In All My Spare Time...

Didn't Anticipate That!

2012-01-24T10:35:00.009-05:00

I took a shower in the boys bathroom the other day only to discover they didn't have any soap in it.

So I did what any good mom would do and left them a reminder note in their shower.

Well. That's one thing I never anticipated having to do as a parent.

Sheesh. Nasty boys.

Aw

2012-01-22T16:36:00.001-05:00

I was looking for a picture and came across this one.

Aw. :)

What He Does In His Spare Time of Not Playing Football

2012-01-18T09:58:00.000-05:00

When Owen isn't playing football, he's constantly talking on the phone to his friends.

Mostly chatting about football. Shocking!

I heard him tell his friend the other day that he was mad at him for being mean to him during football at recess.

His friend said he was sorry but that he was hungry and he has no control over himself when he's hungry.

LOL!

Using His Noggin

2012-01-16T09:07:00.000-05:00

This past weekend, Owen was bored and wanted Ken to take him somewhere fun. Ken asked him what he wanted to do but Owen didn't know.

So he got on Yahoo answers and searched for fun things to do for kids in F'burg.

And the answer was Funland.

Fun for the boys.

Not so much for Ken. :p

And then Ken took them to Krispy Kreme to get some donuts.

Yes. That's an elephant hat that Shane is wearing. He won it at Funland. I think that he got it just to needle his family because of the election coming up. :p

Cause he rocks like that.

Way to use your noggin, Owen. :up:

What in the Heck?

2012-01-15T09:37:00.000-05:00

I'd like to know why it's January 15th and there are weeds growing in my yard.

And a couple of my flowers have started to rebloom. In addition to the weeds growing.

What the heck?!?!

What Boys Do

2012-01-14T09:40:00.005-05:00

I give up.

I accept it.

I can't change it.

This is what boys do.

And this.

Ugh.

I can't say I wasn't warned.

I was.

I just thought I would escape it.

Not.

Meh.

Little Blue Towel

2012-01-11T16:02:00.002-05:00

You just keep appearing all over the place in locations that you just don't belong and aren't welcomed.

Little blue towel, don't take his personally, but I think I hate you.

It's really not you little blue towel. No one warts to claim you therefore I have no choice but to believe that you are the naughty one. Not them.

Cause none of them have ever seen you.

Just ask them. They'll tell you.

Meh.

Crisis Averted!

2012-01-10T08:14:00.000-05:00

The good news is that Shane actually started the dishwasher on his own free will.

The bad news is that he used concentrated dishwashing liquid.

The good news is he was so proud of himself that he showed me exactly what he used.

The better news is that I was able to stop the dishwasher and get the detergent out of the cup because he had just started it.

Whew. Crisis averted!

For The UMPTEENTH Time

2012-01-05T17:38:00.004-05:00

How many times have I told them to not put their stupid wet towels on the floor.

"Them" being those little people that live in my house. You know. My very own personal paybacks.

Meh.

As you can see, they really listen to me.

Not.

Meh.

So. If you're wondering how many times I have told them, it's been at least a bazillion.

Including this time.

It can also be referred to as "umpteenth."

And if you're not familiar with that quantity, it's a lot. Certainly enough for them to know to hang their wet towels and not throw them on the floor.

But they will deny it. And roll their eyes at me while they do.

#paybacksabitch

It Was Bound To Happen

2012-01-04T11:12:00.001-05:00

Sometimes you're reminded of the passage of time (and how quickly it goes) in the weirdest of places.

Like the bookstore for example.

It was bound to happen.

Just not sure I'm ready for all of this.

Ugh.

Owen's Big Present = Swag

2011-12-29T16:54:00.001-05:00

Owen's big Christmas present finally came in yesterday. One day he was home sick from school so he logged onto Nike.com and designed his dream football shoes.

We said great. We ordered them several weeks ago but they had to make them and then ship them from China (groan...where else would they be from?) I'm just glad that they got here.

I'm pretty sure that he doesn't cares what people think about him. /swag

The best part of the shoes.

It was a surprise to both Ken and I. We didn't really look at the shoe. We just ordered it.

Owen said that he put them on the backs of the shoes so that the kids can see them from behind as he's running down the football field. :p

He said that he came up with that. It wasn't a template option. LOL!

Ken said that that boy is 100% receiver. :p

Merry Christmas!!

2011-12-25T17:54:00.001-05:00

Merry Christmas from all of us to you and yours. :)

Ken, Kim, Shane and Owen

Christmas blog

2011-12-25T12:57:00.000-05:00

Test blog. What do you think? Merry Christmas, Baby!

I Hid It R.E.A.L. Good! Not.

2011-12-24T11:29:00.000-05:00

This month has been a whirlwind of activity. Seriously. In between of all of the Christmas stuff going on, Ken decided that he wanted to get away. So we did. To Key West for several days.

Being the organized and on-top-of things person that I am, I decided to go ahead and wrap some of the Christmas presents before I left.

So on the Eve of Christmas, otherwise known as Christmas Eve, I decided that I can't put it off any longer and had to wrap the rest of them.

Before I left, I had wrapped Owen's present from Santa and set it aside.

But I couldn't find it this morning. Cause apparently I hid it from both him and myself R.E.A.L. good.

In a panic, I went downstairs to inform Ken that we'd (and by "we" I mean "Ken") would have to go to the store today to replace the present.

And then I looked under the Christmas tree.

And there it sat.

Right there in plain view.

God I rock.

Could I be any blonder?

Merry Christmas!

Nailed It!

2011-12-23T16:06:00.000-05:00

I had a few friends over to make cookies. We made some really cute ones!

I'm sure that Leslie didn't mind decorating the cookies since she's decorates cakes for a living. Yes I took your picture. So there!

Hula girl!

Natalie is such a free spirit. She made the candy cane cookies as directed for about two minutes and then did her own thing. :p

So my friends are a little warped. That's why I love them. ;)

It wasn't all about cookies though. Donna is an excellent baker and makes the best peanut butter brittle. Using fresh "row" peanuts from her mom's recipe. :p (Her mother is Asian and wrote "row" instead of "raw" on the recipe. I love that!

And she's trying to teach her daughter Natalie how to make it.

Leslie's cookie. A smile, of course! :)

Leslie's daughter Nicole got busy making the marshmellow snowmen cookies.

This is what we were going for. Nailed it, don't you think? :p

Proud of their Asian heritage. LOL!

What are you going to do with leftover Santa dough? Make mice. And their mice poopies, of course. (I did say that my friends are a little off, right?!)

I guess Leslie was tired of the chitter chatter because she didn't give this one a mouth. Shut your pie hole!

While the girls were busy making cookies, the boys, along with Leslie's 14 year old son Tony, decided to jump on the trampoline. Being the good boy that he is, Tony took his shoes off before he got on.

His very, very large shoes, I might add! I was thinking that he probably didn't need to get red ones. They kinda stand out all on their own. Teehee

It was such a fun day of cookie decorating with my friends. :)

Crisis Averted!

2011-12-08T08:01:00.000-05:00

Owen came into my room this morning about in tears. Apparently he didn't have a football jersey to wear to school.

As I tucked the pockets of his jeans, I said that I thought that he grew another inch and I told him that I would come in and help him look.

He said "well, at least I'm not fat." ;)

At least he's not holding a grudge against the doctor that told him that he was on his way to being obese at his last check up.

Anyway, I went into his room and he opened up the bottom drawer of his dresser (which apparently he had forgotten to check) and said with a huge sigh, "oh no. I guess I'll have to wear Donovan McNabb.""

That's how much he has to wear a jersey to school. He was willing to wear his jersey. And he hates him now. I think he betrayed the Redskins or something.

Anyway, he dug deeper and found his Peyton Manning jersey and did an actual jiggy that he didn't have to wear the McNabb jersey.

Oh well. Crisis adverted. His streak remains in tact!

It Must Match!

2011-12-07T16:17:00.000-05:00

I love comics.

And when I saw this one, I giggled and had to cut it out.

When Ken saw me giggling and cutting out a comic strip, he asked if I was cutting out Baby Blues because he almost sent it to me.

Because I wear pony tails a lot and the rubber and or bow must match my outfit perfectly. Or it drives me nuts.

Perfect!

He's Got Dreams. BIG Dreams.

2011-12-05T19:04:00.002-05:00

If nothing else, Owen is focused.

Once he sets his mind to something, that's it.

If you're lucky, it's a good kind of a focus. ;)

I'm not sure where he got that focus from. /whistles

He brought home this little gem in his backpack the other day.

The assignment.

Owen's famous thing he does. Football. Go figure.

His stats. :)

Great school!

Great way to get there. Go scholarship go! But he probably needs to learn how to spell scholarship if he's going to get one.

Or maybe not. With all of those credentials, someone's gonna break the rules for him.

Cuz he's got mad skilz. :p

Puppy Love

2011-11-26T10:11:00.001-05:00

Aw.

Nothing like puppy love. :)

The Poopin Pig

2011-11-25T16:19:00.004-05:00

My niece Sheldon has two pet guinea pigs.

The kids love to play with them. And by "play", I mean terrorize me by chasing me around with them threatening to put them on me.

And it freaks me the hell out.

Cause I don't care what you call them (guinea piggies, pigs, whatever), they are still rats. But bigger than regular rats.

/shudder

But, they love them.

The only problem is that when they go to Sheldon and Mary Mayken's house, they ignore Mary Mayken to play with the pigs.

But Mary Mayken was having NONE of that.

She stormed into the kitchen, with big crocodile tears in her, and stated in the loudest most indignant voice that a five year old could muster, in true Scarlet O'Hara dramatic fashion:

"They're not playing with me Aunt Kem! They're playing with those POOPIN PIGS!"

OMG. I about died laughing.

Which, of course, made her even madder.

But how could you not laugh at that.

The poopin pigs. LOL!

