Monday, May 31, 2010

Happy Memorial Day

Remember what today is all about...

Friday, May 28, 2010

Weekly Confessions

It's been awhile since I've confessed anything to y'all. Now is as good a time as any!
  • You know how major news networks abbreviate words in their breaking news headlines? Well, I was watching Fox and Friends the other morning and the headline read, "OBAMA PLANS FLAWED." I was baffled, and for the life of me couldn't figure out why President Obama was planning a Florida wedding. I must have stared at the screen for a full minute not understanding what was going on when it finally clicked with me; Obama's plans are flawed, not Obama plans Florida wedding (as in OBAMA PLANS FLA WED). I felt like an idiot!

  • I watched two horses get painted with finger paints by some of our students as part of equine therapy. It completed reminded me of the horse that changes colors from the Wizard of Oz. I'm pretty sure that the kids had no idea what I was talking about when I mentioned it to them. Then I felt stupid for bringing it up.

  • Vacation Bible School begins in a week and a half, and I'm still not sure how I'm decorating. This fact makes me very stressed! That being said, I've already had a request for someone to take my decorations when we're through! I think I've narrowed down my ideas, but I've GOT to get busy!

  • Through the magic of Netflix I've introduced Jackson to the wonderful world of Gummie Bears. It was love at first bounce! I even managed to get him to drink some water nstead of juice because I told him it was gummi beary juice! Sometimes I'm so clever that I amaze even myself!
  • I made cinnamon rolls the other morning and Jackson talked me into letting him lick the icing. I proved my love for my child when I willingly gave my child the tub of icing.


    And I may have even let him lick it off the smooth edge of butter knife.

I should win "Mother of the Year" award for that; giving up that icing was hard to do!

Anything you need to confess?

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Never Ask A Man To Do Something You Want Done Right

Jeremy was off work Tuesday and I asked him if he would run to Walmart and get a gift card for the daughter of a dear friend of mine that was graduating high school that night. When I was on my way home I asked Jeremy about the card and he assured me that everything was taken care of. Being the OCD person that I am, I just had to ask him for specifics on what he had purchased.
I'm glad I asked...

Jeremy: "Well, Walmart was out of graduation themed gift cards, so I just picked out a different one."
Me: "What kind of gift card did you get?"
Jeremy: "I got her this really cool gift card that has a basketball on it. It even has bumps on it like a real basketball would have!"
Me: "Please tell me you are kidding."
Jeremy: "Ummmm......I'm not kidding. She played basketball, right?"
Me: "No, she didn't play basketball."
Jeremy: "Well, a gift card is a gift card."
Me: "Please tell me you are kidding."

He wasn't kidding....

Now I realize that it's just a gift card, but OMG, you do not give a basketball gift card to a female high school graduate unless she was on the basketball team! Jeremy couldn't understand why it mattered. He kept saying, "Amy, it's not what's on the gift card that counts; it's what in the gift card that counts."

To which I responded, "But Jeremy, if Mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy!"

I was not about to give a basketball gift card to a girlie girl for her high school graduation gift. So I did what any stubborn female would do: I promptly returned to Walmart and looked like an idiot purchasing a new gift card with the gift card that Jeremy bought. I know the Walmart cashier thought I had lost my mind, until I explained to her the situation, and she totally sided with me! And you know if you can get the Walmart cashier to agree with you, then you are right!

And now Jeremy knows that "when in doubt", he's to call me.

The End.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Works For Me Wednesday

Have you ever had a case of the hiccups that you can't get rid of? I got the hiccups the other night and they were the painful kind. I thought I was going to die! After a few minutes I tried a remedy from a friend that has worked for Jeremy several times: eat a spoonful of sugar!


It's a little gritty going down, but it works almost instantly! In my case, the hiccups were gone in less than a minute! I don't know what it is about a small spoonful of sugar that will make the hiccups go away, but it has worked for us every time we've tried it.

An easy way of getting rid of the hiccups definitely works for me!

Summer Has Arrived

Summer has arrived with a vengeance, and it's already kicking my hiney!

To beat the heat, we've been enjoying Jackson's swimming pool in our backyard lately. Jackson let me take some pictures the other day (shocking, I know!), and I just knew that his grandmother's and aunts would just love these pictures. Of course everyone else can enjoy them also!





