From the Minds of Lamb & Bear

This has been an insane week from getting adjusted to not being able to fix schedules to transportation changes to unhappy coworkers/students. And Big D locking himself out of the house on his way to pick up Lamb was a fitting end. I was about halfway home when he frantically called me so I could turn around to get her. I think Bear was the only one of us to have a spectacular first week.

Interestingly enough, both kids & I had to write "I am" poems about ourselves in Language Arts class. I was quite impressed with theirs so indulge me while I share. First up is Lamb, 8th grade.

I am a creative girl who loves to act
I wonder how hard it is to get a part
I hear the thunderous applause as I take a bow
I see my brother handing me a dozen roses
I want to star in a movie or on Broadway
I am a creative girl who loves to act

I pretend that all the world's a stage
I feel the make-up caking against my skin
I touch the pen as I sign autographs
I worry that I'll have to pursue another career
I cry when something bad happens to a character
I am a creative girl who loves to act

I understand that there is rejection
I say that you have to aim high and dream big
I dream that my name will be in lights
I try to prepare myself the best I can
I hope to star on Broadway
I am a creative girl who loves to act

And now it's 4th grade Bear's turn:

I am funny and smart.
I wonder if we are going to discover another planet.
I hear an airplane rush by.
I see the Golden Gate Bridge.
I want a Wii.
I am funny and smart.

I pretend that I'm a spy.
I feel the wind on my face.
I touch the water.
I worry about the world.
I cry when my mom gets mad at me.
I am funny and smart.

I understand that Australia is down under.
I say God is real.
I dream to become a MLB player.
I try my best at baseball.
I hope all the poor people get money.
I am funny and smart.

A Waiter With A Gift

Bubba's Sis and I decided that we deserved a treat after our week. We loaded up the kids and met at my neighborhood Chili's. The kids to have their table and we to have ours. My crew got there first. We were seated and the waiter came to get our drink orders. He took a look at me and said that he thought he'd waited on us before. I smiled demurely and agreed. He got our drink orders and left. Not a minute later, he came back and had this to say: You were seating just like this at this table. You were with another lady and your kids with other kids. You both ordered the Triple Dipper. I laughed & told him how impressed I was with his memory. He was right. The funny thing was that this was not a recent night he was referring. He left then came back again to tell me this: You both ordered the same three; spinach artichoke dip, southwestern eggrolls, and..... well, I can't remember the 3rd item (it was cheese sticks if you are curious). Whoa! I was starting to get a tad nervous. He even remembered our menu items! I once again told him how much he impressed me. He demurely replied it was a gift. And he figured we'd order the same thing. I coyly (but not flirtatiously) replied that we might shock him. The Bubba's Sis crew arrived and we ordered. Yes, indeed, we shocked him. We only ordered ONE Triple Dipper with double southwestern eggrolls to share.

Viral Link Tag

Stacey tagged me!

Rules:
1. Copy and paste the story below, and the rules, on your blog.
2. Find out who you're going to tag. (2-3 people, or more, if you wish)
3. Write one or two sentences to continue the story, and use the titles of the blogs you're tagging or any word(s) associated with them as keywords in the links you include in your part of the story.
4. Remember to tell your taggees that you've tagged them!
5. Feel free to use this and start your own viral link story.I'd very much appreciate a link back to Mother's Home if you do. (Or a tag, if you prefer!)


Once upon a time, after the evil stepmom had put up a Barbed wire fence around everything, the Empress came and shouted: "I've come to give you A little piece of me mind!"The evil stepmom, Shelby, came out to see what all the Rambling from this Crazy person was about.I am adding...The cranky, evil stepmom watched in horror as the insane person began to parade around singing "A Boy Named Sue."It seemed like forever this insane person would sing and for miles he would parade, all the while twisting and dancing to the song.
It was nothing short of sheer brilliance, though, this Empress, dancing like a wild monkey in an accordian store, waving goodbye to the evil (and I mean very evil) stepmom and heading off to her job as a Kelly Girl on a military base in South Carolina. It was there she was swept off her feet by Officer Gorgeous and signed up to be part of the USO. It was day by day living with Officer Gorgeous. They went to dances, watched movies, star-gazed, & drank their fountain drinks from the same glass. Then, her Mother, Sister, and Friend came along.....

