Today I picked up L'il Man from school a little bit after lunch. He was running a pretty high fever. As soon as he came home, he went straight to his bed and took a looooong nap. When I woke him up about 3 hours later, I gave him some medicine and some juice. About 30 minutes later, as he and AAA were watching TV, he looked at her and asked, "Aren't you going to school today?" AA said, "What?!? I've already been." He looked so confused. It suddenly occurred to me that he thought today was Tuesday because he had taken such a long nap. AAA and I got a good laugh, but he never even cracked a smile.
Thanking God today for my precious L'il Man and hoping that he gets well soon! A broken arm and the flu - not a good combination for a 7 year old boy!
Monday, August 31, 2009
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Quote of the Day - Thursday
I bought a new phone last week and the kids have been LOVING it! It has come in handy this week while we've spent several hours waiting (and waiting and waiting) in doctor's offices.
This afternoon, KitKat brought me my phone and said, "Can you hurry and download that game for me?!" I said, "I can't right now, Kat. I'm about to wet my pants." She stuck the phone a little further under my nose and said, "I'll hold it for you," (i.e., not the phone) as she put her other hand between my legs.
I had to laugh.
Who does that?!? She wanted her game and she wanted it now. Gotta love her.
This afternoon, KitKat brought me my phone and said, "Can you hurry and download that game for me?!" I said, "I can't right now, Kat. I'm about to wet my pants." She stuck the phone a little further under my nose and said, "I'll hold it for you," (i.e., not the phone) as she put her other hand between my legs.
I had to laugh.
Who does that?!? She wanted her game and she wanted it now. Gotta love her.
I bet I know what THIS Princess wants for Christmas...
KitKat had a dentist appointment today to have a cavity filled. I suggested that Dr. G pull her two front teeth while he was at it, since they were both dangling by a thread. And you know by now how dramatic Kit Kat can be...she won't eat or brush her upper teeth when her teeth are loose. And when we suggest that perhaps we should pull them, she clamps her mouth shut.
She was not a happy camper when she realized Dr. G had pulled her teeth. In fact, they had to get me out of the waiting room to console her. I felt terrible. But a chocolate milkshake from Chic-Fil-A and a guarantee for some money from the tooth fairy made it "alright".
L'il Man, on the other hand, is not "alright" with it. His little sister has lost her two front teeth and his aren't even loose!
(BTW, between the broken arm, the dentist office, and the orthodontist visits for AA, I've about had it with waiting rooms. I can't believe that none of my kids have been infected with the Swine Flu that seems to be sweeping across AU! Knock on wood...)
She was not a happy camper when she realized Dr. G had pulled her teeth. In fact, they had to get me out of the waiting room to console her. I felt terrible. But a chocolate milkshake from Chic-Fil-A and a guarantee for some money from the tooth fairy made it "alright".
L'il Man, on the other hand, is not "alright" with it. His little sister has lost her two front teeth and his aren't even loose!
(BTW, between the broken arm, the dentist office, and the orthodontist visits for AA, I've about had it with waiting rooms. I can't believe that none of my kids have been infected with the Swine Flu that seems to be sweeping across AU! Knock on wood...)
Monday, August 24, 2009
Quote of the day - Monday
AAA to me, "I think it's odd that daddy had a goat for a pet when he was growing up. And that Paw Paw was a hobo. It's like I have a weird heritage or something."
I forgot....
But I quickly remembered!
I forgot how hard it is to have a toddler!
Today I kept a friend's two year old and four year old. It's only been 3 years since I've had a two year old, but I swear I forgot how exhausting it was! At one point, not only did I have a two year old, but I also had a newborn, a three year old, and a four year old. And apparently I lived to tell about it.
I only kept these two children today for about 5 hours, but it felt like 5 years. One thing that made it so exhausting was that my house is no-longer childproof. There's no gate at the top of the stairs, no gate at the bottom of the stairs. Small choking hazards like Barbie shoes and beads litter my floor. No outlet covers, no doorknob locks, etc. Everytime I turned around, I was losing it because I'd have a vision of this little one falling down my stairs, shocking himself while trying to plug in the radio, or slamming his finger in the door.
I was so thankful that he was still in one piece when his dad picked him up.
Although he was a mess. I forgot about a bib. Two year olds with ketchup don't do so well without a bib. And I forgot to change his wet diaper. His outfit unsnapped on its own because his diaper was so swollen. His poor dad changed his diaper as soon as he walked in the door, right there on the rug in my foyer. Oops.
And I forgot to put his cookies on his plate after he finished his lunch.
And ...I didn't have high chair or even a booster seat. So I used a pot and pushed the pot up against our mudroom bench that has all the dirty shoes in it. He didn't seem to mind. HE ate his cookie and his ketchup and life was good.
I don't know how in the world I ever got anything done when I had four really little ones. I don't know how I even knew my name. If you remember from an earlier post, I didn't even remember my husband's name!
So to all you moms out there who are in the thick of it...there is hope. You will survive.
Thanking God for those precious days and for these days, as well. Time flies. Help me to slow down and enjoy it.
I forgot how hard it is to have a toddler!
Today I kept a friend's two year old and four year old. It's only been 3 years since I've had a two year old, but I swear I forgot how exhausting it was! At one point, not only did I have a two year old, but I also had a newborn, a three year old, and a four year old. And apparently I lived to tell about it.
