So today at AWANA (the bible club for kids of all ages, including the 3-and-4-year-old 'Cubbies' with whom I work), I got landed with the two most hyper, ADD, high-maintenance 4 year olds in the club.

And I couldn't be happier!
I'm kinda an adrenaline junkie when it comes to kids. It drives me crazy to watch only one, 'cuz you just sit there. When there are a good number, like say six, I'm happy. My rookie year leading Cubbies I had around 9. So I was pretty sad when I was told that they had upped the leader/kid ratio to 1 to 3. It was boring.
But now I have these two crazy little boys (and a really sweet, studious little girl whom I have to be very careful doesn't fall through the cracks) and I *get* to make them say bible verses. Don't get me wrong, I totally love high engergy kids. I am one myself, afterall. Today I got ADD #1 to say 4 verses (these are short, but do require plenty of thought and effort), and then led the entire group in a review. Good stuff.
I was talking to ADD #2's dad, also a leader, during club, and I assured him, "I won't break out the duct tape, I promise."
He replied, "I'll bring some for ya, just in case."
Obviously he doesn't know me little sister Kathleen. . .

Ok, here's that survey that's been floating around. After I sent it to a friend in Wisconsin and he sent *my copy* to all his friends, I figured I'd go public and put it on my blog.

1.WHAT IS YOUR FULL NAME? Lydia Jean Albert
2. WHAT COLOR PANTS ARE YOU WEARING? I'm not. . .
(Don't freak out! I'm wearing a skirt!)
3. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? Tobymac remix, good stuff
4. WHAT'S THE LAST THING YOU ATE? Chimneychangas J
5. DO YOU WISH ON STARS? Why the heck would I do that?
6. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR(s) WOULD YOU BE? Tickle me pink. . .no wait, that after I'm in the sun too long
7. HOW IS THE WEATHER RIGHT NOW? Dark and rainy.
8. LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? Umm some guy named Jeff
9. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT YOU THIS? sure
10. HOW OLD ARE YOU TODAY? Like 14
11. FAVORITE DRINK? Starbucks, baby!
12. FAVORITE SPORT? I take it figure skating doesn't count?
13.What time of day is it? 5.05
14. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? Nope, perfect vision
15. SIBLINGS? 7. And I get to boss them all around. . . life is good!
16. FAVORITE MONTH? September, I don't know why. 1
7. FAVORITE FOOD? Prime rib.
18. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? The Legend of Zorro, it was pretty good.
WHAT HAPPENED TO 19?
20. WHAT DO YOU DO TO VENT ANGER? I do a lot of screaming. And door slamming. . .
21. WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE TOY AS A CHILD? I didn't have toys. My family was too poor. . . just kidding
22. SUMMER OR WINTER? Summer, no school, friends are free, you travel and it's all so good.
23. HUGS OR KISSES? Kisses. Hershey's.
24. CHOCOLATE OR VANILLA? If I'm in a bad mood, chocolate, if I'm well dressed, vanilla.
25. DO YOU WANT YOUR FRIENDS TO WRITE/ E-MAIL Back? Heck yes. Like I would reveal all this personal info without getting a bit of info back??
26. WHAT COLOR ARE YOUR EYES? blue
27. WHO IS LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND? Well lets see, I'm really working off a copy I've saved in gmail, since so many people have sent this to me already. . . I guess I'm not expecting any of them to respond. 28.WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE KIND OF PIZZA? Anything Papa Murphy's
29. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? I almost cried on Veterans day, but then I remembered that I was wearing mascara, and that I'd be a total mess if I cried, so I held it all in. I don't remember the last time I cried, it was a long while ago.
30. Something random about me: I want to be a missionary when I grow up.
31 WHO IS THE FRIEND YOU HAVE HAD THE LONGEST? A guy named Cole.
32. WHAT DID YOU DO LAST NIGHT? Went out to lunch with girlfriends, got forgotten, and stayed at a girlfriends house. . .
33. FAVORITE SMELL? Coffee
34. WHAT INSPIRES YOU? Cocky guys . .
35. WHAT ARE YOU AFRAID OF? My self
36. PLAIN, BUTTERED OR SALTED POPCORN? I hate popcorn. That and corn chips. Eew.
37. FAVORITE CAR? I want to drive a mini, they're so cute!
38. FAVORITE FLOWER? The kind you put into cookies
39. NUMBER OF KEYS ON YOUR KEY RING? 2
40. CAN YOU JUGGLE? I am miss anti-coordinated.
41. FAVORITE DAY OF THE WEEK? Saturday, baby!
42. WHAT DID YOU DO ON YOUR LAST BIRTHDAY? My friends threw a surprise party. And then my quiz team, and then something else, but I don't remember right now.
43. HOW MANY STATES HAVE YOU LIVED IN? Two: I was born in the State of Nakedness, and now I live in the State of Denial.
44 HOW MANY CITIES HAVE YOU LIVED IN? 3, two in CO and then Bellingham. I wouldn't call Oak Harbor a city. I plan to live in a huge metropolis when I move out.
45. HOW MANY COUNTRIES HAVE YOU LIVED IN? One. But that'll change.
46. WHERE WERE U BORN? CO
47. Who do you have a crush on or like? No one. And I say that with pride.
48. What's your favorite fruit? Warm tomatoes, I eat them like apples!49. Who is your favorite actor/actress? Will Farrel. He's so weird!
50. Do you plan on getting married someday, and do you want kids? Heck no! I'm way too busy for a guy! And kids? Puleesse, don't you think I've already done my time?

