Falling for Fall

Finally the time changed this past week up until then it seemed this fall, time is going so very fast. It seems that I can't keep up and the speed to which all this precious time is passing is leaving me behind. I don't know if it's from Halloween Overload, a crazy football schedule for Gavin, the Rolling Video Games Schedule or the fact that it hasn't really cooled off in good ol' Hobbs yet, but I hate the feeling of misused time, of feeling behind. I have tried over the last few days to regain control but I don't think I will really catch up until this weekend when I can actually sit down and knock some quality housework out of the way.

I have also had some recent developments at work that sure has my biological clock ticking away. They want to switch our 'sick time' and 'vacation time' that we accrue to 'PTO'. They are giving us an option to take our current accrued time out in a cash payment, or we can convert it to PTO, or you have something planned in the next year health wise like a surgery or something...you have up until 2014 to use it or lose it. Well, all this conversation about this at work led to me having to confess to my coworkers that I have been banking all this sick time for the last 6 years so I could maybe someday have a baby. Ugh. Now they all know. :o/ I have such a weird demanding time schedule for work that there is what I consider a 'perfect' time frame for me to have a baby. Which would be the end of Oct. through January....this would give me the peace of mind that I don't have any of my projects dumped on anyone else at work and I wouldn't have to worry about the quality of work the person it got dumped on not being up to my standard...essentially I could actually ENJOY my time.

Of course all this is complicated by the fact that uh....I ain't married and Dang Ol' Dave though he's been more and more open, hasn't popped the question. Honestly before I had learned all of this PTO business, I had talked to him about my thoughts on this time line, but it was ONLY based on the fact that I am about to turn 30 in January and I want to get this done while I have the energy and enthusiasm for it. Not to mention here is also the fact that I already have an 11 year old and a 8 year old and it will be starting completely over! (which is actually pretty exciting for me really)

Oh...the dread of telling this to Dave, and I didn't really intend to bring the baby talk into the initial discussion but it went there over dinner and I ended up telling some of it to him via text message because I didn't want to boys to hear me say the B-word. Initial talks were mainly shock on his part that I may have moved his timeline of events up months or hey even years with this revelation, and fear that it would scare him off, but I feel that by being forthcoming if it's not something he already wants...well he'd be gone already. I also gave him the option to run as we discussed it again the next day. He informed me that he isn't scared, that I was and that it's a lifelong commitment to each other married or not. (I have no intention of NOT being married when we do this, I don't care if I have to drag his butt to the JP!) He said "no trading me in, even for a 2013 model Dave with leather seats!"

Then he had several freak out moments because he realized that his offspring wouldn't be so bad, but that he's totally not sure how to handle a daughter which was hilarious! He rambled about not knowing about little girl stuff, like "what would I do for birthday's or Christmas?" then he decided she'd just have to be a tomboy and left it at that! Heehee! He's fine with having the baby! Which at this point is the easiest part.

Complications to the Babe-tastic plan...my house is TINY...so we have to move and like NOW! (Which can be a whole other blog in itself.) He wants to sell I want to keep my house and rent it out...what do we do? Put it in both our names or hone in that first time home-buyers option...the sky is the limit I guess, but we need to move on this quickly, because as much as I was feeling a time crunch I just created the ultimate problem for myself. Ahhhh...I will give it one more day I suppose and revisit it again tomorrow.

Dynomite Dave

OK, So I have been pretty darn sick. Started feeling bad on Friday evening and by Saturday afternoon, I KNEW it wasn't gonna be good. Friday night I woke up every hour with horrible chills and body aches and Saturday wasn't any different, David woke up at about 4 or so and he just couldn't stand it anymore, I was too hot, said I was like a little furnace. When I woke up he had a grocery back full of stuff to help me. I asked him what time it was and he said "you don't wanna know". lol That means it was 4:30 am. I later learned that he got on the internet and learned more about fevers before he went to the store. Apparently I was talking to myself a lot that night, who knows what I said...lol Anyway he couldn't find the thermometer so he had gotten one of those too and we took my temp. in my poor cracked lips and I remember thinking that he was so pretty.

