tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36666112011-08-03T02:21:02.613-05:00Christmas newsletter anyone?Bethanynoreply@blogger.comBlogger2361100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-84488614930932000302007-06-26T21:53:00.000-05:002007-06-26T20:52:16.384-05:00

"Rock the boat, don't rock the boat, baby..." (The Hues Corporation)On the subject of why I hardly blog anymore...I could say I never have time... but blogging takes no longer than Snoodoku (and is less exasperatingly addictive).I could say I've lost interest... but then I would have to pretend I don't check every day for new comments.I could say all my introspective needs are being met elsewhere

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-18182653055696961242007-05-17T12:47:00.000-05:002007-05-17T12:49:38.458-05:00

"And there will always be a part of me nobody else is ever gonna see but you and me..." (Ben Folds)A cute Mother's Day note from my six-year-old brother and a big hint for you, all in one!Bethany,I love uoy. And your child will be really glad to see me one day.From,CalebCan you guess?

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-46471452039577593552007-04-19T22:55:00.000-05:002007-04-23T12:29:13.104-05:00

"I've been wandering sideways..." (Audioslave)Yes, I know I haven't written much lately... anywhere, in fact. I would be afraid of my head exploding if it didn't feel so empty. Why do overpriced coffee and warm brown decor seem to be the only things that can coax my creativity out into the open?Anyway.Dan's finally defended his thesis, Natalie's nearly mastered her colors, I've recently learned

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-52118504145265067272007-02-15T14:10:00.000-05:002007-02-15T14:35:40.512-05:00

"And this is wonderful as loving goes..." (Dashboard Confessional)The Greatest Husband Ever Award goes to mine for coming up with the following shmoopy Valentine's nickname: "Sweet muffiny pie!" (I can see a future with Hallmark.)Keeping up with our tradition of non-traditional Valentine's Day dates (snowboarding, hospitalization, etc.), we went to NYC this week for a rocking Silverchair concert

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-75869982565377946802007-02-11T15:10:00.000-05:002007-01-04T19:17:11.932-05:00

"Baby, close your eyes to the lullabies on the news tonight..." (Jack Johnson) Last Thursday, Natalie and I made our primetime television news debut... Natalie as an adorable microphone thief, and me as stunned neighbor shaking her head in disbelief. Stories like this are the main reason I usually avoid the news as if it were a contagious disease. All along, though, the disease has been in

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-17766400002712942802007-01-04T19:12:00.000-05:002007-01-04T19:17:11.534-05:00

"I'm asking questions to the present-day me..." (Matisyahu)Things I like, and why that matters:Mandarin-cranberry candlesKey lime pieThe cozy sunlight patch just inside our front doorToo-long jeansSamuel Adams Winter BrewIron & Wine's version of "Such Great Heights"My earsCuddling Natalie to sleepHershey's candy cane kisses"Little Miss Sunshine"Striped socksMaking out with that amazing husband of

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-30735693511747601412006-12-21T19:29:00.000-05:002006-12-21T19:33:29.947-05:00

"But if I had a minute for every hour that I've wasted, I'd be rich in time..." (Jack Johnson)In honor of my last day teaching English to first graders...Me: "Can you guess which country I'm moving to?"Class: "North America! Australia! The North Pole! Cleveland! February! Africa! The Wild West! California! Island! Egypt! (Pronounced "Ee-giped") Penguins! France! North France! 9th grade!"Yes, that

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-75635573040706521182006-12-14T11:42:00.000-05:002006-12-14T11:49:53.975-05:00

"You can't write if you can't relate..." (Beck)For all of you who have never seen a big family before, this is mine:And this is a traumatizing '80s workout flashback:Happy Thursday!

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-42661372229457887472006-12-03T20:44:00.000-05:002006-12-03T21:17:43.777-05:00

"Well, it's feeling like my life is finally mine..." (Jack Johnson)It's official -- we're moving to Italy! I can hardly believe it's actually going to happen. Just two more slow-motion, whirlwind months, and life is going to become quite different. ::Does the hooray dance::(By the way, Natalie has a blog, in case your day needs an extra dose of cuteness. The link's on the left. Clickety-click!)

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-3808410133529903822006-11-21T01:51:00.000-05:002006-11-21T02:05:13.972-05:00

"All the surprises in a size too small..." (Sufjan Stevens)Welcome to 1:51 a.m. in a year of too-little sleep. Our study is frantically messy, the groggy 7 a.m.'s and exhausted 10 p.m.'s lying in chaotic piles everywhere. Sufjan Stevens is cradling my melted brain, and my hazlenut espresso candle is keeping me cognisant. Olfactory caffeine is the best, you know. I think I've done a pretty good

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-84838293872822661892006-11-07T22:13:00.000-05:002006-11-07T22:23:11.747-05:00

"I want to take you through a wasteland I like to call my home..." (Green Day)Political commercial #1: "My opponent burns Bibles, eats babies, and was seen helping Satan's mother-in-law across the street!"Political commercial #2: "Well, my opponent was seen helping George Bush's mother-in-law across the street!"Campaining is OVER. ::Kisses TV for joy::

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-49610471906294720192006-11-05T19:27:00.000-05:002006-11-05T19:35:51.219-05:00

"I've got sunshine on a cloudy day with my girl..." (The Temptations)Well, a certain little someone can say "Mommy" now. For instance:Natalie, pointing to Patrick (the starfish from "Spongebob Squarepants"): "Mommy!"Dan: "No, silly! What is this?"Natalie, happily: "It’s a mommy!"Me: "Well, who am I?"Natalie: "Bug!"

