MINI..............

Mini ....fingers feeding hungry goats that climb trees (yes, really they did!!!)

It's a bird, a plane, a new bimmer convertible???
....oh just another mini......VAN!!!!!
Mini....work uniforms
Mini ..... natural disasters( yes, this is what you don't want this to be, BUT IS!!!)

Mini....people painting mini pumpkins

Many Mini Monsters on Manly Show of Muscles

Happy Fall from Texas!!!!

Ryan's first writing

I came downstairs this morning at 7:30 a.m. and found Ryan typing...yes, my almost 6 year old typing....and it was not jibberish! He was so excited, "Lisa! I finished my story, wanna hear?"

He read it too me and I was soooo happy and asked him if I could blog it!

He had opened up his own word document (no one showed him how to do that) and just starting sounding out words. He said he didn't know where the "dots" went! HA!

Ryan's Story: (copy and pasted from word)

Ryan and ethan ar brothrs and ryan is the smatst ethan is not smatst becase he is a toodlr and ryan is bigist becase he is 5 yers old ethan is not becase he is 2 yers old and we love ar mom and dad and tha’s the sory of all abot 2 boys ryan and ethan the end

No spellcheck needed please!

A Habit of Meow-ing

The other morning, Seth woke up and heard a LOT of meow-ing. Over and over again, like this....MEOW, MEOW, MEOW, MEOW...one right after another.

He thought it must be the tv, so he didn't really rush downstairs. Then he heard Ryan talking to the MEOW.

RYAN: "Stop meowing!, You're going to wake everyone up, nice kitty!"

So Seth calmly comes down the stairs and sees..........

A FAT CAT in our front hallway, going...."MEOW, MEOW, MEOW, MEOW" One right after another MEOW MEOW MEOW...

Seeing Seth, Ryan gets a very scared, I'm in trouble look on his face and freezes.

Seth: Ryan? How did that kitty get in our house?

Ryan: Weeeeeelllllllll, it was just outside, just I let it in....it was LONELY......

Seth: It's probably the neighbors cat and we are going to have to let it go home

Ryan: WEeeeeeelllllLL, it's lonely it can't find it's home!

......they let it out, Ryan goes to school......LATER THAT NIGHT WE ARE OUT TO DINNER AND I AM TRYING TO SPARK SOME CONVO WITH MY BOY.......

Me: Ryan? How did that cat get in our house?

Ryan: WWwwweeelllll, I heard it Meowing outside by our car, so I just went outside and picked it up and brought it in the house.

Lisa: Oh, so you picked it up?

Ryan: Yes, (tilts head) but then it would not stop MEOWING........IT WAS LIKE A HABIT, (shrugging shoulders).....A HABIT OF MEOWING

That's my boy, he has a habit of being ultra cute!

Shell Bones

My zesty, adventurous big (yet smaller than I) sis, was nick-named Shelly. She was thin, very thin as a child so either my mom or dad started calling her Shell bones. She's still is thin due to her vigor for life-thin-ing activities, such as this......
Anyway, this is my plug for her BLOG!!!! Peer-pressure at it's finest and she has succumbed!

I don't know why this became more about her being thin than her blog, because it's supposed to be about her cool new blog that I'm bragging about because I'm proud of my adventure chasing big (smaller) sista!

BUT

Because I felt the need to be "witty" and use a cool nick name I felt the need to explain IT!

I love Michele because:

-She is the one of the most caring people I've ever known, she is a great friend
- she' very generous, too generous, even to her own dismise
-money does not matter to her, as long as she can eat and cook a yummy meal
- she is highly adventurous, always has some ultra cool hobby like rock-climbing, living in N.Y.C. on her own!, kayaking,
-she can move to totally new city with no money in her pocket and make it like gang busters
- she is well read, very intelligent, and believes that one person can make a difference in the community, city, and beyond
- she keeps stretching herself, not settling for that job at the desk, that pays the bills and is good enough....
- she finishes what she starts
- she can stand up for herself
- she has a great laugh and has a way of making you feel funnier than you really are b/c she will laugh with you so easily
- she has great no none-sense advice
- she's naturally beautiful, never wears make-up, but if you saw her, you would say, wow...she's really pretty
- she's a good, no great listener and has helped me understand myself
- she's thoughtful

