Diorama Labor day!

Yay, we're pros at this Diorama thing, last year we did a climate Diorama. This year (this weekend) we (G) were assigned a water cycle in 3d. G could pick a 3d poster, a mobile or a diorama. He put his plan on paper, and had strong feelings about 3 things, cotton balls for clouds, pipe cleaners at evaporation and blue glitter glue for the water.

We gathered our items from Hobby Lobby Saturday evening. A place you'd swear G had never been, as he found so many things he needed to save his money for and can't wait to go back and buy things! **a $17 bucket of soldiers and a foam sword that he didn't see the price of!

Well, we worked on it yesterday afternoon and then finished it up today. Wanna see?

UPDATE: we, ur G got a 100% on this! we're, hmmm he's very pleased!

Love this DAY!

Need I say more?

No, time for blogging today,

I've got an cool outside to become more acquainted with!

PS ~ at noon it was 71!

Life on Thursday

I got up early, put G on the bus, did some work for Hubby, got ready was out the door by 9:30am.

Stop #1 Took G's forgotten lunch to him,
Stop #2 dropped things off at the Post office, then head to the city.
Stop #3 my new orthopedic doc, who specializes in shoulders! Good news there I just need PT to loosen up some frozen muscles. Loved that!
Stop #4 pick up one of favorite lunches, Pei Wei Spicy chicken salad, yum!
Stop #5 eat my lunch with hubby. I had just finished eating (or should I say struggling to eat .. wait and you'll understand) when my cell phone rang. It was my Stop #6 saying the Dentist could see me earlier! I didn't let the door hit me, I was out of there!
Stop #6 the Dentist. Yesterday I had cracked my tooth (in 3 places mind you!). Not just any tooth, but the tooth that I bite things off with! AND I didn't even crack it on something hard..... A Bagel! Pain Pain Pain all day yesterday, not even to mention the fact that I now had to concentrate on eating in another part of my mouth, that's just too much thinkin' for me to do while I eat! Fortunately, it was just the tooth and not the nerve so I got a lovely temporary crown. Not covered by insurance for $1246 whole other ouch! and I'll be passing the offering plate when we're done. I missed out of the root canal (YAY)! The good thing is that I got it all done today!

and here is my biggest smile to show how

well it went!

Stop #7 Grocery store ~Ok , you know what kind of smile I had but as I was going through the grocery store, I kept thinking that I had a stuffy nose, when I got back to the car I looked in the mirror and saw this!

Who knew?

Stop #8 Home to what I think is to be a quiet evening at home with a nice dinner, when I get a text from Michelle (of friend/personal trainer fame) asking me if we were coming to cub scouts!?!?!
Stop #9 Church for Cub Scouts (screaming tires into the parking lot 10 minutes late, not really but it sounded good)
Stop #10 Home again, Home again, jiggety jig!
Stop #11 my bed with my head on my pillow! Good night!

Doodle

Sorry, I know I promised this on Tuesday but I had a bit of life going on yesterday!

2010 Book Review #12 "Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet"

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
4 out of 5

First of all my life has been super busy, and hectic so it took much longer for me to read it than it really should have!
I loved this book.


I loved all the relationships.

The love relationships

The loyal Relationships

The family relationships

The protection relationships

The bully relationships

The love of a mother relationship

The acceptance relationships

and yes even the nonacceptance relationship.

This book takes place in Seattle starting right after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The main character, Henry is Chinese and his relationship with everyone around him, especially a Japanese girl, Keiko.
The book is written in a way that you're reading about the events in 1986 and 1942.

News Blotter

W found this little gem in our paper last week ....

CORRECTION
An offense report in the Aug 13 edition of the *****(paper) did not contain complete information. Gloria * ******* of ******* reported that she was a victim of assault and 10 Bingo Cards were damaged at ******Eagle Drive between 6:20 and 9pm, June 28. We regret the error.


OK how many red flags are there in this CORRECTION??
**is the correction to include the "10 Bingo cards"? surely they wouldn't have forgotten to put in the assault charges!
**How long did this assault take? sounds like 2 hours and 40 minutes, could Gloria not get away in that time?
**Who asked for this correction? I'm thinking Gloria!

Sunday

Today G and I spent the afternoon with hubby!

For those of you who don't know, hubby had surgery #1 June 9. This surgery came with great hopes but untimely failed. Surgery #2 was August 10 and seems to be a success thus far.

In order for surgery #2 to be a success Hubby had to be in a speciality hospital for 4 to 6 weeks. So that's where he's been for the last 2 1/2 weeks. Today was day 17 (but who's counting? Me, that's who) in the Speciality Hospital. We could be at the half way point if things continue to move along smoothly.

Hubby's surgery involved 64 staples and about 25 stitches! Impressive, huh? They started taking out the staples last week, by taking every other staple out! I thought that was interesting, maybe you don't!?

