Southern girl plowing her way through life making the rules up as she goes. Warning: likes to bake, curse, quote movies/literature, is tattooed, married to The Man and mother of two girls. We bring new meaning to the "griswald way of life". Come along for the ride!



Life is My Highway

Montana and North Dakota have become home.... dang it lol.

These Girls

Lord help me but these babies wear me out.... they are just perfect!

Superheroes

Yes, it's from last winter but I adore this shot...so us....

Duchess

This kid glows from the inside out... my almost 11 year old!

We are so smexy!

Favorite sport: embarrassing our kids in public

Princess

My mini-me is finding her own way in life

Thursday, July 30, 2009

Causing drama and other things....

Got several blessings this week.....big time blessed around here. Which means I'm keeping my dirty potty mouth to a minimum (that copier deserved it).

Buddy passes for 5 round trip airtrips so we can see Dave more............ blessing......

Lead on a travel trailer so that Dave can have his own place to live on the road instead of sharing a 24 foot trailer with 2 other guys........ blessing.........

In other leading news, Duchess lost her first tooth, at 6.5 years old. Snagglepuss is adorable.

Daddy is now watching the kids for the summer. Strangley, I go through my day without thinking about what could go wrong, sweet.

Fun times.

Otherwise I'm just getting back to normal around here, so keep patience with me.

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Inventing Sunday's....

Taste testing recipe tonight:

Mustard-Basil Chicken

and the verdict, OMGawd......I should have made more.

so if you're needing a recipe:

3 tsp dijon mustard
4 tsp olive oil
1 tsp honey
1/2 tsp basil
salt
pepper

mix it up and smear your chicken before you grill.

Easy cheesy chicken pleasey.

Sorry.

Friday, July 24, 2009

That Just Sucks

Think I've cured myself of my addiction to romance novels. Just hit me that they all have their happily ever afters........where there is no such thing. Each chapter begins, then ends, and another begins.

Time to dig out the murder mysteries.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Reality Check

So I've reached the point in maturity where I really don't give a shit........about much of anything. If it doesn't revolve around my family or my house......nah......not really caring.

So the response to my trying to post a sign at work that said "I have a headache, please shhhh, shut up" resulted in them leaving me noise cancellation headphones this morning on my desk.

Silence is golden.

I'm one rich b*tch right now peeps.

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Score!

We survived.........almost. We're not completely out of the woods, but today I managed to get back to work (I actually missed my little cubbie/office). Princess seems to finally be on the mend and things are slowly going back to normal......how do I know this?

They are fighting again. Most girls just sass and scream, mine........well mine kick and push. Totally Dave's fault, he's the roughhouser in the household not me.

But thanks to mom/brother who stepped in the first couple of days to assist with one sickly Princess, one jealous and needed Duchess and one sleep deprived living off caffine me. Plus Dave came home early and stayed later to help out. Yeah!!!!

The strange byproduct of this week and one day off work........little sleep and a massive addiction to Mafia Wars. Now, if only my account wasn't under my name instead of my alias.......then I could add all my internet peeps to my mafia......but alias, I'm screwed....level 25 in 8 days of playing, not too shabby for a non-techy girl!

More pics and updates later, gotta go serve up dinner and catch up on laundry. You know that stuff I should have done instead of sitting and playing Mafia Wars with Princess.....there's something to be said for your kid saying at midnight, "mom, let's go rob a pimp".......I swear she has no idea of what a pimp is.......promise.....cross my heart.....

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Countdown to Insanity....

My pre-op baby. She loved the hat and booties. Was great even when they started working on the IV, started freaking when Nurse Hatchet blew a vein, but the amno guy stepped in.

Several hours later, trying to smile for her Mims. Rootbeer popcycle and morphine. Interesting combo.....

This kid came out of amno fighting!! Alligator rolls and all. Gets that aggressiveness from her daddy.
Things pretty rough around here, but Dave is flying in early to give me a hand. I might even shower then, woohoo

Monday, July 13, 2009

Big Day

Tomorrow Princess goes in for her tonsil surgery. And I'm still awake. She's sleeping.

I have the nervous stomach while she snores......figures.

