She who must be obeyed

A very smart marriage!

2009-07-11T18:08:00.001-07:00

Tim and I have just spent an enjoyable week in Orlando attending the Smart Marriages Conference. We last attended this conference in 2003 in Reno and truly enjoyed it. So, when the opportunity presented itself (and we had a little help from babysitters) we jumped on the internet and registered for a slew of workshops.
The first part of the week, we attended a life coaching for couples class. Very informative, fun and gave both of us some ideas for future work. Beginning on Thursday, we made our way through 200 workshops and 9 plenary sessions and sitting here tonight I can honestly say "I'm done with listening to experts." Don't get me wrong...I learned a lot but there needs to be balance of learning and reflection. So, Tim encouraged both of us to skip out on a few sessions and just "reflect."
Orlando has been WET this week. Torrential rain on Friday evening dumped the pool chairs into the pool and knocked down trees. It was the perfect excuse to cuddle up on a couch and enjoy some tasty treats. Ask me in a few weeks what I still remember about the trip. I'm pretty sure it's going to revolve around the resort setting, the wonderfully friendly people we met and the rain. Oh! And the great hints and research we learned about smart marriages!

H-minus 4

2009-06-22T18:11:00.000-07:00

Monday started off bright and sunny. I woke fairly late and soon after the packing team was at the front door. 3 capable women with smiles and enthusiasm, my favorite kind. They had this place packed up in no time. I took the kids to Albertsons to turn in all the change they collected around the house. lauren thought they should clear $10 easily. following is the breakdown:
Quarters 16
Dimes 320
Nickels 410
Pennies 1,377!
Total: $70.27
Wow! The total has to be applied to a giftcard so we had to choose and Starbucks coffee won. Yeah for mom. that's a lot of coffee drinks. Yum

This evening we ate at Johnnie Carinos, a family friendly italian restaurant. Lindsey had the opportunity to attend the swearing in ceremony for Mayor John Cook, a nice ending to her work with the political process in action.

Clsoing time

2009-06-15T06:44:00.000-07:00

Monday morning and just 7 days before the packers show up. Lindsey and Will worked together to take ALL of the wall hangings down this past weekend. If you thought our living room had an echo before, you should experience it now. It's like a concert hall with really great acoustics. I think the dog even scared herself when she barked.
Tim should have begun the slow process home yesterday. I haven't received an email to confirm yet, but by Tuesday morning he should be out of Middle East and on his way to El Paso. All of us are looking forward to life as a family unit again. (well, maybe not looking forward to the stress of closing out a house with a team of packers, but we'll take what we can get.)

Dream Weaver

2009-06-08T06:07:00.000-07:00

Last week I had a startlingly clear dream. I was in the local library (no surprise) sitting in my conference room. The library was calm with a handful of kids and adults walking around the shelves. I spotted something scurrying along the back wall. I couldn't figure out what it was so I got up to investigate. Boy, was I surprised to see a large hairy spider making his way quickly from one stack of books to the next. It was the size of a tarantula but for reason, I knew it wasn't a tarantula. Some kids were trying to get a look at it but I kept telling them to back away, I'd take care of it. Several times I tried to stomp it out but magically, it kept coming back to life.

I'm no dream interpreter but it's fairly clear to me what's going on:
this huge project I'm working on is cunning, sly, and always popping back to life. Just when I think I've got it under control and "put to bed", WHAM, it's back.
I found it interesting that I was the only one who could handle the spider, even warning others to back off. Clearly, this is my battle to win and while others can tell me where the danger lies, I have to tackle it.
A bright spot in the dream...the library is remarkable calm, clean and cool. In other words, a great environment to really see the problem and go right at it.

now we can proceed

2009-06-03T08:54:00.000-07:00

OK, a week has passed and I've worked furiously with a good friend to resubmit my proposal for the capstone project. It was interesting talking to her because I discovered that her experience with the Operation Impact program has been completely different than mine. Where I spent the majority of my time engaging South Americans in witty banter and eating really good beef, she actually learned rules about research! So, she patiently walked me through how to write a proposal, how to use the library (!) and how to effectively search databases for research that's already been completed. Wow...I never knew so many people were thinking the same thing I was.
This morning I received an approval letter from the department granting me a "green light" to continue with my project. Oh Goodie! Can't wait to be done already.

morning game

2009-06-02T08:53:00.000-07:00

Each morning I take Lauren and Will to school together. There's always a fair amount of chaos just trying to get to school on time. I started a new game with the kids: "Guess the Next Song to be played"
Here are the rules:
Before the radio is turned on, you must guess the next song you'll hear. You have to state the song title and the artist. If a song is playing when the radio turns on, then that's technically "the next song." If no music plays while you're in the car, the game continues until Mom gets back home. (Trust her, she'll tell the truth if you win!) If you win, you get $10. If you both guess the same song, you have to split the $10. If Mom wins, we'll go out for a treat after school. Winners must "sit out" for the next 5 days.
I thought I was pretty safe...after all, how often can you randomly guess the next song? Well...
Lauren won $10 for Poker Face, Lady GaGa
Lauren won $10 for Just Dance, Lady GaGa
Will won $10 (TODAY) for Poker Face, Lady GaGa
Mom has NEVER won I've never guessed Lady GaGa.

My thoughts:
Don't make bets you can't pay out
Don't think that morning radio is a treasure trove of new and interesting music
Do understand that people crave consistency (hence Lady GaGa)
Do try to make the morning commute FUN!

the genes finally show through

2009-05-30T17:23:00.000-07:00

Great stories have been told of the twins, Timmy and Tommy playing for hours with Legos. It's been 17 long years, but finally one of the Rietkerk kids has caught the Lego bug. Lilly is captivated by the Star Wars series...especially the little droids that she can maneuver through pretend villages and homes. Shhh, don't tell Tim or Tom that these Legos have pet kittens that need to be rocked and put to sleep.

Lilly's pre-kinder graduation

2009-05-29T18:34:00.000-07:00

Today was the awards ceremony for pre-kinder at Carlos Rivera Elementary School. It's been a whole year of learning for Lilly: lots of coloring,cutting, making friends and learning how to speak clearly. The video is a collection of clips from the ceremony today. Somewhere in the middle of it, the kids do the alphabet. This could be why we couldn't understand her half of the time (espanol!)

What's it like to be a military chaplain in a war zone?

2009-05-29T08:40:00.000-07:00

The Christian Reformed Church has an excellent monthly magazine. This month, the Banner featured an article by CH (LTC) Gordy Terpstra and his reflections of serving in Iraq. Made me think of Tim. Tim has spent the better part of the past year in a forward operating base in Iraq ministering to Army soldiers. He will be done with his rotation in Iraq in July.
The following is a link to the article.
Presence of Christ in a War Zone

a, terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day (and my name isn't even Alexander)

2009-05-26T07:59:00.000-07:00

It figures that technology would eventually affect my sunny disposition. I received an email this morning that my capstone project proposal was denied as submitted. just think for a moment...you've worked on a project for the better part of your waking life for the past 6 weeks with all the inherent doubts and frustrations that entails...to be told that what you're doing is "off track." Better luck next time around. Argh; that about sums up my attitude right now.
Combine that email with the general disarray of our home--since school will be finishing up next week (just 8 days as the kids tell me) and lockers are being cleaned out, everything has ended up in various piles around the house. Now, I'm a pile person. I actually enjoy creating piles. But, there has to be some method to the pile creation. And, so far, there's been no method. Just little piles here and there. Gum wrappers, broken pencils missing erasers, old Kleenex, and the various awards for the kids. What to keep and what to toss? Well, that is a question for another day. So the piles continue to grow.
Then, add a heavy splash of only one adult in the house and the leaking "something" under the sink (after a new dishwasher and garbage disposal installed), the garage door that doesn't want to shut, mushrooms growing in the yard, black algae spots in the pool and faint handprints all over the walls (who's going to paint over all this stuff when we move out?) and it really does add up to a reason for abandoning the whole venture.
Finally, the straw that broke the camel's back: my wedding ring felt especially lose yesterday afternoon. And, look at the pic.

Great; I'm caught in the middle of a Poe poem with omens all around...
the circle is broken
black algae
there's even a black crow perched on our pool fence right now. Caw Caw Caw

So, in the words of little Alexander:
"It has been a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.
My mom says some days are like that.
Even in Australia."

a good day

2009-05-23T17:25:00.000-07:00

Finally, a little recognition and it feels good (could it be Pride?) Went to the library everyday this week. I tried keeping things flexible but somehow my personality doesn't mesh with current popular advice. There's a little cubicle at the library, conference room 1 (or 2 if 1 is busy) and a large table with 4 chairs and privacy. I can talk to myself, write to my heart's content without being interrupted and get away from the mess at our home. This past week, as I was entering the library, one of the librarians said, "Are you a writer? You're here all the time." I explained what I was working on and she just said, "Well, good luck." I kind of thought she'd want to know more. But, it did feel good to have someone notice that I've been there--kind of like when maybe I'm not there, they actually wonder about me.
Took the kids to the outlet mall today. We did a little shopping but everyone agrees that lunch was the best part: caramel apples from Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. Honestly, that's what we had for lunch. And it was delicious!
The spring has brought some strange weather to El Paso. We had a bit of rain (1" total over 3 days), some serious thunder and then a beautiful rainbow this evening.

Great way to be remembered

2009-05-17T09:51:00.001-07:00

This morning, 3 of the kids participated in the Braden Aboud B-Strong 10K-5K Run-Walk. this race celebrates the life of a boy killed in a tragic accident. It has turned into one of the best community gatherings that the West side of El Paso has. Lots of elementary schools enter the 1 mile fun run with teachers and students walking together.
Lindsey is hooked on running and Will wanted to gain some points for his school. Lauren, not one to be out done by her brother, decided she might as well run. Lilly and I brought up the rear and managed to cheer the kids on at the finish line. Only, we never saw them cross. Lindsey and her friend Yamit passed the line before we got there; Lauren and Will crossed a parking lot to get some refreshments at the end of the race and didn't cross the line. Once we were together again, Lindsey directed the two to the right area and we took a celebratory end-of-race pic.
A great day in El Paso: clouds high in the mountains and cool air temps. Perfect for some outdoor running or reading--both without sweating.

Will's 10th birthday party

2009-05-16T10:13:00.000-07:00

My last big party for the El Paso house is over and done. We had 20 3rd graders from Will's class over for a final she-bang in the backyard pool. Swimming was the main attraction followed by pie eating contests, relay races and the ever-exciting Cheeto Head contest.
I'm still mastering the video feature on the camera but I think you'll get a good image of what it's like having a pool in El Paso; in a word, FABULOUS.
Will's birthday is in June but those summer birthdays miss so many school friends. So, a party in May seemed like a great idea. Lilly had so much fun participating in the activities and the video shows what a fierce competitor she is.
So, the rest of our time in West Texas can now be devoted to finishing my capstone project for school. (oh, and maybe a little pool time)

Minority Report

2009-05-14T06:14:00.000-07:00

Was just thinking this morning how different I am.
I am writing a bible study on the 7 deadly sins (really, no one around town has asked me for an in-depth discussion of the topic but they do seem to say "Why?" often)
I'm a tall girl(well, when standing by Lindsey not that tall but compared to most women in the city, I'm a giant)
I prefer to sit face-to-face rather than make a phone call (I need to see the other ways of communication that phone talk leaves out)
I LOVE to read books. Only 33% of people read a book after high school. Imagine that!

And now, there's even more proof in the newspaper of my family's unique status:
82% of El Paso is Hispanic. For some reason, I never really thought of myself as a minority. Funny, on the west side I'm pretty sure that percentage is much lower so I don't "feel" like a minority. But I'm starting to think that labeling something only puts it in a box. When you look at differences as a great way to offer spice to the mix, then why would we ever want 100% of anything? So, open up that box and mix it up!

