Home Sweet Home and My Weekend Picks

A few weeks ago, I wrote about mine and Cary's competition we have during college football season. It was called "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" if you want to read it to see what I'm talking about. AND IT'S TIME ladies! I'm posting my picks below so print them out and let the wagerin' begin y'all. Oh and by the way, I'M IN TEXAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Home sweet home. And I'm not sure I'm leavin' in 2 weeks. I may just stay forever. At least that's how I feel right now. Cary and I can have a long distance marriage right? Granted I'm in San Antonio, which isn't really my home because my mom moved here AFTER I moved to Dallas and got married. BUT IT'S TEXAS nonetheless. Home sweet home for sure. Sorry Sunshine State friends, but this was my home for 32 years. It'll always be home to me. And y'all just thought I came to see friends and family. Well, that's only part of it. You see, football is a RELIGION in Texas. So I'm really here to "practice" my religion.

I just finished stuffing my face with one of the meals that was on my top 10 MUST HAVES in Texas post a few weeks ago. My grandmother made a roast with mashed potatoes, fresh green beans (smothered in good ol' butter and salt...just in case you thought you were eatin somethin healthy) with carrots (also smothered in butter and salt) corn on the cob (also smothered in butter and salt) cornbread (you get the idea) and some ice tea with lemon. OH SISTAS! I ate till I popped and then I ate some more. It was one of those meals that I didn't want to end. I dreaded getting started because I knew I would be full way too soon. If that makes any sense. And I'm about to go take a SCORCHING hot bath in my mom's gigantonormous bath tub and I'm going to just lay and absorb me some relaxation. You see, I'm a bath person. In a big way. And every house Cary and I have ever lived in always had those big jacuzzi bathtubs. And I took a HOT bath EVERY night, and I would sit in the tub for like 30-45 minutes EVERY night. And veg! Cause cleanliness is next to Godliness you know. Well, in our current home, the 60 year old one, there's definitely NO jacuzzi tub and the "hot" water is barely warm on a good day. So my nighttime baths are not exactly relaxing to say the least. So for the next 2 weeks I'm going to live in the lap of luxury. Good food, good friends, aggie football, hot baths, it just don't get any better than that!

And speaking of football...here are my picks. Not so many great games this week. It's mostly non=conference games, lots of no-brainers. So I only made picks on the ones that could possibly be a contest. Or that I cared about. You will notice that Texas and Florida did NOT make the cut. They fall into the "I don't care" category.

Georgia Tech @ Notre Dame....I pick the Irish. Could be a good game though.

Missouri @ Illinois...I pick Missouri. GO BIG 12!!!

Baylor @ TCU...I'm goin out on a limb here. I'm picking the Bears (Ang...Brian would be proud!) Once again, GO BIG 12. And TCU, although ranked #22...OVERRATED! Sorry Audra, my hornfroged friend.

Okie State @Georgia...GEEZ. This one's a tough one. Georgia is ranked #13 and Okie state not ranked but I've heard so much about OSU's offense this year. And I want the Big 12 to shine...so what the heck. I'm pickin' the cowboys of OSU! (although if you want to be safe you should pick Georgia)

Montana WHO @ TEXAS A&M...DUH...NO BRAINER.

Kansas State @Auburn...Another tough one. Auburn is ranked #18. KState not ranked. But I'm expecting some improvement from the Wildcats, those purple people of KS. And GO BIG 12. But I think Auburn will win with a comfortable 15+point margin.

#15 Tennessee @ #12 Cal...One of the few good matchups this week. I'm goin with Cal. Those hippies are tough man! Tennessee...as usual...OVERRATED!

On Monday...Florida State @ Clemson...The Bowden Bowl. Father vs son. Very tough pick. I'm goin with Clemson ONLY b/c of homefield advantage. GREAT atmosphere. But the Florida State Criminals I mean Seminoles probably have more talent.

That's all I got. The rest of the games are blah blah blah vs. blah blah blah so I didn't make picks on them.

Toe Cute

So I got an Aggie Pedicure the other day. How appropriate, Aggie toes in the sand! Get it...Texas Aggies in Florida? heehee. My Aggie toes are a tradition for me. I do this every year during football season. Pretty cute huh? I guess you can say I'm "Aggie from my head to my toes!"

We're Ready to Go to Granny's House!

Packing & Such...

So today I've been feverishly doing laundry and all those other chores that HAVE to be done because they won't get done while I'm gone, I assure you. Someone asked me at church last night, "What's Cary going to do with 2 weeks of free time?" Oh, I bet he'll watch plenty of History and Discovery Channel, you know those shows I HATE and always make him turn the channel. The History Channel is morbid y'all. I know it's all true, but I guess real life is kind of groady sometimes. I have a ton of cute pictures I've taken the last few days and I can't get them on my blog. Long story. Mama has ISSUES. What's new. Camera card needs help. Camera card full. Walmart photo booth not working. Walmart Cheapest. Mama has 200 pictures on camera. Mama take pics on camera hard drive. Hard drive too slow to download to computer. When camera card fixed, mama transfer pics from hard drive to card. THEN...the pics will be on my blog. That's the short version. Got it? I took a cute one today of Ashton. Cary had gotten out the girls' suitcases and they put them in Lexi's room to play with. I walked by her room and Ashton had crawled in and Lexi was zipping her up in the suitcase. Like she was saying, "Okay, I'm ready to go to Granny's house!" And then Daddy told us the story of when his dad was a baby and road from North Carolina to Washington State in a suitcase on a train because his mom couldn't afford to buy him a ticket. And that gave me an idea. I'm kidding!

Okay I'm rambling. I have MAJOR MAJOR MAJOR potty issues today. I think it's anxiety related. And don't laugh. I think it's football tummy y'all. I do! I get it every year during this season every week before the Aggies play. I get so nervous. My heart is beating faster and faster just thinking about it. Football may just be hazardous to my health. 2 more days!!!!!! Lots of packing to do. At least my toenails are ready for the Aggies. Yes, I said toenails. And I don't just mean a pedicure. I mean an AGGIE pedicure of course. Maroon toes with ATM on them in white. It's my football season tradition. I do it every year. And YES, you WILL see pictures of that. I promise. Cause I know you won't be able to sleep till you see my toes.

