Grandma and Grandpa's Fall 07 Visit

Gotta Walk...

I am not the best exerciser in the world. I walk. I lift my little hand weights. I do my cute little exercises Heather Kerr (my personal trainer for two hours) taught me. But I am not very consistent.

But as I get older. Like really old like I am now. 36 ya know. That is so old. I find myself like feeling old. Could it be that I have arthritis? I have since I was 25. Could it be that I recently sprained my ankle on a run with a pal? Could it be that I chipped a bone in my 2nd metacarpal totally unknown to me? Could it be that afore mentioned pal talked me into auditioning for a musical in which I must dance about on a stage as if I were in high school? Could be.

Anyway... I digress...

Every morning, as I take my kids to school I drive down Eager Road and see the sweetest little lady about my grandma Babe's age (84) taking her morning walk. She always carries her umbrella with her and she is wearing a little hat and she is walking down one side as I drive to school and down the other as I come home. It always inspires me to get out there and lose those extra few pounds! You can do it Jacki!!

The other day my 84-year-old grandma Babe was admitted to the hospital for a little "procedure" and the doctor asked my brother if she needed a walker to get up from bed. My brother just laughed. Why? The crazy woman volunteers at this same hospital at least one day a week, bowls 3 games a week and mentors at the local elementary school one day week.
P-LEASE!!!!

And then there is me. 50 years younger. Knowing that in a few minutes Mindy is going to call and tell me she is on her way to walk.

These ladies truly are members of the greatest generation. Not just because they lived through The Great Depression, Pearl Harbor and World War II but because they actually get off their duff and do something to make themselves keep living. I hope that when I am their age Mindy and I are still walking my neighborhood.

Except I hope we don't live in Michigan then...

There's the phone now....Yip that's her...Gotta go walk....

This is Just Wrong

Oz Ticket Info

Since Mrs. Dave Webber asked here is the Oz info...

Oz Ticket Info

Those of you 242ers can go with my cell group if you would like. Just email Carrie Clark at
carriechristophel@yahoo.com and she will get you in with our head count.

Tickets are not on sale to the public yet but Carrie is getting them through my cast privilege so that you can all sit together.

Glad you guys are all coming. Yell loud during our curtain calls!!!!

Creeeaaakkkk!!!

That is the sound of my joints this morning after my first dance rehearsal from Oz.

OUCH!!! I am so old.

I am so old that my favorite part of the dance is when I leave the stage to get the straw for stuffing the scarecrow.

But then I have to come back.

And dance some more.

And get down on one knee for our big finish.

And smile about it.

And get up quickly afterword.

It hurts me.

Because I'm not young anymore dang it.

You know what really pangs me about all this. Our choreographer just had a baby. Like 3 weeks ago. She dances around the stage like it is nothing. And she was doing that less than a week after her baby was born. Whatever.

So, if you come to see Oz...and I hope you do...please be impressed and pretend like you don't know how much pain this first rehearsal was on this poor old woman.

Memories...

Last night Grant asked to see me in my room so I stopped what I was doing and followed him in there. He said, "Mom, would you tell Abi to quit calling me a dork and telling my friends that I am a dork in front of everyone at school." So after a little talk about this I called Abi in.

I asked Abi what was up.

She said, "OK, mom, here's the deal. Grant comes in and takes all my friends. All my friends are talking about how cool Grant is and they want to talk to him and not me. And Jake (who was Abi's boyfriend last year) is like Grant's best friend now and won't even talk to me. And their like 'Gosh Abi, I didn't know your brother was so cool!'".

And that is when it was like de ja vu all over again.

See my twerpy LITTLE brother was TWO years YOUNGER than me and for the first time since grade school we were attending a school together because a new high school had been built and I was a SENIOR and he was a SOPHOMORE. I was supposed to be COOL and he was supposed to be a DORK.

Oh not so!!! On the first day of school I kept being asked, "Hey, your Max Stephens sister aren't you?" "Hey you know where Max is?" "Hey can I have your number?...I need to call Max!!"

I explained to Abi that I learned to use that to my advantage.

See Max was also an athelete and so were his friends. Max couldn't drive and neither could his friends. But I could. His friends often needed rides home from practice. And his friends were sometimes pretty cute.