Flowers of Montana and Wyoming

2011-11-20T16:56:00.005-05:00

I love to photograph flowers. Especially ones when we travel because they usually don't grow where we live. So when we went to Montana and Wyoming, I was looking forward to snapping some pictures of different flowers.

Flowers are the perfect subject. Colorful and they don't move. LOL

Enjoy!

Location: Red Lodge, Montana:

Location: near the Rock Creek Vista in Montana on our way to Wyoming.

Location Cody, WY:

Jenny Lake, Grand Tetons, WY

Jackson Hole, WY:

And last, but not least, Yellowstone:

I hope that you enjoyed looking at the pictures and much as I enjoyed taking them. :)

Owen's Flag Football Season 2011

2011-11-20T15:22:00.003-05:00

Click here to view this photo book larger

I created this book for Owen's coaches end of the season party. Most of the pictures of mine along with several that my friend also took.

Enjoy! =)

A Failure To Communicate

2011-11-18T07:33:00.002-05:00

Shane has a robotics competition on Saturday. Being the smarter parent, I am sending Ken with Shane since it's an all day thing.

But I'm not completely heartless. I sent the teacher an email and asked if Ken had to stay all day or if Shane could be dropped off.

He never responded to that email.

But he did send out another email to the parents who had volunteered to drive kids to and from the competition, which included me, and thanked us.

/rolleyes

Apparently what we have here folks is a failure to communicate.

Not My Car

2011-11-10T08:26:00.002-05:00

Sometimes I really wonder why my hair darkened from the snow white blond that I was when I was a young child.

Seriously.

There's no other way to lead up to what I did yesterday so I'll just say it.

I got into the wrong car.

And started bitching about how dirty it was because I had just cleaned it out.

And didn't realize that it was the wrong car until Shane and Owen told me. Cause I was too busy complaining about how they destroyed my car. LOL

So, I shut the door and said that I was glad that it wasn't my car because it was filthy. Anyway, it was the drivers fault for not locking her car door.

And then I walked over to MY car very nonchalantly and got into it.

With the boys laughing at me hysterically and calling me blondy.

Come on. Don't judge. I know that you've gotten into the wrong car before.

The More Effective Method

2011-11-08T09:39:00.000-05:00

Sometimes you talk and you talk and you talk to your kids to try and get them to straighten up.

Other times, you just have to spank your kids.

Even using a wooden spoon. ;)

While I'm not opposed to that method, I figured a better way to get Shane to straighten up would be to come and pay him a little visit at school.

Cause sometimes it's more effective to embarrass your kids in front of their friends than to beat them. Or your own head against the wall with a preteen adolescent kid who is just not listening.

So, Shane, I expect that you will straighten up and fly right from now on. And I truly meant it when I told you that if you don't, I will be having lunch with you every single day and I will be coming in and sitting with you in class. Every single day.

Please don't make me have to go down that path.

You know I will. But my preference is that you take control of yourself and your school work do what your dad and I know you are capable of doing.

Cause your dad and I love you and believe in you and know that you are capable of doing better than you have been.

Now prove it.

So I don't have to.

Spelling It Out

2011-11-07T19:56:00.000-05:00

Shane was telling us about something that happened at school.

He was trying to censure himself and said, "That kid called the teacher a B-I-T-C-H".

Owen said, "Shane I CAN spell. That's bitch".

I guess we are out of the spell-it-instead-of-say-it period.

Damn those teachers for doing their job!

LOL

Halloween: It's Not Just For Kids

2011-11-04T14:31:00.010-04:00

Ken loves to dress up for Halloween too.

He's like a big kid.

This year he went as a vampire.

He couldn't resist Owen's sign that said Kick Me.

A teenager came to the door and said that she liked Ken's costume.

Ken said thank you.

The kid responded that her grandpa dressed in the same exact costume.

LOL

Happy Halloween!

Halloween 2011

2011-11-03T14:30:00.001-04:00

Halloween 2011.

If anything, Owen is consistent. It's all football. All. The. Time.

And yes. I know. Shane's not in these pictures. It's not because Owen is the favorite, it's because he was grounded from Trick or Treating because apparently he does not know how to turn in his homework.

So just imagine him sitting in his room looking out the window at the kids who were Trick or Treating. That's what he went as this year. A grounded pre-teen.

Ziplock Bags FTW!

2011-11-02T08:09:00.002-04:00

I hate trash being in my car.

So in order to alleviate some of this, I carry a gallon sized zip lock bag and collect trash in it. Once it's full, I throw it away.

It's works pretty well.

Owen said that he felt like he was going to throw up last night so I gave him the bag.

And he did just what he said he was going to do.

But I don't have to clean up puke out of my brand new Kia.

Cause I'm Snoopy smart.

Ziplock bags FTW! :up:

He Asked For It

2011-11-01T08:15:00.001-04:00

A few days ago, actually, a week ago, I blogged about the fact that Shane is not putting in a lot of effort in his classwork.

So, as a followup to the few readers who care about this, and wondered why I've been MIA the last few days, apparently our conversations with him meant absolutely nothing.

Last Monday, I emailed with his math teacher (this is separate from the blogged about incident in case you're not following this all) and asked if he had been turning in his assignments as one of the main problems that he seems to have is turning in his homework (whether he's done it or not.) She said no.

I blew a gasket. Ken blew a gasket.

We took away his TV, his video games and his computer.

I made him write his teacher an apology note and made him do the rest of his work that he didn't turn in. And told him to turn all of it in.

She emailed me on Thursday that he hadn't turned it in.

We blew another gasket.

He got home from school on Friday and told me that he hadn't turned in any of it nor did he turn in the homework that was due on Friday.

So into his room he went for the entire weekend. He was told that he had to clean up his room and write a paper on responsibility, disappointment, organization and had to write a plan on how he was going to get his act together and his work turned in.

You'd think that would be enough to motivate him.

But no. He didn't turn it in on Monday either.

So, he lost trick or treating on Halloween night.

That's right. Because I'm a MEAN mom.

And I'm tired of his laziness, lack of effort and general bad attitude.

Oh. And I will be going into the school to have lunch with him later this week.

I am completely done with this. I told him that if he wanted my attention, he had it because the full wrath of me was coming down on him now. I shouldn't have to spend my time treating him like a second grader, but I will. But now I'm pissed that I have to do that.

But thank God that Owen is being good right now. I guess that's how it goes. A six month cycle of one being bad and the other taking full-on advantage of that and shining like the super star that they are.

Don't worry. I'm not fooling myself. I know Owen's time is up in about 5 months when this "bad Shane" period is over.

But for right now, ALL of my attention is being focused on Shane.

Because he asked for it. I just don't think that he realized what he was asking for.

Done With It

2011-10-31T09:59:00.001-04:00

If there is one thing that I can NOT stand or tolerate is people who think that they are better than someone else. I HATE snotty attitudes and people who walk around thinking that they are better than everyone else. And worse yet, treating them like they are.

Nothing, and I mean nothing, sets me off quicker than that.

As far back as I can remember, I have been this way. I attribute a lot of that to my parents. They were always involved with Special Olympics and the mental retardation community. (Which is what it was called at the time. Obviously that term is not used anymore. I only use it in the context of my involvement when I was younger.)

Because of that involvement, I saw a lot of people being mistreated or made fun and it made me sad. And mad. And I didn't really understand then why people were so mean to others. Or treated them like they were better than them.

And I still don't.

But it doesn't get any better as an adult. Adults just get better at hiding it.

Or they don't.

And that is exactly why I am not involved in the PTA anymore. I can't stand to see the moms cluster up into their little groups and treat others like they have some disease if they work or they don't work or they aren't involved in the PTA or they are. Or if they are not volunteering enough or they are volunteering too much.

Or if they're not doing something correctly or perfectly when they *do* volunteer.

And there are the ones that walk around like they should get special treatment because of what they do.

And they SHOULDN'T. Actually, it should be the opposite. If you are on the board and you represent the school, you should take extra caution to make sure that it doesn't appear that you are getting special treatment because of "who you are and what you do for the school."

You should do what you do for the school for your children and all the children at the school not because of the status of it.

And you sure the hell shouldn't expect a teacher (or a para...oh the horror of it all) to allow you to park in a non specified parking area "because they damn well know who you are and what you do for the school." And then raise all kinds of hell when they make you park with the COMMON folks. OH THE INJUSTICE AND HORROR OF IT ALL.

So yeah. I don't volunteer with the PTA anymore. Because I was done with it.

And when I started playing tennis a few years ago, I thought it would be different.

And why I thought that a group of women could behave in an adult manner is beyond me. I should have known better.

As I said, I started playing tennis about three years ago. I love everything about the game.

Well. Everything except for the drama.

And nothing brings out drama like competition.

A few years ago, before the competition season started, one of the team captains and her co-captain tried to convince me to captain a team. I thought that they were being nice because they thought I would make a good captain. They almost had me talked into it.

I figured that their team was full already which is why they didn't ask me to play and why they wanted me to start another team.

The one captain said that she would help me find players and she would help me figure it out.

Then I started thinking about it and I realized they were just trying to set me up so that they would have a team to beat so they could get to districts.

And I figured this out because 1) the players that she said that she would help me recruit were ones that she deemed unworthy to be on her team (including me) and 2) I heard her asking other people to play on her team after she started recruiting me to captain a team.

And this hurt my feelings because obviously *I* was one of the players she deemed beneath her.

And I was mad. Mad that someone could treat someone else that way.

But whatever. I told her no and let it go.

Something that you should probably know about me is I am not "one of those players". Meaning I don't get mad at my partner if they make mistakes. I don't throw my racket if I'm mad. I don't cheat if I'm behind. I don't argue and start fights on the court with either my partner or my opponents.

I hate that behavior and I refuse to play with people who act like that. And if someone does act like that while I'm playing with them (usually in a real match where I have no control over the people on the court), it's totally on like Donkey Kong for me. I will totally go after them. Verbally and most definitely my play will become way more aggressive.

