We Survived

Or at least externally everyone seems to have survived 7th Heaven's visit to the convent.  When they arrived the Charmer played his shy card, but he quickly recovered and turned on his normal charm with all of the Sisters.  Before their arrival I had warned one of the younger Sisters of his charming characteristics.  I don't think she believed me but within 2 hours of his arrival she was aware of his charm.

Sunday we went to Philly to check out some of the historic sites.  Star wanted to go see the Liberty Bell.  I'm fairly certain she has no idea what exactly the Liberty Bell is and we didn't actually get a chance to get up close it because of the long line.  We saw it from a second story window of Independence Hall instead.

Monday I took them around the school.  Liz Taylor came along with me to help in the cafeteria.  All the girls freaked out because we look so much a like and they thought it was cool that I had family visiting.  Then we went to the Provincial House to have snack time with the elderly Sisters.  Liz Taylor was in heaven or at least she might have been until the Sisters started talking about her following in my footsteps.

Tuesday we headed to the Crayola Factory.  It was a pretty cool place. They had a lot of really neat interactive stuff.  I spent a lot of time coloring while watching the kids on the massive playground they had inside.

So anyway all I heard about all day Wednesday and Thursday was how cute my siblings are and what a joy it was to have them visit.


On a totally different note of survival.  The Easter Triduum in the convent is a bit more intense than out of the convent even when you follow the Peggy days of obligation. Good Friday was an all day silent retreat. It was intense.  The parish I went to for all the services has a strong Spanish population and at one point I guess there were a lot of Italians there too, so all of the services were tri-lingual.  Definitely not something you ever found at my home parish.

The whole community pitches in to help prepare the Easter dinner.  I signed up for beverages because I thought how hard can that be? Just set out the trays of pop (or soda as they say on the East coast) and beer. Turns out that also includes making a punch.  Again not too hard and it actually turned out pretty well.  Some of the Sisters enjoy a glass of wine so I figured since it was kind of an important dinner I should make sure there was wine out.  I tracked down one of the Sisters and she helped me get out the right wine and then she was like here go open them.  When I told her I had no idea how to open a wine bottle she quickly told me I was going to learn right now.  So on Easter I learned how to open wine.

Stay Off the Sidewalks

So pretty much I'm currently failing as a blogger and I apologize greatly to my readers.  Life's been busy and unfortunately the blog is usually the first thing to go when I don't have time for everything.  

My warning is now a little late, but you can still take precaution if necessary. For your safety, I highly recommend in the immediate future to stay off all sidewalks within a 20 mile radius of Seventh Heaven because White Tornado is 16.

That aside, I would like a very Happy 16th Birthday to my big little brother.  Once upon a time, I remember when I was taller than you, but as you can see above those days are long gone.  As you continue to grow, as I'm sure you will, I wish you all the happiness.  You're a good guy and despite what you may think I think, I actually think you're a pretty cool kid.  I'm so happy for you and all of your accomplishments so far. Don't worry I won't embarrass you anymore since I already saw you turn enough shades of red when the Srs. decided to serenade you Friday night when I called.  Enjoy being able to drive yourself and be nice to Little Red.  

Happy Birthday buddy. 

Better Late Than Never

Again, my life has become insanely busy and yesterday was quite possibly the busiest day of my hectic week, so I'm a little late.  My deepest apologies to the birthday boy.   I figure it's okay though since he's spreading the celebration out over the next week and a half.  In all fairness, I did try to put something together yesterday, but it just wasn't finished when I ran out of time.

Today is a big day.  The big Red Bus gets to lose a car seat because one of it's frequent flyers is turning 8.  I'd like to wish a very happy birthday to my favorite little nerd.  Wii Man you never fail to bring a smile to my face with your great big welcoming hugs.  You are the only person I know who can talk about the Wii 24 hours a day and although it sometimes gets rather tiresome, it's okay because it makes you, you.  Believe it or not I've missed hearing all of your long drawn out stories and I'm looking forward to next week when I can hear them again.