I only kept these two children today for about 5 hours, but it felt like 5 years. One thing that made it so exhausting was that my house is no-longer childproof. There's no gate at the top of the stairs, no gate at the bottom of the stairs. Small choking hazards like Barbie shoes and beads litter my floor. No outlet covers, no doorknob locks, etc. Everytime I turned around, I was losing it because I'd have a vision of this little one falling down my stairs, shocking himself while trying to plug in the radio, or slamming his finger in the door.
I was so thankful that he was still in one piece when his dad picked him up.
Although he was a mess. I forgot about a bib. Two year olds with ketchup don't do so well without a bib. And I forgot to change his wet diaper. His outfit unsnapped on its own because his diaper was so swollen. His poor dad changed his diaper as soon as he walked in the door, right there on the rug in my foyer. Oops.
And I forgot to put his cookies on his plate after he finished his lunch.
And ...I didn't have high chair or even a booster seat. So I used a pot and pushed the pot up against our mudroom bench that has all the dirty shoes in it. He didn't seem to mind. HE ate his cookie and his ketchup and life was good.
I don't know how in the world I ever got anything done when I had four really little ones. I don't know how I even knew my name. If you remember from an earlier post, I didn't even remember my husband's name!
So to all you moms out there who are in the thick of it...there is hope. You will survive.
Thanking God for those precious days and for these days, as well. Time flies. Help me to slow down and enjoy it.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Quote of the Day - Sunday
(I think I'm on to something with the "Quote of the Day" thing.)
Last night when we returned home from the hospital, M was carrying L'il Man in his arms kind of like a groom carries his bride over the threshold. L'il Man couldn't walk a straight line because he still had some of the sleepy medicine in his system.
Sunshine started crying real tears when she saw her brother like that. I asked her, "Baby, why are you crying?" She replied, "I feel bad for my brother." I gave her some attention and hugged her neck. Then KitKat started crying. Again, I asked, "Baby, why are you crying?"
And she replied, "Because my tooth is soooo loose! "
It's all about her!
Last night when we returned home from the hospital, M was carrying L'il Man in his arms kind of like a groom carries his bride over the threshold. L'il Man couldn't walk a straight line because he still had some of the sleepy medicine in his system.
Sunshine started crying real tears when she saw her brother like that. I asked her, "Baby, why are you crying?" She replied, "I feel bad for my brother." I gave her some attention and hugged her neck. Then KitKat started crying. Again, I asked, "Baby, why are you crying?"
And she replied, "Because my tooth is soooo loose! "
It's all about her!
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Ruh - roh!
Poor L'il Man....
He broke his arm yesterday. Uncle David was pulling L'il Man and Griffin (cousin) on the Screamer (fancy word for inner tube) when he slung L'il Man and Griffin off. Apparently Griffin fell on top of L'il Man and ...crack!
I had been in Montgomery all day and had just walked in the door when M called. The first words out of his mouth..."Don't freak out." At which point I completely freaked out. "We're on our way to the hospital." Me: "Oh Dear God, What is it??" Of course I automatically thought the worst, but M was quick to say, "I think L'il Man broke his arm."
Once I realized it was just a broken bone, that he hadn't drown, and no blood was involved, I was O.kay. I called M back to tell him to remind L'il Man that he had always wanted a broken bone and that he could get a red and black cast just in time for Georgia football. But L'il Man wasn't in the mood to hear this foolishness.
I quickly found a babysitter (THANK YOU JORDYN AND SAMMY!!) and composed myself. I was so thankful that it was just a broken arm! But my heart ached because I wasn't with him during the 35 minute drive from the lake to Auburn. When I was talking to M, I kept hearing my L'il Man whimpering in the background. M kept saying, "take a deep breath." I thought he was talking to me, but it's probably more likely that he was talking to our precious son!
My sweet neighbor's husband is a physician's assistant for the M.D. who was going to see L'il Man. So he drove me to the hospital. L'il Man was a few yards ahead of me when I arrived at the hospital. He had on flip flops and M's shirt that hung below his knees. My heart melted when I saw him. He started crying again when he saw me.
They had to give him an I.V. so that they could get him comfortable before "setting" the bone. He did NOT like that. Me either!! I held his head and we prayed while his daddy gave him the I.V.
Then they put the medicine in the I.V., and within a split second, L'il Man's eyes rolled back in his head. He never closed his eyes - but they were glazed over and it freaked me out. But not as badly as it freaked me out when his whole body started convulsing. M reassured me that it was a normal response to the medicine. Then he gave him another type of medicine "to take away the nightmares and hallucinations" that the first drug caused.
This was just more than I could handle.
I had no idea that a broken arm could be so traumatic for the momma!
L'il Man stated "coming to" about 30 - 45 minutes later. "Where am I?" he asked. He didn't remember anything except his dad giving him an I.V. Poor M!
Uncle David and Aunt Becky came by on their way back home from the lake. David feels terrible about the whole thing. I told him we are even since his daughter is having her knee scoped on Monday from an injury sustained earlier in the summer when M was trying to teach her how to wakeboard.
Enough already!
Thanking God today that it was just a broken bone!
Quote of the day - Saturday
A little boy in KitKat's class has a crush on her.
He told her she was "hot" (yikes!) and he told her he loved her.
Then he made a heart with his fingers.
I asked Kit Kat, "What did you say back?"
She said, "I told him that was gross!"
That's my girl....
He told her she was "hot" (yikes!) and he told her he loved her.
Then he made a heart with his fingers.
I asked Kit Kat, "What did you say back?"
She said, "I told him that was gross!"
That's my girl....
