What A Week

Just a few things that have happened in our household this week:

Quinn has a loose tooth. His new one is visible coming in behind the loose one. Can you say, "BRACES!?!" I hope not, but it doesn't look good. The boy won't even let me kiss him on the lips, so I cannot imagine how pulling his tooth is going to go. Maybe I need to invest in some full body armor.

Camryn misplaced her iPod. I hope it's found soon, 'cause Santa shelled out a hundred clams for that thing. I knew it would happen sooner or later (I would've bet on sooner; it took her 5 months to lose it...) BONUS: Her room and closet are clean because she's been frantically searching for it. SCORE.

I kept Camryn and Aiden home from school on Friday (it was a half day). We all needed a Mental Health Day (me more than them, but we all rested).

Bikes are cool again. All the kids plus the hubs have been riding bikes all week. They're begging me to get on mine, but it's too small for me. I need to go bike shopping.

Speaking of bikes, last night the hubs told the kids he had prizes to give them after church. He built it up, made it sound awesome... and it was.... for the little kids. They love the tall, bright orange flags that hang above their heads as they bike. You know the kind... they attach to the back of the bicycle and make you look like a huge goober so cars won't hit you (Did you know that? Cars won't hit goobers with gay flags hanging off the back of their bikes. Carmakers program them that way...) Anyhow, Aiden came inside sobbing last night, loudly declaring between heaves that he was NEVER, EVER riding his bike again because of that stupid flag. Don't blame you, bud. I told him to go take a shower (he STUNK!) and I heard him boo-hooing the whole time he was bathing. Bless his heart.

I took Beeson to the vet on Friday for "old man tests" as Camryn calls them. He wouldn't let the vet within 5 feet of him, which is not like Beeson at all. He clawed the vet and 2 techs and I got a call to come get him and make an appointment to come back with him next week. They think if I stay with him it will be better. That just means that they want ME to be the one getting clawed instead of them. I know how they are. (That full body armor is looking more and more tempting...)

Sophie also went to the vet this week. She has a bum paw. That dadgum cat has cost me more in vet bills this year than I've paid to keep my family healthy. I brought home a bottle of Prednisone pills to give Soph this week and then they want to see her back in 10 days. Whatever.

Lillian pooped her pants twice in the last 5 days. Don't know why. I thought it was the Stride gum, because I confused mannitol (which the gum contains... it's the powder on the gum that keeps it from absorbing moisture while in the package) with maltitol, which is a sugar alcohol that causes "intestinal discomfort" (aka "diarrhea"). I thought she was getting the runs from the gum, but now I'm not so sure. Either way, no more Stride gum for Lillo.

I made 40 mini loaves of banana bread yesterday. The older kids' school is having a Geography Bee tomorrow and I told them I'd make the bread as thank you gifts for the judges. I did the same for the spelling bee back in March. It was fun, actually. Lillian was chief banana masher and we had a great assembly line going. Good times. Lillian proposed that she and I open a restaurant and serve our banana bread in it. She really got into it.

Lillian tried to escape the compound yesterday morning. Her neighborhood friend Kayleigh came to the door in her PJs and Lillian opened the door. That set off the alarm, so hubs jumped up and went to see what the commotion was. Lillian, already fully clothed, was trotting across the lawn towards Kayleigh's house. Evidently she'd seen Kayleigh coming and quickly changed clothes so she could go play. This was about 8 am yesterday. I don't know if K's family knew she was prancing around the cul de sac in her PJs, but we made Lillian come back inside.

Quinn also tried to get away this week. One night around 10:30 I heard the alarm beeping the warning that means you have 30 seconds to enter the code before the big sirens go off. I heard my husband rush to the laundry room and enter the code to turn off the beeping. Then he came into our bedroom and said, "Quinn's getting into his car seat!" I followed him to the garage, where indeed, our boy was attempting to buckle up. Hubs started talking to Quinn, and Quinn started laughing like a maniac. He laughed all the way inside, all the way through a visit to the bathroom, and all the way to his bedroom, where he hit the pillow and went back to sleep with a smile on his face. He's done this before (gotten up in his sleep) but he's never made it past the den.

Hubs and I went to see Larry the Cable Guy last Saturday. My cheeks hurt from laughing so hard. My favorite line: "I bet the Wal Mart is empty right now!" meaning his entire audience was comprised of Saturday night Wal Mart regulars. If you've ever been to the Wal Mart on a Saturday night, then that's funny to you. If you haven't, you must get out more. It's a real freakfest. Grab a snack and go sit on a bench near the checkout. That's some fun stuff right there. Oh, and Larry (I can call him that, 'cause we're tight...) had a joke that hit close to home. He said he would never get his eyes checked by an eye doctor at the Wal Mart. HA! That's what hubs does. He said, "Can you imagine that exam? The doctor would say, 'Cover one eye and tell me how many teeth the cashier out there has.'" Funny.

That's about all I got this week. At least it wasn't a meme.

Friday Fill Ins 4/24

It's been a long, busy week. I have over-committed myself and I should learn how to say NO. I'm really, really, really looking forward to summer break. I think it's less than 30 days away (not counting weekends). I'm so ready. Next year I swear I'm not saying YES as much as I have this year. It's exhausting.

Here are this week's Friday Fill-Ins:

1. Apparently there's some sort of strange thing going on in my house. After a couple of years of refusing to ride her bike after a bad fall, Camryn climbed back on this week and has been riding everywhere since then. Aiden got into the act, too, and hasn't played Club Penguin in 2 days. Hallelujah for the kids enjoying being OUTDOORS!

2. I much prefer a sunny day over a cloudy one. I love the sunshine!

3. 2009 has been awesome so far. I can't believe it's almost May already!

4. My breaking point with a certain classmate of Camryn's came yesterday, and that was it. I'm so done with her behavior and the way she has treated my child for the past 2 years. I'm going to talk to the principal about it next week and hopefully we'll see some resolution to the problem. Camryn is tired of turning the other cheek, and I'm surprised it took her this long. She's a strong one, but she can only take so much. Time for Mom to get involved.

5. For too long I've been this mess with Camryn's classmate go on. I should've done something a long time ago, but I was trying to respect Camryn's wish to fight her own battles.

6. I am not obsessed with Bejeweled Blitz on Facebook; I am not! (Yes, I am.)

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to doing NOTHING (well, maybe watching last night's episode of Harper's Island that I missed because I fell into bed early last night). Tomorrow my plans include making 40 mini loaves of banana bread, then church (first time in 3 weeks!) Sunday, I want to bake some goodies for the ladies to sell during BRCA's Geography Bee on Monday and then I'm looking forward to community group tomorrow night.

Manic Monday #164

Describe to me your favorite lounging clothes.

Pajamas, really. Long, elastic-waisted pants and t-shirts.

If you promised to never lie again in your lifetime, in what area would it be hardest to uphold the promise?

It would be hard to not lie to the kids. If you're a parent, you know that there are times that the truth has to be bent. I don't mean that I lie to the kids frequently, but there are just occasions where the whole truth isn't good for the kids at that moment. I can't think of a specific instance, and I know it sounds awful to say I lie to my children, but there it is.

Give a one word answer to the question "why is life worth living".

Jesus.

Friday Fill Ins 4/17

1. Join me in wishing my daddy a happy 63rd birthday! It was actually yesterday, but I always try to milk a birthday as long as I can. Happy birthday, Daddy. I hope you had a great dinner last night and a great day yesterday! Can't wait to see you in a couple of weeks.

2. Put a little laughter in your day! I can't go a day without laughing. It always makes me feel so much better.

3. Happiness is snuggling with one of the kids. Lillian had bad dreams early this morning, so she came into our room around 1:45. When the kids come into the room like that, I do get a little miffed that my sleep was interrupted, but I try to concentrate on the specialness of the moment. I know they won't be little much longer, and then I'll miss the feeling of their little warm bodies snuggled up to me, the smell of freshly washed kid hair under my nose, the knowledge that one looooooong hug (and maybe a backrub) from me can calm them after a nightmare. I'm a little sleepy today, but it's worth it. I love those moments.

