Why I Love Hailey Bug

One of the many reasons I love my little Hailey Bug has got to be that she listens. She really takes in what Daddy and I say.

She may not always have the appropriate response, but she hears me...and at least that's a start.

Evidence that she is listening was displayed tonight when the following situation ensued:

Maddie finished up her lunch and was headed to the couch where Hailey and I were watching a little TV before we all headed upstairs for a nap when she tripped over a blanket on the floor and landed on the carpet. She didn't get hurt, it was a soft fall. Hailey looked over in Maddie's direction and said in her sweet little three year old voice, "Been walkin' long?"

I'm always teasing the girls with things like this or "How was your trip?" or "See you next fall."

We all had a good laugh, but I'll have to remember...Hailey is listening!!

My 100th Post

1. I refuse to guarantee this will be interesting or enlightening.


2. Three (so far) of the best kids a mom could ever ask for live with me. And they are all mine. (and Hot Rod's)


3. My hubby is my best friend.


4. The hubs is the absolute perfect man for me. He actually LIKES to go shopping.


5. Hot Rod and I were friends in junior high school. I never thought of him romantically until after college.


6. I think I was born in the exact town I was meant to stay in my entire life. It's hot, humid and I love it!


7. I get cold really easily. REALLY EASILY!


8. I love the month of September. The weather is usually perfect. Oh, and I was born in Sept, too.


9. I love my backyard. We've spent a lot of time/money to make it what it is.


10. My favorite number is 10.


11. I'm very excited about baby #4 - not anymore than the other 3, but excited still.


12. Oh the strange looks and odd things that people will say when I am out with 4 children by myself. Not looking forward to that.


13. I grew up with 3 sisters. Hmmmm.....(like mother, like daughter?)


14. I think I KNOW I will always miss my Mom.


15. I also miss my dog. He died about a year ago. He had been with me for 11 years. He was a good and very loyal companion. He was a sweet little Yorkie and knew a ton of tricks!


16. We'll be celebrating 10 years of marriage in August!


17. We were going to take a trip in Oct. The same week as my due date. I don't think that's going to happen...


18. I love my Saturn Vue. I can't fit 4 kids in the back seat. I'm kind of bummed about that.


19. I love to shop.


20. I love shoes.


21. I don't love to shop for shoes.


22. I have very few pairs of shoes. It's hard to find cute ones that are also comfortable.


23. Rarely do I notice what people are wearing - including their shoes. Unless it's really, really cute or really, really weird. And, I'll never remember it later.


24. I remember strange things and forget simple things.


25. People have a hard time believing that I was a shy child. I was. Really.


26. But, I did make friends easily. Everywhere we went I would make a friend.


27. My family went camping when I was young. Every year. That has to be some of my favorite memories.


28. Mom worked so hard all the time (at home) and it was nice to see her settle in a lawn chair with a good novel and just read.


29. All my life I have preferred to hang out with guys over girls. Girls were always so competitive.


30. I love the girl friends I have made at church. Would not trade them for all the guys in the world. (even Matthew McConaughey - LOL!)


31. Matthew M has the best accent. He IS from Texas after all!


32. Before I had children, my favorite food was Italian. Now, I don't have a favorite. Strange!


33. If a single tiny raw onion gets mixed into my food, it makes me gag.


34. I love grilled onions on my fajitas.


35. If a main course or side dish recipe calls for onions, I do everything I can to avoid using them.


36. If a dessert recipe calls for nuts, I leave them out.


37. I like nuts and I like raisins, but NEVER inside of anything!


38. Except peanut M&Ms, oh and snickers and I'm sure there are a few more I'm forgetting - okay never say never right?


39. Growing up we lived on property and I always wished I lived in a neighborhood where I could take off on my bicycle and ride for hours.


40. Now, I live in a neighborhood and wish I had more room.


41. When I grow up (yeeeeeah!) Okay, maybe my dream is to own a few acres in a nice community - kind of like getting the best of both worlds.


42. I started getting gray hair when I was sixteen. SIXTEEN!! Not a very awesome sweet sixteen gift! I think it makes me look older than I am.


