Below are the 19 most recent journal entries recorded in luleka_ru's LiveJournal:

Thursday, January 7th, 2010
1:57 am	Locked entry warning.... I've decided that I'm going to keep my posts about my mental and emotional state locked from public view and only viewable to people who are on my livejournal friends list. It's not that I want to hide it from anyone.... My life is basically an open book to anyone who asks. But my public posts are on a feed that goes to my family website so that people can keep up with what's going on with the kids. I just don't really want to publicize my personal emo drama there on a regular basis. If you're one of my family or friends who reads my blog regularly and would like to be included on posts that are shielded from the public eye, all you have to do is click here to apply for a livejournal membership. It's free, and you don't ever have to post a single thing in it. But if you have an identity here on livejournal, than I can specify that, as long as you're logged into your livejournal account, you can see the posts that I don't want to feed to the family website. Just let me know what your username is, once you have completed the registration process, and I'll add you to the approved list. (Sue, Allan, Freda, Donna, Don, Alex, Erin, Jason, Rachel, Margaret, Nilly (and anyone else I might have forgotten).... this means you! ;-) If you're afraid of violating my privacy... don't be. There are even deeper levels of locking my entries. So if I really don't want people to read what I write, trust me, they won't.I'll be locking the posts I've already made about my emotional health, so if you've already seen them from lotsofjoy.com, you'll notice that they can't be seen there anymore. Once you log into your own livejournal account and let me know the username, you'll be able to go to http://www.lotsofjoy.livejournal.com and see everything that is no longer on the family website. (Comment on this)
Wednesday, January 6th, 2010
1:38 am	My Mermaids We started swimming lessons for the girls this last week. They are 30 minutes a day, M-F, for 2 weeks straight and the girls are having a BLAST. Chaya, who has been in a "chicken" stage since about age 2.5, has taken to the water like a FISH. She has had lessons every summer, and gotten pretty much nowhere. This year she skipped right over level one and is taking level 2 by storm! She especially loves it because a friend from school is in her class with her. It was a bit dicey with the twins at first. They liked being in the water, but I wasn't allowed to do anything but sit by the side for the first 3 days. They want parents to sit in the observation area....unless their children are freaking out, like mine were. So for 3 days I had to sit by the side. On Day 4, I managed to sit in the observation area for all but the last 5 minutes. On day 5, I sat with the adults the WHOLE time!!!They're all doing great and having a fabulous time. Until now, the twins had never been in a pool unless they were being held at all times, or had some kind of flotation device. They are gaining confidence!I think we will do swimming lessons for at least 1 more 2 week session....maybe 2. We'll have to see. (Comment on this)
Monday, January 4th, 2010
9:35 pm	a sad day This week, our county sheriff's office lost a deputy in the line of duty. It's the biggest nightmare of any cop's family and my heart hurts that there is anyone having to live through it today. Jeff's department volunteered to cover all shifts for the entire sheriff's department during the funeral yesterday so that all of them could attend. Even though there is rivalry between the two departments, they really do support each other when it counts. He was driving code (lights and sirens) down a 2 lane high way in the middle of the night to cover another deputy who was on a call in a potentially dangerous situation. Most of the traffic around him pulled over. But one car, going the opposite direction, decided they could pass everyone else. instead, they swerved into the lane where the deputy was traveling and hit him head on. We all originally thought that he died instantly, but later learned that the car caught on fire and he died in it while a group of officers from another agency desperately tried to get him out. PLEASE, when you see an emergency vehicle traveling with it's lights and sirens. PULL OVER. The people inside are someone's son or daughter, husband or wife, mother or father, sister or brother and they are in a hurry to get someplace in order to keep other people safe. That's the job that they have chosen to do.... but their REAL ob is to come home to their families at the end of their shift.I got this email from my best friend, whose husband is a sergeant with the county sheriff. He was a part of the processional, and she attended as support for both her husband and the family of the fallen deputy. Here are some excerpts."Marion County lost a deputy last weekend. Yesterday was the funeral. It was amazing, horrendous, and healing all at the same time. I was there from about 1:00-7:00 pm and I pray that I never have to go to another. Kelly - the deputy - was a good man. DH helped train him and he had been in our home. I didn't really know him, but this is every cop's wife's