AND THEY ARE OFF...

I MENTIONED BRIEFLY BEFORE IN MY BLOG THAT OUR DEAR DADDY IS MARATHON TRAINING. AT CHRISTMAS, MY BROTHER-IN-LAW ANNOUNCED THAT ON JANUARY 5TH, 2009 HE WAS GOING TO START MARATHON TRAINING.

WE ALL LAUGHED, AT THE TIME, HE WAS HOLDING A COOKIE OR SOMETHING. WELL, JANUARY 5TH CAME AND LANCE STARTED HIS TRAINING PROGRAM FOR THE NEW YORK CITY MARATHON WHICH IS IN EARLY NOVEMBER.

SINCE WE ALL THOUGHT HE WAS JOKING, TOMMY WAS VERY INTERESTED WHEN HE BEGAN HIS QUEST. IN TYPICAL LANCE FASHION, HE READ A BOOK, (LANCE ALWAYS READS BOOKS ON HOW TO DO STUFF FROM SKINNING A DEER TO INSTALLING CROWN MOLDING!), THE NON-RUNNERS GUIDE TO MARATHON TRAINING AND TOMMY GOT A COPY OF THE BOOK ALSO AND THEY MADE A PACT TO ENTER THE LOTTERY DRAWING FOR THE MARATHON.

TOMMY STARTED HIS TRAINING ABOUT 1 MONTH BEHIND LANCE, THEY ARE NOW OUTFITTED WITH FANCY GPS WATCHES THAT TRACK THEIR HEART RATE, PACE, TIME, ETC. THEY ENTERED THE LOTTERY DRAWING FOR THE NEW YORK MARATHON.

THE LOTTERY WILL BE DRAWN IN THE SUMMER AND YOU HAVE A ONE IN THREE CHANCE OF MAKING IT BY LOTTERY DRAW. YOU CAN ALSO APPLY TO RUN ON SOMEONE'S TEAM. LANCE RESEARCHED AND HE AND TOMMY ENTERED TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THE LANCE ARMSTRONG LIVE STRONG MARATHON TEAM. OUR LANCE'S BEST FRIEND, ROBERT CUDD DIED OF CANCER IN THE LAST YEAR AND LIVESTRONG WAS AN ORGANIZATION THAT OUR LANCE KNEW HELPS WITH CANCER RESEARCH.

SURPRISE OF ALL SURPRISES, TODAY, THE LIVESTRONG MARATHON TEAM EMAILED TOMMY AND LANCE AND THEY BOTH WILL BE RUNNING WITH TEAM LIVESTRONG IN THE NYC MARATHON THIS YEAR! ISN'T THAT INCREDIBLE!!! THE TEAM CONSISTS OF 250 RUNNERS. MORE INFO TO COME - YOU KNOW FUNDRAISING FOR THE ENTRY FEE, ETC.

PLEASE PRAY AGAINST INJURY FOR TOMMY AND LANCE AS THEY CONTINUE TO TRAIN FOR THIS GREAT ADVENTURE!

A GOOD MORNING...

IT IS GOOD FRIDAY TODAY AND THE PEEPS ARE OUT OF SCHOOL. OUR LITTLE GIRL HAS STREPAND THAT SET THE WHEELS IN MOTION FOR A QUIET MORNING. YESTERDAY, I PICKED UP DONUTS KNOWING THE KIDS WOULD BE OUT OF SCHOOL AND WHO WANTS TO COOK BREAKFAST!

AFTER WE HAD OUR DONUTS AND MILK, WE ALL THREE SAT ON THE COUCH AND CUDDLED AND WATCHED A MOVIE. I GOT TO BE IN THE MIDDLE OF THESE TWO DARLINGS AND WE WERE UNDER A BIG BLANKIE AND IT REMINDED ME OF BEFORE THEY WERE IN SCHOOL AND THAT IS SOMETHING WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO A LOT OF.

