Wekend Update: Random, random, everywhere...

Hello, remember me?? I know I'm a huge slacker. I still can't seem to turn all those "Drafts" into "Posts". I'm working on it.

Coming up later this week, the Cub Scout post I have been promising. I've decided to wait until after his Bobcat ceremony (is that what it's called?) to finish that one up.

Also, I have a circus recap. I took LOTS of photos (& video), and I would have had that one finished already, but life keeps getting in the way of my blogging (RUDE!) Plus, there's that whole camera slacker thing I've got going on...

So, instead I will share a bit O' the random...

Yesterday's Left-handed compliment of the day: "You're VERY intelligent in your own way." I won't share with you the response that came to mind...

I never did make it into work on Saturday. I fully intended to, but Budman had to go to his parents' house to work on their cars, and with Mater having run a fever the day before, we did not want to bring him around Budman's Dad, Pop, for fear that he would get very sick. So, the kids and I stayed home, I did laundry and cleaned house, and felt very productive instead.

Saturday was the Circus, thanks to Possum, who said "I don't have to be there until 7:20, I thought we would leave around 7:00", (Gee, thanks for making our plans for us, we MIGHT have had something else in mind, though - So sorry we didn't consult you first!!) we were very nearly late. My parents DID meet us there, and as I'm getting out of the car, I get my SECOND phone call from my mother (She's not so good with the concept of 'go with the flow'), who says "The man here says the show starts at 7:00. That's in five minutes!" So, we hurried over to meet them at the door, rushed in and found our seats. Possum, turns out, was NOT supposed to be there at 7:20, since the silly thing STARTED at 7:00 and he couldn't find the other boys in the group, because they were already out in the CENTER RING!!! Grr, the boy makes us crazy sometimes! Oh well, he made it to where he was supposed to be, and we had a lovely time. I have lots of pictures, and will share soon.

Sunday, the little boys went to Church with Grandma, and the big one went to the shooting range with Grandpa, SO Budman and I snuck off together!! We went and had breakfast at Whataburger, then swung by the auto parts store to buy a radiator for his mother's car. (Boy, does he know how to show a girl a good time!!) Sigh... Where was I? Ah, we headed to the In-laws, and replaced the radiator - OK, so Budman replaced it, but I totally helped him, AND if I had a Chevy S-10 whatever, I could SO change out the radiator on it. I could SO!! Budman said next time he was letting me doing it all. SO there!

Surprisingly, the radiator only took about an hour and a half, and we headed back home, where I prepared a little Seven Layer dip to snack on while Budman and Possum watched the Football game, which was a tremendous disappointment, and I Plurked.

The kids had Monday off school, so they were tasked with getting the Halloween decorations up outside. They also got to carve Jack-o-Lanterns!! The decorations aren't quite finished yet, but don't worry BurghBaby, I will share the pictures, as promised.

I guess that's it for now. I really have lots more ideas, but somehow, I'm lacking the words to back it all up!

Oh, and remember, my blogaversary is coming up, and I will be having a giveaway!! Stay tuned for more details!!! (Dang, I'm not sure how to spell that!!!)

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Please don't forget that I'm On the MOVE for a cure to Alzheimer's. (Read yesterday's post for more details.) I'm donating all revenue from October to the Alzheimer's Association. Please stay and click a while!!! And if you wish to donate to a terrific cause, I would be honored if you would support me in my Walk on October 18th!!

Click Here to Donate

Can I take care of business?

Well, Budman has been sent on another business trip. UGH.

The kids already miss him.

So do I.

He will be back soon enough, but we're not quite used to being apart from each other, which sucks, but we'll survive. I'll try to keep my whining and self-pity to a minimum...

You might ask if I worry about announcing to the Internet that my hubs is away?

NOPE.

Just when I thought...

Thank Goodness for Budman. Just when I thought I was permanently out of ideas to blog about, he brought this home.

It's a shoe-box. (I'm sure you could have guessed that, but work with me here...)

INSIDE the shoe-box, were these.

6 baby rabbits. (I was holding one of them)

He went to his mom & dad's house today, to help them with some auto repairs, yard work etc, and his mother asked him to take care of the nest of rats that were out in the yard. Only they weren't rats. And Budman couldn't "take care of" them. So, he loaded them up in the shoe-box, and brought them to me. I did some Google research, figured out what we needed and my stepmother and I ran out and bought some milk replacer, and some tiny bottles, and tried to feed them. So far, they are a little slow in getting the hang of it, but we made some progress. At this point, though, we're starting to think that they may be a little older than originally thought, so they may actually be weaned.

