Snowy evening ... to come

In all the excitement preparing for the mother of all blizzards (the worst in this area in 99 years, according to the National Weather Service), I almost forgot to post a birthday wish for my mother.

I thought it appropriate tonight then, considering the weather, this post be my mother's favorite poem. (We share an affinity for Robert Frost.) Happy birthday, Mom. With love, always ...

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening
Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

Happy birthday, Daddy

Today is my father's birthday, and I can't help but think about all the things he's taught me over the years and all that he continues to do for me now.

I remember the Camp Fire Father-Daughter box suppers when I was a kid. Mom would pack our dinner in a box we had decorated with red crepe paper and white heart-shaped paper doilies and Valentines. Usually, dinner was fried chicken (something that didn't have to be eaten hot). I bet if I went to my parents' basement, that box (it was from the meat grinder) is on the shelf still decorated. One of our traditions at the box supper was to sing "Let Me Call You Sweetheart," and to this day I get misty-eyed when I hum the tune or replay the lyrics in my head.

Daddy taught me how to drive ... God love him. He had the patience of a saint. Thankfully, my car (a 1974 Mercury Montego - the V8-powered "Brown Bomb") was an automatic. I couldn't get the hang of shifting a standard to save my life ... until ... that summer between my sophomore and junior years in high school when I was away at a gifted camp at MU. I called home and found out he had sold my car because he could get a good price for it. I was left to drive his truck (a standard) or nothing at all. I learned how to shift in about five minutes. Mind over matter, I guess.

Besides carrying mail for 35 years, my dad was a carpenter on the side, repairing, refinishing and building furniture. I especially love my solid cherry desk (except when I have to move it)! And, most of the furniture in my house has been touched by him in some way - he made it, refinished it, repaired it or helped move it.

He and my grandfather built the house that I consider to be the one where I "grew up," even though it was the mid-70s when we moved there. I remember tying my wagon to the back of my tricycle and peddling through the studs picking up the scrap lumber. I'm sure I was the epitome of helpfulness.

Over the years, he's taught me a thing or two about power tools. And now, I'm handy enough with a power drill to accomplish most minor household and craft projects. I can hang a picture on the wall, change the furnace filter and mow and trim the grass. But, I still call on Daddy to lend a hand with the big things - most recently, Wonder Child's Pinewood Derby car.

And, I should explain - Yes, I'm 40-something and still call my father "Daddy." He will always be Daddy, and it isn't because I'm the youngest and only girl. "Dad" was my grandfather (That's what my brothers and I called our grandfather. My oldest brother picked up "Dad" for our grandfather from hearing my parents call him that, and it stuck through all three of us kids.)

Daddy cooked breakfast for us most mornings because Mom worked the night shift part-time, and he was up early for work. He still makes great biscuits from scratch.

He enjoys a cup of coffee every evening about 8 o'clock. He taught me early on the best way to eat an apple was to slice it in half, core it and fill the void from the core with peanut butter. I was an adult before I broke that eating pattern ... 'cause, basically, everything's better with peanut butter! And, his favorite pie is pineapple, and that's how we celebrate his birthday. No cake for him - it's pie!

Daddy taught me at a very young age the value of money, how to live modestly and the power of saving. He frequently asked me in my 20s if I had checked the oil in my car (to which I usually rolled my eyes). And, he taught me most everything I know about gardening. And, yes, I picked more than my fair share of rocks out of our garden at home as a kid. I used to swear he put back all the rocks at the end of the summer so I could pick them out the next spring.

He is as honest as the day is long. When we were kids, he would turn around and drive back to a store if the clerk gave the wrong amount of change. Not all that long ago, he went back to the counter of a restaurant to pay the difference because the server hadn't charged us enough for our meal. Most people would think it was their lucky day and go on. But, not my father ... and not me - I know better because that's how I was taught.

There are so many things I admire about my father - too numerous to mention here. But, just as I wrote in his birthday card, I'm so blessed to have him with me still today. He and my mom do so much for Wonder Child and me.

So, here's a deeply heartfelt, "Love you, Daddy. Happy 75th Birthday!"

What are they teaching these days?!

After school, I use questions and requests to learn more about Wonder Child's day. Today was no exception. On the drive from school back to my office, the conversation went something like this:

"Tell me something you studied today," I prompted

"Math. Reading," he listed.

