A Family is Forever

Grandma's Gone Missing

2012-01-14T17:10:00.003-05:00

"Mom, I lost Grandma."

What?

Alex and Grandma headed out to Wal-Mart this morning for a few errands.

Didn't think he'd lose her.

Or, maybe she lost him.

Evidently, she told Alex to go get her a camera card. So he did.

When he came back to where he left her, she was gone.

Phone rang.

"Mom, what did Grandma come to buy here?"

Hmm, well, I don't know. Maybe clothes?

I sent him to the women's section to scan shoppers. After all, how many lost Grandma's could possibly be in Wal-Mart.

Phone rang again.

"She's not here."

Are you in the women's section, or misses, or juniors?

"There's a difference?"

Geesh.

A few minutes later, I got a text.

"I found her."

Well, where was she?

"By the birthday cards....like that was obvious."

The Bad Fairy

2012-01-07T21:11:00.003-05:00

A lost tooth only means one thing.

A visit from the Tooth Fairy with money to share is close at hand.

Abby lost a tooth at school. She was so excited! Anna Grace spread the excitement with texts to Katie, Alex, and Daddy to share the news.

The tooth was lovingly placed under the pillow last night in anticipation of the arrival of the awesome Tooth Fairy.

The Tooth Fairy placed a dollar bill by her sink as a reminder to herself....and.... promptly forgot.

I was awoken this morning by two little girls who said....

"She forgot to come."

Huh? What on earth are you talking about?

"The Tooth Fairy forgot to come get Abby's tooth."

Oh my. The Tooth Fairy messed up.

Big time.

How do I remedy this situation?

After lunch and errands, I snuck into the girls room, swiped the tooth, and left the money.

Abby, for some unknown reason, checked under her pillow only ten minutes later.

Shrieks of excitement filled the air.

"Mom!! The Tooth Fairy came when we were getting your car at the garage!! I didn't know she could come in the day time!"

And Alex burst out laughing........

Teenagers.

Etiquette at the Ballet

2011-12-17T20:31:00.002-05:00

Despite being completely fascinated by the dancers, my child was the wiggly non whispering one in seat 27, row H at The Nutcracker Ballet today.

While I am quite certain she only distracted me, I do feel obliged to point out a few issues I noticed today.

And yes, I witnessed all of these. Sad but true.

1. The ballet is not the movies. Please refrain from eating crunching chips, munching popcorn, and rattling your candy bag during the show.

2. It is not proper to slurp soup from a thermos while watching the Sugar Plum Fairy.

3. If your child cannot make it through the performance without playing Angry Birds on your iPhone, perhaps your child should not be in attendance.

4. Oh, and if your child is a babe or toddler in arms, chances are pretty good that he would be better off left at home.

5. When showing appreciation for a great performance at the ballet, clapping is quite acceptable. Whistling....not so much. Even for Georgia.

If you are going to dress your little darling in their Sunday finest, please teach them to act the same.

Thank you from all future theater and ballet attendees.

Christmas Traditions

2011-12-04T16:44:00.003-05:00

Ah, Christmas traditions.

You know what I mean.

We all have them.

Maybe Elf on a Shelf.

Or, Grandma's special potatoes.

Maybe fancy outfits for church.

Perhaps opening one gift Christmas Eve.

Or, the dreaded fruitcake.

Well, I can pretty much guarantee you don't share our tradition.

You see, you know ours has to be quirky in some way or it just wouldn't be us.

Every year while decorating the tree, everyone has certain ornaments that they get to hang up. And that holds true for Alex.

His is this sweet little Santa that when placed "just so" on the tree, it would appear that Old Saint Nick is relieving himself on the branches.

Yep, our tradition is Peeing Santa.

We are so proud.

Someone Stole My Bonus Hour

2011-11-06T08:17:00.002-05:00

This weekend was the time to gain an hour and not wake up tired.....like usual.

I was smart, turned my clocks back early, and went to bed by 10:45 (new time).

From that point, the timeline looked somewhat like this.....

12:30 - Anna Grace showed up saying she couldn't sleep. Put her back to bed.

12:35 - Noticed Alex was not in bed but all the lights were out. Turns out he fell asleep on the couch so Katie left him there. Lovely. Put him back in bed.

2:30 - Phone rings. Unknown name and number. I'm awake again.

2:32 - Phone rings again. Awesome.

3:07 - Cell phone chirps alerting me of an email. Yep, I forgot to put it on silent.

3:59 - Another email arrives. I finally figured out how to make the phone silent. (new phone, owned for only a few hours)

5:30 - I am awake.

Turns out Dave's phone unlocked itself and called me twice.....from China. The emails that arrived were from him saying, "I think my phone called you."

Really?

It's going to be a very long day.

Is Daddy Smooth?

2011-10-30T19:45:00.002-04:00

Abby brought home this picture she made at Art Club. She was so proud of the dragonfly, butterfly, and bird.

(Use your imagination)

Abby was especially pleased with her choice of smooth rocks to make her ground. Not rough rocks, but smooth.

I guess that makes a difference.

She was so excited to share with daddy......

"Daddy, daddy! Look, I used smooth rocks to make my picture".

Dave, being all so Joe Cool, said, "Smooth like me, right?"

"No daddy. You are not smooth. You are wrinkly."

I burst out laughing.

And I did not apologize.

Too Comfortable at School??

2011-09-08T20:37:00.003-04:00

I'm thinking my child has become too comfortable at school.

After all, the teachers are mommy's friends. Many hours are spent roaming the halls, visiting, getting updates from others, and hanging out.

Today I learned something new which told me a certain little girl definitely feels comfortable in her surroundings.

Evidently, her teacher asked her to hush several times. Shocking. Or maybe she was told to put away her mechanical pencil one too many times. I have forgotten now but neither one is surprising.

In any case, after a funny comment from her teacher, the child in question stuck her tongue out at the aforementioned grown up.

Uh oh.

She quickly realized the error in her ways, covered her mouth in shock, and didn't say a word.

A few minutes later, the child got up and gave her teacher a big hug.

This reminded me of an episode just a few short years ago.

The principal was visiting the classroom. My child, yes my child, chose this time to say.....

"Can you please leave? You are too loud and I can't concentrate on my work."

Yep, too comfortable.

And it's only going to get worse.

I'm scared.

The fourth and fifth grade teachers at my school should be too.....

My Hair

2011-09-07T21:02:00.002-04:00

I think my hair is trying to trick me.

I baby it with soft brushing (kinda sorta).

I make it look young over and over again (very frequently).

I always use conditioner to keep the smoothness (but to no avail).

True, I don't keep up with haircuts but....that's no reason to turn on me.

You see, my hair has convinced the rest of my body that I'm old.

No matter how often I adjust the color, the oldness still shines through.

With gray.

And with increased frequency.

Toss in the creaky knees, the tired legs, the multiple blue veins, sore hips, plus a host of other ailments, and I blame my hair.

After all, if my hair were cooperative, this may not be the case.

If my hair was always a nice shade of brown without a tinge of gray, the rest of my body would work just fine.

Right?

(go with me)

I guess my next step is to invent a hair color that works forever AND cures all other ailments.

No problem.

I'm on it.

Seriously?

2011-08-28T19:58:00.005-04:00

Those of you who have been around a while know my family. So you won't be surprised by these comments......

I came downstairs today dressed for church.......
Anna Grace: Where are you going?
Me: Church.
Anna Grace: I don't want you to go.
Me: Why? Because I make you behave?
Anna Grace: Yep.
(side note: daddy makes her behave too but mommy is stricter)
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Abby: Mom, sometimes we use our fingers to eat. Sometimes we use our forks.
Me: What a profound statement.
Abby: Huh?
(Alex just chuckled)
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Went to our neighborhood pool today....
If you've ever asked your child to spray your tattoos with sunscreen, you might be a redneck....
----------------------------------------------------
Questioned Alex on what he and his friend did all afternoon....
Alex: We tried to build a fort but didn't have enough money for wood.
Me: Where were you going to build this?
Alex: On the (public) nature trail.
Awesome.
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Dave wondered while watching "Blue Collar": Has anyone ever gotten married and said,.... "Git 'r done" for their vows?
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Abby: How old were you when you got Katie?
Mom: I HAD Katie when I was 24.
Abby: (long pause, CPU light flashing)
Mom: She was in my tummy, remember?
Abby: (long pause, CPU light flashing)
Mom: I'll tell you later when daddy is not here.
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When cucumbers were put on Anna Grace's salad, she said.
"I only like cucumbers when they are on my eyes at a spa."
----------------------------------------------------
Katie spent the week wrapped up in Rush activities for new recruits. I spoke to her Saturday for the first time in a while. I mentioned the hurricane that was heading north via all our family on the east coast. Her comment?

"There's a hurricane coming?"
----------------------------------------------------
Yep. This is my family.

I am so proud.

(Seriously though, they are a lot of fun and bring many chuckles....)

Opposite Week

2011-08-21T18:23:00.001-04:00

Have you experienced Opposite Day before? You know the kind of day that someone does the exact opposite of what you ask?

Well, I’ve had a very long Opposite Week.

Yep, a week. And still going strong.

“Please walk” means to run.

“Read quietly” means to sing as loudly as possible.

“Please don’t touch” means touch everything around.

“Chew with your mouth closed” means open wide.

Do you get the picture?

It’s been a Very. Very. Very. Long. Week.

What made me thing going to church would be okay?

The Opposite Child was just as contrary during Mass.

“Kneel” means stand up.

“Stand” means sit.

“Don’t touch your sister” means do anything you can to touch.

“Put down the paper” means shake it loudly for everyone to hear.

Sigh.

At one point, I had her locked between my knees to make her stand up.

Yep, I did.

The elderly couple behind us said, “Boy, she sure ate her Wheaties today, didn’t she?”

Yep. Everyday.

As Mass neared the end, Father Dan asked all the parents to stand for a special blessing. He prayed for strength and patience.

I started giggling. Seriously.

After all, my strength and patience were completely shot.

During the prayer, the Opposite Child sat and goofed around.

But I guess she was listening because just as the prayer ended and before the congregation responded, we heard…….

A loud “Amen” from the aforementioned child.

Guess she knows I need all the help I can get, huh?

Ring a Ding Ding

2011-08-19T16:55:00.006-04:00

As I blew the dust off the blog, I realized it's been almost a month since I last posted. Whoops.

Anna Grace started third grade and Abby started first grade....and I didn't blog about it.

Alex started his senior year with being tossed into an Interior Design class.....and I didn't blog about it.

Katie moved to a new apartment for her junior year....and I didn't blog about it.

Oh well.

Just use your imagination.....

There, that saved me several posts! Thanks!

Onward and upward.....

Abby, my little word mixer upper, came home with a story last night.

When questioned about friends she sat by at lunch, Abby said, "Conner and Ding."

I looked at her quite puzzled and said, "Ding? Is that his name?"

She said, "Yes".

Hmmm, what an unusual name. This needed further clarification.

"Abby, you mean like ring a ding ding? That kind of ding?"

"No, mom. We don't call him ring a ding ding. It's just Ding." (complete with an exasperated sigh)

Poor child, I thought. I can just hear young boys teasing him.

"Abby, are you sure that is his name?"

"Yes (with another big sigh). That is his name."

Today, I did some checking at school and searched Abby's class list for the aforementioned friend named Ding.

Guess what? Ding is not in her class.....

But Dean is.

Whew.

I just hope she has not been calling him Ding for the past two weeks.....

Friends in the Virtual World....and Real World

2011-07-23T17:41:00.018-04:00

I don’t know about you, but my family thinks I’m crazy.

Shocked?

Don’t answer.

Example……when I comment about something one of my friends said, usually the first question is, “Do you really know this person?”

When I say, “Well, I do from the blog or Facebook,” I get the eye rolling.

Geesh.

You see, eight years ago when we started our adoption journeys, I met many people though our adoption internet groups. We shared the same experiences, same worries, same joys, and same struggles throughout the years. Internet groups turned into following blogs and eventually, Facebook all while following the families and kids as they grew…..

So, yes, I feel like I do know my virtual friends.

Call me crazy.

The other night, we had the opportunity to meet an adoption friend in real life.

Yes, in real life!

When I learned via Facebook that Teresa, from Are We There Yet, and her family were headed south for a beach vacation, I quickly got in touch with her to see if we could possibly meet up anywhere. Details were exchanged and plans made to have her family join us at our house for dinner. Whoo hoo!

The night arrived and found the girls stalking the front windows anxiously awaiting the arrival of the Berter clan. Finally I heard the cry, “They’re here!!”

Introductions were quickly made and the four little ones took off for the back yard.

Amazing how within minutes of meeting, they were fast friends.

Lovely picture, huh? Yep, Anna Grace would not cooperate at all.

While the little ones bonded, the big people enjoyed great conversation comparing notes on work, kids, recent travels, college, and so much more.

Dinner….with Molly pausing to smile for the camera….while Carson ignored me...

an unknown game involving unifix cubes all over the house……

which I guess is somewhat our fault for being too involved in chatting and not enough kid watching…

followed by dessert…..

meant our evening was coming to an end.

Sigh.

In an effort to drag out our time and not say goodbye, more pictures were taken.