I HATE THAT BEHAVIOR. But this should come as no surprise to anyone who knows me.

About a year ago, I played doubles with a friend of mine. And I haven't played with her since because of what happened on the court that day. No tennis match is worth treating someone in an unkind manner. And that left a really bad taste in my mouth.

And I haven't forgotten it.

So here lately, I've been noticing a lot more behavior around this community. Behavior that is just unnecessary. People being rude, or just flat out ignoring others, whom they deem as unworthy to step on a court with them. Players who play at a higher level won't even speak to, much less play with, players at a lower level.

Which is dumb. You need to play against all types of players to get better. Playing with the same people who hit the same type of ball isn't going to make you better.

You go to "socials" where people only play within their group of friends and don't mix it up.

What's the point in going?

I will NEVER understand this. NEVER.

Nor will I condone it or participate in it.

Obviously, there are exceptions. And there are some really nice players out there. But the ones who treat others like they are beneath them because they don't have as high a rating, are ruining the fun of it for me. And they may not even be doing it directly to me. It's just behavior that I've observed.

And I'm observing more of it because now I can't not see it.

The first question that most people ask a new player to the area is "what's your rating and do you play USTA?"

Really? REALLY?

Can't you just say hello and be nice to someone without getting into all of that?

Gah. I hate the behavior. And I'm kinda done with it. And by "kinda" I mean I am.

Unfortunately, I am just like my father. And Owen is just like me. Exactly like me. In fact, ironically enough, I blogged about a conversation that I had with him a few weeks ago. And it was titled the exact same thing. Which I did not do on purpose.

And once we're done with something, it's pretty much over.

And I'm trying to not let that happen. Because I truly do like to play.

I just hate all of the drama that surrounds a bunch of women. And this is probably why I hung out with guys while I was growing up.

Because who wants to deal with all of that. It's stupid. And it makes me mad. And sad.

And I'm done with it.

The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone

2011-10-26T12:53:00.003-04:00

Yellowstone National park is just awesome. It's an geological wonderland full of so many different things to look out, explore and take in. It's just breathtaking. One of the main attractions for Yellowstone is the waterfalls.

There are so many waterfalls it's just unbelievable. But if you go, you have to check out the big daddy of them all: the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. It's so accessible that there's no excuse for not going to see it.

There are upper falls and lower falls that comprise the Grand Canyon. We'll focus on the Lower Falls of the Grand Canyon in this post.

The rock formation of the canyon itself is like nothing I've ever seen before. It almost looks like a painting, doesn't it?

Stunning.

And the falls go on forever. Well. They are called the "Grand" Canyon!

You always have to be mindful of the animals in Yellowstone. They are wild after all.

Truly a stunning feature of Yellowstone and well worth the trip alone!

Put On Notice

2011-10-25T11:31:00.001-04:00

My friend was lamenting the fact that my blog has been very Owen heavy lately and she thinks that Shane's getting the shaft. So, dear friend, this blog post is for you. However, I suspect that this isn't the post that you expected to get.

Shane is a very smart child. We all know that.

He's taking 9th grade math (in the 7th grade) and if he would actually do his work AND turn it in, he would be making an A with no effort. As it is, he hasn't turned in his work and his grades reflect it. He's getting a B-.

How frustrating is it to have to deal with him? Well. When I was his age, I studied my ass off for hours and hours and ended up with a B if I was lucky.

My sister on the other hand, was exactly like Shane. If she would have put a little effort into her work, she would have been a straight A student. As it was, she was content with a C. And that's the same path that Shane's headed down.

Just do enough work to get by.

Well, it's super frustrating to watch going on. SUPER.

UGH.

So when he comes home with a report card for Civics that looks like this:

I can assure you that I was NOT happy about it.

And now he's not happy because he's lost television, video games and his computer.

But says that it's not his fault because he just didn't understand the work.

That may be well and good and all that but I saw see his teacher in the grocery store (who happens to be a friend of mine) and she filled me in on the fact that she loves Shane but his effort is the big suck and he should know that teachers know when kids do their work 5 minutes before the class bell rings. She also confirmed that he's not handing in his work. With a big sigh.

So yeah. Shane, if you're reading this, this is NOT okay. And I am NOT happy with you. We had a conversation at the beginning of the year (or many conversations truth be told) about the fact that the effort that you put into your work needs to step up a notch or 10.

You may get away with the crappy effort that your putting into your work now kiddo, but I can assure you that the higher that you go in school, the less that you're going to get away with it.

Have pride in your work and put some effort into it. You are capable of much more than this. Don't waste the gift that you were given. Most kids would love to have the academic gifts that you do.

Stop wasting them.

But if you do continue down this path, I can assure you that you are in for a long and BORING teenage years without TV, computers, video games and anything else that I can think of that is sucking the time away from studying.

Get it together. I'm done with your lack of effort and crappy attitude son. DONE.

You've been put on notice.

The Costco Sized Mistake

2011-10-23T09:03:00.002-04:00

I thought that I was doing so good by getting by Costco to pick up a few things on Friday. Ok. A few things turned into a cart full of stuff and $300 later but that's not the point.

The point is that I was able to pick up milk there so Ken had milk for his cereal this weekend and it cut out a stop at the grocery store. Checking both stops off my list, I felt pretty good about myself.

When I got up this morning, he asked me if I knew I got whole milk.

Oops. No. No I didn't.

With his best smartass response, he said "well at least it wasn't a Costco sized mistake".

Um. Yes it was.

Oops. I am so blond.

Two Peas In A Pod

2011-10-20T19:40:00.003-04:00

The other day I posted about having one just like me. And I truly, truly do.

Owen has the temper and the stubbornness that is rival only to mine and once he's made up his mind about something, it will basically take an act of congress to change it or to get him to admit that he was wrong.

Like I said, it's like arguing and dealing with myself.

So when he was at tennis today and the instructor got into him about getting a drink of water and not picking up balls, I saw the look in his eye and I knew what that meant.

That look meant that he did not appreciate her digging into him with a nasty tone (and it truly was uncalled for) and he was done with her and the class.

I can't say I blame him honestly. Because he was picking up balls. He just grabbed his water for a drink after he put the balls he had collected in the bucket.

I was talking to my friends whose daughter was also in the class and I looked at them and said "he's never going to want to come back because now he's totally pissed off and now it was on with him".

The class ended and he walked over to me and asked sarcastically whether he could have a drink of water and rolled his eyes.

My friend said he was probably going to complain as soon as he got outside.

I responded that I hoped he waited until he was outside.

Just as I told my friend would happen, as soon as he cleared through the first door, he said that he was never going back to that class and she was ridiculous and out of control.

Then I proceeded to talk him down off the ledge.

Because I knew that's what I would have to do.

Because he's a mini me and I know how I would have reacted to her talking to me that way.

Exactly like Owen did.

And now I'm probably never going to get him back in that class (and honestly not sure I want to) because he can hold a grudge like no one else.

Except me. Because we're two peas in a pod.

Use To Have

2011-10-10T16:50:00.000-04:00

I have 12 pairs of scissors in the kitchen.

Or at least I use to have 12 pairs of scissors it the kitchen.

Apparently they have grown legs and disappeared.

Meh.

The Curse...in Spades

2011-10-05T09:01:00.000-04:00

My mother always said "I hope that you have one just like you."

And she meant it.

And I do.

Thanks, mom.

ME: Owen, you didn't clean up your cupcake wrapper.

OWEN: It's not a cupcake wrapper.

ME: WHAT? Yes it is.

OWEN: No it's not mom. It's a MUFFIN wrapper.

ME: GROAN. Whatever. Just clean it up. You knew what I meant.

OWEN: It's not a cupcake wrapper.

ME: Ugh.

Anyone who knows me will think that this is funny. As in haha...you're getting all the pay back your mom wished upon you and more.

Meh. You can lift the curse whenever you'd like momma!

Done With It

2011-10-04T00:00:00.002-04:00

Owen: Mom, are you ever just done with it?

Me: You mean like over something?

Owen: Yeah. Like you just want to say "f" it. (Not such a proud mommy moment.)

Me: Uh. Yeah. Like all. the. time. Why? Were you done with it today?

Owen: Oh yeah. I was DONE WITH IT.

Me: Done with what?

Owen: IT. Just everything.

Me: So what did you do?

Owen. Well. I dd something really rude.

Me: What did you do?

Owen: I just pushed through two kids who were in my way in the hall. I was done with them too.

Me: Oh. Okay. How did that work out for you?

Owen: Well. I felt bad because I was really mean so I apologized to them and said that I was on the wrong side of the hall.

Me: Well. At least you apologized.

Owen: I didn't mean it. They were just a lot bigger than me.

Me: I know. You were done with it.

Owen: Yep.

Like Mother Like Son

2011-10-03T10:05:00.000-04:00

While I was in Lancaster, PA this weekend playing tennis. Ken was running the kids to all of their activities. Owen had a tennis lesson outdoors on Sunday morning.

Ken said that it was cold and a little rainy and that by the end of the lesson, Owen was in short sleeves and shorts but the other kids were still all bundled it.

It was 48 degrees and was overcast and rain kept drizzling off and on at our noon match. My jacket came off within 10 minutes of warming up.

My sweat pants were next followed closely by the long sleeve shirt that I layered over my tennis shirt.

I was then down to my tennis skirt and short sleeve shirt and that's how I finished the match.

Most of my friends were all bundled up including gloves and hats. Gah. I have no idea how they played tennis like that.

I know other parents look at me like I'm a bad mom when Owen is playing tennis or football with shorts and a t-shirt on. But I so get it.

Like mother, like son. We hate to be hot and layered in heavy clothes.

A Waste of Time

2011-09-27T00:00:00.012-04:00

Me: Shane, take a shower.

Shane: Grumble, grumble, grumble, Da*eler look, Da*eler look, Da*eler look.

Me: Did you take a shower?

Shane: YES. STOP ASKING ME THAT!

Owen: Shane didn't take a shower, Mom.

