Drama Queen's Momma

Saturday, December 31, 2005

That's Why I Married Him

I needed to go to the bank this morning, but I have been waiting for 2 weeks for a day where I could sleep in and lounge around in my sloppy clothes until I decided I was ready to leave the house. I still have to leave the house tonight, but that gives me all day to be a sloth. The Hubster is on his way to our friend's house to help him build a storage building, so he's going to the bank for me. Huzzah!

Tonight is going to be fast and furious at the beginning, but lots of fun. We're going to The Hubster's sister's to hang out with the cousins that are in town. What she doesn't know is that this is also a surprise party for her and one of the cousins. The "old people" (parents) are going to crash the party 30 minutes later. It's going to be fun, but I dread it just a little. I think I'm dreading the driving more than anything. It will take us 30 minutes to get there (no big deal), but we only get to stay for an hour and 45 minutes before we have to leave to go to our friends'. We're spending the rest of the night over there, playing games and ringing in the New Year. That's where the real fun is going to be.

Posted @ 10:26 AM ~ 1 comments

Friday, December 30, 2005

"I'm Bored"

Why, why, why does Drama Queen insist on whining this phrase over and over? It's a trap, and I know it. No matter what I suggest, it won't be anything she wants to do. I'll end up frustrated with her because she'll continue to tell me how bored she is despite my best efforts to help her find something to do. You know what? It's okay to be bored. It's even good for her imagination. If I rescue her every time she's bored, she'll never learn to occupy herself. So there.

She seems to have herself occupied for the moment. She has one of the dogs cornered on the couch, and she's singing, "I like it, I love it, I want some more of it. I try so hard. I can't get my nuggets." My apologies to Tim McGraw for the butchering of the lyrics!

Posted @ 2:35 PM ~ 2 comments

Thursday, December 29, 2005

Do You Hear What I Hear?

Probably not. I've been listening to The Hubster sing karaoke for the last 2 hours. I'm not kidding.

Oh, boy. The King of Country must have exhausted his supply of country karaoke cd's. He's moved on the ZZ Top now.

This picture is from earlier this week at his aunt and uncle's house. That's his sister singing wth him (she was actually laughing at him hitting the high notes when I snapped this). I absolutely love their facial expressions.

Hee hee. He just came in and asked me if I've ever heard the lyrics to "Legs." He never knew what it said because he couldn't understand what they were saying.

Posted @ 9:13 PM ~ 1 comments

Manners

One of my pet peeves is bad manners. I can't stand it when people are rude, demanding what they want and then offering no thanks. I hate to be taken for granted too. I am not here to be a slave.

My brother, as I remember, was not big on manners when we were younger. I remember pinching my lips shut with my fingers when we were eating with guests to silently remind him to chew with his mouth closed. Why, no, I'm not bossy or demanding or a control freak...

Now that we're grown, I'm seeing a whole new side to my brother. I might be a manners freak, but he is the Manners Gestapo. I want my children to say "please" and "thank you" and "you're welcome." I like the occasional "Yes ma'am." I expect them to asked to be excused from the table and to carry their dishes to the sink. But I feel like I have forgotten to teach my children any manners at all when I am around my brother and his children.

I feel so torn because I would love for my children to have good manners like my niece and nephew, but I also feel like there is a little too much formality. It seems like they can't answer any type of question without being prompted. There must always be a "yes, ma'am" or "no, sir." There are times that they are prompted to say something polite to me and it makes me feel uncomfortable. I want to say, "I don't expect you to talk to me like that. It's all your dad's fault."

And so I just add another notch to my Mother's Guilt Belt. I feel guilty for not teaching them "enough" manners. I feel guilty for forcing them to be super-polite. Am I doing my children a disservice by not being strict enough with them? If I buckle down, will I cause a wall of sorts to come up between us?

Isn't there a happy medium?

Posted @ 3:13 PM ~ 1 comments

Wednesday, December 28, 2005

What Would You Do?

On Christmas Eve night, we were at the gas station and The Hubster was chuckling when he got back from paying. He was telling me about a lady in front of him who bought $2.13 worth of gas. After she left the store, the clerk was making light of it, saying that she was really going to get far on that little amount.

The Hubster got back out of the car to do something, and that same woman came up to him and asked him if he had $2.00 so she could get a little more gas and make it into *the bigger town we live near.* He told her no because he had paid with his credit card.

I immediately felt sorry for her and wanted to give her the dollar that I had. The Hubster said, "No way! She's probably panhandling."

I felt really sorry for her and wished we had come up with some money for her. I told The Hubster that if we had thought about it, we could have used our card and helped her get a little more gas to make it into town. He looked at me like I suddenly had something growing out of the top of my head.

