BesoMami

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How do you handle national holidays at church? Memorial Day was yesterday and it was mentioned in the service (but not enough for some, evidently). 4th of July is coming up soon. What do you do when planning worship on these secular holidays?

Lily is proud of her new bathing suit.

I thought I was early to church this morning. Instead I forgot that it was Pajama Day at Tom's preschool. I had to call my husband and have him race over with some Lightening McQueen jammies. Tom cried at my forgetfulness.

I didn't go to get the pajamas myself because I expected one of my deacons at 9:00. We had planned to visit someone in the hospital about 45 minutes away.

Instead of arriving at 9:00, my deacon showed up a little before 11:00.

We took a wrong turn on our way to the hospital and didn't get there until 11:45.

In the hospital parking lot, I returned a call to the church. It seems I was to participate in a Bible study with one of the women's circles at noon. My secretary asked, "Will you be back in time?" Ah, no.

I talked with the circle leader to offer my apologies. She was pretty nice about it. Secretary -- not so nice. When I said, "Oh no, I really messed up!", she responded, "Yeah, you did." Thanks.

When I got back to the church, I saw I had clearly written the Bible study on my calendar. For next Wednesday. So close, yet...

I feel a little achy and dizzy. The cheapo, Target brand diapers I bought for David leak.

It was a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. Some days are like that.

I am pretty tired today. But here are a few updates:

• Baby D is sleeping through the night. He still stirs around 3 or 3:30, but is willing to go back to sleep with a pacifier and a pat. This is MUCH better than getting up for 30 minutes to feed him.
• Head of Staff is on vacation for about ten days. I'm back to my days of solo pastoring. I don't mind, as long as no big crisis occurs.
• The weather has been perfect here. I hope we have a good Memorial Day so our BBQ/cookout plans can move forward. I need to finish up the den project and clean up some so we can have friends over to play this weekend.
• We have a "drive-by" pray-er at church. A man in his 70s drive up in his late-model VW, parks and walks through the church and into the sanctuary. He sits is there for no more than three minutes and then leaves. He smiles pleasantly if you encounter him in the halls, but gives no clue as to his motivation. I've never seen him at worship. Maybe I'll find out his story someday.
• Little Miss Empress is really into singing these days. She seems to know every annoying kids' song that has ever existed. "Ten Little Monkeys", "Little Bunny Foo-Foo", "Old MacDonald". She is adorable.
• Thomas's church grandma came to his t-ball game yesterday. He left the field during the game to come over to our lawn chairs and ask if we would buy him some potato chips. For him to eat during the game. I guess the outfield is boring and makes you hungry.
• I heard the BEST examination of an ordination candidate at last week's presbytery meeting. I love when strong, talented women speak their minds against little, Napoleonic bullies. Go, Rev. Ms. Thing, go!
• Thomas and Lily begin summer school next week. Together, in the same class. It's the "Bickersons go to preschool". I hope there is no blood.

... the only chance you have to go to a rock concert is with your kids. And you like it. And you kind of think the lead singer is cute, in a Disney-meets-hipster sorta way.

In other not surprising news -- Lily has a future as a rock star/artist/general cool kid. She tried to climb on the stage. Luckily the kiddie bouncers didn't have to wrestle her to the ground. She was disappointed that there was no mosh pit.

Bonus points to the poster who can identify the band this guy sang with before he became a kiddie rock star (no Googling allowed).

• peel off vinyl wallpaper -- DONE
• scrape off wallpaper glue with solution of hot water & palmolive -- DONE
• patch wall with spackle -- DONE
• sand rough spots -- DONE
• paint with oil-based primer -- DONE
• paint with color called "feldspar" (a light green with yellow undertones)

The people we bought this house from LOVED wallpaper. Last summer I removed some horrible vinyl wallpaper from the kids' bathroom and three layers of wallpaper from the kitchen. The next project is the truly awful pink wallpaper. This is the largest portion of paper in the house -- a 23 x 11 foot den and a 18 x 8 foot hallway. Formerly papered in a faux grass paper print of vivid pink. Yes, folks, that is over 650 sq. feet of wall space covered in a paper that pantone calls "misty rose". misty rose ---->

But no longer. I've got all the paper down now. My next project will be to remove all the ancient, dried wallpaper glue from the walls. Thankfully they are solid plaster, so getting the glue off shouldn't be too hard. We are hoping to paint the walls a light, bright color. Definitely not misty rose.

Later this summer I will tackle the not-too-bad striped paper in the front entrance way and the cabbage rose border paper in our bedroom. This concludes today's episode from the slightly shabby, HGTV blogosphere.

figured out how to roll over yesterday?