.....and I think she deserves the best life has to bring her! And I have failed her, because I forgot to send her a birthday card!!!!!...it was on my mind, I never did it, then a week passed and I thought I need to get her a really big present now to make up for it....then another and another and then it got so big that no present or apology could make up for my FAILURE as a sister and human being. I have had nightmares about crying and apologizing to her about this! I have even been too chicken to call her, b/c I don't know what to say....even though I have been dying to talk to her and see how she is doing....so my darling sister who I love so much....can you ever forgive me! I AM SO SORRY! Because she has never missed my birthday...I don't think....anyway.....can you forgive your ultra self-absorbed lamo sister?

xoxoxox(hehe) Lisa

...so there it is I have purged my biggest disgrace to the entire blog world....flog me!

I'm in A PICKEL!!!

So this is kinda a big thing in my life, I have not mentioned to yall.....

I STARTED WORKING!!!! What I was thinking I don't know? Do I need this, NO! I thought it would be fun because I love what I do and it would be fun to get out of the house a couple days a week....right?

Well theoretically....YES! In theory I had this ideal scenario in my head of dropping of Little Ethan at this great school where they love him like their own (this part same true!!!) and I go to my job where I get to have real adult responsibilities and gratification and talk to adults...e.t.c .e.t.c

So 3 weeks ago I started working part-time for an orthodontist near my home. I had interviewed and accepted the job two days later... the day I accepted my friend drops by (you have to know that her husband is a pedo dentist that partnered with an orthodontist) and she is "great! who are you working for?" I reply "Dr. so and so" and she get this horrid,scrunched up, scared look on her face! "OH NO!!" She proceeds to tell me that this lady had worked for her husband's partner and she (my new boss) was basically horrible and ugly to work with and had done really horrible mean things to his partner. GREAT!!!

But she had been so nice and her office was so nice so I decided to put this thought to the side and go for it, because I had found this great little school for Ethan and everything was in place.

So the first week I noticed that she was "particular" ok CONTROLLING,O.C.D., anal, exact, perfectionist.....but so far she was being somewhat pleasant in her "corrections" Due to her perfectionist status, No one can do anything great, or even good, there is something wrong with EVERYTHING and she has to make us very aware of it....so basically all day long she was ridding us.

Actually I was ok with that, b/c she was somewhat pleasant about it all and I was learning a TON.

Week two I had a small issue with the other clinician in the office, but then she went to a work training meeting about office politics and she came back all pleasant and nice, now suprsingly we have been buddies (in week three we had to stick together)

Week three: The witch has landed... the criticism is fine, I have no problem, I am open and wanting to hear how I can learn and be better....

BUT

there is a big difference between constructive criticism and accusatory, demeaning, and insulting criticism. She just started saying little disses here and there. And I took it, because that's what I do...I take people's crap. Then she pulls me in her office and insults me and it's complicated and technical, but basically saying I "wasn't thinking" is what it came down to. I defended myself thoroughly and told her I disagreed and I did what I did b/c of previous training....and I CRIED! The thing was, you would have thought I crashed her computer systems or something...

I can't sleep, eat, and I am working my butt of for this Nazi that doesn't even treat people nicely.

She has had 5 people quit on her in a year. And they didn't like give a 2 weeks notice and quit on friendly terms, they walked out the door and never came back quit. Her entire staff is less than 3 months old. (Except one girl in the front)

All of these are RED FLAGS I know! SO what do I do????? I usually am NOT a quitter unless things are really really abusive, but I things are different this time. This is not fiances. I wanted a "fun" job. I really do love working in orthodontics.

So I'm in a pickle. I have got some great advice and would love your two cents....because I don't feel like I'm thinking straight. :)

Undecided in 2008

I have many of you out there ARE decided and I would like you to watch this video and tell me your thoughts.

Most of my friends are Obama supporters and I am especially interested in what YOU have to say about this video?

I AM UNDECIDED, I ping pong back and forth. BUT this video did not show of a very good side of OBAMA.

In the meantime I'm going to go stuff my money in my mattress....