Our end to the conversation was:

The Hubster: How do you know when someone is really, truly in need or when they're just trying to pull one over on you?
Me: How do you know God didn't put her in our path just to see what we would do?
The Hubster: I think He would have made it a little more clear, don't you?

So what about you? What would you have done--helped her or turned her away? Please leave a comment even if you usually don't. I'm interested to see how others feel about this.

Posted @ 11:17 AM ~ 1 comments

Monday, December 26, 2005

Christmas Pics

I'm already regretting this one. In case you can't see the words, it's an Airzooka. Instead of bullets, it shoots a puff of air. Puff meaning mild hurricane-force winds. I have to close my eyes if he points it at me because I'm afraid I'll lose a contact. The poor dog was so scared she was shaking and hiding. She couldn't figure out what was getting her since nobody was by her.

Dancer's bells were a huge hit with Drama Queen! I was going to post the note that Santa left in her stocking, but she said it was special and didn't want me to post it. She got scared when she saw the note because she thought Santa was going to tell her she was naughty. I thought she was going to cry halfway through reading the note. She loves all of her presents, but she has carried those bells everywhere, talking about them constantly (and smelling them!).

Apparently The Hubster has been complaining too much. Santa brought him Romance in a Can.

Drama Queen has been dying for some Build-a-Bear gift cards. She ended up with 5(!) of them this year. It'll be nice to take here there without constantly saying, "You don't have enough money for both of those. Make a decision." (She's also into smiling without showing her teeth, so we have lots of fake smile pictures of her this year.)

Star Wars is everything to Karate Kid. 95% of his presents were Star Wars something or other.

The Christmas aftermath is driving me crazy. I'm going to do some cleaning now.

Posted @ 12:39 PM ~ 0 comments

Sunday, December 25, 2005

Same Song, Second Verse

I'm starting to think it's not the decongestant but the new antibiotic. I finally fell asleep at 3:00 yesterday morning, overslept, and flew out of bed at 6:26 to make it to Christmas at my parents'. Today I made sure to take the meds earlier so I could avoid that problem. Apparently taking it 6 hours earlier doesn't eliminate the side effects.

I did manage to doze off to sleep pretty soon after I went to bed tonight...until The Hubster woke me up to tell me the dog had thrown up in the bed. Yes, we're those people, the ones who let their dogs sleep in the bed with them. If I had my way, they would sleep anywhere else but in my bed. Ever notice that "dog" and "hog" rhyme? It's because they manage to move in exactly where I would like my legs to be...or my arms, head, or back. No matter where I want to be, they beat me to it.

Now I'm sitting here waiting for the meds to wear off some so I can go back to bed. I may be sitting, but I am far from still. I hope I'm burning lots of calories with all of this fidgeting! It's like a sudden attack of Restless Leg Syndrome.

Wonderful. The dog just threw up again and we are now out of clean sheets. It's going to be such a restful night. Tomorrow doesn't hold out much hope either. We finally finished making the rounds of Christmas parties with our families, so what does The Hubster do? Invites us to his sister's house for Christmas lunch. Did you catch the inviting ourselves part? Yeah.

Posted @ 1:47 AM ~ 0 comments

Saturday, December 24, 2005

Insomnia

Tonight when I went to bed, I was thinking out loud: "Did I take my decongestant (that the doctor prescribed)? I remember taking some ibuprofen and then looking at the bottle of antibiotic and reaching for the other bottle. Did I actually take it or did I get sidetracked before I ever opened the bottle?"

There is no question now. I took it. I turned the light off at 11:50 and got back up out of bed at 12:20. I feel like I'm on speed. I tried to read at first until I got sleepy. The only problem is that I literally could not sit still. Those of you who know me know how much I love to read. If I can't sit still to do that, there is definitely something going on.

So far I've folded two loads of laundry, have one load in the dryer and another one washing. Oh, and I spot-cleaned the living room carpet and took the trash out.

This is why the doctor told me to be careful with the evening dose. She mentioned only taking half a dose, but I haven't had a problem so far. Of course I've been taking the evening dose much earlier than I did tonight (I forgot to take it earlier).

I sure hope this wears off soon! And I hope this post makes sense. I'm a little wired right now.

Posted @ 1:19 AM ~ 0 comments

Friday, December 23, 2005

Madhouse

This morning was the Christmas party with all of the kiddos that I watch. Good grief! Have you ever tried opening presents with 8 kids? Here are some snippets of conversation:

From the kids (pretty much all talking at the same time):

* Can you open this box for me?
* No! That's mine!
* Where's my lightsaber?
* Why did she bring presents for them and not for us?
* (louder now) Can you open this for me?
* What did he get?
* (much louder now) Open this for me!