worst nightmare. So, the family's pain is shared by all of us. Law enforcement - much like the military - is really a family. The funeral was a great tribute to Kelly and law enforcement. Law enforcement agencies from all around Oregon - and other states - came to pay their respects. After the funeral was over there was a procession that circled the capitol building and ended at the new police acadamy. Citizens were lined up on the streets waving flags and crying with us. Children made posters thanking Kelly and all law enforcement for what the do for us. One lady - as we passed her - called out to us - "I'm so very sorry". The day ended with the 21 gun salute and the final radio call. What a heart braking experience. Kelly died because someone didn't follow the law. Please always remember to get out of the way of emergency vehicles. That simple act would have saved Kelly. I love you all. -Rach"If anyone is interested, here is a link to a slide show of the processional through town. It's amazing how many officers from agencies all over the state who came to support their fallen comrade and his family. http://news.statesmanjournal.com/galleries/memorial/photo_gallery.cfm (Comment on this)
Sunday, January 3rd, 2010
6:17 pm	Boys with girl parts In our favorite Mexican resturant, Rhianne started asked me if "Buddy" was a boy. Don't ask me who Buddy is though because I haven't a CLUE. But she would not let it go. Rhi: Mommy, is buddy a boy?Me: I don't know.Rhi: Is he a boy?Me: I don't know.Rhi: MOMMY! IS BUDDY A BOY!?!Me: I don't know honey, do you think buddy is a boy?Rhi: Yes!Me: Well then, Buddy must be a boy.Rhi. Mommy, why is Buddy a boy?Me: I don't know.Rhi: Why is Buddy a boy?!Me: Because you said he was.Rhi: No, mom! Why is he a boy?Me: um..... maybe Buddy is a boy because he has a penis?Rhi: (at the top of her voice) No mom! Buddy doesn't have a penis! He has a vagina!Me: (glancing at Jeff in mock horror) He does, does he?Rhi: Yes! no Penis! Buddy has a vagina!Jeff and I bust out laughing as the people eating at the tables around us look over in either shock or amusement. (Comment on this)
Friday, January 1st, 2010
3:04 pm	Promotion While I was updating all of the things I've missed in the last couple of weeks I noticed that I had omitted something important that has happened in our lives. (Yes, I am catching up on entries.... look out ahead for WAY more than you're used to seeing from me at one time!)As of May 14, Jeff was officially a Sergeant. There was a promotion "ceremony" and everything. I took the kids, and his parents and my mom and her friend Jim all came... along with a TON of his co-workers. It wasn't much... just the Chief saying a few words, giving him his official paperwork and new badge, and then Jeff saying a few words. But it was cool that there was something to mark this important step. He's been doing it for 3 weeks now and really likes it. The transition has been easy for all of us, and he has been coming home happy, which means that it's been pretty stress free. (Comment on this)
Saturday, January 31st, 2009
1:55 pm	A day of hookey The alarm didn't go off this morning. So we got up late. On a whim, I decided just to keep Chaya home today. It's beautiful and I was planning on taking Rhianne & Solana somewhere, and I knew she would have fun too. We brought Solana and Rhianne into our bed when they woke up, and we all had cuddle camp for about an hour. Jeff went somewhere in the house for a minute and then came back to tell us that he had called in "disinterested" to work. LOL! There were 3 sergeants working today, so he used some comp time and spent the day with us. YAY!!!! unexpected family time!!!!We went to Original Pancake house for "brunch." It was almost 10 by the time we got there! LOL! Then we went to the local Children's "museum". We spent a couple of hours there and then came home for a lunch time-ish "snack" and a nap for the twins. While they were in their cribs, Chaya and I set up the 8' quick set pool I bought. It's been in the 90s all week so we decided today was a good day for it. I did NOT realize the "quick set" does not really mean the 10 minutes they proclaim on the box. Yes 10 minutes before you can put water in it. But the whole pump and filter assembly has to be put together, water tested, chemicals added.... we were NOT able to get in it today.. and it was another HOT day. So while it was filling, we watched a movie in the AC (we're wimps!)We ordered Pizza for dinner, and then went to the store to wander while Jeff tried on some clothes (he doesn't own anything "business casual" and will be at supervisor school this week."Then we came home, played in the backyard for a while and then went to bed. It was a wonderful and unexpected day with my family! I am SO glad that Chaya and Jeff played hookey today! (Comment on this)
Friday, January 30th, 2009
4:48 am	ENOUGH already!! Solana threw up again today and she has still not pooped..... since MONDAY! EEK! I was back on the phone with the nurse today. I got the same nurse from hell and decided to immediately ask for someone else, so at least my concern for my kids wasn't overshadowed by attitude and incompetence.So as of now, we're supposed to use the glycerine suppository until she passes the blockage Rhiane passed hers today though! We threw a "poop party"! I really want this to be "cleared up" before we go to CA in TWO Days! (Comment on this)
