Taco...

I am sadder than you can possibly imagine as I came home today, yet again, to find another dead pet. Taco has been staying in the house every night and most of the days. She has been going out into the garage every once in a while to get some fresh air and sit in her box that she used to share with Burger. Brad was outside some this weekend and she seemed pretty comfortable to stay in the garage. Yesterday we put her in the garage and left the door cracked just a TINY bit, enough for her to squeeze through if she wanted to but probably not enough space for anything any bigger than her. We went to church and when we came back she was there waiting for us and she seemed to want to stay out. So today, I had to go to town for a doctor's appointment and then I had to go on a search for a new washer and dryer (that's another story), so I decided to leave Taco in the garage, leaving the door cracked a TINY bit again. I was gone from about 10am until right around 4pm. When we pulled into the garage, she wasn't there. We called her but she didn't come. I called down to Grandmomma's to see if maybe she had run down there, but she hadn't seen her at all today. Sam and I walked around and called for her some more and we spotted a little brown lump in our dog lot behind the house that we use for them in the summertime. I sent Sam in the house to get the phone and then I made him go inside and shut the door. I walked down to the lot and she was lying there, still alive, but just barely. She was bloated and I could see a small gash on her side right above her hind leg. I scooped her up, thinking I would carry her to the car and get one the road to the vet, but she started yelping. It was obvious I was hurting her so I put her down. When I did, I saw the she had another pretty serious looking wound on her other side. I called Grandmomma and Granddaddy and then I lost my cookies. I mean, I lost it. Screaming, crying hysterically, the works. They were there in just a second and, seeing me in the state I was in, they loaded her up and set out for the vet themselves. I went inside where the kids were playing in their rooms and I paced and unloaded the dishwasher without really realizing what I was doing. They called from the vet and I lost my cookies again. The vet said in a nutshell that the damage was really bad and that she probably would not recover. So I continued losing my cookies when I had to tell the vet to put my sweet little Taco dog to sleep. I called mom and dad and they came over (Brad was at a ballgame in Birmingham, AL) and I lost it, again.


I feel so guilty. I left her outside and maybe I should have known better because I knew I was going to be gone a while.


I feel very afraid. We have had two pets killed within the past month. I didn't feel safe with my kids going outside after Burger was killed, but they aren't going to step out the door now for sure. If it is coyotes, what can we do about it? I want to know what is killing my animals. Is my cat safe? Probably not, but I can't make him stay inside either. If it's not coyotes, then what? Certainly not something that is afraid to come out during the day. In my backyard, nonetheless.


I do not want another dog. My mind cannot take this happening again. My heart REALLY can't take this happening again.


You know where we got Taco? We went trick or treating when Lily was just a baby and we stopped by the home of some friends from church and they had FOUND her in the woods behind their house. She was just a puppy and she was lost from her mother. So, instead of candy that night, we got Taco. She was the sweetest little thing. The thing I will remember most about her was how patient she was. She was always willing to step back and let Burger or the kids take the spotlight. But when she got attention from one of us (a bellyrub perhaps, see above...), she was so grateful for it. She loved us all so much. I am grateful especially for the past couple of weeks we had with her. Although we missed Burger, we definitely grew closer to Taco by having her in the house with us. I guess it is somewhat of a consolation that I think her last couple of weeks may have been special to her, too. We'll miss you, Taco.

A long, enjoyable day...

Usually Sundays are miserable days for me. Fridays (after work) are good, and Saturdays are great, but on Sundays I always have to face the reality of going back to work Monday morning and it just ruins it for me. But today was different. We got up and went to church as we usually do, then we came home and had a quick lunch. We sat around for about an hour (I was up MANY times with animals and children last night and was desperately in need of a nap) and had a RARE moment where the kids were playing in their rooms and Brad and I were relaxing in the recliners watching a football game. It reminded me of Sunday afternoons when I was a kid. We laid around the house and watched boring television and napped and it was wonderful! That only lasted for about an hour today and that nagging need to do something productive crept up on me. I went to my office/gift wrap factory and got busy wrapping the final gifts that I bought yesterday. Brad went to check on the cows and then took Sam to visit his brother at his dairy farm for a while. Lily and I hung out here and finished the wrapping and did some laundry. Never once did I stop and think about how soon the morning was coming! It was so pleasant. I cleaned my house and threw a little something together for supper and the family has spent the last couple hours flipping between Dirty Jobs (Sam's favorite show) and the Panthers game. I'm feeling refreshed and relaxed already and I have two weeks left. Yay!

Peace at last & Fifth's Disease & Taco...

Today was the last day of school of 2008! At about two o'clock today, I would've sworn it was never going to get here, but thank goodness it did. The kids were wild (as they always are on days like this), actually much worse than I remember from years past. But, I refuse to think about school at all until January 4th (the night before we go back). By the way, while I am thinking about it, the new school calendar that has been adopted has us not getting out until December 23rd next year. Can you believe that?

Today was also my Paw Paw Whitaker's birthday. He would've been 83 years old. It is so hard to believe he has been gone from here for 7 years. I always think about him and my granny around Christmas. Miss 'em.

When I got home from school today, Lily was covered in a rash (looked like a sunburn) on her face and the backs of her upper arms. It was really hot to touch, although she wasn't running a fever. I took her to the children's clinic and the doctor confirmed that she has Fifth's Disease. It has been going around her preschool. The crazy thing is that you don't know that you have Fifth's Disease until you break out in this rash, at which time you are no longer contagious. However, there are no real definitive symptoms before you break out. There is no treatment for it. The rash could last a few days or a few weeks. By the time we had arrived at the doctor this afternoon, she was pretty much covered head to toe in this rash.

To update everyone on the dog situation, we never found anything else out about Burger. Our best guess is that he was killed by a coyote or some other wild animal. I am scared to let my kids out of the house so I guess it is a good thing that the past week has been filled with dreary days when they didn't want to go outside anyway. Taco has been sleeping in the house at night and I have been closing her in the garage during the day. She is what reminds me of Burger more than anything. I think she is mourning deeply. She lays in the box in the garage that I'm sure must smell like her friend. In the evening she lays on the couch or she pesters one of us to let her up on our lap. She wakes me EVERY night to go outside for a bathroom break and seems afraid to leave the porch alone. This means I have had to walk out into the yard in the cold, wet middle of the night to escort my dog to the perfect spot to pee. I really don't mind so much and I am getting used to it. She seems depressed and although I am still resistant to the idea of getting a new dog, I can see that she might need a companion later on. She is such a loving little dog. As for now, she is giving the cat a run for his money. They have actually been caught playing together a few times. Maybe that friendship will be enough, along with what I hope will be a closer relationship with the kids since she is staying insde. We'll soon see. Either way, I absolutely had no idea how much I'd miss one of our dogs if anything happened. I am still very emotional about it.

Christmas is around the corner and I am finishing up some last minute stuff in the morning. Brad and I took our trip to Concord back before Thanksgiving and got most of the kids Christmas stuff taken care of and it has been such a blessing! Although they both keep adding to their list! Lily now says she wants a purple shovel for her sandbox and Sam has added a flat screen television to his VERY expensive list. I have already placed my order with Santa and I don't remember ordering a purple shovel or a flat screen tv. Too bad babies!

Burger...

This afternoon when we got home, Sam asked (as he often does) to get out of the van and run up the driveway ahead of the me. I opened his door and he ran ahead while I waited for Lily to sit back down and close the van door. I pushed the button to open the garage door so Sam could go on in. When I drove up to the garage (which we always leave cracked during the day for the dogs), Sam had only been there for a second, but it was long enough for me to see something was terribly wrong. He was screaming and pointing at the garage floor and as I got close enough to see, I realized that it was Burger, our beagle. He was lying in a large pool of blood, probably six feet across. I jumped out, looked long enough to realize the dog was indeed dead, threw Sam back in the van and backed out of the driveway. I called Grandmomma's and told her to get Dickie outside to meet me. I dropped the kids off (Sam was still crying) and I drove Dickie back to the house where we got out to investigate. After rolling the dog over to look at him closer, we first thought he had been shot. It looked like he had multiple gunshots all over his underside from his chest to the underside of his back legs. I called the sheriff's dept. and they sent a deputy and they also dispatched animal control. The concensus after looking around in more detail was that the bullet holes were probably puncture wounds inflicted by some wild animal (probably a coyote, in my opinion). Whether it happened in the garage, or somewhere in the woods and he managed to get himself back to the garage, we will never know. The rain appears to have washed away some of the evidence.

Burger was the best dog. He loved to run and play. He had that beautiful burr-urrr-urrr kind of bark that all beagles have and he loved to chase rabbits and other small animals in the woods while barking that beagle bark. He was good for our kids, a good companion for Taco (our chihuahua), and a good friend to all of us. We will miss him so much.

Sam seems to be fine. After we took care of everything, cleaned up the blood, and removed the body from the scene, I went back and picked him up from Grandmomma's. He was sad but didn't seem to be as deeply bothered by it as I was afraid he would be. He is cuddling on the couch with Taco right now. She is staying in the house tonight and I'm shutting her in the garage until I get home tomorrow.

Funny little things...

I was thinking in the shower about the funny things my kids say and how I should have written them all down because now I have forgotten a lot of them. So here's one... just so I won't forget. Lily calls bras "o-beras". It is a combination of the words bras and overalls. I don't know why.