It's Showtime!

2009-05-13T05:44:00.000-07:00

Our little boy is a dancer. Last night, I attended the third grade performance of "Interplanetary Jammin'" (a great musical, btw)and had the opportunity to catch Will in action. Check out his moves (he wants everyone to know that his first partner has been sick for a week so he has a stand-in. "she's not as strong as the other one so we had to keep it basic)

A quick clip of the family

2009-05-11T06:55:00.000-07:00

So, we've got a handy video recorder that we're trying to figure out. Conversation is not exactly exciting but it was an opportunity to play with the little device. We promise to get better!

Mother's Day already?

2009-05-10T07:40:00.000-07:00

It's time for that special day again. We stopped at Albertsons Saturday afternoon and didn't understand why it was so busy. Then we spotted a line of people streaming into the local Janie's Hallmark and it clicked! Where did the time go this past week? I think with all the excitement having Tim home, the days just slipped away too fast.
Both Lilly and Will came home with cards that they made at school. Lilly's was a tissue paper flower in blue and yellow. She wrote: "I love U! Lilly" apparently, they're getting the kids ready for text messaging by learning how to shorten words. Will made a large purple card with a variation of the "MOTHER" song inside. This is his thoughts on me:
M Makes me feel that I have a good life!
O Often cooks great food!
T The one who always is there.
H Her smile is the best.
E Extra things to do when she's here.
R Reminds me I'm special.

And the best of all: My Mom is as pretty as a snowflake (awwww...)

Franklin High Prom 2009

2009-05-04T10:20:00.000-07:00

Not much to post this week because Tim is home for a visit! But, Lindsey did have her prom on Saturday at the Camino Real Hotel downtown.

The girls came to our house to get ready..They arrived around 4pm and left at 8:30pm! I don't remember the last time I spent 4 hours getting ready: perhaps it was for my wedding?! At any rate, it was great fun having the girls here. Lilly especially enjoyed the extra attention (and she even got to have some makeup applied to her face) Out of the 10 pictures I took, only one isn't blurry. Must learn to FOCUS when I'm taking a picture--the camera can't do everything.
This week is filled with home repair projects. Tim's been to Lowes about 7 times so far in 2 days; I'll keep a tally and report at the end of the week.

slowly slowing down

2009-04-28T19:56:00.000-07:00

this past Saturday was Will's final soccer game. Lilly and I got Will to the field in Canutillo at 8:48am for his 9AM game. And like we've done each week, we drop Will off at his field and make our way to the playground. I sit in a little aluminum beach chair while Lilly picks up sticks, walks on the rock walls and traverses the monkey bars. Now, I'm no fan of Saturday morning soccer but I have to admit that it was a little sad knowing this was our last time at Gallegos field. The sun was high and bright in the sky, with a nice cool breeze to keep us comfortable until the game was over. His team won so we ended the season on a high note.
On Tuesday night we had the team soccer party at Peter Piper Pizza (trying saying that 5 times fast). I took Lilly along for the fun. The kids got their trophies and their pictures and managed to go through $10 of tokens in about 9 minutes.
Lindsey stayed home to study for her AP exam. I just thought it was typical El Paso to be studying in the hot tub. The girls munched on cookies, potato chips and Hawaiian punch.

a little bit of funny

2009-04-21T07:02:00.000-07:00

Lindsey had a great comment this weekend. We were talking about retirement accounts, specifically 401(k)s. Lindsey said, "do you get $401,000 with that type of account when you retire?"
Will has been studying up on Einstein and the Mayans. Seems in the year 2012 there is going to be a Pole Shift and the world is going to end OR there will be a new planet, Planet X, traveling from another galaxy which will enter our orbit and crash into the earth, causing volcanoes and hurricanes. Pretty much the end of the world as we know it. I told Will I didn't think it was going to happen. He didn't have confidence in my answer so he read everything he could on the internet, wrote a one page report on the issue and took it to his teacher today. Obviously, she is a higher authority than me.
I learned how to make a sweet Mexican treat over the weekend from one of my Hispanic friends. I was so thrilled with the results that I made more for the kids when I got home. Lilly, said, "Ohhh, I love these; these are soooo good. You should take cooking class so you can learn to always cook like this."

Living in a free market

2009-04-18T13:02:00.000-07:00

Billboards are the biggest problem with El Paso's beautification initiative. Left and right, dotting I-10 are huge, ugly advertisements for everything from Mexican food to discounted southwest goods. The above image is a billboard that has assaulted my good senses. Lindsey says every time I drive by it I just continue to rant and rave about the "bad theology" they are espousing. So, I agree with the city planner, get rid of billboards (at least those that I disagree with)

Do you have 4 minutes for a little joy in life?

2009-04-15T07:35:00.000-07:00

Doesn't happen very often, but once in awhile there's a gem on Youtube. The following clip is just sheer happiness and fun--if you have fond memories of being a kid or of watching the Sound of Music, don't let this pass you by.
Simply click on the link below, sit back and enjoy!
Sound of Music in the Train Station at Antwerp

A dinner everyone can enjoy

2009-04-14T05:12:00.000-07:00

A return to "normal life" for the kids today. Everyone woke up on time this morning and we even had a spare minute to watch some cartoons before heading out the door. Lilly got in the car and told me to take Lindsey to the school's circle drive, instead of dropping her off on the street across from the school. Don't know why she said that, but I followed her instructions. (you don't mess with Lilly in the morning) Lilly and I took Lady for a walk around the block. Lilly took her scooter but decided halfway to stop scootering and asked me to pull her as I walked. I did that and then Lilly decided it was better to power the scooter herself. That could have been because I'm not good at balancing a kid on the scooter as I walk the dog. The afternoon temps were cool so I took Will and Lilly and one of Will's friends to the park. Will got a new bat and ball from the Easter Bunny so he wanted to try them out. That lasted about 30 minutes when Will and his friend wanted to play soccer instead. They pulled out the ball and had a good time passing it on the grassy knoll. Lilly continued to astound playground kids with her daring leaps from "The Rock."
Dinner was a simple meal of tacos. Lauren prepared the fillings and Will managed to eat one of his very own creations: taco meat, cheese and cantaloupe. He insisted it was delicious!

Christ the Lord is risen today...Aleluia!

2009-04-12T13:14:00.000-07:00

El Paso Easter came to us bright and sunny, though a bit cold. We attended service at Coronado Baptist Church which had a fantastic orchestra and opened with "Up from the grave He arose!" We had planned to attend the 9:15am service but a pit stop on the couch this morning to watch CBS Sunday Morning (a guilty pleasure) pushed us to the 11:00am service. Both Lilly and Will were restless during the sermon--Will fell asleep on Lindsey's lap and Lilly wore a jingle bell bracelet and kept time with the hymns--I eventually threw the bracelet into my purse. Ahhh...church ended on a somber note (singing "What a friend we have in Jesus") and we made our way to KFC for some finger lickin good chicken for lunch. After lunch we had a Easter egg hunt in the house (too cold outside) and the kids compared the amount of eggs and candy they gathered.

Back to El Paso--one last time

2009-04-11T11:05:00.000-07:00

My mom and dad came for one last visit to El Paso this week. They arrived last Saturday, in the middle of carting kids to various birthday parties on the West side. The activity didn't stop--each day was filled with school drop offs and pick ups, making lunches and meals and youth group. But, we did manage to enjoy a bit of El Paso weather: mom moved the chaise lounge to the sunniest spot in the backyard and ended up with some southwest color on her skin (the sunburn under her arms was the best) Dad fixed some sprinkler problems and enjoyed his time here reading and surfing the net.
On Friday, we took the kids to White Sands National Monument in New Mexico (near Alamagordo) This is a kids' delight: acres of soft white sand which has piled into huge dunes which provide excellent sledding hills (without the freezing toes). The sun was high in the sky but we were fortunate to get some cloud cover for some of the time there; we can't imagine what people do in the dead of summer when they visit. Walking up the steep hills was a challenge...until we noticed that you can walk up the side of the dunes with relative ease, since the sand there is hard packed. Lindsey and lauren had a race to the bottom of the hill..Lindsey narrowly beat Lauren. Eva flew (and I do mean "FLEW") down the hill and had a spectacular finish in the parking lot. It was funny until she mentioned Natasha Richardson syndrome. We monitored her throughout the afternoon for sudden headache and disorientation. All the kids said this was a must visit for Dad when he gets home from Iraq.
Mom and Dad left early this morning. We are now enjoying a little bit of rain in El Paso; cooler temps and dark skies make Saturday perfect for staying inside and enjoying dying Easter Eggs.

imitation is the sincerest form of flattery

2009-04-01T15:34:00.001-07:00

Lilly loves imitating me at dinner time. Here, she made the other kids laugh because I didn't know she was matching me gesture for gesture.

a normal weekday afternoon

2009-04-01T15:25:00.000-07:00

I think everyone remembers the chaos of my workspace as pictured last fall. The dining room table is once again littered with books, candy and various sticky notes in my humble attempt to "get organized" and work "with energy!" From Noon to 2:15 I am usually at the local library studying. At 2:30, the school pick up begins. First Lilly, whose class pours out of the double blue doors into a mass of running and giggling kids trying to race each other to the parking lot. Danger, Will Rogers! My brain is instantly trained to follow Lilly out of the building because I know she's not watching for cars backing up. Next, we drive to Lauren's school and wait approximately 4 minutes for Lauren to jump into the car and yell, "Let's go!" (She's always very anxious to get home) Between getting Lauren and Will, I dump my stuff onto the dining table claiming "mom's spot" before anyone else can get to it. Don't know why, but I prefer facing the front door and the living room. This afternoon Lauren picked up her violin and entertained me while I worked.

Spring in El Paso

2009-03-27T09:57:00.000-07:00

memories of our trip to Southern Calfornia are quickly fading but we look forward to the coming summer season with anticipation. When we got home on Sunday, Lauren noticed a large bubble had formed on the patio ceiling. Some of us thought it looked like an egg sack for spiders (very active imaginations in the desert heat) but after lauren poked it with a knife, a gush of water came out. It has steadily drained for the past 3 days. We think that perhaps when we were working on the sun deck boards (stripping and staining them) water that we used to blast off the dirt and grime was able to pool in a hidden recess of the roof. And, viola! a great science lesson. Did you know that water will ALWAYS travel in the path of least resistance? It can be feet away from the original leak but the water will find a place to emerge. So far, we have allowed the area to drain and begin to dry out. Next step, having our handy helper John take a look and add a repair to his ever-growing list of things we need fixed before we move out.
normally, problems with the house drive me nutty. When we had a leak in the living room, I had a habit of walking from our master bedroom through the outdoor patio to the kitchen--all in an effort to not look at the leak. This time around, I'm so focused on schoolwork that I can't even be bothered with fixing things. Guess there is an upside to homework!