I tag:
Bubba's Sis
Day by Day

School

Appropriately enough, this week's word is School. At our school 4th & 5th graders can sign up to become Safety Patrol kids. 4th patrols in the mornings and 5th in the afternoons. This year Bear gets to be one. Here he is doing his car rider duty. He says he'd rather have hallway patrol so he gets the opportunity to pass out Golden Cougar tickets AND write people up if they don't obey the 'traffic' laws. Such a boy.

Conversation with Bear

As I mentioned, this year Bear has my old partner in crime for his 4th grade teacher. Because she is Special Ed certified, she gets (quite happily) the Special Ed kids in her classroom. This year, she has the Inclusion kiddies rather than the Resource ones. That also means she needs support staff in her room. That is me this year. At first we thought I'd be in there all day with her. Sadly, that is not the case, but I am in there for an hour for Science & Social Studies.

Today, Bear was calling me "Mama" to get my attention. I told him that maybe he shouldn't call me that in the classroom. He asked, "Should I call you Mother?". Love that kid! We also decided that Mrs. H wasn't a good idea either. He'll call me Mrs. H****** instead. It'll be weird but I think that it'll be for the best.

10 Things I Like About My Job

I am much more comfortable with this week's Ten on Tuesday than last week's topic. I am very fortunate to have the job that I have. Not just because it allows me to be home when the kids are home, but also because of who I get to work with. Kids, faculty/staff, and the subs. I've met a lot of great people. I could say more than 10 things. But, here are the top ten:

1. The kids


2. The hugs


3. The hours (although it wouldn't hurt my feelings if started an hour or so later)


4. The vacation time


5. Working the hours my kids are in school and being off, for the most part, when they are


6. Seeing a child's face when what I'm telling them clicks in their brain


7. Seeing my child unexpectedly in the hallway


8. Having someone who understands, who I can vent to, & trust that it will go no further


9. The gifts which are always unexpected to me and always make my heart sing


10. I'm not perfect, I have a lot to learn, but just knowing that I have something to offer the kids is very rewarding. I am able to look past what they can't do and be excited about what they can do. I truly love them and sometimes, school's the only love they get in a day.

First Day of the New Year

I was all set to write about how today is the day I mark time. However, I didn't get a chance to last night, today I'm tired, and Bubba's Mom & Bubba's Sis did it first & better.

I love everything about it except that it also marks the return to work for me. I miss sending the kids off and enjoying the day all to myself. Oh well, I get other perks. I'm hard pressed to think what they are at the moment, but I know I have some.

The first day seemed to have been a success for the kids. Bear's teacher is a dear friend of mine. As a matter of fact, I worked with her for 2 years in Special Ed before she 'defected' (hee) to General Ed. She is such a great, dedicated, fun teacher and a wonderful supportive friend to me. Lamb seemed happy about her day as well. She has people she knows in all her classes and even someone to eat lunch with. And because she and her bff are in Production for Theatre Arts they even have a class together.


My day wasn't as good, but it wasn't bad either. It was frustrating because the teachers I'll be working with didn't receive any schedules and didn't plan on doing that particular subject at the time I'm planned to be in there. And it was just incredibly long because I didn't have much to do. I know that will very rarely be the case soon so I should enjoy it while it lasts. However, I would rather be at home so since I have to be at work, I'd rather be busy or at least have something to do. It looks like that won't happen until next week.

The down side is that I have to punch a clock this year. The plus side is that I worked for more hours than I'm scheduled to work. That means I can leave about 15 minutes early the rest of this week. Woot!

It's getting ready to storm. So thankful it waited until school is over and everyone is home. That's my day in a nutshell!

Happy

Here is Pluto VERY happy to see Bear because he (Bear, not Pluto) is wearing a Pluto hat. And Lamb very happy to see the silliness.

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, It's Off To Work I Go

Stacey tagged me for an eight things meme. As I haven't even held 8 jobs, I'm going to do this a little differently.

1. Daughter - I am the first born child. My parents were babies (21 & 19) when they had me. The story goes that the day I was born my dad left to go play in his Navy softball game. Also, the hospital caught on fire so they had to evacuate. Luckily it wasn't a bad fire. If I didn't look like I belonged, I would wonder if there was a baby mix-up!



2. Sister - Two years later, I became the big sister. Apparently, I was excited about the baby brother and 'mothered' him. I guess I didn't treat him very nicely as he got older because I remember my grandmother telling him not to worry that one day he'd be bigger than me and could pay me back. Truer words were never spoken!



