I Wish I Could Be a Teeny Tiny Kitty Cat...

Today as we were eating lunch I could tell Lexi's wheels were turning as she stared at the window sill next to her. Finally, she said, "I wish I could be a teeny tiny kitty cat so I could fit in that window." Pause pause pause..."And then mabye Mr. Baloo and I could be friends." (That's our cat.)

And speaking of lunch...may I confess...I had pizza for the 4th DAY IN A ROW! On purpose! I can't stop. Is there a P.E.A? (Pizza eaters anonymous) If not, there should be.

And how'bout them COWBOYS?!!! 11 and 1 BABY!

Speaking of cowboys, I need 2 little wee sized Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader outfits. Anyone??? Ideas??? With the tall white boots. Gotta have the boots. And the white cowgirl hats. Gotta have the hats. My little dress up queen wants to dress up like a cheerleader. And I can't for the life of me figure out how she even knows what a cheerleader is 'cause you know we don't have those in Aggieland! Must be watching too much Disney channel.

Wordless Wednesday...sorta

You may have to click on these pictures to enlarge them. The middle one is hillarious!!!

The Wait Is Over...

Due to my expertise and supreme wisdom in the area of Aggie and college football, I know you're JUST DYING to know my thoughts on the new Aggie coach hired yesterday.

And when you've picked yourselves up off the floor and stopped laughing at that statement, feel free to read on.

The moment all you Aggie fans have been waiting for...thoughts on the future of Aggie football, presented to you by THE TEXAS AGGIE IN FLORIDA! (You know, one of these days those idiots on College Gameday at ESPN will call me and invite me to be on the show. They need me. Really, they do!)

So, a week ago, I was CRINGING at the mere thought of A&M hiring Tommy Tubberville from Auburn or Mike Sherman, former Green Bay Packers coach and Offensive Coordinator of the Houston Texans. Mainly because to me, they both seemed too much like Fran. Old school, set in their ways, conservative play calling perhaps, probably close to retirement. I had it in my mind that A&M needed a young, up and coming coach with a FIRE to build a football dynasty.

However, yesterday Dollar Bill, as we like to call him in Aggieland (athletic director Bill Byrne) hired the coach I feared the most, Mike Sherman. But it did not take me long to completely change my viewpoint, and I am now TOTALLY completely head over heels IN LOVE with our new coach and I have nothing but total optimism and anxious excitement about what the future holds in Aggie football.

For starters, Sherman is only 52, not 65 like I was thinking. I guess he just looks older. So he does have a good 10-15 good coaching years left in him, maybe more. I mean look at Bobby Bowden and Joe Paterno, coaching in their 70's. That's plenty of time to build a program. Furthermore, I was sincerely touched by his statements in the press conference yesterday. I think he was totally genuine about saying the Texas A&M job is a dream come true for him. I like the idea that he has coached in Aggieland for 7 years in the past, so he's aware of our very unique culture and tradition and fan base. And I defintely heard the fire in his voice that I was looking for in a coach. I like it that he didn't want to make statements about his offense and defense style for A&M without evaluating the personnel on the field. He wants to build a style that works well with our talent and skill base in the beginning. I think that is CRUCIAL for success.

We have THE BEST Athletic Director in the country. He has a knack for finding great coaches and Fran was not his choice. He may have hired him, but he wasn't his choice, I promise. Look at every single Aggie sport where Byrne has made changes. We're championship caliber, top ranked, winning the Big 12 in every single sport except football. And now, that will change too. I promise! Byrne hand picked Sherman and I have total faith in Byrne. He's a genius.

I love the fact that Sherman is SO highly respected among players, coaches, and the media in the coaching profession. I think he will bring instant credibility and positive media attention to A&M football. He has achieved success in the college ranks as well as in the NFL. What recruit wouldn't want to play for a guy who has coached in a Super Bowl? Coached Brett Favre, at that! He has a reputation for building stellar staffs. There are coaches all over the country that respect him so much, they will want to follow him to Aggieland to coach on his staff and he will only hire the best of the best. I'm truly certain of that, without a doubt!

Byrne stated in the press conference that for almost a year, he has been receiving calls from NFL players, coaches, and others who were saying, "If you ever want to make a change in the footballl coach, you'd be crazy to not consider Mike Sherman." And I think Sherman is a man of integrity. Otherwise, he wouldn't be so respected. But he stated yesterday that he is going to work even harder at his current job as the Texans OC because he doesn't ever want anyone to think of him as a lame duck coach.

I am so excited y'all! You have no idea!!! I have this feeling that Mike Sherman is the man that will take us ALL THE WAY! And I've never felt that way about any other coach. I don't care what they are saying on the forum sites and in the papers, we got a good one! He even lowered his own salary to 1.8 mil a year so that they could put more into paying support staff because he wanted to get the best in the business and to do that, you have to pay big bucks. That tells me he's serious about one thing...WINNING!

I'm smiling in my sleep over this one. Mark my words. We will win at least 9-10 games next year and will be Big 12 champs within 3 years. We have enough talent already to win big games. I know some may not believe that, but we do. If you don't believe that after Friday's game, you're crazy. Coach Sherman will utilize our talent in the right way and I guarantee our talent base will increase in the coming years with this guy.