Take care!

Monday, May 24, 2010

Swagger Wagon

Despite the fact that I swore I would never drive a minivan, I am the proud owner of a 7 passenger, fully loaded van, and I'm loving it. It seems as though I'm not alone! If you drive a minivan, you will love the Swagger Wagon video.

We Met Our First Bully

Jackson and I went to a city event at our local park Saturday. The event was called "Cops and Kids" and was designed so that kids could meet some of our local police officers and firemen, check out the equipment, and enjoy free food, drinks and fun.

While we were waiting for the fun to start, Jackson and I headed over to the park to play for a few minutes. We were having such a good time playing while it was still cool outside.

We slid down the pole...

Went down the tire ladder...

Went down the slide...

And just had a good time...

Then it happened.

I watched a little girl, no more than 2 years old, fall from a piece of the equipment. She slammed her head on the ground and since I was right there and no other adults seemed to be near her, I ran over to her to see if she was okay. She was crying and after a second an older man came up to her. I’m not sure if he was a grandfather, or perhaps an older father, but he began speaking to her in a foreign language, but was interspersing English into the conversation. If I had to guess, I would say they were from somewhere in Eastern Europe, because it definitely wasn’t Spanish he was speaking.

Anyways, the man pretty much brushed off the little girl getting hurt and Jackson and I returned to playing. Jackson then climbed up into the playground when I watched a little boy about Jackson’s age come up to Jackson and say, “You can’t come up here because you are a baby!” I quickly perked up, paying very close attention to what was happening and I told Jackson to go on up.

Maybe this is a good time to remind you about how non-confrontational a person Jackson is. He is much more of the “turn around and run” variety than he would ever stand up for himself.

After a second or so, Jackson did decide to go on up and the kid started pushing him backwards so he couldn’t go down the slide. I made a noise and got the kids attention and quickly shot him a, “you better cut it out look” and he backed off. Jackson went down the slide and I went over to him and told him that if that little boy was bothering him that he should tell him to leave him alone and don’t worry about what he said. I could see that Jackson was apprehensive about the situation, and I reminded him that he would absolutely not get in trouble for telling that little boy to back off.

I turned back around and I realized that the foreign man that wasn’t watching the little girl was also there with the bully boy.

Wonderful. I'm dealing with Mr. Attentive.

So Jackson goes back up the playground and the whole thing plays out the same again. Jackson goes up, the boy walks over to him, blocks his way down the slide, and I have to intervene. The whole time this was going on the Dad/Granddad was pretty much ignoring the other little boy’s behavior. He would half-heartedly tell the boy to “play nice” but he wasn’t doing anything about redirecting the boy’s inappropriate bullying behavior.

So once again I pulled Jackson over to the side and told him to tell the boy to leave him alone. Jackson went back up to the slide and the little boy was right there in Jackson’s face immediately. That’s when I had enough. Before I knew it, I was right there beside Jackson and just towering over the little boy. When he tried to tell Jackson that he couldn’t go down the slide Jackson looked up at me and the little boy turned around to find one angry Momma staring down at him. Jackson and I then enjoyed the slide together before heading back to the event at the park.

Now I know that bullying is such a sensitive topic, but what’s a Mom to do when you watch your child get pushed around (figuratively and literally) on the playground? When do you intervene, especially when it seems like the other parent isn’t paying attention or simply doesn’t put a stop to the behavior? I was so bothered by the fact that this kid was no more than 4 years old and was already feeling like he was running the playground and felt that it was okay to push other kids around, including my 3 year old, and that the Dad/Granddad wasn’t wearing his fanny out for showing such a rude attitude to another child.

Now, I’m not a pushover by any stretch, although once upon a time I was. When my backbone finally developed, it grew in strong. I won’t advocate Jackson defending himself physically yet, but I do want him to know that he can tell other people to leave him alone and not fear getting in trouble himself. I want Jackson to know that we will always be there to watch over him, but that he will have to learn to speak up for himself if he is uncomfortable in a situation.

As we were walking away from the park Jackson and I had a quiet moment to talk for a second.

