Young Love Update

This morning while taking Bear to school (I'm taking the day off, woot), I got the Crush scoop. (Coastie Brother, I think she likes all the TX sports teams but Texas Tech is her favorite & Longhorns her least favorite. )

Anyway...During art, Crush's BF asked Bear if he wanted to know who liked him. Bear, being all macho, shrugged his shoulders and said "Sure." Crush was acting like she didn't want BF to say a word. So BF waited til she & Bear were alone to tell him that Crush likes him a little bit. He was pleased. Oh yeah, and another girl likes him too.

Record scratch... Hold up... Two girls?

Tis The Season

Scary Movie Meme

Bold those you’ve seen.
Italicize movies you have started but couldn’t finish.
Add an asterisk* to those you have watched more than once.
Underline those on your To Watch list.

Cujo *- Saw it when I was in the 9th grade. Shonda & I were alone at her house watching it. Scared the FIRE out of us. So much so that we had to pause it, call my mom, and get her to come over with my baby brother so we could finish it. I still can't believe she did that for us. Saw it again years later and wondered why we thought it was so scary.

The Shining* - It's been years since I've seen this but I don't remember finding it too scary.

The Exorcist - I don't like these types of movies.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre - Not my favorite. I don't like torture movies.

The Silence of the Lambs - This scared me. We were living in Memphis when it came out and that girl was kidnapped from Memphis. Yeah, that didn't make me feel good.

JAWS* - We're gonna need a bigger boat. One of my favorites. One of Bear's favorites now too.

Halloween *- One of my favorite horror series from back in my day.

Psycho - Good one. Very creepy.

Seven - Oh gosh, very creepy movie with an even creepier ending.

Rosemary’s Baby - I just do not like this type of movie.

Poltergeist* - Rated PG? Seriously? I'm pretty sure my brother & I saw this one by ourselves. I know it scared me to death.

A Nightmare on Elm Street - I don't remember *too* much about it, except for Johnny Depp. Maybe I should also underline the title and watch again.

Friday the 13th *- One year, Big D & I rented all the Friday the 13th movies and watched them all in a row. We remembered being so scared when they 1st came out but found ourselves laughing the 2nd go around. I haven't seen any of the later ones.

The Thing - I don't think I've seen this one.

The Evil Dead - Never seen this one.

Carrie* - Love this one. Scary? Not to me. Book was creepier.

Night of the Living Dead - Never seen it.

The Omen - Just like the Exorcist & Rosemary's Baby, I won't see this one.

An American Werewolf in London - Nope.

Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer - Nope again.

The Hitcher - Nope.

Lost Highway - Nada.

The Blair Witch Project - Maybe you had to see it in the movie theater to get the hype. We rented it and didn't find it scary or interesting at all.

Pet Cemetery - The book was much much better.

Saw - I have NO desire to see this one or its sequels at all. I don't do torture movies either.

The Ring - I got a kick out of the ending. I didn't really find it scary tho.

Scream* - Love, Love, Love this movie!!!

Halloween

In honor of Halloween and since it's 10 on Tuesday, here are 10 of my favorite costumes my chickadees have worn.

1994: Pea in a Pod - Lamb

1995: Tinkerbell - Lamb

1998: Tigger and Mulan (check out the lovely make-up, snort) This was our 1st Halloween in Texas. Poor Bear was quite unhappy. We were used to COLD Halloweens and this one was a scorcher. Check out Hubby in shorts and poor Bear in the thick, heavy, fur costume. Yeah, happy he was not.

1999: Steve (Blue's Clues) and a Zebra

2000: Power Ranger and Bubbles the Powerpuff Girl

2002: Fairy Princess and Skeleton

2003: Olympic Gold Gymnast and The Cat with the Fiddle

2004: Grecian Princess and Astronaut

2005: Flapper and Darth Vader

2006: Russian and Juliet

This year the plan is for Lamb to be a Vampire Cheerleader with her BFF and Bear will be a Clone Trooper from Star Wars. He *really* wanted to be Boba Fett but when we found his size, the mask was missing. Maybe next year.

