Dancing with the Stars

The new cast has been announced for this season's "Dancing with the Stars". I've always felt that they use the word "Stars" loosely, and this season is no exception.

Some of these people I've never seen before. Others, I'm scratching my head about.

Ok... Brandy and The Hoff... obviously, once you've been removed from your judging duties on "America's Got Talent", you go to DWTS. (Remember Jerry Springer?)

Audrina... Don't know if she'll be any good, but she'll look beautiful in her costumes. She's got an amazing body... If you can just overlook her eyes... There's something about her eyes that bugs me but I can't put my finger on it.

The Situation. Hilarious. I doubt he'll be any good, but pairing him with a beautiful pro and putting him on the same season as Audrina, he'll be in heaven.

Jennifer Grey. Talk about pressure. Why would you put yourself in a dance competition 25 years after you were in an iconic dance film? And now that Patrick Swayze has passed away? People are going to be looking to you to still be "Baby" and dance the way you did with Johnny.

Bristol Palin. Oh, Palins, I like you. And yet you keep putting yourselves out there to be made fun of. Please, please be a good dancer, Bristol.

Florence Henderson. Now I've seen Mrs. Brady dance around on Polident commercials and she's pretty good. She could go all the way. :)

Michael Bolton. Just go away. Please. You're gonna embarrass yourself.

Then there are other people I don't really recognize. Athletes and what not.

I'm not a hugely faithful viewer of DWTS. But I'll tune in until my faves are voted off.

(BTW, Did anyone see the opening number for the Emmys? Loved it... With the exception of stupid Kate Gosselin who was still one of the worst dancers on stage. She's another one that just needs to go away. I feel bad for her that her marriage is over. I know she feels like she needs to do these things to have money. But please take your hair extensions and go find another way to support your kids. You don't have to make a fool of yourself to get a paycheck.)

A little rambling..

~ Caroline will blow kisses and wave when she's ready to go to bed. It's precious. And if we say "kiss" she'll blow us a kiss. A step in the right direction towards communication and I LOVE IT!

~ Bible study started this morning. I'm super excited about it. We're supposed to pray every day that Christ will reveal Himself to us in a new way, and then journal how He does it. In order for me to focus on this, I think I'm going to have to really limit my computer time for the next 10 weeks. I think one of my biggest hinderances in my spiritual life is distraction.

That's not to say that I won't be blogging... because I will. And that's not to say that every post will be about something deep and spiritual. But I am going to decide to be much more aware of what Christ is teaching me and less aware of things like my mustache. :) haha

~ I really need to wean Caroline because until she is weaned I can't take any oral medication for my complexion. This was not good news today.

~ One week from today I begin a training schedule for the White Rock Half. Excited. And not excited. At the same time.

~ Jason's gotten a lot busier at work, which is good for the bank account... but it makes for reealllly long days for both of us.

~ I'm so glad that next Monday is a HOLIDAY! YIPPEE!

A window into my [former] world

The house I grew up in is on the market. (Thanks, Elizabeth, for letting me know.) I found some pics of it online to share.

I wanted to show y'all where I grew up... from ages 6 to 16. This is hands-down, without a doubt, my all time favorite house. I loved it then. I love it now. It was beautiful to me then. If it were in Plano, I'd buy it today.

Anytime I'm in Corsicana (or "The Can", as it is sometimes affectionately known) I drive by and just sit and stare at it. (I'm sure it would really creep out the current owners if they knew.) I can remember riding my bike up and down the long driveway. I remember playing on the swingset out back and digging for buried treasure with my little brother in the back lot... or "the woods" as we would say.

I have great memories here, so here it is...

A little tour of 1620 Bowie Circle (commentary, of course, will be added beneath each pic)...




This is it. Isn't it cute? Don't you love the bay windows? It looks great. And Dad always had the yard looking that good when we lived there. I'm so glad it looks just as good as when we left. We planted those trees in the front yard 20 years ago. It's awesome to see how much they've grown.



My bedroom. This pic doesn't do it justice. It's a much bigger room than what it appears to be here. There's a whole 'nother window that you can't even see. And I had cuter furniture. :) The door you see is a walk in closet that extended the entire length of the wall. It was ah-mazing. (To borrow a word from Rachel Zoe.)

The current owners added the hardwoods which I think looks great.




My bathroom. This is pretty much how it looked back in the day. Can you just picture me getting ready for school there? :)

To get the full effect, you have to picture junk all over the counter (I've never been very tidy) and a very frustrated girl about 14 years old who wished her hair looked better, her contacts would go in, and that she didn't have braces. (I was a very dramatic and emotional child who spent much of my adolescent years spent in my bedroom. Door shut.)

But how cool is it that I got my own bathroom? My sister and brother had to share. I don't know how that happened. Maybe I was whiny. Maybe, in a moment of weakness, my sister foolishly let me have the bigger room with my own bathroom. Who knows. But the middle child (and second girl) getting her own bathroom was a major coup. :)



My little brother, Brian's, bedroom. Now obviously an office. Hardwood floors were added by current owner.




Master bedroom. This was a new addition that we built a few years after we moved in. Hardwoods added by current owner. This is a huge room. With built-ins that aren't pictured. This was a great place for Brian and Dad to play football, and I remember having a miniature pool table back there at one point. We also had lots of Friday nights spent in sleeping bags beside Mom and Dad's bed watching "Johnny Carson".




Master bathroom. We added this but they redid it. I think they did a great job.




Ok, this kitchen looks EXACTLY like it did when we left. Complete with flowered backsplash and reddish tile floor. I think if I bought this house today, I would update it just a tad. :) But I'm glad that they didn't selfishly... because this is our kitchen. Soooo many memories!!




The den. All they appeared to have done here is updated the paint on the wall. Not pictured is a large laundry room and sewing room. When my brother was homeschooled for a couple of years, that large sewing room was his classroom, I believe. There's also a little bar area not shown. Cute. Not tacky. Promise.





The living room. Not a thing has changed about it since we left 14 years ago. I love it!!! You can kinda see the sun porch area in one of the pics.

Not pictured:
Hilary's room. (But if you look at the pic of the front of the house, hers is the bay window on the left.)
Hilary and Brian's bathroom
Dining room (If you look at the pic of the front of the house, it is the bay window on the right.)
There's a half bath, a sun porch, a courtyard (which the current owners I think may have turned into a sunroom/gameroom type area), and we owned almost a half-acre behind our house.


So that's it. That's where I grew up. That's Corsicana.

A small town where you could ride your bike to a friend's house. You could walk to and from school if you wanted. (Not that I did. haha) You could dial a 5 digit telephone number. My phone number was 23652. It made a perfect square in the upper right hand corner of the phone.

I miss this house. It was a good house.

I hate hormones

After reading Blue-Eyed Bride's post filled with random thoughts, I was encouraged that she, too, is battling some hormonal imbalance after having her son.

She said that her face is breaking out and that she's pretty sure her singing voice is like an octave lower. :)

Dang hormones.

I could relate to both of those but I can go one step further. I'm pretty sure I'm growing a mustache, ladies.

Yep. You read that right.

I don't know if it's the babies. If it's my age. If my chemicals in my body just get out of whack easily. Who knows.

At first I thought maybe I hadn't washed all of my makeup off because the skin above my upper lip appears to be darkening. After several weeks of observing this (and scrubbing like h-e-double hockey sticks), I realized that it's not dirt or makeup... my skin pigmentation is changing.

