Snow Play

I find it funny – that even though we rarely get measurable snow, the kids know exactly what to do when we do




You notice he and his brothers are not wearing gloves. I apparently have no clue when I told them that they needed them to play in the snow because it was colder than a well diggers behind.



While he’s looking for a target – he didn’t know his big brother had a snow ball aimed at his head



Seconds later he got hit in the head by his oldest brother.

Target acquired



Poor Daddy.

Charles took the more is better additude when it came to making snowballs (Joey liked his round and Tommy liked his packed and hard)



Socks as mittens? Why not – Tommy grew enough since last wintere that his old gloves wouldn’t fit so he pulled some garden socks out of the garage and put them on





Tommy was the only one brave wnough to lay in the snow and make a snow angel







What would winter be without an epic Snowball fight (notice everyone has finally relized mom is right and they did need gloves in the snow – but Joey took of his hat because it was making his head hot)

Please Send Back Global warming

Winter Storm

On March6, a late winter storm blew through North Texas. Light snow started falling around 11 AM. It stopped just leaving a light dusting of snow over the ground.


That was followed by sleet and freezing rain then more snow then more sleet. Around 1 PM the snow started really sticking




Here it is on the sidewalk




The snow started falling harder



Normally, we can see the town water tower clearly from our back door. The snow was coming down so hard we could barely make it out.



We got about 5 inches total.

A Yummy Late Winter Dinner

Roasted Lemon Chicken with Green Beans and Potatoes

You need:
Chicken (I used natural free range legs)
Green beans
Potatoes
Lemons
Olive Oil
Salt and pepper
Garlic

I added
Onions
Rosemary
Marjoram
Italian Seasoning.

Cut up two or three lemons - because it couldn’t be lemon chicken with out them.



Layer them in the bottom of your baking dish. Drizzle the Lemons with olive oil. Here at my house I am lucky to have a talented sous chef who takes care of the laying in a pan



While you have the EVOO out – pour some in a bowl and add the juice of a lemon – at this point my sous chef is done rearranging the lemons in the dish so I let him whisk the olive oil and lemon juice together – we also added sea salt and some cracked pepper and smashed up garlic

Trim the icky edges of the green beans. At this point all of the children and the cat were in the kitchen.


The children needed to sample the green beans – because you know I’ve never fed them a green vegetable – at least today any way.



Charles in particular found that dipping the green beans in the olive oil and lemon juice was tasty.

(The cat for the record, decided green beans were not his particular favorite and once he realized I wouldn’t be dropping the chicken, he stalked off to the living room where he napped – to rest up for his dinner time nap.)

Okay now we have de-ended green beans. Toss those in your bowl of EVOO and stuff. Then dice your potatoes.



Add those to the bowl on top of the green benas – you’ll notice onions – yes we sliced and diced those too but they made me cry so I didn’t take their picture. Toss all the stuff together in the bowl and get a nice lemony oily coating on everything.



Toss it in the pan on top of the lemons.

If you use bone in chicken place this on top of the veggies and bake at 350 ° F for an hour. If you are using boneless skinless bake the potatoes and stuff for 30 minutes THEN add your boneless, skinless chicken.

This recipe came from http://www.notesfromthetrenches.com/

SNOW???

It snowed Monday and now more snow today.

MOOOOOOOOOOM!

"Do blue plaid and blue stripes match?"

This is the question confronting me this morning before there was any coffee brewed.

If he didn't have any well crap that thought derailed.

See I'm not a morning person.

CHICKEN CHICKEN let's eat chicken

Curry Chicken with Sweet Potatoes and Coconut Rice

2lbs chicken pieces (I used boneless skinless breast sliced into tenders)

4 sweet potatoes peeled and diced
1 onion diced
2/3 cup orange juice
2 tsp curry powder
1 clove garlic - mashed**
2 tbsp raw sugar **
salt and pepper to taste

in a crockpot place chicken, salt and pepper. Cover with onion and sweet potatoes. In a measuring cup combine, orange juice, garlic and curry powder. Pour over chiken and veggies. Cook on low for 6-7 hours.

