We're All Just Kind of Winging It

It appears that everyone is going through what I'm going through here.  I've been looking through status updates, reading what all my friends are going through with their kids and the end-of-the-summer craziness.  A few days ago I would have blamed it on the full moon.  Two days ago I would have blamed it on lack of sleep.  Yesterday I tried to blame it on the fact that the kids hadn't had enough water and I forgot to give them their vitamins.

Yeah, I'm desperate.

The only thing I have left to blame it on is my lack of parenting skills.

But it's OK.  I own it.  Today I was officially one of the worst mommies on the block.  And it's OK.  Really.  I mean, I started out with good intentions.  I told them last night when Nana came to put them to bed (so my hubs could take me out for the best surprise anniversary dinner ever) that, if they were good, we would go on a surprise adventure today.  Of course, I had this little playdate planned a week ago, but they didn't know that.  So when Nana told me they were angels (like she'd say anything else!), I was happy to let them know that we were going somewhere fun ... somewhere they'd never been before.  So we loaded up the car, put on our swimsuits and sunscreen and headed out. 

I was sooo excited to try something new.  You've heard me talk about how I had all these big plans for the summer -- free movies, free bowling, play dates, swimming, summer reading programs -- and most of them never came to fruition.  So I figured that, this being the last day of summer vacation, today was as good a day as any.

When we pulled up to the Riverside Sprayground in Roswell (after a 45 minute drive!!), I was giddy and the kids were squealing in their seats.  When we got inside, the excitement lasted about 10 minutes.  After the initial excitement wore off, Kendall started with the, "I'm too big for this, Mom," and Tanner followed with the, "I'm ready to go-o-o."  SO OVER IT.  I am.  I tried to stretch the play time.  We attempted the playgrounds, but the slides were way too hot.  We ended up eating "lunch" at 11, playing in the spray for a few more minutes (just so I could selfishly talk to my friend), and then heading home at noon.  We lasted an hour and a half, after a 45 minute drive.

Argh.

So after we got home, I was spent.  And I became the worst mom in the world.  The kids are over each other. They are over me.  I am over them.  Yes, I said it.  I honestly found myself purposely moving away from them this afternoon -- when they went upstairs, I stayed down.  When they came down, I went up.  And I feel really bad about it.   I just had a "grown up night" last night without them.  And I get to have another one tomorrow night.  So why are they making me so crazy?  And why am I finding myself constantly yelling at them and getting irritated with them?

So here I am.  OK with being a bad mom for the day.  Drinking my glass of wine.  Catching up on my Days of Our Lives because they seem to be the only "people" who are nuttier than I am right now.  (I mean, seriously, who has twins with two different daddies??)

And I'm being thankful for status updates and what they say -- and how they make me feel like it's OK that I'm just winging it ...

And that I'm not the only one. :0)

Favorite Photo Friday

Mr. and Mrs. Morris - July 29, 2000

I talk about my wedding all the time, so I won't rehash anything here.  But, in the wake of my TEN YEAR WEDDING ANNIVERSARY!!!!!, I wanted to share one of my absolute favorite pictures from our wedding day.  While I had kissed Tim plenty of times before, this was, by far, the best kiss he ever shared with me!

'Tis easier to complain than to discipline ...

I know ... everyone reads my posts and thinks, "Good grief ... here she goes ... complaining about her kids again."  And it doesn't mean I don't love them.

Well, lucky for you, I'm warning you up front.  So if you don't want to read my complaints, exit the blog screen now.

But, if you are a mother, you know that it truly is easier to complain about my kids and their bad behavior than it is to discipline them for their bad behaviors.

There.  I said it.

I'm lazy when it comes to discipline.  I really am.  I own it.

I started the summer with really good intentions.  We started a new behavior management technique, where each kid has a jar in which we put marbles for good behavior; in turn, we also remove marbles for bad behavior.  When the jars are full, the kids get $5.  Now here we are at the end of summer and their jars are only half full.

And there is no chance they will be full any time soon.

