OK - I suck - so sue me...

OK - we aren't here to discuss how I suck at blogging frequently.  If you don't see a new post for a while, assume that nothing noteworthy has been going on.  Or assume that a ton of noteworthy things have gone on and I haven't had time to tell the 2 people that read this.  OK - 3 people.

So, lets see, where to start...  Oh - I started a new job a few weeks ago, on the 22nd.  I went back to work for the Secret Service.  I was really nervous about leaving OHA/Social Security.  I had been there for 8 1/2 years & it really felt like I was leaving my home & family.  I knew going back to SS was the right choice, but - a big change for me.  Now, I worked at SS for 4 years thru college & LOVED it.  I actually looked forward to going to work every day.  I kept up with folks there, had lunch there every once in a while, etc.  So I knew I still liked the people, but was unsure about the work.  Well - so far, I love it.  Its a nice change of pace to be in an office of 20 people versus 70 people.  I actually have my own office, for the first time ever, and I'm lonely - but adjusting.  I'm used to being in a cube-farm with a million conversations going on around me.  The jokesters at OHA thought they were being funny & put a huge sign that said "You're Fired!" across my cube on my last day.

So work at Secret Service is going great & I'm really enjoying it so far.  Of course, it helps to start a government job the week of Christmas.  I worked 3 days the first week, 4 days this week - not bad at all...

OK - now on to Christmas.  We had an awesome one!  As usual, it was very busy.  Jaci woke up at 4am on Christmas morning.  Now, we had discussed this already & she said she was going to read a book if she couldn't go back to sleep.  That isn't how it happened at all.  I ended up going to lay in her bed & she could NOT go back to sleep for very long.  At 4:30, she woke me up to tell me she could say all the reindeer names.  I told her WHO CARES?  (ok - side note - some people are mean drunks, I'm a mean sleeper.  I might say something hateful to you if you wake me up, so don't take it personal.)  She continued to wake me up every 30 minutes or so, until we finally got up at 6:30.  Santa was a pig & ate all his cookies.  We had made Reindeer Food & put it all over the front yard, corn pops & red/green sprinkles.  Jaci ran outside to see if they ate it.  I was so nervous & hoping at least some birds had come to feast.  Nope.  But - thinking positive, Jaci came back in & told me there were still corn pops all in the yard, so the reindeer must have just eaten one each.  HA! I love this age & am enjoying it while I can.  It won't be long before Santa will be 'lame' so I'm loving it for now.

So - Santa brought Lauren a PRINCESS tent set & Jaci a Nintendo DS.  They were both so excited.

So after we did all that here, we went to my moms, then to Granny C's (without Granny C & Papaw), then to Dacvid & Nancy's... a VERY busy day, but so much fun. Thanks to Crystal Pie & Adam for making the burgers & cheesedip & cleaning up cat poo before-hand. I really appreciate it. Specially the cat poo part.

By the time we got home, Lauren was konked out. See the evidence:
All in all, we've had such a wonderful, blessed year.  We honestly don't have a complaint in the world...

And speaking of complaining - tomorrow is mine & Jeff's 1o year anniversary.  I know you all wonder how I have managed to stay married to such a jackass for 10 years, and let me tell you, it hasn't been easy...  hahaha  JUST KIDDING BABE.  

Thanks for being the best husband, best father, best everything.  I love you so & its been such a great 10 years.  Thank you.  And in honor - here is the oldest picture I have of us in iPhoto:

OK - scratch that - this is the oldest picture I have of you - that is what you get for not ever wanting me to take a picture of you. This is you & Jaci on her 3rd birthday...

But - here are a few pictures from our Mexico trip last month - so much fun....

I love you babe! I hope the next 10 years are as easy as this 10 has been. I've only regretted being married to you a handful of times in 10 years, so thats got to be a record... :) 

And a special thanks to KK & Unk. I've been able to pretend this week that I don't even have kids & its been wonderful. Stars in your crowns!

OK - I have an Oprah to watch - so y'all be sweet!

Imagination

My girls both have great imaginations.  But I've got to say, that Laurney takes the cake.  For about a year (give or take), she has played with "Little Mouse."  Little Mouse has a Momma Mouse & a Daddy Mouse & a friend named Leona.  Little Mouse swings on swings, rides rides, slides, dances, shakes her bootie & has a really fun time.

The kicker:  Little Mouse is her finger.