4. Lost and confused. I love the show "Lost" but sometimes I get no sense of clarity about it. The stories get deeper every week and I long for that episode that gives me the big AHA! I've been awaiting.

5. I'm waiting for our trip to Disney! Only two more weeks!

6. A bag of peanut m&ms, no matter how small, is hard to resist.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to watching Slumdog Millionaire with the hubby. Tomorrow my plans include date night with Stan (dinner and a Larry the Cable Guy show!) Sunday, I want to catch up on some things I've been putting off this week, then church community group in the evening.

Some things are better left to the imagination...

So while were in Charleston last week I had to take Quinn to the potty. Nothing new there.

We used the women's restroom, of course, and for the first time Quinn took notice of a tampon vending machine hanging on the wall. It was large and silver and shiny. You couldn't help but notice it.

He said, "Boy, I wish I had some money right now!"

I followed his gaze to the machine. I had to let this conversation play out just to see where it was going.

"Oh, yeah? Why is that? I asked.

"'Cause I'd buy something out of that machine!" Quinn answered.

"Like what?"

"Uh, what does it sell?"

"What do you think it sells?"

"FOOD!"

I laughed.

"Why are you laughing?" Quinn said.

"Oh, 'cause you're funny. Quinnie. That machine doesn't sell food."

(Dumb move, 'cause you know what the next question is, doncha?)

"WHAT DOES IT SELL?"

Yikes. Stuck!

"It sells stuff for ladies."

"Like what? Dresses?"

We both laughed.

"No, stuff girls need when they grow up," I answered.

The next line is classic Quinn.

"Like a cane?"

I belly laughed all the way to the car, where I shared the story with the rest of the family.

Poor Quinn. He never did find out what magical things that machine held, but he took pride in the fact that he made us all laugh.... three of us harder than the rest.....

Wordless Wednesday

Borrowed...100 things to do in a lifetime

I got this off my friend Bry's blog. I've done the things in BOLD print.

1. Started your own blog- Duh

2. Slept under the stars

3. Played in a band

4. Visited Hawaii

5. Watched a meteor shower

6. Given more than you could to a charity - I've given a lot, but never more than I could.

7. Been to Disneyland - one day! The kids want to go, but I'm afraid that they'll be disappointed after having been to Disney World so many times.

8. Climbed a mountain

9. Held a praying mantis (stepped on one, maybe...)

10. Sang a solo - badly... "Friends Forever" musical in church when I was in high school

12. Visited Paris - I wish I could go back. I was 19 and homesick and didn't enjoy it as much as I should have...

13. Watched a lightning storm at sea

14. Taught yourself an art from scratch Does scrapbooking count?

15. Adopted a child

16. Had food poisoning - kind of... I ate some way undercooked pork in Barcelona and had to spend the next day nauseated on a bus that wound its way through the Pyrenees mountains. One look out the window was more than I could handle.... ick.

17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty

18. Grown your own vegetables - We did this last summer. This year I'm going to grow tomatoes, okra, zucchini and fresh herbs, hopefully.

19. Seen the Mona Lisa - Yes. It was hanging in this small, hot, crowded room inside the Louvre. It's much smaller than I imagined it to be, but still surreal to be standing in front of it

20. Traveled by Train - Yep, twice on that Spain & France trip in 1992. Wetraveled from Madrid (where it was cold and snowy) to Barcelona (where it was in the 70s and sunny) on the same day. A couple of days later we went from Spain to Paris overnight, so I've even slept in what they called a "cochette" on a train. It was cool!

21. Had a pillow fight - Duh. I shared a bed with my sister until I was in 6th grade. There were pillow fights aplenty.

22. Hitchhiked

23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill - Haven't we all?

24. Built a snow fort - I've never lived anywhere with enough snow to build a fort.

25. Held a lamb - No. Eaten lamb, yes. It was very greasy.

26. Gone skinny dipping - Yes, in my own pool.

27. Run a marathon

28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice

29. Seen a total eclipse (solar) - a couple of times. I remember going outside to see one when I was in 8th grade. We took cobalt glass and watched it. It was cool.

30. Watched a sunrise or sunset - Sunsets aplenty. I've only seen a sunrise a couple of times. I like my sleep.

31. Hit a home run

32. Been on a cruise - once, in 1997. I'd love to take another one.

33. Seen Niagara Falls in person - with my youth group sometime in the late 80s. It was amazing. I'd love to take the kids back to see it.

34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors- Hmm, not sure about this one. My dad's family is German, and I've never been to Germany. I don't know about Mom's family.

35. Seen an Amish community - no, but we passed a lot of horse-drawn buggies when we were in PA in 1995.

36. Taught yourself a new language - does 4 years of high school Spanish + 1 jr. level course I took my freshman year of college count?

37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied - I don't need money to be truly satisfied, but yes... we're comfortable.

38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person

39. Gone rock climbing

40. Seen Michelangelo's David - Does the replica inside Spaceship Earth in Epcot count?

41. Sung Karaoke - Never in public, but I have sung along with Camryn's karaoke machine.

42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt - my parents took me out west when I was 18 months-old. I *think* we visited Old Faithful, but I don't remember it.

43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant - Yep. This is one of my favorite things to do.

44. Visited Africa - I got close. I was supposed to go on a mission trip to Kenya after I graduated from high school, but tragedy struck the missionary we were supposed to help and we ended up going to Belize instead.

45. Walked on the beach in the moonlight

46. Been transported in an ambulance

47. Had your portrait painted

48. Gone deep sea fishing - No, but this is on my list of things I'd love to do when the kids are older.

49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person

50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris - Yes.... at night. It was gorgeous! I ran out of film right before we went, so I have no pictures of it.

51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling - Snorkeling, in Ambergris Caye, Belize. Gorgeous. Our guide killed a conch on the boat ride back and we ate it fresh. It was good. Tastes like chicken.

52. Kissed in the rain

53. Played in the mud

(WHERE IS #54?)

55. Been in a movie - No, but I saw one being filmed in Union Station (Washington, DC) in 2000. It was the sequel to Silence of the Lambs. We saw Julianne Moore and Anthony Hopkins. Really cool.

56. Visited the Great Wall of China

57. Started a business - Yep. It's a direct sales business. I sell Longaberger baskets & pottery and have since 2003 or so.

58. Taken a martial arts class

59. Visited Russia

60. Served at a soup kitchen - no, but I keep saying when the kids are a little older we're going to do this one Thanksgiving.

61. Sold Girl Scout cookies - yep. Once. I hated selling door to door, because my friend Lauren and I lived in the same neighborhood and were in the same troop.

62. Gone whale watching

63. Got flowers for no reason - Yep. Just last month I got a lovely yellow bouquet from my husband.

(NUMBERS 64 & 65 are missing, too...)

66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp

67. Bounced a check - 2 or 3 times, but not since I was in college.

68. Flown in a helicopter

69. Saved a favorite childhood toy

70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial - I even had the privelege of going to the Vietnam Memorial with my dad, who is a Vietnam Vet. That was a very moving experience.

71. Eaten caviar - Yep. Aboard an airplane. My sister and I were bumped up to first class on our trip to Spain in 1992. It was N-I-C-E. If I ever fly long distance like that again, it will be in first class (if I can afford it). There's no other way to go!

72. Pieced a quilt

73. Stood in Times Square

74. Toured the Everglades

75. Been fired from a job

76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London

77. Broken a bone

78. Been on a speeding motorcycle

79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person - on that same trip out west, I think. I was a toddler, so I don't remember it.

80. Published a book

81. Visited the Vatican

82. Bought a brand new car - I've owned 2 brand new cars in my lifetime, and both were minivans. The first one I didn't even get to test drive, because I was 9 months pregnant and wouldn't fit behind the wheel. No more new cars for us. We only buy used (and pay cash for them) now. Too much depreciation on new cars to make it worth the money.