Thursday, January 29th, 2009
10:19 pm	Oh joyful holiday parking This little incident just struck me as funny. I met some friends for lunch today. It was great. I don't do that but once in a blue moon. I'm grateful that I got to do it today because it was really wonderful. Of course, since the restaurant is downtown, and it's 5 days until Christmas, finding parking was a bear. Parking downtown is all along the sides of the street. This particular block is actual parking spaces, but much of it is parallel. I drove around the block, waiting for my parking place to show up. As I turned back down the block that the restaurant is on, There was someone right in front of me waiting for a person to pull out. So I patiently waited, and waited and waited (the person behind the wheel of the parked car was REALLY slow) and just as the car in front of me was pulling into their FINALLY vacated space, the reverse lights of the car right next to them ignite. oh YAY! THERE is my parking space! Except that while I was waiting for the spot to be vacated, some woman got out of the car behind me, walked up the sidewalk, and stepped into my space. She mouthed to me that it was hers. I shook my head and mouthed "no" back to her. She returned with "I'm saving it." Um.... let me think about this for a micro-milisecond. NOPE! Not gonna happen. I suppose I could have let her have it, in the spirit of the season.... but... NO! It just doesn't work that way. So I just sat there for a few minutes. She kept looking at me and then at the driver of the car behind me and back again. What was funny is that it was cold and rainy outside. So there she is standing in my space, getting cold and wet. I, however, am warm and dry inside my car.... I've got all the time in the world, lady. How wet do you want to get? It was kind of amusing. I finally rolled down the window and said, calmly, "You can't do that."Crazy lady: I'm saving this spot.Me: You can't do that.Crazy lady: We were over there [she points] and now we're moving over here. So we've got this space."Me: You can't do that. Your car is behind me.Crazy lady: But we're just moving from over there! [points again]Me: I don't care. You can't do that. If you had a parking space over there, you should have kept it. But I was waiting here when the car parked here pulled out and I will be parking here. Crazy lady: [looks at me, confused] You're not going to let us park here?Me: no.Crazy lady: [pause, while she lets this information sink in] Fine, you can have it. Me: Thanks, I know. In the meantime, the person who had pulled into the spot next to mine right before all of this had gotten out of her car and was staring at the whole scene with an irritated look on her face. I thought, Oh great, they were together and now I'm going to have to deal with this woman too. But when I got out of the car she said "can you believe some people?" It turns out that she was standing there waiting to see what happened so she would be there to back me up if necessary. How cool is that? We chatted for a minute, about how crazy some people get during this time of year, and then went on our merry ways. I couldn't stop giggling about it for the next couple of hours. I was just truly amused.When I relayed this story to Jeff, he laughed and said "That's bordering on Criminal Mischief" (or some such police technical term like that...). Can you imagine getting arrested for using your body to block a parking space? Merry Freaking Chrismas! ROFL! (Comment on this)
Wednesday, January 28th, 2009
7:48 pm	A special math equation for my family My VERY low tolerance for whining today + Kidlet's very HIGH production = the reign of complete chaos in the house. HELP! (Comment on this)
Tuesday, January 27th, 2009
4:12 pm	Note to self... ...When Rhianne is quiet for more than 2 minutes at a time she is getting into/ doing something that she shouldn't be. I hadn't seen or heard from her for about ten minutes. The last I knew she was in the playroom playing with the play kitchen. So I went to check on her and there she was, hiding in the corner next to the play kitchen....eating an entire bag of Hanukkah Gelt (6 Chocolate coins for anyone who doesn't know). Her mouth was covered in chocolate...it looked like reverse black face. She had somehow stuck her little hand in the treat drawer and grabbed a bag and then ran with it. The drawer has a childproof lock on it, but it obviously isn't good enough. It won't let the drawer open more than about 1.5 inches. However, I now know that there is still plenty of space for her little hand and arm to snake in there and grab what she wants!I guess I'll be rearranging my kitchen a little bit so we can still keep those sugary snacks in lockdown! (Comment on this)
Saturday, January 24th, 2009
8:39 am	I SWEAR it's a Hanukkah sock!!! I'm jumping on the bandwagon.... I don't want to be left out just because it's not my holiday! come fill up my stocking! ;)Hanukkah Sockleave a gift for lotsofjoyyour username: your gift: (30 characters or less)get your stocking (Comment on this)
Friday, January 23rd, 2009