BACK

See how many times you can spot the word "back" in this post. Last night, Cary planned a date for us with the theme of "back". Well, not intentionally with a theme, but we got to thinkin' about it half way through the night and decided there was a theme to all we had done. He called me yesterday afternoon to tell me to be ready at 6 and to have the girls ready. He had arranged child care and we were going on a DATE! HURRAY! I could hardly wait. So first we went to OutBACK to eat dinner, not because it's like our favorite or anything, but because we had a coupon for a free entree and well, there's just not much else to choose from in this town. You know you're old married farts when you use a coupon on your date. And at dinner we talked about how the Aggies are going to take their opponents BACK behind the woodshed for an old fashion beatin' all year long! WHOOP! Then we went out BACK to the BACK 40, out in the woods, to a park near a big lake and sat in the BACK seat of the car to watch the sunset and watch a movie on the DVD player. He picked a chicky movie with animals because I'm kind of an animal freak like that. But it was a horrible movie, unless you're in the mood for a good cry, which I wasn't..."The Year of The Dog"...don't do it! I'm still recovering! So that kind of BACK fired on him, you know, his plan and all, to get me to make out or something, because I couldn't stop crying over this movie. But nonetheless, still a romantic thought. He had cheesecake in the BACK of the car iced down, popcorn, and my favorite chocolates too. When we got home, I got a BACK massage and then "baby got BACK" if you know what I mean...to use a term from the 90's. And if you're older than 40, you might not know what that means, but I'm sure you can figure it out. And so there you have it...my sweet date! I highly recommend the movie in the BACK of the car thing...very fun! Also a sign of being an old married fart cause only people our age with kids have DVD players in the BACK of their car!

First Day of School- Part 2

If you have not read my "First Day of School" post, you can find the link on the right sidebar so you'll know what I'm referencing to. Ashton's teacher had made a comment about how we needed to "watch her hands" which made my obsessive compulsive brain kick into high gear and gave me yet another reason not to sleep at night as I couldn't stop wondering what in the world she meant by that! Well, now I know!

Yesterday, Cary took the girls to school and he asked her teacher exactly what she meant by that comment and she said that Ashton was hitting a lot. And then I suddenly became THAT PARENT that used to drive me CRAZY as a teacher. I haven't confronted her about it, and I probably won't, but in mind I was thinking, "What do you mean she was hitting, my sweet Ashton would never do such a thing (even though that's SO not true, I mean she has an older sis, need I say more). " And as I immediately became defensive about my child, I had to stop and think, "the teacher is always right, the teacher is always right, the teacher is always right" in order to keep myself from marching down there and telling her if she had better classroom management, then my child wouldn't be hitting. Because we all know my child is PERFECT! And pigs fly!

I've known Ashton to defintely stand her ground. She certainly can hold her own when someone takes something from her or makes her angry. But I've never known her to be a bully or initiate aggression (except with her sister). The ladies in the church nursury have told me that as well. So I'm not sure what happened to cause her to hit, but no matter what, it's not an acceptable behavior. Whether she initiated it or not. And that's the bottom line that I, as a parent, have to keep in my mind. And for all of you that have school aged children or preschool aged children, can I offer you some advice from a former teacher's perspective? ALWAYS have a 24 hour rule when the teacher makes you upset, so as to not make things worse. Wait 24 hours before doing anything about the situation, because God may change your heart and chances are the story has been twisted by your ever so perfect child. And ALWAYS give her the benefit of the doubt because KIDS LIE! Oh, yes they do! And mine will too I'm quite sure. Even though they will know better. When I was a teacher, I used to always say at open house, "If you'll only believe half of what they say about me, I'll only believe half of what they say about you."

Cary had a little comin' to Jesus meetin' with Ashton yesterday before he left her at school. And her teacher said she had a much better day. GEEZ! She's TWO. This is only the beginning. Now her sister on the other hand is so shy at school, I think I might just throw a party if she ever gets in trouble for talking too much. Seriously!

Blissful Euphoria

No, this is not a post about my Aggies, although I will be in blissful euphoria in, oh, about 5 days. I am a happy woman today. My children are at school, my house is CLEAN, you could EAT off my bleachy floors they're so immaculate, my laundry is 2/3 done, my bills are paid, and something yummy to eat is on its way home right this second. Cary went to pick up the girls from school and grab us some lunch. I can't cook today. It's a rule in this house. On the day of a deep cleaning where floors get mopped, WE DO NOT EAT AT HOME! It was one of those bizarre things that Cary discovered after 5 years of marriage that makes me happy...keeping the floors clean for at least 24 hours. Hmmmm...come to think of it...maybe I should mop more often, thus eat out more frequently? No, just kidding. Wishful thinking though. There are few things in life that make me feel this good: A full tummy, knowing I am right with God, anything AGGIE, a clean house, money in the bank, shopping with mom's money, and getting love from any member of my family including the pets. And I think just about all of those things have been covered today, so for now, life is good folks. If only the yard would get mowed and my car get cleaned.

Oh well. I can dream! Hope your day is as blissfully euphoric as mine!

Funny Things and Other Stuff

I don't know why people in this house seem funnier to me today. Maybe the lack of sleep over the backpack is finally getting to me? But here are some funny things that have happened today in our house...

1. Cary just yelled at me from the living room, "Honey, what channel is ESPN?" And I quickly yelled back "206" without hesitation. Call me crazy, but shouldn't the wife be the one that has no clue what channel ESPN is on? We both got a good chuckle out of that one.

2. Lexi was trying to do #2 on the potty, which is a whole other blog entry, and I offered to rub her back to help her relax. So I said, "Maybe if I rub your back it will help you go poopoo. That's what my mommy used to do when I was a little girl." She looked up at me with a puzzled look on her face as if to say, "I've never thought about you being a little girl with a mommy before." So finally she asked, "Who's your mommy?" "Granny," I replied. "Oh, I wish I had a mommy like that," she said. And then I felt like chopped liver!

Also, it is time that I educate you people on something "aggie related". From time to time throughout the season, you will see the words, "Beat the hell outta" whoever the opponent is that week. THIS IS NOT CONSIDERED CUSSING! It is an "aggie thing". We all do it. It's just what we do. Have you ever heard 90,000 people yell "beat the hell outta ___" in unison? It's quite intimidating. I've never posted "Beat the hell outta" on my blog before b/c you know, I'm like a pastor's wife and all. And I'm not a cussing type of person. But when it's in Aggie context, it's just NOT cussing. Trust me. It's just not. But I know every Aggie that visits my site is thinking..."something's missing here. Oh, she didn't put beat the hell outta ____ on her site." So if you're offended by "beat the hell", get over it. It's in my blood. "We are the Aggies, the Aggies are we, true to each other as Aggies can be." And on Saturday, I'm gonna watch my Ags beat the hell outta Montana State!