In the last two weeks especially I feel as if I have taken more out than put in.  And now I find myself saying things like, "Do you want to lose a marble???  Do ya?  Do ya?"  And Kendall is really tricky about it -- when she loses a marble, she'll go right ahead and do something to make it up and get another one right back in the jar.  I told you -- she's no dummy.

So here we are today, the last Wednesday of summer break, and all I can think about is getting them to leave me alone.  I have considered many different options to keep my sanity.

A) Lock them in their rooms separately for the entire day.
B) Lock them in one of their rooms together for the entire day.  And let them duke it out.
C) Cram ear plugs in my ears so I can't hear them fighting.
D) Get drunk.

Please notice in the above list there is no mention of actually disciplining them and trying to get them to change their behavior.

I am all referee-ed out.

And it's not even that they are physical with each other.  It's more of a constant whine from Tanner.  And a constant smart-assness from Kendall.  And the bickering.  That's what is setting me over the edge now.  I feel like we are in a forever state of "Yes-huh" and "Nuh-uh."

So I'm tired.  I want my sweet kids back.

Maybe the beginning of a school year will bring them back -- once they realize they miss me when I'm not around. :0)

Favorite Photo Friday

 

July 22, 2000 - My SK Girls and Me before the Bachelorette Party

Man, I love these girls.  You know, the ones I'm always talking about when I say I "paid good money" for them? ;0)  Well this is just a dab of them ... and they made that night so much fun.  I was the first of our group to get married, so we did it up big time.  We did the lingerie shower complete with disgusting penis corsages and bottle tops.  (I chose not to use that photo ... a bit graphic.)  We had fun laughing about how the honeymoon would go with the "Bodacious Ta-Ta's" set.  We drank some beer and some wine.  Then we headed out to Buckhead.  That was back when Buckhead was still somewhat safe and fun.  We drank some Fishbowls and danced on some bars.  The next morning we had hangovers and handprints on our butts.  What a night!!  And even the moms were able to hang for a while!

WWJD?

This week has been a learning experience for me.  Just recently, the kids have been showing more of an interest in death and dying -- not so much the morbidity of it, but the actual logistics.  I've always had a tough time explaining Heaven and the concept of the afterlife to them; unfortunately, they have had to hear about death and Heaven from a very early age.  So on our last library trip I checked out What's Heaven? by Maria Shriver.  It's a cute little book in which a Great Grandmother has passed away and the GGdaughter is going to the funeral.  So the mom must explain why people die, what a funeral is for, and what Heaven is like.  The best part about the book is that, in every answer the mother gives to her daughter's questions, she begins her answer with, "I think."

Of course, as I read it, Tanner's thoughts and eyes wandered (I feel for his teachers in a few weeks!!), but Kendall listened and looked at the pictures.  Every few seconds she would look up at me, I'm certain, to see if my eyes were tearing up.  I still have a hard time talking about death at all, especially with my 6-year-old.  Only at the end did a tear actually slip out when the mother says that she will always miss her grandmother but that the pain will subside.  Kendall looked up at me then and asked, "Does it still hurt, Mommy?"  I nodded my head and she put her little hand over my heart and said, "But he's still right there."

Seriously??  Who is this kid??  Sometimes she amazes me!

So after we read the book, it appears my kids are obsessed with God and Jesus and Heaven.  They consider God/Jesus/PawPaw to be one in the same, which I think is cute, though not accurate.  Just a few minutes ago this blog was triggered because I heard them playing in the family room and having a rather serious discussion.

Kendall:  Jesus is a boy, but he has long hair.
Tanner:  PawPaw had long hair once too.  I saw a picture.
K:  When you go to Heaven, you can't suck your thumb anymore.
T:  Why can't I suck my thumb?
K:  Tanner, what would Jesus do?  Would he suck his thumb?
T:  I'm not going to because I will be big like PawPaw.
K: Plus you won't have a thumb.
T:  Why not?  Will Jesus cut it off?
K:  No, silly.  You won't have a thumb because your body with your thumbs will be buried in a box in the ground here ...