From me:

* No, no. Take that out of your mouth.
* Would you please get the wrapping paper out of the baby's mouth?
* Yes, I will open your box. Give me just a second.
* No, that's his present.
* Accckkk! Get that out of your mouth!
* Why do they wire these toys to the box with 1001 wires?
* Honey, don't eat that.
* I see that. Can I have it, please, before you put it in your mouth?
* Yes! I will open your box.
* It's here somewhere. Look under the wrapping paper.
* Yes. I. Will. Open. Your. Box.

Add to this scenario sugar cookies with frosting (provided by one of the parents) and a project spread out on the table that included wrapping paper and contact paper. Then slowly pan around the rest of the kitchen. Didn't I just have this place cleaned up? Why does it look like the housewares aisle threw up all over the counters?!

Thank God it's naptime now!

Posted @ 3:38 PM ~ 0 comments

Thursday, December 22, 2005

Holiday Memories

I stole this idea from blestwithsons. I am posting 5 ornaments that are on our tree that hold special memories for me.

This was an ornament that Drama Queen brought home from preschool. It's had to tell, but her hand was dipped in white paint and then pressed onto the ball to make the snowmen. There's a cute little poem that goes along with it too.

This is an ornament that Karate Kid made with me about 5 years ago. They were cinnamon ornaments, and they smelled wonderful. I have good memories of spending time making these with him.

How could you not fall in love with Drama Queen's sunburned little cheeks and gorgeous dark eyes? She has since grown out of the baby fat, but I just love those cubby little cheeks!

For years before I was married, I begged my parents to let us have an all white Christmas tree. I lost every year. The first year we were married, I made all of the ornaments for our tree. This was one of them. There were a few touches of pink on the tree, but the majority of it was white.

Although this isn't a favorite ornament, per se, it does bring a chuckle every year when we pull it out. About 4 years ago, my mother-in-law made a gingerbread man and woman for the kids to hang on the tree. The kids were much smaller then, so every ornament was on the bottom of the tree. Drama Queen must have been too little to put this one up herself because I had hung it up high. Karate Kid's gingerbread man didn't make it through the day. We turned our backs, and the dog ate it right off the tree!

I would love to see what your favorite ornaments are and hear the story behind them. Please leave a comment about your favorite ones. Even better, leave a link to your site so I can see the pictures.

Posted @ 6:46 PM ~ 2 comments

Wednesday, December 21, 2005

A Child's Belief

Last night I had an interesting conversation with Drama Queen. If you have seen or read The Polar Express, you'll understand what she's talking about. According to the movie, you can't hear the bells on the reindeer or the sleigh unless you believe in Santa Clause.

Last night, out of the blue, she said, "Do you think Santa would really give us one of the reindeer's bells?" That was quickly followed by, "Would you hear it if he gave you one?" I told her that of course I would. She said, "Oh, yeah. Because you believe."

The conversation about receiving a bell continued. She would like a bell, but she doesn't want to ask him for one because she doesn't want to explain to everyone what it is (Santa always stops at my in-laws' house on Christmas Eve as long as he has enough time. So far, he's always been able to make the time.).

Here's the part that was interesting to me:

Me: What reindeer would you like it to be from?
DQ: Are there any girl deer?
Me: No, just boys.
DQ: Oh. (singing under her breath) You know Dasher and Dancer...Dancer. I would like a bell from Dancer.
Me: I'm sure he could get you one if you asked.
DQ: But first I would want him to rub it on Dancer so I could smell it. I've always wanted to smell a reindeer.

What can you say after that statement?

I'm thinking Santa will be leaving her a reindeer bell in her stocking at home so she doesn't have to answer all of the questions from the relatives. And I'm sure that it will smell like a reindeer, courtesy of our deer hunting friend who hopefully has deer scent.

Can humans smell it too, I wonder?

*Edited to Add* I didn't know deer scent was deer urine. Yuck! I don't think Santa will be putting that on Dancer's bell after all!

Posted @ 11:35 AM ~ 1 comments

Tuesday, December 20, 2005

The One Where the Nurse Ticks Me Off

I have been fighting a cold for a few weeks and can't seem to get rid of it. The horrible sinus headaches plus not being able to breathe, smell or taste anything finally drove me to call the doctor. I had an appointment this afternoon.

My doctor is a woman with a male nurse. A jerk of a male nurse. I was in a few weeks ago, and he made me feel about 2 inches tall. He didn't disappoint me today either.

So here I am, sitting on the paper-covered table, struggling to breathe and talk at the same time. Unfortunately the following conversation just won't be the same without the you-are-so-stupid tone of voice and attitude:

Nurse Jerk: You sound terrible.
Me: I feel terrible.
Nurse Jerk: No, really. You sound terrible. Why did you wait so long to come in?
Me: I thought it would get better on it's own.
Nurse Jerk: Have you been around anybody that's been sick?
Me: All of the kids that I watch have runny noses and a cough.
Nurse Jerk: So what does that tell you?
Me: (thinking) That you're a jerk! (speaking) Uh...that I got it from them?
The stupid conversation continued--and deteriorated--from there.