So, hopefully Abi will have a better day now knowing that she can use her little brother to get what she wants out of middle school for now and when she gets older she can have a great friend out of her little brother like I do now.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Is today...

Today...

College game day comes on at 10:00 a.m.

The first college football game starts at noon.

OU kicks off at 6:00 p.m.

I get to see the most beautiful town in America, Norman, Oklahoma live on national television.

My grandma is here from Oklahoma to share it with me.

Friends are coming over for burgers and fried taters to share that with me.

Tales from the Sooner sidelines will be shared during commercial breaks.

Life is good.

Oh...and...today is my husband's birthday too. Happy birthday dear!!! I love you!!!

My life in a nutshell

If you give a mom a muffin,

She'll want a cup of coffee to go with it.

So she'll pour herself some.

The coffee will get spilled by her three year old.

She'll wipe it up.

Wiping the floor, she will find some dirty socks.

She'll remember she has to do some laundry.

When she puts the laundry in the washer,

She'll trip over some snow boots and bump into the freezer.

Bumping into the freezer will remind her she has to plan supper for tonight.

She will get out a pound of hamburger.

She'll look for her cookbook. (101 Things To Make With a Pound ofHamburger.)

The cookbook is sitting under a pile of mail.

She will see the phone bill which is due tomorrow.

She will look for the checkbook.

The checkbook is in her purse that is being dumped out by her two year old.

She'll smell something funny.

She'll change the two year old.

While she is changing the two year old the phone will ring. (Of course!)

Her five year old will answer it and hang up.

She remembers that she wants to phone a friend to come over for coffee onFriday.

Thinking of coffee will remind her that she was going to have a cup.

She will pour herself some.

And chances are,If she has a cup of coffee,

Her kids will have eaten the muffin that went with it.

Written by Kathy Fictorie

Based on If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff

We're off to see the Wizard...

So, Mindy calls.

She says, "What do you think about auditioning for "Wizard of Oz"?

I said, "Sure, why not!"

So we head to Community Theater of Howell and go for it.

I learned a lot about myself. One, I'm old. Two, I can't dance. Never could but I used to be able to fake it. Three, auditioning is fun. Four, there are a lot of talented people in Livingston County.

Mindy and I decided that we would go for the Wicked Witch and Glinda parts. How fun if we were cast opposite each other. We sized up the competition and decided that we owned the parts. We are, after all... us. We already had "chemistry" together. Let's go for it!!! Boy, are there some talented people out there!!!! I couldn't believe the competition. Amazing people out there!!!

Paige and Evy auditioned for Munchkins. Let me tell you...they were the cutest ones out there of course!!!!!

To sum it all up...we had a blast this week!!!

Mindy was cast as Glinda, I was cast in the adult chorus and Paige was cast as a Munchkin.

We are very excited about this walk down the yellow brick road and hope all of you will come and check it out. Opening night is November 9 and plays 4 shows that weekend (2 on Sunday) and the following weekend the same schedule. Tickets go on sale in October.

So, if you see us around town with our dark shades on and Harry Winston and Mia in our purses please don't be offended if we don't say hello right away. We haven't forgotten you. Our security team sometimes prohibits us from talking to our fans. But we still love you and once this is all over in November we can hang out with the public again.

Happy Birthday Paige!!!!!!!!!!!

In the Good Ol' Summertime

Nothin beats a snack by the beach.














HOS has had enough of the beach.

















Playing in the park.




















Our neighbor Chloe and Paige enjoy the frog pond!



















They caught a big 'un.
















Grant and Henry playing on "our" lake.

God Bless America!

Ok....Yes...I'm being totally sarcastic in my praise for our nation. I am FED UP!!!! SERIOUSLY!!!

In late May we applied for passports for our August 1-13 trip to Costa Rica. Are we in Costa Rica? NO!!! Do we have passports??? NO!!! Are we not in Costa Rica because we don't have passports??? No...not really. But still it is the principle of the matter!! We could have been in that situation.

Today, after 3 days without mail, my neighbor comes to me and says that she had just gotten off the phone with the post office. She was told mail has been cut off from our sub until further notice because our mail carrier had been stung by bees 3 times. So I went down to the Howell Post Office and calmly stated my frustration.

Well...maybe not so calmly but at least I didn't have on my 242 t-shirt.

