Saturday, December 31, 2011

A movie review

When Andy works at night, sometimes, I think we are going to watch movies.
My kids like to watch movies, and it is winter--so it is dark way early.

Last night I rented "A Dolphin Tail/Tale?"

This movie was SOOOOO GOOD.
It had all the elements that touch my heart strings...
*kids
**animals
*special needs kids
**special needs animals
*people helping eachother
** wise,old hippie man grandad who lives on boat
*frustrated kids who find an interest

etc. etc. the list goes on...oh!

*tropical water and weather
**animal rescue...

The whole movie was well told etc.
I loved it, and so did my children.
When it was over I had cried a lot...
You know, when the little tears seep out--and you try to hide them?
My children did not cry any???
(what does this mean, I ask myself??)
I guess it might mean that I am way hormonal all the time or something..
Ay que emotion!!
http://www.seewinter.com/
If you click the link up there, it takes you to Winter's website.
Now if you surf around in the web site (do people still say that?/ surf?)
You can see that you could also stay in this place

http://www.tommysonthebeach.com/north-unit/

You could stay there (look up) :)
Look at that white sand...
That beautiful water...

Wouldn't this be a fun family vacation??
If you look on the map, this place is in a cool spot of Florida.
On the Western coast, and sort of on its own little bay...

Man!
Spring break?
I got so excited last night looking at all of this.
Then I realized
Oh!
But this all costs MONEY. !!

Maybe another year...

Friday, December 30, 2011

looking back...

I have just been entertaining myself by going back and reading my own blog...

ugh...
I USED TO BE WAY WAY FUNNIER!!

So, for the new year...I am saying that this blog needs...more interaction with
other bloggers...you out there Jen in your {world}?

and also...
More SOAPBOXES!!

I'm gonna bring it...
yep!

Sorry for the slackness in the personality dept.
Some find it funny,
others might find it annoying, but I will say
that in older posts, my personality came out a lot more...

eekk!!

Marble run

This is one of the new toys we got for Christmas.
When I was little there was one of these at my Grandma's house.
The one there was colorful and plastic.
Ours is made of wooden blocks--and you have to really think about what to
do to make cool marble runs.
It is VERY FUN!
Andy and I have just as much fun with it as the kids do. :)
I think the look on Victor's face is a good indication of how fun
they think it is.
When the marbles go through, they make the coolest sound, like a
rain stick.
plink, plink, plink...

Let's get Married {11 years}

This was the song that was very popular when Andy and I got married--11 years ago. ;).

FUN!

I never thought a wedding would be fun at all when I watched all of my cousins get married.
I planned a quick little ditty...not too much--b/c I had dreaded that moment for most of my life..
being a spectacle in a big, puffy white dress...eek!!
In front of all of my family...eekk!!

But it was a very fun day...love all around--from family and friends, and to top it all off...
a bit of snow!

Now if this daggone link thing would just work!!
<object width="853" height="480"><param name="movie" value="https://www.youtube.com/v/yKIV9HXZIHY?version=3&amp;hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="https://www.youtube.com/v/yKIV9HXZIHY?version=3&amp;hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="853" height="480" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>

Now I will try a link

link--click here

Thursday, December 29, 2011

A vision{ary}

ha!
That is what I call myself whenever Andy reminds me that I always have some plan or
other up my sleeve....
some {improvement} or {innovation}...
My mind does work on this pretty constantly.



Here is my latest {plan}:
See the big brown thing in the middle of the kitchen floor?
All the kids are on it?  see?  Were they remembering their babyhood??
Who knows! BUT--this used to be the changing table--it had a little mattress
on the top that say in the recessed part--where the kids are.
My Daddy made it for me when I was pregnant with Elena.
It is the exact right height for me--hits right at my hip--for working and not bending over.
So...
Now it is going to be a kitchen island! :)
It is going to have a counter top on it, and baskets on the shelves for pans etc.
The color will stay stained dark.
I have thought of painting it, but that would take away the beautiful stain!
AND I like it when things are not just perfect, but they are {perfect}.
The room could look {perfect} with all white counters etc., but I would certainly mourn the loss of the
stain, and that would make it--eek!! not perfect for me.
i.e.--this is the color this piece of furniture has always been, and it wants to stay that way. ;).
Ay que emotion!!

So my mother in law was the smart lady who suggested that I just go ahead and set it in the kitchen.
This will get the ball rolling for a counter top... ;).
Maybe so, I say!
So there it is...
I have the tile picked out that I want on the counter top.
It is gorgeous!
The question is, is it functional enough for a countertop??
I say, "yes!"
others...say...no way!!
We will see--
Whose vision is this anyway??


Tuesday, December 27, 2011

It's a small, small...