Who flippin' cares what that tells me! I'm sick and I finally relented enough to go the dang doctor. Don't hassle me, buddy. I'm armed with the "worst sinus infection I've seen in weeks" (per the doctor). Watch it or I'll cough right in your smug little face.

Posted @ 11:45 AM ~ 1 comments

Monday, December 19, 2005

What Else Can Happen?

Here's what I've accomplished so far today:

See the brown bandage on my ring finger? That's from my husband's razor blade that he so sweetly threw in the trash. The trash that was so crammed into the trashcan that it was stuck, and I reached my hand in to pull it out.

And the cute little Sesame Street Band-Aid? On my way out of the bathroom, I reached behind me to shut the door. Except my finger wasn't out of the way yet. And I think the little girl on the other side of the door helped me close it. I yelled so loudly that I'm sure the neighbors could hear it. It's a good thing I said "Shoot" instead of what I really wanted to say! Then I realized that it was bleeding on the underside. Hence, the "cool" band-aid.

This is besides tripping over the ottoman while trying to sit down to rock one of the little ones, just barely catching myself before we both fell. And I ran out of Advil, so I've been taking aspirin to help with the sinus pain I've been suffering from. Now I'm dealing with a stomach ache from too much aspirin. Gah.

Can you believe people actually pay me to watch their children?!

Posted @ 12:38 PM ~ 0 comments

Saturday, December 17, 2005

Enough Already

One would think that when one is sick enough that she missed her husband's company Christmas party (that she likes to go to), one's children would have mercy and go. to. bed. The youngest one would also turn down the radio so her mother's head would pound just a little less violently. And the oldest? He would not hide around the corner and scare his mother, making her scream and causing her head to almost explode. And he would not continue to sit by her feet and talk incessantly despite her chanting "go to bed" for so long that she will be saying it in her sleep.

One would think.

Posted @ 9:28 PM ~ 1 comments

Thursday, December 15, 2005

Stupid Rules

I'm sure you've read all of those out-of-date laws that are still on the books in various states. Like, "No spitting on the sidewalk" or "It is illegal to use profanity in public." How about this one: "No beating the dust out of a rug on the city sidewalks during daylight hours." I'm sure everybody can agree that those are w-a-y out of date. Nobody pays attention to them anymore because they're so dumb. I wish I could say the same thing for some of the rules my children have to put up with at school.

Isn't recess a time for children to go outside and run off their pent-up energy from sitting in the classroom all morning? At the We're-Afraid-Of-Lawsuits-School that my children attend, it's okay to run...as long as you are on the grass. That sort of makes sense because who wants to go skidding across the blacktop? BUT, in no way, shape or form is anyone allowed to play tag. Tag! All because once upon a time some child's shirt was grabbed while playing tag and he fell and broke his collarbone. I want to know how many eons ago this was. And since Karate Kid's friend fell off the monkey bars last year and broke his elbow, are they going to declare those off-limits next?

But what if the weather doesn't cooperate and they can't go outside for recess? No problem. The kids stay in the classroom for indoor recess. They can play games, read or whatever they want as long as they are sitting down! Ever tried to play in the home living area while sitting down? It's pretty hard to pretend to cook food on the play stove while you are sitting on the floor. And if you (gasp) stand up? Recess is over for you, buddy.

How about no more birthday parties? No bringing little treats to share with the class on your birthday.

No siblings at any of the class parties OR programs that are held in the classroom instead of in the gym.

Once you hit the school grounds, you must get off of your bike/scooter and push it the rest of the way. You may not get back on it until you leave school grounds. And for heaven's sake, don't you dare run. Only walking is allowed.

What happened to the days when you could eat in the cafeteria and visit with your friends without worrying that the stoplight hanging on the wall was going to change from green to yellow and then red, causing an alarm to go off? If it happens twice, it's a silent lunch. No talking at all! Too bad if you're a parent there to eat with your child. You get to look at your child but not actually talk if it's a silent lunch.

Complain to the computer teacher that it's too cold (or hot) and you get to vacate your seat, sit on the floor, and do paperwork instead of computer work.

Come on, people! This is not military school (although Drama Queen's teacher does make them stand at parade rest). Get over your fear of losing control or getting sued and let them be children for a change!

I think I'm done now. I'll just take my soapbox and leave.

Posted @ 2:47 PM ~ 1 comments

Tuesday, December 13, 2005

Airhead Momma

Breakfast this morning was an experience. Both kids asked for something for breakfast that we didn't have. Then Drama Queen asked for a bowl of cereal. Not a problem. Until she took the first bite and declared it "old." Could it be because they continually put the boxes back in the pantry without closing them? Anyway. We dumped that bowl of cereal and poured a new bowl of a different kind.

