House Mommy Observations

So my babies have started school and I've noted several impressive things.

1. Princess is loving 6th grade.

This is huge to me. Going from homeschool I was a nervous wreck about how she'd do getting back into the regular school grove. She's doing okay. Turns out her favorite class is math (somebody pick me up off the floor please) and her elective, computer. Not only is she learning basic computer skills but she's learning technical stuff too. I like that.

2. Duchess is honest as the day is long apparently.

The child has this horrible compulsion to confess every sin to me. Usually out of the blue with no notice. So I know that last week she got two different warnings for talking during no-talk times. Once for yaking in the bathroom line and once at lunch. Otherwise she forgot to read her entire library book cause when tested failed it. But she let me know right away that it "was gonna be fine mom cause I'm gonna go ahead and do it again". Good lord.

3. Lunches are fun!

I send the kids' lunch each day because honestly I don't do the school lunch thing. Ever since I joined my kid for lunch once and had to drink milk from a boob. Those new plastic/baggie milk cartons look like breast implants and it was frankly strange to see 500 kids drinking from it. Gross. But back to the food. No. It's seriously not up to my standards, yes I'm a turd.

So I just finished prepping their lunches for the week: I'm getting way more creative

Mon: pizza muffins, grapes, hard boiled eggs and pretzels
Tues: grilled cheese, chips, grapes, oatmeal cookies
Wed: pasta salad with ham, pretzels, fruit cups
Thur: Turkey subs, chips, oatmeal cookies, hard boiled eggs
Fri: hog dogs, carrots/ranch, fruit kabobs, crackers

(by posting it, I have to stick to it, lol)

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Dang I hate when I do that...

I did a boo-boo today. I forgot to eat again. Which explained the sudden dizzy spell and fog that came over me earlier. Man, what a pain. So after some GF toast and bacon I realized that I need to do a better job of keeping food that I can eat on short notice in the house. Or more realistically I need to make more food to keep in the fridge to heat up on a moment's notice.

I didn't eat dinner since the kids had mac/cheese and I forgot to eat this morning before we headed out to the library and the local soccer games to cheer on the girls' friends.

Like I said, opps.

So I'm making some potato salad and I'm rounding out my grocery list so I don't stuck again with nothing in the house that I can eat last minute.

Being GF is certainly a pain, cause I can swear to you that before being GF I NEVER forgot to eat. Now it happens alot.

But I have a pot of potatos on the stove and I'm making some purple hull peas with bacon for dinner yum! I have to dethaw the meat but we're getting there.

Our goal is to get the house cleaned and dinner done so we can introduce the neighbor girls (plus my two) to the basics of softball. I'm slowly being talked into coaching a 11-13 yr old softball team come this spring. So if I'm coaching then my kid will be on my team and since she's never really played....I have alot of work to do.

Mental note: go next weekend and purchase a longer bat and some batting gloves. We're about to get serious up in this %^!#$.

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opps

So we had a blast. My baby was adorable and loud in her school spirit. Dave convinced me to allow Princess to do "walk about" with some of her friends along the fence. That was nerve racking, how did I get to be the stricker parent? He is so much cooler than me.........damn.

The only problem was showing up in a sea of blue wearing LSU gear.

Cause the opposing team color was purple.

Opps.

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Friday Night Lights

So it has begun....my girls have morphed into typical little girls.

It's all about Friday Night Lights.

My sweet little girls have donned the town colors (which are surprisingly super cute) for Fridays at school where each school has a pep rally and it's all about high school football.

Typical small Texas town and football REIGNS.

I haven't been this happy about going to a football game since my own school days. (and side note, I can't fit into my outfit any longer and I sure can't kick over my head from a standing position but I can do one heck of a jump still as proved by almost killing my leg muscles in the yard earlier thanks to my evil-ish child who dared me, ouch)

We have our tickets, my youngest is sporting a cute little cheerleading outfit that the neighbor passed down to her and we're geared up for our first football game of the season.

I seriously hope these kids don't suck. And I really hope their band is good cause our football team way back when may have kinda sucked but our band ROCKED.

So if you're looking for us on Friday nights.....we'll be in the home stands peeps. It is really awesome to be back in a small town. There's no place like a small town. I'm really not surprised that I have come full circle back to that. It feels right.

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Everyone Has One

I adore my family. I have a very large extended family that just rocks. We're a little crazy, a little strange and a whole lotta country but I wouldn't trade my family for nothing! Very few of us live outside of our hometown area but we try hard to get together sometimes and it's like a big ole carnival whenever we come into town. And make no mistake we make some big sized trouble together.

