And then they started to throw the paper airplanes

Wow, time goes by fast. It seems that I never get around to updating my blog. Anyway, another month has gone by since I last posted. In that month my camera broke and needs repairs so there will be no photos to accompany this post. I did pick up a cute red Kodak Easy Share camera so I could at least give you something to look at but the darn thing didn't work yesterday when I needed it to. Anyway on to the post.

The loving husband and I have been married for 10 years. It has been kind of a running joke that we need to get away for a "just the two of us" vacation. However, the three wonderful very energetic children we have pose a slight roadblock to that vacation. Also, we happen to like taking our children on fun vacations so there really was no pressing need to vacation sans kids.

Earlier this month an opportunity came up that involved tickets to the Vikings-Packers game. The loving husband had the opportunity to attend with his boss and several co-workers. Normally it's a he only gets to go kind of thing but due to unusual circumstances he was given the chance to take me with him. After a few phone calls he had childcare for the kids and let me know the happy news. Can you say "Happy Butt Dance" moment.

The plan was to drive to Yankton on Saturday night and drop the kids off with my Mother in Law. My Sister in Law and my nephew (her son) would help watch the kids on Sunday while we were at the game. We would drive back down to Yankton Sunday night and pick the kids up. That gave us about 24 hours of kid-free time.

We didn't tell the kids our plans until we got to Grandma's house and of course they were pretty excited. I was kinda nervous about leaving them alone without me but I knew they would be well taken care of. We drove back to our strangely quiet home to try and get a few hours sleep before our very early wake up. We had to meet up with Jim's boss at 5:45 am.

Sunday morning arrived very early and the roads were not the best so it took a little longer to get up to the Dome. We were supposed to meet another group at the VIP tent at 9:30 but we didn't get there until after 10. We also discovered that there are several tents set up in the area around the Dome so we had a little difficulty finding the right one.

If you remember my post last January about freezing my butt off in the "Losers Tent" as I called it I am happy to write about my VIP tent experience. We had to have a special ticket to get in but once we were in it was really nice. It was warm with lots of tables set up and a huge buffet in the middle of the room. There was also a bar set up too but I only took a Mt. Dew. There were a few Vikings Cheerleaders there selling calenders and posing for photos. Since the calender was the swimsuit edition I could not in good conscience get my dad a calender but I did get one for my brother, complete with autographs. The food was very good and there was enough variety that I was able to eat something too. They did have this oh so wonderful smelling apple crisp everyone was eating for dessert.

After filling up and chatting with some very nice people I decided to head over to the Dome and say hi to my friend Pam. I also wanted to take photos but sadly, the camera I bought decided to not work. It worked the day before but I think the batteries went dead. Surprisingly they don't sell batteries at the Metrodome. Pam was nice enough to lend me her camera so I got a few shots. I gave the camera back to her at the end of the game so I'm hoping she e-mails me my photos.

Seat wise, last year I had an awesome seat with a killer view of the Vikings bench and field. This year my seat was on the other side of the field and much higher. I did have a great view of the end zone though. The photos I did take were not as good and close as the ones I took back in January.

Since this was a Vikings-Packers game there were a lot of Cheeseheads in the stands. I had a few in front of me that were a little on the annoying side but not too bad. The atmosphere before the game was happy and festive and the energy in the dome was at excitement level. We were yelling and screaming and on our feet most of the first quarter. There were some really great hits too. Things weren't quite so loud the second quarter, especially when the interception happened. We still managed to keep the noise level up there but the Cheeseheads were able to cheer louder.

At halftime I watched the ring ceremony for John Randle who was a very good defensive player for the Vikings. He had been inducted into the Hall of Fame and he was being recognized by the Vikings. Hubby and I also headed out to find something for my dad. I also called home from the Dome to say hi to the folks. Hubby called his mom to find out how everything was going with the kids.

I missed kickoff for the second half and by the time I got back to my seat, Green Bay had already scored. Things went pretty much downhill from there. The plays on the field got worse and worse for the Vikings and better and better for the Packers. My great view of the end zone provided me many opportunities to see Packer touchdowns. I actually commented to the guy next to me that while I was excited to see touchdowns, these were not the ones I wanted to see.

Late in the third quarter it was starting to look as if the Vikings forgot to come back out of the locker room. The "Go Pack Go" shouts were getting louder and the "Go Brett Go" cheers were becoming less and less. Sometime late in the quarter after yet another Green Bay score a loud "Fire Childress" chant started. It was hard to shout and laugh at the same time but I guess I get to cross another thing off my bucket list...yelling 'Fire Childress" at the Metrodome during a game. It was also in this quarter the paper airplanes started to appear.

As the fourth quarter started, the trickle of Purple started to get larger. From areas above and around me paper airplanes started flying around. Made no doubt by fans with nothing better to do than watch them fly. I almost got hit by a few but luckily, escaped. The loudest cheer from the Viking fans in my area occurred when one of the airplanes made it down on the field. I have to give the cheerleaders credit, they tired their best to jump around and look happy to be cheering for this team. Even the Vikings horn started to sound flat and weak. Almost as if the horn blower wasn't overly excited about whatever play the Vikes made. Ok, they weren't making too many of them at this point. By the two minute warning when the Vikings fate was beyond sealed, they started to leave in droves. I decided to stop by and give Pam her camera back so I left and told hubby to meet me downstairs.

After dropping off the camera I stood at the foot of the staircase and waited for my group to come down. As I waited, I was able to observe the fans. Most of those in purple were reserved and wanting to just leave. The ones in green and gold were much much happier. There were high fives and hand slaps. It didn't matter if they knew each other, green was good. Thankfully no fights broke out. I'm sure since this was such a lopsided loss there really wasn't much to fight about.

After re-grouping, we all headed outside to get the van and start home. Even the outside activities were reflective of this loss. There were lots of photos and goofy poses from those wearing green. Everyone else walked on by. A group of Packer fans were swarming a poor camerawomen in excitement of this win. I'm pretty sure it was a Wisconsin station. There were a few musicians playing to the crowds for tips. The one guy on a trumpet played some very good New Orleans style funeral music.

Van found, it was time to get back home. We all wanted to get back before the weather got icky. Shortly after we got out of the city, Jim's boss commented on how easy and fast it was to get back on the interstate and out of the downtown area. I of course pointed out that a lot of people already had left before the game's end so there was much less traffic than usual.

Four hours or so later hubby and I were dropped back off at our car in a parking lot in Brandon. We drove back home, switched cars and headed down to Yankton to get the kids. They were pretty happy to see us.

Even though the Vikings lost the game and as far as games go, this one pretty much stunk, I still had a blast. It was wonderful to spend so much kid-free time with the loving husband and do a fun activity together. We decided to call this our happy 10th anniversary vacation getaway.

A walk in the park

The adventure begins. And this is probably the best shot of the kids I got all day.



It's "say cheese" Carolyn, not give me a cheesy look.



All is quiet and peaceful.

Oops, loaded the wrong photo. Sorry.

A peaceful path.

Another attempt at getting all children to smile and look into the camera lens.

Fall colors against a blue sky.

Even the bees were enjoying the day.

I think this is a Little Blue Heron.

Beautiful yellow flowers make me think more of Spring than Fall.