And I leave you with a quote from our new Aggie coach from yesterday's press conference:
Sherman compared Green Bay and Aggieland – two tight-knit communities in love with tradition and pigskin. Sherman said that keeping Aggies happy is about the same as keeping “Cheeseheads” in Green Bay happy – it’s “in your gut” to try and do so because they’re both so passionate about football. "I believe in this university,” he said. “I believe in it from the ‘Hullabaloo Caneck Caneck’ to (Aggie) Muster to Elephant Walk to the Aggie ring. Everything about this university I believe in, and there’s so much beyond football. “Football is a part of it, it’s not ‘it.’ This university is bigger than football, and there are many facets to it that make it so special. My understanding of that will help me be a better coach.”

In Byrne we trust. In Sherman we trust. Rest easy Ags!

Check Me Out...

I've totally impressed myself (which isn't hard these days) by tackling and conquering the world of BLOGGER.com . Learning all the ins and outs and tricks to jazzing up blogs has become my new hobby. I gave my friend Jessica at http://phamilyof6.blogspot.com/ a bloggity makeover. She allowed me several weeks of trial and error and lots of learning to figure all this stuff out. SO...if anyone else would like a bloggity makeover I would be happy to do so. I would like to do a few more for free, yes I said FREE, and then when I get really good at it, start charging a minimal fee for my time. Although it will be a fraction of what the "real" professionals charge, because I'm not a "real" professional. But a fun way to make some $$$ doing something I love to do nonetheless. If you're interested, email me at hmjaggie@yahoo.com or just leave a comment below with your email address and I'll give you da hook-up! I can add a neato header done with my digital scrapbooking kits, and add a fun background to match with sidebar hearders too. Still trying to figure out how to make 3 column templates, but I'm getting there!

And I know you're all DYING to know what I think about the new A&M coaching hire. Because you sincerely care what I have to say (yeah right). Well, I shall address that issue...tomorrow!

Things I Said To My Husband While Driving Through Louisiana...

If you read my post a few days ago called "I'm Home" you know how I really feel about the state of Louisiana. I mean does anything good ever come out of that place? Let's see... there's Brittany Spears, cajun food (GAG), cajun people and their crazy accents, The New Orleans Saints (sorry honey), Ellen Degeneres, The Waterboy, LSU Tiger fans (you think I'm crazy???) Nope, pretty sure nothing good comes out of there! I meant it when I said, "That state is about 6 hours too big!"

So I thought it would be funny to recall some of the things I REALLY did say as we were driving through. This is no lie...

1. Why are there 2 pick up trucks on top of that mobile home?

2. Is that hat lighting up?

3. Sammy Kershaw for state senate??? As in THE Sammy Kershaw, country singer who sings that song, "Queen of My Double Wide Trailer"????

4. Did I read that sign correctly...there's a casino IN THE GAS STATION???

5. Did I read that sign correctly...they sell DAIQUIRIS IN THE GAS STATION???

6. Did I read that sign correctly...Cajun Bakery, Cafe, and DAIQUIRIS???

7. Did I read that sign correctly...DRIVE THRU DAIQUIRIS???

8. Did I read that sign correctly...Sandy's Groceries and Daiquiris?

9. So let me get this straight...cajun people have a love affair with their daiquiris I'm guessing? I never knew this!

10. Did I read that sign correctly...I-10 is CLOSED??? Till December 4th??? (Yup...you read it right. The 60 miles from Baton Rouge to Lafeyette is CLOSED...fun times that made for! Gas line explosion.)

11. Was the Wayne Newton sign supposed to attract me to the casino?

12. And perhaps the most perplexing thing I saw were lots and lots of pick up tricks appearing to be either GOING or COMING from the deer leases which isn't an abnormal thing...but what was attached to their trucks is what struck me as funny, which explains this question I asked (repeatedly)..."Is it just me or does that look like a FEMA trailer on the back of that pick up?" (We saw that MORE than once!)

In Case You Missed It...

TEXAS A&M: 38

#13Texas: 30

And in case you missed it last year:

Texas A&M: 12

Texas: 7

WHOOP!!!

And YES...I was there!

GOD IS GOOD!

Pilgrims and Indian Princesses

Last week we had a Thanksgiving celebration at the girls' school. Ashton was the cutest little thing in her pilgrim hat. She stood on the stage and just looked adorable while picking her nose. Lexi was an Indian Princess. And apparently the princess loved bling because she had on a pearl and multi colored sparkly necklace, which she played with the entire performance...rather than singing. Oh well, this is a big improvement over last year's fetal position on stage under the podium and being carried off by her teacher kicking and screaming.
Ashton was SO cute in her pilgrim hat, I couldn't toss it when we got home. Instead I wrote her a note on the paper hat for her to read in 20 years about how precious she looked that day in her pink shirt and leopard print shoes standing on stage with her classmates.

Lexi is 3rd from the end, there she is swinging her necklaces. Made me so proud!

Big bite for a little princess. (If you click on the picture you can see it larger...check out those pretty purple fingernails. That was a treat for doing #2 on the potty!)

Happy Turkey Day!

We have so much to be thankful for this year, as we do every year. Well, except for one thing..the Aggies 6-5 record! I thought it would be fun to ask each member of the family what they're thankful for this year and post it here. Here is what they said:

Heather:
I'm thankful for my family and many many friends, and my health. I'm thankful for hot baths, coca-cola, M&M's, malls, bling, Sonic drinks, hair coloring, flip flops, mouthwash, pedicures, a husband that cooks and cleans toilets, computers, cell phones, digital cameras, and I'm VERY thankful that they have Texas Roadhouse restaurants in Florida! I'm thankful to be in Texas right this second. And I'm VERY thankful that God allowed me to be a FIGHTIN' TEXAS AGGIE!