Friday, August 21, 2009
Quote of the Day
Today after school, one of AAA's friends called to see if she could come over and play. As I was driving her to her friend's house, she asked me what time she needed to be home. I told her it was up to the other mom. Then I added, "Maybe they'll ask you to spend the night. That would be GREAT." AAA burst into laughter and said, "What!?! You're trying to get rid of me!"
I laughed too, as I tried to say ,"I'm so sorry." Giggle giggle giggle. "You're right, I am trying to get rid of you." "But I love you to death."
I laughed too, as I tried to say ,"I'm so sorry." Giggle giggle giggle. "You're right, I am trying to get rid of you." "But I love you to death."
Not your typical empty nesters!
M is on call this weekend so the children and I made plans to go to Birmingham this weekend. My sister, Holley, is having the soft opening of her new candy store (Sugar Doodlez) and I thought it would be fun to attend and to visit with my parents. I thought my parents would probably be feeling a little lonely since their youngest two children moved out this week. Boy was I wrong!
My mom called yesterday to "uninvite" me to stay with them. It seems as if she and my dad are celebrating this weekend - their first weekend in over 30 years that they don't have any kids at home!
Apparently they aren't having the "empty nest" syndrome that seems so be so common with parents when their children leave home. I guess by the time #'s 5 and 6 finally leave the house, the parents are packing their (the kids) bags and kicking them out of the house. "Don't come home unless we call you," they think (or say!).
Anyway, Happy Empty Nest Mom and Dad! Have a fun weekend!
XO!
(Don't worry about us...we'll stay at a hotel this weekend.)
My mom called yesterday to "uninvite" me to stay with them. It seems as if she and my dad are celebrating this weekend - their first weekend in over 30 years that they don't have any kids at home!
Apparently they aren't having the "empty nest" syndrome that seems so be so common with parents when their children leave home. I guess by the time #'s 5 and 6 finally leave the house, the parents are packing their (the kids) bags and kicking them out of the house. "Don't come home unless we call you," they think (or say!).
Anyway, Happy Empty Nest Mom and Dad! Have a fun weekend!
XO!
(Don't worry about us...we'll stay at a hotel this weekend.)
Thursday, August 20, 2009
I'm just sayin'...
I'm certain I've mentioned that I have twin brothers who graduated from high school in May and now both are college freshmen?!?! Where does the time go??
Well one brother, Bo, went to Tuscaloosa. And the other brother, Rett, is here in Auburn. And I couldn't be any more excited about having a sibling in the same town!!
So Rett has become our official "date night babysitter." In exchange for some bill paying, he babysits once a week and then some.
The children are more excited than I am!
But having an 18 year old boy babysit takes on a whole new meaning. And all I can say is...it's a good thing we're related. Otherwise, I'd fire his #$%!
I'm used to girls who cook and clean. Or at least attempt to help. Usually, when a girl babysits, they help me get dinner to the table. Or at least ask if they can. But Rett...he sits down at the table and waits for me to serve him. It's hilarious. Seriously...he SITS down and I fix his plate.
And upon our return, the dishes are exactly where they left them. The plates are still on the table. The napkins on the floor. The left over food is still on the table.
The funniest thing is watching me pack up my kitchen before he arrives. I have a rectangular basket that I start filling with all of the kid's school lunch items - cookies, chips, fruit roll-ups, etc. I pack that junk all the way to the tippy top of the basket and hide it in my closet. AAA caught me doing this one day and asked, "What are you doing?" I replied, "I'm hiding some of the food from Rett so you'll have some snacks in your lunchbox tomorrow. But don't tell Rett. It would hurt his feelings." I asked her later if she ever told him. She said, "No ma'am, but I was about to bust!" Now don't misunderstand me...there are still plenty of things for him to eat - ice cream in the freezer, etc. But I'm so afraid I'll wake up the next morning and all of the lunch items will be gone!
Rett told me that they were all watching TV and Sunshine was talking to Rett but it was obvious he wasn't paying attention to her. So she held up a picture and said, "Don't you like this picture of me." Without looking, he said, "Yes." She replied, "Ha! It's not even me. It's AAA!"
Oh but what fun they have. Last night he walked them down the street to the playground. He said that a lady there asked him "Are these all yours?" He replied, "No, I'm just babysitting. They're my sister's kids." She replied, "You're mighty brave." (To which L'il Man replied to Rett, "Now that's just insulting.")
They love him to death and so do I. I'm just sayin"...
He and his roommate are coming over tonight for a real dinner. I'm worried about how much food I'll need to prepare. These boys can put down some food!
Mimi, if you're reading this, don't say a word about this to Rett! I love cleaning up after him and I'm happy to have him! I just needed some blogging material and he seemed like a good target! He's an awesome brother, uncle, and babysitter and we are blessed to have him!
Well one brother, Bo, went to Tuscaloosa. And the other brother, Rett, is here in Auburn. And I couldn't be any more excited about having a sibling in the same town!!
So Rett has become our official "date night babysitter." In exchange for some bill paying, he babysits once a week and then some.
The children are more excited than I am!
But having an 18 year old boy babysit takes on a whole new meaning. And all I can say is...it's a good thing we're related. Otherwise, I'd fire his #$%!
I'm used to girls who cook and clean. Or at least attempt to help. Usually, when a girl babysits, they help me get dinner to the table. Or at least ask if they can. But Rett...he sits down at the table and waits for me to serve him. It's hilarious. Seriously...he SITS down and I fix his plate.
And upon our return, the dishes are exactly where they left them. The plates are still on the table. The napkins on the floor. The left over food is still on the table.