After the thing finally beeped it read 103.4 which explains my weirdness. Later that morning he called my momma and asked her what else he could do for me. I don't know what's cuter, that he was worried or that he was a proactive nurse. Then I heard him cleaning the house and I remember thinking:  "good, at least if this kills me the house will be clean." So Sunday night I fitfully wake every 30 min, but that morning I wake finally to hear him getting the wee ones dressed for school, which he is usually gone for. It just made my heart melt all over. He was working so hard and called checking on me. That's what the whole "in sickness and in health" part is all about in marriage and this is definitely the sickest I have ever been since we have gotten together. Definitely a good feeling. I DID go to the doctor and got all the meds they want me to take, and hopefully am on the mend. We had a huge storm yesterday with mentos hail and plenty of rain! It rained into the night and it was such a great peaceful time to actually GET some rest. I woke thanking the Lord for the beautiful rain, rest and made some special requests for people I love. I made it through most of the day pretty well but felt myself crashing more and more, and here I am with the goal of staying up and having a good nights rest. I wrote this so even though thanks are never enough and often aren't needed when you care for someone you love, it's still there, it burrowed a sweet memory in my heart.

Letter from a Mother to a Daughter:

Someone I know posted this on Facebook and it reminds me of the selfless service of both my Grandmother's to our loved ones. I Love you Momma Kay and Ma Ma! (and you too Mom!)
 

Letter from a Mother to a Daughter: "My dear girl, the day you see I’m getting ...old, I ask you to please be patient, but most of all, try to understand what I’m going through. If when we talk, I repeat the same thing a thousand times, don’t interrupt to say: “You said the same thing a minute ago”... Just listen, please. Try to remember the times when you were little and I would read the same story night after night until you would fall asleep. When I don’t want to take a bath, don’t be mad and don’t embarrass me. Remember when I had to run after you making excuses and trying to get you to take a shower when you were just a girl? When you see how ignorant I am when it comes to new technology, give me the time to learn and don’t look at me that way... remember, honey, I patiently taught you how to do many things like eating appropriately, getting dressed, combing your hair and dealing with life’s issues every day... the day you see I’m getting old, I ask you to please be patient, but most of all, try to understand what I’m going through. If I occasionaly lose track of what we’re talking about, give me the time to remember, and if I can’t, don’t be nervous, impatient or arrogant. Just know in your heart that the most important thing for me is to be with you. And when my old, tired legs don’t let me move as quickly as before, give me your hand the same way that I offered mine to you when you first walked. When those days come, don’t feel sad... just be with me, and understand me while I get to the end of my life with love. I’ll cherish and thank you for the gift of time and joy we shared. With a big smile and the huge love I’ve always had for you, I just want to say, I love you... my darling daughter. "

Happy Mother's Day!

A practice in self-control

I went to the store the other day to purchase something from a friends Bridal Registry. It was exciting to me as I was thinking about knowing the groom since he was little and playing baseball with my brother, and now he was getting to take this huge step in adulthood. I walk into the popular local establishment and walk to the back room where I know all the Registries are displayed where I encountered an employee. She asks if she can assist me finding the registry and I give her the name. 

She then directs my attention to it, looks at me and says in a nasally voice "Well, all the cheap stuff is already gone." and continues to check out my outfit. I do a mental gasp and actually forced myself to take a deep breath. I take the high road saying "Thank you" and then start looking at the beautiful home furnishings that were displayed. The employee then says; "Well, there's nothing under $30." So at this point I am looking myself over asking myself if I look like someone that can't afford paying over thirty dollars. I take the high road again and try not to let her under my skin, "thank you" I say again and ask for the list of gifts as it wasn't on the table. 

As she goes to retrieve it I look at the items on the table and have the burning urge to buy every last item just to shove it in this girls face! OH if I had the money I would have. It made me think back to the movie Pretty Women, when Vivian goes to the clothing store and comes back saying that they were mean to her, and she goes back and makes them feel stupid. Anyway, I don't have a billion dollars. I purchase something in the exact price point that I was expecting to spend and bought a beautiful lantern to complete a set that I saw others had bought the two smaller lanterns. I always do that when I go to a registry, it's my plan and rounds out what my fellow buyers have already purchased for the couple/or baby shower if that be the case. 

Maybe I should have reported the snarky girl, maybe she was just having a bad day...but I am the only one that can control my reaction to the people around me. So that day it was the High Road.

Early Bird gets the worm.

This Happened the other morning:

Wild morning at my house! When I was in the bathroom fixing my contact, I hear the front door open and shut, then I can't find Gavin...looking everywhere and calling his name out the door...I load up and drive to the school, and yup there he is at 6:55. I get him home and he tells me he wants to be the first kid at school, but he wasn't dressed right and his hair was messy, I try to do his hair and I kid you not, he told me he wanted it to look like....ALFALFA!!! LOL Good luck Broadmoor today...he's a man of action...