Great, hunh?  That's one of the things the book explained -- what is a funeral.  So after I read it I had to explain what PawPaw's funeral was like, and Tanner thought it was super cool because there were so many motorcycles there.  I told them about how lots of people came to see his "Earth suit" in the box and how we all went to say goodbye before they put his "Earth suit" in the ground.  But I've always told them that they can talk to PawPaw anytime ... just like they can talk to God anytime.  So they were confused about how to talk to him if he was buried over by Aunt Faye's house.  Again, I explained that it's just his shell ... not his soul ... that is buried in the ground.  His soul is all around us so they can talk to him anytime, anywhere.

That seemed to make them content for now.  They've already asked to go see where PawPaw's body was buried -- Bless my mom for having the strength to sit through that conversation with me! -- and I told them I would take them (though I've only been there once since he died).  Their eyes lit up at the thought of getting to see PawPaw ... broke my heart ... a little more explanation was needed there.

This is just proof that as they get older, I'm going to have explain a lot ... for now we'll just look at pictures and talk about how awesome he was.  It makes me feel good that they think they knew him before he died -- even Tanner talks about how he misses him though he wasn't even born.  I want them to feel like they knew him.

Tribute

I've been looking for the perfect tattoo ... to pay tribute to my dad.  I know ... he probably wouldn't like that I'm putting a tattoo on my body "for" him, but too bad.  It's been 5 years since I lost my daddy, and I still haven't gotten the tattoo.  Simply because I'm not sure ... and I don't want to put something on my body permanently unless I think it's perfect.


A perfect tribute.


Tim and I even went out after our dinner during our date night last weekend to get some tattooing done (of course, I was thinking I was just going to get my nose pierced(, but I still couldn't find anything that really spoke to me.  I feel like I've Googled "tribute tattoos" and "guardian angel tattoos" to no avail.


But I think I finally found one I really like.


Of course now I have to figure out where to put it.


Ideas?

Lead Me

"Lead Me" (Acoustic - with lyrics) by Sanctus Real

A friend a fellow blogger posted this on her blog yesterday and it really spoke to me.  

While I don't consider myself a spiritual or religious person, I still think the message behind this song is strong.  

I am a Christian, and I believe in God ... I believe that prayer can help and heal.  I try to live my life the way God wants me to, though I have been known to stray.  But this song struck me because, not only is it a testament to marriage and what marriage is supposed to be, but it's a testament to how much we need God in our lives.  

And how much we should depend on him when it seems we aren't strong enough.

I was going to tell you something ...

I forgot to put "Buy stamps and a pre-paid credit card" on my grocery list this weekend.  And it made me cry.

I don't usually get so upset about forgetfulness, but this weekend was a tough one.  I think my kids are out to get me, first of all.  I had to take them grocery shopping with me yesterday while Tim was cutting the grass; usually, that's not a big deal, but for the last week I think they have been having secret meetings after I go to bed, discussing the many ways to make me nuts.  So after working in the second yard that doesn't belong to us to make it presentable, I loaded my kids into the card with list and coupons in hand.

I gotta give it to the staff at Publix.  They are super nice.  Here I am, practically dragging a 4-year-old through Publix while he whines, "But I waaaannnnnt a toy ...", all while my 6-year-old is driving the buggy into my Achilles tendons.  I'm just trying to hurry before a real meltdown occurs (from me, not the kids!), and we whip it into the checkout line when I realize I forgot a loaf of bread.  Naturally, the bread is on one of those aisles that has the Hot Wheels cars strategically placed on the end, and I knew I'd have to walk right past them.  Since I had spent the last 45 minutes telling Tanner that he was not getting a toy (because Nana already spoiled him this weekend and his birthday is 2 weeks away and he has not been behaving like a little man who deserves a new toy anyway no matter how much a Hot Wheels costs ... all the while Kendall is piping in with her un-needed two cents worth: "But Mommy, it's only 1 dollar" ... insert eye roll here.),  I took a deep breath and held back my tears as I backed the buggy out of the checkout line.  Then, my saviour, the Pirate Bagger (Tanner calls him that with affection since he wears an eye patch.) asked, "Would you like for me to go get a loaf for you?"