So I thought I'd put my guard down a little and introduce some of my family to you. I had very little room on my memory card so I didn't get the amount of pics I wanted but here we go.

My uncle and his grandson. My uncle is a man of few words but is always there if you need him.

So let me introduce you to this strange pic. See my momma and daddy sent me a Wonder Woman shirt cause I guess I'm not hiding my superpowers very well. And that foot belongs to my daughter as she is carrying on an age old tradition of trying on and wearing my grandmothers' shoes (seriously she came home with a pair) and this guy. Well he's my youngest uncle and he was my college roommate and there when Dave and I were doing our falling in love dance to offer wit and encouragement. I adore him. But this picture was us trying to find a way to get rid of our wrinkles for pictures. It was a diaster. snort.

So we dance. With each other. With no music. At any given time.

This little dinner was hosted by my pearl wearing, proper Southern grandmother, Nanny, and her husband, Noel, who is known as Big Daddy cause he can get anything done. They bought a house in my hometown to be near the family and are in the process of majorily redoing this house, God Bless'em.

We had a HUGE family reunion while I was there. All the family and families of my grandfather and his siblings, none of who are still with us. And cause we b the smart side of the family, we have a waterslide and bouncy house for the kids and a tent and huge industrial fans for the adults. And no beer, cause it was the smart side of the family.

So Hi girl, this is my cousin's wife and oldest son.

And again with my girl, Duchess. Who'd changed into her "real" clothes so she could get in line early for lunch. That is totally my child. We think at least 5 steps ahead of most people.

I love these peeps. I went to high school with this chick, who looks way to young to have been in my class all though school. And this is the oldest of us cousins (I'm the next in line) who is not only a vet but a cop. Cause we raise'em up good in our fam.

This is the long time beau and husband of my nurse practioner cuz. He is really the sweetest guy on the planet and so fun. My girls just flock to him.

Nanny and Big Daddy chilling in the shade at the reunion. I'm getting a thumbs up cause I was showing her my pearls. Notice the extremely hawt shoes she's wearing.

The cousin who ranks under me in the age list, he works in the oil fields similar to what Dave does and he can tell a story like you wouldn't believe.........actually we know better to believe. See his sister-in-law's face? She knows better.

Sweet baby girl and my Princess. These two were partners the whole weekend. So much fun. I swear she looks just like my cuz the cop with earrings. You can totally tell she is his little girl.

Hamming it up for the camera.

Now we are a family divided. Half of us are serious rummy players. Like kick your ass around the block rummy players (seriously, don't ever play for money with us) and the other half are domino people. It actually causes quit the friction between tables. ;) But I'm sure every family spends alot of their evening talking major shit.

At some point, I partnered up for rummy and Duchess took over as the photographer. Everything was blurry and too close up to show. Dang it.

Now Nanny is doing something extremely important here, she is showing Duchess how to properly close the bag of chips. These are life lessons people, and gives you a good idea of where I got my OCD from.

Big Daddy in his superman pose. I got a Big Daddy story for tomorrow that just kills me.

We cook from scratch, alot. We had spaghetti, purple hull peas, potato salad, cakes, cookies and pies. They are so awesome and always make sure that there is something I can eat too.

Then there's the photo ops. This is my sweet momma who is seriously the best thing ever. We're sunburnt and makeup less with bedhead but here we are. Me and my momma...who wouldn't straighten up and quit making silly faces so I pinched her. Opps. Notice my gritted teeth, I put some ompt in that pinch.

And this is my sweet uncle, my old roomie. And wow can I just say that I'm not normally so trashy as to wear a black bra with a white shirt. But it was a new present and I had to throw it on to model it. Judge not.

A better pic of us playing nice. He may be a deacon now but when I look at this man I see two things: 1. sitting in the dark outside smoking and drinking wine coolers on our back porch while signing ABBA loudly and badly and 2. a very very good friend who truly knows me.

Oh look, we look serious here! Yeah!

Hopefully I'll have more pics soon from my 48 hour trip. Cause oh boy did we have fun.

And I do have to find a pic of my sweet cousin who ripped a heavy old oak bathroom door off the hinges in the bathroom at an upscale decorative store when she got locked in. I seriously about wet my pants thinking she was hurt but turns out the lock was stuck and poor baby is worse than me about small spaces. Apparently they heard me scream in the back of the store. It really says something when I scream loudly and all the sales people in the store come running in to check on us but we had to go find our moms and aunts who were shopping and just look up and go "what'd you do now?".....sigh.......

More later.