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-91073343083510768872006-10-24T14:25:00.000-05:002006-10-24T14:34:05.445-05:00

"Her face is a map of the world..." (K.T. Tunstall)Brown-sugar-cinnamon coffee is the new best thing ever.::Inhales delicious, swirly smells::I love autumn.

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-70302462933488901052006-10-22T12:55:00.000-05:002006-10-22T13:08:16.752-05:00

"We come with the funky style that gets us known for the show..." (311)Week in review: Darlene, proudly: "I can count to 105 by tens!"Silas: "I think the mall has one hundred million THOUSAND stores!"Me: "Repeat after me: 'A hardware store is where you buy things to fix your house.'"Ann: "A horror stone to be is you wear fix-a to the how."Me, pointing to a picture of a dolphin: "Does anyone know

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-34697511590244889702006-10-20T11:20:00.000-05:002006-10-20T13:56:17.275-05:00

"Don't for a minute change the place you're in..." (John Mayer)News flash: Dan has either tonsilitis or menopause (the diagnosis is still unclear). Just thought you should know.We were talking this morning about being six years old, and how Dan's favorite activity at that age was building with Legos, and how my favorite activity was writing novels (intense and gripping ones, I might add). The

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-52926742026870119072006-10-17T21:36:00.000-05:002006-10-21T21:49:44.992-05:00

"We don't need no education..." (Pink Floyd)Because I love you...2nd grade reading class, trying to form compound words by matching up short words from two lists:Britney: "Camp… house?"Me: "That's not really a word; try the others."Britney: "Camp... book?"Me: "Not quite."Britney: "Camp... time?"Me: "Nope."Britney: "Fire?"Me: "Yes! Now, try putting it together."Britney, proudly: "Firecamp!"1st

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-14181532006278793972006-10-12T08:36:00.000-05:002006-10-12T09:58:22.559-05:00

"I just wanna stay right here until never dawns..." (Corinne Bailey Rae)Natalie ran up to me yesterday holding a toy dog and shrieking, "Kitty!" Apparently, this is Dan's dream come true. :)I can't believe how fast my little girl is growing up. She knows how to open everything in the house and draw pretty pictures on the walls and have relational crises when Bear is MIA. (Bear, by the way, has

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-43623374744567675432006-09-29T19:20:00.000-05:002006-10-19T13:37:09.098-05:00

"I'm a hundred kinds of crazy..." (John Mayer)More conversations with first grade ESL students, yahoo!Me: "Who can think of a word that begins with the letter 'A'?"Class: "Aporn!" (Apron) "Ant-horn!" (Author) "Afweel!" (Not sure... maybe Waffle?) "Elephant!" "Crocodillo!" (My favorite) "Ate!" "Teacher! Teacher! Teacher! Teacher! I am going to tell you somefing! I know a number, and it's eight!"

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-43100131999932551092006-09-27T10:36:00.000-05:002006-10-19T13:37:22.675-05:00

"I want to turn the whole thing upside-down..." (Jack Johnson)Brief synopsis of 1st grade ESL class yesterday:Me (reading): "Would you rather be a bullfrog or a butterfly?"Class: "Billflog!" "Bluffry!"Me: "All right, let's try saying, 'I would rather be a bullfrog.'"Class: "I a word rabbit to be a burflog."Me: "Let's try again. 'I would.'"Class: "I wourld."Me: "Rather."Class: "Rabbit."Me: "Be a

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-83920794233029150452006-09-21T17:48:00.000-05:002006-09-21T17:49:21.480-05:00

"It's all about the Pentiums, baby!" (Weird Al Yankovic)Why does this remind me of my husband?