Spring Break is over but Disney remains on our mind

2009-03-24T17:50:00.001-07:00

Took a great trip home during Spring Break last week. We had an extra traveling companion with us this time...Lindsey's friend Katie was a welcome addition to the gang and the two older girls were a big help in carting kids around town (both real and imaginary) We had a magical visit to Disneyland right at the beginning of the week. We rationalized that since the Texas spring break was so early this year, there would be low crowds at Disneyland. Well, just to let everyone know, the economy hasn't hurt those planning a fabulous trip to see Mickey. The crowds were strong and excitable and we made great use of the FastPass system to gain entry to our favorite rides. We still had a bit of a wait for Indiana Jones ride and Splash Mountain but the weather was nice and our bellies were usually full so there was little complaining. We were surprised that Lilly freaked out at the entry to any ride that looked to be dark and scary...even the Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters ride--which is quite happy and tame when you get in the driver's seat.
Our faves:
Nemo Submarines Wow! I can't believe how good this voyage is. The colors were bright and vivid, and the use of movie images "under water" was quite believable. We also marveled at the moving lava from the ocean volcano. Please imagineers...give us more!
Space Mountain An oldie but goodie. A coaster in the dark...nothing beats it. Will wanted to continuously ride it but the long lines and extended FastPass times made it evident that it was everyone's favorite.
Splash Mountain Getting wet in Disneyland is a bit of a challenge but the thrilling drop at the end of the ride and the gentle sprinkling was a big hit for Lilly, who has learned that the noise you make when you are having fun sounds like laughter but your body doesn't really feel like laughing
Fireworks show at 9:25pm The setting of the fireworks to Disney movie music was outstanding.

Long Beach Aquarium

2009-03-22T20:08:00.000-07:00

Went to the Long Beach aquarium during spring break. Fantastic place...lots of great fish and touch tanks. Lilly and Will also got to participate in story time. Lilly is quite the guitar player.

big sigh of relief

2009-03-11T09:08:00.000-07:00

Just one thing to post:
WE RENTED OUR HOME!

How are you...really?

2009-03-08T06:43:00.000-07:00

The girls and I have had a great time finding new music to load onto our iPods. Some of the best music that I've found comes from TV commercials--specifically those for iMacs and cute little laptops. Several months ago, Dell came out with a new promo for their laptop and the song was a must listen. I like this song because no matter what mood you're in at the moment, you have the option of changing it to something else. No one should be stuck in a really bad mood (or a really good mood for that matter). Listen to the song by clicking on the rainbow to the right. Lyrics are below.

I am green today
I chirp with joy like a cricket song.
I am gray today
Gloomy and down like a morning fog.
I am orange today
Loud and messy like finger paint on the wall.
I am red today
Hopping mad like a playground ball.
I am black today
Strong and tall a great big bear.
I am purple today
Bright and happy like a butterfly in the air.

I'm a rainbow today
All the colors of the world.
I'm a rainbow today
All the colors of the world.
I'm a rainbow today
All the colors of the world are in me.

I am yellow today
I shine my light out like the sun.
I am white today
Soft and quite like new snow.
I am blue today
Calm as glass and cool like the sea.

being split in half

2009-03-06T14:46:00.000-08:00

Normally, I spend my days in a typical fashion: in the morning, Lilly and I clean up around the house and perhaps take a walk around the neighborhood before she goes to school. After I drop her off, it's to the library I go. I have a little conference room that I've adopted this past year; it is somewhat soundproof so I can snap my gum and no one gives me a dirty look.
Since March 2, life has turned a bit hectic. We put the house up for sale again this week and had a realtor's showing on Monday. So, I madly scrambled around the house cleaning it while Lilly was parked in front of the TV. After I dropped her off to school, it was a quick stop at Lowes to pick up flowers to spruce up the front entry and patio. Every day this week, it has been about the same: scattered spurts of cleaning around the house then a mad dash to Lowes for that elusive "something" I forgot last time. Today it was stain and a brush for the sun deck. Lauren and Lindsey worked hard to get the boards clean then it was my job to get them nice and dark again. Somehow, the end result never matches what the picture says it's supposed to look like.
When I'm not cleaning, I'm supposed to be working on my final project. This has created a two-sided brain that I've been able to switch between practically instantly. Sometimes i'm thinking about dirt and other times I'm thinking about sin. Hmmmm...seems to be a recurring theme, don't you think?

"I'm never doing that again"

2009-03-01T09:55:00.000-08:00

Lindsey and Yamit after the race--they got medals!

El Paso Marathon, part 2
The two younger kids and I made it down to the Convention Center about 2 1/2 hours after the race started. We found spots near the finish gates and wondered where Lindsey and Yamit were. Not to worry: Lindsey gave me a call at mile 11 and just about 25 minutes later, they appeared around the corner. Both of the girls looked really strong at the finish. Lindsey said, "I'm never doing that again."
They finished the half marathon in 3 hours! The top marathon runner finished just before them at 2:55. Lindsey said, "he was fast. We knew he was a marathoner."

If your feet get wet, you went the wrong way

2009-03-01T06:50:00.000-08:00

Marathon update: First post! The headline is true...the race director said if your get wet, you went the wrong way. Close to the end of the race, the course travels right along the mighty Rio Grande.

Good Morning Racers! This morning Linds and I left the house at 6:15am to pick up Yamit and head off to the El Paso marathon. It started cold at 47 degrees but the sun quickly popped out the temps started to rise. We met up with the 1000 other racers near the convention center downtown. The girls were too funny trying to figure out where to go and what to do with their bodies before the race started. Each had selected running music to play on their IPods and that was about all they needed in terms of supplies to complete the 1/2 marathon route. Lindsey told me at mile 4 there was a free beer tent (though I'm really not sure why a marathon racer would drink in the middle of the race) The mayor of our fine city started us off by singing the Star Spangled Banner and then the race director led a prayer! Then with the sound of the start gun they were off. Lindsey and Yamit were in the middle of the pack and running a good solid pace when I left them near the Plaza Theater. On my drive home, I tried to cut through UTEP to stop at the Starbucks there but found that the racers at the front of the pack (the 5 minute mile marathoners) were already going through the university. I stopped to get a pic and then continued back on the freeway. Don't worry...I managed to get a Starbucks closer to home.

at least they're caged

2009-02-27T09:50:00.000-08:00

The weather has turned decidedly HOT, even by El Paso standards. The past 3 days have been in the mid-80s so I've taken to doing my schoolwork by the pool. (that means I'm trying to justify any reading as being "required reading" for my class). It's nice though; warm enough to enjoy the sun but a cool breeze that keeps me from jumping in the ice cold water.

Lilly has been occupied this past week with a new morning activity. She takes the bar stools into the family room and places her pets inside. she then waters them, feeds them and generally makes sure they don't escape. This is harder than you might think...I've found Mr. Snoopy at my feet under the dining table and Lilly always asks, "How did you get out here?" It's a great game because it takes about 2 hours to play, just the amount of time Lilly has before Pre-K begins at 11:30am.

My leadership class officially ended on Wednesday. It was 16 weeks of mostly stimulating presentations from the various city departments of El Paso. This week we heard from the Appraisal District and the Tax Collector...with the current state of the housing market (which has affected El paso too...don't let the newspaper articles fool you) the discussion was the most heated one we've had during the entire series. I did learn that if you want to protest the city's assessed value of your home, 80% of those who file a protest receive some sort of reduction. And, bring photos of the inside of your house. Seems the Review Board thinks all of us have installed granite countertops and new flooring. I would love to see a Neighborhood Leadership Academy in all US cities. It was a fantastic experience and gave me a better appreciation for the difficult task of running a city.

Ridding the house of meat (kind of)

2009-02-24T18:26:00.000-08:00

Happy Shrove Tuesday! I was shocked and dismayed at a current radio ad promoting a Mardi Gras event as filled with the three "B's"...beads, booze and b**bs. They eagerly shouted, "That's what this season is all about!" That was enough for me to take a stand in our family. I went home and did some research on the season of Lent and tonight we jumped right in with our own version of Shrove Tuesday (the day before Ash Wednesday). We celebrated with waffles, pancakes, sausage and bacon. Historically, it was the day to get rid of all meat and animal products in the house in preparation for the difficult time of fasting in the Ancient Christian church. Actually, this was probably the best dinner I've had since a cross-country pit stop at Dennys 20 years ago. I read a section about Lent and Jesus' time of prayer and fasting in the wilderness (everyone said, "Just like Grandpa")and then we dug in. Will wanted to know if the Indians did this sort of thing; not sure where that came from but it's typical of Will.

I got it!

2009-02-21T20:18:00.000-08:00

When shopping in September for my trip to Switzerland, Lindsey spotted a great shirt for her cousin. We found his size and promptly threw it into the suitcase with all the other gifts for the Swiss. Come Christmastime, and favorite cuz is wearing the shirt all the time and somehow Lindsey became very jealous. She tried hiding the shirt from him, wearing it out one afternoon to get girl cooties on it--nothing worked. Troy stood firm (well, what else would you expect from him?) and the shirt went back to Geneva.
Yesterday, a box came in the mail from Target.com. Lindsey squealed with delight and ripped the package open and quickly put on her new shirt.
Moral of the story? Measure twice; cut once. (yeah, we know that's stretching it a bit, but it's for Tim's benefit)

hmmm...french horn, you say?

2009-02-21T06:52:00.000-08:00

Lindsey and I went to the symphony tonight. Normally, I look forward to a night out in El Paso but Fridays at home are a double delight because Friday Night Lights (which has pulled us into a great story line) and Battlestar Galactica are on TV but we managed to get ready and drive downtown. The symphony featured the french horn, played by Eric Ruske. I can't say I've ever heard the french horn as a featured instrument and I don't think I'd advise anyone to watch a performance of the french horn either. You see, there is a lot of spittle in those horn instruments and we had to watch the performer constantly turn the horn upside down, shake it and get all the spittle out of the instrument. I was also worried about his stamina...I've not seen a performer so out of breath and beet red after a performance. Deep cleansing breath, please.
The highlight of the evening was the guest conductor, Andrew Grams. An up and coming conductor, he guided the performance with grace. The baton twirled in his hands and the direction for the horn section to go down a scale was led with a spiraling twist from his wrist. At times during the last piece, Grams was practically dancing along with the peasant music written by Dvorak. It was great fun to watch him.
In typical Kristen fashion, I packed two boxes of junior mints for the performance. And, to be expected, I stood to clap for the guest artist and my box tipped upside down from my lap and junior mints scattered across the floor. Lindsey told me it was OK...the Plaza Theatre has very clean patrons. We picked them up and continued to enjoy them.

Bye Bye Blankie

2009-02-19T07:52:00.000-08:00

We've hit a milestone!
The other day I was picking up around the house and I came across the blankie sitting on the floor of the kids' room. It was neatly folded and ready for someone to pick up and give a big hug. I think it had been on the floor for over a week and no one had bothered it. Must be time to say goodbye to the blankie.
Lilly has had this comfort item since she was 10 months old. Army friends of ours who were stationed in Oregon at the time met us for a whirlwind weekend of fun in Portland. (we spent a lot of time at the indoor pool and sauna that trip) Tracey made the blanket for Lilly and she's been attached to it, that is, until now. The blanket was quite large and made from fleece. It was great comfort in Princeton as we experienced George Washington's crossing of the Delaware a frigid Christmas morning in 2006. It almost made the whole trek to Washington DC for the Immigration Rally but we left it behind in the car once we boarded the train (just too much to be responsible for). The blankie came with us to the desert and Lilly insisted on carrying it with her to Bible study each Wednesday morning when the temps regularly hit 102 degrees. Our trip to North Carolina included the blanket as well and Lilly is snuggled with it in photos at the TLF in San Antonio. The blanket is a bit faded and has several smears of blue nail polish on it which make it kind of crusty but after a good wash in Tide and Downey it still smells good. I'm going to leave it on the floor and see how long it lasts. Maybe it's not done doing it's job just yet.