"What did you do in reading?"

"We studied idiots."

I paused for a moment. "Idiots?" "In a Catholic school?" I thought to myself.

"Yes, idiots," he said. "You know, like 'raining cats and dogs.' Mine was 'hot under the collar.'"

The topic of the lesson dawned on me: "Oh, idioms, sweetie, not idiots."

"Oh, ok."

So glad we got that terminology straightened out. I wonder how many other kids are under the same mistaken impression? There might be some interesting conversations in other homes tonight.

It got me to thinking ... What are some other idioms of note?

(Wonder Child's dad suggested he ask me what a "toad choker" was.)

One of my personal favorites - "I'll fix his wagon!"

The Final List ... in brief

So, here it is - the Resolution List. I've categorized it as "Health, Wealth and Self" (in no particular order of importance). I'm painting with broad strokes here, sparing you the boring details.

Health
I have yet to meet anyone who has verbalized resolutions that hasn't included the typical "eat right/exercise" mantra, and I'm no different. But, I also have the goal of dropping 15 pounds by Memorial Day - completely do-able! And, as a diabetic, I need to be more diligent in checking my blood sugars and blood pressure. Check. Check.

Wealth
No, I'm not setting a goal to earn my first million in 2011. But, I plan to take better care of the money I do make. A household budget (including a savings goal for vacation with Wonder Child), a balanced and reconciled checking account and keeping up with tracking items for tax purposes throughout the year rather than sorting the pile in December and January are all on the agenda.

Self
This is sometimes the hardest area, especially for busy moms. But, if there's something I've learned over the years, it's that I have to fill myself up so I can pour myself out again - for Wonder Child, at work, with friends, etc. So, I'll be attending a weekly yoga class, starting this week! It's set - on the schedule in ink!

I also will be getting back to my reading list. I exceeded my goal of a book a month in 2009. I'm not sure what happened in 2010, (OK, that's not entirely true) but I will read a book a month in 2011. And, you can follow along with my reviews right here on Serendipity!

It's also time to take back control of the "piles" that have taken over my home. Uncluttered space = an uncluttered mind. I plan to write more frequently, here on Serendipity and also on my alter ego blog, PRIntrepid, than I did in 2010.

And, I will have my APR by the end of the summer. (Please, God, let this be the one thing I accomplish this year!)

So, there you have it! My list for 2011! We'll check back occasionally to see how I'm doing.

Reflections: The Finale

I realize this series is becoming one of those year-in-review letters enclosed in Christmas cards. I was lucky to send out the few cards I did this year with my signature scribbled in it. Most everyone, but not all, received their cards by Christmas Eve. What can I say - it's been one of those years.

Now, where was I? Ah, yes ... July ...

July, unfortunately, started much like June. A giraffe calf born in late June failed to thrive and died a few days later, despite the heroic efforts of our animal care staff. So, I shifted into crisis mode again.

But, the month ended better than it began with an extended weekend in St. Louis for Wonder Child and me. I treated him to a St. Louis Cardinals baseball game ... which turned into an adventure itself.

Torrential rains before and at game time delayed the start for more than two hours. But, Wonder Child was an amazing trouper, waiting patiently, soaking up all the ambiance of the new Busch Stadium (pun entirely intended). I will say we were prepared with a cooler of food and drinks, ponchos and a towel ... I cannot say the same for those fans around us.

July was all about baseball. The Sharks continued their season and traveled to Hickory County for a tournament. Four games in 105-degree heat is a lot to ask of seven-year-olds ... and their parents.

Sometime this month we squeezed in a trip to White Water. I finally gave in and let Wonder Child go down Kalani Towers - the slide that is a near vertical drop at the top. Do I get "cool mom" points for going down, too? Exhilarating, yes - in a scare-you-to-death, hold-your-breath-and-pray sort of way.

August began much like June and July with yet another animal death. This time, it was our beloved "Ol' C.C.," the zoo's oldest elephant. She was in her early 60s and had been at our zoo since 1954. I sobbed my way through writing the news release because losing her was like losing a dear friend. And, the first TV interview I did standing at the elephant exhibit was quite possibly the most difficult interview I have done in 16 years of public relations practice. I'm tearing up now thinking about it. So, I need to move on ...

