La Dee Flippin' Da

Elfin' Cool

2008-12-07T08:43:00.001-06:00

More than enough - Recovery

2008-12-02T08:45:00.004-06:00

Mike is doing much better than he was even a month ago. He had an exploratory surgery mid-October that showed he didn't have any major damage in his knee, which is where he was experiencing a lot of pain during physical therapy. It took him about a month to recover from the surgery and then the doctors took away his cane and recommended he push through the pain. He's on his feet with no assistance but he won't be running anytime soon.

There has been talk of putting some army gear on him in the next few months to see how he can support the weight. His job requires him to carry a heavy (sometimes 75lb) rucksack, along with a gun and other gear. The weight on his injured leg may be too much for him to continue his career path, which is fine by me. I'd love to see him behind a desk, even though I know he'd be miserable. As a family, I think we've had enough of the long deployments and close calls.

Like I mentioned before, physically, his recovery has been amazing. It's hard to believe that just 9 months ago he was in a hospital bed for a month and we had no idea what the future would hold. Today, I'm able to watch him walk around (albeit with a little limp in his step) and do almost everything he was able to do before the injury. God has blessed us beyond what we ever imagined. So, I don't have a hard time believing that God will also help to heal our broken spirits. That process has already begun.

Obsessive much

2008-11-30T20:32:00.005-06:00

OK. So, I have this problem. I can be a tad bit obsessive. I do it with many things in my life. I love The Sims2 PC game. I love it so much that I have every expansion pack ever created and I belong to a few online groups (bowing head in shame). I might play for a few weeks straight. It gets to the point where I have a hard time leaving the house because I need to make sure the current young adult Sim I'm playing graduates from college successfully while maintaining all 25 of her best friend relationships. I know. Sad. But then, I snap out of it and I go about my real life, completely putting aside the simulated ones.

I've done this with a number of things in my life. I know it's probably extremely unhealthy. Anyway, my latest obsession...Twilight. I never imagined I'd even want to read the series much less be obsessed with them. I can't get enough. I happily finished the first book in a couple of days, mostly because I was trying to be responsible and study in between reading chapters. I wanted to read it so I could see the movie opening night with my friend. Mission accomplished. I fell in love with the characters even more after watching the movie. Even though, the movie can't even begin to touch the excellence of the book.

So, I borrow the second book in the series, New Moon. I devour it in a matter of a day. I couldn't put it down. It helped that the day out was gloomy and the family was lounging around anyway, which gave me the perfect excuse to waste my day reading. After finishing New Moon, I couldn't sit still, I needed to get the third book, Eclipse. I merely wanted to have it on hand, "so I could read a chapter here and there" is what I kept telling myself and my wonderful sympathetic husband. Ya know, in between laundry and studying.

I'm not sure Mike quite understands my obsessions but I'm sure his love for me is blind because he took pity on me and drove me around town trying to track down the book. It was out of stock every where we went. I was just about to give up hope, when I noticed the Kmart, "Does anyone really shop there? I bet they'll have it. Let's try there." Mike and the kids drop me off at the door before parking to wait. Instead of aimlessly wandering around the Kmart in search of the book section, I ask a sales associate who points me in the right direction.

It was all I had in me not to sprint across the store. As I approached the book section, which was a one rack display with books on both sides but smaller than my bookshelf at home, I begin to prepare myself for the let down. I decided to go ahead and check. I circled the little book display not seeing anything worth purchasing and began to accept defeat, when THERE IT WAS. The thick 629 page book and its black cover are donning the torn red ribbon majestically. It was out of place and the only book there written by Stephenie Meyer. I stopped breathing for a second and smile from ear to ear. I wanted to jump up and down squealing in delight but I contained myself. The book could have had dog poop smeared on it and I would have gladly still purchased it, along with some Clorox wipes, of course.

Obsessed is putting it mildly.

One Word

2008-11-29T08:43:00.002-06:00

These are fun. I don't really have many blogger friends to tag. So, if you read this and your interested, feel free to snag it. Just be sure to leave me a comment so I can read yours. ;o)

TYPE ONLY 1 WORD.
1. Where is your cell phone? desk
2. Your significant other? loving
3. Your hair? ponytail
4. Your mother? cancer
5. Your father? dorky
6. Your favorite thing? socks
7. Your dream last night? nothing
8. Your favorite drink? coffee
9. Your dream/goal? contentment
10. The room you're in? living
11. Your fear? loss
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? graduated
13. Where were you last night? dining
14. What you're not? heartless
15. Muffins? cupcakes
16. One of your wish list items: book
17. Where you grew up. Louisiana
18. The last shopping you did? Christmas
1 9. What are you wearing? pajamas
20. Your TV? off
21. Your pet? love
22. Your computer? purple
23. Your life? blessed
24. Lost any Emails? unsure
25. Missing someone? yes
26. Your car? dirty
27. Something you're not wearing? make-up
28. Favorite Store? AE
29. Your summer? awesome
30. Your favorite color? pink
31. When is the last time you laughed? today
32. Last time you cried? 24th

Now it's 4 answers
34. FOUR PEOPLE WHO E-MAIL ME: Theresa, Bridget, Nancy, Andrea
35. FOUR OF MY FAVORITE FOODS: popcorn, chicken, tacos, sweet potatoes
36. FOUR PLACES I WOULD RATHER BE RIGHT NOW? bed, Indiana, Hawaii, Germany
37. FOUR PEOPLE I THINK WILL RESPOND. Cheri, Stephanie, Laura, and You :o)

Black Friday

2008-11-28T03:36:00.004-06:00

Yes, I woke up at 3am to go shopping. What am I thinking? I don't think I'm as dedicated to the whole Black Friday thing considering I'm still in my pjs at the computer reading other people's blogs and blogging. It's just very rare that it's so quiet in the house. It's lovely. I might try the waking up early thing another day but maybe not so early next time. Well, I'm off to join in the madness at the shops. Wish me God speed. I'll need it.

More than Enough Part 2: Graphic Image

2008-11-27T08:41:00.002-06:00

I don't think I need to tell you all what I'm thankful for this Thanksgiving. But I will. I'm so very thankful and humbled by the fact that I have my family together this Thanksgiving. My husband is home and going to get stuffed on ham, stuffing and green rice. My brother is here with his girlfriend and my precious niece. So much to be thankful for today.

The following was an entry on my caring bridge journal:

MONDAY, MARCH 24, 2008 08:01 AM
When Mike had his surgery last week, the surgeons had to lay him face down in order to get to the artery in the back of his knee. Fluid built up in his face and when we saw him the next day he looked like Jay Leno's twin. The swelling has gone down but now he has a huge blister on his chin that is oozing something we won't discuss in great detail.

Yesterday, Mike's mom made a nice Easter dinner and brought it to the hospital for me, Mike and the kids to enjoy. Something was mentioned about Mike's chin and Job wanted to know what happened. The following is the conversation that took place.

Job: Yeah Dad, what happened to your chin?

Mike: Well, when I had surgery the other day the doctors had to roll me on my belly and I was face down on the table...(he continues explaining for what seemed like way too long to Job.)

Job: (brief silence as if he's going to say something about it, then he asks...) Can I have another piece of ham?

Mike: Well, at least they still have their appetites.

Having the kids here definitely makes life sweeter. Mike is still able to smile through all the pain and the kids are able to see that daddy is going to be OK. I won't lie and say it's a piece of cake. Things have been tough. I think it's important for me to give a good report here, but the reality of the matter is that Mike hasn't gotten out of the hospital bed since March 4, with the exception of sliding into a hospital chair or onto some sort of medical contraption.

I keep hearing that 'he's going to make a 100% recovery' and 'he's healing nicely,' and 'you'll be home in no time.' Of course, no one has mentioned whether or not that will be before or after he's able to walk again. Mike doesn't complain. I think I do enough of that for both of us. He wants to go home and that's all he's concentrating on. I want him to do all the things he did before the incident and that's all I'm focusing on.

When Mike signed his name on the line to enter a life of service to the government, no one had to mention the price he was about to pay. He knew. I knew. Yet, we certainly weren't prepared for any of this. Many have mentioned how lucky Mike was to come out of this alive, but I don't consider it luck at all. Contrary to what some may think, God is still very much a part of our lives. It's taken me years to realize that bad things still happen to God's children and not because they deserve it or because they're living in sin (insert eye roll) but because we need to experience even the most horrid of tragedies in order to be there for one another.

I certainly can't own this tragedy. This is Mike's tragedy. He experienced it. He's living it. I'm simply going to be there for him while he's going through it. I appreciate all of you out there, who are thinking of him and aching for him. Even though, you can't be here with him, you're still there for him and his knowing that is making the road to recovery a lot less bumpy.

Mike's leg after partial closure of fasciotomy. March 2008.

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

More than enough.

2008-11-23T00:34:00.007-06:00

November is the month of Thanksgiving. December is Christmas and January brings with it a new year. I love the end of the year. Not only does it give me a good reason to wear adorable scarves and comfy sweaters, but I'm also able to put the crud of the old year behind me and start anew. This year has been rough for a number of reasons. I'll share.

Reason #1: The biggest doozie of them all. My husband was injured while serving in Iraq. It's something that was life changing and covers us like a soggy wet blanket. Things are getting better, but the reality of how fragile we are smacked my family in the face this year and it's going to take awhile (who knows how long) to recover. My husband is recovery well physically. Emotionally? We're all still working on that part. Fortunately together.

This picture was taken at Walter Reed March 2008

I kept a journal on Caring Bridge and I thought I'd share some of it here. Most of the entries were emails sent to family and friends to update them on how Mike was doing after he was injured.

Tues. March 4, 2008 10:18pm
I'm not sure that all of you know the following information, but most of you do. I apologize for the abruptness of this email if you haven't heard. I wasn't able to call everyone. Mike was injured yesterday morning by a roadside bomb in Iraq. He was on foot, so his leg sustained most of the injury. He did have surgery almost immediately after the incident and they removed ~~all of the shrapnel~~(I was misinformed. He still has shrapnel throughout his body, but they did remove the stuff that was going to cause problems with veins and arteries). Most of the damage was to his veins in his left leg. Since that surgery, he has stabilized and moved to a hospital in Germany.

I was able to speak with him a couple of hours ago and he sounded in good spirits, considering. He has yet to walk on the injured leg and at this time we're not certain how long recovery will take but the doctor said he should make a full recovery. He did sustain injuries to his head and face, and he has stitches that will leave scarring. The doctor informed us that he will be flying out of Germany and heading to Walter Reed hospital on Friday. We're not certain at this time how long his stay will be there.

From Walter Reed he will travel back here to Fort Campbell, where he'll be in the hospital for an unknown duration. He will more than likely have many doctors appointments and much physical therapy, as well as counseling for himself and the family. Please keep us in your prayers. We're grateful for all the many prayers you've already said in our behalf. I'll try to keep you updated the best I can.

Thurs. March 6, 2008 10:21pm
Some of you may or may not have received my first email. If some of this information is repeat, I apologize. As you know, Mike was injured by a roadside bomb on Tuesday morning (our time). He is currently at Landstuhl Regional Hospital in Germany. He mentioned that the staff at Landstuhl are treating him like gold. He's in very good hands. He is tentatively scheduled to fly to Walter Reed in Washington D.C. tomorrow. When I spoke to him this morning, he sounded much better. The doctors have removed him from oxygen, which is a good sign considering most of his major injuries are vascular. Right now, he's in stable condition and his vitals are good. He is still listed as Seriously Injured and will remain in ICU. The army will make arrangements to fly me to Walter Reed as soon as he is on the plane from Germany. At this time, things could still change with his travels and mine, but I'll keep you all updated by email on his status. Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers. I've mentioned to Mike how concerned you all are and it has definitely lifted his spirits to know that you all care and love him. Thank you all so much.

Friday, March 07, 2008 10:22pm

I thought I would send a quick email to let you all know that I'll be flying out of Nashville this afternoon. Mike left Germany this morning and will arrive at Walter Reed this afternoon. I haven't spoken to him since last night but he was anxious to get back home. I'm not certain at this time how long I will be staying there with him, but my ticket is open ended. Job and Belle are staying with a friend here at Ft Campbell until I return. There are many things that are unknown to us right now and we covet your prayers. Thank you all so much for your caring words and loving thoughts. Hopefully, I'll be able to give you all good news before the weekend is out.

Needless to say, the four days I had to wait before I could get to where he was were the most emotional moments of my life. I suppose I hoped that I'd forget most of those moments. I haven't.

More to come. Along with Reason #2.

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

HSM3

2008-11-08T17:35:00.006-06:00

I just have to blog about it! I can't believe I didn't go see it sooner. I took my daughter to see it today. Words can't begin to explain the expression on her face when I told her we were going to the movie theater to see it. She immediately wanted to call all of her friends to invite them with us. She's really sweet like that. So, we did. We called Mrs. Stephanie (because we knew she'd love it!) and Mrs. Cheri and Savana.