The larger the chunks of sweet potato the less mushy they'll be.

I added four cloves of garlic because one is never enough. I used fresh squeezed orange juice so I added the raw sugar - after a taste when the dish was almost finished it needed something so I added the raw sugar.

Coconut Jasmine Rice -

1 1/2 cups rice (i use Jasmine because it is more fragrant that regular but hey use what ya got)
15 ozs coconut milk
enough water to make three cups of liquid

heat water and coconut milk to boiling and add rice. Cook over low heat until liquid is absorbed.

Nine Years ago tonight

I was in labor waiting to meet my soon to be born second son.

The one who was determined to BE. A determination and stubborness that he still has today.

He was conceived on my last month on the pill.

He was my biggest baby, but easiest delivery.

He was my easiest pregnancy a text book pregnancy.

He's the middle child. The middle brother.

He's my Tommyboy

Orange Muffin's recipe Courtesy of Chris

First off I have to say my friend Chris is an awesome baker, friend and mom. She can sew and can kick anyone's butt in scrabble

She rocks

Orange muffins 



1 1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt 

1 teaspoon baking soda 

3/4 cup cooking oil 

1 cup sugar 

2 eggs 

1 teaspoon vanilla 

1/4 cup fresh orange juice

2 tablespoons grated orange rind 



Mix flour, salt and baking soda in a small bowl; set aside.



Make sure you have expert quality control tasting errrrrr squeezing the oranges.



Combine oil, sugar and eggs in a large bowl. Mix well.







Add vanilla, orange juice and orange rind. Blend.

Add flour mixture and mix just until moistened.





Batter will be lumpy. Pour into muffin pan.

Bake at 350° for 18 to 20 minutes.

Let sit for three minutes before removing from pan. Cool on rack.

Love Thursday - Little Hnads covered in Dirt

I love these little hands. For almost five years they have been my near constant companions.




From the time he was a wee babe, his dimpled little newborn hands would grasp my finger as he nursed.

Those little hands have colored (sometimes on the walls) The have helped bak bread and mix cookies. Theyve snuck a taste of creamy frosting waiting for a cake.

I've held them in mine as we crossed the street. soon enough, they'll wave good bye as They, and the little boy they belong to head off into our big blue world.

Signs of Spring

In my part of the world, Spring is showing signs of impending arrival. I am not a fan of cold weather so I can't wait. I can't wait for the warm breezes and blue skies. I can't wait for butterflies and birs. I can't wait for green to replace the brown. I didn't wait to get out and work the ground. I've had a lot of issues here lately so, the opportunity to work the soil and get things ready for new life and pretty flowers is a welcome relief.



Joey and I are the ground crew. He started the day with his (well his dad's) work gloves.

As we gathered our supplies, we looked in the garage bed and the dafodills have started to bloom





We bought some daylilies, strawberries, onion sets and a rose bush last night to put in the ground. Since it was warm, I decided to start to work on the daylillies. Joey wanted to help clear the bed from it's grass and weeds.



Notice, now the gloves are off - he's determined even though the rake is bigger than he is.





He found a witches hat in the garage, a remnant of Halloween, every gardner needs a witches hat. If you can't pull the weeds out, you can cast them out.



This little green sprout promises that spring is around the corner. Soon enough, these will be a lovely blooming day lilly standing tall against the heat of summer.

Curse words

Yesterday Tommy and Joey were sitting on the couch eating a snack. Tommy kept takinf popcorn from Joey's bowl. joey was getting exasperated and upset.

Finally, Joey, tired of the grabbing and stealing moved away. He came and sat by me. He told his brother that he was a a a a a a a CARBOHYDRATE.

I am not sure where he got that from, but it was the worst word he could think of.

So I guess Tommy is a bad carb.