Anyway, by the time I got to the post office the mail carrier lady had been bitten 10 times which is amazing to me that she had been bitten 7 more times in about 10 minutes and she isn't even supposed to be delivering our mail today. Weird huh?

So, I'm thinking maybe our passports are in the mail and we haven't received them due to this buzzing problem. Get it...BUZZING!

Nope, not there.

I love this country.

Water Balloons for Jesus

So, last Sunday, our precious preschool director Laura, asked me if I would volunteer my family to serve during Soakfest; our church's outreach thingy for the Brighton area. Sure, love to help out I told her. "Great!" she replied, "Would you be willing to blow up this 100 count pack of water balloons?"

"Anything for you Mrs. Laura," I answered, "But I can do more than one pack."

"Thanks a bunch. Here's two," she said.

I took them thinking, "I could have taken more but whatever!"

I go about my week.

Then Friday night it hit me. I've got Soakfest tomorrow and I haven't blown up a SINGLE water balloon. OHMYGOSH!!!

So, I begin blowing up balloons. I got very wet and so did my kitchen. And my living room. I got about half of the balloons done.

Got up Saturday. Blew up another 60 or so before lunch.

After lunch I filled up the rest.

All this time I am putting the balloons in a rolling laundry basket with a trash bag inside. Wasn't that smart? I thought so.

So when I am finished filling the laundry basket I roll it out to my van. It is heavy but I figure..."it's only water, right?"

Water is very heavy I discovered!

I couldn't lift the balloons into my car. Kurtis had gone on an impromptu camping trip with Grant and my neighbor wasn't home either. So, Paige and I took each balloon from the rolling laundry basket and put it in a Rubbermaid tub so that I could lift the rolling laundry basket into the car and safely transport them to this outreach event.

When we got enough of the balloons out of the basket so that we could lift the rolling laundry basket into the car we went for it.

We decided we would just lift the other Rubbermaid tub in the car and move them once we got to the Mill Pond in Brighton.

As I drove I seemed to hit every speed bump and pothole and had to make a couple of quick stops. I kept hearing little "pops" in the back of the van.

My precious little balloons were being assaulted by the Michigan roads. I blame the governor. We need better roads in Michigan. But I don't want construction when I have to go somewhere. That's another rant I guess.

Anyway, I get to Soakfest. We had to park a couple of blocks away but at least I had my balloons in a rolling laundry basket right? I lift the balloons out of the car and head toward downtown Brighton.

Paige and I are walking to the Mill Pond and crossing Grand River. (Okies, this is like crossing Robinson or Lindsay in Norman) All of a sudden in the middle of the crosswalk I loose a wheel and it goes rolling down Grand River. Stunned and confused as to what to do, (I mean do I leave it? Do I grab it and cause all traffic to stop on this busy street and leave my almost 9 year old standing in the middle of the crosswalk?)

Thank you Lord, I car drove by and bumped in my direction. I grab it and off I went now dragging the rolling laundry basket through the fair part of Summerfest looking for my 242 Soakfest crew.

When I located them and delivered my precious balloons I was thankful my duty was over. I had filled my balloons. I had delivered them.

And then I watched as my 200 (well more like 150 by the time I got there!) balloons were destroyed in under 2 minutes. It took me two days and I lost a laundry basket in the process but I was ever so thankful that Mrs. Laura didn't give me more balloons to fill and was hopeful that a little life was touched, even though briefly, with my water balloons.

Harry Potter Mania!!-no spoilers here!

I'm a nerd. I know it. I embrace it.

Last night when I was still awake at 11:30 I thought to myself, "Self, I should go up to Wal-Mart and purchase that book."

Well, I'm not that big of a nerd.

So, I went to sleep. At 4:00 I woke up and thought to myself, "Self, I should go up to Wal-Mart and purchase that book."

Couldn't do it then either.

But then I woke up at 8:00, had breakfast, leisurely got dressed and went to Wal-Mart to purchase that book.

By 10:30 I was reading it as fast as I could take it all in. Here it is 5:15 and I have made it to chapter 10 and am totally into it.

I think it is really nerdy of me to be this into a book. I can't remember a time in my life time that such a book as engrossed the world. Literally, the world!!!

It is amazing to me!!

And I was one of them. I have come a long way since passing the books around in a brown paper bag at church hoping no one would see and risking being ridiculed for my interest in something so many were criticizing and hadn't even read.