Me: Yes he did. He told me he did.

/goes and checks the shower. It's dryer than the Sahara Desert.

Me: Shane, did you take a shower?

Shane: YEEEESSSSS! OWEN IS LYYYYIIINNNGGGG!!!!

Me: Shane, your hair is bone dry and so is the shower.

Shane: MEH

Me: Why did you lie? Just take a shower already.

Shane: Eh. It's a waste of time.

Me: MEH

Things That Make You Go Hummmm...

2011-09-26T00:00:00.004-04:00

There is always controversy where ever you live.

Although you can find a thread of controversy that is common to most communities, there is usually something that is unique and special about a certain region or area that is irrelevant to other areas of the country, US or world.

And I guess that if you've never lived in the area, it's probably something that you never would have thought about as an issue that would need to be dealt with.

But in that area of the country, it *is* a big deal.

Such was the case when we were out west. People in that area are trying to figure out how to co-exist with the native wolf population.

Wolves are encroaching on human's living areas and it's causing issues with the people who live there. If you can't read the second one, the mom is concerned about her toddler being attacked by wolves.

And that is truly a legitimate concern when trying to resolve an emotionally charged issue such as animal rights vs. human rights.

Or is it that humans are encroaching on areas where wolves have always lived and they're just trying to survive?

Or maybe, it's just an economic issue as one person nicely suggested.

Sometimes people aren't willing to address the issue. If you ignore it, it will solve itself. Or maybe they're just young and naive. Like the 12 year old boy below. :)

Some people are philosophical but don't really offer their opinion on a solution. That's an easy out.

I guess it boils down to the fact that sometimes although there is acknowledgment that there is in fact a problem, there just are no easy answers.

One of the reasons that I like to travel is to learn about new cultures and this is definitely an issue that I never would have thought twice about. (I worry more about minor issues like terrorist attacks. lol) But it's obviously a huge issue in that part of the country.

But I do find it interesting that of the majority of comments that I read (and there were hundreds posted on the bulletin board), that most were emotionally charged responses where the author had a definite opinion and didn't seem to be willing to budge on it.

And that's why there's controversy and wars everywhere. Because even if an issue starts out small, people can't work together to come up with an amicable solution that is beneficial to all parties involved without becoming judgmental and accusatory in an effort to "win their argument."

The exhibit definitely did what it intended to do. It made me pause and think. About a lot of things.

And it wasn't just the issue of what to do with the wolf population surrounding that area.

You know. Things that make you go "hum."

Shot of the Day

2011-09-25T09:55:00.000-04:00

Wish I had this view every day. :)

Location: Shoshone National Forest, Wyoming

Every. Single. Day.

2011-09-23T09:14:00.001-04:00

The boy is obsessed with football. OBSESSED.

Apparently Owen has been wearing a football jersey to school every single day since school started. And I know this not because I'm an observant mom who cares what her boys wear to school. (Because I know that they're not going to wear something inappropriate. Probably dirty and definitely wrinkly. But nothing that would send my blood pressure soaring.)

Nope. I know this because one of the teachers at the back to school night last night told me that she thought Owen was so funny because all of the kids kept telling her that he's wore a football jersey to school every single day this year.

In my defense, I *did* notice that he had a lot of dirty jerseys when I did the laundry. :p

He has a flag football game this weekend and all of his teammates are wearing regular orange shirts today to show support for the team. Except for Owen. Because it's not an actual jersey. :rolleyes:

Like I said, the boy is obsessed.

Clean It Up and Clear It Out!

2011-09-22T14:28:00.002-04:00

Now that the boys have gone back to school, I am in the clean it up and clear it out mode.

I've cleaned out our bathroom closet, the linen closet, both boys closets and dresser drawers and Ken and my closet and dresser drawers, the food pantry and the food cabinet in the kitchen so far.

And the house doesn't look like I've done anything in it. Ugh.

But I'm determined to get rid of this clutter. The back room is next.

Ugh.

Oh well. I made the mess. I guess I get to clean it up. Meh.

One in a Million

2011-09-16T16:51:00.000-04:00

This little flower just refuses to die.

Don't let them drag you down little flower! :p

The Waiting Game

2011-09-15T14:52:00.000-04:00

I was commiserating with my friend the other day about our children and their unique talent for leaving their crap laying all over the place, blissfully clueless that it's driving us absolutely nuts because it will lay there for DAYS as they walk by it, step over it and basically ignore it like it doesn't even exist.

And it lays there until we pick it up.

The conversation started out because my friend said that "someone" left a bag of chips (empty of course) laying around her house. She said that she was just waiting to see how long it was before someone in her awesome family owned up to it and cleaned it up.

I suspect she's still waiting.

For them to pick it up and for hell to freeze over. ;)

Now, I'm no novice at this game. I've played it before. Many times.

But my latest battle involves Shane and his backpack. FROM LAST SCHOOL YEAR.

It's been sitting in the living room since June 17th, 2011 when he got out of school. Right where he left it.

That's right. Almost three full months I've been in a non-verbal battle with him to see if he'll clean it out.

But nope. Nothing. And I know that he has to see it because he has to walk past it every single time he goes up and down the steps. And that's at least twice a day. For three months.

I had begun to think that he just forgot about it.

I came home the other day (right after my conversation with my friend about her children's inability to pick up their stuff) and he had gone through it for something.

AND LEFT EVERYTHING LAYING ON THE FLOOR RIGHT BESIDE THE DAMN BACKPACK.

So. He just confirmed for me that he knew the backpack was there. He was just doing a stellar job of ignoring it.

:mad:

Seizing my opportunity, I told him that he needed to clean it out. He said he would. I asked him this morning if he cleaned it out before he went to school.

He said yes.

He didn't. Surprise.

My children drive me nuts.

I guess he figures that the maid will pick it up.

So I scooped the papers back up, shoved them back into the backpack and then proceeded to stew and huff about it for the next 30 minutes.

Ugh. So I wonder if my friend ended up picking up the chip bag or not. I'm betting so.

Cause she's not as stubborn as me.

Apparently I like fighting battles with people that don't even know, or care, that I'm fighting them.

I haven't decided how I'm going to handle this one. Do I leave it there and just see how much longer it goes before he decides to actually clean it out and put his school things from last year away or do I make him clean it up?

What's the over/under on how long it will sit there until I make him clean it up?

Kids. Ugh.

This blog post is dedicated to my friend and all of the other moms and dads out there who are fighting this same "awesome" battle.

Just Because

2011-09-14T15:30:00.008-04:00

I love Owen.

He's just so... well, him.

He insisted on climbing down this hill in Yellowstone. He would NOT be talked out of it.

Just because he wanted to do this:

I totally love him. :heart:

Picture of the Day

2011-09-12T12:50:00.000-04:00

So many good ones from our trip out west. But I love this one. The composition is spot on. :)

No! Don't Eat Them!

2011-09-11T09:57:00.000-04:00

No! Don't eat them!

Please!

Tee hee.

Buffalo Bill Historical Center, Cody, Wyoming.

The Buffalo Bill Museum

2011-09-10T09:00:00.004-04:00

When we were in Cody, Wyoming, we visited the Buffalo Bill Historic Center.

And can I just say that it is one of the most well put together, informative and interesting museums that I've been to. And I live outside of DC so we go to a lot of museums.

The crux of the museum is to educate, inform and get visitors interested in the history of not only Buffalo Bill but also the area and historically how the west was settled essentially.

It's all about fun!

And learning about how the pioneers and Native Americans lived and got around.

Thank God Darrel likes the rifles and weapons. Shane was impressed with this area of the museum the most. Boys. Sheesh. But...it was mutually beneficial for Shane and Darrel as they kept each other entertained!

The boys couldn't resist taking a shot (see what I did there?) at target practice with the rifles.

While they went through the (yawn) firearm section, I wandered off into the Western art section. Wow is all I can say! There was some truly amazing paintings and sculptures in there.

But not all art was done in a serious manner. I love this! I don't know if you can see it, but there's a Coors can at the feet of the cowboy, near his dog.

Shane in particular enjoyed the science focus of the museum. They did a great job educating people on Yellowstone and the surrounding area and how it came to be.

He can not pass up a sciencey-thingey that allows him to look through it. (How sad that I can't even remember what the name of this instrument is.)

And, of course the focus was definitely on the animals of the region.

All in all, this was an excellent museum and I'd highly recommend it.

A world class museum in Cody, Wyoming. Who would have thunk it?

For the Record, It Didn't Help

2011-09-08T08:37:00.000-04:00

The kids are back in school! Yes!!!

So Shane came down today wearing his cowboy hat.

I told him that he wasn't allowed to wear it to school.

He responded that he knew but he needed to wear it until he left for the bus.

I asked why.

He said that his hair was sticking up all over the place and it would help flatten it.

tee hee

For the record, it didn't help.

And he didn't go back upstairs, wet it and comb it down like I suggested.

Boys. Sheesh.

It's the Little Things

2011-08-30T16:20:00.001-04:00

We're finally back from our world travels.

And after contemplation, the thing that I missed the most during our summer travels was my hair towel.

That's right. My hair towel.

It's just perfect for me.

Not too thick so I can't easily twist my hair up in it. Just the right thickness.

Not too long so that I can't easily tuck it up under the edge of the wrapped towel.

Nothing's worse than having to use a regular towel to dry your hair. Actually, worse than that is trying to use a hand towel in place of your hair towel.

It's the little things that I miss when I travel.

Like my hair towel. :heart:

How They're Raised

2011-08-28T09:53:00.005-04:00

When we were at the Cody Nite Rodeo, the one thing that I noticed was that a lot of little kids were there hanging out with the competitors. They were able to mill around the outside of the arena with the horses and riders but their mamas and daddies continued to check on them.

Whether that was really their mama or daddy, I don't know.

But it was someone who was part of the rodeo family.

Mattress thrown down for the kids to lay on when they got tired. Note the kids on the horse being held by his mama who was playing with a rope.

