Friday, December 15, 2006

Flickr

This is a test post from flickr, a fancy photo sharing thing.

Thursday, December 14, 2006

Love thursday - okay not so much

I'm toxic this week, I'll tell you. I was attempting to get a Christmas card photo of the kids (yes I know it's the 14th - I have until epiphany to get the cards out - another good thing about being catholic - it allows for procrastinatioerrr preparation)

ANYWAY - my digital camera stopped working mid picture - the lens went in and stopped halfway and won'r go back in.

The dishwasher overflowed today too. It's a good thing I didn't just turn it on and go to bed last night because I'd have woken up to a mess.

Eric will be home tomorrow. I am thinking that is wise - if left to my own devices I'd blow something up.

I am supposed to meet a friend for lunch - but I'm not. I am afraid I'll total the van or something.

At least I have my fluffy socks.

Love Thursday

eric is still gone and I am starting to get lonely. The dog and cat are warm enough and furry enough. But I miss my husband. I enjoy spreading out in the bed but I miss the feel of his slumbering body beside mine I miss the way my hand reaches out for him in my sleep and finding him. I miss the feel of his hand on my body as he does the same thing.

Just one more night of being alone.

But there are somethings I do love today.

I love that it is a school day.

I love that the kids will get to see santa tonight as the jolly old elf drives through my neighborhood on a fire truck.

I love good looking fireman (see I'm really lonely)

I love my socks - seriously if you do not have a pair of Socks to stay Home in - BUY SOME. Forget aniumated penguins that sound like robin williams - these socks make for HAPPY feet.

I love my red wall because the color makes me happy

Wednesday, December 13, 2006

The Little Bird of Happiness crapped on my head

Eric is in Austin this week so the boys and I are single parenting it.

Joey is going through an "I love Daddy" phase. Mommy of course sucks.

SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO last night, the door knob going into the launbdry room breaks - Joey was in the laundry room alone getting his jammies and my pool sarong from the dryer. I jerryrigged it and got the door open and the dryer reloaded and running.

Then, this morning the alarm didn't go off - Joey turned off the alarm thingy on the clock - I diodn't notice and because he's in an I love daddy phase and daddy isn't here - he's not gone to sleep before midnight - just sure that if he screams loud enough and stays awake long enough - daddy will show up.

So we got up late.

Tommy went into the laundry room to get socks and shut the door.

At the same time - Charles was cooking eggs for breakfast and the stove top went out (the microwave died on Tuesday but it was old - older than my marriagae old so it was on borrowed time)

I freed Tommy, gave him peanut butter toast and sent him to school.

We got the eggs cooked and sent Charles off to school and thanked God for the coffee maker and it's espresso making capabilities and starbucks coffee.

I did get all but one burner on my stove working. Eric says he knows what's wrong with the burner.

At least it's still going to be 70.

If the coffeemaker stops brewing tomorrow I am taking it as a sign and calling in lazy and staying in my jammies.

Tuesday, December 12, 2006

Tuesday Tuesday

and all is well.

I have been trying for two weeks now, to get the boys together for a Christmas card shot. Anyone with children knows, getting all of the children to look the same direction and smile - a real smile - not some concotion of a smile, grimace or look of pain - is a feat. It's like eatting melting jello with a fork.

I found, brown shirts for the bigger boys, but not for Joey so he was going to wear green. we were going to sport a rustic look for our card photo. I had however been procrastinating taking the photo. Something always got in the way - first it was a booked schedule. Then it was homework. finally, it was freezing rain and ice. No one wanted to take a picture in the sleet - go figure.

Saturday, my procrastination paid off. While shopping at Penney's, I found sweaters, all in the same colors for the three boys. So tady, after the homework is done, we are heading up to the park to attempt to get a good shot, of all three kids, worthy of our Christmas card.

Here's our Santa photo- taken back before Thanksgiving:
Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

Friday, December 08, 2006

Tradition Tradition!

We have quite a few traditions that make our Advent Season special.

First, we set up our nativity Set in Pieces. we start with the sheep th first week and then shepards the next. Joseph and mary start their trip to the fireplace the second week of Advent and I move them closer each day. The third week the angels makes her apperance and on Christmas eve Mary and Joseph finally make it to the manger. Baby Jesus arrives Christmas morning along with the Santa gifts. The younger kids think santa delivers baby Jesus. Once the Christmas seson starts the wisemen make their way to the stable. Last year, we had a nice collection of Little People animals joining the manger scence so Jesus was created by a giraffe, hippo, alligator and elephant in additon to the cows and sheep.