The funniest thing is watching me pack up my kitchen before he arrives. I have a rectangular basket that I start filling with all of the kid's school lunch items - cookies, chips, fruit roll-ups, etc. I pack that junk all the way to the tippy top of the basket and hide it in my closet. AAA caught me doing this one day and asked, "What are you doing?" I replied, "I'm hiding some of the food from Rett so you'll have some snacks in your lunchbox tomorrow. But don't tell Rett. It would hurt his feelings." I asked her later if she ever told him. She said, "No ma'am, but I was about to bust!" Now don't misunderstand me...there are still plenty of things for him to eat - ice cream in the freezer, etc. But I'm so afraid I'll wake up the next morning and all of the lunch items will be gone!
Rett told me that they were all watching TV and Sunshine was talking to Rett but it was obvious he wasn't paying attention to her. So she held up a picture and said, "Don't you like this picture of me." Without looking, he said, "Yes." She replied, "Ha! It's not even me. It's AAA!"
Oh but what fun they have. Last night he walked them down the street to the playground. He said that a lady there asked him "Are these all yours?" He replied, "No, I'm just babysitting. They're my sister's kids." She replied, "You're mighty brave." (To which L'il Man replied to Rett, "Now that's just insulting.")
They love him to death and so do I. I'm just sayin"...
He and his roommate are coming over tonight for a real dinner. I'm worried about how much food I'll need to prepare. These boys can put down some food!
Mimi, if you're reading this, don't say a word about this to Rett! I love cleaning up after him and I'm happy to have him! I just needed some blogging material and he seemed like a good target! He's an awesome brother, uncle, and babysitter and we are blessed to have him!
Monday, August 17, 2009
"The Varsity...the thickest shakes around!"
This could be a commercial or on a billboard! I think I'll send it to 'em!
Friday, August 14, 2009
Hmmm..
Just read a Caring Bridge site of a local family who has a little girl the same age as my AAA. Their little girl has battled cancer for the past few years and it looks like it may be back. This was the last sentence of the mom's entry from today: Be kind to a stranger, settle an argument, hug your kids, and be thankful for your blessings.
It's the truth, y'all. We're so blessed and it's so easy to take it all forgranted. Be kind to a stranger. How hard is that? Tomorrow I am going to seek out strangers just so I can be nice to them!
Settle an argument. Good advice. Fortunately I don't think I have any going on right now, but if I did... Really, when I am at odds with someone, it eats me alive. Life is too short to hold a grudge - life is too good to hold a grudge. There are so many more important things in life than the petty things that keep us from being a good friend. Be reminded by the mom of that little girl who is about to face a serious operation. Settle the argument. Be a good friend. Forgive. Enjoy life.
Hug our kids. Need she say more. You just never know when it's going to be your turn (or your child's turn) to face a tragedy. Hug your kids. They are only kids ONCE. This is their childhood. Give them sweet memories.
Be thankful for your blessings. This one is the hardest one for me. I feel so darn ashamed of myself when I think of the things that I complain about. It's ridiculous, really, that I complain about anything. We are all blessed - with family, friends, health, love, healthy children. I think...with this blog as my witness, that I am going to start each day by listing 5 things that I have to be thankful for. I hope that this will become a habit for me. Life is easy, girls. WE make it hard. What do we really have to complain about?? I WILL be thankful for my blessings!
Thanking God today for family, friends, and healthy children. I gotta go kiss 'em right now.
It's the truth, y'all. We're so blessed and it's so easy to take it all forgranted. Be kind to a stranger. How hard is that? Tomorrow I am going to seek out strangers just so I can be nice to them!
Settle an argument. Good advice. Fortunately I don't think I have any going on right now, but if I did... Really, when I am at odds with someone, it eats me alive. Life is too short to hold a grudge - life is too good to hold a grudge. There are so many more important things in life than the petty things that keep us from being a good friend. Be reminded by the mom of that little girl who is about to face a serious operation. Settle the argument. Be a good friend. Forgive. Enjoy life.
Hug our kids. Need she say more. You just never know when it's going to be your turn (or your child's turn) to face a tragedy. Hug your kids. They are only kids ONCE. This is their childhood. Give them sweet memories.
Be thankful for your blessings. This one is the hardest one for me. I feel so darn ashamed of myself when I think of the things that I complain about. It's ridiculous, really, that I complain about anything. We are all blessed - with family, friends, health, love, healthy children. I think...with this blog as my witness, that I am going to start each day by listing 5 things that I have to be thankful for. I hope that this will become a habit for me. Life is easy, girls. WE make it hard. What do we really have to complain about?? I WILL be thankful for my blessings!
Thanking God today for family, friends, and healthy children. I gotta go kiss 'em right now.
It's late and this is so random...
I really don't have anything to blog about, but it's late at night, the kids are in bed, and I'm wide awake. So I guess I'll blog. :)
The kiddos just completed their first week of school. What a week! I am so proud of my kiddos!
L'il Man had to write in his take home folder every day. This is what he wrote:
Monday: Today I had a great time. I went to P.E. I went to speshals (specials).
Tuesday: Today I had a even better day.
Wednesday: Today I had a asome (awesome) day.
Thursday: Today I had a great day. We had a fire drill.
Friday: I had the best day ever.
I knew the boy never had bad hair day, but apparently he just never has a bad day.
AAA is training for next week's physical assessment in P.E. She and her dad have run up the hill in our neighborhood every night this week. She does 60 sit-ups every day, and she runs home from school. I don't know how I am her mom. I sure wish she'd teach me how to be more like her!