And the two that captured my attention the most were these little cowboys.

I love his little boots and spurs. And Wrangler jeans. :)

These little cowboys weren't quite as affectionate as the girls. They were constantly chasing and roping each other. Boys. Sheesh. tee hee

For scale on just how little these rodeo kids were. :)

And the littlest cowgirl competing.

So when Joan was mortified that the kids were doing steer riding, I said I wasn't surprised. It's a way of life for them. They've grown up around it. It's just how they are raised.

Missing it ALL!

2011-08-26T11:12:00.001-04:00

We're having a great time in Wyoming. It's such a beautiful state!

And somehow, we've managed to miss an earthquake and a flash flood in the week that we've been gone so far. If that wasn't enough, we managed to miss the pending Hurricane Irene which is heading for the east coast tomorrow.

I'm waiting for news that the locust have arrived.

Or that the Redskins are 2-1 in preseason. Oh wait. :p

For my friends in the path of the hurricane, stay safe.

Thanks to Emily and Scott for checking on our house during ALL three natural disasters. We will definitely be upgrading what we bring you back!

Praying that the hurricane spins back out to sea.

And praying that we are able to get back to DC with our sanity and home still in tact!

What Every Girl Needs

2011-08-24T00:20:00.003-04:00

Every girl needs a BFF.

You know. A best friend forever who doesn't judge you for what you say or do and who is there to support you even when she doesn't agree.

But when thinks you're just wrong, she'll let you know. But your friendship will survive. And probably be stronger for it.

Going through the 675 pictures that I took at the Cody Rodeo, I accidentally snapped this sequence of shots of two girls who obviously had an affection for each other.

A BFF may try to talk you out of something that is not such a great idea.

But ultimately, if you want to do it, she will support you and help steady you.

And will be your biggest cheerleader when you succeed.

Every girl needs a BFF.

This is why I love photography. I thought that the girl was standing on a table. When I started looking at my pictures, I realized that she was standing on her horse.

With her friend's help.

And without her friend's help, she wouldn't have been able to do it.

Like I said. Every girl needs a BFF and this blog post is dedicated to mine. :heart:

Ride 'Em Cowboy!

2011-08-22T12:07:00.004-04:00

The bull riding is always the premier event at any rodeo. It was no different at the Cody Rodeo.

What makes these cowboys want to do this is beside me. But I reckon once it's in their blood, it's a thirst that they must quench.

Trying to hold on for 8 seconds. Funny 8 seconds doesn't seem that long. To us anyway.

A cowboy must rely on the help of the rodeo clown and the pickup men. Sometimes that's all they have between life and death.

This wasn't a good sign.

The cowboy just tries to stay on for the full 8 seconds anyway he can.

But it usually ends up the same way.

Then the cowboys wingmen step in to help divert the bull's attention away from the cowboy so that he can get to safety.

Climbing the rails is always an option.

That bull was really after him.

But he got to safety before the bull got him.

But he was really hurt. You could see it in his face. He must have sat on the rail for about five minutes gathering himself together.

Even climbing down the railing seemed to be excruciatingly painful for this cowboy.

Ever so slowly and gingerly he continued to climb off the rail. I couldn't take my eyes of of him. It made me sad really.

You just wonder what goes through their minds before they climb on the back of the bull.

That can't feel good. :(

Ride 'em cowboy!

There's a few ways to come off of the bull. This is one option. Though I'm sure it's not the preferred way!

Very few make it to the full 8 seconds.

Man vs. bull.

The cowboy is winning this second off the clock.

But for how long can he last?

Go boy go!

But alas, as I've already said, the bull usually wins the war.

I have no idea what possess these men to mount a bull and try to ride it. Stubbornness? A desire to push himself? A wish with death?

I guess it's different for every cowboy. It's my favorite rodeo event.

It Ain't My First Rodeo

2011-08-22T09:51:00.002-04:00

It wasn't my first rodeo. But it was the kids.

The running of the horses!

AMERICA!

I liked the bucking broncos.

Bye, bye hat!

That can't feel good.

They enjoyed everything except the calf roping. Owen especially was mortified. "How could they do that to a poor little calf?"

Lots of people try to be the class clown. This guy really is. :p

The kids got to go down and try and get the flag off of the calf's tail. Go Shane and Owen! Shane is in the cowboy hat and Mt. Dew shirt...lol and Owen is in his Clemson jersey.

The calves with red ribbons. :)

As mortified as Owen was with the calf roping, Joan was even more so with the jr. "bullriders".

The team roping is amazing to see two riders working together. When they do it right, it's really cool. You can tell the teams who had been together for a while.

Ladies barrel racing...always fun to watch.

This cowgirl impressed me the most. Instead of beating her horse with a whip to get them to go faster, she was patting his neck the entire way back to the chute. :)

Peewee division of the barrel racing. So. Freaking. Cute. :)

Her time. :) (As a point of reference, the ladies fastest time was around 17 seconds.)

The youngest contestant in the rodeo. Her pony was doing double time to keep up with her mama's horse. :)

There was also bull riding, which I will do in a separate blog post because it deserves it's own. :)

Day 2: Cody, Wyoming

2011-08-21T18:16:00.001-04:00

August 20, 2011: Day 2 of our amazing Griswald Family Vacation 2011 found us leaving Red Lodge, Montana and winding our way up Beartooth Mountain via the Beartooth All-American Road where
we hit an elevation of 10,536 feet.

Our drive took us from Red Lodge, Montana in the upper right side moving to the right at the fork and turning left onto the Chief Joseph Scenic Highway down to Cody, Wyoming.

Winding our way up the mountains. Love the views!

If you look very closely, you'll see a van driving east up mountain. It's on the lower left hand side of the picture.

If you know me, you know that I love flowers. :)

Joan loved these signs. Because she loves the windey drop off the cliff mountain roads. Not.

But it was far better to be us than them!

Welcome to Montana!

Gratuitous tourist picture.

We entered Wyoming halfway up the Beartooth Mountain Highway.

The glaciers melted and formed a pool of water. Yeah. It was a little cool. Elevation was around 10,000 feet.

For the grandparents. :heart:

The snow was so thick that you could write in it.

Down the long and windey road.

Owen said that all he wanted to see was cows.

He can go home now. :p

The money shot. The Blue Tooth Mountains.

Taking a left at the fork, we went down the Chief Joseph Scenic Highway on our way to Cody, Wyoming.

Joan was loving this. tee hee

More lovely scenery.

A Western depiction of the Indians of the West.

Look, Mary Mayken. Someone stole your daddy's Yukon! Our ride for the week. :)

This day also took us to see the Buffalo Bill Historical Center. That is a post in and of itself. :)

The Modern Day Cowboy

2011-08-21T09:32:00.003-04:00

The modern day cowboy.

Day 1.

Location: Irma Hotel, Cody, Wyoming

A Summer Adventure

2011-08-20T21:23:00.000-04:00

Go west, young man.

So we did. We packed up the family (for about the umpteenth time this summer) and headed north to catch a flight out of DCA. Headed for a Griswald Family Vacation.

Destination: Yellowstone.

I love prop planes. Not.

First stop:: Denver, Colorado.

Nothing more reassuring than a sign that notifies you where the tornado shelter is.

No better way to pass the time with a rousing game of cards for the boys (and picture taking for me).

And a game of hangman. With Owen being the hanger. And me being the hangee. :/

Next stop, Billings Montana. Yay!

First stop, The Candy Emporium in Red Lodge, Montana.

There must have been a car show or something going on this weekend. Either that, or the people in the town are really into old hot rods.

Kinda reminds you of the Adams Family. :p

Of course, Darrel would find one to point out. LOL

And the girls either were dressed the part or are just stuck in the 1950's.

Had the most amazing dinner at Bridge Creek Backcountry Restaurant.

And at the most amazing boysenberry salad. Yummo!

And, of course when in Rome...

It was very good.

Oh. Look. People. :p

And, of course, flowers. Which I am super looking forward to photographing at Yellowstone!

So thus began our adventures out west. Still on tap: Cody, Jackson Hole, the Grand Tetons and, of course, Yellowstone!

I wonder if the boys even realize how lucky they are to be on this summer vacation adventure? Probably not.

They don't. But I do. :)

One Man Too Many

2011-08-19T11:16:00.001-04:00

You know summer is coming to a close when you get the "pleasure" of back to school supply shopping. There are so many choices for girls with notebooks with cute designs. Boys get superheros or random sports.

So I was super excited when I found this football specific notebook for Owen.

I thought he would be excited too.

Instead he looked at me and said "I can't use this mom. It's all wrong."

What?

He goes on to say that it's unacceptable because there is an extra man on the field so he can't use it.

Boys. Sheesh.

Happy Birthday Shane!

2011-08-14T11:26:00.000-04:00

Happy birthday, Sir Shane the 12th!

It's More Than "Things"

2011-08-12T09:50:00.003-04:00

I love things.

I don't mean just things tho. I'm not one for clutter and junk.

I mean sentimental things. Family heirlooms and things that you can't buy at a store.

And I try to keep them in one of two places. My china hutch (who needs to keep china in there!) and a curio cabinet.

Yes. It looks like an antique store. On the top is my original Kermit the Frog from the 1970's, a picnic basket that my mom gave to me and Ken when we got married and a Easter basket that Owen made when he was 3.

You'll notice Greedy Smurf in the front. That's an original. :heart:

Dolls from Germany, my grandfather Hawk's scrapbook from the 1940's (lots of great pictures of antique cars are in it), a lock of Shane' baby hair, Ken's baby book, a clay hippo made by Owen when he was little and a Michael Jackson record are on this shelf.

On the far left is a Christmas bell given to me by my grammy Eckhardt, a cookbook from the 1950's of my grammy Eckhardt, a little origami outfit made by Shane, a Thomas train that Shane loved and a Christmas ornament made by my dad when I was about 2 are on this shelf.

