Monday Night Blues

• It's not really a blues kind of Monday. Actually, it wasn't a bad Monday at all. Tonight was left over night....not one kid complained. I'm pretty sure I used to never like left over night....did I? Then again, I was a pig as a kid!
• We are officially in a routine. Home, homework, dinner, bath and bed. Occasionally there is a little playtime, arguing, teeth brushing, story time and hugs in between there somewhere.
• I'm trying hard to adjust to the boy in the house. He climbs walls, bounces off trees, pretends we're all fighting some sort of form of evil....and his socks all get filthy in less than two minutes. I got on to him once last week because I feared #1 a broken bone and #2 my little girl would attempt to copy him (and she's VERY clumsy.)
• Each night at supper, after everyone is finished, we all have a chore to do to make clean up go by fast. Everyone is responsible for putting their empty plate and silverware in the right side of the sink, then I give each person a chore. When everyone is ready I say the magic word and we all get up. The magic word is....."Go."
  
• Tonight, I said, "Are we ready to hear what our supper chore is?" The boy picks up the ranch, his sister-the salt and pepper shakers, my lil one the ketchup....I looked around, smiled and said....Go! I was quite happy at that moment.
• I'll pretend it's not because they've all figured out that if they all have their homework done after dinner that they get to play outside for a little bit before bath times.
• Mr. Little Man got in trouble at school today. Not too big of a deal just yet. The teacher wrote that he wasn't paying attention in class in his folder. I gigged....I have a feeling there will be more of that before this semester is done.
  
• His mom and dad visited last night and his dad had told him if he would stay out of trouble for a whole six weeks they would talk about a reward.
  
• I remember thinking...couldn't we set a more reasonable goal? Come on, I have kids, I remember once telling my younger daughter....could ya just go one day this week without getting in trouble?
• Seems that teacher thought my little girl talked too much. Humfph....nahhh, not my lil one!
  
• I got smart today on the way out of work. I went to Walmart with only one kid and then picked up the other three. Walmart is a lot less stressful the less number of kids you take in there.
  
• Last night I got woken up several times by kids. Once for a coughing fit which didn't go well. Someone threw a tantrum when taking the cough medicine. Cough medicine went everywhere.
  
• Next few times was from the youngest girl in the house yelling in her sleep. I remember hearing her yelling at her brother to get off the swing. I sat up and was just about to hollar at him to get off that swing when I realized that it was three am. Then I sat and chuckled at her still hollaring at him. It was cute.
• The next two hours weren't as cute. More coughing and more sleepy yelling.
  
• I have no idea how my two kids slept through that, but when I retold the story on the way to school, they all found it funny, including the yeller. The midnight tantrum thrower had no recollection of the events in the middle of the night.
• And to think I was worried these kids weren't gonna get good sleep last night.
• It didn't take long for them to go out tonight!
  
• Speaking of sleep.....I'm worn out. I'm a little under the weather, have clean bathrooms and a clean kitchen. I think I deserve to snuggle up to the last load of laundry I haven't hung up yet and sleep. Just sleep.
  

Jarhead as a little boy??

Nahh...what am I saying? They didn't have video cameras back then!



......on a side note, I'm pretty sure that kid as more rhythm in his little toe than I do anywhere!

In the groove....(From Wednesday night)

• I rarely get to actually eat and enjoy my thirty minutes of lunch without being interrupted at work. I'll spend 15 minutes on something for someone, get back to my lunch-now cold and then feel guilty if the bosses see me "past" the lunch time still trying to have lunch....even though half my lunch was spent working.
• I was going to blog at lunch today but decided to sneak out and drive real slow to the corner store to get the after school snack for my oldest.
• Having four kids isn't so bad when they are all in a routine. We are on day three and starting to get used to the routine.
  
