Really?

This time next week, I will be on the waters of the Gulf of Mexico with the love of my life. To say I am excited would be an understatement! When I booked the cruise, Mark sent me to local tanning salon to get a month’s membership for both of us so we won’t burn to a crisp. I have a picture in my head of my B-I-L with a hand print on his chest and a sunburn all around it. Anyway, so we have been tanning for the last month.

We used to tan all the time before kids. Since kids we stopped tanning, my hair has gone back to being dark and I have basically fallen apart. That is not the point I am trying to make, just a side bar. Mark and I tanned for years. After a while we noticed that there was a place on my face that seemed to get more tan than the rest. Unfortunately for me, it was right above my lip, right below my nose…just where a mustache would be. That’s right my friends, I looked like I had a mustache. Not pretty. Splotches are not unusual. I had to start alternating covering my face and not covering it. You couldn’t see it when I had make-up on. Oh, but it was there.

That brings me to tonight. When I got home Mark was sitting in one of the living room chairs and I sat in his lap. This is what we do, not often enough, to talk about the day. In the middle of our conversation he said “I see your mustache is coming in really well.” My eyes and teeth simultaneously fell out of my head! I said “OH NO! Really?” Then he said, “Honey, I am sure those people at your reunion won’t even notice it.” He was so sincere, but totally joking. I laughed till I nearly wet my pants. I guess that means I will be wearing makeup for the cruise… and hoping it is gone by my reunion!

Just Another Day

My sleeping habits have gotten so bad over the summer. Last night I was up till about 2am with my mind racing in a thousand different directions at a hundred miles an hour. All the stuff I need to do before we leave! Between making sure the house is livable for my in-laws, packing for me, packing for Mark…I think my mind is on overload.

One thing I thought about last night was Gretchen Wilson and that song “Red Neck Woman.” In it she talks about Victoria Secret and that she can buy something at Wal-Mart for half price and still look as good. Well, I want to know what Wal-Mart she is shopping at, because yesterday doing my grocery shopping, I wheeled through the ladies undergarment and nighty section. I will stick with my 10 year old wife beater t-shirts and boxers. Thanks, Gretchen.

Today was a beating though. I started out tired. Then I had to take Mark’s samples to the Dr.s office. You see, he had his vasectomy last JUNE! But took the samples to be tested, so if you know Mark, you know he is not the risk taker… poor guy. Anyway, me and the boys loaded up and went to Baylor Plano. Parked. Walked to one of the buildings, and of course it was not the correct one. Went to the correct building and up to the 6^th floor office. “Ummm, we don’t take those here, you’ll have to go to our Medical City office.” Goody for me, must be our lucky day. Did I mention I am walking across their campus with a 25 lb. baby on my hip? So, everyone back in the car, we are going into Dallas.

If you don’t know where Medical City is, it is at 75 and Forest. So we go. Luckily, I know my way around MCD. We get there, find a parking spot, walk to the building, go to the 2^nd floor office. The window at the front desk is closed… well crap! Again, the three boys are with me. Two older ones are being wonderful! I slide the window back and start to explain why I am here. The lady tells me that they are at lunch and will open the window and be happy to help me at 1:00. It is now 12:25. I go and sit down with the boys and my first thought is who wants to see if they can run the fastest and yell the loudest? Rather than do that, I pulled a marker out of my purse and wrote our name and phone number on the bag then went back to the window. I pulled it open and just started talking. This time the lady was on the phone, but I made sure she heard me say, “All I need to do is drop this off. I have three kids with me and they are NOT going to make it till 1:00.” The directed me through the door to the lab where I could leave it. I would have been soooo Pissed if I had waited for 35 minutes just to walk through a door!

I just kept reminding myself that I don't want Major to be anyone's big brither!

HS moms

Let me start by saying, I don’t write this blog to offend anyone. I just write what is on my crazy little mind… sometimes it is offensive, sometimes it is funny, sometimes it is entirely too much information, sometimes it is spiritual, sometimes it is stupid. I prefer to think of myself as complex. So, with that said, lets discuss the home school community.

Most people think of the Duggar’s; the family in Arkansas with 18 kids. All the women have long hair and wear skirts and those little bonnets. The men have long beards and drive a mule to work in the morning. You know what I mean. The home schoolers that the main stream media would like for us to believe to be the only ones. I have been to three events now, and with each event, it is getting better and I am finding a whole different breed of homeschool moms.

At the first event, to be honest, I was the cutest mom there! Really. There were probably a round a hundred women there and I was definitely in the top 5. I left there kind of torn. If I want an ego booster, this is the place to be. However, there just wasn’t enough glam… not any sparkle, to this homeschooling crowd.

The next event was at a water park. There must have been a bazillion kids there. Mom and dad’s from every which walk of like. I only saw ONE tattoo that evening. But there were some little bullies on the waterslide that messed with Michael. So, that just goes to prove, if you have a brat, he is going to be a brat in public school or at home (until someone beats his little butt).

