Today

Today's crack up...Roo was yelling at H to come in and get some clothes on (she was barefoot and in her pajamas) H was not cooperating and Roo raised the level of her voice and M's little voice piped up..."H is not here right now, leave a message after the beep." I died laughing....okay, I didn't die but boy, I sure did laugh.

Just a few pics from this past weekend's fun.

I'm It!

8 Things I am looking forward to:

1) Reading a book from start to finish in one sitting
2) Seeing my kids grow up
3) My next shipment of Mighty Leaf Organic Breakfast Tea
4) Spending time at the pool with a few wenches this summer
5) My headache going away
6) Maybe going to Disney World for my children's fall break
7) Working out to Killer Kelly's class so I can complain the rest of the day
8) Breakfast with the wenches

8 Things I did yesterday (this could be hard)

1) Woke up
2) Made breakfast and fed my children
3) Drove children to school
4) Went to the Nursery and bought some flowers
5) Worked out at the gym
6) Rewarded myself with tea at Starbucks
7) Picked up Matthew from School
8) Planted new flowers and moved some established flowers to the new garden

---Hold on a second...It is only 12 p.m. I have 10 more hours before I go to bed...doesn't anyone care about the more than 8 things I did???

8 Things I wish I could do

1) Live on the beach- I could listen to the pounding waves whenever I wanted to
2) The ability to have rain with the snap of a finger- listening to rain is super relaxing...especially with a nice cup of tea and a good book.
3) Go to Maui...I miss Hawaii
4) Go to Tuscany for at least a month and then visit the rest of Europe
5) Go back to Boston and re-visit all the historical sites
6) Read without getting interrupted
7) Read without falling asleep because I am exhausted
8) Have an endless supply of Mighty Leaf Organic Breakfast Tea

8 Shows I watch on TV

1) Friday Night Lights (my absolute favorite)
2) Damages (It's awesome, you can't figure it out like the rest television shows)
3) The Closer (Lt Provenza cracks me up)
4) Samantha Who? (Cracks me up)
5) The Office
6) Gossip Girl (Quippy dialogue...I miss Gilmore Girls)
7) American Idol
8) Brothers and Sisters or Grey's Anatomy (depending on the quality of writing at that moment in time)

8 People I tag...

Can't tag 8, not even 1, since my daughter has already tagged anyone I know who blogs...and I don't even know a total of 8 bloggers if she hadn't.

Spring 2009

Spring is here...the good, the bad and the ugly. We've been waiting for it to warm up, we've been waiting for color and now it is here. We forgot about the drawbacks of warmer temperatures...like what happens when the upstairs A/C breaks on a weekend and all the bedrooms are on the top floor and the Master Bedroom gets the biggest blast of heat during the day and turns into a raging inferno. Sleep is just out of reach for this wimp who would never survive life without air conditioning...Add to that, the previous night this blog writer didn't get much sleep because her seven year old flunked her first sleepover. The little camper came home from the sleepover...I am honored, she missed me. However, she was devastated, in tears and took quite a bit of consoling...then she got up at 5 a.m. I am one tired mother. I feel like I could sleep for weeks. I tried to nap today...ever tried to nap when a NASCAR fanatic is determined to watch the race at Talledega and just lets the little people wrestle to their hearts content? A very angry mother bear emerged from her little Master Den...she did a lot of roaring...went back to bed, felt guilty for her bear attack...got up and decided to finish yesterday's laundry. Did I mention the laundry room is upstairs in the inferno? Ugh.

Now for the second long anticipated rite of spring. The Garden. Color is emerging but so are the weeds...Gardening work must be done...Wouldn't it be nice if you could have a garden without doing the work? I suppose that would diminish the satisfaction but I am a heat wimp and once the sultriness of the South sets in, I will be worshipping my garden from the great indoors. Provided we have the air conditioning fixed. :-)

Things You Find on the Internet

You never know what kind of pictures you will find of your children!
(Picture provided by Lisa Pomnitz)

Facebook (for Old People)

Ah, Facebook has caught up to the old people...no longer is it a tool to keep an eye on your children but a free way to find old friends from high school...

There is one small problem with this great tool...what if you don't remember who the heck that person is making the friend request???

This has happened several times with me...girls who don't include their maiden name...I have to send out discreet messages to "mutual friends." Who is *** *****? It is nice that you can just delay confirming or ignoring the friend request until you get a response.