Love Thursday - Tic Tac Toe

Happy Love Thursday.

It's also Valentine's day. Back when I was younger, I love Valentine's Day. what would the boy of the week get me, what would he think of my gift? when Eric and I were dating, engaged and newlywed, I loved Valentine's Day. What's not to love about hearts and flowers and chocolate? I am not sure what changed or when. Now, I prefer not to celebrate Valentine's Day.

Maybe it's knowing tht Valentine's day is a day about martyrdom for Christ - not jewlery in pretty velvet boxes.

Maybe it's because I have been married a while and I know love is more than just one day. Showing your love is more than a date on the calendar. Rather, in order to keep a marriage strong - you need to show your love every day. I delight in the little love text message left on my phone. Love is making home made chicken soup when he's home sick. Love is taking care of the house when you are on bed rest - because bed rest means bed rest. Love means not complaining that the house isn't clean exactly the way you want because he is trying and you are on bedrest. Love is snuggling together on the couch after the kids are in bed. Love is seeing a movie you don't want to see because the other really wants to see it. Love is sharing your favorite snack. Love is letting the other have a day to do what they want without complaint. Love is being mature enough to accept that it does not mean constant togetherness. Love is seeing him in your three children.

Love is knowing that even though you are so mad and angry - it will get better because love believes all things, hopes all things endures ALL things. Love never fails.

How can you confine that to one day and one little Hallmark card?

60 things

60 Things You Possibly Didn't Know About Me

1. What is in the back seat of your car right now?
a pair of boots for the cobbler to repair one of Joey's coats, charles' compass and that's about it

2. When was the last time you threw up
2006 - I had a stomach virus

3. What's your favorite curse word?
it depends - today it's been HELL

4. Name 3 people who made you smile today?
Joey, my husband, and Bette

5. What were you doing at 8 am this morning?
dealing with a crazy person and telling my kid to get his butt to the bus stop

6. What were you doing 30 minutes ago?
Finishing the newsletter

7. What will you be doing 3 hours from now?
sleeping

8. Have you ever been to a strip club?
Nope

9. What is the last thing you said aloud?
JUST GO TO BED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

10. What is the best ice cream flavor?
I don't eat ice cream

11. What was the last thing you had to drink?
decaf grande two pump mocha

12. What are you wearing right now?
my heart jammies and a brown t-shirt that says B Prepared

13. What was the last thing you ate?
harbo gold gummiw

14. Have you bought any new clothing items this week?
nope

15. When was the last time you ran?
um yeah

16. What's the last sporting event you watched?
I don't do sports

18. Who is the last person you emailed?
my loopy friends

19. Ever go camping?
yes

20. Do you have a tan?
nope

24. Do you drink your soda from a straw?
nope

25. What did your last IM say?
cya

26. Are you someone's best friend?
I hope so

27. What are you doing tomorrow?
Finish my newsletter, start on my Circle of Love reports, all the mom stuff and - well who knows

28. Where is your mom right now?
At her house?

29. Look to your left, what do you see?
a toy chest that needs to be straightened and the wall

30. What color is your watch?
silver

31. What do you think of when you think of Australia ?
men with sexy accents

32. Would you consider plastic surgery?
Hell ya

33. What is your birthstone?
garnet

34. Do you go in at a fast food place or just hit thedrive thru?
Drive thru

35.How many kids do you want?
4

36. Do you have a dog?
yep - a slightly spoiled boxer

37. Last person you talked to on the phone?
Eric

38. Have you met anyone famous?
only in their own heads - actually I worked with Dayna devin when we were both working at a small time TV station.