Are ya kidding me?

Then, I noticed what I thought was a pimple above my upper lip. Nope. Y'all, it was an ingrown hair.

HELP!!!!

When I get my eyebrows waxed (which I need to desperately by the way. Magda, I'm coming to see you soon!!), I've always secretly laughed at the waxing menu option "upper lip". I've always thought, "Aw. Sucks to be that girl."

Well, now I AM that girl. And I was right. It sucks!

I don't know what I'm going to do. Thankfully the hairs are light blond. The skin changing colors though... I'm at a loss. I've got a mustache 5 o'clock shadow thing going on.

I'm going to talk to my OBGYN when I see him this week about getting back on the pill to balance my hormones and tell my face to calm down a little. And hopefully that will reverse this mustache problem.

I don't know what's going on. Lower voice. Pimple mania. And a mustache.

I'm a 14 year old boy.

(I must've missed that chapter of the "What to Expect" book series.)

Chatter

Jack. Never. Stops. Talking. It doesn't stop. Ever. It's constant. It's nonsense. It's constant nonsense.

In the last 10 minutes...

Mom, I think when I go to a playground I want to do the slide, the sandbox, aaaaand a swing. Is that a lot, Mom? Is that lots of stuff? And when I do those things, I want to have a banana after the slide, some grapes afer the sandbox, and a sandwich after the swing. OK?

Sure. Ok.

Banana starts with b. Grapes start with g. And sandwich starts with s. Did you know that?

That's great, buddy. Could you bring me some Cheerios for Caroline?

Cheerios looks like porridge. Did you know that? Like when Goldilocks ate up all of Baby Bear's porridge. And she broke his chair. And she slept in his bed. And then when the 3 bears came home, she woke up and screamed. Like this... AAAAGGH! And then she ran away. Isn't that a great story, Mom? Mom? Isn't that a great story? That's a great story, right, Mom?

Mmm,hmmm.

Mom... Mom... Mom... Can you tell me the names of nursery rhymes that have the name "Jack" in them?

I don't know, buddy. There are lots. Jack and Jill. Jack Spratt. Little Jack Horner.

Can you name 10, Mom? Name 10. And I'll count them on my fingers.

Not right now.

What about "Mary"? How many nursery rhymes have "Mary" in them? Hey, Mom...

Just a second, Jack, I'll be right back.

Then I came in here to blog in the peace and quiet. ;) Seriously. Nonstop chatter.

And sometimes he takes annoyingly long pauses in the middle of sentences. He especially likes to do that as I'm in the middle of trying to load everyone in the car.

And I try to give him my undivided attention (because if I don't he just repeats himself until I do) but then he'll just stop in the middle of a thought...

"But... but... the thing is Mom... that............."

What, Jack??? What? Buddy, you're gonna have to finish this thought later. We gotta go.

Oh, and I can't help him finish his sentence... even when I KNOW what he's trying to say. If I finish it for him, in an effort to help him just spit it out, he gets frustrated with me, starts his sentence again from the beginning, and finishes it himself. But, because he's frustrated, he starts to stutter ever so slightly, which makes the sentence take looooonger.

I know he comes by his chatterbox tendencies honestly. I've been told I have the "gift of gab" (the polite way to phrase "do you ever shut up?") before. But at least I talk super fast so you don't have to listen very long. :)

This week of no Sarah for him to talk to is wearing me out!! C'mon, preschool! I'm ready for you to start.

Thank you, Stefani

I woke up to find this in my inbox on Facebook. Courtesy of Stefani. I love that my friends know that I'm a dork and support me in my dorkiness. :)

I love this article!!! I immediately forwarded it to people who I knew would love it too, and now I'm putting it on my blog.

I learned a few things. I did. For example, sometimes I'm saying "hone in" when what I mean to say is "home in". It was so interesting.

I told Stefani that it had me hooked from the beginning when it said something about "could care less" VS "couldn't care less". Remember this post?

So grab a cup of coffee this morning, and enjoy this fascinating article about the English language. :)

A little dancing this morning...

I was trying to get a video of Caroline dancing but of course she stopped as soon as I grabbed my phone to tape.

Watch Jack. Even when I'm not intentionally filming him and he's in the background. If only I could get him a hamster wheel to run on and if we could harness the energy that he creates, like that show "Living with Ed", we could save a fortune on electricity bills.

Day 2

I won't update you on every day, don't worry. I just wanted to say that Day 2 was WAY better than Day 1 (even though Day 1 went well).

Apparently there was no A/C at the school on Day 1. Add to that the fact that the weatherman said that Monday was, in fact, our hottest day of the year thus far. So that's probably part of the reason she was sooooo drained.

Yesterday, she came bouncing off the bus with tons of stories. It was great!!

Last night Jason and I went to curriculum night, and I was very impressed with how much they'll be learning in Kindergarten. I'm sure it's the same as in other districts. I haven't been in a Kindergarten room since my student teaching days, and so I didn't realize that Writer's Workshop starts now and that they would have opportunities for Accelerated Math and things like that.

I have MUCH respect and admiration for KG teachers. Man, they have a lot of different needs and levels. Some kids have been in academic day cares for the last 5 years and come in speaking Spanish and writing paragraphs. Others don't even know the ABCs. What a challenge!!

But I'm happy with everything and really couldn't ask for a better first week so far.

Deer lease

Elizabeth had a post about the upcoming arrival of dove hunting season and how that's always an exciting kick-off to Fall. Even though she's not a hunter.

I agree. I too am not a hunter. Jason loves it but gave it up when we had kids. The lease was $$ we weren't prepared to spend and we knew that, at some point, Jack and he would get on a lease somewhere.

This year he's going opening weekend with his dad. I'm really happy that he gets to go.

I've been to the lease once. Back when we were dating. Back when I wanted to pretend that I had the EXACT SAME interests he had. I was such a moron. :)

But when I went (the ONE time) I did shoot a couple of guns. Now don't ask me what kind. I have no idea. One was a handgun that I used to shoot coke cans off a fence post. And the other was a shotgun (I'm guessing)... whatever you hunt with-- heck, I don't know... and we shot targets on bales of hay.

I was a decent shot; it's just not for me. I felt the way he probably would if I had him come shopping with me. Could he do it? Yes. Does it mean he's a girly man if he does? No. BUT it's not his thing and there are millions of other places he would rather be.

We stayed in this house (a term I use loosely, though Jason said that as lease houses go, it was really nice) on the property. I feel like I was initiated into the Order of the Lease that weekend. We were the only ones there, but I was still hazed pretty hard. :)

Two things I remember vividly...

1. Jason took a shower in the house (which by the way, he advised me not to shower because it was a nasty "guys" shower), and while he was gone, he gave me his gun and told me not to open the door, if someone knocks. But if anyone comes in anyway, I'd have the gun for my protection. ("We have a problem with migrant workers roaming around," he said.)

I'm not sure what that meant, but I was freaked out the entire time he was showering.

2. There were bunk beds in the house and we each took a bottom bunk because he said there were lots of spider webs that would be in my face if I got on the top bunk (which was probably true), but he warned me that if I took my shoes off, I should be sure to dump them out in the morning before I put them back on. Just in case something crawls in them overnight.

What??!!

I didn't sleep well at all that night.