World!!
So, I have just gotten home from delivering a meatloaf, scalloped potatoes, and lots of salad to a friend who has had a HEART TRANSPLANT!!
She is not much older than I am.  Her other heart was just wearing out.
She is tall, and very beautiful, and she and her husband go to our church, along with their twin boys,
Anashe and Tidiwa.
They are from Zimbabwe, the mom and dad.
The boys are from here. ;).
So, I just love my friend, and I have been praying for her recovery for months.
When I arrived at their home her mother in law opened the door, and greeted me, Ms. Ruth.
Her mother would also be there, I knew---she came from Zimbabwe when her daughter went
to Duke to have the transplant.
What I did not plan was that there would be a house full of people!!
They were Juliana's friends--FROM ZIMBABWE as well.
They now live in California, and Richmond Va.
Can you imagine?
This girl is in her house in Little Washington, NC
hanging out with her friends and relatives from other parts of the U.S, but
also from Zimbabwe.
All of this is amazing to me.
Needless to say, I did not make enough food for 20 people.
With all of the children, the grandmothers, and the children--maybe six of them??--
there is definitely NOT enough food.
But I was excited for Juliana--to have a reunion of old school friends in her home.
I would love to sit for a while and listen to them speak THEIR language...

It's a world of laughter, a world of tears, it's a world of hopes and a world of fears, with so
much that we share it is time we're aware....

;).

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Merry Christmas

 I will start from the very beginning (every time I say that, I think of Julie Andrews singing!).  Victor was Joseph in his pre-K pageant!! Be still my heart! :)
 On Wed. when we got out of school early, I brought Yineth, Collin, and Suzie home and we played and cooked for a couple of hours.
 Friday night my Sister and her family were at our house and we ate yummy steaks that Andy grilled.
This is Lara's husband picking on her.
 This is a bunch of wild kiddies and their tongues after eating candy canes!--They cracked up about this picture.
 This is Christmas Eve night before we went to church.
And this picture shows this AM with my parents and our WONDERFUL Christmas day breakfast of country ham on biscuits, scrambled eggs, grits, and for my mama and me {mimosas}. ;)

Merry Christmas bloggy friends.
I am off to read one of my new books! {yippie}

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

i {know} now

Last Friday I went to a class all about how to use your I-Pad in speech therapy.
How to make this tool useful in my job--that was the class's premise.
Mind you, I do not have an I-Pad.
There are a couple people at my work who do, and one of them let me take hers for the day.
It was not her personal one, rather it was one that our county bought.
So off I traipsed to G-boro.
I was really hoping, somewhere in my subconscious, that this class would finally tip the scales...convince me that this was a gadget I could not live without.
That is how I felt when I was first presented with a nook.  I knew--I just knew that this was something I would love--have all kinds of books..but not have to physically have the book!  get any book i could think of via the air any ole time!! SIGN ME UP I thought to myself...and I have been loving my Nook ever since...
So I thought...when I am convinced about the I-Pad...
Then, I could begin my lobbying to get one--at work.  I was dreaming of typing out IEPs on it, writing reports in front of the TV--instead of on the {back den} where I now sit, typing away.

After six hours of a little class.
I remain unconvinced.
I-Pads--well, they are expensive--and this is all relative, I know, but our county has ZERO MONEY.
WE can barely afford to keep people employed...so should we be buying I-pads?
My answer would be an emphatic "NO!"
Technology over people--not in "These hard economic times"--Is anyone else so sick of that phrase?  Who coined that one?--Talk about over-using something to death!!

Okay back to my point.
All the stuff that the I-Pad was doing in that class..was VERY COOL.  I was ooohing and ahhing...
But then, when I put on my critical thinking cap, I realized...ummm--you can do all that for free
with some paper and a pencil and all of the books that the county has bought alreday...
for free!!
Now, one part of the class was valuable.
The person teaching was from G-boro (or thereabouts) and she was telling us that many children with Autism or more involved communication needs have begun bringing their own I-Pad to school.
Their mama and daddy watched 60  mins...and they were convinced!! I-Pad technology--IT IS!!
So now the people at the school are using them, to facilitate the parents in attempts to draw out communication.
I won't agree or disagree with that, it is what it is.  I would oblige as well...

Sometimes I wonder is anyone stopping to think about the POINT of most of this mobile technology.
I do.
Lots.
Andy and I still only have the one little, wee little trac phone.
No plan, no data plan, no fancy {droid} or I--do hickey...and to be honest...
all of it seems pointless to me.
When I stop and think, critically about it, --nah...don't want it...
Do I love a gadget..um YES!!
I love them..but do I want to be CONSTANTLY ACCESSIBLE...
no.
Having a cell phone that could summon me whenever anyone felt like it, seems like
how some part of hell might end up being...

So, unless the rich folks at Apple want to send me a free one, or one falls out of the sky, or
I win one from the Pioneer Lady (who am I kidding--those odds are terrible! :)}--then I will not be getting and I-pad...

If you are still reading this, then God Bless you! hah!  this has been very rambly, and I am still half asleep!
:)



Thursday, December 15, 2011

If you've got the money, honey....

there is a GREAT DEAL to go to Spain on AAirlines right now.
I just saw it--
leave day after Christmas--2 adults three children
come back whenever after--and the tickets--all together for everyone?
around 850.00.

Problem?
We have no money...
other problem...
We also don't have the time--ha!
Andy has to work that whole week.


Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Un Rato {time}

In Spanish to say, "a little while" you say, "un rato"  (oon rrrrahtoe)
Bueno, and this word can be changed all kinds of ways.
Un ratito (just a minute)
Well, maybe that's just one...but last night I was on the
phone with Elena (who might be coming to clean my house from time to time, also an acquaintance)
and she told me "un rato" and then I said it back to her--see you en un ratito...then I thought of a
comedy sketch with this word...it is a funny word to me.
What would "un ratote" be?
A big little while?
I bet some people do say that in Spanish...
{ote} on the end of the word makes it bigger..and a rato is inherently small...
es un rato.