Usually Sunday is W's day to visit but since he was out of town, G and I went this afternoon. We stayed about 3 1/2 hours, we chatted, I helped hubby do somethings, and sometimes we just sat there doing our own thing, but we were together and it felt good.

Hubby's there in his home away from home and we're here ... waiting and counting the days!

Saturday's Revelation

I've spend today cleaning the

basement and doing laundry.

All I can say is .....

I've raised PIGS,

& in one case an impatient Pig!

It's all clean now and the Pigs

are forbidden to go near it!

W Bonding

This afternoon I sat at the computer as W sat in the recliner. We're side by side, me facing the wall (and my computer) and W facing out into the room with his laptop.


Let me just fill you in on what we discussed/saw/discovered/investigated.


Kobie Byrant is 6'6"
Lil Wayne is 5'6"
Shaq is over 7'
Little Jimmy Dickens is 4'11"

We looked up pictures of the above people. Some of them were standing next to each other.

W ~ discovered that if you start to put "How tall is Lil' .." into Google you'll be prompted to see "How tall is Lil' boots" HUH?

W ~ "WHO is Little Jimmy Dickens?" and "why does he wear clothes that look like that?" "OH, he's a Grand ol' Opry guy."


W ~ "did you know that Dad can't stand Steve Carrel? He says his voice is like finger nails on a chalk board."
Me ~ "Well, you know your daddy isn't a big laughter and not even a giggler. Who would he like?"
W~ "OH, wait he told me......"
Me ~ "Milton Berle?"
W~ "Who's Milton Berle?"
Me ~ "Exactly"
W ~ "no , he said he liked Richard Pryor."

When I was telling about Hubby getting his blood drawn by the Scottish nurse yesterday and the "Bite yer face off" comment.....
W~ "did you tell about the time that Jared, Alex and I spoke all day at the pool with accents?"
Me ~ "No, what kind of accents?"
W ~ "Jared Australian, Alex Irish and I had a Chinese accent."
Me ~ "did you blow your whistles with an accent?" ( I thought lifeguards don't really talk that much, they blow their whistles all day)
W~ busting out with laughter, "NO"

W checked my blog....
W ~ "mom, you're not a very consistent blogger." "OH, did I tell you I have a new doodle?"
Tune in for that next Tuesday.

W~ "last week on my way to my first aid class I was sitting at a light in front of campus, and I wondered what would happen if a pedestrian stumble and fell, would the cars be able to stop. When I noticed a pedestrian stumble, recover and kept on walking, but he turned towards me and his face was covered with blood. I tried to turn around but when I finally could, the man was gone."
Me ~ "do you think that was a sign?"
W~ "I don't know, but I did turn around and try to find him. He'd just disappeared"

Then I went off to pick up G and W went off to run.

Life on Thursday

On the run again!

I got the chance to stay home this morning and work on my 'action' pile. I send in some bills to the insurance company, paid some bills and post them in the computer.

I ran to see hubby. We've been taking his laptop up to him (every couple of days), he works on it, then since he doesn't have wifi, I run to get it then run back home, (did I mention that this is a 45 minutes one way trip?) send out his emails and do the rest of work from here.

When I got to hubby's room, they were drawing blood. Goodness, that man can't handle that! His nurse doing the work, was from Scotland, and she had to distract him with stories from Scotland. At one point hubby was sweating (yea, he is at at that point) and she starts to tell him about a hilltop in Scotland where the "wind will bite your face off" (in her strongest Scottish accent). I had to keep from giggling at that statement! I didn't think Hubby would like my giggle!

Then home to get his work done.

Then off to pick up G at school. G's school (the whole district) has now discontinued busing within 2.5 miles from the school. This has caused a great deal of discussion among the in town parents. It saved the school district $400,000 (the same as 9 teacher's job). I always thought it was ridiculous that there was a bus taking kids home that actually lived right across the street from the school! I actually think it's a great thing, the city spent all summer making new sidewalks around the school, we now see families walking and riding bikes to school. We could become a healthier community! An interesting thing came home yesterday in G's backpack... it was a reminder that parents spend time teaching their children their address and directions on how to get home. Evidently, some parents sent their children to school, without preparing them on how to walk home! Geez, some people!

I had arranged for us to pick up a friend on our way home from school. I didn't tell G, I just told him that I needed eggs from Mason, "eggs and something else". I got the eggs from Mason and when G was telling Mason good by while Mason was getting in the van. It was a fun moment to watch G.

Then off to the annual "Back to Cub Scouting Ice cream Social". They played fun games, and had ice cream, what more could you ask for?

Wordless Wednesday

It's just one of these kind of days

around here today!

News Blotter

There seemed to be a jewel in this past weekend's paper!



"On the Beat"


The following incident was taken from a collection of *** county's Sheriff's office incident reports.