We got up in the morning and did some more target practice. Again, I was trying to be a "good" girlfriend and pretend like I thought this was fun. (It wasn't.) I remember I had a pretty strong drink that morning to see if that would make it more fun. (It didn't.)

And then I decided to make one more stout drink and eat an entire box of White Cheddar Cheese Nips. This would prove to be a VERY VERY bad decision. As I learned on our way home when I had Jason pull over on the side of the road.

Getting sick on the side of the road was completely counter productive for what I had just been through that weekend. Whatever points I had attempted to gain by pretending to be an outdoorsy, camo-wearing, gun-toting girl had been erased by the girl hunched over on the side of the road.

Oops.

To this day when we see White Cheddar Cheese Nips, he gives me a look or cracks a joke. :)

Oh well.

Even though dove hunting (or any type of hunting) is not for me, there IS something great and exciting knowing that Opening Weekend is almost here.

To all who love to hunt, I hope it's a great dove season.

(And just because I don't like to hunt them, I DO love to eat them so if you're serving some up one night..... )

Brother/sister bonding

She crawled into his lap, and they watched cartoons...

An end of an era

I've always known that, when Sarah went to Kindergarten, it'd be the end of an era for her and me. And I'm not writing this post as I sit here sad. I'm really happy that she's started school, and I know she's going to have a great year.

But the reality that "they really do leave" has hit me. The reality that this is what she'll do for 10 months every year until she leaves for college. The realization that the lazy mornings of watching cartoons while eating breakfast on a weekday are gone until summer. She won't come with me to Monday morning Bible study anymore. Her days start much earlier now than they used to. A mid-morning play date is a thing of the past. Things really have changed.

And exciting things lie in the future. I can't wait. It's fun to look forward, but it's so true that you really don't get those first few years back. You have a short window of time that you can spend with them before they head off to school, so it is important that you use it well.

And this is not a comment or post on whether you work or stay home. As moms, we have to just savor the time we have with our kids... whether that's all day every day or all day, 3 days a week. Five years go FAST so we need to pay attention and soak it up. :)

There have definitely been hours, days, weeks, phases that I have been sooooo ready to shut the door on. Things I've not been sad to say goodbye to. But even the bad days don't last forever. They will finish teething. They will potty train. You won't have to lug around that infant carrier forever. It all passes.

I wanted to share a book that my mom gave me. It's geared towards moms whose kids have graduated from high school. So it's a little bit of a "tug-at-your-heartstrings" kind of book. But I think the message is a good reminder for me to live in the moment and don't wish time away.

............................................................

Let Me Hold You Longer by Karen Kingsbury

Long ago you came to me, a miracle of firsts:
First smiles and teeth and baby steps, a sunbeam on the burst.
But one day you will move away and leave me to your past,
And I will be left thinking of a lifetime of your lasts...

The last time that I held a bottle to your baby lips.
The last time that I lifted you and held you on my hip.
The last night when you woke up crying, needing to be walked.
When last you crawled up with your blanket, wanting to be rocked.

The last time when you ran to me, still small enough to hold.
The last time that you said you'd marry me when you grew old.
Precious, simple moments and bright flashes from your past--
Would I have held on longer if I'd known they were your last?

Our last adventure to the park, your final midday nap.
The last time when you wore your favorite faded baseball cap.

Your last few hours of kindergarten, those last days of first grade,
Your last at bat in Little League, last colored picture made.

I never said good-bye to all your yesterdays long passed.
So what about tomorrow-- will I recognize your lasts?

The last time that you catch a frog in that old backyard pond.
The last time that you run barefoot across our fresh-cut lawn.
Silly, scattered images will represent your past.
I keep on taking pictures, never quite sure of your lasts...

The last time that I comb your hair or stop a pillow fight.
The last time that I pray with you and tuck you in at night.
The last time when we cuddle with a book, just me and you.
The last time you jump in our bed and sleep between us two.

The last piano lesson, last vacation to the lake.
Your last few weeks of middle school, last soccer goal you make.
I look ahead and dream of days that haven't come to pass.
But as I do, I sometimes miss today's sweet precious lasts...

The last time that I help you with a math or spelling test.
The last time when I shout that yes, your room is still a mess.
The last time that you need me for a ride from here to there.
The last time that you spend the night with your old tattered bear.

My life keeps moving faster, stealing precious days that pass.
I want to hold on longer-- want to recognize your lasts...

The last time that you need my help with details of a dance.
The last time that you ask me for advice about romance.

The last time that you talk to me about your hopes and dreams.
The last time that you wear a jersey from your high school team.
I've watched you grow and barely noticed seasons as they pass.
If I could freeze the hands of time, I'd hold on to your lasts.

For come some bright fall morning, you'll be going far away.
College life will beckon in a brilliant sort of way.
One last hug, one last good-bye, one quick and hurried kiss.
One last time to understand just how much you'll be missed.
I'll watch you leave and think how fast our time together passed.

Let me hold on longer, God, to every precious last.

What I have learned today--

Sarah will tell me what happened during her day, it just takes a little time. It sloooooowly trickled out over a few hours. By the time Jason came home she was talking about sight words and the letter "A" and how she went to Art. All kinds of stuff she hadn't told me yet.

Oh, and Miss Rushing sent an email about the first day and told us that tomorrow they'll be going over rules and routines. She also reminded us to feed our kids breakfast because most of them were asking about snack and lunch by 8:15 this morning. (I'm sure Sarah was one of those kids.)

Sooooo long story short... I need to chill. Sarah's a chatterbox. She just needs time to unwind when she first gets home and then all of the stories will come out.

And Miss Rushing said she'd be emailing a lot, so I'll be in the loop about what's going on.

Getting more out of her

Thank goodness Sarah's starting to talk a little more. I think she's had some time to rest, and she's feeling better.

So here's the new info...

She took a tour of the school. She saw the library. It was huge. She'll get to check out books starting on Friday.

She sat at an all girls table at lunch beside Hannah and Caroline, who are both very nice she said. (Yay! "Hannah" and "Caroline". They sound clean, smart, and well-behaved, don't you think?)

When she got on the bus, she saw our neighbor Audrey (a first grader) who gave her a big hug. :)

So it really was a good day.

I think Sarah had a great day...

but talking to her right now is like pulling teeth. I think she's just really tired. And the more I question her, the more annoyed she seems to get. :)

But from what I could get out of her... Her favorite part of the day was eating in the cafeteria. She had never seen one before. She met lots of nice friends. And a little boy named Parker has the same Toy Story backpack that I just bought Jack.

Oh, and she had the choice between fruit snacks and cheese crackers for a snack, and she chose cheese crackers.

I've checked email just in case her teacher sent us something. Nothing. (I know this is isn't preschool, but for some reason, I'm still looking for the teacher to email pictures of what they did today. As if she has nothing better to do.)

I've checked her backpack. No papers inside.

*sigh*

So what I'm left with is a 5 yr old's synopsis of this monumental day. And her summary leaves a little to be desired. Oh well. At least she's not crying... So it had to be a good day.

Just so it's not a complete repeat of my FB post...

I'm throwing in a couple of pics from Meet the Teacher on Friday...

Also... as a random tangent, I love when Kindergarten teachers have great names for Kindergarten teachers. This team has a Ms. Rushing, Ms. Head, Ms. Hood... I think the trickiest one was Ms. Haning (and even that's not bad).

My last name is way too hard to pronounce and spell to ever teach Kindergarten. :)

FIRST DAY...







