How to Surprise Your Wife

There are several categories of surprises, and each one has their own rules or procedures.

1. The Extravagant Surprise: a surprise so extravagant and unthinkable that is overwhelms your wife. Examples: You fly her to Europe, the winter Olympics, New York (flying her pretty much anywhere suddenly will just about do it...well...let's give Duluth a miss).

Needs: little or no packaging. Arrange for childcare yourself. Allow at least 2 months planning for 2 nights away, and two more weeks for every night after that. So to go away for 4 nights, you need to make your babysitter calls 3 months in advance (not that I every pull this off, but it would simplify things a lot). You can pack your wife's things for her (subcategory: Gretna Green ) or you can tell the plan a week-night before so she can pack herself (subcategory: Capricious Whim)

2. The Specific Surprise: a surprise based on specifically declared wishes, dreams or needs that your wife has mentioned and have not yet been fulfilled. The benefit of this kind of surprise is that it can cost very little.

Needs: the smaller the item the more important the packaging.

Example: a new bathtub stopper should be wrapped in a jewelry box (as my husband did last Christmas causing me utter confusion for at least 3 seconds until I realized it wasn't a pendant).

3.The Partial Surprise: just as it says - a surprise in which your wife knows part of the plan but not all. This is beneficial when you want to give your wife a surprise but it is not extravagant, and she hasn't ever talked about the activity or object involved. Your wife can look forward to the dinner out, but knows you have something else unexpected up your sleeve. This is almost the best of both worlds. This way, if the surprise bombs (she really had no interest in professional wrestling) at least the dinner was nice.

Needs: a clue to the surprise activity. A good way to do this is to instruct your wife in what to wear or bring. "Be ready to get dirty." "Bring sunblock." "Wear something comfortable but dressy." "Wear shoes you can walk for a while in."

A clue along these lines gets her in the right mood. She has knowledge of some of the basic activities involved in your surprise.

I hope these objective procedures will be helpful to anyone about to celebrate their anniversary or their wife's birthday.

Glen Rose: Dinosaur Valley State Park

The Waxler family had a great time on Saturday at Dinosaur Valley. We got a little sunburnt, a little smoky, pretty dirty, some horsefly stings (OH MY GOODNESS THEY WERE THE BIGGEST FLIES I'D EVER SEEN AND THEY STUNG LIKE A MOSQUITO!), and wet too!

We didn't "camp" we just picnicked, but we did set up a sort of tent-like shelter. I am really jazzed about that because I made it myself. It was a goodwill sheet to which I sewed 8 loops (4 corners, 4 side midpoints)! I used 6 tent pegs and 2 packets of 50 ft. nylong camping cord. AND IT WORKED! HA!

We learned that next time we need to bring a whole extra cooler full of drinks and ice. We ran out of drinks about 6:30 pm and the kids were reduced to dipping their cups in the ice water in the bottom of the cooler. The trick was to not "scoop" and get bits of dirt and grass in your cup, but to let the water barely rush over the lip of the cup...then it was pretty clean.

We saw dinosaur tracks, and life size models, and bought some souvenirs. We roasted hot dogs and marshmallows. We swam in the Paluxy river, and saw minnows. James and I swam in the section called "Blue Hole" and James even jumped off a really high bank - over a rock ledge - into a very deep section (the blue hole, although it was muddy brown-green yesterday). I tried to do this, but I was just too scared.

I had so much fun, it was like when we were kids only it was the lake, and Zilker, and a little of the Davlin's grandparents all rolled into one!

Before we left we drove over to the campsite area's showers and I washed all the boys and myself so we'd be clean when we got home (1 cup, bottle of handsoap, towel). It felt so good to be clean - my hair's a little brittle now, though.

On the way home Mark and I talked about our upcoming anniversary. He said he wants to surprise me with something, so I came up with some guidelines for him. Not all the ones I started with - just the Partial surprise guidelines. But it got me thinking.

I love you all!