The clouds parted and the sunshine shone through the clouds.

This is exactly why I love Publix.  (Oh, and the fact that, even with two whiny kids hanging all over me and the buggy, I still spent $50 and saved $81!)

I cannot put a finger on why I am so sensitive right now.  I know I spent the rest of the night pouting and whining.  That couldn't have been fun for Tim; I mean I know I'm fun to look at usually, but not when I'm poking my lip out.  I think I'm just feeling a little let down and un-appreciated in the last few days.  And the kiddos are pretty much on full-force-fighting mode now.  Summer has worn them down, they are tired of each other, and everyone is getting fairly bored with the daily routine.  I know that taking 5 minutes to sit in the floor and play with them would solve a lot of our problems, but it's just not in me right now (and honestly they wouldn't be able to agree on something for us to play so I'd have to do what one wants first and then we'd have to fight over who gets to pick first ....you get my drift ...)  I suppose I should be happy that we made it this far without anyone hurting anyone else.  I mean summer vacation is almost to a close and we all still have full heads of hair and all limbs attached.  There are no holes in the walls or broken toys.  No one has been bitten.  The slapping and hitting actually fell on the back burner a few weeks ago.

So everything sounds all good, right?

Oh, wait.  I failed to mention the eye rolling from the 6-year-old.  And the sassy tone.  Seriously, I'm pretty sure I didn't start all that mess until I was much older.  Kendall is on the verge of being out of control with her sassing.  I've caught myself wanting to pop her a few times, but then I realize she gets a lot of her tone from me.  I talk to her the same way she talks to me.  So I suppose that's another reason I'm down on myself right now -- I've created a monster and I don't know how to fix it.

Don't get me wrong on Tanner either.  While he has matured leaps and bounds in the last few months, and we are ready for him to hit PreK in 3 weeks, he has now started this spitting thing ... eww.  And Tim and I have talked a few times about how much he doesn't know upon entering his new classroom.  I know comparing my two kids is like comparing apples and oranges, but Tanner doesn't know letters or numbers; he can't count past 15; and he doesn't know sounds of letters.  All I can think about is how I've failed him as a mom.  Kendall knew so much more than him when she went to PreK.  I just hope he catches on and is a good student the way she is.

And that all brings me back to why I cried when I forgot the stamps and the prepaid credit card.  Well, obviously we need the stamps to pay bills.  But we also need the prepaid card for me to help pay the bills.  I'm seriously considering trying this writing thing online.  And Tim wisely said I  needed to get a prepaid credit   card to sign up so they wouldn't have our credit card info.  He's so smart. :)  So I'm hopeful that it will be a new way of me bringing in some money.  I can work on the reading/writing the 4 hours the boys are at school on Tuesdays and Thursdays and maybe bring in some money to help my poor, exhausted husband out.

I know he wants to take care of us, but I miss having him around.  I miss sharing the load. :0)

Favorite Photo Friday

I almost let this one get away from me.

Thank God for phones that take photos!!

Tanner and Kendall - July 2010

OK, so this is one of those "They'll kill me when they get older" photos.  But it was too cute to pass up.  This is tonight, after a grits & eggs dinner.  I decided to let Tanner take a bubble bath (which he's been begging for lately), and Kendall asked if she could get in as well.  Tanner obliged, and fun ensued.

I love my kids.

No matter how much I complain or bitch about them, I really do love them. I know how blessed I am to have them and how much God must think I am worthy of them, even when I think I'm not.  They are sugar and spice, no doubt, but completely worth the effort.  

So here's a pic of them cleaning off after our Dance Party 2010 in the kitchen.  We danced to Katy Perry and Black Eyed Peas ... 

It was good times.  Only wish Daddy had been here to dance too.

You know ... he loves dancing. ;0D

Not Enough Time in the Day

As the kids played in the sun and sand yesterday, my mom-friend Tracy and I were discussing what we've been doing all summer.  The conversation went something like this ...