MEET THE TEACHER...



I love this last one because I'm clearly sweating buckets. (Look at that. And they had fans on too. I sweat so easily. Heaven help me when I start menopause.) And Sarah couldn't look less interested in taking a.n.o.t.h.e.r. picture. hahaha

MUCH needed weekend away and a little self reflection

Sarah and I had a great time in College Station. It was such a rare and special treat to have so much one-on-one time with her. We spent a lot of time with Laura (who we were going to visit) at the Kappa house and around town. We stayed up late in our hotel room and ate a bunch of food we wouldn't normally eat. Exactly what a vacation should be. ;)




It was great to get a break from Caroline. I enjoyed driving around without worrying about her getting fussy. I enjoyed packing without needing to remember diapers or a pack and play. It made Sarah seem very grown up and helped me realize that we're not far away from being able to take some fun family trips.

And it was good to go back to A&M.



I hadn't been in 10 years. Ever since I left. Going back helped me work through some of my regrets of my college experience.

I went there as a freshman and immediately went through Rush and pledged Kappa Kappa Gamma. My mom was a Kappa. My aunt was a Kappa. My sister was a Kappa at A&M at the time I went through Rush. So it was really not a huge surprise to me when I got in. But there was always something missing for me. I think I never felt like I got in because they liked me. I felt like I got in because they HAD to take me. So the whole experience was never what I wanted it to be. I always felt insecure and like I was in Hilary's shadow. I hated that feeling and I couldn't shake it, no matter how hard I tried. So after 3 years I quit.

Laura is a Kappa there now and going back to the house this weekend was a lot of fun. I hadn't set foot inside in 11 years. And I could appreciate it now, and I wish I had had a different experience then.




I was engaged to a guy who I met at my church in Plano when I was 19 years old. (We met when I was 17, started dating at 18, engaged at 19.) I spent 2 years of my time in College Station driving to Waco to spend time with him at Baylor.

For 2 years, that's what I did. He very rarely came to see me. He was in a group called Chamber and that was very important to him. So whatever I was into took a back seat to that. The Bears hated the Aggies... (or at least his friends did) so we never went to any games together and everything that I thought was neat about my school, I was always told was dumb.

I hurried through school, taking summer school and Wintermesters and Maymesters to get out so that I could get married. At 20, we broke up.

I was left with less than 12 hours remaining in my undergraduate required course work, which I had signed up to complete that summer. One summer spent not engaged. One summer spent at a school that I had learned that I actually loved but now--after having spent so much time at another college and busting my hump to get out of school--I was leaving. Before my 21st birthday.

So when I drove away from College Station, the easiest thing to do--so that I wasn't sad or mad even for having wasted so much time away and with someone who I ultimately didn't end up with--I blocked it out. I didn't go back.

I made it VERY clear to lots of people that I don't bleed maroon. I got a degree from there. That's all it was to me.

I forgot names of streets. I forgot the dorms where I lived for 2 years. I really couldn't remember anything. In fact, I had to look on a map to figure out how to even get there this weekend.

But as I was driving around CS, it all started slowly coming back. I told someone I lived in Mosher, then Wells. I found the Fox Meadows apartment complex off of Balcones. I remembered to turn on Munson off of Harvey Rd to get to the KKG house.

I went by Northgate and took pictures in front of Kyle Field. And as cheesy as it sounds, I felt like I got a little piece of what makes me who I am back. I love A&M. I know the traditions don't make sense to a lot of people. I think they're great. I'm proud of where I went and the people that I met there.

I absolutely wish I had done things differently. I think I could have avoided a lot of heartache. I think I tried to make big decisions WAY too young. And maybe I spent enough time away to let time kinda heal any wounds that I may have consciously and subconsciously carried around with me.

I'm definitely going back some time. Next time: game at Kyle Field. Just to be a part of that again.

But NOT in the student section because I want to sit down. :)

Teeth marks in my tongue

As I start my journey through the public school system as a parent--not a teacher, I am finding it harder and harder to bite my tongue when I overhear ridiculous statements made by other parents.

Things I have heard parents say in the last week:

"My boy has a July birthday, and I'm not really sure if I should've held him back. I don't really know that he's ready for Kindergarten. But that's the beauty of public school. The teachers have to deal with your kid. whether he's ready or not. [laughing] It sucks to be them. Shouldn't be a government employee. But they all want to be teachers so that they can have the summers off."

To the kindergarten team leader: "Will you be feeding my child breakfast every morning?"

After being told that students should not wear flip flops or sandals to school because of PE and recess: "What about crocs? Can my son wear crocs?"

After being told that we would need to provide snacks for the classroom: "Can you please make a rule that it has to be sugar free? My child doesn't have dietary restrictions. It just bugs me when people think that gummy fruit snacks are an appropriate snack."


AAAGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!

I bit my tongue so hard and so often, I put teeth marks in it. But I'm gonna have to "go off" now, if you don't mind.

Lady #1, a little respect for the teacher, please. We have college degrees. Some even have masters. Even with a masters, we may not make as much as you or your husband, but we're not less than you.

You may think we have summers off. That's not entirely true. When you add up all the inservices and things, we don't get that many weeks a year to ourselves. And whatever time we do have off, we earned... because we do ALOT of work after hours. And many teachers have to get another job in the summer because their teaching salary doesn't pay the bills.

We may be government employees but we're not lazy people that have to take crap from those of you who work in the private sector. So shut up. We didn't become teachers because we couldn't do anything else. We're teachers because we love kids, we wanted to make a difference, and (speaking for myself) we wanted to have a schedule that would make it easier to be a working mom someday, if needed.

Man with the breakfast question: Are you kidding? NOOOOO! She's not gonna feed your kid. You're gonna have to be a parent and step up and feed your own kid in the morning. She's not your nanny. (And the school doesn't serve breakfast at all, so he wasn't asking about some cafeteria program.)

Lady with the crocs question: Seriously? The team leader JUST SAID that they would be rock climbing and jumping rope. Do you think crocs qualify as appropriate? Or do you think they would fit in the "sandals/flip flops" category? Think before you ask something like that.

To the Lady requesting rules on snacks because you're bugged by the idea of fruit snacks: Shut up. Shut. Up.
Unless you have dietary restrictions, then you don't get to pick and choose the way things run. This teacher has 22 kids. Twenty-two 5 year olds. And you want there to be a blanket rule for everyone to accomodate your quirks? No. The handbook says that it has to be healthy snack. The handbook gives suggestions like goldfish and fruit snacks. True... fruit snacks is not the equivalent of an actual piece of fruit. But it is one tiny snack in the midst of a day where you will control his breakfast, lunch, after school snack, and dinner. Lighten up.

Ok. I feel so much better. It baffles me... blows my mind... how entitled some people are. I get that this is your kid that you're entrusting to this teacher, but she is not your nanny for hire. I'm glad you're a tax paying citizen. Your specific taxes--that come out of your little wallet-- pay a teensy tiny miniscule portion of your child's teacher's actual salary. (Especially when you take programs like Robin Hood into account.) Probably a nickel goes to your kid's teacher. Sure, you're paying for all the other teachers and buses and things even in other districts. (Thanks, Robin Hood, for that.) But you're not personally paying your kid's teacher's salary.

BTW, teachers pay taxes too.

So don't treat them as though they work for you. They're there to help your child. Thank them. Cooperate with them. And don't be difficult.

