Thursday Thirteen

I'm in the mood to do a random post, but needed a prompt. Happened upon this one at Dackel Princess. I'll try to make this short. Um, yeh. You heard right.

1. I am wishing I'd get a bigger piece of pie from my kids' time. It seems we're just catching each other "on the fly" lately. But hey, at least they're not away at college. They might wish they were.

2. I'm in the mood to buy a new vehicle. Don't need one. Just want to trade the trusty, reliable, comfortable, paid-for minivan in for something that makes me want to get in and drive just for the fun of it. I'm thinking Audi A6 or A8. Or a Porsche. I'm so done with American cars. I want some German engineering for wheels.

3. We've been invited to Sunday dinner at my son's girlfriend's house. Steve and Ambrey want to cook for their parents again. (Last time we hosted, which was fun.) I love being invited to someone's house for dinner. I cannot remember the last time our family was invited to dinner somewhere. I feel so honored.

4. My parents want to take a trip to Russia to visit missionary friends. But my sisters and I don't think their health is good enough. How do you talk your elderly parents out of going to a part of Russia that is like Siberia in winter when they feel "called of God"?

5. My son's music teacher at co-op has told me two weeks in a row now just how good he is at playing recorder. I look at her with disbelief. He pitches a fit about practicing, rarely gets through the whole piece without stopping to complain that he hates everything about music. The teacher says, "Well, he doesn't act like that in my class, and he is really good. I want him to play the hard song for the final presentation night." I am beaming. He is not.

6. Our master bathroom is next in queue for our remodel attention and dollars. I dread starting the actual work because it always takes longer than planned. Even if you double the time as part of your plans! I wonder how long we can live with the dollar-store liner held up by duct tape over the gaping hole in the wall?

7. Will spring ever arrive? Really?

8. I love playing fetch-the-tennis-ball with my dog. He gets two of them in his mouth, drops one for me, and chases with one in his mouth. My husband wonders if I can tell which one Reilly peed on. I say I choose not to scratch and sniff. Playing dumb makes me feel better.

9. My life needs more purpose and meaning. I feel like I'm shriveling up in many ways--spiritually, socially, mentally, physically. Too often I pine away for how life used to be.

10. I am ready to get a whole new wardrobe after purging so many pieces a couple weeks ago.
Today I wore an outfit that my 9-year-old told me looked like something out of the 70s. "Mom, light jeans? Are you kidding?" Okay, tell me this. Who invited the What Not to Wear crew to the house? "These are my art jeans for painting in," I replied. He shook his head, "Yeah, but not in public." Did I say he's nine?

11. I've lost the school records that I'm solely responsible for. When our little school closed, the receptionist handed me a big file of my son's records. Now I need the standardized test results and last year's final report card. The new school principal needs them to help in her decision, supposedly. I've looked everywhere I know to look. I hate losing important things. I hate feeling judged for not being completely organized at all times.

12. Of all contestants on American Idol this year, my favorite is Scotty McCreery--the country singer. Wow. Coming from me, that's saying something. But oh, can that young guy sing, and he just seems so sugary nice.

13. One of my art students was cutting out magazine pictures today for her Mother's Day collage. The idea is to cut out things that express what makes their own mom happy. This little girl blurted out, "I SO wish my mom loved horses. This is just such a PRETTY picture of horses!"