43. Playing outdoors with my kids is one of my favorite things to do.


44. The laughter of a baby (especially my little man) is one of life's greatest joys.


45. I love surprises. No kidding! The Hubs used to try to tell me things (he's bad at keeping secrets that he's excited about) and I would NOT let him. It's so much fun to be surprised!


46. Our other Yorkie will be nine this year. We bought him for the Hubs. He follows me wherever I go. Guess that makes him mine!


47. There are no less than 15 dolls in my house. And that's just the baby dolls.


48. My girls enjoy cheering at sports games. Go 'Stros!


49. When I was younger, I was an Astros' buddy. Those were some great memories. I remember always having maple nut goodies at the games. They don't really taste all that great. (see, I remember odd things!)


50. My childhood was fantastic! We weren't rich and we weren't poor, but it never really mattered.


51. My Mom always made sure to have soft drinks and chips in the house - conveniently on Friday and Saturday nights so I would bring my friends to the house to hang out. She'd go off into the kitchen, bake brownies and then go to bed. (See why I miss her?)


52. There are orange lilies in my flower bed - some of my favorite flowers.


53. I also like roses - of any color.


54. And Hibiscus - orange of course.


55. Lime green is my favorite color.


56. Gardenia is my favorite fragrance - I have several gardenia bushes in my yard as well. (Oh, I love the lemon scent when I'm cleaning!)


57. I love the beach, but I'm not crazy about the ocean. (Sharks, jellyfish...etc.)


58. Disney World really is magical. When we planned to go in 2007, I got pregnant with Carter. When we planned to go in 2009, well...you know the drill.


59. We lovingly refer to our baby as "Walt"


60. Don't worry, we won't be naming him that especially if he is a she!!


61. I love being pregnant. I think it's because it's the one time that you can be fat and people actually think it's cute.


62. I just used it's three times in one sentence.


63. I am a grammar nut! The thing that bothers me the most is when people use "I" in place of "me"


64. I don't profess to be perfect at grammar, but some errors just glare at me.


65. It's been almost a year and I don't miss my "job."


66. Our only debt is our house and one of the cars. From my guestimation, we are not upside down on either one.


67. I am fully aware that guestimation is not a word.


68. "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days" is my favorite movie. I still laugh every time I see it.


69. I'd love to have a maid, but the thought of a stranger cleaning my house creeps me out.


70. The yard guy once tried to argue with me over what I owed him...until he got my next payment with an Excel spreadsheet.


71. He doesn't work for us anymore...only because we do it ourselves now to save money.


72. By "ourselves" I mostly mean Hot Rod.


73. The Hubs cleans the bathrooms more than I do.
    
74. Yes, I am one lucky gal.
    
75. I watch a lot of decorating shows. Gives me ideas I'll never have the time, energy or money to do to my own home.
    
76. I also watch the Food Network.


77. I have a love/hate relationship with cooking. I love to do it, but I hate the thought of it.


78. I love Google. I "google" everything. I get all kinds of e-mails telling me some crazy stuff, so before I pass any along, I plug the subject into my Google toolbar and search away.


79. One thing that irritates me is when people forward e-mails that tell me at the bottom that I should forward to my friends. (Seriously!!! I know I can forward it - IF I WANT TO!!! You don't need to tell me that!) And I will remove those lines - EVERY TIME I forward an e-mail.


80. Discussing politics drives me crazy. Often, I don't agree with what is going on with our government, so I avoid it. Yes, I read about it and I get mad, but if I discuss it, I just get angrier...so I avoid it!


81. I think it's unfair to FORCE me to give up money I earned (or my hubby earned - LOL!) for people who refuse to earn their own. Don't get me wrong, I donate plenty at church and I love helping people out, but I don't want it to be taken from me.