It is so funny to watch her.  Sometimes I wonder, "Is she going to sit there & play with her finger for half an hour?"  Little Mouse's slide might be her finger going down my leg or the side of the couch.  Little Mouse's swing might be Lauren holding up her finger & swaying it back & forth.  At the fair, Little Mouse even rode several of the rides with us.  To the average person, they might have wondered why this crazy lady & her little girl rode the entire ride with their finger held up.  Everyone has their own Little Mouse, assuming they have an index finger.  :)

Now don't get me wrong, it isn't cute all the time.  LG can get really annoying with Little Mouse.  Mainly because she wants you to talk in your mouse voice (high & squeaky) the entire time.  If her Little Mouse asks you a question &  you answer in your regular voice, she will promptly remind you that she is talking to Little Mouse or Momma Mouse, etc.  We have all learned a tip from JoBeth, "Sorry Lauren, Little Mouse is taking a nap in my pocket."  And she will be satisfied with that just about every time & go on about her business.

For those of you who don't have kids or have never seen the Sponge Bob where him & Patrick play all these games in a cardboard box, it is worth watching.  Squidward just watches them play & gets jealous because they are having so much fun & it seems so real.  That is what I feel like when Lauren plays with Little Mouse.  She has so much fun & so many crazy adventures, that I almost believe she is real.

Now - just for the heck of it - here is Ms. Imagination herself.  This is her suitcase fort that she played in for almost an hour.  She strapped herself in, I knocked on the door & she would unbuckle & be so surprised to see me.

Ahhh..... Silence

I love night time, after everyone is asleep.  Chances are, if you know me well, this might surprise you.  I do love going to bed early too.  BUT - on these rare nights that everyone is asleep & I'm up - hearing nothing but the fans & the dishwasher running - there is such a peacefulness about it.  I guess even though I'm tired, I stay up late just because I'm postponing tomorrow.  Tomorrow will be filled with business, like today, so if I stay up later tonight, I can enjoy the fact that I'm done for now.

Granted, it is only 10pm right now (yes - I'm a wuss).  The girls are usually in bed by 8:30, but it was 9:30 tonight because we watched the Razorbacks play.  (YET ANOTHER pay-per-view wasted, but it was a good game, with sucky calls.)  Jeff was pooped so he crashed immediately.  Usually, I'm the one crashing & he stays up till God knows what time.  I have fallen asleep to football & ESPN a million times over the years.

Anyway - on nights like tonight, I usually think of my mom.  She worked full-time.  My dad worked a hard job & was not one to help around the house.  As a matter of fact - none of us were.  I'm so sorry mom - I wish you would have been meaner & made us at least do our own laundry!  I think about how our laundry room would literally be knee-deep more times than not.  And that was just the dirty clothes.  There was a whole other pile in the clean clothes section, which was a counter in the laundry room.  The pile there was from about from waist to chest.  And I think of the "PUNISHMENT" sticker that my mom stuck above the doorway to the laundry room.  She is funny like that.  But I never thought to ask her - punishment for what?  :)  

Back then, I remember my mom sometimes taking a diet pill when she went to bed.  My dad always wanted her to fall asleep with him.  Boy does that sound familiar.  She would take a diet pill so she could sleep a few hours, then wake up in the middle of the night, when everyone else was asleep - the she would do laundry.  I promise you, when I'm up late or in the middle of the night, I almost NEVER do laundry.  Sometimes I read or watch tv (Suze Orman on CNBC & I used to love it when I caught Wings - that show is funny!)

The older I get, the more I feel like my parents.  Rather it be like my dad when I snap & just take the girls toys away that they are fighting over (or throw it out the window driving down the freeway - which I have done & gave me the best feeling ever.  Both girls were so shocked, I had at least 3 minutes of peace), or my mom when I bought a sign at Hobby Lobby that is hanging over my laundry room door:  "Mom's Laundry Service - Help Wanted - Inquire Within."

But - all in all, today was a great day.  I wanted to take the girls to watch the finishing of the Mud Run, but they were so awful this morning we just stayed home.  They have fought over everything today - even the stupidest stuff.  Lauren has gotten 2 spankings, sent to her room twice & Jaci got sent to hers too.   They were fighting over this stupid little pink keyboard that plays like a piano or you can push a button & it will play a song.  It was loud & they were on either end of it, each trying to yank it from the other.  I put it on top of the fridge.  When Jeff got home, we ran some errands - then Lauren & I took a nap when we got home.  This evening, JR & the Courtneys came over to watch the game.  I got the piano back down & sure enough - they started fighting again.  I was folding clothes & put it beside me & told Lauren "Don't touch it again."  I saw her finger extend towards it, like some force field was drawing her in.  I looked at her & said, "Lauren - I said don't touch it!"  She said, "But mommy, its so beautiful!"  

hahaha  If pink plastic is so beautiful & she can't keep from touching it, watch out trailer park - here she comes!  Later, I said, "Lauren, are you TRYING to get on my nerves?"  In her sweet little voice, she said, "Yessssssss."

