365 Random Days of Team Zybko

Day #74

December 27th 2011

The Power of a Fake Mustache

$2 for six fake mustaches.

I highly recommend you run out to Hobby Lobby and throw some in your cart.

Can't really tell you where exactly in the store we found them.

Its been a couple of weeks.

Prime time Christmas craft time shopping.

The last thing I remember is La La hugging The Virgin Mary.

Drexel playing Jesus and Delaney delivering 'Frank-in-cents'

Oh wait, I can't forget the 10 minute conversation with a Grandpa about who bought the last available camel.

Good Stuff for sure.

He had no idea I was egging him on.

Funny thing happens when you apply a fake mustache.

Strange behavior begins once that white sticker backing is removed.

The subject looses his/her ability to smile.

Like the small piece of furry material above your upper lip makes you super serious.

Crazy looks strain ones contorted face, followed by a raised eyebrow.

A hand to the chin completes the 'acting out'

I'm serious, none of these pictures were posed.

Don't take my word for it . Try the experiment for yourself.

Do me a favor though, if you see any part of the big cheesy, plastic Nativity on clearance.

Call me.......I still need a donkey.

365 Random Days of Team Zybko

Day #73

December 27th 2011

Homemade Advent

WEEK # 1

Philippians 4:4-5

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again. Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.

While memorizing this verse Drexel would accidentally replace gentleness with kindness. Not wanting to get struck by lightning by changing Gods word. We inserted kindness after gentleness with

big huge exaggerated rabbit ear quotation mark fingers.

WEEK #2

Mark 1:3

Prepare the way for the Lord. Make straight paths for him.

Delaney had the audacity to loose a during Advent.

Mom, the tooth fairy didn't come last night?

Geez honey, that's weird.

And Max

(AKA the really high maintenance, wish I had invented this money maker, can't believe kids remember every crazy rule about it, moving every night elf, too much for me to remember elf on the shelf)

didn't move either.

Mom. Are you the tooth fairy?

What kinda crazy question is that? Why would I give you money for teeth that I helped God form in my very own womb. The same teeth I nag you about everyday to keep clean. The teeth I pay the dentist a lot of money every appointment for his professional expertise and advice. Does that make any sense?

Plus, you know I never have any cash.

WEEK #3

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Be joyful always, pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

Our make shift Advent 'wreath' before our school fundraiser one was delivered. Leftover Halloween decorations still out. I have to admit I kinda liked it, it had style like no other.
WEEK #4

Matthew 1:21

She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.

MERRY CHRISTMAS SEASON!

365 Random Days of Team Zybko

Day #72

December 26th 2011

BEFORE AND AFTER, MORE THAN JUST THE TEETH

These two are a lot alike but don't tell Diane.

She would never believe it.

Even though we have many VCR tapes of her 'performing' like her mini-me.

Memories are a tricky thing.

Even as adults we tend to remember what we want.

What sounds good in our head and in an entertaining story.

Delaney is coming up on her first double digit birthday.

Diane is six months away from her first double digit birthday in her 20's.

I try hard and resist the urge to say out loud.

"Oh geez, I really can't believe it"

I also try hard not to rip out the multiplying grey hairs on my head.

A friend told me the chapter/verse in Proverbs about them being a

Crown of Wisdom

I forgot to write it down and have since forgotten it.

Do they make me look wise?

Well, I'm not sure but time is marching on regardless.

Diane is the oldest of the three-stooges.

Delaney is the oldest of the pre-stooges.

Seperated by 10 years.

Making them both the oldest, sorta kinda.

Organized

Confident

Take charge

Example setting

Good delegating skills

Ahem...bossy

Caring

Studious

Structured

All characteristics I'm sure that are found in chapter one titled

"OLDEST CHILD"

of any typical birth order book.

Big sister is looked up to by all her siblings.

I can't help but smile when I look at these two.

I notice their teeth right away.

Diane's now super straight, pearly whites where just as jacked up as her little sisters.

Maybe even worse.

At nine she already had a pound of metal in her mouth.

