sixteensisters

Two Weeks Down, Ten to Go!

2012-01-24T20:25:00.011-06:00

I started TCA 15 days ago, and oh my, what a 15 days it has been. Our days are long ones, usually starting at 7am and officially ending at 6pm. However, we’re expected to put in at least two additional hours working with our dogs each night. I think my body is still in shock. Oh, how I miss my naps!

I am enjoying being here, learning and being challenged. I have met some interesting people from all over the country. There’s Jacqui from New Hampshire with the coolest accent, Jessica from Utah, Kristy from Georgia, Jim from Fargo, Patrick from Louisiana, Shannon from D.C., the two Laura’s from New Jersey and Wisconsin as well as some fellow Texans among the group and last, but certainly not least, is my roommate, Mai (pronounced My), who is Egyptian, but came here from her home in Guatemala. There are 17 of us in all.

We started out with 18 but we lost one 7 days into it, which was a blessing for us all. I predicted that outcome, but even so, I was shocked at how quickly she dropped out. She was my other roommate, and had she returned from her overnight stay “with her aunt” in Waco last Monday, Mai and I had already decided that we had to let the school coordinator know that we couldn’t continue to live with her.

Within 15 seconds of meeting her it was obvious to all that she was loaded with issues and not someone you’d want to be around 24/7, or even 24 seconds for that matter. She provided some great material with her shocking stories and behavior during week one, but she also made studying and getting any peace and quiet in the house impossible. She accused me of going through her pockets on her coat when I was just pulling the sleeves out after finding it lying on top of the stove and was going to place it neatly on her counter space. She was a 50-year-old train wreck to put it nicely. I wish her well, but she was making life miserable for us here in the house.

I brought Jaxon and Sam with me, and was also assigned a rescue dog to train and care for. It’s a bit overwhelming to have three dogs to work with, especially with the fast pace in which we move. I’m living in a 4-bedroom mobile home on-site. I do a lot of walking to and from class and to the kennels and training center. I don’t have my vehicle. I had to leave it for the family. That has taken some getting used to but I catch rides into town with my student neighbors when I need something.

I had kennel duty last week and it nearly killed me. I was up at 5 and cleaning kennels until about 7:30 then had to start my day. We all have to rotate on kennel duty and some people got stuck with it twice but I only got it once. I’m so glad I got it over with and out of the way.

We will be going on a class field trip at some point to Sea World, where we will get to see a dolphin ejaculate on command. I guess that’s something most people can’t say that they’ve seen and I’m not sure they’d really want to. We use clicker training and dolphins have been using it for quite some time and they can actually train a dolphin to do that for reproduction purposes.

There have been plenty of funnies since I’ve been here. Let’s see. I locked myself into the kennel with my rescue dog the first day. I have since learned how to open it from the inside, but was afraid I was going to have to crawl through the doggie door and holler for help or sleep with my rescue. Luckily, Mai showed up just in time. She was upset that she didn’t have her camera.

Then there was the morning after Mai made me some of her Guatemalan tea that is a great laxative for those of us who aren’t always regular. She warned me that it takes about 12-hours to hit and so we had to drink it early or we’d be reliving the scene from Bridesmaids during class. I was out walking my rescue on this 360-acre spread when the rumbling in my tummy started. I thought I’d have time to get him back to the kennel and make it to my trailer, but ended up bringing him back to the house and barely making it to the bathroom. Then, 15-minutes after class started round two hit me and Mai said I walked very slowly and strangely to the bathroom, which made her laugh. When I sat back down I whispered, “I hate you” to her and it wasn’t because of how she said I walked out. I didn’t know that until later. Funny how I vow every morning I’ll never drink it again as I sit here sipping on a cup now. We are on an every other day regime of the Guatemalan tea.

Besides the crazy roommate stories, which I don’t have the time or energy to share in detail, I guess another funny and my biggest blonde moment thus far would be having one of my fellow students inform me yesterday that my rescue dog, Boots, was not a male dog, but a female. I thought she was joking but she said she saw his paperwork and he’d been spayed, not neutered. I rolled her over and sure enough……I’m not really sure why I thought she was a he or why I never really checked or looked closer at her paperwork. So, for the past two weeks I have been giving Boots atta-boys and telling people what a gay name Boots was for such a husky boy dog. I’m still reconditioning myself to say, “Good girl”. I guess I really need to be more observant of certain things!

Well, that’s all I’ve got for now and I’m too tired to proof this or to organize the pictures, so this post is going up as is. Mai is the one mixed in with the scenery photos and Boots is the black and white dog, and if you’re reading this then you should know which is Jack and Sam.

Destinations Unknown

2011-12-22T20:34:00.010-06:00

Back in August I contacted the Greater Houston German Shepherd Dog Rescue and they agreed for Sam to be accepted into their rescue program, as long as we could continue to foster her until her adoption. They have paid for her vetting and care. She has finally undergone her first heartworm treatment and will finish her second and final treatment in two weeks.

It will be a difficult day for me when Sam is finally adopted and no longer living here with us. We've developed a special and unique bond and saying goodbye will not be easy. I have prayed that she will be placed with the perfect family for her and that she will be a blessing to them. I am excited for her to finally reach this place in her journey, but also dreading our goodbye. In the perfect scenario, I would like to still get to see her from time to time. Who knows, maybe I can volunteer to dog sit for her.

Sam's Bio

On another note, I am in the midst of making a life changing decision that would allow me to have a career working with dogs. I can't think of anything I would rather do, but there are so many factors to consider as I continue to explore this avenue. I must reach a decision soon. If I take the plunge, I will be leaving to attend Triple Crown Professional Dog Training Academy in Hutto, Texas on January 9th for a few months.

I have started the application process and am moving forward with my plans to attend. I'm just waiting for God to give me his final seal of approval with additional confirmation, perhaps in the form of a big flashing neon sign that either says, "Go for it. I am behind this and you will succeed" or "Not now, child, maybe one day".

Things have moved quickly and must be finalized so soon. Maybe that is contributing to my stress and uncertainty. One minute things seem to be so clear and the next minute, I don't know if this is His will or mine, and I can't afford to invest this kind of time or money without knowing that HE has my back.

I struggle with what brand of spaghetti sauce to buy at the grocery store. BIG decisions are definitely not my specialty! The sixteensisters are working overtime and obviously can't seem to reach a unanimous decision.

Deep down, this feels so right. I could do so much with the training they offer. I would have so many options besides just obedience and behavior training. I could train dogs for scent detection, search and rescue and even dogs for special needs people.

The only thing that seems to be holding me back is the fear of putting my family in financial strain if my employment goals aren't met in a timely manner. If we don't take chances, how do we know if we will succeed?

Looks like Sam and I have something in common. We both have destinations unknown.

To go or not to go?

I Am Sam. Sam I Am.

2011-07-25T19:53:00.010-05:00

They call me Sam. It’s short for Samantha. I haven’t had that name for very long but that’s what my foster family decided to name me. I like it and know they’re talking to me when they call me now. I came to live with my foster family on Good Friday (April 21, 2011). That was a rough day for me, but looking back on it now, things worked out much better than I thought they were going to when I woke up to some man (my foster dad) trying to capture me with a rabies pole around my neck. I didn’t know it at the time but my foster mom and dad played a trick on me. The pills they put into those hot dogs I inhaled actually had a dog sedative in them and they made me very sleepy. The hot dogs didn’t fill me up so I started to cross back under the freeway to go look for some more food but I ended up passing out underneath the bridge near my old home.

I used to live at the very busy intersection of Highway 90 & Beltway 8 in east Houston. There was lots of traffic in the area but I had been living there on my own for quite some time. The homeless man who sometimes slept under the bridge near my former home told my foster dad that I had been there since at least January when he first started using my bridge, but that I had never let myself get too close to him or anyone else for that matter. I was terrified of people and if anyone tried to approach me I would take off light a bolt of lightning. I was fast and no one could catch me. I was street smart and very familiar with the four corners of the world I lived in. I even knew that it was safer for me to come out at night to search for my dinner. I slept in the drainage ditch during the day so that no one could see me or bother me. I was even smart enough to walk down to the red light before I crossed the busy road, and even waited for the lights to change. I was a creature of habit and had a daily (well, nightly routine). I lived off the trash that people threw out, or sometimes food that good Samaritans would leave me. No one knows how I ended up there but it was the only life I knew, and I trusted no one.

When my foster mom found out about me after a nice lady posted about me on craigslist, she drove out to see if she could spot me and was hoping that I’d hop up into her truck after she offered me some food. Ha! She was sadly mistaken. When I saw her approaching me I took off running and at one point she was afraid she’d caused me to get hit by a car, but I didn’t. I ran off and hid from her in the brush along one side of the road until she finally gave up and left. Luckily for me she still felt sorry for me even after I dodged her and she left some food and water out for me.

Over the next two weeks she came and left me food and water and made several attempts to try to catch me but I was just too smart for her. Whenever I would see her truck pulling up into my “triangle” that I liked to lounge around in, I would take off to the other side of the bridge and wait for her to get the hint and leave.

One night she came looking for me late at night with some guy and he chased me around with a flash light but I outsmarted him. She actually thought that he could catch me! Then another night she put some food out for me but it smelled really bad because she put something in it to make me sleepy but I smelled it and wouldn’t touch the food. She brought a friend with her and they sat parked under the bridge in her truck for like five hours waiting on me to eat that stinky food. I was beginning to think she was stalking me and just wished she would leave me alone. I did appreciate the food I had learned to count on every evening, but she just wasn’t getting the hint that I didn’t like people and she wasn’t going to get close to me.

Then one night she brought my foster dad out with her to try to catch me, and again, I smelled that stinky food and wouldn’t touch it. They sat for hours in lawn chairs in the back of their truck watching me with binoculars. I laid down in my special spot by the food (they thought I ate it!) and my foster dad managed to get pretty close to me before I heard him but I darted as soon as I saw him. There was no catching me.

My foster mom says she saw something special in me the first time she saw me and her OCD (whatever that is) kicked in and she couldn’t quit thinking about me out there all alone, skinny, living among all those cars and big trucks whizzing past me. Her friends and family thought she was crazy and thought she was going to get mugged by the homeless man or hit by a car if she kept coming out there to feed and try to catch me.

My foster mom called her vet (who is also her cousin) for advice on using sedatives to catch me and he told her he would give her pills instead of the liquid stuff and that’s how she ended up tricking me. I smelled those hot dogs and had no idea there were pills stuffed inside of them. Sigh!

Her cousin was concerned about me biting anyone who tried to catch me so he loaned them a rabies pole, just like dog catchers use, and that’s how my foster dad was able to catch me. I ended up passing out and was in a pretty deep sleep when he snuck up on me, but when I felt him trying to slip the noose of the pole under my snout I woke up, flailing and fighting! It was traumatic for me, and especially for my foster dad. He had to fight with me because I totally panicked and immediately started attacking the pole that he still managed to get over my neck just as I started flailing and we had a pretty good little battle and kicked up quite a bit of dust before I became totally submissive and just froze. My foster mom rushed over with the truck and the kennel that I struggled to keep from being put into. I was barking and biting at the wire cage, but I was only scared. I wasn’t trying to hurt them. I was still pretty groggy and terrified. My foster dad is a police officer and he told my foster mom that the struggle he just had with me was one of the scariest things he had ever experienced and that he would rather fight with a bad person than to struggle with a dog like he just had. I heard him say he had a new respect for dog catchers. Apparently, when I suddenly woke up fighting for my life it scared him pretty bad! He said he almost let go of the pole but he knew I would run out into traffic dragging a pole around my neck so he held on. I didn’t fight for long before I froze, but it was an intense struggle.

I finally got a closer look at the crazy lady who had been stalking me. She was smiling and hugging him and thanking him over and over for catching me. I just laid there in the kennel, still groggy, wondering how I’d been duped and where they were taking me. I was terrified but had no way out. I just knew whatever I was in store for couldn’t be good.

It Was Always About Caylee, Casey! You Were/Are Nothing Without Her!

2011-07-20T14:58:00.008-05:00

Like most of the nation, I was in total shock on July 5, 2011 when the Casey Anthony verdict was read. I’m still trying to come to terms with the mind boggling not guilty verdict and injustice for Caylee. I still struggle with how these 12 (plus 5 alternate) Pinellas County idiots ever came to such a verdict. I can’t even bring myself to respect their decision “because the American Justice system is the best in the world”. I’m totally not feeling it.

I have closely followed this case since day 31 when the media went crazy with the story of a Florida mom who didn’t report her child missing for 31 days. Thanks to the Sunshine Laws in Florida we were privy to countless document dumps from the investigation including photos, lab reports, interviews, jail visits, etc. By the way, I think I love the Sunshine Laws!

I watched pre-trial hearings, jury selection and the trial closely. I even downloaded an app for my iphone that allowed me to watch the trial when in transit. Yes, I was slightly obsessed with the circus it had become and had waited three long years to see justice for Caylee.

I was at HEB when my friend texted me that there was a verdict, moments before my text alert from the Orlando Sentinel sounded. I literally scurried to the check-out with my cart full of groceries so that I could get home for the moment I, and so many others had been waiting for.

I have to say that when friends who weren’t following the case as closely as I was would spout off that she was going to walk, it infuriated me. I was never worried that she would walk. It was inconceivable to me knowing the evidence against her. That was a preposterous outcome. In my mind, there was no possible way that 12 people would all concede that she was not guilty. I had come to terms with the fact that she might not get murder one and even though I personally felt it was premeditated I could concede that there might be reasonable doubt among a few of the jurors and was expecting at the very least a charge of felony murder. I had learned that they could have a broken vote, i.e. 6 for premeditated and 6 for child abuse resulting in the death of Caylee to get the felony murder and was hoping for first degree murder but almost expecting the 2nd degree. I was even prepared for a hung jury, but never, ever did I consider an acquittal on the murder charges. Never!

My husband came home to watch the verdict with me and we had the kids listening on speaker phone because they were away camping and unable to watch it on TV. I felt like I had been kicked in the gut when each not guilty was read. The jury hadn’t even charged her with child abuse. It was literally unbelievable. I was unable to speak and in total shock for quite some time afterward. I couldn't even acknowledge my kids questions and shock as to what had just happened and had to let my husband address them. I was numb and in total disbelief.

After two weeks of trying to digest the end result and Casey walking out of jail this past Sunday, I have finally accepted that there’s nothing we can do in terms of overturning the verdict. It is what it is. I still can’t fathom 12 people reaching this conclusion, much less in 10 hours. Plus it has become obvious from a few juror interviews that they really didn’t understand what the state was required to prove and that motive was not required, however the state did provide one. Plus, they claim there was no cause of death given. I guess it was lost on them that after Caylee’s body had sat out in the swamp for 6 months, her bones being scattered about by animals that the M.E. couldn’t find a definitive COD, but the duct tape on her mandible and the fact that the circumstances surrounding her death all pointed to murder Dr. G was only able to rule it a “homicide by undetermined means”. Nor did her statement that 100% of accidental deaths are reported to authorities or that she has never seen an accidental death be made to look like a homicide seem to register in any of their hollow heads!

The fact that they never asked for any evidence during deliberations or for clarification of the jury instructions made it even harder to swallow. Plus there seemed to be some confusion as to reasonable doubt among the 12 pinheads. I honestly think this group needed a video of Casey murdering precious Caylee in order to have come back with a guilty verdict. The prosecution provided ample evidence of her involvement and being the last person to have seen Caylee alive, and I find the excuses being thrown out by a few jurors about why they came to their decision to be appalling. No wonder they’re in hiding and the local citizens and businesses are shunning them. It’s scary to think 12 people can lack such common sense and that no one was bold enough to stand up against the others or to even ask for clarification on the points of jury instructions they were confused about. UGH!!!!

If these jurors felt there was no real evidence in this case then Scott Peterson must be reeling over in San Quentin because all they really had on him was one of Laci’s hair in a pair of his pliers and he’s sitting on death row! But the jurors in his case used their common sense and put the pieces of the puzzle together. I watched that trial, too, and knew he was guilty but in reality they had so much more evidence pointing at Casey than they ever had on Scott. When will people learn that most cases are circumstantial? I’m so sick of hearing that there was no proof! How often do we have murders caught on tape?

I have turned off my Nancy Grace, In Session and Tru TV’s coverage of where’s Waldo, I mean Casey. I don’t care where she's hiding or what she has to say. I don’t want to look at her smirking horse face anymore. She totally thrives on the media attention and I refuse to be part of the demand for anymore Casey news. I refuse to help put money in her pocket so she can profit from killing her daughter and will boycott any organization or product that offers to pay her for her story. Is anyone stupid enough to think that she would tell the truth now, anyway? Truth isn’t in her vocabulary!

I have signed the petition for Caylee’s Law and will now move on to follow the next sad case that catches my eye. I will never forget precious little Caylee and what an impact her short life and senseless murder had on so many people. I will always look back and remember how the Pinellas 12 failed to see the writing on the wall and allowed a child murderer to walk free among us. Caylee's egg donor will eventually get what she has coming to her just like OJ finally got his. It’s just unfortunate that it wasn’t in a court of law as charged. Mark my words, somewhere down the road someone else will fall victim to Casey Anthony. In the end, Caylee will get justice.

RIP Caylee Marie.

Woof, Woof!

2011-06-13T20:51:00.003-05:00

I am a sucker for dogs. “Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened” is one my favorite quotes. I can be stopped at a traffic light and see a dog hanging out of a car window or riding in the back soaking up the fresh air and I can’t take my eyes off of it. It makes me smile. I’m more of a big dog fan, but little dogs are cool, too, as long as they’re not yipping at my heels. We often hear about cat ladies on the news, you know, an old lady living in squalor with 76 cats overrunning her home, (or often times her trailer!) with cat feces in every spot the camera shows us. The camera also always shows the police having to hold the poor little lady back as the SPCA carts her precious cats off in cages. It’s actually pretty sad.

I always joke that I’ll never be the cat lady but I could quite possibly end up being the dog lady, minus the feces all over the house. If I’m ever lucky enough to acquire some land I could very possibly end up taking in every stray dog I came across and being accused of dog hoarding.

There’s something to be said about coming home to someone greeting you with a tail wagging at full speed, regardless of how you look or feel. No matter what kind of day you’ve had, or what kind of mood you may be in, the dog is always there, ever so faithfully awaiting your arrival, thrilled beyond measure when you walk through that door. Well, that’s a typical dog greeting one can expect unless said dog or dogs have misbehaved while their master was away. i.e. rummaged through the trash, chewed up a newspaper or left a little (or often big) surprise that they instinctively know you will not be happy to see. So, as long as your dog hasn’t misbehaved while you were away, your loyal companion will be eagerly waiting for you as you walk through the door with the warmest of welcome, without fail. I can’t think of anyone else in my life that is ever as happy to see me as my dogs are. Hence, another one of my favorite quotes is “My goal is to someday be the person my dog thinks I am.”

A few years ago I became involved as a volunteer for a local dog rescue group. I worked as their foster coordinator, which basically involved making calls and emailing our foster families to check on the progress of our foster dogs. I also attended their pet adoptions and other events to help with various things such as setting up, walking the dogs or talking to potential adopters. Due to some issues within the group, I no longer do that and haven’t been actively involved with a rescue group for about a year now and am truly missing it. It was something I really enjoyed doing and I also met some great people in the process. Hopefully, I’ll find the time to become actively involved with another rescue group again in the near future.

In the meantime, I do what I can, when I can on my own. I keep a “rescue kit” under the back seat in my truck. It’s a plastic container that contains disposable bowls, dog food, cat food, dog snacks, water and a leash & collar. If I spot a stray I will almost always stop and feed it, and sometimes I’ll attempt to coax it to me with the intention of taking it home, temporarily, until I can network and find it a home. Most of the time, the strays are skittish and won’t let me approach and will run off. In that case, I always leave some food.

After our dog Abby passed away we decided we wanted to eventually foster dogs instead of adopting a second dog. Lady was our first foster dog and she left her paw prints embedded deeply into my heart. When I met Lady, we had only discussed fostering but still had not decided it was time. I had only gone to select a dog from the shelter to pick up for a weekend visit. Sometimes rescue groups will ask for volunteers to take a dog home for a few days just to get them out of the kennel environment for a while where they can receive some outside interaction and socialization. They figure that a few days spent with someone are better than nothing, even though it’s only temporary and they have to return to the shelter. So I went to the shelter to pick out a dog to visit with us for a few days.

I probably had about 15 dogs to choose from. I walked from kennel to kennel reading each dog’s bio, sticking my hand through the wire cages to show them some affection. Some were receptive, some not so much. Some barked non-stop and some just stared at me or cowered. On first glance there was nothing special about Lady. She wasn’t the prettiest of dogs and nothing about her seemed to stand out. I have a hard time even making minor decisions so this was no easy task. I walked around and around and around but there was just something about Lady that kept drawing me back over to her. I’d have to say it was the way her big brown eyes followed me around the room. She really caught my attention. Once I learned that she had been with the rescue group for about a year and had been kenneled most of that time due to a shortage of foster homes, it made my decision easier. Lady was getting out of jail for a few days.

She was used to leashes and car rides from being transported to and from the vet and to adoptions and rode in my truck seat like a little Lady, sitting up staring out the window. She was such a sweetheart and after only spending a few days with her we had learned about her personality and quirks. Sadly, we didn’t feel that we were ready to take on fostering just yet so it was always understood that she would be returning to the shelter, which was actually a “haven” or home for dogs, but they were still kenneled most of the time. I was a little sad, but okay until I got her back to the haven and met the volunteer who was going to take her from me and put her into her kennel. Lady looked at me with those big brown eyes and watched every move I made while I was in the house. I sadly said my goodbyes then used the restroom and as I walked to the door to leave I glanced over and she was sitting wide-eyed and upright staring intently at me as if to say, “Where are you going? You’re leaving me here? No, wait. You can’t do that. We’re buddies now. Please take me back to the place with the other dogs and the rooms that I can roam freely in. I want to play ball in the back yard again. You’re not really leaving me here, right?” I’m really not exaggerating about her eyes. It was like she was communicating with me and begging me not to go. She seemed confident that I was going to open the kennel and we’d be leaving together and I felt horrible. I had no idea how bad it would make me feel. It was an hour’s drive back home and I sobbed the entire way.

When I got home I couldn’t quit crying and to make matters worse the volunteer called to tell me that Lady had sat up for a long time after I left watching the door as if she expected me to come back any moment to get her. On top of that I had also gotten an email that had just been made for the website to promote Lady’s adoption. It was photos of her from the shelter with a sad, sad song playing in the background. My husband was outside smoking a cigar and I went outside and literally sobbed on his shoulder. I wanted to go back and get her but I knew we couldn’t keep her and we’d agreed to wait a while to foster because it’s a big responsibility.

He hated seeing me like this but wasn’t convinced that I’d ever be able to ever let her go and we’d already agreed no second dog. I explained that if I was giving her up to a loving family and not returning her back to the haven, where she still spent much of her time in a kennel that I could do it. I could let her go. I just couldn’t leave her in the haven waiting for someone to see in her what we saw in her. It could be months, or even longer before someone chose her and I just couldn’t let her stay there wondering where I’d gone and why. He agreed to us fostering her, if I promised to actively try to find her a home, to attend adoption events with her and to circulate her adoption flyer and video and not to try to “sneak” her in as a permanent fixture. I hugged him so tight! I jumped back in my car and drove right back there that very night to go get Lady. It was just like the volunteer said. She was sitting up in her kennel staring at the door almost as if she knew I would be back, that there had to have been a mistake. She was right! We had bonded and there was no way I could leave her there. I owed it to her to find her a loving home and to ensure she had a good life and I promised her that I would.