Tracy:  I can't believe school starts in two weeks.  I'm so not ready for school to start.
Me:  Seriously?  I can't wait for school to start.  I'm thinking it should've started yesterday.
T:  I just feel like summer has flown by.
Me:  The days go by slowly but the weeks go by quickly, right?  I feel like we haven't done half the things I had planned for this summer.
T:  I know.  We never went to a free movie.  We never took advantage of the free bowling.
Me:  All we've done is go to the pool all summer.  Every other day.

We're truly pathetic, aren't we?  Most people (who aren't stay-at-home parents) would kill to have a life of leisure like that.  Time to go to the pool every other day?  Absolutely.  What a treat!

So why are we feeling like we've done nothing all summer?

I think this is just the infection of the brain that many SAHM's (and dads) have.

During school months, we feel like we're missing out on so much.  The kids have crazy school schedules that keep us from being able to stay up late or sleep in.  We have homework and school activities that dictate our weekly schedules.  And then the weekends roll around and we feel like we need to let them "catch up" on their rest, so we stick around the house.  Then, as summer rolls in, we begin planning.  I seriously pulled up every single possible free activity under the sun in our general vicinity for this summer.

And what have I done with that list?

It's stuffed in the drawer in the kitchen where we stuff the mail that we are too lazy to take upstairs and file.

At the very bottom.

(BTW, right now my kids are playing Play Doh, and Tanner just announced he is God.  In heaven.  I love it!)

I mean we went to one free movie the first or second week of summer vaca.  We saw, "The Squeakquel," which was well worth the drive to Town Center.  We haven't used our weekly free bowling coupons because they make you rent the bowling shoes, and it's $4.50 each, so I'd be paying 10 bucks for my kids to bowl.  I was saving it for a rainy day, but we've yet to really have one of those anyway.  Honestly, I just haven't felt like packing the kids up and driving all over the world to do things.  I'm perfectly content letting them stay in their PJs all day or letting them pick out the worst-matched clothing so they can just playing in the dirt.

And why not?

Why have we been conditioned to feel like we need to have something to do every day?  Why are we not content just sitting around the house and letting them watch TV or play with Play Doh when it's too hot outside?  And why do I feel like a failure when I "only" take them to the pool?

Let me be frank : I'm kinda happy to be a mom who doesn't over-schedule my kids.  It's been very nice just lounging and playing in the kiddie pool or packing our lunches and eating a picnic at the big pool.  Only in the last week or so have I started thinking, "OK, it's time to go back to school."

If you have two kids who are school-age, I'm sure you know exactly what I'm talking about.  ("I'm bored."  "I don't have anything to do."  "I don't want to play with Tanner right now."  Etc.)

So I'm welcoming the new school year with open arms.  I'm still a little sad to see Tanner going off to school, but I'm much more relieved now that he's only going 4 days a week ... that will give me a little more time with him before he hits big school next year!

(Yes, I'm already looking forward to next year ...)

Legitimacy is KEY!

Once again, I have set myself up for bad things.

Tim and I decided last week to put Tanner in private PreK at Kendall's preschool, Child's Play, after a lot of deliberation.  Georgia PreK was sounding so good, being "free" and all.  Of course, it was going to cost $110 for food, but that was it.  However, after driving by the seemingly vacant Kid Connection several times, Protective Daddy Bear felt it was better to enroll Tanner at Child's Play.  (And Relieved Mommy Bear couldn't be happier.)  So now, instead of $115, we are looking at shelling out $225 a month for Tanner's school.  But I'm happy because he will get a better education, he is comfortable with the building and he will have Kendall's teachers, who he already knows and likes. :)  Happy Mommy, here!  And with us not having any payments other than the house and the HD, and with my money coming in from Brady's mommy, we should be able to afford it.

Except now Brady might be going to "school" two days a week (the two days he currently goes to his other sitter) to get some time with other kiddos.  I understand that.  So my $175 I thought I would be getting to go towards tuition may not be $175 after all.

So this momma needs some legit work at home opportunities.  I would just find another child to watch during the day, but I like the flexibility of watching Brady because then I can still do things at school with Tanner and Kendall when I need to.  Selfishness, I know.  But I may have to bite the bullet.