One Word Answers

From Becky @ Dreaming of Pugs...

You.
Can.
Only.
Type.
One.
Word.
Answers.

1. Yourself: social
2. Your significant other: nurturing
3. Your hair: perfect
4. Your mother: generous
5. Your Father: deceased
6. Your step father/mother:
7. Your dream last night: sweaty
8. Your Favorite drink: Coke
9. Your Dream Car: Maroon
10. The room you are in: Cozy
11. Your Ex: Aggie
12. Your fears: pennyless
13. What do you want to be in 10 years: Rested
14. Who you hung out with last night: Milinda
15. What You're Not: Athletic
16. Muffins: chocolate
17: One of Your Wish List Items: IPOD
18: Time: Night
19. The Last Thing You Did: cleaned
20. What You Are Wearing: Aggies
21. Your Favorite Weather: sunny
22. Your Favorite Book: book?
23. The last thing you ate: cereal
24. Your Life: exhausting
25. Your Mood: irritable
26. Your Friends: everywhere
27. What are you thinking about right now?: Aggies
29. What are you doing at the moment?: typing
30. Your summer: sweaty
31. Your relationship status: married
32. What is on your tv?: TLC
33. When is the last time you laughed?: tonight
34. Last time you cried?: yesterday
35. School?: Aggies

See what one word answers you can come up with!!

The Perfect Backpack

I'm on a quest to find THE perfect toddler backpack for Ashton. Yes, I do realize I should have started this search like, oh, a few months ago seeing as how she already started school. And I'm just a wee bit of a perfectionist, so like the $6.99 tinkerbell fake Disney thing at Walmart is not doin' it for me although Ashton DOES scream out Tinkerbell to me. She's a pixie girl! Anyways, I've gone to every store in the mall and out of the mall known to man that sells backpacks and I have found NOTHIN' so if anyone knows of a cute site I should check out, PLEASE i beg you send it my way so that I can once again sleep at night because I've become just a tiny bit obsessed. Here are the requirements: 1)toddler size, not full size, cause she's tiny 2)I want it to scream out "Ashton" when I see it 3)It must be unique. I don't want her to have the same bag that everyone else in her class has. 4)Preferably something that can be monogrammed. 5) under $25. Can you PLEASE HELP ME?

Oh and just in case you care, next Saturday at this time, I'll be IN KYLE FIELD watching my Aggies! And I'm just a tad bit giddy about that!

I miss you...

I'm stealing this from my friend, Jess, Gator Missionary (her blog is on my links...miss you Jess. Our town is not the same without you!). To my friends and family back home...

Mom & Nanny, I can't wait to come to your clean house where I am nurtured and spoiled with shopping sprees, restaurant food, homecooked meals, and every flavor of Blue Bell ice cream known to man in the sub zeros. I miss you!

Audra, I think of you every time I go to Chick fil a or eat pizza. We could hang for HOURS upon end every single day and somehow not get sick of each other. I pray that our SISTAHOOD will live on forever and one day, although it may be in Heaven, we WILL have houses next door to each other like we planned to do, with one giant yard and a pool to share! We will! I Miss you! (Are you crying too?)

Ang, though we lived over an hour apart it was always important to both of us to make the effort to meet in the middle as often as we could to "play". Oh, how I miss our Cracker Barrell breakfasts in Lewisville! Very few people in the world are as thoughtful and generous as you and Bri. I love it that we share that Aggie bond. Others think I'm crazy, but YOU know...I'm just like all the other Aggies. I miss you!

Rachel, can you believe we've known each other for like, what, 25 years or something crazy like that? Sorry I never went camping with you...heeeheeee...NOT! Even though we didn't see each other THAT often, it was nice knowing you were closeby. Well, if an hour and a half is considered closeby. I miss you girl!

Andrea, you take the hospitality award with all your yummy cookin' you did for us, neighbor! You're so thoughtful. I'm still trying to figure out a way to dognap Abbey. I miss that dog! I miss you!

Fellowship Church, seriously, those of you who have the awesome privilege of attending there each week...don't ever take it for granted. There are few churches in this world who touch as many lives as that one does. Where else can you show up for church on Sunday and THE NEWSBOYS are like...leading worship...totally unannounced, unadvertised. Or Shane & Shane. Or Lincoln Brewster. I love that church with every ounce of my being. Ed's passion is for reaching all sorts from the unchurched, people who are totally turned off by church, to people who have been in church all their lives, and everyone in between. I love that. So many churches are content to just keep feeding the already fed. Obese Christianity, as Ed calls it. Attending there for 3 years made me realize what a creative, exciting, entertaining entity the local church SHOULD be. My heartbeat and passion in ministry is different today because of what God is doing at Fellowship Church. Although I do watch it on T.V. and listen online, it's not the same. Fellowship Church, I miss you so bad it hurts!!!!

There are so many others of you I miss too. Though I didn't see you as often, somehow it was still comforting to know we lived in the same state close enough to get together when we wanted to or talk for hours on the phone, just meet for dinner, meet at an Aggie game or celebrate birthdays with, or have girl nights with, scrapbook events, meet for a play group, or see you in passing at church: Keri, Kristi C., Christy G, Megan, Denise, Sharla, Mary, Steph, Carin, Aunt Lynda, Aunt Alecia, Lorri, Amy T., Greta, Lara, Chrissy, Robin. I miss you all!

If you're reading this post, chances are you're greatly missed! Because not many people in FL read my blog for some reason. (They just don't know what they're missing do they?)

In 7 days...

I'll be on a plane flying to the Lone Star State...home sweet home, for two full weeks (and THREE Aggie games). And of course I'm ECSTATIC to see friends and family but I'm also really fired up about THE FOOD! Yes, I have food on the brain. What's new? I've already compiled a list of all the places I want to eat at while in Texas, places we don't have here in FL...here they are...my top 10!