82. I'm addicted to Coca-cola. I love me the "Real Thing!" I like having at least one of them a day.


83. Sonic has the best ice!


84. I always thought I'd have boys.


85. I wouldn't trade my girls for anything. I love all the bows and pink.


86. I never liked pink until I had girls. Now, I'm drawn to it!


87. Shopping for clothes is one of my favorite things to do. And I like it best shopping with Hot Rod.


88. Being a Stay at home Mom is the hardest job I've ever had.


89. It's also my absolute favorite job ever!!


90. I actually enjoy coloring.


91. I also like Play-doh.


92. It's possible I am one of the few people that as a child ate vegetables and didn't complain about it. They're good!


93. Without my computer, I'd feel lost.


94. The sun makes me sneeze.


95. I am a night owl and HATE getting up early.


96. Singing is one of my favorite things. I always sing in the car...and at home...and...


97. I'm allergic to my dog, but I love him...so, he stays!


98. I seriously doubt anyone is still reading this.


99. When I'm relaxing at home, I'm almost always cuddled under a quilt. (I told you I was cold natured!)


100. If you read all the way through - you know more about me than you ever wished for...oh, and thanks for humoring me!
     
     

Not toys...nope, not my child!

The kids and I were in the livingroom and I had HGTV on the television. I keep that on for a couple of reasons 1) the kids won't watch too much TV 2) most of the programming on this channel is kid-safe. Now, I know that a better idea would be to just turn off the TV, but sometimes I like the background noise. Besides, it drowns the noises outside and helps keep the dog from barking.



Anyway....Maddie looked over at the TV and said, "Mommy, THAT is the floor I want!"



me: "Wood floors?"



Maddie: "Yes!"



Hailey: "But, where would we put the toys?"



me: "Uh, in the gameroom where they are now...?"



First, I'll have to investigate why wood floors means bye-bye toys. Second, I knew Maddie was a lot like me. She even has my excellent taste in flooring choices. Third, maybe she is watching more TV than I thought. Which brings me to the next Maddie story.



Maddie: "Mommy, I saw on TV that there is a blanket that you can stick your arms through and keep warm!"



me: "You mean the Snuggie?!"



Maddie: "YES! Can I get one of those?"



And I wonder...why is my child asking for such bizarre things?

Things I've Noticed Lately

• I've never seen a "fancy" Mexican food restaurant.



• If you're not on Facebook......Who's NOT on Facebook?



• A very popular fiction book has a glaring grammatical error (at the top of page 9) that jumped out at me as soon as I read it. I had to re-read it several times before I was able to accept it and move on.



• I like to use these dots: ... to let you know that I am pausing, but I'm not yet done with my thought (I just learned they're called elipses - who knew?)

She's the Best of Both Worlds

Maddie LOVES Hannah Montana! I mean LOVES her!! For Christmas, she got the Hannah Montana guitar, which she plays ALL THE TIME while she dances around and sings along. (She even carries the Hannah Montana doll around in her backpack wherever she goes.)

For her birthday, she got several Hannah Montana themed items including socks, underwear, a purse, a magic coloring book, trading cards and a music player. Oh, and one of the gift bags and one of the birthday cards even play a Hannah Montana tune!

Between the guitar, the music player, the gift bag and the birthday card, I get my fill of her music. In fact, I find myself singing it everywhere! In the shower, cooking dinner, changing diapers, when I'm settled in for bed at night...and many, many more places.

If I were to be completely honest, I'd have to admit, it's really starting to get to me.

Yesterday, I was explaining to Maddie that I was quickly growing tired of the few Hannah Montana songs that were continually being played over and over again.

Her response to my comment: "Mommy, you CAN'T be tired of Hannah Montana! She's the best of both worlds!"

And there you have it!

I Have NO Idea Where She Comes Up With This Stuff.

The girls sat down to play with their Loving Family Dollhouse for a little while earlier today. Maddie decided to load the "Loving Family" into the minivan at which time I heard the following conversation ensue:


Loving Daddy (in her best deep voice): "Why do I always have to drive?"

Loving Mommy: "Because I always do the laundry!"


I can honestly say this very conversation has never occurred between the hubs and me.

Do you think that's what she sees? I mean, he does always drive...and I always do the laundry.


(Now that I think about it......I might just be getting the raw end of the deal here! **HUMPH!**)

How Many Rooms do you Have?