TecH2O El Paso

2009-02-13T08:23:00.000-08:00

The Leadership Academy continues to offer insightful classes. This week we took a fieldtrip to the water treatment plant in El Paso. I've always wondered about water in the desert so this visit was very informative. Some of what I learned:
*we don't have a water shortage in El Paso because of plentify resources located underneath our feet. We have huge aquifers and bolsons to draw water from. This doesn't mean we shouldn't learn to conserve but it does mean we have the ability to "sell" our water to other communities
*We have a desalination plant. What? We're not even near the ocean. Salt is found in much of the well water and groundwater El Paso uses. The desal plant opened last year and can process 40 million gallons of water per day
*Pure water will kill you; water must have minerals mixed in with it or our bodies will not be able to absorb water
*El Paso city developers for the past 50 years have been negligent in allowing housing to be built near and within dams and arroyos. Hence, the major damage sustained during the floods of 2006
My favorite water tip from the sewage man: Chew your corn and peanuts at least 20 times before swallowing. These items are wreaking havoc on our sewage system.

We've got competition

2009-02-11T08:12:00.000-08:00

Well, the house is sparkling again and we are surprised at how well we were able to stack all the "unneeded items that we still think we'll need in the future" in the garage making it look relatively clean, well-thought-out and actually spacious. If you had seen the garage before this reorganizing phase, you'd be so proud of us. I had a call from a German couple looking for an El Paso rental and they were just this close to agreeing to the deal. But, just like the US military, their housing allowance is based on dependents and they fall short so it was a brief but exciting conversation. Kind of like that little balloon that is just filling up so nicely and then POP! it immediately deflates and all you've got left is the thought "I wonder how many more balloons I'm going to have to carefully blow up before one stays afloat?"
Lindsey went running this morning; she's on a strict training schedule for the El Paso marathon (she's doing the ambitious 1/2 marathon!) but she always stops to pick up For Sale flyers. She came back this morning, handed me some papers and said, "We've got competition." She sounded determined; not sure what we're going to do about it but at least the whole family is involved in the process.

Lindsey's Spanish Project Video

2009-02-07T20:44:00.000-08:00

While I was away, Lindsey invited friends over Friday night to film a project for Spanish. The girls set up a QVC like sales presentation with Lindsey playing "La Nina de No Aburrimiento" or "The Girl of No Boredom" for the girls' Spanish class. An evening with all the amazing features of the Mac ensued and the girls enjoyed capturing and executing the perfect emotions of over enthusiastic saleswomen, non-loyal customers, and a dumb human Barbie doll.

Enjoy the video!

It's already over?

2009-02-07T15:16:00.000-08:00

Well, the past 24 hours have gone by in a blur. I left home yesterday afternoon around 5pm for the Beth Moore Living Proof Live event in El Paso. The kids were excited to have Lindsey's friend Katie spending the night with them and they just couldn't have me leave the house any quicker. I checked into the hotel and then made the 5 block walk to the Convention center just as the doors were opening. My great friend Tara, who loves having a good seat, was in line earlier in the day and managed to score 15 seats in the front middle section. Beth didn't disappoint. She was fiery,funny and best of all, just too cute. Only Texas gals can do that cute thing perfectly. Her message was based on Hebrews 10 and focused almost exclusively on the word "confidence." and challenged the audience to find what God has uniquely created you to do. She also had a strong caution for those addicted to Facebook, Twitter, and blogging. Technology is great but it is no substition for authentic community.
Speaking of community: this photo shows you how much the kids missed me. I rushed from the event back home (after a pit stop to get some needed grocery items) and found this sign hanging in the kitchen. The house was clean, the kids were happy and I'm ready for a nice afternoon nap (only 4 hours of sleep last night after gabbing with the girls)

Life once again while "Dad's gone"

2009-02-06T08:04:00.000-08:00

Tim left yesterday, but the transition was smooth. Seems the Army has ingrained in all of us a desire for order and the 2 weeks of Dad home was just enough "out of the ordinary" that each of us said, "It's been a good visit. Now, back to real life." Lilly and I dropped Tim off at the El Paso airport late morning and Tim and I both commented how much we love this airport. Now, many people don't have great things to say about airports but for those who have flown into El Paso, you must admit, this is a great airport. Short term parking is always plentiful and the price is right (still 75 cents for the first hour!) The trip from car to check in is about 300 steps and the police always hold the traffic for pedestrians. The security check point is rarely backed up and when it is, TSA quickly devises a way for the ropes to be changed to make it appear that the line is moving quickly. How kind and considerate they are! Best of all for military folks: the airport is about 5 minutes from the Ft Bliss gates so stopping at the PX for last minute clothing sales purchases is never a problem. (this is something that the Rietkerk family is known for...how many times have we lost a black tie or uniform patch?)
School for the kids on Thursday afternoon went well. I am back to being the taxi driver and managed to get all the chickens home to roost before dark. This weekend I plan on attending the Beth Moore event at the El Paso convention center. Moore is a bible teacher based in Houston, TX and she occasionally visits southwest cities conducting seminars and worship. I attended an event in Albuquerque in 2007 and I just pulled out my notes to remember what I learned--because I honestly couldn't remember what she spoke on. So, we'll so how well this weekend's teachings sink into my brain. Practically speaking, the experience is more about being with friends and learning about each other. I'm looking forward to laughing, eating and seeing what little goodies come with the hotel room.

Imagine that!

2009-01-29T07:45:00.000-08:00

Tim's been home for one week now and posts to the blog have been non-existant. I guess that's to be expected. The whole family has enjoyed having him home. We've gone out to eat, bowling, in the hot tub, grilling in the backyard, watching LOST and Battlestar Gallactica...all that good family fun that just seems to be lacking when he's not around.
For the better part of the morning, Tim searched high and low for his leather portfolio. He was sure he used it soon after arriving in El Paso. He took out every piece of paper in our bedroom, rearranged files, turned the kitchen inside out, all to no avail. When we got home from picking up the kids, what did we spy but a manilla envelope at the front door. We thought it was for Lilly's birthday but NO! It was addressed to Tim. Seems he left the portfolio on his Southwest Airlines flight and a kind passenger found it and promptly dropped it in the mail. No return address and no name on the nice note inside. Just a friendly american making sure a soldier got his stuff back. A real-life pay-it-forward situation has been set in place.

The dawn of a new era in our nation's history

2009-01-20T16:08:00.000-08:00

Happy Inauguration Day!

hunting for easter eggs (and other goodies)

2009-01-20T15:52:00.000-08:00

We just couldn't say "NO" The kids and I grabbed several black trash bags, laced up our sneakers and headed down to the local junior high school in search of trash. After Barack Obama challenged us to do something of service on this day, how could we resist? We stuffed three bags full of--well, you know--trash! At the beginning of the effort, both Will and Lil were fighting over who got to pick up the cigarette butts (we decided that kind of trash could just decompose on its own in the desert heat) but after 2 hours, only aluminum cans and large pieces of cardboard were worth the effort it took to bend over. I treated the kids to ice cold icees from the gas station and we walked slowly back home. It felt good to do something of service (and it didn't hurt that Starbucks wants to reward us with a tall cup o'joe)

Dad's almost here!

2009-01-18T14:19:00.000-08:00

Just a few more days to go before Tim is home for R& R. Funny, the closer he gets, the more we seem to need him for "something." Linzer even commented "when dad gets home I need him to fix the water in the refrigerator." True, the water has been slow to come out since we first installed the fridge about 3 years ago--but now, it's imperative that Tim fix it or we will surely die. As for me and my little list, more of the same:
loose tiles on the kitchen floor
a garage door that has a mind of its own
a couple of dead shrubs in the yard (I could get rid of them myself but it's more fun with a partner, right?)

The younger kids have other plans for Tim's time:
golden corral
golden corral
golden corral (seems the restaurant chain gave free kids meal coupons with report cards this semester)
Texas Roadhouse (ditto)
bowling (this has been scheduled between Tim and his favorite son with no one else joining them. No, we aren't really a bowling type family but this has been on the books for several months now)

Too busy to stop and hear God?

2009-01-15T17:42:00.003-08:00

Don't get me wrong...I'm not saying the violinist in this piece is God. But, what could we learn about our Creator if we simply stopped and gave someone our time?

The Washington Post
By Gene Weingarten
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, April 8, 2007; Page W10

A man sat at a Metro station in Washington, DC and started to play the violin; it was a cold January morning. He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, since it was rush hour, it was calculated that thousands of people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. Three minutes went by and a middle aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried up to meet his schedule.
A minute later, the violinist received his first dollar tip: a woman threw the money in the till and without stopping continued to walk. A few minutes later, someone leaned against the wall to listen to him, but the man looked at his watch and started to walk again. Clearly he was late for work.
The one who paid the most attention was a 3 year old boy. His mother tagged him along, hurried but the kid stopped to look at the violinist. Finally the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. All the parents, without exception, forced them to move on.
In the 45 minutes the musician played, only 6 people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money, but continued to walk their normal pace. He collected $32. When he finished playing and silence took over, no one noticed it. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.
No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the best musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars.
Two days before his playing in the subway, Joshua Bell sold out at a theater in Boston and the seats average $100.
Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and priorities of people. The outlines were: in a commonplace environment at an inappropriate hour: do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize the talent in an unexpected context? One of the possible conclusions from this experience could be: if we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing the best music ever written, how many other things are we missing?

Snap to It

2009-01-14T09:44:00.000-08:00

Do you remember when you first learned to snap? It seems so easy now; I use the "snap" to get the dog's attention, to warn the kids during church, to show someone how easy it is to finish the task. For the past 3 days Lilly has been trying to snap. She's quite a dedicated learner...I catch her at different times just staring intently at her third finger and thumb of her right hand trying to get the sound just right. She's almost willing the fingers to do it just right. Last night, as she was drifting off to sleep with that glazed eye look, she slowly lifted her right arm into the air and slowly made yet another attempt to snap. Before the fingers could form into the right position, her arm dropped down across my neck and she was fast asleep--no doubt trying to snap in her dreams.

No scary dreams

2009-01-10T07:35:00.000-08:00

Since Tim left, Lilly's been sleeping with me. I actually enjoy it. She keeps her little body snug against mine which is helpful on those cold El Paso nights. She has a habit of turning toward me just before she falls alseep and rests her arm across my neck. I used to pick up her arm and put it back near her body but she told me that the arm keeps scary dreams from getting into my head. So, I've learned to accept the arm and then when she's sound asleep, I move it back.
Last night, Lilly agreed to sleep with her big sis. She came into the room while I was reading and asked if I was sure I was going to be OK. "Do you think you're going to have bad dreams?" Lilly inquired. "I think I'm going to wish that you have good dreams and that will give me good dreams too." I answered. This morning, Lilly walked out of Linds' bedroom sleepy-eyed and came right up to me. "Did you have bad dreams?" she asked. "No, how about you?" "Not me either." she replied.