We don't have any intention of keeping them, so no lectures, please. :)

Normally, he would have left them alone, and not disturbed them, but they would not have survived had he left them. The In-laws dog was already nosing around, and between her and the lawnmower, they would have been goners for sure.

The original plan was to keep them until they were old enough to be released, which we could do here on our property, since we already have plenty of rabbits here. However, I may make a few calls tomorrow to see if there is a local wildlife rehabber who would be interested in taking them.

Either way, we are handling them as little as possible, and have already explained to the kids that they will not be staying. The boys understand about wild animals, and how you can't keep a wild thing locked up, no matter how much you want it, because wild things are meant to be free and wouldn't be happy if they weren't free.

But aren't they just the CUTEST things?????

Is it just me??

Budman and I were walking to our car this evening, and we saw a sign for this place, advertising mums and garters.

Budman asked what that meant, and I just said "It's Homecoming season, dear."

He didn't know what I meant by that, and asked for more clarification. As I'm explaining Homecoming Mums/garters, I realize that he has ABSOLUTELY no idea what I am talking about.

Me: "Wait, what did y'all do for Homecoming in Arizona?"

Budman gave me a blank look, and I said "Let me guess, you never went to Homecoming, did you?"

Nope, he never went. He didn't spend much time doing "school activities" back then, he was on his own by the time he was 15, and was usually too busy working to pay bills to mess with that kind of stuff.

But that's not what bothered me about the whole conversation, it was the fact that he had NO CLUE what a Homecoming mum was.

So, I began to wonder - is this a Southern thing? a Texas thing? Budman's argument that they don't have a lot of fresh flowers in Arizona doesn't fly with me - we rarely used real mums anyway.

I clearly remember going to Michael's to pick out supplies to make a garter for whichever boy had asked me out for Homecoming that year.

mums, ribbons, lettering, bells, trinkets....

There's a tradition - you wear your Mum to school the day of Homecoming, and your friends choose a ribbon, and tie a one-handed knot in it. I can't find a reference to this online ANYWHERE, and I had almost forgotten about it.

I did some quick Googling, and most of the links that pulled up were for places in Texas. Hmmm... Even Wikipedia has only the smallest mention of Mums:

"At many high schools, especially in the southern United States, homecoming dates exchange "mums" on Homecoming Friday, to wear to the game and the dance. These are very elaborate corsages (for the girls) or garters (for the boys, worn on the arm) that consist of a large flower (usually a chrysanthemum) surrounded by a ribbon ruffle. Long ribbons, decorations and trinkets are hung from the mum which indicate the students' date of birth, name, class, interests, and messages towards other people."

So, I'm wondering:

Doesn't everyone do Homecoming Mums?

Is it just something we do here in Texas?

Is it really that big a deal that Budman hasn't heard of this? Since he's a guy, it's probably not as big a deal.

Did you have mums when you were in High school?

Were they made with real flowers or were they homemade?

I must know all about it.

----Wishing I had a scanner, because I KNOW I have a picture of at least ONE of the four mums I was given back then.----

**This year, Possum is not participating in Homecoming - at least he hasn't asked a girl to go with him or anything... Good thing I discovered Budman was clueless about this - I can pick up the slack whenever the time comes.

Don'tcha hate my random posts!?!?!

First, It's September 11th. Not to get all preachy on you, but please make some time today to pray for those people, or just take a moment to think of them and their families. Here is a list (just one, so far) of people who have 9/11 posts today.

BurghBaby

A Mom Two Boys

Happy Meals & Happy Hour

A Mama's Blog

Amy in Ohio

Autobiography of My Feet

Twice as Nice

Draco's Rose

Cake Wrecks

Decisionally Challenged

I will update as I find more. I'm still on my first cup of coffee.

Second, Ike is a pain n the @ss. I have one friend who has already evacuated, and another whose family is doing the same. My uncle and his family live in Magnolia, and he has a Veterinary practice in Houston, and I know Know KNOW that they will not evacuate and leave the animals. I don't even have to ask, I KNOW. Please, please keep all of those people in your thoughts, keep your fingers crossed, think good thoughts, pray - whatever you want.