In Maddie's attempt to reclaim dessert lost due to poor behavior, she came up with the following rationale.

Mommy, I have two rooms for dessert. One for today and one for tomorrow.

Right now, I really need to fill the one for today.

She's creative, I'll give her that, but I am NOT giving her dessert!

Well...They ARE Both Green!!

Hot Rod was helping Maddie get ready to go to the reception for Dad and Tanya a little over a week ago. She had begged to wear the new dress that they had given her for Christmas. So when he pulled the shirt over her head, the collar was up.

In a slight whine, she asked him, "Oh, Daddy...is this one of those frog neck shirts?!"

"No, baby...it's not a frog neck...but it IS a turtle neck."

I am NOT kidding!!! WE...HAD...SNOW!

I can't believe I'm actually writing this, but...it snowed yesterday. Kind of makes "Dreaming of a White Christmas" more attainable.

The kids were all down for a nap when the flurries started to fall. Oh, to have video of this crazy Momma running around like a wild woman trying to dress three kids (and herself) warm enough to brave the outdoors before the snow stopped falling! I'm sure that would make a much better post.


Here are a few pictures - you know, for proof!


This is the snow falling in front of our house:





Snowflakes keep falling on my head...






















Carter even had a few flakes on top of his little cap!

It really showed on the top of the stroller

Here are the girls running around with the neighbor kids. If you look closely, you'll see a few neighbors in front of the other houses in the cul-de-sac.



We had so much fun!

Thank you, GOD, for snow!!!

Side note: I called Hot Rod to tell him about it...he was in a meeting. About 2 minutes later, he called me back, "Who would have thought that YOU could break up one of MY meetings!" Apparently, they were all eavesdropping on our conversation and decided to take a break to go outside to enjoy the snow. You're welcome, Honey!

I know it was wrong...and I'd do it again!

Riding in the car with my kids can get a little crazy.

We were on our way to meet Daddy at work last night to eat dinner and do a little shopping when this conversation began...


Maddie: Mommy, Hailey said Toot-toot. (It's something that I don't like them to say. It is not said to be funny, but unkind or rather disgusting.)


Hailey: I did not!


Me: Girls! Hailey, don't say that. Maddie, stop tattling.


Me, again: You know who knows whether you did it or not - for sure?

----------------GOD!

----------------and Santa Claus!


Hailey: Sorry, Sissy!


I know it was wrong, but it worked, so I'd do it again! Don't judge me...

The Hands of a Two-Year-Old

This is a two-year-old:

These are the hands of a two-year-old:

Lotion left within the reach of two-year-old hands becomes this:

A camera in the hands of a two-year-old produces something like this:

Markers, scissors and glue held by two-year-old hands compose masterpieces such as this:

Sometimes, the hands of my precious two-year old come together like this:

Or even like this:

And in the kitchen, like this:

Tomorrow these little hands turn three and I just can't wait to see what their future holds...

My little Hailey-Bug, I love you and I hope your birthday is just as fantastic as you!

10 things I'm thinking on the 10th

1. I'm glad that Carter is starting to get more independent. He's finally playing on the floor more by himself so that I can do things without having to carry him everywhere. Although, I must have some really strong arms...and back for that matter!


2. I think it's funny how many people ask me if the girls are twins. Obviously, they're not. I mean there is a 3 year difference in their age. But if they are sitting down, I can kind of see why. Like in this picture:

3. Hailey is turning 3 in less than two weeks! I remember her birth like it was yesterday...it's hard to believe time can fly by so quickly.

4. I'm trying something new. I've got to get a handle on things around the house. It's so easy just to play with the kids or on the internet. So, I have a plan. One that will help me get organized. One that will help me clean. One that will (hopefully) keep the Hubs happy.