Katie and Meggie, Teresa’s oldest, are like two peas in a pod….even posing the same way for pictures!

Teresa and I…..no longer just virtual friends!

Dave and Kevin were not forced into picture taking but Teresa grabbed this one of them anyhow.

And heaven knows, there’s no way Alex would be present and photographed. The boy ate dinner and disappeared never to be seen again….until he emerged asking to drive a jar of queso to his friend’s house. Don’t ask.

During our winding down time/trying to avoid leaving time, there was great commotion in the playroom. Carson, the stud muffin, was trying to kiss the girls. Hmm, got him starting young, huh?

Eventually the time came where the evening had to end. But the girls can’t just say goodbye at the door. They have to actually watch the van drive away. Don’t ask me why.

We exchanged hugs, watched them pile into their van, and saw…..

Anna Grace jumping up and down, calling Carson’s name, and blowing him kisses.

Oh my. Guess they hit it off more than I thought!

Thanks Teresa and Kevin for coming out of your way to Georgia to see us! I can’t believe we finally met in person……amazing how being virtual friends can transfer so easily into real life friends. It was awesome to meet you and your beautiful children in person.

By the way, expect us in Ohio soon. Anna Grace is already asking to come visit!

Ah, the beach.....!

2011-07-19T21:15:00.024-04:00

Last week, we saw this sight........

and watched the little ones doing........

while the big ones did..........

Evening walks brought.....

Toss in a run-in with the glass door.....

Forced Family Fun.....

Champions.....

And what teen boys do when they're bored.....

And you would agree.....

The Not-So Very Good Day

2011-07-17T18:57:00.004-04:00

Time to share a tale of woe…..

We loaded the van this morning, ready to head home and leave the beach behind.

Yep, we’ve been at the beach. Did I blog about it? Nope. But I will. Maybe.

Anyhow…..we were ready to roll but the van was not.

Dead battery. Great.

Flagged down someone leaving the condo complex to ask for help.

Five guys later, my van is pushed out of the parking space ready to be jumped.

Jumping commenced, and the engine came alive.

However, as the engine came alive, other things croaked.

Upon inspection, we found the only things that worked were the headlights, taillights, windows (thankyouthankyouthankyou), and the stereo.

That means, if you are thinking logically, that a whole slew of things were NOT working.

Minor things like…..

locks

power outlets

compass

And major things like….

speedometer

gas gauge

air conditioning/entire fan system

windshield wipers

Awesome. And did I mention yet that it was raining?

Rain and no wipers.

No air conditioning, no DVD player, no way to see how fast I was going.

And rain.

But we set off hoping for the best. Stopped a few times when I couldn’t see anything at all. Drove through the off and on rain for two hours until we hit the first major town on our way home.

Dothan, Alabama.

Lunch at the oh so wonderful Dothan mall food court while Dave went to a garage to see about our issue. We were desperately hoping it was a blown fuse so an easy fix.

No such luck. All fuses were fine. Rats. Didn’t do a full diagnostic test to determine the issue. Opted to drive home and have it fixed here.

It was a Very. Very. Very. Long. Drive. Home.

Even though only two of my windows roll down, I continue to be very thankful that they were not affected by this power outage.

We’d have been some melted people by the time we got home.

A Crash in the Night

2011-07-10T18:58:00.003-04:00

It was that magical time of night.

Kids all played out, not time for dinner, and full of complaining.

What do you do?

You bribe them with a little tv.

Little girls went running to Katie's room. They love to plop themselves on her bed and catch a little Looney Tunes.

Ah, peace. I sat to read my book.....and did for quite a while....but then I heard....

A very loud crash from upstairs.

Oh my. Not good.

Was it the tv? Trophies? Shelves? Crystal?

I went racing upstairs only to find both little girls stretched out on the bed.

Huh?

What happened?

Oh, Abby just fell off the bed.

I don't know of anyone else who falls off the bed while watching tv.

Kid's got talent, let me tell you.

The Fourth of July!

2011-07-05T20:50:00.024-04:00

Take this....

add.....

toss in......

and you get a....

The fun continues with...

but is interrupted with....yep, rain....

But no storms stop the fun....

all so we could see....

in honor of...

and our troops. Thank you to the many men and women who have volunteered their lives to serve our country.

Playing Catch-Up

2011-07-03T21:32:00.004-04:00

I've been told by certain people that all my best stuff shows up on Facebook and not on the blog. Yeah, well.....

Life gets busy....aka....I don't feel like writing a post but know I will forget the funny so Facebook wins. How'd you like that run-on sentence??

So, here you go...the latest kid funnies.
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Anna Grace: Why are people shooting off fireworks today? It's not July 4?
Mom: I have no idea. Maybe they don't have a calendar.
Anna Grace: Or maybe they are Japanese.
Mom: Uhhh.....
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Dad: Who's excited about the 4th of July?
AG: Me!!
Abby: Me too (said in a dull voice)
Dad: A little more enthusiasm, Abs.
Abby: I don't know who he is.
Sigh.
---------------------------------
Abby: Mommy, how do they make stickers?
Mom: Abby, I have no idea.
Abby: Why not? You've been to college.
---------------------------------
Abby: Mommy, when are you going to buy more Ritz crackers?
Anna Grace (with an exasperated sigh): She is not going to buy them unless it's buy one get one free or she has a coupon.
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Checked the history on the office computer and found numerous searches for "Anna Grace Richard's facebook". Oh good grief.
---------------------------------
Took the girls to the eye doctor.....the doctor walked in and asked," So which of you two is the troublemaker?" Anna Grace piped up immediately and said, "Me!"
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Dear Teen Boy: Despite your loud vocalizations and opinions on the taking of senior pictures, let me just tell you, you will not win this battle. Senior pictures are not for you....they are for me. So suck it up and deal with it.
---------------------------------
The Boy can be bought.....use of our Six Flags parking pass in exchange for full cooperation for his casual senior pictures tomorrow. No cooperation, no pass.
---------------------------------
Coming up soon....Fourth of July events with a full house, including two of Dave's co-workers who are brand new US citizens!! Toss in illegal fireworks, lots of food, all four kids home, and awesome friends......whoo hoo!

Ain't Technology Grand?

2011-06-29T21:05:00.002-04:00

Anna Grace: How old were you when you got your first (cell) phone?

Mom: Hmmmm, I was 30.

(Had a car bag phone before that....raise your hand if you remember those!)

Anna Grace: Really? How did you call people before then?

Mom: We used our phone in our house.

Anna Grace: You mean the one that plugs into the wall?

Mom: Yep. If someone was at a store and you needed something, you could not call them. They did not have a phone with them.

Anna Grace: (long pause.....open mouth, close mouth, then complete silence)

What a foreign concept for our kids who have grown up with technology.

-------------------------------------------------

Growing up, I had.......

walkmans instead of i-pods

cassettes instead of CD's

VHS tapes instead of DVD's

desktops (if we were lucky) instead of laptops

VHS instead of DVR

public phones instead of cell phones

bus rides instead of cars

ovens instead of microwaves (for most of my childhood)

regular TV instead of HD

letters instead of email

phone calls instead of texts

And I could go on...and on...and on.

I'm almost afraid, but curious, to see what life will be like once my kids are thirty.

And since the oldest and youngest are thirteen years apart, I'm sure all four thirties will be very different.

Sixteen Dollars

2011-06-23T21:46:00.002-04:00

No, no, no, not Sixteen Candles. That came out in the 80's, right? Maybe? I don't feel like googling it so.....go with it.

Sixteen dollars bought us two hours of fun today.

Kinda sorta.

The fun part is debatable....depending on your age.

First up, glow in the dark mini golf. Yep, got to love that. Bright neon, lit up clothing, and shining shoes. A mom's dream.

But hey, when you have two free passes and only have to pay for one game, it's worth the price.

Until you hear....

"Mom, how many times did she hit that ball?"

"Hey, she counted wrong."

"Is it my turn yet?"

"Why does she get to go first again?"

The. Longest. Thirty. Minutes. Of. The. Day.

Or, so I thought.

You see, it was a cloudy, rain looming, no pool kind of day.....and after golf, it was only 11:45. Yikes.

What now?

Mickey D's for lunch and playtime!

We haven't been out for fast food in months.

Seriously. We haven't. So this was a real treat.

Well, except for the night Alex took the girls out to eat while I hung out with friends to celebrate the end of school. (important note.....remember this event!)

But this lunch idea brought the Dreaded Playland into the picture. UGH.

However, I bit the bullet and went to McDonald's for lunch and ate IN the Dreaded Playland.

Side note: (I'm such a good mommy, huh? Even the girls were shocked!)

After a specified amount of food had been consumed, I turned them loose with all the other heathens.

Let me tell you what, there are a lot of "I'm going to do what I want even if you say no, kind of kids out there."

And a bunch of parents who are oblivious to their kids and how obnoxious they truly are in public. Holey Moley. My teacher self was on the rise when I called it quits.

To quote Alex from a month ago (after the aforementioned dinner out):

"I have seen hell. It is playland."

A Grammar Lesson.....

2011-06-22T19:53:00.005-04:00

You'd think by third grade, a student would understand plurals, right?

One juice box means you get ONE.

One book means you get ONE.

One cookie means you get ONE.

Seems pretty easy, doesn't it?

Well, evidently Anna Grace is grammatically challenged. I cannot get her to understand that when you have nachos, you ask for NACHOS, not nacho.

And y'all, I've been over this with her numerous times.

Tonight, we had tacos. Anna Grace always wants nachos instead which is fine. But I decided to prove my point.

Mom: Anna Grace, what do you want tonight?

AG: A nacho (answered while she was reading and not watching me).

So, she got a nacho.

Abby just giggled the whole time.

Anna Grace sat down to eat and said, "Hey......that's not funny, mom."

So what do you want?

"Nachos, mom. Nachos."

And that's what she got.

Here's hoping she remembers for the next time......

Photo Session with the Girlies

2011-06-19T20:52:00.008-04:00

While I spent the start of summer with pool visits, mini golf, playdates, and neglecting the blog, a friend of mine spent time with the girls doing a photo shoot. The girls had an awesome time playing dress up, having a tea party, and being generally cute. She took so many great pictures that I had a hard time narrowing down what to post.

I almost gave up and said, "never mind".

But as Dave just said, "Having too many good ones to pick from is a plus, isn't it?"

Yep, it is!

I also realized she had created several collages that incorporated some of the best photos.....so here you go.

Abby captured as the sweet, sweet child she is....

Anna Grace and her angelic side teamed with the "who me?" side....

Sisters being silly!

And sisters being sweet...

Followed up with......

Ah, so sweet!

She is taking Alex's senior pictures in few days.....do you think she'll be able to get him to smile??

I hope so.

Little Girls Making Plans....

2011-06-17T21:09:00.003-04:00

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know. It's been almost a month since my last post. I'm still here. And still alive. Shocking, I know. (Teresa.....no comments from you!)

School has ended, summer has begun, and I have reached my lazy stage. You know....getting up, eating breakfast, going to the pool, showering, lunch, read a book, make dinner, read/watch tv, and go to bed.

But today, I overheard the following conversation as I parked my lazy self on the couch with a book and just wanted to share...

Anna Grace: When I am grown up, I'm going to live in Florida so I am near the beach.

Abby: I am going to live in Hawaii.

AG: (gasp!) Then you will die.

Abby: Why?

AG: The tsunamis will come and put you under water. (say what??)

Abby: I'll live up high.

AG: It won't matter. The water will still go very high and get you.

Abby: Okay, then I'll live in Montana. (I started giggling at this point.)

AG: Will you come see me?

Abby: Yes, I will come every Friday and stay until Sunday. Then I will go back to Montana.

AG: Oh good. You know that's a long way from Florida, right?

Abby: (pause) Hmmmm, maybe I'll live in Georgia so we are close together.

The Inevitable....

2011-05-23T21:26:00.006-04:00

I knew it would happen one day. After all, most of us have been there.

I was 28.

My sister was 18 or so.

Dave was 20, 24, and 45.

What am I talking about?

Car accidents.

Yep.

I got a call from Alex today around 11:30.

"Mom, I just rear-ended someone."

Great. Had the car for a month......lovely.

Newly activated light, trying to change lanes, light changed to red, and boom.

I said, "I am on my way to meet you."

Alex..."Why? I am going to school." (note: he attends a charter school in the morning and his regular high school in the afternoon so was enroute.....)

Fortunately, he hit a good person.

I asked, "Was the guy young or old?"

Answer....."Maybe early 40's."

Hmmm......so is that young or old? I'd rather not hear the answer.

But this 40ish man had no damage to his truck. Alex hit the trailer hitch. Nothing happened to the guy's truck. Thankfully.

The guy also said, "We can handle this one of two ways. We can call the police but then they'll give you a ticket for following too closely. Or, we can just exchange info and you can handle it on your own."

And again he said, "My truck is fine."

So, Alex headed back to school all while I worried about the extent of the damage which we are NOT going to fix anytime soon.

He got home and I saw.....

Definitely cosmetic. Definitely nothing major. But definitely not fixing anytime soon.

Just very thankful for that trailer hitch. If that was not there, the entire front of the car would likely be messed up.

But more thankful that the accident was minor.