83. Walked in Jerusalem

84. Had your picture in the newspaper

85. Read the entire Bible

86. Visited the White House

87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating

88. Had chicken pox - I had them bad in 4th grade. Blisters and all. Ick.

89. Saved someone's life - one of my 2nd grade classmates fell in our pool at our end of the year party and grabbed her and swam her over to the edge, but I don't know if she was really drowning. Her mom said she couldn't swim, but I don't know that I saved her life. I had a friend in 7th grade who talked about killing herself and I told my math teacher about it. I don't know if the friend was serious, but I knew I couldn't just let it go. The principal talked to me about my friend, and that was it. She didn't kill herself, but again, I don't know if I could be credited with saving her.

90. Sat on a jury

91. Met someone famous - Vanessa Williams (when she was Miss America 1984) and Sorrell Booke, who played Boss Hogg on The Dukes of Hazzard.

92. Joined a book club

93. Lost a loved one

94. Had a baby - Four times.

95. Seen the Alamo in person - Alamo Rental Car, yes. The actual Alamo in San Antonio, no.

96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake

97. Been involved in a lawsuit

98. Owned a cell phone - yep. Got my first bag phone in college. The kids think the concept of a bag phone is hilarious.

99. Been stung by a bee

100. Read an entire book in a day

Friday Fill Ins 4/3

See, Mom?!? I am alive! I just haven't had time to sit and blog about anything in awhile! But today starts spring break, and I have nine glorious, shining days of rest ahead of me. Can't wait!

1. Angel or not, I will not understand what this statement means. Wha?

2. You can massage my back anytime, any way you want me. (That sounds a little dirty, huh? I can't think of anything else to put there! But I do know that I could use a long massage right now!)

3. As my mother used to say, you're full of... actually, my mother never said anything like that. At least to my face, she didn't. I don't know.

4. I feel weak, like my legs are made of Jell-o after I'm done working out or doing something strenuous. That's why I try to avoid doing things like that. ; )

5. Even in the most crowded of rooms I can hear my kids' voices.

6. A day that I wake up and there is no tea made for me is a day fraught with peril.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to lounging and catching up on the sleep I lost last weekend! Tomorrow my plans include wrapping a gift for Aiden to take to Dawson's birthday party and then church (which I really missed last week!) and Sunday, I want to enjoy having our church community group over for a pool party. I hope it doesn't rain. We're going to swim! The pool is heating up as I type. Can't wait! I've missed swimming!

Hmmmm...

Aiden just came inside. He told me he'd gone for a run around the neighborhood while the kids and the hubs were outside biking. Camryn had even let him borrow her iPod for his run.

He told me he really likes the iPod and the manner in which he revealed this information leads me to believe he would love to own an iPod of his own.

(Right, bud. Riiiiiight...)

But he also told me that he really, **REALLY** likes one song in particular on Camryn's iPod.

Copacabana.

The.kid.is.just.like.his.momma.

7 blue, 2 orange

I opened a small pack of m&ms and that's what came out.

I've never seen fewer than 3 colors in a pack.

It was weird.

And what's even stranger is that orange and blue are the colors of Auburn University, my favorite-ist NCAA team in the universe.

::SHIVER::

Blows my mind. Way too X-Files for me tonight.

(I ate 'em anyway.)

Friday Fill Ins 3/20

1. Why do we have to keep doing homework? I thought all that was over when I graduated from college. And yet I spent the week helping Aiden do his Living History Museum project on Francis Marion. I felt like it was MY homework! The kid HATES projects.

2. Checking nutrition labels and avoiding sugar and refined starches are now habits. YEA! I do miss sugar a teensy bit, but for the most part I love the Sugar Busters diet. I feel so much better physically.

3. I have no respect for Senator Christopher Dodd right now. Buck passing fool. "The treasury made me do it!" Yeah, right.

4. I had never heard the phrase "I'll happily do that for you right now, Mommy!" and it probably won't be said by any of my children in the near future, but a Mom can hope! There's always a video game to be paused ("just let me get to the next level!") or a TV show that needs a commercial break, or something else pressing to be done when I need help.

5. I'll pick up the kids today the way I always do. I feel like I spend half of my life in the car. Good thing it has a killer sound system.

6. How was I to know that Aiden was supposed to have a map on his project board? I just read that and I'm afraid we didn't put one on there. Oops!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to taking a long bath. Tomorrow my plans include hanging out with the kids all day and church at night and Sunday, I want to stay in my PJs until we have to go to community group at 4:30.

Thursday Thunks, 3/19

Thursday Thunks

1. The last flight of stairs you walked up/down - were they carpeted?

Probably? I tend to block out all instances of physical extertion, so I can't be 100% sure.

2. Green or purple grapes?

Green ones, please. When I was about 10 weeks pregnant with Camryn, Stan and I drove from our house in SC all the way to Captiva Island, Florida. It took us 2 days. We had a cooler that plugged into the car, and in the cooler I had packed green grapes and orange juice (whatever else was in it, I can't remember... but it was darn full of grapes and OJ!) I had such cravings for fresh fruit during that pregnancy!

3. Do you like Peeps?

No. Call me unAmerican. I just can't stomach them.

4. The smell of Vicks - like it?

It reminds me of my grandmother. If I was ever sick while I was staying at her house, she slathered me with the Vicks at night. Blech. I like the smell, but getting all lubed up with Vicks VapoRub is not a fond memory.

5. Do you put decorative cling-ons on your windows for different holidays?

Do I live in a preschool?

6. Finish the sentence - I spent too much money on ________ .

Fraggle Rock collectibles (not really, but you're TOTALLY singing "Down at Fraggle Rock!" now, aren't you?!?)

7. Which celebrity should be flown into outer space or placed on a desert island?

Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, together.

8. Would you support schools changing the "open" time? Such as 10am - 5pm, for example?

No. I like it the way it is. Yes, it's a pain to get up early, but the kids go to bed around 8:15. I like them going to bed at that time, because it gives me about 3-4 hours of calm silence. If school started later or ended later it would cut into that time. It's all about me, ya know.

9. Do you go fishing?

For what?

Compliments, yes.

Actual fish, no.

Have a Pepsi and a Smile...

I have to give Pepsi props for the cute ad campaign, but we're in the SOUTH, y'all.

We don't call it SODA.

We don't say POP.

If it's carbonated, it's COKE. Even if it's Pepsi.

Which I guess wouldn't be a good marketing campaign for Pepsico.

The billboard made me chuckle anyway.

And I just about had a wreck trying to capture it on the iPhone.

The Tides of Trouble

Most of us, swimming against the tides of trouble the world knows nothing about, need only a bit of praise or encouragement - and we will make the goal. ~Jerome Fleishman

Today I was nominated for a "When Life Gives You Lemons" award by my friend Lindsay. I don't know what I did to deserve it, but Lindsay's award totally turned the tides of trouble for me today.

Today was doctor day for Camryn and Aiden. It's that time of year that I usually dread: annual check-up time. It's usually not so bad if no one needs shots, but with four kiddos, it's always someone's turn to be vaccinated.

Today was Camryn's turn. She thought she had until age 14 before she needed shots again, but the AMA (or whoever determines the vaccination schedule for kids) decided that the magical age for all those booster shots is now 11. Guess who just turned 11? Yep. Camryn.

It's Monday; it's raining. That's a bad enough omen right there. Camryn had to be coerced to wake up today, and she was late getting out to the car (I limited myself to two separate blasts on the car horn, but it was hard!) So you know as soon as her tushie hit the van seat she's all in-a-mood, right? It didn't get better when we got to the doctor's office, either. In fact, it was in FULL force. She had the whole bangs over the eye, iPod earphones in the ears, giving-Mom-the-evil-eye routine kicked up several notches.

GUH-REAT. This is going to be a BLAST. CANNOT WAIT. Bring it.

Aiden was fine with the whole appointment. He didn't care for removing all of his clothing in exchange for the flattering paper gown, but he sucked it up and got busy playing his Nintendo DS Club Penguin game. Barely noticed the doctor when she came in. Got through the exam just fine. No big.

Camryn, on the other hand, wanted to keep the earphones in her ears while the doctor was trying to talk to her. I grabbed the cord and plucked the 'phones out of her ears and demanded she give me the iPod. That's the height of rudeness to me, and I wasn't the only one feeling that way. I sensed some irritation in the doctor's voice as well.