Whew. The End.


Added Note: There are some crappy teachers. Without a doubt. Lazy as the day is long. Horrible. Mean. Bad teachers. But there are bad bankers. Lazy mortgage brokers. Horrible realtors. Ya know what I'm saying? Lay off of the teachers a little.

And I also know that other professions have very similar gripes and are not appreciated either. So I don't need you to get out your violin and play a song on it for the teachers. ;) I'm just irritated with idiotic questions and disrespectful people.

Facebook Questions and Suggestions

Why does it have to show up on the NewsFeed when you write on someone's wall? It's not newsworthy. And what if somebody writes something tacky on your wall that you want to delete? You can delete it from your wall, but you can't delete it from everyone's NewsFeed.

Why does it have to show up on the NewsFeed when you change your profile picture or "like" something new? I try not to change my pic too often because I don't want people to be annoyed that such a non-event showed up in the news.

According to FB, basically all of my friends have used Facebook Friend Finder to find their friends, and I should do it too. Really? Have any of ya'll really used it? Because FB told me that every single one of you have.

Why do people post how much weight they've lost on the Advocare Cleanse? It's a colon cleanse. You're posting how much you've pooped. Please stop.

When someone tags a photo of you, I think it should go directly to you and you should have to approve it's addition to FB.

I'm sure I'll think of more... Until then...

Feeling Better

I know I'm beating this Kindergarten thing TO DEATH. (Much like I did when I had a million posts about my trips to the dentist.) So I apologize.... One--maybe two--more posts and then I'll put this milestone to rest and SHUT UP.


But I just wanted to update that I am feeling a lot better.

Sarah will be riding the bus home from school every day. Even the first day.

I didn't want to confuse her or make it unnecessarily complicated for her teacher by saying that today I'm picking her up but tomorrow she'll ride the bus. I don't know. It just seems simpler for everyone if we start the regular routine right off the bat.

We found out who her teacher is yesterday. Sarah has Mrs. Rushing, and I'm thrilled. I really didn't care at all. I would've been happy with anybody. But I met Mrs. Rushing when I enrolled Sarah in speech last October. She's the team leader and was the teacher at the ARD. So we got to talking and I reeeeeally liked her.

And then there was a short little informational meeting this past spring where all of the Kinder teachers introduced themselves and did a quick overview of the upcoming school year. And the other teachers seemed to kinda look to her to field questions from parents. She seemed really on top of things.

NOT to say that the other teachers weren't pulled together. There was just something about her that was authoritative. (Other than the fact that she's probably in her late 30s and all the other teachers are mid 20s.)

We'll meet her tomorrow morning and find Sarah's desk and LOCKER. Yes, she'll have a locker. :)

And Sarah CAN'T WAIT. (which is also helping reduce my stress!!) I want her to be happy and excited.

So all is good in the 'hood. :)

Oh... This is the first year Sarah's had a teacher that you're supposed to call by her LAST name.. Not Ms. Beth or Ms. Missy or whatever. So when I told her that her teacher's name is Ms. Rushing, she thought that was the weirdest name she's ever heard. I had to explain to her that it wasn't her first name.

Jealous

The kids must have learned about jealousy at church or something... because "jealous" has been the word of the day for the past month.

But whoever taught it, didn't teach it well because they use it sooooo incorrectly.

(pouting) Jack: I'm so jealous because Dora's not on.

No. You're sad.

(disgusted) Sarah: Ew. Look at that mess. That's so jealous.

No. It's gross.

Both of them: Mom!!! [Sarah/Jack] won't cooperate with me. I'm so jealous!!!!

No. You're mad.

One of these days I'm going to look at them and say, "You're whining is making me jealous. And I'm gonna make you jealous when I pull out my wooden spoon, if you don't be quiet and clean up this jealous mess!"

Motherly Advice

I got some advice this morning from a mom of college-aged kids as it relates to Sarah starting school.

1. Almost 100% of the time, if we have a bad morning, it will be because I didn't get up early enough. I need to get up and get myself together WAY before I wake up Sarah to start her day.


2. (Especially with girls. And especially in middle school.) DO NOT ride the emotional roller coaster with your kids. They will be up and down and all over the place, and the temptation will be to take on their stress. Fight that urge. They need us to be calm and level-headed and not be on the ride with them.

She wasn't saying to not sympathize or try to encourage your children. But don't be the stereotypical "Cheerleader mom" type that is obsessively living through your kids and trying to engineer the most perfect school experience. Let them navigate, even though it's hard to watch at times, and stay off the rollercoaster. That way the advice you give is good, and if you need to step in and intervene, you're calm.

Pretty sound advice, I think. I hope I remember it.

Really??

Send small children out of the room. This post is graphic. :)

I waited for the bus with my kids, and this is what the stop sign at the bus stop (in front of my house) looked like.



Punk kids.

It's not that I don't have a sense of humor. If I didn't have kids, I could maybe laugh at the horrible drawing. Because it's a ridiculous drawing. (Someone thinks highly of themselves.) And the word "wang". C'mon. And really... sooooo inventive to use the "p" for "penis".

But this is offensive, not funny. And it's basically in my front yard. And you know it's gotta be like a 6th grader. Because high schoolers wouldn't do something like this. And they sure wouldn't use the word "penis".

And Sarah could read it and was asking me about it. Besides... vandalism is illegal. It's not like a rite of passage to go around defacing street signs.

I don't know how to clean it off without taking the paint off the actual sign. But I'm looking into it.

I hope my kids never do something like this. I know they know better. But kids act stupid when they get in groups.

I'm not really a good boy-mom

There's something about moms who have all boys. They just become good boy-moms.

A girl-mom: A mom who is destined for girls. She's all about tea parties. She likes dresses and bows. She lives for the day her daughters can do mani-pedis with her, etc.

A boy-mom: A mom who is good with boys... and all that they entail. She's not freaked out by scrapes and blood. She's ok with her boys getting dirty. She's used to noise and destruction.

I'm not really a good boy-mom.

I think if I had more than one boy, I'd be better at it. But I still get nervous when Jack climbs to the top of the monkey bars. I still wish he wouldn't be so fascinated with dirt. I'm grossed out by many of the things he does. I don't understand why, at 3, he's already started the whole "pull my finger" thing.

When I potty trained him, I taught him to sit to go TT. He still sits. But we taught him to stand up this summer when he needed a potty break while we were outside in the pool. Instead of going through the house in his wet swimsuit, we used that opportunity to show him that boys can "go" standing up.

(I know almost all moms teach their boys the art of standing up by going outside.)

He wanted to try standing up at the potty. I let him try once. What a mess!! Not trying again for a while. I told him that, for now, standing up is an outside thing only.

I kinda thought he would understand that what I meant was that he just needs to stick with sitting down for the time being.

Instead, anytime he needs to pee, I hear the back door open and he runs outside to do his business.

I'd stop him, but I'm so relieved he's not making a mess inside anymore.

I think it's a good compromise. White trash as it may be.

Conflict of Interest

One of the things PISD provides to Kindergarten parents (and maybe this is in other districts too, I don't know) is a trial run for buses. This is to alleviate any of the stresses of catching the bus on the first day of school.

Tomorrow the bus will run its regular route. So I can get on the bus with Sarah, ride to school, and then come home. (We don't get off at the school. We get a brief tutorial of bus safety rules.) But this allows Sarah to be comfortable on the bus. And it gives me a chance to figure out how many stops she'll have to make before she gets to school and how long it will take getting home.