Two months later Lady was adopted by someone who works with my husband. She saw her adoption flyer posted in the break room and immediately fell in love with her. She proved herself to be a perfect fit for Lady and responsible dog owner so she was approved to adopt her. When we took her to her new home I still cried because it’s always hard to say goodbye, but I knew without a doubt that she was “home”. She had found her destined place in this world and it made me so happy that she was finally going to have the life she deserved.

It’s been a year and a half since now since Lady found her forever home and we get regular updates on her. I came home recently and saw a stack of glossy photos laying on the table. It only took me a moment to realize they were of Lady enjoying a beautiful day at the beach and it made my day. I visited her a few months after the adoption and hope to see her again soon. I’m hoping that she’ll still remember me after all this time. I like to think that I’m kind of special to her, too.

We ended up fostering for a few months but had to stop when we inherited a second dog from a dying relative, but about a year ago we picked up a wandering stray from outside of a restaurant that we frequent. It was a cold and rainy night and he was more than happy to come to us for some food. He was friendly and seemed to be happy when we put him into the truck and took him home. His hair was horribly matted and he was infested with fleas. That night I sat on the back porch and with scissors started cutting the knots and matted pieces of fur and trimmed around his eyes so he could see, then bathed him and made him a bed in the garage. He went right over to that bed, curled up and we never heard a peep out of him all night. The next day I took him to the vet to have him scanned for a microchip, which he didn’t have, had him examined and got him a rabies shot. He was so matted that I had to break down and get him groomed. When I picked him up he looked like a totally different dog. He was adorable and once the fleas were gone he got to come inside.

I really felt like he had belonged to someone at one time because of his habits and how well adjusted he was, but he’d obviously been living on the streets for a while to be in such bad shape. Hoping someone was looking for him I posted ads on Craigslist and around the neighborhood but no one ever claimed him. We kept him for a month before one of my friends convinced her mom to take him and I hear that he’s spoiled rotten.

Currently, we have Jaxon, our 4 year-old German Shepherd rescue, Echo our 3 year-old German Shepherd (inherited from an aunt) and Charlie, our 3 year-old grand-dog Lab-Hound mix rescue living with us. It is a constant battle trying to keep the pet dander and dog hair from taking over the front room of our house where the dogs stay and don’t get me started on the condition of our back yard and covered patio. It looks like land mines have gone off with all of the holes out back and we could start our own fertilizer manufacturing plant with the amount of poop we have to scoop. We certainly won’t be in the running for yard of the month thanks to our four legged babies, but I’d much rather dodge dog bombs and avoid falling into one of those holes than to give up a life with my dogs.

In addition, we also have another rescue temporarily living in our garage (since April 21st), bringing our grand total of furry friends to 4! I’ll share the story of how she ended up there the next time I write. Her story has to be my best rescue story yet. Of course, her ending has yet to be written, but considering where she came from and what she has already survived, I know it will be a happy ending. She is destined for someone out there and will greatly enrich their lives. It’s just going to take some time before she is ready and we find that special person or family, but we will.

Dustin and Lott 44

2010-02-24T21:41:00.003-06:00

I got this in an email today and could just feel the Texas spirit as I read it. It's long but worth the read.

Lot 44 From Mills County, Texas

Another year of rodeo has come and gone in San Antonio, Texas. For three weeks each February, the city decks out in cowboy finery to host the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo, complete with top notch entertainment every night in the AT&T Center arena, from bronc riding, to Mutton Bustin’, to Extreme Bulls, followed by concerts from some of the best performers in Country music. Out on the grounds you can find petting zoos, a carnival, unique shopping experiences in the exhibition centers, and every kind of festival food one could hope for. There are plenty of spots to get a drink, listen to some local live music, watch pig races, try some kettle corn or Texas barbeque, or buy some Western art. Voted the number one Large Indoor Rodeo of the Year for the past five years in a row by the PRCA (Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association), the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo is a first-class entertainment thrill ride with something, literally, for everyone.

Not as well known is the fact that we are also home to the largest Junior Livestock Auction in the world, right there among the entertainers and vendors and cowboys. The barns overflow with thousands of animals brought by children from around the state, and sometimes from farther away than the Texas border, hoping to win a place at the auction and the often very generous paycheck they can receive for their livestock if they are selected to participate. On the last weekend of the rodeo, the auction barn fills with the rowdy sounds of buyers bidding, auctioneers calling and the crowds cheering for the kids as they present…steers, poultry, pigs, goats, sheep….you name it, we buy it. The buyers are a Who’s Who of San Antonio, big corporations and wealthy individuals who believe in the future of agriculture in America and more importantly, who believe in the youth of Texas.

The media likes to film Extreme Bulls, buzz with the entertainment line up and talk about the record attendance at the rodeo each year. There is even an occasional piece about the Grand Champion Steer and the amazing price it brought. We wonder, though, if people know that the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo is about educating the youth of Texas, awarding scholarships and sending kids to college. We wonder if while the cowboys are busting broncs and the crowds are loving Toby Keith and Tim McGraw, people know the reason for all of it is right there in the auction barns, where bidders buy animals and give the children money to help them follow their dreams. The SALE website describes our historic contributions to educating the youth of Texas, but stories such as this one, about Lot 44 from Mills County, Texas, usually don’t make the local paper.

On Saturday evening, February 20, 2010, a young boy brought his goat to the auction. Dustin Mangus drew Lot 44, slightly less than halfway through the 100 Lots going to auction that night. It was not a particularly advantageous or unlucky draw, but ordinarily might have been a place in the program that wouldn’t have commanded a record purchase price. The auctioneer, however, took time to reign in the frenzied crowd and tell Dustin’s story.

Early in the morning on December 8, 2009, Dustin, his younger brother and sister, and their father, David Mangus, were in a rollover accident near their home in Mullin, Texas. Their truck’s roof was crushed when it crashed into a tree, and David Mangus was killed at the scene. Dustin’s brother and sister suffered minor injuries and were treated and released from the hospital. Dustin, though, was in critical condition from his injuries, and underwent several surgeries to save his life and reconstruct his face. The first surgery was to remove a part of the truck’s dashboard that had lodged in his head, and to reconstruct the eye socket that was damaged as a result.

The little boy who stood before us on the auction block, holding his goat while we heard this story, smiled at us from a beautiful, innocent face that showed no signs of his tragedy or his loss. Had someone not shared his story, we never would have been allowed to ponder this child’s ability to overcome adversity. We never would have had the privilege of comprehending his incredible achievement. To have been able to continue to raise that animal and be ready for a stock show in February, he had to have gotten right back up and kept on living the minute they let him out of the hospital.

The auctioneer asked every bidder who had already pledged funds to this boy to stand, and every top buyer in the room stood. When the bidding opened, the price for Lot 44 was already at $20,000. The people of San Antonio opened their hearts for this boy. Corporation after corporation added on another thousand, another two thousand, another $5,000, and the price went to $60,000 at record speed. Individual members of corporations started making personal contributions out of their own money, and the price kept climbing. One of the auctioneers went to the buyers’ reception area to bring in more people to hear the story, and the price kept climbing. Dustin’s little brother joined him on the block and the two of them smiled their sweet smiles while the money kept coming in, and we feel certain they had no idea what those numbers meant. Dustin’s grandpa came down from the audience to stand with the boys and choked back tears, while people in the room who weren’t registered bidders started coming forward to make personal contributions. It was one heck of an altar call, and the only thing flowing faster than the money was the tears.

When the price hit $110,000, one of the top buyers announced he had partnered with another to add on to make it an even $150,000 for Dustin. The gavel came down on the highest priced goat at this year’s Junior Livestock Auction while everyone cheered and cried at the same time. Dustin’s grandpa was openly crying when he took the microphone to thank the crowd in a shaky voice, with no real ability to impart his gratitude more than his tears communicated…. He simply said “Thank you. I don’t know what else to say. Thank you.”

We all know there is no amount of money that heals the pain of losing your Dad. Not one of us gave to this cause imagining there was any way it could ever make up for what Dustin and his family lost. This was our way of reaching out to a family in need, in tragedy, in suffering, and offering them something shining and positive and good to help them on the road that lies ahead. Dustin has already had to overcome more adversity at the age of 10 than some of us will ever face. What the people of San Antonio did for Dustin and his family was truly amazing, but even more amazing is the spirit Dustin embodies, in showing up with his goat to do what he set out to do. With a smile on his face and with his family by his side.

This demonstration of generosity, kindness and support is what the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo is really about. We are investing in the future of our country by investing in the lives of our country’s children. We are raising money to help provide educational opportunities for as many children as we can reach. And sometimes, we are witnessing miracles.

You had a part in Dustin’s story, and every other story that came through the auction this year. We hope one day very soon, you will come see it for yourself. Thank you for your contribution to our efforts. You and Dustin are our heroes.

From the bottom our hearts,

The Raffle Committee

Dear Blogger, Please Don't Delete My Blog

2010-02-07T13:11:00.005-06:00

Oh, how I miss blogging regularly. It used to be therapeutic and something I looked forward to doing. It was enjoyable. I used to have stuff pop into my head and it wouldn't go away until I had made it into an entry. Now stuff pops into my head and I can't seem to get it here so it dies somewhere in my brain.

It's already February of 2010 and I haven't posted anything since August 2009. I read on another blog that everything I've ever written on blogger could disappear if I go too long without posting something and that worried me. I would die if I lost everything on here. I have some stories on here that mean a lot to me from when I was blogging on a regular basis, especially during the first year I started it.

I keep thinking something will trigger me to start blogging again like I used to but it hasn't happened yet.

I've noticed that many of the blogs I used to read daily have also gone through long lulls in writing so I'm not the only one neglecting their blog.

If this writer's block or whatever it is ever passes maybe I'll eventually write something worth reading again.

R.I.P. Officer Jesse Hamilton

2009-08-21T12:56:00.008-05:00

My prayers go out to the family of Officer Jesse Hamilton and the Pasadena Police Department today. He was shot and killed today in the line of duty. This hits very close to home for me and my family. As most of you know, my husband is a fellow officer and this is his department. This is the fourth officer to lose his life while on duty in the history of the Pasadena Police Department, and the first officer to lose his life since my husband started with the PPD department nine years ago.

My heart is breaking for his wife and children. His fellow comrades are mourning his loss and dealing with the reality of the dangers they face every day on the job.

I will be praying for his family and fellow officers and will be hugging mine a little tighter this evening.

R.I.P. Officer Jesse Hamilton, and thank you for your selfless service to the citizens of Pasadena. May God be with your family.

Article about the shooting.

Memorial page and donation info.

Facebook or Crackbook? (as one friend likes to call it)

2009-08-14T12:39:00.003-05:00

When I went to post the new link about the arrest in my friend’s murder, I couldn’t remember my password to blogger. It eventually came to me but the reality of just how long it’s been since I’ve updated my blog hit me. Three-months without blogging is a long time, even for me!

Since my last update in May, Les and I have taken a trip to Chicago where he had a work seminar to attend. I tagged along and we flew up early and took a detour over to Michigan to spend Memorial Day with my friend Vicki and her family. Lauren moved home for the summer and my front living room has been serving as her storage room for the past two-months. She also spent five weeks studying Spanish in Costa Rica and returned home last week. Les and I went kayaking for the first time. At night! It was really cool. We also celebrated our 22nd wedding anniversary on July 9th. That’s more than half of both of our lives! We decided to skip out on the annual family camping trip this year but Cassidy & Caden still went with my parents for the full two weeks plus a few days. Les & I enjoyed the time alone but by the second week it was just too weird around here without the kids. I’m not so sure I’ll ever be ready for the empty nest! My friend Shelli bought a house with a pool nearby and I have spent many days over there enjoying it, sometimes all by myself because she had to work most of the summer. (Side Note: Enjoying her pool has only fueled my desire for one, but I’m still trying to convince Les that he wouldn’t be stuck doing all of the maintenance alone). I became involved with Dakota Rescue, a local dog rescue organization. I took a volunteer position as their foster coordinator/recruiter, which mainly consists of staying updated on all of the dogs in foster care mostly by email and some phone calls, which I can do from home. We also took in a foster dog from Dakota Rescue, so we now have three dogs living inside until we find her a home, which is sometimes stressful, but worth it. I have stayed true to my night owl ways while being off for the summer and now only have three days left to adjust my sleep schedule before going back to work. Ugh!

I wish I could blame my blogging absence on something relevant like I’ve been busy saving the world but there’s no valid reason for my long absence. If I had to pin it down to one specific thing I would have to say it’s been facebook, along with Farm Town.

Most of my online time now is spent communicating with friends on facebook. Facebook is a place where I can go 24/7 and always find at least one of my 200 plus friends online. I’ve reconnected with lost friends from elementary school, old teachers, old friends from our Military years, out of state friends and relatives, local friends and relatives that I don’t get to see very often, etc. It’s really been awesome. I’ve been “tagged” in photos from the past that I never even knew existed.

People of all ages seem to be taking advantage of facebook. I even set my mom up with one and she loves it. If you don’t have a facebook you’re truly missing out on an invaluable service that can help you reconnect with people from your past and present. Once you join you will start receiving friend requests from people you haven’t seen or heard from in years and you’ll be wondering how in the world they ever found you. I’m constantly seeing friend suggestions pop up on my side bar of people I might know.

I grew up in a very tight knit community where everyone knew everyone back in the day. It’s been a blast reconnecting with some of these people that I haven’t seen in 20 or 30 years! There have been regular social outings going on all summer with old childhood and school friends. Someone will post an open invite for their friends to join them out somewhere to hear a band, to do a walk for charity, for a welcome home party, swim parties, a girls luncheon, etc. just to name a few and it will turn into a big reunion style get together. I’ve attended a few of the outings and had a blast seeing people. It’s funny how you can pick up right where you left with some people.

You can get a peak into someone’s world and generally know how they’re doing that day just by their status updates. Prayer requests are common and the outpouring of emotional support being offered can be comforting to a mom with a son in Iraq, someone with a sick parent or child, etc. Last week we were all viewing mobile photos from an old school friend of his wife while in labor! Nothing graphic but we were being updated throughout the day until we finally got a picture of the new baby. You just gotta love cell phone cameras and phones with internet access.

I have converted some anti-facebook people who wanted NOTHING to do with it into full-blown facebook addicts! Be careful, because once you take the plunge into that world, it will suck you right in and you might find yourself up all night long chatting with people, looking at their photos, searching for friends or playing one of the many games that facebook offers, sitting in the doctor’s office updating your status and checking your facebook from your phone.

Facebook itself is addicting but inside of the facebook world is a game called Farm Town. Typically, I’m not a big game player but this game has turned me into a farming junkie, along with many of my friends and people all over the world. I’d love to elaborate more but have to go check on my pineapples!

Answered Prayers!

2009-08-12T01:33:00.002-05:00

They finally got him. Now let's get him back to Texas and see justice served.

News story.

Slightly Awkward Moment

2009-05-17T17:42:00.003-05:00

I picked Caden and his friend up from the Strawberry Festival yesterday and was headed to drop his friend off at home. Both boys were riding in the backseat. I really wasn't paying much attention to the conversation between these two 13-year-old boys until something caught my ear.

Caden: I couldn’t tell if they were real or fake. Could you?

Alec: No.

Me: (Without even thinking, spoken in a shocked and shrill tone of voice)
Are you two talking about boobs?

I turned around to see Alec with a mouth full of strawberries, eyes wide open as he burst into hysterical laughter and both boys responded in between their laughter with a loud NO.

Caden: We were talking about those fake people in front of the church. They look real.

Laughter continues. My face is now flushed and I am now laughing, explaining myself and apologizing.

Caden: Mom, I will never look at you the same again.

More laughter. Maybe I need to get my head out of the gutter.

Last night I drove back past the church and saw the fake people (a.k.a. statues).
I laughed out loud just thinking about it.

Effective Way to Break a Nasty Habit

2009-05-05T15:54:00.009-05:00

I have tons of pet peeves. One of them is when people leave their dental floss picks laying around after using them instead of putting them in the trash. It totally grosses me out. Seriously, who wants to look at something that was stuck between your teeth with remnants of your last meal hanging from it? Please, do us all a favor and find a trash can. I feel the same way about used Q-tips. Luckily no one at my house does that but I’ve seen them next to bathroom sinks elsewhere.

Cassidy has recently started wearing rubber bands on her braces. They are supposed to be worn 24 hours a day and taken out while eating. They can be reused after meals but generally need to be changed out once a day. Since day one she has been removing them to eat, but forgetting about them and leaving them laying around the house in various places.(The coffee table, the dining room table, the bathroom counter, etc.) To her credit they’re usually lying on a paper towel, but still!

I cringed at the thought of her being at school and removing them during lunch every day, so I bought her a small round plastic container to hold them in. It’s about the size of a quarter and is actually made to hold medicine. I told her to use that rather than laying them on a napkin on the table for everyone to see while they’re eating. I know she has been using it because I recently found it in the washing machine after doing a load of her jeans.

I've made it perfectly clear that I’m tired of stumbling upon her used rubber bands throughout the house but she continues leaving them all over. After I saw four of them sitting on the coffee table this last time I started thinking of ways I could break her of this nasty habit. (Obviously, my complaining isn't doing the trick).

I thought back to how Les once cured Lauren of a nasty little habit she had several years ago. We were having issues with her leaving huge wads of her hair in the shower drain. Cassidy & Caden would complain about not wanting to remove it before their baths/showers and often times Lauren wouldn’t be home to go do it herself. I was often stuck pulling it out for them and my constant complaining to her wasn’t phasing her. It went on for a while before Les finally got fed up and found a way to finally get through to her.

He took a big wad of her long hair from the drain and left it sitting right on top of her pillow. She finally got the message. Perhaps I should try that out on Cassidy.

Justice for Tina

2009-04-28T18:40:00.004-05:00

In April of 2008, I shared a local story that hit close to home. You can read about it here.

It's been one year since Tina's murder and one suspect is still at large. The family recently appeared on the Today show hoping to generate some new leads in the manhunt for the remaining suspect. It is rumored that he fled to Mexico. Imagine that.

As stated in the original post, both suspects were here illegally and both had been arrested prior to the murder. Please pray that this monster will be caught and that justice will be served for this grieving family.

Happy 21st, Nawen!

2009-03-01T22:41:00.002-06:00

For the first time since you were born I will not see you in person on your special day and that makes me sad. I hope you have a wonderful day and night out with your friends.
I love you.

Always Check Their Homework

2009-01-25T00:57:00.003-06:00

I saw this on one of the blogs that I read and thought it was funny.

Homework:

Letter to Teacher:

Dear Mrs. Boddel,

I wish to clarify that I am not now, nor have I ever been, an exotic dancer. I work at Home Depot and I told Sarah how hectic it was last week before the blizzard hit. I told her we sold out every single shovel we had. Then I found one more in the back room, and several people were fighting over who would get it.

Sarah's picture does NOT show me dancing around a pole. It's supposed to depict me selling the last snow shovel we had at Home Depot. From now on I will remember to check her homework more thoroughly,

Sincerely,
Mrs. Inkeles

Cujo and Chockitt Milk

2009-01-17T15:51:00.010-06:00

We moved into our current house when Cassidy was three-years-old. I was a stay at home mom when the kids were younger and being that I stayed home with the kids, we were night owls. Lauren was also a night owl except during the school year.

Shortly after we got settled into this house I decided it was time to get the younger kids to bed a little earlier than they were accustomed to and on a more normal, balanced schedule. I was also going to try to reverse my natural night owl ways and also get myself into bed at a decent hour, which still probably wasn’t what most people would consider a decent hour.

Caden was easy to train for the new schedule. I could just lay him in his crib and he would fall asleep within 10 minutes. Cassidy, however, wasn’t exactly pleased about her new mandatory bedtime. She has always been strong-willed (most people call it stubborn), had a temper and was one to make it very well known if she wasn’t happy about something.

To make it easier on myself and to keep her from raising hell and waking everyone else up, I, at first, allowed her to go to bed with a movie on. (Yes, we had a three-year-old with a TV and VCR in her bedroom because that’s just how we roll). I would put the movie in, turn off all the lights in the house, go to bed and read for a while. I knew from past experience that if I stayed up, she would inevitably come into the living room asking for a snack or just wanting to hang out with me until the wee hours. (It’s in her genes to be a night owl)

When we first began the new schedule she started falling asleep during the movie and I’d usually go in and turn her TV off, but about a week or so into it she began waking back up in the middle of the night (like 2 or 3am) and coming into my room to wake me up. She would stand beside my bed and in a very deep and angry voice (picture Satan here) she would say, “I want Cujo and Chocolate milk”. (Pronunciation of chocolate = chockitt) Being the considerate wife that I am and knowing that Les had to get up early, I would lead her out of our room to go tend to her because she wasn’t exactly whispering her request to me.

In the beginning, I was so tired that I would oblige with her request. I didn’t want her to wake the whole house up and figured that she would go right back to sleep quickly since it was the middle of the night. I would walk her to the kitchen still half asleep, wait on her to finish her chockitt milk so I could put the movie back on, turn off the lights and go back to bed.

Unbeknownst to me I was creating a monster. Literally. This became her new routine for a few weeks before I’d finally had enough of these middle of the night wake up calls and decided they had to stop. I was going to enforce the one movie at bedtime rule and there would be no more middle of the night movie requests.

Trying to break Cassidy of this habit was like trying to take crack from a junkie. (Not that I know anything about that firsthand but I have seen movies!) She didn’t take it well at all.

The first night that I took a stand and broke it to her that she wasn’t getting “Cujo and chockitt milk” was not a pleasant experience for any of us. It was as if we had the exorcist visiting us here at our home during an exorcism. She woke the entire house. I think I saw her head spin a few times and green stuff spewing from her mouth at full speed. I’m pretty sure the neighbors came outside to see what the commotion was all about. Eventually, we put her in a straight jacket and tied her to her bed, but at least then we could all finally get some sleep. Nah, really, I just laid down in her bed with her and duct taped her mouth shut. After about a week of that she finally accepted her new bedtime rules. Ha! Are you wondering if that’s really true? No, but let’s just say it wasn’t a pleasant experience for any of us living in this house.

Moral of story: Benadryl has more than one purpose.

Just kidding. We all paid the price for at least a week. She eventually quit disrupting the entire house at 3am for “Cujo and chockitt milk” and started making her requests in daytime hours.

Fine Parenting as Revealed by a 3-Year-Old

2009-01-13T12:17:00.034-06:00

The first movie that Cassidy ever actually sat still long enough to watch from beginning to end was called Far From Home: The Adventures of Yellow Dog, known in our family simply as “Yellow Dog”. She has been a dog lover since she was an infant, always trying to get as close as possible to our German shepherd, Chelsi. I can’t count how many teething biscuits she willingly shared with that dog while she sat in her walker giggling.

Yellow dog is about a boy and his yellow lab, named Yellow. After the boat they are on capsizes, the boy and his dog are stranded in the wilderness on their own until finally being rescued. Cassidy loved this movie beginning at the age of two. She would walk around asking to watch Yellow dog constantly. As a matter of fact, we bought it for her on DVD this year for Christmas. She probably hasn’t seen it in years but it was one of those things when I saw on DVD I just had to get for her.