Me: “Jackson, you know that you will never get in trouble for speaking up for yourself, don’t you?”
Jackson: “Yes, Mama. I told that mean boy in the red shirt to leave me alone!”
Me: “You did?”
Jackson: “Yes, ma’am. I told him that 3 times and then I looked up and you were there to help me.”
Me: “I’m so proud of you for telling him to leave you alone. You were such a big boy!”
Jackson: “I know I’m a big boy! And I’m such a nice boy also, not like that mean boy in the red shirt!”
Me: “I love you little man!”
Jackson: “I love you too, Mama!”

So now I know that while Jackson may be shy and bashful at times, he knows right from wrong, and he is willing to speak up for himself when he needs to. At the end of the day I’m so proud to know that I’m raising a truly remarkable, polite and well-mannered child with a heart of gold. It’s going to be a pleasure watching my kind little boy grow into a kind young man, and I’m confident that Jackson knows that we’ve got his back when the bullies in life come along.

And though I definitely want Jackson to continue speaking up for himself, I’m totally willing to go “Mama Bear” on anyone that messes with my kid. Consider yourself warned!

Friday, May 21, 2010

Friday Fun

1. What is one really fast, know-by-heart "go-to" meal to fix in a pinch?
Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti: 1 can of Rotel or diced tomatoes, 1 regular size Velveeta Cheese, 1 can of diced chicken (drained), and 1 package of cooked angel hair noodles. Just melt the cheese with the tomatoes and chicken and add the noodles when the cheese sauce is melted completely. It's delicious!

2. What is one item you won't leave home without. (Purse and license do not count.)
Chapstick. I'm addicted.

3. Where is one place you never tire of visiting?
The beach. I love it. We don't have a family trip scheduled for this year, and I guess it's a good thing with the oil spill.

4. Share one factoid of your family's history.
Rumor has it that my Dad's family lineage was traced back to Lady Godiva.

5. Complete this sentence: "Once upon a time I ...."
Once upon a time I only weighed 130lbs.

6. If you could win a one year's supply of anything, what would it be?
Groceries.

7. "One quirky thing you may not know about me is ...."
Just one??? Well, besides my dislike of odd numbers, hatred of pickles and mustard, and my obsession with symmetry which y'all already know about, I also absolutely love to peel sunburned skin.

8. You have one dollar in your pocket. What will you buy?
$1 hot fudge sundae from McDonald's.

9. "One thing that always makes me laugh is ...."
When Jackson pouts, his lower lip sticks out and it just owns me. You can't help but get tickled at him trying so hard to look mad.

10. What is one thing you could do today to help yourself reach a personal goal? Eat less. See number 5.

11. What is one thing you could do today to bless someone else?
I can do the dishes tonight. Jeremy will appreciate that!

12. What is one thing you're looking forward to soon?
Our cruise to the Bahamas. Only 98 more days!!!

Thursday, May 20, 2010

I'm So Happy For Them...

Remember Audrey Caroline? She became a big sister up in Heaven late last night! Her little sister Charlotte arrived last night just in time to share a birthday with her Momma, Angie Smith.

Please continue to be in prayer for the Smith family as they welcome their new bundle of joy!

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

I'm Just Saying...

Do you ever have those moments where you just wish that you could share exactly what was on your mind? Here's my chance to get a few things out there just to make me feel better.

To the people that decided to put black rubber mulch on the playground at Jackson's preschool: Sigh. You.Are.Killing.Me. It's an endless battle to keep Jackson's clothes clean, not to mention I loathe the fact that Jackson has to have a bath the moment he steps foot in the house. Today he was so dirty from "swimming" in th mulch that I thought I was going to have to rub his skin raw to get him clean again. Thanks!

To the people that build Walmart Supercenters: Why must you make the diaper shelves 6 feet deep? Do you honestly think people have arms that can reach back to the back of the shelves to get the one package of size 3T-4T nighttime pullups? I understand that you want to stock as much merchandise as possible, but perhaps you went a little far in the diaper department.

To the "Sales Associate" at Walmart: If a customer asks you for help reaching the one package of 3T-4T nighttime pull-ups that are all the way on the back wall of the diaper shelf, it does not help if you bring a kiddie version of a broom to try to help. Seriously, I know you are about 16 years old, but come on; the broom was 2 feet long! That doesn't help much on a six foot deep shelf. And while I'm thinking about it, when a customer asks if maybe, just maybe,' you could check the back stockroom to see if there are more pullups back there, it doesn't help when you come back after 15 minutes to tell me that you couldn't find any. I could have climbed on top of that 6 foot deep shelf faster and got that one stinking package left instead of waiting on nothing.