Third, Tonight is the Boy Scout Rally. Monkey has been waiting for six months to be old enough to be a Cub Scout, and tonight is his big night. He's a bit nervous, I could tell, but Budman, who was also a Cub/Boy Scout (he still has all his stuff - AND his dad's - so cool) will be going with him, while I take Possum to DeMolay. Whew, let the fun begin. I think knowing that Daddy will be going with him took a little worry off his mind.

Fourth, I think I may have forgotton in the last 'Hmmhmm' years how busy High schoolers are. Possum is in ROTC, which has after school "practice?" on Tuesdays, and he also wants to be in the... Crud, I forgot what he called it... the rifles and such... not color guard, but dang it... I'll think of it, which practices on Wednesdays, and then DeMolay on Thursdays. He has been warned, if his grades are not to our satisfaction, we will yank him, so here's hoping. So far, he's been very diligent with his school work.

Fifth, Why the HELL did my step-mother feel the need to buy my SIX year old Axe Body Spray? I know she's a Grandma and must spoil him and all but really, WTF?? He's all spraying himself every morning before school, and decided that he would be wearing the spray this evening to the Boy Scouts rally - QUOTE "Even though there won't be any girls there." Huh??

Sixth, Who in the Hell said that my baby was allowed to have a **Gasp** Girlfriend??? He's FIVE, and some hussy* is on the bus blowing him kisses??? Oh Lord, no. I cannot deal with this.

Seventh, I don't really have a seventh, but I'm trying... Oh yeah. I'm really interested in this site. Unfortunately, my work computer hates all things fun, so I will have to see if I can figure it out this weekend. I just wanted to say - if you do this and post your pictures, PLEASE let me know, because I cannot get enough of these photos...

Eighth, I am obsessed with well, actually a LOT of things but this week, it's Chuck Norris Facts. I giggled for hours yesterday, drove both my co-workers and my husband crazy and convinced at least four people that I'm certifiable. Actually, only three - I'm pretty sure Budman already knew that about me.

• My favorite? (today) "Chuck Norris once shot down a German fighter plane with his finger, by yelling, "Bang!"

Lastly, Have a terrific day and since I probably won't finish tomorrow's post until Monday, a great weekend, too.

*If that hussy is your daughter - I'm sorry - I didn't really mean it. Just keep her blown kisses off of my baby, please??

Works in progress

I'm working on several posts, but can't seem to find the time to get them finished!

• I've got one about the kids, and discipline, and such. Hopefully (for you!) it will be entertaining.

• I'm fighting the urge to weigh in on politics. Hopefully (for you!) I will be able to hold off. But, dang, people are pissing me off!!

Instead (since I can't seem to finish anything these days), I will tell you a little about my weekend. My favorite part of this weekend, (besides the fact that it was the weekend, and I did next to nothing... but not totally nothing, because we had lots of company, and I had to clean toilets becuase 14 year old boys don't know that "Clean your bathroom" means to actually scrub toilets and sinks and such. Grrr.) was Sunday, when Budman (for whatever reason) decided that he needed to take me out dancing that night.

Thankfully, I managed to talk him out of it, so he insisted that we spend the evening dancing together on the back patio. We have a CD player out there, so we spent all evening digging through our collection, and dancing. Pretty soon, everyone came out to the back porch and the kids were dancing with my step-mom, but then my dad came along to dance with her, so Budman and I danced with the kids, until they had enough, and we went back to dancing with each other. It was fun, and silly and sweet - and I really loved it.

And although I always feel a little hokey dancing in our yard at first (Yes, we have done this on more than one occasion), I start to think that it's probably a good thing that the kids see Budman and I spending time together doing mushy stuff (Not TOO mushy), and that they grow up knowing how much their parents love each other, because they see it on a regular basis, and being included when we do our silly stuff.

Monday, I stepped outside for a minute, and Mater ran out with me, turned on the music, and asked me to dance with him. I guess we made an impression...

I know this isn't terribly well written, or even concise, but it's been floating about my head for a few days, and at some point, you have to write it all down, ready or not, just to make room in your head for new crap. So here - you get it "as is".

Have a terrific week.

Oh, The Google searches I'm going to get...

I know - two posts in less than 12 hours... No, I'm not sick, but thanks for asking!

I have been meaning to post this one for a while, but I've been hesitant, because I can only imagine the crazy search terms that will bring perverts people here... However, Catwoman recently posted this (You MUST read it, go ahead, I'll wait) so I decided to suck it up and just post the story already.