QuirKs and QuizZes

I was reading my friend Katie's blog and came acorss this post called Quirks. I then followed over to her brother's post where they listed their quirks...an I was like hmmm they have some interesting quirks. I wish I had more quirks. I am one of these people who likes everything and have wished I had more quirks throughout my life. WHY? Becasue they make us unique and they make people who love us go, " OH, so and so doens't like that, please don't do that or bring that....e.t.c." But there is really nothing I don't like, or do....anyway....that's what I thought, until I started CONCENTRATING......

I came up with a few measly few:

- I tend to hold my breathe while I am plucking my eyebrows. I pluck pluck and then I take breaks to breath. GASP:::::

- I have to sleep with a pillow between my legs...not a body pillow becasue body pillows don't flip with me as I change sides very good...

- I have to have a piece of chocolate after lunch and dinner, but never breakfast

SO that is that... that's what I came up with....

This morning I quizzed Ryan with some questions I got of a friends blog,Hillary:

1. What is something that mom always says to you? I Love You
2. What makes mom happy? doing things for you-like chores
3. What makes mom sad? not doing what Lisa wants.
4. How does your mom make you laugh? doing funny things, like jokes
5. What was your mom like as a child? pretty good
6. How old is your mom? 29 - (dang he knew)
7. How tall is your mom? I do not know- I think tall
8. What is her favorite thing to do? Inviting Friends
9. What does your mom do when your not around? working upstairs
10. If your mom becomes famous what will it be for? for ugh I dunno
11. What is your mom really good at? (his face scunching up like in pain) ugh exercising
12. What is your mom not very good at? I do not know(good answer!)
13. What does your mom do for her job? doing dentist (I'm an ortho assistant)
14. What is your moms favorite food? meatloaf- well that's what I tell him to get him to eat it!
15. What makes you proud of your mom? doing things you told me to do
16. If your mom was a cartoon character who would she be? Dora- because you're a girl and you wear pink
17. What do you and your mom do together? playing together
18. How are you and your mom the same? we have the same eyes
19. How are you and your mom different? you have blond hair and I have brown
20. How do you know your mom loves you? doing amazing things!
21. What does your mom like most about your dad? when he blogs
22. Where is your moms favorite place to go? Sea World

This is a video from our FHE activity: TWISTER....

Yesterday morning, Seth was fixing my burned out memory card and Ryan and I were playing Lego Indiana Jones and Ethan was.... Ethan? Oh, Ethan!!!!....SOOO mid way through shooting some Lego characters too pieces I hear Ryan exclaim, " Ohhh, Ethan looks like Spiderman!" Me- oh gotta get to the next level, what Ethan looks like???? Oh shoot that must mean.... Just then I pause up the game and run over to where Ethan is. I fear what I might see as I turn him around. Ethan sqeeks, "pitty, me pitty!" (pretty) I turn him around and see this:

UPDATE ON NEW LAMP: Oh, and I ran over to Old World Market store and picked up a new paper latern. I like it a little more....Seth likes is a LOT more and the Living room is well lit once more!

In this world of elections, bank failures, natural disasters...to me this is what matters... My family and my faith. The stuff : the cars, the furniture is but a figment of our imaginations. I would give it up tomorrow as long as I can still beleive what I want to and listen to the laughter of my children and husband and people I love. AMEN.

Opinion's Please

OK, SO I have a totally traditional space in my living room, but I fell in love with this lamp and I'm trying to make it work.

I know it is too modern for the space and maybe the latern is too large. I'm trying to get some ideas that will make it work...
What I love about it is....

-conversation piece, it's just so darn cool

-different

-makes the space pop

-it goes with the organic, natural decor

- great for reading!

So I really want to see if I can make it work...so my plea to all ya'll decorator's out there is....

Some ideas I've had alread are:

Paint the shade, buy a smaller paper latern, look for a more traditional shape latern, paint the arm brown and brush on some gold leaf

So any ideas?????????

As Promised....

My babies first tee-ball game!!!!

We want a picture, not a belly itcher!!! Or a nose picker, wedgie picker, or anything you may finding any normal 5 year old boy playing tee-ball to do....unless they are your own adorable child running around out there, then they are the cutest thing ever to hit a ball on two legs!!!!

