It's just the click of your mouse....

Go ahead....vote. All you have to do is click on your choice. Let me hear from you! :)

I must not be getting many lurkers if I've only had 10 votes!!! How's everybody out there feeling? Are we liking Palin? Yes? No?

If you have posted on your blog anything about politics thus far, please leave me a comment so I can read it. I did see some posts on AFRO's blog, but nobody else so far.

What are you guys thinking? I'm actually getting much more into this election than I ever have...maybe it's because I'm getting old. HA! I just want to be better informed, and not necessarily through MTV anymore. If only they had some information in cartoon-style like Diego or Pokemon giving us the highlights, I might know more! HEE HEE

I love this button! It's called a 'piece of flair' on Facebook if you aren't on there yet. I hope you are having a chillin' weekend! Baby is crying, will be back soon!

MIL Drama Update

Thanks so much for your support. I took a chance by posting about my MIL and you guys were so kind and supportive. I was surprised to see so many of you have the same problems/situations as I do with MIL's. It's amazing. I guess I should say 'People' are amazing.

I've been seriously contemplating writing her a letter and giving her 'my side' of the story. It wouldn't be used as a means for getting to go off on her (though that would be nice) but just to respond to all of the accusations, etc, that she made while on the phone with me. I felt somewhat blind-sided by what she did. But as I continue to mull over this whole drama in my head I am coming to the conclusion of not doing anything. I know it won't do any good. That wasn't the reason for doing it. It was to be able to respond, give my 2 cents if you will. But I think it will just make me madder in the end. It will just rehash more shit that doesn't need to be rehashed. Let her be the fool who opens her mouth. For a change, I'll be the one to be quiet. And I'm not a quiet person.

I think it will just be easier to let this die. Of course it will be filed away in my mental Rolodex and the next time I am sending out handmade cards with pics of the kids on them, or a cute email that I could share about something my kids did, I'll just bypass her. This is so against my fiber, but I must do it in order to keep myself from getting hurt. I must keep a barrier up. Don't get me wrong. They'll still get the typical birthday cards and presents and holidays will be recognized, but nothing extra. These people are my husband's parents, not mine. We will never see eye-t0-eye and the quicker that I learn to keep them at a distance, the better off I am.

It pains me!

By the way, I do have some blogger awards that have been given to me and I'll attach them in a separate post. Thanks so much for reading, commenting and supporting. It's nice to know that I'm not alone and not crazy..........well at least not alone...the crazy part is yet to be determined!

XOXOXO
Mad About Plaid Girl

A Bit Deeper...

I've kept this blogging thing somewhat 'light' because I'm never sure who is going to read it. My husband reads it, and I'm usually okay with it, though sometimes I wish he didn't. Sometimes I wish it could be 'our little secret--just between us girls'. A girl needs to vent. And that is what I'm about to do:

Here's the story. I don't even know how or where to start. I am having MIL drama. We live about 6 1/2 hours from the in-laws and see them every so often. We had a plan to go and see them this past July when I find out from my MIL that she feels like we use them. Yes, you read it right. She mentions this in passing to my hubby over the phone and when he tells me all that she said I'm like 'hey, back the truck up..she said WHAT?" So, I decide to calmly call her. I tell her that Husband told me that they feel used when we come and visit them. She said that it's not only her but my FIL too. I talk to FIL and he says that he feels used 'sometimes.'

Now let me explain something to you. We live 6 1/2 hours from them. We visit them, ohhh let's say maybe 3 times a year. Husband's brother and sister and their families live there, too. We usually go there, stay about 3 or 4 days. We visit everyone. I'm somewhat close to my SIL so we do some things just us. We usually all have dinner together, and do some stuff together--shopping, check out downtown, that sort of stuff. Many times we've gone there because it was someone's graduation, a bike race, some event going on.

We were going there this time because it was hubby's 20 year high school reunion. So, when I call and ask her this she says yes. Apparently they don't like it that we go and do other things while we are there. Now let me inform you that we do things with them. Sometimes I'll do some things with the MIL, sometimes I'll do things with the SIL. Husband goes and runs errands with his dad or does yard work, etc. I guess what this is coming down to is that they feel like when we go there that we just use them to sleep in their house and then go run around and do stuff.

