Big day today for Sarah

Sarah got a LIBRARY CARD today!!! Big news!! :) haha

She told everyone at church that she would be headed to the library this afternoon to get her very own card. We went at 1:00 (right when it opened), filled out the paperwork, and she signed her name on the back.

She brought her princess wallet in her princess purse so that she would have a place to put her library card.

She logged on to a computer using her library card number and played for a while.

She then checked out 5 books and 1 DVD at the self checkout machine and put the receipt in her purse.



This picture was taken while she was in my bed, watching the DVD she checked out. She's very grown up now, you know. She actually has something to put in her wallet. ;)

Reality Breakdown

As in, I'm gonna break down reality TV. The shows I watch.

Jersey Shore

Deana looks just like her dad. I've never seen her dad, but if you've ever seen Deana, you'll know that she's got the face of man.

Sammi and Ronnie are back together. There are recovery programs for co-dependency. Look into them.

RHOMiami

I don't want to get into another group of girls. Enough already. I'm sure I'll be sucked in at some point. But, for now, these girls do nothing for me.

Top Chef

I want Richard Blais to win it all.

Bachelor

Let's get this out of the way... Brad is a good looking guy. Beyond that, he's so obnoxious. I think he's trying hard to be sincere, but he bugs me.

And I love how the girls are always like, "I'll never find a guy like Brad. He treats me like a princess."

Hello, ladies. Do you think Brad planned and paid for those dates?? Thank ABC. When you cry in the limo, cry and say, "No one will ever treat me as well as ABC did."

American Idol

I have seen not one episode! Am I missing out? Let me know!

My Strange Addiction

Those addictions are STRANGE!!!

Toddlers and Tiaras

Y'all are crazy! And I watch the show in disgust. But if I had money to blow, I think it'd be a really fun thing to do with Sarah. Shhh....

And finally...

Glee, CSI, and Modern Family, thank you for giving me a break from my reality obsession. I owe you. Big time.

Random

On facebook, the "search" bar at the top is dangerously close to the "what's on your mind?" bar on the Newsfeed page. I've almost posted people's names as my status a thousand times.

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We haven't had ice for our drinks since Monday. I keep forgetting to buy a bag, and, at this point, what's the point? The new fridge is coming TOMORROW. Hallelujah!

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The kids are banging on Tupperware with wooden spoons and hitting pot lids as cymbals. That's why I'm in here blogging.


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I practiced going up and down the stairs with Caroline for the better part of an hour today. The sooner she can master the stairs, the sooner we can take down the gates and resume normal life.

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I got the letter today that Sarah qualified for PACE (Plano's G/T program). She'll participate as long as it's fun and not a burden or so much extra work that she hates it. I want her to be confident, and if she ever starts to feel like she's the dumbest of the G/T kids, then it's time to walk away. But it's a blessing that she's doing so well, especially since she's one of the youngest in her class.

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Caroline is in full-on tantrum mode. I have NO problem ignoring her. I do, however, have to remind myself that she's 19 months and screaming at her isn't good. (Not that screaming is ever good, but sometimes I'm pushed to the edge.)

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Caroline says "cheese", "shoes" , and "juice" and they all sound the same. Context clues are very important.

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I'm trying to decide between pasta or BBQ for dinner tonight.

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I'm grateful for friends that slap sense into me when my insecurities overtake me.

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We have another make up swim lesson Saturday. This time with Mr. Josh. A man. (duh) We'll see how that goes over with the kids. I'm starting to give up on the idea of having a perfect swim lesson experience and leaning more towards, "Get over it. It's time to learn."
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TOMORROW'S FRIDAY!! HOORAY!!!!!

Swimming Lessons

In response to your question, Laura... (and because I'm searching for something to post about today)

Sarah and Jack were doing well at swim lessons. They love their teacher. She's so patient and great.

THEN the stupid ice storm of 2011 hit, and they missed 2 weeks back-to-back of lessons. Just as they were starting to gain confidence. Ugh, I was upset. I was afraid we'd be back to square one.

(To put that into perspective, they only had 2 lessons and then had 2 weeks off because of weather. So that's why I thought we'd be essentially starting over.)

Last Wednesday was our first day back after a 2 week break. Well, stupid me, I thought their lesson started at 5:30. So we even KILLED TIME and slooooowly got in the car to be at the lessons right at 5:30.