A few weeks ago, Budman sent me this link. (I feel I must warn you, this site can be a tremendous time suck, so let's try and stay focused on me and MY story first, Mkay??) I thought it was funny, and gave it no more thought. When he came to pick me up from work that evening, however, this thing

was in the car, in my seat... Purty, ain't it??

"Oh gawd, you bought one?? I just thought you were sending me another crazy product idea." (He loves to do this. I don't know how he finds some of this crazy stuff.) Turns out, he and his boss had stopped by the hardware store at lunchtime - Men - and he saw the chicken sitting there innocently, picked it up, and when he saw what it did, he had to have it.

So, the chicken came home with us.

Monkey and Mater were very curious about the chicken. They really love that their father likes toys as much as they do. (except when they bring home a cool happy meal toy, and he steals it, but I digress)

Here's the point where I must show you what it does - PLEASE, if you are at work, or have a sleeping baby, husband or dog, and don't want them to wake up, turn down your sound. (Actually, it's not quite as loud as I thought it would be...)

Naturally, the boys then wanted in on the fun.

ALL.EVENING.LONG. I was bombarded by the following statements coming from my little darlings:

I want to choke the chicken!

Mom, can I choke Daddy's chicken?

Is it my turn to choke the chicken??

No, you can choke the chicken after I'm done!

I LOVE choking the chicken!

FINALLY (long after all the talk of choking the chicken had gotten old) it was bedtime. The boys each begged to be allowed to choke the chicken one more time before they went to bed, and as they were heading up the stairs exclaiming things like "I want to choke the chicken again tomorrow" and "Choking the chicken is FUN!", Monkey cried out "That is the best thing ever!!"

To which his father replied "Almost, son, almost

awesome. Thanks, Honey!!

(And what is UP with my gratuitous use of parentheses lately?)

Introducing Pop

Exhausted today. I haven't gotten to sleep at a decent time in weeks because my husband is a horndog I've been staying up too late and getting up way too early, which doesn't really help the whole insomnia thing.

Last night, Budman and I went to the VA hospital to spend a little time with his dad, who will henceforth be known as Pop. Pop has cancer. Budman's mother was able to go home and get some rest, which I know she really needed.

The VA hospital is such a sucky place. If it ever comes up, and you have the power to keep someone you love out of the VA hospital, I TRULY TRULY hope that you do. Unfortunately, Pop doesn't have any other options.

He looks pretty weak, he has fluid on his lungs (AGAIN, after they just drained it last week). They are installing some sort of drain/catheter-type thing, so that he will be able to drain his lungs as needed, since it takes an act of God to get anything done for him at that hospital. It seems to me, that they won't DO anything (at least not anything worthwhile) unless it's in order to save his life. If he's just having trouble breathing, they put him on oxygen (he has that at home) and breathing treatments (he has those at home) and run tests on him. If he's about to die, then they pull out all the stops and do something.

I'm frustrated, and maybe that's not really the way it is there, but it seems like it. That place was so awful. The air was hot and stale, and walking down the hall to find Pop's room, there was a horrible stench in the air. I whispered to Budman "Someone pooped themselves", and he muttered agreement. The rooms are unlike any hospital I've ever seen. Three, sometimes four beds to a room, and I can tell that the rooms were not planned that way, because they only put two TVs in each one. So, they're just overcrowded, or cutting costs, or I don't know what. The people that fill these rooms, I can only assume that they are the men and women who served our country in the military (Isn't that what the VA hospital is for?), don't they deserve better?? As we drove up, I was surprised at how nice the outside of the building looked, I was expecting a real shit-hole. The lobby is decorated and bright - like a regular hospital. But the upper floors, where the patients are...

As soon as we got there, we had no sooner exchanged pleasantries and sat down, when Pop asked Budman to take him out for a cigarette.

• One could argue that he doesn't need to smoke, that it will only make him worse, his breathing is bad enough, no open flames around the oxygen tanks... (Just kidding about the oxygen tank)

• Or, you can say to yourself, this man is dying, and one or two cigarettes are not going to change that, nor are they going to speed up the process anymore than it already has been. The doctors have basically told him already that all the changes he's made to his diet over the past few years aren't going to prevent the inevitable, so now he eats what he wants. So then the argument becomes: if you're down to your last moments, (however many - or few - there may be left) you might as well live them the way you want to.