39. Any plans today?
yes and they all went out the window around 8:45 AM

40. How many states have you lived in?
three

41. Ever go to college?
yep

42. Where are you right now?
here

43. Biggest annoyance in your life right now?
crazy people

44. Last song listened to?
Beautiful day

46. Are you allergic to anything?
cleaning - eggs and sulfa drugs plus various pollens

47. Favorite pair of shoes you wear all the time?
a toss up between my green sling back pumps, my black kitten healed flats and my black boots but really they are all my favorites and I love them all

48. Are you jealous of anyone?
I don't think so

50. Is anyone jealous of you?
LOL! They shouldn't be if they are!

51. What time is it?
11 something

52. Do any of your friends have children?
yep

53. Do you eat healthy?
yes. .

54. What do you usually do during the day?
seat on my butt, eatting bon bons and watching Oprah

55. Do you hate anyone right now?
nah

56. Do you use the word 'hello' daily?
No. I

58. How old will you be turning on your next birthday?
I;ll be celebrating an anniversary of my 30th birthday

59. Have you ever been to Six Flags?
yes,

60. How did you get one of your scars?
well there was this guy - oh wait no - I cut my hand on a broken vase when I was 9. I wanted to save the flower I made in Scouts

Almost a week

since we begin our TV experience and I am not missing it. Everybody else is getting busted sneaking a peak.

Imp

Imp
Originally uploaded by blondie478.

My sweet little boy

Coke is IT? No coke is HIT.....

My oldest son and husband just called. They are on their way home for a weekend of camping with scouts. The boys blasted cans of coke .

The oldest child was all full of testosteroney goodness and was proud of himself. He made Coke spew all over the place after a well aimed rifle.

This is the difference between men and women. i would have opened the soda and drank it's caramely caffeniated goodness. Men, even the young ones, see a gun and ammunition and shoot it - just because they can.

The younger brothers were just as excited to learn that the can was hit and injured in this experiment.

this is How we roll

Yesterday the boys had a day off from school (supposed "staff" development) so we headed to the mall. Charles needed new shoes because he has outgrown the ones we bought in late October. While we were there, the boys asked to ride the carousel. Normally, we're in a hurry but today we had the time and I had my new lens so I needed to try it out too.

Waiting to ride



Come ON Mom!



He was climbing the fence the other day and knocked his face - again. I think he's going to have a permanent scar there he scrapes and cuts there so often

Ready to Ride and Holding on for dear life



(I'm not happy with this - the area has tinted skylights that make a blue cast on everything - these are all done in manual though - and the horses were moving - I like the VR)

Howdy Ma'am!



A Boy and His Horse



the carousel was going really fast. I was getting nauseated watching it - looking through the view finder was worse.

Brown Wins it By a Nose



Giddy'ap



Living My Dream



Charles needed new shoes - his frigate sized feet have grown so much in the last three months. He's in men's sizes but not many stores carry sizes that small (what do you do in the meantime - he can't fit children's shoes - a man's 7 should be readily avaliable) so the salesmen, sensing my - well I'll go to another mall and use my associate discount mood went to the back and brought every shoe in Charles' size. - I made him take back the 6's - why would I buy my kid shoes that don't fit ?

anyway - this is my DREAM a stack of shoes in my size that I'd wear - almost taller than me. we'll leave the rolling around nekkid on the leather part out - i LOVE shoes.

for Charles not so much. He'd have been happy to have me bring him home shoes and he could avoid the mall all together. I promised him a trip to the bookstore if he made a quick decision.

Barren - Lenten Reflections

Today, as I was editing this photo Tommy and I were talking.

He was asking how many more days until we finished Lent and couldn't he please just watch a little TV - he DID do his chores after all. I told him no and he could go out and play - the day is beautiful and we are supposed to get rain Monday - go enjoy the day God made.

Tommy asked me what barren meant. I told him it meant empty. He thought for a moment and asked if that's what barren desert meant in the song we sang last week.

I told him that yes, that was what barren meant - devoid of anything. But a dessert is not really barren. A dessert, during monsoon is full of life. I told him this tree is not really barren. The tree is dormant. The warmth and rain (hopefully) that comes from spring will help make this tree grow leaves and be green.

We are like the tree. Now, during Lent, we are barren, in the desert of our sacrifice. On Easter, Jesus will rise and fill us with the love and hope and promise of new life with Him.