• Day one through three my nephew threw down some major revolution that had me crying on the phone to my mother. He is one tough kid to handle. Now day four and five my older one is trying to buck the system just a smidge. 
• I'm trying to secretly give my oldest one a little slack since this week she seems a little hormonal for some odd reason and also because she helps out so much. At the same time I need him to see that these rules aren't just for him...everyone has to follow them. I don't want him to feel picked on.
  
• Without saying a word she'll...just do...whatever to help out. It feels so odd to make her stop, but I so want her to just be a little kid longer. I look over and see her helping her cousin or little sister with hair or finding something and I didn't ask her to help. She'll even finish the dishwasher and start it without being asked.
• I'm divorced with kids.....any teeny tiny little thing that's done around this house to help out is huge....if its just done without being asked....gold. 
• I was once accused of being the biggest worrying free spirit known. 
• I finally had a friend call to check on me last night, but I was getting the last kids from the after school program and it was getting a little crazy....I was soooo sad to hear, "Well, I can hear you're busy, so I'll let you go." I just wanted an adult to talk to about non kid stuff. 
• That reminds me, I had two friends that I was really close to that I could call up anytime and just ramble.....they would listen to every word. Neither are really close anymore....eh, life, whatever...I miss having someone that loves to talk on the phone as much as I do. 
• And last thought of the night in regards to my crazy feelings this week....I sure heart my sweet mother. I've chewed on her, I've cried to her and she's done nothing but encouraged and been patient...ahhh, sweet Mama of mine. :)

Eek!

Cooper head snakes, tarantulas, crickets galore and now a centipede?

I can't take it anymore!

....and let me tell ya, that was a HUGE centipede.

Our engineer points at it and says....oh yea, the chicken and the centipede.

Me: Huh?

He explains that chickens love to eat centipedes, but centipedes hate the chicken so they bite them and kill them. He told me that people in his country eat centipede but for this one in our office, maybe Animal Control should be called.

I failed to give Animal Control a call but did hold the door open when it was escorted outside....one half of it at a time.

Ok, ok...I didn't hold the door open...I ran the opposite direction.

That pic does NOT do it's size justice one bit!! And yes, I know you probably think I tend to exaggerate when it comes to poisonous creatures with more than six legs...but it really, really, really was big!!

Cross my heart it was!!

Rough Start

First day to school on Monday and I knew I would be late to work. I even warned the boss ahead of time. We showed up at the elementary school with my nephew and paperwork to enroll him THAT day. Everything was in order except for those pesky little shot records. Our school said no problem, we just sent a fax to request them, then suggested me calling the other school would help hurry them along.

I called the other school at 7:45 and explained I couldn't leave him until his shot records were sent. The nice sweet lady pinky promised me that she would do that within five minutes.

After a few more phone calls of me begging and a couple staff members from our school calling we ended up with nothing. At almost 11:00 they finally received the records...but not from the school. His mom went to the doctor's office, got a copy, drove to a Post Net kind of place and faxed them from there.

In the meantime, we took my little to her class....who latched onto my leg and cried huge tears.
Then we took his little sister to her Pre-K....more tears and almost a knock down drag out fight. The director promised she would call if little one didn't calm down.

I got a call not long after assuring me she was ok and if there were any issues they would call me.

That was an emotional morning.

(Pic above is at 7:30 am, down the road from the elementary school entrance and worse than it looks!)

8-Bit Trip

You know I'm a fan of the stop-motion video.




This one took 1500 hours of moving legobricks and taking pics of them. Wow that's a ton of work. I'm good just to spend 15 minutes on putting away laundry.

Twas the night before school and all through the house.....

I mentioned within 140 characters that I had gotten four kids through the evening. Nope, I wasn't seeing double...for the next couple of weeks, I have FOUR kids. Where'd I put that fake hubby at? I could sure use his help right now. 

My brother is moving up to my neck of the woods and I took in the school age kiddos so they wouldn't A) miss the first two weeks of school or B) have to enroll in their town and then re-enroll here two weeks later. 