Of course, August also means back-to-school time, and Wonder Child headed off to second grade where he has continued to foster a love of reading, spelling and math. I'm so blessed that school has never been a struggle for us.

September means yet another trip out of town for me for zoo meetings. This time, I headed to Houston ... in September ... Who's idea was this? It was 60 degrees when I boarded the plane in Springfield. It was 100 degrees when I got to my hotel. The one saving grace was I had a wonderful time with my zoo and aquarium friends (long-time and new). And, the zoo is phenomenal!

Two days after I returned from Houston, I hit the road for the two-day Bike MS ride. My goal was to ride the century loop (100 miles) on Day 1 and 75-ish miles on Day 2. As was the case throughout the summer, though, the heat and humidity had other ideas. Instead of upping my personal best, I "sagged in" the last 25 or so miles each day. For the weekend, I rode about 105 miles.

Now before you jump all over me about being disappointed with only riding 105 miles, I know, ok! That's still a great accomplishment, and I raised an amazing $1,700. Thank you to everyone who supported my ride through donations and prayers. And, I love my team - the Hell's Angles (our team is based with Jack Ball & Associates Architects). This year, our jerseys were pink and white in support of our breast-cancer survivor/teammate Debbie (who is WAY more amazing that I'll ever be). You gotta love the "Save the Ta-Tas" socks several of us wore!

By the way, if you cycle or run or just love wearing cool socks, check out The Sock Guy! (And, by the way, too, you should have a Road ID. That's mine at the top of the picture.)

September also launched us into a new experience - Mighty Mites football. On paper, the schedule doesn't look too bad. Three nights a week for approximately 90 minutes each night. But, the reality was dinner, bath time and bedtime were pushed very late. And, I was very happy when it was over in late October. Wonder Child had a great time playing organized football; the jury is still out for me. (I'll resist the temptation here to go into my laundry list of reasons.)

October went the way most October's go for me - crazy busy balancing Halloween SPOOKTACULAR, work in general, teaching at Missouri State and trying (sometimes feebly) to maintain some normalcy at home. Enough said ... moving on.

November brings birthday celebrations for both Wonder Child and me ... mostly for him - as it should be. I acquiesced and agreed to a party with a limited guest list at the big, noisy, pizza and game place. Nothing went right in the planning:

• Snide bakery workers when I tried to order the cake a week in advance (nowhere does it say you need to order two weeks in advance)
• The party store clerk telling me I needed to charge the $1.07 to my credit card when I called to change the colors of the balloons (I asked for a supervisor
• The manager of the big, noisy pizza and game place lost our party reservation (luckily I discovered this the day before the party when I called to see if I could add a few more to our group ... and luckily they could still accommodate our party).

But, as usually happens, everything went off on the day of the party without a hitch, and Wonder Child had the party of his dreams. Amazingly, too, the birthday cake (not decorated by "Snidely Icing") far exceeded my expectations.

I hosted our family Thanksgiving dinner on Friday after Thanksgiving. I had two purposes - first, to lighten the burden for my parents to give back to them for all they do for me, and second, to give me the incentive to clean up part of my house that was reaching near disaster proportions. I succeeded on both fronts.

In December, we got an early start on the Christmas festivities by hosting our Cub Scout den's Christmas party. Ten children and 10 adults - and I can say there was little collateral damage to the basement play area, no blood was shed, and, all in all, a good time was had by all.

But, I wouldn't get through the end of the year without yet another sad event at work. Our beloved "Stretch" the giraffe was euthanized a little more than a week before Christmas. He was quite the superstar among our guests because of his voracious appetite for the crackers we sell for feeding. And, again, he had been at the zoo for more than 20 years. Many of our zookeepers had worked with him throughout their careers. A sad end to an equally sad year.

Wonder Child and I had a great holiday season with family celebrations, sightseeing other peoples' light displays, the school Christmas program and party, Children's Mass and two trips to Silver Dollar City to see the lights. (And, yes, I even rode backwards on Thunderation. More "cool mom" points, please.)

We crammed a lot into 2010. I can already tell you I hope that 2011 doesn't carry the same frantic pace. Hey, a girl has to have hope, right?

And, so tomorrow, I will unveil my 2011 resolutions. Stay tuned!