I don't know yet that she'll be taking the bus. She will-- for sure-- NOT be taking the bus the first week because I want to take her and pick her up. It's a rite of passage for me.

But the school is far enough way and on a super busy street that a bus would be helpful. Carpool line is gonna be ridiculous. And I wouldn't have to load up Jack and Caroline just to wait around in line to pick up Sarah. So we're contemplating letting her at least ride the bus home.

Another bonus is that the bus stop is on the sidewalk right in front of my house. So it's even more of a no-brainer convenience.

Here's the deal: The bus picks up at 7:03. 7:03!!! Tomorrow the trial run is at... you guessed it... 7:03.

Ok, listen. I want Sarah to be comfortable on the bus. I want to know how long it will take her to get to school and get home from school. I want to meet the bus driver and hear his policies on Kindergartners sitting up front and not being picked on by 5th graders. I want all of that reassurance. But I want it at noon. :)

I was so excited and fired up about getting to ride the bus. What a great idea. A trial run. Today, when I found out it was at 7:00 tomorrow morning, my first thought was, "Well, maybe Sarah will be fine. It's not like riding a bus is tricky. Do we really have to practice it?"

But don't lose faith in me. I know I'll do the right thing. And get up and get dressed and sit my butt on a bus tomorrow morning.

Even at 7:03.

What is the target audience?

Sometimes I wonder if the things I'm into or things I wear or shows I watch are things that are really geared towards me. Or am I trying too hard to be young? Or are young people trying too hard to be old?

Examples:

Facebook. I've been "friended" by former students who are now in the 8th grade and by my former pastor's wife who is 82. ??? What? Who is FB for? Is it for the young kids? Or is it for college aged kids, and when all of us old farts joined in, did we bring down the "cool" factor? Is it for the 30-somethings to stay connected and network? I don't know. I'm on there, but I don't know who the target audience is.

My red athletic shorts. I threw them on this morning and took Caroline to the ENT. In the waiting room, I saw a 10 year old with my exact same shorts on. *Note: They were really long on her. I was not hooching it up today. Thought: Am I too old for those shorts? I don't think so, but I probably should've re-thought wearing them out of the house.

Investigation Discovery shows. I love all the true life dramas. "Snapped" "I Survived.." Anything where you're trying to figure out who killed somebody. But the true life versions. The ones where it ends with scrolling text telling you how many years in prison the killer was sentenced to.

Who do they make those shows for? "Snapped" is all about women who snap and kill their husbands. I think it's fascinating. Is it geared towards stay-at-home moms as a "how to" show? :) j/k And why am I so interested in real life dramas?

Reality TV. Most of my reality TV that I love, I'm pretty sure I'm too old to watch. Should I watch "Bachelor Pad"? I don't know. But I do. And if it's not intended for my age group, then who is it intended for? And if the answer is: girls in their early 20s, it saddens me that I'm in a completely different age bracket. :)

The minivan. I know it's designed for me, but I still say I'm too young for it.

iPhones. Don't have one. Want one. Is it for anyone who is tech-y and gadget-oriented? Is it for teens? Or business people who need to stay connected? Or is it for moms who need to have something to let their kids play with in a waiting room?

I'm sure Apple would say, "All of the above." :)

Bustin' Out

We are bustin' out of our shell starting THIS WEEK.

I had been advised by other moms that when you start to go to elementary school, you'll really see that your world will open up. You'll meet SO many more people, and it's a lot of fun.

I'm nervous about meeting other parents (ok, there. I said it. I'm getting jitters like I'm in 6th grade or something because I want the other moms to like me.) but I'm also excited. Up til now, we have done EVERYTHING at our church. Mother's Day Out, Preschool, and even Sarah's Dance classes.

This is great. But it reeaaalllly limits the amount of exposure she's had to different people and teaching styles, and it limits my exposure to different people as well. And, as much as I love going to the same church as my parents and sister and brother-in-law, I'm glad to be meeting people that they don't know. I'm sort of making my own way in this world... finally... at 30. :)

Today we started Sarah's dance class... NOT at church... at an actual studio. It was great!!!!! She got to work with a barre for the first time. She was in a class that had full length, wall-to-wall mirrors (as all dance classes should), but we're not used to that. At her dance class at the church, they practiced in the choir room. So today Sarah got to see herself dance for the first time. It was very exciting for her.

She's in a class with 3 other girls who are four years old. Sarah is the oldest, which gives her more confidence.

This first step in a year of transition is done. We've moved from her old dance teacher... whom she LOVED. I put her in a dance class where she doesn't know anybody. At a new dance studio. With a teacher she's never met.

And she loved it! Whew. Stress levels are slowly lowering. .

Party Favors

Sarah and I went to Molly's 5th Birthday Party today. It was a lot of fun. Waffles for brunch. Then swimming. And presents and cake.

And then when we left, Molly's mom handed out the party favors.

She and I had the most brief conversation about the whole concept of party favors as I was walking out the door. But we were in complete agreement... PARTY FAVORS ARE STUPID!!

And she added that she'd like to have a word with whichever mom thought up the idea eons ago.

Totally agree!!!

I mean, c'mon. I invited you to a party. I fixed the food you ate. I supplied the entertainment. Food... entertainment... NOT FREE. (Oh by the way, unless I called you or sent you an Evite, your invitation wasn't free either.) I gave you cake. You had fun. You got to come to a party for cryin' out loud. And now I have to give you a present to thank you for coming. I'm supposed to THANK YOU for showing up??? Thank you for eating my food? Thank you for playing and having a good time?

Don't try to sell me on the idea that a party favor is a thank you for a gift. No siree. I'm not buying it. I've written thank you notes for the kids since their very first Christmas. THAT is the thank you for the gift.

A party favor is just another expense. And an expense that is spent on something that will probably be trashed by the party-goers mothers within 24 hours of arriving home.

And... because you know that other moms are gonna see the party favors... then you either spend way too much money on them so that the bags are filled to the top, or you spend a lot of time so that the moms will "oooo" and "aaahhh" over your creativity.

I could do an entirely separate post about how being a mom can be like high school revisited if you let it. Instead of comparing GPAs or cars or boyfriends or the clothes you wear, you compare your kids' abilities, strollers and car seats, husbands and how involved they are as fathers, the clothes your kids have on, etc. Before you know it, you're doing a whole lot to catch other parents' eyes. Party favors included. :)

Craziness.

(BTW Terri put GOOD stuff in Molly's goody bags. Sarah came home with candy and bubbles and a Disney Princess beach ball and some Hello Kitty socks and stickers. So I will not be throwing those things away, and I'm glad Sarah's party is over so I don't have to compete with that.) ;)

No, baby, I'M mama

Well I'm sad to learn that Caroline calls her cup "mama".

For the last few months I've secretly... and at times, not so secretly... loved that she calls me by name--and NO ONE ELSE.

But apparently it wasn't as much a term of endearment as it was 10 month old language for, "I'm thirsty."

Now that she's practically weaned, she reaches for her cup and says, "Mama. Mama. Mama."

I'm not misunderstanding. Not "Baba". She says, "Mama".

I'm glad she uses her cup, but does she have to call it "Mom"?

I've been replaced. By a cup.

Today is gonna be a good day

You know why?

Because I decided it's going to be! :) So there.