And it just went downhill from there. Camryn's feet were terribly stinky, and Lillian kept making rather obnoxious observations to that fact, waving her hand in front of her face and being the typical annoying 4 year-old sister. I could tell Camryn wanted to throttle Lillian. (I kinda' did, too.)

We got through the exam, and after exhorting Camryn to give up soda and start eating more vegetables the doctor said the word Camryn was dreading: VACCINATIONS. Camryn needed two, which was less than the four she had anticipated. Aiden needed one (chicken pox booster) which, when it came out of the doctor's mouth went right over Aiden's head (he was completely absorbed by Club Penguin on the DS). I breathed a sigh of relief. I could break the news to him gently.

HA.

When the doctor left the room, the first thing Camryn blurted out was, "AIDEN! Did you HEAR HER? YOU HAVE TO GET A SHOT, TOO!"

Fiddlesticks and shamrocks. CAMRYN! That wasn't something that Aiden needed to hit him full force in the face. I needed to sneak up on him with that information. Goodgooglymoogly.

And the proverbial stink hit the fan.

Aiden lost it. He doesn't like shots. He barely got through the finger prick.

I could've killed Camryn. Or just seriously wounded her. Pinched her at least.

I restrained myself.

Aiden started crying and saying, "I don't want a shot! I don't want a shot! I don't want a shot!" Poor kid didn't want a haircut last night, either, but he was starting to look like the Shaggy Dog. He got a buzz cut anyway and cried for about 45 minutes afterwards.

And now this.

The nurse finally came in with the needles. She asked, "Who wants to go first?" I told Camryn she needed to since Aiden had gone first with the exams. Camryn flat out refused. I mean, dug her heels in and shook her head and just said, "NO. Aiden has to go!" I wanted to grab her and bend her over my knee, but I was stuck. So I turned to Aiden.

He ran away.

I grabbed him and tried to wrestle him into my lap.

The boy is strong. I mean, REALLY strong.

It took me a good 3-4 minutes to get Aiden pinned down and still so he could get his shot. I've never been more embarrassed. The poor nurse just stood there, aghast. I'm sure it's a story she'll repeat many times in the course of her career.

Camryn took her two shots with no complaints. Then she asked for her iPod back.

"ABSOLUTELY FREAKIN' NOT, " I said, gritting my teeth.

Needless to say, I did not have a good morning....

...until I sat down at the computer and found Lindsay's e-mail nominating me for the "Lemons to Lemonade" award. In her nomination she said:

"Beth - from The Right Regrets. If you don't know her, I am not even sure how to describe her. I can only tell you that I have had the pleasure of meeting her IRL and she is one of the most positive and funny people I have ever known."

So thanks, Lindsay. Thank you for bringing a spot of sunshine to my day. I'm not always so positive, but thanks to good friends like you, I can find the positive amidst the negative.

And now I'm supposed to:

Post the logo on my blog. Check.



Nominate blogs that show great attitude or gratitude.

I nominated my friend Cyndi, who just always seems to find the sunshine when there's nothing but rain and my friend Brandi, who has more difficulty thrown her way than anyone really should bear, but she keeps her chin up even when I'm sure she wants to throw in the towel (and tomorrow is her birthday!).

Link to the nominees within my blog post. Check.

Notify the recipients of the award by commenting on their blog. Will do.

Share the love and link back to the person from whom you received your award. That's Lindsay, and I linked to her above, so I think I'm done!

Happy Monday, everyone!

Shhhh....

Don't say anything. It might end abruptly.

It's QUIET here.

Camryn had a sleepover party last night and the girls left around 10:30 this morning. Since then it's been very calm around here.

Camryn's been working on the laptop.

The boys are playing (together!) with Legos in their room. So far (knock on wood) there hasn't been a major disagreement. Definitely no hitting or breaches of personal space. A miracle.

Even the fish are swimming happily.

The cats are sleeping.

I have cleaned off my desk and am sitting here playing Word Hunt on Facebook (it's a newfound addiction...)

WHY is it so quiet and calm?

Lillian spent the night with Nana last night.

She's due home any minute.

I'm going to enjoy this serenity while it lasts.

Friday Fill Ins 3/13

1. When I look to the left, I see the table beside the couch. On it is an empty bowl that held the egg salad I just ate with some Wasa crackers, an almost empty glass of iced tea, my favorite lotion (Victoria's Secret Drenched in Pink Fresh & Clean), a Longaberger tissue basket missing the tissues (I used the last one yesterday), a coaster basket and a basket full of assorted stuff (nail clippers, Lego parts, a pen or two and some floss).

2. The kitchen is the room that has the best view in my home. The back of the house has nothing but land and trees; no houses are built behind us. The neighborhood walking trail is back there, and it's nice to look at. We occasionally see foxes, deer and critters that keep us guessing.

3. Let it work reminds me of the Beatles' song "Let It Be".

4. Grocery shopping can be done dirt cheap!

5. Voting is a responsibility that all qualified citizens must share.

6. If you have any Coke Rewards points, Boxtops for Education or Cambell's Labels, feel free to send them my way!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to taking Camryn and her friends out to dinner to celebrate Camryn's birthday. Tomorrow my plans include taking the kids to the library to help Aiden find books for his Living History Museum project, and going to church and Sunday, I want to relax while Stan takes the kids fishing and then taking Camryn to Old Navy for new clothes. The kid won't stop growing!

Missing Music, Strawberry Sausage, Thursday Thunks

I had some iTunes issues this morning. I couldn't get iTunes to recognize my iPod, so I closed iTunes and then when I tried to reopen it it wouldn't come back up. A few reboots, a little tinkering with Task Manager and some Googling solved the problem, but MAN. I was stuck! When I sit down in the office to start whatever project is on the agenda for the day, I have to have the music on. I recently redeemed my SwagBucks for a $15 iTunes gift certificate, so I downloaded a bunch of songs yesterday (not telling how many, but enough to make several mix tapes if I were still using cassettes...my iTunes cart kept getting fuller and fuller and fuller...) Anyhoo, I wanted to play what I downloaded and doggone it, iTunes just would.not.cooperate. It's fixed now. Thank goodness. All is right in my world again.

Hubby shared a Lillian funny with us last night. Driving home in the truck, he heard Lillian say, "I'm gonna pooooot!" Then shortly after that, "Here it comes!!!!" and then, in an "I'm so pleased with myself for creating such loveliness" voice, she said "Ahhhhhh..... it smells like strawberry sausage!"

That girl cracks me up. She's such a comedienne.

And now onto the Meme of the day, Thursday Thunks.

1. You are walking down the road and you look down. There is a bug. Do you step on it?

No. I'm walking away from it, so it can't bother me. I'd rather let it return to its little bug family.

2. What is one fantasy that you want to come true more than any other?

I don't have fantasies. I would like a hot tub, but that's not really a fantasy. I don't daydream about wanting one.

3. Someone knocks on your door. Do you look out the window to see who it is before you open it? Do you open it regardless of who it is?

Yes, I always look. We have a peephole on our front door (we had one at our last house because we lived on a busy road and got a lot of strangers at the door...) I don't open it if it's someone I don't know or someone I'm not expecting.

4. Have you ever eaten Play Doh?

No. I enjoy its fragrance, but it's not something I want to ingest.

5. What was your favorite Saturday morning cartoon as a child and why?

Scooby Doo. I like mysteries, and that van was just a cool ride, man. The Mystery Machine. I think I should get my van painted like that. It would really embarrass the kiddos.

6. Are you a "people watcher"?

Yes. I love watching people and traffic.

7. I have a bowl of fruit. There are apples, oranges & pears. You help yourself to one - which one do you choose?

Pears. I like oranges, but they're a lot of trouble. I like apples, but I prefer them peeled. Pears are great just like they are, though.

8. What is your biggest pet peeve in the blogging world?

Not sure I have one.

9. What is one religion that you could just never see yourself joining?

Scientology.

10. What word do you use far too often?

Actually or totally. So guilty of overusing those words, and now Lillian uses ACTUALLY all the time because she's heard it so much.

11. How long do you spend in the shower?

Less than 10 minutes. I take much shorter showers than my husband does.

