The Problem with Divided Attentions

I am in a rotten mood, frankly, because I had a lousy evening and it is all my own fault.

I am the Young Women's president, as you probably know, and while there are lots of reasons I love the calling (most of them are between the ages of 12 and 18!), it is leadership, and I frankly can't stand leadership callings. (Would 'loathe" be too strong a word, do you think?) I am a teacher, born and bred, and would rather teach anything, anywhere than be in any presidency. Period. (Especially president where it ALL ultimately begins and ends with me.) But alas, the Lord keeps having other plans for me, and this calling is by far the toughest, busiest calling I have ever had! Coincidentally, it is also happens to the absolute toughest, busiest time in my life - apart from my calling - with kids ranging from teenagers to preschool (who all really NEED me, by the way!) I am still trying to understand why the Lord thought now was a good time for me to do this. (ohh. murmur murmur. Please indulge me. I'm having a bad night, OK?)

Anyway, Wednesday was our New Beginnings, and like I am the day of any such big YW event, I was running around like headless chicken trying to get everything done on time - there are always so many last minute details that require my attention (and always something I forget!) Somehow, however I did get most of it done, though I didn't get a shower or dinner before rushing off to the church. But at some point in the midst of this mad dash to get it all done, I vaguely remember getting a phone call from Dennis. He said something about tickets to a game Friday. My end of the conversation: "Cool (disinterested because I was wondering if there were cups in the closet)... Naw, go ahead and take one of the boys (as I was trying to locate some tape and straight pins)... yep, sounds fun for you guys (putting some last minute touches of sparkly blue spray paint on something)...OK-love-ya-bye (as I gathered a pile of tiaras and easels and tossed then into the box.) Ten minutes later I had no memory of my hubby ever calling.

Well, New Beginnings came and went. (How is it that an event that takes hours and days of preparations can all be over in just over an hour?) I think it was all a great success. (But there is NEVER rest for the weary! YW stuff seems to stack up! There is always some other big thing barreling down the chute at me, seems like. (Can you say "road shows"?)

Today was Friday. Dennis rushed home from work early, grabbed my oldest child who was selected to go with Dad to the game ("oh, that's right, the game!" thought I), and they were off...

And so was I. Off to get other kids from school, off to take the twins to their book club. Off to pick up Nate from play practice. (Off and running. Always off and running.) Then suddenly my brakes start grinding and smelling and I have to run my car to the shop even though I have NO gas, only to be told that they were about to close, and they couldn't help me and their only advise was to NOT drive my car in this condition for the sakes of my family members' lives. (Gee, thanks for the help.) Then I came home to find Nathan wandering around the cul-de-sac freaked out because Caleb and Luke had snuck out through the garage and run off, and it was getting dark! After a very stressful 10 minutes looking over fences expecting to see two dark masses on the bottom of every pool, the little hooligans were finally located hiding in a neighbor's backyard. They were apparently playing hide and seek! Nobody was counting!!! I then spent the rest of the evening using sundry techniques (some of which I am not proud) to get my kids to clean out the filthy car and then turn their attentions to their hurricane disaster level bedrooms. Such was my evening.

But the worst part of the evening was the information I obtained when I called Dennis to report about the car trouble, and lost and found children, and the break out of World War III. He said they were in downtown LA which really confused me because in my mind he was in Anaheim at the Angels game. Dennis pretty regularly gets tickets to Angels games and since I have NO desire to sit through any baseball game, ever, and he knows that, he usually take turns taking the boys. I guess when he called me on Wednesday all I had heard was "blah, blah, free tickets, blah blah game."

Turns out they were awesome tickets - center, 5th row back, value $275 each - to the Lakers game at the Staples Center! They weren't just some tickets someone didn't want, they were a BONUS awarded to Dennis from one of his insurance companies!!! A big deal!

I had no idea.

Somehow I had missed all of this! How on earth did I miss this information? He swore he had called me SO excited and told me all about it and couldn't wait to bring me, and I had turned him down with a "Naw." Poor Dennis. Poor me. The thing is that I would have totally loved going to a Lakers game! I am so mad at myself for not registering any of this when he called that crazy day.