My favorite part was Belle trying to contain herself in her seat when she wanted to get up to dance and sing along with the movie. We should have, but there were people sitting behind us.

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

Update: I just realized how creepy I look in that picture. Conversation with 9year old...
Me: Do I look creepy in that picture?
Job: With the red eyes...you look kind of like a vampire.

Living in LaLa Land

2008-10-30T14:04:00.001-06:00

I don't want to grow up. I have bills, laundry, and meals to prepare. I have boo-boos to mend, and beds to make. Dishes to wash and a yard to mow. But more than anything I'd rather draw pictures on the pavement with side walk chalk and play hop scotch. I want to chase the ice cream truck down for a cherry screwball. I want to jump on a bike and pretend that it's a chariot whisking me away to a new kingdom that only I am able to rule. I want to twirl around in a flowing skirt to the sound of birds singing, until puking snaps me back to reality.

I wrote that almost 2 years ago. I didn't publish it. Probably because it wasn't a finished thought. I was obviously stressed out and not wanting to deal with the responsibilities of life in that moment. Reading it again, sounds like lots of fun. But my perspective has changed a bit. It's a little less selfish maybe. Now I'd rather make sure my children experience all of those things. At least in this moment, I want to make sure that their days aren't filled with homework, tasks and obligations. It's still I Have Wonderful Kids Awareness Month and I suppose I just needed a reminder that in the midst of all the chores and studying, I need to take a moment to teach them how to enjoy life. I need to let them visit LaLa Land every now and again.

Pumpkin Patch cupcakes

2008-10-24T15:14:00.004-06:00

I told my son last week that I'd make cupcakes to bring to his class for his birthday. Since his birthday fell on fall break week, we brought them today. So he's flipping through one of my cupcake books the other day and says to me, "Mom, if the werewolf cupcakes were too hard to make you can always make these." (pointing to the picture of the pumpkin patch cupcakes in the book) "Really?" I say. Then he continues, "But if you think those will be too hard for you too, then you can just make them plain." Oh no, you didn't kid! Did you just challenge your mother? Yes, I think he did. So, I made pumpkin patch cupcakes.

Some of his classmates were disappointment because I only managed to have time to make a dozen pumpkins. I underestimated how much time it would take to make them. Some of his classmates had to deal with plain old orange cupcakes with sprinkles. No fun at all. But they seemed to gobble them up just as quickly.

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

Spooky. Scary.

2008-10-19T16:31:00.005-06:00

Werewolf cupcakes!

The kid loved his werewolf cupcakes. Super easy to make, but time consuming. I really want to make them for his class, but I have to seriously think about it before I commit. The ears and snout are marshmallows, cut and shaped. The eyes are m&ms, the nose is a chocolate covered raisin and the mouth is a fruit roll-up. My son couldn't even finish it because it was so sweet. So fun. If you're interested in making your own werewolf cupcakes, you can find the recipe in this book.

6 dozen cupcakes

2008-10-18T07:53:00.005-06:00

I made cupcakes late last night or early this morning, depending on how you look at it. A really nice person asked me to make them for a baby shower that she's giving her friend. I can't even begin to tell you how excited I was. I adore making cupcakes. I just didn't realize until last night, I was in way over my head. She picked this simple style and asked for pink and brown, the color scheme of the baby shower. "Of Course!" I say. "Easy Peasy," I say. Well, I certainly learned I have a lot to learn. It's one thing making a few dozen cupcakes to share with your husband's co-workers, or friends. It's entirely another thing to make them for a baby shower. For a precious little baby arriving. I just really wanted them to be perfect.

And now it's back to the kitchen aid mixer. My son's birthday is today and I'm making him some fabulously spooky cupcakes. He wants werewolf cupcakes and it IS his birthday. I may need a nap later.

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

A few things that made me smile this week.

2008-10-16T11:48:00.008-06:00

In the months that we've had our little yorkie-poo, Duke, our cat, Jinxy, has hated every second of his presence. The fact that Jinxy would stop hissing for even a moment to lick the top of Duke's head was either a sign of affection and coming to terms with their living arrangements or Duke just really needed a bath. Either way, it made me smile.

My husband. How can this picture not make me smile. :o)

This made a few people laugh out loud today. My husband is in bed after having surgery yesterday, but I had to leave him home alone with the kids, who are home for fall break, because I had class. I didn't just have class. I had two exams. Anyway, this was a little tidbit of what I came home to. Inventive and organized, I'd say. Obviously, what else would magnetic chip clips be made for.

Amazing

2008-10-08T18:56:00.001-06:00

I just had to share this!

Lasagna and Laughs

2008-10-07T20:02:00.003-06:00

I've been studying non-stop for 3 days. I'm not sure that I've retained much information but I'm positive that I'll at least recognize everything on the exam. Yesterday I decided we needed a break from chicken nuggets, so I was going to make lasagna. I finally got around to making it this evening and it was scrumptious. Mike even sat at the table with us. (Some days just do him in and he needs to keep his leg up, which usually means he's laying on the couch eating his dinner.) It was a good night. We conversed. The kids laughed until they threw up their lasagna. Good times.

Me: I forgot it was picture day.

Mike: Great! What'd the kids wear today?

Job: I wore a green shirt.

Belle: I wore this shirt.

Me: They're lucky they had their hair combed before school.

Belle: We looked like nerds. We were cupcakes!

Mike: Honey, I think you mean rag o' muffins.

Belle: Yeah!

Laughing begins. Job has to rush to the toilet. Laughter increases. Belle may need CPR. She's laughing so hard she can't breath. Mike and I just look at each other and grin.

Friends

2008-10-02T06:12:00.004-06:00

This is Belle's Best Friend, Khloe. Kloe's last day of school was yesterday. She's moving. Belle was so sad the day she found out, she came home in tears. We baked Khloe cupcakes and made her a card. I found out that Khloe is simply moving to another elementary school. So, they won't be in the same class anymore, which was a devastating reality for the girls, but they can still see each other from time to time. I love it that Belle loves her friends.

I Have Wonderful Kids Awareness Month

2008-09-30T18:28:00.003-06:00

With papers to write for school, midterms approaching, laundry to fold, meals to make, and dishes to scrub, I don't take enough time to get to know my kids. Mike and I get so many compliments about them from family, friends, and teachers. Everyone just loves a good dose of Job and Belle. They really are spectacular. I don't tell them nearly enough how wonderful they are. So, I'm declaring the month of October I Have Wonderful Kids Awareness Month.

10 Things I already know about Job
1. He's a Star Wars freak
2. He loves to blow bubbles with his gum
3. His favorite food is pizza
4. His lowest grade is a 92 average in his least favorite subject, Math
5. He loves creole seasoning on all his food (probably genetic)
6. He makes noises when he pretend fights causing spit to fly everywhere but he's totally in the zone
7. He can draw like nobody's business (at least for an 8 year old)
8. He has my dimples
9. He has his dad's sense of humor
10. He really does love his little sister, even though she pesters him

10 Things I already know about Belle
1. Her favorite color is pink
2. She can't sleep without a story before bed
3. She loves to sing, even in the middle of Wal-mart
4. Her heart is bigger than she realizes
5. She loves sweets
6. She looks like her dad with longer hair
7. She's reading like a pro even though she's seeing a speech therapist
8. She has to bring a purse with her everywhere she goes
9. She doesn't like seeing others sad or in pain
10. She really does love her big brother, even though she pesters him

Small World

2008-09-15T13:58:00.000-06:00

It always amazes me how small the world really is. I can meet someone in the ER at the hospital and a week later discover they live down the street from me and we attend the same aerobics class. That didn't happen, but you get my point.

Anyway, a few weeks back Mike and I went for sushi at a restaurant we frequent in town. Me being the weirdo that I am, whipped out my camera to take a picture. I just appreciate a nice looking plate of sushi. The sushi chef (I'm assuming that's what he was) asked for the plate back. When he gave it back to us it was nicely decorated with some greenery. Then he passed me another plate with two extra shrimp and said it was nice that I appreciated sushi decoration.

Today as I'm leaving microbiology lecture I hear someone say "Hey, did you get sushi a few weeks back and take pictures?" I look over and it's the sushi chef. We're in the same class. So, this may not seem all that weird, at least not compared to the fact that I had his picture, but this kind of thing has been happening to me a lot lately.

My lil' baker

2008-07-31T20:21:00.000-06:00

Today I let my six year old try her hand at baking some cupcakes. She had the most fun! Awhile back I bought a cupcake cookbook that was loaded with simple tips on cupcake baking. One of the tips I never fail to use. The book suggested a ziploc bag to fill the cupcake liners with cake batter. I showed my daughter this technique and she did an excellent job.

Leave it to me to mess up her fun. When I took her little minis out of the oven, I accidentally hit my hand on the hot oven door and when I jumped her cupcakes flew everywhere. One landed on the bottom of the oven and caught fire. It was a bit traumatic but we were able to salvage two of her minis for decorating.

I found this child size cupcake baking kit at Cracker Barrel. I spotted it awhile back and recently they placed all their cupcake deco on clearance. I usually have a hard time resisting anything so darn cute. I'm just glad she enjoys baking. From now on I think I'll be putting her to work in the kitchen. :)

Too Sweet!

2008-05-15T18:24:00.000-06:00

I have no clue what's possessed me with this insatiable urge to bake cupcakes. Little sugar demons? Possibly. I picked up this wonderful cupcake book after eyeballing it at my friend Bridget's house a couple weeks back. She said she bought it because not only did the recipes look easy but the outcome was adorable as well. She was right. Hello, Cupcake! I love it! The kids and I are going to make some silly faces next week. I'm sure I'll try my hand at the spaghetti and meatballs soon too.

Today I learn...

2008-04-22T18:25:00.006-06:00

...to appreciate time.

I shamefully admit that I deny my child the right to ride her bike on a warm spring day. This is not something that I like about myself. Since last summer I've had to explain to her that she couldn't ride her bike because it needed air in the tires. During the winter months, I could always use the weather as an excuse to keep from having to sit out in my front lawn to watch her ride her bike in circles around the cul de sac. Sitting out in the front lawn is not high on the priority list of things to do in my day. For her birthday, she got a brand new purple stream wearing, water bottle sportin', flower spindle decor Princess bicycle. Yes, that is a lot of adjectives.

The temperature got to 80 degrees today, so I prepared myself for her pleas. As soon as she stepped off the bus, she was ready to ride. I got out the "slow kids playing" sign and pulled a patio chair to the front yard. I decided I would take the opportunity to read. I was just complaining that I don't get to do enough reading. After all, my six year old is fully capable of pedaling her bike without me staring at her every muscle contracting as she rides. Yes, I used to be that neurotic. I've calmed down slightly.

I became so engrossed in my book that I hardly noticed my butt throbbing in pain from the numbness. I didn't think about what time it was. For 2 solid hours, as I listened to both of my children play racing games in the distance, I sat and read. I drank every word. The only thing that could have made it better was a lemonade with a little paper umbrella. The sunsets' warm rays beating against my leg brought me back to reality. I placed the bookmark in my book, pulled my chair back to the deck and called the kids to put their bikes away. It was time for dinner and baths. I've made a date with my book for Thursday. My daughter will be elated.

2008-04-19T08:04:00.005-06:00

I woke up this morning and decided that I wasn't using my life properly. It just seems so much of it is a complete waste. I love to read, so why don't I read more? I love to write, so why don't I write more? I love taking pictures, so why don't I? I'm wasting so many moments and not showing enough love.

Recently, my family was turned upside down by a tragic event. And even though it happened over a month ago and things are on the mend, I'm just now realizing how fragile our lives really are. I never want to imagine that the ones dearest to my heart can be gone in a blink, but it can happen. I feel fortunate that it didn't but it was too close for comfort.

On March 4, my husband was hit by an IED while deployed to Iraq. ~~I don't write much about us being a military family on my blog.~~ Scratch that. I usually don't like to write about it, but I certainly have more this deployment. I think I try to pretend we aren't. When my husband and I got married 10 years ago, the military was not going to be part of our futures. After having our children he signed and we moved here to Fort Campbell. My eight year old has been able to identify the types of helicopters flying overhead since he was four. My daughter was a year old when we moved here and has watched her father come and go from year long deployments all her little life. We are the epitome of an army family, whether I like to admit it or not.

My husband is doing well now. He spent a month at Walter Reed getting his leg worked on and shrapnel removed from his body. He'll make a 100% recovery after months of physical therapy. But he is still here with us. He's sleeping in on this cloudy Saturday morning. I'm fortunate that at any moment I can get up from my computer and walk to my bedroom and kiss him on the cheek. My life was shaken but it wasn't taken away. For that, I am thankful and reflective. I am ready to stop wasting my days.