My brother has a 2nd grader, a Pre-k-er and an almost 2yo. Goodness. I'm worn out. I have my two and his two older ones. Out of the four, three are girls but his older son is a spitting image of him (sooo can't deny) and did I mention he's a boy? Dude! I have two girls...I'm struggling with this boy. He is such a.....boy! Girls I can handle...boys are a different story. Sheesh..they are a whole differet breed...it's like they are from another planet! 

His kids also have had a different routine than mine. Apparantly we pray, clean, hug, kiss and say I love you alot....according to Mr. Little Man. Today might have been a little rough with him. He spent the day testing the boundries of my temporary authority and I spent the day letting him fully understand who was in charge. Good grief, bless his little heart. 

Now, just please please please let him get through the next two weeks of school without getting in trouble there. He has made it clear that he is not one bit happy with this new school. His old one is better and he isn't looking forward to this one bit. I'm hoping making friends, being around other boys, and getting through the first week will bring on a different attitude. 

....now, its bedtime. It's quiet in this house...even the dogs are worn out and asleep.

Nighty-Nite and sweet dreams.

Lucky...it's catchy

"Lucky" Official Video With Colbie Caillat


Loved it.

Thursday Thoughts

Ok, I'm up waaay too late typing these thoughts.....

• So my brother comes to visit for the week with his kids.
• He spends time at the parents house and then they drift my way this evening.
• I'm always tickled to have the crew over at my house for dinner and family time.
  
• Wow, at dinner... it felt like a zillion kids between the two of us...and it's not as if we have two totally seperate kid groups between us...each child is very different from the others...making the entire group of kiddos a collective group of very entertaining kids.
• He goes home tomorrow.....dangit.
• I've told his oldest that I am his "favorite aunt" ever since he was a baby. Today he ran to me and referred to me as such and one of his little sisters did too!
  
• I hadn't had the painful pleasure of "putting up" with my brother in awhile...but a snipit of our ongoing conversation throughout the evening had us both rolling. with laughter. I can't remember how this got started but I remember part of his sentence having the acronym, NBC, in it and me regaining focus on his conversation....
• 
  

Me: Wait, huh? You did what?

Brother: ...we had to put this radiological/biological suit on.
Me: What? Hold on.....I gotta tweet that!!! How often does THAT come up in a sentence?
Brother: No seriously..in the army....
Me: ...no wait..shut up, I'm trying to catch up .... how did you say that?
Still me while typing: (see above)
Brother: Oh my...did you just say that you gotta tweet that?
Me: silently typing (...still trying to spell)
Brother: No seriously..when I was in the army....


I just asked him while finishing typing this how we came up with the start of this and he said, "Oh! It came from the NBC gear (he reexplained the entire conversation)...and you had to complete the Nuclear Biological Training so you could wear your nuclear biological gear.....: yawn....bedtime..... I'm not an army chic. I'm blonde. That is waay too much information in one word for my brain.

....Zzzzzzz.....

Gotta love my brother...That fella is crazier than me.

Ok, well almost.

Hey...I tweeted that yesterday!!

I kid you not....almost to work yesterday and I get to the railroad crossing three seconds too late to get across and beat the train. Out of frustration towards the train, I tweeted: Beatlejuice. Beatlejuice. Beatlejuice.

Now this video made me laugh!

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Oh and yes, you are more than welcome to pass up the fact that I tweeted beetlejuice slightly misspelled. I blame the train.

Wednesday's Thoughts

• The AC is out at work. 'I'm miserable' doesn't even cover how un-fun that is. I'm pretty sure I smelled all day. I was drenched in sweat.
• I actually took off work early to shower before Meet the Teacher night.
• Sadly, I'm not sure any of the guys that work in the heat welding and doing manual hard labor felt sorry for me. Can you imagine? Come on, you'll feel bad for me, won't ya?
  