"Two ***county Sheriff's office deputies were dispatched to a residence south east of ****(town) at 2:16 am Aug 13 in response to a report of a subject refusing to leave the home.


Upon arrival, the deputies spoke with the reporting party; who was identified as the subject's girlfriend. She said her boyfriend was drunk and would not leave the area, according to the Sheriff's office report.


After determining that the man lives in the home the deputies informed the woman that they could not ask her boyfriend to leave unless he had hit or threatened her. They suggested she go to bed and leave him alone.


The deputies then left and found the subject passed out in a lawn chair from consuming too many alcoholic beverages. There was an empty 30 pack of beer in the grass behind him, and he was snoring upon their arrival, according to the report."

Sunday Thoughts

Today was my turn to speak in church.
For those of you that might not attend services in the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints, we have no paid ministry, so that means that we take turns 'preaching', only we don't call it preaching, it just giving a talk!

I was given a topic "Being my Brother's keeper" and I decided to speak about giving service to those around us.

I based my talk from this TALK.

The gems that I found while doing research for this talk were

**Being accountable daily to this question "What did I do for someone today?"
**What are the non essential things that clutter your days and steal your time?
**What are the habits you may have developed that do not serve a useful purpose?

I think these questions can really make a positive impact on our lives!

**I also have to share with you the work of the Lord in my talk. I had my talk put together but it just wasn't quite long enough (it was 10 minutes and not the 13 to 15 that I'd be assigned). I struggled all Saturday morning with trying to add to this talk. I finally just settled on some things and left it alone. I wasn't really happy with that portion but just continued to pray about it. I finally realized that I was speaking with a return missionary and I should just give my talk, without the recently added parts and let the young missionary have more time to talk. I knew instantly that that was what the Lord needed me to do!**

Life on Thursday

No, wait this isn't Thursday, is it?
Yes, I know it's Thursday now, but with school starting yesterday, a Wednesday this just hasn't seemed like Thursday today.



Today was day #2 of school, G rode the bus this morning. He rode his bike to the end of the drive in the fog. I couldn't see him once he was there and could barely see the bus when it came. This has been the first year I've not drive up the drive to wait for the bus. G is wanting some independence and this morning he got a dose of it in the fog!



I then went to work out with Michelle at the Y. She had a speed staking mat.

(thank you Google images)
this was fun but scary just the same. It's just like ice and who wants to exercise on ice?!

This was W's first day of classes. He wasn't nearly as excited as G was yesterday! But I did get more information out of him at the end of the day! None of his teacher's had doughnuts for him.

Next I took the next step in Substitute teaching this year ... turning in my certificate!
I love to teach, but it's always internal struggle to turn in. I'm I ready? What if they call me tomorrow? Would I teach Kindergarten tomorrow? Will I go to the High school? Just a bunch of mental junk going on as I walk out of the administration office!?

Then I spent the afternoon with Hubby. Nothing new there. OH, maybe there is something ~ whenever Hubby has pain in his lower body he gets a phantom pain of sorts. He's had them for years, and it's a good way to measure what's going on below his waist. Well, with his surgery his phantom pain was out of control, he happened to mention this to one of his doctors. This doctor had a pill that would eliminate that phantom pain. It's been a miracle drug! That's pretty exciting in our world. Now Hubby will need to decide if he'll continue on this medicine all the time (thus losing his way to measure what's going on below the waist) or just whenever he needs it.

Then home to fix lasagna dinner for the boys!

I'm exhausted, this getting up at 6:15am to meet the bus is ridiculous! I'll take G to school in the morning thus getting another hour of sleep!

comment from the first day of class

"Mrs P..... is the best teacher I've ever had!"

***she brought in doughnuts this morning!

I don't know if she's the best teacher ever

but she certainly knows how to get G's vote!

Welcome to 5th Grade

Sneak Peek last night

The student teacher on the left

and his teacher on the right

Ready to get on the bus this morning!

Last Great day of Summer

Today the weather was beautiful.

It was 87 degrees,

low humidity,

light breeze,

bright and sunny,

so we went to the pool for the last time.

W was life guarding

G took his friend Wyatt.

They ordered pizzas under their alias names,

they thought that was hilarious when the wrong names were called out!

They had a great time!

I have to hold on to this day's memory all winter long!

Movie Night in the afternoon

Today, G and I took a Redbox movie,

"Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief"

to watch with Hubby.

Life on Thursday (Friday edition)

I got to the hospital around 10ish. Sat around with hubby all day, the staff seemed more with it today, either that or I've lowered my standards. Hubby has gotten addicted to "Las Vegas" (the TV show), it's shown 2 (back to back) episodes on TNT this summer. So he was finally able to be drugged enough but not too drugged to find it again. He was so thrilled that it was the very first show!but then disappointed to find the 2nd one wasn't on due to Golf!?!

