Kids say the best things….

So here are a few things heard around my house this week….

My mom walks into her house with the three boys. The cat is running around the house. There was a surprise the cat caught and killed and left on the floor for my parents. The kids go running to check what the cat was doing and….

Nathaniel says in a very nonchalaunt way: “Oh great Stewart Little is dead!”

……………………

The kids get up the other morning. YOu know the daily moving people along. I come into the living room Jordan is sitting on the couch…staring out into space. I tell him..”lets get moving, please”

Jordan snaps back, you know the kind, preteen..”I AM MOVING, I AM BREATHING”

YIKES…instead i was a bit more clear in my instructions….please get your shoes on!!! I am in so much trouble…

………………………..

The other night i was singing (badly at that) “I’m so happy so happy and gay” Raymond giggled! I asked him what he was laughing at… he goes on to tell me I said “gay”. I proceed to ask him if he knew what that meant… He did one of those “maybe” …Tell me what you think it means…

Raymond says, “when a man loves a man and a woman loves a woman…mommy dont you know that? i learned that in the 1st grade, duh!”

…………………………….

When does it get easier?  Did my parents laugh at what i said as much as I giggle at what comes out from my boys?  where do they learn this stuff??

A little bit more on the inipi

Okay I thought about just responding to your comments in the comments but felt it would be easier to write a post about it.  I have to tell you all that talking about and thinking about going to a sweat brings back such healing memories and that fact that someone is listening (reading) them is cool.  I wish i had words that would describe what it was like and how it felt. 

I did study the Lakota Indians, and had some general knowledge about American Indians.  Their beliefs were so intriguing to me.  Everything had a spirit.  How you should respect the earth and so on.  I went through a tough time with religion.  I had a mother that was southern baptist, grew up in a Methodist church, went to a catholic high school, lived with a Jewish family for a while and practiced native American Indian sweats.  You can imagine my confusion!  I think the reason this was so near and dear to my heart is that it helped me through a very tough spot in life.  I always wanted to go out to a reservation.  For a while i wanted to travel and wanted to end there.  Then life happened.  If i were to make a list of things to do before i die it would be that i would go to a reservation. 

Now i was asked if this is something you would do alone….hum i never did.  I am not sure.  It is a neat experience to do it with a group of people.  you climb into this dome like tent with a pit inthe middle for the burning hot rocks.  you sit in a circle around the rocks that have a burning sage on it.  Oh how i love that smell!!  the flap is closed and then it is just you and six or so people sitting around in shorts and tee shorts, you pour water on the rocks…..the moist hot air feels good.  I have read it is like a rebirth, the comfort of being in the womb of our mother.  Now you are just in the center of mother earth.  you all sing, chant, pray or sit in silence.  

 Would i bring a date?  i don’t know…if he were into something like that.  the idea is that once you enter the dome, imagine if you were at the center of the earth.  it is a powerful experience.  perhaps i will move somewhere where there is a nice wooded back yard.  I will build one and invite all my friends.  who is with me?

Sweat lodge or Inipi

Oh wow! I do live an egocentric world, please excuse me! I love the inipi! You see when i first went to college I went to a place up in New Hampshire. It was all so new. I struggled and then struggled some more, but one thing i found to help was going to a sweat.

“The Sweat Lodge is a place of spiritual refuge and mental and physical healing, a place to get answers and guidance by asking spiritual entities, totem helpers, the Creator and Mother Earth for the needed wisdom and power. “

So the Lakota Indians would build a lodge, it would be a dome shape tent covered with animal skins. Today we use blankets. You would have a fire pit, with rocks inside. You would heat the rocks and once you were ready you would take the hot rocks out of the fire and then place them in the center of the inipi. You would put cedar on the rocks, ohhh the smell was wonderful. YOu would take it all in. Then you would have a bucket or two of water and you would splash the rock creating steam. They believed that you were going back to the inocence of the mothers womb. It was warm, moist and safe. All things were left outside the inipi and you would enjoy a couple of rounds of this. It was meant to heal, you would go into a sweat to find some sort of peace, release all the bad. It is so hard to describe the feeling of a sweat. It was different everytime, you might sing traditonal songs with a drum. You might go in silence you might talk about what has hurt you and release it…..Oh it was so good for the soul… the best was you would do the sweat in the winter. there would be snow on the ground you would come out after an hour or two and you would look and feel so mystical!