Well, yes we do go and do stuff...with them. We have never asked them to watch our kids or anything. But we found out that apparently they want us to do more stuff with them.

Don't you think ya could've found a different way to say that?

I know you guys don't know me too well, but let me tell you one thing. I'm a giver. I try to be a really good person. I take the time to send cards 'just because'. I make homemade things for presents when I can. I email updates. I take pictures and send them. I make courtesy phone calls. I have my son call them. I encourage him to make cards, form relationships with them. I even went to Hilton Head one time BY MYSELF to see them and stayed in a room with my 2 children and nephew and breastfed my daughter in the middle of the night with the son and nephew sleeping in the bed next to me and my husband wasn't there.....I went for him....to be nice.........to be a good DIL. Did they help me at all with my kids? Not so much. Will I be doing this again--going over and beyond the DIL call of duty? Not so much.


I told her that in no way would we ever want them to feel like we are using them and that we would not be staying with them for the HS Reunion. Can you believe a parent would say this to a child? I came from a home where it was considered our home........mi casa, su casa.

I'm so hurt. I haven't really said much since then to them. I just can't get over this though. I am struggling with the fact that they think we use them.

And then this past weekend a cousin wanted to go stay with them while he looked into some recruiting of that area's college football team. Is THAT not using someone? I like to call it visiting with perks.

For example: When we lived in Colorado, people would come and visit us and go skiing --without us. Did we feel used? OF course not!

Living here, friends/people have come and stayed with us while they had conventions here. Did we feel used? No, we enjoyed the time they were not at the convention.

We've gone to friend's homes in Orlando and stayed with them and then went to Sea World. Did they feel used? No, they were just bummed that they couldn't go to Sea World with us because of that dang thing called a job!

I'm going to eventually call the MIL. I am going to write down all the things I feel, organize them and make a script type of thing for me to keep my head in order and feelings out there on the table. I feel like she just dropped a bomb on us and then went on about her day, relieved that she'd emptied out her negative feelings on us. I have all these feelings stuffed inside and nowhere to put them.

Here's the problem: will it even make any difference if I talk to her? Probably not...you can't talk rationally to an irrational person. I have to keep telling myself that. She is irrational, selfish and immature....and twice my age.

I'm just so hurt. This is not what a family is like to me. I didn't grow up around this. My parents practically push us out the door to go and do and get away and enjoy what the area has to offer or visit with friends. We go and do as we please and they tell us that their house is as much ours as it is theirs. They tell us to leave the kids and go--enjoy some free time.

Hubby, I'm sorry if you are upset that I'm blogging about this, but it is better than calling up the MIL, wouldn't you say?

I have prayed about this quite a bit too. I am just hurt. I'm sure I've not told you everything about it because I can't remember it all, but I hope this all sounds clear.

After a day or two, my husband called them and told them that we wouldn't be going on our yearly family vacation with them because we don't want them to feel used. He also made the following arrangements (which are ridiculous by the way, but apparently necessary):
#1. We will only visit them when invited.
#2. We will stay in a hotel (I'm so looking forward to spending my money on a mother-freaking hotel stay)
#3. We will have an agreed-upon agenda and if there is a spot in there that there aren't plans with them then we can do whatever the hell we want.

Doesn't that sound inviting? Don't you want to go visit with us?

Pray for me girlfriends. I need it.

Here Comes the Bowling Mama!

We went bowling as a family yesterday. Because my children are still so young, it is hard to find stuff to do that we can all enjoy as a family. Combine this with the fact that there is NOTHING to do in our town except go to Chick-Fil-A and play in the nasty playhouse or go to the mall and let Big Brother ride the 50cent ride-on toys makes it even harder. Anyhow, like I said, we went bowling.

Big Brother LOVES it! They are all high-tech there now so the 'bumpers' for the little kids automatically go up or down depending on whose turn it is. That is cool. So, Daddy, me and Big Brother played while Miss Bug cheered us on and ate Cheerios. It has been at least 8 years since Husband or I have played.