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-7985509699811604092006-09-09T01:05:00.000-05:002006-09-09T01:05:39.819-05:00

"Chord shapes in air, press that dissonance if you dare..." (Frou Frou)Changes are whirling in faster than time now, and I'm beginning to realize just how rusty I've become.1) We're 99% definitely moving to Italy in January. ::Cheer/hyperventilate::2) I start a new job on Monday (what ironic timing) in which I will be teaching six elementary, middle school, and high school classes without

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-1156425817012204032006-08-24T08:14:00.000-05:002006-08-24T11:16:16.956-05:00

"Life flies by in seconds..." (Ben Folds)Natalie can now say "Tony Hawk"... but still not "Mommy." Quel désastre! By the way, I realized I haven't posted a picture of the three of us lately, so here you go. Don't let Natalie's serious face fool you; two seconds after the picture was taken, she was running down the sidewalk shrieking, "The ball! The ball!" The ball, indeed.Oh, and one from the

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-1156102804219858942006-08-20T14:26:00.000-05:002006-08-21T13:56:52.293-05:00

Summer in Review"When I step into the lightGetting stung for the first time ever by a curmudgeonly bee at Amelia Island's sunken forest (which, as it turns out, is neither sunken nor a forest).My arms are open wideWatching Italy win World Cup games while various brothers-in-law shouted in Italian at the players and ran around pounding on drums.When I step into the lightRunning, drenched and

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-1151692254432318362006-06-30T13:27:00.000-05:002006-06-30T13:30:54.460-05:00

"The author of my hope is writing the greatest story ever told..." (Five Iron Frenzy)I feel like the last couple of months have been defined by the curveballs thrown our way… and I’m wandering somewhere out in left field. I’ve always known plans aren’t worth counting on, but when they disintegrate, solid footing is hard to find for a while. Not knowing what we’ll be doing next year or even next

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-1149001824940555002006-05-30T10:06:00.000-05:002006-05-30T10:38:38.566-05:00

"She's only happy in the sun..." (Ben Harper)And now, for old times sake, the very first book I ever wrote (and illustrated!):Princess Serena and the big fireby Bethany SmithMade in the U.S.A., Age 7Chapter 1. Meet SerenaOnce upon a time, far, far away, in a snow covered glistening land, there was a golden street that led to a shining, crystled, snowy, golden castle. Golden pillars rose tall and

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-1148566928576713972006-05-25T09:02:00.000-05:002006-05-25T09:22:08.606-05:00

"I better be quiet now, I’m tired of wasting my breath..." (Elliott Smith)Ooh, a bit of controversy! I think homeschooling might just be as divisive an issue as religion or politics. I don't really want my blog to become a source of anger, outrage, or hate mail, so... Baby pictures!Hammocks are my new extreme sportNatalie crying because she was dying of thirst but was not going to drink by

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-1148488843860964872006-05-24T11:37:00.000-05:002006-05-24T11:48:24.060-05:00

"We don't need no thought control..." (Pink Floyd)One more reason why I don't agree with homeschooling. (There are many more... but I'll spare you the rant.)

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-1148398941635747862006-05-23T10:34:00.001-05:002006-05-23T10:42:21.636-05:00

"I want to turn the whole thing upside-down..." (Jack Johnson)So far, everyone seems to think that Natalie looks just like her daddy, though whether I'm her mother is debatable. *Sniff, sniff* What do you think?

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-1148263437682546902006-05-21T21:01:00.000-05:002006-05-21T21:03:57.693-05:00

"Y'all don't know what it's like being male, middle-class, and white..." (Ben Folds)Today, I watched "Pimp My Ride" and "Wild 'n Out." Yeah. I'm ghetto.

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-1147817947875372842006-05-16T16:52:00.002-05:002006-05-16T17:19:07.876-05:00

"That’s just who I am this week…" (Fall Out Boy)Me ≠ green thumb.I was ridiculously excited at the idea of planting gardens this spring. I said they were for practical purposes (beauty, squirrel food), but really, I just wanted to make something alive.I started with seeds (seeds are cheap, plus you can grow approximately 50 acres from one packet!) and waited. And waited. And waited. The sweet

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-1147461883396153452006-05-12T14:22:00.000-05:002006-05-12T14:24:43.406-05:00

"You know that I would now, if only I could..." (Jack Johnson)Good news (great, even): I'm writing again!Bad news: I'm not writing much on here.I know I'm neglecting my blog, but my creative energy is not good at multi-tasking yet. Apologies!

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-1146755272073760952006-05-04T10:03:00.000-05:002006-05-04T10:07:52.083-05:00

"The sun's coming up, She's pulled all the blankets over, Curled in a ball, like she's hiding from me, and That's when I know She's gonna be pissed when she wakes up For terrible things I did to her in her dreams..." (Ben Folds)Lyrics say everything best...

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-1146503580710666682006-05-01T11:41:00.000-05:002006-05-01T12:13:00.766-05:00

"Gravity, stay the hell away from me..." (John Mayer)Two weeks! Bad, Bethany, bad. So:Tutored, tutored, tutored.Almost-but-not-quite finished Blue Like Jazz. Decided to like people more.Showered friends' babies.Worked on abysmal yard. Ended up with slightly less abysmal yard and very abysmal poison ivy. Despaired for days over insurmountable sticky-note to-do lists. Then realized I am surmounting

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-1145317415369055962006-04-17T18:42:00.000-05:002006-04-18T11:03:13.236-05:00

"Happens to be that everybody else’s dreams are Freudian clues; you better watch what you dream..." (Ben Folds)Three things:1) Dan used a chainsaw yesterday, and to the best of my knowledge, no massacres occurred. (And there was great rejoicing.)2) Natalie now knows the completely important question "Where is your nose?" in both English and Italian; she has finally proved that bilingual babies do

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-1145299631424272792006-04-17T13:45:00.000-05:002006-04-17T13:47:11.433-05:00

"I want nothing, just this life and no more..." (311)To be free of pants is to truly live.