8 is an exciting age and I hope you are able to embrace every second.  I hope your day yesterday and the upcoming parties are filled with lots of celebration, fun, and lots of Mario.

A Golden Day

Today I'm taking a brief pause in the Convention Q&A and introductions to recognize a special young lady on her golden birthday.  This girl is full of sweetness and thoughtfulness always trying to make those around her feel loved and welcome.  She is always willing to give out hugs and will jump on any opportunity for someone to let her snuggle.   She has a great creative eye and is always producing different works of art to give out to those people she cares about.  Any occasion is a good occasion for her to craft something for someone special.  She has a big smile that lights up her face and when she smiles you can't help but want to smile along with her.  She lives in her own little world, carefree and loving life and all those in it.  As a disclaimer, I have to say that I haven't always greatly appreciated or understood her sweet, caring ways and I have most definitely had my share of misunderstandings with her as I don't always share her outlook on the world.

Little Miss you are silly, spunky, and sweet and I wish you a very happy golden birthday!  I hope you have a wonderful day filled with lots of wonderful things! Love you!

What I Learned Yesterday

I have every right to be Munchkin's favorite niece.

Because filling in for AL for the day while she's at Munchkin's bachelorette party is no easy feat.  For starters, AL has everyone's schedule memorized so she wouldn't have been surprised when White Tornado waltzed over an hour after his cross country practice was over because "Saturday's are ice bath days." Duh Relish why didn't you know his schedule?   Then AL has the patience of a bunch of saints because dealing with hormonal, misunderstood preteen Little Miss would take all of it.  Almost ten must have been a pretty rough age if being told that you need to redo the bathroom sink you were in charge of cleaning causes you to break in to a traumatic fit of "No one understands me." and " Nobody likes me." Cue phone call to BOTD.   Bless Grammy for taking Star and Charmer for the day.  Next up figure out a movie for the parish Block Party.  No problem.  That had to be on the simpler side of the tasks I was left with I do believe.  The next item I thought was going to be simple turned out to be the most complicated and stressful process of my day: Scotcheroos for White Tornado to take to the FFA picnic today.  No problem right?  I bake all the time, consider it a hobby really.  Wrong.  Two trips to Walmart and Aldi's, a biking trip to County Market by Elizabeth Taylor and two pans of Scotcheroos later White Tornado had his dessert for his picnic.   Great now I get to go to a parish function right after it comes out in the bulletin that I'm moving to New Jersey in a week to enter the convent.  Super awkward interactions with church people here I come.  Let me tell you they were super awkward and I got hugs from people that I've maybe only talked to once or twice in my entire life.  A well timed text from White Tornado requesting to be picked up from Grammy's pretty much wrapped up uncomfortable church people interactions.  I took the youth minister for the parish a long with me so the city girl could get an up close interaction with horses which was all fine and dandy and I think she enjoyed it, but then a tired White Tornado put a kibosh on our fun.  He then  suckered me into giving both of the little two baths because when given the option they picked me.  Thanks guys.  Charmer in being his ever flirtatious self wanted the youth minister to give him his bath and put him to bed.  She ended up doing story time and helping with prayers which Charmer drew out to be a show off.  After making sure both kids were in bed, we left White Tornado in charge and took off back to the party.  We helped clean up for a while and then I told BOTD I was going to go home with Liz Taylor, Little Miss, and WiiMan.  Since AL had taken Little Red to go the bachelorette party, it was my lucky day to drive the Red Bus, which had been fine all day minus potentially a few sketchy park jobs at the grocery stores.  All was well until I had to park in the garage last night.  Munchkin you remember that Sunday when I had my permit and you let me drive home from church and I was going to back into the garage?  Yeah, that got repeated last night except for this time the rubber flap thing got broken and there's a scratch on the Red Bus that BOTD is going to have to get filler for.  I quickly learned the fastest way to get BOTD to come home when I called him and in a voice trying not to start crying asked him to come home please.   Luckily he wasn't mad, I think he might've actually laughed when he saw me tearfully sitting in the garage behind the Red Bus.  And so pretty much wrapped up my day in the life of AL.  