Then it dawned on me last night, I was going in to brush my teeth yesterday, after
a very long day, I realized what a ratote could be...
It could be a week--each day takes a long time, I wake up at 5:30 and
fix everybody's everything (lunch etc.), then I go to work and work my {bleep}
off, then I come home, we eat, bathe, and then every day for the past two weeks
we have all gone out to do some other thing--practice singing,
help with some meal at church--something--a party (even a party can seem like a chore
sometimes)--So, for example, yesterday at night, (on Tuesday) I felt like I had
lived a whole week in two days.  I felt like I had done a week's worth of stuff.
Then, here's the kicker...
The week actually zooms by, and another Monday rolls around--in the blink of an eye!
So, the days go by in big slow chunks, and then all together in my mind...
the entire week, it's such a little while--nah mas es un rato...

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Big weekend

Do you ever just get bitten by the organize and straighten bug?
This weekend I did!

 I finally got the emotional guts up to take the crib down.  Before its final exit, we had to take a picture of all it has hosted over the past seven years!  :)  :(  :)--Wow! such a mixture of emotions.
This evening I cleaned out the baby closet--a cool little armoire that has teeny drawers that are perfect for baby clothes.
Not sure where we will store it yet.  The high chair and booster are in the attic.
 Mama and Daddy went out to a party!  When Eva saw me fixed up (I even polished my shoes) her eyes lit up and she immediately took off her night gown and declared her intentions to put on her sparkle dress and come out with us!
This is V-man with the tiny grape he found....Is the love of all things tiny genetic?  I think it is...and I have passed it on to my son.  Left handednes...no one else got it!! love of tiny stuff...check!

Okay I am off to read a good book and finish watching the Amazing Race


Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Let me declare {officially}

my complete and utter dislike for:

ACRYLIC SWEATERS!!

Who in the world had this idea that, gradually, all of my favorite shops would resort to making
all of their clothes out of itchy, and yucky feeling plastic stuff?????

Please stop!!

Has anyone else realized, yet that the sweaters still cost the same amount of money??

Give me back my cotton, please!
I go on my favorite websites, click the sweater I like, and then it hits me!!
It is made of acrylic.
I go to the little bazaar in the civic center--not so little really, and the chica has decided to
make all of her scarfltetts out of what??? Acrylic!!

oh stop it...this trend needs to go--just like the pre-pubescent boy ass crack pants...they both need to go
AWAY!!


Monday, December 5, 2011

And after all that...

Our house was attacked by the throw up virus!!
uck!
It started with Victor in the middle of the night on Saturday night, and then I had it all day yesterday, and today, then in the middle of the night last night, Eva started to throw up.
Can you imagine the cleaning up that has to go on?
All of the kids are under seven.
So that means the first time, all the vomit is in the bed.
Everything has to be washed.
Two of them can aim for a trash can after the first time.
I was up all last night with Eva last night, giving her the trash can.
This is all very graphic, no?

This is probably my worst blog post ever!!
Who wants to read about throw ups?
I will say this, if there is ever a vomit cleaning olympics--we could win
hands down.
Andy and I have the routine down pat.

This does not make it any easier, though.

Then, as soon as I felt better today, I had to clean the whole house up!--could not stand
the thought of yucky vomit germs hanging out everywhere...you know?

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Done, and DONE! and Done...

Today has been marvelous!
Checklist, Checklist, Checklist--sprinkled with fun.
Andy has been off. :)
We went to the Christmas parade, and it was great!
Then, we came home to eat lunch, and I
CLEANED OUT MY CAR!! yippie!  (I love for my car to be clean)
Then I
MADE A CHRISTMAS CARD AND SENT IT OUT!!
Done!
What a sense of accomplishment!
You know some days you can be excited about all of that, and think
it is all going to get done, but then...
well, it just does not happen.

I used the Hallmark website btw, and they will address and send all of the cards for you...
I did have to put in all the addresses of course, THIS TIME.
Next year...it is gonna be so easy!
They save your address book for you...how cool is that?


Tuesday, November 29, 2011

very cool

www.everydayhealth.com

go to this website.

it is cool

calorie counter

calorie goal setter for weight loss, based on height, weight, avg. activity level etc

go there.

it's fun.

it's free.


Sunday, November 27, 2011

For Morgan


This was Eva yesterday
in the afternoon after we discovered that her our clips from Ms. Morgan had
arrived in the mail, and
before she decided to wear at least three more at one time.
I bought them for Eva and Elena, however, Eva is still learning about the
sharing...so she did so reluctantly, and I would not bet that Elena got
to have her choice...
Morgan's clips are gorgeous!!
We lub dese pincess hayah tips!
We really do!
Here is a link to her etsy shop....
do y'all think I can linky link???
cutecupcakepclippieshttp://www.etsy.com/shop/CuteCupcakeClippies?ref=pr_shop_more
Let me see if this works...
hee hee
Okay, now these clips are great--they are not home-madey looking.
Very cute!!