----------------------------------------
Follow up......Called the gentleman Alex hit who again confirmed there was no damage, said how polite Alex was when they were talking about the options, and said there was really nothing Alex could have done to avoid the accident. It was one of those start/stop kind of traffic patterns....and then someone in the very front stopped for some unknown reason. Alex tried to stop, but couldn't. And, by only going 15mph, it really did help keep the damage level down.

He said...."I was in his shoes at his age. I hit someone, no damage to the vehicle, so no police were involved. I wanted to do the same thing for him. There is no point in having this on his record when no damage was done."

My Two "Old" Babies

2011-05-20T21:56:00.006-04:00

This week has been hairy-scary.

This week has been hectic.

This week has brought many challenges both at home and school.

But this week also reminded me about two great kids.

It's the last two weeks of school, kids are crazy at school and home, meetings and decisions at school are pushing me over the edge, so I'm in a downward spiral.

And, of course, daddy is out of town.

Kid Number One to the rescue.

Katie didn't have to work the earlier part of this week so came home for a few nights. She picked the girls up at school, did hair, make-up, nails, and shower time.

I got to stay at school, work on my endless paperwork, and not have to worry about little people interferring...which, shockingly enough, they do quite often.

Tonight, I headed out to Alex's spring voice concert. The girlies didn't want to come so I planned on finding a sitter since Katie had to go back to school/work.

Let me tell you, Katie had a fit.

No random person was going to stay with her sisters.

Now, I have a list of co-workers who have teens who sit, but that wasn't good enough. Katie had to actually know the person.

So, she found a sitter for me. Her high school buddy and current roommate, the "other" Katie.

Enter Kid Number Two...off I went tonight to the aforementioned voice concert with school work in hand.....might as well start working on scheduling classes as long as I have the time, right?

Alex did not tell me what he was singing.....and he got to choose the piece. He just said, "some dumb song" but with more choice words.

Turns out, he learned a James Taylor song to surprise me.

So, in one week, one kid intervened when mom was losing it and found a cool babysitter.....

and the other chose to surprise mom with a song.

Pretty awesome week now that I think about it.

(Here is Alex tonight...the sound is a bit off at the beginning and the lighting is terrible....but you get the idea.)

Save me from the madness....

2011-05-10T18:33:00.003-04:00

Tonight’s before dinner conversation:

Me: Girls, do you want chicken nuggets or the (leftover) chicken from the oven?

Anna Grace: chicken nuggets

Abby: chicken

Me (heaving a big sigh): Abby, what kind of chicken? Chicken nuggets or chicken from the oven?

Abby: chicken

Me (now a tad exasperated): I gave you a choice. Chicken nuggets or chicken from the oven?

Abby: regular chicken

Me (said with a growl): What is regular chicken? Your choice is chicken nuggets or chicken from the oven.

Abby: chicken nuggets

Please excuse me now while I go beat my head against the wall.

Disclaimer: we don’t typically have choices regarding the dinner menu but when daddy is out of town and mommy is tired, all bets are off.

Anna Grace's First Communion

2011-05-08T20:28:00.012-04:00

Anna Grace made her First Communion this morning……

She’s talked about it all week, all day long, to anyone who would listen. I’m pretty sure the whole school knew.

And me? I was dreading it.

After all, this is our challenging child, the one who purposely does things wrong in church to make my blood pressure increase, and who spent Easter with her dress hiked up around her hips while she fixed her tights.

Sigh.

Today, I started thinking back to her baptism almost seven years ago. She’d been with us for only two months at that point but was already pushing buttons….after all, she and I spent most of her baptism Mass walking the halls and almost missed the main event.

I heard “And now, it’s time for our baptism….” and came running.

“I don’t wanna be still. Put me down.”

“Who me? Whatcha lookin’ at? I’m not doing anything wrong.”

Flash forward seven years, and that fourteen month old baby is now a seven year old second grader.

One who was very excited about this new event in her life.

But as we know, nothing with Anna Grace is like it seems.

New, larger tights were purchased to avoid the whole “dress pulled up” event since that would surely detract from the ceremony….especially since she was in the first row.

Yes, you read that correctly. The very first row. Ugh.

All during Mass, I watched her chat with her neighbor, one of her best buds from the two-year old room at daycare, dance in her spot, spin her dress, and be, well, Anna Grace.

She did glance back at me during the service……

and showed she was totally excited to be there.

She was the second child to make her First Communion. And after that??

She spent her time critiquing each child who came behind her.

“He’s not folding his hands right. She did that wrong. Did you see him?”

For 62 children. Her teacher was cracking up.

Mass ended, reception followed where she dashed from Point A to Point B like a house on fire, ripped off her veil and waved it around, and was a general menace to the public.

Found Father Dan…..

and grabbed a photo before she took off running again and promptly tripped herself.

Kawhump.

Headed outdoors for a family photo

and one with her godparents

all while remembering seven years ago…..

We’ve come a long way, baby.

What I Learned Today....

2011-05-06T19:25:00.003-04:00

As Mother's Day approaches, the girls have been busy at school creating surprises. Today brought the cards.....

I learned......

Both girls know I am 44.

That I always say, "clean up your playroom."

Making cookies is evidently something I love to do.

I'm funny when doing cartwheels. (like I've done that recently, geesh)

I weigh between 40 and 50 pounds.

My favorite thing to do is stay home and nap. (Alex said the same thing 12 years ago!)

My dress size is "about big 6's".

It's good to be with me during a thunderstorm.

And I look pretty when going out to eat (you know, that one time a year we go!).

But the best thing was the original poem from Anna Grace:

Mom, you're so sweet as pie.
You're the best mom I ever had.
I wish you'd never die.
But that's part of our life. Too bad.

Phi Mu Mothers and Daughters

2011-05-05T20:59:00.009-04:00

Last Friday, I had a night alone, in a hotel room an hour from my house, with my Chick Fil-A dinner, chardonnay, and The Royal Wedding repeat.

Wow. What a concept.

Alone, in a hotel room, doing whatever I want.

Well, for two hours.

Then Katie showed up after work.

More wedding, chatting, catching up, until I crashed.

After all, I am old and she is not.

Up the next morning for the March of Dimes walk near her campus. You see, it was Mother/Daughter day at Phi Mu.

A 3.5 mile walk followed with lunch on campus.

My old, out of shape body and I were dreading the miles.

The first mile went by quickly.

Wow, I can do this.

Then miles two and three flew by.

Hmmm....I'm thinking we really didn't do 3.5 miles. After all, we finished the whole thing in under 40 minutes while casually walking.

But, it wasn't a race, they already had our money, so who cares if the miles were crunched. Seriously.

Pictures, visiting, and chatting ensued. After all, put a bunch of chicks together and what do you get??

Headed off to campus for a casual lunch and meet/greet of other sisters and moms.

It was wonderful to meet the girls Katie has talked about all year....as well as some other moms!

Looking forward to the next Phi Mu Mother and Daughter day....

My Computer Doesn't Like Me

2011-04-28T19:33:00.004-04:00

Arrived home after a long day, grabbed the mail, and headed into the house. Opened a bill found in the aforementioned mail only to see....

"Your payment is late."

Say what?

I know I paid it. Two weeks ago.

What's the deal?

Checked the online bill pay system only to find out that the bill was right and I was wrong.

Yes, indeed, I had not paid it.

Puzzlement ensued. How on earth did I manage to do that?

I immediately scheduled a payment but continued to be confused. What did I do?

An hour later, it hit me.

Earlier this week, I discovered that I had paid another bill twice in two weeks.

I'll bet the two payees are back to back on my pay list....which would mean I was a dope and clicked on the wrong one. Therefore one got paid twice and the other not at all.

Pulled up the bank account again to check my theory and discovered.....

My theory was correct.

However, I also discovered...

I just made the same mistake again. The payment I just scheduled an hour earlier was for the wrong one again.

One bill has now been paid three times and other one not at all.

And I can't cancel the payment.

Yay for me.

Either I'm a dope or my computer doesn't like me.

I'm blaming the computer.

Go with me.....

Stupid Answer?

2011-04-11T22:12:00.006-04:00

I'm sure you've been there. Probably done that. You know what I mean. Been asked a dumb question which then deserves a rhetorical answer.

Things like....

(while watching me make spaghetti for dinner): What are we eating tonight?

Uh, chicken?

(pouring rain outside): Is it raining today?

Um, of course not.

It's sunny.

(snowing): Do we need to wear boots? Nope. Be cold and wet.

(while AG has a snack): Can I have a snack too?

Nope! Only 7 year olds can have a snack today.

(while watching me make cookies): What are you doing? Uhhhh.....eating cereal.

You get the picture.

So tonight, Abby said to me.....

"I don't like your stupid answers."

Huh?

Well mom, when I ask, "Can I color (when AG is too) and you say NO, that is a stupid answer."

Nope, that is a rhetorical, don't ask mom because it's dumb, kind of answer.

Spring Break 2011

2011-04-09T20:42:00.016-04:00

The words “spring break” bring to mind sandy scenes, cool water, sun, surf, and so much more.

In the past few years, we have been to Gulf Shores, Charleston, and Panama City Beach.

Not this year.

This year brought us many wonderful things…..

Season passes and a first trip to Six Flags

But that wasn’t the best thing.

A lost cell phone at Six Flags but replaced with a borrowed one from older sister.

But that wasn’t the best thing.

Lost title issue fixed so a new kid car finally arrived.

But that wasn’t the best thing.

Sleeping late, taking naps, and being lazy.

But that wasn’t the best thing.

Going bowling one day….

But that wasn’t the best thing.

Having daddy home for much of our time off….

But that wasn’t the best thing.

Getting the rack and pinion fixed in my van….

Now that was the best thing!

Such simple things make me happy.

Is the Joke on Me?

2011-04-04T18:47:00.008-04:00

I confess…it’s been fourteen months since I've had diet coke which, much to my dismay, I cannot drink.

I confess….it’s been fourteen months since I've had caffeine.

I confess….it’s been a month since I've had any sort of soda at all.

So, what do I drink during the day?

Water, water, water, and at times, a Minute Maid juice.

You know, the fake juice. I don’t like real juice. Blech.

I returned from Kroger today with a 12-pack of orangeade, a 12 pack of lemonade, and a 12 pack of Coke Zero (not for me!).

As Dave unpacked the boxes, I heard him say, “Huh. I’ve never seen that before.”

I went out to investigate and found….

In one 12-pack, we got 11 cans of orangeade plus one can of….

Seriously. You're kidding me?

I now have a can of Diet Coke with Lime that I cannot drink.

I’m thinking this whole thing was one huge Diet Coke conspiracy trying to lure me back in.

Guess the joke is on Diet Coke.

I never liked the one with lime.

So there.

We Faced the Inevitable

2011-04-03T21:09:00.013-04:00

Well, we tried to wait. Tried to put it off. Kept giving excuses. But finally bit the bullet today. After all, the big kids had the same experience at the same age.

Yep, we took the girls to Six Flags for the first time.

The double trouble duo has been to Disney in Florida, California, and Hong Kong but not Six Flags just thirty minutes away.

Guess we are sorry parents.

We bought our season tickets, downloaded at home, and trucked off to a day of wonderment.

Let me just say….our day started and ended with roller coasters. Yay for the mother figure of the family who detests such rides.

But we tossed in lots of other rides too including mom’s favorite….the log flume. Lines were short, crowds were minimal, and the day was beautiful.

Abby loved driving mom around…..I was ordered to sit in the backseat.

My attempt to get a picture of Anna Grace driving was cut to the quick by my crazy driver who kept jerking me from side to side…

Both girls wanted to ride…

which meant I had to go too.

I. Hate. This. Coaster. It's an out and back, wooden coaster with lots of hills and drops.

But I went for the sake of my children. Next time, someone needs to chicken out so I can be the martyr who can stay behind. Or, I need a big kid to go instead of me. 'Nuf said there....

Moving on...

C’mon already. Let’s get this started.

How high are we going?

Finally……!

Anna Grace wanted to try a loopin’ rollercoaster so we trekked our way to that part of the park. Abby said there was no way she was getting on it (yay for mom!) so we stayed behind and waited patiently.

Just a few minutes later, Anna Grace appeared in all smiles….

She survived the Mind Bender and loved it….which means that I cannot take her to the park without another big person since there is no way I am getting on it.

The funniest thing though??.

She called it the Mind Blender!

Hence the reason I will not ride it.

Riding to School....

2011-04-01T19:51:00.004-04:00

For some reason, I thought it would be so nice to have both girls together with me in the morning to head to school. I must have been delusional when I thought that.

For two years, I’ve only had Anna Grace with me. She sat quietly and listened to music all the way there. She must have been storing her extra energy for her teacher……but I digress.

Anyhow, toss in Abby and……all the way to school, I hear…..

Where is that bus going?

Who is driving?

Look, I see a red car!

Why are you stopping?

Why are you turning? The light is red.

The sign says 55. Are doing that?

If you turn here, you will see Kroger.

I went there for a field trip.

Green, go mom!

Why aren’t we going?

Tell those cars to hurry up.

Look, there’s Chick Fil-A.

Can we go there?

Why not?

Turn here mom. This is the road to school.

Why is it so dark?

Are you being careful?

Stop sign. Stop!

Is that Catlan’s neighborhood?

I think that car is going to my school. Whose car is it?