Yesterday, I was shopping at the Commissary when I received an S.O.S from my BFF from high school. Who is ***** *****? (Facebook is so accomodating, I want to thank them that my inbox messages can be sent as texts to my mobile phone so I can calm my BFF down...she is in a panic with "failing memory" or as she says "she is losing her marbles") I was able to respond and let her know, Name? Familiar...but that is it. I have a vision of a short squarish blonde in my head but absolutely nothing else. I let my BFF know that I will look him up in the yearbook as soon as I get home.

I fulfill my promise to look him up...yep, short, squarish blonde, still nothing else comes to me. I scan his picture in the yearbook and email it to her. I guess she found her marbles because they are now friends on Facebook.

This all leads me to be thankful for my discreet friends who have not said to my Facebook friends..."I see you and Susan are now friends on Facebook. I am so glad I could refresh her memory with who you are...She emailed me and asked 'Who the heck is *** ****?'"

Keeping in Touch has become so fun and yet, so complex...

Tuesday

I am an official (and one of the founding members) of the S.A.H.W. Many people wonder what one does as a member of this elite group. I thought I would share with you one of my typical days and I am sure the other members' days are similar with slight variations. Here goes:

- Woke up at 6:10 (It amazes me that I don't even need an alarm clock for this exciting event...Insert tongue in cheek here when I write "exciting" I am not a morning person)

- I begin to encourage my children to get dressed and eat breakfast

- I continue to encourage my children to get dressed and eat breakfast

- My encouragement takes the form of "encourage"

- I make coffee, why? I don't drink the stuff...

- I make tea...for me

- A little more "encouragement" and we are out the door...Okay, I am still in my pajamas...What's your point?

- I pretend to listen as my children discuss tornados...for 3,000,000,000 time this week.

- Answer call from my husband

- Ah, we are now at school, drop off children...

- Return home, shower, throw in a load of laundry, gently remind oldest child to unload dishwasher, put away clothes, head out to the Nursery for a mandevilla, pick up dry cleaning/drop off dry cleaning, go to the Post Exchange for Weed Killer, go to Commissary for groceries, get Facebook text message from High School BFF wanting to know who ***** ***** is, I can remember the face and the name...nothing else, I promise to look him up for her when I get home, pick up youngest child from PreK, feed child the McDonald's I picked up to keep him happy while I put away groceries...put away groceries, more laundry, start pork tenderlion for dinner in crock pot, plant mandevilla, put out weed killer, put out ant killer, make small talk with neighbor walking dog, fulfill promise to look up ***** ***** for BFF so she can determine whether to confirm or ignore friend request, scan yearbook picture (I think Facebook friend requests could be the subject of another blog), make a cup of tea, head back to school for middle child, off to dance class

- Drop off at dance class, go to gas station and fill up the taxi, go to Post Office, return to dance class, try to read book, get frustrated at noise level, go to front entry, listen to youngest complaining his head hurts, wonder how he managed to get ketchup in his hair...realize that isn't ketchup, it's blood...look at gash, realize...this might need a stitch. Call husband for second opinion since his office is close by...but nope, he is busy and he will have to talk to me later...make executive decision to go to urgent care...Call oldest daughter to meet me at Urgent Care so she can take Middle Child to her swim class.

- Listen to voice of panic for entire 20 minute drive from the injured child...Ask middle child to hold his hand and console the fearful patient.

- Nurse can't decide if that needs a stitch and calls for her version of the second opinion...the doctor...he debates and decides no stitch is needed since the tissue surrounding gash is not swollen. I grab counter to keep from passing out at the words "swollen tissue." (Did I forget to mention I am not good with blood?)

- It is now 6:00 p.m. I decide to quickly pound out a blog entry on today. My eyes feel heavy, I feel tired...the house is quiet for the next few minutes until...the husband and the two daughters return home...then dinner, baths, stories, "encourage" the brushing of teeth (last two items are out of order but I am too tired to fix it) Hopefully, I will be able to watch American Idol before I fall asleep. Husband calls to ask if I would like to meet him for dinner in an attempt to get out of dog house...I try to sound cheery when I say "No, I made dinner."

And that is the somewhat typical day of a S.A.H.W. (just substitute Cub Scouts, baseball, or T-ball for dance and swim class...)

Chipmunk-Squirrel

Today's ride to school began with M trying to tell H something but H wanted to talk. H put her hands over her ears so she wouldn't have to listen. Thus, began the discussion on politeness, etc. etc.