They started at 5:15. And end at 5:45. So they missed half of their first lesson back. I was so mad at myself.

BUT they took a huge step forward and put their faces in the water for almost 5 seconds. (I know that doesn't sound like a big deal, but for them, it is!!)

At the end of class, I asked Amanda if they could do some make up lessons. She said that I needed to check with the front desk about availability. I found a class that met on Saturdays that was their level of swimming. I thought, "This will be great! One lesson on Wednesday. One on Saturday. Another on Wednesday. And the last make up on Saturday. It'll be like intense swimming boot camp."

So we showed up on Saturday for the make up lesson with a different instructor named Mollie. I hadn't considered the fact that Saturday classes had never been canceled due to ice. So they were 2 weeks ahead of my kids. And I never told Mollie that my kids were kinda scared of the water. I just said, "This is Jack and Sarah. We're here for a make up lesson."

She immediately put flippers on them and dunked them underwater.

Tears. Freak outs. Fear. Disaster!!!

I felt terrible that I hadn't told her. I felt like whatever fears they were conquering with Amanda on Wednesdays had just resurfaced after 5 minutes with Mollie.

Tonight will be the first lesson after the dunking on Saturday. I'm going to tell Amanda what happened and hopefully she can rebuild their confidence. They really love her and trust her, so I'm hoping that tonight goes well.

I'm also still holding out hope that they will be swimmers by May... Though I can't believe that's possible.

It's been a busy week...

but sometimes I like it that way.

Monday, after Bible Study, I took the kids to Chuck E Cheese. Sarah had earned a BIG reward from her "Trying New Foods" chart. So she cashed it in on her day off from school, and the chart is done. (Unless I have to pull it out again later.)

Now it's just standard expectation that she at least TRY everything on her plate and eat all of at least one thing. There's no reward for that... other than getting to be excused from the table. If she wants dessert, she has to eat everything.

But that's such a tangent. The point is we had church, Chuck E Cheese, no school, and Jason didn't get home til 7:30 on Monday. Killer day.

Yesterday was good because everyone who goes to school went to school. And Mom treated Caroline and me to lunch at Neimans. Always a fun thing to do.

Sarah has early release today. I'm sure I've griped about this before, but... Plano does this once a month. Kids are home by noon on a Wednesday. I don't know what working moms do. I'm sure it frustrates them because I'll be here anyway today at noon and am irritated that Sarah has an early release.

Sarah's friend, Molly, is coming over from 1:00 til whenever. And then we have swim lessons at 5:15.

I hate swim days. HECTIC. But it's my fault. I didn't really consider how nuts Wednesday nights would be.

But the weird schedule this week has made it hard to believe that it's already Wednesday, so I'm happy for that. :)

I hope y'all are having a great week too!!

New fridge

We're getting a new fridge delivered Friday. Hooray! Our other one is broken. (It's 15+ years old.) So we have an excuse to upgrade.

Freezer on bottom, stainless steel, if you please.

I'm excited!!

Although the weekend of shopping was crazy. This is the kind of purchase that requires research because-- Dang!-- refrigerators can be expensive. Gee whiz!!

Thankfully we got a good deal and caught a sale, but still.

The process went like this:

1. The 5 of us went and scoured the selection at one store, just to get an idea of what we were looking for.

2. Then Jason went and narrowed it down to 2. And did comparison shopping at a few different stores (not to mention our online research).

3. Then he watched the kids so that I could go to the store and make the final selection.

4. Then I came home and watched the kids so that he could purchase it and make sure we weren't taken advantage of.

If I had been the purchaser, they would've talked me into needing unnecessary warranties or this and that. It's better for us if Jason handles the buying.

So now we just have to limp by until Friday. I'll take a picture when it comes in. It's the only thing updated about our kitchen so I'm pretty eager to get it here. :)

Mrs. Shirley

or Shirley B. or Ma-Maw... We've called her all of the above when referencing the old lady who rocks the babies in the nursery at church.

She was the 2nd employee at ParkwayHills. Ever. And has rocked babies and given parents fits for the last 20+ years.

Mrs. Shirley is faithful and dependable. She shows up every week on Sundays... and sometimes on Mondays and Wednesdays too. If ever you drop your baby off and she's not there, you know something's up.