After initially telling his dad that he wouldn't take him downstairs (and knowing full well that he can't make it on his own, because he gets winded walking to the bathroom, and he has to use a wheelchair-as-a-walker for that), he has the above mentioned argument with himself (I know, I could see the thought process reflected on his face, and because I was having the same argument in my head - I told you we share a brain) and gives in.

So, Pop gets to go downstairs, outside to sneak half a cigarette. Seriously, he can't even smoke in the smoking area, he does have an oxygen tank on his chair (it was turned off), and no oxygen equipment in the smoking spot. Budman felt a little guilty for taking him down there, but he's a grown man, and he does have a right to decide how he wants to live the rest of his life...

At some point during our visit, a young Doctor comes in, and gives him a marker. She explains: After he is bathed and prepped for his procedure in the morning, he is to take the marker, and write "YES" across the right side of his chest. Yep, you read that right - due to the potential for mistakes, they require that all patients mark themselves as to what area/side their operation is to take place. I told Budman, I would have written "You're the Doctor, you figure it out" across my chest if I were Pop. This does not instill a great deal of my confidence in their skills, people or facilities.

I know that they have a hard job. I know that they are most likely all underpaid. They are certainly overcrowded, and probably understaffed as well, becuase if I were a medical professional with a choice of places to work, I would not choose that place.

I'm pretty sure this is all disjointed, and my thoughts are not organized well, because you're getting them as I think them, and because, well, I'm just plain tired.

I've been meaning to post more detail on Pop's condition since the first time I mentioned him, and after last night, today seemed as good a time as any to get it all out.

Conversations: Not just for kids anymore.

Voice on the Radio: And coming up next, a death at Sea World today.

Budman: How in the hell do you die at Sea World??

Me: Drowning? Hungry whale? Sea Lion Rampage? Penguin Attack?

Budman: Yeah, that's it - Penguin Attack.

Me: Some penguins are pretty frightening creatures if I am to believe the book that I read to the boys last week. Some of them can get as much at FOUR feet tall.

Budman: Yeah - the King penguin. Only thing a King penguin is afraid of is a Queen penguin.

Me: You are so weird.

Radio: blah blah blah whale died at Sea World.

Me: You k'now, we totally got screwed out of that story. No angry Sea Lion rampage or anything.

Budman: Yeah, they really had us going...

Weekend Update - continued

First, I have to say that my Monkey graduated Kindergarten last night!!

I'll have photos - as soon as Budman sends them to me - So today may be a two-poster!! I know you're SO 'cited.

But, for now - back to the weekend update. It isn't all that interesting, but I'll do my best.

Oh - and Possum's eyes are looking much better. You can see a little bit of purple if you look closely, but he's doing just fine, thanks for thinking of him!

Saturday, was pretty simple. Budman worked on the car, he was feeling a lot of stress about that, and when you're stressed, I'm not really the best person to have around. I can be a bit... clingy, for lack of a better word, and annoyingly accommodating. Finally, I recognized that Budman needed some time to himself (I'm not exactly a quick study). He went out for a while, I cleaned our bedroom, while doing laundry (and actually putting away clothes!) I had the boys clean their room and the loft (which is nothing more than a glorified toy storage area).

For lunch, I chopped up some leftover ham and made an awesome ham salad, the little ones, of course, don't know what's good, and preferred to have Mac 'n Cheese. (Neanderthals)

After lunch, I had the boys take a nap. (The little ones, I don't make Possum nap). We have pretty much done away with napping, since they don't have nap time at school during the week, but Saturday was stressful, and I wanted some time to get the cleaning handled, without having to stop every five minutes to break up fights or whatever.

When Budman returned, he announced that we were taking the boat and heading for the lake - as soon as the little guys woke up. I went upstairs a few minutes later, and they were both awake, so we got ready and headed out. This was the first time that we let them swim in the water while we were out there, and they were both VERY nervous about that - even though they had their life jackets on.

Both Monkey and Mater are a little afraid of the water. It took me forever before I could get Mater to take a bath without screaming - and showers are a nightmare!! We had a little pool last summer, and while Monkey would have lived in it if we would have let him, Mater very rarely felt the need to "swim". So, understandably, they were both freaking out a bit about jumping into the lake from the side of the boat.