I must have a thing for men in uniform because when Ryan got all suited up for the first time this morning, I just about fainted, he was soooooo darn cute, CUTE, CUTE!! Baseball pants have a way of hugging the hiney :) I KNOW THIS IS MY SON-CAN IT!

Ryan LOVES base-ball so far and he really really tries so hard! Even when he is not supposed to...today's game went something like this...

Ryan was playing the second base man- you know the guy who stands on second base, ready to catch the ball and tag another team out, something like that...

Ryan felt the need to escort the opposing team to the next base so...

He was running back and forth between 2cd and 3rd for the whole inning. It was so cute. Some kids were like "don't run with me" other put their arm around him and felt the need for a little game snuggle.

For NEVER playing a game in his life, I of course, non-biased, thought he did amazing :)

BTW, check out these uniforms, they have their own team name and their own number!! Seth said he didn't get a numbered Jersey till he was in H.S. Even his stitched hat has his numbered stitched into the side!!! WHAT!! That's where all my $195 went!

Warming up...

...Lining Up with Coach Mike...nice guy...totally volunteer!

...Did you say we can go to Chick-fil-A after this?

Swing batter batter, warming up the old arm....

I am sooo grateful to have my sweet boy old enough to do this stuff, it is amazingly thrilling!!

Mamma Mia!!!

"Picture ME-A screamin" Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!


Never Mind....I'll show you, no make-up, in my jammies and all.....


I have a new ALL-TIME, FOREVER and a DAY FAVORITE MOVIE!!!! can you guess????

Here's my story...when I was 12 my big sis, brought home a tape (yes, I said tape, as in cassette, look it up babies) from her favorite band Depeche Mode. Well, they covered a song called "SOS". My sister was curious who sang the original so she went to the library and got a tape of a band called "ABBA" Well, at the time we were moving to Ohio and living in a town home and we were sharing a ROOM! Yes, this was a scary scary sight. But this good thing came out of it....SHE WAS LISTENING TO ABBA! Well, I think she listened to it a couple times and was like, ok that's nice...BUT ME? I was in love at first song. I took the tape from her (I don't think she minded) and I fell in love hard with every song fast!

Then I bought the C.D. and another C.D. and then one day I found there book of EVERY song ever written and I bought that too! When I broke up with boy-friends, what did I want back? Nothing but my ABBA cd's. I would swallow my pride, call them and tell them I'm coming over for ABBA, period.

Do I have a favorite song? NO! There are so many many good ones.

SO...... fast forward ummmm a lot of years, like 18!!!! (Ahhh, go ahead do the MATH!)

I am living in Texas, liking it ok, but not as much as I expected and I get really really home sick. I drive home for summer trip...totally have a blast which makes me even more depressed about not having any friends in Texas and NOT wanting to go back.... my road trip BACK to Texas I am listening to the Secret.. and I learn it's all up to me. I can create the life I want. So I'm not sure, but I give it a whirl. (I love it when I spontaneously rhythm) On my way home, I say, I will make fun friends, I will make friends with BOATS. (Boats and lakes and going out on boats is big here) SO I get home and the sunday I get back I make friends with a girl I had met before AND WE PULL UP TO THEIR HOUSE FOR DINNER AND GUESS WHAT???? THEY HAVE A BOAT! and we love them!

Then there is this other couple that is our age and we adore them too! Interestingly all three hubbies get along like thee pees in a pod. They can all sit around and watch re-runs of "cringe" Beevis and Butthead and get a good laugh. SO we have been spending almost every weekend hanging out with these lovelies BOATING, dinner out, dinner in (they both can cook way YUMMY!) and I am having a blast!

So....how does this tie into ABBA? Well, last weekend we decided we needed to do a "girls night out" and we did it!

The Panera by my house FINALLY opened, YAH YAH YAH!!! and so we went there and sat out on the patio and I caught my first chill in TEXAS, it felt great! SO after some good convo, grins and giggles...we headed over to a MOVIE........can you guess?????

OMGash!!!!! I laughed, I cried, I sang, I danced....and it was sooo great to share it with my new three amigas which I am sooooo grateful to have met! I luv you guys!!