Lissa

small miracles

I am so excited about tomorrow!
We are going to Dinosaur Valley State Park near Glen Rose TX. Mark, who is admittedly not an outdoors person, has consented to go and be in an un-air-conditioned environment for (the plan is) 12 hours! This state park is really cool because there are a lot of dinosaur tracks in the riverbeds that surround the park. I say riverbeds because here in Texas natural rivers are a seasonal thing. We are hoping there will be actual rivers at the state park while we are there. If there are, they will be the Paluxy and Brazos rivers.
Also there are two life-sized dinosaur models that tower over the wilted Texas grass. So you will soon be seeing pictures of us with a T-rex, and an Apatosaurus.

In other exciting news, Peter took his nap in a grown-up bed today. He's been begging and beggin to get to sleep in a big bed like his brother, and now that we have bunk beds - things have really come to a head. I'm sort of giving into tantrums, but since his object is a "growing up" one I don't mind so much.
Just like if he throws a fit about getting a safe and responsible summer job - I'll give in.

So I tucked him in about 12:45 and he stayed in the bed, and was actually asleep by 1:05 when I checked on him!

It was not like this with James.
In short, I'm astounded.

So the cribs days are numbered...and our closet can look forward to having yet another "big ticket item" stored in it that we can't part with.
Of course we can't get rid of the crib! We'll use it again when we have a little girl!
I plan to keep the crib until Peter really gets the hang of sleeping in the bed. As yet, he hasn't tried to get out of bed because it's so cool. But when that happens it'll be "BACK TO THE CRIB WITH YOU!"

Tonight Dad and Mark are going to a Rangers vs Red Sox game. They are very excited because these teams are (apparently) battling it out for the play-offs. I have high hopes for the Rangers because, as they say, things always come in threes!

Almost done now.
Just want everyone to know that I'm quite pleased with David Copperfield by Charles Dickens, in short, I like it.

Sweet dreams!
Lissa

Gettin' my blog legs back

JUICE BALL
Peter has started coming up to me saying "juice ball." It used to be just "ball." What he said when he wanted a grape. But now he's modified it to juice ball. I think that's pretty smart.

Mark discovered CollegeHumor.com. You have to be careful, but some of their spoofs are hysterical!
My favorites are:
Web Site Story
Slumdog Price is Right
Tv Show Song

PEACE OUT!
I said goodbye to some kids leaving using this farewell today and when I shut the door Mark started laughing!

Today we (me and the boys) went to Lake Lewisville. I didn't realize it was only $3 a vehicle for residents! We're gonna go a lot more. It's a heck of a lot cheaper than the Lewisville Waterpark...but it's the Lake!
Peter was not happy with the water.
You'd think I was torturing him.
"NO MOMMA NO MOMMA NO NO NO NO NO!"
The whole first segment that we were in the water. Which by obvious necessity became a shorter period than it would otherwise have been. After the torture session we went to the playground (not too far, luckily). After the playground we had our pb&j sandwiches back on our blanket and then went into the water again. We were blessed to have a great big cottonwood (the same kind as in our front yard in Pflugerville) shading the area all around our picnic table, so after swimming a little more I laid Peter down in the shade and he snuggled under a blanket (about 1pm). Then we came home!

In other news! We are starting our own used furniture store!
No not really.
But it feels like it.
In James and Peter's room there is currently (ahem):
Beds: 4 (if you count the bunk beds as two)
Tables: 2 (desk and "side")
Dressers/Drawers: 2 (large wood and small plastic)
Bookshelf: 1

I know this is all terribly fascinating for you but I am merely making the somewhat obvious point that there is too much furniture in their room.
The question is, having availed ourselves of Craigslist (original and modified by Corrie-advice) and of Ebay (twice once with reduced price) do we keep trying to sell the bed suite that we don't really need, or do we find a way to store it (heaven help us).
Heard from James in the bathtub tonight.
"Mom you know the octopus with the suction cups on it?" [a toy]
"yes"
"They don't taste good."
"How do you know that?" (I say laughing)
"I chewed on 'em"
Currently on the Wii,
Grandfather is on the clarinet, Mark French horn, Granny on bassoon, and James is conducting!
I know none of this is very interesting, but I haven't blogged in so long that I really feel I just need to get my hand back in.