5. It's hard when you've got three kids and you don't want one to wake up the other two while they're sleeping at naptime. The best way to keep him from crying is to hold him while he sleeps. So, I just hold him. (Now, before any of you "Baby-Wiser's" start in on me in the comments section, keep in mind that I went from working outside of the home to staying home, homeschooling, and a new baby all in one swoop - I'm still getting used to this whole thing! Give a Mom a break)

6. Speaking of Moms...I really miss mine. I wish she was here. For so long I looked forward to the day when I could quit work. The day that I could visit with her all day long without worrying about a schedule. The day she could teach me to sew and to cook and bake and make candies. The day that finally came, but didn't. The day that came without her. That day is now, that day is here...but she's not. And there's this hole. This huge gaping hole. One that will never be filled. And in a way, I don't want it to be filled.

7. I think my luck might be turning around. Just the other day I managed to outrun my little dark cloud. Hot Rod met up with the kids and me at Chili's for dinner on Friday night. After dinner, he took the girls home and I took Carter to the grocery store. The Hubs called me while I was shopping to tell me that Maddie informed him once they got home that she had lost her shoe getting into the car to head home. And he wasn't going back for it - could I run by and see if I could find it? Of course, I had to! It was a shoe...I am a woman...you do the math. Anyway, here I am thinking "How in the world will I ever find a small pink Croc in a Chili's parking lot, on a Friday night, during the dinner rush?" I drive into the parking lot down the side where I knew he had parked looking for an empty spot to pull in so I could get out and look around. Lucky for me, there was an open spot and two other people getting into their cars to leave. Even luckier for me, I look over into said spot and there was that stinkin' shoe. I am NOT kidding. It was like God knew I needed it. That is the only way I can justify what happened.

8. Boys are born stinkers. Carter does things that Maddie and Hailey never did. He grabs and pulls hair, he grunts at people, he bangs on things (computers included) I could go on. Then, when I get annoyed with him and say (in that "Motherly way") "Car--ter," he gives me that little grin. As if he's saying, "I know Mommy, but I'm just too cute for you to be mad at me!" And he's right.

9. Funny...I love the sun. I love the way it shines in through the blinds during the day. I love how it makes everything outside look when it's out from behind the clouds. I love the warmth that it gives. I love that I never have to shovel its heat from my driveway so that I can go somewhere. But then, I also can't wait for the cool weather to come so I can wear those long sleeve t-shirts 'cause I think sometimes I love them more than the sun.

10. I also love the 10th of the month. I enjoy my randomness. Since I'm a SAHM, I don't get all my visiting done during the day, so it's kind of a nice way to 'talk.' It doesn't matter how long these 10th posts get because they're numbered. You can either read the whole thing word for word or you can skim the list and if something catches your eye, read it. I don't really care...as long as you leave me a comment when you're done. :)

You Put Your Left Arm in, You Put Your Left Arm Out...

Right through the front door window.

Girl's got an arm. She may be only five, but she can really pack a punch.

Can you believe she walked away with a tiny scratch so small I could hardly see it?

Take a Breath, Child!

This morning Maddie was explaining why I needed to wash her purple blanket.

"Mommy, I need you to wash my purple blankie. Remember when we went to the park with Daddy and Hailey and Carter to that park where we went with Princess TD and Little TD, but not the same day that we were there with Princess TD and Little TD, but after we went and had our pictures taken before we went to Poppy's house and then to Grammy and Paw-Paw's house and I got all sweaty and used my purple blankie to wipe my sweat? It's dirty!"

A mother's work is never done.

Conspiracy Theory

So...I was on time this morning. I got up, showered, got ready (hair, make up, clothes) got the kids ready (all three) and was out the door and on my way to Ladies' Bible Class. ON TIME!!!

Now, some of you may remember my little dark cloud. Apparently,I've still got it.

I got maybe 10 minutes from the Church building and heard Hailey exclaim, "I'm dunna frow up!" I whip into the first parking lot I come to, throw the car in park, jump out of my seat, grab her towel and...I missed it! Yep, it was ALL over her and the car seat. Better yet, she tried to stop it with her hands and deflected it into my hair and onto my shirt. Fun!

I really didn't want to completely ruin the morning and after this happened, I desperately needed sympathy from the Ladies in my Bible class so I decided to press on.

After a 30 minute stop off at Target for some new clothes and a replacement towel for the car, we were back on the road and I was a mere HOUR late. (Okay, so an hour when referring to tardiness cannot be considered mere. It's a freaking hour! Of a class that is only an hour and a half long!)