City leadership still strong

2009-01-08T08:25:00.000-08:00

We are back in the swing of things in 2009. The kids returned to school on Wednesday the 7th and I decided to pack everything I could into one 12 hour period. After getting 3 of the kids off to school (remarkably, they all were in great spirits and seemed well-rested as they got ready for the day) the littlest one and I went to PWOC at Ft Bliss for their spring kickoff extravaganza. I took the year "off" from women's ministry for a variety of reasons, and depending on the day and my mood, one of them seems to top the list: 1)grad school requires a great deal of time, imagine that! 2)Pre-K has odd hours, smack dab in the middle of the day; 3)I'm a single parent this year and I need to conserve my energy and 4)sometimes ministry isn't useful or compelling. Going back for this morning session was overwhelming...so many friends I hadn't seen in 6 months and very little free time to just talk to them. I had to leave early which complicated matters even more...my brain was torn between staying to catch up on others' lives and following through on public education and not being tardy for pre-K. Following PWOC and school drop off, I stopped at a friend's house to just shoot the breeze a little. Then I made a phone call to a dear friend who had a baby over Christmas holiday (she's finally here!) and had about 1 hour before the reverse schedule for school pick up began. Whew...I was tired. Meat was sliced, diced and cooked for dinner and then off to my weekly city leadership class. What did I learn this week, you wonder? Well, smart growth initiatives in cities are what have encouraged those creative "strip malls" found in my fave places like Brea, CA. Smart Growth is a voluntary step by developers to create commercial space that recalls years gone by...primarily featuring storefronts on the street with parking in the back. It's the best for those who want all of life to be an enriching experience: the chance to walk from home to the grocery, to the small retail outlet, catch a bite to eat and see a movie. perhaps even swing at the park. El Paso has VERY LITTLE Smart Growth but it doesn't mean that it can't happen in the future. I

Having Milton Bradley over for lunch (and dinner and coffee)

2009-01-05T13:28:00.000-08:00

The after-holiday glow is still with us. We returned from Anaheim on January 3 after stopping in Phoenix overnight at Luke Air Force Base. Luke is located in Avondale, about a 5 hour drive from Grandma and Grandpa's house and has temporary lodging that is similar to the military housing we had at Ft Bragg: no personality but a kitchen, 3 large rooms and 2 TVs. All of us slept well and we made it home by 5pm the next day. since then, we've not done much of anything. Actually, we haven't done anything at all but that sounds so purposeless. Will got some great games for Christmas so we've been having family game time non-stop. As soon as the buzzer finishes on one, we are hot onto the other. Favorites include Yahtzee Turbo which is a timed game of dice rolling (Lilly has developed her own patented "Lilly roll"--she manipulates the dice to display the desired number and lays it on the cards. A guaranteed win every time.
Another favorite is In a Pickle; I can't exactly describe this game but for wordsmiths of all ages (and those who are good at lying!) it's quite addictive. It's now 2:30pm on Monday and we just finished another round of Pickle and Will wants to know when we can play again.
School for the kids resumes on Wednesday; I'm going to miss the late night TV watching and even later-morning wake ups.

Hello 2009!

2009-01-01T08:25:00.000-08:00

New Year's Eve was a fun one for the Rietkerks. We had a quiet day with a smattering of kids in and out of the house enjoying different activities. some went to see Adam Sandler's movie Bedtime Stories (the kids thought it was a hit!) and others walked to the library and park. I holed up in the den working on a book report until I couldn't handle not being part of the fun. Eva started two batches of olie bollen in the afternoon and when they started to fry, the smell was heavenly.
The Hilden gang popped in just after the Goudzwaards left for their small party. After some hearty soups, we pulled out karaoke. You have to understand, we are not a karaoke-type family but there is something about holding a gleaming gold microphone and having an audience that brings out the inner rock star. The kids had a great time singing to ABBA, the Beatles, Britney Spears and Michael Jackson (even twinkle twinkle little star) and the old folks found Simon and Garfunkel, Linda Ronstadt and "Tell Laura I Love Her" to entertain the group. The biggest laughs came as we read the words on the screen which were translated from English to Tagalog and back to English. At 9pm we popped the cork on the champagne and wished everyone Happy New Year! You may think that's a little early but celebrating the New York New Year meets our needs for early bedtime. The Goudzwaards came back here around 10:30 and scooped up some of the kids for the Rose Parade tomorrow morning. Enjoy the pics!

karaoke fun

LACMA

2008-12-28T23:07:00.000-08:00

It's no secret that this family loves museums. several of us made the drive to LA to visit the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, primarily to view the exhibit featuring portraits from Vanity Fair magazine. many of the photos are quite well-known including those of Peter Lorrie, Greta Garbo, a naked and pregnant Demi Moore and the late Princess Diana. We also fit in a tour of European art from Greecian times to 18th century. On our way back home, we stopped off in Starbucks for some holiday refreshment. A day well-spent.
Check out this link to Bill's photos to see a bit of what we saw.

LACMA

More Christmas fun with our relatives

2008-12-28T22:50:00.000-08:00

Sunday was finally both sunny and warm! After 4 days of gloomy weather (and quite cold temps for southern california) we had a beautiful morning. We woke early for church and visited with friends and then met back at Mom and Dad's house for another family dinner. We pulled out all the stops and served up a feast fit for a king. Uncle John, Carol and Blake, along with family friend, Royal Howes enjoyed great conversation and some excellent wine as well. The kids kept busy with glow-in-the-dark frisbee playing and pulled out the grocery store shopping cart for more late night revelry in the street.
Check out this link for more pics from our family dinner!

More Christmas fun with John and Carol and Blake

Happy Christmas!

2008-12-25T17:08:00.000-08:00

We arrived in Anaheim weary but healthy on December 23...after 13 hours of driving. It was a smooth and relatively quiet trip with 2 MP3 players, a DVD player, the radio and a CD player; enough entertainment for the most discerning consumers. As usual, there was traffic once we arrived in Southern California which makes the last 10 miles seem to stretch into eternity. We had 2 hours to freshen up and get ready for the annual Tilma gift exchange. For the first time ever, we did a white elephant exchange and had a great time learning how to steal presents effectively. The overwhelming presence of festive "spirits" gives an indication of the merriment this family typically enjoys. I was happy to "win" an Itunes gift card, something that I'm eager to load and redeem.
Enjoy the pics located on the right side of this blog page.

Goodbye moptop

2008-12-21T11:41:00.000-08:00

He finally said "go for it!" The girls have been on Will for the past weeks to get his haircut. He finally consented. I call it the 3 day haircut...every morning I find another area that I need to fix. doesn't he look sweet?

Now what?

2008-12-20T11:19:00.000-08:00

We've anticipated the end of the school semester for so long we are just walking around the house not quite knowing what to do. I think the littlest one asked about 7 times, "do we go to school today? Do we go to school tomorrow? how about next week? when???" I kept the electric blanket turned on "HI" this morning and crawled back in bed with my oldest daughter and grabbed a book and just continued reading. During the next two weeks, this is what I see myself reading to fill in the luscious empty hours:

Ann Rice's Christ the Lord: The Road to Cana
The Starter Wife
Dangerous Laughter
The Working Life (have to get one school requirement in there)
What was she thinking (the book that "Notes on a Scandal" was based on)

Now, what to do with the kids who aren't readers?

Who cares about safety?

2008-12-17T05:02:00.000-08:00

How many people dream of the day they can fall asleep knowing they have the best security system in the city? Well, after 2 1/2 years of a security system that's been nothing more than beeping windows and doors, our system came to life last night AT 1 AM! Two of the kids ran to my room and asked me what that sound was. I didn't know what they were talking about...I assumed it was a neighbor's car alarm. As I listened, it came to me all of a sudden: that's no car alarm, that's our house alarm. Seems the speaker system that is wired all over the perimeter of the house is actually for the alarm system (no wonder we couldn't figure out how to hook up the stereo for surround-sound in the hot tub). And, it's LOUD! But, apparently, not loud enough for any neighbors to come to our rescue. The alarm panel told me the side garage door was tripped. I decided to catch a thief in the night by exiting the house from the front door and sneaking up on him on the side of the house. Of course, no one was there but I wasn't about to enter the garage from the house because I just knew someone would attack me from there. So, after 20 minutes of this excruciating high-pitch alarm going off, I cut the power to it from the circuit breaker. Then I tore the panel away from the wall and found a red wire and disconnected the alarm...or so I thought. As soon as I restored power the whole thing began again. I decided to keep the power off which was a bit of a risk because that also shut off the blower for our heating system but it's El Paso...we can get by with a night or two without heat.
The next evening my neighbor Jerry came over and he said we could just disarm the whole alarm system. Sounded good to me so he pulled out ALL THE WIRES and the problem is "solved." Yet another thing to make sure I disclose on our sale papers. But, at least I know that I'll sleep much better knowing I have no chance of the alarm going off. Funny, isn't it?

The Christmas Spirit

2008-12-14T19:28:00.000-08:00

Saturday and Sunday were spent baking up a storm in our home. All the kids participated in the fun...lots of flour, peanut butter, eggs, butter and candy sprinkles. Lilly had a great time making sugar cookies and not just in Christmas shapes..the ghosts even made an appearance on the baking sheets. Lauren was quite inventive and created the "ghost of Christmas Present" which is a ghost shape holding a gift! Will spent the majority of the day playing at a friend's house but made it home for the last minutes of baking to create 10 of his own cookies which he promptly ate once they got out of the oven.

What to get a great teacher?

2008-12-12T16:49:00.001-08:00

We did a little Christmas shopping last night. During dinner at Cheddars restaurant, we discussed what gifts we were planning to give to the various people in our life. When the discussion came to teachers, Will was certain that we should give his teacher something from Victoria's Secret. You can imagine the shock that his mom and older sisters had at that comment. I asked him, Why do you think your teacher wants something from Victoria's Secret? He replied, "Well, she's getting close to 50, and women that age like stuff from there."
So, now we're wondering...should we give Mrs. C a gift card to Victoria's Secret? Seems like this story is too good to pass up.

How did I function without it?

2008-12-12T16:42:00.000-08:00

We celebrated my birthday this past week. What a glorious day it was! I was awakened with the smell of blueberry muffins wafting from the kitchen. Lauren had made muffins, coffee and koolaid (no juice, afraid) for our breakfast feast. It was delicious. Then, I got to open the gift from Tim and the kids...a beautiful IPOD touch. We all gazed at it and just marveled at the technology. We even commented on the efficient packaging and tiny instruction booklet. Lindsey was the first to get the IPOD plugged in and charging up. Once all the kids went to school, I was able to play around with it and I could even download stuff by myself. The girls were amazed when they got home.
I rounded out the day with a great lunch with a friend and then an orchestra concert for Franklin High School (outstanding!). When we finally gathered as a family at 9:30pm, we each had a piece of chocolate cake and a glass of milk. What a wonderful birthday.

What life is like now (beginning of semester break)

2008-12-08T21:01:00.001-08:00

Check out the pics of life as we know it now. On Friday, we turned down the lights, put up the screen and watched Elf. Still such a funny movie; Lilly had to tell me several times to not laugh so much. And, as I walk by the living room table, ahhhh.... the computer is closed and the finished papers stapled and stacked neatly.
Saturday was the Christmas holidy kick off in El Paso. The kids and I went downtown for the annual tree lighting and Christmas parade. I guess you can imagine what happens in El Paso at an event like this. Yes, we sing Feliz Navidad over and over...never can get enough of it. And, the parade is filled with normal citizens who enter their motorhomes and deck them out with lights and music. If we're here next year, it's going to be the Rietkerks in the mini van with the sunroof open. Following the parade, I took the kids to see Home Alone at the restored Plaza Theater (remember my postings in August about this place?) Lilly kept whispering, "This is NOT funny. This is SCARY!" Yes, I guess robbers breaking into your house when you're a defenseless 8 year old is a little scary. After to movie, we drove to the Eastridge neighborhood to see the lights. A full night and a great way to celebrate the beginning of the holiday season.

What the kids don't know can't hurt them

2008-12-04T13:00:00.000-08:00

The end of the semester is almost here! Yippee!! If I write one more phrase using "leaderful leaders" in a sentence it will be too soon. Here is a pic of what I see when I'm sitting at the table. Notice the assortment of junk food? This is what I've consumed at the laptop in the past 2 days while working furiously to finish:
2 double tall lattes (extra hot)
box milk duds
box good & plenty
1 quarter pounder with cheese
1 med fries
1 regular coke
3 diet pepsi
7 chips ahoy cookies
8 fig newtons
probably a full package of graham crackers
3 slices of cheddar cheese
handful of wheat thins (in attempt to "eat healthy")
too many pieces of fire gum by Dentyne to count

Whew! Good thing finals only come around once a semester.

Santa's little helper

2008-12-03T08:21:00.000-08:00

Every morning, after the older kids have left for school, the little one plays as I do my school work. Today, she came to the table and just sat looking at me until I noticed her Santa hat. Boy, was she proud to wear it. Enjoy the pics

I wonder if Dad saw this?