Unless someone who randomly reads my blog finds a job for me.  The teaching job thing obviously isn't going to happen for me this year.  Which is OK, now that we've enrolled Tannerbug in private PreK and I'll have to pick him up at 1 PM.  I found this seemingly legit writing job online, but you have to pay to join the website ($77 for a lifetime membership), and then "they" throw your name out there, and you get to write reviews, blogs, etc., and get paid according to how many pieces you write.  Anyway, everything I've read on the website seems perfectly legitimate ... except for the $77 thing.

But I'm tempted to bite the bullet anyway.

I'm just feeling sort of desperate now.

This is what we get for jumping the gun, I guess.  I should've talked to Jackie before we registered Tanner at Child's Play.  I guess I should just start asking around for another little one to watch.  But then I have to go through all the crap again with Tanner ... and the jealousy.  And I don't have that much room in my little car.  I don't know what to do.

I'm open to suggestions.

What I can't do is tutoring after school.  Most of my friends and family members have suggested that.  But tutoring after school just doesn't mesh with out family's schedule.  Tim's work is unpredictable, and I would then have to find someone to watch my kids.  And since I won't be seeing them during the day while they are at school, I'm not all that keen on not seeing them at night either.  I did get on the substitute list for Cherokee County, but again, that is probably not going to be all that possible since Tanner now goes to school from 9 AM to 1 PM, as opposed to 8 AM to 2:30 PM.

I don't know what to do.

Poo.

Ideas?

What Was I Thinking???

The Jungle Room - August 2010

About 3 Hours Into Clearing

My brain must feel younger than my body.  Or something.  For some reason yesterday morning I got an itch to take out the jungle that had grown on the ground in the lot between my mom's house and ours.  Craziness.  That's all I can use to explain my actions.  

Maybe it was the 3 cups of coffee.  Or maybe it was my way of distracting myself from wanting to eat or wanting tog o shopping.  Or maybe it was the multivitamin. But whatever it was, I'm regretting it today.  My body obviously does not appreciate the finer things in life anymore -- like sweating, or fire ant bites, or blisters - because this morning I almost couldn't move when I got up.  Tanner had to pull me out of the bed because my back was aching so badly.  (And to think, this is how Tim feels after he does yard work every weekend??  No wonder he's so darn tired all the time!)

Anyhoodle, while Brady colored with chalk, Kendall rode her bike, and Tanner helped move the "weeds" with his dumptrucks, I pulled.  I started at 10 AM while it was still fairly cool outside (and it was overcast, so that was nice), and I worked until everyone was hungry.  Then it started raining, so we played in the rain (which was also my lazy way of cleaning everyone off!) before heading in for the quickest lunch ever.  

When Brady hit the hay I headed back outside.  Thank goodness Mom was home and came out to help ... we were plugging along, feeling pretty proud of ourselves when Tim got home around 3:30 and decided to help. (I was hoping to surprise him with all the work I did while he was working -- I hate it when he thinks I don't do anything all day long!)  He was supposed to work late, but I'm so thankful that he didn't.  He started yanking and, naturally, he covered more ground in 30 minutes than Mom and I did all day long.

Figures.

But no matter.  We got the "weeds" cleaned out, so at least now Mom and I can see each other across the lot between us.  And we don't lose our dogs in there anymore.  It was ridiculous before.  And even though I'm super sore today and no one in the neighborhood has bothered to comment on how much better it looks, I'm glad we cleaned it up.

So here's another "Yay!" for Tony Horton -- Without you, you crazy psycho, I certainly couldn't have tamed the jungle next door!!

Favorite Photo Friday

Wait ... it is Friday, right?!

What a strange and crazy week.  4 day weeks always do it to me.

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CLASS OF '96 PLEDGE CLASS

This is how many of us there were when we started.  Strange how there weren't that many left at the end.  But these are some of the girls (only a small percentage, obviously) who went through the grueling event known as Sorority RUSH (or Recruitment) at the University of Georgia in the summer of 1996.  Little did I know then how many of these girls would grow with me, age with me, become wives and moms with me ...