10. Whataburger...The honey butter chicken biscuit is calling my name!
9. Pizza Garden...those of you anywhere near the HEB area know about this secret treasure...RANCH PIZZA! Oh...seriously! $3.99 buffet and WAY better than CiCi's!
8. Mi Tierra's in San Antonio...perhaps the best Mexican food in ALL of Texas!
7. Red Robin...THAT BONZAI BURGER!!!!!!!!!
6. El Paseo in Keller...Very awesome Tex Mex
5. Don't laugh...LUBY'S! Love me some good ol' cafeteria food!
4. Rosa's Tortilla Factory...Tuesdays were made for tacos! Is it still $2.99 on Tuesdays?
3. Something homemade by Mom or Nanny like a roast with mashed potatoes, green beans, carrots, and cornbread.
2. Double Dave's Pizza...And Aggie original but now all over the country...I'm craving pizza rolls with ranch dressing!
AND...DRUM ROLL PLEASE.....
1. WINGS N' MORE in College Station, TX...the one and only, the original! And I will get to eat there THREE, YES THREE times! Because it's a gameday tradition. We ALWAYS eat at Wings N More on gameday. I don't like wings from ANYWHERE else. But they're the best here and oh the chili cheese fries. To die for! And I hate Pepsi, but it always tastes so good there. Maybe because it's like 100 degrees outside and I've been standing and yelling my head off for 4 hours. Yes, that could have something to do with it.

So that's my list. Anyone want to join me? Schedule your appointments now. Not sure when exactly I'll be in the Big D, but probably the first week in September. I want to go to First Wednesday service at Fellowship Church since that's the only chance I'll get to go to church there. And I'd like to plan a play date like maybe at Kids Clubhouse or something so I can see everyone since I'll be on a limited schedule. And one in Frisco of course...Ang, Rachel...you up for the Wiggles Play Center? Can't wait y'all! I'M COMIN' HOME!!!

In Bloggity World

I'm skinny and can wear a bikini...heeheee...check me out in that pick above! Love it!

Pretty Cute Huh?

So...how cute is this? Okay, I haven't had time to play with my sidebars yet and rearrange things and get my links and pics back up, so give me time. It may take a few hours between doing this and you know like...taking care of my kids! I love it! It's so stinkin' freakin' beautylicious! (I think I made up that word by the way!) Lindsay at Splat designs did an awesome job. Her link is at the bottom of this page. I may could have done this myself with many many many hours of online tutorials and trial and error and GRAY HAIRS, but why! She's not expensive at all. In fact, Lindsay you should really charge more honey. I say that AFTER I've already paid of course. I think she could charge twice what she does and still have a steady flow of customers. Anways, I'm a happy customer! Keep checking back later and tomorrow and I should have my sidebars fixed.

Not Tonight

Well, it doesn't look like it's going to happen tonight. If you have no clue what I'm talking about, read the post below this one. I was sure this would be the night, but I guess Lindsey at Splat Designs HAS A LIFE, unlike me who has been sitting by my computer hitting the "check mail" button every 30 seconds for the last 3 hours waiting "patiently" for my new blog template. I had reason to believe this would be the night, but my friends, I can't keep my eyes open for one more second. I've been sick the last 2 days and I actually got to take a "sick day" today from "my job". Cary felt really sorry for me because I had so much that had to get done today in addition to taking care of two toddlers. So he took half a day off work and gave me some needed time to rest and get well. I'm feeling better, but I think it's only the beginning unfortunately. Low grade fever, sore throat, starting to get stopped up, swollen glands, and my ears are starting to hurt already. But on my "sick day" I still managed to get the house clean, go to the dentist for a filling, make flyers for my MOPS group and Cary's work, take the dog for 2 walks, hang up a load of colored clothes on hangers, shower and get dressed, change the sheets, bathe my children, get Lexi to school, make 2 meals and clean up the mess, and put everyone to bed. So you see, there really is no such thing as a "sick day" for moms. And this was a "light" day in comparison to most regular days. Very light. Seriously. So even though it's only 10ish, I'm pooped! Must get rest because unfortunately my day tomorrow is quite full and there is no time to be sick. Maybe tomorrow I'll get a bloggity makeover! We'll see!

First Day of School

Today was a big day for the girls, and for me! Both of the girls started school today and I was hip hoppin' boppin' all the way down the road y'all! Oh I was. Ashton will go to school on Mondays and Lexi will go on Mon/Wed/Fri from 9:00-12:30. I am happy to report that Lexi LOVES school. She is going to have the best year. Her teacher is very nurturing, but yet fun and animated, and she says her specialty is getting shy kids to come out of their shells. How fitting! There are only 6 children in the class and they're all girls. Sweet little girls. When Lexi got home, she hugged me and said, "I Love you mommy and I love my new school!" Ashton, on the other hand, it's a good thing she's cute! I know I say that often. But it's true y'all. It's so true. Her teacher's response when I picked her up was, "I had to watch her hands but she had a good day. She was good." Okay, what exactly does that mean? My OCD kicked into high gear and I don't know if I'll sleep tonight wondering what that comment meant. It could mean a whole number of things...was she hitting or pinching or pulling hair (all of which are regular events at home), was she into everything, was she stealing toys, was she touching her privates when they changed her diapers, did she get the finger paint everywhere, ???? Who knows! But in her class there are only 2 girls and the rest are boys. She should fit in perfectly. She can definitely hold her own. I have no concerns about her (except for how long it will be before she visits the principal's office!)

So, you ask, what did I do with my 3 1/2 hours of freedom? Cary and I went to breakfast at a local restaurant for a "celebratory first day of school breakfast". And there were so many other parents in there from our school doing the exact same thing! We all got a big kick outta that. Then he said, "I feel like newly weds. Let's go home and hop in the sack." And I said, "YES...so we can SLEEP! Good idea honey!" But we didn't. I went to work with him and helped him get organized and be efficient. And that's all. The time flew by. But it was fun. I'm counting down the hours till next Monday. I took pictures of the girls going to school. And you gotta love technology. Can't get them posted tonight for some reason. Technology...can't live with it...can't live without it. I'll try again tomorrow.

Blog Book

My friend Kristi (Ian & Elise's mom...their blog is on my friends who blog link) posted this idea on her scrapblog. And when I find some good info, I HAVE to pass it along. For those of you thinking about blogging, maybe this will inspire you. There is now a way for you to turn your blog into a published BOOK so that for years to come, you will have all of these memories for your friends and family to see on paper. YIPPEE! Isn't that the best news you've heard all day? Here's the site to check out for yourselves: http://www.blurb.com/create/book/blogbook

I'm thinking I will have mine published maybe once a year so I'll have a 2007 book, a 2008 book, and so on. It's like the modern day version of a family diary. You can have all those funny family stories and photos all in one book, sort of an alternative to scrapbooking (for those of you like me that just CAN'T keep up with that stuff to save your lives!) How fun to think that my grandchildren and great grandchildren will have something like this to read one day! So BLOG ON!

