Tales from the Debbie 1

6/24/00
Unbelievable. Took the boys to a park, they found a river. By the river they found mud. In the river they found minnows and bugs and lots of ugly things. Meg went too. They went 'wading'. Now they are muddy, smell like fish and are soaked. Unfortunately we had to pick up Ana at Butler U. Me and 400 other parents with their hot, but clean children, waited for the choral to let out. Now in the sun the smell is getting quite bad. So as not to draw attentions to themselves, as they never do, they preceded to play the computer game "worms", as live people. This being a quiet game, ha, ha, all 400 some people now look and smell.
Of course Mike decided earlier to t clean his muddy feet off by flicking the mud around. It is in my hair, on my yellow shirt and my legs. Now I am home and going to go get Meg and myself in the tub, take a nap and try again tomorrow. On blessing is that I was smart enough to not bring the dog.

6/26/00
Sounds like a busy week for you. We have it easy this week. Nothing much planned. Tony has the pager this week so who knows what sort of mood he might be in. Although last week he hardly was paged. Ana's concert was awesome on Sat. Butler must be known for their music dept. The director of children's choral was also founder. Exceptional behavior and talent from all. Nice to listen to a concert in a hall and not a gym. Dave went with and enjoyed also.
Went to library and blockbuster today. Made a big mistake and rented Small Soldiers. I did not see it but was told by all that it was violent and also rated PG13. Big mom mistake. Oops. Meg was upstairs with me reading lots of library books, going potty and jumping on beds and finally after a bottle or two passed out, I think mom was first!
Never did get around to feed store, or rather grocery store. After two errands and the chaos of checking in 5 children for book club at library and arguing with Mike about appropriate books to read, then again another argument from all about movies to rent, then to bread store and hear complaints about what snacks to get, get home and quickly pass out food to the poor starving children who seem to grow an inch overnight.
They swallow the food, belch, get hungry again, and the cycle never ends. Oh to take them swimming the food just doesn't get ripped open fast enough. If we lived on a farm I think you would actually hear the cows screaming for help from above.
I guess we will see you possibly on Sun then. We will probably be at mass at the 9am service, other that that we don't have much plans

Good luck with school
Deb

I had a great laugh today. The kids and I went to the mall and Jon being himself, ran ahead of us, boys in the middle, Ana at the jewelry counter and Megan singing to herself (Santa Claus Is coming to town) in the caboose end. Just me as the adult. So I finally see Jon ahead, most of the way up and escalator and I yell to him, "Don't you dare run any farther". So just like in the cartoons he "ran " down the UP escalator and of course is not making any headway. For about 2-3 minutes he is doing the reverse stairmaster and his face is that of a bit of a panic and laughing. I could not help myself. I broke out into a big giggle and the others, other shoppers included joined me. Finally he came down and we all hugged him. It was funny. Needless to say he didn't wander nor run far again.
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Hello

My name is Debbie. I am a fish killer. I did not mean to start out that way, it just sort of happened. You know how these things go. For some reason they just die in my care. I try to set them free from their little bags and it just happens. They flop around on the table and sometimes on the floor. Then a really big furry thing chases after them. It must be the fact that they are so slimy. They really gross me out.
We know Debbie, we know. We all started out that way. Seemed so innocent. Buy a few gold fish for the tank. Then before you know it you have killed an entire school of fish. We have all been there! Soon your kids refuse to go down the fish isle of the supermarket with you. THEY JUST KNOW YOU KILLED THEM!! Soon even the piranha's at the zoo swim to the other side of the tank when they see you. Until finally your name is added to the most wanted list at all the Sea Worlds and Aquariums. Ed our charter member has only recently been taken off the list. He was banned from Shedds Aquarium and had to keep a city block distance from it. That is how bad this disease can take you!!

But to help you here are the 12 fish steps to keep you from your disease.

1. Admit you have a problem.
2. Attend your weekly FKA (fish killers anonymous) meetings
3. Know your limits!!
4. Read your fish care and feeding book faithfully
5. Apologize to all the pet stores, aquariums and sea worlds you have attended over the years. (a letter is good) They don't want you there anyway!
6. Apologize to all the people who have lost pets because of you. No substitute for a personal apology.
7. Learn to love slime.
8. Go to the Zoo's your fish and you classes
9. Start using the phrase I respect all finned creatures
10. Remove any fish trophies you may have acquired over the years. Especially the ones that list how many fish you have killed.
11. GIVE UP THE FISH STICKS. THAT IS IN VERY POOR TASTE
12. Make a finned friend

Follow these 12 steps and you too will be free from the fish killers disease.
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How are you.? Hope life is good. Marc wrote and said Joe has a job. That is great. It is so nice to see him and you have a good year. Life is never easy but maybe a little better!! Not much new here. Been on a lot of places looking for boyscout project stuff, finally found all of it and the yarn that I needed to match the blanket I am making Beth. 4 stores if not more for each project. I am NOT going anywhere tomorrow. I am going to clean the carpet, I hope at least. It is making me nuts. Tony is quite adamant about me not working, he is really stressed right now with the job and scouts and church. Just wish there was more time for me. Maybe it is better that I don't work, always have to worry about future and money, looking at orthodontists I am sure very soon. Well here is something to make you laugh
Took all the kids the Meijer's after a movies last week for ' quick' shopping. I decided to look at meat since we had none in the house. I am trying not to get distracted by all the antics the boys and Meg can do and Ana standing aisles away so not to be embarrassed. I just wanted to shop. I hear people laughing and the kids in stitches. Thinking that they destroyed something I turned around a bit angry when I see Jon with his face in raw meat, growling, teeth clenched and snarling, arms held like a dinosaur and slobber everywhere. "Jonathan!!! What are you doing."!!!!
" I am not Jonathan, I am a velosoraptor and I am hungry!!"

So I bought a box of chips and off we went.

love you
deb
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Quotes from Megan:" "
 When the doctor touched my face she was checking my brain. (actually checking sinuses.) Ana, when the doctor checks your face, she is checking your minuses.
 I have brown-cow idis. You get it if you play in the brown dirty snow. (actually bronchitis)
 Chocolate chip cookies help you grow, as long as you dip them in the milk in your cereal.
 When the sun stays in the clouds all day, you can't get dressed in your sunclothes, you have to stay in your jammies.
 When I grow up the be a mommy, you (mom) grow down to be me. (this point she is quite adimant)
 Sometimes when I sneeze, I fart by accident. But it never comes out my ears.
 When it is time for me to go to school I am going to take my backpack, my blankie, my thumb and ride the bus, have lunch with Jonnie and come home.