Young Love

Bear has a crush. I don't think it's a serious crush; after all, he's only 10. And because I think that, I have the luxury of thinking this is cute. What I find cute is that Bear is asking questions trying to figure out what girls mean when they do certain things. For example:

Bear: Mama, what does it mean when a girl laughs because you hit your hand on a clipboard?
Me: Well, it depends. What kind of laugh was it? Was it like a giggle or like a snort?
Bear: Does it make a difference? How can you tell what kind of laugh it was?
Me: (think vocal examples)
Bear: I guess it was like a giggle.
Me: Oh, then she thinks you are being cute.
Bear: Hmmm....

Last week, the crush was star student. On Fridays, everyone signs the Star Student's Friendship poster. Bear was crushed that he forgot to do that before it was laminated. I came up with the clever idea of writing it on a sticky note. He could tell her he was sorry he forgot but she can stick his note to the poster. He thought I was brilliant! I told him he could say that he thought she was cute. He didn't find me so brilliant with that one.

Bear: Uh, NO! Then she'd know I liked her. And what if she doesn't like me? I can't embarrass myself like that. *I* have to know first.
Me: Oh, dear sweet Bear, you are the boy. I'm afraid you are destined to have to be the one to make the 1st move. There will be aggressive girls. And you might like them. However, more than likely, the girl you like will be waiting to get a sign from YOU. These years coming up are the awkward, learning years.
Bear: Great. Well, not this time. I'm not writing that.

We compromised and he wrote that he was happy she moved here so he could get to know her. And, oh, Go Longhorns! He still hasn't given her the note. He now wants me to give it to her mom (she's our assistant principal).

But, he did take a huge leap of faith. Today, at recess, he found a moment alone with her. He told her that he liked her. She had no response. He doesn't know if she heard him, was grossed out, didn't know what to say, or embarrassed. He's ok with it though. Like I thought, this is more a 'learning' crush.

Having a son might not be so bad after all. So far, it's been kinda fun!

Drama Fest Continued

Today marked the 2nd Drama Fest of the year. This go around the girls' events were poetry, prose, story telling, group acting, and individual improv. Same stakes. If they make all Superiors or 4 Superiors & 1 Excellent, they get the coveted 5 star trophy.

If you recall, last drama fest there was some confusion on what ribbons Lamb actually 'earned'. I prayed last night and this morning that there be no confusion for Lamb. That whatever happened she'd be happy and proud of herself. I called at lunch time to tell her that we were on our way to see the group acting she was performing with BFF and another friend of theirs. She informed me that they both had 3 Superiors already. Woot! When we arrived, she rushed to us all excited because she also got a trophy from the last drama fest (they ran out last fest and they just now got it to them. Still no ribbons tho.). We still don't know what happened. I guess we'll find out when we get the judges' sheets. But, whatever happened, we are so thankful it did. We know in our hearts that she did indeed earn that trophy.

They did such an awesome job on their group acting. I could have cried I was so proud.

We had some errands to run. And frankly, after the last event, it's not fun to hang around waiting for the awards. Surrounded by junior high kids isn't as much fun as it sounds. And during the wait, each school performs group lip syncs. So we did what any sane parents would do. We hugged the girls, told them how proud we were, and said we'd see them when they got off the bus at school.

I was a nervous wreck waiting to hear from Lamb. I had one text message from her saying that her old 5th grade Math teacher was her judge for her last event. That's pretty random, huh? What's even more random is that his father passed away earlier in the week. Lamb knew the event would be at the school he teaches at now so she wrote him a note expressing her sympathy. She was hoping she'd be able to find his room to leave it for him. Not only did she find his room, but she saw him. It can be a small world sometimes.

But, that was all the text said. Nothing about how she felt she did. Nothing about any awards she might have received. A.Nervous.Wreck. I was.