So here are our scores the best I can remember (and will get corrected once Husband reads this because I know he will):
Mommy 86
Daddy 70
Big Brother 63--and would've been more but he got a foul or two when the rack he used to roll the bowling ball hit the mark causing the machine to give him a foul :(

Yes, I WON! I won!
And this is why it is a big deal---not because all of our scores were quite pitiful, but because Husband is FIERCELY competitive. He is the silent opponent. Half the time he won't even play games with me or our friends because he claims he doesn't like it, but I think it is because he wants to win, win, win! In the past we have played Uno, Trivial Pursuit (which I'm TERRIBLE) and Scene-It Friends Edition and I lose at all of it. But I do love to play games.

I didn't make too big of a deal about winning the bowling because we hadn't played in so long and we were both pretty comical (and pitiful) to watch. (My fave part was how cute we all looked in the bowling shoes and mine actually matched my outfit! )

Then we went into the game room. Big Brother is at the stage where he still doesn't realize you have to put money into the games to play them. It is so cheap for us. Every once in a while we'd give him a coin or two, but for the most part we used up all the coins because we got into some heated rounds of air hockey! It was a hoot! I was having an absolute blast.

So, picture this--Husband is slamming the hockey chip all over the place. I even had him place Miss Bug's stroller behind him when we first started playing because in the past he has knocked pool balls around. I didn't want her to get hit by a flying hockey puck! Several times that I received points it was because he was hitting the dang thing so hard that he was just scoring on himself. It was great. I have to tell you girls, too, that I was doing quite well at defending my goal because I heard the puck hit my little thingy (name anyone for the thing you hold?) several times.

We played 3 games of air hockey. And yes, ladies, I won. I consider it a win for all wife-kind. I was so happy I was clucking like a chicken and cackling like a rooster (or whatever animal it is that cackles). It was killing him, silently, slowly, killing him.

The last time I have beat him at anything in our ten years of marriage was on our first date when I beat him in a game of pool. I hadn't really won anything since. But yesterday, ladies, the tables turned.

Oh yeah, and I'm on Facebook a lot now and there's a game called Word Challenge on there. I beat him at that too. The feeling is glorious, I tell you.

So give me a little high-five long distance. I won for all of us wives who have those competitive husbands! :)

Tropical Storm Fay...

...is here I guess? Kids had no school today. My college roommate/dear friend who lives in Orlando didn't have school Tuesday, Wednesday and then they had it on Thursday. She said Thursday ended up being the worst day yet, but nobody forecasted that one. Then she didn't have school again today. Oh the dear peeps who forecast the weather. It is a toughie!

So, we have had rain all.day.long. I have 2 small children. We have been cooped up in the house practically all.day.long. We have played, played, watch TV, played video game on TV, read, talked on the phone (that would be me), etc. It is a bit boring, you think? Yes, it is.

And so is this post. I'm sorry. That's all I've got. Cancelled the garage sale. Am over that one.

And have I told you that it has rained and we've had to play in the house all. day. long?

By the way, is it a coincidence that my mother-in-law's name is Fay? I think not. You might get that intense scoop sometime soon. I can't hold it in much longer and need to vent to my bloggy friends.

Consignment Sales instead?

My friend came over and said, "Mad about Plaid Girl, are you crazy? You don't want to garage sale this stuff. You want to do a consignment sale. This is good stuff. You'll have to give it away at a garage sale."

So, I went through all my crap and took out the good stuff, then looked up the consignment sales for my area. I'll have to drive an hour, but hey, it will be worth it. I've already started to get the Thomas Take Along stuff together and organize it into little bags to sell. So exciting. There's one in September, so that will be my first. I think I'm more excited about the purchasing part than the selling part. I'll probably buy as much as I sell! :)

So, Thomas and cute boy and girl clothes and shoes are being put in Rubbermaid tubs for the Fall Event!

I'm not really looking forward to the garage sale....seeing all my stuff go for cheap, but I have a lot of stuff that my parents sent this way so hopefully I'll make a buck or two off of their stuff. Plus with Tropical Storm Fay coming we might not even have it at all!

Have you guys done the Consignment Sale? Not the consignment shops, but a huge warehouse deal where it's done within a week and over.

