I think he missed my point...

Yesterday I received a phone call from our neighbor at the lake saying, "Tell Mark he better get down here. His boat is under water. It's almost to the engine." Mark wasn't surprised. He told me on Sunday that he was scared the boat had probably sunk because he forgot to put the plug in it. Believe it or not, we weren't too worried. It's kind of just a john boat so it can sink and we (he) can pull it out and let it dry out. And he's in the process of replacing the motor anyway.

Mark called a little while ago and told me about his awful morning with the boat. So when I picked L'il Man up from school, I said, "Daddy spent FOUR and a half hours trying to get the boat out of the water. He couldn't reach it because the water is up and he had to paddle the paddle boat out to get it. It took him TWO hours to flip the boat on its side. He was so cold and it was so windy. When he went inside for lunch, he had to take all his clothes off and put them in the dryer. After lunch, he was finally able to pull it out enough to tie the rope to the back of his car and he pulled the boat out that way. He still has to pump some more of the water out of it. The engine was halfway under water so he's going to try and dry it out to see if it still works. It'll be a while before he gets home."

There was a pause. L'il Man said, "So dad ate naked?" Typical seven year old boy. Apparently I lost him at "he had to take all his clothes off and put them in the dryer."

This past Thursday was the 100th Day of School for my children.

L'il Man came home with this journal: Each day, since the first day, of school, he had to write a sentence or two (or three) about his day. The teacher would either give the students the beginning of the sentence or she would give them the subject that the sentence should be about. Then they would have to finish the sentence in their own words. They were hilarious! I'm sharing some of my favorites with you. I'll type his words below the picture of the journal entry, and I'll put the teacher's words in bold.

My kitchen. Well axally (actually) I don't have my own kitchen but it I did I would always make these things. Slopy jose (sloppy joes) and black ide pease (black-eyed peas) and a lot of meat. It would be alsome (awesome) and I would also drink cocke (coke).

I could not stop laughing when I saw a pimple being poped (popped) on youtube. (Thank you, Rett!)

If I chatted with a unicorn. Axally (actually) I would never talk to one.

Today I am invisible. Axally (actually) today I'm not invisible, but yesterday I was.

My family likes to have fun because we are a happy family. (Awww.)

Today is the 100th Day! I am so glad because we get ice cream and so I can take this home.


P.S. If you see my L'il Man, please DO NOT tell him you read this on here. He would be so mad at me for posting this! But one day, in about 20 years, he will read this and smile. I just realized that I didn't get a picture of one of my favorite pages in his journal, but I am too tired to fool with it right now. I'll put it in here tomorrow.

Quote of the Day (but back inDecember!)

Little Sis to me: Do you remember what you gave me for Christmas last year?

Me: No...what?

Sister: I don't know what the hell it is, but that's what "insert name of friend she doesn't like"
is getting as a wedding present.

Uncontrollable laughter from both of us.

Me (once I quit laughing): Well what is it?

Sister: It's like a glass cheese dome thing but it's only big enough for one cube of cheese and a cracker. It's ridiculous.

Me: I have one. I put Christmas ornaments under it. Holley has one. She has a starfish in hers.

Sister: Oh. (Pause). Maybe I'll keep it.



(So, did you keep it?? You like it now, don't ya ?!)

What would I do without my sisters telling me like it is?!

Ladies and Gentleman...Heeeeeeeeere's Hershey!

I can't believe I haven't introduced you to Hershey! She is such a sweet pup! I did NOT want a puppy. I gave M a million reasons why I didn't want a pup. The last thing I said to him about it was, "We'll get one later." He said, "If there's one thing I've learned lately, it's that you're not guaranteed a "later." So true. I replied, "Let's go get her."

And here she is.

Funny thing...I'm her #1 fan! I love this little pup. Originally the kids named her Hershel, as in Hershel Walker, the former UGA football player. KitKat wasn't too keen on the idea of Hershel since she's an AU fan. So she called him "Hershey." For whatever reason, the name "Hershey" stuck. We all call her "Hershey" now, even the Georgia fans in the family.

She is a sport! She's been in at least one runway fashion show that I know of. The girls put a towel on the ground for her runway, borrowed M's powerful flashlight for the spotlight, and borrowed the "Stuff-A-Bear" clothes for her wardrobe. It was hilarious because she really did walk down the middle of the towel with a light shining on her while she was dressed as Sporty Spice, Snow White, and a Rock Star.