Finally, tonight, I went to a HS support group at my church. And, although I only met a few moms, I think that there are more moms out there like me. There are moms who are just trying to get through the week, the day even. There are moms whose house is a mess. There are moms who have too much laundry to do. There are moms who are taking this whole thing one day at a time. And there are moms who can help me bring some glam to homeschooling! Tonight was the best group I have met, and I am excited again!

Gotta Love 'Em

This morning I was awaken by Michael searching for band aids. Cole, our neighbor, had spent the night. He has exama and Michael said that he had been scratching and was bleeding in a few places. I really didn’t think anything of it.

At about 9:15, they all came down stairs and wanted to go swimming. Kind of early, but whatever. Then at some point Mavrick asked me when they could start shaving. I told him it would be a long time. I thought what a strange question… but Alyssa, Cole’s big sister started shaving her legs this summer, so I just assumed that he was thinking about that. Mav and Alyssa have been pretty close this summer, anyway.

So, in a little bit, Kelly calls and asked me to send home Cole. At this point, I noticed that Michael had a bandage wrapped around his ankle. I asked him about it and he said that he wasn’t bleeding, but had a bruise that he didn’t want to bleed. Whatever…I told him that it wouldn’t, then decided that this was a battle that I didn’t need to fight.

When Cole got home, Kelly sent me a text that said “did you know the boys shaved their legs?” LOL! Well, if you put all this together, I can see it. So, I called Mavrick down stairs and asked him about it. He is my little truth teller. And he doesn't want to disappoint mommy! He said they found some disposable razors under the sink in their bathroom and it was his idea. He pulled three out, and Cole wanted the pink one. Then they all three shaved their legs up to their knees. Proudly, he tells me that he only did the front of his legs and he didn’t bleed at all. The other two did. I told him that he wasn’t in trouble, but that he would probably regret it because I would “feel like this in a few days,” and stuck out my leg for him to feel. Kelly said that Cole’s legs were smoother than hers too! Then I told him that when you shave you are supposed to use soap and water, not shave dry. Then Mav says, “mom, when will we be able to shave?” Ding! It occurred to me what he was talking about! I said “Mavrick, boys don’t shave their legs, they shave their faces!” His face went blank and he said “Ooooohhhhhhhh!”

Bringing me down

Well, I am doing it again. Trying to carry the weight of the world on my shoulders and I have found myself a bit depressed I think. The crazy think is that right now, my life is fine. I am in a really good and happy place. But I am letting the world around me bring me down.

My neighbor’s husband got laid off today. We got the bill for Major’s May hospital visit, and our part is about $5,000 – and that is after insurance pays their portion. The world is in the crapper, and I am not hearing anything on the news that makes me think that “change” is a comin’. And I have been in a funk for the last few days. It hasn’t helped that Major has been in a funk today too.

This afternoon, I got out my bible. I haven’t been to church in a while. Major throws a fit in the nursery, and I might as well not go if he is with me. So, I just don’t go. I know this is not good for the rest of the family, and I have told myself that when “school” starts we will go and Major will just have to cry. Anyway, not even knowing where to start, I just went to Psalms 4, because today is the 4^th. This is what I found there:

“Answer me when I call to you,
O God who declares me innocent.
Free me from my troubles.
Have mercy on me and hear my prayer.

² How long will you people ruin my reputation?
How long will you make groundless accusations?
How long will you continue your lies?

³ You can be sure of this:
The Lord set apart the godly for himself.
The Lord will answer when I call to him.

⁴ Don’t sin by letting anger control you.
Think about it overnight and remain silent.
⁵ Offer sacrifices in the right spirit,
and trust the Lord.

⁶ Many people say, “Who will show us better times?”
Let your face smile on us, Lord.
⁷ You have given me greater joy
than those who have abundant harvests of grain and new wine.
⁸ In peace I will lie down and sleep,
for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe.

And of course, it spoke to me. I’ll let it speak to you without my thoughts and influence.

I decided today that I would spend some time in my bible each day. Things always seem to be so much better when I do. I don’t know why I get away from it so often. Life just gets in the way, I guess.

New Old Friends

Last Tuesday I took the boys and we went over to stay with mom and dad at the farm. There is a lot of work going on over there and it is always interesting to see what changes have been made. On Tuesday evening I had dinner with my lifelong girl friend, Marissa and her hubby Darrell.

Marissa found me on Facebook a few weeks ago. I was part of her family when we lived in Benbrook. Any Spanish I can speak is what I picked up from her mom. It is amazing to look back and see the influences that she and her family had on my life. Good times, really good times! They now live about 30 minutes from the farm, and are right on the way. I am hoping that we will be seeing them much more often.

It was so good to see them. We decided that it had been at least 8 years since we had gotten together. We just clicked back into place like we had seen each other last week. Then on Wednesday we went over to their house. I got to see their kids all grown and they got to see and meet mine. They have a 13 year old daughter and 10 year old son. Their kids are precious! And so well behaved! “A,” their daughter has the most wonderful laugh and smile. I was instantly in love with her! And their son “DJ,” is the cutest 10 yr old – all boy – and immediately hit it off with Michael and Mavrick. Marissa said that “DJ” asked when his new friends were coming back. Awww! What a little sweetie!