Our Second tradition is the Advent Chain. We string together a purple and pink chain of paper strips and place them on the tree. Last year the origional chain, started in 1995 finally died a painful death so this year, we start with a new chain.

The week the kids get out of school is baking week. we make various treats and goodies. we start it off with Sugar cookies. I mix the dough and chill it after the kids go to school the last day. Then, after dinner we roll them out and cut them and bake them. we eat cookies and drink cocoa in front of the fire and watch the Grinch. we finish up with M&M cookies on Chjristmas Eve made by dad and the boys for Santa.

On Christmas eve, while we are at Mass, the elves deliver pajamas to the boys. They are always delivered by the front door in plain white boxes with red ribbons.

Thursday, December 07, 2006

Tis the season to be jolly - or not

Conversation at our house Tuesday- as we were putting up the rest of the Christmas stuff.

Tommy; Mom why are all our decorations either snow flakes or snowman or icicles to go along with Jesus?

Charles - duh it's jesus birthday

Tommy I KNOW buthead

Me: Don't call your brother butthead

Tommy: Mom you don't even LIKE snow so why do we have lots of icicles and snowflakes and stuff.

Me: Maybe if we put up enough snow things, God will think we've got enough snow and it won't snow here at all

Tommy: Mom snow flakes are NOT red

Charles - well maybe they are red in hell. Maybe in hell it snows red snow?

Me; In my hell there would be regular snow

Tommy: Charles how do you know that there is red snow in hell?

Charles: I don't know maybe when we die we know. wanna die? I could kill you and you could go to hell and then come back and tell us

Tommy: I would come back and haunt you and talk all the time just like now.

Me: Gee you guys really paid attention in mass on Sunday when they talked about love that comes with preparation and anticipation.

Saturday, November 18, 2006

You know what time it is??

It's time to get our annual Christmas card photo done.

This year it's even more important. I am trying the Christmas letter thing. Mainly beause I keep forgetting to buy cards.

So today, we went to the mall in an attempt to get santa photos. The wait was three hours. Thankfully, my husband knows I so don't do wait - not in a line with three children sugared up from the free cocoa and juice the mall provided while we were waiting for santa to come.

so we're off tomorrow to attempt it again. This time at the park. where there are leaves and trees and things to bribe the children with.

Wish us luck

Friday, November 10, 2006

Same Song Different Day

I'm in a rut. A deep deep deep rut. I do the same thing - day in day out.

Something exciting needs to happen.

I need to cook and clean and do the laundry.

I want to take avacation to someplece sunny, some place exciting, some place like where there is lotsof wine and people to watch. There also must be coffee. Good dark coffee.

Oh well.

Thursday, November 09, 2006

Love Is......

Love is your three year old making you a hand made mud pie meatball .

The 8th of November

Thursday, November 02, 2006

Happy Day After the Day After Halloween

We made it through the Halloween - the holiday I affectionately call bring mom chocolate day! For the first time in four years, Halloween was cold, well cold by Texas standards any way. By the time the boys and dad swooshed out the door, the temprature was well into the 50's.

Charles was a pirate. we asked him if he wanted to trick or treat this year, thinking that, at 11, he might be too cool to beg for candy. Obviously we were wrong. He rolled his eyes and said "Of course he was trick or treating!" There was no way Medium John Silver was going to miss the pirate booty gathering day of the year.

Tommy was going to be a sun. we changed our minds (read I changed my mind) after seeing the weekend forecast calling for a cold front blowing through. He was a hobo after much discussion. He was all for the idea once he realized he got to carry a big stick - BOYS!

Joey was a scarecrow. He had a meltdown mid evening. Too much excitemnet and mom not handing over enough candy to make his three year old self happy. The highlight of his evening, or rather,MOMMY's evening though was Mommy teaching him to that KitKat bars were "Mommy chocolate"



This year, with our hectic schedule, we ended up carving pumpkins as a spectator sport. Joey and I carved pumpkins while the boys were at school. We did a goofy face for Joey, a vampie face for Tommy and a pi for Charles. Eric and I saw the pi carved pumpkin in a magazine and got a chuckle out of it. So did Charles. It was a hit.