Finally the bus pulled up. I saw BFF walk off. Trophy in her hand. Whew. Then I saw Lamb walk off. Trophy in her hand as well. WHEW!

These girls never cease to amaze me with their talent. I am always so proud of them. They rock.

Glimpse Into My World

If you would like a glimpse into what my life is really like, go read this post at Bubba's Sis. It's all true and it happens often, especially when we are all together.

Friday's Feast

Appetizer
Name a great website you would recommend to others.
Mine! ;)

Soup
On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 as highest), how often do you dream at night?
4

Salad
Did you have a pet as a child? If so, what kind and what was its name?
I had tons of pets as a child. My favorite that I remember best is my cat named Callie.

Main Course
If you had the chance to star in a commercial, what would you choose to advertise?
Anything that has to do with a fun travel location.

Dessert
What is your favorite kind of hard candy?
Life Savers

Tin Grins Part Deux

I now have two kids in braces. You can't see it, but he also has an expander on the roof of his mouth. One click a day for the next 15 days. The orthodontist recommends we suspend speech lessons. While that makes me happy, I'd rather not have to suspend and have to make those lessons up. I'd rather he graduate and be done with it. I'm going to talk to his speech path. tomorrow. I can't tell if he talks funny or not. The braces are awkward so his speech is exaggerated right now.

Those of you who know Bear will not be surprised by his color choice. ;)

I Hate Comcast

That is all.

Baby, It's Cold Outside!

64 Degrees Fahrenheit! Gray, rainy, and windy too!

Hootchie Grandmother

I had a couple of requests to hear about the Hootchie Grandmother. Melissa, I'm pretty sure you know her.

I actually feel sorry the grandchild. You have to wonder. This grandmother wears the shortest shorts she can fit into. Shorter than the shortest Daisy Dukes. She wears low cut tank tops to accentuate her boob job. She has long, damaged, bleached blond hair. And it looks like she has collagen put in her lips. Rather than a natural youthful look, she has the hootchie look.

I heard the rumblings about her before I ever laid eyes on her. Once I saw her for myself, I understood all the rumblings. I would not be surprised if when the grandchild goes into intermediate school, all the boys hang out waiting for a glimpse themselves.

I have never spoken with her. For all I know she could be the sweetest, loving, supportive grandmother or even person in this child's life. Looks can be deceiving. But, I believe there is a time and a place to dress like that. An elementary school to drop off or pick up your grandchild is not the time nor the place.

Anyway, there you have it! Things that amuse us. ;)

Crazy In The Car Rider Line

As most of you know, I work at an elementary school. What most of you don't know is that my after-school duty is pretending to be a pop star with my wireless microphone headset. Ok, so I'm not actually singing. If you heard my voice, you'd nod in your head in thankfulness that those poor kids are not subjected to that. I call the kids to a colored pawprint as I see their parents' cars. Someone then helps them into the car. It's a thankless job but someone has to do it. Order and safety reign.

I actually don't mind it too much. I usually go out there to set-up about 5 minutes earlier than I need to. That way I can chit-chat with my good friend, Anonymous (Lisa). Earlier this week, she informed that I had to see this picture she took on her cell phone. It was a car she had seen in line with a Jason mask hanging on the rear view mirror. And something that caused her to wonder if she was seeing things. Something that made her have to take a picture to show me (& everyone else too). Metal testicles hanging from the trailer hitch. We had a good laugh at the crazy parents we occasionally see. The next day, in front of her car, was the same car. This time I was there to witness it too. As she passed me once her son was safely inside, we gave each other a knowing look and giggle.

Yesterday we got really silly. Again, he was parked in front of her. We pretended we were checking out her phone so she could innocently snap a better picture to send to me. We only wish we could have figured out a way to get the Jason mask too.

Here Ladies & Gentleman is the kind of crazy that we have in our line. It's not the best picture but you can still see what we saw.