Thanks Morgan, I am going to order more.
Elena likes them too. :)

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Deciding

I am having a hard time deciding about  a Christmas card this year...
I think these are cute pictures..
Maybe today I will use these and make a card...
Maybe.
Has anyone skipped years?
We send out a card every year.
I think people would be disappointed if we did not send one out this year....
hmmm
I am just not feeling cardy..


Wonderful Christmas craft {idea}

Well, it started out just great!
We discovered Hershey's peppermint kisses.
They are made of white chocolate (you know there is no such a thing, right?) and peppermint bits.
They are just delicious.
That is why we have all been eating them serially, and why we had a collection of wrappers. :)
So we began to keep the wrappers, b/c they are pretty.
Then I had the great idea that we would wrap styrofoam balls in these wrappers and make
some really pretty, shiny ornaments.
Doesn't that just sound fun?
Well, here is photographic proof that the foil wrapper from a Hershey's kiss will not stick to a styrofoam ball.
Modge Podge glue, nor masking tape will make this magic combination work...
It just was not happening.
So today we go to the store for glitter.
I know glitter will work. :)
Just roll the ball around in it, no?

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Food Choices {explained}

I am not positive about this, but I think this picture was taken of the sign at King Chicken here in my town.
That is where people go to buy their collards.
They also have lots of other yummy stuff there...
I must say, however, I have never tried
Chitterlings, and even if I have eaten a neck bone..I did not specifically order
some neck bone from the menu! :)

I think this sign is very interesting.
Have you ever tried any of these?
Do you know what Chitterlings are?
They are the washed out innards of a pig--that's right...all the poop gets washed out, and
the tube gets fried up! YUM! (not)
My mama has told me that it is disgusting and that is all the
advice about chitterlings that I could ever need.

Happy Thanksgiving!

FOOD choices

Monday, November 21, 2011

There's nothing wrong with {Johnny}

I had the cutest experience at work the other day.
We had a referral from the Peds. office on a Hispanic child, so this meant I was the one
to call the family and just kind of get their take on their son {Johnny}.
I usually ask to speak to moms, and I did this time as well.
Johnny's dad answered the phone, and he said to me, this is
Johnny's dad, how can I help you?
I told him about our referral and that it was based on the answers that
his wife gave at the peds. office on a developmental questionnaire.
What followed was the funniest thing ever...
"Oh! Yes.  That!  Well, that was three or four months ago.  Johnny is actually just fine.
Johnny is the baby of the family.  We had to figure out that he was not doing any of the things he {should be} doing b/c we were not making him."
he followed with..
"Since then, Johnny has begun sleeping in his bed, we finally kicked him out of ours.  I know you won't believe this, but Johnny can work the DVD player, and he says, the words in English.  Yes.  There is nothing wrong with Johnny..he was just very spoiled."
and more..
"you know he is potty trained, sometimes he even buttons his own pants!  When he wants to, Johnny
can really do a lot.  You know his sisters always know what he wants, they anticipate what he is going
to want and they just do it.  He tugs their hand, and they know to go and play with him."
I was cracking up at this point.
The baby!
I told him, "ahhhh, yes...I know all about the baby...I am the baby, and I have a {baby}.  Mine even let's every one know that she is the baby"
Oh, yes he said, "my younger sister was just like Johnny is now, and so was my wife's brother.  They are both {the baby}."
We had a whole conversation about this {special place} in the family.
ha!
So then he said, "oh yes, senyora, I love my son very much.  If there is ever anything wrong, I will call a specialist, in this case--there is nothing wrong with Johnny."

LOVE IT!!

Saturday, November 19, 2011

The King's Speech

That movie was one of the best movies I have seen in a long time.
If you read my blog, and you have not seen it,
GO RENT THIS MOVIE!!
I was entralled the entire time.
If you have not seen it, you might stop reading here....don't wanna spoil it...

*I was so sad to hear the king talk about how terribly he was treated as a child...
can you imagine?  his nanny tried to starve him??!!
**Isn't it also strange to think that he was paraded in front of his parents daily for a sort of check-up..
can you imagine having children and having them be nothing  more that what you "check" on?
What a pity!
*all of the actors in that movie did a phenomenal job.
**i went directly to google to look all of those people up
*If you are an SLP--did it strike you as interesting that he played music
into the duke's ears while the duke spoke during the first speech session?
This is very much like delayed or altered auditory feedback, which is used in therapy now.
**I loved the affection that he and his wife showed to one another.  It was so tender and sweet.
You could tell she was his biggest fan, and he knew it!

I guess that is all I can say for now, I am so tired...
This movie watching weekend has been fun.
yay for 52 cent movies at the b-buster!

{I} Wishes...

Something has piqued my interest...
Namely, {I} things...
You know, I Pod, I Pad, I touch etc.
We have an I Pod, and recently I signed up to take a class
about using the I Pad in speech therapy, and ways to do this etc.
I am going to an all day class!!
So then, my boss has said that and I Pad for work is a
definite possibility (talk about an oxymoron).
So then my wheels started to turn...
and turn..
I am having these {I} wishes..like,
"If I like it, I might get myself one too, or ask my mama and daddy for one for
my birthday..."
Just things like that.
Mind you, we hardly ever touch the I-Pod--but really,
I have a feeling the I pad is much different.
Maybe?