So - this week - I've had Jaci crying that her life is horrible, LG running from Jeff - screaming don't talk to her, Jaci telling me, "OH REALLY?  Well you don't know that!"  Not to mention, this morning when I was getting on to them both - I busted Jaci mouthing my exact words when she thought I wasn't looking.  

But - LG did make sure to give me her Christmas list today:  a GILR tent & sleeping bag, a GIRL computer & a GIRL camera.  Perfect for a 3 year-old huh?

Well, I think I've had enough of basking in silence.  Time to hit the hay.  Y'all be sweet!

Experiments & Sunshine

Well, today has been a fun day.  Its the first one since Sunday that I feel like I MAY be getting a shred of energy back.  I took off work a bit early & took them to the park.  We had a ton of fun - swinging & chasing.  Well, I sat my big boo-tay on the park bench while THEY chased.

--- OK --- I was interrupted to do some "sticky-ooey-goo" decontamination. It was all over Lauren's hands & she was running towards the living room.  Now that is taken care of, & Lauren is back over there telling me that she is "doing an contraption."  I'm sitting at the bar blogging while the girls are doing an 'experiment' consisting of a fish bowl, water, dishwashing liquid, ziploc baggies, cookie cutters & sticky ooey goo.  (Note:  the sticky ooey goo will not last thru the night & will have disappeared by the time they get up in the morning.)

I wonder if their experiment can count as a bath?  After all, it involves water & some sort of bubbles...

I'm so glad that tomorrow is Friday & Monday is Columbus Day.  Long live Chris Columbus!!!  That is one of my favorite government holidays - mainly because it is one that Jeff has to work & the kids are still in school.  Woo hoo!  Hopefully I can work on my yardsale stuff then.

Oh - check back tonight to catch pictures of Jaci & her snaggle-teeth.  She looks so silly & so cute.

Be sweet!

Yeah, I know its been awhile - but trust me - not much newsworthy stuff going on here.  Staying crazy busy, as usual.  Me & the dog are home chillin' today.  I have felt crappy lately, so I decided to leave work early yesterday.  Then it stormed so bad last night - Lauren was scared & Roxie was spazzing - and in between I fell asleep on the couch where I dreamed I was choking Jeff.  (Sorry babe!)  I used up so much energy choking him & tying his hands behind his back with a shoestring, that I couldn't muster the energy to go to work today.

Oh - on another subject - I learned a lesson last night.  When Lauren sprays windex all over the floor to make it slippery so she can skate, & she falls - I don't have much sympathy for her.  :)

OK - the bed is calling my name!

Hormones - gotta hate 'em.

Since I'm keeping this blog as a semi-journal (hey - I'll print them out some day), I have got to tell you the conversation we had on the way  home from church tonight.  Church was over around 8 & Courtnay warned me that Jaci was sad that she didn't get some prize.  (OK - pause - I thought it was a 'treasure chest' toy & I reminded Jaci that a lot of the junk in the 'treasure chest' came from her room.  But that isn't the prize she was talking about & I never understood what she WAS talking about.)  Anyway - Jaci is crying pretty much the entire way home.  I'm telling her she is just tired & since she was crying that she couldn't think of what prize she wanted, I was trying to help her think of something.  No surprise - she didn't like any of my ideas.  Lauren is silent the entire time.  Eventually, I get fed up & its no more nice mom:

Me:  Jaci, you know how when you're tired, you cry over stupid stuff?  This is stupid.  Who cares about a prize?  And you know what?  Since you are being so bratty about it anyway - I'm going to tell Courtney T that you can't have one.

Jaci: [sobbing] I can never make my mind up and plus, Maddie hasn't played with me in like 2 weeks!  (WHERE DID THIS COME FROM?)

Me:  Jaci - we've already talked about this yesterday.  Maddie is allowed to have more than 1 friend.  And you love the other girl she was playing with - so play with both of them.

Jaci:  I just know she doesn't want to play with me anymore!

Me:  Did she tell you that?  (no)  So don't assume that she doesn't want to play with you when you haven't even asked her.