• Meet the teacher night went smoothly. Little one was excited to give out a zillion hugs to all her friends, past teachers and then see her teacher was already someone she knew.
  
• Older one wasn't so thrilled to learn that her boyfriend and her bff weren't in any of her classes. She was not in a good mood when we left. We did stop by the office for assistance with her schedule as it wasn't quite right and they will get it fixed and have it ready later this week. She's hopeful the changes will result in her having her bff or boyfriend in any class with her.
• My little one asked if I missed being a kid. I giggled. Not a chance. I'm glad she's having a great time, but I have found that adulthood is much more to my liking.
• In between schools we found time for dinner out. "Hey kids, wanna eat out now or wait till we get home and I'll cook." Without hesitation, both kids: "Eat out!" (Made me laugh.)
• We went out and when it was time for the check the waitress informs me that someone else paid for our dinner. We knew who it was...one of our neighbors said hello to us when we first got there. (Sweet people.)
  
• But what made me really giggle was the girls discussing how we could pay them back.
• They both agreed that the meal was bought not because it was felt we didn't have money but out of kindness. Our neighbors did it just to be nice.
  
• So, how do you repay kindness? Well, with more kindness, of course. They discussed yard work they could do, maybe happy notes sent over, baked goods....something had to be done to show appreciation to these people.
  
• How can one sit at that table, not offer a word and not feel a surge of pride over two extremely sweet little girls? I didn't give any indication of why the meal would have been bought or give a suggestion that a card stating a simple thank you in return would be plenty. The entire conversation between the two was great. (I wish I had it recorded.)
  
• Ahhh....I adore my little babies! I just wish they would stay babies!
• Happy Wednesday All!
  

Race Results

2nd place in my age division? OK, I'll take that. The 5k was a success. Mother got first place in her age group. Nicely done. Annnd, my dad brought their dog and came out to support us! Ahhh, that was sweet!

We ran in Weatherford's Hot Dog Trot.

My Siberian Husky ran with me and a newspaper reporter told me we were the first runner with dog to finish....but there wasn't a doggy winners category for runners. Poor puppy didn't get a medal....although with all the attention, love and treats she got I don't think she cared.


There was also a puppy costume contest that was pretty funny. Pics from the day on post below. Harry Potter was the winner of the costume contest, although there were quite a few of them costumed up. Not a bad turn out.

Hot Dog Trot

Still crazy

Britney Spears video here. she goes nuts shopping in fifteen minutes and drops $3,000.....yada, yada, yada

My main concern is that hair. Yikes!

TMZ's video here.

Hello, Friday...how YOU doing??!

• I keep seeing the commercials for the new Thin Mint and Tagalong Girl Scout Cookies for Dairy Queen's Blizzards. If they add the Caramel Delight aka Samoa to that list...then I'm screwed!
• I got told yesterday that I was too high tech. Made me laugh...if they only knew how truly blonde I am!
• I've been working with someone on basic computer lessons. When I say basic...I mean BASIC! I'm shocked how they have gotten by in life without at least some computer skills. One question I was asked, "....do you have to put the www. in front of someone's email address when you email them?" (I kid not.) At least they have been retaining all the knowledge I've passed along so far.
• OH!!!! I almost forgot: I saw ANOTHER freakin' tarantula at work yesterday.
  
• Tomorrow is the race. Eek! I'm not ready yet I'm sooo excited.
• I had little girl drama last night. Girls were getting picked up by Baby Daddy and then little one suddenly out right threw a tantrum refusing to go. It got so bad that she made me cry when trying to hand her to him. He ended up with no kids last night. Poor Baby Daddy. Little girl has been super clingly with me more and more lately. I don't mind one bit although I did feel bad for Baby Daddy.
• Yea it's Friday!!!

iphone

I have a friend that recently got an iphone and already knows way more than me. Not exactly hard to know more than me, I know. But, sometimes those silly computer nerds can really irk me! It's not easy being blonde.