Her love for real life dog movies continued as she broadened her horizons and started watching more dog movies. She also loved Homeward Bound. One weekend she went to stay with my mother-in-law, who back at that time was totally breaking the law by renting movies and copying them. She always had a huge selection of VHS movies that the kids or anyone else could choose from and borrow. We actually used to joke that she was worse than Blockbuster because if we borrowed any movies she always remembered exactly what we’d taken home and would be asking for them if we ever forgot to return them. She didn’t charge late fees so I guess she really wasn’t that bad!

When Cassidy had just turned three she returned home from a weekend visit with her grandma and now had a new favorite movie. Can you guess what dog movie it was? Here’s a hint: It’s a about a rabid dog that traps a mother and her young son inside their car when they arrive at an empty ranch house where the dog has already killed his owner. Ironically, the man was going to fix the woman’s car, which now will not start. The dog stalks them while they are stranded in their car and tries to kill them for two days every time they attempt to escape and run into the empty house. They almost die from the heat and having no food or water. They also sit in their car and watch helplessly as the dog mauls the sheriff to death. If you guessed Cujo, then you are correct. Yes, that would be the one!

At least give me some credit because I did make sure that Les edited out the sex scene in the beginning of the movie from Cassidy’s copy. (We got tired of getting up after the movie started to fast forward through it) See, I really do try and monitor what my children are exposed to. I just didn’t think a dog terrorizing and killing people was that bad.

Around this time we took the kids to an Astros game, back when they were still playing in the Astrodome. We sat behind a couple at the game who chatted with Cassidy throughout the game. They clearly thought she was cute and seemed to be amused with her. At one point the lady turned around and began asking her questions. What is your name? How old are you? Do you like the Astros? Does that cotton candy taste good? What is your favorite movie? To which Cassidy replied very clearly, CUJO! Judging by the expression and look of shock on the woman’s face I'm fairly certain she was expecting a bit of a different response from this sweet little girl, perhaps something more like Toy Story, Bambi or Cinderella. She left the lady speechless and I wanted to crawl under my chair. This might explain why I lost out on Mother of the Year in 1997.

I Can See Clearly Now

2009-01-11T19:15:00.001-06:00

I never wore or needed glasses until I turned 38. Les didn’t either until he was also 38. For me, reading glasses were for “the elderly” and I absolutely refused to believe I needed them, even after the words on anything I was trying to read had become blurry.

After much reluctance on my part and Les’ insistence that I try out his glasses for reading, I broke down and gave them a try and they made a difference. I finally accepted the fact that I was indeed getting older and actually needed the dreaded reading glasses. At first it was only necessary at home and I kept a pair by the bed for reading. It wasn’t long until I started having issues at work on the computer and now keep a pair in my desk and also in my purse.

Les thinks I have an addiction to buying glasses now because I have accrued quiet a collection. I think I may own about 6 pair, maybe a few more. Is that really over the top? I think not. If I’m going to have to wear them I’d like to find a trendy pair and sometimes they don’t seem as flattering after I get them home. I haven’t yet splurged on a $20 pair but anytime I go into CVS, Walgreens or Wal-Mart, I can be found in the reading glasses section trying them on hoping to find a cute and stylish pair. I bought some Sarah Palin styled ones the other day.

Dollar General sells them for $5-$8 and they have some really cute ones. As a matter of fact, while out Christmas shopping Les and I stopped there to get some gift bags and both tried on reading glasses. We stood in front of the display case trying them on and comparing styles for a good ten minutes. It was then that I stopped and realized that we really were getting old. We were actually out shopping for reading glasses together. I’m thinking it can only good downhill from here. Next thing you know we’ll be out shopping for Fixodent and Depends.

Potty Training 101

2009-01-06T18:37:00.005-06:00

During a recent walk down memory lane Les and I were reminiscing about the woes of potty training Caden. We'd taken much needed advice from many people being this was our first boy. We were told by some people to drop fruit loops into the toilet and to make a game of having him aim for them. It was also suggested to just let him go on a tree if he was outside playing since kids tend to wait until the last second to go and it's often too late. We were told that might help decrease the frequency of accidents during the training process and that he might think it was fun and less scary than being rushed to the toilet in a panic.

The yard thing worked really well at first, especially since the kids spent a lot of time out in the back yard when they were younger. He seemed to be catching on quickly, having fewer accidents and I had less wet laundry to do. However, it took us a while to “re-train” him and to teach him that whipping it out by the tree in the front yard or at the public park wasn’t really what we’d had in mind.

The potty training discussion brought to mind a story I’ve heard many times over the years about what my brother did shortly after he was potty trained, and I’d have to say I would gladly suffer the embarrassment of being the mom of the “tree peeing boy” over the mom of “insert brother’s incident here” any day.

So, as the story goes, my mom was in her late pregnancy with me. Her and my aunt had gone to do some shopping at Sears with my brother in tow, who was three-years-old at the time.

Does anyone remember when Sears had the display bathrooms all set up like real bathrooms way back when? They had real sinks, toilets and bathtubs and they were decorated to look just like a real bathroom. There were usually several of them set up in one section of the store and I remember being fascinated with them as a kid whenever we walked through them.

My mom and aunt were walking along shopping when they realized my brother had stopped and they turned around to look for him only to find him sitting down on one of those toilets with his pants down around his ankles going number two in the middle of Sears. My mom was so mortified and humiliated that just she kept on walking, leaving my poor aunt to go back and get him.

Don’t ask me whether there was toilet paper or if they ever told a store employee about the “clean up on aisle 9” because I don’t know. (Mom, care to fill in any missing details since you were actually there?)

I’m betting they headed straight to the car and got out of there as fast as they could and that some poor employee was not happy when he opened the lid and found that pleasant surprise.

Moral of the story: Boys will go anywhere when the urge hits them so always keep a hat and pair of dark sunglasses handy.

Karma

2009-01-04T19:27:00.001-06:00

I’m a big believer in karma. I truly believe what comes around goes around and in time, whatever you’re dishing out, whether good or bad, you will get it back at some point down the road. That has often comforted me whenever I’ve been wronged! I know karma will take care of them.

Here’s a small example of karma at work.

A few weeks ago Lauren told me a story about going to Jack-in-the-Box. She had pulled into the drive-thru but there are two entrances feeding into the line. It usually works on the honor system unless you are trying to merge into line next to a jerk who won’t acknowledge that you’ve been waiting, too.

Anyhow, she was waiting for her turn to squeeze in and there was a lady who rolled her window down and motioned for Lauren to go on ahead of her. The lady was actually there first so Lauren rolled her window down and asked her if she was sure it was okay, then thanked her and got in front of her in the line.

When she got to the window she asked the cashier how much the tab was for the lady behind her and she paid for her food and the $7.00 tab for the nice lady behind her and left. That was a simple measure of kindness on Lauren’s part but it was still generous and thoughtful and I’m proud of her for doing it.

Lauren called me last night to tell me a story that happened to her and Boogie last night and I reminded her that it was her karma for the Jack-in-the-Box incident in which she had been generous to someone else.

Lauren and Boogie decided to go eat at a nice restaurant last night while they were in College Station. They had some extra Christmas cash and wanted to splurge so they went to a very restaurant where you sit in front of the cook and possibly share your table with other people. They were seated first and then a couple with a little girl and a man and his daughter joined them at the table. Lauren was next to the two little girls and started talking to them and a conversation began with all of them. One of the men saw Boogie’s ring and asked him about it and that led to a conversation about him going to play ball for Rice next year. Lauren said they were really nice people and they chatted on and off through dinner. When it was time for Lauren and Boogie to pay their ticket one of the men told the waiter to put their meal on his ticket. Of course, Lauren and Boogie tried to stop him and told him that was very nice of him to offer but not necessary, but he absolutely insisted. Boogie later tried to give the kids $20 for ice cream but the dad wouldn’t accept it. They said they just wanted to buy their dinner and thanked them for letting them join them at their table. Lauren was really touched and couldn’t get over complete strangers doing this, especially when they had ordered steak and lobster and their tab was $77! A pretty unexpected and nice surprise for two college kids, huh?

That’s karma, baby!

Happy New Year

2009-01-01T17:53:00.021-06:00

We partied at my brother's (where firecrackers are legal) and taught the kids some stupid, I mean daring stunts (i.e. see picture of my brother running through the fireworks in his highly flammable Wyatt Earp looking western coat). We ate, played Taboo, laughed, sat around the fire and stayed entertained until, oh, about 6 this morning. Good times!

Happy New Year!

For the Love of Dogs

2008-12-28T17:19:00.006-06:00

We love dogs. We absolutely love them and the bigger, the better. Actually, we don't so much like little dogs. Chihuahuas in particular. I'm sorry to offend any Chihuahua lovers, but seriously, shouldn't they really be cats? Typically, they're mean and won't let you near their owners. Truthfully, they scare me, though I admit I have encountered a small number of them I thought were cool. I could probably count those on one hand. We're just more of a big dog kind of family.

I know I've whined about the dogs being in the house since Ike and still being without a fence, but my biggest complaint is that we can't ever really have a dog break. For one, they can escape from one of the neighbor's yard's, and Jaxon thinks our back neighbor is a meter reader and tends to bark at him when the neighbor is outside in his own yard doing his own thing. Not to mention that Abby is now 12-years-old and she often leaves us surprises due to her lack of bowel and bladder control as she begins to show her age.

Now we also have Charlie staying here. He's Lauren's new adoptee/rescue from College Station. Unfortunately, she started the adoption process and bonded with him prior to fully investigating the pet policy at her apartment complex and learning that he weighed 11 pounds more than they will allow. Call me crazy but we have volunteered to house Charlie for her until her lease is up in the late summer and she's able to move into a more pet friendly complex. However, the offer is only good as long as our fence is back in place and we have a fully functioning back yard to utilize prior to her returning to school in mid-January.

About a six weeks ago I started receiving emails from a co-worker about a local animal rescue organization and some rescued dogs needing homes. Those emails have completely torn at my heart strings and since those emails started coming my way, I've learned that there is such a thing as foster parents for dogs and cats. Who knew? As a result of effortlessly forwarding on the emails, my sister-in-law has been approved to adopt a rescue from them and will be bringing her new dog home soon.

I've also signed up with them to volunteer. Tomorrow the kids and I will be going to help clean kennels and play with five rescues that are currently being housed at Pet Paradise, a boarding facility for animals to stay while their owners are away. They are generous enough to donate a number of their spaces to help house animals for this organization while they're awaiting adoption and aren't fortunate enough to be placed with a foster family.

I'm excited and looking forward to it. As a matter of fact, we're on "Holiday Hours", since we're all out of school/work, but everyone is willing to be up tomorrow by 8am in order to meet and play with Luke, Peaches, Paco, Bingo and Chance. That speaks volumes because we're not morning people! Without doubt, I know we'll have more fun than the dogs will, and we'll probably leave wishing we could take them all home with us. If only we lived on a farm!

Dakota Rescue.

Take a look at Charlie. Doesn't he have a face that would be hard to turn away? I'm proud of Lauren for saving him. Oh, and we all just love saying, "Sorry, Charlie" and also talking to him in a British accent like in the hilarious video featured here.

Christmas Gift Creativity (or Possibly Too Much Time on One's Hands)

2008-12-27T16:45:00.003-06:00

My brother’s personality really showed this year in his Christmas gift giving. We started drawing names last year for all of the kids making our gift giving a little easier on us all. We haven’t done adult exchanges since we all started having multiple offspring.

This year my brother had drawn Lauren, Cassidy and my two nephews names. They’re all at the age where they really only want cash or gift cards if given a choice. It’s so hard to pick something out for a teenager and please them these days.

The first one to open her gift from my brother and sister-in-law was Lauren. She unwrapped a perfectly rolled up wad of 50 one dollar bills and when she attempted to unroll them to see exactly what it was, it ended up looking like a perfectly orchestrated magic show. The dollar bills unrolled just like a roll of toilet paper. The dollars had been strategically taped together one by one and then rolled up. I wish I had pictures but we weren’t warned ahead of time so everyone was caught by surprise, although my sister-in-law did get it on video. Cassidy had watched Lauren and knew better than to try and unroll hers when she opened them. Smart girl!

My nephews were the next victims. Trevin opened a shoe box of 50 wadded up one dollar bills, or I should say crumpled up one dollar bills, basically they were all wadded into balls. DJ was next and his dollar bills had all been stuffed into an empty beer bottle. He was very excited about breaking the bottle to get to his money.

I couldn’t help but wonder how long it took him to tape together one hundred one dollar bills for Cassidy and Lauren, to crumple another 50 and then to stuff yet another 50. He really needs to get a life! He did mention wondering if the tellers at the bank thought he might have a big night at the topless cabaret planned after he went by the bank to get the 200 one dollar bills.

Christmas Around Here

2008-12-24T16:00:00.001-06:00

Christmas is a little bit different at our house this year. We’re not having a tree. Cassidy is the only one really bummed over it, but she’s accepted it. It just isn’t practical with our current living arrangements. Lauren came home for the holidays and brought her new dog, Charlie, adding a third dog to the mix. When Charlie and Jaxon start playing they get pretty hyped and up and a tree wouldn’t last a full day in this house. On a bright note, we are expecting the check back from our mortgage company any day and as soon as it arrives we will call the fence people and have them start on our fence ASAP. The dogs will still come inside to visit and sleep but we will finally have some much needed peace and quiet inside without tripping over dogs 24/7.

Christmas also feels different now that there is no one left who believes in Santa. The night is much easier on us now, but I will forever remember the days when they all still believed. It was always a challenge waiting on the kids to fall asleep after a long night with my family and our gift exchange. It seemed to take forever to get them settled down once we got home. Of course, we had to put out cookies and milk for Santa and then sprinkle the front yard with reindeer snacks (oatmeal and carrots). We were usually up all night assembling and arranging toys. Let me rephrase that, Les assembled toys while I arranged things and did kid checks.

Santa has never wrapped any toys for the kids. Each kid has a spot and all of their presents from Santa are neatly laid out and displayed. If there was a toddler kitchen set then it was all set up with the food (waffles in the toaster, etc) and ready to play with, and the same with a doll house, farm animals or tool workshop. We only wrap a gift or two to be from us that they open after seeing what Santa has brought.
That is how my Santa did our Christmas and it carried over for my kids. I could sit in front of my spot for ten minutes staring and picking things up and then look again and see something that I hadn’t yet noticed. I never felt like I missed out on opening gifts. I always liked looking at all of my things neatly displayed. My Santa would even put an outfit together on the couch or chair and I do the same. We also have a rule that was also carried over from my childhood that the first one to wake up has to wake everyone else up before they go into the living room. We all go together. My brother was always the first one up and I know that he always sneaked a good peak before waking the entire house. I am pretty sure my kids do the same thing but generally they abide by the rules. In this house it is usually Cassidy who wakes up first.

The kids usually have to wait on me to slip on my house shoes on and wash my face. Oh, and I usually have to run to the potty first. I remember the excitement as a kid of just dying to get into the living room to see what Santa had brought and how I could hardly contain myself while my parents were getting up and ready and having to wait for the all clear of us all being ready to go together.
Things are definitely different now that we don’t have much to assemble as the kids grow older and we don’t have to try to hide boxes deep in the trash anymore. One year we were almost busted when a box was left somewhere in the garage and we were questioned about why Santa would leave the box here. We’re definitely not up all night into the wee morning hours like we used to be. I will always miss those days but I’m not complaining.

One of my favorite Christmas Eve memories was about five years ago when we had ordered Cassidy and Cadent electric motorized scooters. They had a seat that could snap on and off so you could either sit or stand when you rode. They actually went 12 mph. and were so totally cool. Les got them all put together and charged up and we wanted to try them out. It must’ve been 3 or 4am and it was a very, very cold Christmas here that year. We got all bundled up and took off on the scooters. We rode around the entire neighborhood and in the parking lot of some businesses in the front of our neighborhood. It was freezing outside but we were having a blast. They were so much fun and I wasn’t sure how I could give them up to the kids. We laughed so hard riding around on those things until we almost ran the 2 hour battery charge down. I have to say those scooters were one of the best Santa gifts ever purchased in this house. They were a big hit with the kids, too. I was a little bit worried about them controlling them or having an accident after experiencing just how fast these things could go. That same year my sister’s kids got gas operated ones that went much faster than ours and they were also much louder. The next day our street was full of kids and scooters and parents waiting their turn for a ride.

We still have fun arranging their loot but it rarely takes very long and we actually get more than two hours of sleep now. As always, I am looking forward to seeing their reactions tomorrow and hoping everyone is happy with their gifts.

I am currently in a battle with Les over letting the kids open a joint gift right now. It’s a big gift, not a small one and one we can all enjoy, which is EXACTLY why he wants them to open it now. I said NO! Perhaps a smaller gift, maybe, but not one of their large ones just so he can entertain himself tonight. He’s not very happy with me now.

Who knows, in another few years when everyone is in high school maybe we’ll do what my sister does and have Santa very late on Christmas Eve and then everyone can stay up all night playing with their new gadgets and sleep in for a change. But I’m standing my ground on this. It’s a major part of their Christmas and will be wrapped for them tomorrow. (One of the few wrapped items they will have here to open).

Merry Christmas! Jesus is the reason for the Season!

The Little Things We Expect From Our Children

2008-12-23T13:36:00.002-06:00

I recently told this story at a party we attended and felt it was blog worthy so I am sharing it.

During Lauren’s junior and senior years of high school she worked at a well known sporting goods store (Academy). As an employee she received a decent employee discount. I think it was 25% or something. During Christmas of one of the years she was working there we made arrangements for her to meet us at Academy so we could do some Christmas shopping and she could save us some money. Yes, I am openly admitting that we used her discount. So, sue me!

Keep in mind this store has everything from clothing to fishing and camping gear. There’s not much you can’t get there, except milk and eggs. We shopped and shopped and ended up buying most of the younger kids Santa gifts and also some gifts for our nieces and nephews.

When we were finally finished shopping we called Lauren to come on up to the store to meet us so we could give her the basket of goodies and the money to pay for the stuff and use her discount. We were going to make the exchange and wait over by the exercise equipment right next to the check out area. We had a wide variety of items in our completely loaded down basket and the look on her face when she saw the basket was one I will never forget. Let’s just say it was the look of complete horror. She was so not happy and not looking forward to going through the line to make this very large purchase. We really didn’t give her much of an option. It was her duty as our child to help us save some money at this time of year.

I’m not sure if it was the bicycle, the roller blades, the skateboard, the basketball, the Astros jerseys, ball caps or what exactly it was to cause her such embarrassment, but if I had to bet on it, I’d go with the bicycle. I do remember her saying something like, “Do you really think they’re going to believe I’m buying my brother a bicycle for Christmas?”

As we waited for her to pay we got the giggles as she continued to shoot us dirty looks the entire time she stood waiting in line. They were the I can’t stop laughing we really need to get out of here giggles.

In the end she saved us over $150 so it was well worth the attitude she gave us for it. I’m sure she was mortified at the young age of 16, but she eventually recovered. That was the one and only time she ever did that for us. It just wasn’t worth forcing her to do it at gun point the following year.

The Explanation for the Lull

2008-12-09T15:55:00.006-06:00

Obviously, I’ve been neglecting the blog. I’ve had a few loyal readers mention to me that they’re tired of checking here only to find that I still haven’t posted an update in almost two months.

Believe me, I love and miss blogging and have many failed attempts at a new entry saved to my drafts, but I just haven’t been able to produce a finished product. My brain has felt like mush. I think it might be writers block or so I’ve heard.

Truthfully, I’ve found myself in a bit of a funk since Ike hit back in September. Granted, we were luckier than so many and spared any serious damage, but things have still haven't got back to normal, and it’s been somewhat stressful. Between trying to maintain the house with two big SHEDDING dogs living in the house 24/7, (thanks to our insurance company dragging their feet and us still not having a fenced yard), my intense interest in following the missing toddler from Florida case, and my addiction to facebook, I have been letting my blog (among other things) fall by the wayside.

I’m finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel and feeling more like myself again. Now, if I can just refrain from surfing the web for the latest information on Caylee Anthony and limit my facebook time, I might actually get around to updating more regularly. For now, this is all I’ve got but it's better than nothing, right?

Surprise!

2008-10-21T19:14:00.013-05:00

We managed to pull off a surprise birthday party for Cassidy last Friday night. I actually planned it (with Katy's help) very spur of the moment (because that's how I tend to operate), and it turned out very well. I rented a room for the night at a nearby hotel and invited her closest friends.

The plan was for Katy to invite Cassidy to spend the night with her Friday but Cassidy declined because she wanted to wake up at home on her actual birthday. That meant that I had to pack her a bag and hope she didn't notice anything missing. The only thing I forgot was her toothbrush.

I went early to check in and get the room ready. Everyone showed up on time and I let the girls decide how we would handle her arrival. They wanted the lights turned off whenever she came through the door and to hide in various places throughout the living room. Obviously they would jump out and yell "surprise" whenever she came in.

Her dad had told her that we were going to dinner for her birthday but they would first have to come by the hotel to pick me up. I was supposedly there to visit with some of my old high school friends who were in town for our reunion and wanted them to meet my kids. Later she told me she was really annoyed about having to meet "these people" and really upset that we weren't planning anything special for her birthday weekend. She even called Lauren complaining.

Les called from the parking lot to let us know they were on their way up. My friend, Shelli, stood behind the door and opened it whenever they knocked. I was standing against the wall so I could flip the lights on after they got through the entry way. Les came first with Cassidy and Caden following closely behind him. He took a few steps inside saying, Hello, hello?" I thought she was looking right at me, (she was six inches from me) but she later told me she couldn't really see me. I flipped the lights on and the girls all jumped out and screamed "surprise". She was actually confused for a moment. It took her a minute to process it. (We were once thrown a surprise going away party and it was one of the strangest experiences I've ever had. It's like slow motion where your mind takes a moment to register why people are jumping out yelling at you and then you finally realize what is happening)

We ate pizza and the girls swam in the indoor pool. I was a little paranoid about the noise level but the girls were great. I was really impressed with how well behaved they all were. We were so, so bad at that age. We were loud, obnoxious and out of control! I was expecting it to be a LONG night but really lucked out. I gave the girls the big bedroom and slept on the pullout couch bed. We woke up the next morning and and gorged on the free breakfast, which was one of the best I've ever had.

The staff at the hotel were in on my plans and couldn't have been any nicer. I've still got to go online and give them a five star review.

It was really awesome to see her reaction. After the shock wore off she had a million questions about how I was able to pull it off. Everyone should be surprised like that at least once in their life. (Lauren, I owe you one!)

We Survivied Ike

2008-09-20T11:29:00.029-05:00

It's definitely been an interesting week and things are still not back to normal. We just got power back last night and most people are still without. Most businesses are still closed and most people have not yet returned to work. Traffic is terrible because traffic lights are either out or just flashing. Some stores are open without electricity. Gas lines were horrible for days after the storm but have gotten better as a few more places have started opening. I think our local Wal-Mart is still running on a generator and only has limited cold foods. I never knew bread and milk could be such a commodity. Luckily, I bought two gallons before the storm. The day before the storm was a grocery store and gas line hell. I had to buy bagels because there was no bread to be found. I did get plenty of ice, water and other necessities though.