I was so excited that I found more free apps for my phone (Macala and Fast Lane).

They made arrangement to transfer Hubby yesterday at 5pm. I left him thinking that was all going to work smoothly.

It was HOT yesterday! 101 at 5pm! and super humid!

I had to leave to attended a Community Center Meeting on what and how to draw people to the Community Center to watch movies. It was a good meeting, met new people and there was some good ideas (I don't think I had any but I supported the others!)

Then rush home to get ready for the next church meeting. Something happened to my printer in one of rain storms, it just died. I have to email anything I want to print off to hubby's computer and print it from there. Sounds simple until you're in a hurry!

I finally get home, I'm exhausted. I lay down for a while to just lay there! It was quiet, it was cool, it was comfy, it was cup filling!

Hubby calls at 8:30 and he's just arrived (the ride from one place to the other was 10 minutes). So much for transferring him at 5:30!? His special bed had yet to arrive, but did arrive before we hung up.

Time to do it all over again! but that's Life on Friday!

Waiting room Observations

* Some people come alone (me and I prefer it that way) and some people have entire families. They make it a social event.

* People will change their seats to watch "Price is Right" even will bunch up next to strangers, stating as they sit down "This is my show, I never miss it"

*People who choose to wear earphones cannot hear when they call their name and should bring someone with them to listen for their name.

*no one will sit in the seats under the TVs and if they do they'll move.

*you can hear every one's conversation when they're on the cell phone. I don't think people realize this.

*Some people never take off their sunglasses, I wondered if that man ever realized that he had them on.??

*Some people bring a grocery cart size basket full of snacks

*Some people unbag gifts for the surgery patient, show the gather family, discuss them and then re bag them.

*Waiting rooms need more magazines. I did my part, I put a bunch of our old magazines there and left them.

Hospital in Review

OK, Hubby's surgery was at a different hospital than we usually go to. Yes, we've visited enough hospitals that I have an option and preference!

I don't like the hospital that Hubby had his surgery. We've only been there a couple of times before and yesterday just confirmed my feelings.

** I don't like the surgery waiting room ~ nothing to do, too many people coming and going, way too crowded. If I were a nervous surgery waiter (which I'm not) this room's commotion would have driven me crazy. There was/is nothing calming about this room.

**I don't like the cafeteria ~ it's a plain and simple cafeteria. It's small (I saw the capacity sign 200, well that 200 must have been how many could be squeezed into the space not how many comfortably), cold, someplace you'd want to eat as little as possible and move out as quick as you could! Other than a very small salad bar, there wasn't anything healthy to pick from. As I looked around I wondered why the gov't and medical field wonder why everyone is so FAT!

** The nursing staff seem to clueless. OK, I"m usually the defender of unknowing, but seriously I couldn't continue to defend this bunch! Example #1 ~ Hubby had those leg things on to keep blood clots from forming but when he got to his room they weren't connect to a machine. I pointed that out (after several hours), they finally got the machine. While hooking it up, they just found the closest electrical outlet. The closest outlet was at the foot of the bed across the walkway. When the nurse plugged it in she actually said, "this could be dangerous, I hope no one trips on this" and then left the room! I let it go since I knew hubby wasn't going to be tripping over it! Example #2 ... oh, there are plenty. It will just be better when he's out of there!

OH I should say something nice .... they have nice landscaping!

2010 Book Review #11 "Dream when you're Feeling Blue"

#11 "Dream When You're Feeling Blue" by Elizabeth Berg
2 out of 5 stars

I felt like this book never really took off. I had to make myself sit down to read it, thinking that this time there will be something that draws me in....nope, nothing ever did.

I suppose it's a snapshot of the times, Chicago during WWII, and about Kitty's (the teller of the story) slow evolution, but there isn't a hook that kept me in wanting to learn more.

AND let's not even get me talking about the ending, it was just loose, odd and confusing. It was if the author got bored too and skip us forward to current time.

IF you have NOTHING else to read.... read this but if you have another option, go with that!

the Ticking of a time bomb???

I think I can hear the ticking of my overwhelmed time bomb.....tick tick tick.....

Several months ago I was sitting in a place where I felt I could volunteer for a couple more positions. One with the local PTO as their Room Parent Coordinator and another to sit on a City board (sounds important huh? not really) to pick out family movies to be shown at the local community center.

Both of these seemed an easy fit for my already volunteering things, 2 church positions, working out, TAXIing for G's activities, the soup label and the Terracycle coordinator for G's school and of course substitute teaching whenever I'm needed. This isn't even counting the regular mom responsibilities that go unspoken!