Have a great Friday everybody!!

And as always... Thank you for letting me use my blog to vent, be crazy, give TMI at times, have meltdowns, and, in general, be random.

Y'all are some good friends to read all my junk and still come back to read more.

Well... you're either good friends or bored friends. Whatever. :)

Money Mania

Same song I've sung before... Different verse...

Every now and then I go through a money meltdown!! Downright panic!

I'll worry about everything from the cost of diapers to sending 3 kids to college and paying for 2 weddings.

I worry about Jason's career. His salary. Future promotions.

You name it.

I try my best to pray the minute I feel the worry hit me. And then other times, I find it therapeutic to just ride the money meltdown wave and have a good cry.

Mostly my meltdowns stem from my feelings of being powerless to help with the finances by earning money.

I don't like having a degree and not using it. My income--as meager as a teaching salary can be-- would make a world of difference. But I don't want to work to support a lifestyle. I would rather change our lifestyle and live off of one income. So there's the struggle. To be "comfortable", I go back to work. To stay home means we watch every penny.

In the midst of one of these said meltdowns yesterday, I put post-its on a bunch of stuff I plan to sell on craigslist because it's the only way I feel I can bring any money. :) (and I get so tired of looking at what I see as excess.)

Saving money is my job. Listen, saving money is a WHOLE lot harder than earning money, if you ask me. Earning money is going to work. Saving money involves many, at times exhausting, choices.

I'm sitting in a house set at 80 degrees to save money on the A/C. I've made the decision to not turn it down, but I'm dying. We'll drive around town in search of free entertainment. Parks. Pool. Library. Mall playground. It's clipping coupons and searching for the best deal. It's putting thought into almost every decision so that you get the most bang for your buck.

Seriously we work hard at saving money. And it's hard sometimes to see that it's doing any good. Because there are always unexpected costs and medical bills and repairs here and there. So it feels like we're not saving anything.

We also tithe regularly , which I'm happy to do.

But last night when we were talking about money and revisiting our plan and budget for the thousandth time, we decided that one thing we need to be better about is telling the kids no. We don't lavish them with things, but we'd never deny them a birthday gift. We'd never not celebrate a major accomplishment in their lives. Yet, we'll let an anniversary go by and eat a quick meal together and count that as "good". Or Jason and I will skip birthday presents for each other (which we've done for the last 2 years.)

I'm not suggesting that we need to buy each other expensive gifts, but I do think that for every time we deny ourselves something, then we need to tell the kids no on something too. If we don't feel that Jason and I can get away and go to the movies, then why am I making an effort and spending the money to take my 3 kids to the movies?

We also talked about big birthday parties for the kids being an every-other-year event. Yes, you can have a friend come over and spend the night and we'll have a great time if it's not the year to have a bunch of friends at a big party. But does every single year have to be a $200 party with 10 of your closest friends?

I turned 30 and Jason and I had a nice dinner out. That was it. Why should turning 6 or 7 be a bigger deal than that?

I know about Crown Financial Plans or Dave Ramsey and an envelope system. I need to re-prioritize and see where the money is going. And when it's going to the entertainment of my children... meanwhile, I haven't seen a current movie I wanted to see in months and months... then things are imbalanced.

I still think sometimes that all of that would be a lot easier when both adults have a paying j-o-b. But I know that I'll be here for at least the next 4 years, giving Caroline the time that I gave to my other kids.

But then... maybe one day a door will open where I can earn a little bit of money too.

The trick, then of course, will be not adjusting our lifestyle such that any money I earn gets eaten up as well.

Same Kind of Different as Me

I finally read the book. I've had it on my shelf for a couple of years, but I'm not the most avid reader and never found the time to pick it up.

Yesterday I read it in a day.

I loved it!

It's a great true story about how God intertwined the lives of a homeless man and an affluent couple in Fort Worth, Texas.

There were a lot of little nuggets of truth I took away from it...

Like when Denver said, "When you're precious to God, you're important to Satan.."

I like how he said that it's ok to question God. I've always believed that. My parents taught me that. He knows what you're thinking anyway. You might as well be truthful.

I loved Ron's honesty. To "out" himself the way he did with what happened in his marriage, his feelings about the homeless, and his struggle with accepting God's will.

I loved Deborah. I loved her grace in every situation.

I loved the way the book was written. How Denver would speak. Then Ron would speak. And they would speak on the same situation but from different perspectives. It makes me think about my own life as a book. How is God weaving my life with others? When they intersect, are people better for having known me? Am I better for having known them?

It was such a great reminder of God's love and His sovereignty and that our days will not be cut short. He has a plan. Every day we wake up, we should be grateful and live that day with purpose.

I always hope that I would be "good" at dying. I pray I'm never struck with a terminal disease, but if I were, I would want to die with such grace and trusting God all the way to the grave.

There are days that I think the call to live can be harder than the call to die. Sometimes the really super challenging things make you dig deep and remember Who your faith is in and spend time on your knees. But in the daily-ness of life it can be really hard to remember to live well. To live trusting. To live on your knees.

It was a wonderfully inspiring book. I really enjoyed it.

And as a side note, the mention of Corsicana was pretty fun. The locations he spoke of in Fort Worth and Dallas were nice because I could picture most of them. And even though I had met Ron before when I was younger (Alan and Mary Ellen Davenport are my uncle and aunt... My mom's brother and his wife.) I had never heard the story. I remember bits and pieces of it as it was playing out in real-time, but I never knew the whole story and how God was working all along the way.

If you haven't read it, I would recommend it.

Inception

I want to see "Inception". However I feel like it's very likely that I will leave the theater angry because I won't understand it. I don't want to leave a movie feeling like I have to see it again, just to try to wrap my head around the plot.

It's the same way I felt about the Matrix. It drove me nuts.

Although a little Leo Dicaprio is never a bad thing. It's a heck of a lot better than being forced to sit through a Keanu Reeves movie.

By the way, is he still alive? Does anyone even know? Has he done anything lately?

The only Keanu movie I liked was "Speed". But I think really I just liked it because of Sandra Bullock.

The old house

I was flipping through pictures of the kids when they were younger and most of them were taken at our old house. Our first house.

And even though, by most accounts, we upgraded... Better location for us. Bigger house. Whatever.... I miss the old house.

We'd be bustin' at the seams in it right now, and the backyard was TINY. I'm sure I'd be itching to move if we were still there.

But I loved it. And it was a lot more manageable than our house now.

I'm glad we live closer to Jason's work. He's able to spend more time with us. I'm glad we have room to spread out in here.

But there's something to be said for smaller and simpler. Maybe it just reminds me of a time when (in my mind anyway) things were simpler... and I didn't have a baby girl about to leave and head off to Kindergarten. :(

I guess a house is just a house. It's the times (the good, not the bad.. haha) we had there that I miss a little.

Not a baby anymore

Caroline is just about 13 months old. I'm having soooo much more fun with her now.

She's walking... borderline running... everywhere she goes and that has made her INFINITELY happier.

She plays with the big kids, which has been fun for her and for them. She's much more interesting to them than she was 6 months ago. It's like finally she's a little person to Jack and Sarah.

It's just a whole new world. We are out of the baby zone and into the toddler zone.

Scrapin' the bottom of the barrel...

This post may be TMI for some. I don't know...

I don't like doing laundry. Sometimes I get behind on my personal pile of clothes.