2008-12-01T18:13:00.001-08:00

Wow! How amazing! Lindsey stepped outside to take a look at the southwestern sky tonight and she instantly popped back in and hurried everyone outside. The moon, Venus and Jupter were all crowded around each other in the night sky. It was truly beautiful. So we wondered, Does dad see the same sky as we do?

Thanksgiving, come and gone

2008-12-01T06:56:00.000-08:00

Lauren and Lady let everyone else work on the tree while they took a long break

I returned fairly rested from my whirlwind visit to Switzerland. The stay in Denver overnight (because I missed my connecting flight to El Paso) was much needed and I even happened to recognize a friend from our time in Alaska who miraculously ended up sitting next to me on the morning flight to Ft Bliss. What a small world!
My mom and dad were at the airport to greet me and we indulged in a steaming cup of Starbucks and a nice chat in the airport patio. Don't misunderstand...El Paso is one of the few airports I've been to with a delightful outdoor patio and waterfalls designed to provide a little respite from the chaos inside the terminal. We left the parking lot in just enough time to pick up Lilly from pre-k. She was thrilled to see me. Then, G-pa picked up the rest of the kids and brought them home. What a nice evening for all of us. I was still tired though and whacked out from the time zone change and crawled into bed by 8pm...even though my eyes and body desperately asked for this around 6pm.
The rest of the week days were filled with paper writing, report cards and scrapbooking. On Thursday, we prepared the Parade Magazine featured feast and everyone declared it a winner. It was so tasty and easy to prepare that we determined to offer it once again at Christmas. Gpa and Gma left on Saturday morning and the kids and I had a slow weekend. Lauren, Will and I took a break and saw the movie "Twilight" on Saturday afternoon. Actually, it was a fast-paced and enjoyable movie, even though I haven't read the book. But many in the audience had read the book and they practically twittered as characters were presented on screen. I found that to be very hopeful for our society...people still read books that bring them into another world.

Hi! I'm a distressed traveler

2008-11-24T05:11:00.000-08:00

Au Revoir Geneve, hello US of A. My flight out of Switzerland left nice and early yesterday morning and Steph and the kids sent me off. It was good to see Bryan (although briefly saturday night) and emotions were heavy as I headed back home. At least we all get to be reunited at Christmastime. My connecting flight in Frankfort got a late start; those Airbus planes can hold a lot of people! I think 4 buses brought passengers out to the plane and just about every seat was taken. I had a wonderful seatmate for the trip: Carole and her husband Jim live in Colorado and have been traveling for Jim's work often for the past 5 years. She was a wealth of information and gave me some ideas for future vacations we might take. The trip was relatively smooth...except for a 30 minute period near Greenland when I was fairly convinced we were going to crash land into the ocean. It's not a good sign when the flight attendants don't tell you what's going on but they immediately go into "crisis mode." (sure tip off: pulling back the curtains between first class and coach)But, the plane managed to hold on and we made it safely but LATE into Denver. I missed my connecting flight to El Paso but used my head and located the USO; the staff there helped me find a hotel, use a cell phone, check the internet and get a small snack.
I spent the night at the Crowne Plaza and enjoyed going to bed at 7PM in complete darkness and a generous king sized bed. I awoke at 4AM ready to conquer another day. I should be home around noon. (wearing the same clothes I put on over 24 hours ago)

Look! It's snowing!

2008-11-22T08:45:00.001-08:00

There's just something about the first snowfall that makes everyone feel like a kid. Troy had been saying for the past week that it was going to snow...he was right. This morning, big fluffy flakes fell outside the picture window and offered a spectacular view of the Jura Mountains and the french chateau across the fields. We decided it was a great day to take a trip north and plotted a course on the GPS for Freiburg, Switzerland, about an hour's drive to a real-life medieval village complete with a town hall and cathedral dating to the 1200s. What fun it was to walk the cobblestone streets and have impromptu snowball fights. (and it was good packing snow!) Our time in the cathedral was well spent as we gazed on the paintings, and bronze and stone sculptures. We also lit candles in memory of loved ones. Troy even told me this was the best day ever--I'm not going to let him forget it.
Once home again in Bogis-Bossey, we snuggled under the warm quilts and read, played and talked as we waited for Bryan to return from his trip to California. It's my last night in Switzerland so I'm making the most of it. Time to pop open another bottle of wine and make plans for the next visit.

Indulgences, hell, predestination...OH MY!

2008-11-20T23:48:00.000-08:00

What a great day to tour the Reformation! Steph and I got the kids off to school by 7:30am and already the sun was starting to peak from behind the clouds as we walked back home. Our plan was to leave for Geneva by 9AM to get a little sight-seeing in before the kids got out of school. We first stopped at the International American Women's clubhouse, a beautiful shop set up in a great building in downtown Geneva. Lots of little nooks and crannies to sit and visit with other English speakers. Steph attends the quilting group and she stopped by to pick up some supplies and see some friends. We then headed for Old Town Geneva, just a short drive away and made our way up the steps to land miraculously at Rue de Jean Calvin!

Lots of Swiss flags hanging in the streets along with the Genevan flag (which I always want to refer to as "Genovia:....from Princess Diaries movies)We took a tour of Calvin's Auditorium which has a nice recap of John Calvin and John Knox's formative years and is still the sight where a Dutch reformed congregation meets today. Then, around the block we toured the large former cathedral from where Calvin preached and which still features his chair. We were able to take a walk UP-Up-UP to the north and south bell towers. Funny, 130 steps doesn't sound bad, until you walk it after doing that Wii Fit thing. Ugh.

Our next stop was the International Reformation Museum, probably one of the best state-of-the-art museums I've been to (and it's not just because I'm a reformed gal). Steph and I purchased the audio tour and then practically had the place to ourselves to play with the many hands-on displays and learn about the role that this city played in the Reformation movement. The museum featured a small room set up as a chapel and on the walls you could select different pieces of music to play as you sat in the pews. Great organ music and chorale accompaniment. Steph and I now know more about the arguments both pro and con for predestination (we're PRO, of course) and discovered that Swiss banking was formed on the hard work of the French refugees who fled France during the persecution of Protestants and then created timepieces and calico cloth to get them through the tough times.
We made it to school in due time for the children and then Steph and I relaxed with cafe au lait and a sumptuous almond croissant; the perfect ending to a most perfect Genevan day!

oh, my aching sides

2008-11-19T10:22:00.001-08:00

A vacation is a great time to start a new fitness regimen! I've been faithfully engaging the Wii fit as part of my exercise program since I'm away from home. Let me tell you, it's not for slackers. Yesterday I did a potluck of aerobic activity and strength-training. I woke up this morning with very sore leg muscles (all of them) so I opted for yoga today. Now, not only my legs hurt but also my sides, arms and back. Tomorrow I'm thinking of just walking around the streets of Geneva really fast to count toward my daily goal.

J'ai mange de trop de fromage

2008-11-18T10:13:00.000-08:00

Had a chance to keep my promise to myself this morning. Steph and Bryan have Wii here in their home and I've wanted to try Wii fit for awhile now so this morning offered the perfect chance to slip down to the cool basement and try out some new moves on the balance board. I managed to do several activities and was pleased to see that I even rated better than "Scary" or "CutiePie" in some categories. Must admit that the Wii fit can be quite a workout. Steph and I paid a visit to IKEA this afternoon and then to a quaint creperie to have a giant lunch which gave me a bit of a stomachache trying to digest all that luscious cheese. I'm still feeling the effects this evening so Steph and I simply ate wild rice for dinner--the kids pigged out on chicken with their rice.
I've been enjoying the book "The Good Earth" by Pearl Buck during this vacation. A great book about a man's love for his land and the meaning it gives him for living a fulfilling life. I'm not familiar with the Chinese culture but find the main character's development by the author to give me a great mental image of life in China before the revolution. Steph built a fire this afternoon and we read with the crackling sounds of the wood providing a nice backdrop for the misty afternoon skies from the living room windows.
Check out this cool trick: the shopping carts hook onto the escalators to make the trip to the parking garage. Ingenious!

Monday in Bogis-Bossey

2008-11-17T05:07:00.000-08:00

Had a great weekend in Switzerland! Arrived on Saturday, early afternoon after a 9 hour flight from Denver to Frankfurt, then on to Geneva for an hour flight. I missed my connection in Frankfurt...those security checkpoints are simply not efficient. I was hoping to be inspected by a "puffer machine" but it was the standard one and then Helga conducted a very thorough wand inspection over my whole body. (PS: women's boots have A LOT of metal in the toes) Steph was waiting for me at the Geneva airport...customs is pretty much the honor system in this airport which made it a breeze to pick up my bags and make my way outside. We then picked up Quinn from her friend's house who lives near the airport. Then on to the Goudzwaard house which is set in nice rolling countryside near the French border. A lot of open land which has been cleared of the summer crops and lays in wait for the next season's planting.
Sunday morning was spent visiting the morning market in Divonne, France a short drive from their home. A nice selection of vegetables, fruits and dead chickens with their heads still on... We also visited a quaint chateau on the top of the hill overlooking the valley. We can see this grand home from Steph's living room window which makes me wonder who lived there and what they thought when they looked over the valley. Pretty impressive, I imagine. Sunday evening we went to church in Nyon, an English speaking church with a bit of a baptist flavor. Very friendly people and tons of kids. It is clear that the children run the place and the parents are grateful to have a place to have them gather and make friends. I met several friends of Steph's including Karen (Nieunhuis) and Peter Cornelisse; Karen is a friend of Tim's sister Jill--what a very small world.
Monday morning the kids were off to school once again but I didn't wake up in time to walk them to the bus stop. There are these great metal shades that roll down outside the house windows and they effectively block out ALL THE LIGHT. Not since my time in Alaska have I had such dark rooms when sleeping. I've been sleeping quite well with the help of some relaxing herbs. Steph and I went on an excursion to the grocery store; lots of new packaging to decipher exactly what's inside. Just like a kid, I relied on the pictures on the outside of the packaging for the clues. The meat aisle was the most interesting: standard chicken and beef but also ostrich, horse, and bunny rabbit. Hmmm...we're sticking with good ol chicken.
It's the afternoon right now and Steph and I are enjoying music on the computer radio and reading decorator magazines. Just like old times--wish I lived across the street instead of across the ocean.