Park here, mom.

Look, I see (insert teacher or assistant).

The longest fifteen minutes of my life.

And I get to do it again on the way home.

Sigh.

(note: and this routine has not changed in the past 140 days of school.....)

My Little Friends.....

2011-03-31T20:36:00.003-04:00

How do I explain my job as a special education teacher to my little girls? It's hard. Made harder since they attend my school and know all my little friends.

I am now picking up a classmate of Abby's three times a week for some one on one attention. Abby knows she needs help and will often assist her during class....with the teacher's blessing. Abby said to me today...."When you come pick up C, you need to get M and R too because they don't know their letters either."

I sure wish I could but.....I can't.

I am at a loss as to how to explain why some kids get to see me and some don't.

All children need help at some point.

All children could benefit from one on one attention.

But not all children can come see me.

Although, I've had some ask their moms to "sign them up" for my class!

I don't want my girls to think any less of a friend or think differently of a peer because that child is one of my little buddies.

On the other hand, my girls are learning compassion for others. Abby thrives on helping her peers who are struggling. Anna Grace has become the best pal for a non-verbal little girl in her class.

I love that!

But I still come back to.....how do I explain my job?

Sigh. I guess I'll figure it out one day.

Or maybe Katie will before me since she is heading down the same path....

Spring Break! Oh my....

2011-03-30T20:49:00.003-04:00

Sixteen more hours! Two more days!

And….(drum roll)....spring break arrives. Just in time.

Whew.

And what, you ask, are our grand plans?

Absolutely nothing. I plan to stay in my jammies, read books, be lazy, and do as little as I can. As long as no one is going hungry, all will be fine in my little world.

My only firm plan is to get the rack and pinion replaced in my van. Whoo hoo. What excitement. I can feel the thrill in the air......(and see the money flying away).

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Dummy me mentioned our overwhelming spring break plans to my dad, the wanna be comedian.

His comment?

“Well, it finally happened too you also. After you turn 44, your rack and pinion begin to fray and warp. It's sad how that happens. That's why you need to replace them.”

Sad thing is…..I had to do the math to see if I was truly 44.

I couldn’t remember.

My poor van and I must be really over the hill.

Hope your spring break is much more entertaining.

The Sassy Child

2011-03-24T19:40:00.005-04:00

I hope you are sitting down for what I am about to tell you will astound you.

Hold on to your seats.

Guess what?

This particular child cannot be quiet.

And she picks and chooses when to follow directions.

Are you shocked?

Today in her agenda from school was a note from her teacher:

"Anna lost two points for talking excessively and loudly in the hall and in class, and for being in the wrong place during class."

Now, we get these notes every other week or so.

But today's note had a bit extra.

The guilty child wrote mom a message just under the teacher's note:

"Please don't tell me. I know."

When I asked her about her message to me, she said....

"I know. I need to be quiet. I can't play in class. I need to listen to my teacher."

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Guess it's easier said then done, huh?

The Great Car Search

2011-03-23T20:19:00.009-04:00

Here we go again. It’s time to find another kid car.

Another car to go from Point A to Point B.

Another car to get to and from school, to and from work. A simple request.

I don’t care what we get.

I don’t care if it’s cute.

I don’t care how cool or not cool it is.

After all, it will be cooler than the car I had in high school and college.

You know what I mean….the nonexistent car. Yep, I had nothing.

Thus began the search for the oh so wonderful, come to save us, kind of car.

And in my local area, this is what I found….

You have got to be kidding me. I mean, I know we live in Georgia, but.....seriously??

Isn’t anyone selling a boring old sedan or coupe anymore???

Mama is getting desperate.

(all photos truly are from vehicles for sale in our town....the motor home is one Katie found somewhere in the area via Craigslist....)

Adventures in Katie-Land

2011-03-20T19:29:00.001-04:00

Have you ever been to Katie-Land? It’s an interesting place. Even she will admit to that. Life is pink, perky, and never quite normal. There’s always a glitch in the system somewhere.

We had an enchanting visit in Katie-Land yesterday. Let me set the stage…..

*Katie with a borrowed Suburban (thank you Tracy and Clay!!!) that likes to start when the mood is just right. And, the mood is not right very often.

*Katie coming home for a friend’s wedding shower….an hour drive…lots of gas needed.

*New kid car coming this week (please, oh please, let me find something!)

So……knowing we were hoping to find a new car, I told her we’d return the aforementioned truck to its very generous owners and send her back with one of ours for the week until we found something new.

Sounds simple, right? Uh huh. Keep reading.

After Katie attended the wedding shower, I met her at a local grocery store where she and her friends had left the truck in perfect “jumping” position just in case.

Guess what, it started. Whoo hoo!

“Mom, I really need to put more gas in it.”

“Okay, it’s one mile to the gas station.”

And off we trucked…literally.

As we traveled along a two lane road with very little shoulder room, I kept an eye on her.

An ambulance flew by us so everyone pulled off the shoulder as much as possible.

We then started going again……well, all but Katie.

She had pulled off onto the shoulder and came to a dead stop.

You know why?

Evidently E really does mean empty.

Oh. Good. Grief.

Toss in mom borrowing a gas can at the gas station to replenish the tank, forgetting cars won’t start when still in drive, and having to jump the truck on the side of the road, and that would complete our adventures.

Just use your imagination. I promise you the reality was much more interesting.

Twenty Years Ago....

2011-03-17T20:10:00.005-04:00

Twenty years ago, Dave returned from the Gulf War.

Twenty years ago, I was 38 weeks pregnant.

Twenty years ago, we spent the day in Savannah at the St. Patrick’s Day festivities.

Twenty years ago, I went into labor (after spending the day in Savannah!).

Twenty years ago, I woke up Dave and said the ominous words…..”Come on, let’s go.”

Twenty years ago, he was so tired that he asked, “Go where?’

(I told him Burger King……and he has not lived that down.)

Twenty years ago, we welcomed our first born into the world.

I am shocked and amazed that so much time has passed. How can she be 20? I flash back through the years and remember…

….an irritable baby who only wanted to be held

….a busy, cantankerous toddler who pushed mommy over the edge

…a shy, unsure preschooler

…a brave first grader making three school changes in one year

…a little ballet dancer

…an energetic Irish dancer

…a focused soccer player

…a studious student (always)

…an outgoing teen, forever talking

…an awesome big sister

…a friend to all

How can twenty years already have passed?

How can my baby be in college?

How can she no longer declare herself a teen but a young adult?

How can I be old enough to have a twenty year old? (don't go there!)

Happy birthday to my sweet baby girl, my Irish Princess, my first born, and my guinea pig.

I love you.

A Horribly Bad Day

2011-03-15T20:21:00.004-04:00

Just imagine if your day went so horribly wrong that you ended up in a police car.

You sit there shaking your head in bewilderment wondering how on earth you ended up in the back seat of this vehicle.

You twiddle your thumbs as best you can and wait for the officers to finish their business and join you.

And as you wait ever so patiently, for after all, what other choice do you have.....you look straight ahead and on the seat in front of you, you see.....

Now, I'm thinking if you are sitting in the backseat of a police car, you can probably state with confidence that "Life is NOT Good."

And before you ask, NO, I was not in a police car. But I did see one today parked at a local store, saw this sticker on the back of the passenger's seat, and started laughing.

Some poor, unsuspecting law breaker will be arrested soon, tossed into the backseat, look up, and see this wonderful tidbit of news.

And all the way to jail, I feel certain the aforementioned outlaw will not find this quite as amusing as I do right now.

Social Networking.....

2011-03-13T21:53:00.004-04:00

Dork that I am, I spent the past two nights rereading my blog. Yep, I did. It brought back lots of memories. Memories that made me laugh and made me cry. More crying than not....

And made me realize that I am so off the blogging chart right now, it's not even funny. I think all my creative juices have left the building. I just don't take the time to sit down and write. I may in my brain, but not on paper......so to speak.

All my funnies appear quickly on Facebook. Maybe that is my downfall. Quick and easy access to a blurb makes me less likely to write about it. Less likely to take the time to tell the whole story in more than twenty words. After all, when you spend your day thinking in "Facebook status", most comments are kept short.

So I am rethinking this whole social networking thing. As much as I love it, is it a detriment to people? Are we getting used to short blurbs about life? A few words seem to tell a whole story. How?

What happened to the emails of yesteryear, blog posts about life, or better yet, the handwritten letters to others? Does anyone write letters anymore? Not just the obligatory thank yous for gifts, but real letters?

Are we short changing ourselves with the quick texts, twitters, facebook status updates, and more? Is this why we have a hard time composing thoughts?

Our teens have grown up with the social networking. My little ones talk about facebook, email, and texting. The convenience is awesome but what about the long run? Are we killing our writing, our composing, our creativity, our work ethic?

I refer back to my dorkness when I say, perhaps we should return to the letter writing days of the dark ages. Even a phone call to Grandma would avoid the casualness and ease of "Social Networking".

What do you think?

A Mind of Her Own

2011-02-25T20:47:00.003-05:00

Today, the girlies had a playdate with a friend. The mom and I visited for a bit before I headed home for some quiet time. Awesome!

When the aforementioned mom dropped off the girls a few hours later, I heard the following story….

Three little girls were playing make believe together. One, of course, tended to be bossy. That one (guess who) told her sister that she was supposed to be a policeman.

Here was the interaction as I understand it….

AG: Abby, pretend you are the policeman. I will call you for help.

(Phone rings): Policeman, I need help.

Abby comes to the rescue.

Abby: (Knock, knock).

AG: Who is there?

Abby: I am the Wicked Witch.

AG (exasperated): You are supposed to be the policeman.

Abby: Well, you called the wrong number.

Mom, for one, was glad to see the little one stand up to the big one.

Anna Grace and her Aspirations

2011-02-16T19:45:00.003-05:00

Tonight, Anna Grace enlightened us with her possible career choices. She has it narrowed down to….

1. Cheerleader. Goodness knows she is loud enough.

2. Vegeterian. When I explained that meant someone who ate only vegetables, she quickly corrected herself to veterinarian.

3. Pre-K teacher. Her sticking point with this job was that she would get to blow a whistle when the kids got too loud. Huh, didn’t know that was an option!

4. Soccer Coach. Yeah, so she can have lots of kids not listen to her just like she did to her coach.

5. Learn to fly. But not an airplane. Learn to fly by using her own arms.

Learning to fly was her number one choice.

She said she even has a bird friend who can teach her.

I think I age double time each year just because of this child.

Just sayin’……..

Couponing or Hoarding??

2011-02-13T20:22:00.001-05:00

It’s taken me over twenty years but I am finally there. Maybe it’s the four kids, or the one in college with one headed there soon, or the economy. Whatever the reason, I am now clipping coupons and checking the weekly sales ads. In fact, it’s the first thing I do on Sunday mornings.

But my family thinks I’ve lost my mind.

“Mom…..do we really need more cereal?”

Hey now, I’m just accessing the sales teamed with my coupons.

Right now in my house we have…either opened or unopened…..

19 boxes of cereal

15 bags of chips

13 bottles of salad dressing

13 boxes of crackers

10 boxes of cookies (Girl Scout!)

8 jars of spaghetti sauce

5 boxes of hot chocolate

4 boxes of waffles

And other stuff too.

So….do I have a problem or am I just thrifty?

My family would say I have major issues. But my fellow moms? What do you think?

Days Like This

2011-02-08T19:34:00.001-05:00

Another day……another day to remind me that my life usually spins out of control.

Got a text from Katie saying she was thinking about getting a tattoo for her birthday. Now, I have been there. I seriously considered doing that when I turned 40….and then chickened out. But y’all, I was 40. She’s not. Such a huge decision for a young age. Even at age 20.

Stress number one.

Alex’s car, well the “shared kid car but only one kid lives at home” car, does not have a CD player. So, he has a tape adapter to plug in his ipod. Evidently, the adapter broke so he rigged a new one. His comment to me? “Either this will work or I will electrocute myself.” Lovely.

Stress number two.

A certain seven year old who usually goes by the name of Anna Grace was up way too late last night. She was in bed but refused to sleep since she knew her big sister was home. Gee, no sleep teamed with a regular start to the day makes for a bad, bad afternoon. Much defiance pushed mom over the edge.

Stress number three.

Toss in a six year old who is super sensitive to almost anything. Add a sister who was over the top obnoxious today thus causing all sorts of conflicts and you get……lots of crying. Sigh.

Stress number four.

I knew there would be days like this but didn’t realize how often they would occur.

I’m too old for this.

Just sayin’.

The Wild Child

2011-02-02T20:47:00.005-05:00

What do you do when you attend a birthday party? Visit, eat, sing, and cheer the birthday person, right??

So why does my child not seem to follow that basic trend?

Anna Grace attended a party this past weekend. A party for a boy in her class. Yes, a boy. She was one of only a handful of girls included.

I was not surprised to find her hanging with the boys when I went to pick her up. After all, that’s how she rolls.

However, I was surprised later to find out she’d been caught red-handed checking out the aforementioned birthday boy’s unmentionables….thankfully only in his dresser drawer.

What other 7 year old kid goes through someone else’s dresser?

Only mine, I guess.

Heaven help me.

