Twitter Weekend Update

I'm not sure I would ever really encourage someone to get a Twitter account. In many ways both Twitter and Facebook are a waste of time.

On the other hand, the university has been pushing us to integrate social media in our day-to-day living and because of that I've slowly become addicted to Twitter.

For work, I retweet articles, things that shock me and things that are clever. On the personal front, though, I tweet the random things my kids say.

So... Because we traveled this weekend with the kids and soccer team and because I tweeted throughout the experience... And because most of you may think that a "tweet" is what happens when a bird sings (or worse, what happens when you squeeze a gassy child a little too hard!)... Here's our weekend, broken into bite-sized bits of life (and less than 140 characters):

"Soccer. Nebraska. Long road trip with the kiddos. God help us all."

The ride up was a little painful, mostly because Mia believes the entire soccer team exists to talk with her and Maggie kept stealing Mikayla's teething toys to chew on herself.

Then, it became obvious that the dates Isaiah and I try to fit into our life have an unintended consequence when I found myself having to scold my oldest:

""Mia, where are your 'please' & 'thank you'?" Mia: "they're gone on a date!""

Our final destination was Bellevue, NE but we went to the movie in Council Bluffs, IA on Friday night. As we were driving I marveled:

"What is the thing that looks like a giant golf ball in Council Bluffs, IA?"

I'm still waiting for an answer on that one. Anyone know? I may have to Google it. Then we went to the movie. The soccer team too the entire row plus some and the theater had a dome where you could stand and hear echos of your words when you spoke. It was pretty cool. Then, the assessment:

"Secretariat! Mia's glad he lost once b/c "it's nice to give others a chance." We'll work on competitiveness!"

I recommend Secretariat. Mikayla & Maggie fell asleep, but Mia made it all the way through. She was bothered about the horses that lost, though. We keep trying to explain that when you're in competition your job is to win... She just doesn't think that's nice.

Enter the self-esteem philosophy that is changing our culture. Soon she'll be like Henri Nouwen and refuse to eat anything that has a mother.

After a restless night of sleep where the kiddos were so excited about being in a hotel room that they played musical beds throughout the evening and a full breakfast at the Hampton Inn, we were on our way.

"Headed to the soccer fields. We have @OKWUniv soccer fans today from S. Dakota, Okla., Iowa & England!"

'Nuff said.

On the way to the fields I fell in love with observing the different types of architecture in Nebraska. But then amongst the cute homes of farmhouse-styles and brownstone complexes I spied something else:

"A funeral home with hot pink neon lighting. Now that's not something you see everyday."

Neon just screams, "Classy worldly exit!" now, doesn't it? I guess that's a place that handles those people who want to party when they die. I guess.

Then, the game. It was ugly. Very, very ugly and I was worried about how much our women were being pushed and shoved and grabbed and clawed by the opposing team.

"Down 5-1 to Bellevue. No need to say, "Be Aggressive," there's more pushing than in a burning bldg. I just got hit with a ball but saved the baby!"

This was not the shining highlight of the day. We've had a good shot at going to nationals this year but today's loss makes that dream a bit harder to attain. There are four games left in the season and we have to win all four for a run at post-season play.

Is it possible? Yes. Probable? We'll see...

This was a highlight of the day:

"Team: "JJ! Maggie just escaped through a hole in the fence!" Isaiah: "She's a delinquent.""

Is it a problem I found her trying to bum a cigarette off of a stranger on a motorcycle?! (Just kidding, of course! She's no rebel without a cause...)

Thus ended the day... Almost. We had dinner and got into the van for the long journey home. Sometimes when Mia is about to go to sleep or just waking up she has an ailment: verbal diarrhea.

Tonight she had a boy in her class and her principal on her mind. She started talking to me about all of it. I asked if she liked her principal and she announced:

"His head is kind of crumpled but he's still a nice person, he just got old."

So, apparently "wrinkles" are the old term. What I really have creasing my forehead and face is "crumpling." Does this mean if I iron really well and use starch I'll be preserved like Joan Rivers? Can Botox be avoided with a careful regiment of domesticity?

(I don't like Joan Rivers but I saw her today on tv and marveled. She's been 29 for a long, long time!)

We got home at 3 a.m. and to bed at 3:30 a.m. Maggie came to visit at 4:15 a.m. and Mia woke up at 6 a.m. Mikayla and Maggie got rowdy at 8 a.m. and Isaiah and I are taking shifts today for sleeping and praying that the house doesn't fall down and the kiddos don't spontaneously combust.

And that, my friends, was our weekend. The end.