Storm

Last night major winds hit our part of Texas, and tore off chimneys of our apartment building. Thankfully my family and I were not even there, and our chimney made it through. We were out shopping during the storm, in Wal-Mart, haven of the middle-class. God protected our children from the scare they would have had, had we been there. As it was they were pretty disturbed. Last night I also had to finish a quilt for my baby sister who is getting married on Saturday.

Last night I fell apart because I realized that I'm losing my little sister.

Last Christmas when my sister's boyfriend proposed, my mother, (other) sister and I hatched a plan to make a wedding quilt for the couple (well - really for the bride). We all made different blocks and my (other) sister made sashing and it was my job to piece the whole thing together.

We finally got the kids to bed ("Don't worry no more chimneys will fall down"). And it was time to sew. I was still pretty strung out - adrenaline-drained. So I played a little MarioKart. Then the dishwasher really needed to emptied. Then I really needed to pack for the trip to the wedding site. Then I realized I was stalling.

I quit that and went and pinned the second to last seam (I was really close to finishing) and tried to think about why I was stalling finishing the top of the quilt we'd been working on for six months. I realized that on some level I didn't want to finish because I was worried she wouldn't like it. I was worried they would use the quilt too roughly, or wash it improperly, or use it as a dog bed.

I was afraid to let it go.

Circumstances in our upbringing led to my always feeling responsible for her. I've tried and tried to let go lately (since she graduated from high school) and thought I had succeeded quite well.

I hadn't.

I had succeeded in not giving her nearly as much advice, and not trying to keep her from ever making a mistake - emotional, spiritual, navigational. I think I secretly felt that I could justify ALL my mistakes in life if they served to keep my baby sister from making the same ones. Like, I tried life first, and I can tell her which way to go now.

HA!

Well it hit me that she's getting married and this REALLY has to stop being my job now. I REALLY have to let her go and do her thing and make her own mistakes and trust the Lord, that he will look after his daughter.

I was afraid to let her go.

Fortunately I had finished pinning the seam by the time I started crying.

Situations like this (11:30pm, crying, sewing) usually call for a Dr. Pepper and a prayer.

Feeling more soothed, I sewed the seam.

Then I went back to MarioKart.

I won a silver cup.

Then I finished the quilt. Pinned the last seam. Sewed the last seam. Ironed the last seam. Letting go.

Now granted we still have to quilt the thing. So this whole metaphor falls apart at this point. But maybe the year I take quilting the top can be the year I learn REALLY to let go of her.Sister Mine.

Then I'll let go of the quilt too.

But maybe I'll enter it in a show first. And if you want pictures let me know.

James: What do cows say when they are confused?

Me: What?

James: I'm so confooooooooooooosed!

Me: Can you say Granny?

Peter: Manman.

Me: Can you say Grandfather?

Peter: no.

Me: Ok Peter let's change your diaper!

Peter: playground?

Me: No, diaper, then lunch!

Peter: playground?

Me: No. Lunch!

Peter: playground?

Me: No.

Peter: (sigh) playground.

And sometimes on our way to the car:

[screaming] PLAYGROUND! PLAYGROUND! PLAYGROUND!

Quotes from Becca's wedding preparations:

Becca (to Robert): Which of these pink roses is the most masculine?

Becca (to Lissa): I had a whole lot to say about you.

Holly(to Lissa - something I never thought to hear her say):

I'm going to buy a whole bunch of tulle.

Becca (about the groomsmen): Oh, they're off in the woods somewhere.

James in his "Super Cleaning Gear" with snowboots (no we didn't use them in Texas, we had to go to New Mexico to use them) and goggles!

Corn Syrup and Potholders

If you accidentally drop a potholder while trying to take a roast (or something) out of the oven, and it falls all the way down to the heating element, it will ignite and begin to burn. Just get your tongs and grab it out. Throw it directly into the trash. Get your seven year old to learn to make them and make you a new one since you had that one since you in fifth grade and lets face it the homemade kind are way more durable than the ones you get as wedding gifts.

