We wish you a Merry Christmas,

We wish you a Merry Christmas,

We wish you a Merry Christmas,

And a Happy New Year!

Re-Giftedness

I've got a good one for you.

Big Brother's class had a book exchange for Christmas. Of course I'm still running around daily like a chicken with my head cut off trying to make sure I've got everything done while taking care of kids because Daddy is traveling for business.

The night before I sneak in to Big Brother's room to grab the book. I know I have two copies of the book and so I just tiptoe into his room while he is sleeping. I scan the book to make sure it's the one that is blank inside, then sneak back out and wrap it up all cutes-y for his little classmate, Emma.

The next day his teacher tells me she has something to tell me as a friend, not as a teacher. She tells me that Emma's book was signed, "To: Big Brother With Love from Mamaw & Papaw"!!!! I guess I didn't check it hard enough. She had an extra book and tried to get her to take that one, but she was IN LOVE with the book from Big Brother.

So I call Emma's Mommy and sound like an ever-loving fool explaining to her my tiptoe-ing into Big Brother's room, scanning the book to make sure it was the right one, yadda yadda yadda.

See, Hallmark has a deal if you spend so much money you get a hardcover book for $3.95. We get those. I just gave her the one from last year, obviously.

There you have it...Mad About Plaid Girl's Re-Giftedness. ta-da!

Bizzzeeeee!

Ladies, are we all running around like chickens with our heads cut off or is it just ME? Jeez-oh-Pete, I'm about worn out! And this girl needs sleep! It's after 10PM, past my bedtime, but I'll give you a quick run-down of what the Plaid family has been up to (in no particular order):

-One 40th bday party for Hubby
-Two relatives, Uncle Adolf & Aunt Tootsie (Hub's fav family) surprised him by showing up to his bday party (I pulled it off --YESSSS! :))
-preparing for Big Brother's 5th birthday
-buying the typical presents for family and then remember I need to get others for people like Big Brother's teachers and Miss Bug's Babysitter
-trying to keep our house stocked with food for crying out loud--these children are bottomless pits!
-cookie exchange at Big Brother's school
-Big Brother had Christmas Cantata and a speaking part (I was a proud parent)
-Miss Bug is ALMOST walking--Lord help us all
-Still email feuding w/Inlaws but it is getting better. We are standing tough and staying strong
-Trying to keep Big Brother OUT of our bedroom at night
-Reminding myself to eat--something healthy and not just cookies (see 'cookie exchange' above)
-Ordering second round of Christmas cards b/c I didn't get enough the first time-duh
-Still in search of Interactive WallE (he's $34.99 in real life, but a bazillion dollars on Amazon) because that is on Big Brother's list.......from Santa. Damn Santa.
-Giving to the needy---and doing it again and again--for school for work, for church, etc.
-needing to give the dog a second bath after she rolled in doggie doo-doo (love that)

Ok. So that's me. For now. Here's a pic from Bday party. We had a babysitter to take care of all kids for a while, but when it was time to sing and blow out candles, we invited them back! Here's Daddy with his babies (I think Miss Bug might've already been having a taste?):

Sneak Peek

So here is one of the pictures that were made over Thanksgiving. It is one of two pictures I used for our Christmas card. It is so sweet. And it is so fitting for our family--he is the one giving the sweetness and kisses--and she is the one receiving them. Read: He gives me life & she sucks the life out of me. Just kidding. Not really.

Can't wait to see pictures of your little ones, or furry ones, or your significant other! Please do let me know when you post some pics!

And the Winner is...

Vista Print. Thanks so much for your comments! I got 100 cards, envelopes, return address labels and shipping for under $50! I don't think you can beat that! Now I just hope they are good quality like everyone says. I'm so excited to see them! Can't wait. I'm a dork. I can't help it.

You have yours done?
I got my first Christmas card of the season today, Dec. 3rd. I can't believe it!

Christmas Card Opinions...

Lucky for me, my cousin is an up-and-coming photographer. Lucky for me she gives me a discount. Lucky for me she actually got one of Daddy smiling! (That's for another post.)

I'm in search of the most reasonably priced, yet oh-s0-cute Christmas photo card. I've compared Snapfish and Shutterfly. You can pick up Snapfish at Walgreens and Shutterfly at Target. Do you think they are of the same quality if you pick them up from one of those places rather than having them shipped directly from their warehouse?

Am I missing another great company who does them for a reasonable price?

Let me know what's on your mind....

It's Time for Christmas TV Shows!!!

It's not that I'm all of the sudden highly addicted to TV, but I did have some time while on vacation to do some magazine perusing as well and I found something I wanted to share with you.

In case you haven't already heard, ABC Family is having their Countdown to Christmas and they are having 25 days of shows about the season you can watch as a family. It actually started in November, so if you are reading this today, you can watch some cool shows today, too. Right now my son and I are watching Snoopy Come Home. How cute and innocent is Charlie Brown I tell you?

If you are interested in the schedule of shows, click here. Some of the shows they will be airing are: Dr. Seuss shows, Cars, Polar Express, Garfield Christmas, Harry Potter series, Mickey Mouse Christmas, Rudolph, Incredibles, etc. Check it out. Seems like a pretty good set-up to me. I've got some Dr. Seuss show auto-tuned for tomorrow night's bedtime show. If you have DVR, then get crazy and tape them all !

I'm beginning to get excited about Christmas. Big Brother is turning 5 this month, and I think this will be the most magical Christmas so far! It's so awesome to see the awe of CHRIST-mas in the eyes of a child. Now if I can just get Daddy to get the lights up before it's over...

Raising the Bar

A new show on TNT (at least new to me?!). My mother DVR'ed all 10 episodes. (And yes, my mother has DVR and we don't. I'm not ready to talk about it yet.)

So guess what we did over Thanksgiving break? Yep, all 10 in 2 days. It was a Raising the Bar marathon!

If you've not seen this show, you must try when the new season comes out! It is really, really good! I'm not much of a Law & Order girl or anything like that, I pretty much have only committed to Grey's Anatomy. It's all I have time for, but this one, it's worth letting the load of laundry remain in the dryer and eating a bowl of cereal for dinner. It's that good. I'm not even sure what time it comes on, though I think it's around 9PM on Monday nights? Check it out here.

And do you recognize the guy in the picture above? Check out the one below ...does that help? It's our friend Zack Morris from Saved by the Bell. Come on, you remember Zack, right? Did you have a crush on him? I did not, but you can admit it if you did. He was a cutie pie, my type isn't blondes normally --unless you are Matthew McConnaughey.Here he is in the show:

And he's really good. It's your typical law show I guess...Public Defenders and District Attorneys. It is really good. It has some other people you'd recognize in it too--like the mother from Malcolm in the Middle and a lady from ER. I'd link you to them, but I'm too lazy. (Am back in the car driving home from Tgiving with family.)

So, is this old news and I'm just not with-it again? These offspring of mine get in the way when trying too keep up-to-date with the latest on anything....unless it's an episode from Noggin or Disney!

I'm not really okay with his hair. I can appreciate long hair on guys when it looks good, but on him........ewwwwwwwww. I just can't get into it. He is so much cuter with shorter hair. What do you think?

MIL drama continued

Ladies, I don't really know where or how to start this one. I'll probably have to get more in-depth when I have a longer amount of time to tell you everything. I'll try to give it to you in a nutshell:

Inlaws said they wanted to come for Hubby's 40th birthday and Christmas. We said that was fine. We told them that we would have an agreed-upon agenda. They sent 'fluff' email stating that they wanted to 'make memories, sing Christmas carols around the piano and just enjoy 'being' together'. (I swear, this was verbatim...who are we Norman Rockwell?) Well that is what we thought we had been doing for the last several visits.