My Valentine

2008-02-14T15:50:00.000-06:00

Today sucks. It's really just an over advertised hallmark holiday. Yet, somehow everyone freaks out. Bah Humbug!

Alright, so I'm a little jaded. I would love to have my special someone coming home from work with a card and flowers he stopped to pick up at the last minute, but instead I'm writing a stupid blog about how much today sucks.

Oh yeah, and my flowers that were supposed to be delivered after 2, aren't here yet. Poor guy can't even surprise me because he's in Iraq and I have all his money. lol

I love you, Mike.

Two Months Later

2008-01-25T15:20:00.006-06:00

I realized the other day that I had a blog just sitting on the internets. I should visit more often. I should do a lot of things more often. Like for instance, cook. I don't cook much anymore. I don't really do much of anything lately, other than go to class and wait for the kids to get off the bus. Life at its most mundane.

So, the presidential election is coming up. Yep. That's really all I have to say about that.

I don't really watch sports.

How about a picture....

This was taken when Mike came home for leave. He was here for 3 weeks, which felt like 3 minutes. He's now back in Iraq getting shot at and losing his friends to roadside bombs and small arms fire. I don't mention that in a cavalier way at all. It's not good there folks. Please pray for our troops.

The kids are getting big and smarter. Much smarter than me. They totally kick my butt on the Wii. I should practice while they're at school. I'm losing my cool mom status. Come to think of it, I don't think they've ever thought I was cool.

Thanks to SincerePhotography for taking the shot of my kids.

Veteran's Day

2007-11-12T09:53:00.000-06:00

Today, on Veteran's Day, my husband is attending a memorial service in Iraq because they lost a soldier a few days ago.

Most days I don't allow myself to think about where my husband is and what he's doing. I know, this sounds heartless. In my situation there's a fine line. I love my husband deeply, but to stay sane I do have to become heartless. I pray for him often but I can't torture myself with the thoughts of him never returning to us. Unfortunately, that's our reality.

I've heard the statement, "I just don't know how you do it" too many times to count. I think other army wives/spouses would agree that we do it the best way we can. For some of us, it's switching off emotion, for others it's immersing in the news. Some have just been at this for so long, it's old hat. Maybe, I need a pep talk from a military spouse 'veteran'.

We shouldn't forget about them today. All those wonderful women/men who kept their chins up day to day and pushed through the loneliness waiting for their soldiers to come home. They've been among us during every war throughout the ages, and they've been just as unappreciated as the soldiers were during Vietnam. Worse, they get overlooked.

So, I salute you today, the military veterans' spouses. Your soldiers deserve this day for remembrance and prayer, and today you deserve our utmost respect and prayers for giving just as much. You give your livelihood when you're soldier serves. You give your heart.

406 Days

2007-11-09T21:54:00.000-06:00

406 days until my husband is able to leave his boots by the door again. Hard to imagine.

I've been asked several times, "Where do you think you'll be in 5 years?" I've never really had an answer for that because I've never been the kind of person that's sure about where I want my life to go. Of course, we all have our plans but life intervenes and most of us don't ever see those plans pan out. My life right now is nowhere near what I thought it would be 5 years ago.

5 years ago I had a newborn baby and a 2 year old, a job at a Pharmacy that I loved but didn't pay well, an apartment that could have been bigger, and my husband had a steady job that was going nowhere. Some days were tough and it never seemed like it would get better. But things usually always do get better. For us, things did get better, but with a twist.

Mike joined the army. Even though the first couple of years were rough because he took a pay cut, we finally felt like we were doing something with our lives. I went back to college and he was actually enjoying his job. Then, he deployed. There's the downside. Now we live for those 30 minute phone calls. The kids and I make a day out of mailing daddy a package filled with goodies and love.

I don't have regrets, but I do have moments when I pause. Some days I'd do anything to be able to give up the financial stability we've acquired, the house we've purchased, and the new car in the driveway, just to have him home again. Even if that home is in a cardboard box or that little bitty apartment we had 5 years ago.

Does anyone else feel like 15 months is just way too much to ask? I don't even know why our country is there anymore. I can remember a time when I didn't feel like it was a lost cause and a waste of so many lives. I was naive then.

Forest Flood and Hot Chocolate

2007-10-28T14:53:00.000-06:00

We went to the park today. It was a bit chilly but the kids had fun trying to figure out how to save the "forest" from a huge flood that was about to come through. I miss being a kid. Apparently, they saved the day, but Belle had to swim her way to the playground equipment to fetch the secret "stick" that would help her brother save the forest animals from their watery demise. Once that was complete, we were able to leave and warm our bones with a little hot chocolate.

Puffs

2007-10-24T17:44:00.000-06:00

Plus the scent of Vicks. Pure genius really. I've been walking around with a tissue in my hands but I don't have to blow my nose. It just smells so good. My nose feels tingly and fresh. Just don't leave the tissue near your nose too long, or your eyes might start to burn a little.

When saying Good-bye

2007-09-18T05:46:00.000-06:00

The last couple of months we've been preparing for daddy's departure. He leaves for Iraq in a few days and it seems he just got back from the last deployment, even though it was a year ago.

This last year while he was home we bought a house. He's been itching to remodel the bathroom, so three weeks ago he did. That fiasco requires its own blog title, so I'll just say the bathroom is looking great. It's not completely finished, but it's functional. In any other situation, he'd be getting an ear full because the job isn't done but when saying good-bye to someone for 15 months you tend to prioritize the things that are important to yell about. The crown molding can wait.

He's saying good-bye too. In the last couple of weeks, I haven't had to ask him once to take out the garbage or move his dirty clothes. When saying good-bye every moment counts. There aren't anymore forgotten kisses when we part and 'I love you' seems to feel different when it rolls off of my lips. It's not that I didn't mean it before, but somehow it means more now.

I hate saying good-bye. I'm already looking forward to saying, "Welcome Home."

Dinner = Laughter

2007-06-17T16:26:00.000-06:00

The 5 of us sit at the table impatiently waiting for our food. We have an appointment at 8pm with a woman in the Wal-mart parking lot. You see, she may or may not have my friend's new family addition. A kitten.

Our waitress is your typical run-of-the-mill type. Make-up caked on, no emotion and moving at a snails pace. She's also a bit older, so she makes statements that seem to curl up at the end into a question mark. "You son drank his mik fas?" She says this with a Korean style southern twang.

She approaches our table, assures us our food will be out shortly, even though it seems that we've been sitting there waiting just shy of a millennium. Our food finally arrives and we plunge in not really tasting much of what we're devouring. Since we're trying to keep an appointment, when the waitress swings by to refill our drinks we politely ask for the check. "You jes got you food. You wan check alweady?"

The waitress gives a chuckle and as she walks out of ear distance, my friend taps her watch and says, "Hurry up please, we have a satanic ritual to get to." People to meet and things to sacrifice. I laugh until my face turns red and people are staring. My friend gently reminds me that I would not have thought this was so funny 3 years ago. Just this once, she is right.

The Kitten Story

2007-06-16T06:23:00.000-06:00

With our past experiences with kittens not being so great, I was a bit reluctant when a friend called to offer us a kitten she had just adopted the day before. She had met our wonderful cat, Max and decided it would be fun for her kids to have a cat. Well, Max is just that wonderful that anyone would want to go out and find a kitty just like him to bring home. Except she didn't get a nice healthy kitty, she unknowingly got a sickly 6 week old kitten who had been orphaned.

RIP June/Cookie/Jak (we had trouble picking a name)

The night before she called to offer us the kitten, we had met the extremely skinny calico. My 5 yo sat with the kitty for hours in her lap, while all the other kids played. She had no interest in doing anything else but hold that tiny little kitten. So, after my friend realized her husband was a bit upset about their new addition, naturally she called me. It took me all of about 3 hours to 'think on it' before calling her back and scheduling the pick up.

We brought her to the vet before bringing her home and the vet seemed a little concerned about her weight, but didn't give me any cause to grow alarmed. Nothing an automatic feeder wouldn't cure, so I thought. Well, to make a short story even shorter. We had her for 4 days, which most of the time she looked for various places to crap in the house and slowly stopped eating all together. By the time I realized there was something severely wrong with her, it was in the middle of the night and nothing I could do. No one to call (the 24 hr emergency service all but laughed out loud at me when I called them), and no where to bring her. I was lost. I brought her to the vet immediately the next morning and she died 4 hours and a lot of money later.

Maybe it was feeling like there was more I could have done, or maybe it was the sadness I was feeling about not being able to properly nurture a living thing, but it only took me two days to bring home another kitten. And I have to say I'm so glad I did. He's a great ball of fun. We still haven't named him yet. I think I'm worried that I'll jinx it somehow. I want to wait until we know for sure that he'll be with us.

The kitty without a name
The only problem we've had so far is his lack of pooping. But with a few painful grunts he managed to squeeze some out this morning. I'll have to figure out how to prevent this from happening again. I think it's his food. Honestly, I don't think this little guy will ever do wrong where I'm concerned. As he grips his claws into my bare legs to climb into my lap, "AH, oh you're so sweet...ouch...okay, in my lap finally." When he wakes me at 1am for some frisky play time, that I'm assuming he had with his mom and sister, I oblige, "he he, you want to play...ouch claws..okay, you're so sweet...he he." *yawn* And I can't really see that his love for playing with electrical wiring will grow into anything to be concerned about.

Our poor hamster will now have two cats terrorizing it and knocking over his cage. My husband is away right now, but when he called and I told him we had a new addition, he seemed relieved that it was a pet and not a baby. Even though he made some snide reference to our "expanding farmhouse," it's obvious that he truly does love me.

Family

2007-05-25T09:02:00.000-06:00

Grandma Anthony from PA

Aunt Sue and Uncle bOb from MN

We don't get to see the ones we love nearly enough.

Not Mr. Roger's Neighborhood

2007-05-20T14:58:00.000-06:00

We decided to fix up the planters in front of the house that had become overgrown and hideous. As we're breaking a sweat and pulling a few muscles in the front yard, the little neighbor girl comes over to play with Belle. The neighbor girl and "Bellarina" (as the neighbor girl calls her) ride their bikes in the cul-de-sac for a bit then decide to grab some water bottle waters out of our cooler and sit on our porch to take a break from their 5 minute bike ride.

Mike and I are casually chatting about the bricks that line our planters as we're cultivating the earth and adding new soil. A little voice butts in to our conversation, "We stole some of your bricks." I look up at her trying not to look shocked and say, "Really, why did you do that?" She looks at me all innocent with her 5 year old chubby cheeks and says, "My mom didn't have enough to finish her flowers, so she told my big sister to come get some of yours." I breath in calmly trying to take in her confession in an unassuming way. "Why didn't you just knock on my door and ask me?" She replies in a duh sort of voice, "You weren't home."

Well, sure we weren't home. Stealing them wouldn't have been much fun had I been sitting on my front porch. Since we're 'sharing' I've been wanting to add railing to my porch. I suppose it would be alright to use some of theirs. Only if they aren't home, of course.

My Mom Wears Many Hats

2007-05-12T05:16:00.000-06:00

By Job (my 7yr. old)

My mom wears many hats in our family. My mom is a teacher. She taught me how to use a pencil.

My mom is an engineer. She can always fix my T.V.

My mom is a magician. She can always find lost things. Once she found my spider-man toy.

My mom is a chauffeur. She drives me to Spider-man 3.

My mom is a cook. I love it when she makes coociys. (cookie)

My mom is a nurse. She always makes me feel better when she gives me medsin.

My mom is the best mother in the world because She takes me to Spider-man 3.

My mom is Special!
My mom's name is Jessace.
She is special because she is learning how to be a docter. (no one really knows what I'm doing with my college education. not even my 7 year old.)

I like it when my mom plays vidio gams with me.

My mom can do many things! I think she's best at drawing.

My mom has a pretty smile! I like to make her smile by playing with her.

My mom is as pretty as a rose.

My mom is smart! She even knows Karotey.

I'd like to tell my mom I want to go see Spider-man 3.

(I'm sensing a theme.)

My car smells like dog drool

2007-05-07T18:15:00.000-06:00

It is never a good idea to load a 70lb. greyhound into the front seat of a Honda Civic. I needed to get more dog food, which can only be purchased at Petsmart and I decided it would be a nice treat to take Vera (the greyhound) with us to get her nails clipped. They've come dangerously close to gouging out one of my eyeballs recently.

I instruct the kids to get in and buckle up. They, of course, are excited that we're bringing Vera with us. I proceed to clumsily lift Vera and place her in the front seat. The nice thing about greyhounds is that they curl up into a little ball when they lay down. Unbelievably so. Anyway, I sit in the driver seat, buckle up and think to myself, "This won't be so bad."