Mrs. Shirley is also infamous for being opinionated and not mincing words... or caring too much about coddling new mothers. She likes things the way she likes them-- and she DOESN'T like tights, headbands, or buttons. She wants your babies bare-legged, non-accessorized, and-- for crying out loud-- make sure the crotch of your child's outfit SNAPS and not BUTTONS. And everything needs to be labeled in your diaper bag. (Although that doesn't assure you that you will always come home with your stuff.)

I remember sheepishly dropping Sarah off in her room when she was just a few months old and hoping that she'd be a sweet baby. (I wanted everyone to love her and talk about how sweet that McGlamery baby was. Even though I knew she was a FUSSY little thing.) I picked her up at the end of the service and asked with a big smile, "How was she? I hope she was good for you, Mrs. Shirley."

"She was terrible. Cried the whole time. Boy, she doesn't like anything does she? She's a stinker."

I'd continue to get that report for the rest of Sarah's time in her class... Then again when I brought Jack... and Caroline was a "stinker" too.

My sweet friend, Hillary, had the worst baby by far, though, according to Mrs. Shirley. Stories about Raleigh screaming are legendary.

I've worked with Mrs. Shirley before and she's a really easy person to talk to. Opinionated. But easy to talk to. And now she brags on my kids.. "What sweethearts they've turned out to be. Because you know, Julie, they were terrible babies. Just terrible." :)

A month ago I worked in the room next to Mrs. Shirley. She brought a picture of her first great grandbaby to me. She was smiling from ear to ear and told me that he'd be here soon to see her. And when he came and she held him, I saw that sweet great grandmotherly love come out in her. She beamed.

Mrs. Shirley died Saturday morning.

I found out this morning at church and felt like I had the wind knocked out of me. It was so shocking. She had flu-like symptoms, intended to go to the doctor on Monday, but died on Saturday.

She loved our babies.
Was she warm and fuzzy? Not really, no.
Did she tell it like she saw it? Absolutely.
Would I ever want to be on her bad side? No ma'am, I would not.

But she held our babies so that we could worship God. She took the bows off and stripped off their tights and lost their pacifiers sometimes, but while she was doing that, we were able to take a break and focus on Christ.

Her work was a ministry.

When was the last time SHE got to go to a worship service? When was the last time I thanked her?

"To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord." And I'm grateful for that truth.

I'm also grateful for you, Mrs. Shirley. Thank you for holding Sarah and Jack and Caroline. Thank you for being a faithful nursery worker. We love you and know that Christ is honoring you because the work you did "for the least of these you did for Him." We'll see you again in Eternity. I'm glad you're home.

Names...

I woke up this morning and decided that I don't like Jack's name, and I want to change it.

The last time I felt this way, he was about a month old and I was going through a little postpartum craziness.

I don't know what it is today. I was just thinking that "Jack" was a weird name while I was on the treadmill this morning.

It's not a surprise to anyone that I like classic names for my kids..... mostly because I grew up with a weird last name and I married someone with a weird last name. So to balance the weird, I went traditional. (I'm very jealous of all of you one or two syllable, easy to pronounce last name people. The name possibilities are endless for you.)

I've always wanted a Caroline. But the other name I loved (and Jason didn't) was Emery. My grandfather was Emory (with an "o") and I think Emery is such a cute name.

But Emery McGlamery??? That rhymes. Dumb.

When you dream of having kids, you can narrow down the names pretty fast. You may even have a couple that you KNOW you're gonna use. Then your husband has opinions that differ from yours. And you have to work on convincing him that his names are stupid but the names you like are perfect. :) Sometimes you win that fight and other times you have to forfeit the name you love.

If you have a sibling or 2 close in age and your pregnancies overlap and yall tend to have similar tastes, you may even have to consult that person to make sure that they aren't using the name you want to use. It's great to have sisters and cousins and in-laws that live near you and have kids around your kids' ages. It just helps if they have opposite sexes from yours or if you are VERY different in the names that you would choose. Otherwise, trust me, even THAT is a negotiation.

Naming kids can be really fun. But it's pressure!! Big time pressure to pick a good name.

So today I'm not so sure about "Jack". But it's a good solid name. It'll serve him well in life, I'm sure.
And--let's face it--he's 4 so I guess we're committed to it. ;)

One of the things that makes me the GREATEST mom in the world...

is my keen eye and ability to read my kids' cues that they are getting sleepy.