Below is a great picture of what I've termed a "pocket church" They are dotted all over the Swiss countryside. I would love to have one of these in my backyard...imagine what inspiration would come from such a cute little building

Bonjour Switzerland

2008-11-16T12:48:00.000-08:00

If you didn't hear already I've taken a little jaunt over the pond to my new fave city Geneva! I'll be writing and posting for the next week from Bogis-Bossey, Steph and Bryan's new home near the lake. Hope you're as excited to read about it as I am to "live" it

three days off

2008-11-10T19:05:00.000-08:00

It's Veterans Day! The kids and I all stayed cozy under the covers this morning because we didn't have to go to school! Yippee! Even Lilly knew what that meant...when we drove by the library to drop off some books, she said: "Today's a day off. Mommy doesn't even have to go to school." She's right; I kept the computer off most of the day and managed to think about leadership only in the context of US government. Lauren spent the night at a friend's house (they tented in the backyard...brave girls) and Lindsey managed to create an avalanche of school books from which she claims she's studying for a test. Will, Lilly and I went to see the blockbuster movie Madagascar 2--Escape to Africa. It was a great movie...even some good adult laughs strategically placed in it. I splurged and bought popcorn and coke, both of which Lilly managed to spill on Will during the movie. At least we had a chance to get our fill before the unfortunate event.

another manifesto

2008-11-09T19:33:00.000-08:00

It's just like old times... Got together tonight with some great friends who are devoted to reading great books, talking about them and changing their lives because of the words. Our group was a bit larger last year but as the military scatters us to the four winds, this is what gradually happens. We discussed Rob Bell's new book "Jesus wants to Save Christians, a Christian manifesto" as we sipped mocha lattes and salted caramel hot chocolates. Julia beleives the book is loaded with prophecy, I think Bell's finally offered what our media-saturated society desperately needs: a simple statement that propels us to action: Listen, and then go". Another book receiving some discussion was George Barna's "Pagan Christianity" one of Sandy's faves this season. Barna has something to say on just about every "church" practice you've ever heard about (spoiler alert: we're missing the mark) We spent a great deal of time talking about the old way of learning (tell them the reasons...they will believe) and the new way (let's find common meaning together) Lots to consider as we each search for the community that challenges us to grow. It felt so good to sit in the local Starbucks, enjoy great conversation and just revel in the blessing of friendship. May everyone be so lucky!

pity me, just a little please

2008-11-07T22:38:00.001-08:00

The posts this week we spotty at best. That can only mean one thing...papers are due! I've been working around the clock (and if you knew what time it was that I'm writing this you'd know I'm not lying) to get two assignments completed and turned in before midnight, November 7. I recommend in the future that only one assignment be due on any given day. I was able to incorporate some fantastic artwork into my coaching dialogue assignment which had me developing a fictional interaction with another person as I explained leadership development. Check out the following picture which illustrates Dialogue

I've adapted this from David Bohm, a quantum physicist who saw life as interrelated. Dialogue is like a stream running between two banks. He noted that it is the stream that counts; the banks merely give form to the stream. The stream is analogous to the free flow of meaning between people; we are simply present to give shape to the flow. Dialogue leads to shared meaning.
Heavy thoughts for so late at night; sweet dreams!

what a night!

2008-11-05T14:17:00.000-08:00

November 4, 2008...A historic day in US History
OK, that's a little strong. Well, the kids and I truly enjoyed watching Election Night coverage from a variety of media: network news, cable news, comedy central (John Stewart and Steven Colbert together!), CNN.COM, Facebook, telephone...it was dizzying all the choices for getting last minute information. I was surprised that ABC often predicted state results way before CNN did; I would have thought the other way around. Lilly, in the pic above, was really excited to watch the tally change on CNN.COM; she kept saying, "McCain's numbers are moving. Is he the new president?" Will kept asking when the debate was going to start (he tried so hard to stay current in the whole election)Lindsey was the mad web surfer and had complete command of the TV remote. Lauren and I just sat back and waited for the results.
The budding politician of the family, Lindsey, left the house with 20 minutes of polling still open so she could wave the Obama/Biden sign at our local polling place. She was able to talk with Joe Moody, a young guy running for state rep for Texas. He talked with her awhile about how he got started--his first campaign was with Al Gore. She told him she hoped he won; he said, "Me Too!" (ps... Moody won) Now, it's time to look forward to January 20, 2009 and see what plans are in store for us.
Little Lilly during the excitement; we supposed politics puts her to sleep.

Really? They give you candy? For free?

2008-11-02T12:05:00.000-08:00

Halloween was a great success this past Friday. The kids were excited to go trick-or-treating in our neighborhood. The weather was fantastic; about 60 degrees and a quarter moon in the sky. Our neighbors, Tara and Jerry, throw a garage party each year and guests bring food to share and sit in the garage while the kids make the rounds. Jerry had invited friends from his office (he works in the car industry across the border) and Tara invited a group from church as well as other neighbors. It was a great picture of what halloween can be for suburban America: a chance for those who live near each other to open up their homes to others and connect on a deeper basis. It was a lot of fun meeting new friends and catching up with old ones. The kids came home with a nice stash: Lilly probably had the most and she is pretty good about sharing the chocolate bars with her mom! (especially Mounds and Almond Joy which no kid likes)

Eeeeeek!!

2008-10-31T07:06:00.000-07:00

GET IT OUT OF HERE....KILL IT!We came home from the Franklin Orchestra halloween concert (Lindsey teamed up to play Hillary to her friend's Sarah Palin) and this is what was crawling into the garage. Lauren and Lindsey noticed it then all of us ran through the house to kill the bug! Everyone was screaming, probably because I was screaming the loudest. Even Lady, the dog, was backing up and had the shivers. The strangest was that every time I screamed, the bug seemed to freeze in place. And boy, can things move fast with that many legs. I got the shovel, scooped it up and then tried valiantly to toss it into the street. I just fell off the shovel at my feet in the driveway. Lauren doused it with bug spray and still the creature kept moving. This is what we found in the morning. Bleech!

Whoa...information overload!

2008-10-29T20:31:00.000-07:00

Each WednesdayI get a chance to be a real student...at the Neighborhood Leadership Academy in downtown El paso. Today, was a double treat for those who love to gather more content than they know what to do! I went to a seminar at Ft Bliss this morning featuring Deb Kloeppel, president of MSCCN (the military loves acronyms). It was a 6 hour seminar on resume writing, interview skills and job hunts. I have to admit that I was a bit apprehensive going to the seminar because I really thought I was going to know more than the presenters (a terrible trait of people with my personality) and, in some instances, that was true. But, there was a fantastic breakout session presented by ADP, the payroll people, who spoke clearly about the need to know what you want to do and how to track the positions you've targeted. The three presenters from that company were professional, clear and funny. Deb, on the other hand, could benefit from a few sessions with a career coach. She was abrasive, know-it-all and kept combining slight swear words WITH her proclamation that "God is her King." I was confused...was I supposed to be afraid of her or pity her? Well, her company is the only one of its kind helping military spouses network with large American corporations (Lockheed Martin, ADP...) to secure positions that are "portable." As you are aware, military spouses tend to move around a lot and don't give recruiters a lot of hope for stability. I did leave with excellent buzzwords and a practiced "elevator speech" (if you want to hear it, just try shaking my hand sometime)
This evening was class #4 for the leadership academy. we heard from Environmental Services and public health. I am now aware how many animals they kill each year in El Paso (17,500) and that garbage trucks run into many cars each week and they are not responsible for paying the damage (your homeowner's policy will have to pay out!) of course, there was a lot of other great info shared and I look forward to visiting the History Museum next week. What a great city I live in!

stressful times

2008-10-28T07:15:00.000-07:00

Check out what our sweet, quiet Lilly was doing last night. I came into the kitchen and she had taken the ice cream out of the freezer. When she got a bowl, it wasn't for the ice cream...it was for a nice pool of chocolate syrup to dip the spoon into before getting a bite of ice cream. I guess we all deal with the stress of not having Daddy home in different ways. At least this was after dinner; we've been known to hit the freezer treats hard at 9AM!

Sunday downtime

2008-10-26T18:40:00.000-07:00

El Paso continues to enjoy great fall weather with the daytime temps around 80 degrees and evening temps in the low 50s; nice and crisp for sleeping. Do you wonder how our sleeping arrangements are turning out with Tim gone?
When Tim left for Ft Bragg, we converted our office back into Lauren's bedroom. It was originally a maid's quarters so lauren has a private entrance to the home with her own full bath and laundry privileges! (not that I've noticed her doing her laundry in the middle of the night) Lindsey still has her private room on the other side of the house and enjoys taking the laptop into bed with her for last minute internet checks and a little homework too. Will is sleeping alone in his large room with bunkbeds and Playstation/TV access. He's probably the safest one to put in there because he falls asleep at the drop of a hat (ask anyone who's been in our car on the 1 mile trip back home from school...zombie kid in back seat in 1 minute flat) And for me? I have a convenient hot pocket in my bed which is great for toasting my toes on these cold nights. Lilly sleeps fairly soundly although when we've had a stressful evening, she tends to kick, roll and throw her arms across my face. I've discovered a great sleep aid: valerian root, an herb that is non-addictive but totally sleep-inducing. I love it. But caution: the smell of the pill is enough to wake the dead. Worse than any kind of stinky feet you've ever experienced. Be Warned! (but you'll be calm, rested and peaceful so it won't matter)

Ms. Rattles, to you

2008-10-21T08:09:00.000-07:00

Halloween is just around the corner. The kids have been searching the web and catalogs for costume ideas. Our goal...no one spends more than $10 for their costume. Lilly had no problem figuring out what she wanted to be...a skeleton. She's been saying this for about a month now and we found a pattern for costume for the bones on the Family Fun website. We bought a black sweatsuit and white paint. Lilly cut out all the pattern pieces herself and painted the bones too. I insisted on outlining the bones on the fabric but she could have been released to do the whole thing herself. Miss Independent!

Weekend Update

2008-10-21T06:23:00.000-07:00

Busy weekend for the Rietkerks. Saturday had everyone going in different directions and me trying to figure out how to conserve a little gas while doing it. By 8:30, Will and I were out the house for his soccer game at Gallegos Park. When we got there, our whole team was just standing in a little huddle wondering where the other team was. They never showed up. You know what that means: FORFEIT! Boy, were those kids happy. Since we had everyone there ready to play we had a rousing game of Parents vs Kids. That's right! I played soccer (first time in my life...really!) At least I wore tennis shoes to the game so I was somewhat prepared for kicking and running. Had a great time teasing the kids, faking them out and generally trying hard to win. It ended up a tie (2-2)
All that exercise before 10am was difficult for my body but I returned home and took Lindsey to a violin tryout for All-Region Orchestra. She was nervous (I was too!) I chose to sit in the car and read a book because being in a high school gym with over 100 violinists who are all scared and waiting their turn to perform isn't conducive to a peaceful state of mind. She finished in about an hour and checked on-line later that afternoon for her results. (She made it! Yippee!)
We returned home and picked up Lauren to deliver her to a party up the street. She didn't want to do the super-fun outing I had planned for Lilly and Will and myself and opted for time with friends instead. Is she really that old now? I took the kids to see Beverly Hills Chihuahua and because I was feeling generous that only 2 kids came along, I bought popcorn and a coke! Unheard of for me. The movie was funny--imagine, a talking dog!

Neighborhood Leadership Academy

2008-10-16T20:02:00.000-07:00

El Paso City Hall...my classroom is on the third floor..unfortunately, no windows to look out at the night sky

Every week, on Wednesday nights, I attend the El Paso Neighborhood Leadership Academy, a program for interested citizens who get together to learn more about the city. Each week we have a featured presenter (or two) who tell about their city department and how it functions to make the city more livable. It's been a eye-opening process. My class has 40 students and we act just like students who've paid good money for the information: though the class is free. We get there on time, sit in our same seats (never assigned but we are creatures of comfort), make small talk with our neighbor and then when the presentation begins, we're dutifully taking notes.

I'd guess that many of the students came for the same reason as me: I just want to know how a city runs. I had no idea that El Paso has a physical 911 call center downtown with tons of operators on duty 24/7. I didn't know that having a zoo is a huge headache for a city...when an elephant gets sick, watch out for PETA who can suck the excitement right out of town. Did you know that El Paso recently converted from a traditional mayor-led city to one with a city manager and a mayor? There's so much still to learn because the course is a total of 16 weeks. I hope I have the stamina to survive until early Spring 2009.

The nights are coming quicker here in West Texas. We used to walk the dog around 7:15pm and have a nice sunset on the return trip. Now, that same trip needs to start at 6:30 in order to see the beauty of the night skies. It won't be long before we're wearing jackets, gloves and facemasks to make that evening walk. Can't wait!

Get out the vote (early)

2008-10-14T18:13:00.000-07:00

"Mom! Your ballot came!" I think Lindsey was more excited than I was to finally see the envelope in the mailbox. We quickly ripped it open and proceeded to talk about the meaning of living in a democratic society. (nice try...actually, Lindsey wanted to fill it out for me) I've kept it completely blank and won't fill in my choices until after the kids are in bed. It's a private matter and they must learn to respect that. But, it's pretty clear who I'm leaning toward...