12. If you were to write a personal ad about yourself, what would it say?

I can't even begin to formulate a personal ad in my head. I'd have to think longer on that one.

13. Your favorite flavor of soup is....?

Campbell's Bean with Bacon or anyone's Crab Bisque (not from a can, though). I love a good French Onion soup, too.

14. You are sitting on a bench in the park and a bug walks in front of your feet.... do you squash him?

If it's an ant, maybe. I don't want him to sting me.

Dr. Quinn, Medicine Man

Camryn tripped on the rug in the laundry room on the way out the door this morning and reinjured a recently twisted ankle. She insisted that she could make it at school today, but called me around noon describing the ankle as brown and purple and very swollen. I picked her up soon after the call, but the doctor couldn't see her until 3:15 pm.

So all four kids and I went to the doctor's office. Picture it: Four children, small exam room, two chairs. Not a formula for harmony.

Given that she was the patient, Camryn took over the exam table. I put Lillian (with her crayons and coloring book) on the table next to Camryn. I took a chair, Aiden took a chair, and I told Quinn to sit on the doctor's rolling stool for the time being.

Quinn, who still has a hard time saying the letter R, settled himself onto his special seat, and after a few minutes he looked at Camryn and said, in his most medically professional voice:

"Camwyn, I'm afwaid you ah going to need some seawious suhguhwy."

Translated?

"Camryn, I'm afraid you're going to need some serious surgery."

I think I'm going to go buy Quinn an MCAT for Dummies book and let him start studying right now. He was vewwy convincing.

We just need to work on those Rs.

Sunday Stealing 3/8

Sunday Stealing

1. How old do you look?

Good question. I'm 36. I would hope I don't look any older than that, but I can't tell. I'm frequently told that I don't look old enough to have 4 children, but I don't know hold old a person with 4 children is supposed to look. I guess since I don't have dark circles under my eyes and deep worry wrinkles on my forehead I don't look as old as the people who say that think I should. I've always thought that's a strange comment. Ranks right up there with, "Are all those kids YOURS?" I always want to answer that with a sarcastic, "No... I just collect them on the way to the store because it's SO FREAKIN' FUN to take four children shopping!"

2. Where do you live?

In a house. I thought about setting up housekeeping in an old limousine, but if I burned something in the oven the smoke would just be unbearable.

3. Are you waiting for something?

Obama's miracle cure for the economy. I think I'll be waiting a long time. When will people realize the government can't fix our problems?

4. What’s one pet peeve of yours that is not common?

Stuff sticking out of drawers. Apostrophes used in words when they don't belong there (like if I had put an apostrophe in apostrophe's in my attempt to make the word plural. HATE THAT.) I saw that on one of those rent-a-signs on Friday.... you know the kind with the plastic letters you put on yourself? I thought about taking the apostrophe off of the sign and mailing it back to the business with an explanation letter. Decided they probably wouldn't get it or even care, so I let it go. Still bothers me.

5. Do you want/have kids?

I have them and I want them, so don't get any ideas about taking them, okay? They're hard workers.

6. Have you ever thought about converting your religion?

Converting it to what? The metric system? No, I've never thought about converting. We did switch from Southern Baptist to non-denominational recently, but that's not really converting. That's just switching teams.

7. Last shocking news you heard?

Sarah Silverman and Jimmy Kimmel broke up again. Those silly kids.

8. What was the last thing you drank?

Iced tea just two seconds ago. Fer real.

9. Who do you most look like in your family?

My son. I would have to say I favor my dad a lot, too.

10. If you could have something right now, anything, what would it be?

Someone to do the grocery shopping.

11. Where does most of your family live?

In my house. My parents and sister live in Alabama, and I have grandparents in Tennessee.

12. Where did you grow up?

In my parents' house in Alabama.

13. Where do you want to go on vacation?

Somewhere WARM. We're taking the kids to Charleston, SC for spring break next month. Then Quinn & Lillo get their own Disney World vacation in May (Camryn & Aiden got a Mommy-Daddy trip in 2005 without Q & L, so it's the younger ones' turn now!) In June we're planning on going to Myrtle Beach for our annual "Daddy gets some continuing education while we sit on the beach" trip. Stan hates the beach, so while he sits in a cooled conference room learning about the latest advancements in optometry, the rest of us chill on the shore. It's a win/win situation for everyone.

14. Have you ever had a panic attack?

Don't think so. I guess that's something I'd remember.

15. What can’t you wait for?

Michael Jackson's farewell tour (NOT).

16. When’s the last time you told someone you loved him or her and meant it?

A couple of hours ago when the hubby left with the kids he kissed me goodbye and said, "Love you!" I said it back, and I meant it. Who wouldn't love a man who takes the kids away for the afternoon so I can have time to myself? ; )

17. Have your parents ever smoked pot?

THAT'S why they were so weird when I was growing up! Never even occurred to me. (Officially: I don't know. You'd have to ask them.)

18. Want someone back in your life?

Stan's dad. He's sorely missed (he passed away in 2002). And my mom's parents. My grandfather would LOVE that he has 3 great-grandsons! When he died he just had 2 great-granddaughters. He'd love my boys and my cousin's son to death.

19. What do you order at the bar?

Not much. Every now and then I might order an amaretto sour or a margarita at On the Border, but alcohol is so expensive I usually don't bother. I'd rather spend the money on dessert!

20. When was the last time you cried really, really hard?

Probably when Camryn's cat, Harry, died. That was February 11, 2007. Oh, wait. I cried pretty hard when Dubya got on the helicopter and left DC on January 20th. I probably wouldn't have cried so hard if I'd already seen Spike Lee's When the Levees Broke: A Reqiuem in Four Acts. I just finished Act 1 and I'm really, really mad. I have Acts 2 and 3 from Netflix and haven't had time to watch them yet. Act 1 is still sinking in.

21. Ever licked someone’s cheek?

Funny you should ask. Lillian climbed in bed with us this morning and started pretending to be a kitten. To be funny, I said, "Hey Lillo... you know how mommy cats clean their kittens?" When she said, "No" I licked her on the cheek. She collapsed in a fit of giggles. That kid makes me laugh so hard.

22. What is your favorite thing to eat with peanut butter?

I didn't realize peanut butter required an accompaniment. Isn't it best straight out of the jar on a big spoon? No? Well, if I have to answer I'd say sliced apples, raisins on white bread or sliced bananas on bread.

23. Where were you on July 4th, 2008?

Uh... Um...... Oh! I remember! We were in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Aiden had a stomach bug. Thanks for reminding me. Blech.

24. What are your nicknames?

Janet. Miss Jackson if you're nasty.

25. If you could go back in time, how far back would you go?

I'd probably want to go back to when Camryn was a tiny baby, just to remember what it was like. She's eleven, y'all. E-LEV-EN. She's two years away from teenagerhood. Blows my mind.

We Could Use a Few More Ben Franklins

I recently read some interesting information about Benjamin Franklin. I've always known he was one of history's most fascinating men, but what I read made me respect him even more.

Here's what I read:

"When Ben Franklin was a young man, he didn't practice much of the advice for which he later became famous. At the age of 20, he decided to change his irresponsible ways and made four resolutions to help guide him through life toward 'moral perfection'."

His four resolutions were as follows:

(1) Become more frugal so that he could pay money to the people he owed.

(2) Resolve to become more honest and truthful in every way he could.

(3) Be as industrious as possible at whatever task was at hand.

(4) Never speak ill of any person, not even if what he might say was true, and to speak of only the good things about the people he knew.

The article goes on to say that "Franklin believed strongly in self-improvement and worked tirelessly to better himself. From his four resolutions, Franklin developed 13 virtues to live and perfect during his lifetime. He worked on only one per week. At the end of each week, he would evaluate his progress and then move on to the next virtue. After working on the 13th virtue, he started over again with the first one."

Some people might say that Ben Franklin was too legalistic, but I see him as someone who lived his life in an upright way, trying his best to have unquestionable Christ-like character.

I wish more people were like Ben Franklin. We could use an injection of virtue in this world right now.