HUMPH -- Like I said, I'm just not able to be on time. I think I'd rather be late on my own than late because I had trouble getting where I needed to be. I think I will just stop trying...

It's a conspiracy, I tell ya! They are all working against me. You know who "they" are. (Oh, who am I kidding? No one really knows who "they" are.)

She said, He said...and he did it AGAIN!

While I was getting dinner ready yesterday for the girls and me, Carter was sitting in the kitchen just hanging out. He started to get upset and was jabbering a bit and then, he said his first word!

MA-MA!

I know - fluke, right? That's what I thought, but still I got excited and scooped him up. He was looking right at me when he said it! Did you say Momma? Totally made my day!

But, it wasn't a fluke. Nope, he said it again. After dinner, I had him sitting in the living room playing while I cleaned up the table and kitchen. The girls were playing around him and when he decided he had enough...

MA-MA, MA-MA!

Sorry, Daddy, but I won this one!!

It's awesome...except I didn't get to revel in it long.

Here's where the story takes the unfair twist.

Daddy stayed home with us a little while this morning since he had just returned from being offshore. Carter was sitting in the bed with me while Hot Rod was standing beside us talking waiting for the shower to warm up. Carter looked up at his Daddy and...

DA-DA!

Yep, and he said it again. Oh well...at least I can say he said Momma first.

I SO DO NOT!!

So, do you remember in history class the campaign slogan "I Like Ike!"?

I sooo do NOT! (Like Ike that is.)

We enjoyed an evening outdoors with the neighbors. The weather was fairly cool with a nice "breeze"

Back indoors, the wind was just enough to knock out the electricity for a brief second which killed our U-Verse and Internet connection. I felt lost! How ever would I know when the storm would hit? It had to come back up!!!

After dinner we headed back out to enjoy a beautiful sunset from our driveway. The clouds were just perfect for an awesome reflection of the sun. (I'll try to get some pics from the neighbor - I've got my camera on the charger to make sure I have plenty of juice for the after storm photos)

Obviously, now that we are inside hunkered down watching movies and I am online...our service is back. YAY!

In just a few short hours while we sleep (all 5 of us in one room), high winds will blow over and I expect that power lines will be down. It will be dark and hot...hopefully, I will be sound asleep.

Please let me be sound asleep......

The Calm Before the Storm

It's here, that calm before the storm. Earlier today, there were several places that it was not. Like for instance, Walmart, Randalls, HEB, etc, etc...you see where I'm goin' right?


Fortunately, we had bought most of our supplies early in preparation for Gustov, but we got low on a few things (mainly milk and just our everyday supplies) and so Hot Rod stopped off to get those items on his way home from work around noon today.


Earlier(around 9:30 AM), he ran out with his boss looking for a window a/c unit to go with their generator to keep at least one room cool in their house should they lose electricity. (Hey, Bill, if we lose electricity, we're comin' over!!) The sights he described in the stores did not surprise me. Full parking lots, empty shelves, lines that stretched from the front of the store to the back...


So, I decided to join in on the fun. Crazy, right? I HAD to get the kids out of the house before we were stuck at home. If you've never had cabin fever, you don't want it, trust me! Anyway, I loaded up the kids, held my breath, and headed over to Chick-fil-A. (Yes, I am THAT crazy!)

And you know what we found? A line at the drive though that I always dread waiting in. Still holding my breath, I pull into a front row parking spot (odd) unload the children and go inside to find...

A Ghost town! I am not kidding. There were about 5 other families. This was noon straight up folks! I can only guess they were out doing some last minute shopping.

Uncle JMike and Aunt Laurie, Cousin Emma, and a Friend met us there for lunch. We played for hours. It...Was...Fabulous!!

Am I Late Yet?

Everywhere I go there is a little dark cloud that follows me around. I didn't ask for it, I definitely didn't go looking for it. It just found me....and IT...WON'T...LEAVE!!

This morning, I had plans to meet a friend for breakfast and pick up her son so that she and her daughter could make dentist appointments.