Lexi:
I'm thankful for my toys, my teddy bears, baby dolls, chewing gum, ice cream, Granny, Ashton, my computer, my "new bed from the garage sale", Jesus, my new clothes, I'm thankful I'm gonna grow up, mommy, a computer mouse, my balls (?????),all my toys at Granny's house, Kamryn L., Allison H., "and now mommy, let's pray for God." All of this is straight from her mouth to the computer screen by the way!

Ashton:
Uhhh-uhhhhh (that means NO, which is her response to everything these days!)
Then Daddy asked her and she said, "me (meaning herself), Daddy, Mommy, Candice, and kitty." She didn't mention Lexi!

Cary:
I'm thankful for my wife, family, friends, football, indoor plumbing, turkey and pumpkin pie.

I'm Home!!!!

After the 20 longest hours of my life, I'M HOME! If you followed my whole flying/driving dilemma a few weeks ago, you probably remember that we opted to drive. WHAT WERE WE THINKING????? If I ever present such a contemplation again, someone just slap me! No, I'm only half kidding. (Is contemplation a word???) We did get to see my in-laws which was WONDERFUL. And I'm not just saying that because they read my blog. They really are so sweet and genuine and very Southuhn, which I just love cause I love me some good ol' southuhn folks y'all. We had a really nice visit with them. But the final leg of the journey, from Mobile to somewhere between Houston and San Antonio was 12 hours of insanity. I wasted, I mean spent, 6 hours of my day in Louisiana. And my Momma taught me if I had nothing nice to say then just don't say anything at all. So I won't. That state is about 6 hours too big! Oops, there I went saying something not so nice. Sorry Momma! Cary and I made up a joke as we were driving through LA...here it goes...why is Louisiana so big? Cause it's the double wide state! Ba-da-bing! Okay, that was just wrong. Sorry! If you've ever been dumb enough to take French, oops, I mean if you know any French, here's a fun game to play as you drive through Louisiana...pronounce all the names of the towns the correct, you know, "French", way. Then find out the REAL Lousianian (is that a word?) way to pronounce them and see how WAY OFF you are! We played that game today. And seriously I say, "dumb enough to take French" because what Texan really needs to know French? Honestly? What was I thinking taking French? Should any foreign language other than Spanish really be offered in the state of Texas??? (On the other hand, maybe they SHOULD offer French in Louisiana schools though, you know, so they can learn the correct pronunciations of the towns they live in!)

But BABY when we crossed that state line into Texas...Ahhhh...home sweet home! It's good to be home. I have missed it so much, my heart hurts. So I have just a few days to get my fill of Tex-mex and everything else Texas, INCLUDING AGGIE FOOTBALL! I'll be at the A&M/Texas game on Friday. Should be a massacre, but I'll be there nonetheless to support my team! ( I mean, WE'LL be massacred, not THEM!)

And now...for some cute pics taken the last few days...

The girls LOVE DadaG...in case you're wondering...his name is RON, doesn't even start with a G! LONG STORY!

During a temporary loss of sanity, Cary thought it would be a GREAT idea to buy the girls some oreo cookies...to eat...IN THE CAR! Ashton fell asleep halfway through her bag, hence the choco face! And that's her hand behind her neck. How do you fall asleep in this position I'd like to know!

Yummy cuteness!

Gobble Gobble

Seriously, have you seen a cuter turkey???

This fruity-licious bird is made out of a honey dew body, with cheese and grapes on skewers and yellow, orange and red bell peppers as the tail feathers. The head is a bosq(sp?) pear, the feet are red bell peppers cut out like bird toes. Cute huh?

And on the cupcakes below, the tail feathers are strips of fruit by the foot. They wrapped it around a tooth pick and cut in the shape of feathers. Then two dots of white icing and black gel for the eyes.

So cute!

Oh, but wait...I have seen cuter turkeys!!!!

These photos were taken 2 years ago. Granny HANDMADE these costumes using a pattern out of the Martha Stewart Baby magazine. I had actually saved the pattern from BEFORE I EVEN HAD KIDS because I saw it one Fall and thought it was so stinkin cute! (I know what you're thinking...why was I reading a "baby" magazine before I had kids...I don't really know. I guess it's kind of like looking at bride magazines when you're 13! Dreamy!!! Boy, was I delusional!)

Cutie-licious! Mmmmmmm, I could eat them up!!!!!

OH MY STARS!!!! Have you ever seen anything cuter than that????

Gobble Gobble!

Check it out...

Santa really does read my blog! Read Santa's comment under the "Dear Santa" post....WWWHHHOOOOOOPPP! (That was a great big Aggie whoop in case you couldn't tell!)

And now other funny stuff...

This morning at 7 a.m. Lexi wanted Daddy to play tea party with her. I don't know about you, but I'm not usually in a "partying" mood at 7 a.m. Anyhow, Daddy was sitting on the potty and he kept yelling through the door, "I'll play tea party as soon as I'm done going potty." A few minutes later I heard Lexi at the bathroom door say, "Daddy, it smells like you're all done. Can you play tea party now?" Heeeheeee!

And a few hours later...Daddy lost his voice yesterday. He's had a cold for about a week now and it seems as though it has turned into an upper respiratory infection, just in time for our trip of course! But here's the conversation that took place about Daddy's voice.

Lexi: Daddy, what happened to your voice?

Daddy: I don't know, can you find it for me?

Lexi: I think it's in your tummy.

Daddy: No I don't think so. I think it's lost. Can you find it?

Lexi: I think the ants got it. I'll go get it back from them. (I think she's watched that ANTZ movie too many times!)