But after we received the email that they felt like we used them, we decided to take a different route. We set an agenda of what we could do and they said that we sounded militaristic and couldn't move on. The words they used were ones that we were 'cold & unwelcoming'. So, we told them that we weren't being cold, we were just trying to make a plan because we wanted to make sure that no one felt used. They responded with a 'until you can move on and not move backward, thank you but NO THANK YOU'. Those are exact words. We replied stating that we were not moving backward, but rather feeling like we were at a stand-still because we needed answers to these questions and that we couldn't move on until we knew exactly what we did so that we can make it right.

So, that is it. How sad that they have to be so controlling and struggle for power all the time. I feel very badly for my husband most of all. I can't imagine growing up in such a conditional-love atmosphere. He is such a good man and I consider him one of my many blessings to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. And, hubby, when you read this, know how much I love you sweetie, and am so proud of who you are!

I will fill you in if anything else happens!

Over the River and Through the Woods...

...to Mamaw and Papaw's house we go. We are in the car as I type. I'm sitting in the back, in the middle between both children. Miss Bug is alternating between complaining ("naaaaanaaaahhhh") while Big Brother sings the Transformers song as the show begins. I tell you, you are missing some goooooooooood times here in the Mad About Plaid Mobile. Good times.

Miss Bug just isn't much into TV. We got her a portable DVD for just her and she is back here acting like we are slowly torturing her to her little bitty death. Big Brother has asked 33 times if we are there yet. We've only been in the car for 2 hours. We have 5 1/2 more to go.

And the hits just keep on coming! Does this sound familiar to anyone else? :)

Are we theeeerrreeee yet? Can you say ben-a-dryl?

Bakugan Brawlers!

My son is wanting THESE!!!! Are you familiar? Are you all too familiar? These are the hot item this Christmas. My son wants them...specific ones too. I've tried all over--Target, Wal-Mart, ToysRUs, Amazon, Ebay, etc. & they are sold out. I mean 100% out of stock! I can't believe it! He's been into these for a while and I remember being able to just pick one up at Target, and now they are selling on Ebay for twice the price! If I'd have only known! I could be making a killing off of Bakugans!

Here is THE one....Serpenoid. You seen it? You have it? Want to sell it to me? :)

These are little balls that when placed on their special magnetic baseball-type card, pop out into these beings. There's a game to it, but he doesn't know anything about that. He just likes these little things. (And his sister LOVES putting them right into her mouth!) They are the size of a large gumball. Or you can get the 2 inch ones, but he doesn't want those.

This is Centoipod (or something like that). He wants that one too. So, I'm off to rummage through the stores again. I keep telling myself I'm not going to give in to Ebay and buy it.

I can't believe I'm old enough to

#1. not want that 'hot' item from Santa, and

#2. have a child old enough to want that 'hot' item!

It's crazy! It's on his list to Santa, and Santa can do anything, right?

In Search Of...

...the ultimate eye make-up removing solution.

Anyone?

I am using Neutrogena, but am having to use a lot of it and rub pretty hard. I don't wear a lot of make-up either. At least I don't think I do?! I am using Mary Kay mascara. Thanks!

Getting geared up for a full week ahead...

Wow--it's already Sunday and Daddy is going out of town again this week. This is the third week in a row. It is hard. He's been out of town Mon. through Wed. of every week since I started my job, and that has been a bit of juggling on my part! Yes, I wanted the job, but the starting of it has been hard with no help. I have had my parents here--well, staying in a condo on St. Simons Island-for a week and that has helped. If only they'd just take both my children and let me sit and drink coffee and veg for several hours a day, I'd be great.

These kids are exhausting. Is it just me or are one-year-olds completely exhausting? Miss Bug isn't walking yet, but she gets into everything! I can't take my eyes off of her for a minute because if I do she's at the dog bowl playing in the water or trying to unplug something or looking for an open electrical outlet. Big Brother was nothing like this. And I mean nothing. He just hung out and watched The Weather Channel. Seriously. I guess he didn't know there was anything else to do. I think Miss Bug is a combination of trying to do everything her big brother does, and also is just a busier kid. I'm.not.used.to.that. It's killing me. I am looking forward to my 1/2 day of work tomorrow!

So, tomorrow is work. Tuesday is nada (but I'm sure it will turn into something). Wed is Big Brother's Thanksgiving Feast at school and I'm supposed to work. Thursday I think my parents are going to take the kids to FL to see their great-grandma. That will be good. They will be gone practically all day. I can handle that. I'll go in and work a few hours. Friday Miss Bug is back to the babysitter for a 1/2 day. Yeeeesss! I feel a little guilty for saying that, but I do need a break. I keep trying to be this stay-at-home-mom/Betty Crocker/Martha Stewart Wannabe and it's really not 100% me. Being a stay-at-home mom is so hard and so challenging. I need the break. I need to use the rest of my brain!

And just so you know--I had been really stressing about my work and making sure I got my hours done and really trying to just be a workhorse. Then I got my paycheck. And let's just say that it made me put everything into perspective. I'm working for my church. I know part of it is the 'service' for the Lord, and I'm good with that. But I"m also remembering to be of 'service' to my family and not worry so much about making sure I get every little thing done. Baby steps. I'll get my groove soon. Just takes some time.

Hope you guys have a great week!

I'm rambling. I'm sorry. It's what I do when I'm tired.

So Much To Say, So Much To Say....

Title is from a Dave Matthew's song. Which one? I don't remember-unless that is the title already! :)

OK. Here is a serious update. Get something to drink because if I get to tell you all that I want and need to, you'll get thirsty and/or hungry!


First things first:

Psychologist--hmmmmm, how do I make this short? She was an older lady, grey-ish hair, frumpy, etc, which was all fine until she started to pick her ear with her fingernail. She continued to do this until our session ended whereby I found myself staring at the white crumbly deposits left on her black lapel. Needless to say, I was a little distracted. To top it off, while I was rescheduling for my next appointment, she says to me, "My ear is really itching" and then took her fingernail and swiped it around her ear and then flicked it off. EWWWWWW! I just couldn't go back. It took all that was within me not to say anything. I wonder if she noticed how I was just staring at her with my mouth gaping open?

That's my psychology appointment. I did learn (while not watching ear crumbs fall) that this situation with my MIL is not my fault. I did nothing wrong. I will have to realize that this is her problem. Not mine. And that it will never go away. I just have to learn how to deal with it. I basically already knew this, but hearing it from a professional is just what I needed. Now I have to find one that has clean ears. I have another appointment in December. Stay tuned.

Ok. Next on the list. Big Brother has been coughing since having his tonsils and adenoids removed mid-October. The ENT thought it was mucus, etc. from his adenoids. Then when it continued, he put him in Singulair. This did nothing. We have been through a week of Singulair and a full bottle of Delsym and 2 boxes of Mucinex. My next purchase was Zyrtec. This didn't help either. Made an appointment with Pediatrician. Big Brother has Respiratory Airway Disease, or something like that. His Bronchial System is in bad shape. They put him on a Nebulizer, and doing breathing treatments for 3 times a day. 3 TIMES A DAY!!! He's on that thing like 20 minutes at a time. They put him on Pulmacort and Xenopex or something like that. One takes care of the 'immediate' situations and one is for 'maintenance'. Big Brother was less than enthusiastic to breathe through a mask. They even found a cute fishy one. He wasn't having it. I go to hold the tube in front of his face while he took in the meds.