IT WAS SO NICE TO JUST SIT THERE AND CUDDLE UP WITH THESE BIG KIDS AND IN MY MIND PRETEND THAT THEY WERE 2 AND 4 AGAIN! THEY ARE A BLAST AT THIS AGE AND WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO HAVE THE FIERCE UNO MARATHONS BEFORE BED THAT WE ARE HAVING ALMOST NIGHTLY NOW, BUT THOSE DAYS BEFORE SCHOOL, HOMEWORK AND ACTIVITES WERE PRICELESS AND I GOT TO HAVE A GLIMPSE OF ONE TODAY. THANK YOU LORD.

IN OTHER NEWS, BEFORE WE GOT GOING THIS MORNING, (OK AFTER THE SWEET AND SAPPY POST ABOVE, YOU WILL WONDER WHERE IN THE WORLD THIS IS GOING). HAVE YOU SEEN THE NEW SPONGE BOB/BURGER KING AD? IT IS ABSOLUTELY ABHORRENT AND LEWD.

NOW, I'VE SEEN PLENTY OF BAD AND TASTELESS ADVERTISING IN MY DAY, HOWEVER, THIS PARTICULAR CAMPAIGN IS TARGETED AT CHILDREN. BEFORE OUR QUIET AND SERENE MORNING, I DID SOME RESEARCH ON THE BK COMPANY IN ORDER TO OBTAIN THEIR PHONE NUMBER TO COMPLAIN. DID YOU KNOW THE PARENT COMPANY OWNS MG ENTERTAINMENT, BURGER KING AND LITTLE TYKES BRAND?

I CALLED FOR THE CEO AND WAS THWARTED AND SCREENED BY A SAVVY SECRETARY. I THOUGHT FOR HALF A SECOND ABOUT PULLING OUT MY OLD DALHART TEXAN PRESS CREDENTIALS AND THEN DECIDED AGAINST IT.

I WAS TRANSFERRED TO THE CUSTOMER RELATIONS LINE AND I MADE MY STANCE KNOWN, PULL THE AD BEFORE I BUY ANOTHER CHICKEN FRY, WHOPPER, JR. OR ANYTHING PLASTIC WITH THE NAME LITTLE TYKES ON IT!

NOW, I PROBABLY DON'T MATTER TOO MUCH, BUT SHE DID SAY THEY WERE GETTING A LOT OF CALLS ABOUT THE AD. IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN IT, I'M GLAD, IF YOU HAVE - YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. THE WORST PART IS THAT IT IS TIED INTO THE KIDS MEAL AND THAT IS QUITE UNACCEPTABLE IN MY OPINION.

OK, AGAIN, THANK YOU LORD FOR MY OPINION, MY OPINION ALONE AND A FORMAT AND NATION IN WHICH I CAN EXPRESS IT!

MORE NEWS...

DID YOU KNOW TOMMY IS TRAINING FOR A MARATHON WITH HIS BROTHER? YES, OUR SWEET DADDY GETS UP WAY TO EARLY MOST MORNINGS AND IS RUNNING IN HOPES OF HE AND HIS BROTHER GETTING TO RUN IN THE NEW YORK MARATHON IN NOVEMBER. WE ARE ALL VERY PROUD OF THEIR EFFORTS AND SHOULD THEY GET PICKED IN THE LOTTERY AND HAVE A CHANCE TO RUN WILL BE QUITE AN ADVENTURE.

ALL FOR NOW, OUR QUIET AND SWEET MORNING HAS TURNED INTO SOME POINT OF CONTENTION IN THE HALLWAY. APPARANTLY, OUR DAUGHTER HAS SET UP SHOP AS A PET STORE, WHILE OUR SON IS RUNNING PAST HER DOOR ON HIS WAY TO A BATTLE OF SOME SORT.

I THINK I'LL SUGGEST THAT THE REVOLUTIONARY SOLDIER BUY A HORSE AT THE PET STORE AND HE CAN RIDE IT OUTSIDE TO THE BATTLE - DOES THAT SOUND FAIR?

WAFFLES FOR DINNER!