Teeny Tiny

Ashton is very petite. Which is not genetic. Trust me. But I guess there are benefits to being teeny tiny. For example, at the age of 2 1/2, she can fit perfectly in Lexi's baby doll stroller. And Lexi can take her for rides. And crash in to the walls! It's great fun! Really!

Me & My Shadow

Today, Ashton discovered her shadow...



So they danced together...



And danced and danced...

Florida, From a Foreigner's Perspective

That foreigner being me, of course. Because we all know Texas is its own country.

"Honor the Texas flag, I pledge allegiance to thee, Texas, one and indivisible." Heeheee. I couldn't resist!

As Cary and I were eating at one of our local favorites today, I started reminiscing about all my favorite places I miss back in Texas, and hence this blog entry came to mind. So for those of you that want to know what it's like to live in Florida, this is for you. And for those of you dear friends that I have made in the sunshine state, maybe it will interest you to see your state through the eyes of a foreigner. And for the record, I do love it here (if you don't believe me, read #11). But I've had to make some HUGE sacrifices as you'll read and life is certainly different here. I know I will get used to it, but here is some of the culture shock I've faced.


1. My Texas friends, there is no Jack in the Box, Whataburger, or Taco Cabana here. Isn't that tragic?


2. In Dallas/Fort Worth, I never lived more than 5 minutes from a Target, Chick fil a, or Starbucks. Here...THIRTY MINUTES to get to any of those places. And we live in a well populated area!


3. In Texas, there are Mexicans, lots of them, everywhere. Here, there are Caribbeans. Most darker skinned people here are from Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Cuba, or Central America. Interesting people. Very different from Mexicans. And that's all I'm gonna say about that!


4. Which brings me to to something very near and dear to my heart...Mexican food. It's just not right y'all! Tex-Mex? What's that? It took us like 7 months to find a Mexican food restaurant that we love, but it's not Tex-Mex. In fact, the owners are from Washington State. But it is MOUI BEUNO (I have no clue how to spell that!)


5. Glitz and Glam, not so important here as it is in Dallas and Houston. Don't get me wrong, I have pretty friends here, beautiful friends. Of course. And there are pretty people in every city, but not at the abundant amount, the massive droves, as there are in Houston and Dallas. If that makes sense. Am I crazy? I do believe the largest number of pretty people in the world live in those two cities. I don't know why it is. It's like Hollywood on steroids! I've even had friends from the Northeast that moved to Texas and pointed out that the people in Texas are very image conscientious. One of my Philly friends said she felt so unattractive when she moved to Houston in comparison to the people in PA. Silly, I know! I took Cary to Second Baptist Houston one time (definitely a MEGA church) and he called it the "Pretty People Church" because like every person we saw was so beautiful! But there are malls in Dallas and Houston where you actually have to have a certain look or else you feel very much out of place, in fact most malls and shopping areas seem that way there. I kind of feel like our church was like that too. Fellowship was definitely a trendy place. Or maybe I'm just way too self conscious. Not that appearance matters. Just something I've noticed.


6. Back to food cause it's HIGH on my priority list, can you tell? Dallas has the largest number of restaurants per capita in the US and I guess we just got spoiled to the abundance of choices. Even in Orlando, which is 20 min away there's not as much to choose from. My mom and Nanny noticed that too when we were on the west coast of FL on vacation. To be such a touristy place, you'd think there would be more to choose from.


7. Family Friendly, or should I say lack of...I don't know! This is going to sound crazy, but there's just not much to do here with kids. Okay, now let me explain. Yeah, Disney, Universal, SeaWorld, all those places are AWESOME but that gets really expensive. It's not like we can just GO whenever we want to. But in Dallas, there are so many kid friendly places for cheap or free. Churches there have indoor playgrounds open to the public, indoor bounce house places popping up everywhere, all the malls there have play areas, kid boutiques like Sweet N Sassy where they can get their hair and nails done, the Wiggles Play Center in Frisco, TONS of play groups galore, Kindermusik, The Little Gym, those hourly childcare places popping up everywhere, I could go on and on! I've yet to find places like that here. Maybe they do exist and I just haven't found them yet. I hope that's the case.


8. The cost of living here is extremely HIGH! Housing especially. This 60 yr old, termite infested house we live in, 1500 sq ft would sell for anywhere from 180k-200k. This same house in Texas would sell for about 110k at most. To get a house equivalent to what we lived in there in a nice, brand new neighborhood, 2500 sq ft, would be about 350k here and under 200k in Texas. Eating out is much more expensive here too. All of the restaurant prices are higher here, maybe because of the tourists. Even CiCi's pizza. $3.99 in Texas, $4.99 in Orlando! CRAZY! And the salaries are not higher here to offset the cost of living. I was talking to a teacher in Texas, with 7 years experience in a public school...$53k/yr. She would make about 10k less here per year. It's just insanity!


9. RELIGION, oh man. Where do I begin? Dallas is the belt buckle of the Bible belt. Everyone there goes to church, Christianity is so mainstream. There are at least 5, at least, mega churches (over 10,000 in membership) in Dallas Fort Worth and probably that many in Houston as well. I don't find that to be true here. It's very dry. I feel like I'm in a desert, spiritually speaking. Which is good, that's why God brought us here! But it's hard! In Texas, new contemporary churches are popping up on every corner, meeting in every shopping center and school. And that's great. Many of them seeker sensitive, but they do reach the unchurched. It's just not like that here...YET. Hopefully it will be soon. There is a large Mormon population here, and some paganist religion where they do animal sacrifices. I can't think of what it's called, but it's very popular in Caribbean cultures. And there's definitely a lot of "no religion". But I love the challenge. And I love it that God brought us to a place where so many are unchurched. It's all good! BUT MAN...I MISS ED! I miss Fellowship Church so bad it hurts! I've shed many a tear over leaving that place. At least I do get to watch him on TV here every Sunday morning at 8 on USA network.


10. Texas=Friendly....... Florida=not so friendly.....I don't know what else to say. I think there are lots of yanks here. Southern hospitality is DEAD in this place. It doesn't feel like "the south" to me. Lots of young and old here are from New York, not that that's bad, but it's not the same.