She walked into the kitchen, where we really do have ants, and bent over and pretended to have a struggle with something imaginary on the floor. Then walked over to Daddy and said, "Here's your voice!"

If only it were that simple!

10 Things I Love About My Family

1. My husband is a GREAT cook!
2. Lexi is so tenderhearted and compassionate. Today, when I was trying to explain that Mommy was sick and needed to lay down (I really am, I wasn't just looking for an excuse to sleep) Lexi went to the refrigerator and got me a bottle of water, got a package of crackers out of the pantry and brought it all to me. Then stood over me on the couch and said, "Now I'm going to talk to Jesus for you Mommy and ask him to make you all better." (And in case your wheels are turning...NO I'M NOT PREGNANT! I think I may have the flu!!!!)
3. Ashton is such a cuddle bug. She has sat in my lap before for an ENTIRE college football game. She'd rather snuggle with me than to play.
4. My children are becoming very independent lately. HALLELUJAH! They both dress themselves (well Ashton tries, bless her heart). They bathe themselves, wash their own hair, Lexi can change diapers and dry her own hair, she's STILL poopooing on the potty (glory to God) and the last 2 days Lexi has buckled both girls into their carseats while I packed the diaper bag. Can I get an amen? You have no idea how happy this makes me. And I'm not the slightest bit remorseful that I no longer have a baby in the house! Praise God for big girls!!!!
5. I love it that my husband is my best friend and we adore one another, even after 2 kids, financial catastrophes, 7 years of marriage, and the fact that he made me leave Texas (booohoooohoooo).
6. I love Lexi's sense of humor and creativity.
7. Ashton is a girl of many faces...all of which make me laugh. And that teeny tiny naked butt streakin' through the house before bath time....so stinkin' cute!!!!!
8. I love it that Lexi sings about Jesus 24 hours a day! She makes up her own praise and worship songs and sings them at the top of her lungs everywhere we go. Our little evangelist.
9. Oh, my dog, I can't believe I forgot about Candice till #9! I LOVE MY DOG! I love it that she wags her tail when she sees me even if I only left the room to go potty. There is just no other love like it! My sweet fur baby!!!!
10. And the best thing about my family...surely you knew you would see the words, "Aggie or Texas A&M" somewhere in this post right? I love it that my family is just as excited as I am about going to the Aggie games or watching them on T.V. I love it that Cary gets just as excited and mad as I do about Aggie sports. And the girls talk about AGGIES all the time! And sing the Aggie War Hymn in the car on the way to everywhere.

Dear Santa:

Please slide down my chimney with one of these! Oh wait. We don't have chimneys in Florida! Please bring me one of these. I would like a pink laptop. Dell and Sony both have them in pink. I'm not picky. Expcept that I want pink and 2 GB memory with at least 120 mh hard drive and Windows Vista and an added software package available at Best Buy...it's a combo pack of Adobe Photoshop Elements 6.0 with Adobe Premier 4.0. I would also like Microsoft Publisher, but only if you know someone with a CD who would let me borrow it. Please don't spend an extra $169 for it. (Yes, I know that's sort of illegal but rest easy I think Microsoft has gotten enough of your money over the years, don't you?) Oh and what good is this cute computer with my ugly old black carrying bag? I would like a cute bag to transport it in, maybe pink or something polka dotted or florally. My friend, Kristi, says they have cute ones at Hobby Lobby in the scrapbooking section. And my new cell phone...which was FREE that I got last week...it's pink too!

Thank you Santa! I look forward to your arrival!!!

A Peaceful Afternoon Outting...

YEAH RIGHT! Does such a thing really exist when you're with toddlers? A daily question often lingers in my head...to leave the house or to not leave the house...with my children of course. Because you see, I can either go through the excrutiating effort of herding them into the tub, ironing clothes, combing out tangled hair while the child screams, find a way to bathe and dress myself with child or children hanging from my legs, manage to find everyone's socks and shoes, pack the diaper bag which usually involves disposing of rotten bananas or green beans and stinky day old juice...that has leaked...coral the children into the car while taking dog out to potty, threaten them with every inch of their lives to GET IN THEIR SEATS so I can buckle them in, then turn up the A/C in the car full blast because at this point I am sweating profusely the little amount of makeup I managed to get on my face, all to get somewhere and growl and snarl at them the entire time because by golly, they're going to behave! Oh and let's not forget, in the amount of time it has taken to get everyone bathed and dressed and out of the house, it's time to eat yet another meal! So then you have to ponder the question of, so do we stay home and eat lunch and THEN leave, or do I get them out of the house while they're dressed and fresh and in a good mood and eat on the road? It's all so complicated. Which is why I don't usually go anywhere unless I have to. And on the days that I do have to be somewhere in the mornings, I don't ever want to go home because who would want to waste a nice bath with ironed clothes and freshly groomed children? I mean, if it's already done, let's make the most of the effort that went into it!

On the other hand, staying home and never leaving the house also results in a very frazzled mommy because I end up cleaning the same 1500 sq feet over and over and over again repeatedly! So I have the choice of getting the children out of the house, which I'm quite certain is the equivalent of training for a marathon and mommy being frazzled and on edge by the time it's all over, or staying home cleaning the house non-stop and mommy being frazzled and on edge by the time it's all over....hmmmm....