I'm really good about paying attention to their needs and making sure those sweet little heads hit the pillow before they fall asleep.

Rent The Runway

I've rented this dress... (well really it's a tank and a skirt) and (sorry that the pictures are tiny. you can see it better if you click here) for Vegas from a site called Rent the Runway.

My SIL Abby told me about it. This is a Gryphon 2 piece set that retails at $700 but I rented it for $75... (but really $55 because I had a coupon).

It's shorter than I could ever get away with here. It's sequined. I'd probably never wear it anywhere but Vegas. I could sure as heck NEVER afford to purchase it. Renting is a great option.

I told them 2 different sizes to send me. They'll clean them and mail them. And then they send me a return envelope to ship it back to them when I'm done.

I had the option of renting it for $75 for 4 days or $120 for 8 days.

I can't wait to try the whole process out. I told Abby that, if this is as easy as it seems like it will be, this is the way to do Jason's Christmas party events.

Instead of purchasing a Nicole Miller dress and then feeling the pressure to stay thin so I can wear it again one day, I can rent a designer that I'd never be able to afford in real life... D&G or Badgley Mischka... wear it and send it back.

If boys can rent tuxes, why can't girls rent the runway???

Love Michael Buble...

It has no applicability to my life, but I love this song. It makes me smile!! Happy Thursday!


Michael Buble - Just Havent Met You Yet on MUZU


Although this video doesn't fit right and is so jumpy it kinda gives me a headache. I just close my eyes and listen. ;)

The case of the missing comb

On Wednesday (when it snowed) Sarah was bored and asked if she could start on a Valentine's present. Relieved that she had thought of a way to entertain herself, I agreed!!

Whatever this present was, apparently, it had to be wrapped. She asked me if she could use the heart wrapping paper. I told her to use red tissue paper instead.

She was fine with that compromise. I never thought about the present again.

On Thursday morning, Jason got out of the shower and opened the bathroom drawer to pull out his comb. It wasn't there.

Jason asked if I had seen it. He looked everywhere he could think of for it. I've never thought of it as a special comb or anything, but Jason gets to where he likes the stuff he uses and replacing it just isn't the same.

So we looked and looked.

After 3 days of keeping our eyes out for it, Jason asked me to buy him one at Kroger when I did my weekly shopping.

Jason is SO particular about his stuff that I had no idea what kind of comb he wanted. I ended up buying a multi-pack of combs. It was quite the assortment. He found ONE out of the 6 or 7 that were in the pack that would work... though not as well as the lost comb, I'm sure.

On Sunday we gave the kids their Valentines. Mondays are just so hectic so we let them open their coloring books and candy a day early. Sarah told Jason that she had a Valentine for him. He didn't open it though because he forgot.

She reminded him of the Valentine again on Monday night, right as we were sitting down to dinner. And, not that he was trying to blow her off, but you know how it is when kids bring things up at the most inopportune times... so he said, "I'd love to open it right after dinner."

Finally right before Sarah went to bed, she said, "Now Daddy? Will you open it now?"

He felt terrible that he had forgotten again so he made a really big deal about how he would LOVE to open her present.

He unwrapped the red tissue paper and out fell, of course, his comb.

She said, "I couldn't buy you anything. And I know you really like your comb, so I took it out of your drawer and wrapped it."

I had no idea that's where it had been. We laughed until I was crying.

Jason said, "Good thing she doesn't know how to hide and wrap the car. She'd be like, 'Happy Birthday, Daddy!! Here's your car!' and I'd be like 'Thanks, Sarah, um, let me call the insurance company and the police back real quick.'"

This is probably one of those stories where you had to have been here to really get it.

But it was hilarious that we had looked EVERYWHERE for DAYS for that stupid thing. And she had wrapped it because she knew how much he loved it. AND that she had tried to give it to him since Sunday but he kept forgetting to open her present.

Ahhh.... It made us laugh....

Small on top?

I was googling what bathing suits are best for women who are NOT well endowed.

I'd decided after Caroline was born that I was NEVER wearing a bikini again... and I still probably won't when I'm in our backyard with the kids and going to have to bend over to pick up things or help a kid with this or that and my tummy will droop and sag. In those situations, I like the suck-in-ness of a one piece.

But since I am going on vacation with Jason and it's not like I'm a mom ALL the time and I'm not getting any younger so if ever there was a time I could wear a bikini it's probably now....