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-1145135346959753312006-04-15T16:05:00.000-05:002006-04-15T16:09:06.973-05:00

"Celebrate we will, because life is short but sweet for certain..." (Dave Matthews Band)Have a cute...scrunchy...Easter!

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-1144946679269573812006-04-13T11:41:00.000-05:002006-04-13T15:45:59.693-05:00

"It’s a luscious mix of words and tricks..." (The Shins)Haiku time!Cherry tree blossomsplus blustery breeze equalsnowfall in April.

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-1144855003431918082006-04-12T10:08:00.000-05:002006-04-12T10:16:43.440-05:00

"Joe, this is just a song to pay the rent..." (Angie Aparo)And the expletivicious thought of the day goes to....... the groceries, for failing to defy the laws of gravity. Stupid gravity.At least I am part of a delightful and entirely mature family:

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-1144698287371767232006-04-10T14:33:00.000-05:002006-04-10T14:44:47.383-05:00

"Can't wear my mask, your first, my last..." (Pearl Jam)I haven't been able to stay away from Pearl Jam lately. Not that that's anything new... We generally have a sordid affair every few months. Anyway.I'm not sure how I feel about my blog anymore. When it started, sometime in the pre-Xanga caveman era, I wrote for people I actually talked to... though I suppose it could be argued that we talked

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-1144624750445642682006-04-09T18:16:00.000-05:002006-04-09T18:19:10.456-05:00

"Well baby, I surrender to the strawberry ice cream..." (Counting Crows)We are doing what everyone said couldn't be done.We, enthusiastic watchers of "24," have started watching... (drumroll)... "Lost."We have bridged the impassable gap.

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-1144523471009159142006-04-08T14:04:00.000-05:002006-04-08T14:11:11.023-05:00

"It's alright, 'cause there's beauty in the breakdown..." (Frou Frou)Last night, Dan told me everything is ok. I don't think I've ever been told that before. I don't think I've ever believed that before.What a novel concept...

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-1144078008406176602006-04-03T10:07:00.000-05:002006-04-03T10:26:48.416-05:00

"There's the moon asking me to stay long enough for the clouds to fly me away..." (Jeff Buckley)Did you know that attending grad school is not the most lucrative job?Yeah, me too. *Sigh*So while the dear hubby's tackling his PhD, I'm discovering just how good I am at juggling four part-time jobs as well as the mom thing -- terrible. I love tutoring, I usually love writing, I occasionally love

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-1143648264887611852006-03-29T11:00:00.000-05:002006-03-29T11:04:24.896-05:00

"Let's get retarded in here..." (Black Eyed Peas)And the word of the day is... poop.

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-1143566960793601332006-03-28T12:19:00.000-05:002006-03-28T12:29:20.806-05:00

"Just me and you, floating in this place..." (Natural Calamity)Big, heavy day.Light, fluffy music.Somewhere in the middle is me.

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-1143483803023463462006-03-27T13:17:00.000-05:002006-03-27T14:16:25.820-05:00

"File me away in your heart someday..." (Badly Drawn Boy)Hawks are circling our house. How do they already know about the untimely demise of our pacifist mice this morning?Someone should probably pass a law prohibiting us from owning any more pets.

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-1143149503017019982006-03-23T16:28:00.000-05:002006-03-23T16:31:43.026-05:00

"Trying hard to speak and fighting with my weak hand..." (Coldplay)One sentence a day is sometimes harder than I thought...

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-1142623390849107202006-03-17T14:19:00.000-05:002006-03-17T14:23:10.860-05:00

"God put a smile upon your face, yeah..." (Coldplay)This child loves pasta.

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-1142529782590822862006-03-16T12:21:00.000-05:002006-03-16T12:23:02.603-05:00

"What else should I be, all apologies?" (Nirvana)I'm becoming fairly convinced that I was a dysfunctional adult at age 8.

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-1142435869008658712006-03-15T10:16:00.000-05:002006-03-15T10:17:49.016-05:00

"Throw away this very old shoelace that tripped you again..." (Our Lady Peace)Beware the Ides of March!

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-1142027760416193732006-03-10T16:52:00.000-05:002006-03-10T16:56:00.426-05:00

"Melting under blue skies, belting out sunlight, shimmering love..." (Counting Crows)Today is the first bare-foot day of the year!::happy dance::

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-1141792280251459032006-03-07T22:56:00.000-05:002006-03-07T23:31:20.263-05:00

"Well so long, good friends, when will we meet again?" (Jack Johnson)Today, I indulged my little Obsessive Compulsive gene and re-organized the big box of photos from the back of my closet. Wow. I didn't remember how many people I'd forgotten. And those I do remember, I miss like crazy...There's a picture of Dr. Olson's couch, filled to overflowing with some of my very first friends at LU...