And Clemsongirl, I didn't get rid of all Thomas..I kept all the Thomas wooden track and all the wooden trains (enough for a huge Rubbermaid full). I couldn't get rid of it all.........will have it for the grandkids and my son when he is a real-live grown up (imagine that!). I'm too sentimental to get rid of it all, but I did get rid of all the Take Along. At least I have it boxed up for now to go....

Thomas The Tank Engine

Rolling along...di di di dooooooooo! Are you singing the theme song yet by just reading the title? If so, then we're on the same page. Yes, my son was a HUGE Thomas fan. Well, he is quickly getting older and Thomas is getting the oust.

This means me trying to get back some of the many, many dollars I paid for him and his friends.

I'm giving my friends a chance to look over it first and then I'm going to consign it I think. I MIGHT put some out at the garage sale, but am not going to bargain on it.

My question is..what do I charge? I know, I'm being high maintenance again, but I need to know what normal peeps would pay for him.

Here goes--How much for:

-the wooden real-deal Thomas trains? (like Henry, Percy, etc)

-the Take Along Thomas stuff (magnetic on either side--different from the wooden stuff)?

I'm getting rid of ALL this, but not much of the wooden stuff...

What about pieces of track? I'm only getting rid of non-Thomas track--like Brio and such

Do I do about 50cents a piece?

And Lord knows I'm having to do this all undercover so as to not let Big Brother find out about it or he'd have a fit......even though he doesn't play with it anymore. You know the story....

THANKS! (And if you are looking for something, let me know and we can make a deal!)

Garage Sale...

or should I call it a yard sale because all the shi-ot we are wanting to sell won't fit in our garage because it is full of crap too? Hmmmmmmmmm


Some questions for you guys....
Do you think Halloween costumes will sell yet? (Are garage sale peeps checking out those yet?)


Do I put my daughter's sun dresses/bubbles out this year or wait until next spring? (Which will give me more money honey?)


Do I try to sell some of the 'good' stuff on Ebay to get more money or is one just as good as the other these days?

This is my predicament these days...to do Ebay or not to do Ebay? I've not had too much luck and the prep time for Ebay with trying to think of some enticing description of my stuff and then finding the appropriate box and then getting to the dang post office...I'm tired just thinking about it.


But I do like the power of the mighty dollar.


I've also got a cute train comforter with shams and sheets that I could try to sell on Ebay but not sure?? I'll post a pic here:

And what do you price a high chair for? Exersaucer?
Pretty much all of my stuff is in really good shape, so let me know what you guys think!

Buzz Cut for my Baby!

So this is what Big Brother looked like last week before his hair cut (Yes, it was a little long, but that was why we were getting it cut!): Here he is yesterday with his new haircut on the first day of Pre-K:
I like to call this one his 'model' pose (Doesn't he look like he could be in an ad for a department store or something?):
His hair is too too short, the shortest it has ever been and it is making me sad! I did tell the lady I wanted it a little shorter, but damn lady, not a freaking BUZZ CUT! He looks all military instead of my little preppy man! Very sad for the Mama.

It's a good thing it grows back because I'm not cutting it like this ever again!

First Day O' Pre-K

(Did you get that the title can be a rhyme?)

It's been too long since I've blogged. My parents have been here and we have been busy! Big Brother started school yesterday, first day of Prekindergarten. I used to teach pre-k in the exact same room where he is going, so it is a little bittersweet to see him in there. I taught part-time preK and put him in the 2 year old room at the little church preschool where he attends. He has been great. I'm waiting for the meltdown, possibly this afternoon or tomorrow afternoon due to Mamaw/Papaw time and late bedtimes.

I will post a pic when I download them. I got his hair cut and it is TOO short! I didn't realize how short she would cut it and how different he looks with it cut! I'm glad it will grow back, and quickly.

Big Brother also got a V-Tech Cyberpocket game. It is like the Leapster I guess. He has been asking for the Wall-E video game for a while and since the poor boy's birthday is 2 days after Christmas, it is hard to wait! I've decided to institute the 1/2 birthday next summer. It's really hard when your birthday and Christmas are 2 days apart! LAME!