I decided to google bikinis for my body type. And I walked away feeling pretty dang comfortable with my pre-pubescent figure.

Articles said things like, "Revel in your need for little support." And tips like, "Flaunt what you have and fake what you don't."

I even cut and paste below one little paragraph that made me feel good...

Small on Top

•If you're small on top, you may want to try the newest, little swimsuits from Brazil. The Brazilian woman is generally smaller on top than the American girl, and their swimsuits are cut accordingly.
•Look for tops with a touch of padding, or an under wire, demi-bra style that makes the most of a beautiful, dainty, bust line. Try to find a top with adjustable straps at shoulders and around back so that you can tighten and adjust things, to help fill out the top line.
•You are very lucky that you have the body to wear those cute, ruffled tops that are so hot right now, so go for it. And as for bandeau tops, only you can wear those well. You can also show off in those tiny, tri-tops that the big busted girls only dream about.
•Avoid tops with too much fabric or have a poor fit. Opt for separates, where you can choose your top and bottom separately.


So here's to all the women out there that struggle to look womanly. We might not be what the magazines say we should be, but hey-- we can "revel in our need for little support"!! :) And I, for one, intend to.

One less friend

I started the day with 213 friends on facebook. (I know this because the "13" sticks out in my mind since it's kinda my family's lucky number.)

Well, now I have 212 friends.

I did a quick scroll of the remaining people and you all appear to still be there. Whew! So.. no apologies necessary to any of you, I suppose.

Don't know who dropped me (and--to be honest-- it's a weird feeling to have been dropped) but all of my favorite people are still around, so I'm ok with it.

And, really, of those 212 friends, I'm actually friends with probably 20.. acquaintances with another 50... went to school with an additional 75 (and haven't seen them since)... throw in a few that I know from church because of my parents... and a few more that I don't actually remember but accepted their friend request because, according to our list of "mutual friends", I should know who they are.

So, eh, what's one less "friend"? ;)

:) A little story.. just because

Several years ago when I got my first cell phone, Dad was trying to be helpful so he set up my password (or I guess passcode really) that I would use to check my voicemail.

Dad: "It's 11479. It's super easy because it makes a big 'L' on the keypad."

Me: "Ok, thanks, Dad. Why'd you pick 11479?"

D: "I used your birthdate."

M: "But I was born in October. Hilary was born in November."

D: "Crap."

Blueberry Giant

I just got an email from Blueberry Giant (don't know why) that said:

Blueberry Giant - Grow Your Own Delicious Blueberries

Grow your own delicious blueberries with Blueberry Giant. Medical research has shown that eating blueberries can help you lose abdominal fat, improve memory, and even prevent cancer. Produce up to 4 pints of juicy blueberries daily - that’s 16,000 blueberries from a single plant.



What???

So I googled it. And it's a mail order blueberry plant that promises, as you read, 16,000 blueberries from a single plant.

Then I saw all of these posts and blogs full of outraged customers claiming that this was a scam. They ordered Blueberry Giant and did NOT get 16,000 blueberries from that one plant.

Wait a minute. You're saying that you didn't get SIXTEEN THOUSAND blueberries from one plant like the commercial said you would?

I'd be shocked and outraged too.

Morons.

Today's inspiration comes from Elizabeth...

First of all, she did a post about the greatest halftime show ever and I totally agree. It made me smile all day long. I wanted to watch the video again and again on her blog, but I know she can track who's logging in and I didn't want to be lumped in with her stalkers. ;)

BUT... she just posted on fb about all of the Valentine's commercials... and I commented about 2 things.

1.




I want a hoodie-footie. I have no pride. I think this looks like a great idea. :)

I have often zipped my kids up in footed PJs when it's really cold and thought, "I want some footed pajamas." And the footies zip right off. Awesome.

So someone start dropping hints fast to Jason so he'll send me a pajamagram. Because nothing says "love" like a pajamagram.


2. She referenced the Kay Jewelers commercials.

NOTHING is sappier than those stupid commercials. Every single one of them. I don't watch SNL anymore but surely they've done a parody of these things.... something like their "D**^% in a box" video on their holiday show.

The 2 that I hate the MOST are:

The one where the couple is looking out the window at the storm and the lightning flashes. And she gets scared and turns to him so he can hold her. And he says, "I'm right here." [opens the little box and says] "And I always will be."