WELL, one of my positions at church changed into a bit (translation ALOT) more responsibility, while keeping all the others plus adding the 2 others. I was just sitting here filling in my August Calendar (which now looks like a filled month) AND with Hubby in his current position, I think I can hear the faint ticking of my "I'm overwhelmed" time bomb! I wonder just how many ticks I have until the explosion occurs??!?

Life on Thursday

You know it's been a hot week, when I'm excited that it will only be 88 degrees today. The humidity was low and there was a breeze. FABULOUS summer day, if I must say so my self!

Today G marked his school supplies with this name, sharpened his pencils, wore his new school shorts, and tenna shoes! He spend the morning calling all of his friends to see what teacher they got. He was making so many phone calls that I finally had to tell him to get off the phone. Then he just sat playing with the phone (remember this detail, it'll come up later again)

I got to spend the afternoon with Mandy, Hairdresser Divine!

We colored and clipped for great results!

Have a mentioned in the last 4 weeks how much I love Mandy?

When I got home I was greeted by G in the drive way, I was all excited because I thought he was there to help me carry in groceries.....UNTIL he starts,

"Mom, don't say anything until I finish with what I have to say, cuz it's not has bad as it sounds."

Those are not my favorite words when used all together!

He continued ...

"I called the Sheriff ..... but it was by accident.... I was just playing with the phone and the Sheriff's office answered"

"Then they called back and then they came out"

"I've already talked to dad about and it's ok now!"

I've not uttered a word in all this, he felt the need to spill it all before I could walk inside

"But when you see 'City of *****' on the phone, DON'T CALL THAT, it's the Sheriff's office!"

I suppose that's just what I needed to happen so he'd stop playing with the phone.

UPDATED: seems W was still home for this and has filled in 'the rest' of the story! Evidently when the Sheriff's office called back G went crazy, running all over the house yelling that the Sheriff was on his way out! Hubby asked W to go outside and meet the Sheriff (ok, he was already working on the lawn mower). W just had to confirm that it was a misdial. I asked what G was doing at this point, W said, "he was peeking out the window".

Tonight right before bed G said, "whew, my I'm glad I'm not sitting in jail tonight" Even though I told him that a 10 year old couldn't go to jail for mis dailing the Sheriff, he still believes he narrowly escaped incarnation.

Wordless Wednesday

This is post number

Sunday Thoughts

Today I was blessed with the opportunity to create and teach a lesson to the woman of our congregation. I'd stressed over it, prayed over it and labored over it. In the end I was blessed to have a inspired lesson.

The lesson I was prompted to teach was on our
Trials and how we can grow through them.

There was so points that have given me comfort ....

"When suffering we may in fact be nearer to God than we've ever been in our entire lives"
"When we weep, He and His angels weep with us"
"Never underestimate the purpose of the trial"
"He may not always remove the trial but may strengthen us enough to get us through."

We need to change our way of thinking from "Why me?" to "What am I to learn?", "What can I do?" and "What am I to change".

Donkey Baseball game and my Birthday

46 years ago last night the little town I grew up in had a Donkey baseball game! My parents, and my Big Bro went along with everyone else in town. It was a big deal in our little town.

What you don't know what a Donkey Baseball game is? It where you ride Donkeys while you play baseball! Nothing too hard about that, huh? I don't know I wasn't there... YET!

My mom was having pains all throughout the game, she was in the bleachers, not playing (What were thinking!!?). Enough pains that my parents decided to leave the event early. They left my Big Bro with a neighbor, Beverly. Arrived at the hospital around midnight and a couple of hours later I arrived! 46 years ago today!

I guess you could say that followed the asses into town!
oops ~ Did I just say that out loud?

5 fer Friday

1 ~ Early this morning (ok it was 9:30ish, that's early for W) I was greeted by W. When I asked him what time he'd gotten home, he laid into me! "Yea, No one called me to see where I was, no one woke up for me when I came home! It's like you guy just thought I was out of town! What's up with that?" Guess he has yet to figure out that I'm old and tired!
2~ Drop and give me 10, this is the new rule around here. If G argues with me and G argues with me about everything, then I say Drop and give me 10 and he has to do it, because if he argues it's 10 more! When he went to complain to hubby, hubby just stated, "WOW, then I wouldn't argue with her anymore!"
3 ~Hubby and G called a quail into the back yard yesterday, not just the back yard but right off the deck. All this happened while I was gone. But they were both quite excited to tell me. AND before you ask.. I'll tell you, they did it by whistling. I have one question and concern ~ just how stupid can quail be that they fall for a BobWhite from a 10 year old that can bearly whistle?!!?
4 ~ I went to a Walmart in a neighboring town and just let me say that All Walmarts are not created equal!
5 ~ I believe this was on Thursday evening but I was unofficially declared the worst mother ever ... I think that means I must be doing something RIGHT!?!

Life on Thursday

This morning I had my Personal Training work out

This is Michelle,

I signed up to have them with her but she's on vacation!