Marissa and little Mavrick really hit it off, too. He got her cell phone number and has called her a few times since we left on Friday. They are a lot alike, so I can totally see them being lifelong friends… I am a happy girl...Thank you Facebook!

The Fashionista's Attend a Wedding

Today was Amy’s wedding. Amy is an ADPi that I have known for 8 or 9 years. She babysat /nanny-ed for us when Michael and Mavrick were small, she was in the chapter when I was an advisor and she is an officer in the Alumnae Association that I am a member of. She is just a very special friend that I have had the pleasure of seeing grow from a college girl into a beautiful, mature woman. And she got married today.

Of course, the boys wanted to attend this wedding, so I took all three of them. I was out with another group of sorority sisters last night, so Major and I slept in. We then watched TV in bed till 10:30. At that point, we hit the ground running. Breakfast, showers, then getting everyone dressed. I don’t know if I have mentioned anything about the two young fashionistas that live with me, but when it comes to dressing themselves, the two older drama queens now know more about fashion than I do. Just ask them, they will be happy to tell you!

So, before I go to take my shower, I lay their clothes out. Mavrick follows me into his room and wants to wear a specific outfit. This is pretty much the conversation:
The one he wore to Tori’s graduation party.
Well, that was jeans and you are not wearing jeans to Amy’s wedding.
Why not?
Because there are holes in those jeans.
I am not wearing shorts.
How about these pants, do they fit?
(holding them up to himself) Yes. And I want to wear that vest.
OK, where is that vest?
I don’t know, in there somewhere
(I am standing in his closet)How about this undershirt?
No, I have to wear that other shirt that goes with the vest.

Then I go to Michael’s room, and lucky for me, he didn’t follow me AND I pretty much knew what I would lay out for him. So, I go running off downstairs telling them to get in the shower then come down and let me do their hair.

OK, between the time I go downstairs and Mav comes down, they have BOTH decided that they need to wear a tie to Amy’s wedding. This would have been fine, if they would have let me know first thing this morning, or even last night, but at 11:30, no. Michael probably does not even have one that fits! Anyway, Mav comes down for me to do his hair, and has a navy blue, striped, clip-on tie clipped to the outside of his vest! Yes, it was very funny. Yes, it was precious that it was so important for him to look a certain way for Amy’s wedding. No, there was not a snowball’s chance that I was letting him wear it!
That conversation went a lot like this:
You look very nice, but you can’t wear that tie
Why not, it goes
Not really the tie is blue and the pants are black
This looks black, and it looks good, mom
Yes, it looks good, but you are not wearing that tie with that vest to Amy’s wedding
Uhhhh, mom, you don’t know anything about fashion
I have a college degree in fashion, mister
I’ve never seen it
Go look on the wall in my office….so he goes and comes back
It didn’t say anything about fashion
You are not wearing a tie with that vest to Amy’s wedding. This is the most important day of her life and I am not taking the boys she used to babysit looking like a bunch of hooligans!

Mav was pissed at me, but he didn’t wear the tie.

I then finish getting dressed and go into the living room and yell for Michael to come down and let me do his hair. He is dressed. Imagine this if you will…Navy shorts, Navy and white striped Polo (with a red Polo on the chest) golf shirt. The two buttons on the shirt are buttoned and he is wearing a red clip-on tie! That conversation was along these lines:
Michael, you are not wearing that tie
Why not
Because you look ridiculous
But I want to wear a tie.
NO! You should have told me that before now!
Mom, come on. If you don’t like this one, how about this one (holds up a blue striped one) or this one (holds up a green one).
NO! You don’t wear a tie with that kind of shirt. I don’t have time to iron a shirt for you and I don’t even know if you have one that fits. This is the most important day of her life and I am not taking the boys she used to babysit looking like a bunch of hooligans!You can both wear a tie to the next wedding we go to.

I’ll be honest with you; I was worn out before we even left the house. We had to go get a card and gift, and Major something to wear. Then we finally headed to the wedding. We got inside and seated and Major starts to go nuts. I took him out into the hall, where I hope people couldn’t hear him, and he ran around the entire time. There were speakers in the hall, so I was able to see and hear the ceremony. It was beautiful. Amy was breath taking.

The reception was pretty much the same way, Major ran around like a wild child, so we didn’t stay long. We all got to hug and congratulate Amy, and that is really why we went anyway. It all turned out fine.

Just to add on to the fashionistas and my day, tonight, Mark got home about 8:30 and I had to go to Wally World. When we got home today, the exhausted mom put on a tank top and a pair of boxers. Well, that is what I was still wearing when I went to WW. When I came in with my bags at darn near 10:00, Michael says “MOM! You went to the store like that!” That boy is walking a thin line.