3. Arkansas Home Health & Hospice - My first true job! I was newly graduated and newly living my dad, his wife, & my 2 sisters. The plan was to establish my Arkansas residency and then go to college with my friends in Conway. Of course, I couldn't just sit around waiting. My dad was good friends with the director of a home health agency. She hired me as a temporary employee to help with filing. That led to a permanent data entry/filing/relieving the secretary of phone duty when needed/supply ordering position which I held for 6 years.



4. Church nursery - At the same time, I also worked in the church nursery on Sunday mornings and every other Sunday/ Wednesday evenings. Those kids were so much fun! I kept the infant to 2 years old. Big D would come up to keep me company. He had fun with them too until one of them gave him chicken pox. Oops!



5. Wife - A year and a half after we met, we got married. I was 19 and he was 23. My mother was so mad. She saw my life turning out like hers. Married young, children young, divorced young. Nothing against Big D. Everyone loves him and tease that IF we do divorce, they get HIM in the settlement. We are about to celebrate our 18th wedding anniversary. I think no one needs to worry about us anymore.



6. Mother - Five years later, we had our 1st born, Lamb. She has made parenting so easy and filled with sweetness! At the home health agency, I made a pitiful amount of money. There was no sense paying for daycare and not having any money to add to our income. We decided to stay in an apartment, stay with 1 car, and I'd stay home with Lamb. I have never regretted that decision. It was the right one for OUR family. Three years after that, we had our 2nd born, Bear. He has taught us patience. It's not as easy to parent him, but it sure is filled with laughter.



7. AutoZone (corporate office) - When Lamb was 2, my mom told me that her company was hiring temporary employees if I was interested. The extra money and deciding when I wanted to work appealed to me. I did a couple of temporary jobs and the one in benefits turned into a permanent position. They were so good to me. They hired me knowing I was newly pregnant and let me work part time. I was in charge of COBRA. My mom would take me to work in the mornings (we worked for the same company but in different buildings) and Big D & Lamb would pick up. I would walk to the car with Lamb hanging out barking like a dog. I felt bad because after Bear was born, I never went back. I had a good reason though. I knew we were moving to Houston.



8. Elementary school - Once again, this started out as a sub position. When Lamb was in 1st grade, her teacher asked if I was interested in making some extra money. Sure! They were starting this new program where the teachers were pulling their low readers for small group instruction. They needed someone to cover their classes while that was going on. It was all day for six weeks. Not bad. I did 1st grade that 1st year. When Lamb was in 2nd, I did 2nd grade and then kindergarten. When she was in 3rd grade, I only did kindergarten. By the time she was in 4th grade, Bear was in kindergarten. I was excited to finally get to help in his class too. However, the rules changed. It used to be that subs had to work 10 days to stay active and that could be during any semester. They changed it to 5 in the fall and 5 in the spring. I only ever worked in the spring. As I wasn't a teacher sub, I had to work in the office (which I never had to do) or in the AA (Alternative Academics or Lifeskills) room. As I needed those 5 days in the fall, I subbed in AA whenever they needed me. I never in a million years thought I'd like it, but I did. I LOVED those kids and really had fun in there. That led to a long term sub position in Resource rather than doing what I normally did in kindergarten. And, the following school year I was hired as a permanent employee. That's what I've been doing ever since. I work in the Special Education department but I don't think of the kids we service as Special Ed kids. Certainly some of them are (as in high functioning autism), but most just have learning disabilities or behavior issues.

There you have it, my 8 jobs. It's funny because looking back, I've realized that I have never interviewed for any of my jobs. This is an open tag. If you feel up to it, by all means do it and let me know in my comments or link me back to your blog.

Friday's Feast

Appetizer

Say there’s a book written about your life. Who would you want to narrate the audio version?

Holly Hunter, my accent isn't as pronounced as hers (*I* don't think) but I do have one.

Soup

Take the letters from your favorite kind of nut and write a sentence. (Example: Perhaps every avenue needs understanding today.)

A loving man once needed dusting stuff.

Salad

If you could go back in time and spend one week in another decade, which decade would you choose?

This is tough for me. There are a lot of decades I'd like to visit or revisit. I'll go with the 50s though. I know it wasn't always fun & innocent, but I would love to wear my poodle skirts, hear Elvis for the 1st time like they did, etc.

Main Course

Name a song that brings back memories for you.

Hmm....another toughie. I'll say 1999 because it seemed sooooo far away. Now it seems sooooo long ago.