And when you come back after 15 minutes with nothing useful for me, next time bring a regular sized broom back with you to knock the pullups off the shelf so I don't have to ask you to go back to the stock room again.

To myself when waiting on a "slow as Christmas" Sales Associate at Walmart: Try your best to not run over your own pinky toe with the buggy. Because you know that when you do that, you are going to look like an idiot standing in a flamingo pose trying to stop the bleeding. And for future refernce, running over your own pinky toe with a buggy hurts like a son of a gun.

And next time, instead of waiting for the not very helpful sales associate to come back nex time, just walk to the broom section of Walmart and get your own broom. This was brought up to me by my friend Britney and I felt like a moron for not thinking of it myself.

To people in general: Pajamas in public are never appropriate. It's even worse if you are wearing fuzzy slipper. You look ridiculious!

To the lady at Entec this morning: Unless your name is Bella Cullen, displaying your hickey covered neck is just plain trashy.

And to the owners of this gas station that I spotted on the road today: The name of your station is really catchy!
It's completely obvious that we are living life in the heart of the deep South!

Anything you need to get out there?

Have a great day!

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Breakfast of Champions

*Disclaimer* If you are easily grossed out, just keep on moving. Otherwise, consider yourself warned!

Jackson loves to have a bowl of Fruit Loops in the morning before school. This morning he was enjoying his cereal when Jeremy and I heard him sneeze. Now y'all, when Jackson sneezes he has a really bad habit of keeping his mouth shut tightly which makes snot fly out of his nose. This morning was no exception. When we heard the sneeze Jeremy and I both ran to check on him and we found him just as we expected to. Jeremy cleaned him up and after a few more minutes Jackson was finished with breakfast. He then went to Jeremy and said:

Jackson: "Daddy, I finished all my cereal!"
Jeremy: " Good job!"
Jackson: "Well, I finished it all except for that grey piece of cereal."
Jeremy: "Grey cereal?"
Jackson: "Yeah, I didn't eat the grey cereal. I think it was snot."

I'll let you think about that for a second....

As my Dad said, "So it was like breakfast, but it'snot."

Monday, May 17, 2010

My Life Is Nothing But Randomness

So we had a great weekend. We had beautiful weather. Jeremy was off from work. Jackson was mostly cooperative. All-in-all, it couldn't have been better. Here's a little recap:

  • Friday night we went out to Cici's Pizza Buffet for supper. While we were there I happened to notice three high school couples walking in the door. You might ask "Why did I notice them?" Well, it could have something to do with how they were dressed:

Yeah, it was prom night and these couples were enjoying a pizza buffet before going to the dance. When I saw them I told Jeremy that I just had to get their picture. He was mortified! He kept telling me, "You cannot go over there and embarrass us like that!" My response, "Jeremy, they came to Cici's pizza dressed for prom. They want the attention. It's like they are begging me to be a blog post."

I won. Jeremy hightailed it to the car and I went over to the couples and asked for their permission to take their picture. They thought it was hilarious and my only comment was to tell the guys that they had found the three lowest maintenance women on the planet! After taking the picture I went back to the car and promptly told Jackson that he was never allowed to take a girl to Cici's for prom.

  • Jeremy and I got a new laptop Friday night. It's a Gateway and we are LOVING it. It's hard to spend that much money, but I think we made a good choice.

  • Jackson had his Flip Factory meet on Saturday. He did fair. He was all excited about participating until it was actually time to go onto the floor. He did the first round of tricks and then by the time the second rotation took place he was crying. I ended up going out onto the floor and sat behind him. I wouldn't let him sit in my lap because I knew that he would never leave my side, but he did show us the second round of tricks, even though he was crying the whole time. It's really hard finding a balance with his shy nature and knowing that he's going to have to come out of his shell eventually. For now, I'm just not letting him play the "shy" card. It's tough to push him out of his comfort zone, but I know if we always give in that he will never participate in anything.

  • My nephew Luke was dedicated Sunday in church. He is already 2 1/2 months old, and he looks so much like Jackson that it's not even funny. I'll post pictures soon. He's such a handsome little fellow, and he did great during the dedication.