Lent is like a tree in winter. A period of dormancy where we sacrifice and regroup and await the Light of Christ.

Things we really don't need

a card that burps it's valentine greeting.

Nothing says love like a big loud BELCH.

Love Thursday - The Boss of Me

This picture was taken in November. My women's group donates 100 turkeys to a mission run by the Missionaries of Charity. The mission in South Dallas feeds almost 700 people each week. Thanksgiving is no different. For my family, this has become a tradition. We start off our holiday season visiting the shelter and mission with my group and delivering our turkeys.

I think, for me as a mother, it shows my kids that the world is not what goes on in our home, their schools and our neighborhood. Ou community is much more and we are fortunate to have what we do. Eric and I feel blessed to be able to help out and it puts the whole Thanksgiving and holiday in perspective for us. We all need to take the time to be thankful for what we have.

Sister is not shy about putting everyone to work. She even found a job for Joey (age 4) He had to help flatten boxes and then put them in piles.

Because he's his mother's son he is taking the time to make sure his brothers are doing their jobs correctly. He can be rather bossy - though *I* have no clue where he gets that trait from.

To change and to change for the better are two different things.
German proverb

A change for the better is what Lent is all about. We, as Christians strive to make ourselves more like Christ. Through our sacrifice and penance throughout Lent we make ourselves more Like Christ.

For the past few years, we've not really given up anything for Lent. The past two years, I sought to increase my prayer life. Eric has given up caffeine (yeah that was fun) and the soda in general (again more fun) They boys gave up picking on each other (that lasted two days) - and then they worked on doing good deeds. We also made an attempt to go to Stations of the Cross together. That was easier. Our parish does soup before - there's food.

This year, I felt the need to do something more. Something we would all benefit from and gain something from. So for the next 40 days we will not watch TV as a family. For the next 40 days - our TV is unplugged.

I got the idea from an article in the national newsletter for the Catholic Daughters. Each year, the national court encourages local courts to acknowledge Morality in the Media's turn of the TV Day on February 14. The idea is to turn off the TV and give your family, the best gift - quality time.

I thought this would be a great idea. Then I wondered would one day be enough? I don't just show my husband I love him on Valentine's Day - love and marriage are things that take an everyday commitment. I thought quality family time would be a great thing to give my family for Lent - Having to miss Johnny Fairplay duke it out on Survivor Fans vs All Stars - is sacrifice.

This year, we are giving up TV. Well MOST TV. Joey is four and no TV for 40 days would be hard for him to understand. So he still gets his four favorite PBS shows. Eric and I can still watch the nightly news.

For the next 40 days there will be no Ugly Betty or Survivor. There will be no Looney Tunes or This Old House (Tommy is in love with This Old House) and no History Channel (really how much does one need to know about WWII airplanes - Charles thinks there is never enough information about these things)

Instead, tonight after Ashes and dinner, we are going to sit down and come up with 40 family friendly activities to do instead of watching Tim Gunn (how I love him) saying "Designers make it work." (Please God, if it not too much to ask let Chris March and Christian make it to Fashion Week - please - and keep the writers on strike at least until early March)

and so it begins. No TV but instead an attempt to give my family quality time with each other.

(Eric has added a clause - we have to take a family walk nightly - he's willing to turn off the TV if we go out for a nightly walk - so maybe this will be 40 days with no TV and 40 pounds lighter between the two of us)

Just a question today

Who in their right mind let their child go on a campout with an imaginary giant purple dinosaur in charge?

Is it just me who'd say NO?

Just onderin'

Busy Busy

I’m busy, busy, dreadfully busy

You’ve no idea what I have to do.

Busy, busy, shockingly busy

Much, much too busy for you.


I think, at one time or another, all of us moms feel the same way. We have work deadlines. We have school functions, scouts, sports, church etc. Add in a few spousal events and the work of keeping a house and we are all much too busy.