I had some hard times at my first college and I mean some really dark times. The inipi saved my sanity. I still have the healing turtle that i would take in with me. I slept  many a nights with it. It has been with me ever since. It holds great meaning to me. Sometimes it will be by my bedside and then when times are tough and i need some strength i put it under my pillow. That was 17 years ago.

Someday i would love to build one of my own. If i do not i would love to join in one again. I still have a cassette tape of the songs we would sing. I no longer have anything to play it with but i know it is there.

Another fun meme

Play along if you’d like. Leave me a comment so I can go read your answers.

1. What kind of soap is in your bathtub right now? Neutrogena and lever

2. Do you have any watermelon in your refrigerator? No, it’s November!

3. What would you change about your living room? more space bigger fireplace

4. Are the dishes in your dishwasher clean or dirty? i sadly do not have a dishwasher

5. What is in your fridge? food, drinks, beer

6. White or wheat bread? neither.

7. What is on top of your refrigerator? cereal, popcorn, microwave with a turn dail

8. What color or design is on your shower curtain? all white with brown and blue edges.

9. How many plants are in your home? two living and one is dead.

10. Is your bed made right now? phhh, no

11. Comet or Soft Scrub? soft scrub

12. Is your closet organized? sorta…i know what is in it!

13. Can you describe your flashlight? yes. you turn it on, it gives light. Who makes up these questions??

14. Do you drink out of glass or plastic more at home? glass

15. Do you have iced tea made in a pitcher right now? YES i live on the stuff

16. If you have garage, is it cluttered? yes, but organized sorta

17. Curtains or blinds? curtains

18. How many pillows do you sleep with? six, less if someone slept in bed with me

19. Do you sleep with any lights on at night? no sometimes the fall asleep with the TV on.

20. How often do you vacuum? once a week

21. Standard toothbrush or electric? electric, all the way!! Good vibrations!

22. What color is your toothbrush? blue.

23. Do you have welcome mat on your front porch? yes

24. What is in your oven right now? hope not

25. Is there anything under your bed? yes, extra blankets and dust bunnies

26. Chore you hate the most? who likes chores that is why you call them chores as you do not like them….

27. What retro items are in your home? had a lava lamp but took it to work

28. Do you have seperate room you use an an office? i wish

29. How many mirrors are in your home? 3

30. Do you have any hidden emergency money around your home? as if i would tell anyone

31. What color are your walls? which walls? kitchen peachy, living room linen, bed rooms, white with red trim, sage green, and yellow bathroom is blue.

32. What does your home smell like right now? floor wax.

33. Favorite candle scent? tough one…something soft.

34. What kind of pickles are in your refrigerator right now? homemade 16 day pickles

35. Ever been on your roof? nope.

36. Do you own a stereo? not anymore

37. How many TV’s do you have? 2

38. How many phones? two cordless, two plugged into the wall and one cell

39. Do you have a housekeeper? housekeeper? are you kinding? i would love one!

40. What style do you decorate in? my own

41. Do you like solid colors in furniture or prints? depends

42. Is there a smoke detector in your home? oh god yes, three!

7 MEME

Okay so I have been tagged! Phew it was hard coming up with something today. In a bit of a funk if you know what i mean! So thank you CuriousC for the tag!!!

The rules:

1) Link to the person that tagged you, and post the rules on your blog.
2) Share 7 facts about yourself.
3) Tag 7 random people at the end of your post, and include links to their blogs.
4) Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Okay i know i have done this before but let me see what i can come up with seven new facts for everyone (that is new facts people would want to know) HMMMMM…. me thinking…..