Male Downey Woodpecker



Hubby was out of town this past weekend so it was up to me to entertain 3 kids. The day was bright and sunny with just a hint of a breeze. Thankfully Carolyn who was not very happy with me for choosing a hike calmed down and was able to have a really fun time. After our walk in on the trail we headed over to the Outdoor Campus and went inside the building. They have an amazing display of the plants and animals of this region. When we finished inside, it was over to Sertoma Park to play. For those who don't know, the Outdoor Campus and Sertoma Park are right next to each other. We usually start the hiking trail so that we end up in the park.

After letting the kids play for a while I bribed them with the possibility of a cold Coca Cola ( I know, shameful) and finally got them to go back to the van. I decided that the Hy-Vee gas station was as good a place as any and it also had slushees. Matthew and Andrew opted for the slushees and Carolyn chose Cherry Coke. I was a little surprised at her choice but she enjoyed it. Andrew preferred to sneak drinks of my plain Coke. I also got three bags of popcorn (on sale that day for 35 cents) and two candy bars. No one complained when I set out for home. The rest of the evening was pretty uneventful and by 9:30 that night I had three dead to the world sleeping kids (go figure).

Say What???

First day of school

Well I should probably apologise for my infrequent blog posts this summer. I kinda took a little time off from posting. However, now that the kids have gone back to school I will be able to devote more time to blogging.

Today was the first day back to school. Last night we had open house. All the kids got to meet their teacher and look around the classroom. It was also a time to drop off all those school supplies that they needed. I actually bought everything the first part of July when I walked into Wal-Mart needing a $6 hand mixer and saw that they had the school lists out and all the supplies right in front of me. I grabbed a cart and a list and started chucking items into the cart. Saved me a ton of time since all but 1 item was found and bought. It is amazing how much stuff kids need nowadays.

Yesterday I had the kids pick out the outfits they wanted to wear today. Of course I had in my mind what I thought they should wear but since I'm not them and I really don't want to start the year off with a fashion fight I nodded my head when they pulled clothing out of the dresser.

Now I'm pretty sure Matthew would have worn whatever I handed him this morning since I've pretty much trained the kid to wear what I tell him to. Ok, that probably sounds bad but he is male and did not inherit the "looks good together" gene. He puts on a top and he puts on a bottom. It does not matter if it is orange stripes with red wind pants or long sleeves on a 90 degree day. He picked a shirt and jean shorts that looked good together but I did have to remind him to wear matching socks. He had 2 different lengths going on.

Carolyn is my little fashionista. She has definite ideas about what it is she wants to wear. It does not matter to her if things go together or not. It does not matter if she wears 2 or 3 different layers of clothing. In her world skirts go under dresses and dresses go over shirts and pants. Colorful socks are great and they don't really have to match the outfit. I do help her out when it comes to picking clothing but it is more of suggesting to her what might be nice to wear. I will only override if she picks a combo that is too cold/warm for the weather or looks dirty. I have been known to suggest she switch outfits if the combo of the day is really over the top. For today I had a really cute little dress picked out that I was sure she wanted to wear. Yeah right, she fell in love with a yellow t-shirt with a bunny on it at Target and decided that this was going to be her first day of school choice.

Matthew was the only one to have to get out of bed early this morning, The other two have afternoon school. He was a little grumpy but did pretty well at getting himself up and dressed. He was so excited to go to school. Because this is the first day, I had him walk up the block to the corner where the bus was to pick him up. Hopefully, the driver will do like she did last year and pick him up in front of the house.

Carolyn was supposed to be picked up at 11:50 but her bus was late. School starts at 12:05 so I waited until then and took her to school. She has a school case manage and the case manager was there at the front of the building to pick Carolyn up and walk her to class. I did apologise for being late but since Transportation was running very late I'm sure there were more kids showing up after the bell.

Thinking Andrew had school today and more than a little miffed about having to transport children to school I headed off to drop Andrew off and apologise for him being late. When I got to the school I thought it was strange the kids weren't playing outside in the playground. One of the school employees met me on the sidewalk and then told me that Early Childhood didn't start until next week. I wasn't the only parent that had tried to drop their child off but I still felt a little sheepish. I decided to drop off the supplies that were in Andrew's backpack since I was already there. I had his extra change of clothes, Kleenex and glue, along with the emergency contact card. Maybe I should read the stuff they send me in the mail or give to me during open house. The fact that my other children have also done Early Childhood should have been enough for me to remember that EC is on a whole different schedule than the rest of the district.

I guess if that is the only goof-up I had then this should be a pretty successful year. I really hope the kids have fun this year. Matthew has a few friends from last year in his class and Andrew has 4 other kids from last year's AM class with him this year. I'm not sure who Carolyn knows in her class since she was more interested in the LEGOS than the kids that were in her desk group. I'm looking forward to the fact I now have my afternoons free so I'll be able to volunteer in the classrooms and help out with field trips and class parties. I'll also have more time to blog and do grocery shopping (yippee).

Class reunion trip. Part 1, going West.

I had to take a photo of this sign. Luckily, we did not see any snakes, just lots and lots of grasshoppers.


This is the back side of a really big and nasty storm that hit the central and eastern part of the state. Several tornadoes and lots of damage were reported.

This is the launch site. It is now run by the Park Service and is part of a tour.

This is the silo where the missile is housed. The missile seen here is real but not armed. The location of the silo was several miles from the launch facility.

Tobi posing for a photo.

If you look through the glassed area you can see the missile. Obviously the glass and railing are for the protection of the tourists.

Me and Mr. Buffalo hanging out in the Wall Drug Backyard.

Tobi always wanted to ride a Jackalope.

Tobi was looking for a geocache, I was looking around and taking this photo.




On Friday, my friend Tobi and I set out on a wonderful and fun-filled road trip across the great state of South Dakota to attend our high school's 20 year class reunion. The plan was to leave around 11 and end up in Rapid City sometime around supper. I also need to point out that Tobi does geocaching. What is geocaching? It is kind of like a big game of hide a seek using a GPS locator. Items or "caches" are hidden in various locations and the GPS coordinates are uploaded into a website. Persons wishing to find the caches download these coordinates into a hand held device and go looking for them. Many of our stops were in order to find these caches.

We had decided to do lunch in Mitchell, SD which is about an hour and a half down the road. Both of us were quite hungry when it came time to stop. We decided to try this interesting looking sports bar and grill. I make mention of this stop because unfortunately for me it was full of every thing deep fried and breaded so about 95% of the food was off my can eat list. Not really wanting a salad (I'm not a fan of large salads with meat on them) but faced with no other options I ordered a small side salad...we're talking a little lettuce and cheese here. I so wanted to eat what it was Tobi got since it was waffle fries with nacho cheese, ranch type sauce, bacon, and onions. I also ordered water since I had pop in the car. When the bill came I must have looked like a total cheapskate since my total was $2.12.

After eating we headed back onto the interstate. Tobi also has a GPS device for her car. She had the voice set to sound like a squirrel. At one point we turned the squirrel off. As we were heading out of town, Tobi commented that her GPS kept wanting her to turn around (the sound was still off). I suggested the possibility that maybe we were headed the wrong way. Sure enough, a check of the next interstate sign showed we were headed East, back toward Sioux Falls instead of West towards Rapid City. Well after the 14 mile detour (7 miles before we hit an off ramp to turn around) we were back on our way. We also turned the squirrel back on.