The storm was supposed to hit us sometime after midnight last Friday night/Saturday morning so I wanted us to all sleep together in the living room. The winds had picked up in the afternoon and by evening were getting strong. The kids played outside until dark, then we all showered and got ready to hunker down. (By the way, Karen, I heard that word ALL WEEK from the news media, too!) We fully expected to lose power so we had flashlights and candles ready to go, along with a radio and battery operated TV. We were all set up with the air mattress in the living room and a kid on each couch. Once the wind got stronger and the rain started we let the dogs inside and watched TV until we lost power at about 10:30pm. We were all bummed that it went out so quickly! We turned on the radio for news and within an hour had all four fallen asleep. Caden slept through it all and Les slept through most of it. Cassidy and I both woke up continually throughout the night. The howling and squealing wind was scary. I would doze off for a while but the wind was worrying and waking me. I kept in touch with friends/family most of the night via text. The cell phones didn't start acting up until the day after the storm. Everyone would lose service on and off for several days afterward and some people could only text.

Our set up for Ike.

I woke up at 4am and it was completely quiet outside. Absolutely no wind or rain. I text'd Kelli asking her if it was over, not realizing we were in the eye of the hurricane and that we had another round coming our way within the hour. She told me to go outside and see if we had any damage. I grabbed a flashlight and took Jaxon with me cause I was scared. (Abby is going deaf and she slept through most of the noise). There were trees down and debris everywhere, leaves and twigs all over our cars and house, limbs down all over the place, but no significant damage. Cassidy and Les woke up and followed me shortly after. The still and quiet didn't last long.

We were still awake when it started again but at some point managed to doze for periods of time. Les had to leave for work at around 7am. It was still very bad outside and I was scared for him to drive, and also scared a tree might fall on the house or something after he left but he had no choice. He's emergency personnel and had to be there for his shift. Thankfully, we were all safe when it was over.

Our house and street the morning after. We had minimal damage. Like almost everyone else we lost most of our fence, a strip from our carport, some pieces of our storage shed, tree limbs and shingles.

I was surprised when I looked out into our backyard and was staring right into my neighbor's backyard. We lost 85% of our fence on all three sides. The tree on the right was laying on the power lines. We've had to keep the dogs inside almost 24/7 now and it's been a PITA. It doesn't smell all that great either. We can chain them in the front for a while as long as the mailman has already been by.

Our new bigger back yard.

By Sunday we were miserable without power. Lauren wanted us to come to her apartment but I just didn't want to leave. There was a lot of clean up left to do and I felt like I should be here to keep up with the animals and house since Les still had to work. We were able to get a generator Sunday evening and that made it so much better. It was expensive to keep running and required daily trips to get gas and waiting in those long lines but well worth it. We were able to run a few fans, our frig., watch DVD's, charge our phones and plug stuff in if necessary. The generator made a world of difference but it was still a rough and long week. I was definitely not cut out to be a pioneer woman.

Just like almost everyone else in this city we were eating from the grill almost everyday last week. We ate so much BBQ this week I don't think I want to see any for months but I'm DYING for Mexican food. We also had plenty of company. Everyone was in the same boat but it made it better to suffer together.

As odd as it sounds, we sort of had a routine this week. It usually required a trip to the gas station and a ride around town to keep from losing our sanity. The first few nights there were curfews and the main roads were so dark it was eerie. I had to break the curfew a few times to drive my nephew back to his apartment.

It was a good sign when the tree cutting trucks swarmed the neighborhood yesterday. I watched them cut the tree that was hugging our power lines from my bedroom window. By the way, it's not even our tree and everything he cut fell into our yard. Oh, and the tree cutter's do not take the limbs with them. Apparently that's our job, but I'm not complaining. Thanks to these guys Center Point was able to get to the power lines and I'm happy to report that we got power last night and slept with a/c for the first time since last Friday night. It was also nice to shower with a light on, rather than by a lantern or candle light.

The kids got out of school on the Wednesday before the storm and will not return until next Thursday, that is as long as power has been restored to all schools. Basically, we're on a two week break, if you can call it that. We're all going stir crazy. Everyone I know is feeling it. We've hung out, had some fun and made the best of it but we're all ready for life to to get back to normal soon.

A few shots of our area.

In spite of it all, I would do it again. I never wanted to evacuate. I was afraid of getting stranded out of the city and not being able to get back in to check on my family and our house. I don't regret staying here. We live fairly close to the bay but weren't under mandatory evacuation. I'm impressed with how well my house withstood the winds and thankful our friends and family are safe.

Thanks for the well wishes and Lauren for updating the blog. I've been so lost without the internet and might not ever catch up on my daily blog reading.
Teedee, how is your mom and her place? All of your family okay?

Update from Lauren

2008-09-15T18:02:00.003-05:00

Thank you so much to everyone who kept my family in their thoughts and prayers this past weekend. All of our family and loved ones are safe and grateful no major damage has been done.

My mom requested I post an update blog since my family is still without electricity back home. I stayed in College Station and anticipated Ike to do a little more damage here in Aggieland than what was done, but thankfully nothing severe occurred and I still have air conditioning and running water.

Cell phones have been a big issue the past couple of days and I have only spoken to my mom a handful of times since Ike hit, our main conversations are in text messages. Our house withstood this ugly hurricane with minimal damage. We lost some shingles on the roof and the fences in the back yard are fallen down. Along with other minor things this is about the extent of the harm done.

They have been without power since the last post and are now running two fans, the fridge, and a T.V. off of a generator. Abby and Jaxon have to stay inside due to the lack of fencing, which I’m sure is quite interesting since we acquired a cat a few weeks ago…

I’ll leave the details for my mom to cover at a later date since this is all second-hand info and I wasn’t there to experience the eye of the hurricane… besides, she’s probably foaming at the mouth to share the stories ☺

My prayers and condolences go out to anyone who has suffered because of Hurricane Ike.

Yikes! Just Waiting on Ike

2008-09-12T19:33:00.003-05:00

We’re preparing for Hurricane Ike’s arrival tonight. Things are pretty chaotic around here. The wind is picking up and it looks eerie outside. We have everything we need and have made all of the necessary preparations. I expect to lose power pretty early in the storm, and to be without it for an extended period of time (but would love to be wrong).
The candles and flashlights are ready to go. We have ice, water, food, etc. We’re letting the dogs inside soon and putting the air mattress in the living room, where we will all stay together throughout the night.
The cell phones are charged and we hope to have service to keep in touch with our family and friends who are also riding out the storm.
Lauren was supposed to be home this weekend. By mid-week we knew we might be in the path of Ike and it became obvious that she should stay in College Station. They’re going to get bad weather and hurricane force winds, but she’ll be safer there than she would be here. I just wish she was with us because I think we will be just fine. She’s worried about us and we’re worried about her. I don’t like being away from her during all of this.
We’re watching local coverage while we still can. Galveston is already a mess and Ike won’t be making landfall until the early morning hours.
I’m sure my phone will be in overdrive tonight as I try to make contact with all of my friends and family throughout the night. I hope we don’t lose service.
I pray that we all weather this storm with minimal damage.
We just lost power but its back on for the time being, so I better go and hope I can post this before it’s off for good.
No time for spell check!
We love you, Nawen! Wish we were together but glad you are safer where you are.

California Dreamin'

2008-08-24T21:30:00.003-05:00

So, Lauren is officially off at school. She headed back yesterday. It feels weird. I’ve never gone longer than two weeks without seeing her and that was only once when she was out of town. It’s not like she’s in another state or anything, but I seriously doubt she’ll be coming home that often with the gas prices being so high, not to mention the amount of study time she’ll be putting in this semester.

We were talking about her cooking yesterday (especially to save money by not eating out) and it hit me just how clueless she is about cooking and grocery shopping. I actually feel guilty that I never forced her to learn how to cook. First of all, I’m no Betty Crocker, but there are a number of dishes that I can cook and cook well, though that hasn't always been the case. I’ve also been known to pull out the cookbook and try something new every now and then. (Granted, not as often as I should) Overall, cooking isn’t something I enjoy that much so don’t let me give the false impression that I’m really into it, because I’m not. However, I might like it much more if someone came along behind me and cleaned up the mess.

Lauren can make breakfast stuff, spaghetti and she loves the frozen pasta dinners that you toss into a pan for a ready-made meal, but that’s about the extent of her kitchen skills. I’m going to email her some easy recipes and suggest some must have items to have on hand for cooking at all times.

As she was leaving yesterday I thought back to the first time I moved away from home and just how clueless I was. I was eighteen-years-old and wet behind the ears with a two-month-old baby in tow. We were moving to Ft. Ord, California so Les could attend DLI for a year. My parents both took a week off from work to drive our car to California for us. Lauren and I were flying there courtesy of Uncle Sam. The plan was that mom and dad would arrive a few days after we did and stay for a week to help us get unpacked and settled into our new place. We had movers, also courtesy of Uncle Sam, to transport all of our earthly belongings from Texas to California.

We were moving into a 2-bedroom, 2 bathroom trailer located on Ft. Ord Military Base. We’d lived in a small house just a few blocks from my parent’s home right after we’d gotten married, but were only there for a few months before Les left for boot camp then I moved back home. I never really got domesticated or experienced being on my own until the move to California.

The movers came with all of our stuff that week and mom and dad helped us get all set up. We had hand-me-down couches (that actually received lots of compliments that year), a small dining table, our bed and dresser and Lauren’s crib and furniture. The trailer we rented was new and very nice and spacious. The trailer park itself looked like a regular little neighborhood/community complete with driveways and fenced in back yards. When we were done unpacking, it looked good, especially for a young married couple just starting out. We were very proud of our new home.

I’ll never forget how scared I was when it came time to drive my parents to the airport and say our goodbyes. I was 1800 miles from home and had no idea when we could afford a visit back to Texas or if my parents would be back to visit us anytime soon. I was a huge Mama’s girl, totally dependent on her, and completely clueless about managing a house and family. I’d been living back at home with them for months waiting until Les finished boot camp and got his official orders to move to California. My parents were very attached to Lauren (she’d come home from the hospital to their house) and were emotional about leaving us, too. I felt a panic set in as they started to board their plane back to Texas. How was I ever going to survive so far away from home, especially with Les being in school for such long hours and not having any friends or family nearby? I had pretty good maternal instincts but what if I couldn’t get Lauren to sleep at night and mom wasn’t around to help me when she was cranky? How was I going to care for this baby all by myself? (Les didn’t count; he was pretty clueless about babies back then). I was terrified. I was also sad that it would likely be many months before I would see them again. I’d never been away from home before (besides church camp) and it felt like I was being thrown to the wolves.

Did I mention that I also didn’t know how to cook a blessed thing? The most I was capable of cooking was a grilled cheese sandwich, scrambled eggs and bacon. Once, I’d even once blown up a glass dish that I was cooking bacon in while in the microwave. (There was a huge explosion and shards of glass covering the inside of the microwave) Oh, and I used to stir hamburger meat for my mom if I happened to be in the kitchen while she was cooking and she asked me to. That was the extent of my cooking capabilities and nothing more. I’m so not kidding. I had no idea how to make a meal if it didn’t come right out of a package and go straight into the microwave. Les could cook but it wasn’t exactly ideal for him to do so considering he was leaving the house everyday at 5am for PT, in class all day long and then studying for several hours every night. He was learning to read, write and speak Korean, which was intense, and he didn’t have time for much else during the week. If left up to me, we would’ve starved to death or just lived strictly on grilled cheese.

That next year would prove to be a challenge, complete with financial stress, homesickness, cooking 101, meeting new friends and learning to adjust to Military life 1800 miles away from home. (To be continued).

The Big Day

2008-08-18T02:03:00.015-05:00

We spent all day Friday packing a rented trailer full of furniture and miscellaneous things belonging to Lauren. On Saturday we all got up and drove to College Station and officially moved her into her new apartment.

As we pulled into the complex we were amazed at the number of moving trucks and trailers, just like the one we were pulling, lining the parking lot of this enormous complex. As we started the long process of unpacking, we couldn’t help but notice all of the other parents doing the exact same thing.

Just when Les and Lauren’s roommates Dad were about to start unloading the heavy stuff, the Calvary pulled up. That would be the seven young men you see pictured below with Lauren. They were hired by the complex to drive around all day and help people move in. We just thought they were angels who arrived in the nick of time. Did I mention that she lives on the third floor? I think Les wanted to kiss these guys but instead he just tipped them.

We spent most of the day unpacking and trying to get her settled into her new home. By the end of the night we were all worn out. After packing and unpacking for two solid days it made me greatly appreciate the many times my parents helped us move from town to town during our Military years.

She’ll be back home tomorrow to spend another week before school starts so I haven’t yet felt the emotions of a real goodbye. As excited as I am for her, I do anticipate some booing and hooing on my part.

Her apartment is very nice. She has two roommates. Her bedroom is huge with three big windows making it feel so bright and open. They also have a huge swimming pool, work out facilities and even a small movie theater, which by the way, Caden and Cassidy loved. I know she’s going to love it there. College Station is a great town and she has lots of old and new friends there to keep her company. (It was great to see you, Trey! I know I don’t even have to ask, but please keep an eye on Lauren. She’s kind of a big deal to us!)

Tagged for a MeMe

2008-08-06T14:19:00.007-05:00

I was tagged by Ronni at Ronni's Rants to do a meme as follows:

The Rules:
1. Link to the person who tagged you. (See above.)
2. Mention the rules on your blog. (Here they are.)
3. Tell about six unspectacular quirks of yours.
4. Tag six fellow bloggers by linking them.
5. Leave a comment on each of the six blogger’s blogs letting them know they’ve been tagged.

I am breaking the rules (for myself) and only tagging three fellow bloggers. (I don't comment regularly on all of the 100 plus blogs that I read, so I am not sure they would participate if tagged by a "lurker"!)

Darla
Shauna
Karen

1. I cannot go barefoot, even in the house. I must have slippers or flip-flops on at all times, unless I am swimming or walking around a pool/lake/the beach.

2. I must have a LARGE cup of ice water next to my bed every night before going to sleep. I may or may not touch it, but it must be there just in case I get thirsty.

3. I have two special pillows and do not share them. (Everyone in this house knows that) I also have a third pillow but am not so particular about the third one. I will use any third pillow, as long as I have my special two. When traveling I must take at least one of them with me, depending on how much room I have to pack them.

4. I keep my cell phone on vibrate 95% of the time because I hate the sound of it ringing. I rarely turn the ringer on unless I’m waiting on a very important call.

5. I hate waking up to an actual alarm clock so I use an old cell phone, also on vibrate, which I stick under my pillow at night and the vibration wakes me. I hate the sound of an alarm, mine or anyone else’s.

6. Whenever we are go on vacation, (even just a weekend away) I have to clean the house before we leave, even if that means I am up all night packing/cleaning. (Which is almost always the case)

Sadly, I just realized I could post so many more quirks. I have only touched the surface of my quirky personality. To prove my point, here's an old post from 06 where I share many more of them.

Bring it on, Edouard!

2008-08-04T15:21:00.016-05:00

It appears that we are in the path of a Tropical Storm, possibly strengthening to a category 1 hurricane by the time it makes landfall tomorrow morning. I'm ashamed to admit this, but I'm excited. No, I don’t want anyone to die or for the storm to severely damage or flood anyone’s property, but I do admit that I like storms. My friend, Kelli, and I are always excited when we find out we may be getting bad weather, especially TS or hurricane type weather. I guess that makes us twisted individuals or something. I have a friend in Corpus that is the same way and we usually fight over whose turn it is to get a storm. (Houston/Galveston or Corpus Christi/Padre). It’s usually just us wanting a day or two off from work! Since I'm off for the summer that really doesn’t apply now, but I'm still excited so I guess I really am twisted.

I was in junior high in 1983 when Hurricane Alicia hit. I remember the heavy winds and stormy weather very well. It was exciting and scary. We lost power and ended up all playing games and huddling together waiting on it to blow over. We were without power for almost two weeks afterward and had to stay with my grandparents. Being without A/C in Houston (especially in August) is never fun.

In 2005, when Hurricane Rita was churning in the Gulf, the city personnel and media had the entire state of south Texas in a panic. Evacuations were mandatory in most places, voluntary in others. They were preparing us for storm surges and major flooding. People panicked and the majority of the population in the area decided it would be safer to evacuate, mandatory or not. Most people began leaving their homes two days before the storm was scheduled to hit land. She was going to be a category 5 and people were terrified.

It was a big deal and the city was basically shutting down. I didn’t get off work in time to leave with my family and my husband was required to stay for his job. Once my parents and siblings had left and were already on the road, I really didn’t want to take a road trip with the kids and dogs all alone. I ended up waiting around before deciding what to do before what I was seeing on the news helped make the decision for me. All roads and freeways leading out of town were like parking lots. It was complete chaos. People were running out of gas on the feeder roads, driving the wrong way on the freeways trying to get off and find somewhere to get food and gas, getting sick from the heat, running our of food and water in their vehicles, etc. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing on the news and wanted no part of it.

It took my family, who were all driving in a caravan with a travel trailer and RV over 24 hours to get to my grandma’s house, which is typically a 3.5-hour drive. It was a nightmare.

The kids were upset with us for deciding that we would stay here. They wanted to be with their cousins on what they thought would be an awesome and exciting road trip/adventure. Plus, they thought we were basically setting them up for sure death. I saw the news and was in constant communication with my family. I knew it was no adventure that I wanted any part of. Funny note: (sorry, Mom) my mom actually had to squat in a parking lot to go potty. There was no other option for her at the time. That was huge and probably a first for her. I was so proud! I never knew she had it in her.

We were prepared to go to work (the police station) with my husband if things got too bad here. The building is old and tough and safer than our modest home. I took all of our pictures and home videos and stacked them up high in the house in case of flooding and we waited for the storm of the century.

The city was like a ghost town. Stores were closed. Roads were totally clear of other cars. I think we were the only people on our street that stayed. Our entire neighborhood seemed deserted and we seemed to be the only people left for miles. All of our friends and family had left. After two days of complete boredom, constantly watching the chaos of the evacuations on the news and the anticipation of what we had in store, we decided to go for a drive to get the kids out of the house.

It was so cool. We were the only car on the entire freeway. We drove for miles before seeing anyone else on the road. We drove to Kemah, which is usually packed with people on the Boardwalk and surrounding restaurants. There wasn’t a soul in sight.

On our way home we actually passed an open convenience store and everyone got so excited. We stopped, mostly to stock up on junk food, but I think we wanted and needed to see other people. At that point, we were feeling pretty alone. There were a few people inside. I remember meeting one couple that had stayed to keep an eye on their restaurant. We told the kids to get whatever they wanted. We were sick of them whining about the fact that we were the only people who stayed and how we should’ve gone, too. Believe me, the people who did leave went through hell trying to get out of town and I did us all a huge favor by not joining everyone else. We spent $60 on junk food before heading back home and that shut them up for a while.

In the end, the storm took a turn east more towards Louisiana making landfall as a category 3 and all we got was some heavy rain and winds. There were some branches down in the yard, but the storm barely even woke me up. I slept in the living room with the kids and when I heard the wind I got up and checked things out but then fell right back to sleep.

I was asked to drive by some houses after the storm to evaluate any damage, since most people were stuck out of town for a few days waiting to get back home and were anxious to know what, if any, damage they were coming home to. Fortunately, no one had extensive damage, mostly just fallen branches and limbs.

The city has since worked on improving emergency evacuation routes but I don’t think most people have much faith in the system. For the most part, the next time we are encouraged to leave, I seriously doubt that most people will go willingly after their hellish experiences in 2005. It'll be like crying wolf, in my opinion. No one will ever believe the big one is actually coming.

As far as this latest storm goes, it doesn't sound too scary. I have candles on hand (always do) but don't anticipate needing them. Cassidy and Caden are at their Grandma’s and we’ve opted to leave them there. She lives farther from the coast than we do in a house made of cinder block. (That house isn’t going anywhere). I’m sure she’ll try to coax me into coming over, too, but I’ll just stay here with the dogs. I’m trying to persuade Lauren into staying the night here just because I'll feel better if she is with us. As a precaution, most people are off from work tomorrow so maybe I’ll have a few friends over tonight for a hurricane party! Of course I hope and pray that no one is injured or loses their homes and/or businesses. Really, all we ever want is just some heavy rain and a day (or two) off from work. Is that asking too much?

Here are some before (the calm before the storm) and after photos from Rita, in no particular order. (Notice the looks of sheer displeasure on the kids faces).

And This Years Award Goes To.........

2008-07-30T00:07:00.003-05:00

We went to Incredible Pizza tonight and most definitely got our moneys worth from our visit. We had two coupons for one free adult and child dinner, plus a $10 token card that expires Thursday and we didn’t want those to go to waste. We all ate and played for free. We actually have two more left but I seriously doubt we’ll use them before Thursday. That just might be too much pizza and fun for one week. Although, it would be another free dinner and I’m all about not cooking whenever I can get away with it.

We all bowled and played miniature golf. The kids rode go-carts and bumper cars before we left for the movies. This is where I earn myself yet another nomination for Mother of the Year. I know, I really should let some of you other mother’s out there have a fair shot at this nomination and award, but I just keep going that extra mile.

We’re all big Will Ferrell fans in this house and were dying to see Step Brothers since we saw the previews. I just didn’t know that it was rated R until after we bought our tickets and were actually walking into the theatre. Cassidy brought it to my attention. We really do have a PG 13 policy. There are exceptions, (like allowing Cassidy to see Strangers, which was rated R for violence and language) but for the most part, they aren’t allowed to watch rated R movies.

So, there I was, faced with the realization that I wasn’t expecting. I had screwed up by assuming it was PG 13. I cringed and hesitated before finally going on into the theatre and hoping it wouldn’t be that bad. I guess you could call that wishful thinking.
We covered their eyes twice (in between bouts of our own hysterical laughter).

It was somewhat awkward sitting there laughing hysterically and grimacing at the same time. At one point I actually asked Les if we should just get up and leave and we both gave it some serious thought before agreeing that they’ve probably heard it all before (and maybe even worse) at school. I mean my first rated R movie was Young Lady Cha*terly, which made this look like a G rated Disney film (and I was younger than Caden when I saw it late at night on cable TV)!

As we were leaving the lights were still off and Les whispered to me, “Let’s get out of here quick before someone sees that we have our kids with us”. Then we walked shamefully to the car.

We're Back! (In One Piece)

2008-07-13T18:47:00.030-05:00

We pulled into the driveway last night (ummm, or this morning) at 3am. Ahhhh, home sweet home. We decided we couldn't miss the fish and shrimp fry so we stuck around for dinner and got a late start back home. We were technically paid to stay through Sunday but always prefer having a full day of recovery before going back to work, so we didn't care what time we got home as long as we woke up in our bed today. (which by the way, was after 1pm) Of course, this is my first year to not have to return to work tomorrow since I'm off for the summer but Les has my deepest sympathy.

In spite of it raining the first three days we were there, we still had a blast and were actually wishing we had stayed the full two weeks. I'm actually leaning towards going back with Lauren and her friend tomorrow for a few more days. It's a five hour drive but worth it.

Highlights (and non-highlights) of the trip:

Having Lauren ride to and from with us for the first time in about five years. It was nice to have her stuck in the car with us again for a change.

Les and I being stuck in the tent in the rain for hours at a time on and off for the first three days then realizing we'd forgotten to even pack a deck of cards. At least we had vodka, 7 Up and our excellent personalities to keep us from shooting ourselves.

Repeatedly sweeping our picnic area off and hosing down the dirt from our outside camping stuff after each downpour, only to have another round of rain come through a few hours later making everything dirty and nasty again.

Going out into the rain about 100 times to move the dogs from their chains to the tree to inside of our utility trailer to keep them dry. Fun? Not so much.