We just did another one. He did better and let Daddy put on the mask. We had to go and get a Nebulizer at the hospital too. Man, this must happen to so many kids. These Nebulizer people are making bundles! He had so many to choose from--a penguin, a cow, a yellow taxi, etc., and the one he picked was Legos. You build with Legos on the dang thing. Of course he'd find one that has toys to go with it. I told him those are his Breathing Treatment Legos and he can only play with them when he is doing his breathing treatments. So far, so good. We'll see. He's way into the Legos.


Miss Bug has some sort of virus which means she has a fever and can't go to school which means I can't go to work! This also means that she is up at least half the damn night crying and yelling at me! I swear, to be so young she is the boss of this house! I think she was more pissed off than anything. She was up at 11, 3 and then up for the morning at 5am. When I tried to rock her and give her some milk with the intent to put her back in her bed, she did the whole back-arching thing and roaring at me. I got very close to setting her little booty back in her crib, turning on her aquarium and l.e.a.v.i.n.g.

I tried to remember that she feels bad, but it is really hard when you have a small child screaming bloody murder right in your ear and Big Brother is right down the hall! Man o man, what a freaking day. What a week, really!

She went to the Dr. yesterday (yes, we are just making it a daily trip these days...) and he said she had an irritated throat. Checked for strep (Oh Dear God, please don't make me go through this again). It was negative. So, it's viral. Don't send her to babysitter. Don't go to work. He did prescribe her Paregoric for her. She is getting at least 4 teeth--2 of them are molars. And you know that's gotta hurt. Anyone else have any experience with Paregoric?

Ok. Now to the good stuff. I started a job part time at our church. It is Methodist-based, and SOOOOOOOOO cool. I am the Administrative Assistant to the person in charge of Family Ministry. She is the interim Children's Minister right now. My job is a bunch of different things, from filing and paperwork to making brochures and media-type stuff for the Children's Ministry. I really like it. It is part time-20 hours a week and I can work from home quite a bit. I do go in 3 days a week and then on Sunday. I really like it. It is a learning experience and I enjoy the creative outlet...not to mention the fact that I get a break from my beautiful children.

That's all for now. I have a home sales party to go to--which means free desserts and cool things to buy!

Any of you deal with breathing treatments? Dr. is saying not to call it allergies or asthma that it may just be a reaction to some type of virus or Bronchitis that he could've even caught while in the hospital getting his tonsils out! My poor boy has been sick for over a month though!

Give & Get Friends and Family Event

Ok Guys....This is a discount for The Gap, Gap Outlet, Banana Republic, Banana Republic Factory Store, and Old Navy!

I couldn't print it out correctly but if you go to the 'click here' part, you will see. It is a code/coupon for 30% off. You can print it up and use it.

GET 30% OFF FOR 4 DAYS ONLY!!!!

It's a Give and Get Program and I got it via email. ( I have a Gap Card and that is probably why.) It said to share it with friends, so here you are.

We'll donate 5% of the amount you spend to a nonprofit.Having trouble seeing the In-Store Barcode at the bottom of this email? Click here.

We'd like to offer you 30% off¹ during our best-ever friends and family event. We're calling it Give & Get, because for every purchase you make from November 13-16, we give 5% of the amount you spend to your favorite nonprofit. Plus, as one of our best customers, you'll not only enjoy 30% off, you'll also get to share this discount with your friends and family. 5% of the amount they spend goes to your nonprofit too! During our August Give & Get event, we donated $1.3 million. So share the love with as many people as you like. And don't forget to pick your nonprofit.

The code below is for online shopping. The in-store barcode will show if you click on the above link.

PB2TGTZ68Y81

Certain restrictions apply¹. See below or ask a sales associate for details

All the words in green are what I was able to copy & paste from my email. You *might* have to have a GAP or Old Navy card to do this , but I don't know. Just thought I'd give you a head's up.

So go shopping!!! I will be :)

Gone but not Forgotten

I'm sorry I have been GONE,
But I have not FORGOTTEN...

#1. I need to tell you about my new part time job. I will!
#2. I need to tell you about the psychologist I saw today....and that's a s-t-o-r-y. I won't be going back. It wasn't horrible or anything, she's just 'not my cup of tea' I guess you could say. You will CRACK UP at the upcoming post.
#3. My Internet was down pretty much all day b/c our router is out. It has been a night-freaking-mare. This girl can't do without her Internet.
#4. I ate 5 cookies in one setting--not small cookies.
#5. With Milk--skim, that is. Each calorie counts I say!
#6. I think my son might have Asthma.....so bummed. Have appt. this Friday.

So, I will update soon. Hopefully tomorrow if Miss Bug will let me! I can't believe how a 1 year old can rule your world! Can you say high maintenance??? That's what she is!

Biker Love....

And I don't mean motorcycles. Nothing against them, I am just talking about the cycling kind of bikes.

Clemsongirl posted about the traffic in Atlanta on her way home the other night and mentioned that some cyclists were on the road and she was frustrated and just wanted to get home and put on some comfy pjs! Many of you guys, my fellow bloggy friends, made some rather harsh comments about cyclists. My husband came across Clemsongirl's post and was floored by the comments. He was saying, "And several of your 'followers' were on there going off!" So, I ask, why the hate ladies? Where is the love?

Here is my love. This is my husband after a 120 miles bike race called the Triple Bypass--held each year in the mountains of Colorado. His Bike = His Sanity

My husband is an avid cyclist (to say the very least) and this Plaid family knows all about cycling rules, regulations, their rights to ride just like everyone else on the road, etc. He even has some plaid-ish type socks (ok, argyle) courtesy of his wife. Although I do understand that it can be frustrating when you come across cyclists on the road (or anything for that matter--children, dogs, runners, etc.) but somebody's life is worth more than the 15 seconds you are delayed in traffic.

Someone even commented that cyclists should stay on trails or get their own bike lanes. Well, trust me when I tell you this--cyclists wish they could have their own lanes. My husband, as well as his friends, all ride in the bike lanes when there are some there. But there aren't many there. I, for one, would feel SOOOOOOOO much better if there were more bike lanes. I know my husband is taking his life into his own hands when he rides, and I pray practically every time he goes out. (He rides like 4-5 times a week--20 to 30 miles each time.) But that would mean paying more taxes, and nobody wants to that. So, the states put into place laws that give cyclists the same right to the roads as a motorized vehicle.

Please think about this the next time you see a cyclist. This is probably someone's husband/wife, dad/mom, son/daughter, etc. It is my husband, riding off his stress from work, his family ( me! HA), etc, all the while getting exercise and staying healthy for his family and himself.

This is my son, future cyclist. He has had a 'big boy bicycle' since he turned 2. He also has a helmet. We are teaching him the rules of the road. Education means knowledge and power and we want the next generation to have it all! This is one way of doing that.

Please think about this the next time you see a cyclist. Give them a thumbs up and move over a little or slow down for a few minutes! It will make you feel better and them, too! Now I'm going to hug my cyclists--big and little! Why don't you do the same?

PS

I just got a part-time job.

I start tomorrow.

It will be a toss-up as to who cries more when I drop Miss Bug off.

I know, I know. It's only 3 days a week for approximately 4 hours. We BOTH need it. But she is my babygirl.

The babysitter is wonderful. She watched Big Brother years ago for me. She is better and nicer than me. This is not my concern. Maybe it's me that has the problem? Hmmmmmmmm.