I have to say. I will be sorry to see the books come to end. But am glad they all reside on my shelf ready to be recreated in my mind as often as I like.

I got to go to Mall of America!!!

For real!!!! I did!!!!

I thought Lib was going to laugh at me until she threw up when I said I wanted to go to Mall of America. But come on!!! Who goes to Minneapolis/St. Paul without going!! Really people!!!!

I know she lives there and everything and I think she hid most of the time so that she wasn't seen by anyone she knew (ok, not really) but we did go and she did ride the roller coaster I might add!!

Mindy was much more gracious. She made me feel better by saying, "Henry has never been to MOA either! It will be his first time too!" Thanks Min!

We did have a great time and we thank our hosts Zac and Lib for all the GREAT food and fun we had last weekend. You are missed!!!!

More Vacation Pics

Thanks Kurtis!!

When I came home on Friday from a month in Oklahoma with the kids, I found the living room clean, kitchen clean and a heap (well maybe MOUND!) of clean laundry on the couch waiting to be folded. Kurtis did all the laundry while I was gone. He washed it, dried it, and piled it right on the couch. He also didn't sort it, read the labels for washing instructions or think to keep the loads to our washer's capacity. Isn't that thougthful!!

Choir robes and everything!

Check it out...
Skip to about 1/2 way through I think.
http://www.shbc-okc.org/video.asp

Jacki Almighty!

Seriously!! I haven't seen Evan Almighty yet but I have read the story from Genesis about the real Noah Almighty and the story is alive here in Oklahoma!!!

Usually this time of year Oklahoma is well into the 100s temp wise, the grass is brown, wildfires are blazing throughout the prairie and we are begging for the Lord to give us a shot of aqua.

Not this year.

Last year at this time Oklahoma was in the news for the constant wildfires and a severe drought.

This year, flooding and recovery efforts of those swept away by the flooding are in the news.

It's unreal. We have had rain every day that I have been home and it is forecast everyday in the 7-day.

In other news....
I have had a great visit. I am actually singing in choir this Sunday with my mom. Choir robes and everything people!!! I did choir practice last night and finally worked back up to my B-flat. It had been awhile since I have used my choir voice and it was a lot of fun.

I pick up Abi and Grant from camp with our old church today. Paige has had a great visit with her cousins and Kurtis's parents this week.

Sunday I went back to our old church in Norman and it was great to see old friends and catch up with some of them.

Last night at choir practice I got to catch up with friends from OBU and other connections that come with being a Southern Baptist in the Bible Belt.

Hanging out with my family has been awesome. I've spent more time with my dad's mom that I have in years.

I've heard family stories I have never heard before and learned my grandfather's (my mom's dad) family history which an aunt has traced back to England in 1683.

All in all, it has been a great visit. I can't believe I will still be here a week!

Happy 11th Birthday Grant!!!

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Sweet Home Oklahoma!

Reflections

Early Wednesday morning I received a call from my youngest brother that my Aunt Maxine(we call her Mappy!) had passed away at the age of 87.

I taught my classes, ran many errands and focused on figuring out a way to get home for the funeral.

Later, that night I talked to my oldest little brother, Max, and we reflected on her and her husband's life (he passed away last Nov) and the nonsense of the years we had together.

What's funny is, this was our great aunt. My grandma's sister on my dad's side. She was such a stinker!! She was the first one to cut up with you-she usually brought it on actually!! We road thousands of miles across country with her, her husband, other great aunts and my grandma (once my great grandma was along at the age of 91). There were no seat belt laws at the time so my brother and I would sit on this big round port-a-potty thing in between the front seats of her conversion van.

They had a cabin at the lake that we went to all summer. I remember us loading on to the boat with Granny (the 91 year old great grandma) bungie corded in her wheelchair behind Mappy's seat (that's an Okie redneck family for you!). She was all secured so that when we said "Gun it!" Map really would and all us kids thought that was so cool.

I could go on and on.

Then I'm up at 4:00 in the morning on Friday. Haven't been asleep since 1:00 a.m. I'm thinking about one thing after another in prep for our trip home. The things I forgot to do, like make a deposit at the bank. Oh, the money that cost over the years!!!