We haven't had the best of luck with puppies, so I'm hoping and praying that she'll stay sweet. I'll let ya know!

Will You Ever Forgive Me? :)

Dear Facebook,

I was wrong. I can't live without you.
Please forgive me.

Will you take me back?

All my love.

The time has come to say goodbye...

Dear Facebook,

The time has come to say goodbye. Please know that I will never forget the first time you poked me. It was very special and I will cherish the memory forever.

However, as our relationship has continued, I find that my feelings for you just aren't there anymore. Your continued e-mails to me drive me insane. I think our relationship has plateaued and will never amount to much more than this. I've stalked everyoneI wanted to stalked, I've checked out the wives of my old boyfriends, I've been to Farmville and beyond, I've plastered my children's pictures on your pages for everyone to see. At first I enjoyed reading your status updates. But Mary can't sneeze without posting it on her wall. And when you e-mail me that Mary sneezed, I want to scream.

I find that I turn to you only when I'm bored. This can't be healthy for me or you. I know that hurts, but it's the truth. And you deserve the truth. You should find someone who appreciates you and loves you for who you are.

We can still be friends. I still love you, I'm just not in love with you. I will miss you and your reminders that tomorrow is one of my 300 friend's birthday.

Know that I "think of you fondly and often."

Go start yourself a Love Train!

I was e-mailed this link earlier and I haven't quit singin', dancin' and smilin' since I saw it! And I've re-played it a million times! Good times!!

When I was little, Soul Train came on TV on Saturday mornings right about the time all of the good cartoons were over. I'd sit in front of that T.V. in a trance staring at the moves and the clothes and loving the music. You can't help but love it! I loved to hear the guy say "Sooooooooooooooooooooooouuuuuuuuul Train."

This video brought back good memories! I'm always dancing kind of goofy in front of my kids. M always ask me, "Where do you get your moves?" (Of course he's kidding!). I can't wait to show him this video!! Living proof that I didn't make up my moves! This is art at its finest!!

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it when (right around 1:10 on the video) the girl looks back and sees her partner dancing in slo-mo, so she does too! (Her partner is Re-Run!! Remeber Re-Run?!)

And I love it at 2:08 when the girl in the plaid pants does that thing with her legs! That is me!!

I love all of it!

Now click HERE and go have some fun today!


ADDENDUM: I showed this to KitKAt. Her only response was, "All their hair was so fluffy." Too cute!

Seemed like a great idea at the time!

Sunshine spent the afternoon at a friend's house. There were actually three little girls playing there today. The Momma gave them some bubble gum. Sunshine said, "I have a great idea. Let's stick our gum behind our ear, ya want to?" The other girls thought it was a GREAT idea, so they all took their chewed gum and stuck it behind their ears! And guess what....yep - you guessed it. One of the little girls got it super-stuck in her hair. And The Momma had to use oil and scissors to get it out of her hair.

I asked Sunshine later,"Where in the world did you ever get an idea like that?" "Well," she said, "on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory...." Need I say more?!

Silly goose girl!

I have been non-stop cleaning and purging and it feels sooooooo goooooood! Yay me!

This is the second weekend in a row that M has been out of town, and I don't know why, but for some reason, I am SUPER WOMAN when he is gone. It's almost like I'm playing "While You Were Out". And I still have a good portion of the day tomorrow to continue playing Super Woman. Of course I can't wait to see him and I'll be relieved when he walks in the door. But I bet I go back to being just my normal self. And my normal self isn't nearly as productive as my Super Woman self.

My Super Woman self spent a lot of money on "Things That Will Make My Life Easier." I bought a "Shark" - a re-chargeable, cordless vacuum. It's sparkly and purple and weighs only 5 pounds. And the reason it will make my life easier is because it will stay upstairs and the girls can vacuum their own rooms! The girls are super-psyched about their sparkly, purple shark! Believe it or not, L'il Man is, too! I also purchased lots of peg racks for the kid's closets and my closet. The peg racks are for baseball caps, scarves, purses, etc. M hung them for me before he left town. We hung the ones in our closet with my "supervision" (ha!). Then I gave him specific instructions to hang the kid's peg racks on their doors. He said he did. But when I went to KitKat's closet that night to hang her scarves that Mimi made her on her peg rack, it wasn't there. "What in the world?" , I wondered. Then I looked at her bedroom door, and sure enough, there it was! Dog gone it! Why in the world would he hang it on her bedroom door!? Oh well. I'm glad those scarves that Mimi made are so darn cute, because they are proudly displayed on her bedroom door. :) My Super Woman self also bought lots of plastic bins, label makers, post-it notes, calendars, and even a new electric pencil sharpener.