Oh! And was anyone able to listen to the music--by venturing off alone to
try to figure out what in the world I was trying to present on this blog in the
first place...
Did anyone?
It was good music.
That Friday night song is sooooo funny to me!

Happy Weekend!

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Fun/Cute video (yay sick day find!)

I CANNOT GET THE VIDEOS TO PUT THEMSELVES UP HERE.
PLEASE FOLLOW THE LINKS. :)
<object width="853" height="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/IOu0DuxFAT0?version=3&amp;hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/IOu0DuxFAT0?version=3&amp;hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="853" height="480" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>

And a link...
http://youtu.be/IOu0DuxFAT0

I hope one of these works. :)

I really like this song!

Here is another one that my sister and I laugh so hard at!!
FUNNY!!

http://youtu.be/KlyXNRrsk4A

Please go and watch these!!
So worth it

Katy Perry--last friday night
<object width="853" height="480"><param name="movie" value="https://www.youtube.com/v/KlyXNRrsk4A?version=3&amp;hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="https://www.youtube.com/v/KlyXNRrsk4A?version=3&amp;hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="853" height="480" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>
and
Kina Grannis--In your arms??

Have fun!!

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

VBI--the term I have coined

for when we {overworked mothers and wives}have
Very Bad Incidents.
I will give you an example of a Very Bad Incident:
Ummm..
Let's just say someone has a kid who ...--well..maybe I should not give that one..
Let's just say that something like the car place incident happened to {a person}
feel free to fill in your mommy name there, and well, you went off..
Let's say it was really inappropriate what you did...
I did not do that btw--I did not have a VBI--that day. :)
I did have one today.
So here is today's example:
Elena had her allergy shot appt. that she has every three weeks.
I took her to the doctor--waited 30 minutes and got back to the shot room.
I knew beforehand that there would be a new nurse...I knew this
What I did not know is that she would be the ding bat mousey mouse lady
who feels perfectly comfortable acting insecure and clueless at her job. :)
I did not know that...nope..
Until the lady had the personality of an emery board!!!
And she kept looking at me, and looking back at her
three ring binder, and looking at me..and back at the binder..
(That binder is not going to give this damn shot woman) ;).
Then she asked Elena what she had for lunch.
People who get these shots are not supposed to eat certain things
on shot day.--It can get a bit ridiculous--
So, Elena said, "Zebra cakes" in her wee little Elena voice...
and the woman goes...
OHHHHH....ZEBRA CAKES--THOSE HAVE CHOCOLATE..MOM, MOM
{DEATH STARE} DID YOU KNOW?  YOU DID SIGN THE SHEET--{more flipping of the book} YOU AGREED NOT TO GIVE CHOCOLATE (more staring)...
uggh...
So, I am sure you all know what I did--what any totally confused person would do..
First I told her--That is a drizzle of chocolate, have you even seen it?  it is probably not really even chocolate ...Look of confusion, and "you gotta be kidding me..!!
So then I asked her, "Are you saying to me that you are not giving her the shot today?"
"Yes!" she says--no voices were ever raised--these were two ladies in the Dr.s office..OKAY!!??
Then the VBI occurred...
I grabbed Elena off the exam table and said, "Come on!  This is crazy!  We are certainly not going to be doing THIS AGAIN.  Elena from now on if they ask that, just tell em you ate saltines and water!!"--
Yep, I am embarrassed to say--that is what I did.
I know what it looks like when people do this--every now and then, someone does it to me..
But when the VBI occurs--well, there is no caring--nope!
Then I went over to Andy's dad's office--got Elena started there--with paperwork and all, and
that is where our good ole--common sense --nurse is--and boo yah! problem solved..
EXCEPT- I still had to go back to the peds office and get the vials of serum and the allergy shot
protocol sheets from dingbat lady.
whew...
Total and utter VBI walk of shame...
My Mama DEFINITELY taught me better than that!
She is the queen of a temper tantrum--but NEVAH!! EVAH!! IN PUBLIC.
EVAH!.
;)
I mean I am sure that lady knows me somehow.
But in that moment all I could think is --I am so tired.
I have waited--this is on my checkoff list, and you are an
obstacle in my freakin path lady--mousey ding bat head--over
a DRIZZLE of FAKE CHOCOLATE on a (bleepity bleep!!) Zebra cake!!!
blahh!!!
So there you go.

Bethany has explained the tendency to have the VBI--I think
old men and about to get oldish ladies are extra prone to these.
There is science behind it...
go check out Dr. Oz. :)

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Half a mind...