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Imprompt

So what do you do when you have a Saturday afternoon to yourself back home? You made hay with the old buildings down on what was once a beautiful long street of antique stores and take some pics of your girls being hams. They were a little upset that we didn't bring dress up clothes but hey, you make do.

You drag out all the accessories that you have in your trunk and doll it all up. Then you turn them loose. We had such fun....

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Home....

We made it home.

I have lunches packed, outfits laid out and ready, bags prepped and the alarm set. Kids are in bed and our new school year starts in the morning. Fun times I tell you.

This weekend was amazing fun with my family.

Highlights for now, pics and stories to come later in the week:

• Someone got stabbed in the head with a fork during a push rummy tournament
• Geese attached the golf cart
• Duchess got over her fear of cemetaries
• I stole some decor from my uncle twice (I stole, he stole back, I stole again)
• I got the recipe for field snap peas, yum
• I took the girls for a photo shoot out and around, dragging my mother along for their yearly August pics
• Got to see my momma again
• Found a back way to cut time off my trip
• Found a back road that is twisting, winding lanes in the sticks and SO FUN to drive at 80 mph
• Drove 80 the entire time in Louisiana forgetting that speed limit is 55 there, opps
• Got recognized only once in hometown which is a new record
• Didn't win the Powerball
• Realized just how lucky I am to have such a family

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And here we go....

Crazy ass weekend...commencing....already.

We have a million things going this weekend. Today we started early (all of us plus dog piled in my bed) and got the house cleaned up and ready to rock.

Then we had the neighbors over for girl time, hair time for the freshman to get her yearbook pic taken, big ole lunch made with everyone's help. Then we got all the school clothes ready to rock and Monday's outfit picked out and laid out.

I made the lunch menu for the next two weeks (my babies take their lunches) and went grocery shopping for everything I needed.

I got an email from my judicial procedure's professor complementing me on my paper this week. (the nerd in me LOVED that)

I've packed for the family reunion, checked my mom in online for her flight, and printed out my directions since Dave took the dumdum, I mean tomtom with him.

And I've missed my guy.

Next stop: first family reunion in YEARS.

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OCD? Check...

So I just put Dave on a plane to his next assignment.

I think I'm already lost.

I get so used to him being here. He's really one of the very few people who make me constantly laugh and it seems my laughter goes with him when he's working. Pity party for one? check.

So I've been home all of 1 hot hour and I can't stand it. The house is pretty clean but I kinda got ocd and started cleaning while the kids' play.

It spiralled down from there.

I got out a new book.

See, I have these awesome planners that I buy several everytime I see them on clearance (heart me some Walmart). I cracked a fresh book and started making lists upon lists upon lists.

Cause frankly, the kids start school next week and with Dave gone I need to stay busy. I might just wind up back at working outside my house.

I made the following lists:

1. lunches for the first two weeks of school....my kids prefer to take their lunches
2. Office organization, I have to make new files and get organized in the new house
3. home projects to finish
4. Meals for the next two weeks
5. Grocery lists for the next two weeks.
6. School to-do's for the next two weeks.
7. Chores to do about the house weekly by time slot

My OCD just cranks right up and takes over. Now I'm charting everything in my handy little book to make sure that I don't get all mopey and unproductive.

Good news is that this assignment should only last for three weeks. Also, Dave and I stay in constant contact so that makes me better. Also, after a day or so, I'll jump right back into what I call my "military-wife" mode of running our life. But until then, I'm taking my "book" and some chocolate to the bathtub.

Sigh.........I'm such a freaking annoying drama queen.

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oh Lord, sweet baby Jesus

I have lost 4 lbs since Dave bought my new mower.

Now this is huge especially when you consider that I have been cooking up a storm and eating up a storm. Hello!

Turns out that mowing an acre yard, twice a week with a self-propelled mower at noon time in black clothing will make you sweat more than you ever thought possible. Between that and my free weights I'm doing better than I did when I was in the gym. And it's cheaper. And my yard looks better than my neighbors which really is the important part right? right?.....right? I have this thing about my yard being nicer than the yards around me, it's a Southern thing. The same reason why my kids are accessory people, it's all about the little extras. Yet another reason I wear pearls to Walmart..... I have no excuse really, it's just my thing. And now you know my horrible secret. Moving on.

I do so love the look and smell of a freshly mowed yard. We did it just in time for the winds and storm to blow in. So far I have escaped pictures too because my oldest in now threatening to take a picture of me in my mow wear...which includes a black tank, black nylon shorts and knee high rubber boots. I have this horrible reaction to fire ant bites hence the boots. But I am one hot mess when I mow. But I sweat BUCKETS. Sexy is back!