We did not start looking for any geocaches until after we had crossed the Missouri River. Tobi had not done any geocaching past that point so once we were West River, we started looking. Our intent was to only stop at rest areas or pull overs along the side of the road. The photo of the snake sign was taken at a rest area I call the "middle of nowhere stop" We were looking for a cache hidden somewhere and would have to cross a freshly mown field. We did not find either snakes or the cache. We are pretty sure it was located in the area with tall grass that could have snakes in it and neither of us had boots on. We did manage to get hit with lots of grasshoppers though. Actually, we had lots of grasshopper issues at our stops.

One of the stops we made involved an old missile launch facility. South Dakota had lots of them during the Cold War. They were truly hidden in plain sight as the signs claim. The one we visited was only a few hundred feet from the interstate. I have driven by those sites hundreds of times and never noticed them. The first part of the cache was the actual launch area which is the photo of the building. Part two was the actual silo site a few miles away. We met up with a family from Kentucky who were doing the tour of the missile sites. We decided to follow him on the interstate to the next location since he had a map and that was faster than downloading the coordinates into the GPS. I also took the storm photo at this location. I had been admiring the huge clouds for miles and decided that I should take pictures. The next morning (on the news)was when I discovered how nasty that storm was. One of the confirmed tornadoes was an F-4.

A few miles down the road we stopped at the actual missile silo. This on had the original missile but of course was disarmed. There was a glass covering over the top to keep people safe. I should also comment that it was really really windy out there. I'm sure some of it was due to the storm passing through but it is also really windy in the Central part of the state. Over all, this was pretty cool to visit.

Our other major stop was of course Wall, home of the world famous Wall Drug. Tobi had not been to Wall since she was a small child so she wanted to re-visit. We spent time walking around looking at all the people and different souvenirs in the stores. We also had to go the the back yard area and take some pictures. I decided that the buffalo looked pretty cute and Tobi really wanted to have her picture taken on the Jackalope. We also got our cup of free (not very good tasting) ice water. Tobi also wanted to see the dinosaur and of course there was a geocache hidden there so we spent several minutes there. She went looking for the cache and I took photos.

We finally made it to Rapid City and had a wonderful supper made by my dad. It was nice to see my parents since I haven't seen them in several months. Bryan had already left to go to Cheyenne,WY for a concert. Mom and Dad were due to leave the next morning to go to that same concert. After supper, we headed out to one of the local bars where the Class of 1990 (yes, I'm that old) was having a mixer. I didn't take the camera with so no photos. Actually, the music was really too loud to converse inside so we headed out to the patio and met up with my friends Jen and Jackie and their husbands were we spent the evening. At one point I was wondering why they kept playing Beetles songs. It wasn't until we were leaving that I noticed the sign saying the band Abbey Road was playing that night. Oh, that's why I kept hearing Beetles music.

We ended our night at Perkins. Just like old times, a bunch of us crammed in a booth eating and talking about anything and everything.

Czech it out part 2

Wow, what a fun day we had. I hope you all enjoyed the photos I posted. Now here is as the late Paul Harvey would say "the rest of the story".

We went down this morning to Tabor, about a 1 1/2 or so hour south of us. Every year the town celebrates it's Czechoslovakian heritage with a wonderful 3 day festival. Some of the events include a large parade, a smaller kiddie parade, lots of dancing, demonstrations on how to make kolaches, the talent contest for the Czech Queen candidates, a kids tractor pull, a midway carnival, and of course the Polka Mass. Yes, they really do have a Catholic Mass complete with polka music. Sadly, I have not been able to make this particular service but I have been told is is quite beautiful.

First up on our list of things was the kiddie parade. The larger more "official" celebration parade is held on Friday but it is too difficult for us to make that parade, plus Carolyn is not too fond of the loud noises. Saturday is the day for the kiddie parade. This is a bit smaller both in size and entries. There are different judged categories including, decorated bikes, dolls, pets, and miscellaneous. Each entry must have something to do with being Czech whether it is a costume or a saying. This is so much fun to watch. This years pet entries included Guinea pigs, rabbits, and a couple of dogs dressed in really cute outfits. In addition to the kids, the winning float from the Friday parade is also invited to this parade. Part of the fun is watching this parade with my mother in law. She is from Tabor so she knows everyone and gives a great running commentary on who is who. This year we also watched with two of the loving husband's aunts and his grandmother.

After the parade ended, the loving husband took Andrew and headed over to the park. I took the other two kids and we went over to Grandma Helen's house for bathroom breaks and I wanted to get my phone and money for later events. Of course in true Cindy style, on the way out of the house I missed the bottom step and did a knees first dive in front of everyone. The only thing hurt was my pride. We met back up at the park a little later and watched the awards ceremony for the kiddie parade and the coronation of the Czech Prince and Princess. They also had clowns making balloon animals so the kids stood in line to get one.

By then it was time for lunch so we headed inside the hall to get some wonderful yummy food. The loving husband opted for the meal which included pork and beef, mashed potatoes and gravy, dumplings, sauerkraut, and a kolache. I stood in the other line and got hot dogs, homemade chicken noodle soup, and more beef. Did I mention the food was yummy?

After eating, it was time to buy the kolaches. Every year they (lots of volunteers) make a few hundred dozen kolaches both to sell with the meals and to package and sell separately. There are various kinds including poppy seed, prune, apricot, cherry, cream cheese (my favorite), and a few more unconventional like pineapple, strawberry, or rhubarb. This is where it is really handy to know someone who lives in town. After buying the kolaches, I was able to take them back to Grandma Helen's house to wait in air conditioning as opposed to the sweltering heat of my van.

After lunch was the tractor pull. This is for ages 4-13. It consists of a pedal tractor hooked up to a weighted sled. The objective is to pedal the tractor as far as you can until the weight on the sled moves to the top and stops you. The key is to pedal fast and don't look back. Winners in each category qualify for the state championship later this summer. Last year both Matthew and Carolyn competed and had fun so this year they were looking forward to doing it again.

The official age to do this is 4 but they have an unofficial 3 and under category to start things off. Andrew was really really wanting to ride the tractors so he was pretty excited when he got to get on it and ride up the street. I'm pretty sure the announcer walking next to them was the reason all the little ones pedaled till the weight stopped at the top of the sled. Everyone was all smiles.

One of the biggest surprises this year was how incredibly competitive this event was. If the weight makes it to the top of the sled then it is called a full pull. There were a lot of full pulls this day.

The age categories go up by single year and gender. This is of course supposed to make it fair but poor Carolyn turned 6 last week so she was the youngest of the competitors in her division. Had she been with the 2 5 year olds she might have done better but there were at least 5 other girls she had to compete against and I'm pretty sure she was the lightest. She also made the mistake of looking back when she was pedaling so she lost speed and didn't get as far as the other girls. Several girls had full pulls so this division went extra rounds.

For some reason the organizers decided to take a break between the 6 year olds and the 7 and ups. One of the things they do for fun is have the Czech Queen candidates compete in the pull. This is just for fun and doesn't count except as a crowd pleaser. They also decided to have a "powder puff" 13 and older (emphasis on older) division, also just for fun. After the queen candidates went, the announcer went looking for "contestants" amongst the crowd. There were a few that had either signed up or were volunteered. I was enjoying watching these women trying to do this. One reluctant soul gave her name as "I don't have the proper shoes" as she was using that as an excuse to get out of being a contestant. For the record, she had flip flops on, as did the majority of contestants.