The New Normal

2011-01-25T20:21:00.002-05:00

After six years of daycare and/or after school care, we decided to call it quits. Much to my dismay, let me tell you.

Yes, I know I teach at the girls’ school. Yes, I know I can pick them up every day and keep them with me. Yes, I know I was being selfish sending them to after school each day.

But c’mon y’all. Have you tried keeping my double trouble duo after a long work day? You’d pay for after school care too!

However, with college looming for kid number two, we decided money was better utilized by having the girlies stay with me each day.

Oh my.

So….I compromised. I can be good at that when it suits my needs. Ha!

Mondays….both are with me.

Tuesdays…..Abby goes to Art Club at school; Anna Grace stays with me.

Wednesdays….both go to after school at the daycare due to my faculty meetings.

Thurday….Anna Grace goes to Art Club at school; Abby stays with me.

Friday….both are with me.

I have learned a few things during this grand adventure……

I have to plan ahead for errands....do I take little ones or not?

I am much more organized knowing I will have two short people with me during the week.

I am now able to leave on time more often than not.

Homework is able to be finished after school and before we get home. Awesome!

But the best thing??

I get one afternoon each week with just one little girl.

A rarity in our house for sure.

Teens and Littles....

2011-01-19T20:19:00.000-05:00

We knew, way back when, that by adding two little ones to much older kids would prove to be interesting. And that has very much held true…

The littles know all kinds of interesting stuff.

They are up on the current pop stars, can do all the crazy dance moves, are into the lingo of texting, facebook, and more.

Both have been exposed to girlfriends and boyfriends, kissing, teen drivers, loud music, and overall goofiness.

But today truly reminded me of the fact that I have teens and littles.

I had barely pulled in the garage this afternoon after work when a certain sassy child said…

“Unlock the door, woman.”

Oh my.

And where do you think she learned that?

The Ice Storm Cometh

2011-01-11T21:42:00.009-05:00

Snow is fine. Snow was expected. Snow was the reason we all ran to the store to stock up on French toast supplies. You know….eggs, bread, and milk.

However, snow was not what we got.

Ice arrived in the deep south. Ice. And more ice.

Snow is beautiful. Yucky later but wonderful when it falls.

Ice is noisy, slippery, and not much fun.

But that is what arrived at our house.

Check out our street…..

We couldn’t get anywhere.

Sledding was awesome though. After all, sledding on pure ice is slick.

The first snow day was fun. Sledding was the highlight.

The second snow day was okay. Let’s just say we survived.

Tomorrow brings the third snow day. I don’t think I’ll make it.

Winter Storm Warning

2011-01-09T14:14:00.002-05:00

Sound the alarm…..a winter storm is headed our way. What are we to do?

Evidently, what you do is head to the local store and buy milk, eggs, and bread.

Unfortunately, we needed milk and bread last night anyhow so had to join the throngs of people inhabiting the grocery stores. Some shelves were empty, certain items hard to find, and full shopping carts being pushed by panicked shoppers.

After all, we could be snowed in for days. In Georgia.

Uh huh.

I’ve just never understood the need for extra milk, eggs, and bread. What’s the deal?

Oh, I know.

Snow must bring on the incredible urge to make French toast.

Right?

Trickery....

2011-01-05T20:46:00.004-05:00

Trickery? How can that be? From this sweet child?

Ha!

Today marked the first day back to school after the Christmas holidays. Over the break, Anna Grace decided she had to get her hair cut short. The static electricity was killing her. And my patience....

She got the brilliant idea (ha!) that her teacher would not recognize her in class today because her hair was so much shorter.

Guess she forgot about the fact that she is the only Chinese born child in that room.

Or maybe she truly doesn't look at her friends by race....just by hair length, hair color, eye color, etc.

What a concept.

The President

2010-12-27T22:11:00.006-05:00

So, while we were cold in Georgia (with snow and wind) and my parents and brother/sister in law were stuck in Virginia due to hoards of snow, my sister and family were attending church in Hawaii with the President.

Huh.

No matter your party or opinion, that's cool.

Just sayin'.

=)

(my sister and family are in the pew right opposite the President. Karen is wearing a pink floral sundress).

The Christmas Blur

2010-12-27T19:29:00.012-05:00

Ah, Christmas. Seems like we wait all year and all of a sudden, it’s done in a flash. Let’s recap the very busy twenty-four hours…

Christmas Eve found us preparing to church but I was missing one child. He was already at church warming up with the band. I had planned on taking a picture of the kids once we were all home, but guess who forgot?

Yep.

Stromboli dinner, spreading of reindeer food, leaving of cookies for Santa rounded out the evening. I, however, added another special something…..Benadryl.

I fully admit I am one of “those” moms. ‘Nuf said.

Christmas Day arrived but did not bring early risers. No one got up until almost 7:30. Whoo hoo! This day had lots of surprises…..I think I was more excited than the kids!

Before……

After….

In the midst of all chaos, the family gift was opened….

and a scavenger hunt held for…

The rest of the day was spent playing with new toys, hosting dinner for twelve, and serving dessert for twenty....including grandparents from Pennsylvania!

The clean up crew.....what good teens!

My babies….

But the best event of the day?

The snow! Yes, snow in Georgia on Christmas Day.

We hope your Christmas was just as wonderful!

Rockin' Christmas!

2010-12-22T18:31:00.004-05:00

My girls gave me a concert tonight. To say it was amusing would be an understatement.

My favorite? "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree"......

From Anna Grace:

"Rockin' around the Christmas tree, and a happy holiday.

Everyone snacks and never leaves

in the good old fashioned way."

So, I ask you, how did the people go home if it wasn't the good old fashioned way?

Who Am I?

2010-12-22T16:30:00.000-05:00

As Christmas approaches, how are you spending your days?

Shopping? Wrapping? Baking? Being lazy?

That’s what I’d like to do.

But alas, today, I undertook the task of beginning the cleaning process to prepare for company.

Yep, had to get the house “guest room ready.”

As I was cleaning the bathroom, Anna Grace came in and said,

“Is there something I can clean? I like being Cinderella too.”

So, does that mean I am a princess or just a maid?

I’m gong with princess….but with a dusty crown.

You see, I’m not a very good maid.

The Final Countdown

2010-12-19T20:14:00.005-05:00

Yep, the final days until Christmas and what do you know…..?

*All my shopping is done (and wrapped) before Christmas Eve for the first time ever!

*The highlight of the zoo visit was watching the panda bear poop.

*My big kids think the abbreviation CN means either Canada or Connecticut. Why they didn't consider China is beyond me.

*Evidently it IS possible to subtract six cookies from zero. You just make more cookies.

*No matter how much food you put in the pantry, someone will always say, “There’s nothing to eat!”

*None of my kids have any common sense. I’m a bit scared.

*Wrapping presents without labels is not a good thing.

*There is no such thing as “no talking medicine”.

*Katie fell asleep reading the newspaper. At 5pm.

Yep, the final days until Christmas and what do I want….?

*All my kids home for the holiday. Hard with Katie working a retail job at school an hour away. Sigh.

*No screaming and yelling from little people. Like I’m ever going to get that wish…

*No more shopping at all. Maybe???

*Laughter and smiles to fill the house.

*No more school. Sigh. Two more days to go.

*Visits with family and friends….

*Lots of good food and drink(s)…..

Yep, the final days until Christmas and guess what??

*We are thankful for good friends and family that fill our lives. Blessings to all as you begin this holiday week.

Math is NOT my Friend

2010-12-14T19:50:00.004-05:00

Or more accurately, homework is not my friend. But today’s battle was with math.

Math and knowing when to regroup when subtracting.

And my kid played dumb like she’d never seen it before. Lucky me.

I spent part of my day teaching this and got to do it again after school.

Again, lucky me.

The session started off with the prompt…..

“Okay, if I have 0 cookies, can I give you 6?”

Dummy me thought that would be an easy answer.

I was wrong.

Her response?

“Yes.”

How, I asked?

The response….”You can just bake more.”

Math is going to be the death of me.

The Dusty Sign

2010-12-04T18:40:00.003-05:00

I have never stated that my claim to fame involves cooking or cleaning.

But that is common knowledge, isn’t it?

There are some rooms in my house I don’t venture into much at all. Alex’s room being one. Scary place.

The office is another place I don’t visit often. I only go in there to print something or open the blinds. That’s about it.

You see, I make the kitchen my office since that is where my laptop resides.

The office is primarily Alex’s zone….computer, tv, games, etc.

Well, this morning I went in to open the blinds.

I happened to glance down and saw….

Oh my. Guess we need to dust, huh?

Now, whose little piggy toes are those? And how did they get there?

Good thing she left her calling card….

Brothers and Sisters

2010-12-02T20:36:00.002-05:00

Why does it never seem to fail that afternoons cannot be calm no matter how quickly I arrive home after school? It seems that the days I get home pretty early seem to be the worst.

Why?

Today brought us home a bit after 4. Toss in homework, lunch making, choosing clothes, checking email, breaking up fights, returning phone calls, telling kids to stop screaming at each other, talking with daddy in California……and my leisurely afternoon turned hectic.

Then add in needing to run to the store to fax something to daddy (at 5:45), and that just creates more havoc.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time away at the fax machine and won’t lie about it. The girls stayed with Alex and his friend. If I could have driven slower, I would have. But it was close to dinner and shower time so I kept on my merry way.

I returned home just 20 minutes later and found no kids in my kitchen. And all was quiet.

Odd.

Upon looking more closely, I spotted two little girls hiding under the desk in the kitchen. Hmmm.

“What are you doing?”

“We are playing hide and seek with Alex. He is still looking for us in the office. He is a bad looker.”

Hmmm.

Upon further inspection, Alex and his friend were hanging out at the computer in the office with no intention of searching for them.

You see, they were smart and played the game of…..

Hide and NOT Seek.

Tis' Thanksgiving Day!

2010-11-25T10:19:00.004-05:00

Tis the day of Thanksgiving,
and what do your hear?
Not the prancing and pawing
of eight tiny reindeer.

Pots are a’clanging,
timers are beeping,
some family is chatting,
but some are still sleeping.

Clash, go the silverware,
bang, go the plates.
More family is coming,
we cannot be late!

Tis the day of Thanksgiving
and what do you smell?
Turkey and potatoes,
does that ring a bell?

What other scents do
you sniff through your nose?
Pies, breads, and veggies,
can’t forget those!

Add stuffing and berries,
and drinks all around.
We know for sure
good times will be found.

Tis the day of Thanksgiving
and what do we see?
The Macy’s day parade
live on the tv.

Busy hands are spotted
setting the table,
still others preparing
what they are able.

Apple turkeys and friends
are headed our way
to help decorate the table
a bit later today.

Tis the day of Thanksgiving
and what do we say?
Blessings to all,
on this Thanksgiving Day!

The Giant Sand Box

2010-11-24T16:03:00.003-05:00

Earlier today, we were brainstorming ideas on how to entertain the little girls while visiting the grandparents.

Daddy got this “brilliant” plan. Send the girls out the backyard to the golf course and let them play in the sand traps. Uh huh.

Imagine this…..It’s a beautiful sunny day. The weather is warm but with a slight breeze. You take advantage of the day and head outdoors to play a little golf.

When you hit a drive, you mistakenly hit your ball into a sand trap.

Rats.

You approach the sand trap and see this…..

Two little girls, wearing bike helmets (to deflect golf balls), surrounded by toys, and enjoying the giant sand box.

What would you do?

****and no, we did not do this. But it’s funny to think about, isn’t it?

Adventures....

2010-11-23T17:15:00.016-05:00

The other day, we pulled up our boots, cracked the whip, and set forth on an adventure to Grandma and Grandpa’s house….ten hours away.

Oh my.

All the way there, we were asked, “What state are we in now?”

For ten long hours.

Yes, I am thrilled about the prospects of driving home.

After spending one day just chilin’, we opted to venture out into the great outdoors. The great outdoors meaning…Colonial Williamsburg.

Ah, the sights…of Christmas coming….

…the sights of Colonial days….

….the sights of saved parents…..

…the sights of important people signs…

…and the sight of one obnoxious teenage boy ruining yet another picture….and in a church, no less!

Heaven help me....

How NOT to Start Your Day

2010-11-17T19:56:00.006-05:00

I was resting peacefully in bed at 5:30 this morning…..when a short person approached my bed. I figured she wanted to get in my bed with her sister (who HAS to take over daddy’s spot when he is out of town).

But no.

She said those words we all dread…..

“I think I’m going to frow up.”

And you are standing there talking to me??? Why? Get to the bathroom…..after all, you passed one to get to my room.

After no such “frow up” episode, I put her back to bed (with a bucket) and started my day.

An hour later, I got her up for school.

Whereupon, she had tummy issues. Not major ones, but enough to find the need to be home from school.

Yay me.

Daddy is out of the country so I needed to find a substitute…..within 45 minutes of starting school.

And then it hit me. I had an ace in my pocket. And in my own house.

Katie was home from college for the day to visit the dermatologist.

Yay! She can stay with Abby.

When I woke her up though, she was less than thrilled with the prospect of staying home with a kid who was “frowing up”. Can’t say I blame her.

Plus, it interfered with her nap and homework time.

But off to school I went anyhow. Came home during Katie’s doctor appointment to stay with Abby and found a very happy, bouncy, child.