At this point Drama Queen is waiting for two things: milk on her cereal and hot chocolate to drink because she is cold. Still not a problem. I'm not a morning person, but at this point I've already been up for 2 hours, so I'm doot-dooting a Christmas song while I'm working. Quite the happy little momma. But apparently is still takes a while for my brain to wake up even though I've been up for hours. I took the hot water out of the microwave and poured it right into the bowl of cereal waiting patiently to be filled with milk. Drama Queen did not want "burned cereal" so that's now two bowls of cereal dumped down the sink. I tell ya, we could feed a whole tribe of people with the food we wasted this morning.

Now I'm kicking into TV mode. I'm going to rant about the winner of Survivor for a minute. There is no way that Danni deserved to win. That part about not flying under the radar but being like a Stealth Bomber? Pulleaze. The only way she won immunity was because she basically bought it. Now why the others voted Lydia out and not her is beyond me. But I'm sick and tired of hearing Danni say that everyone underestimated her and no one saw her coming. Of course they didn't see her coming. It's hard time see someone riding on your coattails.

But tonight is the finale of The Amazing Race. I hope that the family of three brothers and one sister win. The Florida team really gets on my nerves, and I can't stand the way the three girls treat their dad. So, go Linz family!

**Edited to Add**

Woo hoo! The Linz family pulled it out!

Now it will take me a good 45 minutes to an hour to calm down before I can go to sleep. I told you I was a reality TV junkie!

Posted @ 2:55 PM ~ 0 comments

Monday, December 12, 2005

The Best Laid Plans...

Every year I vow I am going to slow down, really enjoy the Christmas season, fill my children with warm snuggly memories, blah, blah, blah. So why should this year be any different?

Last night we sat down for our first of many (I hope) Family Meetings (cue trumpets). We discussed how crazy our schedule is this week, all of us going in different directions. I declared Friday night family night. We would stay home, rent Christmas movies, and just have some family together time. It would be a Norman Rockwell evening, with a fire (even though we can't use the fireplace right now), snuggling on the couch (Shut up. I can too let people into "my" space every once in awhile) and peace and love amongst all of us.

Well that idea lasted all of 30 minutes. My friend phoned to tell me that her daughter's birthday party is that night, and could Drama Queen please come and also spend the night. Had this been just an invitation to play or spend the night, I might have actually stuck to my guns and held out for Warm Fuzzies Family Night. However, I am not about to make my child skip her best friend's birthday party. I may be mean, but I'm not that mean. Besides, can you imagine the reaction I would get from Drama Queen (note the word Drama)? Nope, I actually have a self-preservation gene that tends to dominate every now and then.

So, I may be the only one watching Christmas movies and making memories, but at least I'll be able to hear the TV!

Posted @ 3:49 PM ~ 0 comments

Sunday, December 11, 2005

It's a Wonderful Life Revisited

Years ago I saw the movie It's a Wonderful Life. I hated it. It depressed me so much, that I have never been able to watch it again.

Last night I decided to try again. For all of these years, I thought the movie started where George is standing on the bridge getting ready to jump in the water. I've mistakenly believed that the whole movie was about Clarence showing George what life would have been like had he never been born.

I must say that I enjoyed it so much more this time around. Maybe it's the antidepressants, maybe I've grown up a little more since I saw it, who knows. It will never replace White Christmas as my all time favorite Christmas movies, but I may actually watch it again next year.

Posted @ 8:08 PM ~ 2 comments

Thursday, December 08, 2005

What?

Here's an interesting conversation that just took place:

Karate Kid: (doing his homework) Mom, what is an antonym for "ignore?"
Me: (reading through the choices out loud)
Drama Queen: (yelling from her bed, where she was already tucked in) Egypt?...Egypt?
The Hubster: What is she saying?
Karate Kid: Do you think it's "pardon?"
Me: Are you saying "Egypt?"
Drama Queen: Yes.
Karate Kid: Or is it "chosen?"
The Hubster: Cairo?

No wonder nobody knows what's going on around here!

Posted @ 8:46 PM ~ 1 comments

A Night to Remember

Last night was the best night! This will sound boring to many of you, but those of you who have kids and have to be the taxi driver, you will understand what I'm talking about. We blew off karate and stayed home. I had nothing that I had to do, no where else to be, and nothing on TV that I wanted to watch. I spent the evening piddling--reading for a few minutes, reading blogs, helping Karate Kid with his homework, and then cuddling up in my bed to read to him.