During all of this, Jaci is still crying & I explain to her that just like we can love more than one person, we can be friends with more that one person.  We have this long talk about how if Maddie is playing with someone Jaci doesn't want to play with - all Jaci has to do is go play with someone else.  She said that made her feel a little better. I tell both girls to tell me about their day.  Lauren starts off that they went to The Wonder Place & there was either 1 kid or 50,000 there.  Jaci jumps in to correct her, saying there was in no way 50,000 kids there.  

Lauren:  Jace - I don't want to hear about it!  (Uh oh - my words just 2 minutes earlier)

Me:  Lauren - I can say that to Jaci, you cannot.  Be nice to your sister.

Jaci: [crying again]  Well, me & Maddie were teaching 2 girls to Texas Twirl with a pullback (don't ask) and Maddie MADE me teach them even though I don't even know their NAMES.

I tell her we've already had that conversation & we are talking about our days.  

Jaci:  FINE.  I tell you all the BAD THINGS that happened to me today!

I tell her not to say another word until we get home unless she can quit whining. (She wasn't crying about getting checked out & going to The Wonder Place, then shopping with KK!)  Then Lauren starts going on & on about her good day &  all her friends at school.  

Lauren: Mommy - if Gracie comes up to me & says 'can I be your friend?'  I'll just say YES.  Then when Isabella comes up to me & says 'can I be your friend?' I'll just say YES.  She goes on to name almost every kid in her class & Jaci cries harder with every 'friend.'  Finally - Jaci tells Lauren to quit because she is making her jealous & mad.  

Dang - its a long car ride.

Somewhere during all that, Jaci asks me for a coin.  Then she returns to normal.  I asked her what she did with the dime.

Jaci: [no tears & talking like normal] I just flipped it.  Heads was I start talking nice & tails was I cry all the way home.  And it was heads.

And just like that - the storm is over.  I give her a high 5 for pulling herself out of it & then tell her I'm going to buy her a quarter with 2 heads (1 on each side) for next time.

Think it will work?  Be sweet!

A Day in the Life of a Mom

While cleaning out my computer files - I came upon this. It cracks me up! This is something I did for church several years ago on Mother's Day. Its not in perfect sentences, but still a good read. Any mom will identify. And believe it or not - the girls are a few years older, but we are still just as busy... This is back when I worked 6:30 - 3 & actually got here on time!