So today, I chose the outting. It started out to be not so bad. We made it out of the house by noon. ish. I opted for the lunch on the road scenario. I took the girls to get their hair cut and we grabbed a quick bite to eat. Then I was planning to make a pit stop at the house to go potty and head to Walmart. But Lexi announced that she had to go potty too. And when we all came in to go potty, I somehow knew it would take an act of God to get us all back into the car again! And it did! THREE HOURS LATER, we were finally back on the road and headed to Walmart, list in hand. And let's just say that trip to Walmart just might have landed me on the news. Let's see, Ashton slid herself into the bottom shelf in the home decor isle. Lexi tried to pilfer some Polly Pockets in her pocket, where else? Elmo shelf liner thought he was coming home with me. Not sure who put THAT in the basket! And I'm pretty sure I said 100 times or more, "WHAT PART OF 'HOLD ON TO THE BASKET' DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND????!!!!!"

But then, some divine intervention occured y'all! Sweet Jesus of Heaven and Earth! I was walking past a display of Betty Crocker Sweet Potato Casserole in a box and one magically fell off the top row and into my basket. Well, actually it wasn't magical. It was Ashton. She knocked over something on the bottom shelf, which in turn caused a chain reaction, thus one landing into my basket. Call it what you will, IT WAS FATE! "Every good and perfect gift is from above." James 1:17. And I'm quite sure a member of my family in a Tennessee cemetary is doing somersaults in their grave right this very second at the mere thought of "sweet potato casserole in a box".

Oh well. The perfect ending to a not so perfect outting!

If Fat = Old and I'm not old, then I'm ????

Oh, the mind of a 4 yr old! I will never quite understand it! But the teacher in me is liking her reasoning skills. Here's a conversation I had with Lexi today....

Lexi: Mommy, I want to tell you a secret. Nanny and Mimi are kind of old cause they are the same size.

Me: Oh, yeah? (Nanny is my grandmother, Mimi is Cary's mom) You think so? What about Granny? Is she old? (Granny is my mom).

Lexi: Yes, she's old too cause she's fat like Nanny and Mimi. (Interesting what a 4 yr old thinks of as fat, because they're far from fat!)

Me: What about me? Am I old? (At this point I've concluded that fat = old in her mind and since she tells me I'm fat every day, I'm QUITE certain she's going to say I'm old!)

Lexi: No, mommy, you're not old at all.

(I'm flabbergasted! Totally taken aback. YEA! I'm not old...which means.....I'm not....fat???? Hmmm. Puzzling. But I like her thinking!)

Lexi: You're not old, you're new.

Me: I'm NEW??? You mean young?

Lexi: I SAID NEW! Not young!

Me: Oh. How bout Daddy? Is he new? And what about Dada G (Cary's dad)?

Lexi: Yup, they're new too. They're not old.

Me: (thinking silently) So you mean I'm in the "not fat" and new category? Wow, this is a first!

Who wouldn't love the logic of a 4 yr old!

Her Royal Hiney-ess...

Ladies and Gentlemen...

Now presenting to you

Her Majesty

Queen of Nomorediaperland

Queen Alexis

Her Royal Hiney-ess ASSumed the throne

(sorry, couldn't resist)

at 2:00 p.m. today as she bravely conquered her enemy,

fear of doing #2 on the royal throne.

Okay I'll cut the cheesy royalty business, but this was a BIG, monumental day in our home. And I know when she's 16, she's going to hate me for blogging about this, but it's a BIG FREAKIN DEAL....you have NO idea! Lexi has been wearing panties since she was barely 2, but at the age of 4 1/2 would still NOT do #2 on the potty to save her life, until today. It was an accident, actually, but then she went back 2 more times throughout the day and did more...can I get a GLORY? Thank you Jesus! Trust me, we've tried every form of bribery known to man from flip flops in every color, "holes" in the ears, seeing Shamu, you name it we've done it. We've even talked to Jesus on the potty and asked him to "help us get the poopoo out." We've refused to give her a diaper, but that didn't work as she would just hold it for a week then poop in her sleep! I kept hearing doctors and psychiatrists on T.V. and on the radio say, "Don't worry, they won't start kindergarten wearing a diaper," and I would think...REALLY? Are you sure about that??? 'Cause we start kindgergarten in less than a year! So we had yet another "poopoo party" today. We've done this before, can you tell? This is not the first time she's been successful, but it usually fades after a day or two. So time will tell! Is it really possible that we might actually have FINALLY ended the diaper era with one of our children? Is it possible that I may finally have ONE fully potty trained child? Does it count if I'm setting my alarm clock and waking her up 2-3 times per night to go teetee? When does that end??? Cause if I were a fan of getting up during the night I would have another baby. But I'm not. Thus no baby. Momma needs sleep. Uninterrupted sleep. But as much as I hate getting up all during the night, I hate changing sheets even more. So the madness will continue.

Emotional Aggie Moment

Just as I predicted, the Ags ran out of time again today. What's new these days? In about 2 weeks, we should officially be coach-less. WHOOP!

But to the Aggie faithful out there, let me just encourage you. Better days are ahead for us! Remember, football is just a small part of what makes Aggieland such a special place in our hearts. Muster, Elephant Walk, the Aggie ring, the Century Tree, Yell Practice, the Fightin' Texas Aggie Band, the Corps of Cadets, the Big Event, Revielle, Silver Taps, Ross Volunteers, Fish Drill Team (and I ain't talkin about girls in short skirts) the Aggie yells, maroon out, yell leaders, march in, hullabaloo, wildcats, senior boots, final review, off the wood, Aggie wranlgers, The Dixie Chicken, uncover, I could go ON AND ON AND ON AND ON...these are things that all Aggies hold close to our hearts. That's what makes Aggieland so special. Not the football team!

We attended the most tradition rich school in the country! And you know what they say,
"Once and Aggie, always an Aggie."