But in addition to getting my yard straightened out today, I pulled my car up on a crest in the front yard and Dave figured out where the squek was coming from. Now to make a mechanic appointment to have my tie rod screws replaced. We finally got off our tushes and picked the tile to replace on the top of our coffee table....really this is a finish to a story that started awhile ago when I purchased the table in one of my uber dober shopper moments. I actually posted the original picture when I purchased back in April of 2007. The cracked and broken tiles on top made this coffee table a steal at an outlet....but the plan to retile just never happened, I kept stuff on top to hide the crack, lol. Ghetto much? But I hope to have new pics soon as we are waiting on the grout to set. It's purty and very unique I think. The tramp is up, on a level place in the yard and finally has all the newly purchased bolts to make sure it stays together no matter what. Dave has managed to get every honey-do thing on his list done.

Which is good cause he leaves tomorrow.....sniff sniff

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Success! Apple Fritters!

So last night I tried to make some cheesy, bacon biscuits. They stunk! Sometimes GF cooking is def hit/miss. That one was a MISS, and wow what a miss.

But it's raining hurricane conditions here today so what to do.....attempt GF apple fritters. Now Dave was into yet another experiment cause he's into apples, so much so that he ran to the store for all the ingredients I lacked. Cause he's cool like that.

And I made them..... Oh GAWD did I make them.....

So anyone with a GF peep in their life, comment and I'll send the recipe over.

SUCCESS!

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The Countdown in On

My girls start school a week from tomorrow. Regular school. While homeschooling was awesome and we loved it, my little ones missed the social aspect of school so much more than we had anticipated. Like me and their mimi, they love to talk and have people around them.

I however am controlling the process with a firm hand. I picked the schools, I picked Princess' classes (turns out in 6th grade you do that now, huh!) and I have set about getting them organized. The only way to have organized kids who study is to teach them to be organized kids who study.

Watch us as we learn the hard way, lol. Then self-correct as you go forward.

This upcoming week is gonna be packed. Dave leaves on Wednesday for an assignment in Nebraska. I leave on Friday for a family reunion in Louisiana over the weekend and I have to get back here to start school Monday morning.

We're gonna be all over the dang place. Sigh...........really I'm tired just thinking about it.

But the good news is that it'll mean a whole lot of funny updates and pics...

So in a flash: our weekend

family night, scene-it (Dave won), Princess baked a cake and promptly got voted the family baker, movie night, and we managed to NOT start the kids on their new bedtime routine for school....cause we suck.

Tomorrow I have to find Murphy a pet sitter for this weekend, dig out my bathing suit for our trip, and mow the yard. It's gonna be fun. Oh and I'm gonna try to make apple fritters, GF of course.

Back soon, trying to enjoy my man while I have him in the same city as me.

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We've been a little busy....

So for once my 11 year old requested that I 'do' her hair. Today we go to her new school, get her schedule and then she takes her yearbook pic. They are some serious organized here peeps. So she has 5 different teachers, her elective is computers/art which surprises me since I just knew she'd pick band but nope. So okay. Then I got to do her hair, again which was a treat for me as she is my no frills ponytail girl.

I think I did okay.

But instead of wearing the corvette shirt, I talked her into a cute purple and black outfit with a black flower headband tucked into that huge thick do of hers. She looked adorable.

Then Dave and I went our for our cough*14th*cough anniversary, saw the Other Guys and laughed ourselves sick. Hysterical!

My girls had to get in on the picture taking too. Princess has started Dave's habit of collecting amusing t-shirts. She has an AC/DC shirt, a Corvette shirt, and a few others that she grabs everytime we go to the WalMart. Hysterical. Dave just bought one the other day for "Callahan Auto Parts" ...name that movie.

Dave has also started dragging Princess jogging with him every morning. She made the mistake of taking smack about him being out of shape so he drug her out on his usual 1.5 mile run. Hysterical, especially since he left her 1 mile behind. So that sweet baby had to walk back to the house. Oh to fun, especially since he now takes her everyday. Something I always look forward to.

But to make it up to her, he's giving her driving lessons still. She now wants us to put down cones so she work on her parking skills. Geez.

So Duchess is doing great, however her activities are revolving around her pet shop animals and the tv, so hopefully I'll have some new pics of her on the trampoline or helping mommy with the laundry soon. Cause laundry is her new chore, lol. It's interesting to say the least.

Dave leaves next Wednesday heading to his next jobsite in Nebraska. Travel mercies!