I am so thankful my mom urged me to go through RUSH that summer.  I hated the idea.  I thought it was "stupid" and "shallow."  And some people probably feel the same way I did -- and in all honesty, some of the girls I met that week at some of the houses on sorority row were stupid and shallow.  (Stupid and shallow of me to say, I know.)  But that's the key to RUSH - finding the place that doesn't feel stupid or shallow.  Finding the place that makes you feel welcome. The place that makes you feel beautiful.  The place that makes you feel whole.

And as silly as it may sound, the girls -- well, women -- who are my life-long friends now make me feel exactly that way.

They make me whole.  And I love them. (OK, so I'm feeling a little nostalgic after getting some good news from a friend this week ...) 

And who would've thought then that a Perdue, a Pilgrim, a Pennington, and a Powers would all fit together so well?!!  That's how you know you've found a good house -- because we were all very different, yet we fit perfectly together in this new home.

Kendall's "Almost" Slumber Party

For Kendall's 6th birthday, she really wanted to have a slumber party.  She was all about sleeping bags and facials and popcorn.  However, Mommy wasn't too sure about having a bunch of 6-year-olds sleeping here when Little Miss Priss still wakes up at least once most nights.  She goes back to sleep for me, but would the other girls if they were sneezed awake?  And what happens when you get the one who wants to go home at 2 AM?

Not something I wanted to deal with.

So, instead, we planned an "almost" sleepover, complete with PJ's, popcorn, pillow fights, pizza, and a movie.  The girls had so much fun, and this was the first party where I found myself just sitting back and letting it happen.  This was also the first time Kendall took care of the invites -- Mommy had nothing to do with who was invited.  What a relief for me, too!  Usually, there is so much stress that goes into planning a birthday party - I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings, but if you invite this friend, you have to invite this one and this one so you don't upset anyone.  You know how it goes.  But this year, Kendall invited girls from her kindergarten class and dance class.  That's it.  And all the girls were the same age, which made it nice when it was time to play games.  All the girls had just completed their first year in school, so they were well-versed in waiting their turns and listening to directions.  On the day of the party, five 6-year-old girls arrived at 5 PM in their PJ's, ready for some fun.

We started with painting pillowcases.  I bought white pillow cases for the girls to paint with fabric paint in all kinds of glittery pastels.  They stamped and painted until there was no room left.  While the mess was cleaned up, the girls ran around the house with their stuffed animals and squealed. Literally.  Just in a big circle.  It was cute.

After painting, we ate pizza, Kendall's favorite food of the moment.  Then we played a few games (Toss the Bed Bugs and Hot Slippers), in which two prizes were won and lots of goodies filled the goody bags.  After games, we ate cake and opened presents (Side note -- It was so nice only have 5 girls.  Less mess to clean up when opening presents!!), then settled down in our sleeping bags with our sleep masks and popcorn to watch a Hannah Montana flick.  Then, when the movie was over at 8, the mommies showed up to take their girls home!

So much fun!  I highly recommend it.  Kendall got all the fun of a sleepover minus the staying up super late and  talking all night long.  The girls left before anyone could start getting caddy or bossy.  And, naturally, Kendall was so tired when everyone went home that she crashed.

Another plus?  She was already in her PJ's so she could just jump into bed after brushing away the sugar bugs (of which there were many) on her teeth.

And one more plus?  Super frugal -- I did this entire party, with food, cake, goodies, craft, and movie for around $100.  Love it!!

My Picket Fence

Growing up, every girl dreams of having the perfect marriage with the perfect kids in the perfect house with the perfect dog and the perfect white picket fence.  I'm no different from any other girl.

So what do you think of my white picket fence?

This is the closest I could find.

Our HOA doesn't allow white picket fences, anyway.  And anyone who knows me knows that there certainly is no plethora of perfection in the Morris house.

But we try.

And, most of the time, we come pretty damn close.

The only reason I'm posting this is because a friend of mine sent me an email, and at the close of it she apologized for sounding like everything isn't OK with her.