"From the outside looking in, you can't understand it and from the inside looking out, you can't explain it."

I love my Ags! Win or lose. Even if we were 0-10 right now, I wouldn't want to be anything but a Fightin' Texas Aggie! Gig'Em Ags...BTHO t.u. WHOOP!

Dear Dada G:

I've been outside all morning painting a bunk bed. I will get around to posting my weekend picks today before you leave work, so check back. Aggie dokie?

Yes, ladies and gents...back by unpopular demand, at the request of...well...one...my weekend picks!

Dada G doesn't know who to watch or pull for without my superior wisdom and professional insight. Yeah right!


********************************
3 hrs later...

I'm back and here are your picks Dada G. So sit back in your lazy boy and flip the remote to your heart's content. Are you ready for some football?

#12 Michigan at Wisconsin: Before you say "who cares" I'm picking Wisconsin to upset Michigan. They are 7-3, so not a bad team and it's a home game for them. And Michigan has their eyes set on next weekend, Ohio State, overlooking the badgers.

A&M at #6 Mizzou: The Ags might as well not show up! They have given up on their season and sadly so have the fans. This will be a cake walk for Mizzou! But just for the heck of it...BTHO Mizzou! And Gig'Em! I still love my Ags!!!

#22 Bama at Miss State: Roll Tide

Kansas State At Nebraska: We all know KState will win, but let's guess how many points they will hang on the poor huskers. Last week Kansas scored 76 on Nebraska. I think Nebraska will fight for a few points in the beginning but will lose by a score of about 21-62.

#18 Auburn at #10 Georgia: Will the Aggie nation be watching their future coach? GOD I HOPE NOT! But if he's coming to Aggieland, I at least want him to get these last 2 wins under his belt and leave Auburn a success. So, War Eagle? Is that what they say???

Texas Tech at #14 Texas: Guns up! Go Red Raiders. Texas will win, but I have to always pull for whoever plays Texas. Even though it pains me cause I HATE Tech!

#15 Florida at South Carolina: Interesting one! Do you think Steve Spurrier circles this date on his calendar each year or what? I think the gamecocks have a shot. Florida obviously has some weaknesses and I think ol' Spurrier is genius enough to find them. The gamecocks win this win in a squeaker!

#4 Kansas at Okie State: The most interesting matchup in the Big 12 this weekend. Kansas should not be #4. #15 maybe, but not #4! I SO want the Cowboys to win, but I'd also like to see Kansas go all the way to the Big 12 Championship so they can get stomped by Oklahoma, so go Jayhawks. (At least my motives are pure...heeeheee)

#17 USC at Cal: I know it's a home game for Cal and they're 6-3, but I think USC is a more solid team. The Trojans will win this one. It may not be pretty, but they'll win!

And there you have it. Enjoy this fooball weekend! Football season is coming to a close. Sadly! (But not quickly enough if you're an Aggie!)

Tis The Season...

for my OCD to kick into high gear! I really can't stand the Christmas season, for so many reasons. Don't get me wrong...HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESUS! That's the only part I love about the season, the birth of my Lord and savior. But beyond that, BAH HUMBUG! I know I know, it's not even Thanksgiving yet. But the commercials and advertisements....GEE...it's just around the corner!

Let's focus on the first reason this season gets under my skin. Holiday parties, Martha Stewart specials on t.v., gift wrapping, tree decorating, holiday baking...it's all just too much for the perfectionist in me. I'm an all or nothin' kind of girl and I don't have a small and simple bone in my body. So if I'm going to throw a holiday party, it's going to be the best dern party you've ever stepped foot in. And if I'm going to bake, by golly Paula Deen watch out! And if I'm going to gift wrap, I feel the need to get out the scrapbooking supplies and custom make my own gift wrapping so that every package under the tree is all coordinated. And then there's the tree...golly gee...the tree! We do an all Texas tree, but over the years people have given me "other" ornaments that don't go with my Texas-themed tree. So when I look at the tree and see those non-Texas ornaments scattered throughout, it just bugs me. A "simple" solution would be to decorate two trees, but I don't have enough non-Texas ornaments to make another tree. So you see my dilema? And then there's the whole holiday decorating issue. I'm so over the whole Christmas knick knack crap. I want mega decor! I want my house to look like a professional came in and did it for me. I want the chandeliers covered in greenery with berries. I want the china hutch to have golden pine cones and winter berries scattered throughout. I want the three story gingerbread house on the baker's rack sitting in a platter of evergreens. I can't just put out some snow men and a wreath and call it a season! Oh, and the Christmas cards! I can't BUY storebought cards and insert a picture like normal people. No, I fee the need to HAND MAKE all 75 of them! (Except for last year, I caved because we moved the day after Christmas, so I actually took the easy way out). All the more reason to make up for it this year, right? You have no idea how many all nighters I've pulled making my Christmas cards. Poor Cary. He always gets suckered into helping me too.

It's just too stressful trying to be so perfect all the time. And yet, I can't NOT be perfect at some things and just let it go. No, I have to be OCD and not sleep for the whole month of December trying to get it all done, only to undo it before January 1. Bah Humbug I tell you! Bah humbug! Forget it. This year, I'm just going to Disneyworld. To heck with the rest!

Hi, I'm Heather, and I have OCD!

Our Week In Pictures

Been wondering what's been going on in our house this week?

Lexi took this picture of Daddy. Yes, he's from Alabama! HA!

Hey Moms, did you know Apple Jacks have a new improved formula? Now introducing Apple Jacks with Codeine!