******Rachel, STEPH, MILLIE and AMY if you have NOT seen this movie, you can do two things.... yall HAVE to plan a girls night and go see it together! It will be memorable, I promise! and THEN when I get there in DEC. we have to have a girly party in RACHe's attic and have a Mamma Mia dance party!!! You'll know what I mean after you watch it!*****

Take a hike IKE!

I feel remiss, if I started talking about our trip before I mentioned this little guy....yes, at one point IKE was nipping at our heals on the cruise and we were experiencing some rockin and winds.

We went rogue and snuck up to the top level of the ship where we could feel the full effects of these tropical storm strength winds. Probably like 50 MPH...It was thrilling, but stupid and dangerous. They kicked us of and closed it for the remainder of the ship.

A lot of the people helping us of the ship lived in the Galveston area and when questioned, they said they were all staying? I wonder if they did. I pray they will be ok! There saying this is the worst storm to hit Galveston/Houston in 100 years.

Anyway, about the trip....We had a BLAST! I have 150 pictures and YOU KNOW I will be giving you the full report shortly. BUT I have 4 loads of laundry to put away and a deck to clean of in preparations for IKE.....pray for all the coastal people!

Stay tuned for stories about this:

And Spid-ie stories about this:

...and this was per request by yours truly, can I deliver or what?

Good to be home! God bless AMERICA! We are soooooo soooo blessed! More on this later...

Sweet Treats and Sweet Brothers

Sunday dinner was a huge hit so I thought I would share my new lasagna recipe find along with the great website/blog I got it from!

I was looking for a lasagna recipe because I am embarrassed to say how long it has been since I made a lasagna. (Prob like 3 years) SO I googled, "BEST lasagna recipe" and up came this link to Pioneer Women. This is literally the BEST blog I have ever been across and apparently others think so too because she has about 600 comments PER entry...anywho..I ended up reading her entire story which is fascinating. In a nutshell, she was a cali valley girl who got swept of her feet by a REAL cowboy rancher, Marlboro Man, whom she married and now lives on and cooks, home-schools her 4 kids, and has this great website! Anyway, if you have like 3 hours, It's a great read, "Black heels and Tractor Heels"

Anyway I made her lasagna that had like 600 comments saying it was the best lasagna they had ever had, so I figured I was safe.

Her recipe was great because she takes a picture (with her SRS camera) of each step and ingredients so it's visually stimulating and I like pictures because I bore easily!

Anyway....it was awesome! I do have to say...it's VERY meatie though. Other than that, it will be my new "have to take dinner to a family, here you go dinner in a pan, please heat" meal.

Then I topped it off, with these little tastie delights. HOME-MADE ice-cream sandwiches, made with non-other than my whole wheat choc chip cookies!!!!!!!!

Ryan has been coming home from school very happy, in a good mood, and ready to play! He loves to play with Ethan and he is soooo sweet. I was in the kitchen when I hear this.....

and then this....

Ocne again, I dedciate this posting to SPELL CHEcK! Thank you for your continuing suport!

It's a Wheat Thing

So somewhere along the way I figured out that I had wheat flour, not just bread flour. This is my story:

I was getting all my devilish ingredients out to make my weekly batch of chocolate chip cookies (throw your head back, evil laugh). I was ready to pull out the white store-bought flour and my hand fell on whole wheat flour. ::::::::LIGHTBULB::::::::: Whole wheat cookies! Healthy and tasty! Could it work????? Well, I was going to make a double batch so I had plenty to take to my VT, but maybe I would just make a single batch and if it doesn't work out, it doesn't work out...you know! What did I have to loose other than a little time and my favorite food and the whole world, CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES, ok so I had a lot to loose, the stakes were high, but the pay-off would be great. Healthy, yet delicious was the ultimate goal!

So I slaved away for like 10 minutes. Because I have the recipe memorized after years of cookie monsterering. I noticed it took MORE flour to get the same consistency, but I kind of expected this, anyway, they baked up and then the ultimate test.....the critical mouth a.k.a. DH!