Then I switched to thoughts of Paige's acheivement day at school Thursday. A celebration of her year at school. Oh, how far she has come since the crying and separation anxiety we were facing in the fall. She now is crying because she has to leave her teachers for the summer.

Those of you that know Paige well know that she has a lot of the same characteristics I described about my wonderful great-aunt. Paige will be the first to make you laugh in any situation. She is so much fun and I am so blessed to be her mom.

I am thankful that my kids got the chance to know my aunt. She was a great lady and I am blessed to have spent 35 super years with her.

Ummmm...9-1-1?

I came in from working in the yard tonight and this is what I found:

It kinda freaked me out so I thought- call 911? First, I thought I would see what was up.

I discovered we have four baby birds living under our deck and mama bird had come in to feed them. I laid down on my belly and looked between the crack (of the deck) and there they were. It was a beautiful illustration of the Sunday School lesson I taught a few weeks ago to my 3's. We learned about how God provides food and water for the birds and flowers and we should know that God will take care of us too.

Later, I told Paige about our discovery and low and behold. This is how I found her a few minutes later.

What the Heck????

Some ding dong is posting comments on my blog listing several websites that appear to be in Russian. So, I am moderating comments for awhile.

What is with people????

I'm supposed to be camping right now. I'm supposed to be setting up my tent and finding the stuff we left in it from the previous camping season. I'm supposed to be listening to my kids gathering kindling to start a fire. I am supposed to be grumping about the campers at the next site who aren't watching their kids and who have their music too loud. I'm supposed to be looking forward to pudgie pies and monkey bread that only Mindy can make.

Where am I?
Home.

Why?
Grant's injured ankle and the process of events that followed his diagnosis.

How does that make me feel?
Sucky!

Where are my camping buddies?
On their way to camp anyway.

How does that make me feel?
jealous

It sucked me in!!!

Laugh if you want but I am a Dancing with the Stars fan. Go Joey!! Go Apollo!! But at the conclusion of tonight's episode after the kids were all tucked in bed and Kurtis was snuggled up with his XBOX I came back into the living room where the TV was still on.

It was The Bachelor.

What a stupid excuse for a show!!! Here is this guy who they call a "gentleman" through this whole show who is choosing between these two half-brained-low-self-esteemed gals who proceed to each make out with him and meet his parents to which he admits "he just can't choose between them". OMG!!!! To quote my IMing adolescent. WTH!

Giggle here!!! Giggle there!!! Everywhere a giggle-giggle!!

Both girls giggle their way into his heart. This is so ridiculous.

Yet, I watch. Still. I have to know who he chooses after all.

Now, here's the thing. Each girl knows there is another girl. So they make their last attempt for his heart. This is so dumb. Still watching though. Yet neither is confident enough to pledge their undying love to him. Oh but wait....a gift from one of them and she does pledge her love. How beautiful!!! She loves him!! and HE LOVES HER!!! Even though he is going to make out with the other girl after the commercial break. He is, after all, a gentleman!!! He can't leave the other girl out. It might hurt her feelings. Oh yeah...still watching.

Commercial break........yip, made out with the other one........ in the ocean......in Hawaii.

Can you imagine? I mean really? I just don't get it!! Seriously!!!

Hey Dad, how'd you meet mom?
Well you see son...we met on a reality TV show. Wanna see a clip? This is the girl that I made out with before I asked your mom to marry me. And, yes...I told her I loved her but really it was just for TV ratings. I really never loved her...I just kissed her (and whatever else!) alot. But, you know...I REALLY loved your mom when I told her I loved her...I meant that.

I swear I'm going to turn this show off!!

As soon as I know who he picked.

A Work of Art

Grant cooking his first ever cheesecake with out the help of Zac the professional chef.












The finished product


UMMMMM was it good!!!!

Don't hate me because I'm talented

I got Dance Dance Revolution for Mother's Day. I just got it yesterday but I think I'm getting pretty good.

Anyway, this is me playing DDR but I didn't want to show my face just in case someone saw it and recognized me and wanted me to do a guest spot on Letterman or something.

That would have been very embarrassing.


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Handbag (handbag?) Tag

Only for my dear friend Mindy who tagged me would I actually do this. Now, I tag Libby! Go ahead show us your Prada!