Taking the kids Geocaching in the rain. That was really cool. If you haven't heard of Geocaching before, it's basically like a scavenger hunt for something that you use a GPS to locate. People from all over the world participate and post the coordinates of things they have hidden on a website. Les had written down all of the ones located in the park prior to our trip so we decided to go even though it was raining. You have to use a GPS to locate it. We were basically hiking through the hills and trails trying to find the hidden object. Other than the fact that I forgot my tennis shoes (among other things) and got two huge blisters on my feet from wearing my water sandals, it was awesome and the kids loved it. The rain made it more adventurous.

Staying up with some people in our group late into the night laughing and sharing our greatest poop stories of all times. I laughed so hard my stomach and face hurt. A few of those stories might make it to the blog one day (with identities protected, of course).

Losing track of the day of the week and having someone else remind us that it was our 21st wedding anniversary. Hey, at least we BOTH forgot!

Sitting down at the picnic table and being stung where the sun don't shine by a bee. I ran into the tent screaming and jumped onto the bed sitting up on all fours asking Les to make sure the stinger wasn't still in. It wasn't, but it hurt like hell for 20 minutes. At least he finally quit telling me that the bees weren't going to hurt me anymore. LIAR! I knew there was a good reason to be scared of them. They hovered over the kids empty Coke cans all week. Those sneaky and unwelcome bastards!

Making it through the entire trip without a single episode of family drama!(Or at least any major drama!) Record books! Note: This could be a result of the fact that our site was located a good distance from camp central, so we had more of our own personal space than usual.

Sleeping in a tent while it rained. Now that's a relaxing and peaceful sound.

Not having to use the park showers one single time, thanks to our new handy dandy camping shower that TOTALLY rocks. (see below) Note: Sold at Academy for $40 and worth every cent!

Having great mother daughter bonding time with Lauren for an entire day of just the two of us relaxing in the water for about five plus hours. We got so burned! Turns out she loves sitting in a chair in the water for hours on end as much as I do. (as long as the cooler is nearby) Who knew? Oh, and among other things she shared or confessed to me, she told me all about the times she used to sneak out of the house during her junior and senior years. What am I supposed to do now except laugh? It's not like I can ground her now. I was actually so shocked that I couldn't stop laughing! OMG! I was the master at that age but had no idea that she had ever pulled it off. She even used the pillows in the bed trick. Whatever, I invented that! I threatened her with her life that she better not ever tell Cassidy her tricks.

Having to use wet wipes to clean my feet every night before climbing into bed to wipe the dirt off of them. You just gotta love camping!

Washing dishes after the guys have cooked for like 40 plus people, not so fun.

Our tent totally rocked and withstood the rain very well. It was big enough for our bed, two chairs and the tons of tubs containing all of of our "stuff". Plus, we could easily walk around and had plenty of open space. Everyone made fun of us for bringing two TV trays to use for our night stands. These would be the same people who are living it up in their travel trailers! We have an air mattress on a stand so it's pretty cool that it doesn't sit on the floor. Oh, and did I mention that we also take a portable air conditioner every year that keeps us from dying in the Texas heat? We're usually freezing in the mornings. (see below) Does that make us real redneck campers? Please, don't answer that.

I actually had so much fun that there's a good chance I'll be going back for a few more days with Lauren and her friend for the rest of this week. She came home with us to ride back up tomorrow with her friend (and to see her boyfriend for a few days) before returning for the rest of the week. Caden decided not to stay for week 2 but if I end up going back tomorrow, he's going back with us.

It felt good to sleep in my own bed and to actually have and keep clean feet after a long, hot BATH, but I would love a few more days of the river and some quality time with the friends and family.

These are the pictures I took with my phone, I've been way too tired and lazy today to bother loading the pictures from the cameras. Did I mention I slept almost all day? Cut me some slack on run-on sentences, spelling or grammatical errors.......I'm still recovering. I have two huge trash bags of laundry to do and 2,000 tubs to unpack but haven't so much as lifted a finger all day. Sigh. However, Caden and I are catching up on all of the shows he DVR'd while we were gone.

Here's a little taste of our week.

Lauren and Caden used this tent. (mostly Caden) Lauren had her stuff in it but for the most part she floated from trailer to trailer (and earned quite a reputation for making her rounds through the park! Ha! Of course, they were people in our group!) Cassidy visited us but she and her friend had their own bunks in MeMe and PawPaw's trailer.

"The shower"

The good 'ol A/C. See it down there on the right?

Our site.

The master tent that totally rocked. It's new and pretty roomy.

Oh, the view and just a short walk away from our site. Also where I spent the majority of my time RELAXING in my chair.

The dogs haven't moved since we got home.

Dreams Really Do Come True

2008-07-04T02:02:00.017-05:00

I have been holding back on some major news from our household because I wanted to make sure that Lauren had the opportunity to share her latest (and greatest) accomplishment with the family herself before they read it on my blog.

Lauren has been accepted to

and will be leaving for College Station in August.

She has wanted to be an Aggie since, well, I can't remember exactly how long, but it's been a long, long time. Her room was covered with Aggie logos and all kinds of Aggie stuff. My laundry hamper was always filled with assortments of A&M clothing (shirts, sweats, hoodies, shorts, etc. Don't even ask me to count the Aggie hats located in this house!)

We are so FREAKING proud of her and ECSTATIC that her biggest dream in life is finally coming true.

Hey, world! I'm an Aggie mom and DAMN proud of it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Gig 'em, Lauren!!!!!!!!!!!!

We love you!

P.S. Speaking of Aggies..........Hi Trey! Looks like we'll be seeing you soon, when we're hauling that truck load of furniture up that way.

Garner 2008 Here We Come

2008-06-30T12:07:00.035-05:00

It's almost time for the annual camping trip to Garner State Park. Ask any kid in the group going, and they'd choose GSP over a trip to Disney World or anywhere else any day. Their My Space pages all have count downs showing how many days left until they leave for their trip. The kids live for this vacation.

GSP scenic photos from the park website

I'm not quite sure how many families are in the group now. It grows larger every year. Once a kid hits age 13 or 14, they typically bring a friend. That just makes for a growing group picture in front of the tree. (see below)

Days typically consist of river floating or "river sitting". Personally, river sitting is my favorite thing to do. All we have to do is load the cooler, the floats, chairs and dogs, then walk down the hill to the water for a day of NOTHING but sun.

Dinner is never anything less than delicious. We eat like kings. We all live for Uncle Danny's famous fajitas. The fish and shrimp fry is a close second. Breakfast is pretty hearty, too. My kids have pop-tart and cereal withdrawals the first few days. They don't know what to think of getting pancakes and eggs everyday. There's usually no need for lunch as everyone is pretty much stuffed for the rest of the day. (Don't even get me started on how many dishes must be washed after each meal, and that is with using paper plates and cups!)

On a typical day the older kids head to rock beach for swimming and cruise around the park in their pick up trucks. Frisbee football at the pavilion seems to be a highlight of the trip for them, too. They also like to spend a day hiking and going up to the caves to explore.

Rainy days consist of kids piling into the trailers to play Play Station or X-Box. Hey, we come prepared. The adults take turns pushing the collected water off of the top of the big canopy. We don't want it to collapse like it did the year of the flood. Or, they might go into town to do a few loads of laundry and stock up on more eggs and milk.

The annual Garner trip is two weeks long. Some families (like us) only stay for one of the weeks so we pretty much have a steady flow of people coming and going at all times, but the two week die hard campers are there for the long haul. My kids refuse to leave with us so they get pawned off on the family for the additional week. (My sister, brother and parents are die-hards).

Ok,.......truth be told, I love my family very much, but I can't do the full two weeks because by the end of one week I'm already on the verge of hurting someone, or they're on the verge of hurting me. Either way, one week is all I can handle. And I KNOW it's mutual. I could blog about the negative aspects of the trip but I won't! By the way, I'm needing some Valium for the trip if anyone has any to spare. Everyone would benefit if I actually had some. Ha! (Don't get mad, mom. You know I speak the truth.) We mutually drive each other crazy, along with a few other people I shall refrain from naming. In the end, the trip is always fun, minus a few mishaps or misunderstandings resulting from all that sweating in the hot sun and so much togetherness.

The dance is fun for all. People line up their chairs to watch all evening. They're as young as two and as old as eighty out there on the floor. It's also like a reunion of sorts. We run into all kinds of people we grew up with that are staying elsewhere in the park.

Every night after the dance everyone gathers at camp central (my brother and sister's combined camp where all of the essentials are kept, and where eating and socializing takes place) for dessert. The women talk, the kids hang out and the men start up an all night game of washers.

Last year our group of kids decided to have a few theme nights at the dance. (Drag night, Toga night and boxer night. See below.) Bahahahahahaha!

We still do the tent thing. We're one of the few families in the group without a trailer. We have considered renting one but I don't so much mind the tent factor, unless it rains(and rains, and rains). We have an A/C unit in it. How cool is that? We also have a porta-potty for those 4am full bladder wake ups and a really cool tent shower. And the air mattress is pretty comfy.

We'll be leaving this weekend so we've been busy trying to gather up all of the camping gear from the storage room and condensing it into a spot in the garage. I had to take the kids shopping to make sure they had cool clothes for the dance. If it wasn't for the dance they could get away with just packing swimsuits!

Did I mention we have a busy week of packing ahead of us?

Garner 2007. The group at the dance.

See me dad's eyes below? This is his typical expression just prior to dozing off in the chair. You can usually find him swatting flies all day at the camp or dozing off somewhere!

Even with the sometimes crappy phone service up in the hills, the kids can still manage to find a spot to chat on their phones.

Drag night.

Boxer night.

Typical night after the dance.

At the dance.

Guess she couldn't find a gossip magazine. (I usually stock up for the trip)

Mother Nature

2008-06-21T22:25:00.009-05:00

This is what we saw from the car tonight on Beltway 8, along with an awesome lightning show. Spooky!

Why a Girl Always Needs Her Mother

2008-06-13T22:24:00.006-05:00

Cassidy brings me her phone, as mine was tucked away somewhere in my purse. (I’m so bad about that. That, and leaving it on vibrate all of the time)

Cassidy: Lauren wants to talk to you.
Me: Hello?
Lauren: Mom?
Me: Yes?
Lauren: (in very high-pitched, little girl, whiny voice) I’ve got 102.5. It won’t go away. I’m freezing. My stomach hurts and I just want to take a hot bath but I’m so weak I can’t get up. What should I do?
Me: Have you eaten? Have you taken anything for your fever?
Lauren: No, nothing sounds good. Yes, I took my antibiotic.
Me: Lauren, an antibiotic won’t help your fever. You need Tylenol or Ibuprofen or something.
Lauren: Oh.
Me: Do you have any?
Lauren: Yes.
Me: Okay, get up right now and take some. It’ll take about 30 minutes but it should help with your aches and fever.
Lauren: Okay.
Me: I’m making Mexican Lasagna for dinner if you want some.
Lauren: Ewww, no, nothing sounds good to me.
Me: You need some soup.
Lauren: Okay, we have soup.
Me: Okay, try to eat some soup and you can always come stay here if you feel that bad. Go take something right now.
Lauren: Okay, thanks.

Two hours later her dad delivers her potato soup and bread from Panera. She is feeling amazingly better. Go figure. You gotta love Ibuprofen.

This is yet another reason why I have anxiety about the twenty-year-old leaving home to live on her own, and going on a train trip next week traveling to Canada with two of her friends of the same age. Yikes!

I admit she has actually been doing very well at her new place. I just can’t figure out where she was all those years when I was shoving pills down her throat for her signature high fevers and they were not antibiotics. Maybe she was delirious.

Nawen, I love you. Get well soon so you can enjoy your trip. I don't want to have to worry about you being so far from home and being SICK.

T-R-O-U-B-L-E

2008-06-13T13:47:00.004-05:00

Lauren's roommate, Ashley, has provided us with a good laugh. In Travis Tritt's song, T-R-O-U-B-L-E, she thought he was actually saying "I spill tea all over you Billy". Oh, that totally cracks me up.

I told her about my bag to make her feel better.

Song

Song Lyrics

My Daughter, The Queen of Pranks

2008-06-09T13:17:00.007-05:00

If you haven’t seen Strangers you might want to skip this post. I’m not going to give it away, but there will be some references to the movie here.

I took Cassidy to see Strangers Saturday night. I don’t typically let the kids watch rated R movies unless I have a rundown on exactly what is inappropriate. I was told there were no illicit s*x scenes, just violence, (ha) so I figured why not. She was dying to see it so we went.

I was under the impression that it was based on a true story but the ending left me wondering. According to my internet searches, it doesn’t appear to be true, but I'm still not certain.

I had mixed feelings about the movie. The acting was good. The fear factor was pretty intense. As I already mentioned, I wasn’t all that happy with the ending but if you’re just looking for a flick to get your adrenaline going, I’d say it will do the trick.

This isn’t supposed to be a movie review, but I had to give the background story to prep you for this.

I left the kids home alone last night while I ran to Wal-Mart. It was after 9pm when I left and within half an hour of my departure they were already texting me about picking up shakes from Sonic on my way home.

I pulled into the driveway at the same time as my husband who was returning home from an extra job he had worked. As soon as he unlocked the door I knew something was “up”. The house was completely dark. Red flag, red flag! I wasn’t worried because they had been stalking me via text wanting an ETA on their shakes, so I knew they were up to something and not victims of any horrendous crime.

He flipped on the light and the first thing I saw was a small mirror lying on the floor that read, “Where’s Tamara?” in red lipstick. (That was from the movie) I smiled and told him to hurry up and turn the lights back off. We walked around in the dark and found no indication of any hiding children so he let the dogs into the house to help sniff them out.

In the meantime, I had to go pee because I was getting that “I’m so scared I might pee in my pants feeling” from walking through the house in the dark wondering when a kid was going to jump out and scream boo. So, after my brief pit stop I walked towards the bedroom where Les had flipped on our bathroom light.

Just as I was walking down the hallway, Caden came running out of our room claiming his innocence. That’s when I heard the music playing. (Also just like in the movie) Ha! It was Merle Haggard’s “Mama Tried”. This song played over and over during the scary parts of the movie. There was still no sign of Cassidy so I went into our bathroom and just as I did she jumped out from behind the shower curtain and screamed. She was dressed in all black and wearing a mask that she had made identical to the one the guy in the movie wore, and my bathroom mirror was covered with messages written in red lipstick. (Again, just like in the movie).

First of all, I wasn’t expecting the kids to be in the back of the house hiding. They’re way too scared for that. (Or so I thought) Jaxon had pretty much outed Caden, who was hiding in the closet, so he just gave up and came out. Cassidy was just waiting for someone to find her so she could jump out. We sort of blew her plan by turning on the bathroom light and the laptop messed up delaying the start of the song but overall, her little prank went over pretty well and she most definitely gets an A for her effort. I probably would've been more spooked if I had been walking through the house in the dark all alone. Good thing we both arrived home at the same time.

Let me add that before I left for Wal-Mart she had already scared me causing me to scream VERY loudly. It was one of those unexpected jump out from behind a door scares that I hate so much, unless I'm the one behind the door. Trust me when I say that she has a big pay back coming and she so needs to be watching her back. When she least expects it, I will make my move. I don’t care if it takes all summer for me to get her back. I will do it and it will be good.
Bahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!

Check out her creativity.

Guys and Dolls

2008-06-08T00:17:00.008-05:00

Here are some shots of Caden in the school musical last week. He had a few parts and did a great job. (and I'm not just saying that because I'm his mom!)

The Carri Rant

2008-06-05T14:20:00.006-05:00

The spelling of my first name is somewhat unusual. I'm sure there are others out there, but I haven’t come across anyone with the same spelling before. (Except for a niece on my husband's side and they purposely spelled her name like mine when she was born so that doesn't count).

Over the years I have grown used to it being spelled incorrectly. I’m actually surprised when I do see it spelled correctly. People typically add an E to it, which is usually no big deal. It only bothers me if it’s misspelled on something important or official.

My husband was actually the first one to ever complain about it a few years ago when we ordered new checks from our bank and they came in with a big E on the end of my name. He wanted to know why people always think I forgot to add an E to the end of my own name and then kindly add it on for me. He did have a good point that I’d never really thought about before. It's not like I had called in the checkbook order and they'd gotten it wrong over the phone. I had actually filled out one of those reorder forms and it was written in black and white right in front of them, but again, someone thought I forgot my own E and kindly added it for me. Since the check incident I tend to notice it more often now.

When I started my new job I filled out mounds of paperwork and printed my name nice and neatly. Whenever they set up my email, log in information, etc. I was Carrie on everything. I really hated to be petty and contact the IT department but I couldn't stand it so I did and they changed it. The only thing I let slide was my user name on one of the systems I have access to. It just wasn't worth the hassle of contacting someone to correct it, so I'm still logging in as Carrie on one thing at work.

I haven't met that many other Carri's before, so I found it a little odd when Cassidy had two friends over last night and both of their mom's are also named Carri (or Keri and Kerri). For some reason, every time I have met another Carri, the spelling of our names is always discussed, almost immediately upon introduction. It's almost like some unspoken rule or standard Carri protocol thing. Maybe people are always throwing E’s around for them, too.

Oh, and Cassidy is sometimes known as Cassi. Maybe I just have a thing against E’s.

Please Pass the Charmin

2008-06-01T16:32:00.019-05:00

I’ve done my fair share of wrapping houses over the years. I used to tag along with my older siblings whenever my mom was driving them around town late on Friday nights to wrap, and was sometimes lucky enough to actually get out of the car and throw some paper around. I was in elementary school at the time. By the time I was in sixth grade I had moved on to wrapping my own friend’s houses. We did it often and were very good at it. It was the highlight of our weekends all through junior high and sometimes high school.

I think my mom enjoyed the house wrapping as much as we did. She taught me almost everything I know, which I have since proudly passed on to my own kids. Thanks, Mom!

My mom offered great tips on being sneaky and how to avoid getting caught. We always did a surveillance drive by of the target house to see if any lights were still on and to strategically plan the best escape route. She would shut her headlights off and park down the street before letting us out. We weren’t allowed to shut the car door. We had to push on them until they clicked shut while she held her hand over the dome light trying to keep the inside of the car dark. I’m telling you, we took our house wrapping seriously. We were only supposed to whisper, but that was never an easy task for a group of excited sixth grade girls with adrenaline rushing through our veins. She almost always refused to let us wrap a house if they had a dog. If a car was coming we were supposed to duck down behind whatever we were standing closest to (a car, a bush, a boat, etc.) until it passed. If a porch light turned or a door opened, (which was known to happen from time to time, especially considering we always ended up with at least one loud talker in the group) it was definitely time to run for the car, without looking back, and pile in as quickly as possible.

Whenever we did get caught we would drive off as quickly as possible. That was sometimes difficult since there would usually be at least one slow runner in the group. We always drove around the neighborhood for a while before returning to the crime scene to see if anyone was still looking for us or if they’d started the clean up. Good times!

Not only did my mom enjoy driving us around to wrap houses, she was notorious for catching people in the act of wrapping ours and she loved doing that, too. Between the three of us, our house got wrapped quite often during our teen years. She was a night owl and was usually up late watching TV. She would hear noises, (trust me, the woman has amazing hearing) and turn the TV down. It was usually obvious to her what was going on. She would peer out of the sheer curtains in the living room to confirm her suspicions (a yard full of kids throwing rolls of toilet paper up into our trees) then she would quietly step out into our garage, go through the back yard and along the side of the house all while wearing her infamous moomoo night gown. She was like a spirit in the night, never making a noise, gliding down the driveway right up behind the kids. She was so quiet that no one would notice her until she was literally right on top of them. Eventually, some kid would turn around to find her standing right there watching them and freak out. They would take off running like lightning for their getaway car. She just loved catching the kids. Did I mention before that she was very sneaky?

I definitely passed everything I learned onto my kids. One night when Lauren was in junior high I was up late, in our front room on the computer with all of the lights off. I thought I heard something so I walked to the window and looked out. I saw long strips of toilet paper blowing in the wind from our tree. Then I saw some movement in the front yard and knew exactly what was going on and that the culprits were still here. I immediately ran into wake Lauren. We both dressed in record time and headed to the front door. We were so going to scare them. I briefed her on the game plan and then promptly yanked open the front door. Lauren and I started chasing a group of girls through our front yard. They ran to a parked get away van and drove off quickly.

We knew immediately who it was. She lived one street over from us, so we jumped into the car with an armful of toilet paper and wrapped her house in retaliation. Hey, I’m basically a professional so we did a pretty good job for it just being the two of us.

In attempt to finish our house, they drove back by after we’d caught them. I saw their van drive past and told Lauren it was time to run. Our street connects to her street so I knew we only had a minute to make it back to the car. We made it to the car and as they came around the corner from our street I decided we would chase after them. We followed them flashing our lights and after a while they finally pulled over. In the end, Lauren and I got into their van and joined forces with all of them to wrap a few more houses before returning home very late into the night. It was so much fun.

I must admit that I still enjoy wrapping houses and the big adrenaline rush that comes with it and have taught my kids almost everything they know………….

They did learn one thing on their own and that is “forking houses”, which I am told is where you buy like 50 plastic forks and stick them into the front yard, in addition to wrapping the house.

These are photos from last night’s escapade. Cassidy and Caden had friends stay the night. Lauren, Boogie and Ashley (Lauren’s roommate) took them wrapping. They did four houses, including my sister’s. My nephews chased them down the street and literally caught Lauren by the arm before they could make their escape. Bahahahahahaha!

I am so proud that my kids are carrying on the family tradition!

P.S. Does Cassidy's friend (on the left) look like Haley Joel Osment or what?

Little Seizure

2008-05-28T18:50:00.006-05:00

When we pulled into the driveway today the neighbor kids were in the street playing. They’re fairly new to the neighborhood and I’m still learning their names. I commented on how well behaved they were and asked Caden what the youngest boy's name was. He said, “Seizure”. I said, “You mean Cesar?”

I started to explain what a seizure was but he stopped me and said he already knew but had just gotten mixed up.

The Little Bird Who Flew Away (Around the Corner)

2008-05-25T03:03:00.019-05:00

Lauren moved out two weeks ago. We knew she was probably moving away in August, but this was sudden and came out of nowhere. She went swimming with a friend one Wednesday afternoon at some apartments near our house, which is also near the college she attends. She came home with two girls we’d never met before and announced that “Ashley” was her new roommate. They'd met through their mutual friend, Cassie, at the pool that afternoon. (Yeah, you heard that right, they JUST met that day but they were planning on being roommates). Ashley’s roommate had jumped ship on her mid-lease and she had an extra bedroom/bathroom up for grabs. Needless to say we (I) didn’t take her serious. Well, that is until Friday afternoon when I arrived home to find Lauren, Cassidy and one of Cassidy’s friends carrying arm loads of clothes out to Lauren’s car. I kind of felt like I'd been kicked in the stomach.

Yes, I know she's 20-years-old and all but she's still my baby girl. (Granted, my very mature and stubborn as a mule baby girl). I know I got married at age 12 and all (okay, maybe I wasn’t actually 12, but I was pretty damn young) and by the time I was her age already had a two-year-old and had lived in California and Korea for crying out loud, but that was different. That was me and this is her. Too many things can happen out there! Does anyone else watch Court TV? (Oops, I mean TruTV?)

Anyhow, back to my story. So, on Friday she had moved all of her small stuff out while I followed her around the house telling her there was no need for her to move out, she had no rules at home, she had it made here, she had her freedom coming and going as she pleased without the financial strain of being on her own, that it was a big (huge) mistake for her to do this, to just wait until August to do anything, etc. Well, obviously that fell upon deaf ears.