Dessert

Do you prefer to wash your hands in cold water or warm water?

warm

My Virgin Life

Bear asked me if I was ever going to move out, away from him. That prompted me to ask him if he was ever going to move away from me. He thought about it for a minute and then decided: He'll stay with me for his virgin life but once he gets married, he'll live with his wife. That, in turn, prompted me to ask him what virgin means. Yes, yes, I should know better. You'll be happy to know that virgin means unmarried. Whew.

Back to the Grindstone

Exactly 13 years ago when Lamb was 3 months old, Big D started working nights. While it was hard keeping her (& eventually Bear) quiet during the day, it was never too much of a hardship. I didn't work and the kids weren't in school so we had plenty of time together. For the past 2 years, his company has been teasing him with a day shift. They'll give it to him for a few months and then take it way for even more months. Such a thing happened to him at the beginning of summer. Since he's had a taste of days, it makes it that much more painful for him to work nights again. Add to the fact that with all 4 of our schedules, once school starts there will be no family time. Bear & I will get home roughly at 4pm. Big D will pick up Lamb from school and they'll get home at 4:30pm. Then he'll be out the door for work at 5pm. So, of course, I've been lamenting the end of summer. And, of course, I haven't gotten any sympathy from Big D because of my 3 month vacation.

I drowsily awoke this morning. Got myself ready in the quiet house and left for my first day back (kids have until Monday). I open the car door and have this waiting for me:

That was the highlight of my day!

I won't mention that it went steadily downhill from there when the car wouldn't start due to a dead battery.

Rain

I've talked a lot about rain this summer. Last October, we had so much rain so fast that even our street had some flooding one night. The next morning on the way to school, we noticed all these spiderwebs in our little tree. Driving to school, we noticed hundreds of spiderwebs in the most unusual spots glistening in the morning sun with the rain droplets hovering all around. It was so surreal. I figured it was the spider version of hurricane evacuation.

10 Things I Don't Like About My Job

I work in education and I actually love my job. It's not a bad gig since I have to work. I love what I do, I love the kids, I love most of the teachers/staff, and I love my vacation plan. However, as with everything, there are some down-sides to it. Here are 10 Things I Don't Like About My Job:

1. Getting up early/going to bed 'early'
2. Very little money
3. Work place politics
4. Having no say in my schedule
5. Long faculty meetings
6. Punching a 'clock' this coming school year
7. Working full-time & being a 'single mom' in the evenings since hubby works nights
8. Not living close enough to come home for lunch
9. Thinking of interesting things to bring for lunch
10. TESTS, TESTS, TESTS

Ok, so very little of that actually had to do with my JOB. Like I said, I love it.

What Time Is It? It's Summertime!

Or it was, rather. This is the last week for the kids and the next to the last day for me. However, for the High School Musical kids, it's just beginning for them. We spent our weekend watching the trial & tribulations of Troy & company. And we really liked it!

As I was sitting there watching them, I was reminded of my summer vacation between junior and senior year. We lived in a hotel. Really, we did. Immediately after school was out in Massachusetts, we fled to Oklahoma without a house to live in. I think I was the only one with tears in my eyes.

Living in that hotel was so much fun. Coastie Brother and I had our own room with a connecting door, but still. And there was a softball tournament going on in the city so we had kids to hang out with. Two in particular were a boy from Canada who was about a year older than me and a girl from Australia who was younger than Coastie Bro but looked older than me! We hung out at the pool and had good times & good conversations. We even ventured out to the ball field to see their siblings play. I have no recollection of the actual game. Hmmm....

My favorite memory was sitting out at the pool one evening. Mom had told us to come in at 10pm. Ten came & went without Mom coming to get us. We thought, "Cool, she changed her mind." So we stayed out with our friends. When we came inside, there was a note on each of our pillows stating that we were grounded. Grounded!! Living in a hotel!! I'm thinking we sweet talked our way out of it.

All good things must come to an end and that summer was no exception. The tournament ended and our friends went home. The boy & I wrote letters for a couple of years. I wonder how his life is now. The girl & I did for a little bit but she was a lot younger than me and except for that summer, we had nothing in common. I think she also wrote to Coastie Brother. We found a house that was nice near the high school. I began my senior year and Coastie Bro his sophomore year.

And as soon as I graduated, I fled back to Arkansas where I had the summer that changed my life forever. But, the previous summer was the time when everything wasn't so complicated. The only thing better would have been to have shared it with the friends I grew up with or even the ones I made in Ma. Still, I am thankful for the ones I spent with at the pool.

Two

No, this isn't my Sugar Daddy & me. ;) It's Two for Photo Hunters, taken in Las Vegas.