1. I have a 3′x5′ Jolly roger hanging in my office! I love it! I also have a lava lamp and random items in here! Or how about the harpoon and killing lance hanging on my door? I love my office.

2. I rarely, if ever use a microwave. I can hardly reach it at my house and it is so old it has a turn dial. I had a new big one but gave it away.

3. I hate to fly. No no, I am a white knuckler on plane rides. It is better if i am with someone that will just hold my hand.

4. I miss participating in a sweat lodge. It has to be the most relaxing and most cleansing thing i have ever done. those were the days……

5. I owned an iguana once. His name was Sydney.

6. I love to walk on the beach in any season but like the spring and fall the best.

7. I am allergic to walnuts and latex.

Who to tag. Now i have to come up with seven people? YIKES! okay well here is the deal if you want to play that is cool if not don’t!

My five people are: Chelle, Elizabeth, Anna, Betamom, Jen

Okay so i did not come up with seven people. there were a few people that had already done it, so for the other two i tag anyone who reads this and is brave enough to post that you came and link back. I would love to hear what you have to say.

driving alone makes you think

So back from New Hampshire! It was a low key thanksgiving! not bad. It was nice to be away. I drove home yesterday by myself, sorta…the kids were plugged into the VCR and watch a couple of movies on the way home. So for the most part i did not hear much from them unless they were hungry or had to go to the bathroom. So i put my iPod on shuffle and off we went. FIVE HOURS! I love listening to music and singing (badly) with it. so many songs have different memories. I love to drive and explore. I have driven a lot before children. Now they are getting older and more able to explore with me, it is becoming fun again. I just hope they enjoy it as much as i do.

So one of the thoughts i had, among many, was that of those… rehearsed conversations you have with yourself. I KNOW you KNOW what i am talking about. The ones when you have something you want to say to someone and you practice it. Be it because you are afraid you might hurt someone by what you are about to say or you are about to revile something more about yourself making you more vunreble.

You practice and practice, thinking of the different scenarios of what might happen if you say what you are about to say. You might even try it out on a friend before saying something.

I remember when I rehearsed my “talk” for when I kicked out my ex husband. It took a day to rehearse it. I did not share it with anyone. I was nervous. I shook. But i was going to stay strong. I think he knew it was coming. He did not do what i expected. I expected him to fight on it, but he did not. I believed he would deny what he had done and go down fighting….BUT he did not. He put his head down. Accepted what i had said and walked out. (Don’t worry i packed him a bag. I knew he was not going to stay)

So, i have now rehearsed another “conversation” in my head for weeks now. It is not as life altering as kicking out my ex husband but I cannot bring myself to say it out loud. The “what ifs” in my head are to great. I wonder if there are other people out there who have had these moments. What do you do?

Happy Thanksgiving

Some random Thanksgiving facts:

Turkey Trivia

Turkeys originated in North and Central America, and evidence indicates that they have been around for over 10 million years.
In Mexico, the turkey was considered a sacrificial bird. As an article of tribute Montezuma received 365,000 turkeys per year from his subjects.
Benjamin Franklin was displeased when the bald eagle was chosen over his proposed “original native” turkey as a national symbol. He said the turkey is a more respectable bird and a true original native of America.
Until 1863, Thanksgiving day had not been celebrated annually since the first feast in 1621. This changed in 1863 when Sarah Josepha Hale encouraged Abraham Lincoln to set aside the last Thursday in November “as a day for national thanksgiving and prayer.”
Turkey eggs are pale creamy tan with brown speckles, and twice as large as chicken eggs. They hatch in 28 days. A baby turkey is called a poult and is tan and brown.
Domesticated turkeys (farm raised) cannot fly. Wild turkeys can fly for short distances at up to 55 miles per hour. Wild turkeys are also fast on the ground, running at speeds of up to 25 miles per hour.
Only male turkeys (toms) gobble; females (hens) make a clicking noise. The gobble is a seasonal call during the Spring and Fall. Hens are attracted for mating when a tom gobbles. Wild toms love to gobble when they hear loud sounds or settle in for the night.
Turkeys have great hearing, a poor sense of smell, but an excellent sense of taste. They can also see in color, and have excellent visual acuity and a wide field of vision (about 270 degrees), which makes sneaking up on them difficult.
Turkeys are fed mainly a balanced diet of corn and soybean meal mixed with a supplement of vitamins and minerals. On average, it takes 75-80 pounds of feed to raise a 30-pound tom turkey.
The Guinness Book of Records states that the largest dressed weight (cooked, with dressing) recorded for a turkey is 39.09 kg (86 lb.) on December 12, 1989.
More than 45 million turkeys are cooked and eaten during Thanksgiving.
Last year 2.74 billion pounds of turkey were processed in the United States.
Californians are the biggest turkey eaters in the country. They eat three pounds more turkey than the average American consumer.
Ninety percent of American homes eat turkey on Thanksgiving. Fifty percent eat turkey on Christmas.
When U.S. astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin sat down to eat their first meal on the moon in their historic 1969 voyage, their foil food packets contained roasted turkey and all the trimmings.

Found on this page. There is more info on this page about random facts about Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving….

Is my favorite holiday. It is a time when you come together with family and friends, the only expectation is to be thankful. Enjoy yourself. I really think we should be more thankful for what we have then be upset with what we do not have.

Life happens and i was thinking “ugh life is tough right now, i remember when…(insert happy memory) wow i was happy but was i really enjoying life at that time. Probably not, I was probably thinking “ugh, life is tough….” So it got me thinking. You know I really need to stop, appreciate what i have and enjoy it. Life could be more difficult and i know i am very fortunate for all the love and support i have. So a few things i am thankful for this Thanksgiving:

1. Family. my three boys are the world to me and will do anything for them. I have learned so much from them and i hope to teach them as much as i can. I never knew how hard and rewarding being a parent would be.  My parents for their unconditional support through all these times even though they can drive me crazy, i am sure i must do the same. My brothers, for their continued support.

2. Friends. I am blessed to have some really good friends. It has been a learning process but I am learning everyday how important they are. Friends at work. Friends i grew up with and close personal friends! One of my best friends has taught me so much about myself and the world we live in. I am glad we are friends and thank you for putting up with some of my “craziness”.

3. Of course i am thankful for all sorts of things like ….i have a job, i have my health, i have a roof over my head and food on the table.

I do hope everyone has a wonderful holiday and my hope this year to is be appreciative of what i have and not of what i do not have.  Be well enjoy!

~Hallie~

how do you teach this one?

So a single mom raising three boys. Now who would of thought this is an issue but i have found it to be one. Lets say in the middle of the night you get up to go to the bathroom. you find yourself dazed, sleepy and you go to the bathroom…..

without looking you stumble into the bathroom, you do not turn on the light as you want to go back to sleep, so lights are off, glasses are off and you sit….

YOU HIT THE FREEZING COLD!! SLIDE DOWN ON THAT PORCELAIN SEAT AND you are now awake, swearing the whole way….how do you get kids to put the seat down so this does not happen? No matter how many times i say PUT THE SEAT DOWN, no one is listening! HELP I LIVE WITH THREE LITTLE BOYS!

what kind of leader are you?

Follow this link and take the Famous Leader Test. There are 9, 18, 27 and 45 question versions. According to the website:

The more questions you select, the more accurate the results but keep in mind this test is not as serious and laboriously tuned as the tests on the main test page. This is more of an amusing personality test.

Here’s what I learned about my leadership after answering 45 questions:

So i thought i would be cool to do and WOW funny. what do you get… link back to me or leave a comment on how you do! Do you agree with the test results about me??