About 2 minutes later my 70lb greyhound decides she's not comfortable and I end up having dog ass in my face as I'm driving 45mph down a busy road. Not the most responsible of decisions, I know. As I'm struggling to get her to lay back down my 5 year old blurts out, "Mom, we need a smaller dog!"

We made it to Petsmart in one piece and I immediately called a friend to come to our rescue. Thank God for friends who are willing to rescue you in moments such as these.

Myspace Detox

2007-05-04T00:01:00.000-06:00

I have a confession. I'm shamefully addicted to myspace. I don't know if it's the thrill of signing on to find that I have a comment or message waiting, or if it's just the fact that everything else in my life is utterly boring. I've labored through dozens of myspace layouts to find the perfect one every other day. I take the cutest pictures of my children and paste them on my page for all of my old high school friends to see that I truly do have the best looking kids ever.

It truly is fun to be able to read a blog that someone I "used" to know wrote or to see the pictures of their beautiful family neatly displayed as a slideshow on the front page. I never feel like there is something slightly disturbing about having a myspace until I journey onto other people's pages. I may occasionally haphazardly stumble onto a myspace for a woman in her late 30's or her early 40's and realize that I'm not far behind them in age. I see their silly little graphics and the same cutsie pictures of their now teenage children; some of which are in their mother's top 8.

I click on their children's pages and find half naked girls or cooler than "the coolest kid in school" teenagers with their cool myspace layouts and their top 24 friends out of 200. That's when it hits me. I'm much to old to have a myspace. I'm much to old to sign on every day, sometimes 3 or 4 times a day to check my comments or add a blog entry. As I scrolled through my friends' list tonight, I realized that sometimes it's best to leave the past in the past. Connecting with high school friends is neat, but only in brevity. (There are certainly exceptions to this)

If I deleted my myspace page, would anyone notice? I would get 2 phone calls. One from my friend Cheri and one from Summer. Cheri would say, "What happened to your myspace? I wanted to leave you this funny comment I found." Summer would say, "You finally deleted it huh? I should too. I might after I finish this book." And that would be about all the inquiries I would receive on the matter. Life would go on. So, my next question is...Do you think a myspace addiction would be more like quitting smoking or crack?

Discussing my lack of blogo-talent with a friend

2007-05-03T06:40:00.000-06:00

Me: It drives me crazy that I can't figure out how to design my blog. I venture onto other blogs and I want to use all of their ideas too. There is no more room for originality in the blogging world. It's already been done.

Friend: What's that saying, "Imitation is the best form of flattery?"

Me: I don't think that counts in the blogging world.

Friend: Yeah, on the internet it's called copyright infringement.

Cereal in the Fridge

2007-05-02T07:37:00.000-06:00

When I was growing up, my mom kept the cereal in the refrigerator. I never thought this was out of the ordinary until someone told me it was. My mom also had this crazy habit of hiding money in places, so only she knew where it was, but then when she needed it, she could never remember where she hid it. She would find a stash of money weeks later. She also did (and still does) this weird clicking noise with the back of her throat and her tongue. I couldn't do it if I tried. She mostly did this in the morning.

She worked really hard and would usually come home from a long day of work to the coziness of the couch (right next to my dad's recliner) with a blanket to watch some tv. She would take the blanket and cover herself up to her eyeballs. She left a little room so she could see the tv. Her and my dad would usually commence to having a snoring contest at around 8pm. Their little before bedtime siestas were common place and oddly comforting.

My mom cleans for a living. She worked for a long time at a LaQuinta Inn, where she got promoted to housekeeping manager. Every day before she left for work, she would wake up extra early to clean our house. Our old wooden 70's furniture sparkled the most first thing in the morning. There wasn't a dirty dish to be found and I rarely ever woke to the sound of her vacuuming at 5am. Now she's a 'freelance' cleaner. She has several clients that couldn't possibly live without her. We couldn't have either.

For years, I tried desperately not to be like my mom. I did, however, develop the ability to pop my gum with my back teeth without blowing a bubble. I didn't mind learning that. No matter how hard I tried not to be like her, it happened despite all of my efforts to prevent it. I 'put things away' and then forget where I've put them. I have her crooked pinkie fingers. See...

Other than having her facial characteristics (along with a mixture of my dad's) and knowing her little odd quirks, I don't know much about my mom. I don't know her favorite color. I don't know what she wanted to be when she grew up. I don't know what her favorite movie is or if she has a favorite book. I don't know any of her favorite things. I don't know why we've never become friends.

Even though I feel as if I don't know anything about my mom, I love all of the things I do know. We were never close, and there are probably reasons why that I can pinpoint but they aren't appropriate for a blog. Those things didn't stop me from naming my little girl after her. Maybe one day my mom and I will be friends. The kind that you see in those movies like Heartbreakers. Okay, maybe that's a bad example, but you get the idea.

For now, I'll keep answering all the silly questions my son asks me on a daily basis. I'll try not to worry so much when they start to sound just like me when they say things like...

Belle, do you know how many calories are in that french fry?

Because it simply means, they know who I am and they know what my aspirations and goals are. They pay attention and they love me. I wish I would have paid more attention to my mom. Now the miles separate us and I'm left with 20 minute phone calls about the kids once every couple of weeks and the memories of a mother that cared enough to work her young life away just for me.

S'marvelous Smells

2007-04-30T19:40:00.000-06:00

Sunscreen always reminds me of hot sunshine days on the beach. Pushing your toes as far into the sand as you can to feel the coolness the deeper you go.

Fresh cut grass.

The wind. It smells the best on a warm spring day, especially after it glides through a freshly mowed lawn before it reaches your face.

Sugar and Spice

2007-04-30T08:55:00.000-06:00

And Everything nice. That's what little girls are made of.

I love this picture of my now 5 year old little girl. She's cute and sassy. She's full of singing and laughter. She loves playing with her baby dolls and swinging as high as she can on her swing. She's beautiful inside and out. She's also human. She loves food and I'm afraid she's developing an unhealthy relationship with it.

For the last year or so, we've been dealing with her late night snacking. She wakes in the middle of the night, grabs her yellow Little Tikes chair, pushes it up to the counter and scarfs down whatever she can get her hands on. A hot dog bun. A slice of bread. I don't keep sweets in the house often, but when I do she'll wake in the middle of the night and eat entire packages of donuts or poptarts.

Last night, we had dinner with a friend and I brought the ingredients for strawberry shortcake. We had a package of the mini angel food cakes, so I brought them home and placed them on top of the refrigerator. This morning the empty package was on the dining table. She had eaten 4 of them on her own.

My husband thinks she does this because she won't eat her meals. She goes to bed hungry and then wakes in the middle of the night and eats what she can get her hands on. I think she's doing it because there's a problem we need to address. Whether it be unhealthy eating habits during the day, or the fact that I've been too restrictive on sweets at times. I just don't know, but I'm extremely concerned.

I'm praying that my quest to get healthy and fit will now be a better example to my children. The thought that I could have somehow unknowingly taught her these habits is causing my heart to physically ache.

Tying Shoes & Picking Weeds

2007-04-29T09:58:00.000-06:00

Solid Presidential Platform

2007-04-26T09:14:00.000-06:00

Elect Susie Flynn

She obviously can't win the Presidential Election of 2008, but she's certainly making a difference.

Cat in a box

2007-04-25T14:05:00.001-06:00

what's my password?

2007-04-24T16:28:00.000-06:00

There's nothing more annoying than having a thousand different online accounts. But even more annoying than that is forgetting the password to the most important one of all. My blog.

Instead of boring you with all the day to day details of my life since my last post, I'll recap a few special moments with pictures...

Belle turned 5 on April 17

She had her birthday party on April 21

Playing in the dirt with friends is the best!

Now that she's five, she believes she can conquer the world. She no longer needs mommy around, that's for sure. She informed daddy that she no longer needed her car seat. He calmly suggested that she write her congressmen.

::Weight loss update:: I've lost about 13lbs and 4inches total in the last 6 weeks. Still chugging along. The gym has become my new favorite place, as well as the bathroom. I drink lots of H2O.

Land of Cheesecake and bowls of M&M's

2007-04-14T06:39:00.001-06:00

Last night my FRG (Family Readiness Group, which is for army spouses and families) held a Bunco night. About 24 ladies showed and we all seemed to have a great time tossing the die and winning prizes. Of course, there was food. Mostly snacky finger foods. Bowls of m&ms and cookies at all the tables along with soda and a galore of other fun munchies.

I arrived right on time and immediately took a seat after a few minutes of chit chat. Oddly enough, I didn't even take the time to notice what was on the food tables or what the bowls at our tables contained, but it didn't take long before the food made a grand appearance right near my reach. I sat next to a very nice lady who immediately asked, "Aren't you going to get a plate?" I politely told her that I had just eaten dinner and I may get something a little later.

I did just eat dinner, but I also alloted myself some calories to munch on veggies or healthy snacks while at the party. As we get into the game, I'm concentrating so much on getting to know people, laughing and playing that I don't even think about the food, until my kids are escorted back to the room. Of course, they would like some cookies and the like. So, I help them grab a few things, and it was at that point I realized I hadn't even bothered with the food table. A girl standing next to me mentioned the cheesecake, and I respond, "Oh, there's cheesecake?" She laughed at me, probably because she thought I was crazy for not noticing and we had been there for an hour and a half already. Either that or she thought I didn't know what cheesecake looked like.

It was weird. Normally I would have gone straight to the food to check out what was there. The entire evening would have been centered around filling my belly. Not even noticing the food was definitely out of the ordinary for me, but it felt great. As we continued with the game, many of these sweet skinny and not so skinny ladies were popping m&m's and peanuts and I was amazed that I had no desire to. Unfortunately, for those that are serious and determined about losing weight, these types of events occur and they make it all that much harder to stay focused on goals and progress. Socially, we want to be normal, not out of the ordinary. Well, last night I was glad to be out of the ordinary while in the midst of cheesecake, cookies and bowls of m&ms.

P.S. I did have a peppermint patty. Guilt-free. I even logged it. *wink*

Sweat is Sweet

2007-03-28T20:18:00.000-06:00

Today marks two weeks since I committed to a healthier lifestyle. I would love to be able to write how superb I've been doing and how easy this whole "healthy lifestyle" is going to be. It's not easy. It's definitely simple. Exercise six days a week, eat a certain amount of calories a day, and watch the scale go down. It's true. It's all the mess in between. It's the being a human part that has me all messed up.

If I could take out the human factor, it would be a lot easier to just plug in the numbers and watch the pounds fall off the scale. Instead, I struggle daily with emotional eating. Eating because I'm bored, or failing to resist a nibble of this or that. I realize now, I have issues with food. I don't think my issues are anything out of the ordinary. The problem is I don't want to be ordinary. I'm your typical overweight American that has been telling herself, "Ya know, I really don't eat THAT much food." HA! I realize this whole process is going to take time. I'm beginning to understand that food isn't an enemy that needs to be devoured with such rapaciousness that my family is afraid I'll eat my plate.

Even though I'm still struggling with eating clean, I've been forcing myself to go to the gym no less than 5 days a week. When I walked in the doors today, dreading the shin splints I was about to experience, the lady at the front desk looked up at me, smiled and said, "You're doing so great. You're really dedicated this time. Keep up the great work." I smiled back and said, "I'm trying." What I should have said, was "Thank you for noticing." She truly made my day. She knows my membership number and simply punches it in the computer when I walk in the door. That makes me feel really good. I'm certainly marking down today as a good day.

The Petrologist

2007-03-27T14:44:00.000-06:00

A few months ago, if you asked my son what he wanted to be when he grew up, he'd proudly respond, "A pizza guy. Yeah, I want to make pizza." Today, he asked me how long he'd have to go to college. I told him that it all depends on what it is he wants to do. "Well, what if I wanted to study rocks? How long would I have to go to college for that?"

I start to do a search online, because I want my seven year old to be as informed as possible about his new life choice. I read the various information that I find online and look over to make sure he's getting it all. He's engrossed in a bowl of green Jell-o and hasn't really heard a word I've said.

Me: Did you get all that?
Him: Yep, I bet if I went to mars and found a rock that looked just like this Jell-o, except not jiggly and maybe bigger, people would think that was real cool.

Week One = -7

2007-03-22T19:18:00.000-06:00

I lost 7lbs. this week. What does losing 7lbs look like? I suppose something like THIS.

Dear Cheesecake,

2007-03-18T19:59:00.000-06:00

I see you sitting there on the counter. You are surrounded by many other delectable treats covered in chocolate, cherries, or whipped cream. You are decorated ever so beautifully with little raspberries. Tempting? Yes. As I pass you by slowly, you realize that my plate is so filled with salad, that there is no room for you.

I eat my lettuce, tomatoes, sugar snap peas and cucumbers spritzed with salad dressing spritzer. Only 10 sprays. 10 calories. I nibble on my petite sized roast beef and carrot dish as I sip on my diet soda. I wipe my mouth to prepare myself for our meeting. Yes, that's right. I came back for you my sweet raspberry cheesecake.