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-1141663155924711492006-03-06T11:36:00.000-05:002006-03-06T11:39:15.933-05:00

"She made herself a bed of nails, and she's planning on putting it to use..." (Ben Harper)During the day, my mind usually flits around from one unimportant thing to another. I guess that’s why my dreams always seem so important, filled with old friends and old problems and old versions of me. How does one become a morning person?

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-1141539182472661012006-03-05T01:11:00.000-05:002006-03-05T01:13:02.483-05:00

"I'm gonna smile and not get worried; I try, but it shows..." (Jimmy Eat World)We seem to have the first one-year-old in history who doesn't like chocolate cake. Oh dear.

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-1141404597508728152006-03-03T11:37:00.000-05:002006-03-03T17:43:43.406-05:00

"I'mma see that sunshine, surely ease my mind..." (G. Love & Special Sauce)Birthday girl...Raise your hand if you'd love waking up to balloons bustling all over your floor, a singing pink flower, and, of course, a new dumptruck!P.S. - Following in the wobbly footsteps of her mother, she started walking today. Yay!

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-1141403687878097642006-03-02T23:31:00.000-05:002006-03-03T11:34:47.896-05:00

"To tell the truth, I am getting away with murder..." (Papa Roach)Sometimes you just have to turn on a song your mother would hate, crank up the volume, and scream along.

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-1141233661630558362006-03-01T12:16:00.000-05:002006-03-01T12:21:01.640-05:00

"Keep the mind confined to the chair with no voice..." (P.O.D.)I haven't really had anything to write lately... I hope you don't mind pictures.(Dreams of dentistry?)

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-1141098816546699402006-02-27T22:46:00.000-05:002006-02-27T22:57:28.463-05:00

"Cause I'm a redneck woman..." (Gretchen Wilson)My daughter has a mullet!

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-1140623034440338822006-02-22T10:41:00.000-05:002006-02-22T11:59:16.806-05:00

"You're beautiful, that's for sure, you'll never, ever fade..." (Nelly Furtado)(Re-adding this post that blogger mysteriously deleted)Natalie: "Ba ba ba ba, bee, bo, boo, ba!"Me: "Can you say bye-bye?"Natalie, waving cheerfully: "Dye-dye!"Me: "No, Bye-bye."Natalie, triumphantly: "Dye-dye!" ::claps proudly for herself::Dye-dye, folks.

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-1140532710398810132006-02-21T09:35:00.000-05:002006-02-21T09:38:40.700-05:00

"Isn't she lovely, made from love..." (Stevie Wonder)Reason #5,129,401 why I love my daughter: Every time I put lotion on her chapped chin, she tries to eat it.

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-1140457403169963412006-02-20T12:39:00.000-05:002006-02-20T12:50:47.113-05:00

"Might be a quarter-life crisis, or just the stirring in my soul…" (John Mayer)So I’ve been thinking lately. (A good habit; I recommend it… in moderation, of course.) I’ve been failing to see how the church attracts people. I’ve been failing to see how the church attracts me. I’ve been wondering how much of organized Christianity is just human tradition. The Presbyterian churches in our area

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-1140397320618703362006-02-19T19:53:00.000-05:002006-02-19T20:02:00.656-05:00

"You're done with one mile and go to another one thousand..." (Ryan Cabrera)The Olympics are like gory movies -- you don't really want to watch them, but you can't not.

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-1140121378945331192006-02-16T15:14:00.000-05:002006-02-16T16:11:56.870-05:00

"This song is meant to keep ya from doing what you're supposed to..." (Jack Johnson)Things You May Not Know About Me: SiblingsI'm the oldest of eight children. Yep, eight. Six brothers ([approximate] ages 20, 18, 15, 12, 8, & 4), one sister (age 13).

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-1140040043270566812006-02-15T16:37:00.000-05:002006-02-15T16:49:00.960-05:00

"Reluctantly crouched at the starting line..." (Cake)Valentine's Day Idea (mine): Have husband come home from work to a clean house and a deluxe romantic supper.Valentine's Day Idea (revised, with the help of said husband): Eat deluxe romantic supper for lunch, leave the dishes for our pet mice, and load up snow gear for an evening on the slopes.We definitely had an über-fun time. Apparently,

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-1139933817555163012006-02-14T10:47:00.000-05:002006-02-15T16:47:46.543-05:00

"Clouds are shrouding us in moments unforgettable..." (Maroon 5)The wonderful husband took me to New York City last weekend (thus my shameful lack of blogging). We saw sights...Walked many miles...Stayed in a thoroughly surreal hotel...And came home to the most precious little girl in the world...Who was apparently overjoyed at our weekend snowstorm.(The End.)