Friday, July 10, 2009

Line for the week.....

“it must be humbling to suck on so many levels”
now, to use it at least twice on two unsuspecting people....

this just makes my day!

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Duchess rocks again

Duchess has never been interested in really well anything. She is her own planet, and I just love that about her. No peep pressure for her so far, nope. Beats her own drum, all that jazz. Well during this past week with our obsession over softball (and my aching, well everything) she decided to give it a try. After she beat the ever loving crap out of the tball stand, we gave up and started pitching to her.

N-A-T-U-R-A-L

She started right handed because her mom's an idiot who forgets that she's a lefty. Yep, call CPS now peeps. (pics out of order cause I'm too tired to care)

But she connected, alot.

Then we moved to left handed batting. And starting going into the neighbors yard to get our balls. The kid was having a serious case of beginners luck. Princess was disgusted. It was hysterical.

What was more hysterical was the "look" she wears when playing. I'm still trying to put my finger on who she gets this from, but man she is competitive. Hello! So batting for her equals, "I hate you" looks, followed by "keep talking bigshot and I'll eat your heart" which quickly led to "you stay here, I'm going to get my gun" looks.


It's not everyday you learn something about your kid. Nor is it everyday that she hits facing the wrong direction and cleared the porch of people (jumping off left and right sides like rats from a ship) as she pegged one straight at us, thankfully it hit the side of the house instead of a window.
That freaking rocks. I could use some agression release........where's my bat?

Dreams

I had the best dream last night.... then I woke up.

Moss was swaying from the trees, the grass on the sides of the road was thick, lush green, the town was old fashioned and a little run down, you could smell honeysuckle in the air. Kids played in yards, and a high school football game was gearing up in heat.

I hate Utah.

Walking on Faith

It's not easy to blindside me.

Over the years my optimism has been dwindling. I tend to look for the worst possible thing/trait/route at from the start now. I hate that. But I struggle to see my glass as half full.

Got blindsided. My basket is full and I'm worried about dropping an egg or two, or dozen.

I keep thinking that the Lord will show me the path we need to be on, especially since the new year we've had one blow after another. Yet, just when I throw my hands in the air and kick a wall thinking that I've hit my limit........another blow.

July has been a doosey of a month.

Princess is having surgery next Monday. Nothing too big just worried about possible complications with her eardrums (she's having her tonsils removed). The hard part was the quickness with how necessary the surgery was. Poor baby. Good news, I have insurance through my job and this is the first time I've really had to depend on it for something other than a doc visit and I must say, I'm not impressed with it. Damn people, with what this surgery is costing me I'm wondering why I pay premiums at all? Don't get me started on insurance outside of the military, I will explode.

I have no daycare as of yesterday. Things went down beyond my control (which I utterly hate, OCD much?) and I lost my shit. I wish I was kidding, but I was a cooked goose yesterday. Went so far to scream "F*ck This" in the middle of my conservative, LDS workplace. Dear God. Yeah, you read that right, I lost it.

But hitting a brick wall and crumbling has its own rewards. The Lord stepped in not 3 hours after I hit my knees at my desk and just gave it up. Cause I couldn't carry it, couldn't fix it, couldn't think. I live in the freaking boonies. I compute to work.......yet there are very very very few daycare options out here. Women with kids stay home. Period. Yet 3 hours after my little mini-nervous-breakdown the Lord gave me a really really good fix.

The kids will be spending the next three months with the photo elusive retired cop stepdad of mine. Cause honestly, there are few few people I trust with them more than daddy. He'll come over to my house and hang with them so they can play outside and etc. It never occurred to me until I looked at his face when he opened the door and gave me a hug. I slept just fine last night.

Dave is testing tomorrow for his certs that will allow him to accept a perm position with that company (he's been contract) which means benefits, more traveling and stability for him. He's worked his butt off and he's doing so well.

Wish I could say the same.

Feeling like a spectator in my own life right now.

But my glass is half full.........

And I am on level 7 of Mafia Wars, which kicks arse considering I just started "killing" last night. Not bad..........not bad.

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Ponderings

I'm lost.



Feeling like the rut I'm stuck in has 14 foot walls.