  • And Jackson's having some serious growing pains. If you have any advice or suggestions on how to relieve I would greatly appreciate it.

  • And I want to wish my sweet friend Allison a Happy Birthday today. She's living in Italy with her family and I can't wait until I can see her again. Happy Birthday Allison!!

I'll try to post pictures of everything tonight. Have a great day!

Friday, May 14, 2010

Who Are These People And What Did They Do With My Parents?

Last night on our way home from dinner and Best Buy Jackson announced to Jeremy and I that he wanted a milkshake.

It was 7:45 at night.

Me: "I'm sorry Jackson, but it's too late at night for a milkshake."
Jackson: "Nu-uh. My Tata gives me milkshakes before bed!"
Me: "I don't think Tata gives you milkshakes this close to bed."
Jackson" "Uh-huh, yes he does! He gives me milkshakes because I'm so good."
Me: "Before bed?"
Jackson: "Yes. When I stayed at Nana and Tata's house I took my bath and because I was so good the entire day and forever he went to Chick-Fil-A and got me a milkshake and he let me have it BEFORE BED!"
Me: "Well, you're not getting a milkshake tonight before bed."
Jackson: "Hmmpphhh. You are so mean to me! When we get home I'm going in my room and shutting the door and you can't come in because you won't let me have a milkshake."

Later that night...

Me: "Mom, Jackson was trying to convince us to get a milkshake for him on our way home from Best Buy. He said that Dad gave him a milkshake before bed when he stayed over at your house."
Mom: "Dad did give him a milkshake."
Me: "Before bed?"
Mom: "Well, Jackson was being so good that day that your Dad went to Chick-Fil-A after Jackson had his bath and got us all milkshakes."
Me: "Before bed?"
Mom: "Amy, he was being really good!"
Me: "Well, you should have heard him when we told him no. Apparently he's not our friend anymore!"
Mom: "Did he get home and stomp into the house?"
Me: "He sure did!"
Mom: "He's just like you!"
Me: "Thanks!"

And Jackson's first question this morning was, "Can we stop on the way to school and get a milkshake?"

So now I'm convinced of two things: First of all, these are not the same people I grew up with, with all their milkshakes before bedtime stuff. And secondly I'm raising a mini-version of myself, especially with Jackson's spunk, attitude, persistence, and love of milkshakes!

TGIF

Since this week has been crazy busy, I thought a little recap and randomness was in order. I'm so glad it's Friday, and I'm really looking forward to some downtime this weekend. Here's what's going on in Wade's World this week:
  • Jeremy caught strep from Jackson earlier this week. I'm still holding my own. For now.

  • Jackson has his mini gymnastics meet tomorrow with the kids from his school with the Flip Factory. Keep your fingers crossed that he will actually participate tomorrow, and we won't have a repeat performance of his stage fright like he showed us on Mother's Day. I'm hopeful, but frankly, I'm not holding my breath.

  • Jeremy, Jackson and I went out for Japanese hibachi last night. It was delicious and I'm so excited about leftovers today!

  • After supper we went to Best Buy to check out computers. Even though I was leaning towards a desktop, after checking out a few varieties I think I found a perfect laptop in our price range. And the best part: it's blue! We may be getting it this weekend.

  • I saw a Port-A-Potty for sale yesterday on the side of a rural highway. I can't be sure, but I'm almost positive it was "used." :)

Have a great weekend!

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Need Some Advice

Jeremy and I are in the market for a new computer. Here's the problem: We can't decide if we want to get a laptop or a desktop. We would love the convenience of having a laptop, but we really like the prices offered by desktops. I like the portability of a laptop, but I get tired of typing on one for extended periods of time. There are lots more factors to consider (including brands) but we are kinda leaning towards a desktop right now.

So, we need some help.

What do you think? Laptop or desktop? Any brands you love (or hate)?

I've put a handy dandy little bloggy poll right over there <---- for a quick answer, but I would love some advice in the comment section. Cause really, who could give me better computer advice than my bloggy friends? No one I tell you!

Talk to me people! I'm all ears, or eyes, as the case may be for this. Thanks!

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday

Jackson's preschool choir performed songs in front of the on Mother's Day. The kids were so cute that I just had to share the video! Enjoy!

