Mud Bath

DSC_0009.JPG
Originally uploaded by blondie478.

and to think, people pay hundreds of dollars to get spa treatments like this. Too bad getting them to take a real bath is never this easy.

creative hands

creative hands
Originally uploaded by blondie478.

School's Out for Summer.

Today - at 1:05 PM the boys are officially out of school and on summer vacation. We're FREE - at least until August 27 when we celebrate THe Most Wonderful Day of the Year - back to school.

My poor children are neglected and abused really. Charles is taking advanced Math this summer and Tommy is in summer school for a month. I also have learning activities planned each day to keep their minds sharp. Ccharles also has a summer project to do for English. He was sonot happy to have homework over the summer for a class he hadn't even taken yet! He'll get over it.

For a few days anyway though - we're going to enjoy sleeping in. We'll enjoy the pool before it turns into over-sized bath water.

School's out for summer.

YEEHAW!

Nothing

I have nothing witty or funny to share.

Anger and frustration, yes.

Funny and witty - nope. For the most part it's been same song different day.

So Iguess I'll just share some photos

Lucky 13

Thirteen years ago today, I was a bride. A 22 year old woman, or so I thought, embarking down the peach rose petal strewn aisle to happily ever after. I would forever be a Mrs. I dreamed of 2.5 kids, a big sheep dog, a white picket fence and a big brick house on the hill, and both of us in careers. . I have the big brick house and a big dog, three kids - I'm not going to be the one to tell Joey he's a half. The only thing I don't have is the career. But eric and I have each other. Sure the first thirteen years have been rocky. We've been broke. We've been broker than broke. We've been aprt physically and sometime emotionally. He's had jobs he hated (read Computer Corner) but he kept because it paid the bills. There've been times I wanted to smother his sleeping body and leave his lifeless body out for bulk pick up. There have been times I am sure he dreamed of doing the same thing to me. We've known grief and loss, when we suffered through miscarriages. We've known great joy, when our three boys were born. We lost his mom (I was sad for him). We've dealt with his dad. We've been friends, lovers and each others best friend for 13 years.

Here are the thirteen reasons ( 156 would be a long long post) why I am still married to my husband

1. Together we made three beautiful boys.

2. You are good at math and I am not - so when it's math homeowrk time I can say - "go ask your father."

3. You laugh at my jokes

4. You, unlike other husbands don't care if I scrapbook - in fact you call and reserve a spot for me JUST because you know I need my sanity

5. You indulged my pregnancy cravings.

6. You went back to Kroger to exchange the granny smith apples when I craved gala apples and I cried because they were granny smith not gala.

7. You actually remember birthdays and anniversaries.

8. You bought me rose bushes for valentine's Day the year we bought our house so I could have roses all the time - not just once or twice a year.

9. Your beard tickles me on the back of the neck - and I love it.

10. You still try to scare me in the shower.

11. You set a good example for our boys as a man of faith

12 You iron

13. You still think I am as beautiful now as I was when we got married.

Happy Mother's Day

Today, my boys gae me a watch. I needed a new one. They made me waffles and sausage. They let Joey wake my up by prying my eyeballs open. Alll in all it was a good Mother's day at my house. My gift, a time piece, makes me think about time. Two of my mommy friends are spending this Mother's day without one of their children for the first time. They are being celebrated and, at the same time missing one of their children. I can't imagine anything as painful and heartbreaking.

so today, while I have the gift of time, my heart goes out to all of those mothers who wish for one thing - more time with their children.

My needs

I saw this on another blog and thought it would be fun to do....you goggle your name and needs and see what comes up

Mary needs to be freed from all this. (Well, I’ve been saying that for years).

Mary needs to feed the sheep (Is this the lamb at the school because I don't have sheep unless they count the children)

Mary needs to balance her ‘big picture’ thinking with someone with solid financial skills who can really take care of the nuts and bolts of doing busines (I could use a big picture)

Mary needs to determine the best day to work her magic. ... (thats what eric might be thinking.....)

Mary needs assistance in all activities because she has not had a bowel movement for six days (um no)

The Lizard

Today , when we were walking back home from our neighborhood play area, we passed a grassy area just beyond the basketball courts. A tree had fallen a while back and no one has removed it. Joey saw it and yelled out that he'd seen a lizard. I turned around looking to see if I saw a lizard. I followed where he was pointing and saw the log.

He's right. The log does look like a lizard.



He very cautiously decided he wanted to o up and take a closer look



He stopped before it and looked at it



The he touched it with his foot.



Then, he reched down and took a piece of bark err a scale from the lizard and brought it to me.



I of course waited safetly on the sidewalk, afrad anything alive and squirmy felt the need to slither past.

Love Thursday - Love is Patient

For those of you who know me, I am not a patient person. I'm all about instant gratification and I do NOT like to wait. It's ninety or nothing in my book. Taking time to smell the roses is a hard thing for me to do. I shake my presents under the Christmas tree, indeed, I am so bad about waiting my husband waits until I am in bed on Christmas eve to even wrap my gifts and put them under the tree. I cannot wait for everyone to open their gifts. I don't DO wait.

Today however, was different. Along my front walk, are bushes that produce the most wonderfully perfumes flowers. Their sweet scent of spring fills the air. Their lacey white flowers add a sense of beauty to the walk. An added bonus is the flowers attract butterflies. The butterflies fly from the scented flowers as soon as the front door opens. I have been trying to catch a butterfly or two with my camera lens for about a week. Today, as I went out to see where my middle son was, I was rewarded. I ran back in and grabbed my camera and started shooting.

There were several butterflies fluttering around the flowers.




I got several like this



or like this



I really wanted one of a butterly with it's wings spread, ready to take flight. I got close.



Just as I was about ready to go in, I got what I wanted. So today's Love Thursday Post is: Love Is Patient.

Led to the Table

On Saturday morning, Tommy recevied Jesus for the first time. He was a lot less nervous about receiving the Sacrament of Holy Communiuon than he was about his First reconcilliation in December. Sacrament wise, eatting is a lot more fun than sin. Ftaher Tim had us all in stitches, I think half the class had a May 10th birthday. No one wanted to get married though - i guess at eight the opposite sex is aboput as desirable as a mountain of homework and the flu.



charles spent his time looking cool. I have to admit his hair is growing on me.



Joey was busy being goofy.



Then he fell asleep as Mass started. He slept through Charles' First communion a few years ago as well. I pray he stays awake for HIS First Communion in about four years.



One last parting shot!

Love Thursday-attraction

These bushes line my walkway. each spring the put forth the most delicate scenteed flowers that attract butterflies and bees.

It's MAY!

and it might finally be warming up. In all honesty, I've enjoyed that it is not so incredibly hot like it has been the past two years. I've enjoyed the violent nature of our spring storms - It's part of being Texan.

Dallas got a new bishop - our seventh on Tuesday. Kevin Joseph Farrell was installed at the cathedral. It was cool to watch the tradition meet the 21st century. The ceremony ancient rite yet carried live over the internet. I like him alrady - he has inflection and tone to his voice. He's nice to listen too.

Tommy makes his First communion Saturday. we're all excited. Other than that, it looks like things are calming down.