So, due entirely to my divided attentions, I am home with a broken car, no dinner, a dirty house and a houseful of uncooperative children, and he is calling periodically to tell be how awesome the seats are, and how great the action is, and just what famous and cool people are sitting within spitting distance all around them - thus making my rotten evening even worse.

And it is all my fault.

I am apparently not very good at dividing my attentions between my calling and my family.

Woe is me!

Goodnight.

Medal Recount (this time with REAL medals)

OK, so I don't know how I overlooked it, but when counting the recent awards, accomplishments, and accolades received by the VanBuskirk family in my last post, I completely FORGOT the huge accomplishment that started the whole streak of good luck we have been having these past two weeks to begin with - Derek and Dylan's second Lego Robotics Competition! Holy Cow! What is wrong with my mind?
As you may remember, the twins chose not attend their very first (and we thought at the time their only) Lego Robotics competition at Legoland back in December because the competition was on a Sunday. They were disappointed but were glad that they made the choice they did. Good things come to those who wait because their school got invited back to Legoland for a special Lego Robotics Invitational this month. Happily, it was on a Saturday, so the boys got to have their day on stage after all!
Dennis and I had been gone for a week on our cruise and that Saturday morning we got off the boat and drove straight to Legoland to meet the boys there. What fun it was to watch them do there thing and cheer them on...

... to VICTORY!!! Team G.O.A.L., the twins' team got the first place trophy for TEAMWORK! First Place is pretty awesome! And guess who the team leader is? None other than our own Dylan, which makes thee victory all the sweeter. Everyone knows that great teamwork begins with a great team leader!

Of course Derek was a tad excited too! (Can you see his tonsils? The picture was scarier before I fixed the red eye!)

What an exciting, exciting day for Reagan Robotics! We were so glad we were able to be there this time!

After the competition we went on a few rides at Legoland (what is the deal with Legoland, by the way? We just keep getting sucked back there and winning stuff while we're there.)

Then we took the twins to explore the Sea Life Aquarium there. We had a great time, just the 4 of us!

So that is how the whole winning streak started just two weeks ago.

The revised VanBuskirk Medal Count for February then is:

4 ribbons

3 certificates

4 trophies

1 red belt

and 2 medals!

And the month ain't over yet!

Current Medal Count

No, this is not an official NBC website and I am not reporting the current medal standings at the Winter Olympic Games. (But if you really wan to know, Team USA currently sits on top of the medal count with 6 golds and 23 total medals - I have an app on my iPhone and I have tried to watch every broadcasted second of these games, except hockey (blah)... and curling (?). I must admit, it is an addiction, but luckily one I can control, because the Olympics are the only sports I ever watch, and they happen only two weeks every two years. I'm pretty much glued to the TV from opening exercises until they extinguish that flame. So exciting!)

anyway...

I am reporting the medal count for Team VanBuskirk who has had a really great run these last couple of weeks, and though we have not won any actual medals, per se, we have an armload of new ribbons, trophies, and certificates to add to the family trophy case (if we had one).

Here is a rundown of the highlights:


In taekwando last Friday, Dennis tested for his red belt. He did a great job, and is well on his way to black.
He finished off the evening by putting his hand through a brick! He did it perfectly, because this time it didn't hurt a bit (his hand I mean - but I think the brick sure felt it!)

For his hard work and dedication, Dennis won a big trophy and a stylish new red belt! That is my man!

In academics, Alex once again earned straight A's at school and earned a Platinum 4.0 Award at the recognition ceremony at the middle school last week.

But even more impressive is the special award he received as the Principal's Patriot of the Month. The principal recognized him for the hard worker he is and for his helpful, happy attitude that is an example to all the students!

That is a gold medal in my book! Way to go, Al!

In science, there were a few upsets last week as both Derek and his twin brother Dylan unexpectedly received first place blue ribbons on their science fair projects (no pics, sorry). No one thought that they were in the running since they started both projects the night before they were due, and Mom and Dad, who were up half the night helping with both projects, got to the point where they could care less if anybody got any prize and just wanted them to get those stupid things done and turned in for credit. AGH!!!