It's been a long time...

Whew! Long time no Blogging! I miss writing, and there is SOOOOO much that's been going on! Gee, where do I start? How about I start from Dave and I looking at rings and work my way up to date?

January - Dave and I go to pick up a broken necklace of mine, and we spent the next hour and a half trying on rings together! It was a HUGE step forward, so then I showed him a ring that I REALLY like via a link later that night, he liked it! :o) Made me giddy that we might actually get official!

January - THE NEXT DAY after looking at rings - The family goes to my little cousin Riley's Birthday party, and play in the Rolling Video Games Trailer that was rented for his party. We LOVED how fun, cool, easy and exciting the party was, so we looked them up when we got home. Both Dave and I got cards thinking that it would be a good business idea without telling the other person. We looked into it, and agreed, we could do this! 

February - After some research we decided we were going to go for it. I prayed about it, and prayed "Lord, if this is a good idea, that's great! But if not, please shut this door in our faces REAL quick!" Well, things kept clicking into place, we had a generous offer from David's family to help pitch in for the down payment and boom! We were off to Chattanooga, TN to pick up our trailer!

Off we go and make great time, just my Dave and me! We got our trailer on Feb. 17th and it was a great trip, though coming home was a challenge, we were new to driving that sort of rig, and the wind was ummm very helpful! One of the best highlights of the trip was being able to visit with the Knoef's! We all went to the zoo in Nashville and walked and walked and talked and talked! :o) We also got to sit on the interstate while a tractor trailer fire was cleaned up...for about 3 hours! The night we picked up the trailer we already had our first booking! We were over the moon! 

March - We filed our LLC paperwork, got our insurance and worked out all the nitty gritty details on the business. We used this month to have a "soft" opening and really test out how we wanted to work on things before we could really be an official business. We had 7 bookings for the month of March and had a horrible time with the warranty issue we had with the generator on the trailer. (That's a whole other blog in itself.) We took the trailer to the Teen Center Open House and David talked on the radio and really rocked at it! We continued to book dates for April and we still haven't had to advertize! 

April - We got our LLC paperwork back after over a month of waiting and we are officially & legally business owners! Dynomite Gaming LLC, from Hobbs, NM. We still need to go and get a bank account for the business but being on the phone for about 45 minutes took up all the free time we had to do that, so we have to reschedule. I can't wait to have it all set up for online payments to make the whole system more streamlined. HomeSmart a rent to own store in Hobbs, used the Trailer on the 14th for their grand opening, but there wasn't a huge turnout, but the wind was blowing 50 mph, so WE didn't even want to turn out! :LOL We are STILL cleaning out the red dirt! This weekend we had our first real weekend off since we bought the thing and I used it to throw a party for Dave's 30th Birthday! We hauled the trailer to the house and I invited all his rowdy friends. We had great food and everyone had a great time! He got lots of gag gifts and got LOTS of booze! LOL

That brings us to tonight I got him some Crown XR and ummm yea, I have never spent that much money on alcohol in my life, but it is the BEST tasting stuff I have ever tried. He doesn't even drink all that much so we almost need another party just to get rid of it all! I also got him a couple of Oklahoma State things for the new truck we got...OH! I forgot to mention that, but we are caught up without too many details, but I plan on being better about blogging, I need somewhere for my thoughts to go...but I guess the theme of this catch up was to let everyone know that though Dave and I might not be officially committed but we ARE committed to a future together in our business if not marriage yet and hopefully the business will be a successful one!

recent developments

There's been a lot going on lately...today we had a great baby shower for a friend that is expecting twins. It's fun to see the joy and happiness of the new parents.

Whew! What a day! Here's the Breakdown:

1 - Woke up in the hotel and realized the only thing I forgot was a hairbrush.

2 - Ate IHOP for breakfast and was excited when they had peanut butter for my pancakes.

3 - Met up with some of my favorite people at Raider Ally and got ready for the game...bought me a hat to hide hair.

4 - Witnessed my first Military Flyover...then witnessed a public spanking!

5 - soothed my hurt feelers with Italian Food and Frozen Custard.

6 - Saw some of my favorite Hobbson's, Brandon McClintick & Crew, at "Dave's Toy Store" (aka Best Buy).