But, mean mommy that I am, I made them get into the lake at every opportunity. Budman was in the water with them, and usually, we only let one in at a time, since I discovered that while I can get into the water, our boat doesn't have a ladder yet, so I am incapable of pulling myself back out! I'm so embarrassed to even admit that... No upper body strength, and overweight. YAY! But, that's OK, I'm working on it - and Budman promised to get me a ladder. Anyway, I wish I had taken the camera, because I will not be able to accurately describe some of the funniest moments that happened. I'm totally gonna try, though.

While Mater was in the water, he was screaming so loudly, that I was sure someone would call the police. He just about came unglued! As Budman was handing him up to me so I could lift him back into the boat, he said (still screaming) "I liked it!!!" Sorry Mater, not buying it.

Monkey also fussed a bit, they both like the water fine as long as they can touch the bottom, but that's not so easy in a lake. Later, we found a spot to do some fishing, and Mater decided that he needed to.. go potty. When we told him that he would have to get into the water, he decided all of a sudden, that he no longer had to go. Too bad, we lifted him over the side and down into the water, while he's screaming "no, no, no, I don't want to! no, no, OH MAN!" That was the moment when his feet touched the bottom of the lake. We were in a little "inlet", and it was about 2-3 foot deep. He felt awfully silly about the fuss after that. He took care of business and we teased him for making such a ruckus. He wiped his tears, and began to laugh at the whole thing. He even told the story again several times later that night after we got home.

We stayed out on the lake as late as possible, getting back to the boat ramp just before the sun began to go down. It was so very nice. I think we'll be spending most of our time there.

Sunday, we slept in a little and then decided to head back to the lake. (Aren't' I boring? "car trouble, blah blah, lake, blah blah, laundry, blah blah blah!" Some swimming, some fishing (I won - I caught SEVEN fish!!) Repeat. Repeat again. We headed back home, ate some hamburgers, and put the boys down for a nap. As soon as he asked to be excused from the table, Mater asked if he could go take his nap. Monkey was not far behind. Due to the heat of the day, and the VAST amounts of sun, even Budman and I took naps. After that, Budman spent the evening on the laptop, looking for our new car (Yes, my car is repairable, but it will be time consuming and expensive, and we've been discussing a new car with better gas mileage anyway. Guess now is the time.)

Speaking of sun, the top of my right foot is burned. The left foot is just fine. I have no idea why. Budman, bless his heart, burned his scalp (I knew I should have rubbed sunscreen in his hair...) And I managed to miss a few spots when I applied sunscreen, so I have pink cleavage and the backs of my arms are not feeling so hot. Actually, they are feeling hot - but you know what I mean...

Monkey and Mater, managed to avoid being sunburned, I'm a maniac when it comes to sunscreen for my two fish-belly white boys, though.

Possum got a bit of sunburn on his back, and several people have asked "Didn't you put sunscreen on him?" My answer has been that he's 14, and old enough to put on his own sunscreen. Is this wrong? I did remind him on Sunday, although he forgot to put it on his back, and is now a little sore...

Anyway, so I'm now wondering, Should I have made sure he put sunscreen on? Having your (step)mom put sunscreen on you - isn't that a little creepy? I generally try not to nag Possum about stuff, although he is forgetful, we are trying to teach him responsibility for his own actions, and not to depend on us to think for him. Just wondering - Input appreciated.

Well, there it is - Not nearly as exciting as I built it up to be, but that's our weekend nonetheless.

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Short-lived victory and Wordlessness

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This morning, when I checked my reader, I had 85 unread posts.

Ah well, it was nice while it lasted.

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Conversation with Budman as I was hitting the snooze button this morning

Me: When do you want to wake up, baby?

Budman: Eighteen years

Me too, my love, me too.

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And now, for my Wordless Wednesday (which is not so wordless)

I get to see my favorite nephew this weekend! YAY

Visit Wordless Wednesday for more!!

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Weekend Update - Mother's Day edition

Whew! I'm tired! Busy busy busy...

Saturday, we loaded up the kids and went fishing. First, we stopped by the grocery store, and picked up stuff for lunch. Out at the lake, we fished a while (with only Budman and Mater catching anything), and once it started to get a little crowded, we headed up to a picnic table and started lunch. I played 'I Spy' with the boys while Budman cooked brats and we all snacked on potato chips. After fishing, the guys dropped me off at the house so they could go shopping for Mother's Day gifts. After a while, they came back and said "We couldn't find anything, so we're sending you to get you haircut, and to get a pedicure and your nails done." My gut, told me they just wanted me out of the house, and I was right - but, hey, who am I to argue??

So here are my nails...