Soon, M began to discuss chipmunk squirrels...H let M know that chipmunk squirrels do not exist. M said "Yes, they do. They only come out at night, right Mom?" Right mom, follows every strange/ridiculous/made up/and completely messed up thought that comes out of M's little mouth. H contradicted M on the existence of chipmunk squirrels, M contradicted H to let her know they exist and you have to be really lucky to see one. I think H gave up at this point because she said "You mean you have to be really quiet to see one."

Let me know if you ever see a chipmunk-squirrel...remember, they only come out at night and you have to be really quiet.

Just Cuz

Just cuz I think my children are that cute...A few pictures from Easter.

Bad Citizen or Good Mom?

Today was a crazy day...I was running late for yoga, decided to skip yoga and go for cardio and weights...I arrived at the gym, looked at my phone and saw my children's school had tried to call...Called them back, H had a fever and her "sunburn" had spread behind her ears...no workout for me. I drove to the school, called the doctor got an appointment, grabbed H, and we were off. I made arrangements for M and his buddy, S, to be picked up at 11:30. I stopped for a light, heard the screech of tires, breathed a sigh of relief that the green car stopped before hitting the white car then saw the green car go into the white car when the black car hit the green car and watched as the green car once again went into the white car because now a silver car hit the black car which again hit the green car. Now, I have a decision, do I do the "witness" thing or get my child to the doctor? I went with the latter.

FYI: H has Fifth's Disease...again (I thought you could only get this once???) and I saw the silver car on the flat bed tow truck going back to the school to return H and pick up the two Storm Troopers...the doctor was that fast!

Facebook Tagging

Yesterday, I took a picture, and my favorite "Brother-in-Law" yelled "I tag it!" I had no idea what he was talking about so I responded intelligently "What???" He replied "You know 'Facebook Tag.'" I was okay with that since I planned on putting the picture on Facebook and tagging it...because I am just that nice. But, no, Mr. R. instituted a new rule that by calling a tag, it cannot go on Facebook. He didn't say blog...so here it is...Oh, and because I am so darn nice, I put it on Facebook. AND, I tagged it.

Can You Take A Call?

Today's car ride to school had this conversation:

M: Can you get phone calls in heaven? Are they red phones?
Me: No.
M: Oh, there aren't any phones in heaven?
Me: No (I'm not very chatty in the morning like my children)
M: So, I can't call Samuel L? Cuz he's my best buddy...Is he going to be in heaven?
Me: I hope so. (My brain is debating how to pursue this theological conversation)

My mind went blank and the two Little People continued the phone calls in heaven conversation without me.

A Description of God

Matthew came home from school today and told me he knows what God looks like..."He has a blue robe, wears glasses, and has wrinkly skin. Oh! and he doesn't wear socks...or shoes."

I just thought y'all would like to know that in case you ever wondered what God looked like.

Delayed

Today I got my first complaint from one of my three followers (it's actually kind of nice to know someone is actually reading this!) I was told by D.D. to "Update my blog." Basically, I got a Blog Flog. Of course, I took it as she missed my writings but maybe she is just wanting me to change my background...I'm leaving the background and explaining why I haven't written.

My big idea for my next blog was to write about the delight I get in embarrassing my daughter...for this brilliant entry, I needed the video I took last Sunday while driving home from our excursion to Atlanta. My daughter who owns the camera that I used to video won't cough it up. I will have to recreate the moment for you with my limited vocabulary.

Here goes: Somewhere after entering I65 North, a little car with two young men sailed past waving...Of course, it wasn't hard for my Little Ones and me to figure out the boys were flirting with my daughter. There was a blown kiss, a piece of scratch paper with their phone number, etc. etc. I told her to videotape them for blog material (she writes a more exciting blog than I do and this would be great "Not me, Monday" stuff!) Roo's video was very subtle so I hijacked the camera and pulled right up and let them know "Yes, I got you on film." Imagine my surprise, when he pulled out his camera and put me on film. Funny stuff. Sometimes, I don't have the brightest ideas...A few years ago, I was pregnant with Matthew and some boys waved at Roo. I figured I would scare them off and wave back...Oops, this only encouraged the flirters on Southbound I95. I didn't think we would ever shake those two...of course, had they followed us off the interstate (I was able to get behind them and exit REALLY fast), I think they would have ran when they realized they were dealing with a 42 year old, 6 month pregnant woman...And this is how I embarrass my daughter...She spends lots of time slinking down in her seat as close to the floor as possible while remaining in her seat belt...Especially when I practice my dance moves while driving.

I love embarrassing her. I think I may need to get out more.