Enjoying Bear Lake in Utah with her husband and 5 sons!

So I got to workout with Joel this week ~ (on the left).

I usually text Michelle to give her my pain level the following day.

Am a cursing her or just thinking about her?

Fortunately for me it's always been a 'just thinking about her' workout.

and Joel was the same.

Good workout!

I have gained 2 pounds while working out with Joel but as much as I'd like to blame Joel for that, I deep down don't think he had anything to do with it.

I really believe it has everything to do with a keebler elf!

The other guy in the picture is Kenny! He works the front desk. Kenny is a paraplegic and has been for the past 9 years (due to a truck accident). Kenny had never played any Wheelchair sports (Gasp!) ... until I hooked him up. He played (& loved) Wheelchair softball the past couple of months. He'll play Wheelchair Basketball this fall.

He wrote an article for our local paper this week

about his new found love where he stated ~

"The day finally came where I became an athlete again in my life,

and if you think that there is no where to turn just don’t ever give

up on your dreams and expectations you give for yourself. There will be

something or someone in the life to set you on your way with your goals."

I'm so excited for Kenny!

His wife not so much ..

she will hate me when she becomes a Wheelchair sports widow!

ooops, sorry Mrs Kenny!

Wordless Wednesday

Ok I just can't be wordless on this one! Hubby went for a MRI this morning and they put this one him. Now that's great that they are looking out for Hubby, but I wanted to ask "Who exactly isn't a fall risk when laying on that skinny MRI table?" I've laid on it, it's skinny, there are no handles, I had to wait until someone came to help me up or I would have FALLEN off the blasted table! I should have gotten a FALL RISK bracelet too! It's not like Hubby would have laid there rocking back and forth, or maybe that's the deal. He appeared to be a rocker and a roller. I just think this is a selective measure, and I'm not going to stand for it! I might fall for it ...... ahhh get it, fall for it???!?!

2010 Book Review #10 "Saving CeeCee Honeycutt"

"Saving Cee Cee Honeycutt" by Beth Hoffman
5 out of 5


Cecelia Rose Honeycutt is 12 years old and taking care of her psychotic mom. Her mother is trapped in her past as the 1951 Vidalia Onion Queen. CeeCee's mother is tragically killed. Cee Cee's great aunt, Tootie (which she's never met) scoops her and takes her to Savannah.This is where CeeCee's healing begins.

Loved this book!
Loved the women that come together to form CeeCee's family.
Loved the southern gentility.
Loved the personalities.
Loved the healing.
Loved the common sense.
Loved the Love.

Doodle on loan

This is a Doodle that the Doodler made for his love. It's a Doodle of their relationship. There are hidden messages about things they've experience.

She was kind enough to loan it to me for this post!

Watermelon!

Several years ago I was eating some watermelon at church with just a few people around. I found the salt and sprinkled some on my piece...... TALK ABOUT a show stopper! People stopped talking to watch me. What had I done? I was just eating Watermelon?!?

Then one of them nudged his wife and said, "Did you just see what Shelly did? She salted her Watermelon?" When I heard this, I innocently looked at them and said "What and you don't?"

As for me and mine .... we salt!

well, that's a far stretching statement because the rest of my little family doesn't really like watermelon... W likes to chuckle at me when I'm eating watermelon and say

"Oh mom, you and you're melons!"

HUH?

5 fer Friday

You know when I envisioned my 5 fer Friday posts, I envisions at least 5 pictures from our Friday......WELL, as you can tell pictures just aren't happening. My camera has stopped talking to my computer and it's frustrating trying to be the mediator for those two so I will not have pictures from my camera. I can still take pictures with my phone but they're phone pictures not camera pictures! OK on to this week's 5 fer Friday!

#1 started at 4:45 this morning. Our neighbor, Jim's birthday is today and he took off work to go fishing. He asked G to go with him and they'd be leaving at 5:30am. G told me that he needed to be down there to get things ready by 5am. He was ready at 5am but we didn't see any lights go on at Jim's house until 5:19 (to be exact). Those were some tense minutes waiting for those lights! The fishing trip wasn't much of a success but I think G had fun! I'm not sure how much rest or quiet Jim has had today, since G has been down there almost all day!

#2 I started a new book that I'm loving "Saving Cee Cee Honeycutt". This book came highly recommended so I'm excited to read it!

#3 W is working the afternoon shift and then a pool party afterwards. This means that I need (I've been asked) to take dinner into him. Which is grilled chicken (leg quarters) and pouch cooked potatoes.
#4 It's hot! and Humid! Not just hot and humid ... EXTREMELY hot and Humid!

#5 today was a Mommy relax day. I slept, I read, I fell asleep reading, I woke, I munched on 'tasty' things, I read, I slept, I read, I munched .... get the drift?!!? I needed today.