Friday's Feast

Enjoy this Friday's Feast.

Appetizer

Describe your laundry routine. Do you have a certain day when you do it all, or do you just wash whatever you need for the next day?

Um....I don't do laundry. Hubby washes our clothes and the kids wash their clothes. Shut up, Coastie Bro. We both work and if he goes back to working days, I'll take back my clothes. Anyway, they don't have a certain day they do them, just once a week basically.

Soup

In your opinion, what age will you be when you’ll consider yourself to truly be old?

No certain age. Just the point where I don't feel like being active anymore or can't take care of myself.

Salad

What is one of your goals? Is it short-term, long-term, or both?

One of my goals is to fix up our house some; plenty of ideas, just lack of money; definitely long-term goal.

Main Course

Name something unbelievable you’ve seen or read lately.

Funny this should be a question. I was watching tv when I saw the most unbelievable commercial. I was really surprised it aired in Houston. It was Roger Clemens & his wife doing one of those dropped cell phone call commercials. He's on the golf course calling her asking if he should play for one more season or stay retired. She's totally telling him to stay retired, but, of course, it's dropped. So thinking he has the ok, he hangs up and tells his friends heeeee's baaaaack. The Traiter.

Dessert

On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how happy are you today?

Today? 6

Girl Power!

Lamb loves to read and she loves books. We have so many books, we don't have room for them all. She had them stacked in rows against her wall. Finally, we bought her a 5 shelf book shelf to go with her 3 shelf one. She has a postage stamp sized room. Teeny Tiny it is. And she has this HUGE loft bed that takes up about ½ of the room. So, there isn't much room for other furniture. But, she found a spot that was nixed by her daddy because she wouldn't be able to open the drawers on her loft bed. After he left for work, I decided that we'd go ahead, find a spot, & move the bookshelf into her room. Lamb & I worked her little chest of drawers over to the spot she initially wanted her bookshelf. Checked. Yep, her loft drawers will open all the way. Then we struggled moved the shelf into her room. Yep, fits perfectly. We were so proud of ourselves!

Then Bear walks in. Puts his hand on his hips and says, "You know, the trundle won't pull out now."
"Sure it will," I say. "See, the shelf isn't as wide out as the drawers so the bed has plenty of room."
"Babycakes, the drawers are in the way, not the bookshelf."

I look. Yep, the drawers prevent the trundle from pulling out. Dang it.

Round

Elvis Presley January 8, 1935 - August 16, 1977

Crazy Person Did What???

When Lamb was going into 6th grade, we bought her a cell phone. Not because all her friends had one (they didn't), not so she could be cool, and not so she could talk on it all the time. We got it for my peace of mind. Here the intermediate schools start at 9am. I have to be at work at 7:45am. That meant that Lamb was going to have to ride the bus to school (luckily that's a thing of the past now). I was a nervous wreck leaving her to get to the bus stop by herself in all sorts of weather & all sorts of crazy people in the world. So, the cell phone was so that she could text me when she got to school and I'd know she made it. We've never ever had a problem with her & the phone. Most of the time it's even turned off. Now that her cousin & bff have phones, she does use it more frequently (but still within reason).

Today the most shocking thing happened. I'm still sick over it. We bought the HSM2 soundtrack and it came with a coupon for a free ringtone. I was messing with it when a new pix message arrived on her phone. It wasn't a # I recognized (but it was a local area code) so I was stupid for opening it. I must have had a gut feeling because I turned away so Lamb couldn't see the screen. I thank God for giving me that inspiration. It was a PORN pic. A PORN PIC!!! To my sweet baby girl's phone!!! A Female's Nether Regions Porn Pic. I deleted that sucker so fast. Now I wish I hadn't so that I could research the phone number or done something.

I'm hoping it was a wrong number and it's not a trend. Porn. On Lamb's cell phone. I NEVER would have thunk it. Ever. UGH!!

*let this be a lesson. If you are going to send an extremely naughty picture of yourself to someone, PLEASE make sure you send it to the right number.

They're Gone :(

Ok, so they left a few days ago. But, they are still gone and we are still sad. It was a really good visit. The girls got along famously like they always do. The boys got along well unless they were playing video games. Bear isn't always the best person to play video games with. Their uncle took them shopping and played board games with them. They even had a 3 day Monopoly game going that I talked about in an earlier post. They swam and tried to figure out the best combination for Chicken Fights. We went to see Transformers again (the Coastie kids hadn't seen it yet). We also went to see a Dinosaur exhibit at Moody Gardens. Those of you here, don't waste your money. It was bogus. They just had a handful of dinosaurs and they looked old & out-dated. Yes, yes, I know that's what dinosaurs are, but they just looked incredibly cheesy.