I'm a purse nut. I love them!!! I love BIG ONES!! I love leather ones. I love fun ones. But right now my budget allows them to come from Target. Which is where I picked up this little number.
Oh yeah, it's big. Huge really. I can shove anything in this thing. This was a slow day so I didn't have near as much in it. I wonder why my arthritis flares up after a long day carrying this thing.

This is the inside:

The contents:

• many misc receipts
• change that Mindy gave me for the kids to take to the penny drive because Evy didn't want them and I forgot to give them.
• my pink wallet (so not me but it was free)
• Costco card-don't leave home without it
• emergency sewing kit
• my new favorite thing-York mints
• two checkbooks for two different bank accounts
• a notepad
• a Los Tres Amigos kid menu that I wrote my grocery list on while eating lunch at Los Tres.
• cell phone
• 4 Weetopia volunteer tags that I forget to leave on the teacher table at church
• 4 pens
• Chronicles of Narnia chapstick
• tweezers
• an envelope of wax for my kids braces
• empty eyeglasses case (why?-don't know!)
• 4 different prescription meds (for what?-not tellin!)
• 2 OTC meds for motion sickness (left over from
• Christmas travel) and ibuprofen
• And here it is empty.

I have now completed my Handbag (handbag?) Tag.

You're it Lib!

CALGON TAKE ME AWAY!!!!

I am so sick of the "can I syndrome!"

No, you can't do anything. At all. EVER!!!!!!!

Just sit still and don't talk or look at each other or me or anybody else!

You can't play outside! You can't go to some person's house that I don't even know! You can't use the phone or computer! You can't wear my clothes. You can not drink my Diet Coke! You can't make a fort! You can't have people spend the night!!

What can you do? OH!!! I'll tell you what YOU CAN do!!!

You can fold laundry. You can clean your room. You can mow the grass. You can read a book. You can unload the dishwasher. You can dust the living room. You can
read your Bible. You can take the dog for a walk. You can mop the floor.

Why is this so hard!!!!

These are the days I miss right here!

What does your 83 year old grandma do in her spare time?

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Mom's Easter Visit

Happy Birthday Mindy!!

Misty gives me the funnest ideas!!!

Create your own Friend Quiz here

Lunch anyone?

Yesterday I was on my way to school to go to music class with Paige when I called Kurtis and asked him if he would like to do lunch. He told me he was too busy but thanks anyway.

No biggie.

After music class I asked Paige if she would like me to take her to lunch and then bring her back to school. She said she would like to do it another day because they were celebrating two class mates' birthdays during lunch and she didn't want to miss the treats.

No biggie.

On my way out of school I stopped by Grant's room and noticed they were just cleaning up from lunch.

No biggie.

I didn't feel I could take the rejection of one more person so I didn't make the hike out to the middle school to see if Abi wanted to do lunch and just went on with my day.

No biggie.

On the way home I called Kurtis and told him about how Paige blew me off for lunch. He laughed and we joked together about how our kids don't want to do that kind of stuff with us much anymore.

Last night, I was making lunches and here is how it all became a biggie!!:

Kurtis: I don't need a lunch tomorrow.
Jacki: Oh, OK, do you have a meeting.
Kurtis: No, Jay and I went to get PIZZA today!!!!
Jacki: OH!!!!!!!! I thought you were to busy to have lunch today?????
Kurtis: Well, I was but Jay kept bugging me and I just had an ol' salami sandwich so I decided I could take a few minutes to have a little pizza with Jay!!!
Jacki: Man!!! I was blown off for lunch twice today.
Kurtis: Yeah, I didn't want to remind you of that.

Isn't he thoughtful not to rub it in?????BIGGIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks Misty for the cool idea!!!

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All Grown Up and No Place to Go...maybe!

I've shared with a number of you how Abi was invited to her first boy/girl middle school birthday party. It is scheduled for tomorrow night.

She got the invite on Tuesday and all week we have been trying to make a decision on whether or not she could go. It is not that I didn't trust her but I don't know these people who want to be entrusted to my daughter's social development and have the potential to scar her for life. No pressure!!

After seeking the council of many of my wiser and more distant from the immediate concequences of this decsion, we decided to let her go.

Secretly, we are both praying that something will happen and she can't go.

Last night, it happened!!! She has a FEVER!!!!

She immediately asks me if she will still be able to go to the party and I said that we would have to see how she was feeling tonight and in the morning but if she had a fever tonight at 6:00 she wouldn't be able to go because she will have had a fever with in the last 24 hours. She understood but was understandibly dissapointed.