Funny Tuesday

Last night while lying in bed with Big Brother we had the following conversation:

Big Brother: I think my teeth are getting loose like Grace's.

Me: You do?

Big Brother: Yes, feel them.

I feel them.

Big Brother: You think they're going to fall down?

Me: I don't think they are going to fall down anytime soon. But one day they will.

Big Brother: And then big, huge teeth are going to live there.

Me: Yep.

Here we go again......

So, I don't really have to type much on this post per say. All I am going to do is do a cut&paste from my email. The first one is an update I sent out to family and friends (the orange part). The second part is my MIL's response (the green part). The third is my response to her email-orange again.

Hello everyone! A few updates:

-Thanks so much for the phone calls and birthday wishes on Facebook, etc...! I had a good day--including birthday song and cake from my family!

-Big Brother is almost well, seeing as how it has been OVER two weeks since his tonsil/adenoid surgery! He still has a cough. We are working on that. He still strains a little when he swallows, but the doctor gave us the OK to eat whatever he wants starting today. I'm sure when we pop some popcorn tonight for a snack he will be SOOO excited!

-Several of you have asked about my cousin, who was diagnosed with cancer. He is doing better. He has been going through rounds of chemo, still has his hair, and is keeping up with a positive attitude! I will see him over Thanksgiving. For those of you who have asked for his address, I will be sending it individually to your email.

-Here are some Halloween pictures. The kids did great and Miss Bug trick-or-treated as long as Big Brother did--the party animal that she is! Then she was OUT and Big Brother loved giving out the candy.

We hope you had a fun one..and would love to see pictures of you, too!
Love ,
Mad about Plaid Girl Family


Dear Mad About Plaid Girl,

Since you did not mention receiving cards or gifts through the mail, are you saying that you did not receive our birthday card and check? We sent it in plenty of time - along with Halloween cards for Big Brother and Miss Bug.

I don't know anything about Facebook.

Loved the pictures.

MIL


Yes, I received your cards. The one for me and the ones for the kids. Thank you very much. That was included in the 'well wishes on Facebook, etc' part. The kids liked their cards and John enjoyed playing with his--the cut-outs, etc. A thank-you for the money has already been mailed out.

Did you get any trick-or-treaters?


So would you like to decide for yourself on how I'm feeling? I tried to be cordial. I even asked if she got any trick-or-treaters! I'm still waiting for a response to that one.

She is upset because I didn't recognize/acknowledge HER. And they didn't call me on my birthday for the first time ever since Hubby and I have been married. I am well aware that she didn't call me. She is well aware of it, too. I have to admit, in all honesty, I didn't talk to them on either of their birthdays. Hubby called them. They are his parents for crying out loud. This is not uncommon. Sometimes I talk to them on their bdays. Sometimes I don't. I did make sure that presents and cards were sent and on time for each of their birthdays. And it was my handwriting on the cards or packages that were mailed out!

It is like everything has to be turned around to be about her. She wants recognition all the time, for everything. She didn't even give me a chance to say thank you to her yet. My bday was on the 30th. I got the cards on that day (so much for 'sending them in plenty of time' as her email states), and mailed out my thank-you promptly on the 31st.

SOOOO, in the last 48 hours, I've made some decisions:

#1. I'm not opening any of her emails for now. I can't take it. It puts me over the edge--cranky, uptight, pissed off, hurt. Hubby told me to forward them to him and then immediately delete them. I'm all over that. This was the ONLY email I've sent out since the blow-up in July and this is how she responds. I'd like to block her, but that would start another blow-up and I'm trying to be the bigger person.

#2. I will no longer email her updates. I am even going to have HIM send the pics if he wants her to have some.

#2. I've called a counselor. I'm seeking professional help. If I'm going to have to have her in my own home over Christmas (yes, you read it correctly) and my husband's 40th birthday, I've got to be prepared mentally and emotionally. I've talked to my friends until I am blue in the face. This usually works. It isn't working. I need someone who can arm me with the words and confidence and power to not let her upset me.

I feel pretty good about it. I can't get in until next week and when she said, "What is the nature of the situation you are needing to discuss?" I told her, "My MIL--she's about to drive me crazy." And she said, "Oh girl. They can do that to you." It was funny. I don't go until next week. I'm wondering if I can bring a cot in and just park myself there for a day or two to have some detox time. You think they'd let me? HA!

Busy Busy Busy... a list

#1. How 'bout them Gators? SO thrilled to have them whip up on GA and live here to talk some schmack about it...even if it happens to be at church on Sunday morning!

#2. Will post Halloween pics soon. We have had company in town......not much computer time.

#3. More Mother in Law crap. She is killing me. I swear I'm getting very close to going to get paid help to survive it! Will post that soon. Just not ready to revisit it yet.

#4. Got money for my birthday last week and I'm going shopping soon! WHEW HEW! I turned 36 on the 30th of October.

#5. I love you guys. I love reading my comments and how helpful and supportive you are. Just goes to show that when you have crappy mother in laws that there are so many other people out there who care about you and appreciate and love you for who you really are.

All I have to say is ....

If you aren't a Gator,

You're GATOR BAIT, BAAAAAAAAABBBBBBBBBBBY!

I may live in Georgia, but my heart bleeds orange and blue!!

You dawgs are going down with your tail tucked between your legs!!!!!!

GOOOOOO GATORS! Can I get a hell ya???

Am I The Only One???

I'm not sure if this is just me or if you are having this problem, too. I'm having all my clothes fall apart. No, they aren't that old, but yet I'm still having little holes in shirts, sweaters with a little unraveling taking, etc. Here are some examples: Gap peasant shirt--2 small holes near bottom...randomness, yes? Talbots nice black v-neck sweater--unraveling at the 'v' part (and I'm not stretching it), Ann Taylor Loft sweater--the neckline/collar dealie unraveled from the rest of the shirt whereby placing a lovely hole. What gives? I love that sweater, but it is not mendable. The sweaters are less than 6 months old. The shirt is probably closer to a year old.

Is this just me or are you seeing this happen? None of these items were bought at an outlet either. Not that outlet clothes are made cheaper, because sometimes they are, sometimes not, but still.

Could I be too rough in the washing of them? I don't do the whole hand washing noise. I have two small children. I throw the crap in there and move on. I use Tide detergent and Downy fabric softener. I don't usually wash the jeans with the sweaters, but I'm probably guilty at time or two of this.

I went back to Ann Taylor to return and they would've exchanged it, but had none left (they have quick turnover in their clothing). They would refund me if I had my original receipt, but in the computer the sweater was down to $5 or something so they did nothing for me. Nothing.

So, I'm thinking about literally putting every single receipt for every piece of clothing I buy in a file and just busting those bad boys out and returning this crap when this happens. I paid good money for this stuff. I really love those 2 sweaters, but I can't wear them anymore! So sad! I don' t get to shop too often in areas where they have good stores. I have to drive an hour to Ann Taylor Loft! I need durable clothing!

Is it ME or are you having this happen too? Am I being too rough on my clothing?

Too Funny Not To Post

So the cat's out of the bag--now you know where I stand. Oh well. It was bound to happen sometime. But this is some funny stuff!

You know it is!

Loving my plastic!

Thanks to Mommy's On Vacation for my special little card. How considerate of you. And yes, I could use a little retail therapy after dealing with Big Brother's Tonsillectomy and now---are you ready for this---the inlaws want to come for CHRISTMAS! For the love of all that's holy---what the hell am I going to do? I get to give up my bed to my mother-in-law, as well as give up my family's pleasant Christmas holiday for them.