Hmmm. Guess there was no virus after all. Perhaps too much drainage from the yucky nose.

Returned to school, finished the day, and came home to one big girl and one little girl playing outside on the driveway with chalk.

Spent the afternoon watching her play, bounce around, and be silly. Sick, you say? I think not.

But what did I hear after I put her in bed?

Mommy, my tummy hurts.

Oh no it does not!

Dear Santa....

2010-11-10T18:34:00.006-05:00

Dear Santa,

I thought I'd start composing my Christmas list now. I realize I am not a child so there is no need to remind me of my advanced age. I already know that, thanks anyhow.

This Christmas, I'd like one of two things, please. Yep, that's it. Only one thing.

I'd like either new genes or new jeans.

New genes would be preferable. Ones that don't allow the fat to accumulate.

Advanced age teamed with no time to do anything but work full time, make three meals a day, supervise showers, check homework, corral kids, read stories, listen to needs of others, and so much more has prompted me to add this to my list.

That's not too much to ask, is it? After all, you are Santa and can do anything. If you can't, the elves can.

At least, that's what my kids tell me.

New jeans would be okay too. But new genes would be the ultimate gift.

I will be anxiously awaiting Christmas morning to see what is under my tree!

Oh, and there is no need to gift wrap it. It's okay, really.

(I'm being helpful and saving you time by not wrapping. Brownie points for me!)

See you in a few weeks!

Love, Kristin

An Ode to Socks

2010-11-07T17:15:00.002-05:00

Socks, oh socks, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways….

You keep the tootsies warm.

You add color to our wardrobe.

Hmmmm. Guess that’s it.

Socks, oh socks, how do I dislike thee? Let me count the ways….

You disappear into the depths of rooms and toys to never be seen or heard from again.

You leave your partner once in the washing machine.

You never get clean no matter how many times you are washed.

Hmmmm. Guess that’s it.

Socks, oh socks, how do my girls like thee? Let me count the ways….

You are fought over daily. Seriously.

You have a special resting place on the steps.

You are reused without washing….see above.

Yes, you are so special that it does not matter if you are clean or not. You are just grabbed and worn again…all from the magic sock pile.

But oh dear socks, that will not be happening any more. You see, when I was told today by a certain little girl that she just grabbed socks from the sock pile, the little light went on in my brain.

(There is a light there, I promise. Sometimes it seems dim but other times, it shines brightly.)

Lovely socks, prepare to live a new life. A life free from being tossed in a pile on the steps and free from dirty piggy toes.

Dear socks, in exchange for my saving you from the dreaded yet magical sock pile, I have a favor to ask.

Please try to not murder your partner when in the washing machine or dryer.

I’m sure we can reconcile any differences you may have.

Alive and Kicking.....

2010-11-02T21:48:00.003-04:00

Yes, I've been away for a long time.

Yes, I've dropped the ball.

No, I am not dead.

I have no excuses for my absence.

Well, maybe one.

LIFE.

Life with two teenagers and two little ones plus a full time job is putting me over the edge. Toss in a daddy who just left for a three week trip to China as well as other issues, and maybe you'll understand.

Maybe.

I hope to catch up on my blog reading and posting soon. I hope.

But I fear my blogging days may be screeching to a halt.

As much as I enjoy writing, the time seems to get away from me.

Out the door at 7, home at 4:30, homework, check email, make lunches, get snacks for the next day, choose clothes, start dinner, eat, showers, stories, collapse.

Sigh.

I will do my best to catch you up soon. Until then, I will leave you with a Halloween picture of my two princesses

who just two days before went to school for costume day dressed as a devil and an angel......

So who was the devil and who was the angel???

The South Rides Again

2010-10-17T19:41:00.005-04:00

Bedtime is a wonderful thing. Small children are finally quiet. And in our house, that is a huge feat.

What is your bedtime routine?

Likely it’s similar to ours. Brush teeth, read stories, music turned on, hugs, and kisses.

Well, last night brought a new dimension to bedtime.

Anna Grace was tucked in bed with books and music playing. Country music, no less.

When I went back to check on her a bit later, I heard this…..

“And Kyle Busch is in the lead.”

Huh?

The child fell asleep listening to the NASCAR night race.

Y’all, I know we’ve lived in the south for a long time. But seriously??

Yes, daddy watches NASCAR. The girls have their favorite cars....they don't care about the drivers. But....really??

Hmm, come to think of it, the little girls are from southern China.

Guess they have southern blood, huh?

Heaven help me.

Life Lessons....

2010-10-14T19:31:00.002-04:00

***I posted this several days ago but deleted it for personal reasons. However, I had a request to repost it as it is valuable information for parents.

Don’t know about you, but the world is much different than it was when I was a teenager. It’s scarier. It’s unpredictable. It’s uncontrollable.

How do we protect our kids from this?

The answer? We can’t.

All we can do is teach, pray, and hope for the best.

I want to tell you all a story. Listen carefully.

I know a student who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. He witnessed an illegal event on school property that should not have taken place. He failed to report it to school officials.

Three days later, another student reported it. And guess what?

Long story short, the witness was considered “guilty by association.”

In addition, he was issued the same punishment as the students who actually participated in the illegal event.

Please, please, please warn your teenagers to be extra cautious. Please warn them that their lives can be altered within minutes. Please tell them their lives may never be the same again. Please get them to understand that “guilty by association” is how the world works.

You know how I know all this?

The witness was my child.

Let’s just say that mama bear took on the school system. Mama Bear knows her rights, knows how the system works, knows what to demand, and knows when errors are made within the process.

The punishment was reversed. And rightly so.

But what about those parents who don’t know their rights? Or those who are afraid to speak up? Or those who think whatever the school says is gospel? Or those who are afraid to challenge the system?

That’s the reason behind my post.

Don’t let schools scare you. Don’t let administrators bully you or your child into something you do not agree with. Make notes. Go to meetings prepared. Be ready to speak the truth and speak up for your child.

But most of all. Don’t be intimidated by authority. Question it if you feel they are wrong. You are within your rights. Move up the chain of command if needed.

The three things I want you to know from my experience are……PLEASE make sure your kids know they can be “guilty” merely be association. Implore them to be extra cautious even around friends. Your friends may not truly be your friends.

Fight for your rights. Fight as hard as you can. Don’t be bullied.

But most of all, make sure your kids know you love them regardless of the outcome.

We only have one chance at raising our kids. There are no re-do’s.

Don’t let someone else dictate your child’s future if you know they are wrong.

Please.

My Redneck Life

2010-10-03T19:38:00.002-04:00

What is the big fall event in a southern town? Any guesses?

The County Fair.

And guess what?

I have never taken my children.

I just don’t love the fair.

But my teens have been….once they were old enough to drive.

So Alex went all day yesterday and arrived home late last night with three friends. Three friends who swim in a glass bowl.

Yep, carnival goldfish.

He named them Darth Vader, Joseph Stalin, and Piranha.

And just a short twenty-four hours later, we have celebrated two burials at sea. Only Joseph Stalin still lives. But for how much longer?

With the arrival of the fair is the arrival of fall. Today actually felt like fall. Amazing! We hit a high of 68 degrees but that did not stop my girls from playing outside in shorts and barefeet.

Based on those nasty feet, they must think we live in Alabama or something….

Welcome to the south. =)

Rainy Days and Sundays

2010-09-26T16:21:00.008-04:00

My morning started off smoothly. Everyone was home, everyone was going to church to hear Alex play in the band, everyone was happy.

Until…we actually got to church. Then a certain second grader’s behavior took a nosedive. Sigh. Kind of set the tone for the day.

So when daddy left to drive Katie back to collge, I decided to make my escape as well.

All the way to the grocery store. Yippee.

I left the girls with Alex and his girlfriend and drove as slowly as I could to the store.

Got to relish those moments, you know.

I was a good shopper and did not veer from my list this time. I even used coupons. Yay me!

But as I was checking out, I realized it was pouring rain. I knew it was coming. I had just hoped to beat it home.

Rats.

Loaded the van, returned the cart, and drove my wet self home.

And I got home to this……

Say what?

I kept watching and saw more….

Cheap entertainment which didn’t require any fire (which usually happens with Alex).

And it put this certain child

in a better mood.

At least until she was told to help clean up….

The Great Diet Coke Experiment

2010-09-19T18:24:00.001-04:00

Six months ago, I was loving my diet coke.

Six months ago, I was loving the caffeine.

Six months ago, I had increased blood pressure, blurry vision, headaches, dizziness, head fog, and other unexplained issues.

So six months ago, I did some research to see if it all was connected.

Turns out, some artificial sweeteners can have negative effects on certain people.

Lucky me. Guess I was one of those “certain” people.

Sigh.

I gave up diet drinks for about two months. That’s all I could handle. Then slowly, diet drinks began to enter my life again. And you know what?

I had the same medical issues.

You’d think I’d learn, huh?

Once again, I ditched the splenda and tossed in caffeine for good measure.

So I have been caffeine and artificial sweetener free for four months.

And my blood pressure has decreased back to the normal zone.

Methinks perhaps artificial sweeteners are not the best thing for our bodies.

Or at least mine.

Oh, and the added bonus? I have lost my craving for sweets.

Strange how things are linked together, huh?

Party in 2010!

2010-09-18T20:52:00.006-04:00

Well, Anna Grace turned seven on August 9. Today is September 18. We just now had her birthday party.

Can you say…..”You are a lame mom?”

I know, I know.

But when your birthday falls on the first day of school and mom is a teacher, parties tend to get postponed.

So today, six weeks late (ahem), we held The Birthday Party.

Heaven help me.

We chose, because we are crazy, to have a party at home. That meant we had to clean up and prepare for customers.
(aka….company. thank my little people for that phrase)

When it’s 92 degrees outside, what do you do?

Thanks to some great friends, The Boyfriend’s parents, we were able to get a bouncy house from their side business to help keep the short people occupied.

Toss in arts and crafts,

cupcakes,

presents,

water balloons from Alex and Julie,

and the kids had a great time.

But the best thing about today???

The girls jumped to their hearts content.

And fell asleep within three minutes of hitting the pillow.

Now that is my kind of party!

New Blog Design

2010-09-13T16:08:00.002-04:00

Well, I decided to have the blog redone. After all, it's been two years! Check out the work by Big House, Little Room.

Football Time is Here!

2010-09-12T18:16:00.002-04:00

The football season has started once again which makes a certain daddy in this house pretty happy. He doesn’t care if it’s college or pro…..he just likes football.

Neither of us attended a major university so has no particular loyalty to a team.

Except….when it involves Penn State. You see, PSU is the closest major football university to where we graduated.

So yesterday brought a match up between Penn State and Alabama.

And I heard this from the daddy….

"We ARE Penn State!"

And this from Anna Grace….

"Roll Tide!"

And this from Abby….

"Go Rednecks!"

Hmmm….maybe we’ve been in the south too long!

Men and Instructions

2010-09-12T16:49:00.001-04:00

Our wonderful gas grill has kicked the bucket, so to speak. It’s still standing on our patio but refuses to light up.

What a contrary piece of equipment.

So, until we order the necessary parts to make the grill happy once again, we have resorted to using charcoal instead.

Now, the charcoal grill has only been used when certain people went camping.

Note to readers: I was NOT one of those certain people who went camping.

And no one has been camping in several years. But we were determined to make it work.

For the past few weeks, dinner has gone wonderfully. We had grilled food so all was right in the world.

Last night, it was Alex’s turn to grill steaks for us. But Dave had to be at church for a meeting until almost 7.

Dad thought ahead and got the charcoal in the grill ready to light before leaving for church. You see, neither Alex nor I have ever done that before.

The plan was to have dinner ready when dad got home.

That was the plan.

About thirty minutes after he left, Alex went out to light the grill. And nothing happened.

He and I both tried for twenty minutes. Nothing. No spark, no fire, no nothing.

We finally gave up.

Turns out, once you put charcoal in the grill, you are supposed to light it immediately. It is the first instruction on the charcoal bag.

An instruction that a certain male neglected to read.

“Hey, I was just trying to be helpful!”

True, but next time….read the directions!

What to do, what to do?

2010-09-06T20:31:00.011-04:00

Visit the zoo, that’s what to do.

Along with everyone else in the Atlanta area. Geesh.

It was standing room only today at the zoo. Oh wait. It’s always standing room only. But you get the idea. It was packed…..like sardines.

Guess we weren’t the only ones with the bright idea to spend the holiday at the zoo.

After seeing the obligatory animals,

we moved on to the ones I won’t see.....

Me. Birds. Flying over my head? No thank you.

Crawling through tunnels? I don't think so.

Despite the crowds and heat of the day, the little monkeys had a great day.

Whoops, not those monkeys!

These monkeys….

But the best viewing of the day…….the dreaded “boga instructor”. Notice there is not a picture of the snake. I didn’t look. But had to prove I was there.

Who Is In Your Bed?

2010-09-04T17:14:00.006-04:00

Take a moment and look around your bed. Is someone special there?

Someone who has been with you for years? Someone you cannot sleep without?

Hey now. I don’t mean that! Get your mind back on track. This is a family friendly blog.