Need a good book...

I need a good book. I have been feeling deprived of good reading since I finished the Twilight series. (It is SOOOOO good, by the way. And so is the movie. Almost as good as the book, which NEVER happens) Anybody have any good suggestions? I just can't make myself grade papers during basketball practice and dance class (see my last post) so I need a good book.

My job...

Anyone else ever get to feeling like there is no possible way you'll make it to retirement in your current job? I am feeling that way right now! It is thoroughly depressing when I think of all the stuff I would love to try but I just couldn't because I can't give up the stability that my job provides. I am getting SO burnt out. Ugh... 20 more years. I was refreshed and happy at the beginning of the week and it is only Wednesday and I am living for the weekend. I need to do something that allows me to be more creative! I tell myself that it is just this time of year and I always feel this way during the long haul between Thanksgiving and Christmas. It is just part of my personality to become discontented with things after a while. I get bored easily. Any words of wisdom?

The Magic of Disney...

OK, so my family just returned from THE greatest trip ever! We spent our Thanksgiving holiday at Disney World in Orlando, FL. You hear people talk about how magical this place is and blah, blah, blah.... and I am here to tell you it is SO absolutely true! From the moment we walked into our hotel room to find the towels arranged on the bed in the shape of Mickey Mouse, to the night before our departure when we watched the most awesome fireworks EVER from the World Showcase at EPCOT, and every moment in between... the only word to describe the entire experience is MAGICAL.

We started at Magic Kingdom, home of the iconic Cinderella's castle. Although it was WAY too crowded for my taste, we had a blast. We saw Mickey and Minnie's houses, we met Ariel in her grotto, we rode Pirates of the Carribean, Brad and Sam rode Space Mountain, we watched Mickey's Philharmagic 3D show (very cool), and then we watched fireworks over the top of the castle before heading home for the night.

The next day we spent at EPCOT where we had lunch at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall in Norway with the princesses. Lily met Jasmine, Aurora, Cinderella, and Belle, as well as Ariel (for the 2nd time). We got to "talk" to Crush, the sea turtle from Finding Nemo, before jumping over to Hollywood Studios for dinner at the 50's Prime Time Cafe. Our waiter, Cousin Cooper, fussed at Brad for wearing his hat at the dinner table and told Sam and Lily they had to finish their vegetables before they could have dessert. They had the most AWESOME collard greens I have EVER eaten in my life.

The next day we spent at Animal Kingdom. It was my very favorite park! We started with a breakfast at the Tusker House with Mickey, Donald, Daisy, and Goofy. We went on a safari ride and saw tons of cool animals up close and personal. Brad and Sam rode Expedition Everest (monster rollercoaster) while Lily and I went to have her face painted like a Princess Kitty Cat. We saw The Festival of the Lion King, a great musical show. We saw It's Tough to be a Bug, a neat show with some really cool special effects (we were spit on, stung by, and overrun by BUGS). And to top it all off, we ate at the Rainforest Cafe where we ate under the rainforest canopy with thunder and lightning and monkeys overhead! We had the most wonderful dessert... a VOLCANO, which Sam worked super hard to finish! And I almost forgot... we went to the movies to see Bolt!

We spent the next day at Disney's Hollywood Studios where Lily danced in the streets to High School Musical 3, Sam and Brad rode Aerosmith's Rockin' Roller Coaster and the Tower of Terror, and we all watched the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular and then ate our dinner inside of cars at the Sci-Fi Drive In Theater. We got to watch Fanstasmic... the most AWESOME laser light/fireworks show!

The last day we went back to Magic Kingdom to visit the castle one last time, then we went over to Downtown Disney to play video games at Disney Quest. We paddled down a river using computerized paddles in the Jungle Cruise game and we played pirates as we shot our cannons at passing ships in the Battle for Buccaneer Gold. It was really fun. Lily and I received our diploma from the Animation Academy where we learned to draw Pluto, while Brad and Sam designed their own roller coaster and then got to experience what it would be like to actually ride it inside a simulator. We shopped, we ate at Cap'n Jacks restaurant, then we went back to EPCOT to see Illuminations, their fireworks/laser presentation. Boy, did we ever save the best for last! It was so amazing, I almost cried!

There's so much more that we did.... it would take forever to write it all down! I just can't believe that it is all over! :( I missed my pets and I think they missed us, but I was so sad to leave! I took around 700 pictures... way too many to post. Right now, I am trying to recover from the walking and the long drive. Still kind of floating from the "magic" of it all... :)

One crappy movie...

I LOVE M. Night Shayamalan (Brad says I just like to say his name because it sounds cool). I really think his movies are clever and I love the twists they usually have. However, I watched The Happening this weekend and I have to say that it was one crappy movie. If you haven't seen it, I am just going to go ahead and ruin it for you so you can be spared the agony of finding out for yourself what it is about. The freakin' TREES are emitting a chemical that is making people commit suicide. Yes, you read that right... the trees. Actually, all plant life. The earth decides that people have caused enough damage and decides to go into survival mode and purge itself of its nasty human inhabitants, or at least some of them in the more populated areas.

I will say again how much I love some of his other movies... Signs, the Sixth Sense, The Village, and even Lady in the Water. But this one flat out sucked. Sorry, Night.

The joy of plastic rings and stickers & tripping over flat surfaces...

It has been so long since I took the time to update everyone about what the family has been up to, so here goes...

Halloween came and went. It brought with it lots of candy, which I managed to sneak out of the house this morning to give to my kids at school. Sam & Lily (who dressed as a vampire and a princess, respectively) have not yet noticed that their loot has gone missing. Hopefully, they won't notice at all. The 24 hour sugar high was getting really old. We went to the trunk or treat/ fall festival at church. We took our traditional hayride through Shallowbrook with Sam, Myra, Carmen & family (my "other" family). I just love Halloween. I don't know why but I just love the feeling of it. I love dressing my kids up and I love the spooky-ness of it. I can't watch a freakin' scary movie anymore because I have turned into a chicken in my old age, but I do still enjoy Halloween.

We added another member to the Cornwell clan. Brad's brother, Jeff & his wife Mary had a baby girl (Julia) on October 27th. She is beautiful and so TINY! You forget how small those things are when you haven't had a new one in a while! Not that I would consider getting another one... I love mine, but no thanks. All of us Cornwell wives are pleased that we have now managed to outnumber the boys in the family. The testosterone levels were outrageous when I first joined the family. :)

Lily had her first dentist visit back at the beginning of October. She was so excited that when the lady called her name and she walked to the door to go back into the exam room, she stood there in the doorway and opened her mouth as wide as she could to show the lady her teeth. The lady laughed and said, "Why don't we get in the chair first?" My crazy child. She has been saying that she has popcorn in her teeth for months. I have flossed her teeth (although none of them actually touch each other anyway!) but she still says she has that feeling. She kept saying, "Mom, when are you going to take me to the dentist so that I can get this popcorn out?". The only thing that made her visit any better the getting her teeth sparkly clean was the fact that she got a bonafide plastic ring to show for her efforts! And to think that some people avoid the dentist!

Speaking of healthy children, I had to take mine to the Children's Clinic just the other day for their annual well-visits. They got the works... fingers pricked, peed in cups, eye exams, hearing tests, weighed, measured, poked, prodded, flu vaccines squirted up their noses & of course, shots galore! But once again, the whole mess was worth it because we got STICKERS! Lily cried when she got her shots (bless her, she DID have 4 of them!) so she managed to con the nurse out of 4 EXTRA stickers for herself and her brother. Aaaah, the magic of cheap plastic rings and stickers!

Well, time now for a funny story about Heather and how she does indeed trip over flat surfaces. Brad and I decided to transform the kids' playroom into our family playroom. We took all their toys to their rooms (they NEVER went up there) and we are going to find a cheap couch or two and move the Wii up there. Well, they have nearly ruined the carpet so we decided to give a carpet shampooer a chance. I had cleaned everything out and Brad was shampooing the last part of the room. I went upstairs to carry down my cleaning supplies. After walking across the damp carpet to pick up a dustcloth I had been using, I started down the stairs, not realizing the danger of wet shoes on top of wooden steps. My feet went straight out from under me and I went straight down on my monstrous behind. Thank goodness I was a fast enough thinker to grab onto the kneewall beside the steps or I would've bounced my big butt all the way to the bottom. Yeah, so today, along with not being able to sit comfortably unless I sit at an angle, I have got the nastiest bruise I've ever had right across my rear end. Applause??? Don't worry, I'm not going to put a picture of my bruise on here! :)

Brad and I went to Concord this past weekend and did the majority of our Christmas shopping. It feels so good to have that out of the way. We had pictures taken of the kids (they are great... you have to go see them if you haven't seen them yet... just don't tell grandmomma because that's what she's getting for Christmas. And if you get a Christmas card from me, just pretend you haven't seen them before). So Christmas is right around the corner and I am getting ready for it!! Thanksgiving is kind of being bypassed this year because we are going to Disney during Thanksgiving week.

Well, papers are needing to be graded, laundry needs to be moved to the dryer, and kiddos need to be put into their jammys... so it looks like that's all the blogging I'll be doing for now.

Yes, we can...