And the thing I always run out of first are undergarments. I think it may be because, during the summer, I can shower up to 3 times a day. Once to start my day. The second time because I've been outside and sweat and I just feel nasty. The third time would be if I've been for a swim and I want to shower before bed. That's a lot of under things to go through in a day.

Then I have to do what I like to call... scrape the bottom of the barrel... to find something to put on.

Back in the day... ("the day" being when I was a single, working gal) I used to wear a bikini as my undergarments when I was needing to do laundry. I've even been known to (once or twice) wear a swimsuit under my clothes to work. I'm not proud of that. But it's the truth.

Nowadays, scraping the bottom of the barrel means pulling out maternity underwear and nursing bras. Neither of which I need anymore. Both of which find their way into the rotation every now and then.

I'm sure nothing thrills Jason more than to know that, not only I have not thrown the horrid things away, but I still put them on. I also have a few maternity shirts that I bum around the house in.

But I'm not sure I'm gonna let go of any of them any time soon. They're comfy and, to me, no different than the girl who wears her husband's boxers or Tshirt to bed.

There's nothing wrong with big and baggy. Even if it is your underwear. :) Right?

Wait 3 to 6 months...

My skin is a mess. I don't know if it's the hormones or what. It's not like I have a lot of big red pimples. I do break out but mostly my skin is just not smooth.

I went to a dermatologist last week and basically said, "Look I'm 30. I need help with my complexion. This isn't ok."

So she gave me some meds (both topical. One morning and night. One nighttime only.) and she said it would take 3 to 6 months for me to have clear skin if these gels work.

And if they don't? Then I guess it's back to the drawing board.

And these meds are the kind that draw out my impurities. Oh yippee! So basically my skin is getting worse before it gets better.

I love when anything gets worse before it gets better. Especially when it's something that I can't hide... Like my FACE.



I got to thinking... 3 to 6 months is a long time to wait. What have I ever waited 3 to 6 mos for? And the only thing I could think of was a baby. Or I guess I waited 6 months from the time I got engaged to the time I got married. Other than that, I'm an instant gratification kind of girl.

Really.

What would I ever deem worthy of waiting 3 to 6 months for? (Other than babies and wedding.) If I ordered something and the store said, "Ok, it'll ship in 3 to 6 months," I'd be like, "Forget it."

This is a lesson in patience.

This is also a lesson in not being so self conscious. [One last quick tangent] I find that when I'm insecure about something, I point it out all the time. Like if I'm having a horrible hair day, one of the first things I'll say when I meet up with a friend is, "Pay no attention to my hair. It looks terrible today."

Same thing with the ever-worsening skin. I'm fighting the need to explain the mess that is my face. I feel like I should let people know that I actually HAVE seen a doctor and that it WILL get better.

In 3 to 6 months.

Dadgummit. Another one's down...

Sarah woke up with fever at just about the 100 mark today and a raspy voice. I have a call in to the pediatrician to see if they can just call in the same meds that they gave Jack or if I have to bring her in.

I LOVE when sicknesses are passed around. Super fun. ;)

BUT.... If she had to wake up sick on a Monday morning, I'm glad it happened this morning and not 2 weeks from now.

Hoping Caroline miraculously dodges the bullet.

Hey, relax...

I love to get a good massage. But I don't do them often because every time I have to get over the weirdness of the whole thing.

Think about it...

I just met you. I'm supposed to take off my clothes and lay on a table. You're gonna turn down the lights, put on some soft music, and I'm gonna pay you to rub me with oil. And if you're any good at it, I'm gonna feel a whole lot better when I leave than when I came in.

And that's legal???? :)

And given the above scenario, I never know which would be less awkward... having a girl give me a massage or a guy. That's why I never request, I just say, "Whoever's available."

I have a friend who has a massage story... I'll change her name to protect her... though I'm fairly certain she doesn't read my blog. I'll call her "Kate". I'm sure this won't be as funny as when she told it, but here goes...

Kate feels the EXACT same way I do about getting massages. It's just awkward at first. But Kate's a teacher and got a gift card for a massage. So she wasn't about to let that thing go to waste! :) Smart girl. So she decided to suck it up and do it.

Also, like me, Kate's a little intimidated by the whole spa scene. Though we're both pretty girly, we always feel a little silly being pampered and fussed over.

She got called back to the room by her masseuse. She told Kate to take everything off and lay down and get comfortable.

This is where, when she was telling me the story, she stopped and said, "Julie, what does that mean: 'Take everything off'. I mean, I figure my bra is supposed to come off, but did she mean EVERYTHING?"

I said, "I don't know. I think you can if you want, but you don't have to take absolutely everything off."

She said, "Well I didn't. I wasn't sure. But I figured... it's better to leave my panties ON and be wrong than to take them OFF and be wrong."

LOL! Words to live by. Let's make that our motto. :)

So she took almost everything off :) and grabbed the robe off of the back of the door. She pulled the robe on over her head (It wasn't a traditional robe. It had to be pulled on over her head.) and it covered her about down to her waist. Then she laid down on her back and pulled the sheet up to cover her legs.

So she was completely covered when the masseuse came back in to the room.

The masseuse took one at look her and started laughing.

Again, she stopped her story and said, "Julie, do you have any idea how unnerving it is when you're lying basically naked and someone laughs at you?"

Kate looked at her and said, "What? What did I do? Was I not supposed to put on the robe? I just saw it hanging on the back of the door. I've never gotten a massage before. What???"

She said, "Kate, that's not a robe. That's my pancho. I wore it to work today."

"Oh. My. Gosh. Julie, I got naked and put on the woman's clothes!!! Who does that??? And I didn't know what to do, except apologize. And here I was trying to be all modest...covering up with a robe... it was her pancho!! And there was nothing for me to do except sit up and take it off and flash her and apologize again."

I was cracking up. I said, "Well did it look like a robe? I mean was it white? Or made of terrycloth?"

"Nope. It was red and sort of scratchy."

"Then WHY ON EARTH did you put it on?"

"Because it was hanging on the back of the door."

"That was your only reason? It was hanging on the back of the door."

"Well yeah. I figured that meant it was intended for me. I mean, does she not have a personal locker or a cubbie for her belongings? Because she needs one. It's confusing. Besides, who the heck wears a pancho anymore? We're not living in the 90's."

I asked her if she at least enjoyed her hour long massage.

She said not really.

Apparently for the first 10 minutes all she could do was rehash in her head what just happened. And of course, she was beating herself up over it.... asking herself, "Who else does stupid stuff like this?" and "This is exactly why I don't go to spas." etc....

Then she kinda calmed down for the next 15 minutes, but then the rest of the time she was plotting her exit strategy.

She wanted to get dressed and get to the front counter and pay and leave before her masseuse had a chance to get to the front counter and tell everyone what she did. She didn't want everyone looking at her like, "Oh, so you're the one. We heard about it."

So as soon as the massage was over, she flew off that table and got dressed faster than she's ever gotten dressed before. And when she went to open the door, her masseuse was standing there with a cup of water for her to drink.

So she was able to get out in time, without further embarrassment.

I think that she did, however, have to tell the parent who gave her the gift card that she made a small mistake and that the parent would probably be hearing about it the next time she went in for a massage.

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Ah, I love her. She's so much like me. That which was intended to relax her, only confused her and stressed her out.

And don't even get me started on how maddening a mani/pedi can be. ;) haha