11. And some things I DO LOVE about Florida, cause I now realize this sounds like a giant gripe session...I love all the Palm trees and tropical looking flowers that are abundant. I love the west coast beaches...St. Pete is my absolute favorite. I love Caribbean food...who would think it? I love love love being this close to all the Disney attractions! I dearly love the nice people that we have quickly become friends with and our church is very much our extended family. I love our house, although small and termite infested. I love going to the old downtown area 3 blocks away and buying my produce from a produce stand (which is half the price of Walmart!), I love the weather. It really didn't get hot and muggy till about mid July. Until then it was very mild and enjoyable. I love it that it doesn't get too cold here, like ever! Flip flops every day man!!! Who wouldn't love that? And most importantly, I love it that God brought us on this crazy adventure to this foreign land. And through our obedience, He has blessed us beyond measure.

HOLY LAND...Here I come!!!!

In just 2 short weeks and one day, I will be hopping a plane and heading to the promised land! Remember that Tanya Tucker song from like the 80's, "When I die, I may not go to Heaven. I don't know if they let cowgirls in. But if I don't, just let me go to TEXAS, cause Texas is as good as it gets." Every time I sing that song in my Tanya Tucker twang, Cary just about wets his pants. Sometimes, just for kicks he says, "Sing it baby." And I say, "Sing what?" "Sing the Tanya Tucker song." And I am much obliged to perform it because I do love me a good country music song ya'll. (Although for the record, it's JUST a song and I do know that I will go to HEAVEN when I die and I'm sure it's gonna look like Texas cause it wouldn't be Heaven otherwise!) Anyways, back to the trip. I'm quite sure you can guess the reason for my timely departure from gatorland. AGGIE FOOTBALL ya'll and I'm just a WEE bit excited in case you can't tell. By staying for 2 weeks, I will get to make it to the Holy Land for THREE, yes three, FIGHTIN' TEXAS AGGIE football games. And I have that football stomach syndrome already. In case you don't know what that is, you probably don't have as much affection for a team as I do. It's when you want and need your team to win SO desperately, that your stomach is in knots and you feel like you could absolutely mess in your pants every time you think about it! Now that's love ya'll! I'm sure I will make it to the Big D while in Tejas, in fact you can count on it! Which reminds me of yet another country song..."I'm goin' through the big D and don't mean Dallas..." Actually Lexi's tummy bug this week made me think of that song. Heeheee.

"For God so loved the world that He created TEXAS, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life in AGGIELAND!" Heather 3:16....WHOOP!

My Heart BEATS Maroon

Tonight I was holding Lexi close to my chest and she said, "Mommy, I hear your heartbeat."

"Oh, yeah? What does it sound like?" I asked.

"Da da da da da...da da...da da...(hullabaloo, caneck caneck, hullabaloo caneck caneck)

She sang the first few lines from the Aggie war hymn. Ahhhhhhh....I'm basking in the wisdom I've imparted to my 4 year old. So glad to know I'm leaving a legacy.

Funny Conversation with Lexi

My sweet Lexi Lou has been sick the last few days with a tummy bug. So she's done something VERY unLexi like...she's been sitting still on the couch in an almost comatose state watching TV non-stop. On a regular day, I couldn't get her to sit still and watch TV for 10 minutes. You say, "How wonderful" but no, sometimes I long for my children to sit still and watch TV just long enough for me to like, oh I don't know, GO TO THE BATHROOM in privacy. Anyways, here's a conversation we had yesterday while she was watching Sesame Street. Picture her curled up in the chair with a pillow and a blanket, expressionless, and sitting totally still, staring at the TV.

Lexi: Hmmm, so some guys have hair.

2 minutes of silence

Lexi: My daddy doesn't have hair, but some guys do. Mommy, did you know some guys have hair?

Mommy: Yes, baby. Isn't that silly?

Lexi: hmmm. That daddy...he's a cute guy.

Mommy: Yes he is. Even without hair!

KIDS! Isn't that funny? I guess it's never occured to her that all men AREN'T bald. (Although the sexier ones are in my opinion!)

And today, I will reach my 1000th hit on this site! I can't thank you enough for visiting my crazy world every day. Some of you are very faithful, I can tell from the emails I get. Thank you for caring enough to read about the Texas Aggies' adventures in this foreign land they call Florida. I love to write and blogging is definitely my creative release of all those wacky things floating around in my head.

TICKLE me brilliant

Check it out ya'll. I've been telling Cary all these years that I am always right because I do happen to know, oh, just about EVERYTHING and apparently it really IS so! I took an IQ test today and it appears as though Cary's worst nightmare REALLY has come true...I'M A GENIUS! (Is that how you spell genius, by the way? I'm too lazy to use spell check!) Okay so it was an online test, which I question the validity of, but go ahead and try to beat me, I dare ya! http://web.tickle.com/tests/uiq/index_main.jsp I scored a 142 BABY! And I also have "very quick problem solving skills" it said...DUH! I also took a religion test. Apparently I should be "Christian". UH...glad that worked out since I'm married to a PASTOR! There are lots of interesting tests you can take on TICKLE.com. Cary said he's going to take the IQ test too to prove he's smarter than me. Yeah, okay. Put on your pajamas BABY cause you're dreamin! So he took the test while I grew gray hair and turned 50 then he FINALLY finished. But he couldn't get his score to show on the screen, to which I suggested in my very kind and southern way..."Honey, if you can't figure out how to get your score then it's probably not a score you want to see!" Oh, I do love you honey bun!!!!

Girl Weekend Coming to an End

I've had a real treat the last 2 days...an all girl weekend. Just me and my girly fur baby, Candice. (She doesn't like it when I call her a dog cause she's a GIRL!) It was just like the olden days before Cary came along. She slept with me, ate with me, went on car rides with me, snuggled with me on the couch. She's the best therapy money can buy! There's nothing like cozyin' up next to your fur baby. Cary and the girls went back to Amelia Island Thursday and are coming home today. They went back to hang with his family for a few more days, giving me a much needed break from the children. I love them to pieces, but every mom needs a break every now and then. Yesterday, I slept from 10:30 the night before till 3:30 in the afternoon! And it as GLORIOUS! I did get up at 10 a.m. to take Candice out and that just about did me in! Last night, I went to the 10:20 showing of "Becoming Jane" and got home at about 1 this morning. It was okay, it was about the Jane Austen story. But I didn't feel it was worth the $9.50 movie ticket or the $4 popcorn! (There really should be a law against charging that much.) Anyways, went to bed at 3 and got up at 9. I'm frantically getting a little house work done so I can go tan at the pool before the natives arrive home this afternoon and chaos returns and it's back to reality! All good things must come to an end I guess.