Is it wrong that I am enjoying my daughter's sickness in such a way and that I am secretly hoping that at 6:00 tonight she still has a fever???

Oh, I miss the days when she just kept me up all night crying!!!!! At least that won't scar her for life!!

Grant has skills

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Phone Free Day!

We declared yesterday phone free day at our house. It rocked!!!

I turned the ringers off, muted the answering machine and let the sucker ring. Awesome!!!

After a rough week on the kids I decided it was best to have no friends and no phone interrupting our day together yesterday. Grant shot aliens in his new 360 game, Paige and I read a book "The Tiger Rising" together and then took an hour long nap. We got up and watched "Lady in the Water" together (two thumbs WAY up for that one), Abi babysat and played "Sims" on the computer.

When Kurtis got home we had dinner and played "Bunco". Then we watched a little "I Shouldn't be Alive" on Discovery Channel.

It was the most relaxing day we have ever had.

Proud of my People

Things I have learned living in Oklahoma
1. Possums sleep in the middle of the road with their feet in the air
2. There are 5,000 types of snakes and 4,998 live in Oklahoma.
3. There are 10,000 types of spiders. All 10,000 live in Oklahoma plus a couple no one's seen before.
4. If it grows, it sticks; if it crawls, it bites.
5. Onced and twiced are words.
6. It is not a shopping cart; it is a buggy.
7. Fire ants consider your flesh as a picnic.
8. People actually grow and eat okra.
9. Fixinto is one word.
10. There is no such thing as "lunch". There is only dinner and then there is supper.
11. Ice tea is appropriate for all meals and you start drinking it when you're two. We do like a little tea with our sugar!
12. Backards and forwards means "I know everything about you."
13. 'Jeet?' is actually a phrase meaning "Did you eat?"
14. You don't have to wear a watch because it doesn't matter what time it is. You work until
you' re done or it's too dark to see.
15. You don't PUSH buttons, you MASH them.

YOU KNOW YOU'RE FROM OKLAHOMA IF:
1. You measure distance in minutes.
2. You've ever had to switch from "heat" to "A/C" in the same day.
3. You use "fix" as a verb. Example: "I'm fixing to go to the store".
4. All the festivals across the state are named after a fruit, vegetable,grain, insect or animal.
5. You install security lights on your house and garage and leave both unlocked.
6. You know what a "DAWG" is.
7. You carry jumper cables in your pickup...for your OWN pickup.
8. You only own four spices: salt, pepper, Tabasco and ketchup.
9. The local papers cover national and international news on one page but require 6 pages for local gossip and sports.
10. You think that the first day of deer season is a national holiday.
11. You find 100 degrees Fahrenheit "a little warm".
12. You know all four seasons: Almost Summer, Summer, still Summer and Christmas.
13. You know whether another okie is from, north or south as soon as they>open their mouth.
14. Going to Wal-mart is a favorite past time known as "goin' Wal-martin" .
15. You describe the first cool snap (below 70 degrees) as good pinto-bean>weather.
16. A carbonated soft drink isn't a soda, cola or pop. it's a Coke,>regardless of brand or flavor.>>Example: "What kinda coke you want?"
17. Fried catfish is the other white meat.
18. We don't need no stinking driver's ed....if our mama says we can drive, we can drive.
19. You understand these jokes and forward them to your friends from Oklahoma (and those who just wish they were). (I think it has to be worse if you put it on your blog!)

Not EVERYONE can be an okie, it's an art form and a gift from God!

Help I'm laughing and I can't shut up!

Mindy and I have been working on our lean and toned bodies by attending a yoga class once a week (this week it was actually twice!).

Anyway, this last week I thought we were going to get kicked out. It all started with a yoga squat that went to this move

Then, we were to extend it to this:

That's when things got tricky! Mindy makes her "move" and lands with a head bonk to the hard wood floor. It was so funny that Mindy and I began laughing hysterically. Seriously, we couldn't stop!!! It was one of those awkward moments you have at a funeral or in church when you are uncontrollably laughing at the worst time ever!! This lasted for like 2 minutes or so and we missed the next several moves.

But to brag on my pal, I must say that she was the only one in the class to complete the move (even after the head injury). Way to go Min!!