It's been soooooo cold outside that the kids have stayed inside and played. The dining room that I spent 6 hours cleaning, purging, and organizing is now a fort. There are 6 blankets over the table with 6 heavy objects (let's see...there's a fan, a book, a pot, a boot, a book bag, and a radio) holding the blankets in place. There are several blankets and pillows on the floor under the table. There's even a lamp under the table! The three girls wanted to sleep there tonight but Super Woman said "no". She has to get up early and get herself and four kids ready for church. This may not sound too difficult, but she also has to take breakfast to her Sunday School class. She was supposed to make sausage balls, but she cheated and bought pre-made pigs-in-a-blanket instead. So I guess she's not so "super" after all.

And in case you're wondering why it took 6 hours to clean and organize my dining room...Well, I converted the armoire in there into my office! It's so Type A and so organized! I can't believe it's mine!! :)

I took 6 boxes to the thrift store today and 6 bags of trash to the closest dumpster I could find.
I feel 10 pounds lighter already.

I better get to bed. I have a busy morning ahead and a busier afternoon trying to cut and organize coupons from the Sunday paper. This coupon thing is fun! It's like a never-ending game. The trick to the whole thing is to use your coupons when the product is on sale. When the two coincide, you end up with very cheap and sometimes even FREE stuff! I'm still learning the ropes, but it's not that complicated. Just time consuming. There are so many different sites and sources for all of the coupons. I'll save the coupon talk for another post. This is enough rambling for one night!

Good Night!

Nevermind!

So sorry - but thanks for stroking my ego with the kind comments and e-mails! I have decided to keep my blog "open to the public" for now, after all. You gals are great!

Hi Friends!

Hey -I'm about to make this an "Invited Readers Only" blog. If you've left me a comment in the past, I'll be sure to include you. If you haven't left me a comment but want to continue to read the blog, leave me a comment or email me. I'd be flattered.

Just feeling like I need to be a little more private with the blog.

Thanks!

Tiffany

Bargaining Tips

This is for the locals.

AS part of my New Year Resolutions, I have decided to BUDGET.

Yes, budget.

It's a totally new concept to me, but one I am beginning to enjoy!

There are MANY blogs out there dedicated to coupon saving moms. They are wonderful.

Last night after we put the kids down, I went to Kroger, Target, and Wal-Mart armed with a master list of products that I buy the most. I then compared the prices between the three stores. I was surprised to find that Wal-Mart is not always the low price leader!

I've also discovered some on-line coupon sources. In addition, Kroger has e-coupons that you can load directly onto your Kroger card. You just take about 60 seconds to register your Kroger card, pick and choose the e-coupons that you want loaded onto your card..and voila!

Here's something else I learned. If you still have your paper from yesterday, there is a section of coupons called "Smart Source." Included in the coupons is a coupon for $1 off light bulbs. At Walgreens, the light bulbs are on sale for $2.99. Use your SS coupon to save $1. That brings the price down to $1.99. But get this...when you purchase the light bulb, they automatically print you a $2.00 "Reward Bucks" coupon. So it's like you are getting your energy-saver light bulb for free!

Last Friday, their Honey Nut Cheerios were on sale for 2/$4. My kids and husband eat the heck out of Honey Nut cheerios. I downloaded a coupon for Honey Nut cheerios ($1.00 off 1 box). So that brought the total for 2 boxes down to $3.00. Then, they printed me a $2.00 "reward bucks" . So basically I paid $1.00 for 2 boxes. SO FUN!

So here's my advice for the week. If you are ketchup snobs and only eat Heinz ketchup, it is as low as you will ever find it at $1.98 for the big bottle. Yesterday's paper had a 75 cent coupon, so it was basically $1.25 for the big bottle. SCORE!

The greatest deal on Tampons was a box for 50 at Target (Playtex). There is a down loadable coupon for $1.00 at Smart source online.

Kroger is running a special on Kellogg's cereal this week. KitKat only eats Apple Jacks for breakfast, so that works out well. If you buy 4 boxes (at $2.49 - you won't find it any cheaper), you get a free gallon of milk.