Maybe sometime I'll tell ya'll about the hootchie grandmother. Or the time a parent told me that everyday there's a man sitting on the picnic table smoking and drinking a beer (no worries, I told someone and it was investigated. No beer.).

Friday's Feast

Appetizer
If you were a dog, what breed would you be, and why?
I would be a small lap dog with an owner who pampered me, pampering is good for a sloth like me....

Soup
What does the color purple make you think of?

my daughter; her favorite color is purple

Salad
Approximately how long does it take you to get ready each morning?
pretty much around 20 minutes; I roll out of bed, run a brush thru my hair and around my teeth, do my eyeliner & mascara, throw on clothes and go

Main Course
How many cousins do you have, and are you close to them?

Oh goodness, I have a lot of cousins - 7 on my mom's side and 3 on my dad's side; I love them all but I wouldn't say I'm particularly close to them. I only talk to them when I see them.

Dessert
Take your initials (first, middle, last) and come up with something else those letters could stand for. (Example: SFO = Sweet Funny Otter)
Dang Lovable Hottie

Boats

A Coast Guard boat in New York Harbor

This was taken by my mom when she went on a vacation to Nova Scotia several years ago. I loved it so much that I scanned it for myself.

What's In A Name?

I got this in an email and it looked like fun.

RULES: Use the 1st letter of your name to answer each of the following...they have to be real places, names, things...nothing madeup! You CAN'T use your name for the boy/girl name question.

What is your name? D...
4 letter word: Dang
Vehicle: Deere, as in John Deere ;)
TV Show: Dharma & Greg
City: Dallas
Boy Name: Davis
Girl Name: Daveigh
Alcoholic Drink: Daiquiri
Occupation: Data Entry Clerk
Something you wear: DKNY
Celebrity: Drew Barrymore
Food: Danish
Something found in a bathroom: Deodorant
Reason for Being late: Driving accident
Cartoon Character: Daisy Duck
Something You Shout: Dude!

Tin Grins

Are in!

In a couple of months or so, the bottom braces will be added as well. And the best part is that she can still eat popcorn (no kernels), apples (cut up), and pizza (no crust). All the things she was worried about eating (well, not the pizza).

Her daddy went out and bought her all the fancy tools to go with the braces. Water pick. Electric toothbrush. Travel toothbrush and toothpaste. Special mouthwash to prevent calcium build-up around the braces.

She's all set for the next 22 months!

Smelly

This is a bluebonnet field that is enclosed by the surrounding trees. It was Big D's and my little hideaway. If you go early enough in the morning before the sun has burned off the dew, it's like smelling perfume. An absolutely heavenly smell. Sadly, this past March when we went back, the field had been mowed and most of the trees cleared out.

Friday's Feast

Appetizer
When was the last time you were surprised?
last Saturday when, in the mail, I received a bathing suit that my husband ordered that I'd like but not necessarily he'd like (we go round and round about that).

Soup
Fill in the blanks: My eyes are __dull brown______, but I wish they were __perfect________.

Salad
If you were a Beanie Baby, what would you look like and what would your name be?
Despite what Bubba's Sis says, I'd be the sloth named Queenie. Don't listen to her.

Main Course
Name two things you consistently do that you consider to be healthy habits.
eat oatmeal just about every day for lunch and read everynight before I go to sleep

Dessert
What brand of toothpaste are you using these days? Do you like it? Why or why not?
Um, I think colgate or crest. I'm not real sure. Sure, I guess I like it.

All About Me in 8 Things

Misty Dawn wants to know 8 things about me. :)

8 things I'm passionate about:
My Husband
My Children
My Family
My Friends
Taking pictures of everything wherever I go
Children
My Faith
Traveling

8 things I want to do before I die:

See my children grow into happy, successful (in whatever they decide to do) adults

Meet my grandchildren

Go to Europe

Get a college degree

Celebrate my 50th wedding anniversary

Look in the mirror and like what I see

See all the baseball stadiums and state capital buildings

get the tattoo that hubby designed for me

8 things I say often:
Indeed

Whatever

Bear!