UNPACKING TODAY WE FOUND THE MUCH ANTICIPATED TOASTER, THE KIDS COULDN'T WAIT FOR BREAKFAST SO THEY ARE HAVING WAFFLES FOR DINNER. OUR DAUGHTER LIKES THEM CRISPY ALMOST TO BURNED WITH BUTTER. OUR SON LIKES THEM THE SAME WAY BUT CUT UP TO DUNK IN SYRUP - YUM!

UPDATE AND THEN SOME...

JUST FILLING YOU IN ON OUR HAPPENINGS, OR IF YOU ARE A BOX IN THE GARAGE, THE NON HAPPENINGS OF UNPACKING!

SANDY MARIAH NEWS DEBUT
THE KIDS DEBUTED THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD NEWSPAPER LAST WEEK, (I'LL POST AFTER I HAVE IT SCANNED). DUE TO EXTREME TEMPS, DOOR TO DOOR SALES WERE NOT AS FLUSH AS THEY HAD HOPED. AS WITH MOST PAPERS ACROSS AMERICA AND TOUGH ECONOMIC TIMES, THE SANDY MARIAH NEWS IS BEING CUT FROM A WEEKLY PUB TO A MONTHLY OR BI-MONTHLY PUBLICATION. WE DO HAVE ONE LONE ADVERTISER AND A LOYAL FOLLOWING OF A FEW NEIGHBORS, BUT WE NEED TO BLITZ THE NEIGHBORHOOD TO MAKE IT COST EFFECTIVE. MORE TO COME...

THE FIRST PAPER THAT STARTED IT ALL
AS YOU KNOW, THE WHOLE WAY THE PAPER THING GOT STARTED WAS OUR DAUGHTER'S FAKE PAPER THAT SHE BEGAN OVER SPRING BREAK. UP UNTIL TODAY, I COULD NOT FIND THE FIRST ISSUE (I FOUND IT CLEANING OUT MY PURSE, LD-I SHOULD HAVE BEFORE/AFTER PICS OF THAT MESS!). FOLLOWING IS HER FIRST JOURNALISTIC ENTRIES, PHONETIC SPELLING AND ALL...

LUBBICK NES PAPER

HELO WOODS!
TOMMY WOOD AND ALLISON WOOD MOVED HERE FROM DALHART, WHITH THER 2 CHILDREN, SHERIDAN AND BRENNER. THEY WILL BE GOING TO SOTHCREST. TOMMY WORKS AT EDWARD JONES. SHERIDAN IS 8, AND IS IN 2ND GRADE. BRENNER IS 6 AND IS IN KINDERGARTEN. WE ARE VARY GLAD TO HAVE THE WOODS IN LUBBICK WHITH US.

MORE REPETERS
AT REPETERS MANCHEN WE NEED SOME MORE HED REPORTERS. THES ARE THE HED REPORTERS WE HAVE SO FAR: HOLLY MINT, GRACIE COVER AND KITTY WOOD. SO PLEES JONE US.

LITNING BUG CONTEST
WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A LITNING BUG CONTEST. AT LITNING BUG LAKE. 9:30 P.M.HOW YOU PLAY IS YOU GET FREE JARS AND CACH AS MANY AS YOU CAN. HOO EVER GETS THE MOST GETS TO CEEP ALL UV THEM.

LUBBCK BOOK FAR
AT LUBBCK LIBRARY THARS A BOOK FAR. WARE YOU GET FREE BOOKS TO KEEP THERE WILL BE REFRESHMINTS AND ACTIVITYS. ALL ON FRIDAY NIGHTS 8 TO 10.


WASSUP MISTER B!
OK, THIS IS ME AGAIN AND NOT SAID DARLING DAUGHTER. OUR SON GOT TERRIBLY SICK ON MONDAY THIS WEEK WITH A VERY HIGH FEVER. BEING SO ON TOP OF THINGS THAT I'M SO NOT RIGHT NOW, I HAD NOT YET TRANSFERRED TO OUR RECOMMENDED DOCTOR.