7 - spent a stupid amount of money on PET CLOTHS of all things.

8 - passed out in car on the way home and was thankful for Dave for about the 100th time during the day.

9 - Got home & saw that the new neighbors are moved in across the street and look forward to seeing if they have kids I get to nick-name tomorrow!

Tupperware Party

All of my life my cooking has been an integral part of my upbringing. I waited anxiously for the day I could help out in creating the happiness that was prepared in the kitchens of not only my Mother but my Grandmothers and Great-Grandmothers. My Mother had a rule as her mother before her: you had to be tall enough to reach the bottom of her arm when she stretched out her arms to her sides. Why? I don't know, maybe because a taller person won't spill things on the counter. Dishes were prepared lovingly, carefully with much love and humor. Each dish with a long history or a new challenge filled with trepidation when there was a new recipe. There are family favorites that for some reason are prepared and served in certain bowls or dishes. There's the guacamole bowl, the dish the cranberry sauce is served in each Thanksgiving, many more and then there is the green Tupperware bowl.

This bowl has been in the family for well, longer than me. My Grandmother, Momma Kay, made popcorn balls in it for her children. Upon my parents wedding, it was gifted to my Mother. As a child, I watched my own Mother mix and knead bread and place the dough in the green bowl to raise, waiting for it to be big enough to pop the now long lost lid, because that's when you knew it was ready. Mom bought another Tupperware bowl that was the same size and the green bowl faded over the years, got stuffed into the back of the cabinet and was almost thrown out a time or two, but Mom just couldn't do it, it had history.

This year when I bought a bushel of green chilies, I asked my Mom if she wanted to split it with me, of course she was glad to and we were thrilled to receive them and split the bushel. We opened the bag and smelled the amazing aroma of the chilies, and Mom began placing my half in the green bowl. I should have brought it right back.

I peeled my peppers and froze them. Time passed and I kept forgetting to take the bowl back. I cleaned it and had it sitting out to take on the next trip to Mom's. Then Dave made popcorn in it, then it was washed and cleaned again, then I made popcorn in it and set it on the stove. The next day we were getting ready to cook supper and I asked David to preheat the oven. I then smelled the unmistakable smell of burnt plastic! I forgot to tell him to take off the bowl, Dave being a guy, didn't know to remove it...didn't know that without that type of oven would get hot on the top too. He didn't know the history of the green bowl. He didn't know that it has a special place in our family kitchen. It was just a bowl. It was an accident! It was both our faults!Mom was going to be upset..I was upset!

How was I going to tell her? She was gonna KILL ME/US! It took a minute but Dave thought about e-bay. So we looked, and don't you know we found an exact replica of the bowl! So we joked about buying it and not telling Mom, but our bowl was special, Mom would know. We bought the bowl and decided we would fess up when it came in. (then found it for cheaper like 10 seconds later!) Well, it came in today. So, we told the kids to load up in the truck because "it's time to eat crow", which they thought was gross until we explained what it meant. Ha! As we drove to her house we hummed the Funeral March...fearing the worst.

Mom, started calling David, "Dynamite Dave" a while back, because well, he's pretty stinking awesome! So, he handed her the box with both bowls in it and told her "I'm afraid I'm about to lose my Dynamite status". Mom gave him a blank look, because of course she didn't have a CLUE what he was talking about. She opened the box to see the new bowl on top and then lifted it, it seemed to take forever and Dave and I were anxiously waiting! She sees the old bowl, and looks through the hole in the bottom...and laughingly asked what happened. So, we explained the demise of the old bowl, and she opened and closed the lid to the new one. Dave joked that he had to have a Tupperware Party to get the new 'old' bowl. Mom spoke about how the old bowl had it's memories too and now it's got an even better history behind it! She's a great sport, and I know it still probably hurt a bit inside, but she told Dave he still kept his "Dynamite" status.

Here's to happy cooking in the new green bowl, and the history of the green bowl that is now legend!

Do It Anyway

Every once in a while something speaks out to me. Sometimes it's song lyrics that feel like the writer is singing my heart. Other times it's a book that has a character that I can relate to, and other times it can be a little snip-it of a quote, but today while shopping for Christmas ideas I came across a poem that spoke to me. After you read it you may see why.