If you bring a squirt bottle to a baseball game ( you were planning to take your sisters advice and use it to cool off your children) it is possible your two-year-old will get hold of it and squirt himself for the next 30 minutes. In this way he will keep himself cool and amused. He may also eliminate the need for a bath that night!

If your almost two-year-old manages to reach up on the counter and grab an opened snack cup of mandarin oranges that you are about to give him...you're gonna need to scrub the corn syrup off the floor. The swiffer wet jet will leave it sticky. Even if you give it all day - it will still be sticky.






A recent painting of mine. This photo makes it look grayer than it is. I painted it on white paper!

Stick it to the Man for $4.50

I recently went to Wal-Mart and saw that they were having a sale on rosebushes. After calmly thinking about it for a minute (Oh My Gosh! Roses are on SALE, Let's buy them ALL!), I thought it might be worth it to pick one up.
Of course, I live in an apartment and I am not the gardener. No, I planned to plant that baby in soil I don't technically own. I have asked the apartment manager if the "owners" would consider allowing a community garden. I thought it was worth a shot in these eco-friendly times. Well I'm still waiting to hear what they thought of THAT idea. They also won't put bike racks in front of ANY apartments. I never thought of myself as a tree-hugger or anything, but bike racks would be useful.
So anyway, I bought a rosebush for $4.50. It's lavender. There was one rose left on it when I bought it (hopefully it wasn't on sale because it had swine flu or something) and it smelled really nice. Well, the rose died, and so far no new ones. Of course that was only three days ago, and I've been checking it twice a day. But I'm ahead of myself. I get it home and in the utmost secrecy of the dead of night (8:30 pm and well lit by the Post Office parking lights 'cross the fence) I carried our family shovel around the back of our building.
We live in the back corner of the complex so we only get foundation-planted privet - no boxwoods like the buildings in the center of the complex, not to mention the flowering annuals that the near-the-gate people get. From past observation I knew there was a convenient gap in the bushes. Yep, you guessed it - I planted my $4.50 rosebush....wait for it....IN THE GAP! I know, brilliant right?
I'm thinkin' what are they gonna do? The maintenance men are the only workers who go back there. Hopefully they won't notice my little "rosa anarchia." I can just see them going to the manager: "Someone's been planting rogue rosebushes in the back lot. We gotta nip this in the bud, no pun intended ma'am, or they're gonna start in on bedding plants next. Before you can say 'possession is 9/10ths of the law' there'll be allium, begonias, and God forbid - cannas tearin' it up back there."
Even if they do - I'm only out $4.50! HA!

But you know, the maintenance men were right, this is just my foot in the door. If they'll let this slide I'll try some alliums.

And here's Peter where we like to lay in the grass and look up at the tree. In the background you can see the back. The rose bush is right around that corner.

Sayings of James:

"Mom, guess what. "
"what?"
"I'm a taco. You want to know why?"
"why?"

"Because I tacolot!"
"You sure do."

"Mom, mountains don't have bathrooms so they have to pee in their pants!"

Sayings of Peter:

"blahblow?"

"blahblow?"

"blahblow?"

[translation: "playground? playground? playground?"]

"BAHBOW!"

["POPCORN!]

"mo chiss?"

["more cheese?"]

Two days ago Peter ran up to me leaned over my shoulder (I was sitting on the floor), put his arms around me and whispered in my ear "playground" and ran away. His version of subliminal messaging.

I'm working on convincing James that I'm sporadically a mind reader. I've told him it doesn't work all the time. I think it's working. (Evil laughter...fade out)

My lingerie party dress...

Wait.

The dress I made for a lingerie party (that's better) came out pretty well! I put a belt around it so it wouldn't look like lingerie for Doris Day. I edged the neck and armholes with picot ribbon (the kind with little loops). If they would keep laying down like I want them too, they'd be a really cool detail.

Showering Clothes

My sister has a wedding shower on Saturday, and of course I decided today, Thursday, that I have nothing to wear. I'm pretty sure all Becca's friends will be wearing cute sundresses, my friend Holly is wearing one of those new long dresses, and so I need something "showery" too!