MacGuyver strikes again (and again, and again)

2008-10-13T19:24:00.001-07:00

I think I should have paid more attention when MacGuyver was on TV. That guy was amazing with chewing gum, pipe cleaners and toothpaste. I don't wait to fix things; I just want to be a mom and student. Following is a list of tasks I've accomplished, never quite knowing what I'm doing but thinking, "Well, it's holding so it should be OK for now."

1) I drove into the garage and upon exiting the car I see two little screws on the ground. Now, last year I remember having a flat tire with a screw embedded in it. So I knew it wasn't a good idea to completely ignore them. Yep, they came out of the garage door tracking. Where, I'm not exactly sure b/c we're missing a lot of them. So, I shoved them both back in and covered them with duct tape. Should be good, right? WRONG...within a day those two as well as 2 others popped out and now the whole door is busted. I just park in the driveway.

2) The kids' toilet handle popped off one afternoon. I promptly taught them how to take off the lid and lift the chain to get the same results. Well, 2 weeks of pee-water from Lilly prompted Lindsey to file a complaint with DCS for inhumane living conditions. I went to Lowes, found something that looked right (and it was cheap) and managed to break off the old handle and put in a new one. It's a little wiggly, but it flushes the toilet; isn't that what we're going for?

3) The vaccum attachment for the pool hose broke off as I was cleaning the pool. Hmmmm, not too keen on buying a new part so I found some wire and managed to wrap it around the attachment a bazillion times and it seemed to hold for the remainder of the job. I wonder if it's going to rust over during the winter?

4) The towel bar in the girls bathroom broke off the wall. ("honest mom, I wasn't hanging on it") I went to Lowes to get a replacement and "gold tone" isn't in fashion anymore. Thought about spray painting the chrome one but my last spray paint job (door handles throughout the house) didn't turn out so good. So, I bought clearanced towel bars and now I'm hanging three instead of one.

5) The ultimate problem? Kitchen cupboards falling off the walls. Well, there are some things that little MacGuyvers must call in the professionals for...I called John and his guys fixed them. At least I know one job will stand the test of the Rietkerk family.

finger lickn good

2008-10-12T14:43:00.000-07:00

On our way home from church this morning, Will said, "I wish we could have KFC for lunch." This isn't new for Will; he's always hungry and always looking for a way to drive through a fast food restaurant to pick up something quick and highly fattening. Usually, I have a number of reasons for saying no, but today, it just seemed like a good day to say yes. We went home with the oily smell of fried chicken tempting our noses; lots of greasy fingers, spilled gravy and picked-clean drumsticks 2 hours later, and everyone was satisfied. (even Lady the dog)

Sunday's a'here

2008-10-12T11:09:00.000-07:00

We had an enjoyable Saturday. Lauren and Will are both playing soccer this year for AYSO Region 272. While I don't mind the extra time driving to practices and getting the soccer gear ready each week, I am always conscious of the fact that I'm the only driver in this family. Will's game yesterday was at a new field--over the mountains. What was I going to do about Lauren's game? Well, great foresight on the part of the AYSO volunteers have made it possible that every game (except one) for the Rietkerk kids is at the same field. So yesterday we piled into the car and drove over the mountain to the Northeast side of town and enjoyed a little cloud cover, sprinkles and drama during the games. On Will's team, a kid plowed right into another kid and promptly got a yellow card; oh, the look on that 9 year old's face when he got the card was priceless. Kind of like, oh, I'm going to get it when I get home. during Lauren's game, the ghost of games past visited us and lauren once again had to be carried off the field. Same knee injury as the past 2 years. Luckily, she got prompt attention and today only walks with a little hop to her step.
We are still attending the "movie theater church". I'm enjoying the cool temps inside, dark, luxurious surroundings and rockin band. Lighting and sound aren't bad either. The small group bible study I'm involved with has several new members attending so we all feel like newbies which is a plus. I'm curious to see how they develop future connections among people in the church. As you know, when you're renting space, you have to vacate when time's up. that's a real drag. I do love to hang around and talk!

Lindsey's driving now

2008-10-09T07:56:00.000-07:00

We're so Proud!
After 16 days of driver's education class, Lindsey finally has her permit. Boy, were we nervous waiting for her to take the test on the computer. We drove to the Texas Dept of Public Safety (the DPS not the DMV, which I keep calling it)just 30 minutes before closing. Will and I sat in the hard, plastic blue chairs as Lindsey made a mad dash to complete the test. Before she took it, the DPS lady asked if she could finish the test in 10 minutes because they were closing. That seemed a bit unfair to me but Lindsey took the challenge and finished in 6 minutes flat. She begged to drive home afterwards but I resisted. We had to go through the McDonald's Drive-thru and I couldn't fathom how she would maneuver the car through the little lane. Now she'll have several sessions of behind-the-wheel driving with an instructor and in 6 months, she's on her own. >

Just another "non" manic Monday

2008-10-06T19:04:00.000-07:00

Another great start to the school week. Bright sunshine and cool morning temps. Lauren is usually the first one up in the morning but today I found her curled up on the couch watching cartoons. Obviously, she had decided that she wasn't feeling well and wanted to stay home. Once I gave the go-ahead she crawled back into her bed and I didn't see her again until 10:30am. Will, Lindsey and Lilly all got off to school on time, though we're a bit concerned with Will's happy-go-lucky attitude with just 4 minutes until the tardy bell rings. Maybe once he gets a tardy notice, he won't be so slow.
Since the start of october has come and gone I'm contemplating finding the fall decorations for the house and doing a little spiffing up around here. But after the trial of trying to find box #16 for Lindsey for homecoming (which we never did locate) I'm hesitant to undertake the task of Fall Decor. Now I'm beginning to think that having those big rubbermaid tubs in holiday colors are a great idea. I did it for Christmas (red and green) why didn't I do it for Fall in a nice deer-hunter orange?
I started walking again in the evenings. I go right after dinner just as the sun is setting over the New Mexico mountains; what a beautiful picture it is as I come down the hill on La Posta and see a orangey-pink sunset with lots of twinkling lights in the distance. Too bad there isn't a local coffee joint with a great patio on the point.

a full Saturday

2008-10-04T21:32:00.000-07:00

Had a chance to sleep in late this morning. The first person up was Will at 8:00; Lilly and I followed around 8:30 and Lindsey...well, who knows when she got up but she headed out the door to go running right away and that was impressive. Lauren followed her traditional weekend schedule and spent the night at a friend's house. We headed off to the soccer fields for games at high noon; both Lauren and Will faced off against some tough competition. Without Tim here to watch the games, it's up to me to keep an eye on the fancy footwork but the games seem to be never-ending (especially when your kid is sitting out the final quarter).
It was time to clean up the yard again since Tim's been gone for more than a week now. The "For Sale" sign came down on Thursday morning so we can finally clear away all those scraggly grass blades that were difficult to trim during the summer. Although the house is off the market I'm trying to keep the "clean machine" concept going for as long as possible. Lindsey mowed both yards and I, along with the girls from next door, raked up pine needles. It's looking like fall in the yard; now we have to get some cooler temps.
This evening is Homecoming for Franklin High School. Lindsey went to the dance with a group of friends but they didn't get ready at our house so I missed out on all the fun. But, I did drive over to her friend's house and took a few pics of the girls after hair and makeup was done. Enjoy!

Don't move!

2008-10-02T06:30:00.000-07:00

Wanted you to see what a great role model Tim is for the kids. I was walking from the kitchen to our bedroom and it was very quiet in the house. I looked over to the living room and this is what I saw...William reading a chapter book. I just calmly said, "Don't Move." He looked at me and said, "What? I like to read." That was news to me. I guess he had to find the right kind of book. (FYI: it's the Bailey School Kids series)

Back to normal

2008-10-01T07:32:00.000-07:00

Roses from Tim
Cooler temps are here in El Paso. We've had several days of only mid-80s daytime temps so everyone's anticipating Fall to be here soon. The yard is looking mighty fine; grass is still green and the yellow lantana is taking over the walkway. I planted a beuatiful multi-colored lantana in our mailbox planter (lantana grows really well in the desert) and it is just now taking off...after 2 months of patient watering) Hopefully, those pine needles will stop dropping and the rocks can stay clean during the winter.
This is Spirit Week at Franklin High School. So,homecoming can't be far away. (In fact, it's Friday) Last year, we took the kids and our neighbor's girls to the homecoming game and ended up in a freak storm that brought hail and torrential winds on us as we dashed to the van for protection. We became separated from some of the kids who went with high schoolers into the school buildings. Don't think we're too keen on going to the game this year. Lindsey has been having a blast dressing up, yesterday as a nerd and today as a bobby soxer from the 50's complete with poodle skirt. Her friend Katie is a puritan girl today thanks to Lauren's dress up stuff from Williamsburg, VA.
Lindsey has 2 more days of driver's training school and then she gets to go to the DMV and get her permit. Both of us are a bit apprehensive about her taking the next step. She continues to tell me everything I'm doing wrong (like the 4 second rule...I don't remember that one from high school) so at least the rules are sinking in. Will thinks it will be great when she has her license because all she does is shop and he thinks she'll take him to Target every week. I'm not betting on that.

well that was quick

2008-09-28T14:39:00.000-07:00

Our new red door...come over and see us some time!
Tim came and went and nary a word was posted to the blog. Apologies all around but we were trying to become a tight family unit in under 7 days time. It was great having "Daddy" home again. Lilly was stuck to Tim like glue the first 2 days; the first thing she asked when she woke up on Day 1 was "Where's daddy?" Tim just ate that up. Will had many activities planned for Tim's time home and as the days passed, he became content to just "be with dad" rather than go out and do mindless excursions. (however, Will is planning on bowling the next time Tim comes home and I don't think he's going to forget it) The older girls enjoyed individual taxi rides to school (I usually force a carpool situation every morning) and I basically loved having another adult home to talk about the "undiscussables" like POLITICS. Don't ask Tim his opinion on Sarah Palin, unless you're in love with her also.
Tim and I managed to complete some house projects like small holes in the wall being filled in, towel bars that have fallen off and I didn't feel like putting them up...that sort of thing. It was good to do it together.

I think I was watching MTV when they explained that rule

2008-09-16T19:03:00.000-07:00

Our normal afternoon routine goes something like this:
pick up Lilly
wait 12 minutes
pick up Lauren
wait 24 minutes
pick up Will
wait 17 minutes
pick up Lindsey
Drive Lindsey to Cherokee Driving School
wait 2 hours
madly eat dinner
do lots of homework (everyone except Will and Lilly)

Tonight I couldn't resist taking this picture. Lindsey is our resident math whiz since Tim is not at home and we all know I'm much better with words. So, teacher and student were side by side in the kitchen. No fighting, no arguing, no crying. Just simple learning.

A budding artist

2008-09-16T05:38:00.000-07:00

Just about dinner time, everything falls apart around the house. The noise level is much higher, there are books and instruments all over the tables and the kitchen is plain HOT. We figured out how to get Lilly to cooperate until we eat the meal..."Do you want to paint?" She always says yes and eagerly hops up on the stool to make her next creation. This pic was from last night; the girl on the left is me and the one on the right is Lilly; she says we are holding hands and we're happy. Everyone in the house (well, except for Will who was busy with the computer) kept telling her what a great picture it is.
I got my hair cut and colored tonight. Nothing radical but it's the first time I've gotten so much notice. Lindsey isn't wild about it; Lilly wanted to know how I got my hair to do the flip; and Will said, "Hey, nice cut." I think I'm going to tone it done from now on.