I meant to be on here writing a blog entry on Tuesday night as I watched the election results, but I was too engrossed in all the excitement. I did, however, write a letter to each of my children explaining how important this night was to me and how important I hope it will be to them one day. I guess it goes without saying that I am thrilled about the decision our country has made to elect Barack Obama as our next president. I am filled with hope. I am optimistic about the future. And I am thankful that there is someone who cares enough about the future to make the sacrifices that it will take to get the job done. Do I believe in Barack Obama? You had better believe it. I have complete faith that whatever decisions he makes are going to be made with the future of his own children in mind. He is going to work hard to make our country a safe and happy place for his girls and for all the other children in America. And you know what? For me it really is not that important that he is the first African American president. I know it is a milestone, but that has nothing at all to do with why I voted for him. He is intelligent, inspirational, and genuine. He is a REAL person, who understands the middle-class, who loves his family, and who recognizes the desperate need for change in our government.

And I am so confused and upset by all the people who look at my vote for him as anti-christian or whatever. I am a christian and I believe in giving people the freedom and the choice to make their own decisions, whether those decisions should be about their sexuality or their bodies or their possessions. I don't believe it is the place of the government to make those decisions for me. I don't believe it is the government's job to see me safely to the pearly gates. That is my own responsibility. I believe it is wrong for me to make judgments about people who choose to live a lifestyle different from my own or who make decisions about their bodies that may be different from the decisions I would make. It is not my place to JUDGE. It is my place to love my fellow man and to show kindness to ALL. Does that make me unchristian?

If you know me at all, you know that I tend to be pretty sarcastic. I can have tendencies toward negativity. I complain a lot. I know all of these things about myself (hey, at least I admit it!). BUT, I actually cried the other night watching Obama's victory speech because I was so inspired and so proud. I think that we need a leader who can do that for us, even if he does nothing else. The sense of hope that he has brought with him is priceless. I hope to see more people around here give him a chance and at least be hopeful. There is so much that needs to be "fixed" and the endless complaining and bitterness about the election results can only hinder the job he needs to do. You really don't have to be a gung-ho as I am... just give the man a fair shot at living up to his promises. It is the best thing you can do for your country right now.

Climbing down off of my soapbox now...

My heroes...

As of this minute, there is absolutely no one finer than Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, and, of course, Tina Fey. My heroes!

Presidential debates and the Cleveland County Fair...

The second presidential debate comes on later tonight and I am, as always, super excited. I don't know how or when I became so interested in politics but I am. I am becoming a stronger supporter of Barack Obama every day. At first I was a Hillary supporter, then I was just anti-McCain/Palin, but now, after listening and researching more and more I am finding that I REALLY like Obama. He reminds me so much of John F. Kennedy. Something about his optimism and his demeanor. He just seems like exactly what we need right now. Then again maybe he is what we need because he is not another old rich man who comes from a long line of old rich men who have the interests of other old rich men at heart. I think he means what he says and he truly wants to be an instrument of change for our country. And honestly, if things don't change... whew! Bill Maher does a segment on Real Time that is called Exit Strategy. He examines (sarcastically, of course) the pros and cons of moving to other countries, just incase McCain were to win! It is pretty funny.

So, we've said goodbye, once again, to the good old Cleveland County Fair. You know, what is it about the fair that I once loved so much? If Lily didn't have to go dance, we really would not have gone. I remember the food was delicious, the weather was perfect, the crowds were manageable, and even the parking was not so bad. Now... HA! We went on Saturday morning around 10:30. Walked a country mile from our car. Watched Lily dance. Then we moved on to food. Brad bought three ribs-on-a-stick and 3 drinks and dropped $33 in a matter of minutes. We got some vinegar fries on the way down to the midway where we dropped another $64 for all of us to get armbands to ride the rides. This was necessary because Sam and Lily don't ride rides together right now (Sam is big enough for the big rides, but too big for the little ones, and Lily is not big enough for the big rides yet, which means Brad and I have to split up and ride with them.) Every so often we'd drop another $5-10 dollars on drinks (because it was so hot...which in itself is just WRONG. I mean, I got freakin' sunburned at the fair this year!) Brad and Sam played Fat Albert with the quarters we'd gathered from Sam's piggy bank before we left the house. Even the prizes were crappy! We rode and drank until around 4:00 and we went to see the animals before grabbing a few things to take home for supper, along with the traditional bag of cotton candy for the kiddos. There's no telling how much we spent and all we had to show for it was the aforementioned sunburn, a massive headache, some aching feet, and a couple of really tired grumpy children. It just ain't the same, y'all. I will say that I rode the Tilt-a-Whirl with both my babies and we had so much fun that we waited in line to ride it a second time. That is my all time favorite ride and I laugh so hard when I ride it that I almost pee in my pants. Those 3 minutes on the Tilt-a-Whirl with my babies was definitely a bright spot in my day.

Well, the munchkins are calling me to tuck them in. Sam has started reading to Lily each night before bed, which saves me from doing it (I can only handle so many stories about Barbie being a veterinarian or Dora and Boots counting some crap). Thank God for school and Sam learning to read! So I am off to pull up the covers, give some shuggies, and then I'll be back down for some presidential debating!!!

New reader...

OK, everyone... I have a new reader. His name is Brad. He is my husband. I need those of you who have been reading for a while to back me up here by telling Brad that I have the entire family included in the picture to the right but that when I gave my blog a facelift (new background, etc.) it just covered him up. He is apparently feeling less than loved at the moment. If anyone knows how I can reduce the size of the image or whatever so that the entire family is visible, please let me know. Otherwise, I guess I'll have to find a new family photo that is a little off center. I love you, baby.

Dead mice, soy butter and a GIANT strawberry...

Just got home from another long day at the office. When I got home this afternoon I was greeted by a dead mouse right in front of the door courtesy of Rascal, I'm sure. He has really become quite the outdoorsman since spending so much time outside this summer. I guess he's thanking us for his freedom by bringing us these little tokens of his appreciation. He had a baby squirrel the other day, it was pitiful. There's almost always some big beautiful butterfly missing half a wing or so somewhere close to the back door as well. I guess it's just what cats do.

Sam had a good day at school today. No cards pulled. My deal with him is that if he gets no cards pulled, I will pack him a lunch to take to school the next day. Otherwise his punishment is having to eat school food. :) Honestly, I think he just likes to carry a lunchbox. It's a novelty to him. The bad thing about all of this is that I absolutely HATE to pack a lunch. I just run completely out of good ideas for lunches and I feel like I am packing the same thing over and over. Lily doesn't eat her lunch half the time, so I really don't know why I bother. I guess because I'd look like a terrible mom if I didn't. Oh well. I packed him a peanut butter and jelly sandwich day before yesterday, with a fruit roll up and some chips and CELERY. Can you believe that my child wanted celery? I can't eat the stuff without gagging but he loves it. Go figure. It seems like such an adult-tasting vegetable, but he is crazy about it. Lily's preschool is peanut free so I have an extra hard time finding lunch ideas for her. I could throw a few saltines or tricuits in a bag and she'd be totally happy. I did buy a jar of soy butter the last time I was at WalMart and do you know I actually liked it better than peanut butter? I don't know why but it seems to have a more "woodsy" aftertaste. I know that sounds weird, but you should try it if you haven't. It doesn't taste THAT much different, but I like it.

I had a really weird dream last night after a traumatic head injury at dance class... let me explain. I was waiting outside Lily's dance studio for the class before her to finish up and come out. I squatted down next to the wall outside the door to help her get her dance flats on and when I stood up...BAM! There was a mailbox mounted on the wall and it made direct contact with my forehead when I stood up. It hurt SOOOO bad! I have a "goose egg" even still and it still hurts like Hell-O. So, it is the only reason I can come up with for why I had this super strange dream last night about a giant strawberry. Yes, you read that right... a giant strawberry. I dreamed that there was a giant strawberry that was growing out of the ground (like a carrot) in my mom's front yard. I wanted to take a picture of the kids standing in front of it but there were these people who kept trying to eat it. I was really mad because they shouldn't have been eating it until after I had my pictures. So, then, for no apparent reason, the front yard turned into a swimming pool/ocean with the giant strawberry in the middle. I was swimming around and could not get out of the water. This guy I went to elementary school with and have not seen or thought about since then, was floating around in a yellow ducky innertube. It was just the two of us and after swimming around for a while I got tired and got into the inner tube with him. I fell asleep with my head laying on his back floating in the water. I slept really good because I felt like I was floating around all night long in the weird pool with the strawberry in it. I woke myself up a couple of times when I touched the big knot on my forehead to the pillow, but I went right back to sleep, floating around in the pool.

Am I totally insane or do other people have weird dreams like this? I know Carmen remembers the time I dreamed about giving birth to a sleeve of styrofoam cups. Anybody want to share their weird dreams to make me feel better?

So sad...

How sad is it that I haven't written on this blog in over two weeks? I am pathetic! Pathetically busy... I bought some pork chops at Walmart last week and thought I'd cook them for supper one night this past week but I was not at home to eat ANY, not ONCE, so I just cooked the pork chops (yes, I guess I wasn't here to put them in the freezer either!) and put them in the doggy bowl for their supper tonight. This week I have a jam packed Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday... but right now (and I'm not holding my breath...) Thursday is looking like I may actually be at home for a brief time that evening!

I've been sitting in my recliner for about the past hour and a half calling parents to tell them that their little darlings aren't doing homework. It is one of the parts about teaching that you'd rather not have to deal with. No one wants to have their "home" time interrupted by the mean, old teacher calling to say something negative about their kid. It's just no fun for either party. I wish I had more time to call about positive things.