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A MOM

- alarm goes off at 5:45 – I hit snooze twice
- Get up, get dressed, brush hair/teeth, say quick prayers, out the door
- Go to work for 8 – 9 hours
- Leave work, stop to get gas, go pick up the kids
- Have a short conversation with MIL – were the kids good today, did they go potty, what/when did they eat last, thank you for keeping them, love you , bye
- Get baby in her car seat, get 1 whiney 4 yo in her car seat
- Argue all the way home b/c she wants to stay at grandmas & why don’t I let her do whatever she wants like grandma, she can’t hear the radio, she’s bored, and would I please pull over and get the marker she dropped in the floor board.
- Whiney 4 yo cries b/c the baby is laughing at her and its not nice to laugh at people, and she’s STILL bored, and it only takes 5 minutes to get from MIL to home
- Stop & get the mail, 4 yo wants to sit in my lap & help pull the car from the driveway to the garage, so I let her
- Get home, unload whiney 4yo & baby that’s still laughing at whiney 4 yo. Try to get both kids, shoes that have been kicked off, 2 lunch boxes, diaper bag, purse & mail all in 1 trip
- Feel like a pack mule – open the door with one my pinkie and foot, finally get in and pile everything on the bar
- Try to go to the bathroom by myself – FAT CHANCE – both kids follow me to see what I’m doing
- Make 4 yo go to bathroom while we’re in there, wash hands, change diaper, wash hands again, go fix snacks
- Pick up baby’s snacks from off the floor, get her out of her highchair and shake her a little bit to let all of the cheerios fall back on the floor that I just cleaned
- Put the baby down for a nap, thank God that she is easy to get to sleep
- Play game with 4 yo
- Start load of laundry, try to convice 4 yo that folding towels can be fun
- Hubby calls to see whats for dinner, OOPS, I haven’t even thought about dinner
- Hurry to thaw chicken, make salads. 4 yo wants to help with the salads, she spills bacon bits all over the floor
- She doesn’t want to sweep them up, but does.
- She tries again with the bacon bits and spills them again. She is adamant that cleaning makes her arms tired, so I sweep them up this time.
- Get chicken cooking, salads are made put them in the fridge
- Baby wakes up, I put her in her highchair w/ cheerios to keep her quiet.
- 4yo goes out to swing on her swingset, so the baby wants to go too. So – we go swing.
- YEAH! Papa comes over so I hold him hostage – he plays school w/ the 4 yo while I put the baby back in her highchair and give her more cheerios.
- Wonder if its possible to OD a baby on cheerios, figure surely not or there would be a warning on the box, so I go ahead and give her another handful.
- Finish up dinner, say bye to Papa
- Hubby calls – oops changes have to be made in time to show the clients in the morning, hopefully he’ll be home before midnight.
- Girls & I eat dinner WHY AM I EATING STANDING UP?, put hubby’s dinner in fridge.
- Try to straighten up the kitchen while kids are occupied
- I realize I have not sat down since I got home
- Baby starts crying, its bed time, but her fingernails need to be clipped & she has peas in her hair
- Put both kids in the tub. Hurry & wash baby’s hair.
- Fight w/ 4yo who is convinced if her hair doesn’t stink, she doesn’t have to wash it
- I decide I can take another shot at the towels that need to be folded while girls are playing in the tub
- Tell 4yo not to feed the baby bubbles by the spoonful
- Tell the 4yo not to waste shampoo. Reminds me to call my mother and apologize for all the shampoo wasted while my sister & I made shampoo burritos
- Get baby out, diaper, lotion & pjs on, tell 4yo to dry off next time before she gets out
- Wipe up all water that is tracked from the bathroom
- Put baby to bed, thank God again that she is easy to get to sleep
- Get pjs on 4yo, brush hair, dry hair, braid hair, brush teeth, turn on computer for her to play games
- She asks how many games she can play, I say 2, she plays 4
- While she’s busy with that, I go ahead & make lunches for tomorrow, lay out clothes, pack diaper bag, tape a note to the door to remind hubby not to forget meds in the morning
- Tell 4 yo to go to the bathroom, piggy back ride to her bedroom, OOPS, I forgot to get her water – in the ELEPHANT cup, she takes FOREVER to pick out which stuffed animals she wants to sleep with, finally we are all set.
- I tell her a short story or read a short book, we say our prayers, kiss goodnight & go to heat up the baby’s bottle
- I get 10 steps away from the 4yo room and she has to go to the bathroom AGAIN, and I forgot to turn on her fan
- I put her back to bed & tell her don’t call me again unless its an emergency
- Remind her that an emergency qualifies as blood, barf, or bathroom
- Go back to heat the baby’s bottle up, get baby up & feed her & change her diaper
- Put the baby back to bed, thank God AGAIN that she is easy to get to sleep
- HA! Now its my time! I get to take a shower & dry my hair in peace. But..
- Oops – I forgot to feed the dog. I let her in, and runs straight for under my bed.
- I coax her out from under the bed w/ a piece of turkey
- The dog eats and I put her back outside so she can go to the bathroom. Feel like the bathroom police b/t the dog, diapers & forcing the 4yo to go
- Bring the dog back in & put her in her kennel
- I wonder how many times I Have bend over to pick something up & wonder how people do it with more than 2 kids and with no family to help/hold hostage
- The day’s been so busy – I want to call my friends w/ no kids and warn them! Tell them how jealous I am of them that they can go to sleep when ever they want and don’t have to make anyone go to the bathroom
- But – instead of calling I decide to finally finish folding that load of towels that I’ve been trying to get to all evening.
- I find a hairclip that got washed with the towel. I smile and think of when the 4yo had the towel wrapped around her like a cape.
- I step in the shower and see a bucket & ladel & think of the shampoo concoction that was made in there just an hour or two ago. I smile.
- I go to brush my teeth and see all the toothbrushes arranged to spell part of Haley’s name – I smile
- I bend over to pick up a cloth diaper for what seems like the 200th time that evening, but this time I smile b/c I think of how the baby holds it when she sucks her thumb
- And a transformation takes place in just a few moments. I’ve gone from wanting to call my friends w/ no kids to warn them, to wanting to call them and ask them what they are waiting on – they should be envious of me!
- How I’m amazed that God has given me 2 beautiful, healthy girls & how astounded I am of the love I feel for them as I kiss them goodnight while they are sleeping.
- While they are asleep, I think I want several more kids – just like the ones I’ve got!
- Hubby finally gets home and tells me about the crazy evening HE’S had
- I’m asleep before my head hits the pillow and before I know it, I’m hitting snooze on that alarm again.


So the moral of this story is – kids & dads – today – give your mom a long hug & a good smooch – then let them go take a nap – they are exhausted!!!