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-1139503543593505552006-02-09T11:39:00.000-05:002006-02-09T11:45:43.606-05:00

"For the day you die, you gonna touch the sky..." (Kanye West)Natalie's toy clown has been barbarically kidnapped and is being held hostage. Who would do such a hideous thing?

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-1139433560701442352006-02-08T15:52:00.000-05:002006-02-08T16:19:20.716-05:00

"Could I have been anyone other than me?" (Dave Matthews Band)Things You May Not Know About Me: JobsIt's a new year, and I have finally graduated to an exclusively English-nerdy résumé. Gone is the mind-numbing summer I spent entering illegible survey information into a computer. Gone is the other mind-numbing summer I spent erasing duplicates from a list of every religious organization in Canada

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-1139348823829490572006-02-07T16:15:00.000-05:002006-02-07T17:26:15.446-05:00

"I'm rockin' the suburbs just like Michael Jackson did..." (Ben Folds)Today's word of the day: Surface.Incidentally, my hubby and I watched the TV show of the same name last night -- mostly entirely by accident. My professional opinion? One day, in the not-too-distant future, Tom Servo, Crow T. Robot, and the rest of the Mystery Science Theater 3000 gang will eat it for lunch. Terrible! Rule

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-1139269607740321682006-02-06T18:39:00.000-05:002006-02-06T18:46:47.753-05:00

"Every bit of darkness needs some sunshine..." (Marvin Gaye)Tomorrow, stoplights will turn green at my command.Tomorrow, check-out lanes will move at the speed of light.Tomorrow, gravity will not apply to tipped-over glasses.Tomorrow, all bad memories will take a vacation.Tomorrow, I will have more inspiration than I know what to do with.Tomorrow will not be Monday.

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-1139113779553570062006-02-04T23:26:00.000-05:002006-02-04T23:30:05.946-05:00

"You've got a new horizon, it's ephemeral style..." (Gorillaz)Today's inclination toward depression brought to you by Fog, of the Bleak English Moor persuasion. I wish the color of the air didn't so directly affect my core body temperature.I miss Starbucks. I haven't been once since last summer, and I am fairly certain my creative muse responds only to warm, swirly smells. Maybe I should build a

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-1139068070487317942006-02-04T10:44:00.000-05:002006-02-04T10:49:23.163-05:00

"The world is not waiting out there..." (The Cranberries)Those of you from LU who knew Zack Saint, please keep his family in your prayers. Zack passed away yesterday afternoon. His friends didn't make it up here in time and are taking it hard, so please remember to pray for them too.

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-1138983590149242562006-02-03T11:06:00.000-05:002006-02-03T11:19:50.160-05:00

"Save tonight, and fight the break of dawn..." (Eagle-Eye Cherry)A group of people from Texas is en route to our house right now. Ordinarily, Dan would have to keep me from dusting the baseboards and planning overly exciting meals (think "Indiana Jones: Temple of Doom"). These guys, however, are coming to say goodbye to a friend dying of leukemia.I'm stumped. I'm not used to death. I'd rather not

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-1138824610016909282006-02-01T15:08:00.000-05:002006-02-01T15:10:10.030-05:00

"You did something beautiful, and I love you till I die..." (Monaco)Happiness for the day: A very little girl with sweet potatoes in her hair singing her heart out as she smashes the rest of her lunch.

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-1138735098939607092006-01-31T14:18:00.000-05:002006-01-31T14:19:17.286-05:00

"What's the deal with my brain? Why am I so obviously insane?" (Weezer)I'm taking the SAT again this week, so as to prove I will be a competent test prep tutor. Joy, joy.f(x) = ?::head explodes::

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-1138539499115853592006-01-29T07:52:00.000-05:002006-01-29T07:58:19.123-05:00

"This clock never seemed so alive..." (Lifehouse)Poll time:To what extent is it acceptable for men to compliment a married woman on her looks? Where's the line (if there is a line)? "You look beautiful?" "You're so cute?" "You're hot?" On one hand, maybe the husband should be the only one thinking, much less talking about how she looks. On the other hand, since the woman is married, maybe

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-1138380298441822692006-01-27T11:38:00.000-05:002006-01-27T11:44:58.453-05:00

"We're falling apart to half-time..." (Fall Out Boy)Bad Bethany. You would think blogging one sentence a day wouldn't be such a challenge! Hey, at least you get a picture -- my 2 favorite people in the world:

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-1138215957773744642006-01-25T13:57:00.000-05:002006-01-25T14:11:50.406-05:00

"Don’t ever say you’re on your way down when God gave you style and gave you grace..." (Coldplay)I don't know about you other gals, but my biggest pick-me-up is not a romantic movie, not a massage, not a party, not a quick walk outside, not a drink, not shopping, not even chocolate... It's locking myself in the bathroom with hair dye, tweezers, make up, body splash, whatever, and walking out