SO ON TUESDAY A.M. I WAS SCRAMBLING FOR A NEW DOC AND DID GET HIM SEEN TUESDAY AFTERNOON. WE WALKED IN AND THE DR. ASKED HIM, 'HI, WHAT ARE YOU UP TO?'. THE SULLEN, SERIOUS AND HOT KID SAID, "WALKING WITH MY MOM". ASK A LITERAL QUESTION DOC, GET A LITERAL ANSWER. OBVIOUSLY, THIS IS NOT LIKE OUR BELOVED B AT ALL! HE WAS RUNNING A 103 TEMP AT THE EXAM WITH ODD ACHES AND PAINS. HE TESTED NEGATIVE FOR FLU AND STREP.

WITH A MILD DECONGESTANT WE LEFT AND UPPED HIS MOTRIN/TYLENOL DOSE AS I WAS GIVING HIM NOT ENOUGH FOR HIS WEIGHT. HE WAS BACK AT SCHOOL BY THURSDAY AND IS MUCH BETTER, PRAISE GOD!

DRESS UP DAY AND 1040 WINDOW PRESENTATIONS
MISSIONS WEEK WRAPPED UP WITH DRESSING UP AS A CHILD FROM ANOTHER COUNTRY. THE STUDENTS LEARNED ABOUT FIVE DIFFERENT PEOPLE GROUPS, FIND OUT MORE AT http://www.1040window.org/ . THE MAJORITY OF NON CHRISTIANS FALL BETWEEN THE 10TH AND 40TH PARALLEL OF THE NORTHERN HEMISHPERE STRETCHING FROM AFRICA TO CHINA.

EACH CLASS STUDIED A COUNTRY AND GAVE FACTS AND A PRESENTATION. KINDERGARTEN HAD JAPAN, THEY SANG A SONG AND EACH STUDENT RECITED A FACT ABOUT THE COUNTRY, (OUR SON, BY THE WAY, DRESSED UP AS A SPANISH SOLDIER FROM THE CASTILLO DE SAN MARCOS (ST. AUGUSTINE, FL) - NOT REALLY ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE 1040 WINDOW, BUT HIS OTHER CHOICE WAS A BRITISH BOBBY!).

2ND GRADE LEARNED ABOUT THE COUNTRY OF NORTH KOREA, (OUR DAUGHTER DRESSED UP IN A BORROWED CHINESE TOP AND PANTS SET THAT WAS BABY BLUE!). I LEARNED A LOT AS A PARENT LISTENING TO EACH CLASS AS THEY PRESENTED FACTS ABOUT THE UNCHURCHED OF EACH COUNTRY.

THEY ALSO PARTICIPATED IN UNDERGROUND CHURCH - COMPLETE WITH A POLICE OFFICER COMING TO CHECK ON WHAT THE CELEBRATION WAS ABOUT! THEY ALSO RAISED MONEY TO SPONSOR A WELL IN AFRICA. WHAT A GREAT MISSIONS WEEK!

WHAT IS TOMMY DOING?
HE HAS BEEN WORKING REALLY HARD ON OUR YARD. TODAY, HE TORE DOWN THE DOG RUN, THAT WE DECIDED WOULD NOT HOLD A LARGE DOG AND A SMALL DOG WOULD SLIP THROUGH. THIS IS IN PREPARATION FOR THE PLAYSET TO COME. HE HELD HIS FIRST EJ FUNCTION RECENTLY AND IT WAS GREAT TO MEET SOME FELLOW LUBBOCKIANS!

WHAT IN THE WORLD ARE YOU DOING?
BLOGGING AND NOT UNPACKING.

PRINCESS AND SUPERHERO NIGHT
WE WENT TO CHIC-FIL-A LAST NIGHT FOR PRINCESS/SUPERHERO NIGHT. EACH TIKE WHO WAS DRESSED UP GOT A FREE MEAL! THE COW AND MRS. COW WERE DRESSED UP TOO - THE COW WAS DRESSED UP LIKE BAT MAN, IT WAS SO HILARIOUS! MRS. COW WAS DRESSED UP LIKE CINDERELLA, THEY HAD CRAFTS AND PICTURES WITH THE COWS - A GREAT WAY TO SPEND A FRIDAY NIGHT. WE CAME HOME AND FOLLOWED IT WAS A FEW HANDS OF UNO (TO BE CONTINUED TONIGHT). SCORING: MOMMY 320/ DADDY 265/ PEEPS 264.!!