Lamb & Pumpkin exchanged cell phone #s so they can keep in touch better. I'm not sure if I mentioned this but Pumpkin is only 2 months older than Lamb. I'm not sure what all the girls did. They were behind closed doors a lot when they weren't on the computer. Shhh....I know at one point they were playing dolls. Bocephus was happy playing the XBox (apparently the 1st thing he said when he saw his mom was that they needed to get one) or with Bear's Star Wars toys.

All in all, it was a great visit. These are my kids' only (blood, they have plenty of step) cousins and I'm so happy for them that they got to spend some good time together & strengthen the bonds. These are the memories that will last a lifetime.

Craig Biggio 3,000 Hits Celebration

Yesterday, in the blazing heat, we waited an hour to get into the doors of Minute Maid Park. Why so long? Yesterday was the day the Astros chose to honor Craig Biggio for his career milestone. For a stadium giveaway, they were giving a 'bronze' statue to the 1st 3,000 (I think) fans and a t-shirt to everyone. And everyone wanted one. After fighting the crowds and the heat, we finally made it to our seats. All was well until the lady who sat in front of me arrived. This chick scrunched down in her seat until her head was practically on my knees, put her feet on the railing so I couldn't see the field, and then proceeded to pull out Vicks Vapor Rub & sniff it. Yes, I could smell it too and I'm hard of smelling! But, once the ceremony began, all those thoughts were gone. They really did a great job. Jeff Bagwell, Nolan Ryan, some other ball player (sorry long time Houstonians, you probably know him), and others were there to help celebrate with Biggio. His 14 year old son stood in front of the packed stadium and gave a speech. It was the coolest, sweetest thing. And, might I add, his son is CUTE. Lamb wasn't with me but I was sure to take pictures for her. Not that she cared. The bat, jersey, batting glove, and cap worn when the 3,000 hit happened were donated to the Baseball Hall of Fame Museum. The whole thing was just neat. But, the most magical thing was when Biggio started talking. Bear felt like he was talking directly to him when he had this to say:

"I know all the kids in Little League fields across the world have big dreams,"
Biggio said. "You should go for it. I am a person that can vouch for that. I
wasn't the biggest kid, and I wasn't the strongest kid. But if you've got a big
heart and a big dream, you've got to go for it. Don't let anyone crush your
dreams at all. If you want to be a big-league baseball player, go for it."

Bear is not the biggest kid, nor is he the strongest. But, he has the dream and the desire. He *wants* to be a MLB player. He *wants* to be in the museum and the Hall of Fame. He can do it, he's just going to have to work hard at it. Bear is never the super star of the team. He is an average, every day player. A team player. His batting is his weakness. His speed is his strength. However, he has something that every coach who has worked with him has seen. Whether it be his coachablitity, his desire, his dedication, I don't know. They have all told us that Bear will be a great ballplayer if he keeps at it. Who know? Maybe one day I'll be sitting in a chair on a MLB baseball field honoring MY son for his achievements. After all, Craig Biggio says it could happen.

Row

The Photo Hunter word of the week is Row. The definition of Row I'm using: a number of persons or things arranged in a line


This was taken at the dinosaur exhibit at Moody Gardens.

Friday's Feast

Happy Friday!

Appetizer

What is your favorite kind of pie?

apple, lately
Soup

Name something that made you smile this week.

several things since my niece & nephew are here, but here is a particular instance: The kids & my youngest brother were playing Monopoly. Bear was bankrupt, out of the game. So, he became part of Uncle Corp. and was the pilot. Coastie Niece landed on one of Uncle's properties. Bear's response: Mr. Uncle is very pleased. That has been our mantra all week. If you could have heard his voice, seen his face & mannerisms. It was hysterical!
Salad

What do you do to cool off when the weather is hot and humid?

stay in my a/c house!
Main Course

You receive $1,000 in the mail with a letter that says you can only use the money to redecorate one room in your home. Which room do you pick, and what do you buy to spruce it up?

living room; ummm....I'm not much of a decorator. I'd hire someone to do it for me. :)
Dessert

Fill in the blank: My ___hubby______ says ___I 'flashed' everyone at Adventure River when I came down the water slide_______, but I ___know I didn't_______. Back me up on this, Coastie Brother.