But at what cost? What point do we draw the line? How do we determine what needs to go and what activities stay - or do we not do that and try to do all of it?

I forgot to make soup.

My women's group makes a meal quarterly and delivers it to a home that helps teens who've been removed from their homes. I signed up for soup.

Eric got sick, Joey got sick, there was work and rumors of layoffs looming and all sorts of other things and I forgot to call and say "I can't bring soup"

So no one brought soup.

I feel bad, but I am also mad.

For this group I am the president. I attend the meetings no one else attends, I make sure we all get to training. I spend three hours at least before each meeting getting things ready and printed and neat and tidy. I call the members and remind them. I coordinate room requests and fundraisers with each parish and thenn, when no one else shows up or forgets or what ever, I deal with it.

The woman in charge of the event could have called me wednesday and asked me if I still planned on meeting her. It would have jogged my memory and I wouldn't have forgotten the soup.

But this week, my family and it's strep throat germs came first.

Love Thursday is BACK

and here is my first entry -

The Kiss!

Notes from sesame street

The letter of the day is W.

So, What's your favorite W word?

without a doubt - WINE!

I've Been Thinking

Yes, I know that is a dangerous thing. But indeed there have been thoughts that have been thunk.

I was watching - well listening to - some gossip rag show that guises itself as "entertainment news"

You know the mindless dribble about what Hollywood star is sleeping with who. Who's pregnant and who might be pregnant and all that other junk that some one - somewhere thinks is news.

They were talking about Britney Spears. The slutty little white trash tramp who's life is in the crapper. We all know she is mentally ill (my guess is bipoloar with psychgosis - knowing some one like her)

The paparazi was following her like vulters circling dead meat. It was sickening. The more she begged them to leave her alone the more they clicked and circled.

If Unfitely was a regular Joe, number one she'd have lost her children long ago and number two - the people chasing her would be in jail for stalking. If we, average American citizens were photographed in our mosy intimate moments - we'd press charges.

Yet, we think it is okay for people to follow stars. Did we really need to see Heath Ledger's body being carried from his apartment? do we really need to see Unfitely at Starbucks? Do we really need to know what that wacko Tom cruise had for breakfast?

Is it a sin for Nichole Kidman to know blab that she's expecting to the world until they are sure the pregnancy would stick? Who wants to see the news of their miscarriage sent around the world?

It makes me sad and dismayed that the news of the day is more and more about Hollywood and less and less about real issues.

So and so is sleeping with so and so. Some crackhead child star is in rehab - again oh and the fed dropped interest rates.

One "news" man on one of these rag shows told us we'd be the first to know the results of Heath's autopsy and more about Unfitely's deposition in her child custody case because we had a right to know.

puh leez.

Turning it off to tune in

Lent is soon to be upon us. In one week we'll be starting Lent. In the past, we've not done anything big for Lent. Increasing prayer life, a family rosary, encouraging the kids to five up and give out.

Well, this year, after much thought. We are actually giving something up as a family. We are turning off the tube and tuning into our family. There's not a lot wrong with our family. But, I've noticed that the kids, Tommy in general, turns on the TV as soon as he gets up in the morning. He'll get up at 5:30 AM and tune into DIY. I have awakened to This Old House everyday for a week now.

The TV here is always on. It's like a thousand voices constantly in the background.

So as of February 6, our TV is going black for 40 days

40 days to turn off the TV and Tune into one another.

Puberty - a Hairy Situation

Conversation around the dinner table last night.

Charles: I have hair under my arms too

Tommy: Oh that is so gross

Me: It's a fact of life but not suitable for dinner conversation.

Said hair growing child proceeded to show us the tufts of hair growing under his noxious armpits.

Lovely.

For a few months now, we've noticed his voice had gotten a little lower. He sprouted up a few inches as well. Up two pant sizes since August.

It seems Mother Nature has collided with my son and seems hell bent on turning him into a young man.