You know, I do get asked a lot why I am a happy person, why or how I overcame the things that I have, "do you every not smile or joke?" and you know...after I read this...I know what it really is, it's because without knowing it, I was DOING IT ANYWAY. I don't waste my time on things that I can't control, I CAN control how I react to things and I truly try to live by that. Weather it works or not is up to those around me, and I hope that I do a good job.

"Do it Anyway"


People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway.

What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, will often be forgotten. Do good anyway.

Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway.

In the final analysis, it is between you and God.

It was never between you and them anyway.

- Mother Teresa

Ten Years ago today...

Kainan,

Ten years ago today I wrote a letter to you and placed it in your baby book. Ten years later you can actually READ that letter! I want to update you on some events that have happened since that day. It will be just a summery because as you can imagine, it's a lot of information and there are lots of theories about what happened. As the dust settled from the events of that day, many people from across the country came together in efforts to try and rescue survivors and to clean up the destruction that was caused by all four planes crashing.

We found out that people on the fourth plane, Flight 93, did what they could to stop the hijackers from causing more destruction. They have their lives to assure that others were safe. When they got ready to take on the hijackers they said "let's roll..." Their spirit of a united front defines what true heroes are.

There was a total of 2,996 people that died that day, 19 of those were hijackers. Of that total 411 of those people were emergency workers who responded to the scene and died as they tried to rescue people and fight fires. The people that passed away that day created, through their deaths, a new way of life for people across the world. Some of that way of life involves the loss of other American lives to achieve not only freedom for others but also to hold those accountable that helped plan the terrorist acts.

Many people have differing opinions of weather things were handled the way they should have been or not, but I truly believe that our leaders did the best they could with what they has to work with at the time. Our Nation has been at war with terrorists for the last 10 years, your whole life. Also, in that 10 years, President Bush's successor President Obama has continued the fight on terrorism ans on May 1st of this year our US Troops finally found Osama bin Laden, and brought him to justice.

The people that committed these acts were religious fanatics that believed they were serving God through what they were doing. To me it's no different that a cult who tries to achieve power or reward through the destruction of others. Acts like these are not what God wants, and that's why it's so very important to learn and research not only your religion but also others as well. It's important to learn the history of these events so we can keep things like this from happening again. That's why I wrote to you that day 10 years ago. I left my fears out of that letter thinking it best to just leave the facts, but I can tell you now, I am no longer afraid. We live in the greatest Nation on Earth, while not perfect, we are founded on the ideals that freedom is for all who live here and that is what the terrorists were actually fighting. Now THEIR nations are more free, they DIDN'T break America's spirit, but strengthened us.

"Our enemies have made the mistake that America’s enemies always make. They saw liberty & thought they saw weakness. And, now, they see defeat." - George W. Bush

I know I left much out, I know I am not the best spokesperson for the event but I felt it necessary to share my point of view for you while you were so small. God Bless the United States of America!

Love,

Mom

Dear Kainan, September 11, 2001

The Following is a letter that I wrote to my son, word for word, the day of September 2001. Nothing has been changed, and as you can imagine there was much we DIDN'T know:

Kainan,

Today I awoke to the news that a hijacked airplane crashed into one of the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. Then 18 minutes later another plane crashed into the other tower. Both towers burned from huge holes in their sides. We thought the first plane was an accident. When the second plane crashed everyone knew it had to be a terrorist attack. A third plane crashed into the Pentagon a short time later. Then the building that the second plane crashed into, collapsed to the ground. Many people were crushed because they were near the buildings, escaping, or trying to rescue victims. None of them expected the buildings to fall. A few minutes later the first injured building crashed to the ground. The Twin Towers of the World Trade Center were no more. As this is going on a fourth hijacked plane is crashed in Penn. President Bush said early in the day: "Freedom itself was attacked this morning..." and later: "We will hunt down and punish the people who committed this horrible act." It has been popular belief that supporters of a known terrorist Osama Bin Laden were behind this destruction. A huge investigation is taking place. As these events unfold I will keep record of this for you Kainan. The world is changing before my eyes and I want you to know what was happening as you life was just beginning. God Bless the rescuers and victims; and God Bless us as things are so confusing and difficult right now.