Dad

Foto Pherrets word this week is Dad. My babies' daddy is the perfect dad for them. He is nothing but a big kid himself. His channel surfing often finds him landing on the cartoon channels, Disney, or Nickelodeon. He has the wonderful ability to laugh at just about anything. He is the corniest, funniest, most sarcastic person I know and I see those traits in the kids every day. Lucky me. But, more importantly, lucky them. I hope they know how very much they are loved by him. I hope they know that their interests are his interests (ok, musical theater is a little hard for him). I hope they know that there isn't anything he wouldn't do for them. And I hope they know that they can go to him for/about anything. And, Coastie Brother, I could say all of the above about you too. Lucky, lucky children.

10 Things I'll Never Do Again

This week's Ten on Tuesday is all about things I'll never do again. Kinda hard as I really haven't done all that much in my life that I regret. Plus, you know what they say about never say never. And there are things I'd like to think I will never do again, but I know better. I'll give it a try though.

I will never again:

1. go on a hurricane evacuation with the rest of Houston's population
2. go to a travel agency school that is also a school for a/c repair
3. eat/drink a dairy product that has soft serve ice cream in it
4. eat Hamburger Helper's Chicken Fried Rice meal
5. watch the movie Showgirls willingly
6. read a new Anne George Southern Sisters mystery
7. be friends with someone who I listen/help her til 3am but she won't for me
8. move to a new state/city without checking it out 1st
9. take live starfish from the ocean
10. not realize that God has had His hand in my life & I'm thankful for what He's done

There's No Need To Fear, Ty Is Here

Hubby grew up with dogs. He always knew that he wanted a dog for a pet. However, we spent the 1st 10 years of our marriage in an apartment. Hubby had to wait. He never wanted a dog in an apartment. The minute we moved in our house, he started researching the type of dog we should get. I wanted a black miniature schnauzer named Rhett. Big D had other thoughts. The requirements were good with children, big, smart, and well, good with children. Obviously that was a huge one. We narrowed it down and finally decided on a Belgian Malinois because there was one in Tyler, Texas at the Malinois Rescue Society. Belgian Malinois you ask? Think German Shepherd (but he's not, Bubba's Sis) or coyote. You can very much tell that something has happened in his life. He is such a sweet, good dog. Yet, he has quirks. He is so afraid of thunder (so much so that it feels like we have a quarter slot in our bed when it storms because he puts his front paws on Big D's side and his whole body is shaking) and he's afraid of fireworks. Raise your hand (innocently on our parts) and he cowers. Shake open a bag and he runs off.

Despite all his quirks, he is good for us. He herds the kids. That can also be a problem at times. He can't stand when they go play in the front. He'll pace & whine until they are safe inside again. When Lamb was in 6th grade, we had to kennel him during the days. Lamb's school started after Bear & I had to be at school. So, she rode the bus. It tore my heart out to leave her at home and pray that she made it to school safely. It tore Ty's heart out too. He destroyed our mini-blinds several times and our door frame once. He couldn't stand to see her walk down the street by herself. So, to protect the house, into the kennel he went. Surprisingly, he always allowed Lamb to do that before she left. Luckily, a good friend of ours moved to the neighborhood and we carpool now. Ty is ok with that.

When we had to evacuate for Hurricane Rita, we took Ty with us. He was wonderful. He rode in my mom's car and she said as long as we were close enough to smell us, he was fine. The minute we got too far ahead, he became nervous. At my grandparents' house where we stayed, he was the epitome of the perfect pet. We were very proud of him.

Now, if you ask Cleo, you'll get another side of Ty. But we won't ask her. He doesn't let her play or run around so of course she doesn't like him much.





All of this long winded prologue to get to our evening's excitement:
When the kids are in the backyard, Ty is fine. I guess he realizes it's enclosed and they are pretty safe. The kids were out playing tonight when Coastie Niece comes in to tell us that a small dog is in our backyard. To most that would seem an odd statement. However, I have the knowledge that our rear neighbors have knocked out a couple of the boards in the fence. I went out to investigate and Ty followed. He immediately zeroed in on the dog, thought DANGER!, and took off after him. I was trying to get Ty to return to me and the kids, thinking they were helping, all started yelling too. It confused poor Ty but he ran to the other side of the yard. By that time, my mom & brother came out to see what all the yelling was about. Ty then went after the dog and cornered him on the side of the house where none of us could see. I got the kids to stop yelling, called Ty, and he came over to where I was standing. I was no dummy. I was not going to chase him or go between the dog & him. I was then able to get him inside. The other dog was fine and we gently pushed him through his fence. Our neighbors, thinking it would keep the dog in, stacked bricks by the gaping hole. All they did was give the doggie a step ladder into our yard. I'm thinking he won't try trespassing again. But, poor Ty was a nervous wreck until the kids came inside again. And, Cleo, not be outdone, attacked my brother's shoes as he went walking out the door. Good girl!