My first teddy bear and baby blanket, Owen's beloved Elmo, Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy (a Christmas present to my dad when we were little...we lost Fozzy), a Pop-and-Fresh doll from the 1970's and a clay dinosaur made by Shane are on this shelf.

A bunch of the dolls that my parents collected for me when I was little are on this shelf along with the tie that Ken bought from Good Will and wore to a PKA/DZ mixer that we met at back in college. On the bottom shelf are Fiesta plates of my grandma Hawk's from the 1940's and Ken and my class rings.

I also have older pictures scattered throughout the cabinet.

Notice my grandmother's Eastman Brownie camera from the late 1920's. And a picture of my dad's first car that he carried in his wallet for YEARS.

A letter from Ken's mother to his grandmother Freeman when he was a baby.

The little "Ninja aliens" that Owen collected from the toy machines from the Giant grocery store when he was 2. I let him go and get one when he was potty training as a reward. And a little bunny that Shane made out of clay.

A red velvet signature book from my great, great, great grandmother Mary Vosseller. The earliest signature is around 1875. I love this one!

A close up of the dolls. :)

This stuff may be "things" to you. But to me, they're much more than "things". And my china cabinet looks much the same way. I can't help it. More stuff has been added to it since I originally put the cabinet together.

And the boys have added some things to it. Cause they know it's more than just "things". :)

The. Best. Lunch. Evar.

2011-08-11T07:41:00.001-04:00

Sometimes the best lunches are simple.

A grilled cheese sandwich and chips.

With a side of deviled eggs.

And a hot fudge sundae to wash it down

How can you resist? Yeah. You can't. And neither can I!

You too can have this lunch at Goolricks Pharmacy. It's my kids favorite lunch spot.

If you go, you have to sit at the counter. How many opportunities do you get to sit at a real luncheon counter these days? It's like a kick back to the 1950's.

Everyone's town should have a Goolricks!

Niiiccceeee

2011-08-09T07:00:00.002-04:00

My kids are nuts.

I hope that their faces freeze like this.

Boys. Sheesh.

The Mayberry Trading Post

2011-08-08T06:00:00.009-04:00

I so totally love the National Parks system. Love it!

And we're so fortunate to be near to one of the most beautiful stretch of byways where we live to take us through some of those parks. Namely, the Blue Ridge Parkway.

A while back, I posted some pictures of our Fourth of July trip to Fancy Gap, VA when we stopped by Mabry Mill for some awesome photo opportunities. And you know on the Parkway, you're bound to drive by a country store or two.

I give you the Mayberry Trading Post.

You can find all kinds of homemade jams and other canned foods, antiques, kitschy stuff and an odd assortment of knick knacks and brick-a-brack.

And things that can be downright weird. Totally 70's and creepy.

The store even has it's own security guards.

Although the store itself is awesome, it's restroom doors girl/boy indicators totally make the store what it is.

Nothing screams back country like Snuffy Smith...

...or his wife Loweezy....

Anyone who knows me, knows that I love comic strips. And this strip is one of my favorites! I totally dig these doors.

If you're on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Meadows of Dan, VA, take a step back in time and stop by the Mayberry Trading Post for a spell. You won't be sorry. :)

The Relentless Campaign

2011-08-07T10:46:00.004-04:00

In the latest news of which pet isn't this mean mom going to get her kids, they (specifically Owen) are on a RELENTLESS "please get me a RAT for a pet" campaign.

And I lay the blame solely at the feet of my sister.

Because she had the child that sucked HER into getting rats for pets. And now, as any good family member would do, they're trying to suck me into it.

I am holding out tho.

Cause I don't want no stinking rats for pets. I don't care if they're guised with a cute little name like "guinea pigs". They're freaking rats.

Owen came home from my sister's three weeks ago with a report on guinea pigs.

It was actually very well done with lots of good information. Hard to say no, but I was able to somehow muster up the words to say it. ;) He did a presentation and had an answer for EVERY question I could throw at him. I can't wait until he's a teenager. Not.

Not only did he have a report but he had also used ALL of my sister's ink from her printer printing out pictures of the rat's (ie - Guinea Pig's) needs. These are only a few of the pictures. I couldn't fit them all onto the scanner.

It's not bad enough that Owen is STILL bugging the crap out of me to get him a rat (every other sentence from him is about the rats...not sure where he got that laser focus from...), he's got others helping his cause. Namely his cousin.

Sheldon, his little co-conspirator, sent me a letter from camp.

But she disguised her mission with a cute little cloud around her signature. I also can't be bought with presents. I'm onto what's going on girl!!!!

She also sent Owen a letter keeping him pumped up and primed for the battle.

Oh yeah. I know what's going on. I get the whole entire picture sister!

And that's okay. If I have to get them a stupid rat, Sheldon and Mary Mayken are coming back from my house next time loaded down with toys.

And my sister won't even know what hit her because her husband will be the one to pick them up and he'll be distracted by the kids and won't even notice when I put the garbage BAGS into his truck.

So, ha. Take that. That'll show her and her daughter, who started all of this pet rat non-sense. :p

The Easy Questions...Not

2011-08-03T18:00:00.003-04:00

So when your child asks you "Mom, if there is a God, why are there people starving on the streets with no food? Why would he let them starve?"

How do you answer that question with anything other than "I don't know, son. That's a good question."

Especially when that child is so logical and would see right through any bullshit answer I might try to give to him. Even at 8.

Those are the easy questions that I love to deal with as a parent. Not.

Congratulations, Melly!

2011-08-01T07:39:00.002-04:00

My sweet "teenage" babysitter Melissa graduated from college.

Yes. College.

And yes. That makes her mother and father old.

Not me. ;)

Congratulations, Melly!

Owen is equally happy for you.

Even at 8, he knows what it's all about. I wonder if she has accepted it yet.

tee hee

What I Wouldn't Give For A...

2011-07-31T16:20:00.000-04:00

If you could indulge yourself in ONE thing, one person to make your life easier (or just to get rid of a chore that you absolutely despise), what would it be?

For me, I would totally have a personal chef.

I hate to cook. HATE IT.

I do it but more like I fix foods. My family is so freaking picky that it takes any recipe that I find that I may like and makes it that much more difficult to make.

So I just don't.

And I don't enjoy cooking anyway so having picky people to cook for makes it even worse.

And Ken hates to cook worse than I do. Okay. He can't cook. But I love it when he does.

Cause I know I'm going out to dinner and I don't have to cook for another night.

So if you were living in the land of unicorns and rainbows (otherwise known as la la land), what is the one chore that you would pay someone to do for you?

So Colorful...So Pretty

2011-07-27T07:55:00.000-04:00

I love colors.

Seriously. I love to match colors. Actually, if colors don't match, it drives me crazy.

They must be in the same hue or be complementing colors.

If you have ever been to my house, you may have noticed that my kitchen is very colorful. I have my grandmother's fiesta ware plates on the wall from the 1940's. I used that to pull all of the colors from in my middle floor. Everything matches and pulls from there.

I love the color wheel. Seriously. I love it!

So when I'm out and about and see things that have great color or have great contrasting color, I can't help but take a picture.

A few colorful pictures to enjoy!

I hope that you have a colorful day! And totally in a good way. ;)

Exacting Revenge

2011-07-25T20:47:00.001-04:00

I heard Owen and Shane talking in the car the other day about a grudge match that Owen challenged Henry to at camp.

Apparently, if you do something to someone else at camp, the offender can be challenged by the offended to a grudge match in order to exact his revenge. The grudge match takes place in the mess hall.

Owen was mad at Henry so he challenged him to a grudge match.

The offense? Henry walked in on Owen when he was naked and changing clothes.

The challenge? A burping contest.

The outcome? Henry defaulted the match and said he couldn't do it.

The winner? Owen

What did he win? Bragging rights to say the got revenge on Henry and won the grudge match.

Boys. Sheesh. I don't think that I want to hear about any of the other grudge matches. I can only imagine!

Teehee

Winner, winner, chicken dinner...

Creepy But Cool

2011-07-23T07:00:00.001-04:00

Saw this spider in the lillies in my yard.

Creepy but in a cool way. :up:

Mabry Mill

2011-07-22T11:55:00.000-04:00

Happy Fourth of July America!

We spent the Fourth of July in Fancy Gap Virginia off the Blue Ridge Parkway with our college friends. We took a side trip to see the Mabry Mill.

Enjoy the photos!

Aw. My favorite picture! Tabby and Scott are getting married in May. This is a perfect save-the-date picture, don't you think? :)

Gear shifts make it work. :)

About the Mill:

The Blue Ridge Parkway is AWESOME. Seriously. There are so many photographic opportunities. I've been wanting to go to the Mill for a while. What an awesome day. :)

Mary Maykenisms

2011-07-12T07:40:00.003-04:00

Owen: Where did I leave the camera? I can't find it.

Mary Mayken: I don't know. You left it wherever you left it.

Brilliant!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mary Mayken: Here's my letter to Shane at camp.

Aunt Kem: AWESOME. What exactly does it say?

Mary Mayken: I don't know Aunt Kem. I can't read.

I mean, duh!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mary Mayken: Pointing at her toes, "Look, Aunt Kem, I don't have anymore color."

Me: I'll paint them for you later.

Mary Mayken: No. That's okay. I'll just get a pedicure.

diva

Picture of the Day

2011-07-11T08:08:00.000-04:00

I've taken so many pictures the last couple of weeks. It's hard to pick a favorite one but this one stands out. I shot it at the Floyd Fandango Beer and Wine Festival off of the Blue Ridge Parkway last weekend.

Look closely at the little girl's feet. She has two different colored crocs on.

So sweet. So innocent. :heart:

Welcome to South Cakalacky

2011-07-10T10:24:00.000-04:00

Welcome to South Cakalacky.

Look closely. I'm pretty sure that he lost the rock, paper, scissors, shoot.