Thursday, October 26, 2006

To Pee or Not to Pee, Or Rather Where?

I never knew a Cub Scout Campout could be like an episode of Press Your Luck. This weekend I learned how similar the two indeed are.

We went to our Boy Scout district's annual Cuboree campout. We had a lovely campsite named Sherwood Forest. The site itself was gorgeous and as magical as any imagined Sherwood Forest could be. From the long tree lined walk into the campsite to the tall trees that held the fog like a misty veil and shielded us from the sun, tthe morning mist veiled the trees in a magical way - tbefitting any young squire.

THe Sherwood Forest had two small blemishes that kept it from being a completely magical place. A hot dry summer and wet fall allowed for a proliferation of posion ivy. The hot summer also limited camping trips in our area and the latrine at our remote site needed a massive clean up. A snake had taken up resience in one of the latrines. This fact, my sons delighted in informing me of every ten or twenty minutes - lest I forget.

During the day, this was not an issue. I just hiked myself up to the good bthroom where the toilets flushed and there was hot running water. At night however, this was another story. Saturday night, a cold front blew in earlier than expected. The wind blew and howled and the temprature dropped. I found myself in a quandry.

I had to pee. The cold weather made that need worse. Did I chance a tree and risk posion ivy in the nether regions? Or, did I risk a snake bite on the butt? I debated with myslef for twenty minutes. The need became unbearable and I knew I had to decide - poison ivy or the snake. The snake was only in one stall. The poison ivy may not be on my selected tree. The wind picked up in intensity and I picked the latrine.

I figured I wouldn't have to SIT on the seat, hovering was good. The latrine was protected from the wind by a wall. I did wake my husband and make him go with me - to stand guard and for protection from the viper in the next stall. every Sherwood Forest needs a knight in shining armour right?

In the end, it all came out okay. I made it back to our tent with an empty bladder and snake bite free.

Saturday, October 07, 2006

The Note

My oldest son, Charles is 11.

He's smart and he knows it.

There is little that can prepare you for the day you realize your child has an interest in the opposite sex, or let me reiterate, the opposite sex has an interest in your child.

Charles has a nasty habit of leaving things in his pockets. As the doer of the family wash, I've learned to alway check Charles'pockets. He usually leaves things in his pocket like paper, pens, rocks and paper clips. These things do not wash well.

While doing the wash, I came across a note in Charles' pocket. The note was scribbled in pink ink. Pink is not a color charles is fond of. The note was from a girl. Her name is Joi.Joi signs her name with hearts over the i's. She waned to eat lunch with him and she made him mad.

I asked Charles about the note, feeling him out to see if he liked this girl in the way that sixth graders like each other.

He didn't know her. She sat in his desk in the class before him. She likes him . She's mad though because he is friends with haley.

He told me, in all seriousness,

"Mom it's hard to be this good looking"

I didn't laugh.










Out loud.








In front of him.

Tuesday, October 03, 2006

On Top of Mount Wasmore (All Covered in Socks)

Today is Wednesday. Wednesday, in my house means one thing. Laundry day. I am the house laundress. Today the laundry is It.

I sort it.

I wash it.

I dry it.

I nag until some one else folds it and puts it away.

Laundry is like the Circle of Life, never ending and always in motion. One dirty item is replaced by a clean item is replaced by a dirty one. Dirty clothes that smell of boy sweat and grass are replaced with clothes that smell of Tide and Downy expressions lilac and rose. Only none of the animals in my house bow down when I raise up a once stained soiled object that is now clean and sweet smelling like they did Simba.

Lilac and Rose Downy had to be invented by a mother. A mother of boys who, in even the most lleisurely of tasks can come home reeking.

Tonight, the children will fold the clothes I washed. There will be socks - many pairs of socks, Socks that went into the washer a happy complete pair will come out of the dryer divorced, or at the very least, on a trial separation from it's mate. The estranged mate may or may not ever show up.

Yes. these are the days of my life.

All the Cool Moms Are Doing It

I've been reading blogs for a few years. I enjoy reading about other people, especially those blogs of other moms. It's a relief to read that I am not the only mom who had a toddler eat paper or who detests sitting in the heat at youth sporting events - wistfully thinking that a cold alcoholic beverage would not only quell the heat a little, but make the stay a little less painful.

People tell me I'm funny. Sometimes, I think I am funny. I know my kids are funny. So we're going to give this blog thing a try. And away we go!