As I was enjoying this completion, I heard the name Cindy called. I really didn't think too much of it until Matthew came up to me and told me it was my turn to go. I looked at him and asked him what he meant. He told me that Daddy told him to go over and give the announcer my name. Gee, thanks darling. As I was getting on the tractor, I mentioned that the loving husband wasn't getting a Father's Day gift. The crowd laughed. I pedaled my fastest. It was harder than it looked. The wheels are kinda tiny and you don't feel like you are moving very fast and then it starts getting harder and harder to pedal. I maxed out at just over 21 feet. Not too bad I guess.

After the 7 year old girls went it was Matthew's turn. There were several other 7 year old boys in this division. When it came time for Matthew to go I went out in front of him as his encourager. Poor Andrew had fallen asleep so he was sitting on the loving husband in the shade. I reminded Matthew to pedal as fast as he could and not to look back. He took my advice and went like crazy. I watched the weight inch up and up until it stopped at the top of the sled. Matthew got a full pull and he was excited. He jumped off the tractor and gave me a big high-five and was jumping up and down with excitement. Two other boys also had a full pull so there was a 3 way tie and they had to go another round. Matthew was up first but this time didn't get as good a start so he only went about 18 or so feet. He was really disappointed. He was even more disappointed when the other two boys got longer distances than him. He came in third.

After we got done with the tractor pull, I took Matthew and Carolyn and headed over to the craft fair. Tabor is not a very big town so it was only a three or four block walk. Matthew wasn't overly happy with looking at breakable items such as the Czech china and crystal but Carolyn seemed to enjoy it. One of the loving husband's aunts had a lovely bag and I had commented on it earlier and she told me that they were selling them at the craft fair for only $6. His other aunt also had one too and really liked hers. I found the booth and decided that the price was right. It was a tough decision but I finally decided to go with the black with pink polka dots.

As we were leaving the craft fair, a very nice lady stopped us and told us that about a block off the main path was a group that was giving free horse rides. "Horse" was all it took to get Carolyn excited. We walked over and found the house. It turns out that the owner of the horses has a Cowboy camp nearby and was offering the freewill donation rides as a way to get her camp name out there. She was a very nice person to talk to. By this time Andrew had woken up so he and the loving husband joined us for a horse ride.

After finishing up with the horses, we headed back to ride the midway rides. Each child got to pick 2 rides to ride on and we bought the number of tickets needed. Tickets were $1 apiece and most rides charged 3 tickets. Unfortunately, one of the rides Matthew wanted to go on was broken so he got to ride the same ride twice. He also got to play ski ball. He did pretty good and got scores on two of his games high enough to win a small prize.

After finishing up with the rides, we headed back over to Grandma Helen's house to collect our stuff. We said our good-bye's to my mother in law and the aunts and Grandma. After more conversation ( It's so hard to say good bye) we finally left and headed for home.

It was a fun fun day and the kids were dirty dirty dirty. I can't wait until next year.

Czech it out

Various entries in the kiddie parade.

The Royal Court

Of course there has to be a polka band.

Andrew's tractor pull

Carolyn trying really really hard to move it along.

Matthew has all the right moves

Every stitch on this costume (including the roses) is hand embroidered. The lace is also hand made.

Cowgirl Carolyn

Cowboy Matthew

A very happy Andrew.

Only $6 at the craft fair. ( I couldn't resist)

Mmmmmmm.....Kolaches

All photos were taken today at the annual Czech Days celebration in Tabor, SD. Stay tuned for the follow up post telling you the rest of the story.

Happy Birthday Carolyn

Hanging with Mom and Andrew at the Butterfly House. Loved it!!



OK, bring on the snow.







Yes, this is my happy smile. Mom made us cake!!!

Oh, so this is what cute looks like.

Today is Carolyn's 6th birthday. It's hard to believe that 6 years have passed since I first looked upon that beautiful face. She is my little artist and has her own unique sense of fashion. I love getting her pictures and paintings and her creative cut-out and glued I'm not sure what this is supposed to be's. For now, pink and purple are the best colors to have in a wardrobe and if it doesn't have some sort of pattern, it's not worth wearing. I really didn't know that you could in fact wear a skirt under a dress or a dress over a shirt and pants. Socks don't necessarily have to match, or be the same length. Every day is a new adventure.

Happy Birthday my little princess.

Chicken enchilada cassarole

Yes, it's time for yet another yummy recipe. You might have noticed that I like Mexican food since my last recipe involved refried beans and salsa. You'll be happy to know that today's recipe has neither one in it. I actually created this from two different recipes. The first recipe was a brown rice Mexican casserole that I got off the Weight Watchers web site and the second recipe was an enchilada casserole that I got off the back of a package of corn tortillas. Both casserole recipes are OK, but neither one was particularly stellar so I took what I liked from one and added it to what I liked to the other and came up with a really yummy and easy to make supper. It is also a great way to use leftover chicken.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

2 cooked chicken breasts
1 cup instant brown rice
1 can enchilada sauce (large size)
1 package tortillas
1 package shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese
1 can of black olives (optional)
1 can of green chilies (optional)
cilantro (optional)

• In a microwave safe container, make up the brown rice. Remember 1 cup uncooked rice equals 2 cups cooked. Set aside.
• While rice is cooking, shred the chicken and tear up at least 4-6 tortillas.
• Spray the bottom and sides of an 8x8 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
• Cover the bottom of the baking dish with the pieces of tortillas, it's OK to have gaps.
• Pour a small amount of enchilada sauce over the tortillas. Spread with a spoon.
• In a separate bowl combine the chicken and rice. If using green chili's or cilantro, add them too. Pour the majority of enchilada sauce in and mix thoroughly. You should have a little sauce left.
• Spread half the chicken and rice mixture over the tortillas.
• Cover with cheese.
• Take the remaining tortillas and place them on top of the cheese and pour the remaining sauce over them.
• Spread the remaining chicken and rice mixture over top.
• Cover with shredded cheese. You can also put the black olives on top.
• Bake covered at 350 for about 25-30 minutes.

If you really want to spice things up, try using hotter cheese. I'm not sure of the name but there is a brand of shredded cheese that has hot peppers in it. Poor Matthew had a really hard time eating this when I used this cheese. Needless to say, I use the milder cheese. You can also skip the tortillas or use ground beef instead of chicken. If you want a stronger enchilada taste, mix the chicken with the sauce and then add the rice.

Their stories

It is a brisk Autumn day somewhere on the West Coast. Three generations of family and dozens of friends have gathered to pay their final respects. A bugler plays "Taps" as the old solder is laid to rest. It's taken 60 years but now he's finally able to join the buddies he left behind on the beaches of Normandy.

It is a rainy winter day in the Southwest. A father reads the latest e-mail from his daughter. In his mind she will always be his little princess, forever 6 years old with pigtails and a pretty pink dress. However, daddy's little girl is all grown up and serving on a ship somewhere in the ocean. He looks up at all the photos on the wall, sighs, and says a prayer for her safety.