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

He's How Old?

Jackson seems to be on this kick where he thinks he's much bigger than he really is. This has got to be what it feels like to raise a teenager, minus the hormones and drivers license. Not only does Jackson try to convince us on a daily basis that he's actually 5 years old already, he does it with this indignant head nodding and this whiney, "Uh-huh....I really am 5 already" catchphrase.

I know you know what I'm talking about.

Other things we've heard around our house lately:

"I'm not going to call you Mom anymore. I'm going to call you Amy."

and...

"You are not my friend anymore because you won't let me have some more candy and I want some candy so we aren't friends anymore."

and..

"But I told you that I would clean up my room IN A MINUTE!" (that one earned him a spanking)

and..

"But Mommy, you are a better hair-washer than Daddy. Daddy just pours the water all in my face and I don't like it one little bit!"

and finally...

"How many times are you going to ask me that? I already told you yesterday that I had a good day at school. You don't have to ask me that everyday!"

I can only imagine what he'll be like when he's actually a teenager. I better hold on!

Monday, May 10, 2010

In The Past Few Days...

I've been busy over the past few days. In addition to being on my own with the new job (which I'm loving!), I have had so much going on. Here's a little recap. Oh, and please excuse the randomness. Consider yourself warned!
  • Once a year I plan a Rock-A-Thon with my 5th and 6th grade girls. It was Friday night from 6:30 in the evening until 8:00 the next morning. Basically we rock around the clock to raise money for missions. The girls have a blast spending the night at the church and we have fun rocking, but the girls really love the games of hide and seek that we play in the church in the dark. We have so much fun! Well, I showed up at church to get ready for the big night when I stopped in at the spot where a yard sale was being held Saturday morning. Jackson and I browsed for a few minutes and when I went back to the car to go move my stuff into the church I realized that I had locked my keys in the car. I had mistakenly put the church keys in my pocket and left the car keys sitting on the front seat of the car. Luckily we have two guys from my church that work with the Police Department and after a couple of calls we had our friend T.R. at the church with a patrol car and a slim jim trying to get into my car. I guess I should feel slightly more secure that it took 2 officers 30 minutes to get into my car. Maybe that would deter any criminals, not that they wouldn't have just broken the window out in the first place.

  • Saturday I had a kid walk up to me in the play area of Chick-Fil-A and growl at me. Is that weird or what?

  • I spotted this in a lobby the other day:
    I haven't seen one in ages, and frankly, I didn't know they existed anymore. It made me feel very old.

  • I watched a girl floss her teeth in a DHR lobby the other day. It completely grossed me out! I'm all about dental hygiene, but come on; Take it to the bathroom!

  • My sister has a very unique sneeze. For someone her size, the sound of her sneeze is very disproportionate to her petite frame. She sneezes loud. She got it from my Granny Betsy who also had a very recognizable sneeze and also happened to be very petite. Well, we were in Books-A-Million after my amazing Mother's Day nap and I heard "the" sneeze. I immediately went looking for Kellyn laughing to myself that I had found Kellyn in public based solely on her sneeze. Well, when I followed the sound I was shocked to turn the corner and find someone that was not Kellyn. You remember the episode of Friends where Joey found his hand twin? Well, I found my sister's sneeze twin. What are the chances?

  • And Jackson has strep throat again. This makes 3 times in the last two months. I have a feeling that a tonsillectomy is in his future, probably before he starts kindergarten. Keep the little guy in your prayers.

That's it for today. Have a great Monday!

Sunday, May 09, 2010

Happy Mother's Day

Jeremy and I want to wish our Mom's a very happy Mother's Day! We have both been so richly blessed with such wonderful Moms, and we thank God for them daily. We love you! Happy Mother's Day!

Thursday, May 06, 2010

Forget Sliced Bread; This Is Way Better Than That!

I'm officially on my own with the new job and I'm loving it. I drove to 4 counties today and I will try to hit 3 more tomorrow. My new best friend is my GPS, and so far, she hasn't led me astray. I even managed to read a map correctly. You should be so proud of me! The only hitch I had today was trying to find a decent place in a new city to stop for lunch. I passed a Church's Chicken and quickly opted against it and two very scary looking Mexican restaurants, which only left me a small Chinese buffet as my other option.