Dylan's project was to try different lubricant to make a pinewood derby car faster. Derek tested where the weights should be places on the pinewood derby car to make it faster.

Despite having unenthusiastic support from their parents they both persevered and won blue ribbons. Now they get to move onto the district science fair! Whoopee!

In racing, there was excitement and high speeds this week. Despite initial discouraging results at the den pinewood derby due entirely to a ridiculously terrible beat-up old wooden track, The VanBuskirks redeemed themselves at the Date Festival, as the defending champions, returning to the track for more! On the nice smooth metal county fair track, Dylan's racer, the dark Knight, won every single race until the final race where it came to a photo finish just barely behind only one other car...

Derek's turquoise speeder that came in first place in the Webelos division!

Then, in the final round, Derek's car faced off against the other first place winners and won every race getting Best Overall at the county fair! (You know it was the county fair because you can see a trace of the signature cinnamon roll on Derek's face.) The VanBuskirk racing legacy of fast cars and winning runs continues 6 years running!

I guess they really did learn a few things doing those science fair projects after all.

In music, two weeks ago, Nathan performed a lovely piece on his saxophone at a special soloist even at his school in front of a judge and was awarded a grade of "Excellent!" Awesome, Nate! All of that practicing is really paying off!

(Nathan was also given a big part in their school's upcoming musical, the Pirates of Penzance. He will be the Pirate King! How cool is that?)

So there's the wrap up, folks. In the past two weeks, the VB "medal count" stands at:

3 certificates

4 ribbons

4 trophies

(and a very long strip of red fabric)

Way to go Team VanBuskirk!

Oh, and way to go Team USA too!

Desert Rain

Ten things I love about rain in the desert:

1. The rarity of it all. I just love the rain, and when it comes I want it to stay forever. I say that I would love it to rain every single day. I think that at the time, but in reality I know it would get old, and a lot dreary, after a while. The reason I love the rain so much is that it never happens here. This is a desert for a reason - it is not wet. So when the rain comes, it is almost like a little nibble from the forbidden fruit - making it all the more desirable. But who would really want it to rain all the time here? Then it would be all green and overgrown and tropical, just like Hawaii, and who would want that? Um, me. But alas, this is not Hawaii. It is the desert, and the rare rainstorm in the desert is a blessed thing!

2. The smell of the rain. Even before the rain comes, just the whiff of it in an impending rain is delightsome - that spicy tingle on the nose portends of what is to come. It stings the nose and smells like green and Grandpa and wool. Every time I walk outside in the rain I can't help but stop and suck it in like a thick milkshake. Ahhh!

3. The sound of the rain. That pat---- pat-----rat-a-pat-a-pat-tat-tat is music to my ears. Mother Nature is quite the percussionist! I can hear it best on the roof of the car, or sitting on the toilet. But my favorite place to listen to the rain is sitting in the big chair in the front room next to the open window where I can hear the fat raindrops plop into the fountain like kids doing cannonballs at the swimming hole. Plop! Plop! It makes for a great cadence to read by.

4. Soup. A rainstorm is a call for soup - soups in all it's varieties. This past storm it was tortilla soup, vegetable soup, tomato soup (with cheese, of course),white chili, curry (which is more like a stew, but shares the same category as far as I'm concerned) and best of all, and reserved for only the coldest and rainiest of days, Dad's Oyster Stew. Just the thought of it makes me all warm inside and I start to salivate. I hesitate to share the recipe with anyone outside of the family, because they just might think it sounds disgusting - plump green oysters floating in milk and cream, egg noodles, puddles of melted butter, and sprinkled with lots of pepper. Oyster sauce (must be Dynasty brand, Dad's orders) gives it a perfect salty sweetness. Some of my earliest and warmest memories are of staying up late enough to watch Daddy make a late night snack of oyster stew (yep, even after we had already had dinner) and feeling like the lucky one that got to have a small bowl while my siblings slept. I am happy that oyster stew is now my kids favorite meal as well, (since in my mind it is as important a Signs' family tradition as cheese balls at Christmas), and when the rain starts to fall, it is what they ask for. Mmm, mmm good!