Anyone who knows me knows that I am.......notoriously.......LATE! It's not that I don't care or that I don't make my best effort at being on time. I just cannot manage to do it.

I'll admit, a good bit of it is me. I'm a night owl and don't like to get up in the mornings. When I get up, I'm in a great mood, but getting up is just....plain...hard! You won't find me staying in bed 'till noon, but I would prefer to get up @ 8 AM. I really WANT to get up at 6 or 7, eat my breakfast (maybe have a little cup o' joe - yuck!) and read a little bit of my Bible waiting for my children to get up. ((Okay, maybe that's not realistic with a nursing baby, but a girl can dream...))

Anyway, if I'm supposed to be somewhere in the morning, I struggle. Here's the kicker (remember the dark cloud...) Sometimes, I'm actually ON TIME!! Yes, I can dress four people, round up a dog and get in the car on time (like this morning when someone was relying on me). But then (here's where the dark cloud comes in) something goes wrong. I never know what it will be. Could be heavy traffic due to an accident or lights being out, could be my precious two-year-old's car sickness that I have to stop and clean up, could be a train, or could go a little like this:

So, I got up this morning around 7ish, showered, got ready, fed the baby, dressed all the kids, rounded up the dog, rearranged the seats in the Expedition (to carry 4 kids instead of 3), got everyone loaded up and ready to go, climbed in the truck, shoved the keys in the ignition and.... hold on to your seats....are you ready........?

NOTHIN'.....not a click, not a whirr, nothin' The truck would....not....start! little dark cloud

I call the hubby, and call the hubby, and call the hubby...finally, he calls me back and heads toward home to help me out. (I'm so glad he works close to home.) We couldn't jump start the Expedition, so we all hop in the Vue and head to take him back to work. (Meanwhile, my friend, yep...still waiting...)

On the way to Hot Rod's office, we encountered...A TRAIN! little dark cloud (see where I'm goin' here?) We get him to work and we're on our way.

Things were finally going well ('cept I was starving - reference above where we were meeting for breakfast)

So, I'm cruisin' along and the 2YO says, "Mommy, I'm gonna throw up!" little dark cloud I fly across two lanes whip the car down a side street, throw it in park, jump out, grab a towel, catch the mess in the towel (we always keep one in the car for this very reason) bag the now very soiled towel, jump back in the car and off we go! Whew, wears me out just typing it!

Fortunately, we made it and I was able to help my friend with her son.

Now a side note to all my dear friends out there: If ever you're (patiently) waiting on me because, frankly, I'm notoriously late, just pray that Hot Rod is not in a meeting, the train is short, and the towel is clean. Oh, and thanks for keeping me around in spite of all my flaws! And remember, sometimes, it's actually NOT...MY...FAULT!

Here's Your Sign!

We desperately needed milk this evening, so I headed over to Walgreens to rent a free movie at Redbox pick up a gallon.

As I was paying for my purchase, the young girl behind the counter looked at my three beautiful children and asked me, "Are they ALL yours?!"

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?!?!

They were being good. I mean, they had their usual energy, but they weren't causing a ruckus. They weren't even drawing any attention from the other customers.

So I responded, "No, I like to give my neighbors a break and take their children to the store for a few minutes. Everyone should subject themselves to shopping with other peoples' offspring. Here's your sign!" Bill Engvall would be so proud of me!

Okay, so that's what I wanted to say. I just smiled and said, "Why yes, they are!"

You know those moments where you should just stop there and say, "Fav a nith day!" (Or whatever 'Have a nice day' would sound like with your foot promptly shoved in your mouth)? Yee-ahhh, apparently, her Momma didn't teach her manners 'cause her next response was, "Good Luck!"

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?!?!

I DON'T NEED LUCK!! I have WONDERFUL children. So, I laughed that uncomfortable laugh - you know, the one where you really want to turn off your brain to mouth filter and act like Karen from the sitcom 'Will and Grace' and start saying whatever pops into your head? I promptly removed my precious angels from the store and drove home.

I wonder what's going on at this store? Never a dull moment...