In a VA hospital somewhere in the Rocky Mountains, the old man looks at the young nursing assistant and tells her she reminds him of the girl he met while on a 3 day pass in Seoul. His eyes glaze over and and his mind wanders back to that day oh so long ago. As he starts to tell his tale, one of the nurses comes in and tells the confused young women not to be alarmed, he does this all the time.

It is a warm summer night in the Midwest and the campfire is crackling. It's the perfect end to the perfect weekend. The last 15 months of deployment have been hell. Through the weeks and months what kept him going was the promise he made to his boys that when he came home they'd load up the camper, pack the fishing gear, and head out in search of the one that got away. He looks over at the kids, sticky from making s'mores, squeezes his wife's hand, and smiles.

It's a beautiful Indian Summer day in Washington DC. A group of men gather at one section of the Vietnam Wall. They do this every few years. Now of course they are more likely to be carrying AARP cards than the draft cards they once had. They laugh and joke, and show off the latest photos of the grandkids. As they read the names, the memories and stories start to come back. For a few hours, they are together again.

Farther down The Wall stands a mother. Her hair has turned from soft brown to snow white. She comes here year after year, always to this same spot. She traces her son's name with her fingers and the tears fall down her cheeks. She wants only to bring him home so he can be closer to her but she can't. Three little letters next to his name tells her that her boy has yet to be found.

It is a muggy spring day in the South. The little boy hops out of the van clutching the bouquet of brightly colored balloons. He is so excited, he gets to eat ice cream later today and play with his cousins at Grandma's house. His little 3 year old legs start running. His mother calls to him and tells him to wait for her. She is carrying his little sister with one arm and a bouquet of flowers in the other. The little boy stops and waits. They slowly make their way across the decorated rows until they reach the spot they are looking for. The mother sets her daughter down on a blanket and then helps her older child put the balloons next to the headstone and arranges the flowers in the vase. She feels something tug at her leg and looks down to see the girl has crawled over to her. She sits down on the ground and pulls the girl onto her lap. Her son sits next to her. The little girl points to the headstone and says "da da?"
"Yes, replies her mother, "that's daddy"

In the truest sense, freedom can not be bestowed, it must be achieved.
-Franklin D. Roosevelt




* I hope you enjoyed my Memorial Day tribute to those who have served our country or are currently serving. The people and places written about in this post are a work of fiction.*

Old McDonald had a......

We all know the song. In fact I'll bet you are singing it right now. Yes, that wonderful song about a farmer and his very noisy animals is a classic that is taught and sung to millions of children all over the world. My own kids love it and I've sung it more times than I really care to admit.

It is because I am always singing this song I decided to have some fun with it and thus the alternate versions of Old McDonald were born. Just this morning Carolyn and Andrew were laughing at me while I was doing my best "American Idol" version of Old McDonald. Of course he was not on his farm. I haven't decided if Mr. McDonald is a very busy businessman who likes to acquire new real estate or if he has a lot of cousins he likes to visit. Anyway, I thought I'd share with you a few versions I and the kids have come up with. At the very least it will save you from always having to bark and moo.

Version #1 Classic setting of the farm...use animals like geese, mice, goats, and llamas. Really, what does a llama sound like?

Version #2 My personal favorite, the convenience store. Items I have used include gum (chew chew here), soda pop (burp burp there), potato chips (crunch crunch here), soap (slip slidey there), toilet paper or Kleenex (wipe wipe here)...you get the idea. The kids love coming up with things to try and then having to make up a sound or action to go with it.

Version #3 The zoo. I have to give Carolyn credit for coming up with this setting but it really works. This is also a great version for incorporating both sounds and actions. The monkeys jump around and make sounds, the gorillas beat their chests, the lions roar, and the elephants move their trunks.

Version #4 The ocean. This one can get pretty difficult but it does work. Whales go squirt, fish go swish, sharks go chomp, and mermaids sing la la la. I challenge you to make seal sounds and not laugh.

Version #5 Geographical settings. This is very similar to the zoo except you pick one area like jungle or swamp and only use those animals.

Ok, there you have it. New twists on an old favorite. The fun part about this is once you start with a verse, the kids will either laugh at you or follow along and try to make up the next line. By the end of the song everyone will be laughing and singing.

Now if you'll excuse me. I've got to go listen to the radio. I've got that Old McDonald song stuck in my head.

Queso bean dip

According to the calender, it's supposed to be Spring. According to my front window...it's anything but warm and sunny. Anyway, we are now in the season of BBQ and open houses, wedding showers, and rehearsal dinners and any other excuse to throw a party.

Part of the fun of parties is the food. Yes, all the delicious and yummy food one can eat will be on hand at any given day, time, or place. Normally, I like to do some sort of dessert whenever I'm invited to a party. However, there are times when I know that there will already be a lot of sweets at the event. This is where I pull out the time trusted chips and dip. It's simple, it's practical, and just about everyone will eat it. Of course I could just go to the store and pick up a container of generic flavor dip and throw in a bag of boring chips but really, what fun would that be? I've decided to share one of my favorite dip recipes.

Most people like cheese dip of some sort and most people like Mexican-type dips. The very popular method of mixing processed cheese (Velveeta) with salsa produces a very yummy dip and of course you can also buy that type of dip in jars but in truth, you get very little nutrition for a lot of fat and calories. I happen to like bean dip but once again, if you buy it in the little cans it is loaded with fat and calories. My solution was to create my own bean/cheese dip.

This recipe is super simple and very user friendly. There is very little prep involved and takes about 15 minutes from start to finish to make.

Queso Bean Dip

1 16 oz can of fat-free refried beans (try not to use flavored)
1 16 oz jar of mild or medium salsa (can use home made)
4-8 oz of fat free or low fat sour cream
1 package of shredded cheese* (sharp cheddar or Mexican blend.)
1 bag of tortilla chips

In a large microwave safe bowl, combine the salsa and refried beans.
Add 4 oz of sour cream ( half a small container)
Add 1/2 cup shredded cheese
Place bowl in microwave and heat for 30 seconds on high.
Take bowl out and stir
Taste mixture--add more cheese and sour cream if a more cheesy or creamy taste is desired.
Place bowl back into microwave and heat for another 30 seconds on high.
Take bowl out and mix until you get a creamy texture. If not hot enough or smooth enough then microwave for another 30 seconds.

Serve with tortilla chips.

There you have it. A simple yummy dip that everyone will love. If you want a firmer, more taco-like version then microwave the beans and salsa together and then layer the sour cream and cheese and top it with black olives. You can also use shredded lettuce and ground beef taco meat but I find that is really messy.

One last suggestion from me is to make this dip and try it out before bringing it to your next gathering. I prefer a more salsa taste to my dip so I use less cheese and sour cream. Also, the more watery the salsa, the thinner the dip. *Do not use fat free cheese. The fat free versions are not very good at melting.

Not so flexable benefits

We have a medical flexible spending account. For those who don't know what that is, it is an account we set up and put aside a certain amount of money each year to be used for medical expenses. It is an easy way to save for that rainy day. The money is used mostly for things like prescriptions and co-pays but can be used for medical items like OTC pain relievers and cough syrup.