Kroger also has a deal this week that I love. If you buy $25 worth of participating products, you get $5 off your purchase instantly at the check out. So I bought two large boxes of Tide for $11.00 (this was cheaper than at Wal-mart and only a cent less at Target), and an 8 pack of Bounty paper towels for $7.00. But guess what. Kroger also has an additional e-coupon for $2.00 off any Bounty product. So I saved $7.00 off products that I normally buy each week at the regular price! But back to the laundry detergent....that is where I spend a considerable amount of money. Four kids and a husband who works out, wears scrubs to work, comes home and works in the yard equals a TON of laundry which equals a TON of laundry detergent. Walgreens was having a sale on their "off brand" liquid detergent - buy one get one free. So for $4 I bought their "cheap" detergent. I'm going to use their cheap detergent on things that don't matter as much - like the kid's play clothes and M's sweats, etc.

Have fun saving money!!

This weekend, M took L'il Man and three cousins (all boys) to the lake for a "Guy's Weekend." Sunshine spent the weekend in Fairhope with her little cousin, and Kit Kat, AAA, and I enjoyed THE BEST GIRL"S WEEKEND EVER!

I had been looking forward to this weekend for quite some time. Anytime I am minus two or more children, I am incredibly productive. Plus, with the hubby being gone, as well.......well, let's just say he's not here to ask me why in the world I am painting "that room" (Take your pick) again. I was really planning on painting the kitchen this weekend.

But then my 6 year old said to me with the sweetest smile ever (because she is missing her two front teeth and therefore extra adorable!), "I don't want this to be a work weekend. I want to do stuff together, like read, and go to McDonald's."

I felt so guilty when she said that.

Of course that is what she wants. She's one of four and it's not very often that she has me to her self or has to share me with just one other sibling.

Now on a side note, without getting too personal or invading anyone elses' privacy, I need to tell you that I have a very close family member - a young mom who also has four children - who had a stroke and is now going on week 4 of being in the hospital and remaining unresponsive. She is the best mom I've ever met. Not only is she the best mom I've ever know, she's also the best wife and the best example of a true Godly woman you'll ever meet. One of the "cousins" that I mentioned above who is at the lake with M this weekend is her son. When this cousin's dad dropped their son off at our house this week, he and I (the dad and I) were having a pretty serious discussion about his wife's situation, prognosis, etc. While we were talking, my little Sunshine came up and asked me to fix her pants because they were too tight. So I fumbled with the elastic for a few minutes and re-positioned the button on the elastic. When I turned my attention back to "this cousin's dad", his eyes were misty and he said, "That's priceless. It's the little things you need to savor." I would have never in a million years savored that moment. But now it's burned into my brain and I'll never forget her little white tummy poking out as she showed me where the elastic was too tight on "my belly" ,as she stated. She knew I'd make it all better and she waited patiently while I adjusted her pants. I asked, "All better?" and she gave me a thumb's up before running off. I probably miss "moments" like that all day long. I just go through the motions without stopping to savor the moment.

So needless to say,the kitchen did not see a paintbrush this weekend.

Oh, but we did do a little painting! The three of us went in for a little toe nail painting! Neither of the girls have ever received a full pedicure. It was definitely a splurge and I'm still kinda irritated that theirs cost the same as mine. However, the time spent having pedicures together was priceless. Both girls knew that it was a treat and they were super excited. AAA's excitement turned into relaxation, however. I thought she was going to fall asleep when they rubbed lotion on her legs. And I was SOOOOO afraid that KitKat was going to tee-tee when they put the warm towel on her legs!


On Friday, we went to see The Squeakwel. It was adorable! And yes...we ate at McDonalds. We've read "Dick and Jane" from cover to cover. Dick, Jane, Sally, Mother, and Father would all be proud of how well KitKat read. I was proud. But mainly she was proud!


I am sad that my weekend is coming to an end. But I am ready to see the rest of my family!!!

I know I am rambling, but I have another thought that I think I'll share. Do you remember the post about not having a house keeper? I think I might be having a change of heart. And I'll tell you why.

M is so great about taking the kids to the lake or to a movie to give me time to myself. But 9 times out of 10 I end up staying at home and cleaning the house. I miss lots of family time so that I can stay home and clean my house. We've never been to a movie as a family. I never want to go. I see it as 2 hours to sweep, mop, and vacuum. And that makes me sad.

AAA will be double digits soon and Sunshine will start school in the fall. I want to KNOW that I savored every minute. And right now, I don't really know that for sure.


Anyway...I told you I was rambling. I need to go to bed. I've got some sleepy heads who are counting on me to sleep with them. I can't wait to hear their breathing and kiss their cheeks.

Night night.