I don't doubt that there are more places to eat in this small town, but I wasn't going to push my luck today to try to find them, especially with the GPS lady screaming at me to, "MAKE A LEGAL U-TURN AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!"

So after getting my food from the buffet, I settled down at the table near a group of ladies and I couldn't help but overhear all of their conversation. In actuality, I wasn't eavesdropping (I promise!), but I was just close enough to be able to listen to everything they were saying. Even more, they weren't attempting to be quiet at all, so it did offer me some entertainment during my lunch break.

I heard all about how this one lady's best friend got pregnant when they were in high school and how this girl's Daddy was a "Preacher man" and how all they could tell her was, "Girl, we don't have stuff like this happen up in our house!"

I heard all about how much their families were driving them crazy.

I heard all about what they had cooked this week.

I really heard more than I/you, could ever want/care to know.

But the most entertaining, you-know-you-are-in-the-deep-south turn in the conversation took place when they began discussing, ahem, birth control options, specifically regarding "tutoring" their husbands.

After much animated discussion on the benefits of this particular procedure, one of the ladies effectively closed the conversation when she said to the others, "After 3 kids, I was done! Getting my husband fixed was the best thing that happened to me since fried corn!"

Well, alrighty then. Move over Sliced Bread; You've been replaced with Fried Corn!

Wednesday, May 05, 2010

New Kids, Middle Agedness and Snakes (How Random Can I Get?)

Now that I've been spending more time on the road I've learned some new things about myself. It's amazing the amount of thinking you can do when you are in the car alone. Here's what I've learned so far:

1. I'm a great singer! I've been jamming to New Kids On The Block's Greatest Hits CD, and y'all, let me just tell you that Joey McIntyre's pre-pubescent falsetto has got nothing on me! I've hit notes that would make Mariah Carey jealous!

2. I also realized that my love for the New Kids will never die despite the fact that they are now middle aged.

3. Realizing that the New Kids are now middle aged means that I'm also quickly approaching middle aged. Next thing you know I'll be referring to 80's music as oldies.

4. Seeing a huge black snake slither across the road will give me the creeps for the rest of the way home.

5. Seeing 3 more snakes sunning beside the road will only add to my snake distress.

6. Seeing 4 snakes total in less than an hour would make me wish that I had hit the first one with my car just to reduce the snake population by one. Don't tell PETA.

7. After thinking about snakes far longer than one would like, I realized that, try as I might, I can't figure out what God's purpose was in creating snakes, scorpions, ticks, fleas, ants, snails, mosquitoes and gnats.

The End.

Tuesday, May 04, 2010

He's Got Big Dreams

Before bed the other night I was spending a little quiet time with Jackson. I was asking him about his day and what all he had done at school. Sometimes Jackson wants nothing to do with answering questions about the day and he'll say something like, "Why do you keep asking me these things?" He can be very cheeky when he wants to be. I have no idea where he gets it from.

Okay, I confess...he totally gets it from me.

Anyways, on this particular day he was in such a silly, sweet mood and I was loving everything he was sharing with me. After talking for a few minutes I asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up. He sat there for a second before he said, "Hmmm....Let me think..." I waited a few more seconds until he said, "I know! I have a great idea! I could be SuperMan when I grow up!"

I don't know about Superman, but I'm going to do my best to make sure he's a Super Man when he grows up. He's already a Super Kid!

Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.
Proverbs 22:6

Monday, May 03, 2010

I Love My Kiddo!

I'm one of those parents that tells their child 87 times a day that I love him. I always want him to know that no matter what that I love him with all my heart, even when he is a stinker! One of my favorite things to do when we are settling down to bed is to tell him, "Jackson, do you know how much I love you?" He'll say, "Uh-huh!" I'll then tell him that I love him from the very top of his head down to the bottom of his feet. I usually pat him on the head and then tickle his feet. He loves it!

Now, Jackson has started telling me how much he loves me in return. The other night we had this conversation:

Me: "Jackson, do you know how much I love you?"
Jackson: "Uh-huh!!"
Me: "I love you from the top of your head all the way down to the bottom of your feet!"
Jackson: "Do you know how much I love you, Mommy?"
Me: "How much?"
Jackson: "I love you from the top of your head all the way down to the bottom of your chin!"

Thanks kiddo!
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