And it snowed! Normally I don't get too excited about the snow because it just means more work. But I was really hoping for the big storm that they were predicting. We didn't end up getting the 4 to 6" they expected, but we got enough to cancel school for today. I know what those of you who live up north are going to say: "They canceled school for that?!" You have to remember, we're in Oklahoma. We don't get a whole lot of snow in our part of the state. And we have no idea how to drive in it.

Posted @ 7:59 AM ~ 0 comments

Wednesday, December 07, 2005

Monkey Girl

What makes some kids climb while others are content to just remain anchored to the ground, happily playing with their toys? I watch a little girl who will end up being the death of me from worrying about her so much. Here are some of her more famous escapades:

* All of the kiddos were eating a snack, so I headed to the restroom. As I walked around the corner, coming back into the living room, I saw her standing up in the high chair, facing backwards. Drama Queen looked up about that time, gasped and yelled, "Mom!" That scared the little one, who jumped and then fell out of the high chair, landing smack on the back of her head on the floor. Just so you know, she was buckled in.

An ER visit and one CAT scan later, she was pronounced perfectly fine and sent home.

* To keep her from falling out of the high chair, I moved her to the Fisher Price table where the others sat for lunch. She spent the whole lunch time standing up and climbing to the top of the table.

* I was in the playroom changing a diaper, and Monkey Girl was in there with me. By the time I finished (How long does it take to change a diaper? 30 seconds?) and walked into the living room, she was perched on the tip top of my piano! The piano bench had been scooted too close to the glider rocker, which made a wonderful way for her to shimmy on up.

* While cooking lunch earlier this week, I turned around from the stove and found her perched on the top of the living room chair, holding onto a dining room chair for balance.

This child will climb anything and everything! But for the longest time, when I would take her outside where she had free reign to climb anything her little heart desired, she acted like she had no idea how to climb. She spent the entire time riding in the Cozy Coup and then immediately resumed climbing the walls as soon as we came inside.

One of us is going to need a room with padded walls by the time she gets out of this stage!

Posted @ 9:14 AM ~ 3 comments

Tuesday, December 06, 2005

The Bounty Hunter

Karate Kid has already started in on begging to open "just one present."

KK: You used to let us open one early.
Me: No, I never have.
KK: Oh, yeah. That was Grandma P's present that she sent in the mail.
Me: Yep. So no go.
KK: Now we just get bail bonds from her.

Apparently he's been watching too many Dog the Bounty Hunter episodes!

After I finished laughing at him:

Me: I am so going to blog that!
KK: Mom! Please let them know that I know it's really a savings bond and not a bail bond. Please tell them! I don't want everyone to think I'm stupid.

Posted @ 11:13 AM ~ 10 comments

Monday, December 05, 2005

100 Things About Me (Part 2)

50. I'm learning to knit.
51. I hate listening to CD's. I don't like to hear the same person singing over and over.
52. I've never been drunk.
53. I've never smoked a cigarette.
54. I was a goody-goody in high school.
55. I play the flute.
56. I love to go to the show (movie theater).
57. I hate noise.
58. I have a licensed home child care (I am a nervous wreck some days. See #57.)
59. I cry at movies.
60. I don't like ice cream.
61. I have not been back to my high school reunion, nor do I ever intend to go to one.
62. I dated a jerk before I met my husband. I appreciate my husband so much more because of that.
63. I am a control-freak.
64. I have to have some sort of white noise on while I sleep.
65. I have horrible motion sickness! I cannot swing on a swing or float on a mat in a pool without getting nauseous.
66. I don't like heights.
67. I don't like riding roller coasters or other rides that drop. I'm afraid my heart will stop because I am so scared.
68. I love to play games!
69. I don't like change.
70. I love making lists.
71. I am a homebody.
72. I never want to move out of our county because I love our library system.
73. I'm obviously a geek.
74. One of my favorite memories is a slumber party I had for my birthday about 10 or 11 years ago. My sister, my sister-in-law, and I stayed up until 5:00 in the morning talking non-stop.
75. I love junk food.
76. Pizza is my very favorite food.
77. I hate to cook.
78. I can't stand it when things are hanging out of drawers.
79. I don't like to receive flowers.
80. I don't really care for jewelry. I wear the same type of earrings every day.
81. I can't stand it if my foods touch each other on my plate.
82. I have to eat all of one food item before I can begin eating the next.
83. I am a shutterbug. I love to take pictures.
84. I am a very plain person. I prefer to blend in instead of standing out.
85. I have to read before I can go to sleep. I can't relax if I don't.
86. I am very loyal.
87. I get my feelings hurt easily.
88. I am a pessimist working on becoming an optimist.
89. I am a dog person.
90. I thought I hated cats until the neighbors moved and left their cat here. It has been wandering the neighborhood killing mice. I haven't had a mouse since the cat has been around.
91. I still would not ever want an indoor cat.
92. Fall makes me very nostalgic.
93. I sometimes regret staying home for college instead of going away. However, I would not have fit into the party lifestyle.
94. I am a Baptist.
95. I am a Baptist learning how to let go of some of the traditional Baptist "thou shalt nots."
96. I am a firstborn.
97. I procrastinate when it's something I don't want to do, hoping it will just go away and I won't have to deal with it.
98. I hate conflict.
99. I am no good at confrontation.
100. I am reserved.