6:49 am	New icons in my icon journal If anyone is interested, I just posted a batch of 20 very positive icons. iconjoy (Comment on this)
Thursday, January 22nd, 2009
2:51 am	Babysitting "adults" possibly more later.... if time permits. But WHY is it that I am a COLLEGE professor and I have to BABYSIT my students. There is always one who needs more help than others but this term I have more than my fair share of students who practically need me to sit on them o get anything done. AND I had one mentor TEACHER (with DECADES of experience) who needed babysitting. Thankfully the student assigned to her could handle it... GROW UP PEOPLE!!!! (Comment on this)
Wednesday, January 21st, 2009
12:33 am	Another cute animated icon of my kids! Finished this one yesterday.... and had to share!This is Solana. She would MUCH rather do this than sleep in that crib, ya know! (Comment on this)
Monday, January 19th, 2009
9:50 pm	JUST when I thought I was done... I've been thinking that I was done breastfeeding. It had been about a week and although one or the other of them asked twice, it was at the most possible inappropriate times that it wouldn't have happened even if we were still actively breastfeeding. for a few months we were down to 1-2 times a day. And then I just stopped allowing it at any time other than first thing in the morning and last thing before bed. When they didn't ask... they didn't get. And it has slowly tapered off to nothing. But this morning, I got them out of their cribs and we trotted to the living room same as normal... but the first thing that Rhianne wanted was "nurse." So of course Solana chimed in with the same request.Honesly, I was feeling a little sad that I didn't get to "savor" that last time because I didn't really know it was going to be the last. It wasn't though.... so I got to savor this time. How odd it feels to hope both that it is and it isn't over at the same time. But honestly, it's been almost 5.5 years straight, 9 months of that was serving 3 and 2.5 years was serving 2.... so I think it actually adds up to about 8 years! I think I'm ready to resume control of my breasts now. K? (Comment on this)
Sunday, January 18th, 2009
6:37 pm	Look ar my newest icon! Look what I just made! I just figured out how to automatically cap a movie from my digital camera and turn it into a mini animation!Just look at her!!! I'm in DEEP smit!that's Rhianne BTW... I'll work on one for Solana and Chaya later! I'm just so excited that i figured out how to do it that I HAD to share! (Comment on this)
Saturday, January 17th, 2009
3:22 pm	SNOW DAY!!!! It's been snowing on and off all day yesterday and today. There is probably 1-2" on the ground, but every time it stops it melts away pretty fast. As soon as we woke up yesterday morning, we got dressed and ate breakfast as fast as possible so we could go play a bit before Chaya had to go to school. Then after lunch it started again and Rhianne and Solana wanted to go back out. They thought it was COOL. Chaya was afraid of it when it snowed and she was this age :lol Today, school was cancelled all over the western part of the state.It's NUTS! There was about 2" on the ground this morning and everything shut down. That's what happens when you only get snow for ONE week about every other year. LOLSo anyway, my house turned into a daycare center today because of the snow day. A few neighborhood kids came here because their parents all had to work and my student appointment was cancelled since no one had school anyway. I must be crazy because I invited them here!So...after having 6 kids in my house all day..... if you EVER hear me say that I'm thinking about another.... someone shoot me. Not like that was a possibility before today... but today just cemented it completely! :laughing: We had a lot of fun... but I think that the only time I sat down was when I was using the john!Anyway.... here's some playing in the snow pics from yesterday. I have more from today, but haven't gotten them off of the camera yet. Rhianne (pink), Solana (purple)RhianneSolanaSolana & ChayaChaya & Solana (Comment on this)
Friday, January 16th, 2009
12:51 pm	We're not perfect... Laurie Berkner sings a song called We're not perfect. Solana and Rhianne have been running around the house today singing it. ALL of it. We listen to the CD quite often, but I hadn't realized that they were picking up on the words so well until now. Im not perfect, no Im not Im not perfect, but Ive got what Ive got I do my very best, I do my very best I do my very best each day But Im not perfect And I hope you like me that way You're not perfect....(etc) We're not perfect....(etc) (Comment on this)
Thursday, January 15th, 2009
8:16 am	Icon Meme I saw this posted somewhere while randomly browsing LJ and thought it looked fun! (can you tell that the kids are actually happily playing... On. Their. Own.!!!)My icons are here. Pick:1. One that makes you automatically think of me.2. One that you think I should TOTALLY use more often.3. One (or more) that you don't get/needs more explanation/you have no idea why I have it.and ask me about it.4. Is there one that you remember I used to have, but don't anymore, that you'd like to see back.And... if you see any that aren't credited, and you know who made it, PLEASE share! (Comment on this)