Let the prayers and chants begin immediately......

More to come. I don't have the energy or time to give you the details yet, but they're coming. I'll try not to leave you hanging for too long.

Random Thought

I know it's that time of year when stores are doing the Friends and Family event--where you give someone a coupon that gives you 30% discount (usually) . I'm in DESPERATE need of one from Pottery Barn. Years ago this nice lady who worked there while I happened to be in the store gave me one and I bought a beautiful rug..the Bronwyn, in case you are a serious PB shopper.

It was perfect. Now it has one Kool-Aid stain, lots of dog hair, a few random dirt spots and is very, very worn. I want to buy a new rug, though I don't want (OK, just can't) buy one for 'regular' price. So if any of you know someone who might have that wonderful little piece of paper, or you have one lying around waiting to be used, I'd love to have it!!!

Or if you know of some online code or whatever for a deal, I'd love to know about it.

Anyone? Help!

And if it helps, my birthday is the 30th and that would be a great birthday present!

Miss Bug's First Birthday

Finally getting around to posting some pictures. I would make this all cute and funny, but no time. Have to get little one into bed while big one is sleeping and Hubby is in the closet where our computer is located. So, I'm without computer time. Very sad for the Plaid Girl.
Here is the best view of the cake, though you can still see where some mischief has taken place:



Here is where 2 small boys stuck their fingers while no one was looking. Both boys (after us two moms could do it without laughing our butts off) served some time-out for disrespectful behavior:
Here is us singing to Miss Bug (and yes, the Ladybug was on purpose--because we call her Miss Bug!):And here are Hubs and Myself (rare moment when he will take a picture. He HATES being photographed):
Opening presents:

And it won't let me put anymore pics up. Not sure why. Anyone know? Will do an additional post of Miss Bug eating the cake (always a favorite) and the party goers with their streamers.

What Lies Ahead

Here is where I've found I can put someone for a few brief moments....

So I can post to you about this:
And this:And yes, you are correct, those are finger smudges in my babygirl's homemade first birthday cake! Keep checking back. I'm trying to get all this done while having a post tonsillectomy 4 year old boy at home and Miss Bug, too. It's craziness!

More MIL c-r-a-p

I must think of a more clever way to title my MIL drama posts. If you have any ideas, give me a shout. (And if you are new to the blog, just go to my labels and click on the MIL drama and you can get updated on the MIL situation.)

Here's the latest email from her. I just thought I'd copy and paste it. And to keep you up-to-date, I had sent out an email on how Big Brother was doing after having his tonsils and adenoids removed last Thursday. I changed his name to protect the innocent (*wink*wink*)

Here is what she says:

Good morning,

We are delighted and thankful that Big Brother's surgery went so well. Always be assured that all of you are in our daily prayers.

Please give Big Brother a kiss and hug for us and tell him how much we love him.

I am just now getting around to mailing Miss Bug's birthday card. We will have to give some thought for a present. I am sure she has everything she needs and most of what she wants. But there will be a present.

Thank you for the update,
MIL

And just so you know, I'm not even responding to this email. I've about decided that I'm going to have my husband read the emails and if he thinks I should/need to read them, then I will. Otherwise, I'm deleting them. She sends them to him, too, so he can be the communicator. It is about the only thing I can do other than really going off on her. I keep telling myself (and receiving gentle reminders from the husband) to be the bigger person. I swear to you people, I'm 5'2" but she makes me reach about 7 feet. I am telling you, I can't get much bigger, taller, whatever. I'm going to need handicap access very soon at the rate I'm going.

Am I just being too sensitive? The first paragraph about Big Brother didn't really bother me. Yes, he was supposed to have his surgery on the 6th. They were to be on their trip to Italy. They said they'd pray, yadda, yadda, yadda. But no phone call was to be expected. (I won't be like that when I have grandkids, but whatev.) Then his surgery got postponed due to freaking Strep throat coming on the night before, so I sent out an email about that. So, they got home on the 15th, and, as expected, were jetlagged. That is fine. But when Husband called them on the 16th in the afternoon to update them on Big Brother's surgery, his dad says that he knew it was postponed because he checked his email when he got home.

OK, so why no phone call? Still, this doesn't really set me over the edge or make my blood pressure rise.

But the part about Miss Bug's FIRST FREAKING BIRTHDAY and how she hasn't gotten around to sending a card, and that 'I"m sure she has everything she needs and most everything she wants....." is obnoxious.

The point is that she is your granddaughter.
She turned one.
It's the THOUGHT THAT COUNTS..........hellllloooooooooo?

And please, don't break a sweat making sure that you send her a present. Really, don't bother. We wouldn't want to put you out or anything.

Can you guys tell I'm so incredibly pissed off at her? I can't even stand it. It just makes my eyes bulge out and smoke blow out of my nose!!! And I know this is blogger world, so I shouldn't drop the F bomb in every other word, so if you are an F bomb kind of girl, please place it where you see necessary, or just place it in between every other word, because that is how I'm feeling!!!!

So am I too sensitive?

I just want to go off. I just want to shout to the rooftops that she is missing out on one of the best things in life--children/grandchildren. MY CHILDREN! HER GRANDCHILDREN! But then I just remember that she would hurt them anyway because she is so selfish, so it is better that we keep our distance. I remain calm in her eyes and just don't respond. But girls, in my own little closet here where my computer is, I'm really really mad. And really really hurt.

I have wondered why I blog and what it does for me. And I'm beginning to realize that this might turn into one of the best things in my life--a way for me to vent, be 'heard' and find support from others.

Thanks for listening! And I've not forgotten about posting pics from Miss Bug's birthday party last week. They are still coming! :)

You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink it.

Or you have our version in the Plaid household:

You can force medicine into a 4 year old's mouth, but you can't make him swallow it.

He will have you wearing it if you try.

Lesson #543549584 learned, thankyouverymuch.

T & A

Did your mind go straight to the gutter when you read my title? If so, get your head out' the gutter! It means Tonsils & Adenoids....removed, that is, from Big Brother. After 10 days of antibiotics, he was finally well enough to get this surgery over with.

And today was the big day.

He did great! He came out fairly upset but when he saw his Momma, Daddy and Mamaw, he was much better. Once he came out of anesthesia, he was asleep/out of it for a long time. It was over an hour before we decided he could be doing this resting at home. He was so out of it and got very upset if you moved him around, so we took him home, in his little fish gown and all. It was a little pitiful to see my baby boy in this child gown with his little Diego underwear and Spiderman socks peeking out, but it was wonderful taking him home!

He's been out of it mostly all day. We've been giving him his cocktail of Hydrocodone and Phenegren (probably spelled it wrong) and so he's slept most of the day. Mamalicious, I know you are jealous of his cocktail! :)

He isn't wanting Popsicles or very much ice cream, but is more satisfied with Gogurt, a little milkshake and some leftover refrigerated birthday cake. Whatever works!

Thanks for all of your support through this whole thing! We are hoping he continues to recover quickly, though I hear the second day is the worst?!

I just downloaded pics of Miss Bug's first birthday party that was on Tuesday and will post them as soon as I get a chance!

Better, but not my best...

So I'm feeling a little bit better.

Maybe it is because
A. Daddy came home and rescued me from my children under 5.

B. Big Brother is finally feeling better (whereby WEARING ME OUT)!

C. I got to go to church alone.

D. I got to go see the movie Nights in Rodanthe last night and drool over Richard Gere for approximately one hour and 37 minutes.