Seriously??  Have you not read my post on being honest?  Give me some crap.  Some griping.  Some bitching.

It makes me feel normal.

So here's my white picket fence.  I'm not sure how I feel about it.  It's cute and all, but it's not real.  And I'm not sure it suits me.

I prefer rough, rugged, and dirty.  ;0)

Check Off That Goal for This Year

Or I should say, "I made it."  

Tim never has a problem -- but I was worried on my second time out for the Road Race. Last year I had been walking quite a lot before July, but all I've done this year to "train" is my grueling 90 days of Tony Horton insanity.  As luck would have it, I finished my final week of P90X the Wednesday before the road race, and I found myself thinking, "Hooray!  I can NOT WORKOUT for a few days before I have to walk my 10K."

Of course, then July 4th was close, closer, closest, and I could feel my pulse quickening just thinking about walking that pavement in the blazing sun.  I did hit the treadmill at the gym one day, just to see how far I could make it at a slow trot before wanting to die.  And I was fairly impressed with myself that I was able to make it 3 miles before my lungs started screaming.  (Side note -- It's usually my leg muscles that are begging me to stop, not my lungs, so I guess P90X did a good job with my muscles!)

So bright (OK, so not so bright) and early Sunday morning, Tim and I started out with our numbers and glide to run our second Peachtree Road Race together.  I made sure to take my phone this year so I could get some pictures of the many spectacles I always see there.  I'm sad to say that I only saw one guy running in a hospital gown (and nothing else) and a few guys painted as American flags ... but nothing else too strange.  I made it two miles before I thought I was going to pass out and die in the middle of the road and get trampled by all the other people who think they are runners I just decided to walk (I think I probably walk faster than many of those people were "running."), and finished in 1 hour and 30 minutes (10 minutes faster than last year -- probably thanks to the fact that I didn't have lots of coffee in the AM and didn't have to stop and pee at the port-a-john).  Tim kicked tail in under an hour, being the rock star that he is.  He amazes me that he can do no kind of training at all and still run the entire race.

Anyway, I still have some muscles that are a little sore after the fact (muscles that I didn't know existed), but I'm glad I did it again this year.  

My goal for next year?  To run.

Oh, and to be able to do it in just a sports bra and shorts. ;0)

Bueller? Bueller?

Are you guys still out there?  I'm feeling a little cut off --- a little lost.

I hate not being on Facebook.

Seriously.  That was the only way I knew anyone was reading my innermost thoughts and deepest secrets.

Now I put up photos and try to be quirky and funny, but I don't get the responses I used to get.  Not even a "Like" with the little thumbs-up.

It stinks!

I miss you guys ...

Favorite Photo Friday

Brother and Sister -- November 2006

I don't even have an explanation for why, or how much, I love this picture.  I just do!  I hope everyone has a good Independence Day!

She is DEFINITELY my daughter!

Most of you who know me well understand the small addiction I have to the Twilight series.  I read all the books within about 2 weeks, though I swore I would never do such a thing for a teeny-bopper series.  Nonetheless, I read them all and naturally fell in love the with the characters.  I was devastated when I finished the final book, wondering how I would ever find another series to hold my interest the way this one did (and the way Harry Potter did before).

Anyway, I wasn't as excited about the movies -- it has been my experience that the movies don't usually do books like these justice.  I mean, seriously, how can you put the angst and feeling on screen?  I'd much rather just keep the characters bottled up in my head.

But yesterday evening, while I was heating up dinner and watching Entertainment Tonight (LOVE IT!!), Kendall yells, "Mommy, that's Sharkboy!!"

I was wondering if she would make the connection between Jacob from Eclipse and Sharkboy from her much-loved The Adventures of Sharkboy and LavaGirl.

She is certainly my daughter -- she knew him right away!!  I told her, "You are right, Baby, that is Sharkboy!"  (Swoon ...)

But then she said, "But Mommy, he's all grown up?  When did he grow up?"

Oh, Honey ... you have no idea ... so now she has a crush on Sharkboy . . .  just like Mommy has a crush on Jacob ...

Yummmmmm ...