Teehee

Camping Fun

2011-07-08T16:37:00.001-04:00

Two weekends ago, I dropped the boys off at Camp Carolina for their first overnight away camping experience. It's located in Brevard, NC in a beautiful setting in the mountains. I'm hoping that they get to experience things that they usually don't get to do.

We've been able to follow their adventures on facebook and through the camp's photo blog and from reports from their counselors and a few letters from the boys themselves. So far, they've been able to try White Water Rafting, overnight camping, went sliding down Sliding Rock and a whole host of other camp related stuff.

Owen was too happy to pose in front of his cabin.

Shane...not so much. But he did let me take a self portrait pic when none of the other boys were looking.

As soon as Owen saw the lake toys, he was all about getting down there.

The lifeguard suggested that he start out on the small diving board, move to the big diving board and then tackle the trampoline.

Owen said no way. He had his sights on the trampoline.

The only way we could keep up with him was because he had his swimsuit on backwards. See it? Teehee. He knew it (because I told him at the cabin) but didn't care. He had one goal and that was getting down to the trampoline.

Owen's last day is tomorrow. Shane in a few weeks. I hope that they're having a blast!

Clearing The Dishes

2011-06-30T08:09:00.000-04:00

Me: Owen, did you clear your breakfast dish?

Owen: YES MOM! Why do you always ask me that?

Me: Oh. I don't know. :rolleyes: But thanks for clearing it.

So I go into the kitchen to clean up and find the bowl that he cleared.

:-|

Technically, I guess he did clear it. And I *am* glad that it didn't fall off of the counter.

But apparently we still have work to do. ;)

It's the Law

2011-06-28T17:58:00.002-04:00

A few miles after we crossed over into South Carolina from North Carolina, we saw this motorcycle zipping through traffic.

Shirt flying off his body. Hair whipping in the wind. Because he didn't have on a helmet.

As soon as Owen saw it, he said "MOM! That guy is breaking the law. He's suppose to have a helmet on."

We live in Virginia and while it *is* state law in Virginia that motorcyclists have to wear a helmet, we don't own motorcycles but I don't really ever remember having a conversation with either kids about that law.

But it is such a weird sight to see a motorcyclist riding without a helmet for them so maybe he just assumed that it was a law.

Either way, he continued on and started talking about how stupid it was to ride a motorcycle without a helmet on.

While I agreed with him totally, I explained to him that SC has different state laws than we do in Virginia and they're not required to wear a helmet.

His response? "Well. It's stupid to not wear one."

Well. Yes son. But that is his choice.

The next day, we were in a barber shop and I hear Shane telling the barber and several other men that he saw a motorcyclist driving without a helmet and that was stupid and it was stupid that it was not a law in SC mandating that they wear the helmets.

Meanwhile, I'm sinking lower and lower into my chair because I saw the motorcycles outside that probably belonged to the barber and I knew that the guy in the next chair rode motorcycles.

Then he starts asking the guy whether he's a Clemson fan or not. Because Shane likes Clemson.

The guy was a Carolina fan. :/

At that point, I'm hoping that Shane doesn't denounce the second amendment right to bear arms. :/

So after we left the barbershop, I had to explain to him that there were four things that you absolutely do not discuss without being prepared for an argument or verbal beat down. Those things included religion, politics, the motorcycle helmet law and the second amendment.

I guess that it was shocking to the kids to see something so different than what they are use to. Sometimes it's interesting to see the world from their perspective. I didn't really think twice about the motorcyclist zipping through traffic without a helmet on.

Well. Other than, you'll be seeing my sister at some point. :/

Picture of the Day

2011-06-26T08:36:00.001-04:00

Such innocence.

Best Friends Forever.

Even though they just met twenty minutes ago.

<3

Learning The Value of a Dollar

2011-06-25T10:17:00.002-04:00

Shane and his irresponsibility drive me nuts.

He never thinks two feet in front of his face.

I can't tell you how many times the phone rang at 8:45 with him on the other end saying "u, uh, yeah, mom, I forgot my _____." You'd think that me making him kiss and hug me in the office in front of teenage girls would have made him get his stuff together in the morning, but yeah. No.

Apparently everything is replaceable to him. He doesn't take care of anything.

And it drives me nuts.

So when he got his glasses less than a month ago, he promised that he would take care of them. PROMISED I tell you.

And then he promptly lost them three weeks after he got them.

So doing what any mean mother would do, I made him go to the bank and take the money out of his account to pay for new glasses.

And then I embarrassed him even further by taking pictures of the whole ordeal. :p

To say that he was unhappy with me is an understatement. (And for those that don't know, this is the famous "Da&el@r look.")

That look doesn't phase me at all. Pffffsssstttt. You are an amateur.

Onward to the eye doctor to order the new ones AND PAY FOR THEM.

I hope he really thinks about what he could have bought with that $250.

Of course, it being Shane, he caught a break. The manufacturer has a warranty that offers a one time replacement for $15 on the frames. So, he actually only had to pay $250 instead of the $410 for the lenses only.

Figures.

I swear to God that kid needs to go to Vegas.

Wearing his new glasses. Ones that I HOPE he takes care of this time.

And I hope that he learns a lesson in responsibility and the value of a dollar. Or $250 dollars in this case.

Little Tiny Hiney

2011-06-22T17:50:00.002-04:00

I've been busy packing the boys trunks for camp. I asked Owen to bring me 10 pairs of shorts. I was busy stamping them with his last name so when he inevitably loses them, they can find their way back to him.

I got to his favorite pair of gray shorts (that he wears all the time) and as I went to stamp the tag, I did a double take.

Dear Lord. That can not be what I think I see.

So I handed them to Ken and asked him to verify that they said 2T.

Yep. They said 2T.

Where in the world did he get his tiny hiney from? Definitely not from me!

And he wears these shorts ALL. THE. TIME.

I guess he's gotten his moneys worth out of these shorts, eh?

I'm going to start calling him little tiny hiney. He will LOVE that!

teehee

No Tickle Monster!

2011-06-17T12:26:00.002-04:00

Ken knows better than that.

He knows that he absolutely should not tickle me.

He knows that it's ON if that happens.

He has warned the boys to never, ever tickle me. Mom is not a part of any tickle monster war that he and the boys engage in.

But yet sometimes he loses his mind and forgets the rule.

And he tickles me.

Then I have to karate chop his ass down, using whatever force is necessary to take him out.

And when that happens, I don't feel one bit bad.

Even when he's curled up on the floor crying like a little girl.

Cause he knows better.

Hee-yaw boy. You knew better.

Crazy Unique

2011-06-11T17:29:00.000-04:00

When I was a kid, I used to love laying in the grass looking up at the sky and finding different shapes and animals in the clouds. I would waste away the day doing that.

On man. To have that life again. Sigh.

Anyway, I still do that. It's just usually as I'm driving my ungrateful children here and there or running one of my many errands.

The other day, the clouds were so unique. Crazy unique.

I love clouds. They are just so awesome. And once that shape is gone, it's gone.

Only to be replaced by some other cool cloud in the shape of a dog, whale, lollipop....or whatever you want it to be.really.

Check Please

2011-06-09T07:14:00.004-04:00

When something you love to do becomes soooo not fun, you have to ask yourself, why bother doing it? When people become so much effort, so much work and so much DRAMA, it's time to check out of the situation.

So here we are. And I am at that point.

Done. I'm no longer willing to expend the energy dealing with it or even be around the situation any longer.

D-O-N-E.

I'm not about the drama. And you are drama.

Therefore, I'm done with you and your drama.

Don't need this. Don't want this. Not gonna do it anymore. This is so NOT worth my time.

Check please.

Slip Sliding Away

2011-06-07T18:35:00.001-04:00

Yesterday morning Owen was attempting to slide on the kitchen floor in his socks. I asked him what he was doing.

He responded that he was trying to slide on the floor because it felt slippery.

I asked him why it felt slippery and he said that he didn't know.

I told him to knock it off and get his shoes on to go to school and went about my business.

I cleaned the kitchen while they were at school and noticed that the cooking spray can was laying on the kitchen table. And the table was covered in it. :-|

Fast forward to the afternoon.

Owen gets home and I asked him if he sprayed the Pam on the floor.

He said yes.

I asked him why.

He responded because he wanted to slide on the kitchen floor.

:rolleyes:

What Are Big Brothers For?

2011-06-03T08:16:00.001-04:00

What are big brothers for?

I've come to learn that it's mostly to punk their little brothers into doing stuff that the big brother knows is just wrong.

So. Very. Wrong.

I can only imagine what the conversation was when Shane convinced Owen to let Shane spray paint his hand gold.

Spray. Painted. His. Brother's. Hand.

Yeah. Owen's fingernails are still gold.

Because. It. Was. Spray. Painted.

But Shane's good. Because not only did he convince Owen to let him spray paint his hand, he also convinced a friend to allow him to spray paint his hand as well.

With. Freaking. Permanent. Spray. Paint.

And by the time I discovered it, the paint was dry (of course) and I really had to scrub his friend's hand to get the paint off of it.

Now, I should also state here that I was kinda appalled at the fact that this child's mother never called me to see if it was okay for the child to come home on the bus with Shane when Shane spoke to the child on the phone. I suppose she just took her son's word for it that it was okay with Shane's parents...and Shane's parents weren't some kind of freaks that she was sending her son home with.

I mean we are, but still. I would never have just sent Shane to someone's house without speaking to the parents.

So, feeling all smug about myself being such an awesome parent, I had to swallow my pride and tell the mom that Ken wasn't supervising them and my son spray painted her son's hand but I got most of it off with fingernail polish remover. But it wasn't totally off.

And, oh, his clothes were painted on too.

So yeah. I guess I"m not that much better than her. That right there is called karma folks.

And did you catch there that I blamed it all on Ken?

Teehee.

At Least It Wasn't Pinking Sheers

2011-06-02T07:53:00.002-04:00

Kids + scissors = up to NO good.

I saw some hair up on my bathroom counter two nights ago. I thought to myself that one of the kids must have been cutting their hair.