Mom


I wrote three more letters after that and I put them in his baby book. I distinctly remember the shock of the events and the horrible thought of "what kind of world did I just bring my baby into?". I remember rewriting the letter, taking out most of the emotion I was feeling, I thought it best to leave it as "just the facts". I left off the fact that I woke up that morning and laid my 2 month old, Kainan, on a blanket on the floor right in front of the tv, just like every other morning before that one. I left off, that as the tv came into focus after turning it on, I watched the 2nd plane hit on live tv. I left off, that I sat on the couch with a perfect stranger (the air conditioner repair guy) and prayed for our country. I wonder if that guy remembers me as vividly as I do him. I couldn't get past the thought that I brought a child into such a messed up world for a very long time...I have to say though, as the days and years passed, I think that the people in charge of this country did the very best they could with what they had to work with.

I am a Proud American. God Bless the USA!

Labor Day Weekend

I started off my Labor Day Weekend by taking Friday afternoon off to go get my feet pampered. I went to this place called Elite Nails and man, after the food scrub, hot rock massage and wax treatment, I was in heaven! My toes and heels feel great, and it's really been a challenge to keep them healthy. It's been a constant battle ever since Kainan was born, I don't know if there is a connection with that or not, but it's something I am going to start doing for myself to try and keep them healthy.

Saturday, was laundry war 2011. I cleaned and cleaned and folded and folded, and it's a never ending battle! The more cloths I washed and put away the more I found myself thinking that I wished it were socially acceptable to let my kids run around in loin cloths or something...ANYTHING but more cloths! After lunch they were picked up by their father, who just showed up out of the blue...of course the boys just flipped out they were so excited. He told them that they were going to a movie and that left David and I to watching movies and doing a whole lot of nothing. Until our football games started! It's great to have football back on the tube!

Sunday, was the absolute BEST weather day that we've had all YEAR!!! We slept late because it was so dark due to the rainy weather. I was VERY surprised to find out that it was after 8:30 am! I walked into the living room and opened the front door to let Carmen in to eat breakfast...it smelled like rain, it was glorious! It started to rain, and I opened the windows and turned the Air Conditioner off and just enjoyed the quiet splatter of the drops landing on the pavement and window pane. It was the most enjoyable morning that I have had in quite some time. It was the promise of fall that we have been waiting for. It's been such a miserable year, and we haven't had ONE cold break like this since February! I almost busted out all my fall decorations, but I restrained myself...I'll do it in a couple of weekends...

Around lunch time David got called out to a rig that was just outside of Lubbock, so we fueled up the truck and headed out. Dave bought a few lotto tickets and we were super excited when we won $80! We went and ate at Abuelo's and went to the mall, we were looking for jeans to fit Dave, which was impossible. The good news was I found my favorite fall scent at Bath & Bodyworks, it's called Fireside...and when you don't have a fireplace, it smells just like it. So I stocked up because you can't find it after the season is over. We came back to town and decided to go to the movies, and it was ok...we watched Conan the Barbarian...it was real gory and not really like the old one, but it was entertaining. OH! I almost forgot! I got my payment of roasted green chilies! So, after the movie I peeled them and stored them for future use. We picked the boys up and they were upset that they had to come back, how do you explain to a kid that their DAD called and wanted them to leave? Sigh...THEN they told us that they didn't go to the movie...I wish he could learn not to get their hopes up, because it ALWAYS leaves ME picking up the pieces!

This morning the boys slept in until just at 8 am and it was pretty awesome! We rearranged their room a bit to fit a rug that I bought. I spent some time watching movies and cleaning the house a bit. David gave Kainan a mowing lesson and he decided to pay him in legos. They bought a Star Wars one and then super glued it...lol I made a batch of green chili stew and it was SO HOT I had to add sugar to bring it back down so we could eat it! After that it was delicious! I'm looking forward to using my stash of roasted green chilies! '

It's been a really enjoyable weekend at the house, and I can already feel myself dragging my feet about having to return tomorrow...something I don't usually do...but man, after a weekend of that, who needs work?

Diet Day 1

Ok, today is the day. I am 250.8 lbs as of this morning...10 of that gained in my last week splurging on all the things I was gonna miss! LOL I've signed on to peddle this stuff, but I am NOT going to push anything until I see where my experience as a consumer takes me.

My Parents are on their 2nd week and they are feeling great! I am excited for them, and doubly so because they are doing it as a team. Dad has lost 17 lbs as of Friday, and Mom has lost 10. I don't anticipate a miracle but this seems to be a good decision with the combination of the meal management with the luxury of getting to still have a meal with my family each evening. Which was one of the drawbacks of the last attempt I made.

Wish me luck and a strong will...

Bully

*prepare for a rant...and not one based on my own kids but a show I watched about bullying, the more I thought about it, the madder I got.