"What's different?" "I can't really taste anything? Well, maybe a little...what did you do?" "They are made with my whole wheat flour!" I exclaim. "What? You mean the stuff you use for your bread?" "YUP" "Pretty good huh?"

So they passed with flying colors. I think these whole wheat goodies might be a permanent adjustment to my cookie repertoires. Ok well, almost, can you imagine WHITE, sugar cookies....NOT white? Ok I don't think I'll take it that far...

....2 days later, fast forward to Sunday morning, or waffle morning. Home-made waffles get me out of bed. As I'm jaunting down the staires:::::::LIGHTBULB::::::: I can try them with ....ok you get the picture, HEALTHY and DELICIOUS!

They turned out delicious, almost as good as the bread with a big whip of butter slathered all over it, just add syrup! :) YUM... I think I'm on to something :)

Saturday, we "farted around" that is Cochran for "laid around and did very little"....then around 4:00 we headed to the pool. The pool water is so warm, it's almost like bath water, we LOVED IT!

First DAY of school, FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!!!

Get Ready to Learn to Get Some KNOWLEDGE! Come on dad, get up, it's my first day of school, you promised!"

What movie is that from???? Well, this is what I was repeating as I strolled Ryan and Ethan towards Ryan's new school around the corner from our house the first morning. Our little red wagon was the vehicle of choice. Yes, Ryan was happy, though not excited. You see this is why...BEFORE

Yes, for Ryan this is "been here done that." Ryan started kinder in Greenwich, CT last year. Last year I was worried. Is he too young? Are the older kids going to make fun? Is he going to get in trouble too much because he is young and his mind drifts? Is he too little. THIS WAS ONE YEAR AGO!!Blah Blah Blah. This year, there are little to no worries. Why? Because Ryan is a good kid, he's smart AND he has 1/2 yr. of kinder already under his belt + he was in all day summer camp for 5 weeks out of the summer...so as one could say, "HE'S COOL DUDE!" THIS IS THIS YEAR!!!

Awww, he is just so darn cuttie-pahtootie!! In fact, the night before school our conversation went something like this..."ok Ryan tomorrow your back to kindergarten so you have to do your stations (get dressed and brush teeth, have daddy pour you a bowl of cereal) BEFORE you play! " "OK LISA" and that was that.

So drum roll, please, he is walking in to his classroom for the first time! The mom that says HI is the cry babies momma...see below....such a nice lady!

There was the big whooo hah with all the parents standing around the tables like there was a circus performing...it's kinda funny. I love this pixs below of him yawning...notice the kid in the corner boo whooing....he was the class cry baby. I guess ever class has to have one. Today Ryan came home and said, "Dillan is ALWAYS crying!" His poor momma, she is a nice lady and they already held him back from kinder one year already.

Ryan is such a chill kid that you really have to poke at him to get any big reaction about anything, but when school let out and I picked him up and enthusiactically said, "I really like that school! and I learned a new word!" I reply, "oh ya what's that?" He says matter- a - factly, " un-esported" hmmmm, OH, "you mean, un-escorted?"

Ya because we live around the corner, about 2 blocks from the school, he is labeled an "un-escorted walker" even though I meet him at the school and walk him home. It was cute. He talked about the stations, his favorite was the "weigher" this is what he meant..... On the way home from school Tuesday he decided he wants a "scooter scoot" (scooter)for his birthday... and on Wednesday, he told me he made a card for his sick teacher and if he lays down during rest time and closes his eyes and pretends to be asleep, they put a marble on his blanket and then at the end he gets to put the marble in a jar and when the jar fills up they get something...

Anyway, his teacher is Mrs. O'Keefe and we are excited because she was "the teacher to get"!!

So all is well, I cryed last year, Ryan got used to school last year, and we are thoroughly enjoying this year!

Ethan and mommy are baking cookies, learning our colors, playing "knock down the blocks" going to the gym, playing at the park, and shopping at target where he always gets his own big bag of popcorn and apple juice! Good Times! This is what I caught him doing the other day...dad look at what he is reading :) No, I did not sit him on there, so maybe this means he is ready! AFTER THE CRUISE BABY!!!!

Hope all yall's first day's went smashingly!

Check this out....

I come home from a friends house and this is what I find....oh, GREAT!