E. All of the above

Which one one best finishes the sentence?

I want to quit my job....

as a stay-at-home mom today. I'm sick of it. I'm sure this, too, shall pass. But for now, I'm wanting out.

I'd even take the McDonald's drive-thru job to be able to have some adult conversation.

Must post more. Would make me feel better. Need.to.vent.

A Big Sigh of Relief???

Well, today is/was surgery day. The day for Big Brother to get his tonsils out. But it didn't happen. So, yes, I'm sighing in relief. I probably shouldn't be, but I am. There is a reason why things happen the way they do, so this was a sign.

Big Brother had a fever last night around bedtime. Mild one, though one nonetheless. So, we gave him Tylenol and went about our night like we were still going. Then at 4AM when he needed more and the breathing worsened, I gave up. I gave him water and then knew that it would seal the deal b/c he wasn't supposed to have food or water after midnight.

He had/has a fever.
His head hurts.
He is lazy on the couch.
He doesn't eat--even when given the option of Fritos or cookies.
He is quiet.

These are all the signs of strep in our house. I went ahead and took him in and the ENT checked him. He put him on a stronger antibiotic and sent us home. We have to wait 10-14 days before we can go back. We are rescheduled for October 16th.

I kind of think this was God's way of letting me go and see the setting where his surgery would be taking place and meet the nurses to make sure they would be syrup-y sweet to my boy. The young nurse was precious and so nice. Also, now Daddy can probably be there and since he is the anchor in our lives, I think that will help this wimpy mama!

Thanks for your kind words. I so appreciate my blogger friends!

We continue to be busy. Showed the house yesterday. We were in their 'short list', which is what is said every time we show the house. Yadda Yadda Yadda. Blah Blah Blah.

Still am going to take a picture of Miss Bug's bday invite. Maybe I'll get a chance to do that today now that we can breathe easy for a little while. Though the date now is wrong for her bday party. It can't be the day after Big Brother's Tonsillectomy!

Busy, Busy, Busy

I'm so sorry I've not been around! I've had several things on my mind to post about, but then reality sets in and I'm off to do something else. Lately, I'm a little 'twirly' my friend likes to call it. I guess it is hyper and stressed at the same time, possibly is the way to explain it? I have so much on my mind, the biggest being big brother's tonsil surgery on Monday. It is just weighing very heavily on my mind. For some reason I've just been overboard in letting us have fun and do stuff because I feel like he's going to be down and out for so long that I want to make it fun now.

I even gave in and just off-the-cuff bought him the Diego Halloween DVD at Target. I swear that place is like crack. It is so addicting. I could've just spent and spent and spent. Bought Miss Bug some cutie pie socks and found some cute shoes but not in her size. Will be buying them online thankyouverymuch. Then bought a light-up spiderweb for outside so we aren't lame-o's!!!

For some stupid idiotic reason I have decided to be into making the kids costumes this year. It is just easier that way. Big Brother wants to be Wall-E. In the catalog he's $54.99. I.don't. think.so. Now if only I can make a cardboard box not look like a cardboard box but like Wall-E, we are in shape!

Since we call Babygirl Miss Bug, I thought she'd be DARLING as a ladybug! She's just little and it's so freaking HOT here that I can't buy her costume. I don't want her throwing a fit, pulling at her clothes and burning up. Would not make a pretty picture.

So what does my dumb a$$ do? I go to JO-Anns. I find the ladybug pattern. I go to the correct bin to purchase it. Nope, not there. I call my mother, panting, hyperventilating. Sewing IS NOT NOT NOT my thing. It scares me to death. I can't draw a straight line with a freaking ruler, so please don't put me behind a needle for heaven's sakes. I tell my mother that this place is freaking me out. She says no worries that she'll bring her sewing machine and we'll do something simple. I'm all about simple. I've got a red onesie, black material, a head band, etc. I'm on it. Miss Bug is only going to be 1 year old for crying outloud. This means she'll go to maybe maybe half a dozen houses..probably just my friends/neighbors, and then she's done. finished. over. it.

So here I am rambling again. I guess I needed to let all this out.

My parents are coming over the weekend to help out with Big Brother's surgery. He has no clue. I think it's best that way, but it is weighing heavily on my heart. Poor little guy. He has no freaking clue. Hubby and I have decided he 'works' better that way. He's such a trooper. I told my mom that she has to be the strong and rational one during surgery. I told her I'm the one allowed to be twirly, she's not. She has to be the strong, he's-just-fine-I-promise person. This is Daddy. He is the stable one. He is the calm one.He is the easy-going one. He's the one going to be out of town. We knew this when we planned it, but I am coming to regret it a little. I know we'll be fine. It's just that he's my rock. He really is...always makes everything okay. But he has to travel that week. And so we asked my parents. My mother is WONDERFUL with my son. They ADORE each other. He likes her better than me! :) I guess that's what Grandma's are supposed to be for, right?

And Miss Bug's birthday is October 18th so you know I found the perfect invites........it's not a big party. But the invites must be as stinking cute as she is, you know? I'll post them soon, I promise. Must get camera ready, etc.

Ok. Have to finish the cupcakes I baked for Big Brother's class because they learned about the letter 'c' this week. And am putting candycorns on the top.......another 'c' word. So clever I am!
And then must watch debates..........which is a whole new post, if you know what I mean!

When to Start Cussing

My friend sent this to me and I found it quite funny:

A 6 year old and 4 year old are upstairs in their bedroom.
'You know what?' says the 6 year old.

'I think it's about time we started cussing.' The 4 year old nods his head in approval.

The 6 year old continues, 'When we go downstairs for breakfast. I'm gonna say something with hell & you say something with ass.' The 4year old agrees with enthusiasm.

Then the mother walks into the kitchen.

She asks the 6 year old what he wants for breakfast, he replies, 'Aw, hell, Mom, guess I'll have some Cheerios.'

WHACK!! He flies out of his chair, tumbles across the kitchen floor, gets up, runs upstairs crying his eyes out, with his mother in hot pursuit, slapping his rear with every step.

His mom locks him in his room and shouts, 'You can stay there until I let you out!'

She then comes back downstairs, looks at the 4 year old and asks with a stern voice,

' What do YOU want for breakfast,young man?'

'I don't know', he blubbers, 'but you can bet your fat ass it won't be Cheerios!'

It's Worth the Investment

You may not not know this yet, but tape can be a worthwhile investment for your family. Yes, just regular scotch tape. Not only is it good for wrapping packages, gifts, paper, etc., but it also is a fantastic tool of entertainment for children of all ages. It can occupy a child for up to 1 hour, possibly longer if you allow. I give a roll of scotch tape to my son, who is almost 5, and he will use it until it runs out. My limit is one roll of tape per occasion. He loves it!

This time he (and his little friend who now thinks I rock) made spider webs, this one on the back of the front door:

This one is between the couch and the chair:

I don't this one was intended for a web, but possibly a baby sister barrier?? You decide:

This is one is on one of Daddy's 'coffee table books' of which he so proudly displays in our home. It usually has kid crap stacked on top of it. This one also has some of the fake ficus tree clippings taped together. Big Brother explained that it was a home for his Bakugan balls:(Daddy will have a fit when he reads this post and sees his precious book with tape on it--no worries, it came off and all is safe.)

And if that's not enough entertainment for your child, he or she can always use his sibling as a means of transportation for some toys to be moved from the living room to the bedroom:

And now I'm off to get ready for the season premiere of Grey's Anatomy. Let the McDreamy drooling commence!