5. Puddles. Perhaps it is because I was a desert rat that I have always been fascinated by bodies of water. Lakes, rivers, streams, and ponds fascinated me as a child. I imagined what it must be like to live in a place where there was a pond in the back and a little creek running by. So when the desert rains come, I am thrilled when grassy parks turn into ponds, gutters turn into babbling brooks, and streets turn into canals. Everything is transformed! As kid I imagined that there were fish in there and that I could rig me up a fishin' pole with a stick like Huck Finn and catch some dinner. I am not the only one who loves the temporary water holes. In that last big rain I saw folks at a neighborhood park-turned-lake floating around in their inflatable boat. And I still get a little thrill out of splashing in the rain puddles, and an even bigger one driving my Surburban through the large pools of standing water in the streets. You can still be driving slowly when the waves your tires make come clear up to the windows. Except when there is traffic coming the other way, then the game is to see if I can drive slow enough to not make any splash at all, like an Olympic high diver - extra points for a clean entry!

6. Sweaters - I love sweaters - in theory. Warm and snuggly! I say "in theory" because even with all the sweaters I own, (more than there are actual chilly days in the year), when that blessed rainy, chilly days comes, I gleefully try on a sweater that I have been waiting all year to wear, just to remember that the sleeves are too short. They are almost all too short - or, rather, my arms are almost always too long. I dream of the perfect long sleeved sweater to wear on the perfect rainy day. But alas, such a thing has yet to be. Until then, when there is a chill in the air, I wear one of the otherwise darling cuddly sweaters I do have and tug at my cuffs all day. A small price to pay for sweater weather.

7. Hot chocolate - Heaven in a cup! My one true weakness in the wintertime. Is there anything better than creamy hot chocolate flowing down your gullet, warming you up from the inside out? Every January when we all start looking to shed those holiday pounds, its the hot chocolate that holds me back. Cold weather calls for hot chocolate - hey, even mildly cool weather. Anything below 60 - I'm there! But when it is raining, hot chocolate is absolutely imperative! And for my hot chocolate, only the best will do - Stephens. Period. (Thanks you, Winco!) I love it extra strength and a really big mug with milk, mini marshmallows, and a chocolate dipped biscotti. Morning. Nightime. Anytime. I never lose weight in the rain for this very reason, so it is a good thing rain is so rare, I guess.

8. Baths. I love the pull and tug of opposites - sweet and salty, laughing till you cry, hot and cold. And in a rainstorm I love taking a hot, hot bath near an open window. When we bought this house I was thrilled about the big beautiful soaking tub until I realized that the big picture window right above it was a fixed single pane - it didn't open! Baths lost all their appeal to me because as steamy and hot as I like them when I get in, it isn't long before I am overheated and have to get out. After years of whining about the useless window, Darling Hubby finally had it replaced with one that slides open. Now bath time is perfect! I open the window wide and kick up the heat - bubble bath, a tall glass of ice water, a good book, and a perfect storm! That's all I need! When I get hot, all I need to do is stick my foot out toward the window to act like a wick to cool me off, and the sound of the rain falling (see #3 above) is like icing on the cake.

9. The morning after the rain. The sun is shining again and the sky is clear. Colors are brighter than ever, and everything is clean and fresh. But my very favorite part is that very first glimpse of the mountains surrounding us, perfectly white and sparkling in the bright sun, like someone poured out giant piles of powdered sugar onto the desert floor. During the storm, I love to see the clouds sitting heavily on those mountains. The mountains look like giants that have been tucked snugly into their down comforters with wisps of feathers poking out the edges. I love seeing that, and anticipating the transformation that tomorrow will bring. When those storm clouds roll away...magic! Those mountains really are glorious- especially those first few daylight hours of the morning after the storm, with the palm trees swaying in the foreground! What a sight!

10. And then come the wildflowers! Just wait....