This Monday we are having Spirit night at Chic-Fil-A by Walmart. We are raising money for the OBX trip this year. If anyone gets the chance to come by between 5:30 and 7:30 then BMS gets a portion of their sales between those times. Come on out and support us and eat some yummy chicken!

Sorry to make this so short since I haven't been writing lately, but I have lesson plans to do and I would rather not sit here all night doing school related stuff. Although, Brad switched us from DirectTV to Dish Network, the guy was supposed to come install it yesterday but didn't show, but poor Brad had jumped the gun and cancelled the DirectTV so.... it's a good thing I bought him the complete Andy Griffith series (all 8 seasons) for his birthday or he'd have nothing to watch. It's too bad I don't like Andy Griffith. Guess I'll get a little reading in if I don't fall asleep first! :)

Fishin', baseball, and other stuff...

We always laugh (lovingly, of course) about my daddy and how he walks into every room and announces his entrance with a huge "whew!", like he just finished the longest, hardest day of work ever. Well, I have found myself doing that lately. My life has gone from totally relaxed to totally busy in a matter of a couple of weeks and my body is just REJECTING it. Completely. Work itself is not that bad... it is just that all the "other stuff" (ie. baseball, dance, church, etc.) started at the same time and it's just a lot to get used to. I suppose I will either adjust or collapse, one or the other. I'll let you know which happens, soon enough.

Brad went with his scout troop on a rafting trip today and I took the kids to Hickory with me to do some shopping. It seems like everybody is pregnant these days (not me, thank you!) and I had to make a Babies-r-Us run to buy gifts. Becky and Kylie and I are throwing a baby shower for Katie and we had to pick up some things there, at AC Moore, and at Target. Then I went to Best Buy to look for some things that I have in mind for Brad's birthday (which is Sept. 16th). After all our errands (I really wanted to do some more shopping but the kids gave out on me) we went to pick up a friend of Sam's to spend the night tonight. After they played for a while here at home (and I got some laundry done) we headed over to mom and dad's to let the boys fish. They had a great time and caught lots of fish. I was even able to get a set of tests graded between baiting hooks and taking off the fish. They are upstairs watching a movie in the playroom now.

Sam started baseball a couple of weeks ago. He has never played before and I was a bit worried that he would have hard time "catching up" with those boys who have played since they were 4 and 5 years old. Turns out all my worries were totally unnecessary. He loves it and he is doing great. He had his first game last Tuesday and he had two hits. I could see myself really getting into this and screaming for my boy from the bleachers, but I am gonna try to control myself until he is playing in the Major Leagues and making millions! :) Ha! As long as he is having fun, I am loving it!

Have I mentioned that I am fast becoming addicted to Facebook? I don't really DO anything there, but I have so much fun just looking at things and playing around. If you're not on Facebook, you should join. It is so interesting (and totally random) the people you come across. I want everyone to come hang out with me on Facebook... sad, isn't it?

Speaking of sad... anybody watch the Republican National Convention? Yeah, it's sad. McCain and Palin are really the best the Republicans could come up with? I love, love, love The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. He SO gets the hypocrisy. If you don't watch it and you get the chance, you really should.

Well, getting sleepy and tomorrow is the last day of the weekend (sigh...). Guess I better get some sleep while I can. I'd love to read (it's been weeks since I read a book... I am having withdrawals) but sleep is my priority right now... TTFN.

Hangin' in there...

Yeah... I am so tired. This work thing is tough. How many days until summer?

Block Party...

We're having a "block party" at church tonight. I am trying to be positive but it is really hard because I have so much to do to get ready for school tomorrow. I am sure a lot of parents feel the same as me. The night before school starts is just not the best time to make big plans. There will be food, crafts, inflatables and balloon animals for the kids and I am sure mine will be nice and wired and unable to get settled for their first night before school. I am trying to be positive, really, I am...

Aw, shucks....

You people are so nice! To be honest, I do wonder sometimes if anybody reads this. I have been doing several other things online lately and I will have to say that the blog has taken a back burner. And now that I've had to rejoin the working world, I can't promise that things will get much better. It feels good to write and get things off my chest sometimes. I think I tend to write more when I have lots of stress, which I am happy to say I didn't have a lot of this summer! I am sure the stress will return with the job and I will have the need to write more again. Lately when I sit down to write, Lily climbs up on my lap and wants me to go to jigzone and do a puzzle with her. Then I get started doing puzzles and before I know it I need to get up and do something else. You know, there really aren;t enough hours in a day!

So, as I said, I have rejoined the working world. I will have to admit that, although I didn't want to go back, part of me was actually glad to be there after a while. I have the "bestest" work buddies and we have a ball together. I missed them a lot. I also enjoyed the peace and quiet of my classroom after having been in the midst of screaming and fighting with Spongebob in the background this summer. That will all change Monday morning when the crazies arrive. I hope I have good kids this year.

I took Sam to meet his teacher yesterday morning and that seems like it will probably be a good situation. I had to take him to the doctor after that because he has had a terrible croupy cough for a few days and, lo and behold, he has an ear infection. Glad I got that taken care of this week instead of having to fit a doctor's appointment in next week.

Speaking of Sam, he started baseball practice this past week. He LOVES it! I was a little worried about him having never played before but he has done just fine! His first game is September 2nd...

Liy starts dance class again on September 2nd, as well. When I asked her if she wanted to take dance again, she said no, but she DID want to dance on that stage at the fair! Well, you can't dance on the stage at the fair if you don't take dance, so...

I had to go to UNCC today for a meeting and I was absolutely AMAZED at how much that place has changed. I also was hit with a wave of "I want to go back to college" syndrome. Even the smell triggered nostalgia. All the kids were moving into their dormitories (which I don't miss) and they seemed so free and happy. Maybe I need another degree...

Well, thank you to those of you who do comment on my posts. It does motivate me to write when I know someone is reading. I know that sometimes I don't really have that much of interest to write about, but I try! Here's a quick little funny before I go...

Lily and Sam were playing with a piece of rope yesterday and apparently he hit her and left a little red place right above her panty line on her stomach. She cried so I gave her a couple pieces of ice in a ziploc bag, wrapped it in a paper towel and tucked it into the top of her panties to hold it in place. You know it is amazing how a piece of ice can IMMEDIATELY stop the hurt! Anyway, this morning when I took her to Grandmomma's house she went up to Granddaddy to show him her boo-boo and I said "Yes, we had to put some ice on that yesterday." She said, "Oh yeah, here that is mom!" and she pulled the wadded up ziploc bag out of her underwear!!!! She took a bath last night, changed panties and I guess stuck the "ice pack" back in her panties and slept on it. Her underwear was soaked! She cracks me up! Crazy child!

Long time, No talk...

We just returned Sunday from Myrtle Beach. Brad had a conference and the family tagged along to make the most of the location. We had a really good time. The kids were good and they have finally reached the age where the beach can be fun. It's not relaxing like it used to be, but it is fun. Sam loves the ocean and likes to play in the waves. I feel confident enough in his swimming abilities that I don't feel like I have to be out there with him all the time. As long as I can see him, I'm comfy. He usually stayed reasonably close to the shore and conveniently enough, a tidal pool formed right in front of where I was sitting and Lily was content to play in that most of the time. This all worked out nicely for me since Brad was in meetings all day long and I had the two of them by myself.

After spending a day on the beach, I convinced them to spend the next day by the pool. That's where most of the kids their age were playing anyway and I thought they had a better chance of finding a friend there. Also, there was a water slide right next to the pool that they really liked. The hotel had an awesome pool. It was huge and there were plenty of chairs and complimentary towels. There were even waiters to bring things from the pool bar if you needed. I could definitely have spent a lot more time there.

We went out to eat each night we were there. We always go to the Original Benjamin's, which is a huge seafood suffet with all you can eat crab legs. My boys like those. Another night we went to the Dixie Stampede. It was outrageously expensive but the kids really enjoyed the show. Lily is really into horses and cowgirl stuff at the moment. As a bonus, she thought the Southern belles with their big hoop skirts were really princesses, so she loved it. Sam was his usual quiet self, but you could tell by his expression that he was pretty enthralled in the show. The last night we ate at old reliable... The Outback. We just cannot go anywhere without eating there but we always leave so happy and satisfied. It is truly our favorite.

We also spent some time at the Ripley's Aquarium. It was so neat. We got to see a dive show where a lady scuba dove into the tank to feed the fish. The sharks were out and about and really easy to see and the stingrays (my very favorite) were as beautiful as ever, although I was a bit disappointed in their touch tank. You had to reach way too far into it to reach the rays, so it was next to impossible for the kids to touch them. The best touch tank I have come across is at the NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher (at least I think it's Fort Fisher). The rays come up and "wave" at you and the tank itself is shallow enough that you don't have to get your clothes all wet to reach in.

So this is my last week home before school starts. I have never been so sad to see summer come to an end. I know that I haven't spent much time on here elaborating, but I have had a really full and enjoyable summer. The time with my kids has been good overall and I have had plenty of relaxation time. I have spent quality time with my parents and my brother, and especially my husband. It has just been great. My goal is to try to keep myself from getting overwhelmed and caught up in work and try to hang on to my positive outlook. It makes such a difference in who I am when I don't have work bogging me down. I have to learn to balance that better, I suppose.