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Lazy = Me

I'm having some quite lazy days. If you don't include putting together (without tools or instructions) the trampoline, date nights, and house arranging.

I'm quite enjoying myself.

Today school starts back for me, I'm getting knee deep in two of my last six classes.

Graduation is in sight peeps. Woohoo.

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More Carrot, Less Stick

So Dave has figured out what to do with our third vehicle. The issue of the third vehicle has been killing me. I have my car, he has his truck but we couldn't part with the 4x4 jeep. I used it in Ooootah cause of the ice and snow. And frankly it's a kick arse go anywhere jeep so I just can't sell it.

So last night, while dealing with pre-teen angst Dave reminded me we needed more carrot than stick. And this morning, he figured out his carrot. Our blue 4x4 rough and ready carrot.

So we're gonna give the jeep to Princess whenever she gets her license. Honestly it's a great first vehicle for a teen however we do have 4 years before she'll be legally able to drive it.

But we live in the country and country is as country does...

So we figure if we start her now, by the time she has a license she'll be as qualified as a NASCAR driver.

I love my life.

And my kid already drives better than 60% of the people I know. The odds will only increase.

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Oh Boy here we go...

Pei-Wei tried to kill me. Thank you wheat contamination. Sick as urgh.....

Now I get to watch Dave and Maddy use the new lawnmower and weedeater so we can clean up this funky yard. Hello.

Tomorrow they get to put the trampoline. Oh I'm so freaking excited.

While I sicker than shite.

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He's Home

And strangely enough, there are rainbows everywhere. Maybe it's just me, cause I'm so freaking happy to see him walk in that door.

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Upkeep...

Dave is coming home tomorrow for a two week off period between jobs. So excited. Can't believe he's back traveling but you never know what the Lord will bring. So, I started getting ready.

I shaved my legs.

I plucked my eyebrows.

I cleaned the house spotless.

I did all the laundry.

I put zit cream on my pimple.....wait, yep the only 33 year old woman I know how has the complexion of a high schooler during that special time of the month. Dang.

Now I can get up and follow my children and dog around the house tomorrow immediately putting back what they leave on the floor, couch, etc.

So we'll see if he can manage to be home before the kids go to sleep tomorrow night.

Cause I can make that drive in 9.5 hours.

Let's see if he beats my time.

Competition is healthy in a marriage!

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So I Repaid A Favor Today....

So in my new house, mercy me did I luck out. I have a great neighbor whose husband works on the railroad so he's often away from home (sound like someone you know?). This neighbor has three girls still at home (two more out of the house and into college). These girls have made tight friends with my girls.

They helped us unpack. They pull in my trash can when I'm out of town. I must tell you that they have made settling into my new house just lovely.

And she mentioned last week that they haven't had "girl" pictures in a really long time.

So I did what I could....I drug them out to a local state park, that was after I spent two hours helping with hair and makeup. Fun!

Meet my neighbors.

This is Princess' new bff...the Texan version.

Momma.

Again, the bff...she is too funny.

The high school freshman....who fell in love with the way I did her hair, my shirt, and the eyemakeup...looks like I'm doing it again for school pics.

I love this laugh.....

The adorable new bff of Duchess. I had to be careful with her pics so her leg cast wouldn't show up. Poor thing, fractured heel from jumping into a pool at camp.

The family....

All in all, I seriously took over 200 pics. So I just threw a few of them up here. But can I just say, I had a blast even though I'm so not a professional.

What a fun time we had today.

And since Dave is coming home tomorrow, gotta get my butt cleaning!

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Great, another addiction for me

I've discovered a tv show I am in love with to replace my beloved FlashForward..... and am swifly running out of seasons to watch. Dang. TV today really sucks.

Dave is dropping his rv off at his next job site and heading home tomorrow for two weeks off.

I'm stoked!

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Top 5

Got tagged again and since I'm lazy, I didn't actually dig through 3 (?) years of blog posts for my all time top 5, cause I'm pretty sure they haven't changed.....


http://hope4grace.blogspot.com/2009/06/changing-utah-one-kid-at-time.html

http://hope4grace.blogspot.com/2006/12/dreaming-of-taser.html

http://hope4grace.blogspot.com/2008/09/i-am-i-am-i-amreally-i-am.html

http://hope4grace.blogspot.com/2006/11/do-as-i-say.html

http://hope4grace.blogspot.com/2007/03/delicately-put.html


Let's vote shall we....which H4G moment would you have put in the top 5?

(basically, which moment would you have defriended me for? lol)

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Revisit: Lastest Roadtrip

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