I am a dork

I'll admit it. I'm a dork. I stress and perseverate on the weirdest things. Okay, so maybe they aren't weird, but they definitely aren't life-threatening or life-altering situations. Here's an example of what I'm talking about: it's our daughter's first birthday next month. I'm already fixated on the 'perfect' birthday invitation.

Will we be having a big shin-dig? No.
Will we be inviting everybody and their brother? No. (Not yet--hee hee)

But I'm ALL ABOUT the invite. I have issues. I love paper. So, at times like this I get literally giddy about getting to pick out invites, announcements, Christmas cards, etc. ( I also love address labels/stickers, notecards, wrapping paper...) I am on the hunt for the perfect 1st Birthday Party invitation for Miss Bug. I don't want it all foo-foo. We aren't foo-foo people. I don't want princesses, tiaras, castles, and blush and bashful everywhere. But I do want cute. I want it to fit her personality (or mine--plaid of course--just kidding--not really). I'm thinking about going to my favorite little shop on the Island to look at their stationery. I usually buy their card stock and print it myself. It's SO much cheaper to print it at home. (The whole 'lining it up just perfect and centered and matching font is a whole 'nother post.) I found Miss Bug's birth announcements there. I also found Big Brother's previous birthday party invites there. Of course I also have to try to think up some cute and catchy phrase to go with the invite. That about puts me over the edge, but I have a friend MixMingleGlow who sometimes helps me out. She is THE master party planner. The pictures from her kids parties are INCREDIBLE and make me want to be 7 again just to have her plan my party. Seriously.


I also have other things I'm picky about like this though. I'm wondering if you guys do too? What are you so so so selective about? For example, I'm also picky about bedspreads/comforters. I bought a comforter for Big Brother and wasn't 100% satisfied with it. Did it last? Not so much. It was cute for that 'time' but as he got older he just outgrew it. I did trains. This time I picked a seersucker. I like the seersucker because I feel it is more timeless. You know? I'm also like that about photographs...........and what to dress my kids in for them. It's school picture time for Big Brother and his little private Pre-K has an awesome photographer come in who I probably wouldn't afford on a regular basis, so I take advantage when he comes to their school. Last year Big Brother's pictures were awesome. Of course he wore a blue Polo. What will he wear this year? The typical white Polo? The red Polo? blah blah blah. And you think I have good enough shopping to just go and pick up something cute? Not so much. What to do? What to do? That will consume a few moments of my time until I realize I don't have time to fester on this crap and just pick something out. I'm a mom of two now, not one! And you KNOW if I pick out a nice white crisp shirt that it will be all nasty by picture time. Unless I turn into that high-maintenance mom-you know the one--who brings the shirt on the hanger and has the teacher put it on the child right before pictures and then take it off right after? That may be me....


So, this is officially a rambling blog from the Plaid Girl. I just am realizing this is why I don't post when I'm tired. Because I risk the chance of boring my girlfriends!

In conclusion, what random silly stuff do you become consumed with when you know it's doesn't really matter? And do you have a new cute shirt for my boy for school pictures?

The Hubby

I copied this Meme from Ladybug's Picnic. Feel free to use it......Just thought I'd do it for the heck of it. And by the way, Clemsongirl thinks I should call him Mr. GPS because he was better with directions than we were and Clemsongirl LIVES in the area! (Love you, Girl!)

About the Hubby:

1. He's sitting in front of the TV, what is on the screen? ESPN usually for football, or Versus (which used to be OLN-Outdoor Life Network) for cycling, or Food Network!

2. You're out to eat; what kind of dressing does he get on his salad? Ranch, if he even orders a salad

3. What's one food he doesn't like? not sure what he fears more--mushrooms or broccoli

4. You go out to the bar. What does he order? Dos Equis possibly, or some type of non-domestic beer; if with dinner, then maybe a red wine

5. Where did he go to high school? A private school in Chattanooga

6. What size shoe does he wear? 11 or 12 depending on the shoe

7. If he was to collect anything, what would it be? bike magazines...and he DOES collect them or he just CAN'T LET GO of them!

8. What is his favorite type of sandwich? Tuna fish from Manhattan Subs

9. What would this person eat every day if he could? Probably wings

10. What is his favorite cereal? Granola or Grape Nuts...but he puts them in yogurt!

11. What would he never wear? Plaid shorts, the patchwork or madras kind---of which I'd love you know!

12. What is his favorite sports team? Tennessee Volunteers (and does Lance Armstrong count as a team? )

13. Who will he vote for? Not sure yet...........I think he's on the fence

14. Who is his best friend? a guy from High School who he also went to college with

15. What is something you do that he wishes you wouldn't do? let the inside of my car get dirty (which is super hard with 2 little ones in there!!!), yell through the house

16. How many states has he lived in? Tennessee, Alabama, Colorado, Georgia-4 :)

17. What is his heritage? Irish & German

18. You bake him a cake for his birthday; what kind of cake? cheesecake

19. Did he play sports in high school? Soccer, Track, possibly Football

20. What could he spend hours doing? cycling, reading cycling magazines, watching DVDs of previous Tour De Frances, working on his bicycles, you get the idea. And he likes to hang with us ,too...

Happy 11 Months Little One

I cannot believe she is almost one year old. Just. Can't. Believe. It. Does this mean that when/if you have more kids that the time goes even faster? Because if so, I think my head would be spinning!

An Few Tidbits About Miss Bug

She is an absolute joy (when she's not knocking over the humongous ficus tree in the living room or taking her big brother's cars from him -pure evidence in this pic),

and so sweet (when she's not yelling for more diced pears from her high chair with her 3 teeth),

and makes us smile (when she is crawling all around looking for lint or dog hair to stick directly into her mouth). You can see in this pic she had been chewing on her sock and got lint on her tongue:


Then we have her brother who thanked God for The Transformers Movie during his nightly prayers (of which he is not allowed to watch because it is rated PG13!).



And I wonder why I don't have much time to post or comment lately?!!!

Honestly...

This was taped on my mailbox today: Honest as the day is long..........
Well, hot damn!

And you might have wondered why I want to move?

I swear, I couldn't make up something like this if I tried!

What time is it?

Here is what it is like at Mamaw and Papaw's house:

Big Brother: Where's Papaw?

Daddy: Going take a rest. It's nap time.

Big Brother: Well, I'm going to get him.

Daddy: Why?

Big Brother: Because it's not nap time, it's shop time!

(The 'shop' is Papaw's workshop where he has all of his tools, gadgets, boats, wood, paint, shovels, etc etc. It is also referred to as the Man Cave...)

Last Day of Vacay...

For part of our vacation we went camping as you saw previously, then we went to see Clemsongirl. Our reason for seeing Clemsongirl was because she is our realtor. As mentioned a while back, we are trying to sell our house in South Georgia because we are relocating to the North Atlanta area. We looked in several areas and spent the day in Clemsongirl's monogrammed minivan checking out neighborhoods and how far the local Super Target (or even just a Target will do) would be from our future home! She was great. So sweet, so incredibly funny and a great, down-t0-Earth realtor. She has an internal radar that tells her where the Targets are, too. Promise.

I thought my husband would be sick and tired of hearing us yapyapyap up in the front seat, but he had a really good time. He has read a few of your blogs, so he could somewhat follow our conversation. It was really cool to actually 'know' someone rather than just picking a random realtor out of the blue. I was going to meet The Pink Clutch, but she was sick. And Clemsongirl got to see pics of Love & Labs baby girls! It was like we'd know each other for years.......