How Pathetic

How pathetic is my life that when my husband starts discussing Valentine's Day I ask him to just pay off my library fines????

Gotta work on this...

Yesterday at "Joy Luck" we were talking about what our kids thought we loved most. I asked my kids for their top five. Here is what they thought was most important to me...

Grant-
1. Him
2. Abi
3. Paige
4. Dad
5. God

Abi-
1. Her
2. Grant
3. Paige
4. Dad
5. OU Football

Paige-
1. all the kids in the family
2. Daddy
3. God
4. Nana (my mom)
5. PaPa Bus (my grandpa)

I'm glad they all thought they were most important but I think I might need to work on the God thing!!!

Two Thumbs WAY Down!!

For Happily N'Ever After.

I lived happily EVER after when the stupid movie was over. This is the dumbest movie ever and not only did I waste $30 taking my family to see this ridiculous tale but 2 hours of my life I can never get back.

So if your kids are begging you to take them to see this waste of film and ink please take them to see Charlotte's Web or rent Finding Nemo for the 100th time. You will enjoy it more.

When it is like this, you just gotta laugh

Here is how my day was yesterday...

Woke up to Paige puking all over the house. Literally!! At last count I have 3 puke stains on my carpet.

The dog found dirty (and I do mean DIRTY!) underwear in the laundry room floor and proceded to run all over the house with it in her mouth.

Had to pick Grant up from school with a sprained ankle.

Got a call from middle school camp where Abi had fallen and sprained her wrist.

Kurtis put together the exercise bike we purchased Sunday after church only to find that the very last thing you put on (the computer part) doesn't work.

I have 3 classes to teach today but have 2 kids puking now. Add Grant to the list.

Grant and Paige will both miss an orthodontist appointment today because of puking.

Because of puking, I have a ton of laundry to do. Or throw away which ever I decide.

At 10:00 last night Kurtis tells me he has a meeting in Warren and his pants need to be ironed.

Yesterday, it was my turn to cook supper for the family down the street who had a death in the family. Their 6 week old baby passed away last week. So, in the grand scheme of things my day could have been much worse and I choose to be thankful for puking kids with sprained limbs.

Merry Chistmas Y'all!!

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A Few of my Favorite Things...

A Christmas Party every night of the weekend.
Having a sick kid snuggle you for hours (however, missing above mentioned parties-not my favorite thing.)
My Christmas Tree.
Packing to go home for Christmas.
Sugar cookies with icing.
Planning my daughters school Christmas party.
My dog.
Monday night TV night with Kurtis.
Finishing a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle we worked on while Paige was sick.
Candy canes.
Candy canes in hot chocolate.
Candy canes on chocolate cake.
My kids.
Reading a good book by the fireplace wrapped up in a blankie with the Christmas tree glowing.
OU in a BCS bowl.

Just felt the need to share. Enjoy your favorite things this season.

It just doesn't get any better than this

The past couple of days I have just been down. I've made silly mistakes resulting in closing the garage door on my car, loosing my driver's license, burning pancakes I made for dinner, forgetting I made plans with friends and having to cancel a sleepover for Abi...the list could go on but I'll stop here!

Last night was the kids school Christmas...oops!...sorry...Holiday Concert. They were so excited. I was excited. I had purchased new shoes for Grant that I thought were so cool. I just new he was going to love them. I knew he was going to embrace me and say, "Mom, you are so cool! Thanks so much!"

Didn't happen.

He wanted different shoes. Not just different shoes but shoes that were two sizes too big so that they would slip off when you walk. I returned the above mentioned shoes and took him to buy the ones he wanted. I was not going to allow him to buy shoes that slip off when he walked no matter how many times he told me that he could skateboard better in them.

I thought to myself, what happened to the days when I could go to WalMart and buy the Barney shoes or the light ups and my kids wore them out. What happened to my sweet little boy who thought his mom was cool.

Now, to the good part.

So we go to the concert. The kids were cute. All of them were so excited and just full of fun. Paige's class sang "Rudolph" and Grant's sang "Jingle Bell Rock".
The finale was the best though. The entire school came out and sang "Light the Candles" then they lit the candles! It was beautiful. They thought it was cool and I thought it was cool and what was really cool is that for those couple of minutes I thought shoes don't really matter because life just doesn't get any better than this.


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