I’m talking about a special friend who may be furry and stuffed. A friend who has been drug through the mud, tossed in the washing machine due to the aforementioned mud, cuddled, cried upon, thrown up on, yet is still the best listener.

Jamaica Elmo has been with us now since, well, Jamaica.

He’s been to China and back,

eaten many meals,

traveled all over,

and is still going strong.

He’s a little worse for wear, a little ratty, but a lot loved.

Wonder how much longer he’ll be around?

Sweet, Sweet Bedtime

2010-08-29T16:50:00.004-04:00

I can often hear my bed calling my name begging me to come upstairs. If you listen carefully, you may hear your bed calling you too.

My bed and I have a wonderful relationship. I curl up with a good book, get snuggly warm, and fall asleep awaiting the events of the coming day.

I thought everyone had that same lovely relationship with beds.

I was mistaken.

As I headed off to bed last night, I stumbled upon something in the hallway.

Something that should not be there.

A certain someone who did not read the instruction manual entitled, “How to go to Sleep.”

But the best thing? She accused me of dropping her in the hallway since there was "no way" she got up and fell asleep there herself.

Where is College?

2010-08-21T17:38:00.022-04:00

Where oh where is Katie?

Check the map…

Read the signs..

Look at the scenery…

Do you know yet?

Katie left us a week ago for her sophomore year in college at a new school, new roommates, and a final decision on a major (elementary and special ed!).

She and I moved her stuff in 95 degree weather. It was lovely fun, let me tell you.

But when I moved her in, I left wishing I was going to college now too. Check it out…

Her building…

her balcony…

and the views off the balcony…

And that’s just the outside!

Her bedroom…

bathroom…

and kitchen….

with decorations proving girls live there…

Plus a full sized washer and dryer! Definitely not the basic dorm room I had in college!

We went for a short visit today so the rest of the family could see where she is living.

A quick stop back off at her room and we headed home.

Wonder if we’ll be welcome again??

Ch ch ch changes....

2010-08-13T19:15:00.006-04:00

I guess you have now quickly figured out that we are still alive.

But just barely.

You see, we are back in school. Shortly after my last post eons ago, I went back to school. And the rest has been a blur.

That, and once I sit down, I fall asleep!

Tossed in with the chaos of the new year were some major changes.

The first day of kindergarten and second grade…

One starting junior year and driving himself…

A seventh birthday celebrated on the first day of school….

A jet plane boarded after seven candles were blown out to head to China for a two week business trip…

And one who returned to college today but at a new school….

But amidst the changes, some things have stayed the same. Like Anna Grace’s personality.

Case in point…

Yesterday in music class, the teacher was going down the roll. He asked her if she would rather be called Anna or Anna Grace.

Her response?

You may call me Miss (insert last name).

Oh my.

New Blog Design

2010-08-13T12:56:00.002-04:00

Playing Catch Up

2010-07-24T20:59:00.007-04:00

Forgive me friends for I have let you down. It was my intent to attempt to blog regularly this summer. You can see how smoothly it’s gone, huh?

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Well, summer just screams “be lazy”….or at least to me. In fact, I rarely know the day of the week unless I check the calendar.

What? You don’t hear that same voice? Hmmm. You need to ask for a conscience refund.

We have had daily trips to the pool

which has made the girls quite brown and mommy quite pink. I was not blessed with “tanning” skin like some others in my family.

Girls have played, argued, fussed, whined, and carried on all while I politely ignored them and read a book. Well, I tried anyhow.

Hey, I’m entitled to some “me” time too, right? Even if it means ignoring my kids?

Big kids have been busy too. Alex has been enjoying his newly found freedom that a license offers…unless he makes mom mad. Then the license goes.

He has spent time hanging with friends, girlfriend, babysitting, and mowing grass.

But he’s still that typical lazy teen. Check out how he ate ice cream the other night.

As usual, there is no picture of him. Maybe one day…..

Katie had grand plans to escape the madness of work (summer camp with 36 kids aged 4-6) and head to Alaska to see her boyfriend play baseball. But as you all know, nothing ever seems to go as planned. A few days before her scheduled departure, Catlan was diagnosed with a broken thumb on his pitching hand which would require surgery. So, he headed home…..

No Alaska trip…maybe one day.

We are now down to two weeks left of summer. I can’t believe it’s passed so quickly. It must be the old age setting in….days didn’t use to fly by so fast.

Right?

C’mon, I don’t hear you. You should be agreeing with me.

We are not old; we just can’t read a calendar. Therefore, days pass much faster than we expect.

That’s my theory and I’m sticking to it.

Me and My Kitchen

2010-07-16T20:55:00.002-04:00

Cooking, baking, candlestick making….

I don’t like any of the above. Although I admit that I have never tried candlestick making. So I guess I really can’t judge, can I?

I am no Julia Child. Or Martha Stewart. Or Rachael Ray. Or anyone else who can actually create something in the kitchen.

I love my kitchen. It is beautiful, big, and has a large island perfect for entertaining. But cook in it? Bake something?

You lookin’ at me? (as I turn my head and look around)

Excuse me? Do you have me confused with someone else?

I did not inherit the family gene that states “I love to create dishes in the kitchen.” I inherited the gene that says, “The easier the better.” Except that no one in my family has that gene. Hmm…

But tonight, I did make dinner. We had chicken fettuccine alfredo and spaghetti (for the contingent that does not like alfredo).

See, I can be a good mom. I don’t force food down their throats if they don’t like it. Well, sometimes I do. But tonight was a left over night. They lucked out.

We sat down, said grace, and got ready to eat when I noticed it. It being Anna Grace sniffing her food.

Already a bit afraid of the answer, I asked, “What are you doing?”

“Sniffing to make sure it is not poisonous.”

Good grief.

I know I am not the best cook but…..REALLY??

The Taco that Wasn't

2010-07-13T21:09:00.004-04:00

After a fine morning and lovely adult lunch with a friend, I found myself wondering about dinner.

Surely I am not the only one who doesn’t wake up knowing what is for dinner, right?

But I got wrapped up in school work and neglected to think much further than…..food.

Decision made at 4pm…..tacos and rice. Always a hit with the crowd.

However, by the time I made this decision, both big kids were gone….Katie still at work and Alex at the movies/girlfriend's for the evening.

Rats.

You know how much I love taking my girls to the grocery store by myself, right?

Alas, I had no choice. So into the car we went.

As I buckled up Anna Grace, she said, “I know why you are taking us to the store when you usually don’t. It’s because no one is home to watch us.”

Keep on feeding that mommy guilt-o-meter, kid!

Off to Kroger we ventured…or as Abby says, Krogert.

Short list in hand, no problem.

Except for the side trips.

No Anna Grace, we don’t need that. Abby, where are you going? Get over here! Girls, let’s go. Stop pushing the cart. Stay beside me. Where are you going?

And it continued on and on and on.....lovely fun.

My list consisted of toothpaste, shampoo, nacho chips, trash bags, and taco stuff.

I am so smart to use little codes like “taco stuff”. I knew exactly what I meant.

Got the tomatoes, taco seasoning, already had cheese, sour cream, lettuce, and shells.

All set.

Checked out….another kid ordeal or twelve later, we reached the car and I said…..

I forgot the ground beef.

Yay me.

Back into the store we ventured with my double trouble in hand…..and came out with the required items.

Whew.

Got home, unpacked, and could not find the seasoning mixes. No idea where they went. Either still in the cart or still at the checkout….even though it was on my receipt.

Well crud.

Texted Katie at work and asked her to get some seasoning on the way home.

Then Dave called and said he was going to be late and would miss dinner.

Called Katie back and said….

Never mind.

Just get pizza.

We’ll try tacos another night. Too much trouble.

Geesh.

Put Me in Coach....

2010-07-11T18:55:00.003-04:00

I’m no stranger to being second string.

I spent my life always in the shadows. I was never as smart, talented, or outgoing as my siblings. Toss in the extended family, I might as well have been in the locker room.

Why I thought that would change as an adult, I do not know.

I’m still second string. The coach rarely moves me up to start.

-----------------------------------------------------

It was decision time on the playing field of Life. I stood there waiting as the coach scanned the possible player choices.

Pick me, pick me, I silently pled.

I have the ability. I have the resources. I have the space.

But I was bypassed.

Game after game, I have the empty couch, the silent tv, and the worry of waiting until midnight when teens are safely back home.

You see, someone else always gets chosen to play. Someone else gets the full couch, the movies playing, the stories shared, the memories made, and the security of knowing no one is due home late.

Why can’t I be like “someone else”?

There’s always a reason given as to why I continue to be second string.

But coach, all the time?

I concede that a few games have been played where I was given a crack at the start.

More often than not, I was pulled out at the end of the first quarter and someone else brought into play.

Why?

What is wrong with me?

I thought I had a sure winner a few weeks ago when family came to town. Surely I’d be picked to play.

I was wrong. Someone else’s family came to town too and won the coin toss.

Well, you know what?

I am tired of being hurt. I am tired of feeling second rate. I am tired of not being good enough. I am tired of being made to feel guilty about my opinion.

But most of all,I am tired of crying.

So guess what, coach?

I quit.

I’ll try out again a few years when the teams change.

Barbie and the Bathroom

2010-07-09T20:07:00.005-04:00

Whoever built Barbie’s house needs to rethink the design.

One bathroom? With Barbie and all her friends??

That is just SO not possible.

After all, we are talking about lots of pretentious girls. Ones who require lots of care. Ones who think the world revolves around them.

Today, I banished my girls to play in the playroom while I parked myself on the couch with a James Patterson book.

Don't judge....I needed some ME time!

My afternoon was spent listening to this dialogue….

Abby: “She’s been in the bathroom too long. Isn’t she done yet?”

Anna Grace: “No, she’s washing her hands.”

Abby: “She should be done by now. I need a turn.”

Anna Grace: “Oh wait, she has to go to the bathroom.”

Abby: insert whine…”it’s taking too long. Get done. It’s my turn.”

Long pause….

“Mom? Her Barbie is taking too long in the bathroom.”

Seriously?

Arguing over time in a fake bathroom?

Guess this is setting me up for the real thing in a few years.

Better make sure we have more than one bathroom.

My Top Ten List

2010-07-08T21:06:00.002-04:00

Hmmm. Top ten. Top ten of what? Ten best books? Ten best drinks? Ten best places to visit? Ten worst veggies?

Nope.

My top ten mom pet peeves list.

We all have them. Things others in the household do that make you crazy. Or push your buttons a little. And send you just a tiny bit further over the edge….

Here is my top ten list of things that irritate me (think David Letterman):

10. Phone calls coming in and messages being passed along two hours later.

9. A nameless teen driving one of the three vehicles we own and leaving trash behind in the vehicle.

8. Arms seemingly unable to remove items from the dryer unless the items in the dryer belong to the aforementioned arms.

7. Someone using up all the bread and not removing more from the freezer. A frozen sandwich is not tasty.

6. Not replacing the toilet paper when empty or replacing it incorrectly. Toilet paper should always roll from the top (over not under).

5. A clean dishwasher that causes eyes to look elsewhere. Evidently, it cannot be unloaded without explicit directions from an elder…..although, to be quite honest, I have had a few exceptions to this rule.

4. The forgetfulness of others….oh, I forgot to tell you we are out of milk. Or cheese. Or bread. You get the picture.

3. Texts or phone calls not being answered when mom beckons. Ahem. The phone is there for a reason. Ignoring is bad, very, very, bad.

2. Questions being asked by mom, info being relayed and ignored all due to…..TV. Gonna pull the plug on that thing.

And my number one mom pet peeve is……..

1. The inability to rinse out the kitchen sink after washing the dishes. Very thankful to have the help to clean up but…..run the garbage disposal too!

I’m sure you can add to my list…..

Happy complaining. =)

Burn, Baby, Burn!

2010-07-05T21:58:00.019-04:00

The Fourth of July weekend. What does that mean to you?

To us it means celebrating the nation’s birth with family, friends, food, and fireworks!

The girls were psyched for a party day. So, envisioning a late night, mommy tried to invoke a nap time courtesy of Benadryl. It failed.

My parents opted to brave the craziness and join us from Virginia for the festivities. Brave souls.

Dinner was grilled even with the interruptions from Grandpa….

firework loot was examined,

and food consumed.

Burnmaster Brian

was ready and waiting when we witnessed fire outside…

What?

Alex and our neighbor started the redneck firework version and burned steel wool on a coat hanger.

Yep. Seriously.

After the fast redneck show, we headed to pre-selected neighborhood spot to shoot our illegal, out of state, Alabama fireworks.

But our spot was not spray painted with our name in case the cops showed up.

We were not there. We were not there. Got it?

Abby’s job, assigned by the big kids, was to watch for the cops. Abby as a lookout? Lovely. She can’t even see dust on the ground before the trips over it.

Anna Grace was pretty freaked by the concept of the police showing up. She was worried about being arrested and tossed in the joint. At one point a car approached us….and she yelled, “Is that the cops??”

Poor kid. We’ve scarred her for life.

Regardless of the fear of the po-po, we pressed forward with our fireworks display.

Teens were taught the skill of how to light roman candles and other fun, dangerous things.

The small group

grew to over 50 neighbors before the show ended.

Illegal fireworks are amazing.

Of course, if we didn’t live in Georgia, they wouldn’t be illegal, but I digress.