And then promptly forgot about it. Because I have (self diagnosed) A.D.D. ;)

And when I was snuggling Owen yesterday after he got home from school, I figured out which one had been cutting his hair.

He said he didn't cut his hair.

What do you think?

Teehee.

But at least he was 8 and not 13 and at least it wasn't pinking sheers.

Although it doesn't look much better than if he had have used pinking sheers! :p

Personlities

2011-05-31T22:02:00.001-04:00

As the boys have gotten older, they have developed their own distinct personalities. But they have really always had the same basic personality traits. It just seems to get stronger as they get older.

Owen has always been out there. He's always been active (to say the least) and very sure of himself for the most part. Even when he was in preschool, he was never a follower. If he got into trouble with "that" kid, he damn well meant to do it. He was stubborn and opinionated and very in your face. Gah. That hasn't changed much.

Shane on the other hand, has always been quieter in all aspects. He is my reader. He would much prefer to sit and read or watch TV or play on the computer than be outside. He's never been in your face with anything and any decision he makes is usually very calculated. It's always been more of a passive/aggressive type thing with him and it's not getting any better as he heads into the teen years.

So I wonder what they will be like as teenagers. I'm pretty sure I know what's coming. With both of them. And there's 1) a whole lot of laughter coming from my mom's house and 2) a whole lot of "I'm really sowwy, mom. Take the curse off. Please?!" coming from my house.

But it does make you stop and think if people perceive you as you think you are or if you have a realistic perception of who you really are or what you are really putting out there.

For example, I'd say that I've got a pretty strong personality. There's really nothing that I wouldn't step into the middle of and if I see someone getting mistreated that doesn't deserve it, I insert myself directly into it. I can't help it.

I'm also pretty loud. And some might say obnoxious.

And I have no qualms about giving my opinion on something if needed. Or even if it's not. ;)

It's the New Joisey heritage in me. I can't help myself.

But at least I do it kindly. Cause I'm a good southern girl too.

Well. Unless you really piss me off. Then it's all Joisey.

But I think that I pick my battles better as I have gotten older. And I've also gotten more tactful (if you can believe it) about dealing with situations.

But even though I know how I was in college and the last twenty years, it's hard to remember if I was this direct as a teenager or younger child. Did I allow people to bully me or to take advantage of me? Or did I stand up for myself?

Personalities are weird. Perceptions of your personality by both yourself and others is weird. And I'm hoping that I'm a little wrong about what I'm in for with the boys.

Cause if not, I'm in trouble!

Field Day 2011

2011-05-27T08:05:00.000-04:00

I love Field Day. :heart:

Seriously. Is there anything better to a kid than Field Day? I will miss Field Day when Owen gets out of elementary school.

I remember practicing the three-legged race when I was his age with my bff using my dad's tacky wide 1970's ties to tie our legs together. We didn't care if we fell down. In fact, we probably tried to fall.

A few pics from the day.

Owen and a few of his friends.

Pretty sure they meant to win the third grade tug-o-war contest. The anchor meant business, no?

PULL!

Victory! Yes! Third Grade Champions!

"Look. I know we won the Tug-O-War and the Relay, but we're not done yet!" Mrs. Lee is so competitive!

Gotta love the funny faces.

Field Day was a huge success and a huge thank you goes to our amazing PE teachers Ms. Scott and Mr. E for pulling off yet another fun Field Day full of memories!

Washing a Stupid Vase The Very, Very Wrong Way

2011-05-25T08:05:00.003-04:00

When one is washing a vase such as this one, one should probably use a wash cloth and not their hand.

Because one never knows when there may be a piece of the glass broken on the vase. A piece of broken glass that looks a little like this. And by "a little" I mean it *is*. :/

Because what will probably happen (and by "probably" I mean "it will") is this:

Which is going to cause one who wasn't so bright to wash a glass vase with their hand, a trip to here:

To get this done:

And then they're going to be constantly reminded of their stupid mistake because their hand is going to look like a mummy.

And then they're going to be sad because they can't play tennis for a while.

Stupid vase.

Stupid me for cutting my stupid hand.

But my friend who convinced me to go to the ER isn't stupid. Although I was mad at her at the time. (Not really. I didn't yell "I hate you!" or anything like that.) I just didn't want to go. And I'm kind of hard headed and not always in a good way. I have had my fill of sitting for hours in the ER in the last month. And so I reverted to a defiant 12 years old.

The conversation went like this:

Her: "GO!"

Me: (The defiant 12 year old) "NO!"

Her: "GO!"

Me: "OK. FINE! I'll go. Are you happy?"

Her: "YES"

Me: :-|

So I guess that the moral of the story is to not wash glass with your hand.

Or leave the dish washing to someone else. ;)

Either way, this sucks.

Oops. Did I Buy That?

2011-05-24T19:18:00.002-04:00

I was shopping at Kohl's the other day and saw this super cute top.

I was in a hurry so I just grabbed what I thought was the right size, went up to the register and paid for it all excited because I thought that I had found a sleeveless shirt that "might" just fit me.

When I got home, I tried it on and it didn't fit. It was too big. Bummer.

So I returned it to Kohl's yesterday. When the nice lady rang up the return, I started giggling. Outloud. Because I am so freaking blonde.

Instead of buying a regular top, I had accidentially bought a maternity top.

Yep. That's right. A maternity top.

I cruised by the rack that I had bought the top at just to double check and make sure that the clerk didn't make a mistake.

And yep. I am that blonde. I definitely bought a maternity top.

But now that I think about it, my mom bought a shirt just like that last summer. I wonder if she's really a blonde too and bought a maternity shirt by accident also. Teehee.

And now I'm really glad it was too big.

All I know is I rock. I rock. I really, really rock! Yay me!

Teehee

Having Fun Learning! What a Concept. ;)

2011-05-23T09:48:00.001-04:00

The best part of elementary school is watching the kids in plays and concerts doing their best to show you what they have learned over the last few months.

Our music teacher developed a program to support the other teachers in our Standards of Learning statewide testing. She did a great job helping them learn the material in a fun way. What a concept. Making learning fun. :)

I give you Mali.

So yeah. Owen has on a pink bandana. What about it? You don't like it? Well. GOOD! That's why he wore it. ;) He's never one to back down from a stereotype or a fight. I have no idea where he got that from. ;)

If pictures are worth 1,000 words, then what are videos worth? For the grandparents. Enjoy! :)

Life is so hard. All they do is work, work, work!

Hummmmm. Uh-huh-uh-huh...yea!

Slowing It Down!

2011-05-21T17:52:00.000-04:00

Picture of the day.

A prop plane's propellers slowed down by my camera phone: cool!

Meeting up with friends in Asheville, NC: even cooler!

Actual prop plane trip: yeah...not so much!

The Circle is Complete

2011-05-20T17:34:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago, Shane had his annual eye exam. He had complained a few days prior to that that he was having trouble seeing the board from the back of the room.

I mentioned it to the doctor and, sure enough, Shane's vision had gone from 20/20 to 20/60 within the last year. She asked if he had had a growth spurt because that will change the shape of the eye ball.

Wow. Who knew that a growth spurt could change the shape of an eyeball that much.

I can see!

Yeah. This should work just fine!

Well. The circle is complete now. All four of us have bad vision. Not necessarily a club he wanted to be in I'm sure. :-|

And yes. He has finally grown a little taller if you caught that! That's what I'm taking out of this. tee-hee ;)

Learning A Valuable Lesson...The Hard Way

2011-05-15T09:24:00.000-04:00

In reading a friend's blog, I was amused that her partner punked her into matching socks by getting her to agree to play a matching card game. My friend thought she was agreeing to play concentration to match cards but what she got instead was a pile of socks to match.

Teehee. That is so wrong.

But I'm so totally going to borrow that idea to punk my family into playing that game. It's brilliant.

But that got me to thinking about something equally mean that I did to Shane when he was 3 or 4. He loves to play card games. So I asked him if he wanted to play 52 card pick up.

He said OH YES! He was so excited to play a new game.

I asked him if he was sure.

He said OH YES.

Then I asked him if he wanted to know the rules of the game first.

He said OH NO. Let's just play.

I proceeded to get a deck of cards and threw them up in the air.

He looked at me like I had lost my mind and asked me what kind of game that was.

I said 52 card pick up.

He said what?

I said yes. There are 52 cards in a deck and now you get to pick them up.

Oh man. The look on his face was priceless.

And yes. I *am* kinda mean. And by "kinda" I mean I *am* mean.

But that's okay. It served a purpose. He always asks what the rules to a game are now.

And I bet you any amount of money in the world that he will NEVER agree to 52 card pick up again!

But I wonder if I can punk him into matching socks. I am soooooo gonna try it!

teehee

"Love Depest"

2011-05-08T13:02:00.000-04:00

Happy Mothers Day to my mom and all of the awesome women in my life who are like moms. ;)

To: me

Love Depest: Owen :heart:

I've had an awesome Mothers Day! Breakfast and the newspaper in bed and tennis later. I'm hoping that Shane and Owen continue to be good. Oh. And they put their clothes away. ;)

It Does Absolutely Nothing

2011-05-07T19:44:00.000-04:00

Not just any old platupus... the super platupus can, do absolutly nothing...

Tee-hee. I love their advertisement videos. :up:

The Considerate Thing to Do

2011-05-04T15:52:00.001-04:00

I have said it a million times. I love comic strips. I'm pretty sure that the illustrators are spying on me because some of them hit so close to home it's ridiculous.

So I give you today...don't call me...before you text and find out if it's okay to do so...

Starring Jeremy as June. Oh yeah girl. You know it it's true!

I would NEVER call June without texting her first. And if she *calls* me...I immediately answer because I *know* it's an emergency! No doubt about that. Cause she always texts me first and asks if it's okay to call.

Cause that's the considerate thing to do and she's considerate like that. ;)

June, this blog is dedicated to you!