And my toes

Also, the flip-flop sandals that Monkey and Mater picked out while shopping. Monkey picked the red ones, and Mater picked the white ones!! This way - I didn't have to take two pictures.

These are the shoes that Budman picked out for me - I should have known, he was just commenting the other day about how dirty my Keds were...

I think this is what happens when you send boys/men shopping. Oh well - We LOVE us some Tony Stewart!!! I alos got a Tony Stewart #20 Home Depot t-shirt and a Dallas Cowboys t-shirt. I LOVE having boys! :)

Choxie truffles - YUM. I had to go ahead and eat a few of these - I left them on my laptop - and they melted. In situations like that it is best to remove the evidence. Still have several yummy sounding flavors to try, but unless I want to share 2/3 of every truffle with Monkey and Mater, I think I will hide in my closet to eat the rest!

Here is the card Monkey made me at school. Inside, there are several pages where he completed the sentences his teacher had written. If I had a million dollars, I would buy my Mom: a slidr fon, a red slidr fon (a slider phone, a red slider phone) I didn't even know he knew what a slider phone was!! The best thing about my Mom is: byin her stuf (Buying her stuff) And the last one (which he said he didn't have time to finish, but completed for me verbally) It makes my Mom happy when: I get a sticker.

I think it's a remarkable likeness, don't you?

Aren't I lovely??

He also made this bookmark - they picked the flowers themselves, pressed them and made them into bookmarks. I think I love the stuff they bring home from school better than the stuff from stores...

This is the card from Mater - There's a poem inside - very cute

Here is a photo my Mom took of all of us yesterday (well, not all of us, but all of us that were there...)

Hope you had a terrific Mother's Day - My guys really outdid themselves this time...

Friday stuff

Last night we took the family out for a Birthday dinner. Budman even invited his parents, so with his parents, mine, us and the kids, we had a party of nine. We had a good time, and a good meal, and then headed off to Bransom's to pick up some ice cream on the way home. (Possum didn't want a cake) . Once at home, we all had some ice cream (in waffle bowls - I think I'm in love with waffle bowls) and Possum opened presents from Grammy & Papo J.


Budman and I have been back and forth on what to get him for his birthday, Budman wanted to buy him some Justin work boots, and I think that $150.00 is a bit much to spend on work boots for a 14 year old. Especially since they're work boots, and therefore worn whenever Possum is doing something that would require him to be getting dirty, etc... He has Budman's old boots (They wear the same size shoe - ACK!) and while they are old, that's kinda the point. I think we've decided on getting him him his own tackle box - He and Budman (and the little ones) like to do a lot of fishing, so I think it would be good for him to have his own gear. Plus, Budman is rather particular about his things, and gets a little bent out of shape when something isn't put back properly, or is lost or damaged... Having his own tackle box would solve both their problems

Additionally, since Possum is doing well in school, and hasn't gotten into any trouble since he's been here, we lifted the video game ban, and gave him our PlayStation2. As long as he has his homework, chores and other responsibilities taken care of, he can go to his room to play his video games. He's pretty happy with that, so as long as his grades stay up, and he doesn't neglect his chores, we'll keep that arrangement.


In honor of Mother's Day this weekend, Budman's father has decided that they will not be doing any work over at their house, so Budman has a whole weekend all to himself (a rarity) and so he is making big plans to go fishing Saturday morning. (And to go shopping, since he STILL doesn't know what he's getting me for MD - hee hee).


As for my weekend plans, I got a new toy present a few weeks ago - while I was taking a blogging break, so I didn't get a chance to share with you.

Isn't it cute?? That picture isn't exactly what I have - Mine is a Ruger 10/22 Pink Hogue (whatever that means), but it looks almost exactly the same as that one. I know, it's totally silly. We were at Academy, getting Chipmunk's birthday present last month, and I saw it and asked to look at it. Budman asked if I wanted him to get it for me, and of course, I said "No, not today - maybe later." 'Cause I never spend money on me - certainly not on something so caompletely frivoulous. That's when the kid behind the counter informed us that it was a limited release, that they only had two, and they wouldn't be getting anymore. So, I decided that I must have it. Other than air/BB guns, we don't actually own any (until now) and I hadn't owned a gun in over ten years, but for some reason, that silly pink gun was callin' my name. So, I had my dad "pimp my gun", it's got a scope, and a few other things I can't remember right now, and I haven't gotten to try it out with the scope on it, so I think that I will be talking my Dad into taking me to the range, while Budman takes the monsters fishing. I'm such a nerd, I know...