On Monday while the girls were in school, Daddy and I went on a much needed date and took Candice to the lake. The only one who got any smooches on this date was Candice. Poor Daddy!

A little girl from the island of zebbihahaloogie known for their shrinking of pumpkin heads.

"Aarf aarf aarf aarf to me..."

Detergent Snob

I know you've been waiting for 3 long days for the Texas Aggie in Florida to make a blog entry, so naturally you're all thinking, "Wow, three days without an entry, she must be working on something REALLY good!" Well, sorry to disappoint. My life has been totally uneventful this week, which is a much welcomed change from last week.

Today, I was putting my 6th load of laundry, yes 6th out of 8, into the dryer. Oh did I mention that the laundry was all done on Friday, so 8 loads have accumulated since Friday. Someone please play the violin of sympathy for me! Anyways, as I reached down in the washer and came up with a big handful of crispy clean clothes, I couldn't help but notice how WONDERFUL they smelled. And I don't just mean in comparison to the ronchy odor they were when I put them in. But as far as detergents go, this was like WHEELS OFF awesome smelling aroma! And the difference you ask...it's TIDE! Yes, I have discovered I am a self proclaimed DETERGENT SNOB! There is just nothing like Tide y'all. For the first 7 years of my marriage I allowed Cary to buy whatever was on sale or whatever they sell at Sav A Lot, which isn't Tide, but a few weeks ago I convinced him to PLEASE let me return to the detergent of my youth. And there's just nothing quite like it. So ladies who aren't using Tide, the REAL DEAL detergent, drop those bottles or boxes of powder of whatever you use and run right out to get you some Tide. You won't regret it. I promise. Nothing cuts the stains like it either. I wouldn't steer you wrong. And for those of you who have ever been guests in my home and have been subjected to the smell of the "other" detergents on my sheets and towels, I'M SORRY! From now on, rest easy when you come to my house. May you be blessed by the Tide, original scent!

And just now, Ashton has added yet another load of laundry to my day. As I was sitting here typing she was in the bathroom washing her hands, or so I thought. Then I noticed a stream of water flowing into the dining room from the bathroom. She clogged the sink with toilet paper and has had the water going for a very long time. She was already dressed for church, but had to have another bath and another change of clothes, not the mention the 4 towels it took to dry the floor and the rugs which now need to be thrown in the washer. See, another load of laundry! She had put Olay body wash all over her clothes and hair and was "washing" up in the sink. Fun times these are!!!

Homesick, Bad Hair, and a Granny Dress, oh and GO COWBOYS!

First, does my blog look different on anyone else's screen? The cute little stripes that used to be on both sides of my sidebars are no longer there, but I don't know if it's just like that on my computer because I'm quite certain my computer is on the blink. Okay, anyways, let me know!

Secondly...GO COWBOYS! I'm watching the game as I type.

HATED the Dallas Cowboys for the longest time because most native Houstonians do, sort of started liking them when Bill Parcels came on board as coach, and now, LOVE LOVE LOVE them! What true Texan doesn't love Wade Phillips, Cowboys coach? He's Bum Phillip's son, got a little Aggie connection goin' on there. Love him!

I'm SO homesick right now. And it's totally not that I don't want to be in Florida. I do love a lot of things about it and our church family is SO good to us. The people are so genuine and treat us like gold. And I don't want to leave until God calls us elsewhere, if He ever does. But it's not home to me, not yet. This afternoon, as I was standing at the pizza buffet, a little tear formed in the corner of my eye. Don't laugh! For a split second, it felt like I was at Keller Pizza, mainly because the thin crust looked JUST like theirs and thin crust pizza makes me giddy. And when I envisioned myself going home to take a Sunday nap, I envisioned myself in our house in Hurst. For a split second. And then reality hit. And I cried! And cried! And cried! In Pizza Hut! I long for Texas. It's in my veins. I never wanted to live anywhere else. But God had other plans for us. And it's a privilege to be used by God. I just pray that one day He will allow us to serve Him in Texas. And if not, I'm pretty darn sure Heaven looks JUST LIKE Texas!

Today after church, we were in the parking lot and Lexi's Sunday School teacher was standing at our car talking to me. Lexi poked her head out the window and said (talking to her teacher), "Your hair isn't so pretty." I wanted to crawl under the seat. All I could say was, "If it makes you feel any better she is always telling me I'm fat and I'd much rather her say my hair isn't pretty than to be fat." Well, okay, maybe not, but I was just trying to make her feel better. I don't ever want bad hair. I guess I'd rather be fat with good hair than skinny with bad hair. Because hair, that's like your "crown". If the hair is bad, it's ALL bad!

And today I wore this certain dress to church that does remind me of something my mom would wear. It's pretty, but it doesn't scream out, "I'm 33!" It screams, "I'm fifty something!" But I'm kind of short on church clothes because my wardrobe consists of shorts, t-shirts, flip flops, and more flip flops. And t-shirts, did I mention t-shirts? With stains! Anyways, I noticed that everyone who complimented my dress today was over the age of 50. But I kind of knew it looked a little "olderish" than most things I wear, so I didn't think much of it. But at lunch, Lexi said, "Mommy, is that Granny's dress?" Okay, so maybe I won't wear that dress again. I'm not saying my mom dresses bad. It's just that our styles are different and she dresses like a 50 something aged woman and I dress like a young, hip, hot and sexy Momma. Okay, so maybe not hot and sexy.

But I dress like a 33 year old Mom... who is fat....with good hair.

Anyone else..