Positive: He moved them, not where I wanted, but he did move them.....AIRCONDITIONING....and now my neighbors don't have to look at two ugly buckets in my front stoop.

Negative: I have two ugly buckets in my house! Blocking my front door...I have to hound Seth some-more....

I GIVE UP! I WILL DO IT MYSELF!!! ............tomorrow...maybe.....I'll ask one more time....

For all those who thought I was a girly GIRL...

Ok, I know I may look the part...of being a girly GIRL.....but there is a reason why I believe I have become a mother of BOYS...

1) I don't mind bugs. I am the "official squisher" of the house. Seth is more afraid of them than me. If I see a spider. I just walk over and squish it. Non of this scream like a GIRL!

2) If I see a frog in the yard, I catch it with my bare hands and make a little house for it and show the "boys" what mamma caught.

3) I jump in the pool like a boy (in my cute suit) and get my hair wet...all the way.....

4) Sitting around and chit chat OR fish, run, ski, play,surf....I'll take the later...

5) I don't mind getting dirty, as long as I can clean up later.....

6) I love cars....the faster the better...it has to be a manual...if not B-O-R-I-N-G!!

We rented a Red Box tonight. I volunteered to take it back....he he. Seth caught on to my scheme...windows down, moon roof open, music LOUD!!!! First gear.........try not to take it over 4.5 r.p.ms....I took the long way home. I'm telling you that was as exhilarating as it gets folks. I never went OVER the speed limit. Doesn't matter how long it takes you to get up to it does it? This is the only side of my car, YOU'LL ever get to see!

So I play like a man, but who says I can't do it looking good?

Still there...

So you know how I am Betty Crocker now? Well I ordered some wheat, well a lot of wheat, well like 50 lbs. of WHEAT! It finally arrived about 6 days ago.

Me : "Honey, have you seen what's on the front porch?"

DH: "No, what is it?"

Me: " A ton of wheat!"

DH: "oh, what's it look like?"

Me: 2 ,25 lb. buckets of wheat that I am not strong enough to carry!" wink wink

DH: "OK, I'll get them later"

Day 2, Day 3 "Honey the wheat is still outside" "OK, I'll get it", Day 4 open the door to let my neighbor in, there still there, therefore have to explain to her why I need two buckets of raw wheat

Day 5, Day 6 Open the door to let the furniture repair man in, I watch glumly as he steps around 2 white buckets of wheat.....SIGH

OK tonight I'm putting my foot down.... right on his throat!

Sign up, show up, or GET OUT!!!!!!

Anywhere, Texas. Home to friendly little subdivisions with playgrounds, pools, basketball courts, tennis courts, elementary school, and beautiful walking trials through your very own preserve over looking Lake Austin.

"Oh what a family friendly little neighborhood!" Me and every other mother in the world thought so too.....

Issue One: Pre-school, Sign up early, get in fight if necessary...

In fact, unless you already have a child at the school and get the PRE-registration forms and fill them out and submit them with your $85 dollar check to hold your spot...then YOU GET A SPOT! If you don't have a child already in that pre-school you better get your boxing gloves on because you are going to have to beat down every other mother in West Austin for the two remaining spots on the day, no the morning, no 1/2 hour before the school opens the morning of registration.

Not realizing any of this I decided to take my time and look at other pre-schhol programs before deciding on a school for Ethan. Which I did. And WHAT HAVE I ACCOMPLISHED!!!!! BY LOOKING AROUND???????? Two things

1)WAITING LIST #1, waiting list #2, waiting list #3, and waiting list number #4. Oh and I am like between #3-#20 down on the list and they all accompany a $40 wait-list fee!!!!!! What in the world is a "WAit-list fee!!!!" That's like Walmart running out of diapers and you pay them $10 to put you on a list of the next people to receive them when they become available again!
2) "Next year"- I have accomplished "next year" Each pre-school administrator has assured me that by being on the wait-list for this year, it gives me not first, (because first goes to families of kids already in the school) but second dibs on a spot for NEXT YEAR!!! I just about fell out of my chair when they said, I was literally going to have to wait till NEXT YEAR!!!! I thought ok maybe we wait a month, two months, even three months, but no DUE TO MY BAD BAD BAD procrastination BAD BAD BADNESS, my little ETHAN who was so so so so so so so excited to start pre-school CAN NOT!!!!