KitKat LOVES school! I am so happy for her and proud of her! I can't believe it's her. But I am so thankful! Talk about an answered prayer! She loves her teacher, loves her friends. She learned how to skip in P.E. today. She skipped through Home Depot tonight. You should have seen M skipping with her in HD! She thinks her P.E. coach is "so silly". She keeps saying "personal space" in a really funny way, "just like Coach Robert" did. Poor Man...already having to teach them about personal space. Ha! I ask KK each day, "What was your favorite part about school today?" "I like all the things," she replies. "Whoa! What did you just say? Who are you?", I think to myself as I skip through Kroger.
And Sunshine. What a week we've had together. She's never been an only child and she loving it to the enth degree. The first day we were in the car by ourselves, she said, "Well let's go to a gas station and get me a Sprite." So each day she gets a special treat and she's lovin' it. Today we went to the lake - just the two of us - and I let her swim without her life jacket. She was ecstatic! We splished and splashed and twirled. And on the way home, I bought her a Coca- Cola. She thinks she's died and gone to Heaven.
And I have been busy as a bee trying to get my house in some sort of order, but it will take a few more weeks.
M and I bought a new bed, so I need new bedding. I am attracted to color - it is throughout my house. I like reds, yellows, and greens. I like for my house to feel fun and alive and happy and comfy. I want it to say "Welcome. Take off your shoes and stay awhile. Or leave them on(your shoes) and prop 'em up on the coffee table." However, I'm thinking I need a a quiet, peaceful sanctuary and I'm thinking it's going to be my new bedroom. I'm thinking I'm going to go as neutral as I can. I have a fabric that I'm working with, but only one. I'm stuck. Because I don't normally "do" neutrals, I don't even know what to do. But I 've got to do something - I don't have a dust ruffle on my bed and it's driving me crazy (mainly because I can see all of the suit cases stored under my bed.
Anyway...random post...I know..
Thanks for reading and have a great weekend! Smiles to all.
The kiddos just completed their first week of school. What a week! I am so proud of my kiddos!
L'il Man had to write in his take home folder every day. This is what he wrote:
Monday: Today I had a great time. I went to P.E. I went to speshals (specials).
Tuesday: Today I had a even better day.
Wednesday: Today I had a asome (awesome) day.
Thursday: Today I had a great day. We had a fire drill.
Friday: I had the best day ever.
I knew the boy never had bad hair day, but apparently he just never has a bad day.
AAA is training for next week's physical assessment in P.E. She and her dad have run up the hill in our neighborhood every night this week. She does 60 sit-ups every day, and she runs home from school. I don't know how I am her mom. I sure wish she'd teach me how to be more like her!
KitKat LOVES school! I am so happy for her and proud of her! I can't believe it's her. But I am so thankful! Talk about an answered prayer! She loves her teacher, loves her friends. She learned how to skip in P.E. today. She skipped through Home Depot tonight. You should have seen M skipping with her in HD! She thinks her P.E. coach is "so silly". She keeps saying "personal space" in a really funny way, "just like Coach Robert" did. Poor Man...already having to teach them about personal space. Ha! I ask KK each day, "What was your favorite part about school today?" "I like all the things," she replies. "Whoa! What did you just say? Who are you?", I think to myself as I skip through Kroger.
And Sunshine. What a week we've had together. She's never been an only child and she loving it to the enth degree. The first day we were in the car by ourselves, she said, "Well let's go to a gas station and get me a Sprite." So each day she gets a special treat and she's lovin' it. Today we went to the lake - just the two of us - and I let her swim without her life jacket. She was ecstatic! We splished and splashed and twirled. And on the way home, I bought her a Coca- Cola. She thinks she's died and gone to Heaven.
And I have been busy as a bee trying to get my house in some sort of order, but it will take a few more weeks.
M and I bought a new bed, so I need new bedding. I am attracted to color - it is throughout my house. I like reds, yellows, and greens. I like for my house to feel fun and alive and happy and comfy. I want it to say "Welcome. Take off your shoes and stay awhile. Or leave them on(your shoes) and prop 'em up on the coffee table." However, I'm thinking I need a a quiet, peaceful sanctuary and I'm thinking it's going to be my new bedroom. I'm thinking I'm going to go as neutral as I can. I have a fabric that I'm working with, but only one. I'm stuck. Because I don't normally "do" neutrals, I don't even know what to do. But I 've got to do something - I don't have a dust ruffle on my bed and it's driving me crazy (mainly because I can see all of the suit cases stored under my bed.
Anyway...random post...I know..
Thanks for reading and have a great weekend! Smiles to all.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Enthusiasm...+
Find your enthusiasm
What is it that excites you, and gets you fired up in a positive way, and makes it impossible for you to sit still?
Whatever it is, fill your awareness with it.
Bright, sparkling, delicious enthusiasm will get you going in a powerful, purposeful direction. Enthusiasm will keep you going strong even when nothing seems to be going your way.
There's something, some goal, some dream, some intrinsic purpose that will put you in a state of irrepressible enthusiasm. Get busy, find it and connect with it because when you do your effectiveness will skyrocket.
Let yourself dream your biggest, most wonderful and fulfilling dreams. Then reach in, grab the very essence of those dreams and you'll have a handful of priceless enthusiasm.
The best that you can imagine is already within you. So bring it to the surface and let it positively infect your whole world.
Find your own unique, joyful and powerful enthusiasm. And let it carry you to magnificent places
-Ralph Morston
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
TMA Enterprises (whatever!)
