bradshaw was cutting melons and laying the quarters on tables.

I walked over to make sure things were running smoothly and quickly realized why we need to do this every year.

Everyone from maintenance, grounds, and faculty all the way to the day care, and even the President were there. And everyone was talking and laughing

while dripping watermelon juice everywhere and spitting seeds.

We were all on the same level, laughing and talking and sharing the hot, humid Mississippi morning. No one was talking work...we were all just having fun sharing the moment.

Too often we forget what it's like not to worry.

Sometimes you just need to let the watermelon juice drip and the seeds fly!

That is one tradition that I hope we keep for years to come!

Parenting...Who Knew!

I am learning that parenting your children gets harder as they get older!

I'm not real sure how I feel about it either

...still trying to figure it out...

All three of my children are on the road today. Some are traveling farther than others, but I have no control over what is happening to them right now, and I don't like it!

I knew I was a control freak, but I had no idea how much of one when it came to my kids.

The oldest is driving an insane amount of hours with no sleep, and probably not a lot of food...the middle is on a bus to get on a plane in NOLA to fly halfway around the world...the youngest (not baby anymore!) has gone to Jackson.

I'm use to having at least one of them close by.

I am also finding out that I have to suggest more than dictate these days too.

The oldest is grown and about to get married, but I still want to help him when I see him about to do something that may not end up good.

The middle, well, she has always been head strong ( she is SO much like me), but I didn't realize how much of a friend she had become to me.

The drive home after I left her yesterday was long and very thought provoking.

She is growing up so fast that it takes my breath away.

The youngest is finding his wings as well.

He is doing things I never would have thought he would do...

Not bad things, just independent things like a three week camp this summer. What?!

They have all turned out to be great people, so I guess I didn't do a bad job with them.

Now I just have to find my new place with them as teenagers and adults.

I love the movie "Because I Said So," and in it the mother informs her grown daughters

that you can't just turn off being a mother. I must say that I agree with her whole heartedly.

There is a fine line between meddling and helping...

I hope I am finding it without crossing it.

Knowing my kids, they will tell me when I get on their side of that line!

As Emily will come home from her trip saying...No worries mate!

Life...Ain't It Great

Do you ever feel like you are sitting still
while life is rushing all around you?
... I am there ...
There are SO many things I feel like I need to be dealing with
and it's either too soon to deal with them
or I'm just too tired to try.

Brandon and Brooke's wedding is coming up soon
... less than 3 months ...

Emily leaves for Australia
... less than a month ...
I feel completely unprepared for this!

Ethan's camp papers are due in now, but I'm having to wait
on papers from his school.

So, with all this coming, here I sit on the computer.
I'm a typical orange personality!
Wish I had a gold or green personality to fix all this for me!!!

Wow, it's been a while since I posted anything, but it's been a whirlwind of activity!

First, Relay for Life

What an amazing even this is.

The people that put this together ROCK!

I was originally given the job of team captain for Jones,

and now I will gladly take it again for next year.

What fun we had doing this..pictures on my Facebook.

Second, Boston...Where Everybody Knows Your Name.

Heck, I can't understand anybody up there, so if they know my name I wouldn't know! lol

We took five girls, and I hope they got as much out of the trip as I did.

Orchard House -- I LOVE YOU!!

Fenway Park -- One more major league ballpark down -- oh yeah!

Harvard -- I felt incredibly inadequate

Author's Ridge at Sleepy Hollow Cemetary -- Absolutely beautiful

Food -- Oh my goodness

Third, graduation...sad, sad, sad

I always dread this day.

I didn't cry this time (not at school anyway) because I was gone the last week.

It's so hard to become friends with these kids and watch them leave.

I hope I have helped them grow in some ways, because I know they have me.

I learn something from every group that comes through.

And now it's the summer semester...

the cleaning out and up of my office...

the catching up on all the things I can't do with students coming in and out...

the packets that Brigade usually does for me (not my favorite!)...

tours for kids in transistion that have made last minute decisions...