I do have a lot of stuff coming up soon. I am working on a baby shower for my friend Katie, a scrapbook weekend with my gal pals is in the works, Sam is going to give baseball a shot, Lily will be starting dance again soon, Wednesday night church activities and school are both going to start back up soon as well. I am trying to get a head start on my Christmas shopping so that won't stress me out at the last minute.

But for right now, school is coming quicker than anything else. I will have a student teacher this year, which I am really excited about. I've never had one before and I hope to be able to provide her with a good experience. We have a new principal and I have a new teammate. Lots of changes to keep things interesting. I desperately need to go clothes shopping for "teacher wear". I wish we'd go to uniforms SO badly!

Well, I am currently downloading several new sets of pictures to Winkflash if you're interested in checking them out. Lily's birthday at the "cowgirl restaurant" (Sagebrush), Discovery Place, Beach pics, Scheile Museum, etc. I finally broke down and bought myself an external hard drive this summer too. You can never have your pictures in enough different places. I would die if I lost my pictures. It is a thought too scary to fathom.

Like I said last time I wrote, I have become an insatiable reader. I read the final Twilight series book and the new Evanovich book while at the beach. I have deliberately NOT started a new book yet because the kids have Vacation Bible School this week and I really want to get some things done around the house while they're gone to that. Monday I got my bathroom and laundry room floor scrubbed... something I cannot do with them here because they walk all over it. Yesterday I froze tomatoes and finished catching up laundry from our beach trip. Today I spent a lot of time in the computer downloading pictures from my camera and editing those. It is rainy outside today so it is a good day for me to scrapbook if I can find something to keep the kids entertained for a while.

OK, so I guess that is it for a while. A few prayer requests before I go... Please pray for my friend Shelby's cousin who is very sick. She is 28 years old, has a 1 year old, and has been told she will not survive without a liver transplant. Also, my friend and fellow teacher Karen was diagnosed with cancer and needs your prayers. You can just never have too many people praying for you. Thanks.

Sorry...

I know... I've done a crappy job of writing on my blog this summer. In my defense, I have kept myself really busy with the kids and when I wasn't busy with them, I have been reading. This is really the second summer I have fallen in love with books again. I get so excited about reading and I can't put them down until I finish them. It's like I am just starved for them! So everytime I have a spare minute, I find myself picking up a book insteads of my computer. Sorry.

So, let's hit the higlights of the past week or so. The major headline: Bye-Bye Bobby!!! It would seem as though Lily has given up her pacifier habit. Her fourth birthday was this past Tuesday (22nd). The night before her birthday, Brad jokingly said that this would be the last night she could suck her bobby because she would be turning four the next day. Later that night when he put her to bed, she said she wasn't going to suck her bobby for at least three days. And that very night she went to sleep without it. Miraculous!!! Then all day on her birthday she never mentioned it. The night of her birthday she went to bed without it again. She asked me Wednesday morning what I had done with all of her bobbies. I said I hadn't done anything, what did she think we should do with them? She said to bury them in the yard so the dogs could dig them up and play with them. A couple of times she has seemed surprised not to have it in her mouth and she mentions it, but the change is nothing short of a miracle. I don't want to get too excited, just incase, but it would seem as though bobby is history! Hooray!

While Lily has been a real angel and has made me proud in so many ways this summer, I have been extremely worried by Sam's behavior. He has completely changed this summer. He has always been so sweet and loving but for the past month, he has been giving me a fit. He has been talking back, being hateful to myself and his sister, hitting at me, blatantly disobeying me, etc. I really don't know what the cause of it is. The only thing I can think of is that he is competing for my attention, which Lily does seem to get so much of. I have tried to entertain him and keep him busy but he refuses to take an interest in anything, with the exception of Spongebob and fishing. He would go fishing 24/7. He says everything is boring. I just am praying that this is just a phase and that when school starts back he will go back to the same sweet boy he used to be. I am not sure that he, or I, can take much more of this.

I had a few of my buddies from school over to the house today for lunch while grandmomma kept the kids. (Thursdays are mommy days this summer.) We ate taco salads and razzleberry pie and talked for hours. It was a good relaxing adult time. I am so thankful for my good friends and for those occasional times when I can revert back to "adult mode". It surely helps my sanity!

My husband and I are continuing to enjoy what I consider to be a very turning point in our relationship. We have totally reconnected this summer and we've become best friends again! It has been so refreshing! I love him, love him, love him! He is so good to me and good FOR me. We definitely have characteristics that complement each other. I am actually dreading the time when I have to go back to work because I feel like we are on a sort of honeymoon. It has been so nice!

Well, I have chicken in the over that I need to check on and I have a book beside me that is "calling my name". :) Ta-Ta for now.

We're baaaack....

Well, the mini-vacation to Pigeon Forge was a success. We went to Dollywood on Thursday and it rained (but this was a good thing...). There were no lines and the temperature stayed around 75 so it was really comfortable all day. We saw Veggie Tales and the Kratt brothers from Zoboomafoo on PBS. Friday we went to Splash Country water park. It was MUCH hotter so we really enjoyed the water. Lily and I hung out at the Kiddie pool (the kitty cat pool, as she called it) and the wave pool. Brad and Sam hit the big water slides that I don't like and Lily is too little to ride. Worked out for everyone. Saturday, we checked out of the room and we spent the day shopping at the outlet stores. Sam and I found lots of school clothes for him at Old Navy. Brad dropped me off at the scrapbook store and let me spend some time there while he took the kids. We got home about 7 or so on Saturday evening. We unpacked, started some laundry and relaxed until bedtime. We slept in on Sunday morning and puttered around the house Sunday while recovering from our trip. I have had a hard time because I didn't sleep while we were gone. Two or three hours each night, tops. I am such a light sleeper and the noise from outside and the kids being in the same room with Brad and I kept me up late. Since we got back I've been super sleepy and the kids have really been on my nerves. I need a break from them. Its getting to that point... you all know what I mean.

Not much else to say right now... Lea is over and the kids are upstairs with her right now, probably tearing Sam's room apart. And so it goes.

Vacation...

Well, the day has arrived for us to leave for Pigeon Forge. It is 8:50am and we are leaving right after lunch and I cannot seem to get motivated to pack. I did get up and get my shower already. I know that once I start packing it won't take long, but I hate it. Not for the kids... easy to pack for them... but for me. I turn into somewhat of a slob over the summer and I wear clothes that are comparable to pajamas all day long. You know, those sweatpant type capris, junky shorts that have paint on them, etc. and whatever t-shirt happens to be on top of the laundry stack. So when I need to go somewhere and I actually need to wear "real" clothes, it is like running into a brick wall. Oh crap! What do I wear? Anyone else do that? I also refrain from makeup and hairspray in the summer. I always look like I just woke up. As a matter of fact, I went to the dentist on Monday and that was the first time in a while that I had actually used the hairdryer. Usually I just air dry.

OK... I'm gonna get up now and just do it. I'll write when we get back.

Couldn't sleep...

Well, it is 6:45 and I am wide awake and I have been since about 3:00 this morning. I laid there for about an hour before I decided to give it up and do something productive with my time. So I got up around 4 and I went to the room over the garage so my noise wouldn't wake anyone up. First, I arranged my furniture in my dollhouse back to the way it was (the kids have been messing in it) and I moved it to the top of the entertainment center in the playroom. That freed up some room in my office so I started cleaning it up. I am on a bit of a rampage...more about that later. I picked up lots of stuff out of the floor where Lily was "scrapbooking" one day with me. Then I organized my scrapbook table and went through my 12 X 12 paper and reorganized it by color (I know, I know...). The tummy was growling so I came down for a yogurt and noticed the sun was up. I decided it had been a while since I posted on here and that was about the only other thing I could do without waking everyone up. I mean, I need to hang a picture in the living room, but... you understand.

More about the rampage I've been on... I have so much junk in my house. So much stuff that NEVER gets used, NEVER gets played with, NEVER gets worn, etc. I had cleaned up the kids rooms last week and I had tried to go through some of their toys and throw away things that were broken or whatever. I went through Lily's closet and took out a bunch of clothes for my friend Olivia. I went through Sam's closet and got some clothes for Carmen. I cleaned out a drawer in Lily's room that had nothing but crib sheets and baby blankets in it. She hasn't had a crib in her room for well over two years. I started a pile of stuff for my sister-in-law, Mary, because she and Jeff are expecting a girl in October. She is coming later today to go through it. I mean I have a crib sheets, bibs, baby clothes, etc. Then last night, I got it in my head that I needed to clean out the playroom. I started throwing stuff out and although I feel guilty, I don't think I got rid of anything the kids will miss. I have a vanload of stuff to make "disappear" today. Brad even came upstairs and helped. I think he was amazed at what a mess it becomes after while. The good news is that I found two bobbys and three pairs of Lily's shoes. She is a packrat. She fills all her purses and boxes with whatever will fit and that is where I found the bobbys. So when the playroom was clean, I got Brad to help me get in the attic and get out some more baby stuff for Mary and carry it down. She's gonna kill me for sending all this to her house, but it really is good stuff and she will need most of it.

Are the Olympics going on right now? I just saw something on the news. I had no idea. I hate the Olympics.