Posted @ 10:17 PM ~ 0 comments

100 Things About Me (Part 1)

1. I am a voracious reader.
2. I hate romance novels.
3. I love taking naps.
4. I am a night owl (hence the naps since I still have to get up early).
5. I am a reality TV freak.
6. I am a TV junkie, period.
7. I often have shows taping on two or three different VCR's at once (still waiting for The Hubster to agree to TiVo).
8. I like country music.
9. I also like to listen to classical music, but only at home.
10. I knew on my first date with The Hubster that I wanted to marry him.
11. We got engaged on my 21st birthday.
12. We've been married for 13 years.
13. I love candy.
14. I only eat chocolate during PMS.
15. I'm the techno-geek in our family.
16. I am scared to death that my children will get lice.
17. My eyesight is terrible. I have worn glasses or contacts since 3rd or 4th grade.
18. I am terrified of mice.
19. A pregnant mouse got in our house when construction work started in the field behind our house.
20. When my husband was gone on a trip, I called my neighbor at 5:45 a.m. (before he left for work) to come get a mouse that had been caught in a trap.
21. I called him again 2 days later.
22. I am also frightened of spiders.
23. I recently called my brother-in-law to come over on his lunch hour to kill a spider I had trapped in the kitchen. My friend's husband ended up coming over before my bil got there. The spider had been trapped under a bowl for 2 hours by the time he got there.
24. I pulled a muscle in my leg jumping onto the counter to get away from that spider.
25. I was a "brain" in school.
26. I have lived in 2 towns in Texas, 1 in Colorado, and 5 in Oklahoma.
27. I am shy.
28. I love the mountains.
29. I like to swim in pools more than the ocean or the lake. I like to see through the water and know that nothing but other people is swimming with me.
30. I was more upset over turning 22 than 30.
31. I broke my leg when I was two-months-old (No, I was not abused! The babysitter left the infant seat on the sofa, and it fell off.)
32. I have a court reporting degree. I used it for 6 weeks.
33. I love to work in the law field.
34. I worked for a dentist for 11 months. I hated that job. Actually, I hated the dentist and his family.
35. I could handle any dental procedure except fluoride treatments. Blood, no problem. Spit strung from the patient's mouth to the sink, another matter entirely.
36. I wanted to be a wife and mother for as long as I could remember.
37. I wanted to be a teacher until I was a senior in high school.
38. I used to be a very picky eater.
39. Bad manners are a huge pet peeve of mine!
40. I dream every night. Wild and vivid dreams that I almost always remember.
41. I have been plagued my guilt almost every day from my 20's on.
42. I haven't done anything huge to feel guilty about. Most of it stems from being a mom.
43. I can't have caffeine.
44. I miss caffeinated coffee!
45. I wanted to take gymnastics when I was a child, but my parents couldn't afford it at the time.
46. I hate the summer heat! It makes me grouchy.
47. I love camping.
48. I love traditions.
49. I like to crochet, but I can't do it very much anymore because it bothers my wrist.

Posted @ 8:05 PM ~ 0 comments

Sunday, December 04, 2005

Silent Night--Not!

The noise has returned. The Hubster and Karate Kid got back last night from their hunting trip. Karate Kid had a fabulously, wonderful time. I can't tell you how exciting that is for me. I'm sure some of you are totally against hunting, but I was raised in a hunting family. When my husband is out hunting (which is very rarely), all is right with my world.

But with their return comes the noise. Oh, the noise. It isn't just that Karate Kid talks most of the time or that he cannot ever, ever walk through a room. It must always be a flying leap from one end of the room to the other, preferably with the aid of some piece of furniture. Or his sister. No, the noise comes from the fighting.

If I never heard my children fuss with each other again, it would be too soon. Actually, I would probably keel over dead from disbelief. What breaks my heart is that they never fought until Karate Kid hit 1st grade. I'm not sure what happened. It might be the attitude he picked up from the cable shows he was voraciously watching, since we did not have cable installed until then. It might be that he was the self-imposed boss of Drama Queen and all the kiddos I watch until he started school full-time. I could actually pinpoint the exact time that Drama Queen threw on her cape and stepped into the role, crown shining brightly for all to see. Thus began the power struggle, the dethroned ruler fighting the usurper. And the struggle lives on. And on. Forever and ever, amen.