...And I kinda like that song in the video.

(Z)

Wendesday's Thoughts

• It's Wednesday already? Sheesh, this week is flying.
• I'm running a race this Saturday. It's been a while and I'm a little nervous. My mom will be there for moral support. That or she plans on beating me....which is not too far fetched right now! She's running too.
  
• I'll post results this weekend.
  
• Or not.
• Youtube has done it to me again.
  
• Drives me crazy!
• My yard looks great. Inside of my house....not. I can never seem to conquer both.
  
• You can host a dinner party at an IKEA store. I had no idea.
  
• I love the woot shirt and found they have a competitor with the same concept.
  
• I read through a explanation of what to expect of your changing body book with a child of mine that is of certain age.
  
• I'll never forget when that child was born and my mother stated to me that babies don't come with instructions. When I left the hospital with my newborn.....in my gift bag was a pamphlet titled "How to Care for Your Newborn."
  
• Ugh. In the news...woman has baby. Doctor declares baby dead. Dad goes to say emotional goodbye...baby not dead...oh my!
  

Happy Wednesday!!

Back to the basics...

Well.

I'll be.

I had no idea either.

Hey anyone notice that he has on monkey pj bottoms? That's kinda cute.

Life Blogger

You Are a Life Blogger!

Your blog is the story of your life - a living diary. If it happens, you blog it. And you make it as entertaining as possible. You may be guilty of over-sharing a bit on your blog, but you can't help it. Your life is truly an open book. Or in this case, an open blog!

What Kind of Blogger Are You?

Sometimes I feel like....somebody's waaatching me....

How'd they know?
(Here.)

Who said it?

Can you imagine a world without men? No crime and lots of happy fat women.

Marion Smith

"Shuteye Popeye" - Hidden Audio Clip

Recently, Brew reader Neil was replaying an old Paramount Popeye cartoon, and made a surprising audio find. On the soundtrack of Shuteye Popeye (1952), when the mouse’s audio is slowed down to about 40%, it’s clear that the track is actually a vocal outtake (perhaps director Isadore Sparber, or I suspect Seymour Kneitel) protesting that he doesn’t know what to say. Have a listen for yourself:

Found at.

Wednesday's Stuff

Forget shark week...I just want those socks. Those rock!

• Hey! I got the electric fence working. I even tested it myself. (Ouch.)
• Now for that water well.....
• My goal is to have the yard completely done and caught up before kids get home. They'll be sooo excited: Now we will be able to spend quality time cleaning their rooms before school starts back up!
• I'm almost scared to help them clean. There's no telling what we'll find.
• I had a run in with the bank yesterday. (Rolling eyes.) At sometime in the next two days, my bank card will be cancelled. Also, in the next couple of days I'll get my new card. I put it off as long as possible and they sent me a nice email telling me tomorrow is the last day. Ugh.
  
• Speaking of money......More on Jill and Kevin? You can go to their website and donate to their chosen charity.
• And my poke at men for the day: Men.
• Happy Wednesday.
  

My new garage door cover....

Thinks my neighbors will believe its real? More here.

Monday's Thoughts

• Mexico has shut its beach down for stolen sand. Jarhead, where in Mexico were you going?
• Want a free house?
• Snakes on a plane....nope....worse: Crocs on a plane.
• G-Force! Was a hit this weekend with my little one. Not bad.
• Harry Potter was awesome according to my older one and my mother.
  
• Man goes to jail over a fight with Monopoly. For real? (And those commenters are funny.)
• And last and definitely least, doesn't it always start out as a rumor and then we find out its true?
• That's all I got for Monday.

Monday's Bad Mood

Why am I in a bad mood? Well, let's see....