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-1138113127180438522006-01-24T09:21:00.000-05:002006-01-24T09:32:07.190-05:00

"Oh someday I ain't wasting no more time..." (The Strokes)New Year's Resolutions I am carefully considering making... maybe... sometime:* Finish learning Italian before Natalie beats me to it.* Work out... at all. (Does snowboarding count? 'Cause I've done that a couple of times this year. Yeah, that should do it.)* Write a book of any genre or length.* Eat a healthy diet of... I don't know,

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-1138049719333398942006-01-23T15:32:00.000-05:002006-01-23T15:55:19.346-05:00

"Once you were in my rear view mirror..." (Pearl Jam)I know I was delinquent yesterday... so to make up for my shameful lack of blogging, you get both a sentence and a picture today!

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-1137896557275704122006-01-21T21:19:00.000-05:002006-01-21T21:22:37.286-05:00

"Is anybody listening? I gotta make sure this time..." (Third Day)No gruesome death, though one rather embarassing incident involving a too-fast ski lift and a hand-rail that wasn't. Does that count as a sentence without subject-verb combinations?

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-1137775754904639842006-01-20T11:44:00.000-05:002006-01-20T11:49:14.913-05:00

"I'll go with the worst idea if everyone takes the toll..." (Get Up Kids)Going snowboarding later. If I die gruesomely, I will no longer consider my new blogging resolution mandatory. Just so you know.

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-1137689112464289112006-01-19T11:36:00.000-05:002006-01-19T14:52:49.083-05:00

"I've been changin' - think it's funny how no one knows..." (Matchbox 20)Since my first New Year's resolution has been more or less fulfilled, I'm going to make a new one that massively impacts all of you:I resolve to blog at least one sentence every day.Maybe then one sentence will turn into more and I'll get back into writing. Whaddya think?

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-1137601217064169532006-01-18T11:07:00.000-05:002006-01-18T11:20:17.076-05:00

"Down the middle drops one more grain of sand..." (Jack Johnson)New Year's Resolution: Learn to snowboard without dying gruesomely.Mission accomplished!I feel like a four-post bed that just learned to waltz.In other news, we bought three new mice and, in the hopes of avoiding another killing spree, gave them overtly pacifist names: Buddha, Ghandi, & Mohammed. It almost worked. We had to return

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-1136225518406669582006-01-02T13:11:00.000-05:002006-01-02T13:11:58.416-05:00

”If I lived till I was 102, I just don’t think I’ll ever get over you…” (Colin Hay)I had never seen such carnage before.We had just arrived home after 3-day Relative Rounds, totally unprepared for what we found in Natalie’s room: severed arms, mutilated legs, three bloody, headless corpses. The perpetrator was still there, ghastly clean, huddled in the corner, her sides shaking. Her fat sides.

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-1135307641506770942005-12-22T22:03:00.000-05:002005-12-22T22:14:01.516-05:00

Merry Christmas!"Truly He taught us to love one another, His law is love and His gospel is peace. Chains He shall break, for the slave is our brother, And in His name all oppression shall cease. Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we, Let all within us praise His holy name.Christ is the Lord! O praise His name forever!His power and glory ever more proclaim! His power and glory ever more

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-1135129541352156052005-12-20T20:27:00.000-05:002005-12-20T20:45:52.993-05:00

Buon Natale, tutti in Italia! Godetevi queste foto della nostra piccola Natalie!

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-1134411211927275462005-12-12T13:13:00.000-05:002005-12-12T13:13:31.936-05:00

And, well, because she’s just so darn cute….Before……AfterCuddly DadPiggy-back rideShocked babyOur little NatalieNatalie “posing”

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-1134409131465715112005-12-12T12:34:00.000-05:002005-12-12T12:38:51.476-05:00

”If somebody made it, someone will mess it up…” (Coldplay)Commence: Holidayish Ramblings, in no particular orderThe song “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” makes me feel like hiding under a bed until I die. Maybe it’s the ironically mournful tune – “Rejoice, rejoice?” Maybe it’s because of my recent foray into Bodie Thoene’s world, full of Jews waiting and desperately hoping for a kind of deliverance

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-1129580865737296282005-10-17T15:26:00.000-05:002005-10-17T15:27:45.743-05:00

Samantha: “But you! How are YOU doing?”“Yes, no, maybe, I don’t know, can you repeat the question?” (They Might Be Giants)I think the melancholy side of me that used to create such introspective posts (oh, about 75 years ago) jumped out of a window somewhere along the way. Wonderful things like husbands and babies will do that to you. Does it say something about the state of your life when all

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-1129130176091364252005-10-12T08:59:00.000-05:002005-10-12T10:19:12.936-05:00

"Beverly Hills - That's where I want to be!" (Weezer)[1] We've moved in but are still deplorably far from being Moved In. Well, not deplorably, I guess... The unpacking that's left is all the little things we never really had places for in our apartment and probably won't here either. Maybe I'll just put those boxes in the basement, and if I don't end up needing anything out of them for the