That night we went out to eat for Caden’s birthday and on the way home she wanted us to stop by and see her new home. I was impressed with the apartment and her roommate seems really nice.

By Saturday afternoon her dad was moving her big furniture out and I was staring at a half empty room wondering how I was going to deal with one bird leaving the nest.

There are definitely pros and cons to this situation.

Pros:
An extra bedroom (with a walk-in closet) to be used for whatever we (I) please
A guest room (with cable TV!)
Less laundry
Less dirty dishes
Extra closet space
No dirty pizza pans in the sink when I come home for lunch
More closet space (did I already mention that?)
I have lots more home alone time when I work my two half days
She’s less than a mile away and still drops in on us at all hours

Cons:
I miss her (Ok, I admit that she drove me absolutely crazy when she was here but I still miss her)
I can’t wake up at 2am and open her bedroom door to make sure she’s safely in her bed or peer through the garage window to see if her car is in the driveway and know that she made it home safely
I worry about her midnight runs to Wal-Mart and her walking to her apartment door alone verses pulling into our driveway and being 10 feet away from the door
I just worry about her in general and it totally sucks

For instance, I got pretty worked up Thursday night because she had a camping weekend planned and she decided to leave at midnight for a three and a half hour drive ALONE. She arrived at her destination at around 4am. I still pay her car note and insurance (among other things) and can always pull that trump card on her, but I don’t want to have to do that. I just want her to be smart and to be safe and for some reason, even with her freedom when she lived here, I felt like I still had her safety under control. This is a whole new world for me. I’m not so sure that I like that my little bird has left the nest, and I dread the fact that there are two more who will spread their wings before I know it. Sigh.

By the way, she has a new boyfriend. They went to high school together but were always just friends until now. We knew of him because he was a star athlete and everyone in this town knew of him, but we’d never officially met him until she brought him by the house the other night. He has a nickname and that is what he is known by. I don’t think anyone knows his given name. It was kind of funny for me when I offered him a drink. “Boogie, would you like something to drink?” Yes, I said BOOGIE and kept a straight face.

Happy Birthday, Caden!

2008-05-08T22:27:00.013-05:00

Happy 12th Birthday, Caden!

Charlie Bit Me

2008-05-01T15:32:00.009-05:00

My girls showed me this yesterday. We played it over and over and couldn't stop laughing. The British accent is just adorable.

Click here to see Charlie in action.

Edited to add:

The Charlie Re-Mix

Oh, Such Pretty Jeans

2008-04-23T18:02:00.020-05:00

Whenever my sister-in-law cleans out her closet, I often receive a bag of clothes to rummage through to see if I want anything before they end up in a clothing donation bin. She has some really nice clothes and I'm not too proud to accept the kind donation. There are often things that just aren't my style but I have gotten some nice things from her.

Recently, Lauren returned home from visiting her aunt with a bag of clothes for me. These jeans were in the bag. I'm not quite sure what the story is behind them. I wondered if she had come across some of her old clothes from the 80's or something. If only I still had my Ropers I could wear them with the ones that look like chaps to the Rodeo, and the baseball ones would show my team spirit at an Astros game. Ha! Needless to say the jeans eventually made their way to Goodwill. It's hard for me to imagine my sister-in-law actually wearing them. I'm tempted to ask her if she ever actually wore them in public but don't want her to cut me off of the hand-me-down recipient list.

Seeing these jeans reminded me of a joke I once played on my friend, Vicki, when I visited her in Michigan a few years ago. Someone near and dear to me (no names mentioned) bought me a sweatshirt for Christmas that year. It was a nice sweatshirt (for an eighty-year-old grandmother) but it was so not for me. It was navy blue with three big, brightly decorated Christmas trees across the front. It had a high collar, was somewhat gawdy and very grandmotherly looking. A pair of blinking Rudolph earrings would've been a great way to further accent the flashiness of the shirt. I know, I know, it's the thought that counts, but really, she shouldn’t have! It was definitely a white elephant kind of gift that was sure to find itself in my next garage sale. I believe it came from the Dollar Store. Hey, I love the Dollar Store and all, I'm just saying........

So, as I was packing for my trip to Michigan I decided to pack the sweatshirt that still had the tags attached and give it to Vicki as a "gift". After I got there and settled in, I took it out of my suitcase. I took a good look at it before folding it back up and preparing to give it to her with a straight face. I went to her room and told her that I had brought her something. I handed it to her and she slowly unfolded it. I was totally expecting her to put on an academy award winning performance, you know, trying to act all grateful and pleased with my generosity (kind of like I did when I got it). I was actually surprised when she immediately burst into laughter. She never even hesitated before cracking up. I didn’t even get a forced or obligatory thank you. I kept asking her, “But, what if it hadn’t been a joke? What if I had been serious? Wouldn’t you feel bad?” She kept saying there was no question in her mind as soon as she saw it. I told you it was gawdy.

In the end I think the shirt eventually made its way back to Texas and was re-gifted to someone in her family as a joke. Who knows where it is now. I hope it finally found an appreciative owner in a retirement home somewhere.

My BFF's

2008-04-23T17:26:00.003-05:00

Teresa (Teedee)is in town from Atlanta so we had a little reunion last night. Me, Teedee and Carla met for dinner and had a blast. Is it possible to laugh yourself sick? My side still hurts from all the laughter. I just wish we could've had a slumber party and pulled an "all nighter" because three hours was just not enough time, but missing work today was not an option for me or Carla. Besides, Teresa had to get back to her mom's and her new baby girl. (She's lactating!)

We always pick right back up where we left off, without missing a beat. We have so much history and awesome memories of growing up together. I love these girls. We're planning a trip in November 2009 for our 40th birthdays. We just haven't decided where we're going yet, but it doesn't matter. We could have fun together in a brown paper sack.

Monsters Among Us

2008-04-20T13:36:00.014-05:00

An old friend called me last night to tell me that another old friend had been fatally wounded in an attempted car jacking on Wednesday. I had heard about it on the news for the past several days and even read the news article online, but didn’t recognize the name because they were using her married name.

I haven’t seen her in over twenty years, but it still broke my heart when I heard it was Tina. We grew up together attending the same church and schools. She was such a nice person with the biggest brown eyes and great big smile.

I can only imagine how terrified she was, fighting to keep them from driving off with her baby in the car. I'm sure she would've gladly given up those keys without a fight if she'd been alone that day. It makes me so sad to think that this is how her life ended. This was so senseless.

This is just another reason why I believe in the death penalty. It makes it even worse that the two suspects were illegal aliens. According to news reports, they had been on a crime spree around the city (some of which is caught on video, along with the attack on Tina) and were already driving a stolen car when they attempted to take hers. I hope they catch the POS killer before he makes it back to Mexico, where they will protect him. This is Texas, where we believe in and practice an eye for an eye.

RIP, Tina.

Local News Story

One Suspect in Custody

Obituary

Escoto was arrested in September for trespassing and served 75 days in jail.

Rios was charged with possession of marijuana in May 2007 and served 10 days in jail. In June 2007 he was charged with criminal mischief and failure to identify himself to a police officer and served 30 days in jail.

It's hard to swallow the fact that no one (ummm, like the INS authorities) bothered to send these two back to Mexico when they were arrested back in 2007. From what I hear, that seems to be pretty standard practice, unless they're charged with a felony. So, they served their jail time last year and were allowed to stick around here and take an innocent life. It's hard to comprehend an illegal alien being released from jail, free and clear to continue breaking our laws. I just can't believe they were both in jail last year and allowed to walk right back out onto our streets. All because they hadn't yet committed a "felony", so we just allow them to stay until they do.

The following is a quote from an officer regarding the driver of the car.

"Escoto may also be charged with murder, under Texas' "law of parties," which makes a getaway driver "just as guilty" as the murderer."

That is good to know.

The Poor Lip

2008-04-11T11:58:00.005-05:00

I was in Burke's when the nurse called to inform me that Caden had been hit in the lip with a plastic bat during P.E. The bleeding had stopped but he had a headache and stomach ache and she thought he needed to come home. According to the nurse, the swelling has gone down some.

I got him a slush at Sonic on the way home and gave him some Ibuprofen for the pain. It's throbbing and he's not a happy camper. I'm not good at dealing with injuries. I'm glad the bleeding stopped before I got to him.

He wanted me to tell his dad that he got into a fight but it was too late. I had already spilled the beans on the way to the school.

The nurse wasn't sure about stitches. The gash is pretty deep but I would think as long as the bleeding has stopped, he shouldn't need them. I think I will wait for his dad to come home for lunch to get a second opinion on whether this warrants a trip to the doctor. At this point, I think it's just a nasty busted lip that needs an ice pack.

This brings back the memory of me walking right into the path of my sister swinging a bat when I was five-years-old. I had a gaping hole in my lip that would not stop gushing blood. I remember my mom holding cup towels over my face all the way to the E.R. I ended up with stitches and a nice scar. My sister was more traumatized than I was and still feels guilty about it to this day.

Mandy the Mannequin

2008-04-11T07:34:00.009-05:00

My boss brought Mandy to work two weeks ago and I'm still not used to her being there. Every time I open the office door I jump because she is the first thing I see sitting there on the couch. When I am at my desk her head is turned directly towards me. It's kind of creepy.

I asked him if he strapped her into his passenger seat and buckled her in. He said no, he just threw her across the backseat. We joked about how he could've used the HOV lane if he had thought about it.

He brought her to use in our display window. He would like to arrange her in a chair sitting among a bunch of empty beer bottles with a cigarette hanging out of her mouth and some kind of anti-drug message to the kids.

Did I mention how creepy it is to have her staring at the back of my head all day?

By the way, she is wearing a pair of $400 shoes. Her original owner was somewhat wealthy and dressed her well. He used her to sit in front of a TV by a window in his house so it would appear someone was home when he was traveling. Personally, I prefer my two watch dogs.

April Fools Part II

2008-04-01T23:54:00.008-05:00

Please first read the previous entry (below), as they go together.

We had an eventful evening at our house tonight. I took Cassidy to the ballpark then came back home. Les and Caden were watching a movie. Caden was sick with a monstrous stomach virus last week that really kicked his butt (literally), and he missed five days of school. He has tons of make up work to do. I had gotten some of his schoolwork on Thursday so he could get a head start on it over the weekend, but he still has some left to do. As soon I saw him in front of the TV I asked him if he had done his homework and he assured me that he had. So, we watched the movie.

After dinner and the movie I told him to start getting ready for bed. He did. Then he came back into the living room in a typical Caden total panic mode whining about how he still had eight pages of homework left to do. In an instant I was almost shaking and about to blow a gasket, which is not uncommon for me over things such as this. I had flat out asked him about the homework and he said he was done. I was pissed, really pissed and was about to start a ten minute ranting and raving session when he said, “April Fools”! He, like his sister, was very convincing. Once my blood pressure finally got back to normal I was able to laugh and tell him that he’d gotten me good.

When I picked Cassidy back up from the ballpark I told her about Caden’s prank and she thought it was funny. She told me that she had also tricked her entire tennis team into thinking they had to run laps because someone did something to get them in trouble and they all believed her. I was pretty impressed, but little did I know the best was yet to come.

She told me she had a really good prank to play on me but now that Caden had just gotten me she didn’t think I would believe her. I had to coax her into finally telling me what she had planned to do. OMG, it was a good one, too. So, she and I decided that we would play it on her dad instead. I knew he would never ever suspect that it was an April Fools joke. It was that good.

We got home and she fed the dogs and swept the kitchen. I kept waiting on her to move forward with the plan we had come up with in the car but she kept stalling. I went into the garage to do some laundry and she followed me out there. She told me she wasn’t sure she could do it without laughing and that she was scared. I didn’t blame her. As we started talking about it we both started laughing hard and I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to keep a straight face either. Finally, I just went for it, knowing I had to keep it together. He was on the couch watching TV and it was getting late. It was now or never. So, I opened the door but she didn’t follow me in. I walked over to him and dropped a piece of paper down in his lap and said something like you’re never going to believe this. Then I started walking around the living room mumbling that I couldn’t freaking believe this and acting like I was ready to kill Cassidy while he read the paper. I walked back to the garage and said, “You better get your butt in here”. He was now sitting there and had a completely shocked and pissed off look on his face. She sat down in the chair and I sat down on the other couch. We both kept putting our hands over our eyes and faces looking down to keep from laughing. She had to act scared and I had to act mad. I asked her what she was thinking doing something like that and he asked her to explain exactly what had happened.

Okay, now I finally have to tell you what was on the paper. It was a real detention slip from her school signed by her teacher. It was official and it said that she had received detention for flipping off another student and yelling across the room. So, by now Les is pretty angry but he is so stunned I don’t think he knew exactly how to react. She has NEVER been in any trouble since she started school. NEVER. So, he tells her to explain to him exactly what happened. She tells him that they were having a big political debate and that this one kid was saying that he didn’t believe in God and that it just made her really angry. She said I’m sorry, I just got so mad. I made some comments like, “So what, that doesn’t give you the right to shoot the finger at him”. She would hang her head in shame and apologize and say she knows but she was just so mad. Let me add that Lauren heard the commotion so she came out of her room and was already aware that this was a joke. What she was not aware of was that I now knew. She still thought the original plan was in action. She was in the kitchen and said she had to get down on the floor and bury her face in her shirt to keep from laughing out loud.

Les got up and started pacing the living room floor and telling Cassidy that she had made all of us look bad by what she had done. He was going on about how Lauren works at her school, I also work at her school, that Caden will be going there next year, that he is a police officer and he doesn’t want people to associate our name with bad things like what she had done. The whole thing went on for several minutes and it took everything I had to keep from busting a gut. Every time I looked at Cassidy I could see the corners of her mouth curling up and how hard she was fighting a big grin, but we were both hanging in there. Right after he finished his speech about our family name and reputation we looked at each other and could no longer contain our laughter. We both just cracked up and Les was absolutely blown away once he realized it was an April Fools joke.

He literally bent over and slapped his forehead and was speechless. He just kept shaking his head but didn’t know what to say. Lauren came running out of the kitchen totally cracking up. Caden came running out of his room to see what all the commotion was about. OMG, it was priceless. Once he got over the fact that we got him, he said he couldn’t believe we hadn’t video taped it. I so wish we had. Cassidy kept high-fiving me and telling me what a good job I had done. Lauren couldn’t believe that I knew ahead of time. She thought I was really mad, too. Maybe I’ve actually got some acting ability, too.

I still can’t quit laughing every time I think about it. I’ll never forget his face when he realized it was a joke. This was a classic. Can you believe her teacher was cool enough to write that out for her making it so “official”? We will be laughing about this for a long time.

We have decided that Cassidy will be on lock-down next April 1st! We might have to chain her to her bed and muzzle her but she just can’t be trusted to leave this house or talk to anyone.

Check out the official detention slip. Bahahahaha!!!

April Fools

2008-04-01T15:45:00.006-05:00

I worked at the junior high today and ran into one of Cassidy’s tennis coaches. She stopped me and said, “Your daughter was bad, bad, bad this morning”. I couldn’t believe my ears. Cassidy might not be perfect at home, but we've never heard a negative word about her from one single teacher since she started school. As a matter of fact, they usually rave about her being a great student and often compliment her excellent behavior. I always wonder if they're talking about the same kid. Ha! So, needless to say, I was stunned and not sure what she could've possibly done.

She proceeded to tell me that Cassidy came to school this morning with her arm wrapped in an ace bandage and informed her two tennis coaches that she had been injured playing football yesterday. She told them she wasn’t going to be able to play for the remainder of the season. The coach said she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She was very upset because she had just gotten all of the tennis teams matched up with their partners (after stressing over it) and that her being injured would mess her plan all up. Cassidy eventually unwrapped her bandage and they realized it was a big joke. I was told that she put on a very, very convincing performance. That's my girl!

By the way, I found our first aid basket on her bedroom floor where she left it after rummaging through it for her props.

She hasn’t gotten home yet from school. I sure would love to pull a good one on her and am racking my brain. Hmmm....maybe I’ll tell her I’m pregnant.
(KNOCK ON WOOD!!)

Edited to add: I just heard Cassidy's version of the story.
She had it all planned out and apparently put a lot of thought into it yesterday. I usually drive her every morning but her dad took her today. Otherwise, I would've been in on this little prank ahead of time. So, she wrapped her arm before she left and went to athletics before school. She told her coaches that she had sprained her arm playing football. They wanted to know if she had gone to the doctor and what he had said. She said yes and that it was a sprain and that she couldn't play for three weeks. Her tennis partner got very upset because now she wouldn't have a partner and she didn't want to play singles. Cassidy had them all going and waited a few minutes before she unwrapped her bandage. Then she slowly waved her arm back and forth in the air at them and started laughing. They couldn't believe how well she had fooled them. I might have her take up acting.

The Sneeze

2008-03-30T22:35:00.013-05:00

We had a surprise retirement party for my dad today. It was great seeing all of my aunts, uncles and cousins from both sides of the family. Everyone had a great time.

We were taking pictures of my grandma with all of the great grandchildren. Click on each picture to enlarge it and get the full effect. Watch my son, Caden (in the very center). You can see by his facial expression that a sneeze is coming. Poor Jordan was right in his line of fire. (Not that she even had a clue). Cassidy totally cracks up and the 22-year-old (he's the ring leader) can't stop laughing. He's a mess!

Trevin is the one hugging my grandma who never, ever cracks a smile. He's a sweetheart but you sure can't tell from the pictures.

Oh, and the reason everyone is looking in different directions is because we had two or three people snapping pictures at the same time.

Isn't Lauren's new hair style cute? She hasn't had short hair since her ninth grade year.

Happy retirement, Dad!

The End of a Long but Fun Day

2008-03-24T15:50:00.004-05:00

Did I mention how much walking was involved? Or how crowded it was? The shows were awesome. Now I want a sea lion. I'm not so sure I could handle a killer whale but I'd sure love to pet one.

We got to the shows early enough to get good seats. The kids preferred being in the splash zone but us adults opted for higher, dryer ground. We were truly amazed as we watched the rows of seats begin to fill up, only to have a large groups of people rush in at the last minute trying to get people to let them squeeze in to a tiny space on their row. The ones who just forced their way in and plopped down made the other people extremely crowded. At first we thought it was just one group who had a lot of nerve, but we watched in disbelief as it happened over and over at each show. You should've seen the tiny spaces that people were trying to cram into. My brother and I had a small space between us because he was holding his son at the moment. One man asked me if he and his son could sit there and I told him it was taken. There were plenty of empty rows up higher. Why should we have to sit like sardines when these people come in at the last minute and want to be up close?

We had a very good time in spite of my whining. Someone was so worn out he managed to catch a few ZZZZ's at the sand pit. Boy, he sure can snore! Not that I have any room to talk.

The Entertaining Sea Lions

2008-03-24T15:25:00.005-05:00

Having fun at Sea World

2008-03-24T14:46:00.007-05:00

(Cassidy & Caden, my nieces Taylor and Jordan, my nephew Ethan hiding in there somewhere, my brother and sister-in-law and Les behind the camera)

Sea World - Shamu

2008-03-24T14:09:00.002-05:00

Kids Say the Darndest Things

2008-03-05T13:28:00.005-06:00

On the way to baseball practice and after passing the new police station, the following conversation transpired between my husband, Les, and my son, Caden.

Caden: Wow, that’s a pretty big police station.

Les: Yes, it sure is. It is nice.

Caden: I wonder how many people are in there.

Les: I don’t know, they’re probably all working.

Caden: No, I mean bad guys, guys that are in jail.

Les: I don’t know, probably less than ten. You know, I’ve been to the DP jail before and I’ve never seen more than two people in their jail.

Caden: Y’all get a lot in your jail, don’t you?

Les: Yes, it’s usually between thirty and forty people.

Caden: Do they ever cuss at you or spit on you?

Les: No, they’re usually pretty quiet, except for the drunk ones.

Caden: They sell beer in jail?

Les: No, you big dork, they’re in jail because they’re drunk. I’m calling and telling your mom what you just said!

Caden: No, don’t! Please don’t!

One can only wonder if there would be less instances of “resisting arrest” if they actually sold beer in jail.

Happy 20th Birthday, Lauren!

2008-03-01T23:00:00.029-06:00

I cannot believe that I now have a 20 year-old. I'm not so sure I like the sound of that, but will have to get used to it.

Where has the time gone? It has truly passed in the blink of an eye. It seems like yesterday when you were toddling around the house and learning to talk. (Once you learned you have never shut up!)

I can still hear your little voice naming all of the animals and making their sounds. I had so much fun teaching you those things. I still remember you getting excited over seeing a bird, airplane or even a balloon, and learning your colors and shapes. I can still hear you singing the nursery rhymes that I listened to over and over in the car with you. I remember how incredibly smart you were. (And I'm not just saying that because I'm your mom!) You spoke in complete sentences at 14 months of age.

I remember how stubborn you became and our arguments over what you would (or would not) wear to school. I remember when I could no longer play Barbies with you because you were so bossy you would tell me exactly what my Barbie had to say and do. I remember Aunt Peggy buying me a copy of "The Strong Willed Child". Ha! I remember needing reinforcements to get medicine down your throat.

I remember how terrified you were of heights. I remember it being just you and me when Dad would be away for weeks or months at a time. We had no family up the road, it was just the two or three of us for so many years in California, Korea and Hawaii.

Look at you now! You are such an awesome big sister to the kids. They love you so much and look up to you. I know you will always be their role model.

We love you, Nawen, and we hope 20 is a wonderful year for you. Keep being YOU! You have made us very proud. You are a very bright, independent and beautiful young woman, both inside and out.

Happy Birthday!

This World is Just Crawling with Pat's

2008-02-20T14:16:00.004-06:00

I often have "Pat" encounters and have even done a previous entry on Cassidy's first Pat experience. It's rare that I ever have to interact with these Pat's, but I've come face to face with two of them since starting my new job.

I work for the voluntary drug-testing program at our local high school. Each week we administer 75 random drug tests to students enrolled in the program. During the drug testing, I sit at a table across the hall from the boy’s restroom and around the corner from the girl’s restroom. I check the students in as they come and go and also make sure no one jumps ship.

We use one drug testing company for the process and they send the same male and female specimen collector to our location each week. Joe is the male collector. He's seventy years old and we sometimes chat in between groups of students coming and going. He's really a nice man with a good personality.

My first Pat experience at the job was a few weeks ago when a student with long hair approached the table to check in. I assumed it was a longhaired boy until he opened his mouth and he sounded like a female. I immediately wondered which bathroom I was going direct him/her to, so I was hoping the hall pass would confirm his/her gender, but no such luck. The name on it was Cory. I didn't know it at the time but my boss was on the same page as I was and he immediately went to look up the students name and gender on the computer. Still not knowing he’d confirmed the sex of the student, I was afraid of the outcome when he directed him to the boy’s bathroom but soon realized he had called it correctly when the boy didn't flinch upon entering the boy’s restroom.

My second Pat encounter was a little more intense. There was no way I could've determined if this was a boy or girl on looks alone. He/She was sporting a very short haircut and wearing cargo pants and boots. I saw him/her approaching the table and thought to myself, please have a gender specific name! Bingo, we had a Jennifer! Mystery solved.