I feared that as I used the knife to sliver the skinniest piece possible that you would crumble under the blade. You survived the .5 centimeter width and I gently tossed you into a bowl and grabbed a napkin and fork on my way to my table. The first bite was just shy of the feeling you get when you close your eyes while swinging on a tire swing in the middle of July, cool while warm and heavenly. The second bite is just as sweet as you melt on my palette. Each taste bud bursts with ecstasy.

I take a third bite. Look down at the bowl and realize I'm done with you. You have served your purpose. I throw the other half of you in the trash. Cheesecake, you are wonderful, but I don't need a whole lot of you because you cause an addiction for my mouth that I can not feed. I do not feel guilty about our intrigue today. We shall be together again.

Who needs an imagination when there's gamecube.

2007-03-10T09:11:00.001-06:00

In my attempts to be the coolest mom ever, I tried to spend some quality creative time with the kids this week. I decided that it would be positively brilliant to turn all the empty cardboard boxes from our move into a magical medieval castle equipped with tower, tunnels and the works. The end result was two very uninterested children who disappeared to play Gamecube and toppled cardboard boxes connected by very cheap tape in my back yard.

I understand, that as a parent, I've slightly failed my children. I've been so wrapped up in getting my own education and washing the dirt out of their laundry that I haven't spent very much time expanding their imagination with play time. I think we've lost our 7 year old to the impetuous world of video games. I have to admit that it tugged a bit at the heart strings when he began pouting once he realized I wanted to go outside to play and he wasn't going to get to play his Gamecube immediately after getting home from school.

Here's where I begin to tell you about my life as a child. When I was a kid, I spent all day into the dark hours outside playing on my bike or making mini cities in the dirt to drive my little brother's matchbox cars through. There wasn't a television in my bedroom, and the only time I was able to play video games was when I visited a friend. Her brother had a Nintendo and we played Spy vs. Spy all day long, but occasionally we would take a break to play on the slip n slide or make up our own dance routine in her living room.

I'm afraid my children are missing out on the fun and memories that come with strapping a sword through your belt loop and rescuing an invisible princess from a tower made out of a cardboard box castle. But not just any old cardboard box castle, one they made with me. I suppose that's the real problem. My own children don't want to play with me. *sniff sniff*

Finally connected

2007-03-09T07:31:00.000-06:00

I'm not sure if I mentioned this or not. I think I did. We bought a house and after pulling most of my hair out individually we now have the internets. There were moments when I thought I would never see the sights of my firefox browser again. I briefly forgot my bookmarked links. When I was finally able to get online, it was so much like Christmas going through all those wonderful links.

We've been moved in for a week now, and the boxes are still doubling as end tables, a coat rack, and even a pantry. Upside, no need to worry about wet rings on the furniture. Downside, "Where's the flippin' mac and cheese?" Being a homeowner is fantastic.

As for the table project...

Paint me Happy

2007-02-25T13:53:00.000-06:00

After a couple of months of agony and wondering if we were out of our minds, we bought a house. The process of finding our first home was not a fun one. There were certain things we thought we couldn't live without but after witnessing exactly what our budget could afford us, we decided to prioritize. We could live without a garage as long as we could get a fenced in back yard. We could handle having less sq. footage as long as the kids could be safe at their new school.

When you're living on a budget, it's important to realize that keeping up with the "Jones'" is not going to work. Learning to be content is definitely a great lesson to learn. I only hope that as our budget increases we'll still live by those lessons of contentment.

For now, we're going to take the things we do have and give them a makeover in order to save money. This new found thriftiness came after we spent a few thousand dollars on a new television, entertainment center, and a desk armoire. But I suppose late is better than never.

Project #1: Turn our cheap Walmart dining set into something quint and comfy.

We hope that by throwing a bohemian black paint on the table and chairs and adding covered cushions to the seats we'll turn our cheap looking table into something that looks like we bought it from Ashley furniture. Okay, so maybe we're a bit optimistic, but so far we think it's going to turn out great.

We chose a fabric that will look great with the new wall color we'll be adding to our new dining room area and we think it will compliment the new black table and chairs really well.

Although, the process of finding the perfect first home was a daunting one, we're really optimistic and excited that we're going to be able to make it the perfect first home for us. With a few cool new tools my husband will be able to add bookshelves to our daughter's room, and a way neat china cabinet that will match our table and chairs in the dining area. We'll be replacing light fixtures and hardware to give the house a less brassy look and we're going to add a railing to the front porch to give it a little more curb appeal.

I'll keep you posted on how the table and chairs come out. Ü

Brownies for Breakfast

2007-02-24T10:22:00.000-06:00

I've heard that people tend to talk a lot about the things they love. I believe that to be true. I love staying in bed for longer than necessary on a Saturday morning. The bruises that I get from having the kids run, jump, and land where they may are well worth it. In a magical world, our teeth wouldn't need to be brushed and we could giggle with each other for awhile longer. But hopefully, for the kids, there is plenty of magic in wrestling with daddy on the couch and having brownies for breakfast. (Don't worry, they had a glass of milk too.)

The Ultimate Challenge: Parenting

2007-02-23T07:31:00.000-06:00

This parenting business is a tough one. Everyday I realize that even though I'm providing them with plenty of food, shelter and clothing, my parenting skills leave something to be desired. Are my children going to have true happiness in life? Are they going to be confident and self-assured? Or am I just ruining all that wonderful potential?

Mom? Where are the donuts?

Some days they make me want to scream. Those are the days that my expectations are a little high. For instance, I assume that my 7-year old son would know that he needs to brush his teeth before school, or he needs to place his dirty clothes in his hamper, not next to it. Of course, all these things are simply preparing him for manhood. One thing is certain, he will be able to sufficiently annoy his future wife.

Listen to me Belle, I know what I'm talking about. I'm seven, ya know.

My four year old still can not remember the process of using the toilet. Flushing is always a mystery. She skips right over the flushing part, but washes her hands religiously. So, maybe I'm getting bits and pieces of it right. They share with others, but not with each other. They listen to other adults, but when it comes to me and daddy they tend to use selective hearing. I don't think we're as scary. Probably because they've heard us fart. For some reason our kids feel they can relate to people better if they know they have the same bodily functions. A good solid burp in front of my son and you've got a friend for life.

In all seriousness, some days it hits me like a flippin jolt of electric shock, I'm a mom. I am 100% responsible for human beings. Once you get passed the diaper changing, and breast feeding, you realize that parenting is just so much more than cuddling in front of cartoons on a rainy day or cleaning up chunky puke when they're sick. It is so much more than teaching them basic hygiene and washing their dirty clothes. The so much more is the part I'm trying desperately not to get wrong.

Do Something

2007-02-21T00:23:00.000-06:00

Every day feels the same. Wake up, get kid ready for school, drop kid off, feed other kid, dress kid, take other kid to school, do school work, clean something, take dog to poop, clean up poop. Every day the same. Things are happening, just nothing monumental. Or maybe I'm just not noticing. I should be more concerned by the fact that I don't notice the important things rather than fretting over whether or not things are happening.

I can remember when I once thought that growing up meant great things were going to happen. I can still vividly picture my parents when they were in their late thirties. I would come home from a friends at around 7pm to find my mother snoring on the couch and my father shirtless sitting in his recliner watching a movie he had seen 50 times before. I can remember thinking my adult life would definitely be more exciting. This is where someone chimes in to tell me that I'm just not seeing all the possibilities. I need to embrace my life and live each moment. right? Right.

Dear Blog,

2007-02-15T15:43:00.000-06:00

In high school, forever ago, there was something sweet about having a best friend. That one person you could tell your deepest secrets and you knew that she would never repeat it, not even to you. You could borrow each others clothes, and fix your hair the same, and talk about the boys you thought would never like you because you thought your size zero butt was too big. You shared make-up, car pools to school, and sometimes locker space. Everyone knew you were not just friends, but you were inseparable.

As an adult you can look back on those days and realize that you didn't cherish them the way you should have. In the midst of worrying about what you looked like, you took for granted something so great. Some people are lucky enough to have those friendships blossom into an everlasting friendship in adulthood, while others sever those ties for reasons that seem important at the time. Either way, the friendship changes. With maturity your views on the world and your place within it changes, as it should.

The regrets are sometimes immeasurable. You grow up and realize, with that maturity, that there were some things you wish you would have done differently. Everyone goes through this, especially with friendships. Maybe you wish you would have been more understanding, more supportive, or more honest. Either way, if you have a heart at all you learn and grow from the mistakes you've made. That's the grand thing about life. While our days are short, there is always time to make the necessary changes in life to set things straight. What a waste all of those years would be if I didn't stop and reflect on the mistakes I've made and not actively try to avoid making the same ones all over again.

I neglect you so

2007-02-14T07:51:00.000-06:00

A month later and my blog is still being neglected. For the first time in a long time, I don't have a hobby to report. I haven't taken up underwater basket weaving or making my own underwear. I'm currently in my 7th semester of college, which is a time most students are beginning to plan for graduation. Not me. I've changed my major 3 times, officially, and it feels like I'm starting all over. I'm still not overly confident that this new major is one that I'm cut out for. Nursing.

I truly never would have thought I'd be pursuing something that would require me to clean up feces and stick needles through skin. I'm not really a squeamish person. I suppose I figured if I could handle witnessing an 8lb person come out of my vagina, that I could handle just about anything. Motherhood certainly is empowering. You feel like a bit of super-hero. Of course, I can't save the world with my vagina, but I'd like to think that maybe one day a portion of the world can be effected by my presence.

Hello Blog

2007-01-15T10:50:00.000-06:00

December came and went. My lack of blogging is mainly out of lack of content. I'm sure if I thought about it hard enough I could find something entertaining about my life recently.... Nope, nothin'. So, I leave you with my favorite Christmas picture.

Mike's mom and dad, our nieces Jordan and Morgan, and our munchkins.

Ever wonder....

2006-12-16T23:30:00.000-06:00

...why things lose their appeal. I can remember when I enjoyed a good cigarette. I loved to see the smoke rolling out of my mouth as I exhaled the gray clouds of smoke. I can also remember hating the way it made me smell. There are pros and cons to everything, I suppose. Like having friends. Sometimes they make you feel really good, and sometimes they just plain stink. Such is life. Sometimes it is really good and sometimes it just plain stinks.

P.S. This is beautiful...Click HERE

CHU-ey !!!

2006-12-04T11:58:00.000-06:00

My husband got a big hug from Chubaka this past Saturday. He confessed it was a bit intimidating being semi-choked by the big moth smelling Chu-ey.

Just wanted to say...

2006-12-02T01:19:00.000-06:00

PICK ME!

2006-11-30T20:49:00.000-06:00

This is it folks! The last day I torture you with my aimless blogging. (that's a lie, I'll probably keep doing it) But it is the last blog post for the month of November, ending the wonderful NaBloPoMo. I can't believe I actually completed it. Anyone who knows me will say the same. I'm just really hoping that as Fussy is closing her eyes and randomly picking blogs to win the glorious FREE prizes, that she'll fumble onto mine.

Fussy, if you are here selecting me to win one of those magnificent prizes, I leave you this:

My Dad

2006-11-29T18:41:00.000-06:00

I took this picture when my dad was here visiting in April. He drove alone for 12 hours from Louisiana to be here for Belle's birthday.

This may not seem like a huge deal for most, but for my dad it was. About 5 years ago he was in a motorcycle accident. The left side of his body was mangled badly. I remember him describing his leg to me, as if I needed to know. He said it looked like ground beef laying on the table mixed with gravel and grass. Of course, it had to be amputated. He was in the hospital for months and a couple of years later he finally started getting accustomed to life on one leg. Now he gets around well, as well as any other one legged person, I suppose.

Something like that would break anyone's spirit, but for my dad, I think it healed his. I'm sure it was a combination of getting older and being faced with death a few times (he's had a couple of heart attacks as well.) But this picture is a perfect example of the difference in my dad. It would take me entirely too long to explain 18 years of living with my father and the last 10 years of our relationship. So, I'll just tell you a little bit about who he is now.

He absolutely loves his grandchildren. In the picture, he's actually watching the kids play at the party, while I take shots of him next to my cat's butt. ::giggle:: Anyway, he loves my kids so much that he'll drive anywhere in the country, on his social security income, just to spend a few days with them. He realizes the mistakes he made as a father and doesn't hesitate letting me know he wishes he could change it. To quote him:

I am sorry for a lot of bad choices that I made . Mainly because they affected the people I LOVE the most .

Even though I know he can't change any of it, the fact that he would makes it all seem to be a part of someone else's memories. He's a really hard worker. Growing up, he always seemed to be in and out of jobs, but now he'll work on his bleeding nub without complaint.

I don't ever remember being proud of my father as a child. But I'm so very proud of him now.