Posted @ 9:24 PM ~ 1 comments

Saturday, December 03, 2005

Those Theaters Mean It

Drama Queen hates going to the show (movie theater for those of you from not around here). We finally figured out it's because she is afraid she'll have to sit by someone she doesn't know. Once we convinced her that she could sit in the middle, she seemed fine with it, although we haven't been back to the show since then.

She finally announced the other day that there was a movie she wanted to see. Since the guys won't be back from hunting until later today and I have two free movie tickets, I figured this would be a great time to go.

When I brought it up with her, she seemed excited about the idea. She asked if we could get popcorn and "those sour candy things" and pop. I said that maybe we could get the candy at the store and then buy the popcorn and drink there. She immediately shot back, "They won't let you do that." Of course I played dumb and agreed with her. She then came over to tell me about when my mom and dad took them to see a movie a few weeks ago. I have to quote her directly from here because it's so funny:

"Granny put candy in her purse and nothing happened. No sirens went off or anything!"

I have never tried so hard not to laugh in my life!

Posted @ 9:52 AM ~ 0 comments

Friday, December 02, 2005

Lightbulb Moment

The War of the Clothes with Drama Queen lasted 40 minutes this morning. All because I wouldn't let her wear the pair of pants that she wore yesterday. She refused to wear anything else that I pointed out she could wear, insisting instead that she had "nothing to weeaaAAaaarrr!!!!!!" Nothing to wear translates, "nothing I want to wear." She has an abundance of clothes. Out of that abundance, she has 2 pair of pants and 2 shirts that she likes to wear.

After listening to her complain about how I never do laundry, I had quite a nice little idea. Unfortunately I didn't think of it until after she left for school, but I'll just surprise her with it when she gets home. Because, from this moment on, the child will be doing her own laundry! I still stand strong on the rule that she can't wear anything dirty. So...it's either do the laundry or wear clothes she hates. 'Cause I'm so mean like that. Bwahahaha.

And this is just the closet! You should see the aftermath on her floor and dresser.

Posted @ 9:21 AM ~ 4 comments

There's a Name For It

You know how some people are scared of spiders or snakes or being in crowds? Not just your run-of-the-mill not liking them. I'm talking about the hyperventilating, running away screaming, hysterical fear. Yeah. My daughter is like that about throwing up. I have never seen anyone get so worked up about getting sick. And guess what. There's an actual name for it, this phobia. Emetophobia. Look it up. http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=define%3A++emetophobia

When we got home from gymnastics, we fixed some hot chocolate because we were so cold. We snuggled up in bed to read and Drama Queen ate a snack. About 5 minutes after she finished she said, "I drank too much." About 30 seconds after that there was absolute terror on her face. And does the child run to the bathroom or any acceptable container when she thinks she's going to hurl? No! She freezes, rooted to the spot. I, other the other hand, kick into Supermom Speed. We were at the toilet in 1.2 seconds. It turned out to be a false alarm, thank goodness.

Here's the funny/bizarre part. She is totally convinced that if she gets the tiny teddy bear that she bought on our vacation to Colorado and rubs it in circles on her stomach, it will keep her from throwing up. Hey, whatever it takes. At least the boys are still gone hunting for another couple of days. I don't think I could have handled the noise and the drama!

Last night was my turn to drive her and her friend to gymnastics. We always leave early because it's a 30 minute drive. We got caught in the traffice from a huge wreck on the highway. You have to know that there is nothing on this stretch of highway except for a few road signs in the median. I didn't know what happened, but we were at a dead stop for quite awhile. I couldn't even count the number of police cars, ambulances, and fire trucks. We were forced to turn right as we got to the wreck and take a back road. As we were turning, I glanced over and saw a body laying on the ground, covered by a sheet. I immediately told the girls not to look. I'm so glad that both of them are obedient (for the most part) because they both did exactly what I said.

We finally got back on the highway...and saw another wreck two miles up the road. I had no idea what was happening because there's just not much traffic or obstacles to cause problems on that stretch of road. At least this one was minor.

I usually don't watch the 10:00 news, but I turned it on to see if it said anything about the big wreck. It was the lead story. Some poor, poor couple had mechanical problems. Other cars stopped and helped them push their vehicle off the road. As they were crossing back across the highway, the woman was hit by a car. Can you imagine watching your wife be struck and killed? Or the woman you had just helped? And what about the poor person who hit her! He/she will be tormented by that memory for the rest of his/her life.

Stories like that make me want to gather my family around me and just love on them as much as I can.

Posted @ 7:03 AM ~ 0 comments

Thursday, December 01, 2005

Look How Cute!

This is my precious niece, Baby C. She and her mommy (my younger sister) came over for the afternoon. Is she adorable or what? Almost as cute as my two!

Posted @ 6:12 PM ~ 0 comments

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