That being said. I don't have any money to buy anything so, surprise surprise I'm going to try and make something. Do I have lots of time on my hands? Do I have other projects I could be finishing? Does my house look like a scary homeschoolers house? (No, Yes, Yes, and coming up - No) Do I let any of that give me pause?

Years ago when GAP (the store) was going through a flowing-whites-ecrus-linens-on-the-beach phase I bought this beautiful skirt in white linen with a flounce along the bottom. It fit me perfectly. Actually it fit my personality perfectly, and my ideal image of myself perfectly. In reality I needed to be at least 5 inches taller and anorexic to pull it off. But it was so pretty I never could bring myself to get rid of it. I did try out dying with tea on it, so now it's not snow-white anymore. It's very vintage looking.

The plan:

The plan is to use the long skirt to make a knee length dress. I have a cotton fabric that's really close to the same color, so that is going to be sleeves, and neckline and the skirt is going to be sewn onto those.

Theoretically anyway.

At the moment I don't have the right color thread. Everything is pinned and waiting until my baby wakes up.

Heres a question:

Why do people walk into Discount Tire (as I did twice this week) and say: "I need a new tire?"

It's like people walking into Starbucks saying, "uh...I need some coffee?"

They don't do that!

They finally get to the counter and say....

Grande Mocha....blah blah - tino.

So people should walk into Discount Tire straight up to the counter and say:

I need a Yokohama Light Monstro."
"Would you like an airing of your current tires with that?"

"Yes please!"

"That'll be 150.62, napkins are on the island."

If the GAP skirt/dress works I'll put up pictures.

The Easter Dress

My grandmother could be counted on to buy me and my sisters an Easter dress every year from a wonderful store in Houston called "Chocolate Soup." But then, I believe, it went out of business and after that, every January (or February or March) my mother would say "You need a new dress for church", and I would say "I want to buy it this year". We would climb into the car (they didn't have minivans yet) and head to Barton Creek Mall. There to climb in the playground at The Children's Place (it had a slide and a tv) and look through the racks at Sears and Foley's. After two hours I would always say: "Mom, what I really want is for you to make me a dress!" So we would head off to Hancock Fabrics and I'd look through the pattern catalogs. "Not Vogue. Their patterns are too hard", she'd say and, "you can make a simple dress look special if the fabric is special."


One year my dress was light blue with white bows on each side of the waist. Another year, It was a flowery violet print with striped piping (that my mother had to make herself). One year it was a black and pink flowery calico and we bought a lace collar (my victorian phase) to go on it. The sleeves on that dress never quite worked out so I didn't wear it. But a few years later we made my sister wear it for a picture session because she didn't have a dress that looked anything like mine or baby Becca's. Sorry about that Corrie.


About halfway throught highschool, every time I'd pick out fabric for a dress (and this happened all the time, not just Easter), Mom would say "don't you already have a dress just like this?" Usually I would.

Well this year Mom, I've followed some of the rules and broken some, and I did already have a dress a lot like this that you made. But, it was two kids and a husband ago so I thought it was o.k. to have a replay.

I picked a simple pattern and a fancy fabric.


This is "dynasty jacquard" (whatever that means). When it was time for the belt I didn't want to make one, and so reverted to the old pick-out-a-nice-ribbon trick.

My philosophy on picking out a ribbon is to ignore colors and look for the prettiest ribbon on the racks. Can you tell?


The pattern was simple but it was a Vogue pattern.


Oh and I had to put in a side zipper. Never done that before!


The finishing touch? I made myself a petticoat.

I've had a "thing" for petticoats my whole life. Every petticoat we ever had in the house with three girls in it - I'm pretty sure they were all mine originally. And most of the tutus. Yeah, I was one of those girls.

But here's the kicker (as we say here in Texas): my toddler had a very high fever Saturday night so we ended up not even going to church on Sunday. I was so dissappointed. We're gonna have redo this Sunday. Everyone who has a suit will wear it. I'll wear my dress and my toddler will wear his dressy clothes. We'll all head to First Baptist Smithfield and pretend it's Easter Sunday. Then we'll go take pictures in the blue bonnets beside the highway somewhere, while hoping not to get run over!