Brain Junk!

I am breaking from form and format to empty my brain a little. It's my blog I can do that! And I have an ulterior motive. I need to time my posts so that my 100th comes right when I want it.

So here's a little dose of Zookeeper brain junk.

#1. I have never been tagged in one of those "Tell me 7 things" tags. I am eternally grateful. I hate those things! I don't mind telling you about me but I would prefer to reveal bits and pieces of my quirkiness naturally rather than listing them. This just came to mind as I was reading through my reader and I noticed that Jen from Cheaper than Therapy has been tagged 3 times (that she's responded too)!

Now there are two ways you can read this. A) my readership is so small that folks just don't get to me as they are scrolling through their blogroll. Or B) folks really don't care to get to know me that much. I'll take Option A thank you! Sure I wish I had more readers but to think that I am that boring? Well, that just hurts!

#2. I need a time out. My children are really driving me into the bat exhibit. And it's not like they are doing anything that they don't normally do. They are up to their normal nonsense and failure to listen and spasing out and bullying - ok maybe the bullying has been stepped up. I guess it's just that I have been dealing with it non-stop for about 3 months. Day in and day out. All day. The same arguments with the Rhino to put clothes on. The same speeches about tattling and being overly sensitive with Orangutan. The same ear splitting screeches that Marmoset unleashes when she doesn't get her way.

And before anyone blames Lion, it's not his fault. He's in auto sales and as we all know retail is in a heap of hurt right now and we won't even glance in the direction of the automotive industry. He is doing more than his fair share lately - and I thank him! When I looked at him today (apparently with a crazed, possessed, almost homicidal look in my eye) and asked him if I could have a time out tomorrow, he didn't even blink before he said, "Sure." Bless the man!

#3. I have decided that I am going to take the same approach to Christmas as I did last year. I have made up my mind yet again that I will NOT let it push me. I thought I would share this little bite I posted last Christmas and let you all chew on it for a while.

"So what's the big decision? I will not stress out. I have decided that no matter what happens and what I do not get completed I will NOT lose my mind or get stressed. That's not what this is supposed to be about.

I recently watched "The Nativity Story." I watched Mary through the story and I have spent a lot of time reflecting since. Here was a woman who was told by God that she's going to have His child. She is not married and really has no idea if her fiancee is going to take this news well much less believe her. She could be killed by the people of her town when this news gets out. She sits quietly believing that it's all going to be okay and waits.

Then late in her pregnancy - about the point where I decided that I wasn't interested in doing ANYTHING - she is called to go on a 3 day journey on the back of a donkey. She packs her bag and rides quietly over hideous terrain and waits.

They get to Bethlehem and folks are less than hospitable to her situation. She sits on a donkey and waits.

Finally a place is found for her - a smelly stable with a bunch of animals. The baby comes and all the visitors come and go. Angels sing and it's a great moment. You know what Mary did? She sat and she pondered all the wonders in her heart.

At no point in the story did Mary start to whine and pull her hair out and race from place to place trying to make everyone else happy. She could have run away from home. She could have committed Hari Kari (or whatever the Hebrew version was). She could have completely lost her mind. She sat in peace and allowed God to do his will.

Things at our house are not the best. We have bills to pay; we have all the Christmas preparations to make; hubby has a lot of long hours between now and Christmas. I have decided to sit quietly and wait. I don't know what I'm getting my children or my hubby for Christmas or even where the money is coming from to make those purchases. I don't know what I'm cooking for Christmas dinner. I don't even know who is eating Christmas dinner with us! In all of this I will sit quietly and wait. I got my gift 2000 years ago when Mary sat quietly and waited on the Lord. "

So there. You have three bites of Zookeeper brain junk. Have fun with them and the first person to tag me gets an exhibit in the mail!