Thing that Really Ticks Me Off # 94 a: Christmas decorations put up before Thanksgiving. I mean honestly, people, what’s that all about? I was in the mall yesterday and I passed a Santa at his throne. No joke! A Santa! And all the stores were advertising “Holiday Sales,” some were even playing Christmas carols . .

Which leads me to Thing #94 b: Christmas music before Thanksgiving. Ugg, like we need to listen to some overpaid singer sing the same crummily overdone songs for a whole month?! And it seems I’m not the only one. I was listing to the CBC Radio 1 the other day, and one of the talk shows asked its listeners when they would like them to start playing holiday music, either on November 21st, December 1st, or December 12th. The majority of the votes were for the 12th. See, even the Canadians agree with me! I say we wait on Christmas, and actually celebrate Thanksgiving.

Speaking of Thanksgiving, I have a lot to be grateful for! My mom’s dad and his wife are here for the week, and it’s been so wonderful to be with them. They took some of us shopping, and my Grandma and I outfitted Rachel in some real clothes! Yes, ladies and gentlemen, Rachel Albert is no longer Miss Basketball Shorts 24/7. And she isn’t wearing John’s jeans anymore. She’s beautiful-- a whole new Rachel. I also got a really cute blazer and a bunch of earrings for myself.

After a blissful day of shopping, I came home, grabbed a bite to eat and then dashed off to quiz practice. Practice morphed into a sleepover. You would not belive why: my mom asked I could stay the night because she didn’t want to drive in the heavy fog. Fog? But hey,it worked, and we had fun, so I'll take it!

Speaking of quizzing, I need to be reviewing right now.

Ya’ll have a great Thanksgiving now y’hear?

They just don't make them any better than this. All you other big sisters, start turning green.

My friends are destroying my social life.

No, not really. Just making it funnier. Do you remember the Miksovskys? Well it seems somehow they've given my brother the flu. It's not the end of the world; he seems to be over it, and none of us have caught it. . .yet.

That is the first thing you need to know about this family, here is the second: Whenever they call--which is about 3 times a day--they show up on our caller ID as 'Private Caller.' So when we see that on the screen we naturally assume its them. It's customary to pick up the phone and do something weird since they do the same to us when we call.

But today it backfired. The phone rang, and I read 'Private Caller' on the display. Mrs. M had only tried to call us ‘Like 8 times,’ so after deciding to let them have it about our unfortunate shared virus, (and not thinking twice) I picked up the phone. . . and proceeded to make gagging noises into it as though I were throwing up myself.

But it wasn't them!!!!

It was . . . a totally different guy. And after I was done carrying on, he asked, "Uuummmm, may I talk to Lydia?"

Naturally I was temped to say something along the lines of, "She's not here right now! This is, ummmm, her sister." but I decided to face it and identify myself as the freak. Poor guy. I'm pretty sure I've totally weirded him out.

But it was too funny, and (as proof that I have no pride) I just wanted to share it with you. Just be careful next time you call our house . . .

So my girlfriends and I found this interesting:
If you rearrange the letters in my last name, you get. . .

le brAt

And of course several people have already commented on how appropriate this is.