I am happy to report that the short marriage of Valentino and Natacha has ended. While Natacha was a good wife who enjoyed chasing and wrestling with her husband and would even give him the occasional bath, she was just plain stupid. I’d say she was also a little (or a lot) boring! When we would call Natacha, she would run the other direction. When we took her outside to potty, she would do a great job! The problem was that she was too stupid to realize that she had to potty ONLY outside. In the 3 months we had her, she only made it one full day without potty-ing in the house. One day!

Eventually, we began to blame Valentino for Natacha’s mistakes. It seemed incredible that one little dog could be that stupid! We feel certain that this tense situation caused major problems in Valentino and Natacha’s marriage (as it helped mine very little!).

Finally, Natacha (and her even more stupid owner) realized that she just didn’t have the brain capacity needed to become a member of the Smith family. The rest of us, after all, understand where it is appropriate to potty and where it isn’t! This is just a basic tenet of the Smith Creed. So, after much counseling, Natacha moved to the Dumb Friends League (the perfect name for a home for her). Our only regret is that we didn’t wait until Nana could take her since Nana’s greatest enjoyment in life is taking dogs to “the pound!” Sorry, Nana!!

As the Eurythmics sang, “Watch Me Walking Out the Door!”

We love you, buddy! Have a super day skiing with your dad!! No more single digits for you. It’s double digits from here on!!! Happy, happy, happy Birthday!!!!

Cooper and His Dad - Notice Any Similarities????

My baby girl turned 5 on December 10th. She had a great day, very, very busy! We started out the morning decorating Christmas tree cookies at her school. They were the most decorated trees ever with lots and lots and lots and lots and lots of sprinkles. Rowland came to help, and the kids seemed to have a great time.

Jia at School with Some of Her Classmates

Daddy and Jia Snuggling

I ran home to take a short nap because Carson stayed late to make up a test. As I was walking out the door at 3:35 to pick up KeKe and William from school (so they’d get home in time to celebrate Jia’s birthday), I got a call from the director of Jia’s preschool. “Kitty, this is Susan.” “Hi, Susan!” “Are you going to pick up your baby today?” “Oh, my gosh! I totally forgot about picking her up!!! I’m on my way!” I was supposed to pick her up at 3:15. Total lack of brain cells!!!!! How could I forget my baby on her birthday? I ran to get her about the same time that Carson was calling to say that he was ready to be picked up. Thankfully, he offered to walk home. Amy picked up her kids and came over to my house to set up everything for the party while I went to pick up Keke and William who were now in the office as the last children to be picked up from school! We all rushed home, and Amy had saved the day!

The Smiths and Englishes decorated cookies and opened gifts at our house. None of the kids seemed to notice that their mom had played Dingbat of the Day! There was a lot of laughter, and lots of cookies decorated and eaten!

All of the Kids Around the Table Decorating Cookies

Jia Opening Gifts with a Lot of Help!

The final stage of the birthday party was a trip to Dairy Queen. You know you have good friends when they’ll go to Dairy Queen for dinner! The kids enjoyed it, though, and that’s what it’s all about!

Jia and Her Best Buddy Cayden

Once dinner was over, it was off to the preschool for my last preschool performance! Jia was a beautiful angel, although she didn’t look like a very happy angel. She doesn’t like standing in front of people and performing. I think that she still is afraid that she’s not going to do the “right thing.” In the beginning, she seemed okay.

Jia as an Angel

By the time the performance was over, and she had reached us, she burst into tears. She didn’t want to sing and be up on the stage. Poor girl! She was totally stressed. We quickly took off the angel costume and headed home!

I’d like to say the day was over, but at 8:00, we still had one last project - our Christmas pictures! The boys changed shirts. Carson even wore a collared shirt for the first time in over a year! I fixed my makeup and curled Jia’s hair a little while Rowland, exhausted, set up the camera. About 10 pictures and two locations later, we decided that we had “the” 2007 shot.

This was the Runner-Up Photo

And Here’s the Winner!
William, Rowland, KeKe, Kitty, Carson, and Jia in Her Model Pose

Thankfully, we were finally able to put to bed December 10, 2007, the long-awaited 5th birthday of our youngest princess!! Happy Birthday, our Angel!!!