I have been dragging my feet about calling for an appointment for Delaney.

Not really excited to hear about how many years, visits and dollars it will take.

It needs to be done.

Too tired to look up the # now.

I will write it on my to-do list for tomorrow.

I grab my Wal-Mart list and scribble

Call about teeth

right next to

BUY HAIR DYE

365 Random Days of Team Zybko

Day #70

December 11th 2011

THANKSGIVING at the BEACH

"EXPECT GREAT THINGS FROM GOD.

ATTEMPT GREAT THINGS FOR GOD."

Look around. We owe it to God to try and be good. We do. I'm not so great at at times. I can be a really lazy child of God. I can make just about any excuse in the morning to hit snooze, forfeiting my quiet time in the Word before the kids find me. That's rotten really. I know it. My nightly prayers are often cut short to check Face Book or ahem...to blog or something really not more important compared to talking with God. I think this is normal. I think. Yea, I'm normal. I hear from other moms about this challenge too.

House duties

Kid duties

Work duties

Wife duties

Friend duties

duties, duties, duties

I say "duties"

God says "distractions"

Well for me, there is no other vacation place on earth that makes me feel the love of God like the beach. I love it. The miles and miles of water and the sand between my toes. Wet sand, hot sand, castle building sand and the crunchy on the outside kinda sand. Swishy, rhythmical sounds of the surf and the bright sun. Warms and nurtures my soul. It puts me in check. So many of Gods creations, right there before my eyes.

DAY #1

And God said,

"Let there be light"

Day #2

And God said,

"Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water."

And it was so.

God called the expanse "sky"

Day #3

And God said

"Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear"

And it was so.

God called the dry ground "land"

and the gathered waters he called "seas"

Then God said

"Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds."

Day#4

And God said

"Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth."

Day #5

And God said

"Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky."

"Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth."

Day #6

And God said

"Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to it's kind."

Then God said

"Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."

(We missed you Diane. We loved playing around with you Rowan, Deacon and J.W)

Day #7

By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.

Thank you you grandma and grandpa for a week at the beach.

What a wonderful way to spend Thanksgiving.

Family

Friends

relaxation

and

God's creations.

This picture had to be snuck through a slightly dirty window. I just couldn't resist this sweet couple watching the morning sky as they wait for th coffee to brew. This past October marks 52 years of marriage for them. Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Zybko. Thank you for the vacation, your son and always setting such a good example.

365 Days of Random Team Zybko

Day #68

December 9, 2011

Ti's the Season for.....Sprinklers

STARTED OFF INNOCENTLY ENOUGH

DELILAHS FIRST FEEL OF THE COLD WATER

ARTSY FUN

SAGGY CROTCH HAND-ME-DOWN

IS IT REALLY DECEMBER?

YEP, JUST LIT THE 2ND ADVENT CANDLE

OH GEEZ

WATCH OUT DREX, PAYBACK A COMING

THAT'S OK WITH BROTHER

JUST WANTED SOMEONE TO PLAY WITH

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

365 Random Days of Team Zybko

Day #69

December 9,2011

COTTON PICKIN' PHOTO SHOOT

This shouldn't be too hard. Great day to capture a Christmas card picture.

Beautiful sun, bright blue sky and six very willing participants. Well, maybe not willing but they are on payroll. Yes, the kids get paid.

It has become a tradition. $1 for each potential picture. No worries for my checking account. Rarely more than one is decent and rarely do they remember to collect.

Did I mention the mud?

Strike one.

OK mom, you want us to just to stand here?

Ya know, just act natural.
Strike two

We could point into the distance.

Oh yea, that will be totally artsy fartsy.

Nope, not this one either.

Like I said, no one is collecting any 'papers' yet.

OOOHH I say to myself as I catch a glimpse on my camera screen.

Hey Diane, do you think mom even noticed my pant situation?
DYLAN JAMES, PULL YOUR DRAWERS UP!!!
Partial nudity.

Strike two and a half.

I'm not giving up yet.

No way!