At one time last year I had half a mind to go and buy a pair of {designer} jeans.
There are many labels of these {D} jeans...if you go to a high end dept. store website you can find these jeans.
My husband, and lack of money, always made me pause.
Also, I tried them on several times and they never fit me well.
Most of them had teeny tiny hind ends--so to help you picture this, when I tried them on, exactly 1/2 of
my derriere was sticking out over the top of the waistband of the jeans--ughh..disgusting.
The sales girls have always been reassuring, "This is just not your style, there are more to try."
Thanks but no thanks, I think--I will keep on keeping on with the wonder jeans I have been wearing for four
winters.
There.
But the temptation to purchase crept into my mind from time to time, all the way until summer arrived.
What if they are on sale?  I would ask myself--on sale for 100.00.
DUMB.
Since then, I have wisened up.
I discovered my local Belk--on a recently stocked day.
Hit the {sale}, and got a fresh pair of jeans for about 30.00.
They are Levi's, and my entire rear fits into the rear compartment.
AMAZING!
Also, there are Lee, and Wrangler jeans (made in the U.S.A btw) that
are all reasonably priced a many times under 1/2 of the designer brands.
I would love to know what in my brain thought I would need a pair

of 120.00jeans...OMGoodness!!
I included pictures of the non-designer jeans.
Something in me does not want to post the others up here, but if you would go to the high end dept.
store websites and check those others out...I but you would find that there is little to no difference, except
the price.
There was one thing I was going to add to this:  A good friend of mine gave me a pair of her Joe's jeans.
She did not really like them much and thought they should be put to good use.
I wore them all winter last winter, and then I drank beer and ate cheeseburgers all summer, so this fall...
{sausage casings}--so I gave them to my sister.
Designer jeans and I were never meant to pair up, it seems!

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Car Scandal

So, back in June I traded in my car.
I did this b/c I needed a bigger car.
{needed}.
Needed?
That is what I ask myself now.
My Daddy and Andy {begged} me not to do this.
They still love me any way.
BUT they both thought it was a dumb thing to do.
Now, in my family my Daddy has always been the car buyer.
He buys it, you drive it.
My Mama has never cared.  I never cared either--he has bought me several.
He finds ones that you just pay for out right. {smart}
One might think that I would have more sense--don't ever think that...just don't
So now I have myself in a real car {pickle}.
This car that I bought has several issues and I will lay them out here, b/c I need
to vent, and my family is not really wanting to hear it...
1.  It only came with one {key}--and I use the word key, very loosely...it is more like
a magic wand.  When I traded the other car in I was asked if I had both keys to the car.
One would think that if that is a question asked for the trade in by this dealership, that the
the dealership would also issue two keys with cars it sells.
Ooopsy...I signed the papers..and went out with my one {key} in hand.
I asked, and the finance guy, who had traded in this car said, "It is at my MOL's house, I will
get it on Tuesday."--he said this for four months..over and over.
So I called the (big) boss--the one whose name is on the dealership sign,
and he quickly agreed that I should have two keys.
I went to get the key--the key costs....get ready....
440 dollars and some change...
Can you believe this???
A KEY.  The simplest concept in the world has become a bit of plastic, a micro-chip and some
hearing aid batteries...and it is EXPENSIVE to boot.
2.  The car is possessed.  It does things automatically that drive me crazy.
I really don't want my car to do stuff automatically.  I want to deliberately do things like
lock the doors, roll down the windows..etc.  Really, the alarm--it is just unnecessary.
Well, whoever hooked this ride up with automatic features--really did a bang up job!!
I get out of the car, count to five, and the windows roll down--that's fun when it's raining..really fun.


So, here is the kicker--last weekend I went to ask about the problems at another dealership (the Mazda one).  And I had the key ordered.  I took the P.O. to big boss man--and he sent me a check.
I went back today to get the key...and the
FREAKING CROOK at the Mazda place asked me, "so how much did he say it would cost last week?"  I said, "well, I want to know why you are asking me that question."
He looked a bit baffled and then told me that today's price was {actually} going to be 100.00 more.
That's right--a 530.00 key.  No kidding.
Well, you all know I did not do this.
I told him no way...
I will leave the key here.
No way...I have the copy of the PO --LOOK AT THIS!!
That was after he had argued with me and questioned me???--did the estimate he gave
you include--programming, re-chiping--blah blah, and taxes, and labor??? --you get the picture...
So then I took out the P.O. (purchase order)
and he goes "oh"...yeah....oh..
So then he calls the {magic} number that all the car crooks call and all-of-a-sudden!!
The key price--total--was 432.00--so the magic phone call saved me 8.00.

Lessons I have learned:
Never deal with car people when this is finished. :)--
If I absolutely MUST deal with a car people--go to CARMAX! (for sure!!)
and people are so dishonest..it is really disgusting...
I mean how many different prices can a damn car key have all within one month.
???

If you are still reading...I love you!! You let me vent!! :)
If you are a guy--you probably do not feel sorry for me--Andy and my Daddy sure don't
If you are a woman--you probably know this exact feeling...
If you are Morgan..I would love to know what you would have said!! ha! I really do almost always think of this in these kinds of situations.. You would have been proud today.