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-1127011952475056712005-09-17T21:24:00.000-05:002005-09-17T21:52:32.480-05:00

"And it's always you and me always, and forever, ba ba ba ba ba..." (The Wannadies)Warning: Random thoughts using themselves as flotation devices ahead.So.Two short weeks till Moving Day, and of course, I'm suddenly nostalgic and best-friendly to our little apartment, like I'm actually going to miss straddling the line between ghetto and industrial waste. I'm clearly insane and in need of being

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-1120157103272511132005-06-30T13:01:00.000-05:002005-06-30T13:48:14.693-05:00

"Today is the greatest day that I have ever really known..." (Smashing Pumpkins) Almost a month between posts... almost but not. I do actually exist. June = Husband away at conference in ridiculously fancy hotel (where you can apparently take boat tours of the inside) and me missing him as much as I did during a similar conference three months after we got married. I hope I never grow

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-1117773706934586812005-06-02T23:39:00.000-05:002005-06-30T12:54:27.003-05:00

“Heaven lies about us in our infancy...” (Wordsworth) Her smile leaps from the center of my heart before I even realize it lives there. Her softness spills like quiet rain; I look at her and float. Her eyes are pools of heaven, mirrors of God’s happinesses. I forget, and I forget, and I forget, while she blossoms into herself, until I hardly recognize my delight in human, angel form. I

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-1114624950003952142005-04-27T13:00:00.000-05:002005-04-27T13:09:18.350-05:00

"What's my age again?" (Blink 182)What to do with a child who likes bathtime only because she adores drinking the soapy bath water?

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-1114136323220901082005-04-21T21:00:00.000-05:002005-04-21T21:20:17.306-05:00

"This life is shining more forever in the sun..." (Red Hot Chili Peppers) Well, I have oh-so-much to write about, really... It's just that blogging never seems to make it very high on the priority list. Maybe it's due for a promotion. Or Death Part II. But neither yet. Today, you get a "Life After LeTourneau" article I wrote for the YellowJacket, and since most of you are no longer students

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-1110238077492984982005-03-07T18:20:00.000-05:002005-03-07T18:27:57.493-05:00

"Wow, look at you now, flowers in the window..." (Travis)I’m not even sure what happened to the rest of February. I do know that the weekend before Valentine’s Day, Natalie put forth a valiant effort to be born. However, the doctors reasoned that her coming 6 weeks early was not the best plan of action. I spent many days in the hospital on various drugs guaranteed to stop contractions and

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-1107318080913288062005-02-01T23:12:00.000-05:002005-02-01T23:21:20.913-05:00

"Makin' fun of trendy people is the trendiest thing of all..." (Reel Big Fish) Entertaining quotes from Christmas break (only slightly belated): ~*~ My 19-year-old cousin Grace, about Katharine Hepburn: "She wrote books on tape." ~*~ Grace again, while flipping through the dictionary: "These are good words!" ~*~ ::My 6-year-old brother Nathan is in the process of taping a package:: Daniel: "Why

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-1106852230628117102005-01-27T13:52:00.000-05:002005-01-27T13:57:10.626-05:00

"My world's on fire; how about yours?" (Smash Mouth) January: A] The new year got off to an energetic start when one of our friend’s firework canisters tipped over after being lit. I can’t say that I have ever before been chased across the lawn by a green ball of fire before. I highly recommend the experience – surreal yet exhilarating (can something so fun be chalked up on the near-death

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-1104621085626850532005-01-01T17:57:00.000-05:002005-01-01T18:11:25.626-05:00

(Once-again-stale Christmas songs playing hide-n-seek in my head) Hey hey folks! Well, I had been longing for snow before we left Delaware for Christmas... Like a mean-spirited prank, the skies were clear until 10 minutes before we drove off. 10 minutes. We drove all night through incapacitating (to me) cold until we hit Texas, at which point t-shirts and sweat came into the picture. But the

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-1102621327428411152004-12-09T14:40:00.000-05:002004-12-09T14:42:58.683-05:00

"Don we now our gay apparel, falala lalala la la la..." (Metrosexual Theme Song) My goal for this week is to ingest enough chicken soup to replace the various organs I seem to be blowing from my nose. Yah, I’m a bit sickly, but notice – I AM blogging. (This, far above my regularity in posting, ought to convince you all of my genuine loyalty to this blog.) So, anyone ready for an update?

Bethanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3666611.post-1099973594571111992004-11-08T22:42:00.000-05:002004-11-08T23:13:14.570-05:00

"I don't question our existence, I just question our modern needs..." (Pearl Jam) I feel like there's so much to pray about... for Baby as it's growing, for Daniel and I getting ready to be parents, for finances, for our friends and family, for our future... And so much to be thankful for... for Baby, for each other, for having everything we need, for our friends and family, for our purpose in

Bethanynoreply@blogger.com