OK, THAT WRAPS IT UP FOR US, WE ARE CONTINUING TO VISIT CHURCHES, THERE ARE LOTS OF GREAT ONES! WE STARTED BALLET THIS WEEK AND HAVE TO SIGN UP FOR TBALL IN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS. WE HAD A VISIT FROM MIMI AND POPPY LAST WEEKEND AND AN EASTER COMING UP. BUSY, BUSY, BUSY, BUT ALWAYS MISSING OUR FRIENDS!

Big City...Big News!

We have been in the big city a whole week now and we are still eating with mismatched utensils and I've survived with a frying pan, sauce pan, a spatula and a wooden spoon (not for cooking by the way!). Our beloved Gigi and Papa have gone home, without their help, what a mess we would be in...in fact, we are in a mess, I've yet to find the toaster, sorry kids no waffles on the first day of school.

I've not unpacked nearly enough for being in a house for a whole week, we have spent some time running around window shopping for a few items and price comparing. Possibly the most significant item is that it has been two days since we have been to Taco Villa!

We had a wonderful visit with the best kinder-prep teacher ever! Mrs. Starks and her girls were in Lubbock this week and introduced us to a fabulous park and we fed some ducks. We were a little late and missed a wild goose chasing Mrs. Starks, who in defense threw Makenzy's coke at the honking beast!

Now for the really big news! As you know, our eight year old has been producing a daily paper that our family and friends have thoroughly enjoyed. As she and her daddy were taking a walk in the neighborhood last night they saw a lady with a dog (who was wearing a sweater - the dog, not the owner) and our daughter wanted to know more about this gal and her companion. By the time they got home a discussion of the free enterprise system and good 'ole American capitalism took place and she made an annoucement at dinner.

Ding, Ding, Ding (well, it was a plastic fork on a red plastic solo cup, so whatever sound that makes). "I have called this family meeting. I am now a business owner, I'm starting my own neighborhood newspaper and I'm selling it for 50 cents a paper. I will do interviews on Sunday afternoons and I'll sell the papers on Saturday mornings," she announced. She also gave us all designations and jobs; She is the publisher/reporter, her brother is the paper boy and gets a cut of the profits for selling door to door, she prefers to sit in the front yard with a sign. Her father is her assistant and I, the mommy, am the copy editor and typist.

That was Saturday evening, she started formulating questions to ask for her interview, her first subject the lady and her dog. After church, lunch and rest-time (much more for the parents than the kids). She headed out with her writing kit (a purse from her BFF-GC, 8 notebooks, 3 pencils and 2 pens), her lavendar flip-flops matched perfectly with her irridescent lip gloss. Also along for the ride was her father, the assistant (we are calling him, Assistant to the Regional Manager - but you only get that if you watch the office).

If you know our girl, two words to describe her would be shy and demure, not exactly characteristics of a brazen door knocking reporter. She admitted to her daddy that she had 'flutterflies' in her stomach as they walked one street over. She knocked on the door and expecting the sweet lady and her dog, she instead got the head of the house. With as big of voice as she could muster, "Hi, my name is Sheridan and I'm reporting news in our area, can I interview you?" He questioned, "you want to interview me?" And then began the process and found out all about that little dog, which is the real story of course.

I'll blog about our first edition, look for it next Saturday, of course if you want a hot copy in your hands it'll cost you a buck, stamps are expensive you know!

The news according to Sheridan.

Our daughter has started her own newspaper. It absolutely thrills me to no end and is lots of entertainment for the whole family. Being a self proclaimed writer, I tell you this kid has got it! Great sentence structure, I've left the spelling phonetic as it adds extra emphasis. We are missing our first edition, hopefully, I'll find it in this mess...oh and by the way, don't tell her you read it or you will owe a dollar per issue!