Friday Fill Ins 3/6

1. Giving a fizzy bath bomb to a friend who'd had a difficult day was my last random act of kindness.

2. Another place I would love to live is Gulf Shores, Alabama.

3. Proceed cautiously in matters of the heart.

4. Coffee, tea or water? (But not coffee. Ick.)

5. I hope Chris Brown and Rihanna take separate paths. I hope she doesn't go back to him. She's a fool if she does.

6. Our calendar reminds me that there is work to do this weekend, turning back the clocks. It's time to spring forward!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to (hopefully) finishing up The Associate by John Grisham. Every night this week I've tried to read some of it, and I've ended up falling asleep. I want to finish it, 'cause it's a good one! Tomorrow my plans include going to the grocery store at some point, celebrating Camryn's 11th birthday (I HAVE AN 11 YEAR-OLD!) and church and Sunday, I want to take Camryn out for her birthday dinner and just hang with the family. Good times, good times.

Sunday Stealing 3/1

I found another meme site. This one is called Sunday Stealing and posts a new meme every Sunday. Maybe I'll just start doing an all-meme blog. That'd be so easy.

1. What is your favorite sit-down restaurant? Hmmmm... Olive Garden?

2. What food could you eat for 2 weeks straight and not get sick of it? I don't think such a food exists. My husband could eat the same meal every night for dinner and never get tired of it. He almost always orders the same thing he ordered before when we go to restaurants. I can't do that. That's boring. I like to change it up and try new things. I'm pretty sure I'd get sick of eating the same thing after 3 days, much less two weeks.

3. Have you ever had anything removed from your body? An ovary, a fallopian tube, some scar tissue from my upper lip and 2 children (via c-section at different times). The other 2 kids were pushed out and thus not technically removed from me by anyone.

4. What is the last heavy item you lifted? Lillian, last night, because she wanted me to carry her to bed.

5. Have you ever been knocked unconscious? No, but I have fainted. Once.

6. If it were possible, would you want to know the day you were going to die? No. I prefer to live my life as if I could drop dead at any second. It's more fun that way.

7. If you could change your name, what would you change it to? I love my middle name, which is Allyson. I always wished my parents had called me by both names. Beth Allyson. Sounds so pretty. I regret not passing the name on to one of my girls, but maybe they'll use it when they have children.

8. What’s your goal for the year? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with my God. (Micah 6:8)

9. Last person you hugged? I think that was Aiden, last night.

10. First place you went this morning? To the bathroom.

11. Do you always answer your phone? No. It's not always a convenient time to talk.

12. It’s four in the morning and you get a text message, who is it? No one I know, because I don't text. My phone will do it, but I don't have a text plan to pay for them, so I don't do it. Talking is much easier than texting. I think texting is silly.

13. If you could change your eye color what would it be? I've always thought blue eyes would be nice, but I like my green eyes, too. My husband and children all have blue eyes, so I'm the odd person in the family.

14. What’s on your wish list for your birthday? I just had a birthday, so I don't know what I'd ask for for next year. Probably not to be sick like I was this year. That sucked lemons.

15. Does the future make you more nervous or excited? Excited, because I know God is in control and whatever He has for me will be good for me in the long run.

16. Do you have any saved texts? See #12.

17. Ever been in a car wreck? No, thank goodness. I've been side swiped and had my bumper tapped while I was waiting to turn, but neither of those I would consider to be official wrecks.

18. Do you have an accent? I grew up in Alabama and have lived in South Carolina since 1996. While my accent is not as strong as it was when I was in the heart of Dixie, it's still there. I like it. It makes me unique. I just wish people didn't automatically assume I'm stupid because I have a Southern accent.

19. What was the last song to make you cry? Jesus Paid It All by Kristian Stanfill. It's a song we sing in church and it makes me cry every time we sing it, especially this line: "Oh praise the one who paid my debt and raised my life up from the dead!" Gives me shivers.

20. What did you do last night? Went to our usual Saturday night dinner spot, El Jalisco, then church. I love Saturday nights at Grace!

21. Have you ever felt like you hit rock bottom? Sure. A couple of times. But there's only one way to go from rock bottom, and that's up. God is good.

22. Current hate right now? Hate is such a strong word. I can't say there's a lot of hate in my heart for anything or anyone, but there are things that upset me. Tailgaters. People who yak on their cell phones and make careless driving mistakes because they're not paying attention. SC Congressman James Clyburn (GIVE.ME.A.BREAK!)

23. Met someone who changed your life? Jesus Christ.

24. How did you bring in the New Year? We made the mistake of letting the children stay up until midnight (afternoon naps were a must). It was the longest night of my life. Something we won't do again soon, but it was kind of (a teeny, tiny bit) fun being with my beloved family as we rung in a new year.

25. What song represents you? Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me.

Friday Fill-Ins 2/27

1. I'm glad it's Friday, I'm glad it's almost March and, I am looking forward to the kids' spring break in April.

2. Why do I have so many bras and not one of them fits as well as I'd like?

3. How does this bailout plan work, anyway?

4. Every morning, I put Crocs on my feet and take the kids to school.

5. I consider myself lucky because.... I can't answer this one because I don't believe in luck. Nothing in this world is random.

6. One day we’ll see things more wonderful and amazing than we can possibly imagine on this earth.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to just being at home with the family. Tomorrow my plans include making banana bread, doing puzzles with the kids and church and Sunday, I want to do something together as a family. We need a good adventure.

It doesn't get any easier...

I have a list of pre-teen girls that I could just throttle right now.

I hated being a pre-teen girl because of the way pre-teen girls treat other pre-teen girls, and I hate that my daughter is now enduring the same treatment.

One of her classmates has a birthday party coming up next month. So does Camryn. Camryn originally had her party planned for the 13th (it's just two girls going out to dinner with us and then spending the night). When Camryn invited her friend (I will her call "B"), she said that she cannot come on the 13th. B also has a March birthday and has divorced parents, so I guess there have to be multiple birthday celebrations. No big deal. We changed the date to the 20th to accommodate her. "No can do!" says B. "What if we do it on the 6th?" Camryn asked. B can't do that, either. I told Camryn to give up on her and find someone else (because I think she's just trying to avoid coming to the party), but what do you do when you only have 2 close friends you want to invite ? Bless her heart. Tough situation.

But it doesn't end there. Now two girls a grade above Camryn are pretending to be B's friends so they can snag an invite to her birthday party. These 2 girls, along with one other girl, did the very same thing to Camryn last year. They got really nice to Camryn after hearing about the party (we had mani/pedis done at a salon and a spend the night party) They were invited and came to the party, but have been sort of cool to Camryn since then.... definitely a big step down from the "buddy buddy" treatment she got right before the party. One of them has even been downright mean and rude to my daughter. I tried to tell Camryn what was going on last year, but she didn't get it. She thought they were really trying to be her friends. And now they've struck again.

B has always sat by Camryn at lunch and hung out with her at school. Now B can't be bothered with Camryn because these other 2 girls are always trying to get B to sit with them, hang out with them, etc. because of the upcoming party. Camryn knows that as soon as the party is over these two lovelies will stop hanging around B, but in the meantime, Camryn is left without a friend. It hurts. I know it hurts, and I am powerless to stop it.

I hate to tell my sweet daughter that it doesn't get any easier as a grown up, either. Women just get more vicious and underhanded.

Sigh.

Wednesday Weirdness 2/25

Memes are a blogger's best friend. Google Reader recommended this one to me, and I said a gracious thanks. That Google Reader knows me so well!

1.) You're on a trip taking a tour through the jungle. You have a backpack with some food, some first aid supplies, a pocket knife, a flashlight and a couple bottles of water. Some how, you get separated from your group. By night fall you haven't found your group and haven't heard them looking for you. How long do you think you would be able to survive on your own?

I honestly don't know. It freaks me out to see those people on Survivor when they get sent to Exile Island alone (even with the camera people there), and that Survivorman dude is just plain nutso. I'm so used to noise that I think the quiet would be maddening. I'd probably end up singing and praying myself to sleep and my group would probably find me in the fetal position the next day. Oh, and using the flashlight would be out of the question. I've seen Blair Witch Project. Using flashlights in the pitch dark is scary.