Boys couldn't stop pickin' the fluffy white stuff.

Wow! This is pure cotton.

Pure cotton I tell you.

Straight up, the real deal.

Pure cotton.

Put that stuff down guys, Diane said over and over again.

We might get shot or something.

Potential soccer mom shooting.

Strike three for sure.

We are out of here......

365 Random Days of Team Zybko

Day #67

A $1 Crystal Ball

December 1st, 2011

Tuesday afternoon me and the younger half have 45 minutes to kill. Stuck in limbo between gigs and not enough time to go back home. With more minutes than money we decide to hit up the Goodwill Store, just to browse. Hey, don't judge or laugh my friend. Many 'new to us' bikes have been discovered here over the years. A little touch-up paint, new handle bar grip things and it's tis' the season in our house.

HO! HO! HO!

The kids go directly to the slightly broken, missing several parts, a little sketchy looking, some of them too noisy bin of overflowing toys.

MOM, CAN WE EACH PICK SOMETHING OUT?

Are you serious right now? I'm pretty sure some of my black trash bag donations over the years have added to this mountain of mayhem.

I think quickly on my feet, cause that's what I do.

Well no, not really but I do think.....this would put them right next to me in plain view as I checked out the book section.

A dream land in my eyes.

No Holiday music in the back round.
No smell of fresh brewed coffee or scones.

No scanning of a discount card.

No Barnes and Noble for sure.

BUT

5 books for $1

Oh, yeah baby.

I've already spotted a good one, there must be more treasures like it.

SWEET!

Hey fancy chain store, you can take your 10% membership card and.....ahem.

Yes, of course you can kiddies BUT only one toy and it has to be less than $2.

Oh thanks mommy, your are the best!

Only seconds after picking up a World History book weighing slightly less than my 1st grader, I notice out of the corner of my eye Drexel digging head first in the bin, feet completely off the ground. Apparently searching for just the right item to call his own. I quickly scan the back of the store, expecting at least one disapproving stare from a stranger. Nope, not here. No one seemed to care a bit. Just to be on the safe side I pretend not to recognize the owner of the blue and yellow, unlaced, size 4, rather smelly Adidas tennis shoes. Turning my attention back to my current happy place, page 143 and the Roman Empire.

I find a 20 cent Bible with a copyright of 1971 stacked neatly under the NEW BOOK section sign. Not exactly sure why this made me giggle out loud. Perhaps the smell of smoke was getting to me. Whomever owned a bunch of these books was more than likely a serious chain smoker 39 years ago. I'm thinking Marlboro Reds....no filter.

Our 45 minutes fly by. If it weren't for Delaney pulling my arm to check my watch I probably would still be in the back of the dimly lit corner of the store.

Mom, Mom, Mom we need to go. I'm going to be late for voice.

I can't be late.

I can't be late.

I can't be late.

Geez, I knew I shouldn't have taught her to tell time....or talk.

2 bags stuffed filled with useful items, including a pair of pants, soccer cleats and a brand new in the package GI Joe dude. All for $21.50. I am more than pleased with my heavy bag of books, some I can even use for school next year. Delilah is tired from the days events but is over the top excited about her choice. A $1 princess crystal ball. We plug it in the minute we get home an hour and a half later. All three of them sit mesmerized. Without talking, arguing or asking for anything. Not sure how long, but long enough for me to get the dishes done.
Yep, a good day at Goodwill for sure.

365 Random Days of Team Zybko

Day #66

A Girl and Her Glue Gun

December 1st, 2011

Hey mom, where is the hot glue gun?

Why?

I wanna try and make something.

I don't know honey, it gets pretty hot.

Mom! I am almost ten ya' know.

(big deep thinking breath)

Alright, just a minute Delaney.

After what seemed like forever to a kid and 15 or so warnings about NOT touching the end of the 'gun' she was set free.

DELANEY....I LOVE IT! WHAT AN AWESOME CREATION!

Mental note; oh my stars, we need more puff balls, googly eyes and glue sticks, at least the acorns were free.