Edition 2, Tuesday, March 17th

Lubbick Nes Paper

New Jobs
Do you need a job?Well, find a job is the fastist way to find one.

Cudolys (cuddles)
Ther is a new stor called Cudolys. You get a free stuft anamol an you cuddol up with it to wach a moove.

Crcis
Ther is a crcis at 1213 Chary Park at 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Bary Pick at Bary Boosh Hill
Thers going to be a bary pick. Hoo ever gets the most barys gets all the barry pie!


3rd Edition, Wed., March 18

Lubbock News Papper

Travilling
Do you love to travil like Maxin Faust (Gigi)? Whith a Frod Explorer you go go 12 howers with only stoping 6 times. You can do two day travolor or 1 day travol. (this is absolutely hilarious, because even gigi will tell you that she stops a lot).

Snow Globs (globes)
Snow Globs has a lot uv difrit globs. Thers also space globs, erth globs and planet globs. Get a free coopon and get any glob for free.

Houses
Ther is lots uv houses on the market. One got bot on Sunday.

Play Houses
Com help billd the play hous at the Woods. At least just bild one for your kids.


4th Edition, Thursday, March 19th

Lubbock Nows Paper

Non Art Class
Do you like art? Well, Buzz Marcheene (a.k.a. her brother) didn't go to art class to be an artest. All he had to do was get a notebook six inches tall.

A Pet Stor
Thers a new Lubbock pet stor called PetsMart. Evrybottey must by a pet at PetsMart in order of Brock Obama. If you don't get a pet your going to jail. (this is so funny, because, as you can tell she really, really wants a pet!).

Disney Stor
Thers a new Disney Stor. Ther stor is somuch fun. Even Micky Mouse is there!

The Wild Twin Club (this is an association made up by her and her brother)
If your a twin, you'll luve the wild twin club. You can help even wen your not a twin. Just give donashons. The moto is Brenner and Sheridan roc and rool. Plees Jone!

These lovely additions come wrapped in a pink hairband!

ONLINE RANDOMNESS

1. We are online! We have internet service and although I don't really care about what is happening in the world it is nice to feel connected! I've not had any time to comment on blogs, but I've really enjoyed seeing everyone's pics and keep up with what they are doing. Amy, I'm so glad you started doing this when you moved, it makes me feel like I can still stay well connected with friends even though we have also moved.


2. Oh yeah, moving...well, it looks like a disaster in this house. I'm not a naturally gifted organizer, I really have to work at it. For me, a mess has to get bigger, before it gets better. We are still without a toaster, it is somewhere, I'm rewashing the same 3 outfits for us all and after I found our flatware, THEN I found the plastic set that we were supposed to be eating with for the last week! UGH.


3. Whoever said diamonds are a girls best friend never owned a shop vac! I cleaned out our car yesterday, let me be honest, I needed a shovel. We have literally been living in our car for the past two months, trips back and forth and back and forth. It was positively disgusting! Those shop vacs are a wonder aren't they! After I vacuumed up all the yuk and muk and proudly displayed my nearly clean car for my hubby. He said, "did you clean out the shop vac before you used it, I packed some stuff in there!" Are you kidding me?


4. The kids have had a really good spring break, although, we have no idea where most of there stuff is, they have played really well together and Sheridan has started a family newspaper. Brenner is her delivery boy and the price has gone from 25 cents an issue up to $1 per issue. Although, she is a fabulous writer and Brenner a fabulous henchman collecting funds, they don't quite get the concept of a subscription. They have been charging each family member to only READ the paper! I will post those at a later date, they are so fun!


5. Lubbock is treating us well, most of our neighbors are gone for spring break, but we have two little boys that live next door that are 5 and 7. That should be fun. We have made numerous trips to Dollar General and Taco Villa and maybe I'll decide where furniture should go permanently, I'm still rearranging chairs and things.


All for now, see you later!