It's disgusting. (And as Elizabeth pointed out on facebook... creepy. It does seem like he's kidnapped her and going to keep her there.)

And then the one for Valentine's Day where she's cooking or something and he's reading conversation hearts. Then he reads one that says something like, "You're the greatest.. blah blah blah... long rambling whatever he says..." And she says, "It doesn't say that." [and then he opens the little box and says] "No. But this does."

Gross.

Snow

When the ice finally turned into usable and play-with-able (what? it's a word.) snow, being iced in didn't stink quite so much.

We got enough snow to fill their little sink outside. (Please look past the tomato plant cage in our flower pot. Don't ask.)




Snow can be fun. (As long as it melts in a timely fashion and we can get back to normal life as we know it.)

On our snow day, Jason stayed home and played outside with the kids.

At least I thought they were going outside to play. But then Jason got his great idea to build a snow fort.

They seemed excited, so I took their picture.

"Hooray! Dad's spending quality time with us ;) and we're gonna build a fort!"




But then the kids turned into cheap labor. Filling buckets so that Daddy could build a snow fort.



Are we having fun yet?



Filling and shoveling...





Shoveling and filling...



Keep working, kids. Don't stop until the driveway is clear.



After the first bucket or so, Jack came in. He was over it. But Sarah stuck with it and seriously cleared half the driveway.

The fort started to take shape...






At one point, windows were framed...




And then Sarah and Jason took a break to throw snowballs at the Yukon. At least this looks like more fun. (Note the large area of snowless driveway. Sarah worked hard.)




Sweet Sarah loves her daddy so much that she stayed outside with him for 2 1/2 hours, mostly shoveling snow. I love that about her.

Well, we're supposed to be hit with it again tomorrow, but this looks like typical Texas weather in that it should be gone much more quickly than last time.

Stay warm, everybody!

Tuesday Ramblings

Jack is really being clingy lately. He cried when I dropped him off at school. He wanted to come to Bible study with me yesterday. He wants me to sit with him while he plays the computer. I'm trying to soak it up and think that it won't always be like this. Trying to enjoy the togetherness. Trying.

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I had a mid-year conference with Sarah's teacher and had to bring Caroline. Caroline did really well until she crawled under the conference table to poop. I heard her grunting under there and knew what was going on. But I was trying to maintain a professional conversation with Ms. Rushing. Then the smell hit us both and we ended the conference.

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To make matters worse, the conference was held in this tiny little closet of a room. And it was really warm in there. So no good air circulation, stinky, and warm. I feel bad for Ms. Rushing... and the parent who went in after me. Disgusting.


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I can't remember if Caroline is supposed to have an 18 month well baby check up. I should call her doctor but I don't really want to. She's healthy and she'll catch something if I take her in for a well baby visit.

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Valentine's Day is coming up and Jason always gets me a really mushy sappy card. He wants the card to say just the right thing so that he doesn't have to write anything in it. He literally only signs his name to the card.

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I, on the other hand, always look for a funny or off-color card. I like something with humor. I can't do mushy. If I have something kind to say, it's sincere and honest and came out of my brain... not Hallmark's writers' brains. Does that sound bitter? :)
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I never keep the cards Jason gives me because he never writes anything personal in them. He never keeps the cards I give him either, and I ALWAYS write something personal in them. It used to hurt my feelings to see the card I gave him in the trash literally 5 minutes after he opened it. But now I know to not waste too much time thinking of what to say. ;)

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I keep thinking of Brittany S. Pierce being shot out of a cannon and how she doesn't want to die but how she signs the consent form because she feels bad for the mommy cannon who needs to support the baby cannons back home.

I love Glee.

Happy Monday

Today's to-dos...

1. Bible study this morning at 9:30.

2. Sarah's dance class at 3:30.

3. Last general HOA meeting at 6:00 and I am OFF the board. :)

And somewhere in there I want to post pics of the snow fort and everything.

Not too much going on, but somehow--with all of the unscheduled stuff that always happens-- I know my day will seem hectic.

OH... and I will humbly admit that the temps were surprisingly warm and comfortable this weekend. I guess those lying weathermen had it right all along. ;)

ALSO... Did y'all see on the news about the Super Bowl fans who bought seats only to find out that the fire marshall said that they were unsafe?