*Update: I found this and just had to post it. It's of me and my dad. I think I was about 5.

One Word

2006-11-28T09:04:00.000-06:00

I borrowed this little booger from Old Blue Socks

The One Word Meme (Note: I just discovered what "meme" means. I'm slow with the blog lingo)

Yourself: stress
Your partner: handsome
Your hair: wet
Your Mother: Indian
Your Father: loud
Your Favorite Item: slippers
Your dream last night: unsure
Your Favorite Drink: cold
Your Dream Car: hybrid
Your Dream Home: cozy
The Room You Are In: miscellaneous
Your Ex: none
Your fear: tornado
Where you Want to be in Ten Years: cozy
Who you hung out with last night: keyboard
What You’re Not: confident
Muffins: Bridget
One of Your Wish List Items: expensive
Time: morning
The Last Thing You Did: shower
What You Are Wearing: slippers
Your favorite weather: fall
Your Favorite Book: funny
Last thing you ate: cereal
Your Life: quick
Your mood: irritable
Your Best Friends: far
What are you thinking about right now: schoolwork
Your car: paid
What are you doing at the moment: this
Your summer: boring
Relationship status: married
What is on your TV: sesame
What is the weather like: gloomy
When is the last time you laughed: earlier

Picture of my Pretty Indian mom

3 more days...

2006-11-27T19:50:00.000-06:00

...until I no longer HAVE to come here to post an obligatory blog in order to have a chance to win free stuff. The lengths I'm willing to go at the mere shot of winning this or one of these is just shy of driving myself insane. But hey, it's free stuff.

smells

2006-11-26T19:24:00.000-06:00

I have lost all sense of smell due to a head cold, which made me think of all the things that I enjoy smelling. Here are a few smells I had to miss out on the last couple of days:

*Strawberry Burt's bees wax lip balm as my daughter smeared me with kisses.
*My husband when he came home from the barber shop. Something about the generic shaving cream turns me on. ::giggle::
*Flatulent fun with my son. Okay, I don't really enjoy that smell, but he enjoys my reaction to the smell.
*The seasoned chicken my husband prepared for dinner. It's rare he cooks, but when he does I like to smell the meal that's being prepared without my assistance.

Game Night

2006-11-25T13:21:00.000-06:00

Game nights are always fun with friends, especially the drunk kind. You'll find that you can get men to do things they probably wouldn't do under sober circumstances.

Sergio the Astronaut
Jason was the puppeteer

Jason...
"flying by the seat of his pants"

Victory...
was not theirs. The women totally dominated.

It was a good time!

Mike and his red eyeball friend Kevin

Grandma

2006-11-24T16:06:00.000-06:00

My dad emailed me this picture today. My grandma is so young. I was born when she was in her 50's, and I don't think I've ever seen a picture of her younger years. Sometimes it's hard to image grandparents young, vivacious and able to chase after toddlers all day, who happen to be my dad and aunt. I have my grandma's hands. I heart you, Grandma.

Happy Thanksgiving

2006-11-23T15:44:00.000-06:00

Like the rest of America, I had to run to Walmart this morning to get a few things I forgot. The parking lot is full. People are everywhere. I start to notice I'm a gender minority. I walk pass the baking aisle and staggered down the aisle is a plethora of men on their cell phones staring blankly at the spices and baking products.

Giving Thanks for:
Healthy family
food on our table
fabulous friends (you know who you are ;-)
a year filled with blessings despite the hard times of a deployment
my husband home safe from Iraq
Togetherness
pecans.yum.
I hope you have a Wonderful Day filled with pie and sugary delights.
Happy Thanksgiving!

Yo Quiero Corona!

2006-11-22T20:16:00.000-06:00

La Cerveza es muy bien. Hasta La Vista baby.

P.S. I'm only bilingual when drunk.

no turkey?

2006-11-21T14:32:00.000-06:00

My family rarely gets together because they love one another's company. Holidays were spent together, but the times I felt it was enjoyed were very few. We always had turkey and ham. Bowls filled with things like stuffing, dirty rice, cranberry mush, and fruit salad lined the counter tops. Pumpkin and Pecan pies were prepared the night before. The food was delicious and we were together for the sake of it. We couldn't disappoint the turkey by not showing up. Who would eat all that pie?

My husband often chuckles at some of the things my family does to each other. He says I should write a book about my 40 something year old uncle, who still lives with my grandma. He's on his second mail order bride from the Ukraine. I have a cousin who, at the age of 25, feels her superiority over the human race gives her permission to give our 86 year old grandmother evil looks. Still not exactly sure what ensued their hatred for each other, but my grandmother was delighted when she didn't show up to the most recent get together I attended.

I'll have to admit my grandmother isn't the most tactful of women. She certainly says what's on her mind, regardless the outcome. I can remember back when I was planning my wedding, she wanted to make my wedding dress. At first, I was ticked because the dress I wanted was cheaper than it would have been for her to make it. But I calmed down, realized I wouldn't get my way by stomping and allowed her to make it. We went out in search of a comparable pattern. I brought a friend along. As we sat, flipping through catalogs of patterns, we eyed a few dresses that we thought were cute and made mention of it. My grandma took a look at the dresses, gave out a groan and said, "You girls are too big boned for that style of dress." (blank stare) I'm not sure how my friend recovered from that comment, she probably has some mild eating disorder.

Before my uncle died (not the one previously mentioned), the adults would sit around the table after bellies were full and play cards or dominoes. They talked to each other in Cajun French as they sipped their coffee and laughed about who knows what. I don't remember when that stopped exactly. He died right before my eighteenth birthday, so I suppose it was a combination of his death and the kids growing up that changed the traditions of our family gatherings.

Now I have my own family. I want to start new traditions. I want my children to have happy memories, albeit mixed with imperfections. This year for Thanksgiving, my husband and I decided I would make gumbo. He doesn't care for turkey and I can't cook it, so we mesh well. Being originally from Louisiana this seemed like a perfect way to introduce our kids to some of the foods and culture that I had growing up. My husband asks, "So, when was the last time you made a gumbo exactly?" I thought for a second, "Ya know, I don't really remember making it myself." The husband suggested we get a ham instead.
So, I'm not going to have my Cajun Thanksgiving this year, but I'm still going to try my hand at the gumbo this weekend. I'll let you know how it turns out.

Ü

2006-11-20T22:19:00.000-06:00

It's late. School stinks. That's right I'm in college. The internet has not been my friend tonight. I think my eyes are experiencing muscle failure from all the reading I've done today. Time for bed. I leave you with Captain Orbhead and his fight to save the planet from the evil Red Head and her monster apple turkey. Night.

meep meep

2006-11-19T16:58:00.000-06:00

Driving along with a friend, someone cuts her off. She honks, gives out a grunt and we laugh.

me: Your horn doesn't sound as puny as mine.
her: Really? I don't think it sounds authoritative enough.
me: Mine makes a little meep meep noise, like a little squeaky mouse.

Driving along someone cuts her off again.

her: ASS LICKER!

Wouldn't it be great to have a horn that blares out obscenities? The ultimate road rage tool ever!

nothingness

2006-11-18T17:12:00.000-06:00

What's the first thing you think of when you read the following words?

cheese - cake

rubber - gloves

clothes - on

big - zits

dress - plaid

jacket - furry

polyester - pants

kite - high

washing - clean

A Must

2006-11-17T10:11:00.000-06:00

Family and friends now know that I'm a 'blogger.' Yes, they are on guard now, wondering what they should or shouldn't say because it just may end up on my blog. I blog because I want to. Because I love it. "Because I am going to die. And so are you." And they are slowly coming to grips with the new me. The me that can no longer speak in coherent sentences because in my mind I'm typing every word I speak on my blog. I have visions of ingenious design headers and witty post titles swimming in my head. My family and friends must truly love me, because they are very accepting of the new blogger freak that I've become.

Anyone who blogs knows, that you can't be a true 100% blogger unless you read other blogs. NaBloPoMo has opened the door of a world I never knew existed and I MUST share my blog world with you, my faithful readers.* Here is a list of the blogs that I've been visiting every day, religiously. I just can't help it. Sometimes I forget that I've visited before I've removed the crust from my eyes in the morning and do it again only a dozen times throughout the day. Please don't be offended if your blog isn't on the list, I randomize A LOT and I'm sure I'll come across you.

Pea Soup
The Delaney Diaries
you, me, and a baby
Mandajuice
Losing True
O, Pish Posh!
Stefanie Renee
Superhero Journal
Heather Anne
Mom to the Screaming Masses
between me&me
Candice, Interrupted
Notes to Self
patron saint of smart mouths
Kerflop
jen lemen
Schnozzfest
Big Girl Underoos
Othersideofmymind
A Dingo Ate my Baby

*okay, so I only have one or two.

The Money Maker

2006-11-16T18:24:00.000-06:00

Dinner Time Fun

Job (the first born): Hey mom, I want that new star wars game for Christmas

Dad: Get a job.

Job: You get a job.

Dad: I have a job, where do you think I go all day?

Job (shrugs shoulders)

Dad: Where do you think all your stuff comes from?

Job (he looks at dad for a brief second, grins and points to me)

Dad: What!? How do you think mommy pays for all that stuff?

Job: When we go to the store she gives them her 'dedit' card and I get my stuff. (He says this as he shovels a bite full of dinner in his mouth that he's sure mommy bought at the grocery store with her 'dedit' card.)

Apparently we need to talk to the children about money management. As well as the fact that money does not magically appear through the magnetic stripe on my debit card causing all dreams to come true.

zombie & Thanks

2006-11-15T21:27:00.000-06:00

When an obsession takes over all aspects of your life, you realize that you no longer have the ability to function without that one thing being on your mind constantly. As I sort my laundry I'm trying to think of ways to add colorful details that might interest someone if they read my blog. Mundane chores like scrubbing a toilet or walking to the car to bring my children to school are all open for discussion.

Maybe if I add that I first clogged the toilet, before scrubbing it, with the most ungodly thing you ever did see and yes it came out of my body, you might come back to read more. Or if I tell you that my children were so enamored by a wiggly worm crawling on the side walk, that they caused their mommy to trip on her way to the car, causing a passing car to honk in applause, you might think about leaving a comment. These things may or may not be true, but regardless I'm here to tell you that I've turned into a NaBloPoMo zombie. Not a good thing when you have a friend with a zombie phobia.

When something happens in our home that is remotely comical, my husband immediately asks, "You're not going to blog this are you?" (He doesn't read my blog, so what he doesn't know won't kill him.) He walked in on me laying in bed trying to think of my next blog content and I didn't realize he was there because I was staring very intently at the light fixture. "Hon, you're starting to scare me." I couldn't tell him what I was thinking about or he may pull the plug on the computer. We're at the halfway mark and I have my eye focused on the end goal ::FREE STUFF::

I'd like to say Thank You to all of you out there taking the time to read all the blogs entered. Especially Suzanne. You TOTALLY Rock!

Connoisseur of sorts

2006-11-15T11:02:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I realized that I don't post very many spontaneous anecdotes about Job, ya know our first born. I got my camera and sought him out to take a picture of him in order to get inspiration for a post just about him.

me: Job? where are you?

J: in my room watching tv

me: hey, take a picture for me

J: sure (insert finger into nose without taking eyes off tv)

me: yep, you are your father's son, love you

As I leave the room, the laughter echoes through the hall. This nose picking picture doesn't even begin to describe his enormous personality, but it certainly gives you a feel of what I deal with on a daily basis. I'm sure your gag reflex may become weak as you think of all the "rolled up" boogers that have been flicked around my house. He's a connoisseur of such things. Boogers, farts, burps and the like.

Junkie

2006-11-14T20:07:00.000-06:00

My four year old has sucked her thumb since in utero and is finding it very difficult to stop. My husband, having been a thumb sucker himself, doesn't want her having problems with her teeth. Throughout her day he gives her gentle reminders to help her kick the habit. Well, she's getting annoyed with his reminders, which is putting it lightly. And like most junkies, she's starting to get good at hiding her habit from the one person that bugs her about it the most.

Daddy: Stop sucking your thumb.
Daughter: hmmmph (sad face while she reluctantly takes her thumb out of her mouth)

Daddy waits a second outside of the door, while daughter waits a few seconds to make sure daddy is not watching. He peaks his head back in, notices she hasn't put her thumb back in her mouth and commends her on her obedience and her effort.

Daddy: Great job not sucking your thumb
Daughter: I don't really want to suck my thumb anyway Daddy (with such a mild mannered tone you actually believe for a split second she's serious)
Daddy: That's great sweetie, daddy is proud of you.

Two minutes later I walk by the room, her thumb blatantly shoved in her mouth and she's sucking on it so hard her eyes are scowled and her cheeks are moving so fast it looks as if she's about to suck the thumb right off. "Better get that thumb out of your mouth, daddy's coming!"