That's all I've got for you today so far. Still addicted to Facebook, but specifically to this Word Challenge game. It is SO cool! And it challenges my brain. And I hold the higher score and beat my husband. That is what is most important. He is the most competitive person I know, so this victory feels great. Ya Know?

Neglectful

Just when I was getting more peeps lurking my way, I abandon you all. I'm sorry. I've been super busy getting ready for school to start (especially when I had my kid signed up somewhere and they CLOSED...good times).

But here's the thing. I've got a crush on something new. As Love&Labs put it so eloquently, "Welcome to a new form of crack." Yes, I've found something new..............


Facebook.... or what I'm so affectionately referring to CRACKBOOK.

I have found friends from all over. It is awesome. I love seeing all my high school buddies, what they are up to, if they have kids, where they are living, etc.

But I've not forgotten about you guys. Once Big Brother is back in school I'll have more time to play, I mean do the laundry, so I'll be back around.

We have also had to show our house several times and finding a place to stash all your crap is hard work.

I'm just sayin......

Quote for Today

Normal is a setting on the dryer.

I need this in the form of a bumper sticker for my car. asap.

Go Gators.........

According to the Princeton Review, University of Florida is ranked as the Number ONE party school. That's right, you heard it Clemsongirl--numero uno!

And being a UF Alumni, I am mighty proud. I saw this on my friend Robyn's blog. She's a party planner in Destin, who also happens to be a UF alum, so I guess she' s a certified, dignified party planner now, right?

Don't hate.....

And it's just in time for football season.

Ikea Options

Thanks for your responses. They were so helpful! Here's the thing: I am looking at rugs. I should've been more specific. So, if you know anything about the quality of their rugs, I would love to know.

Here's the other thing: this pink on is available ONLINE ONLY:

This one is available only IN-STORE:

I think I like the blue one better because my little girl already has a lot of pink (crib bumper, blankets, crib mattress and dust ruffle). So, what do you think? I've not checked shipping yet. I do love these rugs......I just wonder about the quality. I know it will be in a child's room and the thing is only $24.99, so how bad can it be?

Whaddya think? And who of you are going to buy this for me and then ship it to me? HA!

IKEA

What do you know about it? I ended up online at their site and they have some CUTE CUTE stuff! I am wondering if it is good quality because it is very affordable and I might need to invest in some neat stuff for my kids' rooms.

I don't mean to be high maintenance and demand so much from my blog friends, but let me know (again!!!) what you know about Ikea brand stuff. There is a children's rug there I love!!!!!

Disney, Anyone? Bueller?

I'm trying not to get my hopes up, but we might might might be taking Big Brother on his first trip to Disney World! I really really want to take him now. I think 4 1/2 is a great age and he will do great. Even if he isn't up for the scary rides, he will love the shows and everything else Disney has to offer.

Hubby is a little more skeptical than me. He thinks we can wait a few more years, which of course we could. But I don't want to (foot stomping, arms crossed, lips pouty)! We are also talking about a man who has never been to Disney. Yes, I repeat, the Hubby has never been to Disney. No, not even as a child. Can you believe it? And yes, he was raised in the South, driving distance from Disney. He doesn't even know what he is missing and I'm sure he thinks I'm hyping it up. But, I truly believe I can. I think they can stand up to the reputation I have built. Disney is incredible. Of course this is also coming from a former First Grade teacher, but STILL!!!

We found out that some friends of his (and mine now, too) are taking their daughter there when we were possibly looking in to doing some type of vacation. So, I think that is helping my cause.

Hubby was leaning toward camping because that is what Big Brother wants to do. But Big Brother doesn't even know that this wonderland called Disney exists.

So patiently I wait and see what happens.

I want advice on what to do, what not to do, where to stay, where not to stay, etc. I know there is an information highway of mommies out there (and Disney lovers in general) who can help me out. Let me know what you think. I need hot tips from the inside...not that we're for-sure going or anything, right?

J.S.Y.K. (Just So You Know)

Right before downtown Atlanta, which in my opinion was downtown Atlanta, the speed limit is 55 not 81MPH.

We have been informed by a man in uniform and have it documented.

Now I wonder how much it will be affecting our bank account.....I'm sure we'll find out...