I couldn't sleep last night because of a little 9 year old boy who was crying. It just makes me sick that people spent money to fly down here, spent who knows HOW MUCH $$ on a hotel, were excited about the game, and then shuffled over to "Standing Room Only" spots. :(

I know they'll be reimbursed triple the amount of their tickets, but that doesn't reimburse their flight and hotel stay, now, does it?

BUT as the disgruntled fans were chanting "Dallas Sucks!", I did laugh when the news anchor cleverly pointed out that, after weeks of Arlington residents wanting all the credit for hosting the Super Bowl, no one from Arlington corrected the small angry mob. :)

Randomness

I'm in a random sort of mood so here we go...

I'm about to go bananas over all of the celebs we have in North Texas. Are you kidding me??? Exciting for this start-struck dork.

Keith Urban is hot. I'm sorry. There's no way around it for me.

I'm watching the Super Bowl pre-game with unusual fascination. Interesting coverage or wine? I'll let you decide.

We've started eating dinner as a family since the ice storm last week. It's really been such a blessing that we were forced under one roof all week. Jason was home so we were able to get in a good routine.

And I forced the kids to eat what I cook. It's the first time EVER that I've had 4 days in a row of all of us eating one dinner. (Judge if you want. I don't care. I'm sure you do things that I think are crazy.) But I have made tailor-made meals for my kids for the last 5 years. I've omitted peppers and onions from Jason's meal to appease him. I've jumped through hoops for these knuckleheads for the last 6 years, and this week marked the end to the "McGlamery Short Order Cook Diner". I'm done. You eat what I make or you don't eat. And that goes for EVERYONE... Jason included.

But more than just the ease of only cooking one meal, it's nice to sit around the table together. Jason will never be home before 6:45. It's a fact I must deal with. But I've learned to give the kids a big snack at 4:00 and we can all wait and eat together. Annoying but it works.

I was going nuts that I couldn't lay in a tanning bed during the ice storm. Is that so pathetic? Yes. I started tanning (not good for me.. blah blah blah) at the end of December every other day. And I've been VERY gradually building up color. The goal is to not be pasty white by the end of March... aka Vegas!

I've come to grips with the fact that my post 3 babies body is heavier than my pre 3 babies body. And when I was SUPER skinny this summer, it was because I was breastfeeding. To assume that a breastfeeding me is the same as a post-baby me is ridiculous. There is no comparison. But I'm focusing on being toned and stronger. And I'm happy... even though I'm a whopping 10 pounds heavier than I was in September. Whatever.

Caroline is so fun now. Really. I look forward to her waking up from naps now. I like to see her first thing in the morning. She really makes me so happy.

We're thinking about signing Jack up for karate lessons. It's what he says he wants to try. ??? I don't know. But we'll see what happens.

Even when Jason's home, I'm pretty sure I do twice as much work around here as him.

Well, I think that's all for now...
Happy Super Bowl Sunday everybody!

A comedienne?

Did anyone see the Oprah with Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler?

I saw bits and pieces but I just read an article that said Adam told Oprah that Jennifer Aniston turned down a spot on the SNL cast to do "Friends" instead.

She was offered a spot on the cast of SNL back when SNL was good???

I find that strange. I don't think of her as a comedienne. At all.

Really. Not at all.

BTW, she looks really pretty in this pic, I think.

The Shred

So a year or so ago when Jillian Michaels' Shred DVD was the big deal, I bought it. I did it a handful of times and moved on with my life.

(Now this p90x is all the rage. No thanks. That sounds intense, and I can't commit to 90 days straight of anything other than waking up and breathing.)

But I've been so stir crazy that I pulled it out and have done the Shred every snow day this week. (So today will be Day 4.)

The kids have done the DVD with me. I thought they could use the outlet to get some energy out.

I wish I had video footage of the jumping jacks and jogging-in-place that they did. And when it came time for the hand weights, I handed them soup cans and had them do the exercises. They did crunches and push ups.

Either they'll look back on this week of exercising with mom as a fun ice day activity. Or they'll end up on a therapist's couch with issues.

"And then when I was 5, my mom handed me soup cans and I did squats and shoulder presses."

They were laughing and appeared to be having a good time. So here's hoping that I didn't psychologically scar my kids. [holding my breath, fingers crossed]

Anyway...