2010 Book Review #9

#9 "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate"
by Jacqueline Kelly
4.5 out of 5


First of all, isn't this the sweetest book cover ever?!?

I really really liked this book. It reflects about a 6 month time of Calpurnia Tate's life (or Callie Vee as she's called) when she's 12 turning 13. Callie Vee is the only daughter in a house of 6 boys (3 older 3 younger). It's at this time when she develops a relationship with her grandfather and a love for all things in nature, but it's also a time when her mother decides that it's time for Calpurnia to start learning things of the household.

This is a simply sweet book of Calpurnia's adventures.

Life on Thursday

Today was "Friend Day" for G.

He got to pick if they went swimming or to the movies.....

(actual screen without Glasses)

He chose Despicable Me in 3d with Drake!

Wordless Wednesday

Doodle

Life on Thursday

Maybe I should title this post, Kidnappers Come and get me!

I've had the most horrible picture on my drivers License for several years now, I think our state gives them for 6 years. That's just WAY too long if you have a yucky picture!

Several years ago W went through a time where he was losing his wallet every few months and thus getting a new drivers license every few months. One of these new license had a horrible picture also, I referred to it as his 'stoner picture' you the know the kind where his eyes are half open/half closed.

2 generations of horrible driver's license picture!

It was at this time that a woman in our general area went missing. Her picture everywhere you turned, I began to realize that it was her driver's license picture . Panic began to set in... What if I got kidnapped and my driver's license picture was plastered all over!?! They'd never find me, I don't look THAT horrible everyday, do I?

I can remember being in the kitchen with W one night when the girl's picture came on TV and telling him that if I were to disappear please, please make sure the media has a better picture of me than my Driver's license picture! He agreed but made me promise that I wouldn't let them use the 'stoner' picture .... THEN the real panic set in WHAT if we were kidnapped together???
We'd look like a real lovely bunch .. greasy momma and stone teenager!

W fortunately lost his wallet again after that, and I TODAY renewed my license which has a much better picture! I can go missing now!

I'm still debating on whether to post my horrible picture!

surprise Doodle

I recently found this Doodle on the Doodler's 'to do' list

2010 Book Review # 6,#7,#8

#6 Glass Castles by Jeannette Walls

5 out of 5

Hated this book for the first few pages, thought my aunt was crazy for ever loving it and then suggesting it to me!?! BUT then once I let go of the actions of the characters I fell in love with them and was captivated by their lives . The lesson I got out of this is just that ...Once I let them be them I fell in love with them.

#7 Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls

5 out of 5

This book was written after Glass Castles, but occurs before it. Make sense, I don't know if it really mattered which way you read them but maybe it'd make alittle more sense to read this book first (of which I didn't). Glass Castles is a true story (from the authors memories) where as this book is a "true life novel". The author takes the stories she'd heard as a child and filled them out. I think I could say I like the writing style of Ms Walls, it's captivating and enjoyable.

#8 Bleachers by John Grisham

4 out of 5

This a really really quick read, and as I started it I just kept thinking it was a 'man's story', but by the time I got involved in it, it was a man's story with a coming into reality moment. I think any of us can relate to this book. Living in the glory days of High School, then the let down of real life. Just that some of us have more glory than others and some of us have more let down than others.

Swim Meet Results

First Place
Mixed 10 and under 25 freestyle 23.97 (-1.32)
Fifth Place
Men (?!!) 12 and under 50 yard Breast 57.75 (-1.11)
Fifth place
Mixed 10 and under 100 IM 2.05.55 (his first time in this event)

G was also in 2 relay races where his team placed 1st both times

Noise UPdate

This past week I purchased G a "StarWars Trouble" game.
Remember the Trouble game from eons ago? Yea, it that only with a StarWars twist.
When you press the popit it makes R2D2 sounds, you know that sort of computer whistling sound. There is a variety of them, maybe 6 different ones.

So not only do we get to hear the PopIt all the time
We get to hear the PopIt with R2D2 sounds
and not only do we get to hear the PopIt with R2D2 sounds
but we get to hear the PopIt with R2D2 sounds with G repeating the whistle.
3 times the pleasure.

G got to make a surprise doughnut run yesterday morning so hubby could enjoy his morning sleep due to the Star Wars Trouble game!

Saturday's update

This past week ....
*We watched it rain
*We watched it rain
and We watched it rain

OK, get the drift it rained all week

I suppose the highlight of week was for G. He went to a birthday party to a HUGE water park. Yes they got rained on for a short while but then got to enjoy the park on cloudy day. G enjoyed it so much that all he can talk about now is how he's going back SOON!

As for an update on Hubby, let's see he's watched about a million hours of' TV. I'm sure he's watch a billion people die and then their assassins be brought to justice. They're having a free month of foreign and Independent movies this month so now he can watch people die on a lower budget and foreign people die!