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Yes, my friends, college football season is less than a month away. Can I hear a "Glory" ? No, for once this post is not about my beloved Aggies, and before you click the "back" button on your toolbar just please allow me to tell you what college football season is like in MY house. I really do think you may just want in on this little secret girls! It could just rock your world! Okay so our home is not typical in the sense that I am the one that ordered satellite t.v. at this house a week before we moved in just to make sure we would be able to watch all the bowl games when we arrived New Year's Day. Not Cary, he didn't call Direct TV...that would be ME! It is I who tell HIM what channel ESPN is on, and ESPN 2, and ESPN Classic, and FOX Sports, and so on and so on. For the last 2 years, in early August, a little somethin' somethin' has arrived in our mailbox addressed to ME, not my husband, called "The Football Playbook" put out by "BET US.com". In female translation, this is a book that men use to get stats on the teams so they can make an educated BET on the gambling circuit. Now, I'm not quite sure how I got on this mailing list, I mean I do like to rock the Baptist boat every now and then, but I'm NOT a gambler. No way Jose! I'm way too frugal to ever gamble! I am a woman who wouldn't buy a pumpkin for my children for Halloween because that was $3 that could be spent on FOOD! So a gambler, I am not! But nonetheless, Cary and I have our own college football bets and wagers that we place amongst ourselves. YOU, too, can be nuts like us and join in on the fun! I mean, if you can't beat it, join it! College football is not going away ladies, so you may as well make the season fun! Here's how it works, every week I go to ESPN.com and print out all the college games that week, then I use my better's guide PLUS all that I learn from watching ESPN and listening to those idiot men on Sportstalk radio and THEN, most importantly, I use my women's intuition to make all my weekly picks. Then Cary does the same thing (well without the intuition thing). And we always place a little wager of some sort like the person who gets more picks correct gets a day off from the kids, or a 30 minute massage, or gets their favorite meal prepared for them, or whatever suits our fancy that week. Then on Saturday night, we watch for all the scores or we go to ESPN.com and tally up all our picks to see who got more correct. Inevitably, it always seems to come down to one or two games, like the last 2 games of the day, and so it does get somewhat intense. Like especially if me winning, thus getting a child free day off, depends on whether or not the 18 yr old kid on t.v. can kick a field goal in overtime at MIDNIGHT, now that's intense! But I am usually victorious because I am, after all, WOMAN...HEAR ME ROAR! So ladies, in less than 30 days, the madness will begin. And I will be MORE than happy to post my picks on the blog each week and you can all woo your husbands into playing this crazy betting game with you. And they'll be ever so impressed that YOU EVEN CARE about the game. And they will probably forbid you from reading my blog when you start KICKING THEIR BUTTS with your picks. It really is fun! Are you in???

Because I'm Sure You Care...

I know, I know you're all dying to hear about my "vacation", my one night getaway, I guess I should call it. Vacation...Ahhhhh...where do I begin? 5 children under the age of 5 in a 2 bedroom condo. And you know 5 children, that's okay and all, but 5 children ON VACATION, that's another story! Cause if you're a mom, you know what I mean when I say EL VACATION=LOCO! What is it about kids and vacations that just don't...well...it's just not very vacationy (is that a word?) They should call it something else besides vacation like "Carryin' Crap". For a 2 day/1 night trip our car was LOADED...we looked like a bunch of gypsies headed to a flea market! Cary was like, "Why do we need all these extra shoes if we're just goin' to the beach?"
"Just in case."
"In case of what?"
"I dunno! JUST IN CASE, I SAID!!!!!!!!!"
And then when you get home from vacation, don't you feel like you need a vacation from your vacation? I spent 3 days cleaning house and doing laundry to get ready for my TWO DAY vacation and I promise it will take me 3 more days to unpack, finish the laundry, and then get the house back in order. Is it really worth it, I ask you? I mean it was great to see Cary's family. They are precious people and I know his mom had to be chompin' at the bit to see the girls. She only gets to see them 3-4 times a year. So for that, it was worth all the effort. For that and to hear Cary and his dad tell jokes back and forth for 20 minutes on the back of the golf cart...no I'm not kidding. The apple didn't fall far from the tree, my friends!

Tag...I'm it!

I've been tagged by Keri at http://thefirstcampbells.blogspot.com/

The rules state that I must post 8 random things about myself and then tag 8 other people. I don't think I have 8 bloggin' friends but I tag KRISTI and RACHEL!

8 Random Things About Me
1. I can't stand it when people don't RSVP to something I invite them to. Gets under my skin!
2. I would love to make a career change one day from teaching to something in the technology field, but that may require more education which I can't afford nor do I have time for, so we'll see!
3. I love to do digital scrapbooking.
4. Red bell peppers are like candy to me. I could eat them ALL DAY (but they give me gas!)
5. My favorite Sonic drink is vanilla coke.
6. I know more about college football stats than my husband!
7. I secretly long to be a country music star one day. After all, the first song I learned to sing as a child was Willie Nelson's "Momma's Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys."
8. I just took a spiritual gift test about a week ago and my gifts are Leadership, administration, wisdom, and discernment.

and now for a bonus random fact...9. I'm going out with a girlfriend in a few minutes (9p.m.) and guess where we're going together? TO THE STORE! Such is the life of stay at home moms of toddlers. She asked me after church if I wanted to go out later after we got the kids in bed and I said, "Yes...can we go to Walmart? My fridge is bare!" CRAZY!

Taking a Vacation

I'm leaving early early Monday morning to go on short vacation, but don't panic all you "Texas Aggies In Florida" addicts. Uh, huh! I know who you are! In case you're wondering, "What on Earth will I do for 2 days without a Texas Aggie in Florida post?" Well, I gotcha covered! I've make SIX, yes, count them, SIX posts this weekend. I think that's a record! So don't read them all at once. Make them last! I'll be home late Tuesday night and will hopefully post some pics of our trip on Wednesday. We're going to Amelia Island, FL with Cary's family. FUN TIMES! I'll be thinking of all of you hard at work under the fluorescent lights of your office as I'm lounging on the beach soakin' up some rays (in my Chanel sunglasses...READ ON for more info on that!)

Tough Life

Our pets run the place and are kind enough to allow us to co-habitate with them. We're very much an animal friendly house as you can see from our pets' preferred sleeping arrangements...

Showing Dominance?

They say that when a dog "humps" something it's trying to show dominance. Could it be true for these pups?