I'm so desperate for things to do that I'm seriously considering dusting today. I think I'll put old socks on the kids' hands and have them help me out. They'll be so ready for school to start by the end of this ice week..... :)

An inch of snow forecasted... 5 inches of snow fell... Whatever.

Maybe they're not liars all the time.

Maybe some of the time they're just really wrong and a little dumb.

What do we need to do to get these people some accurate weather tracking equipment?

Liars! (Maybe)

I've told you before that Jason and I are both conspiracy theorists to a certain extent.

All week--with temps in the teens and 20s--the weathermen have said, "But don't worry. Mid-50s on Saturday and Sunday. But then watch out! Another cold snap and we might have snow on Monday."

Jason was like, "Really?? Single digits at times this week. The kids are out of school. It's gonna magically heat up to the 50s for the weekend and back to snowing on Monday? I doubt it. They're lying."

"Why would they lie?" I asked.

"I dunno. To keep Super Bowl people happy. Boost morale. Inspire confidence. 'Don't change your party plans. Head out to the bars. Spend your money. It's gonna be in the 50s.' Just watch. The forecast will change. They'll get more honest as the weekend gets closer."

Today they said the high would be in the low 40s on Saturday and mid 40s on Sunday. A more than 10 degree drop. Hmmm... Did their weather models JUST NOW show that?? Doubt it.

Now--you who are not conspiracy theorists might argue that the news people don't lie about the weather. And that we're crazy. WELL, (we are but...)I've also read something that Steve Macauley (sp?) from Channel 8 said once. And it was something to the effect of a major storm event that he predicted and he wanted to bring it to the viewers' attention, but the producers wouldn't let him put the possibility on air because it might panic viewers. He didn't air it that night and was only allowed to broadcast it a day before the storm. And he had known about it for a week or something.

SO... we at the McGlamery house fully expect the forecast to change again tomorrow and the highs on Super Bowl Sunday to go from high/mid 40s to high 30s/low 40s. It'll just drop a little every day until they tell North Texas the truth. ;)

I'm just glad they finally got real and came off the crock of crap that it was gonna magically be in the middle 50s for the weekend.

Stay warm everybody! :)

mkshti374$#@#*$&We

I couldn't think of an appropriate title to adequately express my stir craziness and borderline insanity.

This song has been going thru my head ALL DAY...

I am slowly going crazy
1-2-3-4-5-6 switch
Crazy going slowly am I
6-5-4-3-2-1 switch

If you don't know it, sorry. And if you do and I just got it stuck in your head, sorry.

So--because I won't remember why I posted this when I go back and read this a year from now-- (and, yes, sometimes I go back and read really old posts)...
It has been icy and the kids have missed school for the last 2 days, and we just found out school is cancelled again tomorrow. To make matters worse, they did annoying rolling blackouts all day long.

We lost power 5 times--each time it only lasted for 15 minutes or so.

My sister who lives 5 minutes from me had her power out for 5 hours. So they went to my parents' house who also live 5 mintues from me and my parents never lost power once!

I can't tell you how many times--when it's a planned power outage-- Hilary and I will lose power and my parents won't. I guess it matters which neighborhood you live in as to whether or not you are inconvenienced.

I was actually really productive today because I was never sure when we were gonna lose power again. So anytime it came back on I'd quickly start a load of laundry and keep my fingers crossed that it would finish in time.

I also learned to time things well today. When the power went out once, Jack, Sarah, and I made brownies and poured them in a pan. And AS SOON AS the power came on, I hurried to heat up the oven and prayed that the oven wouldn't turn off for 25 - 30 minutes. It worked. :)

This is just nuts. The kids are snippy with each other. We're all going thru some cabin fever. Because the power kept going on and off we kept the computer off all day, which is also my back-up babysitter sometimes... so no computer was not good.

Enough already! Anyway, I'm not saying anything you're not feeling wherever you are if you're in the North Texas area.

I feel bad for the cities that worked so hard to clean up in preparation for the Super Bowl and now sand trucks are everywhere and everything's an ugly sloshy mess. And I feel bad for people stuck traveling. But they say it'll be in the 50s soon. So, I look forward to that!!

I'm just glad that we have weathermen that warned us this was coming. Can you imagine if we lived in the olden days and had weather in the 60s on Sunday and then--BAM--snow and ice on Tuesday? People back then must have been so confused all the time.

Random thought. Sorry. Like I said, I'm losing my mind...