Why do these things always happen when Big D is at work?

The Curtain Has Closed

Yesterday marked the end of the month long The Little Mermaid production. Lamb was lucky enough to have her Coastie Cousins come watch her final bow. It was a most fantabulistic performance! Both girls (Lamb and her BFF) were just superstars. Neither is wooden or expressionless. You really believed the words that they spoke and sang. Of course, Lamb has a 'baby' voice so it was kinda hard to believe her: "Daddy, I'm 16 years old!" line. Hee! Our girls amazed me with their confidence and lack of nervous-ness. I could watch them all day long. If only the rest of the cast members were as fantabulistic as our girls..... Although, there were a few who came close. They learned a lot. And the cast impressed me with their ability to live the words "the show must go on." They stepped in when they needed to and without missing a beat. Fantabulous!!

They're Here!!!

Friday's Feast

Appetizer
On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being highest, how polite are you?
I'd say an 8
Soup
What was the last thing that made you laugh out loud?
Not even an hour ago, my youngest brother came over and told me something that made me lol. It wasn't so much funny as that I could totally relate and sympathize.
Salad
Who is your favorite cartoon character?
Is Cinderella considered a cartoon? No? How about Roger Rabbit then. Or, better yet, I chose both! ;)
Main Course
Tell about the funniest teacher you ever had.
This hurts my brain! It's been so long since I've been in school and my memory sucks. Think, think, think.....I'll say my accounting teacher my senior year. I seem to remember him being pretty funny and definitely laid back.
Dessert
Complete this sentence: I strongly believe that ___it's not fun cleaning up after a sick child___________________.

My Baby, He Wrote Me A Letter

There are times when I just can't listen to Bear anymore so I send him to his room for a few minutes. His mouth runs constantly. Constantly, I tell you! And I'm not just talking about talking. I'm talking about noises, yelling, singing, arguing, obnoxiousness, and some sweetness. Last week, after an especially trying day of him, I kindly asked him to go play in his room for 30 minutes. He was in there having a good time playing and singing (constantly running his mouth, see?). He sounded like he was having so much fun that when the 30 minutes was up, I kept my mouth quiet (see, Bear, it's possible). He finally figured out that he had been in there an incredibly long time (maybe 40 minutes, tops) and begged to re-join his sister and me. He comes shuffling in, all contrite, and says: Mama, I wrote you a letter...

in Morse Code. I heart that boy.

My Summer View

I hope it doesn't do this next week or in Corpus!

Where Has The Summer Gone?

I can't believe it's already August. Seems like just yesterday was the last day of school and we had an endless summer ahead of us. We are lucky this year to get an extra couple of weeks of summer. The government decided we can't start school early anymore. I'm not ready to go back. Sure, I miss my kids and want to see them again. I want to know they are safe (as safe as they can be) and sound. I want to hear all about the things they did on their break. But, I'm not ready for the day to day of it all. I know technically I still have 22 working days left of summer to enjoy. However, work stuff has already started creeping back into my life. I'm not happy about it but it is what it is. And it's time to start planning for all the back to school stuff; supplies, clothes, uniforms, lunch boxes, backpacks, shoes.... Sigh....

Bear has been having some morning sickness these past few days. I'm pretty sure he's not expecting a baby. I'm hoping it's just sinus drainage. This morning on the way to take the girls to Bubba's Sis for drama camp, he got sick in the car. That was not pleasant nor were the girls happy. As the kids would probably tell you, I wasn't happy either. Luckily, it was pretty much all contained on his person. What a day and it's not even noon yet!

I do have some fun stuff to look forward to happening. Coastie Bro's 2 kids are coming for a visit on Friday. His daughter is 2 mths older than Lamb and his son is about a yr or so younger than Bear. They all get along together really great and enjoy each other. We have some fun stuff planned for them to do. And, in a couple of weeks, we'll go to Corpus Christi with the Bubba's Sis Family. We'll hit the beach and a baseball game. The girls are THRILLED about that, I tell ya! It will be really nice to get away for a weekend.