I hope you guys had a great time because I don't think I can be mentally prepared to be AL again for a long time.

Happy Bachelorette party Munchkin.

The Final Chapter

After eight days together and a very enjoyable experience on the beach, we were all ready to head home from North Carolina.  The first day of the trip home had minimal highlights other than I beat BOTD at the backwards alphabet game.  Oh and we stopped in a Tennessee Walmart and Elizabeth Taylor decided to use a her "Southern" accent as we walked in...  Sunday morning led to some confusion when trying to find the church. We got there just in time for the opening hymn.  It was nice to be back in an enclosed church after doing the pavilion mass in NC.  The Charmer was really missing our home priest and tried to make friends with the priest in KY.

Our lunch stop for the day included Little Miss trying to walk home from the rest area in Frankfort, KY.  No worries I got her to come back.   After lunch, BOTD decided he would share the driver's seat for the last leg and AL drove the rest of the way.  This put AL, Wii Man, and me across the front seat of the Red Bus.  What we learned, Wii Man is paranoid about the gas gauge.  We had a quarter tank when we left the rest area and the plan was to drive until we got closer to home.  Wii Man didn't like that plan very much and so spent the next three hours informing AL every time we passed an exit with a gas station and then freaking out every time we passed the exit, to the point he was almost in tears.   He even got told that it had to be a BP and we weren't stopping at any other type of gas station but that didn't help.  Needless to say,  he turned into a much happier fellow when AL finally pulled into a BP.  He really had no need for worry considering the light wasn't even on and we stopped more because we needed ice for the coolers than anything, but hey whatever floats his boat.  AL has voted him least likely to ever run out of gas.   I'm most likely.   At least if I run out of gas I'll know where I'm at, since I consider myself a fairly proficient reader of maps.  Wii Man on the other hand not so much and he didn't appreciate AL and I trying to make map reading a game.

That concludes our Seventh Heaven Vacation Saga 2015.  All in all it was a fantastic vacation and BOTD did an awesome job picking out the vacation spot.

They Concern Me

This morning I was working in the kitchen and Elizabeth Taylor walks in carrying Star wrapped in one of Charmer's blankets.  She sets the "sleeping" Star in my arms.  Charmer then informs me that Star is "dead" and they are having her funeral.  Liz Taylor was going to burying her in the garbage can but first Charmer needed to bless her.

The kid is three.  How many three year olds know people get blessed before they are buried? Or come up with the idea of pretending to have a funeral for that matter?

Star miraculously came back to life right before being dropped in the can.  Two minutes later Charmer was dead and being buried.  At this point,  I told Liz Taylor to start having baptisms or weddings, the idea of burying each other in the garbage can and playing dead was a touch too much to handle.  I mean seriously when I was that age I definitely was not playing funeral maybe we have a future mortician on our hands.

She Made It

Tonight I was excited to sit in the pew and watch as my little sister graduated from eighth grade and became a high school student.  I realize that it's just eighth grade and she's only moving to the high school across town, just the same I was happy for her and her accomplishments.

You did it kid! You survived the first nine years of your education.  So in light of the next four years, I have some advice for you to survive the craziness of high school.

First of all don't be afraid to try new things.  High school opens up a lot of new opportunities for you, take advantage of them.

Second, there isn't an elevator so don't buy a pass.

Third, even though I tell you pretty much everyday that you're a weirdo or a dork, you're a pretty cool kid and don't let anybody tell you any different.

The next four years are going to go fast and they are going to be fun, make the most of every moment before you have to go out into the real world.

Oh and by the way, I'm still taller and you're wearing heels.