Focus

Pay attention

Where do you want to go for supper?

There is no try

You are SO smart

8 books I've recently read:
Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney

Step on a Crack by James Patterson

Shopaholic Ties the Knot by Sophie Kinsella

Them Bones by Carolyn Haines

So B. It by Sarah Weekes

Murder in Little Italy by Victoria Thompson

In Dublin's Fair City by Rhys Bowen

Yada Yada Prayer Group Gets Caught by Neta Jackson

8 things that attract me to my best friends:

loyal
trustworthy
honest
understanding

sense of humor & fun
loving

forgiving

thoughtful

8 things I've learned this past year:

Highlighting your hair is a huge commitment

Times are tough but they aren't as bad as they could be and they are easier to get through when you are well & truly loved

I YNY

Always back up your pictures and music

Lamb is shaping up to be quite the actress and has a pretty decent singing voice to boot

My memory is pitiful

That I'm capable of entertaining my brother who is usually the entertaining one

I can tolerate eating crab cakes, sea bass, & fresh asparagus

Orange

This is quite an easy task for me to ferret out. My hubby and son LOVE the color orange. I have tons of pictures of them wearing their favorite color. However, this is MY favorite picture representing orange. This is a piece of art that sits outside a lawyer's office (that is not a building but rather a train car, very interesting) that we see every time we go to an Astros game. The first time we saw it, Bear, who was maybe 5, proclaimed "That's MY Mama!" I can assure you that it is indeed not me. There is absolutely no resemblance. But Bear will tell all and sundry that it reminds him of me.

10 Things That Worry Me

My husband says I worry too much. Think he's right?

1. Bear being tested for G/T


2. How Lamb will react to it if he's accepted


3. money, always


4. Lamb's adjustment into her teenhood


5. both children all the time on a continual basis


6. Big D's health (so far he's perfectly healthy, but I worry all the same)


7. the kids I work with, worry both academically and their home lives


8. my health, I'm a hypochondriac wannabe


9. my house catching on fire


10. my family, my friends and their families, especially the ones going thru a crisis

So, basically I worry about a lot of stuff that I have no control over. ;)

Rated R Due to Strong Language

Big D has a temper. It doesn't come out often, but when it does, ooooh boy. Last night, it happened to come out. Ty, our Belgian Malinois, is terrified of thunder and rainstorms. Unbeknownst to us until late last night, he was so scared while we were out that he wet all over our laundry room. Very odd place for him to do that, btw. He doesn't go out that door to do his business in the backyard. After the kids were all snug in their beds but before visions of sugar plums danced in their heads, Big D went in to do a load of laundry. He stepped in something wet. He was irritated but ok. All of sudden, I hear this racket. I go to investigate and it's Big D throwing a hissy fit. It was bad folks. It would seem that the clean-up on aisle 5 was worse than originally thought. I was trying to calm him down when I hear giggling beside me. Bear's room is right beside the laundry room. Trying to get Bear to realize it was inappropriate to laugh, I hear more giggling down the hallway. Lamb is now in on it too. I throw up my hands and leave everyone to their giggling and hissy fit throwing.

This morning dawned with Bear all excited about his daddy's hissy fit. Mama! He was saying A LOT of bad words. How many times do you think he said each one? Oh, I can't wait to write about this. Screeeech. That's the record player stopping. Bear! You will NOT use this as a small moment. He was all, don't worry, I won't use the real words. I'll use the symbols like they do in cartoons. Me: I repeat, you will NOT use this in writing, do you understand? $@#%^&@#$ Terror struck my heart.

This afternoon on the way home from school still had Bear all excited about the hissy fit. He's still planning on writing about it. He even made a song about it. "Big D and the hissy fit. Bad words with devil horns." He thinks it'll be turned into a movie. Rated R for strong language, not violence.