...I love my job...

Being orange rocks!!

Have you ever taken the test that tells you what "color" your leadership/personality style is?

***Well, I'm orange, and it rocks!***

Orange is spontaneous and looking for the fun in everything

...SO...

Yesterday was SO beautiful that the kids and I decided to drive down to the coast.

Random? Yes.

Fun? Definitely.

Emily is as orange as I am, and poor Ethan...he's so green, but he is trapped in the house with orange. Bless his heart.

Green is very analytical and thinks about everything before they do it. That's my Ethan!

We may cause him to have a nervous breakdown soon. Lol

---Anyway---

We drive to Gulfport right after church and get to the beach around 3pm.

Who gets blistered at 3 in the afternoon?

I DO, THAT'S WHO!

Yep, red just on my right side...sigh

I did get to catch up with my friend Jamie Joy Brightman, and that was awesome!

!!!Love that girl!!!

But the ride home...

it was one of the times when you're so tired that everything is funny.

That's when you realize what's important.

Laughing with my kids at nothing in particular-

those are the memories they will take with them.

Not the money spent or the material things they've been given,

but

the silly times we've spent together.

This has been a great year!!!

And I discovered a new thing yesterday.

Teenager time-out

It's a beautiful thing!

PS. We missed you Brooke -- stupid work!

Wonder Woman

I am not Wonder Woman, and neither is your mother.

If you are a mother, you will understand this.

When my kids were little I could fix almost any problem they had.

If the crayon broke, we had a party because all of the sudden they had 2 reds!

If they fell down I could put a pretty bandaid on it, and it was instantly better.

If they were sick, we rocked in the chair until they fell asleep.

If they had a bad dream, they climbed into bed with me and were safe and sound. Nothing could get them in the "big bed."

Well, my kids are 23, 15, and 14 now, and fixing their problems is not so easy these days. They are coming to realize that mama isn't Wonder Woman like they thought. It's a hard place for them and for me. Everything in me wants to fix everything that's wrong in their lives

...but...

I also know the problems that come with growing up help them to, well, grow up.

Now I have to walk the thin line of helping too much or not helping enough.

It's so hard to watch them fall down emotionally and not run and fix it for them with a pretty bandaid.

I know part of being a good parent is letting them learn from the falling down. And it's also knowing when to help them up.

So, if you have days where you think your mama is just being mean, or that she doesn't understand, just remember, she is probably struggling as much as you are.

She's not Wonder Woman

Flowers

You would think that at 43 I would have things figured out by now.

...Not true at all!...

I love to plant flowers in my yard. It is so relaxing to just go on auto pilot for a while and dig in the dirt. I use to love to play in the dirt when I was little, so maybe this is a left over thing for me.

---Anyway---

I have some flowers that seem to pop up out of the dirt overnight, and then there are some that take their time. It's almost like they have to peek out and see what's around them before they come on out. The ones that grow so fast seem to say,

"Here I come world. Look out!".

I find myself in situations where I am like my flowers. Some days I'm peeking around to see what might be out there in the world, and some days I jump up and face life head on.

What makes us like that I wonder. Why is it that some days I feel so prepared to face life, and some days I just want to curl up under the covers.

Hmmm.....

What kind of day are you having today?

What can you do to change it if it's a hide under the cover kind of day?

TOTALLY changing the subject...

I met a student yesterday that lived on Jot-Em-Down Rd. That made me smile, and I thought it might do the same for you!

let's see where this leads...

...i hope this leads to an interesting place. A place where I can share what I've learned, and what I'm still trying to figure out.

What I've learned...
I'm going to be ok. That may sound simple, but wow!, when that sinks in, really sinks in, there is freedom. I'm not in control and now I know that I don't want to be.

What I'm learning...
Stop trying to be in control! Lol Yeah, I know. I say the same thing to myself. It's a daily battle, and I thought my battles might help someone with theirs.

So, join me on this crazy ride called My Life, and hang on!