2.) Do you think it's okay to lie to spare someone's feelings? Why?

Golly gee. I think it depends on the situation. Someone I know well like a spouse, child, parent, sibling? I think the truth would hurt but would need to be said. Someone I don't know that well? It *might* be necessary to lie to preserve the relationship because you don't know the person well enough to tell the truth. But again, it would depend on the situation. I can't issue a blanket policy for that (that sounds so political, eh?) I would like to think I could be honest no matter what, but it's hard to say.

3.) If a talking Beth doll were made, what are THREE phrases it would say?

"Turn off the lights!" "Who was the last one that played Wii/well you need to come clean up the Wiimotes!" (said together) and "Get in the car! We need to go!"

4.) If the super power to be able to read minds at your own will were possible, do you think it would be... cool and helpful, intrusive and wrong, manipulative or maddening? Explain why you would or wouldn't want to be able to read anyone's mind at your own will.

Oh, man! The possibilities! I could cure a lot of my paranoia if I had this power, but then again I don't think it would be something I'd enjoy having. I'd rather assume people think the best of me than know they don't. Ignorance (of others' opinions of you) truly can be bliss!

5.) Drunk confessions, are they the things people can't bring themselves to say sober or just crazy ramblings of an influenced and intoxicated mind?

I think we lose inhibitions when we drink too much, which is why I haven't ever gotten drunk. Sure, I think we can say things that we truly think when the filter is removed by alcohol.

6.) What brings out the worst in you?

Stupidity, foolishness, racism and intentional cruelty.

7.) Do you think long distance relationships work? Have you ever been in one before?

I think they can work for short periods of time. I had a long distance relationship with my husband when we were dating and engaged, but we saw each other somewhat frequently. We both knew that there was an end to our separation in sight, so it was easier to be apart. I couldn't handle a long-term long distance relationship if I didn't know when I would be with the person again. I don't know how military spouses do it.

What Beth Needs

I saw this on my friend Meg's blog just minutes ago and thought it looked fun. What else do I have to do right now (that's a joke... I have about a million things to do right now. The top of the list? Laundry. You guessed it!)

Go to Google and type in quotes "[Your name] needs" and then post the first 10 things that show up. Here's what (according to Google) I need:

(1) Beth needs Facebook. Ain't that the truth! I get a daily dose. It's so addictive!

(2) Beth needs sitting and knitting. No thank you. I'm not a knitter.

(3) Beth needs the greatest American dog community message board. Again, no thank you. I am NOT a dog person at all. I like cats, because cats don't have to be walked outside to attend to their potty needs, they don't stink or require ME to bathe them, and they're generally pretty sedate in nature. Nice, calm animals. You won't ever see a dog in this house.

(4) Beth needs to retain the Woman's Championship at No Mercy against Candice to keep the division alive. M'kay. Don't know what that means. Maybe I can make a few calls and find out. I'd hate to kill the division, 'cause evidently it's up to me to keep it alive.

(5) Beth needs a dose of YODAA Love. Hmmm... is this like the little green Star Wars guy? 'Cause I'll pass, thanks. (Upon further examination, I found that YODAA is the Young Ostomate and Diversion Alliance of America. People who've had part of their intestines or colon removed. They even have a COLONder Get it? COLONder? How very clever!)

(6) Beth needs a laugh. And I'm gettin' it from doing this blog. COLONder. Get it? Still laughing about that one.

(7) Beth needs a wet, hot American summer. Why yes. Yes, I do.

(8) Beth needs her helmet on. Dangit. Ya caught me surfing without a helmet. I'll go get it right now. (Imagine a funny picture of me here wearing a big, pink Hello Kitty bicycle helmet. Sorry. That's all I got today. No actual pictures.)

(9) Beth needs the Guiding Light community message board. Really? People have nothing better to do than talk about soap operas? Why don't they get a life and spend time on Facebook like the rest of us?

(10) Beth needs help. No truer words were ever spoken.



COLONDER! Bwahahahahahaha!

Simple Pleasures

Saturdays
peanut m&ms (scored on 75% off clearance!)
Bily Joel on the iPod

Life is good. Life is too good.

2 Cool Shopping Finds

I love Etsy. I have discovered so many cool things on that site.

For instance, I found the necklace to the right at the Etsy shop of MamaBethBling. I had seen a similar necklace in one of the many blogs I read, so I poked around on Etsy and found one I liked better. You can have the disks personalized with anything, but I chose my kids' names. The charms are their birthstones. I always get compliments on the necklace when I wear it. She has lots of different designs, so check out her site and find something you like. I don't get anything for recommending her, but I like her stuff so I thought I'd share.

The cards to the right I found through an annual Christmas craft fair that comes to town every December. I bought some cards for a friend's Christmas gift and chatted for a bit with the creator/owner of the cards. Then I put her card in my wallet and completely forgot about her. Cleaning out my wallet recently, I found the card, and needing some quick, super cool gifts I checked out the website. Christine is super sweet and the cards (I think) are very affordable (I'm cheap, you know!) There are lots of colors & designs for cards on the site (not all are floral!), so if you need a unique gift for someone I highly recommend Christine's cards. She also does Bible verse cards, which are very pretty.

So there are my shopping recommendations. I hope you find something cool that you like!

Friday Fill Ins 2/20

1. Give me some time alone and I'll watch a good movie and/or scrapbook.

2. Whenever people tailgate me, I slow down.

3. I wish it was May and time for us to take Quinn & Lillian back to Disney World. Only 71 days!

4. Stouffer's cream chipped beef on toasted French bread was the last thing I ate that was utterly delicious.

5. To live in this world is hard when I know Heaven is going to be so much better.

6. Other than this one, Bry's is the last blog I commented on.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to doing absolutely nothing. Tomorrow my plans include picking up Camryn from a sleepover, finishing a few scrapbooking projects and going to church (we've missed 2 whole weeks because we've all been sick!) and Sunday, I want to go to breakfast somewhere with the family.

Update

Well, it's not as bad as we thought.

Turns out the dash latch is about $25 bucks. Replacing the whole glove compartment would've been around $200, but 'tis just the latch that snapped. Hubby can fix that. No problem.

On a related note, hubby called me yesterday while I was driving to pick Quinn up from school. He needed the VIN number for the van so he could call the Toyota dealership to order the part. I knew it was etched on the windows, so I squinted to read the etching off the passenger side window. It wasn't easy. It's very light, so I had to position the van in front of something dark so I could read the number. And the number was backwards (to me). I was typing the number into my phone while trying to watch the movement in the carpool line. Not the easiest trick, but I did it.

As Quinn was climbing into the car, I glanced out of MY window.

Yep. Same VIN number. Etched into my side. Still backwards, just MUCH more readable.

Stupid me.

Worth 1,000 Words... and about $4.50

This is what my car looks like on the passenger side.

Guess what happened?



My daughter happened, that's what.

Not the younger one. That's too predictable.

No, this was the 10 (almost 11) year-old.

Monday when the kids were out of school we went to Target. Camryn brought along a new book by her new favorite author, Liz Kessler. She'd just gotten a delivery of Emily Windsnap books from Amazon (thanks, Grammy!), and she couldn't put the book down. I can totally relate. I'm that way with books, too.

So we arrived at Target, and fearing that her precious new literary treasure would (gasp!) be stolen right out of our van, Camryn put it somewhere that wouldn't tempt a thief.

And the dash became jammed.

It took two days and numerous attempts to open the glove compartment. Finally we gave up trying to carefully open it and we just pried it open with a screwdriver. The latch broke. Glove compartment would no longer stay closed.

Hubby removed the whole thing last night in hopes that his magic putty would fix the lock. He's all McGyver-like that way.

Alas, his epoxy tricks didn't work, and now we have a gaping hole in the car. I told the kids they'd get sucked into the engine if they weren't good in the car. (No, not really, but wouldn't you be the tiniest bit tempted?)

That "I'm going to hide my FOUR DOLLAR BOOK" has turned into a "NOW WE HAVE TO PAY A COUPLE OF HUNDRED DOLLARS TO PUT THE JUNK DRAWER BACK INTO THE VAN."