Issue Two: The Gym
Every morning I wake around 8 a.m., eat breakfast, check my email, pack lunches, get the kids dressed, take Ryan to pre-school/summer camp, and then head for the 9:30 exercise class at my wonderful little gym. It is the perfect time 9:30 a.m. They rotate the classes to alternate cardio/strength training for me so I just have to show-up and I am guaranteed a good sweat....well almost....

Come to find out what's good for me is also good for the thousands of other west austin mammas and thier ideal little family neighborhoods once again! The class starts at 9:30. Get there at 9:10 sign your kids in for their kids center and you walk to the class and stand there and watch all the fake boobs walk in the room. The is Option #1 and THE ONLY OPTION!!! Get there at 9:15 and you are staring at all the boobs in low-cut tank tops and daisy duke shorts in the lobby of the kids area for another 20 minutes!!!!!!! And you guessed it, you are on another WAIT LIST! This time it doesn't cost you extra though I guess because you write your own name on the list and stand there till you get in instead of expecting them to call you???

When you pull in the parking lot, you scan the area for any IMWK (pronounced eem-wauks) this stands for "incoming moms with kids." If so, we go into emergency, "move as if your pants are on fire and it will not extinguish until you get the kids out of the car and beat every other IMWK to the front gym doors. Don't make eye-contact though because they will stare you down and try to intimidate you with there guilty-pouty "your not going to rush in there and beat me in there and make me have to put my name in the waiting list, are ya, are ya, are ya?????"

Issue Three: Area Association Youth Sports

Fact one: Registration opened Aug. 1
Fact Two: Practices and games begin on Sept. 1
Fact Three: I forgot about fact one and just knew that it wasn't time for fact two

So after Seth reminding me I went on the website last night and this is what it read,"Registration is now closed for our fall programs: Please note that we will accept a limited number of wait list registrations through August 23" Oh You've got to be kidding me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Luckily I persisted and found that there actually was ONE spot still available for the baseball program....BUT now instead of it already being a whopping $140/ for two months....it was $195!!!! You guess it because of a late registration fee!

HOW CAN YOU BE LATE FOR SOMETHING THAT DOESN"T START FOR TWO MORE WEEKS!!!!!!

I am sick sick sick of wait-list, wait-list and more wait-list!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have learned my lesson I guess.

The moral of the story is "get there early and sign up for things even if your not sure you want to do it...."

or GET OUT!!!! or pay another 20%. That works too.

Give thee thy Daily Bread

OK call me Amish, call me June Cleaver, call me Betty Crocker....call me whatever you dang want, but this sista can BAKE!

It all started about 3 months ago when I went to a activity where this really cute little lady showed us how to make yummy whole wheat bread. The thought popped in my head that I like the taste of this delicious bread more than food storage food....so instead of stocking up on random dried yucky food storage I would invest in a industrial strength, commercial mixer/blender and a mill and learn to make my own BREAD!

Lucky for me my mom's cousin owns the company Blend-tec (former K-tec) and she can get me 1/2 off this sweet machine. It does everything for you. You select your button that corresponds with what your mixing and it just goes and senses everything for you. I love the smoothies button. This machine is so powerful...I think he started with a vacuum motor and put it in a blender and after 20 years of tweaking ended up with this little marvel...Tommy has his own You Tube show called , "Will it Blend" check this out

So first I milled the grain. Yes you take whole grain, pour it in this bad boy(it kinda sounds like an airplane taking off) and it grinds it into flour...sweet!

Then I threw everything in my machine and push mix. Then I hit the another button and it kneaded it for me. I scooped it out of the bowlIt was STICKY!!!!! Then I put it in the pans to raise...In the oven and out of the oven.....the SMELL, you can't beat this SMELL!!!We ate 2 loaves that evening! I might need more Wheat! Anyone know how to get some cheap?And this is my happy, HEALTHRY, whole wheat eating BOYS!
I love Ryan's face, "ugh dad, gimme my bread!"