He has also watched every World Cup game (not just this week but for the past month), the long hours (agonizing to me) of the golf tourney at Pebble beach, the longest match at Wimbledon, not to mention other lesser moments in sports! I've also found him watching a Madonna concert!?!

In an effort to not go crazy (with hubby's remote flipping) I've read 3 books over the past couple of weeks (look for their reviews coming soon).

5 fer Friday

1. G had a blast cracking up this Styrofoam,

2. G finished his swim lessons by passing Level 5! Yay G

3. I paid bills and organized bills for the insurance company. You know I get later and later at paying bills, I just don't know what's wrong with me. This use to never happen!

4. G and I went to the pool for some R&R

(that's funny because I think we have R&R everyday!)

There were several of his friends there.

W and Megan were life guarding so all my chicks were there!

5. Did you notice some thing strange in every picture posted? It was there, go back and look!

There was SUN today, it's been days since we've seen the sun but it was big, bright and beautiful today!

Life on Thursday

I went to visit Mandy today!

She cuts my hair and I love her.

She truly loves to 'do' hair

and I can tell.

I've never had a bad hair cut or color with Mandy.

Wordless Wednesday

Doodle

Happy 5th of July!

Due to raining cats and dogs last night the 4th of July was canceled at our house. There were tears among the raindrops but everything was made right tonight (among the threat of rain).

There was a quiet passing of the punk this year.

G had been lighting his smoke bombs and parachute men for the past couple of days but tonight he lite his own fountains and barrel fireworks. I stood on the deck while W gave him instructions (what a proud mom I was) and watched him light them and run like the devil! Finally his big brother told him to watch the punk when he ran. That slowed him down a bit!

This was also a year without the "ear muffs" (as G calls them). He's growing up!

Swim Meet results

At last week's swim meet G slashed all of his times!

2nd place
Mixed 10 & under 25 meter Freestyle 25.29 (-2.14 off)
3rd place
Mixed 10 & under 25 back Stroke 28.64 (-1.42 off his)
3rd place
Men 12 & under 50 Breaststroke 58.86 (-7.67 off this)

Week Recap

**This week G started his swim lessons, these are a waste of time and money. Hubby thinks he should finish all the levels offered by the Red Cross, so we signed up. What Hubby doesn't realize is that Gabe can swim. AND swim REALLY REALLY well, after this session we're DONE!

**Took Hubby to the get blood work done on Monday and then to see the Doctors on Tuesday. We waited for over an hour to get into a room!?! Every thing looks fine, and please come back in 2 weeks! Music to our ears!

** I usually go with the "it's their hair and as long as it is 'shaped up' they can have it as long as they want it. Hubby goes with the shave it off philosophy! G was into having his way with his hair this summer. This week I told him it needed to shaped up... he said, "I want hair like Tim Howard." Music to hubby's ears...WHAT you don't know who Tim Howard is???

He's the goalie for the American World cup team! and notice the hair? or lack of it!

G is disappointed that I can't get his hair cut as close as Tim's!

G's instructions now ..

"just as long as it's shaggy for winter time, we're good."

**We've watched a Momma KillDeer for the past couple of weeks protect her 4 eggs

**I put hubby and G to work making a catapult this week!

I think they did a pretty good job, huh?

Ok, honestly I think hubby made the above while G worked on the below!?!

**and as ever there was constant game of living room soccer with both boys and sometime Megan! sigh....

It's five for Friday time!

1. Sleeping in... well sort of. Hubby gets a IV med at 6am, but it can be late (and it can be earlier, but the morning dose hasn't ever been given early) so I gave it at 7am this morning. I know I'm old when it's a luxury to sleep into 7am. Between this medicine time and swim team, I'll be glad for school to start so I can sleep in to 7 every morning.


2.


W was called into sub for a swim lesson instructor.
He's a lifeguard so he can sit in with another instructor.
When we got there for G's swim lessons, W was one of his
instructors. This seemed to be W's position for all of G's lesson!



3. Hubby smoked a Brisket today. It was so nice to pull in the drive smell the wonderful aroma and then realize it was coming from my back deck! Supper was sooo gooood!

4. G and I went to the pool late today. I sat reading while G jump off the diving boards a 100x. He's got one jump (the pencil) but calls it different things ... Like the Bacon jump. He does his Pencil jump while yelling "BACON" Today he worked on getting his 180 to a 360. yep, you got it, it's a turning pencil!

5. I started a new book, and already have a quote that I love.
"A fever that high can boil your brain and cause permanent damage, So don't ever tell anyone you had it. You do, you might have trouble catching a husband."

Welcome to Life on Thursday

Every day on the Way to the YMCA I travel the back roads

(it's much much shorter but much much more dustier).

At one point I cross this road.

I often wonder how far it is to that very last hill.