Other things have been developing as well. I think he likes a girl. You know, like likes. There was a dance at school last week and he mentioned going. I asked him if he wanted to and he said he wasn't sure. I heard him talking to a friend. He didn't go because he wanted to ask a girl but wasn't sure how to. She had been dropping hints that she wanted to go with him.

How do you role play that?

Career choices

"Mommy, when I grow up I want to be a carrot"

"Joey, what kind of carrot?"

"A big orange crunchy carrot or maybe I want to be a doughnut"

"Yeast or cake?"

"Yeast witch chocolate and green frosting and I'll sit on a fluffy cloud."

"Will there be sprinkles"

"Rainbow colored ones all over the top"

"I love you Joey."

"I love you too Mommy."

How do you do it?

We learned Monday, one o Charles' classmates died. This wasn't a sudden unexpected death. It was an inevitable act. The boy in question was diagnosed with a rare brain tumor in 2006, with no known cure.

People rallied around the family and gave them support. He got to live his dreams - to ride a motorcycle and to ly in an Army helicopter.

The mother posted that he went to be with Jesus after a long fight. They believe he felt no pain or fear.

My question is, looking at my child, the same age and how do you tell them that the growth in their head, chest, whatever is going to kill them.

How do you let go and say goodbye to your son?

My thoughts are with the Barta family but tonight, I will hug my own teenaged boy and forget that he would forget his own head i it wasn't attached to his body. I will forget the eye rolls and deep sighs and the fact that he is a mouth attached to a deep vast hole that knows no end.

These things I will forget and thank God for.

Happy 2008

2007 is gone - ten days now gone.

2008 is among us. I am almost to the point of remembering to date things 2008 even.

2007 was a mixed bag of tricks - some really great things happened. But some really crappy ones as well. You have to take the good with the bad.

The bad makes the good much sweeter.

So 2008 here's to you :-)

Sugar and Spice

and everything nice

Come and Tell Me

12 days until Christmas

The race is on. My list is long and well long

Four

Four jobs I have had in my life:
1. Mom!
2. Sales Associate
3. Telemarketer
4. Graphics Operator for a little bitty TV station


Four places I have lived:
1. Little Elm TX
2. Albuquerque, NM
3. Midland TX
4. Cabot AR

Four places I have been on vacation.
1. San francisco CA
2.Lake Jackson TX
3. San Antonio, TX
4. Washington DC

Four of my favorite foods:
1. cheese enchiladas
2. lasagna
3. steak - medium rare
4. CHOCOLATE

Four places I would rather be right now:
1. the beach
2. New Zealand
3. Tuscany
4. Provence

Tag 4
1. LL
2. Catey
3 Robyn
4 IDK

RIP dear Anne

My friend passed from this world to the next yesterday.

God be with Anne's sister Paulette and their entire family

Oddities

It's been an odd day around here.

I have been waiting to hear news of a birth and a death.

One friend is expecting her thirday baby - she was born late this morning. And, around the world, another friend is dying from cancer.

A beautiful life ravaged by a terrible disease and a new life just waiting to begin clean and fresh.

Up on the Housetop - or not

It's December 5th according to my little pagenote computer thingy. It is TWO weeks since Thanksgiving. Until today, it has not begun to look a lot like Christmas around here.

Instead, the house is still a barren sty mess.

But I made an inroad today. I untangled the lights that go along the front walk AND a strung the net lights (eric was right - and I put it in writing - we DO actually need two boxes of net lights for the front window bushes.

Hopefully tonight, we can get the tree up and the decorations on it.

I also got the wreath hung on the front door.

Is This Love?

The past week or two, well since I went back to work - part time at Bath and Body Works. I have been doing a lot of thinking. On my second or third day of "real" work (like the chores and laundry and meals aren't work) Eric brought me a cute coke in a little round snowglobe type bottle. He took the kids shopping for things to make dinner and he saw these little bottles and knew I loved them.