The Fourth of July wouldn’t be the same without food, friends, family, fireworks, and fun drinks.

And, the time to remember how our country began.

Life is a Beach

2010-06-28T20:33:00.015-04:00

Desperate times call for desperate measures. Mommy needed a break from the insanity. Katie needed a diversion from the “no boyfriend in town” syndrome. So, Katie and I headed south for a few days at the beach.

Unless you see my girls on a daily basis.

If that is the case, Katie and I headed south to see my aunt.

Which we did do. For an hour or so for lunch one day. Shh…

We arrived, checked in and saw this

Yes, just a few steps from the beach (or, that “B” word).

Our days were spent on the beach with my reading

and Katie reading this

with my sunscreen

versus Katie’s.

Dinners were spent at

or MacCools Irish pub

which had country mixed with Irish….how wrong is that??

The water was cool and refreshing

even at night

and with the gross seagull feast.

But a great trip with my oldest.

Do you think Alex will go with me next year??

I hope so.

-------------------------

this post is dedicated to my non-Facebook friends! Photos posted earlier on FB but just didn't take time to do a post!!!

A Banner Day

2010-06-22T19:54:00.013-04:00

The day dawned bright and clear….the typical summer day here in the south. What to do, what to do?

Usually, our routine is eat, pool, home, eat, read/play, eat, read/tv, and bed. I love summer!

But today was slightly different. Today, I got to register my last child for kindergarten!

I know some of you are just sending your first one off to school and are teary-eyed about it. I was too….fourteen years ago when the oldest started kindergarten.

But this time??

If you listen closely, you can probably hear the cheering all the way from your house. Seriously.

And, now I will have both girls in the same school in the fall! One stop shopping.

After my quick registration, since I was so well organized (ha----so organized that I couldn’t locate Abby’s SS card and had to order another one), I had time to do lovely fun grocery shopping and hit the library.

You see, summer is here so I can read a book every other day or so. And since I’m heading to the beach with Katie on Saturday, I needed lots of words to read!

My kids think I’m crazy…..but I don’t care.

Now, if we don't hit the pool in the morning, we don't go at all because it is too hot. Yes, too hot to swim. So.....we had lunch and then a bribe.

“If you clean the playroom very fast, I will give you a surprise.”

Whoo hoo!

Fast cleaning, although a bit odd….not sure why there is so much nudity in the Barbie house.

And we were off for

and

so the girls could spend their Christmas money.

Yes, I know it is June, thank you very much.

Home to play with the new Polly Pocket toys while mom got to read.

Dinner of homemade pizza

rounded out our day.

A banner day for sure.

If you don’t count the teen drama.

The Signs are Here

2010-06-20T20:47:00.005-04:00

So the other day, I went in for my annual eye exam already anticipating the outcome. I walked in telling the doctor. I knew what was going to happen.

Yep.

I could benefit from reading glasses.

Can you hear my husband chuckling in the background? If so, you have my permission to slap him. At least I admitted upfront that I needed reading glasses. He’s been in denial for two years.

During dinner tonight, we were chatting about the (gulp) glasses thing and where best to find them.

Turns out, the best selection is at the pharmacy.

Who knew?

And, at the pharmacy, you can also participate in other fun activities that remind you of your age.

Things such as checking your blood pressure. Whoo hoo!

Or, how about this one? Checking out the Dr. Scholl’s cool thingy that tells you how bad your feet are and which insoles to buy.

Not to mention all the shelves full of pain meds, vitamins, and bone and joint pills.

There are lots more, I’m sure. I just stopped looking.

After all, I am only 43.

I may need reading glasses and insoles but I’m not old.

Right?

Just nod your head and agree with me.

Babies....

2010-06-17T20:32:00.006-04:00

Oh aren’t they so sweet? Those soft, cuddly little creatures that everyone loves to snuggle. They smell so yummy and make you squeeze them tightly.

Yet are the same little people who cry all night and make us crazy.

I know what you are wondering……

Is there a baby in our future?

Absolutely NOT!

But the questions have started….

You know the ones I mean.

How does a baby get in your tummy?

How does it come out?

And fun things like that.

But I love how the question was phrased to me tonight….

Mommy, how does a baby get in your tummy that is born in a State (instead of China)?

You see, the savvy six year old knows that her sister was born in Georgia and her brother in Pennsylvania, yet she and her sister were born in China.

She knows she was not in my tummy. But Alex and Katie???

How does that happen??

So I told her the biological truth.

Which greatly disturbed the other members of the family.

Oh well.

The Time Has Come

2010-06-15T21:15:00.004-04:00

Oh my. What a title. What could this mean?

Maybe…I need reading glasses. (yep)

Maybe….my son is a dope and spent a thunderstorm sitting under a metal framed umbrella at the pool? (yep)

Maybe….I lost Abby’s social security card and can’t register her for kindergarten. (yep)

Nope. All of those are true but not my topic “du jour”.

The time has come for mommy to have a break.

I realized about a month ago that I have not spent more than 24 hours apart from my children in over seven years. (and that was only twice)

Seven years.

Seven gloriously wonderful years.

But come on, y’all.

I need a break!

What to do, what to do.

Time to plan a girls trip. So who do I invite?

My big girl who is also in need of a diversion. You see, The Boyfriend is in Alaska playing baseball for the summer. With the time change, it’s hard for them to talk. Toss in 8 hour work days….and she needs to get away too.

So she and I are headed to Jacksonville Beach in less than two weeks. Oceanfront, food within walking distance, and my aunt right in town.

Whoo hoo!

(side note….I asked Alex too but he declined)

I am so looking forward to getting away.

Time to chill with a book, take naps when I want to, eat meals uninterrupted, sleep late (like that’s going to happen!), and try not to feel guilty about abandoning my kids.

I am already feeling the guilt.

If I told the girls where Katie and I were headed, they’d freak.

Yes, they love staying with daddy and Alex. But….beach? They love the beach.

So, we are saying Katie and mommy are taking a college trip.

Maybe they’ll buy that.

Doubt it. But I can try.

And maybe I can make it up later in the summer when the oil leaves Gulf Shores....

Are They Sisters?

2010-06-12T20:33:00.004-04:00

Tonight the big kids ditched us for more exciting adventures. So we took the little ones on an adventure too….a Japanese hibachi grill.

Unlike most Japanese restaurants, this particular one employs people of all races and nationalities. So don’t expect a Japanese cook or server ‘cause it may not happen!

On a side note and amazingly enough…..there were no tears this time when the fire was lit! Yay for us.

Well, one of the college aged servers approached us to ask about the girls. Where are they from? Are they sisters (meaning…biological)? How long have they been here? Did they speak Mandarin?

I never mind these questions when I know someone is truly interested and is not being malicious. I will admit though that it’s getting harder to answer when little ears are listening. Not sure how I’m going to handle this as they get older….(hint hint to those who have been there!)

Anyhow, this employee happened to be Chinese herself from a province near where both little ones were born so I understood her curiosity.

On the drive home, I started thinking about the question, “are they sisters?”

Well, they…

alternate fighting and playing well every two minutes

finish each others sentences and thoughts

can interpret for the other

create long, elaborate games that never seem to end

sit and watch Barbie movies for hours at a time

love to drag out art supplies to use their imagination

wreak havoc together on a daily basis

have perfected the whine of each others names

tattle on each other relentlessly

and so many other things.

So you tell me…..

Are they sisters?

The Errand Boy

2010-06-10T20:42:00.007-04:00

Ah, errands. A lovely addition to a mother’s day.

Right.

Like I enjoy hauling my girls out to buy groceries or other necessities of life. Or having to run out just before dinner to pick up one more item that I forgot.

And that is not a rarity, I promise.

Well, I have myself a new errand boy. Yay me!

Alex met up with the DMV today with a positive outcome.

(a plug here for The Girlfriend who kept the double trouble duo happy when we were gone much longer than planned....)

I now have two licensed drivers which translates to two more reasons to worry.

And two more reasons to let me pass off the debit card and make up for my forgetfulness.

Whoo hoo!

But now that means we are into sharing vehicles….which I am told is impossible.

Hmmm. We managed to do it as teens but evidently life is different now.

I will admit that I hate to give up my own vehicle in case I need it. Or in case it gets wrecked. Or in case….well, I don’t know. I’m just possessive, I guess.

Yes, they have to share one car. A small, little, reliable, car.

But hold on now….

The Boyfriend is out of town for the summer. Which means his truck is sitting idle at home.

So he and his parents have offered Katie the truck for the summer to help with the “issues”.

How sweet!

Imagine this

parked next to this

Doesn’t it just make you laugh??

Imagination Run-Amok

2010-06-08T17:49:00.001-04:00

My double trouble duo is out
of school for the summer. And stuck with cranky, old mom.

To make the days pass faster, they pull out the old “creativity” trick.

And yes, they can be quite imaginative.

Here’s a sampling of our first few days home:

Digging for bugs and making little homes for them. Of course, they got rather miffed when they went to check on the buggy friends only to find they had walked off. Huh. Imagine that.

Re-enacting “Barbie in A Mermaid Tale” at the pool. I was just thankful no one was nearby to hear the constant dialogue.

Pretending to be the puppy next door….complete with barking. Fun, fun.

Lots of paper, scissors, and glue to create a much needed object to haul around the house pulled by a string. Lovely.

Making kites out of construction paper to “fly” in the wind. Uh huh.

Dance parties in the bedroom which involves jumping off the bed…and for some reason, they are always shocked when I bust them at it. Like I can’t hear the pounding of feet above my head.

Playing dodge ball with stuffed animals…(I hide those toys for a reason)

But today’s creativity took the cake…

The duo was off playing in the house. I could hear snippets of conversation but hadn’t quite gotten the gist of the story line ‘du jour’.

Abby silently appeared in front of me and said,

“I am a pirate and Anna is a puppy.”

Don’t ask me why a pirate and puppy would go together but it did…

And then I heard the next words,

“Can she lick me for real?”

Yuck!

16 Candles....

2010-06-04T21:53:00.007-04:00

Ah. Do you remember turning 16? Excited to get your license, perhaps a huge party, or something else equally cool?

Hmm…..I don’t remember doing any of that. I don’t even remember turning 16.

Yes, I must be that old. Seems to be a theme lately. Not a good sign.

When Katie turned 16, we had a huge party with lots of friends. Toss in the St. Patrick’s Day birthday, and it was definitely a big thing.

Let’s just say the adults participated in the theme in their own way. Ahem.

Alex turned 16 today. I can’t believe it.

We are now headed toward another driver (do I hear a yay and an oh my), one step closer to leaving the house, and one more reason for mom to feel over the hill.

He did not want a party. So….that money was put toward his present.

The kid is musically talented. It just amazes me. He can pick up an instrument and begin to pick a tune rather quickly.

So, he asked for a keyboard.

Uh…..we have a piano.

But mom, I can’t take that to my room.

Very true, very true.

The gift…..

as well as a buffet dinner at Golden Corral per request (ugh)

and cake at home

with family,

as well as the sister with the missing boyfriend playing baseball in Alaska,

and The Girlfriend

rounded out his day.

Happy 16th Birthday Alex!!!

(I won’t embarrass you and say anything else….)

Dear Santa...

2010-06-01T20:37:00.003-04:00

Santa? In June?

We really do know how to read a calendar, I promise.

Tonight we had dinner with The Boyfriend, aka Catlan, before he embarks on his newest adventure.

You see, he heads off to Alaska in two days to play summer college ball with a team in Anchorage.

Alaksa for summer baseball. Who’d a thunk it?

Daddy had the girls convinced Catlan was going to live in an igloo and pet the polar bears. They were totally buying it until……mommy intervened.

Can’t have them believing that, can we?

But in the midst of our conversations about the big adventure, Catlan happened to mention his side trips. Things like the pipeline, glaciers, and Santa’s Workshop.

Santa’s Workshop?

Oh my. Little ears perked up immediately.

And the lists came out. “Catlan, tell Santa I want….”

I am thinking Santa does not need a Christmas list in June.

But along the same subject, I just started our 2009 Christmas letter.

Yes, you read that correctly. 2009.

Yes, six months too late.

Or maybe it’s six months too early.

Yeah, that’s it.

Go with me on this one.

A New Era

2010-05-28T20:52:00.006-04:00

Last night was Pre-K graduation for Abby. Considering the fact that she dislikes being in front of large groups, I wondered how she would do.

My fears were unfounded.

During the first song, I saw this….

and she continued to smile and sing the entire time.

Whew.

Cap and gown time for diplomas was precious.

I just love this picture! My nephew said I need to save it and show it to her at college graduation. I just may do that.

Her teachers are the most amazingly awesome and patient people. Miss Jenn and Mrs. Pat must be since they’ve survived both my girls.

After ending the evening with cake,

we headed home to bed. Mommy was tired.

So after fifteen years of having kids in school, I can officially say……we have attended our last Pre-K graduation!

One would think I’d be sad. Or think of this as a bittersweet moment.

Nope.

I was psyched!

Last year was sad with Katie graduating from high school and Anna Grace graduating from kindergarten. But this year?

Pure glee.

The kids are all growing older, becoming more independent, and turning into the people we, as parents, strive for.

But I will still be the oldest mom in their class.

Oh well.