The year that I graduated from high school (1988), my dad sold his law practice. He and my mom and two younger sisters went off to The University of the South (Sewanee), while I went off to the real University if the South...The University of Alabama. My dad went to seminary for three years and I went to Alabama for ,um, five years. While my parents were at Sewanee, my mom had twin boys (who just graduated from high school!) In other words, money was tight. But I wanted to go to The University of Alabama come hell or high water. So I did whatever I could think of to make a little money to pay for my tuition (okay...and sorority, and bar tabs...I've come a long way, I promise). Friends and family still tease me about all of my business ventures. They do make me laugh. Hope they make you laugh, too.
My very first door-to-door sales experience was selling trouble-doll barrettes for $10 a piece in Tutwiler dorm in Tuscaloosa. Do you remember trouble doll barrettes?? My mom ordered the dolls straight from Guatemala and hot-glued them onto barrettes. They were "the thing" to have (at least in T-town in 1988), along with those brightly covered woven concho belts, which I also sold at a later date. Once the concho belts were "in style", I would sell them at the sorority houses on Chapter Nights. This was a profitable business. College girls have more money than anybody and they'd just write their $10.00 check and hand it over.
Moving on...Every Valentine's Day, I would get the address lists from each sorority and send the girl's parents an opportunity to send their daughter a Valentine balloon bouquet for only $10.00. The balloons on the bouquets were small and could be blown up days in advance, packaged in large plastic bags until they were ready to be assembled, and assembled on Valentines Day on white balloon sticks stuck in a small white vase. This was a money maker!! But so hard and so time consuming! I don't think I ever slept on February 13th 1989, 1990, 1991, and 1992. God bless my sweet friends who helped me blow up all of those darn balloons!
Moving on...when fax machines were first "invented", I thought "facsimile" was pronounced "fax-a-meal", so I had this grand business plan to fax menus to downtown businesses (law offices, insurance companies, etc) each day before lunch with the restaurant's specials and possibly a coupon for the day. "Fax-A-Meal", I thought, was such a perfect play on words. I was so disappointed when I realized "facsimile" was not pronounced the way I wanted and needed it to be pronounced. But that didn't stop me! I kept the name and the business lasted for about 30 days. The restaurants couldn't understand why they were paying me $30 to fax their menus when they could do it themselves. Good point. Even though it was MY idea!
Moving on even further. "The Brown Bag Express". Felix "I thought I'd never forget his last name" and I hand wrote with black magic marker on the outside of brown paper bags:
Name______________
Choice:
___ Turkey sub
___ Ham sub
___ Turkey and Ham
Drink choice:
___Coke
___Sprite
___ Sweet Tea
We'd visit the construction sites on campus around 8:00 in the morning then we'd head to my apartment to assemble sub sandwiches for the construction crew! This was so much fun! But then the health department stepped in and shut us down. Oops.
Moving on...(this is so fun to me - remembering all this stuff I did!)Little Miss Manners. This was big time! I should totally do it now! By the time I introduced the world (ha!) to Little Miss Manners, my dad was an Episcopal priest in Atmore, Alabama. So...every weekend I drove to Atmore to teach manners, poise, and etiquette (stop laughing!) to 100 little girls, ranging in age from 6 years to 16 years old. I think it was a 6 week course and I think I charged $100.00 for the course. But that would mean I made $10,000. So maybe it was more like 50 girls. I can't remember. But I know I made some serious money. At least for a college kid trying to pay for school (and gasback and forth to Atmore!).
Oh - just remembered this one. I sold stoles through the mail! Stoles are those things that the Episcopal priests wear around their necks. They were ordered from the same company in Guatemala that made the trouble dolls and concho belts. I simply made a color copy of the stoles, included a letter to all of the Episcopal priests in the Gulf Coast Diocese that I was trying to put myself through school by selling stoles, and ...voila... a business was born. This particular business wasn't very successful, but I probably made a month's rent or so.
What else...I'm thinking. I'm sure there's more.
Of course! New Year's Eve baskets! I think I've posted about this before. I spray painted inexpensive baskets gold and filled them with black-eyed peas, cornbread, a tiny bottle of Tabasco, and a cellophane bag of rice. I tied it with purple and gold ribbon and attached this poem that I made up:
"In the South,
it is a tradition
to get your black-eyed pea nutrition.
So bake the bread
boil the rice
simmer the peas
and add some spice.
If you do all of this...your new Year will be extra NICE (or something like that!)
Y'all, I sold these door to door in the most affluent neighborhood in Tuscaloosa! That cracks me up! I don't guess there was much that embarrassed me. It does now.
I hope that's it. If you're reading this and can think of one that I haven't listed, do tell!
I'd like to say "I've come a long way", but the truth is, it's still in my blood! I like making and selling stuff! I don't know why! I like feeling creative. I like "a little business but not too much of one".
By the way, one of my sisters owns a multi-million dollar company that she built from the ground up, and another sister launched her own children's clothing line, www.marymichael.com (check it out!). My other sister (Vintage) has her hand in so many different businesses that I can't even list them all. Makes me wonder where I'd be if the health department hadn't shut down "The Brown Bag Express"! Ha!
My very first door-to-door sales experience was selling trouble-doll barrettes for $10 a piece in Tutwiler dorm in Tuscaloosa. Do you remember trouble doll barrettes?? My mom ordered the dolls straight from Guatemala and hot-glued them onto barrettes. They were "the thing" to have (at least in T-town in 1988), along with those brightly covered woven concho belts, which I also sold at a later date. Once the concho belts were "in style", I would sell them at the sorority houses on Chapter Nights. This was a profitable business. College girls have more money than anybody and they'd just write their $10.00 check and hand it over.