DOG Days of Summer

We've been dog sitting Sammy, our pastor's yellow lab. He's 7 months old. The girls really enjoy Sammy because he likes kids, as opposed to Ms. Spotted Grumpy Pants (Candice the Dalmatian) who just growls and snarls at anything shorter than 4 ft. Saturday night, we gave Sammy a bath. Don't tell Pastor Steve, but Sammy got bathed in Mango Passion Fruit baby shampoo. Oh how they all enjoyed it...Sammy especially!

Honduras Pictures

The wait is finally over. I'm sure you were all having trouble sleeping at night because you were just SO anxious to see these pictures from the mission trip! Teeheeheee...Well here they are! It looks like such a beautiful place. God did some amazing things while they were there. Over 200 came to know the Lord and many many more were exposed to God's word in a whole new way. Enjoy the pics!

Just Call Me Paris

I must first preface this post by saying if you have not read my "Confessions of a Shallow Mom" post on July 26, then you'll have no idea why I'm just absolutely giddy about the purchase I made today. I have a friend, who shall remain nameless, that gave me a heads up on where I could find "designer" sunglasses ya'll, oh yes she did, and I was tickled pink about it! I don't really care how they got there, or who broke what law in order to get them into my sweet little hands. Okay, I care a little, I mean I hope nobody got arrested in the process. BUT LOOK WHAT I BOUGHT TODAY AT THE FLEA MARKET FOR 20 BUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!

They even had Chanel tags of them and say "Made in Italy" on this inside wheras most of the fake ones say "Made in China". I know, I know, don't preach at me. I know I'm supporting an illegal ring of conterfeiters. But I'm the happiest girt this side of the Mississippi ya'll. Just call me "Paris" in my chanel shades! I think I might even sleep in them tonight.

Cary's Sick, Mommy's Frazzled, Lexi & Ashton...Well Thank God They're Cute!

Daddy has been out of commission the last 2 days with an upper respiratory infection and you know what that means. He's DYIN! Cuz that's what men think when they get sick. And the doctor didn't help any. He said Cary definitely needed "3 days of BEDREST". Really? Bedrest? Why have I never been told I need bedrest? I remember BEGGING for bedrest when I was 9 months pregnant and I got NOTHIN'! When we moms get sick we still have to carry on business as usual cuz it's not like we can "call in sick" or take a "vacation day" you know? The house don't clean itself honey! Heck when I'm sick I have to even lug the kids to the doctor WITH me and all you moms out there know what a picnic that is! But when the men get sick they get a day off work, they lounge on the couch all day, and worst of all leave a trail of mess all over the house "because they're too weak to clean up after themselves." GAG ME WITH A SPOON! No, really, gag me with a spoon cuz I can't take it any more! I tried to pack my bags and run away tonight but I didn't have any clean underwear. I've been too busy taking care of my "biggest kid" to do the laundry! Calgon, take me away (preferably to a tropical island far far away where children and husbands aren't allowed but where I can still watch AGGIE SPORTS!)

Wycliffe

We took a field trip today to a museum and if you're thinking, "Heather doesn't seem like the museum type," YOU'RE RIGHT! I'm not! But it was so amazing, every display, every picture, every video just gave me chills. Wycliffe is a Bible translator organization with headquarters here in Orlando. I had NO earthly idea how many languages there are on the globe or how many of them have no Bible in their language. It was so interesting to hear how some languages are tonal, meaning that a group of words can have 6 totally different meanings just based on what word you put the emphasis on or the inclination in your voice. And some languages even are whistled languages. I know, crazy huh? I guess I would be mute if I lived there cause I can't whistle worth a flip! Many rural languages don't even have a written form at all, nor do the people know how to read. So Wycliffe has teams all over the world learning different languages, creating written forms of languages that don't exist, and teaching the people how to read the language so they can read God's word. SO COOL! We watched a video of one of the men who created the translation in the Phillipines about 15 years ago. He got to go back to the villages he lived in and learned in and see how having a Bible in their language had changed their lives. Out of about 60,000 people that spoke that language, 20,000 of them had come to know Christ and over 100 Christian churches had been started! Can you imagine knowing that what you did allowed 20,000 people or more to have an eternity with Jesus? There are MANY MANY languages around the world that still have no form of a written Bible, but Wycliffe is in progress in many of those places. It seems so strange to me that we are just now, in this century, realizing the need for Bible translations??? Wycliffe began in the early 1900's so for over 2000 years many people haven't had Bibles in their languages. We certainly take for granted in America how accessable and easy to read they are. I heard a story once about Christians in China who have to share their Bibles, sometimes with an entire village, because it's illegal to have a Bible or to be Christian. So when one is handed off to them, they read it cover to cover really fast and pass it on to the next person. And yet, we have a house full of them in America and many of us have NEVER read it cover to cover. As I carried Ashton around the museum today, I couldn't help but wonder if MAYBE just maybe mission work might be in her future. I've always known she has a very special purpose. But maybe she will be a Bible translator one day, who knows! And Lexi too of course! You never know who you're raising!!!

Painted Pink

Ashton got into Lexi's make-up box this morning and here are the results of that adventure...

Of course this picture was taken right after the words, "ASHTON BLAIR, YOU'RE IN BIG TROUBLE...but let me get my camera first!" Wouldn't be so bad except that it's like the texture of CRISCO and doesn't wipe off very easily. Of course I couldn't call this an "adventure" if it hadn't appeared ALL OVER MY CLEAN LIVING ROOM. It was on the glass table, the couch, the floor, THE DOG (???Still puzzled over that one???) What a mess! It's so hard to get off that it took me about 30 minutes of pain in the arm scrubbing to get it off of everything in the room.

Dreaded Words

Today, it happened. THOSE DREADED WORDS that a mom never wants to hear from her daughter. No, not "I'm running away to Granny's" (she already says that) or "You're stupid, I hate you". Although I'm sure the latter will come out at some point in the teen years, unfortunately. The words I heard today made me cringe, but I knew they were coming from the time the doctor announced, "It's a girl!" The words you ask..."Mommy, I can fix my hair all by myself, I don't need your help!" This was not a happy event for me. And the result...well see for yourselves...




Okay so it's not THAT bad, but nothing matches, oh well! A Christmas clippy, a fruity headband and a flower ponytail holder, none of which match her outfit. Do you see why I'm in torment? Is this God's way of dealing with my obsessive compulsive perfectionism? At least she's still really really cute (and she DID let me sleep in this morning)!