Friday, November 11, 2011

Kids are so....{scrambly}

From the time we wake up, until the time we put them in the bed, and sometimes
{after that}, they just scramble all around everywhere.
They remind me of a set of crabs on the beach...scurrying around beneath my feet.
They run and giggle and run and giggle, and {repeat}.
It amazes me that they have all this energy for scambling.
They could scramble all day long--and some days they do!
This AM Andy and I are both at home with them.
We are eating pancakes and drinking coffee, and they are
scrambling around the house.
They remind me of the little rascals.
Every 45 seconds or so I hear, "Hey mama!" "Hey Mama?"
{repeat}
Wait,
oh there it goes again...
"Hey Mama!!??"
So I have just issued a challenge,
Let's see who can go the longest without saying, "hey, mama"
Elena quickly said, "Okay, we can say, "Hey Daddy!!" then"
ha!
Sounds good to me.
:)

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Depression--from atop the Taco box

This is what I think our economy is in.
Granted --I have no degree in economics, and granted
I never went to the {B} school...
BUT--this economy is in a depression.  On the news I watch they keep saying...
double dip recession or something...when did we ever go out of the {dip}?
Today at school they told us that in the coming year our county,
which is a poor county by any stretch of the word, faces a
1.8 million dollar shortfall in the coming year.
Want to know the clever acronym that solves the budget problem?
RIF --Reduction in Force
That means that in order to balance the budget next year
it is looking like they will have to get rid of positions--not
through the means of attrition, sino, by telling
actively employed people that they no longer have a
job.
:(.
Where would 1.8 million dollars even come from?
Well, let's see...88% of our children eat breakfast and lunch for
{free} everyday.
Now, we all know there is no such thing as free lunch.
So what if parents were responsible for sending their children
to school with some food to eat??? Hell that would not work!!
I forgot, unless they eat at school--many of the children at my school do not get fed.
We have to send them home with backpacks of food that they can make themselves
so they will eat over the weekend--no joke..
What about all of the {free} --government paid for--cell
phones you see ads for??
What if those were cut?
Cell phones are not a necessity...
They simply are not.
I could think of many more, but I would go on and on...
Instead of standing on the soap box tonight I stood on my taco
box to get all political..and it is starting to cave in.
So, I guess i am finished, however, I will see that the state of the economy, combined
with the people I work with each day--how very terribly they treat the product of sexual intercourse--
AKA {their children},
can get pretty depressing...I am pretty sure the U.S. .or (Amerka) as everyone so proudly calls it now..
is going to end up like a place...say Haiti...That is what I see all around me...broke as hell, uneducated people, who really don't care, as long as they can get their nails did, hair did, and f*c@.  Did I really just type that???
Sure wish I could think of some wonderful plastic item I could hawk, and make millions...
or maybe we should all go out and buy lots of lottery tickets!!
That could solve all the problems at once, no?


Saturday, November 5, 2011

Some good Pictures...and a story?



These pictures are not really related to one another.
One is of the hayride that we took the other weekend when we ventured out of town
to visit friends in Alamance County (where we used to live).
The other is of one day when Elena said to me, "mama, i want to cut some Zinnias for you, can i?"
SO SWEET!!!
The other is of the day when Elena got to read to her class as student of the week.
Her teacher this year is the old timey kind.
I am just loving this year, first grade.  Things are so different.  She can read!!!
She enjoys reading!!  She is very quiet, and shy.  They had to really work so that she would read out loud to her classmates.  You could have heard a pin drop in that room.  The children were so respectful of her time, and I was very proud.  Elena's teacher's assistant is a true gem as well.  She really loves her students, and she is affectionate with all of them.  According to her, Elena has really opened up, and she just has a great day each day.  She talks, and shares...  This makes me happy for Elena, and for her teachers too.
I have always said, about {shy} people, the ones who really get to know them, are the lucky ones...
they only open up for some people..I know this first hand...;).
Today I was in car hell.
Yes.  That's right.  We spent the A.M. in the car place trying to get mine fixed.
ughh..
Then we (Elena and I) went to a birthday party of a little girl in her class.
Then we (the whole bunch of us) went to an oyster roast--the first one of the season!!
Full day, now I wish for a calm tomorrow. :)

Good night!

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Trick or Treat

And this is our Halloween
in fotos...
A party with hot dogs
a minnie mouse, quickly recovered from the throw-ups,
two little boys--scary! :)
A first grade girl with her teacher, who is also her Nana's neighbor,
Candy,
Neighbors,
Costumes....
FUN!
That was our Halloween
2011
















Tuesday, November 1, 2011

19 years ago...

Andy and I had just gone on our first date!
We went trick or treating...
That was the guise to get us out of the house and walking around in the dark between our two
neighborhoods for a while.
Were we {too old} to trick or treat?
Maybe, but we chose the houses carefully.
At one house, we must have looked really old, b/c the person
gave us each a beer! :)
It is hard to believe that that was 19 years ago!!
The only kisses I got that night were the Hershey's kind. ;).
Andy lived in the neighborhood right beside mine, so we could
just cut through a yard, and hang out any ole time...

Friday, October 28, 2011

Baby Snuggles

This is my snuggle bug.
There is still a little bit of baby there, but it is fading fast! :(
I try to pretend that she is still a baby--I mean, her hands are still chubby on the tops...
BUT,
She can also, pour her milk into her cereal (from a small cup),
She can pee the potty,
She can feed herself--and look for snacks,
She can {read} da book--and care for her own {baby}.
She can say ASPARAGUS! for goodness sakes, and help me break it when we cook.
:)
She totally gets it when I tell her that "I cannot hold you right now I have to ___ {fill in this with whatever}"
She weighs close to 30 lbs...

She will always be my baby...
That's the thing with the {baby} I suppose.
She knows it too...

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Just in case....