I want to talk about what I am seeing as the "latest thing" in childcare/school, the anti-bullying movement. To be clear, I applaud the efforts of parents, teachers and kids themselves for taking the time to step back and actually PAY attention to something that has been going on since...oh, the beginning of time! There are those that take it to the extreme and are so mean to others (I think the people that this happens to are definitely victims and often have other underlying issues.), usually because they are using it to fulfill some void within themselves, that it drives a person...well crazy. Crazy to the point where they do something extreme, either to themselves or to others.

On the other hand, there is what I view as a sort of "healthy" bully. Someone who might keep us on our toes, teaches us to overcome conflict, stand up for themselves, inspiring self-reliance and eventually confidence after the conflict is resolved. Children are honest, brutally honest. I got the fact that I had super thick ugly glasses pointed out to me on a daily basis as a kid. How did I resolve that? Well, for a while, it bothered me but as I got older I quipped "nice observation", shutting down the comments.

What I am really concerned about is people can't seem to tell the difference anymore. The people in charge are taking everything to such extremes that a simple comment can cause the speaker to be in serious trouble, and the witness or 'victim' to never have to learn how to actually handle a situation on their own. Is that what we really want out of our children? To always come running to us to save them at every single incident? Of course the momma bear in me says YES! I will do anything for my children, anything to keep them safe from hurt and harm, but I know I have to draw the line and let them learn on their own. It can't be good for society to have a bunch of mamby-pambies running the place. We hear all the time about complaints about Generation X Y Z from the Baby-boomers...well, news flash YOU created this mess! Now the question is? Can it be fixed?

I think so, I try my hardest to have my kids NOT be the bully, to treat others the way they want to be treated. Take a stand when there is someone they see getting picked on. If everyone did it with their kids and made it a constant conversation in their homes, one side of it would be solved. Childhood is a tough learning experience, so if we have a combination of letting kids be kids, along with looking out for the other guy...a balance can be achieved.

Scars

Last night Dave and I had a "Scar off". What's that you might ask?

Well, we were watching Pawn Stars, and they were looking at the stitching on a straight jacket that was owned by Harry Houdini. Dave said something about having stitches and it turned into a pop quiz with each other about our childhood injuries! LOL It really was a lesson in how much we have paid attention to each other over the years.

Anyway, It was pretty funny, because both of us are really on it. Dave's had stitches because of a big rock incident, racing for nachos and busting his knee. I had the tragic pool chlorine floaty incident and my appendix...but we didn't count the kids...we just didn't go there! When I talked about his busted knee he said "YEA but what leg is it on?" It led to quizzing about other funny stories that we have told each other. Good times!

Falling in Love

I am sitting here on the couch. David, Gavin and Angus are on the other end of it, practicing vocabulary words. Dave is being so very patient with Gavin, who is reading them aloud and for the most part is just guessing at the words he is reading. Angus, well Angus, is too good for these guys and is chewing on his little stuff lamb that he has been dedicated to destroying since the Easter Bunny brought it this past Easter.

I wish I could tape this, because it's adorable. Dave has his arm around Gavin and they are sounding out the words, talking about the meaning of the words. It just makes me fall in love with him all over. I couldn't ask for better than that for my wee ones, and for myself I guess, because if you can keep falling in love with the one you are with, you (in my opinion) are a winner. I just hope through all the times that he gives me this certain look I always get and that laugh, like he can't believe I just said that, maybe that's him falling for me all over again a little bit each day too...

not forgotten...

Today, I went to a funeral for a sweet, loving, ornery Christian woman. A person who has lived her life the best she could and using all she had to keep moving forward at all times. A person who reminds me of my own sweet great-grandmothers. I can't help but reflect...

I really love old people. I define someone as old as being at least 72, by the way because that was the age Granny Who was when I had the thought "man, she's old".

My Granny Buna would have been 101 years old this year, and we did the same thing that Ma's family did...we figured she would live forever because she already HAD! Live, something she did and well. Not because she had money, but she had rich memories and rich family love. Granny Buna contracted Polo when she was 2 years old, which left her without full use of her legs, always left behind by her siblings, she learned how to walk on her hands so she could do something 'they' couldn't do. I never knew a time where she didn't use a cart to get around. Though I do remember her able to stand with crutches to cook. Granny was never supposed to have children because her doctor didn't think it was safe. Well, she had 5 boys, and named one after that Dr. I love that. She knew incredible, unspeakable heart ache...especially with the outliving of all but one of her boys. She remembered everything and always sought to create something, weather it was food, paintings or other crafts or even music. She became the neighborhood Granny, and was friends with everyone, she loved connecting with people and loved God in a way that you saw it on her face. She wrote all of her memory's and published a book, it's fun to read, and now when I read it I cry because I miss her and I can hear her voice telling me all of those stories as she had in person.