Our insurance provider provides us a flex benefit program complete with card that can be scanned like a credit card at doctor's offices, pharmacies, and some retail locations. The advantage is that all you need to do is swipe and sign and you're good to go. No having to save credit card receipts or check statements and sending them in at the end of the year. The disadvantage is the plan provider is very specific on what charges it wants to accept.

Over the past few years, I've learned the hard way what happens when "Big Brother" gets a hold of my account info. Ninety percent of the time there is no problem with what I use the card for. It's the other ten percent that gets me all in a bother.

When a purchase is made that is not associated with a prescription or a doctor's office co-pay then it gets the attention of the good folks over at Big Brother Institute. They flag it as questionable and then send me a lovely letter informing me that I need to provide documentation of this expense to prove it is a legitimate purchase. Wait, I thought this was supposed to eliminate the need for keeping detailed receipts. I then have a certain amount of time to produce the receipt or other purchase info and send it to them so they can determine whether or not we spent our flex money correctly. Ummm, isn't this supposed to be our money we are spending? The receipts must have the date and description of item bought on it or it doesn't qualify. That means that the little credit card-like receipt they print out at time of purchase doesn't count unless there is some form of itemized receipt to go with it. An example would be a bottle of cough syrup bought at Wal-Mart. The Wal-Mart receipt that says "cough syrup" must be sent in. Once again, wasn't this supposed to eliminate my paperwork hassle?

Because I have been sent several of these "prove it" letters, I have taken to saving any receipt that I get from the doctor's office, pharmacy, or any other business that I use that card at. Sometimes I know there will be questions asked so I wait for the letter to arrive and send my receipt in and other times I get one of those "prove it" letters and go "What the????"

I got one of those letters recently. It contained about 9 different items that I needed to verify. Several of them were for the vision appointments and services we used in the past few months and one was for a dentist appointment charge. It was the last on that had me baffled.

It was a $101 charge from our local clinic. I looked at the date given and checked on the calender and it corresponded to a doctor appointment so I called the clinic to find out what the appointment was for. It was Andrew's 3 year check. I questioned why the high amount and the receptionist could not give me an answer. My first thought was that someone screwed up and charged me the appointment cost instead of the co-pay but that did not happen. I called the number for the flex benefits and they had no clue what this charge was for so I got sent to the insurance company. I asked the person my question and got the same answer so I was transferred to yet another department. Even though everyone was friendly, no one had a clue as to what this charge was for. The well check was a covered claim (except co-pay) and there would be no reason for the flex card to pay. Baffled, I decided to call the clinic business office to see if maybe they had made a mistake.

For some strange reason, the billing department is not located in the main clinic but I was given the correct phone number to call. When I called the billing department, the lady helping me was also baffled as to why I had this charge. I did find the original receipt form that visit (I save everything) and discovered a $69 charge added to the co-pay. Neither of us could figure out what it was for. Finally, after several minutes of digging around, the charges were found. She said that she would mail me the copy of the outstanding charges ( I still have no idea what they are) and I would get them in a few days. I thanked her and hung up.

So basically, I have a stack of paperwork that I have to organize and send in to my flexible benefit company to prove to them that I have been using my account for services and items that they deem medically necessary. I suppose I could have just found the receipt for the questioned doctor appointment and sent that in but I'm almost positive that I would have just gotten another "prove it" letter.

Tell me how this is supposed to simplify my life?

Extreme diet makover

I'm now a few weeks into my extreme diet makeover. Ok, I'm exaggerating a bit on the extreme part but in reality this is a pretty radical way to change my eating habits. One of the first things I did was go through the pantry and evaluate the food I had.

For those who don't know a lot about gluten and what it is, here is a little lesson:
Gluten is the protein found in certain grains such as wheat, barley, rye and all of their close cousins. It is the sticky that holds things together in baked goods. It can be used in a variety of ways in a lot of products. It is everywhere.

Some of the items in my pantry were obvious offenders such as the cereal and whole grain pastas. Others were a bit tricky like the pre-packaged rice dishes and sauces. Sadly, I had gone shopping a few days before I found out about my new diet requirements so there were quite a few items that were recent purchases. If it was an unopened item that I could not have, it was taken off the shelf. If it was opened then I had to decide whether or not to keep it. The cereal and granola bars stayed since they would be eaten by the loving husband and children. The one positive that came out of this was the Brandon Food Pantry received a larger than usual donation of items. I also went through my canned items to see which ones had to go. I did not have as many of them.

My next task was to go out and buy items that were safe for me to eat. I'm pretty lucky that I only have an intolerance to gluten so if I eat an offending item, I'll suffer intestinal distress but no long-term permanent damage. If I had Celiac Disease then the tiny hairs in my small intestine would suffer damage every time I came in contact with gluten, even the tiniest amount.

One of the handouts I was given at the doctor's office contained a list of foods and terms indicating the presence of wheat and/or gluten. There were 54 items. Some were the usual suspects such as baked goods, cereal, flour, or bran. Other terms were more insidious such as corn bread, soy sauce, graham, and modified food starch. Seemingly innocent items such as soups, or salad dressing were suspect. Oatmeal was another trap. Oats themselves are gluten free but they are usually grown next to wheat fields and harvested using the same equipment and processed in the same facility as wheat so they are pretty contaminated with wheat and gluten. Items that contain oats are not recommended unless the oats are certified gluten free. In addition to the warning about oats, was the information about the use of wheat in spices and seasonings. Even chewing gum and candy can be a problem if wheat is used in the starch or wheat is used in the coating.

At first glance it might seem easy to spot a no no food. Many products are required to list any potential allergens so problem foods are highlighted in bold. If I had a wheat allergy then that would be easy but manufactures are not required to list gluten as one of the highlighted ingredients. I also have to look for the information to tell me if a product is manufactured on equipment that is used in a factory that processes wheat products. I now have the very unenviable task of reading every single food label and searching for ingredients that contain gluten. If I am in doubt then I should assume gluten and avoid the product. An example of items that at first glance look harmless but are on my no eat list are crispy rice cereal and the generic rice chex type cereals. The crispy rice cereal contains malt flavoring which is made from barley. The generic rice chex cereals are made on the same equipment that they use to make the other cereals so there is cross contamination. The name brand rice chex and corn chex is labeled gluten free so it is safe to eat. Soup is also another tricky one. Wheat gluten is used as a thickener for many of them. Many rice dishes have some sort of grain product added to them for extra fiber or flavor so I have to really read carefully. I have found some soy sauces and stir fry mixes that only use soy and not wheat but there are very few of them. Even the chocolate milk drink mix the kids use has wheat ingredients in it.

The good news is fruits and veggies are naturally gluten free so I can have as many of them as I want. Meat is also gluten free so my love affair with juicy steak is unaffected. Over the years I have either avoided or cut way back in eating breaded and/or fried foods so with a few exceptions I won't be missing out on much. However, Mc Donald's uses wheat flour in it's french fries and of course cooks them in the same grease vat as their other breaded stuff so I can no longer have them (sob).