What I Learned Today

I have more bloggable moments in six hours at home than I do in four weeks at college.  Because Star's hot dog is not supposed to be cut up and she wants it on a bun,  Super Trooper needs some form of condiment for all parts of his meal, Reuben can't tell the difference between if his stomach feels like he's going to throw up or if someone punched him, Star can't brush her teeth unsupervised because the lid to the toothpaste may go down the drain, and Super Trooper has to have the pillow and pillowcase that he doesn't actually use before he goes to bed.

I love my family.

The Irony

One year ago, I would have been right alongside my siblings hoping, praying, and waiting for the Superintendent's phone call saying school was cancelled.  This year I hoping, praying, and waiting for them all to go back to school.  The whole getting a longer Christmas break was going to be wonderful mostly because they would be going back to school, but they're not. They're still here.

Please let it warm up and let the wind die down.

Quote(s) of the Day

Elizabeth Taylor: Someday I'm going to invent a car and name it the Quackerdoodle so I can get the Q in the alphabet game.

Star: (Upon reentering town):  We're back in our world!

How to Make a Person a Little Bit Homesick

Moving out I knew somebody else would be occupying my room in my absence.  Since Elizabeth Taylor made it her duty to bring it up every chance she got when we had BOTD and AL in the room.   In the end Super Trooper won the battle, much to the disappointment of Elizabeth Taylor.  Two days after they moved me into Newman I got a text from BOTD that went something like, "Super Trooper would appreciate it if you would move the rest of your clothes out so he can have his dresser."  Followed by this,

My room was no longer my own.  So when I came home over the long weekend, I asked Super Trooper why his bed was in my room.  He promptly responded, "MY Room."   Rooming with him over the weekend was quite the experience since our sleep schedules do not exactly line up.  No worries, technology helped me out and he got to watch "bideos" on my "pone" while I slept in a little later.  

I guess I must have made a lasting impression as the best roommate ever because I got a text from AL this evening,  "Super Trooper wondered where you were when he went to bed and was very upset he missed your phone call with Elizabeth Taylor earlier."  Followed by the conversation she had with him in which he asked if I was coming right back.  

Man that kid really knows how to play your emotions, made me want to Face Time him right there.  Sorry buddy, I'll try to catch you tomorrow. 

Ready or Not...

Here it is.  In less than eight hours, I start the adventure they call college.  I spent the better part of the afternoon/early evening packing up my stuff into the easy to carry containers recommended by the dorms and now it is all sitting in the back of the Red Bus waiting for the morning.

While packing, I had to explain to Star exactly what I was doing and where I was going.  Her almost four year old brain hasn't quite grasped the concept of college as shown by the following conversation.

Star:  Why are you packing all of this stuff?  Is it to go to college? (emphasis on the o)

Relish: Yep.

Star:  Why do you have to take a pillow? Are there beds at college?

Relish: I have to take it because I'm going to stay there.  Yes, they have beds there so people can live there.

Star: Oh.  Are you going to stay there for a long time?

She's making me miss her already...

A Little Competition

So this evening Elizabeth Taylor decided to do Blonde Smart's nails when she stopped by.  (Blonde Smart is our neighbor down the street, basically my older sister, she too will probably be making frequent appearances on here because she also goes to U of I.)   The design was a bit complicated and Elizabeth Taylor was getting extremely frustrated from the number of times she was having to fix Blonde Smart's nails.  In the mean time, Walker Texas Ranger decided he wanted to try the design, so I let him do mine.  After they had both finished, it became a bit of a dispute as to who had done a better job, so I am leaving it up to the readers as to who did a better job.

The first candidate is done by Walker Texas Ranger.

And Elizabeth Taylor's handy work.

I'm sorry my photography skills do not really do justice to the work done so you will have to be forgiving to the competitors.  Let us know what you think!

What I Learned Today

Wiiman takes great selfies.

I have seen him take selfies before for example, the day he got his cast off I received this little gem.

However, during my attempts today to document one of our family road trips he only further solidified my belief in his selfie taking abilities.