Saving Second Base

This morning I did the Susan G. Komen Race for a Cure breast cancer walk. I wish I could say it was a gorgeous morning, perfect for a walk. I had to get up earlier than my normal weekday time. And it RAINED. I knew there was a 60% chance yet I did not bring an umbrella, ella, ella, ella, ay, ay, ay. Nor anything but a baseball cap for protection. I was also wearing a thin white t-shirt. It's a shame my hubby had to miss it. ;) You would think the rain would be nice and cool things off for a comfortable temperature. Not in Houston. The rain only makes it more humid. It was still inspiring to be there however. So many people participating. And all the pink shirts which denote Survivors almost made you want to cry for joy. There was cause for tears of sadness too. Lots of family & friends walking in memory of a loved one who did not survive the battle.

My mom is not a breast cancer survivor, but she is a woman's cancer survivor. I figure we did our small part by supporting females all across the world. And, in our world, Bubba's Mom and one of our cousins. Pray for a cure. And remember early detection is the key.

Curve

My feast ...

Appetizer
On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how much do you look forward to your birthday?
I always look forward to my birthday even tho it always ends up being like a regular ole day, especially last year, so I'll say a 7.

Soup
What is one word you don’t like the sound, spelling, or meaning of?
I hate the sound of rural.

Salad
Do you wear sunglasses when you’re outside? If so, what does your current pair look like?
burgundy frames - a tad on the big size - all scratched up

Main Course
If you were to write a book, to whom would you dedicate it?
my husband who knows me the absolute best and loves me deeply anyway

Dessert
Name a beverage that you enjoy.
When I'm really hot and thirsty, I really crave sweet iced tea.

Busy

Busy having a great time in Navarre Beach, Florida 2004. Coastie Brother & kids had joined us for the week too. Sadly, that was our last summer there. The hurricanes that pounded that area destroyed the condo the family owned. We miss it.

10 Television Shows I'd Like on DVD

This was a tad hard for me as I'm not one to put in a dvd and watch a tv show. There are so many shows now that I barely have time to watch; let alone ones I've seen before. Nevertheless, I put my thinking cap on and thought of some that I'd probably like to watch again now and years from now.

1. Friends (I have seasons 1 &2)



2. Seinfeld (I have seasons 1,2, & 3)



3. Sex & the City (I don't have HBO and have only seen a handful, but the ones I've seen have made me laugh!)



4. Brady Bunch



5. Happy Days



6. Lost (we have the 1st season)



7. Melrose Place or Beverly Hills 90210 or Dallas (good campy shows from my 'youth')



8. Heroes (for Hubby)



9. The Golden Girls



10. Fantasy DVD - soap operas in the supercouple heydays. I'd love to see Luke & Laura's, Robert & Holly & then Anna's, Steve & Kayla's, and Jack & Jennifer's love stories again.

What Bear Likes To Do

Bear threw up after his orthodontist appointment so that meant no going to school for him. That really stinks for me because he gets bored. So when I get home, I have a maniac on my hands.

I am filling out this form for him to get some testing done. One of the questions asked is basically "What does he like to do?" I answer what I think and then make the mistake of asking him if I forgot anything. "Well, I like to poo." he says. I give him the look and he innocently says, "Who doesn't?" Meanwhile, his daddy is laughing uproariously. BOYS. And MEN.

*update. I know Bubba's Sis did a post about the drama fest the girls attended this past Saturday. While I am EXTREMELY proud of Lamb, I must let you know that she will not be receiving the 5 star trophy. We found out today that she did strikingly well with 3 Superiors and 2 Excellents. There was some confusion on the part of the announcers. They called her name for the trophy when they shouldn't have. We are not sad though. She did an amazing job! The next drama fest is hers for the taking and she'll bring home a trophy. But, if not, she's still one of the best things this side of the Mississippi. You will definitely know her name one day.