One of the nice things abut living in a larger metro area is the access to stores that sell gluten free (GF) products. The grocery store I do my shopping at has a very nice GF section and they also have bright pink labels on those items that are gluten free. I was also able to schedule a shopping trip with the store dietitian to show me what products I can have and of those, which ones are worth the cost. Unfortunately, items that are specially made to be gluten free are very expensive. I'd also rather not pay $6 for a heat and eat meal that would normally go for $2 on sale if it wasn't GF so I'll just make my own. I haven't tried the frozen pizzas or made pizza crust yet but that is on my to do list. I did find some very wonderful (and horribly expensive) gluten free flour that I can use just like regular flour. I am able to make my favorite baked goods and they taste almost the same. At least I can save some money by not buying those $5 packages of cookies or cookie mixes.

I'm still trying to get used to doing things a new way and at times I get a little frustrated. I'll admit, it is really hard to have to give up certain favorite food items such as donuts or McDonald's french fries. I also have to be careful when I eat out at restaurants. I'm going to try my hardest to adapt to a gluten free lifestyle and still maintain a normal life.

Now if you'll excuse me, I just made a loaf of bread and I want to try it out to see if it is any good.

My day in court

Yesterday morning was my day to go back to court. I had made sure that all my bases were covered. I even wrote notes to the teachers informing them the kids were being dropped off at a different location. I was seriously paranoid about Transportation getting mixed up and one of the the kids getting dropped off to an empty house. There are a lot of kids and bus routes and more than once I've had to deal with a miscommunication.

I managed to get to the courthouse on time. There were quite a few people in the jury room but I expected that. At about 8:30, one of the bailiffs came down and announced that jury A was needed. Many of us got that panicked look because we had no idea if we were jury A. We were told that those who were in jury A already knew.

Shortly, after jury A left, we were informed that we were to watch a short film about the jury duty process. I felt like I was back in high school sitting in Social Studies class. The film was informative and explained who the people in the court were and how the selection process worked. I'm pretty sure the courtroom stuff was staged because the defense lawyer looked way too young to practice law. At least it was current and everyone was dressed in modern fashions and I didn't have to worry about cheesy music soundtracks.

After the film was over, we were told to use the restroom because it would be a while before we got the chance again. About 10 minutes later, we were called to go upstairs to the courtroom. When we got upstairs, the clerk called us by name and gave us a place in line to stand. We were divided up into rows with about 5 people per row. This was our seating order when we got into the court room. Once again I had that high school feeling.

Once in the courtroom, the selection process began. I don't remember the correct legal term for what we did or how to spell it but it was used throughout the day. Once again, the same people I saw the week before were in the room. The difference was that we were given introductions to all of them. There were 2 defense lawyers next to the defendant and that side also had a paralegal and law student observing. The prosecution had 2 lawyers. There was a court reporter in the corner. There were bailiffs in the other corner, a courtroom scheduling clerk, and the judge. I tried not to look at the court reporter. She was seated at a desk behind the diving wall of the courtroom so only the top of her from shoulder up was visible. As she typed, her whole body moved giving the impression that she had the shakes.

The defense attorney was the one to introduce himself and do the rest of the courtroom introductions. He thanked us and then spent time chatting with us about himself and the nature of what would happen during the day. He also told us that instead of asking general questions first, they would call individual people back and ask detailed personal questions. These were based on what the individual wrote on that last information form. We were not allowed to leave the courtroom while this was going on so we just sat and talked amongst ourselves.

Before we started the one on one questions, the judge did ask a few need to know questions. We were asked if we were residents of this particular county. Seems funny but Sioux Falls covers 2 different counties so every once in a while someone from town gets the wrong info. We also were asked if we were able to read and understand English. We were asked if we had any medical conditions that would prevent us from sitting more than 2 hours. We were also asked if we had any other concerns that we needed to address.

One of the potential jurors was having a total conniption fit over the whole selection process. She at first tried to use general excuses to get dismissed, and then tried to tell the judge that she just couldn't be here doing this. She was quite upset about spending her time here and was also very angry at the court for making her be there. I guess she had some sort of business that involved flower arraignments and some prom was this weekend and she needed to spend time working on that. I know this because she wouldn't stop whining about it to those who were sitting near her. I was seated one row in front of her and spent my time talking to the people in front of me. I'm pretty sure the majority of us who had to sit near her were ready to commit assault and slap the snot out of her. Um, newsflash honey...we ALL have better things to do with our day than sit here. We were only too happy when she finally got called into the back room and did not return.

The individual question part took about an hour or so. There were several individuals who were called back and never returned. I assume that they were dismissed based on what they answered. I also got a call back. I had written on my form that I had read about this case. The truth is I did back in 2008 when the incident happened. I could honestly answer (and I did) that I could not remember a thing about the case. I answered that I did form an opinion at that time but I truthfully could not remember what it was. I was asked if this would affect my opinion of this case and I answered that no if wouldn't. I got to return back to the courtroom for round 2.

After the first part was over, we were given a break. Most of us had been sitting around but of course the court reporter and courtroom staff had been busy so the break was for them. We got to go back down to the jury room and smokers got to go light one up.

When we returned, the next hour or so was spent with the defense attorney asking us a bunch of open-ended discussion questions. We were told that if picked, we would need to be present for 5-7days. We were asked if anyone had scheduling conflicts and could not be available. A few people were dismissed for that reason. One of the jurors asked about a fishing trip and was told, no, probably not. The defense attorney also read a list of names off. These were people who worked in the States Attorney's office, police officers associated with this case, possible witnesses, family members of the defendant, and any other person who might in some way be involved with this case. One of the names read was the first cousin of the loving husband. I raised my hand and indicated my relationship with this person. I was asked how much I communicated with her and if I had spoken of the nature of this case. I replied that I had not seen her in months and did not speak of this case to her. I was asked if my relationship with her would affect my judgement of this case and I said no. I was not dismissed.

Many of the questions that were asked of us were asked in a way to start a discussion. The officers of the court wanted our opinions on things and made a point of telling us repeatedly that we were to ask as many questions as we wanted to. There were quite a few questions asked several different ways. They wanted to know what we thought reasonable doubt was, if it would influence our opinion if the prosecution had more people testifying than the defense, what do we think of when we hear about an expert witness, does a police officer testifying have more weight just because he is a police officer. Trust me, there was a lot of strange questions and I learned way more about those around me than I really wanted to know.

As questions were being asked of us, I thought about them in terms of "can" and do I want to". We were asked if we could look at autopsy photos of a young child. Do I want to? no. Can I do it? yes. Do I want to be available for 5-7 days for this trial? No. Can I be? yes. Each time we were asked a question, I used this as my weed out process. I figured if I hit a no on the "can I do this", then I could truthfully bow out and ask to be dismissed. It really wasn't fair to the process if I just raised my hand and said I didn't want to do this. After all, who really wants to sit on this kind of trial?

We finally broke for lunch and were given about an hour and a half or so. Sadly, the closest restaurant was a nice Chinese place and I avoided it because I really didn't want to eat something that would disagree with me. We didn't get that many breaks and I didn't want to sit in court with an ill stomach. I probably should not have drank all that Coke though.

After lunch, we returned to the courtroom. The defense attorney started by asking the juror who had the fishing trip more about that trip. It seems that the trip was actually a tournament. The defense then decided to be nice to the guy and dismiss him from the trial. As he was in the process of asking for the dismissal, the judge interrupted him and stated "but the juror didn't ask to be dismissed" The look on that attorney's face was priceless. When asked if he wanted to be dismissed, the juror decided that if he was needed then he could do the trial. Later on, those of us in the jury pool teased him about his decision telling him he blew his chance.