Yesterday was fun. We played hookey from church and went to Katie and Greg's family house at Lake Norman. Becky and Daniel came and brought baby Eli. We swam and laid around in the sun until it started to storm around 1:30. We came on home, did some stuff around here and went to Challenger III to play putt-putt and ride the go-karts. We had Taco Bell for supper and Brad and I watched The Bucket List after the kids went to bed. It was good.

Wednesday we are leaving for our mini-vacation to Pigeon Forge. We're going to Dollywood and Splash Country water park. We are coming back on Saturday. Should be fun to get away, even if only for a few days. I'll fill everyone in one how that goes when we get back.

Ha! The Today Show is on and they just said that they are having a segment later about when to throw common household items out (like pillows, vitamins, etc.). Pillows are supposed to be thrown out every year. I guess my pillows are filthy because we've had them forever. I am sure my huggy pillow is gross. I drool and sweat all over it every night and you can't wash it because it's that foamy bead stuff. It actually is starting to stink (gross, I know) but I can't sleep without it. I guess I should at least start looking for a new huggy pillow.

I won't ramble for too much longer... Brad has continued to be the perfect husband this week. He put another storm door up on the front of the house and he replaced the screen door on the back proch too. The screen door had actually fallen apart and was hanging in two pieces on the hinges. We got one that has a pet door so the kitty cat can get on the proch whenever he wants. The he sent me shopping Saturday. I really need some clothes (getting fatter, sigh...) and he told me to go buy some thing for myself. I went to Hickory and I found a few shirts and believe it or not, a bathing suit. The GAP was having a sale (25% off their clearance stuff) and I got Sam some muscle shirts for $2.99. I love a good bargain! Anyway, Brad watched the kids and asked if there was anything I needed him to do while I was gone. I asked him to wipe down the ceiling over the shower. Some moldy stuff had started to grow and I can't reach it. I went to daddy's to flip burgers and when I got home Brad had surprised me by cleaning the entire bathroom. I mean he washed the rugs, scrubbed the floor, and everything! I am so spoiled.

Well, I guess I have carried on for long enough now. I suppose it will hit me in a little while that I've only had around two hours of sleep. Oh well, nothing I can do about it now!

Home alone, texting, and #11...

Brad left this past Sunday to go to Boy Scout Camp with his troop and he has been gone all week. He is coming home in the morning. For some reason, I have had a really hard time going to sleep with him gone. He has gone every year that we've been married so I am totally used to it, but this year has been different. I've been a little on edge... creaks, squeaks, things that go bump in the night, etc. but I think the main thing is that I have gotten used to going to bed while he is still up watching tv. I fall asleep comfortably, knowing that he is going to lock up, set the alarm, and turn off all the lights. Then after I am asleep, he comes to bed (mostly, because he has a hard time falling asleep himself most nights). I guess being the one who's turning off the lights and locking up, I have more to think about before bed. I lay there wondering if I shut the garage door, or if I remembered to feed the cat. My mind just goes and goes. Plus, I've lost track of time most nights and found myself up much later than usual. In addition to that, I've been sleeping much later than usual (9 or 9:30). This is the latest I have slept since Sam was born! Anyway, I will just be really glad for him to come home and for our routine to get back to normal.

So, without Brad home, I have struggled to keep busy and to keep the kids entertained 24/7.

*Monday we hung out at my mom's house most of the day and the worked in the garden Monday evening.

*Tuesday, Sam went to mom and dad's and spent time with Lea in her pool, and then went fishing with daddy later. Lily and I cleaned out some closets and canned green beans.

*Wednesday, Sam and I tackled the popsicle stick barn that we've been itching to build, while I finished up the canning. I also made Brad's grandpa a blueberry pie before we headed on over to the grill to help dad. Sam and Lily spent the night with grandmomma Wednesday night (that was a really lonely night!).

*On Thursday, I went to school to help with summer school testing. The kids stayed with grandmomma and swam while Becky and I went out for lunch after finishing up with testing. When I came home, I packed a bag for Sam and picked the kids up and we headed to scout camp for family night. We ate hot dogs and hamburgers with Brad and his scouts and all their parents. Sam stayed (as he has for the past few years) and he will come home with Brad tomorrow. Lily and I came home, fed the dogs and went to bed early.

*Today, I took Billy and Lea and Lily to see Wall-E at the movies. It was really cute. I think I liked Kung-Fu Panda better, but it was still really good. I dropped Billy off at Wal-Mart so he could do some grocery shopping (it's my duty as a sister to a license-less brother) and Lily and I went across the street to Kmart to do a little shopping. We found some really cute bathing suits for her that were 50% off. I got them for around $7 each! After picking Billy up, I took Lily to grandmomma's before heading off to my "job" at the grill again. I picked her up and brought her home... I wasn't fond of being here ALL alone again like I was Wednesday night.

So, here I am at midnight, up too late AGAIN... writing on my blog. I have been really thankful for my computer this week. It's kept me sane and it's given me some way to keep my mind off of being here without Brad. I often wonder what I did before I got my computer. That and my cell phone.... I know it is annoying, but I am a texter. Brad dropped my phone in a cup of water last week and I had to get a new one. I got one with the full keyboard and I just think it is the coolest thing since sliced bread. As annoying as it may be, texting is really convenient. It is like carrying email around with you. I love it. And my friend Greg turned me on to the website called myxertones.com where you can download all sorts of ringtones and wallpapers for your phone for free. It is really neat. I had my old phone all customized where all my regular callers had their own unique ringtone. My generic ring was the theme song to "The Price is Right". It made me laugh everytime my phone rang! I haven't had enough time to get my new phone customized yet.

Well, my #11 Janet Evanovich arrived in the mail today so I think I am gonna turn in and read for a little while before I fall asleep. I can't wait to see what kind of trouble old Stephanie Plum is going to find in this one. If you haven't read these books, you really need to. They are hilarious.

Fishing, beestings, and the new swing set...

I took the kids to mom and dad's this morning to go fishing. Sam had a blast. The fish were biting and he caught about 7 really big bream. He was so excited. It really makes me happy to watch him fishing because it reminds me so much of the times I spent fishing with my Granny. It would make her so happy to know they like to fish. Lily, on the other hand, was bored after about 5 minutes. She complained that she was hungry, thirsty, sweaty, etc. The fish weren't biting fast enough to suit her. I'm not thinking she's gonna be much of a fisherman. I guess there aren't many princesses who are fishermen too.

After the fishing, we went up to the house to let the kids play in the little pool mom has on her back porch. I pulled up a chair to sit down and help Lily get her bathing suit on and wasps came at me from under the chair. I got stung four times on my right foot. I forgot how much those things hurt. When I first felt it, I honestly thought I had stepped on a piece of glass. Then I looked down and saw the bees flying at me and I realized what it was. Luckily, the kids were far enough away that none of them got stung. If it hurt me that bad, I can't imagine how bad it would hurt them. That was at least two hours ago, if not more, and my foot still hurts.

Last night when I came home from the grill, Brad was still in the backyard with the flood lights on trying to finish up the new swingset. He has done a great job! The kids even stayed up to watch. He probably finished up around 10:15 and we watched the kids try it out for about 15 minutes before coming inside for the night. They are really excited about it and so am I.

Speaking of my wonderful husband and all of the wonderful things he has been doing lately, I am sad to say he will be away at Boy Scout camp next week. I hate when he's away from home. I am not particularly fond of being at home alone, but especially right now. We have been getting along so well lately that I hate to see him go get all tired and worn out at camp. Then I know that he'll be behind at work when he goes back so that will stress him out, too. Maybe it won't be so bad, but I will really miss him.

Uncomfortable quiet, stupendous, and Toady the toad...

Grandmomma and I worked out a plan this summer for her to keep the kids on Wednesday nights so I can help daddy at the grill. Then she is going to keep the kids during the day on Thursdays so I can run errands or just have some time to myself. So we started this week. Last night they spent the night with her and I had an appointment in Morganton to have my brakes checked this morning. I really didn't have anything major I needed to do so I came on home to do some laundry and finished touching up the paint in some areas in the laundry room. It is so quiet that it is uncomfortable. I feel guilty because I know I really don't NEED someone to watch them right now. I am just sitting here on the computer. Finished the painting in the laundry room. Started on the garage baseboards. Thought about washing my car (probably gonna do that when I get finished here). I know I should make the most of this time, but I really don't know what to do without them. I wish they'd come on home. You're right Carmen... I miss my hugs & shoogies.

Before I go, I will share a funny Lily story: She was mumbling some little song in the backseat on the way home from church Sunday. Then she and Sam started arguing about something and she started to call him stupid (which is a VERY bad word). In the middle of her calling him stupid, she realized I was looking at her and could hear what she was saying and suddenly "Sam, you're stupid" turned into "Sam, you're stupendous!". I was amazed that she even knew the word, but then I asked her what it meant and she said, "It means something really great, mommy." So she knew what it meant too! I worry about them watching too much television but if she is getting a vocabulary like that from watching Backyardigans and Dora, then so be it. I won't complain 'cause she's not even four years old!

Another thing that just came to mind is our new pet, Toady. Toady is a toad (duh) who Sam and Lily discovered in the sandbox the other day. They proceeded to fill the sandbox with water from the water hose (now the sandbox is a mudbox) to make a home for Toady. Lily picks Toady up and takes him to their water slide occassionally to give him a bath before returning him to his home in the mudbox. Toady has been in the same place for three days now and I am beginning to wonder if he doesn't have the sense to run for it when they are inside, or if he just can't. It's not unlikely that my children have injured poor Toady. Or maybe Toady is actually dead and they just haven't realized it. Who knows? But I have had fun watching them have fun with the good old Toady.