Sweet

2006-11-13T14:54:00.000-06:00

Every morning for the last 13 days, I've awakened to the whispers of my sweet little girl. She leans in very close and says in her itsy bitsy whisper, "mommy? mommy, can I have just two pieces of candy?"

I have a theory that she secretly wishes I'll be too asleep to respond, which she will be able to interpret as a yes. She will then pitter patter her itsy bitsy feet into her room, grab her little chair, and place it strategically next to the counter in the kitchen. She will climb up onto the chair, hoist herself up on the counter and reach on top of the refrigerator to grab her trick or treat bag full of glorious chocolate delights.

Unfortunately for her, I do hear her tiny little whisper every morning at 6:45am on the dot. I offer a peanut butter and jelly sandwich instead, and her world seems just as sweet.

Hugs from God

2006-11-12T14:19:00.000-06:00

I'm going to blog about something today that I usually keep to myself. Mostly because I don't like throwing my truly private thoughts out in the open for people to read and misinterpret or scrutinize. It's common knowledge that not everyone will agree with each other. Whether the topic be religion, politics, child rearing, or the like. Those differences make us all individually unique.

Individualism is something that people have fought for, and died for. Individualism is an aspect of freedom that I think we sometimes take for granted. That being said, why is it so hard for us to accept others for who they are? I've stumbled onto many blogs that have discussed some rather controversial issues, such as religion. While I may disagree with them in some areas, I can also empathize with their frustrations.

When I was in my early twenties, I attended a Bible College that was produced out of an Independent, Fundamental, King James Version, Baptist Church. That sentence is enough to make some of you reading this cringe. Others, who happen to be Baptist, may look on that with acceptance. Memories of those days come rushing back to me every so often and I'm reminded of not only who I was before that experience, but who I became during it. I'd love to say that God molded me into this fascinating no-pant wearing, submissive Christian that knocked on doors thrusting bible literature in people's faces. That did not happen. Instead, my husband and I left the church and college because we began to realize that we weren't helping anyone by being there, and we certainly weren't being used of God.

The Things I learned:
1. Women should not wear pants, if they do, they are out of the Will of God. This is a barometer for a woman's spiritual walk.
2. Women must be submissive to their husbands, they can not question any of the decisions that are made by a man, whether they be good or bad.
3. Women must keep their houses clean clean clean, that is their place.
4. If you weren't careful, God may just have to take you out of the picture.
5. If you are sick or suffer from misfortune, then you better clear the sin out of your life that is causing the turmoil.
6. You should have fear, not only for the Lord, but for the Man of God. After all, he has been chosen by God to lead the flock.

This list is small in comparison to the things that were drilled into my thought process. It's been 7 years since we left, and there isn't a day that goes by that I don't have to reprogram my thoughts concerning, not only this list, but hundreds of other things. Not everything I learned there was bad, even though the church was borderline fascist.

The fond memories I do have are of the kind hearted people. The people who cared for us. They were the ones that if I went to and asked for prayer, I knew that my prayer request would be on their hearts until it was answered. They didn't try to "read my barometer" to see if I was worthy of prayer, or if I needed another type of prayer. They loved us for who we were and for the people God was molding us to be.

The church is no longer there, imagine that, but I can still picture the faces of the congregation and where they sat every service. I can see their smiling faces as I pass to go to my seat. I can almost feel their warm embraces as they said hello with a hug. Those are the things that God wanted me to keep. He wanted me to hang on to the oh so very human like qualities of being flawed and loving others regardless of theirs.

If an atheist would have met me 7 years ago, I would have been living proof of why they stayed away from Christianity. There was no compassion, no understanding, no acceptance of anything or anyone that did not dress, talk, walk, and act the way that I did. Tears begin to swell up as I imagine how many people I pushed away because of my superior view of myself. All the while, I went about claiming it was God's love that made me into that person. He did change my life, but I decided to take over at some point in order to make myself into the cookie cut Christian a few others thought I should be. (i.e. the pastor and his family) Too often, people don't see God in Christian people because they are living their lives by others dictation, rather than seeking God. Yet, they firmly believe that the way they are is going to be blessed of God because Preacher so and so said it would be. Or simply because they believe they are right and everyone else needs saving.

I still go to church. I still attend a Baptist church. I still struggle daily with not only my walk with God, but how I should be towards others. I am very much disgusted with silly things like someone smoking or what they wear (mild examples) being the judge of whether or not I should reach out to them or befriend them. Those things shouldn't matter when people enter your life. What should matter is how you treat them and how you interact with them. Do they know you love God, even though you don't say it? Do they know you are different on the inside, even though you never utter the words? What do others see when they look at you? What do others see when they look at me?

Do they see the weight of the world, or do they get to witness through my eyes "the peace of God, which passeth all understanding?" (Philippians 4:7) Although you may feel I'm preaching, this post is meant for me. This blog is meant for me. I'm slowly realizing that in order to be honest with myself and honest on this blog, I have to talk about this part of my life. It's who I am, whether I like admitting it or not. Don't get me wrong, I'm extremely Thankful for the things that God has done in my life. I just don't particularly enjoy sharing it with people who are only going to hold me under a microscope and say "um yeah? where did you say God was exactly?" I'm not claiming to be perfect, merely a human that has been blessed with a warm hello hug of God's perfect mercy and grace.

me=faux pas

2006-11-11T18:19:00.000-06:00

I’m certainly no relationship expert. I tend to say the wrong things and forget too much of the important things. The older I get the more I realize how much I stink at interacting with the people in my life.

Sometimes I make it more difficult than it needs to be. I read into things a little too much, which is putting it lightly. I never really trust that there isn’t some hidden meaning behind anything people do. An omission means something. Sarcasm is less of a ‘joke’ and more of a stab. Instead of having an optimistical glossy view of the good in people, I tend to see people through my jaded lens of ‘worst-case thinking.’

Does that mean my omissions mean something? Is my sarcasm a passive aggressive way of letting someone know they irritate me? Maybe I could hold myself to the same standards that I hold others. It’s hard to make good friends but it’s not hard to keep them when the only expectations you have are for yourself.

Laundry...

2006-11-10T19:16:00.000-06:00

Hey Job, How do you feel about putting away your laundry?

Stuff to Write About

2006-11-09T09:21:00.000-06:00

I made a list of things to write about. I'm not sure that anything listed below will actually hold the attention of anyone that happens to read my blog. For lack of better things to write about, I'll let you read my list.

1. boogers
2. farts
3. stinky brats that cry at the drop of a hat. No cinnamon rolls for You!
4. Blues Clues dude, Joe.
5. Flush the TOILET!
6. the size of my dust bunnies. the monstrosities must be eliminated soon before they take over and form a regime against my duster.
7. my blog stinks. like rotting cheese left in your car. you can't figure out where the stench is coming from but you know it's there.
8. I play the Sims on the PC and the xbox.
9. And the PSP.
10. Who decided putting hydrogenated oils in food was a good thing?
11. Why do I still eat the crap even though I know it's bad
12. Politics? um. nah.
13. Science? double nope
14. And the gameboy.
15. All of my soured jokes. unfortunately for you, i'm not entirely funny. sometimes you can find humor in my weirdness, but it's never a premeditated act by me.

After rereading my list, it does seem these are things I should not be writing about. Back to the laundry I go. Where my thoughts can remain weird and not visible for anyone to see.

Music Speaks

2006-11-09T08:30:00.000-06:00

Breakdown

I hope this old train breaks down then I could take a walk around
See what there is to see, time is just a melody
With all the people in the street walking fast as their feet
Can take them, I just roll through town
And though my window’s got a view, well the frame I’m looking through
Seems to have no concern for now
So for now I

I need this here old train to breakdown
Oh please just let me please just breakdown

Well this engine screams out loud, centipede going to crawl westbound
So I don’t even make a sound cause it’s going to sting me when I leave this town
And all the people in the street that I’ll never get to meet
If these tracks don’t bend somehow
And I got no time that I got to get to where I don’t need to be
So I

I need this here old train to breakdown
Oh please just let me please just breakdown

I want to break on down
But I can’t stop now
Let me break on down

But you can’t stop nothing if you got no control
Of the thoughts in your mind that you kept and you know
That you don’t know nothing but you don’t need to know
The wisdom’s in the trees not the glass windows
You can’t stop wishing if you don’t let go
Of the things that you find and you lose and you know
You keep on rolling, put the moment on hold
Because the frame’s too bright, so put the blinds down low

I need this here old train to breakdown
Oh please just let me please just breakdown

I got to break on down
But I can’t stop now

Ever So Happy

2006-11-08T08:36:00.000-06:00

Yet another fashion don't. I have no idea where that skirt came from or why I chose to put it on my body. After the wrangler wearing phase, I suppose I went through an old lady phase. I'm flipping through photos praying I don't see myself in a muumuu. The wildly ugly pattern in my skirt must have forced Mike to propose before it got any worse.

When I turned eighteen, I was having a hard time adjusting to the fact that responsibility was a character trait that I needed to automatically possess. I dropped out of school about 3 months before graduation (got my GED 6 months later), smoked pot all day long, and cried about what I should do with my life. To make a long story short, I met a preacher's son, who invited me to church. I went, God said "Hey, Here I am" and I was hooked. So, I continued going, and met Mike there a month later.

He moved to Louisiana from Indiana to go to this little Bible college/cult that was spawned from the church. As you can tell, I don't have many fond memories of this place either. I met God and Mike there, so I don't count it a complete waste of my life and energy. Mike, being the painfully shy person that he is, decided it would be a completely wonderful idea if he proposed to me during a skit in the middle of "college days" (basically other churches sent their teen groups to visit).

So, I was proposed to during the "Ugliest Creature" skit in front of 200 people. So romantic. Basically, someone gets under a blanket as the ugliest creature and a couple of the people in the audience know what's going on and they're selected to go up "if they dare" and look upon the ugliest creature. One glance from this creature causes one to fall to a sudden death. yadda yadda. So, two people are selected from the audience, they go up, fall down dead, and are carried away. The third person has no clue what's going, goes up, looks at the ugliest creature, and the ugliest creature falls down dead. It's a riot!

Anyway, I was the third person, but the ugliest creature threw off the blanket and got down on one knee to propose, rather than the traditional falling down dead. I'm sure he wanted to though. He was so nervous. His hands were shaking so bad, he couldn't get the ring on my finger. The proposal mixed with getting to actually touch me "with permission" was probably all his poor body could handle.

Almost 10 years together, 8 years married and 2 children later, he's still the most handsome ugliest creature I've ever met.

Once Upon a Time

2006-11-07T08:29:00.000-06:00

When I think back to my retched high school days, there aren't too many memories that I replay in my head fondly. I always seemed to be the one without a boyfriend, the one tripping up the stairs, or the one getting gum stuck to my ass on the first day of school. There weren't too many times where I felt embarrassed by things that happened to me, but when I look back on it now, I probably should have hid under a rock on several occasions. After wearing these pants, could be one of those moments.

I was madly in love with a boy named Dusty. Just the kind of name you'd find in one of those country movies about...hey, there actually is one. Pure Country.It was released the same year I was wearing those pants. Dusty was one of those curly haired cowboys, a boy of few words, but somehow girls adored him because he shoveled horse manure and played with pigs on the weekends.

I met him in Biology my freshman year. He sat behind me and I bugged him mercilessly. For some odd reason, he called me everyday after school, at 3:15 on the dot and we would talk about who knows what and eat ruffles with ketchup. I finally mustered up the courage to let him know that I liked him, which I thought he did too, but turns out he had a girlfriend from Hackberry. Yep, that's one of those towns where you can find a girlfriend real easy, if you get my drift.

Of course, I cried myself to sleep that night, but was determined that one day he'd realize what a dummy he was and he'd definitely ask me out. No such luck, the guy was a dummy until we graduated high school. I had several classes with him throughout high school and I never dated anyone else, just so he knew I was available. The joke was on me. He dated several of my friends.

1992 - Wendy
1993 - Melissa (We were no longer "bff" after she diddled him)
1994 - Mel and Kelly (not at the same time, I don't think)
1995 - Stacy

I think sometime around 93' I stopped discussing him with all my friends and crying over the fact that he still called but didn't like me like me. So, I stopped getting angry at all of my friends who decided to diddle him. I just kept my mouth shut and stayed miserably alone because I was sure he was the one for me. What an idiot I was. I sure hope my little girl doesn't go through such naivety when she's in high school. I'm sure she will but unlike me, she'll have a mom waiting at home with a big gallon of ice cream and a shoulder to cry. That way she'll feel like less of an idiot when the boy she is SO in love with starts dating all of her friends.

Fortuitous Finds

2006-11-06T21:43:00.000-06:00

The last few days my blog has left something to be desired. My posts are seriously lacking and I must say I'm very disappointed in myself. I know I can come up with better material than a youtube video of a vlogging alien and the dry details of my walking adventures.