Need a step-ladder. Need something.



I've always had a plan.



I ain't got a plan this time.

Damn it that really disappoints me.

Sunday, July 5, 2009

Pooped

I'm done.

Sore from a three day weekend of playing ball, cooking, eating and dealing with Princess' upcoming surgery. Bye bye tonsils!

Yet not ready to get back to the grind....

I'm so ready to retire. Why can't I retire when I'm young so I can get caught up on everything? Have some fun in the sun without body wrinkles and old lady face?

Today I sat down and tried to carve out time for a daily devotional and exercise.

Which is why I ate three pieces of strawberry shortcake! No control!

Saturday, July 4, 2009

Come 2 Momma!

Thank you Pioneer Woman, while browsing through your extensive recipe list, I came across one that I needed. Oh I needed it like RIGHT NOW.

But I tweaked it some. I made homemade gluten free bread first. Then I sauteed some mushrooms and onions in some yummy yummy low fat butter (snicker). Then added some bacon. And some spinach.......

Then I put twice as many tomatoes........oh yeah.

Then smothered it all in the homemade sauce. And sat outside the oven watching patiently. The smell, oh my gawd, the smell.

The final product is .............. okay there are no words.
So now I'm off to eat this with some ribs (thanks photo elusive step dad), corn on the cob, baked beans, sausage, potato salad, and sweet tea.
Dessert is gluten-free strawberry shortcake..........move over Emil!


In Passing....with Duchess

This kid cracks me up........

I passed her in the hall this morning as I was stumbling myself back to the shower and she was tugging on a light pink "Earth day" shirt while already wearing a pink, orange and red striped skirt.

Her response to my "look".....?

"Well I've always had the best taste in clothes. " Snap!

Two hours later, I'm reading the news at the bar and she is digging in the dishwasher for a cup. She lifted the sifter and wants to know what it's for.

Explained that it was for sifting flour.

"Wow, it gets the honey out of the flowers?"

So while I was scratching my head trying to figure that one out, she took off.

Need a new sifter, mine's in the back yard crammed full of flowers by the time I got to her.

Friday, July 3, 2009

Happy No Work Day

So what did you do with your "gimme" day, you know the "holiday falls on the weekend therefore you get the Friday before off" day.....?

Besides cleaning my entire house (geez, 10 hours later and you can't tell at all), shopping for the holiday party tomorrow, I did the playday thing. Duchess went to play and I got Princess' best friend (same family peeps, that is totally the way to roll!).

So I took advantage of having two 10 year olds...... see once upon a time I was nuts about softball. Once upon a time, I played a mean second base. Once upon a time, I could windmill your arse!

So when the kids mentioned in passing that they'd like to play one day, I dug up the old equipment and off we went.

(except I was in cleaning clothes so one word about the way I look in my most unflattering outfit and I'm stalking you)



Can you please tell me if that isn't the purtiest background for a game ever? And yes *M* is wearing a skirt. These girls are all about the fashionable look, even to sweat in. Wish they'd rub off on me.

Little hams. Turns out neither one of them were very versed in "ball". So we started at the beginning.......batting stances, proper swing techniques, how to throw a freaking ball.....the usual.

Don't worry, I corrected this immediately! Her stance was waaaaaaaay too wide.

Here Princess is showing her from the outfield how to do it, lol. They totally crack me up.

No words.
Well Princess got the bug. So we had to set up the pitch back cause noone has the patience to throw a ball for several hours straight. (okay, I don't)

Is it me or is this kid seriously growing? Dang, she's so tall!!!!!!!!!! And getting the hang of actually catching the ball and throwing it correctly. Hopefully, maybe, she'll be as obsessed as I once was.


P.S. Does anyone else have a yellow rubber chicken in their yard?

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Oh Crap

I know better. Really I do.

But last night I couldn't sleep, so I watched this and Lord have mercy on my stupid self by the end I was a babbling sobbing mess.

Pity party for one.

Which totally explains the sad, weird dreams.

I needed extra lipstick this morning, to distract from the bags under my eyes.

Tonight I'm watching this.

There is no telling what kind of crazy dreams I'm gonna have tonight.