Any other Aggies out there as fed up as me? And yet I can't stop watching the massacre! Unbelievable! Is Franny just trying to lose his job? Why are we punting on 4th and 1 inside the 40 when we're down by 28??? Anyone??? Why are we punting on 4th and 4 when we're down by 21? Anyone??? Why do we play the same ol' offensive plays that DON'T WORK late in the 3rd quarter? Anyone??? I love Stephen McGee but TAKE HIM OUT FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!!!!! When things are repeatedly not working on offense, why are we not making changes like trying another quarterback who CAN PASS? OU hasn't prepared for Johnson, so put him in! Anyone else throwing things around their living room right about now???

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR...

Oh, Are the Aggies Playing Today?

Today has not been a normal college football Saturday in our house. During this time of year, I would have usually gotten up and cleaned house really fast so I could plop myself on the couch for the remainder of the day watching ESPN's college gameday and of course my Aggies, and flipping around to other notable games of the day. But not today. I don't know why I just feel like our season is over, it's like a balloon that gets stepped on (really hard) and flies around the room deflating all the way to the floor. That describes the Aggie football season in a nutshell. So no, honestly, I'm not real excited that the Ags are marching (or crawling) into Norman, Oklahoma today to take on the #6 ranked Sooners. Not real excited one bit. In fact, I just pray that they return all bones intact. Was it 3 years ago they beat us 77-0? It could be another one of those kind of days.

SO instead of sitting around wallowing in self pity I went garage sale-ing this morning. I got some toddler sized bunk beds just perfect for the girls and 6 new Disney movies. The bunk beds were brand new and had only been used for a youth retreat for a church. And the best part is that the whole $80 I paid for them went to the church and I got a tax deduction form for it! YEA ME! I can't wait to get the beds home and get them painted white. They are just the right size for the girls and for Lexi's small room. The top bunk isn't very tall at all and it has railings all the way around it so she can't fall out.

So now I guess I'll go make some lunch and do something besides watch college football. There aren't really any good games today other than Texas at Oklahoma State...GO COWBOYS! If the Aggies can't win tonight, I at least hope Texas gets spanked.

Are any of you other Aggies out there just as apathetic about tonight's game or is it just me? Cary asked me last night what time the Aggie game was today and I was like, "Huh, I dunno!" That's TOTALLY not like me at all!

Oh well, I'm still the proudest Aggie this side of the Mississippi, no matter how many games we win. I certainly didn't attend A&M for their outstanding football program. HA! And hey, basketball season is just days away! YEA! We're ranked #9 I believe!

Polly Want a Cracker?

Since Daddy was a pirate on Wedneday night, we thought it would be fun to dress the girls up like parrots. Daddy and I made the costumes. We bought red shirts and pants, then used different colored felt cut like wings, fabric glued together, cause you know I couldn't sew to save my life. Then we used mulit colored boas for the tails. We bought masks and painted them and added feathers for the face. And for the feet, we cut out bird feet out of felt and velcroed then around the ankles.

And voila! Two little parrots!

Happy Birthday Candice

My beloved Candice, the dalmatian, turns 10 years old today! So if you do the math, means she came before Cary and the children! And if you know what a tender heart I have towards animals, you guessed it, she kind of gets seniority privileges around here. I feel comfortable sharing this because those of you who know me well know I'm very much a CLEAN FREAK but I must admit a dirty little secret. Hold on to your hats! I used to sleep with my dog! Yup! I'll wait while some of you go puke in the sink. It's kind of like kids, you know how we moms always say in referring to our children's bodily fluids, "It's different when it's your own child." Well, the same goes with dogs. Although she's not just a dog to me, she's a GIRL! Candice and I shared a pillow long before Cary came along, literally. She used to sleep with her head on the pillow, belly up, under the covers. And when the alarm clock would go off, she would roll her little furry head my way and give me a wake up kiss on the ear. It was like having TWO alarm clocks. And then Cary came along and pushed her out of the bed! For the first year we were married, he let her sleep on the bed, but at our feet. Then after a while, we moved a couch into our bedroom and she slept on that. Then the couch started to stink, so Candice ended up on the floor. (And then we got a cat and had some kids.) It was a sad progression for her. But she has a nice cozy "girl" bed next to my side on the floor and I put sheets a clean sheet on it every couple of days. So there are no complaints. However, when I've had a bad day or am menstrual or something like that, Cary is such a dear and he actually gives up his side of the bed so Candice can sleep with me like old times and he sleeps on the couch. He's SO not a nighttime cuddler, but Candice is. And it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside.

She was an orphaned puppy and I got her when she was 3 weeks old. I bottle fed her until she was old enough to eat solid foods. So she truly is MY BABY! I never thought I had a maternal nurturing bone in my body, but Candice taught me otherwise as I happily got up with her every 3 hours during the night to give her a bottle, and cleaned up all her many "messes" over the years. She prepared me for children in many ways.

I don't even want to think of the day I have to say goodbye to her, but as she turns 10 today the thought is lurking in my mind, "How many more birthdays will I have with her?" Large dogs don't usually live past 14-15. She brings so much love and joy to my world. There's nothin' quite like a good Candice hug. One thing I love about her is that it doesn't matter if I leave the house for 1 minute or 12 hours, she always wags her tail and is happy to see me when I come in.

So to celebrate her birthday, the girls and I are making a white cake with white icing, and crushed oreos on top. You know, very dalmatian-y. Heehee. Of course Candice will get the first piece. I think I'll even let her lick the bowl! We'll probably take her somewhere fun tonight like the park or just for a long ride in the car, which she equally loves.

Happy Birthday sweet Candice girl! And thank you LORD for blessing me with my precious pup!