I see two positives in this situation.

(1) At least my daughter prizes literature enough to want to keep someone from stealing it (I'm stretching, I know...)

and

(2) This will follow her for a lifetime. It will be a story told countless times over, repeated to new friends and heck yeah, new BOYfriends and will be held over her head at the most convenient times. ("What? You want me to buy you WHAT? Well, I could've afforded that if we hadn't dropped 2 Ben Franklins to fix the glove compartment. Remember that, sunshine?")

Oh, yeah. This will be fun.

Tuesday Morning

I call this series "Kitty in a Dryer".

Manic Monday #155

I'm going to start a new Monday meme that I found here through my friend Lee's blog.

Of all your favorite foods, which one would you find the most difficult to give up for the rest of your life?

I think it would be pasta. I especially love ravioli of any type: spinach and cheese, meat, lobster, plain cheese... you name it. I love it inside a pocket of pasta.

Which month of the year do you think best describes your personality?

Pick a summer month... June... July... August.... sunny and warm and full of lazy days.

If you could be a contestant on any game show, past or present, which show would you pick?

It'd be Jeopardy, for sure. I have always wanted to be a contestant on Jeopardy. I was on the quiz bowl team in high school (we called it Scholars Bowl) and I loved it. Once I even answered in the form of a question and everyone laughed. I used to take out the Trivial Pursuit cards and draw grids on pieces of paper (three columns across with groups of 6 in each column) so I could answer the questions on the cards. I learned a lot of trivia that way. No one wanted to play with me, though, because I learned all the answers. I was over the moon when I found a family Trivial Pursuit game over the Christmas holidays. It has kid questions and adult questions so we can all play together. Turns out Aiden loves trivia as much as I do, of course. He's just like his momma!

Friday Fill Ins 2/13

Before I do the Friday Fill Ins, I have to share something. I know you're waiting with baited breath for my fill ins , but this'll just take a sec.

My older kids' school is small and has been slowly adding things to the school as they can afford them. Last year we got a new lunchroom with an actual kitchen... but no kitchen equipment. On Mondays & Fridays they offer sack lunches and on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays they have food brought in from local chains. Wednesdays are Chick Fil A days.

Aiden always orders the chicken nugget meal on Wednesdays. Evidently he's asked the lunch lady every week if she has some Buffalo sauce for the nuggets. The kid loves the hot stuff, remember? Alas, there has been no Buffalo sauce for Aiden.

Wednesday afternoon Aiden got into the van all excited because "Guess what, Mommy? TODAY MRS. HARMLESS HAD BUFFALO SAUCE FOR ME AND DAWSON!" Totally made the kid's day. I was ecstatic for him. It's the little things, right?

That's why I love my kids' school. It was a teeny tiny thing, but Mrs. Harmless *knew* it would make my son happy to have some Buffalo sauce. She made it happen for him, and I am so grateful for all the people at the school like her who seek to serve my children and know them so well. I feel totally confident that my children are well cared for when they're at school, that their heartaches are shared and their joys are celebrated. I made a point today to tell Mrs. Harmless how much her small gesture meant to both me and Aiden. She totally rocks. Everyone at BRCA rocks. I couldn't have asked for a better place for my kids to be when they're away from me.

Now, onto the Friday Fill Ins.

1. It seems like the laundry is multiplying. I cannot defeat it. I'm pretty sure it will bury me.

2. Come finish my laundry when you're done, please? And bring reinforcements. This pile of nasty cotton and synthetic blends are mean, I tell you. Downright horrific.

3. If I thought you would do it I'd ask you to each send me a crisp $10 bill.

4. People with cups of coffee in hand sitting in front of their computers is what I think of most when I think of you (dear readers).

5. To me, Valentine's Day means nothing. It's a silly, made-up holiday. I'd rather be shown love and affection on the other 364 days of the year than have high expectations for grand gestures this one day out of many. Totally inane holiday. That said, flowers would be nice. Just once. Even a wilted carnation would be okay. Really.

6. Knowing God is in control gives me strength.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to putting together my new Store in Style cubes & desktops that will be delivered today. Oh, and watching Friday Night Lights. Tomorrow my plans include trying to finish the laundry and church at night and Sunday, I want to do something with the family, like a puzzle or a game. Uno, anyone?

Tagged

I was tagged by Brandi for this entry. The game/tag was to find the sixth picture in the sixth album on my computer. This was kind of hard because of the way I organize my photos, but I think I figured it out.

Here's the 6th photo from the 6th album listed under My Pictures.



I originally copied it because I was going to use it as clip art on an anniversary card for my hubby. Our 13th anniversary was 1/20/09. Little did I know when I downloaded this image that it would mean something totally different to me than it meant to the Bush haters out there (1/20/09 was the end of the Bush era, if you didn't figure it out already...) To those who were ready to say goodbye to Dubya it meant one thing, but to me it meant the beginning of the Obamanation, as people are calling it. I'm trying to stay positive, but I don't like what I've seen so far.

Now that I've shared that, I'm going to park my behind on the couch and watch the DVR of Survivor. Although I've done hardly anything all day, I'm pooped, so I'm going to relax and watch TV for the rest of the evening.

PSA

The piece of furniture to which you refer is CHEST OF DRAWERS.

It is not, dear lady, a CHESTER DRAWERS.

Now that we have that settled, I will resume noshing on my tuna fish and Wasa crackers.

Thank you, and have a nice day.

ABCDEFG.... are you sick of reading about Me?

A. Attached or single? Attached since 1994.
B. Best friend? My husband.
C. Cake or pie? Pie, please. Lemon meringue if you have it. Not the kind made like Jello. The kind made with sweetened condensed milk.
D. Day of the week? Thursday
E. Essential item? computer
F. Favorite color? red or orange
G. Gummi worms or bears? I like the worms better. They're more fun to eat.
H. Hometown? Gardendale, AL
I. Favorite Indulgence? powdered donuts and Mountain Dew... aka "the breakfast of champions"
J. January or July? January. That's when we celebrate our anniversary.
K. Kids? 2 girls, 2 boys
L. Life isn't complete without? E. Otherwise it's just LIF.
M. Marriage date? January 20th
N. Number of siblings? One younger sister
O. Oranges or apples? mandarin oranges
P. Phobias? drowning; death of a parent, sister, child or husband; the house burning down
Q. Quotes? "When my mother was dying, she said, 'Always try and be kind and nice to people. And if you do that, somebody will always speak up for you.' And I've found that to be a fact. They really do." - BB King
R. Reasons to smile? just waking up in the morning, the kids' laughter, a funny joke that makes me laugh 'til I hurt
S. Season of choice? Fall
T. Tag one person. Kim, because she left the sweetest comment on my blog recently! Thanks, Kim!
U. Unknown fact about me? Is there anything I haven't yet shared? Um... let's see.... I have a used bullet in my bedside table drawer and I have no clue how it got there.
V. Vroom Vroom... What kind of car do you drive? Toyota Sienna (2004)
W. Worst habit? picking my fingernails
X. X-ray or Ultrasound? Ultrasound.
Y. Favorite food? (Why is this the question for "y?") Mexican
Z. Zodiac sign? Aquarius, but I don't believe that nonsense. Don't even bother reading it.

Friday Fill Ins 2/6

1. Please don't tell me what happened last night on Grey's Anatomy. I haven't watched it yet.
2. Can you let me sleep late in the morning?
3. The color mint green makes me want to puke. In three episodes of "Clean House" that I watched yesterday (while I was in bed, sick) the designer used mint green on the bedroom walls. Must've been a sale on that color paint. I hate that color. Makes me think of institutions. I would NEVER paint anything in my house that color.
4. I have a craving for waffles from The Pancake Pantry in Gatlinburg.
5. If my life had a pause button, I'd pause it when each of my kids were born. Those were magical moments.
6. Eyes are the bread and butter for our family (hubby's an eye doctor)
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to hosting Aiden's movie birthday party. Tomorrow my plans include hanging out with the family and church and Sunday, I want to catch up on my Year of Cheer card class assignments.

Wordless Wednesday

(Click the picture to see it larger.)