Granny Who was always a little more stern. She was a beautician. She ALWAYS and I mean ALWAYS had to look her best. She had a cellar at her house which was always the result of adventures by us kids. She also had a drawer full of scarves and we always used them to do a fashion show every time we visited. She was an amazing cook and is the source of many of the family favorites...including Momma Kay's bread, the all important mac'n'cheese. She also was creative. She hand crafted quilts. That's HAND CRAFTED...as in NO sewing machine, EVER! Her quilts are some of the most beautiful I have ever seen. She always said that someone could have one if they named their daughter "Pansy" which was her real name. I haven't had the chance to name a girl...but hey, who knows maybe someday...

My Granny Johnson was the last to pass. She was a poet and made all sorts of things all the time. She knitted and I will always regret that I didn't get to learn that from her. She was such a bright positive person and always had a funny song and fun story to tell. She loved to sing and loved God so very much!

I was born at just the right time to have my great-grandmother's as part of my life. How I got so lucky I will never know but I CAN say I can't WAIT to be a Granny!

Back to the Grind

In the morning school is back in session in Hobbs. With that the moans of many children can be heard across the land, and the secret joyful glee of the parents underlying it! I am ready to have some order back into our lives, even though I am a person that thrives in disorder most of the time. It's a fact kids need order of some sort and mine are no exception.

Gavin can't wait for school to start, Kainan would rather never ever have to go back... They picked out their cloths this evening, did a last check on their school supplies, bathed and completely crashed out! I have a 4th grader and a 2nd grader on my hands and before bed, we had the back to school pep-talk. We discussed being good friends, the boys leaving each other alone (Kainan has had a bit of 'mother hen' syndrome this summer), getting their work done AT school with the threat that their entire electronic lives will come to a halt if they don't. I am Mom, that's my job.

That being said, I remember 4th grade and 2nd grade so well! In 2nd grade, I had Mrs. Estrada and she had a Curious George doll that we got to all take care of. I remember it taking FOREVER for it to be my turn! We also learned cursive and I wanted so badly to be good at it, I remember practicing with a sick in the sandbox, with my friend Betty who was better at it than me, but helped me practice.

In 4th grade I had Mrs. Manes and she was awesome! She read to us after lunch every day. We read "Tales of a 4th grade Nothing", "James and the Giant Peach", "Where the Red Fern Grows" and "Summer of the Monkeys". I loved learning about New Mexico history and I still make those paper flowers that I learned how to do for our program that we did.

I am excited about the upcoming school year and I appreciate the efforts of those who teach our kiddos. They do an awful lot and sacrifice a lot to teach our kids. I just pray that Gavin's doesn't succumb to his charms...

Housing Developments

Well for the first time in a YEAR it has finally rained in Hobbs! With the refreshing new weather, it brought refreshing changes to the family. I am going to list them...why? I dunno...lol

#1 I have written about David's interest in getting a home. He submitted all his info for pre-approval on a loan, but we are waiting to hear back on what he is approved for. It's exciting and nerve wracking at the same time! I am trying not to get my hopes up, but the desire for more square footage AND another bathroom...is sucking me in! The next big decision, if we find something, what to do about MY house? (more to come on that later)

#2 Interestingly enough, I have also sold my car! To David's brother and sister-in-law of all people. Having that wee bit extra couldn't come at a better time since who knows what added costs can add up with the purchase of a new home.

#3 My siblings BOTH got JOBS!!! I am a firm believer that Amanda getting a job helped it rain the other day! LOL She's going to have FULL time employment at a bank and my brother got a job at UPS and is moving up quickly! He has his driving test this upcoming week! Maybe one of them can rent my house?

#4 My parents are going on the Monavie weight loss program. It's one of those programs that if you sign up three people to it with you, you get your product for free...so of course they want me to jump on board, but then, who would be MY people? It's a great money making opportunity, and some of our family friends are making over $900 a week on the program!

#5 (and my personal favorite) School starts this Wednesday! LOL