I’m rushing around this morning like a mad woman, taking Carson to school, making cinnamon rolls for the other children, getting them ready for school, rounding up gloves and boots for the newly-falling snow, packing up projects (why in the heck are we doing projects right before Christmas?), getting myself ready to go to Space Lab in 3rd grade (yes, as Carson said, I stink at science!), and preparing for 18 people to come to my home for the staff/elder Christmas party tonight. (As you can see, I have no business blogging this morning, but I needed a quick rant!)

As I’m sending William and KeKe out the door, William yells that the bus has come early. Of course, the bus would come early on this slow, easy-going morning! William puts it in high gear and runs to the bus stop. KeKe runs a short ways, then stops in the middle of the freakin’ street and begins to cry that she can’t go any further. I’m walking up the street, hollering at the top of my lungs, “Run, Kitty, Run!” as she stands in the middle of the street and cries, “I can’t. My leg is hurting.” Psycho Mom appeared and screamed for the whole neighborhood to hear (and Child Protective Services, I’m sure), “If you don’t run to that bus, I’m going to really hurt your leg!!!!!!” Now, I’m running for her, and Mr. Bus is waiting for her. When she sees me running towards her, she takes off running and crying the whole way! Just so any neighbors happened to notice Psycho Mom, I hollered at her (for their benefit), “Good job, honey! You made it!” Then, under my breath, “She’s going to make me insane.” Of course, how much more insane could I be at that point?

I feel much better. Now, I can be late for taking Jia to school and for me to get to Space Lab. I think I already live in Space Lab anyway!!! As Carrie Underwood would sing, “Jesus, take the wheel. I can’t do this on my own!”

I’m feeling down today, like a big knot in the middle of my stomach. I can’t really figure out why because I’m having a nice, relaxing day at home with Jia. I’m making banana bread and have finished addressing my Christmas cards. I need to cut out the craft for Kitty’s Christmas party next week, and I’d like to sew new names on a couple of my stockings. I should get dressed so that I can run to the grocery store, but I don’t even feel like doing that. So why the yuk feeling?

I have a couple of ideas. One is that I had bad dreams last night, and I don’t remember what they were. That’s a real possibility.

The other is just part of getting older. As I addressed Christmas cards the last couple of nights, I was struck with how many people in my address book are no longer on this Earth. Rowland’s precious Memaw died suddenly three weeks after William was born. I really loved Memaw. She loved me just because her grandson did. I can still hear her “hoohoo” when we walked in the door to her house. Then, there’s Rowland’s mom and dad. Rowland’s mom loved the theatre. She and my mom would get together and take Carson and me to see shows when he was little. Although she was much more proper than I, she always made me feel like she liked me, that I was a good wife to Rowland and a good mom to my children. She was especially excited when little Kitty was born since the family is so full of boys. It’s sad that she died when Kitty was still a baby, and she never got to enjoy her. Rowland’s dad was such a special man, like Rowland. I enjoyed the family times with him when he would laugh and be playful. He, too, was crazy about the grandkids. He never got to meet Jia, and that makes me sad. Rowland has a picture of him in his home office, and as I was getting out a cookbook today, I stopped and looked into his eyes. I miss Bill.

There are other people who have died who I didn’t see very often, but I still have memories that make me sad when I come across their names in my address book. My Aunt Bo and Uncle Ralph, my Mamaw and Pop…… As I flipped through our Grace Church directory, I was saddened to see how different some of the families are now. Some have died like Dan Barnhart, Charles Gist, and Janet Greenwood. Several others have divorced. Some have moved away, and although they were special to me at one time, I don’t have any idea where they are now. Others were as close as sisters to me, but we don’t even talk anymore. I was reminded of a friend of mine who died just a year ago and left behind three children as well as a girl I only know through the internet who recently died and left three children and a grieving husband behind. That makes me feel sad as well.

Although Rowland’s “other brother” and my “sister-in-law” live here, the rest of our families are far away. Little Kitty stood by the refrigerator this morning as I was making her some Sunny D. She saw a picture of her cousin Douglas and began to cry for her family. She cried and said, “Why did we ever have to leave Little Rock?” I reminded her that this is where God’s plan for our lives was, but she continued to cry for her family so far away. I told her (like I have told myself a million times before) that as long as the six of us are together, that’s our family. I reminded her that Camber, Cayden, and Cooper are her “cousins” and that they live less than a mile away. I hurt for her because I understand her feelings. It’s not just missing specific people, although that’s part of it, but it’s missing special memories, familiarity, the way things used to be and won’t ever be again.