Then came the close call. I really didn't want her to be embarrassed by anyone mistaking her for a boy so I made sure that I had my eye on her when she came back out of the office with her paperwork and I pointed her towards the girl’s restroom. At about that time Joe spotted her and started heading towards her, not having a clue as to what was going on. He reached for her medical form and told her to follow him. I had just pointed her in the opposite direction so she became confused. To my credit I played it off well, or at least as well as I could. I said, "Joe, Joe, she's (with emphasis on the she) is going to the other restroom.” I had to repeat myself a few times before it finally dawned on him and he realized his error. He felt terrible. Admittedly we did laugh about the circumstances and how he’d mistaken her for a boy once she was long gone. We might have to come up with a code word or hand signal to prevent any future confusion because there are definitely more Pat’s in that school that will probably come our way.

My Nephew, The Star!

2008-01-30T22:02:00.000-06:00

My nephew, Tyler, has the lead male part in the annual school musical. We saw it last Friday night and were totally blown away by his talent. Who knew he could sing? It's not as if he's been singing in church for years or anything. He caught us all by surprise.

Our high school has a reputation for their always very successful musicals and they faced some challenges this year, so the local news did a segment on the show and an interview with Tyler and the female lead.

We're so proud. Go Tyler!

Here's a link to the news clip.

Annie Get Your Gun

The Group Effort

2008-01-25T13:05:00.000-06:00

Have I ever mentioned how much I loathe science projects? Actually, I’m never enthused about any type of major homework projects, but science projects top the list. I am just NOT creative. I was whenever I was a kid but, that was like thirty years ago. I think it’s my mom’s fault. She’s very creative and spoiled us by doing 99.9% of all of our major projects whenever we were in school. We usually fell asleep at the table (pretending like we were actually helping).

Luckily for us, Lauren was born creative. I can’t recall any of her school projects being as stressful as Cassidy’s have been. Lauren always had her own unique plan and basically all I had to do was make sure it could fit into the car to get it to the school.

Now, with Cassidy, and even Caden, it’s a whole new ballgame. I have paid Lauren on several occasions to assist us with a few of Cassidy’s projects. I once paid her ten bucks to “decorate” and “dress-up” a paper turkey when Cassidy was in kindergarten. Last year she got twenty bucks for helping us finalize and decorate a show board on Brian Piccolo for the history fair. I’m usually only good for printing pictures off of the internet, cutting them out for the show board, and financing whatever supplies are needed, unless transportation to and from the craft store counts.

Cassidy recently had a science project that took quite a toll on the entire family. I’m not kidding when I say it became a team effort in order to complete. She tried verbally to explain what the requirements of the project were. The instructions she had in written form weren’t as complicated as she made them sound, but it still turned out to be quite a challenge.

She needed to make a Sun, Earth and Moon that revolved around each other, but not only did the Earth and Moon need to revolve around the Sun, they needed to revolve around each other as they were also revolving around the Sun. Did I lose you yet? If so, don't feel alone!

After brainstorming on what her options were, Cassidy and I set out for Hobby Lobby. It was like the blind leading the blind. After asking two or three sales assistants if they were creative, we found Martha and she had some great suggestions for us. I must admit I was very tempted to buy the thirty dollar remote controlled revolving solar system and just be done with it, but eventually concluded the teacher wouldn’t think that constituted much creativity.

We came home with our supplies and then it came time for Les to step in and try to help us figure out the logistics of the project. He came up with a technical plan that, until it was complete, made absolutely no sense to me. I needed to see it in order to grasp the idea and believe that it would actually work.

He stopped at three hardware stores the following day to get the needed wood and screws to help create the rest of the project. He also had to go next door to borrow some needed tools that we didn’t have on hand.

This was no easy task. There was major stress in the house for two or three evenings as we all banded together trying to get the project completed. Lauren spent several hours drawing, cutting, sewing and stuffing the Sun, Moon and Earth. Les had to measure, cut and construct the pieces of wood to ensure they rotated properly and that they could withhold the weight of the stuffed planets. Caden helped his dad saw the wood. Cassidy offered her services, walked around on eggshells and wrote the description of her project and its function in written report form. I supervised everyone, but doesn’t transportation, financing of the project and cleaning up the mess count for anything? (Oh, and let's not forget the trip to Hobby Lobby).

Talk about stress!

Well, in the end, we made a 95, so I guess there is something to be said for teamwork and a group effort! I just wish we could recycle it for next year when Caden has to do the exact same thing.

Happy Birthday, Mom!

2008-01-24T15:31:00.000-06:00

Mom,
Thank you for everything you do for all of us. You have always put your kids and grandkids first. Thank you for always being there for us, even when we don't deserve it.

I love you very much and hope you have a Happy Birthday!

(But my back is still going to be out whenever you guys finally move!) :)

Happy Birthday, Les!

2008-01-22T12:22:00.000-06:00

Happy 41st birthday!!
(This is his newest toy/birthday gift. It's a smoker and we've all been eating like kings over the long weekend).

I love you VERY much and hope you have an awesome day.

The Picture Controversy

2008-01-18T14:42:00.000-06:00

(Kim is on the far left)

Kim has made national news over an unfortunate incident that took place in November involving her 13-year-old daughter and two of her daughters friends. Below is a link to the original story from our local news.

Local news link

I was really blown away the day I logged onto my home page and saw Kim's photo staring back at me and then read the story. I thought it had blown over in the weeks following, but she was recently contacted by the Dr. Phil show and agreed to be on for a segment about mean girls and bullies. Kim and her daughter flew to California and filmed the show yesterday. The father of the accused girl was on The O'Reilley Factor a while back, and though I didn't see it, I heard O'Reilly wasn't very sympathetic to his argument in defense of his daughter.

The father has also set up a website in support of his daughter and has been rallying against the actions taken by the school district and the media attention. I spent much of last night reading his site but prefer not to post a link to it from here. It's very much a "he said/she said" kind of thing. Obviously, both sets of parents are trying to protect their daughters. It's actually a very unfortunate incident for everyone involved.

The controversy and argument for the father seems to be that the school district became involved in an incident that took place over a weekend in his home. The school became involved when the girls started sending the picture to other students during school hours on school property and punished those involved. I read that the girls have been reinstated to the cheerleading squad.

All of us girls (in the above photo) are talking about having a get together when the show airs. It's not everyday that someone you know and grew up with ends up being in the midst of a controversy that receives national attention. Of course, we all wish this had never happened in the first place.

I truly wish Kim and especially her daughter the best.

Note: If you're interested in reading more on this story google "**Alvin** cheerleader**".
The show will air on Monday, January 21st.

The Tattletale

2008-01-16T14:09:00.000-06:00

I’m normally a mind my own business kind of person, unless something directly affects me, but not today. I told on someone today. Yes, I tattled.

We were at HEB and there was a lady in the store with a dog in her basket. It was a small to medium sized dog, sitting in the basket of her cart. The dog was minding his own business and not hurting anyone, but I must admit, I was very annoyed with the situation. Come on, everyone knows you can’t take animals into a grocery store. I thought it was pretty bold of the woman.

To be honest, I just couldn’t let it go so as we started to check out, I asked the cashier what their animal policy was and was told it was absolutely “no dogs”. I proceeded to tell her about the dog and she went semi-ballistic saying the health department could close them down for letting a dog inside the store. A woman checking out next to us turned around and said she had seen her, too and was just as appalled as I was over it.

Then, the lady with the dog walked up in line directly behind us. Luckily, I had already paid so we were walking off. Turns out we were parked right beside her in the parking lot, too. As we were unloading our groceries, she walked up and made a joke about them being kicked out of HEB. I admit, I felt a little bad, but then I kept thinking about how much Abby and Jaxon would love going out to the grocery store with me, but I’m a rule follower, unlike some people. I got into the car feeling a tiny bit of guilt, but continued to argue my point with Les, who had been ducking and embarrassed from my actions inside the store.

When we got home he told the kids and they unleashed on me for tattling “on the poor puppy who wasn’t hurting anybody”. I suppose I’m just a big tattletale, but what would you do? I hate it when people think rules don’t apply to them!

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-25T01:03:00.000-06:00

We've had an awesome Christmas. Tonight concluded our fourth family get together of the month. We have a huge family and have been very busy. We'll do Santa in a few short hours and then lounge around all day tomorrow in our pj's, exhausted and just relaxing.

I'm including a new photo of "The Panari Tribe", taken after the candle light service at church tonight. (The two youngest are still nameless).

My parents are probably moving within the next year and we were all well aware that tonight was likely the last Christmas we would celebrate in the house that we grew up in. Before we opened presents, my mom asked everyone to take turns sharing their fondest memory in that house, including the grandkids. Everyone reminisced with lots and lots of laughter. Of course, no one had just "one" special memory to share, but several and it made it an extra special night.

I hope everyone has a safe and Merry Christmas.
Jesus is the reason for the season! God Bless you all!

It's About Time!

2007-12-13T21:20:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow is my last day at my current job. I will go to work for the school district on January 7, 2008.

I currently have a great boss. He’s put up with a lot, especially during some of my personal problems, and I am somewhat sad to leave. However, the numerous holidays and awesome work hours I will now have make it hard to be too sad. I am so looking forward to the extra time off with the kids during spring break, summer vacation, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Not to get all sappy, but I truly feel this was an answer to prayer. Les and I had been discussing how hectic and chaotic life had become, especially getting anything done around the house with us both working full-time, and were actually considering the prospect of me quitting my job altogether and going back to domestic engineering. However, it would’ve been a huge financial sacrifice and one we weren’t sure we could handle. This new opportunity will basically allow me the best of both worlds. I will now be getting off work everyday at 3pm as apposed to 5pm, but still bringing in an income. I will be working four days a week and not five. Having a three-day weekend every week is truly going to be a blessing. I can get so much more done around the house and just in general with that one extra day off.

Did I mention that I’ve been trying to get on with the school district for about four years now? I can’t help but wonder if they didn’t hire me because they felt sorry for me. After all, I’d only interviewed with them about six times in the past four years. I think they decided they may as well hire me or I might never stop showing up on their doorstep. I really don’t care why they hired me. I’m just ecstatic about my new gig. I will miss some things about my old job, but it’s time for something new and especially with such great perks. I can’t wait to be off with the kids this summer.

I am definitely taking a pay cut to do this, but money isn’t everything.

Oh, did I mention I will be off for three weeks before starting the new job? Yes, I said three weeks! Wuhoo! I am so excited! As of 5pm tomorrow, I will be on a three-week hiatus, enjoying myself, deep cleaning and sleeping in, which by the way is one of my natural talents.

My Three Elves!

2007-11-29T14:01:00.000-06:00

Click here and laugh with me!

Update on the Kiddos

2007-11-29T11:55:00.000-06:00

After much thought and careful consideration, Lauren has decided to stay home for one more semester. She weighed the pros and cons and decided it would be more beneficial on us all if she stayed home for the spring semester before transferring to College Station. I must admit I am very happy with her decision and proud of her for really thinking it through.

Cassidy made the basketball team. Not only did she make it, but she’ll be the starting point guard for the A team! Go, Cass!

Caden is not only addicted to buying stuff on ebay, he’s now also a seller. It’s actually very impressive. I think he's going to be rich one day.

Watch Your Eyes!

2007-11-09T10:43:00.000-06:00

Lauren’s going to kill me for this, but I just can’t resist. She tans, but not to the point of being too dark, mostly just to keep some color on her naturally fair skin. The other night she decided to try a different method of tanning where you stand up in this room and your body is sprayed with some chemical to make you really dark and it lasts longer. It was her first time to try it, and possibly her last.

The following morning she walked into our room with her eyes as big as saucers and asked, “Do I look orange?” At the time I had no idea about the tanning so I was really shocked when I saw her face and answered, “Yes, you do. Why? What happened?” She proceeded to explain what she’d done and was panicking about her face and hands looking so orange. Her body looked fine, it was just her face and hands that looked really, really orange.

Well, I couldn’t help it but I called her Magda (from There’s Something About Mary). She didn’t remember who Magda was so she didn’t appreciate my joke but I thought it was quite fitting and humorous.

She tutors junior high and some of the kids gave her a hard time yesterday. She wasn't a happy camper. She used lemon juice and salt and scrubbed her hands and face yesterday hoping this home remedy would help lighten it up. By the end of the day it did look better but she’s still got an orange tint. She could always go to one of the football games since our school color is ORANGE! Bahahaha!

She’s actually mad that the lady at the tanning salon didn’t inform her that she needed to wash it off when she got home so she slept with it on for eight hours!

I love you, Nawen! You’re still beautiful and way better looking than Magda!

Happy Birthday, TeeDee!

2007-11-08T11:41:00.000-06:00

One of my BFF's (since 6th grade)is celebrating her 38th birthday today. Growing up, it was always me, Teresa and Carla with our birthdays during a two-week time frame. We always celebrated together. Luckily, I'm last, so I always like to pull the "I'm the youngest" trump card on them whenever possible.

TeeDee,
Have a great day. I love and miss you, girl!

PS. There's an awesome picture of TeeDee with a mullet from a previous entry in case anyone missed it before. :)

Clever Engineering Caden Style

2007-10-19T13:33:00.000-05:00

This morning Caden was making himself two slices of peanut buttter toast for breakfast as I was making a cup of coffee. I saw that he was struggling and trying not to make a mess so I offered to finish it for him. He'd already done one piece and as I took the knife from him, said, "Mom, don't do that one, I already did it and I left a clean spot for my thumb to hold onto it".

He'd spread the peanut butter all over, leaving a small spot on the corner of the bread uncovered, so that he could hold onto it without dirtying his fingers with peanut butter. Smart Boy!

We got a good laugh out of it and thought it was quite clever on his part.

Happy 13th Birthday, Monkey!

2007-10-17T19:22:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday, Monkey!

It's official, I now have two teenage daughters. How many times have I said that time flies? Well, it does.

Thirteen years ago I was awakened by a sudden gush and actually thought I'd wet the bed. I immediately jumped up and ran to the bathroom. It was early morning, but still dark outside. As I reached the bathroom I felt another big gush and looked down to see a wet liquid on the bathroom floor. I jumped into the shower to keep from making a bigger mess and hollered at my mother-in-law, who was staying with us in Hawaii for Cassidy's birth, to come assess the situation.

We decided to let Les sleep a little longer while I showered and got ready to go. It turned out to be a leak, my water hadn't officially broken, but it trickled all the way to the hospital. Her labor and birth was the easiet of the three. She was born at Tripler Army Hospital in Honolulu, Hawaii and they took better care of me there than at any civilian hopsital I've encountered.

She was born wide eyed, looking around and holding her head up. From day one she was not going to sit still for anyone and no one was going to hold her back. It was all we could do to keep up with her. She was so different from our other two, and by no means an ordinary baby. She no-doubt earned her nickname.

She started playing ball as soon as she could hold one and it never really mattered what kind, whether it was a baseball, softball, basketball, football, volleyball, etc., although she prefers a basketball these days.

She's always been our strong willed, stubborn child. I've always heard the saying, "if Mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy", and wanted to appropriately change the words to "If Monkey ain't happy, ain't nobody happy". We so need that hanging on a wall somewhere in this house!

Cass, we hope you have a wonderful birthday. We love you and hope 13 is a great year for you. (I'm posting this a little early)

All Grown Up!

2007-10-15T14:06:00.000-05:00

I knew it was coming, but deep down, I was hoping she might change her mind. I have to stop thinking of myself and realize what an opportunity this is for her to go out into the world and experience a new chapter in her life. It’s official. Our baby girl signed a lease on an apartment this weekend. She’s moving to College Station on January 1st. How’s that for starting the new year?

I’m both excited and happy for her. I’m just sad for us. She’s gone much of the time now, but she still lives here. Having her move out will be so strange! At least now I can just open her door or peak onto the driveway to see her car and know she made it home safely.

She’ll have her own bedroom and bathroom with three roommates. The apartment is furnished so her room here will be kept “as is” for when she comes home to visit.

She’s not too happy that Cassidy will be moving into her room. It’s bigger and there’s no point in letting it sit empty, except on the weekends when she visits, so we’re just switching their rooms. Cassidy is already planning the décor and arrangement of her furniture and will probably volunteer to help her pack next week!

We’re all going to miss you, Nawen. Maybe we’ll all just go with you! Ha!

Ebay Addiction

2007-10-10T09:42:00.000-05:00

Question: What do you call an eleven-year-old eBay addict?

Answer: Caden

Do they have support groups for this? It all started about two months ago when Lauren made the mistake of introducing Caden to eBay. He hasn’t been the same since. It was like love at first sight. Baseball cards, baseball stuff, DVD’s, (like a full season of Everybody Loves Raymond), old coins, etc. He’s used up all of his own money and now has a running tab with us. (That’s okay, it’s better than us owing him for a change).

He sits with the laptop for what seems like hours tracking bids and surfing the latest items. His first order was 1,000 unopened baseball cards for $25. He checked the mail everyday until they finally arrived. Then he ordered a glow in the dark Arizona Diamondbacks baseball and an 1892 coin.

He actually told me one day that he was going to stay off of eBay because he just couldn't take the stress of seeing all of the cool items and not having any money to bid on them. That didn't last long. He still can't control the urge to browse. He has new items to show us everyday, hoping we'll get soft and offer him additional credit on his outstanding payment history.

I'm sure he'll eventually get over this obsession so I'm not too worried, yet. If not, we may look into that support group, after all.

Diagnosis: Dishwasher Anxiety Disorder

2007-10-03T19:55:00.000-05:00

I have obsessive-compulsive disorder about many things. Too bad it isn’t a spotless house. I do try, but some people (ahem....no names mentioned) make that an impossible task.

One thing I just can’t seem to do without my OCD rearing its ugly head is loading the dishwasher. It absolutely drives me insane if I can’t fit everything into the dishwasher before starting it. I also hate to run it if it’s not at least to full capacity, which probably contributes to the other problem. I will literally spend fifteen minutes rearranging the whole thing if it means I can squeeze one more bowl or pan in. I think I could be considered a dishwasher loading professional. In spite of that useless quality, there are still times, like tonight, when I just have to accept the fact that I am going to be forced to start it with a few extra things staring back at me from the kitchen sink.

Lauren ate with us tonight, which is rare these days, and on top of her joining us for dinner, she also helped me clean up a little without any prompting on my part. It was during my futile attempts to cram every last thing in that I shared my disorder with her and she laughed that I actually spend time on this.

I also tried to talk her into not making any cookies because then I would have more dirty dishes waiting on me in the morning. She won that battle and I’m off to enjoy a warm cookie. I hope I can walk quietly away from the kitchen without trying one last time to make everything fit.

Taste Buds

2007-10-02T11:57:00.000-05:00

This is a list of the many foods that I missed out on for years because I was so picky and afraid to try new things. Most of these things were introduced to me by my husband, though he would now like to kick himself every time our restaurant bill is placed on the table. I used to be so simple minded and easy to please, not to mention a cheap date.

As a teen I lived on salads with lots of cheese and ranch dressing. On our first date I ate the salad bar and nibbled on some chicken. Oh, how he wishes that was still the case.

When we spent three years living in California and he used to go down to Fisherman’s Wharf to get fresh clam chowder. I never even wanted a bite. I now love clam chowder and can’t believe I ever passed it up. This was also the case with seafood gumbo.

I didn’t eat shrimp in any way shape or form until we moved to Hawaii. I was 23 or 24 at that time. What was I thinking? Now I eat it every chance I get. I had my first lobster five years ago and have been hooked every since. I started eating crawfish about seven years ago at the age of 30!

I didn’t eat strawberries until I was in my late twenties. I recently discovered that mango and papaya taste pretty good, too.

I used to never dream of eating a mushroom and now I can’t get enough. I tried my first sweet potato just a few years ago.

I have always loved corned beef sandwiches but sauerkraut? No way. About two months ago he talked me into trying a bite of his Rueben sandwich and I almost ripped it out of his hand to finish eating it. We went back to eat there three times that week just so I could have a Reuben before finally buying the ingredients to make them at home.

The list could go on and on.

As expensive as it’s been for me to try and like new things, he actually loves it when he turns me onto something new, especially if he gets to do the “I told you so dance”!

I'm It!

2007-09-27T15:04:00.000-05:00

Ronni tagged me back several months ago, but I procrastinated and never got around to posting. Now Darla has tagged me so I better go ahead this time and share eight random things you may or may not know about me.

1. I really like old people. They really touch my heart, even more than most kids do.

2. I’m terrified of parking garages, even in the daylight. They totally creep me out, especially if I have to do the elevator or stairs all alone.

3. I still love Urban Cowboy, Breakfast Club, Footloose and Steel Magnolias. I can’t change the channel if I come across any of them playing.

4. My first bike was a pink Huffy. My brother’s friend broke my seat and my dad replaced it with a blue banana seat. It was very mismatched and I was so mad but still rode that thing all over town.

5. I loved Barbie’s. The last time I actually played was my ninth grade year of high school in Susie Hiskey’s attic. I never wanted to outgrow Barbie’s!

6. My first real kiss was Tater Cox during spin the bottle at a party in seventh grade. He was later accidentally shot and killed by a friend the summer before his senior year. The entire town was shocked and devastated. He was an all American boy. I always think of him when I hear two Kenny Chesney songs.

7. I was afraid to spend the night away from home until Jr. High. I would go, but call home when it was time for lights out and mom would always have to come and get me. I was a big chicken butt!

8. I was President of Student Council my seventh and eight grade years. My mom made me the coolest campaign signs with catchy slogans, like sticks of gum with wrappers that read “Stick with Carri for President”. I had to speak in front of many schools from all over Houston at this one event and had terrible stage fright but I somehow got through it.

Now I have to tag eight people. I don’t know eight-bloggers who haven’t already been tagged so I’m tagging my blog-less friends and they can just post in my comments section. (unless like Jenn, they have a blog to post to)

Teresa (teedee)
Kelli
Jennifer (Preston’s Girl)
Carla
Iptnetworkers (Come on! Don’t be shy. I’m curious to know who you are, Cottleville, Missouri!)
Mom
Stephanie W.
Shelli

You Might Be a Redneck if.......

2007-09-16T18:04:00.000-05:00

This is what you do at your Grandma's house for fun.

Those Bangs

2007-09-10T18:05:00.001-05:00

I was always a strong willed child and a “had to have it my way” kind of kid, not necessarily with my friends, but definitely whenever it involved my parents and discipline. I was stubborn and head strong to a fault, but I like to think I’ve outgrown that now. (Although at times that’s still questionable)

It was seventh grade and two of my best friends and me were going to have our pictures taken together the following day. Winn’s was having a portrait package special and “friend’s pictures” were the “in” thing to do at the time. We carefully planned what we’d all wear making sure we'd all be dressed to match. How cute! (NOT!) Too bad we’d outgrown our personalized best friends T-shirts from our sixth grade year. We were all set.

All I needed now was a good bang trim, since they were growing down over my eyes, and I'd be all set. Unfortunately, my mom was too tired to take me after work, regardless of how much I begged and pleaded with her. She flat out refused to take me for a haircut on such short notice. (Now that I’m a working mom I can so relate to that whole last minute/short notice thing). She said she was sorry but I’d have to wait, pictures or no pictures. I was furious. I couldn’t have my picture taken with my bangs that length. They were giving me problems staying styled and out of my eyes. Plus I had to look good for our pictures. I continued to beg and plead with her to take me but she was adamant that she was too tired and this was one time she was not going to give in to my whining and begging.

I never took no for an answer very well so I brewed on that for a while before getting myself so worked up that I decided I’d show her and just cut them myself. I went into the bathroom and shut the door and stood in front of the mirror with the scissors in my hand, knowing nothing about trimming or cutting hair. I combed my bangs down over my eyes and stood there. Don’t ask me why, but I thought I’d get a better cut if I pulled them all together in a clump and twisted them a few times, like a pony tail. I know, I know, this makes no sense now but at the time it seemed somewhat logical. Plus I was operating on pure anger and not thinking clearly. I snipped at the base of the hair and this is the end result of my temper tantrum and self-inflicted haircut.