Moving on...Every Valentine's Day, I would get the address lists from each sorority and send the girl's parents an opportunity to send their daughter a Valentine balloon bouquet for only $10.00. The balloons on the bouquets were small and could be blown up days in advance, packaged in large plastic bags until they were ready to be assembled, and assembled on Valentines Day on white balloon sticks stuck in a small white vase. This was a money maker!! But so hard and so time consuming! I don't think I ever slept on February 13th 1989, 1990, 1991, and 1992. God bless my sweet friends who helped me blow up all of those darn balloons!
Moving on...when fax machines were first "invented", I thought "facsimile" was pronounced "fax-a-meal", so I had this grand business plan to fax menus to downtown businesses (law offices, insurance companies, etc) each day before lunch with the restaurant's specials and possibly a coupon for the day. "Fax-A-Meal", I thought, was such a perfect play on words. I was so disappointed when I realized "facsimile" was not pronounced the way I wanted and needed it to be pronounced. But that didn't stop me! I kept the name and the business lasted for about 30 days. The restaurants couldn't understand why they were paying me $30 to fax their menus when they could do it themselves. Good point. Even though it was MY idea!
Moving on even further. "The Brown Bag Express". Felix "I thought I'd never forget his last name" and I hand wrote with black magic marker on the outside of brown paper bags:
Name______________
Choice:
___ Turkey sub
___ Ham sub
___ Turkey and Ham
Drink choice:
___Coke
___Sprite
___ Sweet Tea
We'd visit the construction sites on campus around 8:00 in the morning then we'd head to my apartment to assemble sub sandwiches for the construction crew! This was so much fun! But then the health department stepped in and shut us down. Oops.
Moving on...(this is so fun to me - remembering all this stuff I did!)Little Miss Manners. This was big time! I should totally do it now! By the time I introduced the world (ha!) to Little Miss Manners, my dad was an Episcopal priest in Atmore, Alabama. So...every weekend I drove to Atmore to teach manners, poise, and etiquette (stop laughing!) to 100 little girls, ranging in age from 6 years to 16 years old. I think it was a 6 week course and I think I charged $100.00 for the course. But that would mean I made $10,000. So maybe it was more like 50 girls. I can't remember. But I know I made some serious money. At least for a college kid trying to pay for school (and gasback and forth to Atmore!).
Oh - just remembered this one. I sold stoles through the mail! Stoles are those things that the Episcopal priests wear around their necks. They were ordered from the same company in Guatemala that made the trouble dolls and concho belts. I simply made a color copy of the stoles, included a letter to all of the Episcopal priests in the Gulf Coast Diocese that I was trying to put myself through school by selling stoles, and ...voila... a business was born. This particular business wasn't very successful, but I probably made a month's rent or so.
What else...I'm thinking. I'm sure there's more.
Of course! New Year's Eve baskets! I think I've posted about this before. I spray painted inexpensive baskets gold and filled them with black-eyed peas, cornbread, a tiny bottle of Tabasco, and a cellophane bag of rice. I tied it with purple and gold ribbon and attached this poem that I made up:
"In the South,
it is a tradition
to get your black-eyed pea nutrition.
So bake the bread
boil the rice
simmer the peas
and add some spice.
If you do all of this...your new Year will be extra NICE (or something like that!)
Y'all, I sold these door to door in the most affluent neighborhood in Tuscaloosa! That cracks me up! I don't guess there was much that embarrassed me. It does now.
I hope that's it. If you're reading this and can think of one that I haven't listed, do tell!
I'd like to say "I've come a long way", but the truth is, it's still in my blood! I like making and selling stuff! I don't know why! I like feeling creative. I like "a little business but not too much of one".
By the way, one of my sisters owns a multi-million dollar company that she built from the ground up, and another sister launched her own children's clothing line, www.marymichael.com (check it out!). My other sister (Vintage) has her hand in so many different businesses that I can't even list them all. Makes me wonder where I'd be if the health department hadn't shut down "The Brown Bag Express"! Ha!
Monday, August 10, 2009
Oh Thank You God (and KitKat)!
Yes!! She did it! Kit Kat completed her first day of kindergarten and it was a huge success!!
This is HUGE!!
A few weeks ago I took KitKat to her kindergarten for her screening. When the teacher came to get her, Kat's fingers immediately went to her mouth, the tears began to roll, her face became flushed, and she refused to go. Quite honestly, I didn't know how to respond. All of the other moms were watching, so I quietly and gently (rather than loudly and forcefully) persuaded her to go with the teacher. There may have even been some bribery involved. I can't quite remember, but I'm certainly not above a little bribery. Anyway, at that moment, I had a sick feeling while thinking about what the first couple of weeks of school would be like. And quite frankly, I've been dreading it.
But lo and behold, that little girl completely surprised me. Not only is her teacher "nice AND pretty", but KitKat, who refused to ride the bus, told me that other than playing, "Who Stole the Cookie from the Cookie Jar", her other favorite part of the day was "riding the bus". Well I'll be damned. :) I'm sorry to use profanity on my blog, but it just fits so perfectly. And it sums up exactly how I've felt all day long.
As soon as KitKat stepped off the bus, she smiled and hugged me and told she had "a great day!" And guess what?! She's going back tomorrow - she said so herself!