Hugs & shoogies and taking the first step to Disney...

I love my children dearly, really, I do. But I think I have surpassed my limit of hugs and "shoogies", as Lily calls them. Everytime they see me, it occurs to them that I need some lovin' and they hang on me for a good three or four minutes. I guess it comes from not being with me during the day most of the time, and then suddenly being with me all the time. Both of them are hanging on me as I type. Sam is sucking his fingers and Lily is sucking her bobby. I think summertime is making the sucking habits of my children worse. I guess at school they are distracted from it, but here they are sucking non-stop. All the lovin' is good, I am so thankful for the opportunity to be home with them, but I am wondering if this will go on all summer. I may be burnt out on hugs and shoogies.

I have continued on my productivity run. Although I have been productive on my computer, not in my house. I started by booking a short vacation to Pigeon Forge in July to Dollywood and Splash Country. We are already scheduled to go to the beach in August when Brad has to go for some conference. Then I took the plunge and booked our Disney trip for the week of Thanksgiving. We will be gone 7 days and 6 nights. We are staying at the Disney All-Star Music Resort and I went ahead and made reservations for two character dining experiences. Lunch with all the princesses one day and breakfast with Donald Duck another day. I bought a package that included our room and our tickets and then I added a meal plan that includes one sit down meal, one quick meal, and one snack each day. I am so excited and I have been on the computer non-stop reading about what all there is to do. I want this thing to be planned perfectly so we can gets the most fun for our money. I ordered the Frommer's guide off of Amazon to help me plan and it should be here in a few days. The website says I have 158 days left before my Disney vacation begins. I'm not sure I can wait that long!

Productive...

I have been out of school for less than a week and already I have accomplished so much! I spent the end of last week by the pool, relaxing and just enjoying not having to go to work. Then Saturday, Brad and I went shopping for a new exterior door for the laundry room. I have always been bothered by the fact that I couldn't see out into the garage or the driveway without opening the door. So I have wanted one that had a window. I also have wanted a storm door that goes into the garage so that I could see/listen to the kids when they went out that way. So, he installed the exterior door Saturday and the storm door Sunday. The door and the frame/molding around the door had to be painted, which I started working on while Brad was installing the storm door. Feeling the urge to keep going, I got up this morning and headed out to Lowes for a new paint color for the laundry room walls. I chose a light sage green. I have painted ALL day and I am finally finished. I have a few spots that I need to touch up on the trim but I have to get the trim paint back out to paint the outside of the new door tomorrow, so I'll touch up then. It looks great! I have even hung the pictures and the coat rack and everything back on the wall. I can't wait for Brad to get home so he can see!

Brad also went to Wal-Mart Saturday night while I was working at Daddy's grill and he bought the kids a swing set. When he finished putting up the doors Sunday, he started working on the swing set. He plans to work a couple hours each evening this week and hopefully have it finished before he goes to scout camp this coming Sunday.

So, my husband is being so wonderful lately. He is working so hard around the house and he is just being great all around. I had asked him to take me to look at new wedding bands because since my wrist surgery, I can't get my rings back on my fat fingers. So, when we went shopping Saturday morning for the doors, he stopped by Arnold's first. We went in and looked at the bands and I picked one I really liked. He asked the saleslady to show us some of the wraps that they had. We put my diamond in several of them and found one I liked but it was WAY too expensive. So I'm thinking in the back of my mind, next year is our ten year anniversary and he is probably just getting ideas for that, but he told the saleslady he wanted the new band and the wrap! I fussed at him because it was really expensive and I knew we were going to spend money on the home repairs and the swingset. He said he should've bought me one a long time ago. Isn't he sweet? Sometimes I just don't think I deserve him. I am so high maintenance yet he steps up to the plate no matter what. I'm a lucky gal.

The kids are already reaching the point where they are a little bored. Today Sam was miserable. He was so lazy and just sat here and watched Spongebob all afternoon. I was busy painting and Lily took a long nap. I kept trying to get him to go outside (which I usually don't have to prompt him to do) and he just sat there in the recliner sucking his fingers. I hope tomorrow he is more himself because when he was anywhere near his sister today, he was pestering the snot out of her.

Hopefully I will be able to write more frequently now that I am home for the summer. That's the plan, anyway.

Facebook, Sam's birthday, and my sunburn...

Moving up in the technology world. Figuring out how to connect all of these lovely pages I have created so they can be easily accessed through each other. I have now figured out how to post to my Facebook profile each time I write on my blog. Don't laugh at me. I am finding myself more and more technology challenged as I get older and I am having to work really hard to stay caught up. Man, it changes so quickly.

Sam's birthday was Saturday and so we had a little birthday party/campout Friday night. He had three little boys come over to stay with him and they had a ball. I can't believe he is seven years old. And tomorrow is going to be his last day of first grade. You know how everybody says time flies? I think it flies faster when you pass thirty because that is when I really began to notice it. Hope it doesn't get even faster after forty.

After the boys left Saturday, Katie and I took the kids down to the pool at Grandmomma's and took in some sun. The front side of my legs are SO red! My legs never seem to get sun anymore, so it is really strange that of all the body parts that were exposed to the sun, my legs were what burned. Sleeping was especially rough last night because I am a stomach sleeper. Every time I moved I disturbed my sunburn! Ouch!

Oh, I almost forgot to mention that Friday was my 9th wedding anniversary. Brad and I dated for 5 years before we got married, which means we've actually been together for 14 years. I was thinking about that... I have literally spent almost half of my life with him. In a couple more years I will have been with him more years than I have been without him. Funny how life works. I remember my senior year in high school telling a guy in my English class how much Brad got on my nerves. And then I turned right around and married him! He doesn't get on my nerves as much anymore! Sometimes, yes, but not nearly like he did in high school! :)

School...

Three days left, three days left, three days left...

Coyotes, birthdays, and politics...

Been really busy (as usual) lately. I feel like I say that all the time, but it is true, I promise! With school winding down, I have been trying to get all the loose ends tied up there (posting grades, taking up books, working on cumulative folders, etc.) so that I can get the heck outta Dodge as soon as possible! I'm still helping daddy down at the grill on Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday nights. Mom has orders from her doctor to stay off her foot completely for another month. I would be going crazy if I were her. Then again, I guess I would be getting a lot of the stuff done on my computer that I am always saying I want to do. Not that I would want to be in her position!

Sam's birthday is Saturday. We are letting him have 4 little boys over to spend the night at the playhouse mom and dad bought for the grandkids. Brad is going to "camp out" with them. I went tonight to buy his birthday presents. I was going to buy him an iPod but even the Nanos were $200, which was more than I was willing to spend for a 7 year old. Instead, I bought him a new bike (his old one has HAD it) and I bought him Super Mario Galaxy for the Wii. He LOVES that game. I hope he'll be happy with that. When Brad and I went to Biltmore, we bought Lily a porcelain doll (what were WE thinking?) for her birthday in July and Brad has FINALLY decided to buy a swing set because Lily asked him for one the other day. I really don't want to do a party for her (I just hate birthday parties, does that make me a terrible mom?). My babies are growing up and they are not babies anymore, are they? Depressing!

Speaking of babies, Brad's brother Jeff (the middle one) and his wife, Mary, are going to have a baby in October. They just found out yesterday that they are having a girl! I am totally surprised because they both just seem like boy parents, if there is such a thing. I am really happy for them.

Let me update you on our coyote situation... Yesterday I was coming home from Linda and Dickie's and I was headed to mom's to pick up some strawberries. Just as I got to the house a coyote came out of my yard and ran across the road right in front of me. A few seconds later, here comes Burger and Taco chasing after it. I pulled over on the side of the road and called the dogs and blew the horn and was finally able to round them up and get them in the van with us. Meanwhile, the coyote just trotted along in the field across from the house and watched us. It didn't take off like you would expect a wild animal to do, it just kind of took a few steps, turned around to watch, took a few more steps, etc. but it never seemed afraid or in any kind of hurry to get away. I put the dogs up in the lot and when I went back out the driveway I didn't see it anywhere. Now I am really getting nervous about this thing. I have seen it (yes, I feel like it is the same one) three times in the past two weeks within a very close vicinity to my house. At first, I think I was just freaked out but now I am starting to feel like I have a legitimate cause for concern. I am somewhat worried about the kids going outside to play, which is not fun since it is definitely outside weather and we are getting ready to be out of school and home all day.

I don't think I have written since the finale of LOST was on last week. Oh good gracious, how I love that show! It is just so intelligent! Kudos to Carmen for finding the Jeremy Bentham connection! You are brilliant, brotha!

Hey, did you see that Obama has the delegates needed to be the Democratic nominee? I voted for Hillary, but I will support Obama now that he is the nominee. There is some talk of Hillary possibly being his VP nominee, which I think would be very smart. And I loved Bill Clinton and I think he will be influential if she has anything to do with running the country. And I think that would have to be a good thing, since he did an outstanding job as president himself. It's not that I am such a die-hard democrat... I am just a die-hard non-republican. Actually, I am just anti-George Bush. He is just embarrassing. Has anyone watched Letterman's segment called Great Moments in Presidential Speeches? If not, you should go on you-tube and search for it and watch. Absolutely hilarious!

