Random thoughts

Walking the girls to school today, Nana, who is 4, found a pretty flower and tells me "if picking that flower wouldn't kill it, I'd pick it and give it to you cuz it's pretty." I suppose logic is a good thing for her to have, and she's already learning the value of how it's the thought that counts.

Walking back, a bunch of teenagers were gathered at the corner waiting for their bus, I say goodmorning to them as i do every morning, but this morning they all called me ma'am. And I thought for a second, "wow, what great manners and respect for elders." Then I thought, "ELDERS!" Then I remembered that ma'am comes from 'madam'...which is french for 'madame' which means 'my lady.' Though I highly doubt that they realized they were calling me 'my lady,' It's a nice thought for those that are ever called "ma'am"

Then I got to my house, block after block of homes decorated for Halloween, until you hit my street. I didn't notice it til today; but aside from the house that still has their christmas lights up, I'm the only house that's even moderately decorated for Halloween.

starry nights

I go outside at least once a night to look up at the stars. my favorite constellation is Orion's Belt. I've always been captivated by the 3 stars in the middle and can spot it for where ever I am in the world. I miss the sky in Germany, so many stars freckle the night there. There's dots of light even in the darkest parts of their night sky, like someone dropped a bottle of glitter. Every night walking home from work, I would stop half way home and just stare up, getting myself lost within the stars above me (secretly keeping my eyes out for UFOs). Thank God bat's have echo location, there's been several times I'd get so caught up in the stars that I wouldn't see a bat until it would dodge me at the last minute. People say you can see tons in the mountains or somewhere away from the city, but I miss being able to walk outside my house and being overwhelmed by the starry night.

Oh! You know what else I miss about my German town, the Cathedral lit up at night, being able to see the shadows of the ancient stones making up the cathedral and the steeples illuminated from the farthest edges of the town, glowing in the distance like a blaze of fire....beautiful.

Spiders plot my doom

Running into the same spider's web once a day has become routine...but never have I run into so many in the afternoon. 6 of them! one for every block! Seriously now, by the time I got home I looked like I was already dressed for halloween.

My Short Lived Victory

Walking the girls to school this morning, I had to pat myself of the back for remembering that there is always a spider's web that my face runs into every morning, monday through friday since school started for the kids. So this morning....I ducked. "Ha Ha Ha" I cheered to myself, "No web in the face for me!"

Then walking back home I forgot about it and got it all over my face anyhow.

Lesson of the day: what you don't clear on the way there is still waiting for you on the way back.

Why Smoking is bad...but Myspace is good

I went out to the garage (my smoke haven) to smoke this morning, Ember, my two year old, was playing with the door like always...but today she decided to locked me out with her inside.

My first reaction was to grab the spare key that we keep in the garage...that happened to be inside now because Jason and I were racing around the house the other day and I used it to get inside when he locked me out, then of course I left it inside.

Then I went to the stroller where I had my set of keys this morning when I went to take the girls to school....then I realized I took those inside when I came home.

So then I went to get my cell phone...which I found was also inside.

...

After 20 minutes of trying to instruct my 26 month old how to unlock the door, she began to flip out and demanded that "MAMA COME INSIDE!" So I did as any mother and hestitantly rushed to a neighbors house to call HB (fearing leaving my toddler completely alone)... of course that's when I remember that I don't have his phone number memorized. So I ran back home and my toddler was still screaming.

With Ember's cries, I grew more irrational and urgent to get inside. That's when I thought to myself..."I could use a credit card!" Seeing as I didn't have my wallet, I used the tools in the garage. Apparently credit cards are used in the movies because they work better than garage tools.

Nearing panic, I considered the hammer I was then holding, thinking strongly about hacking the door down with it, and also seriously considered drilling the lock out as I looked the drill I was holding in my other hand...

...but then I saw my lifeline...the laptop, which I took with me to smoke...

I IM'ed my father, who happens to be my landlord, thinking maybe, just maybe as the landlord he would have Jason's cell phone number. Unfortunately when his IM icon says "away" it really means he's not at his computer.

So I logged onto myspace and saw that my friends were online. I e-mailed them both only to have no one respond. (Not knowing that one got my e-mail and was frantically gathering her son and rushing to my house)

The battery on my laptop was running low. Sitting by the window as Ember sat on the other side (crying of course) I looked up pictures of door knobs on the internet, thinking it might be poosible for me to teach her how to unlock a door by showing her a picture through the window.

Trying my very best to keep calm I started a controlled cry (which is different from a panicked cry) and that's when I heard my friend pull up. I ran to her as she came out of her car.

She called her husband to get HB's number...but her husband only had mine. So we called Verizon to get HB's number, though dear friend has a Colorado Verizon number and they couldn't look up HB's Texas Verizon number. (this was discovered after giving her my verizon number 4 times and her telling me that I didn't have an account, then her realizing that my area code was not a Colorado one).

So they transfered me to a Texas Verizon representative, and the Texas Verizon lady explained to me in detail of the security policy restricting her from giving me HB's number direction, she personally connected me through to him.

Ember was home inside by herself for 45 minutes by the time I finally got connected to HB and told him what was going on and that he needed to come home to let me in the house, he could barely hear me over his own laughter.


Lesson of the day: Smoking is bad, could get you locked out of your house.

In the mood to go shopping????

It's October and most of the country has Autumn well on the way (still feels like summer here...anyways). School days in the Fall only mean one thing...oh yes, fundraisers! As technology has grown since we were children going door to door selling useless products to our neighbors, there is now the convinence of shopping online! (how thoughtful!!) This comes in handy as it states on their packet NOT to go door to door...ahhh, how times have changed.

So...now you probably know what I'm getting too :::evil laughter inserted here:::

This season's fundraiser is full of holiday items ranging from mugs to wrapping paper, to cards, to frames, and as always...the handy tool organizers. They only need to sell 2 items to recieve a gift (alot better than when I was little), and I have two children in school who are lovingly competitive with one another, so lets keep it even. Please if you order from one, order from the other's registeration number as well.

So visit www.kathrynbeich.com !!! Sales end October 17th!!! Hurry now!!! :::imitating 80s used car salesperson:::

To credit Nana and Timber Ridge Elementary school: enter 138634 under Option 1 after selecting an item.

To credit Sissy and Timber Ridge Elementary school: enter 138628 under Option 1 after selecting an item.

Thank you for your support!!!