The questions continued and after about an hour or so I was feeling the effects of my dinner soda. I really don't remember the last half hour as I was trying not think about wetting myself. I was very close to the point of asking if I could go to the restroom when a break was finally called. I all but ran out of the courtroom.

As the day continued, I started to get a little nervous. I hadn't been dismissed and maybe I was what they wanted in a juror. There was a lot of people around me participating in the discussion but I really didn't feel the need to add my opinions (shocking, I know). I was very aware of the fact that we were there to be judged and every thing we said or did mattered. My thought was to keep as quiet and under the radar as possible. If they didn't know a lot about me, other than what was on my question sheet, maybe they wouldn't want me. I was a little surprised at how easy it seemed they were on letting jurors go. Those that indicated that they could not form a fair opinion after one or more of the questions were dismissed. Some couldn't get past the victims age, some couldn't stand the sight of blood, and at least one was unable to see the defendant as anything other than guilty unless proven innocent.

I was also a little surprised at some of the questions that were asked by the jurors. Some of the questions that we asked could be answered but others could not be. When asked direct questions about the defendant, most of those answers were not given but there were a few questions concerning the welfare of that person. We were told that we could not take sentencing into consideration when deciding a verdict and we could not even ask what the penalty for the crime was. One juror even asked if this was a death penalty case. That question was not answered.

After yet another break, the prosecutor finally took the floor and asked his questions. They were very similar to the ones that had already been asked. By this time I was beginning to wonder if maybe I was going to have to sit on this trial. I was even starting to make those mental preparations with childcare and transportation. One of the last questions asked of us was whether of not we could find a person guilty even if the evidence proved it beyond reasonable doubt. I know it sounds kind of funny but I guess it does make sense. Sitting in judgement of a person is a very big responsibility and there are those who don't want that on their head. I had no reservations. If the evidence found the person guilty then I would vote guilty.

After what seemed like forever in the courtroom, the prosecutor turned to the judge and said that this panel passed. At that point we were dismissed and sent back down to the jury room to wait. There were about 15 or 16 of us left and we all knew that we were in the final round of cuts.

I went back downstairs and called the loving husband to tell him that I was still there and hoped to be done by 5. There was nothing more to do but wait. I was pretty sure they wouldn't want me but since I had spent the day there without getting dismissed I was pretty nervous. I started chatting with another one of the jurors who was also a mother. There were several of us left standing which was quite surprising. We both were of the same opinion....well I've invested all this time so far, I might as well get picked.

Finally, they called us back into the jury room to wait. The clerk came in and read one name. That person indicated who she was and was told that she was to stay. The clerk then told the rest of us that we were dismissed from this trial. We were to call in on Friday and resume that schedule. As we walked out of the room, we passed by the selected individual and expressed our condolences.

I'm really not sure what I feel at this point. Part of me is sorry I didn't get picked. It would have been interesting to actually be a juror on a major trial. The rest of me knows that I'm glad I was not selected. I really would not have wanted to go through such a trial. I don't know if I will sit on a jury any time this month and I don't know if I will have to go through another day like I spent yesterday but I am really glad it's over.

Now if only I could get the $63 I spent in daycare costs reimbursed back to me.

What have I gotten myself into ?

A few weeks ago I received a letter in the mail from the Clerk of Courts concerning my upcoming jury service. The letter informed me that I had been selected to participate in a trial and that even though I was not scheduled to began my term I was needed to appear in court on the last day of March. I called the number and asked if I needed to arrange child care for the first few days of April and was told that this date had to do with the selection process so it was unknown if I needed to arrange anything for later in the week. All I knew was that I had to show up and it would take an hour of my time.

When I got to the courthouse I found my way to the jury check-in room. There were probably about 30 of us. We sat and waited until we were called. I was hoping that it would not take very long since I had not arraigned for any after school care for Matthew and Carolyn. My assumption was that some poor soul got stuck with an April 1 trial date and they wanted to get a jury seated but the March people were already done so they needed the April people to show up.

Soon the Clerk of Courts stepped in an informed us that we would be leaving shortly to go up to the courtroom. The judge had some instructions to give us. We were to return back to this room when we were done and fill out yet another information form. We were also given a sheet of paper instructing us to show up on Wednesday, April 7 at 8:15 am. We were told to expect to stay the morning and possible into the afternoon. She also said we did not have to call in on Friday since the sheet given to us was our next week's assignment. Soon afterwards we lined up and went upstairs to the court room.

I have never really been inside a courtroom. I've been in courthouses and when I worked at Eagle Village I had to transport kids to court hearings but I usually didn't sit through them. I was surprised at the number of people that were there. We were told to raise our right hands and then sworn in. After that the judge came down and introduced herself and explained to us what was expected of us.

I was sitting there wondering if this was in fact the normal way things are done when one does jury duty. Were these people going to ask us questions now or were we just here to get sworn in so we could start our jury duty the next day? The judge started by letting us know that we had been selected to participate in this trial and that we would be sitting in judgement of one of our peers. She then went on to tell us that this individual was accused of the crime of second degree murder and second degree manslaughter.

At this point my brain was going WHAT THE !!!!!!! and I'm pretty sure my face had the "oh @#%$" look. As the judge continued, I learned that not only was this a murder trial, the victim was only 16 months old. Once again .."oh #$%@" Leave it to me to not only get stuck on a murder trial, but one with a very young victim.

We were instructed by the judge not to discuss anything about this case to friends or family. We could not read about or watch any media coverage of this case and we were not to look it up on the Internet. We were also instructed not to try and visit the crime scene or do our own investigation. We were told that we, the potential jurors were going to be broken up into smaller panels and then questioned the next week (oh, that's why I have to show up on that Wednesday). After we left, we went back down to the jury room and filled out our form. I left most of mine blank. I really didn't know what to put down. My brain was in a state of total shock. I was able to fill out the part letting the court know that I did not personally know any of the individuals participating in this trial.

After I got done, I handed in the form and left. I picked Andrew up from the daycare and made arrangements for the next Wednesday and told them I might be gone all day so expect all 3 kids. It was pretty hard not saying much to the loving husband. I e-mailed him to let him know that I needed him to do a kid drop off the next week. I did tell him what the trial was and the age of the victim but that was all I said.

I spent the rest of the week asking myself it it was even possible for me to sit on this jury. I am a mother and all of my children are relatively young. Andrew is only 3 so I do remember what 16 months looks and feels like. Could I not only sit in judgement of another person, but could I put my personal feelings aside and fairly look at all the evidence and make a decision? I decided to do the only thing I could. I asked God.

Sometimes God asks us to do things we are not comfortable or wanting to do. I really really did not want to go through this type of trial but how was I to know if this wasn't a task God needed me to perform? It would be so very easy to make a snap judgement and say no, this person is guilty because he is accused of a terrible crime. However, if it was me that stood accused, wouldn't I want a group of people willing to hear my side before jumping to conclusions? I told God that if this was something He needed me to do then I would do it. If this was part of His plan then there really was nothing I could do to stop it . After that, a sense of peace came over me and I was able to focus on other tasks at hand and make preparations for the next week.

Holy Cow!!! What have I got myself into????