Take a good look at hard headed, stubborn as a mule Carri. Yes, I had to go to school like that the next day and every day after. My mother definitely got the last laugh on this one. I think it took six months to grow them back out. Ha! Don't we look stunning in our matching outfits? Let it also be noted that I worked very hard on those wings, even without the bangs to go with them. Bahahahahahahaha!

Teedee posted these on our reunion website, but I guess she still owed me for the mullet picture post. I'll never live down those bangs. They were literally not even a quarter of an inch long when I got through with them. Maybe no one noticed because they were too busy looking at my bright, loud shirt. Ha!

Hospitals, Dogs and Remote Control Cars

2007-09-04T13:54:00.000-05:00

We had an interesting weekend. We had planned on being in San Antonio for the long weekend, but thanks to me and Cassidy being sick, we had to postpone our trip. We spent most of Saturday at the E.R. with Cassidy. She's had some unfortunate female related issues over the past several weeks and was dehydrated and her hemoglobin was low. She almost fainted on us a few times and after seeing the doctor twice last week we still ended up in the emergency room. She had to have her blood drawn and got two bags of fluid through an IV. I still have the scratch marks on my hand showing who she squeezed during the procedure. She and I also make a great team when it comes to using bed pans. They wouldn't let her stand so she had to go the old fashioned way. Ha! All she cares about is volleyball tryouts and making the team. According to her coach, she did very well last week during tryouts, even with the dizzy spells and weakness. Tryouts last through the end of this week. She made the first cut but I don't see how she will physically be capable to finish tryouts. As it is, she can hardly walk through the house without blacking out and feeling faint. Those who know her know she lives for playing sports, so I'm sure we'll have a battle of the wills over what she wants to attempt to do tomorrow. She's home from school today and will see a specialist tomorrow. We haven't exactly gotten off to a good start of the school year, but it could be worse. She wants to be up and running but she's just too anemic and weak to do that right now. It'll be a tough decision to make, especially with her strong will and determination, but she's just not in good shape right now. Wish me luck with breaking that news to her and pray she will soon be better!

Abby has a new brother. Meet Jaxon. We saved his life from the animal shelter. (All credit goes to the husband for saving Jax. Dog # 2 was all his idea.) I sort of feel like Angelina for changing his name on him from Sancho to Jaxon, but at least he's only eight-months-old and not four-years-old! He's quite quite a character and provided much entertainment this weekend when we were stuck home being "sick". Caden got out his remote control cars and drove Jax absolutely nuts chasing the dog with them. He has a ferocious bark but he's just a big baby at heart. He went nuts barking and running away from them. He also tried to attack the broom while I was sweeping the kitchen. He’s also afraid of the washing machine. We went through lots of batteries this weekend. It was quite a show. As soon as Caden powered up one of the cars, Jax went ballistic. I'm not too proud to admit that I'm all about cheap entertainment.

Been MIA But Still Among the Living

2007-08-08T13:16:00.001-05:00

If you aren't a regular reader of my blog, then most of this may be lost on you, as much of it pertains to previous stories I've shared here in the past, and a few inside jokes. However, you're welcome to stay.

So, where should I start? I guess with some updates and as always, a little rambling.

I absolutely love summer time. I love getting to sleep in an extra 30-45 minutes, not making lunches, no backpacks to sort through, mounds of school papers to read, no homework, no school meetings or big science projects. I can't believe it's almost over. As always, the kids are keeping vampire hours. It's rare to find anyone awake when I go home for lunch. Every year I tell myself that I'll start making them go to bed early the week before school starts to get them back on track, but it never happens. The first few days of school are brutal on their systems but they always survive and adjust by the weekend. (Granted they’re in a zombie like state, but they manage). I felt so much better after telling their former teacher about their insane night time hours and her saying that she's just tired of her kids coming downstairs at 2:30pm everyday asking her what's for breakfast. Maybe I still have a shot at that Mother-of-the-Year award after all. HA! This will be my first year without any kids still in elementary school. That's so hard to imagine. They really do grow up fast.

Congratulations to Teedee!
Baby #2 is on the way!!!
At least you're due before our 20-year reunion. It would really suck to be in like your 8th month for that, right?

Dad/Paul/Grandpa Paul has had a busy summer and doing very well post bypass surgery. We've had the pleasure of spending a great deal of time with him over the past few months. He's come down to visit on several occasions, once for two weeks and then a few days here and there. He spoils us with his cooking skills and never has to twist my arm to be the chef in the house. I’m very impressed with how well he handled being "Grandpa" in charge of seven of his grandchildren for almost two full months this summer. He had help from "Grandma", but to his credit he took them on several long road trips without any other adult assistance and managed them well, even with a handful of puking car sick kids to tend to. These are our nieces and nephews who lost their mother, Jamie, to cancer last year. They range in age from three to thirteen-years-old so he obviously had his hands full and did an awesome job making sure they had fun and got to see all of the family while they were here.

Well, we have a new guy at work and I could probably do a month's worth of writing on him alone, but I won't. He's truly a nice man, but has some very annoying habits. I'm so tempted to unleash on him but would hate for him to accidentally stumble upon my blog one day, so I better refrain (for now).

Lauren has rescued two more birds since the bird rescue entry. I think we're almost up to double digits now and have definitely contributed to the bird population in our area. Ha!

I deleted a previous entry from several months ago regarding some difficult times for me and my family this past year, so I feel obligated to at least acknowledge it. Let me just say that life hasn't exactly been a cakewalk this past year, but it's definitely getting better every day. We're just taking it one day at a time.

My husband surprised me with a new I-phone. Lauren bought herself one a few weeks ago and made the mistake of showing it to her dad. He was instantly hooked like a kid in a candy store and bought us both one. I'm not even a big electronic nut but I love what this phone can do. I'm surprised it can't balance my checkbook and clean out the frig. Now if only I can keep from dropping it. I've never had or really wanted an expensive cell phone before and am famous for dropping mine all over the place. Now, I feel like I'm walking around with a baby. The only downside is that it's not a flip phone, so I'll have to watch myself carefully.

Summer Fun II

2007-08-08T03:25:00.001-05:00

Summer Fun

2007-08-08T03:12:00.001-05:00

In Loving Memory of Kimberly Ann King

2007-06-15T21:15:00.001-05:00

It's been one-year today since Kim passed away. She's been on my mind all week long. A few days ago I re-read the last email she ever sent me, right before heading off to bed for the night and never again waking up. I still have her phone number programmed in my cell phone and her email address remains in my contact list. I still can't bring myself to delete them. I still miss her very much and can't help but smile when I think of her cheerful demeanor and what a great friend and person she was.

RIP, Kim.

Summer Hiatus

2007-06-03T23:05:00.001-05:00

I feel the need to take a summer break from the blog. As I periodically check my sitemeter, guilt sets in because there are many faithful reader's (you know who you are) who check the blog regularly for updates and I've been totally slacking in that department lately. I have lots of things cross my mind daily and think "Oh, I'll blog about that" but actually finding the time to sit down and blog seems impossible lately.

I hope everyone has a fun and safe summer and that you'll be back around when things are stirring here again in a few months.

P.S. I reserve the right to change my hiatus status if I suddenly have more time on my hands or anything earth shattering arises. Otherwise, I'll be obscure for a while!

Oh, For the Love of Baseball

2007-05-15T15:36:00.000-05:00

The following is a conversation that took place between me and my son on the way to school this morning:

Caden: Mom, did you know that John Smoltz got hurt last night and that could be really bad for the Braves? He's like one of the best pitchers.

Me: No, I hadn't heard. What happened?

Caden: Well, you know what a suicide squeeze is, right?

Me: Yeah.

Caden: Well, they had a suicide squeeze and the runner got into a pickle and when Smoltz tagged him, his hand got caught on his arm and he jammed his pinkie finger and it might be broken. That would be so bad for the Braves. He's turning 40 tomorrow, too, and he's still really good.

Me: Yeah, losing him would be bad for the Braves.

Caden: Did you know that Barry Bonds admitted to using steroids and cheating on his wife?

Me: No, I hadn't heard that either. I figured he'd used steroids but I'm surprised he actually admitted to it.

Caden: Well, I think Curt Schilling might've told on him so I think he had to admit it. Do you know who Curt Schilling is? I think Bonds also did something bad with taxes or something.

Me: Yes, I know who Curt Schilling is. Wow. I'm still surprised that he admitted it.

Caden: Yeah, and we face the Giants next so I wonder if he'll play in the game against us. I'm dying to see if he plays tonight.

Me: Me, too.

This from my 11-year-old who follows baseball and the stats just like a professional sports broadcaster. Obviously, he also keeps up with the gossip, too. Although I can't verify whether he has the Curt Schiiling and wife cheating part correct, I assure you he at least thinks that's what he heard them say on the TV. If he doesn't end up with a career directly related to professional baseball, I'll be shocked! He loves the sport and knows it well. I think he would make an awesome manager for the Astros one day or he'd look awfully handsome and knowledgeable sitting behind the ESPN sports desk every night!

Happy 11th Birthday, Caden!!

2007-05-09T00:33:00.000-05:00

To know him is to love him. It's really that simple. You probably think that's just the mother in me speaking, but trust me, it's true. This boy is full of 100% joy, innocence and kindness. He has a heart of gold. I am so blessed to be his mother. I know I sound like an over the top mom but it's true. My friends always say they'll take Caden anywhere, anytime, any day. He's just that sweet and true blue. I'm still asking what I ever did to deserve him. I wouldn't change one thing about him. Not one! He's my Raymond. I tell him all the time that I'll build him a nice little house in the backyard for his wife and kids but that he's never leaving his mamma. The girl who lands this boy will be one lucky lady and she better walk the line!

He was the only child I gave birth to without an epidural. I thought I was dying, but he was worth every bit of pain and then some. I can't believe he's 11. I'm so sad. He's my baby and he's growing up way too fast. I'm off to play with a razor blade now!

Happy Birthday, Cade man. You are the world's greatest son (and catcher!).

We all love you so much!

The Attack Bird Should Reconsider

2007-05-08T18:37:00.000-05:00

I stopped by the library today on my way home from work. I was in my own world as I started walking from my car to the front door before something caught my eye and interrupted my deep thought. It was a sign posted to a pole standing on a cement anchor about halfway down the sidewalk that said, “Beware of Aggressive Bird”. I read it, then clutched my purse a little tighter as I found myself digesting the warning. I looked up into the trees above me and prepared myself for a possible attack as I made my way down the sidewalk. Before I reached the front door, I was laughing at how I went from basically being in la-la land to being at full alert, preparing for this bird to lunge down at me without any warning.

As I checked out, I asked about the sign and was told that this bird had been swooping down at people as they walked to and from the library. There were additional warning signs posted on the windows as I exited and I couldn’t help but feel slightly paranoid on the walk back to my car since I don’t like surprises. I also couldn’t help but laugh at the irony of my recent entry about saving the birds! All I can say is it’s a good thing that bird didn’t come after me or the bird population around here would've dropped drastically, as my days of saving the birds would’ve been over on principle alone. Ok, maybe not, but I would’ve thought long and hard the next time I saw a helpless bird flopping around my front yard before I rushed them off to the bird rescue volunteer. It's just a good thing all around that he/she didn't mess with me today.

The Chihuahuas

2007-05-05T19:21:00.000-05:00

For as long as I can remember, my grandparents always had dogs, usually two at a time. They were inside dogs and treated like royalty. They were Chihuahuas; a breed that I must admit isn’t my favorite. Please, no hate mail needed from any Chihuahua lovers out there, they’re just not my personal preference. I’m more of a big dog lover and have always thought of Chihuahuas as more like cats.

The first pair of dogs that I remember them having were named Fuji and Boots. Boots was a sweet black dog with a white patch of white hair at her neck. She would immediately roll onto her back anytime someone pet her, always hoping for a good belly rub. Fuji was a tan colored dog that was so spoiled she was very overweight. She was also temperamental around us kids, who were all under the age of ten during her lifetime. When we would go visit my grandparents, it was usually very boring for us over there, unless our second cousins were in town visiting. My grandmother did soften with age and after her retirement, but when we were younger she ran a stern ship. She owned and operated an antique shop and with her own home also full of antiques, there just wasn’t much room for kid games. The dogs became our main focus and form of entertainment until they would become so hyper and worked up that we were eventually forced to sit on the couch and not move a finger.

I remember the dogs being mild mannered for the most part, but once we would get them going with their “toys” they would chase each other around in circles, up onto the back of the couch, jumping from the couch to the loveseat to the recliner and running up and down the hall and through all the bedrooms. Now that I’m an adult, I totally understand why the adults shut us down. My nerves can only handle so much activity such as that. This would go one for a while and it was like watching Speedy Gonzales.

Our oldest daughter was six and a half before she was blessed with a sibling. She was actually blessed with two siblings within 18-months of each other. Needless to say, life changed drastically for all of us after having an only child for so long. When the two little ones reached about three-years-old and eighteen-months, they became like two partners in crime, with Cassidy being the ringleader and poor Caden just following all of her commands, without a clue. Those two have always reminded me of my Grandma’s dogs. There were a few times every day that they would get each other all wound up, running, giggling, screaming, fighting, kicking, etc. and it would last for a while before they’d settle down. There was no calming them down when in that mode. Believe me, we tried and it fell upon deaf ears. There were times when I loved it but also times when I’d have to go to my room until it passed to keep my sanity, or part of it. For a while, this was a normal, everyday occurrence usually two to three times per day. They would get so loud and out of control for that period of time, I would just wait for it to pass unless someone got hurt. There was no watching TV, cooking or cleaning in the front of the house until they got it out of their system. They would use the circle through the kitchen and living rooms as their racetrack. It wasn’t always annoying but could be after a while with the shrill screams and high pierced giggling. When they were in that mode I would always say the Chihuahua’s were at it again because that’s exactly what it reminded me of when watching them.

I could go on and on with stories about some of the mischief that those two got into together. She always gave the commands and he always followed them with no questions asked, until he got older and realized he did have a mind of his own. One of my favorite memories of those two playing and using their imaginations is not one of them being wild or rambunctious. I can remember it like it was yesterday and it still warms my heart and makes me smile to think of it. Cassidy was always a tomboy so Santa had brought them both toy rifles, pistols and gun belts one year. Cassidy was probably about four and Caden was about two or three. They’d been quiet for a while, playing in the back of the house and I was enjoying the peace and solitude. Later, they came quietly tiptoeing into the living room, both shirtless, only wearing underwear or a pull-up, carrying their rifles, and very quietly dragging a laundry basket full of stuffed animals with them. Cassidy was wearing an Indian feather hat and they were acting very serious and quiet. I sat there quietly watching them, trying to figure out exactly what their game was. They were speaking in some strange, made-up language to each other and she would point for him to go hide or to move on to another place. As it turned out, they were Indians hunting for their food. The basket was full of dinner that hadn’t yet been skinned. To this day, that is one of my fondest moments when I think back on the things they used to play together. As they got older and weren’t quite as hyper, they began to calm down. There are still times when they have a “Chihuahua” moment, but not very often, and when I hear that familiar out of control laughter and those gasps for air I just smile. Admittedly, when it was happening three times a day every day for a while, it wasn’t so pleasurable, but it is nice when they regress on occasion and I get to hear those giggles again. It takes me back to such good times when they were just a hoot to watch as they interacted. Cassidy really did have her own personal puppet with Caden until he decided he was no longer willing to allow her to put bows in his hair, make-up on him, give up his GI Joe’s or eat jalapeno’s from our plant in the backyard for her entertainment.

Good Deeds

2007-04-29T13:57:00.000-05:00

If one could get into heaven simply by rescuing birds and returning lost cell phones alone, I'd be a shoe-in. I can't count the number of times I've called the state wildlife people for the name of a local bird rescue volunteer in my area and then delivered an injured bird to that person. With all of the moving we've done, trying to track down the name of a local volunteer in each new area was never a simple task. I'd usually have to call three or four different wildlife number listings before reaching an actual live person to provide me with a volunteer's number. Then I'd have to call the volunteer, describe the type of bird, the apparent injury, get directions to their home, etc. We've lived here for nine years and I can recall at least six bird rescues just since we've lived here. There was the one my sister's cat attacked, one hopping around in our bushes unable to fly, one in the front yard under the tree, one that tried to fly but kept crashing into things, the list goes on. I always get a little jumpy and nervous when trying to capture them to put into a box, so Lauren usually ends up with that job. The most recent rescue was about two weeks ago and I can’t take credit for that one. It flew right into our back patio sliding glass door. It must’ve had bad eyes because I can’t remember the last time I “Windexed” that thing! Lauren and Caden were home alone and saw it happen. Lauren called me at work to find out where the “bird rescue lady” lived and I attempted to give her directions. I'd lost the phone number after my first visit. You’d think I would’ve gotten it during my 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th or even 6th visit, but that would've been too easy. The second time I went there, I just remembered what street she lived on and about how far down on the block the house was located, even though it had been dark during my first visit. I felt confident I was at the right house when I saw empty cages along the side of the driveway. I have repeated those same steps searching for the correct street and house each time since then and always vow not to leave without a phone number and address, but always forget. You should’ve heard me trying to explain to Lauren how to get there without a street name (I only remembered that it started with an A) and estimating about how far down the house was located. Lauren eventually found the house and delivered the injured bird. I'm sure it’s recovering well. I promise the next time we go, I’m going to get her phone number, address and possibly even her name so we can at least give her a heads up that we’re coming.

I found a blackberry on the ground at the ballpark a few nights ago. It turned out to belong to a mom on the opposing team that Cassidy was playing. Since I’m blackberry illiterate, a dad from our team helped me work the device and called the home number listed. We were told the owner should be at the ballpark watching a game and what team to look for. When I find a phone I always go through the address book or the last call dialed and start calling, hoping that person can track down the phone’s owner to let them know that someone has found their phone. One particular phone recovery was on an airport shuttle bus and I had to mail that one back to its rightful owner. I can’t count the number of phones I’ve returned. I did get my good deed payback last year when I dropped my cell at a rodeo cook-off we were attending.

Upon arriving home, I knew it was possibly lost but was hoping it had just fallen out somewhere in the car but at that point was too tired to go back out and search for it. That next morning Lauren woke me up bright and early, standing over my bed saying some man had just called her saying that he’d found my phone. He was leaving the rodeo grounds within the next ten minutes. Fortunately for me, he asked what booth I’d been to and it turned out he knew my cousin and agreed to drop it off at their booth. Otherwise, I never would’ve made the twenty-minute drive in ten minutes to catch this guy before he headed back home, which wasn’t close by. I guess it’s like a “pay it forward” kind of thing since I’ve been on the other end of the lost phone thing now. Birds, on the other hand, still like to poop on my car but I guess I’ll keep on saving them.

My Son and the Telephone

2007-04-19T16:26:00.000-05:00

My son is so funny, even when he’s not trying to be. He's not the most phone savvy kid around. He's totally polite to the caller but he's not quite mastered the caller ID. We just haven't been able to keep him from answering unwanted calls and that's a major no-no in our house. He's starting to get it, but it has taken a while for it to sink in.

The other day when I called the house from work, he answered the phone sounding a bit apprehensive. He was confused and it took him a minute to realize that he was talking to me and then he said, "Oh, Mom? I was wondering who was calling here with a bad word name." I had to think about that comment for a moment.

I won't use my real company name, but let's just say that I work for a company called "Stevenson & Associates". We recently changed our phones over to a new provider and since that time we show up on the called ID display as Stevenson & Ass, not Stevenson & Assoc like we used to appear.

Apparently, he isn't the only one who has noticed. The office manager from our other office has put in a request to have that changed back from Ass to Assoc.

"This Finger"

2007-04-16T22:22:00.000-05:00

My brother-in-law used to have the coolest employee swimming pool facility where my sister and I would take the kids regularly every summer for several years until they closed it. We were so bummed. We had many good times at that place. It was never crowded, our kids could be heathens and the baby pool had cold running water where we could sit in our chairs and watch the kids in the big pool. There are still some songs that played on the jukebox that remind me of the days we spent there. Great pool and good times.

My nephew was probably about seven or eight at the time and one day went to use the bathroom and was gone for an eternity. We thought he’d drowned. When he finally came back out his swimsuit was crooked and messed up, he was frowning and looking extremely agitated. He stormed over to his mom, and said something about having gone number two, and in this very deep, frustrated voice, mumbled something about his bathroom frustrations and then said, “And whatever you do, DON’T smell this finger, ” as he held up a finger that had apparently gotten in his way while attempting to wipe and wipe and wipe. Maybe this is a had to be there moment, but the poor guy had obviously been in there working and working on cleaning himself up after having some serious issues and he finally just gave up. The tone of his voice and his expression is what made this so funny so I hope I my written version does it justice.

Easter Weekend

2007-04-08T23:56:00.000-05:00

We had a great Easter weekend. The kids and I went with Vicki and her family to see the Astros verses the Cardinals play last night, where we had our first win of the season. Unfortunately, the Cards spanked us today 10 to zip. Last night was the coldest game in history ever played at Minute Maid Park. They don’t have heat in the stadium, but at least we were smart enough to build one with a retractable roof and luckily it was closed. I don’t know what the temperature actually was outside, but trust me when I say it was brutally cold. It was raining when we left and by the time we made it to the car we were all soaking wet and shivering. Thank God I had my handy dandy blanket in the trunk of my car. I always keep one in there during the kid’s baseball/softball season. It saved us. We don’t handle the cold weather too well down here in Houston, especially when we’ve already adjusted to 80-degree weather over the past few weeks.

As usual, the kids got some cool stuff in their Easter baskets from their Grandma. I knew something was up when they kept trying to coax me to go into my bedroom. I wasn’t sure what they were up to and assumed they’d set me up with the new whoopie cushion, positioning it under my comforter for me to sit on or something. As soon as I got down the hall, I suddenly smelled something rank and wondered if the dog had had an accident. It was awful. Well, it turned out to be a stink bomb (if I’m remembering correctly what it’s actually called). Basically, it’s a bag of white chunks of junk, and it smells exactly like a rotten egg. Seriously, it almost singed my nose hairs. You shake it up and throw it and the bags pops open and the odor just reeks into the atmosphere. It’s totally disgusting. My son still has two bags left and is dying to use them on someone. He wanted to do one at my sister’s house today, where we were having lunch, but I wouldn’t let him. I was tempted, but didn’t want to suffer the consequences. The odor lingers forever and is totally gross.

We went to church this morning, which was a great service, and then over to my sister’s for fajitas. My brother-in-law makes the world’s best fajitas. My mom also made some killer pico and my sister made some awesome guacamole. I stuffed myself then disappeared upstairs for a much needed, nice long nap in my nephew’s bed. I thought I was being sneaky but everyone had no doubt as to my whereabouts. They all know me too well.

I was so impressed today with my niece and her gesture of kindness. My mom gave all of the kids an egg with $10 inside. My son was telling my niece, Megan, about how he almost had enough money saved up to by a Wii game system. He told her that he only needed 10 more dollars to buy one. I only heard part of their conversation before I saw her slide a ten-dollar bill across the table to Caden and heard her tell him to use that to get his Wii. I thought it was so sweet of her. Caden got up and gave her a big hug.

Happy 16th Birthday, Meggie Lou! (It was so sweet of you to give that money to Cade!)

I hope everyone had a Happy Easter.