As I sit here now, I am wanting all of my children gathered around me on the couch watching a movie and eating popcorn together. I’m needing to feel their arms around my neck and hear their laughter and constant conversation. I’m needing my husband’s arm around me as I curl up against him. God knows that we all just need new memories, and He’ll give them to us, but they will take time. Thankfully, no matter how much things change in this world, God’s love is constant. May He wrap all of us tightly in His arms as we celebrate the birth of His Son, a man who had to leave His Father and all that He knew to come to this Earth to be tortured and die for each of us. As the old Amy Grant song says, “Yes, you have to die for Him….but He knows the pain because He had to die for you!”

Jia and I went to a Reindeer Farm this week. After my experience with the pumpkin patch here, I was expecting to see horses with antlers on their heads, but these were the real deal! I didn’t know that all reindeer have antlers, male and female. They lose their antlers every year and grow new ones. The babies’ antlers were furry, although the babies looked every bit as big as their parents. The coolest buck had a rack like nothing I’d ever seen. His antlers grow so large that he can’t really hold his head up very well. They even grow down in front of his eyes so he can’t see very well. When he has his antlers, none of the other reindeer will play with him. (Must’ve been Rudolph’s problem, too!) The owner said that when his antlers fall off, though, they give him no respect and will barely even let him eat. Who knew reindeer had such bad manners and were so discriminating?

This is the BIG GUY!

The kids also got to make a craft and walk around the farm a little. The owner read them a short story on reindeer, and we were on our way. It was a short, sweet field trip. Jia had a blast, though, and I must admit, I found it very interesting myself. All of the kids asked about Rudolph, but we didn’t see any shiny noses - a few runny ones, but no shiny ones!

Jia’s Class with Her Awesome Teacher, Mrs. Marklin

Jia Eating Icing from Her Craft!

Snuggle Time with Mommy!!! My Favorite!

Our elementary schools are going from a traditional schedule to a four-track schedule. Basically, this means year-round school with breaks during the year. Carson, of course, will stay on a traditional schedule so it’ll be a little tough for planning family trips, etc. The worst part is that my babysitter will be in school when I need him the most! Who’s supposed to raise these kids of mine?

Last night, Amy and I went to a meeting at the school. I have to say that I was disappointed when I found out the schedules were changing. As a matter of fact, we only looked at houses within our schools’ boundaries because we wanted all of our children on the same schedule. Obviously, I have no control over the schools. Overcrowding is a huge problem, and track scheduling is the only answer. Just accept it and move on! Naturally, some of the people at the meeting last night weren’t able to do that!

Amy and I got so tickled as we listened to this one lady ask TWICE why the school district hadn’t noticed that all of these new houses were being built and that we would need a new school; therefore, they should have gotten a bond and started building a new elementary school. Why didn’t they? Well, they just didn’t. Well, why not? Hello, they just didn’t! Move on! You can keep wishing they had, but that changes nothing. Or as Amy put it, “If wishes and buts were candy and nuts, we’d all have a very merry Christmas!” I suggested that the lady run for the state legislature. I’ll vote for her if she wants the job!

The next incredibly enlightened person wanted to make sure that since she had been in the district longer, she would have preference over the rest of us “newcomers.” After all, she’s been in the district for 6 years, and we’ve only been in the district since May. What? The poor lady in front of me told us that she only had a kindie so she couldn’t have been in the school district but this one year. I told her that she was being punished for not bearing children sooner and that the “old” people would obviously be given preferential treatment! In the end, Amy and I called for a vote to let the woman have whatever track she freakin’ wanted just so she would shut up! (Not.)

There were actually some people who were concerned about how long children would have for recess and if they’d have enough time to eat their nutritious lunches. First of all, those moms have obviously never been in a school cafeteria or they would know that kids talk. They don’t eat! And as for the length of recess, I thought that they went to school to learn. I never realized that recess was such a vital part of the school day. (So much for that education degree of mine.)

I think my favorite part of the meeting was when I raised my hand to help the room clarify the order of preference. My dear, precious, always-standing-beside-me friend actually scooted over a seat away from me just in case someone might think we were together!! Talk about true friends!!

So where does it all stand? The same place it stood before the meeting! I do feel sorry for those parents who are working and have to figure out childcare for all of the little breaks. (I also hope that God doesn’t try to use me in this area! Not my calling!!!!!!) Bottom line, though, is (in Amy’s words), “Deal with it!”