Maybe I can't. There will at least be more effort in the future. The NaBloPoMo randomizer has come in handy. I've been reading lots of wonderful blogs lately. Most of which are far more interesting than what I've got to say. I thought I would list a few of the blogs I've stumbled upon.

Losing True
Big Girl Underoos
A Dingo Ate my Baby
Other Side of My Head

Now I'm off to find ways to redecorate this place. I see a new obsession in my future. Blog design here I come.

Princess Pig

2006-11-06T09:01:00.000-06:00

Thanks youmeandababy for the idea. Please visit Belle's pig. We made her a little house on the side. Feel free to spray her with mist, and feed her plenty of apples. Oink Oink

I adopted a goldfish.

Honeysuckle

2006-11-05T16:08:00.000-06:00

I couldn't think of anything to blog, so I went to you tube. I know, patheticameta!
*Note to self* Borrow some creativity from a friend, or make a list asap or you're going to drown during NaBloPoMo!

Another walk

2006-11-04T16:21:00.000-06:00

The weather has been perfect lately, so I went for another walk. The kids didn't go with, I just like their cheesy grins and thought I would share. So, I'm out on my walk, all by my lonesome. There weren't very many people out and about. Other than the occasional dog barking...(I just realized that my blog has spell check! Is this new? COOL!) Anyway, I'm strolling along trying to breathe in the fresh air and listen to the nothingness of the crickets chirping and birds singing, when I notice a dog in his front yard.

He eyeballs me for a second and I try not to look directly at him, mostly out of fear that he'll come and bite my ass off or something. Well, he starts to wag his little tail and approaches me ever so slowly. He stops, sits and just stares. As I make my way around the side of the house, because that's where the sidewalk is leading, he stands up and follows while staying within the perimeter of his yard. I turn back to look at him, because he seems nice enough, and he wags his tail and inches a little closer. I keep walking at the same pace and he continues to follow me about. I pass a car that's in his view of me, and turn back to say goodbye and he's standing on his back legs trying to peer over the car to get one last look at me. I grin and wave and he turns back to go sit on his porch.

When I started my walk, I briefly thought to myself "it would be nice to have a dog to walk." We had a dog once, who was a milder version of Cujo. She only tried to eat my kid's face off a couple of times. We had to...um..::clear throat:: ..find her another home. Anyway, as I passed the little dog on my walk, I bet he wondered why I wasn't walking a dog. I bet he pegged me to be the sort that wasn't a great dog owner. Either way, I was just really glad he didn't bite me.

Went on a walk today

2006-11-03T15:30:00.000-06:00

He's about 2 and half years old and he's walking along side his mom toward the school to pick up his big brother. His mom is on her cell phone chatting it up as he's calling out the names of all the cars he's passing in the parking lot.

"Dodge Caravan, Honda, MOM!! What's that one?"

"That's a Toyota sweety. (to her cellphone) He's obsessed with the manufacture emblems on vehicles. His favorite one is..."

"MOM!! There's a MAZDA!!!"

On the walk home, I got to listen to another little kid sing 'Who Let the Dogs Out.'

Various Things

2006-11-02T19:53:00.000-06:00

The older I get the more often I catch myself using my fingernail to pick my teeth. Either that's an old age thing or a hillbilly thing.

When I burn candles all day I get black boogers. Doesn't sound promising for the lungs. (my friend gets lint boogers after folding laundry, I can't really top that one)

My husband and I have a new obsession: The Office
We've been netflixing the episodes and can't stop watching the dvd once we've started it. Shamelessly addicted to the laughter.

I need to go now, he's starting disc 3 without me....

Lots of Treats

2006-11-01T18:26:00.000-06:00

We now have plenty of candy to rot their teeth. Trick or treating was a success. My daughter's favorite part was the bright red lipstick that ended up mostly on her teeth. My little ninja ended up ditching the sword half way through the night because his bag of candy was way more important than looking cool or chopping up the evil villains.
Pom Pom Girl informed me at one point, that I needed to hold her bag because it was slowing her down.

What a Peach

2006-10-28T18:38:00.000-06:00

My son wanted to play soccer REALLY bad this year. So, I signed him up by the deadline, which was the last day to register and he got put on a wait list. The wait list wasn't budging. No one was volunteering to coach, so the kids were just sitting on this list. So, I did what I do best, act hastily without thought and get myself into a committment that ends up being a thorn in my side.

My team was filled with a great bunch of kids. A few of them weren't all that interested in actually playing soccer, including my son, but what can you expect from a bunch of first graders. Waking up early on Saturday morning, getting to practice every Mon and Wed, learning how to actually play soccer were a few minor sacrifices I was willing to make in order for the kids to just be out there, having fun. The thing I could have done without was the psycho soccer mom.

I'm sure every team has one. You know, the mom who is never satisfied no matter how hard you try. Nothing will ever make this mom happy because lets just face it, she probably hasn't been 'satisfied' in a REALLY long time. I'm pretty sure her husband is in Iraq, so yeah, I can gaurantee the satisfaction meter is running low.

She stopped bringing her daughter to practice and the games about 3 weeks ago. She was a 'side line yeller' so it got extremely quiet. I still called her to keep her informed of what was going on. I was just a good coach like that. She rarely closed our phone calls with a "goodbye" or "good day" before I heard the other end slam down.

One phone call in particular, I was explaining that we were going to pass out trophies and have donuts off to the side after the last game. Well, apparently, she didn't like that idea so she hung up on me. The last game ended up being canceled so I called to let her know and she suggested:

Her: Who decided we should be outside for the trophy ceremony?
Me: The other parents, did you have any suggestions?
Her: Well, why can't we go indoors, it's too cold?
Me: Sure, how's Burger King sound?
Her: Alright. (phone slams)

I make the phone calls and all the other parents agree to the change. Everyone shows up at the Burger King with smiles on, ready to pass out trophies and let their kids play. The psycho soccer mom arrives with her usual scowled looking self, plops her butt down away from the crowd with another mom who was willing to listen to her bitch-moan sessions all season and begins to complain. About what you might ask? She got her way didn't she? Yes, she most certainly did, but she still had to get in one last bitch-moan about the fact that she had to tell me it needed to be indoors. I'm not saying she was wrong. I'm merely suggesting that she was a Bitch about it.

I leave you with her last words to me. I say last because soccer season is officially over and I no longer have to attempt and fail at making this mom happy. (No, I didn't rip her larynx out, which is what you were probably hoping right?) Moving the location wasn't enough, she also wanted to know:

Um, where are the donuts?

She was a peach.

Belle + Precious = Belly

2006-10-27T10:43:00.000-06:00

Nothing is as fun as having a daughter. A little miniature version of yourself, that inevitably ends up saying and doing everything you do. I suppose she thinks I'm cool, but she's only four, so I'm sure my coolness will fade with time. Much in the same way my looks are. Everything in her world is fun, unless of course she's not allowed to do something.
Here she is brushing her teeth (which is code for play in water) while singing her rendition of Peter,Peter, Pumpkin Eater.

Peter Peter Eater Eater, Had a pumpkin wife in a shell, Pumpkin Peter Eater

Her day is one big musical. You can find her singing some of her earlier released singles entitled, "It's in my Heart" and "Twirly Skirts." The ABC song has been filling the air lately, but I'm eagerly awaiting her next masterpiece.

10 things about me

2006-10-26T11:11:00.000-06:00

1. If I'm blogging, it's usually because I'm avoiding something else. Such as schoolwork, or laundry, or watching my kids draw on the walls with permanent marker.

2. My favorite color is purple. I once owned a purple Ford Contour, that's just how much I love the color purple.

3. I generally don't like cooking, unless I'm having someone over for dinner, then I try to impress. It usually doesn't turn out so good, which is why my husband recommends we order pizza when we have people over. That reminds me of a Thanksgiving story, but I'll wait and share it on Thanksgiving. (I bet your bursting with anticipation, mark it down)

4. I don't like folding laundry. My children now know to look for their undies on the couch.

5. I don't watch tv much, mostly because I'm too busy trying to figure out how to blog.

6. I'm usually grammatically incorrect when I open my mouth. My friends love this quality about me. I like to use the word 'seen' instead of 'saw' and "are we getting down" when referring to going inside a restaurant.

7. I aslo pronounce things totally wrong, but most of the time I use big words (cause I read webster's everyday) and people don't catch it. My husband really loves this about me. He just chuckles, that's how deep the love runs. "Jessica, it's not 'Si-Ox indian it's pronounced Su." I calmly reply, "Your pronounced Su." I rarely get come backs after that one.

8. When I wash my hair I put the wads of hair that are coming out of my head onto the side of the shower. I know my husband appreciates it because he knows I don't want to clog the pipes.

9. I start a new hobby every month. November is NaBloPoMo and you know I'm all over that. I rarely ever finish my hobbies, but I still think they define who I am. I partially made a dollhouse for my daughter a couple of months ago. My husband is currently finishing it for me. I tried making my own candles, and I bought a guitar. Seriously, my closet full of unfinished projects is a blog in itself, so I'll save the rest for NaBloPoMo. *wink*

10. I can't type when someone is standing over my shoulder. Like now, my husband wants to know what I'm doing, but I have to minimize the window before he reads that I've written about him. *giggle* Like I said, the love runs deep.

"Hugs Not Drugs"

2006-10-25T07:57:00.000-06:00

Today Job took 'Sgt. Teddy' to school with him. This week his school is doing a "Say No to Drugs" campaign and every day they have a theme to follow. Monday was "Give drugs the boot" (wear boots) and Thursday will be "Kids and drugs don't mix" (wear crazy mixed colors and socks). Today's theme sounds more like it should be for the parents, not the kids. "Hugs not Drugs"

My parents raised my brother and I with the hippy concept of "give your children absolutely no restrictions or boundaries and they'll come out in the end just fine. Pass the weed man." Or just pass your kids the crack. Whatever works best. Luckily, I really didn't want to end up like my parents, which ended up being my main motivation for getting out of the backwards life I was living in the good old state of Louisiana. The combination of that, meeting my husband and my new faith in God helped to produce a somewhat socially civilized human being. I can't get away from my childhood, but hopefully learning from it everyday will help me to be a better parent.

My husband and I both want our kids to make good decisions. Healthy decisions. Living by example is the hardest part of being a parent. It would be easier to have a "do as I say, not as I do" strategy to parenting, but my parents already proved that parenting style didn't work so well. The funny thing is I think they actually believe they had something to do with the way I live my life today. I suppose I couldn't argue with them much about that.

Even though today's 'say no to drugs' theme isn't exactly meant for me as a parent, I'm going to make sure my kids get a few extra hugs everyday.

Max the Cat

2006-10-24T08:50:00.000-06:00

This blog is suffering from a little rigor mortis, and I think it's about time I post something. So here it is:
Max the Cat

Name: Max
Nicknames: Max-ammillion, Maxi Pad (I have weird friends), MAX GET!

LIKES
*Getting a quick sniff of the fresh air when we open the front door (he's an inside cat only)
*Favorite Food: Tortilla chip crumbs
*Favorite Beverage: Soapy Bath Tub water
*Favorite Human: that would be Me!
*Girlfriend: Strawberry Shortcake

*Sport: chasing down crickets and breaking off one of their legs and watching them twitch with pain as they scurry to seek shelter from their fanged monster eating predator.
*Favorite Place to hang: Back of my desk chair...he wasn't in the mood for a picture, I'll have to show you later. He can be so finicky when it comes to photos.
*Favorite Place to snooze: warm laundry on couch, Belle's bed with Strawberry Shortcake

Dislikes
*Being rubbed on the belly
*fleas
*stray cats that perch themselves on the outside of our windows
*when I kill the bugs in the house before he gets to torture them

"HORE!"

2006-09-29T12:16:00.000-06:00

Since Mike came home from Iraq, we've been eating out quite a bit. His favorite restaurant is Chili's. I was feeling extremely lazy, yet again, so we decided to go out to eat at of course Chili's. We get there, sit immediately and the kids get to work on their activity books.

These books are filled with tons of fun word puzzles, find the missing object games and coloring pages. One page in particular had a word that was in code that needed to be colored to read what it said. So, Job takes on the challenge. He's getting creative and alternating colors for the different letters.

Well, the word should have read 'HOPE' in support of the restaurants drive for St. Jude Children's Hospital. But my son, being the creative little mind that he is, makes the 'P' into an 'R'. Mike and I notice it and chuckle a bit, not giving it much thought. As he finishes coloring, what he believes to be the coolest word EVER, the waitress approaches our table to take our order. Job turns to Mike and says, in an extemely loud voice, "Hey Dad, It says HORE! HORE! HORE!!" Yes, we laughed uncontrollably and hoped no one noticed our son yelling HORE for the fifth time before we got him quiet.