I'm so proud of that little girl. What a difference a day can make. All of a sudden she's a big girl.
I don't mean to dote on her for an entire post, but it's rare that I can dote on her for an entire post.
So pardon the doting.
She's just so irresistible when she's good.
Thanking God for this little girl and for a great first day of big girl school!
Friday, August 7, 2009
Back?!
For some reason, I haven't been able to get my "blogging groove" on this summer. I'm hoping that will change once school starts. I have a lot I could blog about, I'm just not feeling that inspired to write about it.
We've been busy completing our "Fun Stuff" list from a few posts back. We still have to get a puppy and give water to sweaty people. And Mama didn't make it to Highlands. School starts Monday so it looks like some of the things will roll on over to next summer's list. But truth be told, we've had an awesome summer full of plenty of "Fun Stuff." Sunshine never learned to ski, but AAA and L'il Man did manage to learn to wake board. Mama didn't.
The three oldest have all met their teachers we are ALL very pleased! AA has a darling class, L'il Man is with his BFF, and KK said her teacher is "nice and pretty." My biggest challenge will be getting KK to ride the bus home on Monday. She doesn't exactly have a choice, but she says she is "NOT riding that bus." And I guess if she doesn't get off at the corner of our street, then I'll go get her from school. Strong will. Much, much stronger than mine.
I've been SUPER busy with LaTda. And my older sister and I opened up a little business of our own "Vintage and Vavoom" at a cute little shop in Fairhope. The cute little shop is called "Coco's Cottage. BTW, Ashley is "Vintage" because she is older and I'm "Vavoom" because...well...isn't it obvious?! Oh I kid! I'm "Vavoom" because she is "Vintage"! I received an e-mail tonight from Vintage. She says I've already made my rent...so life is good.
The kids and I spent a few days in Birmingham this past week. I hit the thrift stores really hard and found LOTS of goodies for LaTda. I had to rent a U-Haul to get everything back home. I'll be posting some before and after pics as soon as I get the "afters" completed. M is a sport about it all. The used furniture is taking over! It's in my dining room, my living room, my screened in porch, and on my deck. To make it even more attractive, the furniture on the deck is covered in blue tarps just in case it rains. Lovely. That's what I ought to take a picture of - all the J-U-N-K in my house!
Which reminds me...when M and I first married, he pleaded, "Just please let me establish my reputation before you open up one of your businesses." I've waited almost 12 years before allowing the dumpster diver side of me to re-appear. I hope he's had a chance to establish his reputation. That is a story that deserves a blog post of it's own. I'll work on it!
I could also spend many paragraphs telling you about of the other business ventures I've had along the way. From the "Brown Bag Express" (selling brown bag lunches to construction workers) to selling trouble doll barrettes door to door in Tutwiler Dorm in T-town to "Little Miss Manners" (don't laugh...that one paid for a year of school!). I'll fill you in later on all the details. Unless my mother stops me. :)
Anyway, I hope to jump back on the blogging bandwagon really soon.
Hope everyone has had a safe and happy summer!
We've been busy completing our "Fun Stuff" list from a few posts back. We still have to get a puppy and give water to sweaty people. And Mama didn't make it to Highlands. School starts Monday so it looks like some of the things will roll on over to next summer's list. But truth be told, we've had an awesome summer full of plenty of "Fun Stuff." Sunshine never learned to ski, but AAA and L'il Man did manage to learn to wake board. Mama didn't.
The three oldest have all met their teachers we are ALL very pleased! AA has a darling class, L'il Man is with his BFF, and KK said her teacher is "nice and pretty." My biggest challenge will be getting KK to ride the bus home on Monday. She doesn't exactly have a choice, but she says she is "NOT riding that bus." And I guess if she doesn't get off at the corner of our street, then I'll go get her from school. Strong will. Much, much stronger than mine.
I've been SUPER busy with LaTda. And my older sister and I opened up a little business of our own "Vintage and Vavoom" at a cute little shop in Fairhope. The cute little shop is called "Coco's Cottage. BTW, Ashley is "Vintage" because she is older and I'm "Vavoom" because...well...isn't it obvious?! Oh I kid! I'm "Vavoom" because she is "Vintage"! I received an e-mail tonight from Vintage. She says I've already made my rent...so life is good.
The kids and I spent a few days in Birmingham this past week. I hit the thrift stores really hard and found LOTS of goodies for LaTda. I had to rent a U-Haul to get everything back home. I'll be posting some before and after pics as soon as I get the "afters" completed. M is a sport about it all. The used furniture is taking over! It's in my dining room, my living room, my screened in porch, and on my deck. To make it even more attractive, the furniture on the deck is covered in blue tarps just in case it rains. Lovely. That's what I ought to take a picture of - all the J-U-N-K in my house!
Which reminds me...when M and I first married, he pleaded, "Just please let me establish my reputation before you open up one of your businesses." I've waited almost 12 years before allowing the dumpster diver side of me to re-appear. I hope he's had a chance to establish his reputation. That is a story that deserves a blog post of it's own. I'll work on it!
I could also spend many paragraphs telling you about of the other business ventures I've had along the way. From the "Brown Bag Express" (selling brown bag lunches to construction workers) to selling trouble doll barrettes door to door in Tutwiler Dorm in T-town to "Little Miss Manners" (don't laugh...that one paid for a year of school!). I'll fill you in later on all the details. Unless my mother stops me. :)
Anyway, I hope to jump back on the blogging bandwagon really soon.
Hope everyone has had a safe and happy summer!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