You have not read the blog in the sidebar called, "A beer for the shower"
Go read it!!
The one today is soooo funny!!
It is called, "White people problems"
You WILL laugh out loud.


What Victor said...

Sometimes children say things that are so smart!
They are just doing their kiddie noticing...but the things they say, are brilliant.
Here is one that V-man said:
"Mama, the double u (W) should actually be called the double (V) b/c when
you write it it actually looks like two (Vs)."
Man!
He is right.
"You know what?," I said to him, "In Spanish it is called a double (V) and not a
double (U)."
That is in Spain they say it that way.
I have heard other people--Spanish speakers here in the U.S.
say "Doble U"--not "doble uve"
His eyes twinkled when I told him that, he got it....
He said we should say it that way in English too, mama.

Now, if only he could understand the dirty socks/clean socks cycle.
Bethany, your post cracked me up!!
V-man squirrels his dirty socks away--so he can save them up so he will have a pair.
ugh...we do laundry every day!!
But then, his socks are no in with the other dirty clothes.
I got so angry over this--and I do mean angry--I began to holler
about it.
I wonder if he will get the point???
I sure hope he does, his stinky feet are SO EMBARRASSING!

I was really gonna post about carving the pumpkin, and the yearly fit my kids throw when we
do this...maybe it's the time of day??
But, I cannot find the pictures.
They have disappeared themselves from the computer. :)

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Please let me outta here {a driving story}

Okay, so having lived elsewhere, and now, mostly just staying right here, I have
noticed the driving differences that occur here in my little
{heaven} that is {home}.
Many people here 1. are here 2. are from here 3. have never left here 4.are never gonna...
so it could be called --hmmm I am word -searching
Well, let's just say that when there is a population of people who all stay in the
same place a whole lot--well, a {culture} starts to form.
Part of this {culture} could be --driving habits.
Here are a couple of them that I think are funny.
Every where else that I have lived when someone is pulling out of a parking spot they
sort of ease it on out there...ease, easy...then the people coming STOP and let the person
out, maybe that is b/c the people coming want that spot...
Maybe the people coming know that the backer outer cannot see a thing
Who knows...
Here when someone is easing--easy easy out of the spot people tend to say
"Look at this person, I reckon he is going to just pull right out in front of me!!"
They don't tend to let out the person backing.
So be careful if you ever have to back out of the parking spot here.
Another funny is this:
When the light is green---people approach it SLOWLY....
Easy there...that light might change up on you at any second...and turn
YELLOW!! ha!
Then when the light is actually giving the warning--ten cars fly through.
This is so freaking crazy to me..
Okay--other places when the light is green the traffic goes, goes, goes...
getting through the light is the mission, no?
Now I do remember something briefly being mentioned in Driver's ed
about approaching the intersection slowly, but--
My mama--she almost STOPS at the intersection.
These two driving
{differences} make driving around here pretty interesting.

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Drunk and Strangled...a linguistics story

I could not resist the title of this post.
I know it might generate some {unwelcomed} readers who might g00gle these words
as part of some deranged ideas..bueno, ones that I would find deranged.
BUT these are words that have different meanings to some {older} people.
People who are, say, my dad's age.
For example, when a child spins around and around..to me they might get dizzy.
To my dad, well, you need to be careful spinning that way sweet heart, you might
get drunk, and fall down, and hit your head on the cabinet.
When a child takes a big bite, I might warn that they might choke,and they need
to take a smaller bite.
For my dad, they might just get strangled.
I think this is an interesting change in word meanings.
I love to listen to the way people in different generations use words,
and how words change, it is just what they do.
So, as part of my job, I do a mass screening of all of the kindergarten
students at my school.
As part of the screening they have to complete analogies,
"Don't touch the stove, it is very hot, it's as hot as....."
{a girl?}
{a lady?}
{a dress?}
No sweetheart, I am talking about HOT.
It might burn you.
Tell me something that could burn you if you touch it...

Happy Friday!

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

So {exciting}

First graders are fun!
Elena gets school now.
She is having a blast this year.
When they read books, they earn AR {dollars} to put in their wallets and buy stuff
at the AR store on Fridays.
Say what you want....I know many who would have plenty to say..
BUT--Elena LOVES IT!!
It is really motivating to her to be able to buy cute stuff at the AR store.
Kudos to her two wonderful teachers for keeping it fun and {real?}--that is how we work, no?

okay so on to part two of this post...
On Monday she came to me and said, "mama, if we lose a tooth at school we get to
get a cute little box to take our tooth home, so we won't lose it."
She was really enamored of this little box....(boy! genes are strong!)
She so reminds me of me...
So, anyway she has a {really loose tooth}.
On Tuesday the note I put in her lunch box was on two paper towels.
It said, "can you get your tooth out? "
So, on Tues. afternoon, she ran into my room, just BEAMING!!
She lost her tooth, and got that LITTLE BOX.
My heart skipped a beat.
I remember little things like that from my childhood, from first
grade, and wanting little things or trinkets, and the excitement I felt when,
from time to time, I got lucky!!
My mama was JUST AS EXCITED!!
I knew she would be.
Here is a picture of that cute little box...





Spot on!

Spot is our family's chihuahua.  He is what we call, "an evil dictator/stuffed animal come to life".  Sometimes, after he has ...