I was touched. I mean really really touched that he thought of me and bought me snow globe coke.

I was joking with some one later that - after thirteen years - romance can be summed up buy $1 bottle of coke with a fat bearded guy on it.

we laughed.

That made me think though - and that is romance. He thought about me and did something nice for me just because he knew I'd like it.

Romance is not about sun set strolls on the beach hand and hand - well it us but there aren't many beaches here in Dallas. Romance isn't a hot air balloon ride or boquets of flowers

Romance is the little things.

It's the getting up with the puking kid at 2 AM.

It's the heart cut into a slice of toast or the bag of reece's peanut butter cups you don't have to share.

It's picking up a mini of his favorite ice cream - even though it's $4 - just because it's his favorite and then sharing the ice cream while watching Grey's Anantomy.

It's the silly little things that make me glad I said yes all those years ago.

I guess, that Is indeed love.

He's the Man

1. Who is your man? Eric

2. How long have you been together? I20 years (including dating) last week

3. How long did you date?7 years almost

4. How old is your man? He'll be 38 in December

5. Who eats more? I think the 12 year old has a corner on this one now

6. Who said "I love you" first? He did

7. Who is taller? He is

8. Who sings better? neither of us

9. Who is smarter? I can retain more useless information he is more logically inclined

10. Whose temper is worse? Mine is more frequent but when he gets mad he is REALLLLLLLY Mad

11. Who does the laundry? Me and ONLY me!!

12. Who takes out the garbage? The middle kid does

13. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? He does.

14. Who pays the bills? him

15. Who is better with the computer? He gets paid to be a computer guy so HIM

16. Who mows the lawn? me - it's good cardio

17. Who cooks dinner? Mostly me but he has since I've been working nights

18. Who drives when you are together?Him

19. Who pays when you go out? Whoever pulls out the debit card.

20. Who is most stubborn? it depends

21. Who is the first to admit when they are wrong? him

22. Whose parents do you see the most? Mine

23. Who kissed who first? He kissed me

24. Who asked who out? I did. I needed an escort to a quince. So I called him - he had to ask a family friend who I was - but he said yes because a date was a date and he liked blondes LOL.

25. Who proposed? He did. I got my first pay check and insisted I take him out. He'd already planned to take me out. he was waiting for the right time to do it so he kept the ring in it's box inside his shoes. He took me to a garden and proposed. Just after I said yes, the SP's came by and chased us off.

26. Who is more sensitive? It depends on the situation

27. Who has more friends? Me - because I'll talk to anyone - though he's more extroverted once he gets to know someone.

28. Who has more siblings? we each have one

29. Who wears the pants in the family? It depends on the situation - I'm the meaner parent but the big decisions we make together

Today starts the holiday rush. The big boys get out of school for the week.

I had to stop and think where this year has gone. In the blink of an eye 2007 is spending it's days. Before we know it it will be 2008.

It's a hairy situation

and the long and the short of it pertain to my 12 year old.

I spent two hours yesterday debating the vice principal over the size of the hole in my son's jeans and the length of his hair.

It seems two inches of knee is considered sexually distracting.

If I were a brave woman I'd google knee fetishes but honestly, I am afraid of what I'll find. So yeah, we're not even going there.

and then the hair issue came up.

The kneenazi thinks that my child's hair is too long and it should be cut to conform with her standards.

One of us can read for comprehension because nowhere in the our district guidelines does it say that the district may determine an appropriate length of a child's hair. Hair however must be neat and tidy. Further in the book it say principals may relax certain rules but they may not strengthen the rules.

In all honesty - my child is a good student. He's respectful. he's in general a good kid.

There are far more pressing issues in this school that need attention than my child's knees.

Pregnant 11 and 12 year olds - yes do something about that

Kids getting in fights over stupid things - yes deal with that

Kids disrespecting their teachers - hell yeah - punish those kids.

but leave my kid's hair alone

People suck

i mean really.

Some people just suck the life out of me - suck.