She has worked very hard for us trying to figure out what the heck we want (when sometimes WE don't even know what We want!) and we are anxiously awaiting the day that we can house hunt because our house here in South Georgia has s-o-l-d! (And little does she know that she will be the only person I will know within about 100 miles of me and I will need more than just her witty blog to keep me going!)

So, today is our last day with Mamaw and Papaw in the East Tennessee mountains. I will be visiting my grandmother and some other family and get everything packed. Not.ready.to.go.home. Would like to kick and scream and ball up my fists and beat the floor and throw a temper tantrum, but I don't think it would work. If I thought it would, I would be doing it at this very moment.

And I'll leave you with this: the post where she showed the pictures of Coach's abs is for-real. I cannot say I saw those abs with my own two eyes, but I did see Coach and it wouldn't surprise me a bit that those abs belonged to her...I mean him. Well, they do belong to her, too, right? Hmmmmmmmmm....

Try to contain yourselves but....

I just spent the wholefreakingday with Clemsongirl. And I got to meet her cutie pie hubby, Coach.

Jealous?

You should be. It was all I imagined and more..........and I'll leave you with just a few tidbits, but can't go into details because I'm so freaking exhausted from laughing my butt off:

-She actually used the VS lipgloss she boasts about.
-I rode in the monogrammed minivan.
-Her minis are TOO cute and act EXACTLY like her!

I wasn't privied to the modal Target pants though. I'll request this for our next venture! :)

And yes, she is just like her blog she writes about, but quite frankly she could be even cooler in person. Could this be possible?

Camping for the Plaid Girl

Me camping? Are you surprised? You shouldn't be--if you've read the 100 things about me, you'd read that I love it.......worked at Yellowstone National Park for 2 summers (with Love & Labs). Can't. Get. Enough. (But I do love a hot shower. Don't be fooled.) It has been SO long since I had gotten to go due to the birth of smallish children that I forgot how much I need it. Being outdoors is good for the soul. I don't mean sweating your patooty off necessarily people (though that is good for the soul sometimes, too). Remember we did go in September. I don't like to be hot when I sleep.

Miss Bug stayed with the grandparents so Hubby and I could take Big Brother on his first camping trip. Plus my parents have a pop-up camper and that is the luxurious way to camp! We didn't have hook-ups, but we did have a comfortable place to lay our heads that was taller than 4 feet! :)

Anywho--here are some pics from the trip. Big Brother and me on the rocks. I LOVE climbing/playing on rocks. Love it.



"Walk softly and carry a big stick" --for the campfire:

The smoke/heat bothered Big Brother's eyes, so he covered them so he could roast the marshmallow to make some 'snores' --yes, that is what he calls them. We don't correct him.

Here is the picture Big Brother took the next morning, hence the hat. Pretty good photographer I might add. This is his 'pretend leaf plant':
Big Brother also went on his first hike, Cataract Falls in the Great Smoky Mountains. It was wonderful. And no, I didn't even sweat.............perfect weather. We'll make a mountain boy out of him yet! Can't wait for Miss Bug to get a little older so we can go more often!

Does this mean I am getting old?

I read a copy of Newsweek from cover to cover (basically).

I understood/comprehended the meaning of the articles.

I got the comics in the issue.

I enjoyed it.

So, I'm getting old, yes?

BTW: You know the only reason I got to even have enough time to read it was because we are visiting my parents. The kids are outnumbered. Amen.

HAPPY FRIDAY!

Here she is before I told her it was Friday....

Here she is after I told her it was Friday! (Check out those teeth)
Or maybe she's just happy because she's in plaid?

Do Not Be Fooled....

Yes, she looks calm, collected, cool-just chillin' if you will...

Then she spies Mommy with the camera and comes to check things out...
And then she's off.......You ever been rammed by a walker while barefoot? Not fun. Not fun at all.

This girl is hell on wheels I tell ya.

And for the 5th (or is it 6th?) time this year....

Strep Throat has entered our home..........
same ol' same ol'............
It introduces itself with a 'headache', loss of appetite, less active
next morning throws out a fever.......

And we go to the doctor to get a test......
I'm getting really really good at detecting the Strep (makes me feel like Supermom) and Big Brother even tells them he needs the 'orange medicine' (Amoxicillin). (He needs to get paid what they do.....)

But this time we saw the P.A., who I love, and she gave us Augmentin (sp?). I thought we needed it the last time or two seeing as how he's getting the same dang thing each time, but his Dr. said no. Like I said, I love the P.A.

And the appointment has been made for October 6th: Operation Get Your Tonsils Out
So we are out of school for 2 days and there are only 4 days in the week. He is maxing himself out on Wow, Wow, Wubzy.

And I'm okay with that.

I'm all about the BLING!

Thank you Love & Labs for my award. I love getting awards and kudos my way! I know it took me a while to get it on here, but it doesn't mean that it is any less special to me!


I have to say when asked if I prefer diamonds or pearls, I have to pick pearls. This probably means I'm truly not a preppy girl? Talk amongst yourselves....

First put this 'logo' on your blog (go ahead, cut and paste it)

- Add a link to the person who awarded you (already done - see top)

-Nominate at least 7 other blogs

-Add links to those blogs on yours (see below and blogroll)

-Leave a message for your nominees on their blogs

And I hereby nominate the following peeps. I love reading your blogs. You make my day complete:

Clemsongirl and the Coach (hell yes, I know you get all types of awards, and I get a little jealous of the audience you have, but you are awesome and I love getting my daily fill of Clemsongirl, even if her Tigers did lose!)

AFRo--read you all the time too. I love your topics and the way you can debate and discuss them freely and rationally!

Lipstick at the Mailbox - (not sure why it all didn't highlight!) I do enjoy reading your posts...you are too funny and I think we are a lot alike. I love your candidness!

The Pink Clutch--still read you all the time. Just do--you are a HOOT. Hope to meet you when we move (eventually!!) to your neck o' the woods!


Grosgrain Garage--Enjoyed doing the Bachelor blogging with you--- and love seeing all the goodies you creatively make--along with cat encounters to boot!

Mamalicious--love your candid stories about work, smallish girls, and the funny stuff you find on youtube, etc. You are enter-Taining as well as intra-taining!

Boobs, Injuries and Dr. Pepper---the crazy chronicles. I read them until there were no more to read.......like reading a novel. Incredible. Awesome. It was like a sugar high--though I would say like crack but then people might think I'm a druggie...though I am, but it is with sugar and sometimes coffee--not crack. Too expensive. HAAAA JUST KIDDING> don't freak out!

I am needing to add more names to my blogroll but I haven't had time to read as much lately due to these damn offspring! Big Brother is in PreK so he's at school everyday for 4 hours (though I sometimes wish it was 8 or 10 or more?) and then Miss Bug is almost one year old--will be in October and she is N-e-e-d-y right now--has had a cold for over a week and is really wanting to crawl or walk but can't get it all together yet so she is mad and frustrated! She is like 'let's do this already' but doesn't know what it is that she needs to do! And have I mentioned that she is LOUD? I mean VERBAL?

Thanks, again to all of you who have supported me through my MIL drama. It has been 3 weeks since the hubby has talked to his parents. He says he has nothing to say, so he's not called. Of course I have guilt and they aren't even my parents, but I'm not calling them! (I don't have anything to say either...)

Plus, I have been mildly addicted to the Word Challenge game on Facebook, but that is a whole new story!