• My kids are gone for a week. Boo. (With Baby Daddy for one more week.)
• I come home to find a nice big hole under my fence and only two of three dogs are there.
• I checked with neighbors, strangers and anyone that would listen....dog hasn't been seen.
• One of my neighbors (who boasts of a combat training class) discovers that the hole is not exactly fresh. He made a good point by showing the difference the color of dirt makes if its dry or very freshly dug.
• We stayed at Nana's last night for Girls' Night. Did she escape last night or today?
  
• I called the poo-leece, sheriff, city and county doggie pounds and left a message for the vet. Nothing as of yet.
• I drove repeatedly around the neighborhood calling her. Nothing.
  
• I walked around the neighborhood calling her. Nothing.
  
• I miss my dog. :-(
• Big tears are going down my chubby little cheeks right now.
• "MALLIE!!"

Dang dog.....I super-duper miss her.

My tough kid

My daughter and I went in a mall. We stopped for her to inspect a playground. I allowed her to play for a bit even though she was wearing a dress. Next we ventured to the Disney store and Justice for some browsing.

We step out of Justice to see the Mall lights go half off. Eek they're closing and we are at the wrong end. The station wagon is on the other side.

We walk fast.

Closer to the store we need to go through and realize that the doors are closing. Good grief they mean business with their closing times.

We run.

Whew. Made it.

We get out to find the car waiting. Daughter stops, looks at me and says: I did some major running, I played on that playground. I climbed to the top of that toy house to jump all the way to the bottom. I didn't even care my panties were showing.

Then very matter of fact, she says: Mom, I'm a tough girl. Did you know that?

Made me chuckle. I wish I had that recorded. Too cute.

And yes, I had a hunch she was a tough little thing.

Hello August Heat

Lily, I could not agree with you more!!! It makes me crazy too.
At least that's what I'm claiming. It was probably the drugs I did in the sixties.

Misdirected.

Everyone has to rant every now and then......here's one from me from last week:

I had a guy call me at work for directions....a truck driver, who gets paid for driving all over the country, hang up on me.

He started out nice. I got basic information that I needed from him and he gave me a little small talk in between questions as I typed away at the keyboard......coming from Alabama. He drives all over the place. He's been gone from home for awhile. Something about that crazy wannabe president. Economy sucks. He's truck for a zillion years and hasn't seen it this bad. Yada. Yada. Yada.

He got mad because I told him to take 35W, not 35E....."yea, yea, yea....so I get on 35 and go west, not east. "
"No sir, 35 actually goes north to south through the metroplex, but splits south of it sending 35E through Dallas and 35W through Fort Worth. 35 reconnects again north of the metroplex in Denton."
"Ma'am, I fully understand what you are saying, I get on 35, go west, not east and then how am I getting north to that 287? There has to be a road that you're not telling me about."
"Sir, stay on I30. Keep traveling west on I30. When you get to Dallas, do not exit I35E. There will be another....."
"Ma'am, you just told me a minute ago that I need to take the I35 exit! Now you are telling me not to take I35. I'm sorry, young lady, but I need to speak to someone in shipping that can get me adequate directions to your location."

Silent deep breath....and seriously wondering what kind of truck driver with as much boasted experience as himself doesn't A) CARRY A FREAKIN' MAP or B) Invest in a GPS. C) not have had previous understanding how I35 works in relation to DFW or D) look at a map BEFORE leaving for another state.

"Sir, I would like you to concentrate on the I35 issue. I35 runs north to south....."
Interupts me again. He does this a ton throughout our short time together.

"You just got done telling me to take I35 west. If I go west on I35, explain to me how you consider that a road that runs north to south."

I'm dumbfounded at this point. Maybe this is a joke. After that comment I really zone in on the voice, the background, his dialect, the details he gave me....anything not add up? I'm very tempted to say.....So-n-So, is this you? You little devil....ya had me...yep, you did.

"Sir, do you have ........"

Now I here him muttering not nice things and hangs up.

BTW: I remained professional and calm the entire time on the phone.....I'm still keeping fingers crossed it was a prank and/or a test of my ability to remain calm and professional on the phone.