Anyhoo, gotta get to bed so I will be able to function in the morning. By the way, my husband has been an absolute delight lately! Washing clothes like crazy, being sweet and thoughtful, and all the things a husband should be! I love him! Our anniversary is Friday and we will have been married 9 years.

And the ROCKER wins!!!

YAY! My faith in America and rock'n'roll has been renewed!!! David Cook won American Idol and I am so proud! I was just sure that the geeky Archuleta kid (who, granted, can sing like nobody's business) was gonna win, just because that's the way it goes on American Idol.... I mean, look what happened with Chris Daughtry! He was the absolute BEST that season and he lost. I was determined not to watch this season, and I actually stuck to it with the exception of about four shows. I loved David Cook everytime but was still determined not to watch cause I figured he'd lose. I am so happy for him! Woo Hoo! Brad is alughing at me and saying I am pathetic for being so excited over a tv show, but I don't care.

My mom needs more prayers, y'all. She had her surgery on her ankle yesterday and she is in some major pain. None of her pain medicine is helping enough and it is the worst to have to just watch her be in pain and not be able to do anything about it. Just really pray that her pain will subside soon and she can start her road to recovery.

I gotta go to bed now because we are having EOG's at school this week and I have to stand there for several hours and if I stay up late I will fall asleep and fall over on some poor unsuspecting kid. Maybe I can stay up late and write more this weekend... I am in an oddly talkative mood lately, just ask Brad.

The Oceanic Six get off the island...

Well, tonight on LOST we are supposed to find out how the Oceanic Six get off the island! It is the first hour of the three hour finale and I so desperately want to see it but I have a really bad headache and I am soooo sleepy and it's only 9:30. To make matters worse, I let Sam sleep in my bed tonight since Brad is out of town and so I am dying to go cuddle up to him! I could record it or buy it tomorrow on iTunes if it seems like I may not make it. I've never intentionally missed LOST...

I went to see mom this evening. She is really uncomfortable and her pain medicine isn't strong enough. Her surgery isn't until Tuesday and she has to just stick it out until then. Like I said, say a little prayer for her.

Ugh... to sleep or not to sleep???

Coyotes, lost bobbys, and mom's ankle...

First of all, my mom fell yesterday and broke her ankle in three places. She is going to have surgery on Tuesday to have several pins put in, after which she will be in a cast for several weeks. Say a prayer for her and daddy. I know she feels like she just can't catch a break but if you know me at all you know I am BIG on that "everything happens for a reason..." jazz. Don't know why this happened, but I am sure something good will come of it sometime, somehow.

Next, I am about to pull my hair out over Lily's stinkin' bobbys. She CANNOT keep up with them no matter what. We can have three floating around one hour and the next hour you can't find one anywhere. You can turn the house upside down you'll swear they grew legs and ran away! She flops in the floor screaming and crying for it. I can usually take it better than Sam, who will set out on his own private mission to shut his sister up by finding her ever-precious bobby. I guess he feels her pain cause he's still a finger-sucker himself. She carries it with her outside and then she lays it in the grass or on the trampoline or in the sandbox. Of course, she doesn't think of bringing it in until she can't find one in the bobby drawer (yes, I have a kitchen drawer dedication to housing bobbys - how sad is that?).

Brad is out of town at The Grove Park Inn in Asheville at an airport conference until Friday. Bless his heart, right? Hmph... I'll bet he hasn't hunted for a bobby once tonight! I love my husband. I know he works hard... really, really hard. I know he loves his family. But oh, how I wish he were here more...

19 more days of school....

OK, now for my coyote story... The other night I was awakened several times through the night with the dogs barking. Around 6am, I heard them barking like mad, followed by what sounded like a dog fight, followed by Taco barking on the front porch - not in the dog lot where she was supposed to be. Confused and worried, I jumped out of the bed and ran to the bathroom window which looks out onto the front porch. There was my fat chihuahua, hair on her back standing straight up, barking with a purpose. Everything in her stance told me she was pissed. I looked around for what she was barking at, only to see a coyote standing at the edge of the flowerbed, not even three feet from Taco, pacing back and forth in front of her. It was only waiting for her to come down off the porch, I assume. I yelled for Brad to get his gun. He fumbled around looking for his bullets, turned off the alarm, and threw open the front door so hard it hit the wall and sent the coyote running. He didn't even get a chance to see it but I had been watching it from the window the whole time. I pieced together then events of the morning and I figured that Taco and Burger were being watched by this coyote all night. Taco dug herself a hole under the fence (she's done it before) and slid underneath to "attack" the coyote. Understand that Taco has not been informed of the fact that she is only inches tall and that she is about three times as heavy as your typical chihuahua. In her mind, she is a killer! She must've ran past (or at) the coyote, tangled with him briefly, before realizing it was in her best interest to get to safety. She's awfully lucky she made it to the porch, and even luckier that the coyote was afraid to come on the porch behind her. Brad, in his determination to kill the culprit, borrowed an audio tape of a wounded rabbit (you know everyone has one of those lying around the house collecting dust) and played it several hours that evening while sitting in the porch with a spotlight and a shotgun. No luck, unfortunately. So I have been extremely uneasy about the dogs being outside, even though they are in a fenced lot. Tonight, with Brad out of town, I decided to keep them in the garage, just incase. I mean, I've never shot a gun and I wouldn't begin to know how to if I needed to. I guess I should learn.

I noticed while writing that paragraph that "coyote" is a really weird word. Don't you think?

Well, my sweet babies are patiently waiting for me to tuck them in and read them a story before bed. I should've already had them in bed but I got started with this and I didn't want to stop until I had finished. After all, I had strict orders from Carmen to get on my blog and write because she's bored and needs something to read. I will try to do better, Carm.

One last thing before I go... Lily's dance recital is this Sunday afternoon and then we're finished with dance until next year (if we decide to dance next year). I am so glad that I can finally stop running here and there!

Oh, wait.... I forgot to say that Brad bought me an iPod for Mother's Day. I have been having a good time getting it like I want it. I miss music and I have been trying hard to get back into it now that my kids are getting older and I can stop listening to kiddie songs in the car!

Mood swings and Mario...

Ahhh, I am letting the old blog slide a bit lately. Sorry to those of you with whom this is one of my only means of communication... It seems like there has been a lot of stuff busy-ing up my schedule lately and Brad has been gone a whole lot more than usual which puts me on my own with the kiddos which means I have less time to write. Brad is totally addicted to Super Mario 3 on the Wii and I am starting to regret we ever bought it. We rented some new games from Family Video but he refuses to even try them because he is so intent on playing his oldie but goodie. I hear Mario music in my head when I try to fall asleep at night. I hate it.

We talked a bit last week about starting ourselves on a budget to try to get some stuff paid off and one of the major things that we spend our money on is eating out. So, we decided to really try to eat at home and try to allow ourselves one night eating out per week. We eat at church on Wednesday nights and usually we get something from somewhere on Fridays when Katie and Greg come over. Or sometimes we cook, it just depends. Anyway, I am really proud of myself this week because I have been cooking supper each night. I cleaned out the refrigerator, freezer and the pantry this weekend. Cleaned up, threw out old stuff, organized the cabinets, and just got a feel for what we had that needed to be eaten. I made a menu for the week and I made my grocery list and it has gone really well so far. It makes me feel so good when I am productive and all Martha Stewart-ish.

I have got to find a doctor to help me with my premenstrual mood swings, folks. It happens almost exactly one week before my period starts and I morph into MOMMY FROM HELL. My kids at school even notice and ask me what is wrong and why I'm in such a bad mood. Forget the way I treat my own family...it's just really bad. And I feel as though I have no control over it. I remember I took St. John's Wort for a while before I had any children and it worked pretty well, so I bought some of it this weekend and I've been taking it twice a day to see if it helps. So far I think it is taking the edge off of my bitchiness, but it is still there, without a doubt. It is more like I am sullen now... not mean, just sort of poopy and mopey. And when my period starts, it will go away and I will be fine for three weeks. I don't know for sure, but I'm thinking my marriage can't take this twelve times per year. Not even sure I can take this twelve times per year myself. Anybody have this problem besides me and have some suggestions? I tried that doctor in Forest City but she really disappointed me. My hormones seemed ok, according to her. A little high on the testosterone end, low on the estrogen end, but within normal limits. I also have to tell myself that I get this way near the end of the school year each year too. I get so burnt out and I need summer.

Speaking of summer, I have definitely decided that it is just not worth the loss of sanity it would require for me to teach summer school. Not gonna do it. We have discussed using our economic stimulus checks to pay for our Disney Vacation. Now I just have to plan it. Kendra... hope you have fun! Be sure to fill me in on what to do and what not to do when you get back! I have also told Brad that I want to plan a couple of beach trips this summer, with or without him so that the kids and I can get away from the house some. I really don't need a fancy place to stay, just need me some ocean air... cleanses my soul, you know. Of course I can't imagine what it would be like to go without the kids and sleep on the beach like I used to in the good old days... I would probably just miss them and feel guilty about being there without them the whole time if I actually got the chance to do that.

Well, the eyeballs are feeling a bit like sandpaper and they keep closing spontaneously so I guess that's the bed calling. I have a mother's day program in the morning at Lily's preschool at 9am so I at least get to sleep in a little bit. Talk again soon I hope...