Well, I guess that's it for me this morning. Stay tuned Monday for our weekend update...

weekend update

This weekend was - thankfully - largely uneventful. Friday, I slept all day, took Possum to his appointment (He remembered not to ride the bus home - YAY!)

Friday evening was more hanging out in the recliner under a blanket.

Saturday, Budman and Possum headed off to his parents house to help out. They've just bought a house, and between moving, repairs, yard work and auto maintenance, Budman and Possum have given up ALL of their weekends lately. Unfortunately Budman's dad is too sick to do most of these things and his Mom shouldn't be doing it all by herself (although, she's a tough one!) and Budman's brother bailed to AZ, so there isn't anyone else to help them. I stayed home with the little ones, we went out to lunch at our local Italian/Mexican/home cooking restaurant - I.kid.you.NOT. Chicken Fried Steak, Flautas, and Ziti with Meatballs were just a few of the items ordered at our table.

After that, more sleep, then watching the boys while they played outside in the backyard. We picked berries, and the boys ate them with sugar. Budman and Possum got home very late, and he was exhausted.

Sunday morning, even though I still felt like crud, I volunteered to head back over to my in-laws house with Budman and Possum, so that we could (hopefully) finish up the hedge-trimming and auto repairs (actually, Budman handles auto repairs) and get back home in time for lunch. We had Grammy take the little ones to church, and we got over to the in-laws house and got down to work (after waiting for them to get home for 30 minutes) When I finally looked at my watch again, it was 1:30, and there was no way that we were going to be home in time for lunch. Budman had promised the boys a fishing trip in the afternoon, so after a quick lunch, we finished up and headed home. Of course, we were all exhausted, and when Budman found out that the boys had Monday off from school, he quickly decided that he would take the day off of work and take them fishing then instead of Sunday evening.

So, last night was spent being completely lazy. We did give the little ones their summer haircuts, (This is when I stop spending money on professional cuts for the summer, and buzz their little heads in the driveway!) they have been begging for weeks to have it done already. I was waiting until I was sure that it wouldn't be getting cold anymore. Monkey asked to be completely bald, and I told him that he would have to wait until school was out for that. He's almost there, anyway. I will have to get pictures, soon. For Mater, we can't go quite as short with him - he's so blond, that he looks like he has no hair at all if we get it too short, not to mention I worry about sunburn on his head. I figure we can slap a little sunscreen in his hair, right??

So, the boys (Budman included) went fishing today, and I headed in to work. I'm still feeling a bit yucky, but nothing to stay home over, so here I am.

I'm glad Budman got a chance to do something fun with the boys - weekends are often so busy, that it's good when they can all have a little guy time.

Crazy...

Last night was my first night without Budman. The kids were fine, they missed him and Monkey and Mater made pictures for me to scan and email to him. We called him at bedtime, so they could say goodnight, and then I talked to him later after he had gone to get some dinner. The two hour time difference is going to be problematic, I can tell.

I've found through the years that when I do something too often, I tend to dream about it. It started with a tremendous Tetris obsession in the 11th grade, and has held true through Solitaire, Bejeweled, Electronic Yahtzee, online poker and other things. I couldn't sleep, and when I did, I dreamed about blogging - and bloggers. Not that I've actually met any of the people whose blogs I read, and now that I've been awake for a while, I can't even remember specifics. Nothing weird, just me having conversations with my blogging friends, and reading the comments that people had left for me. They all looked exactly like whatever pictures on their blog, and didn't change or move. I suppose that might be considered weird. I thought about listing the people in my dream, but I really don't want to freak anyone out.

I'm sure this says something about my mental state, but I don't know what.
Budman needs to hurry home!

A little clarification

I may have given the impression in yesterday's post, that I was angry or upset with Budman.

This is simply not true.

Not that he NEVER ticks me off (LOL), but I certainly know better than to get bent out of shape over shampoo!

I simply thought it was cute, a little silly and totally typical of a man. (Could YOUR husband bring home the right kind of hair product? Didn't think so.) I'm actually pretty impressed that he remembered to get them at all!

The point I was trying to make yesterday, is there are some things that you just shouldn't delegate to another. Purchasing beauty supplies is one of those things (Although Budman did get me exactly the makeup I wanted for Christmas, that's because I circled it in the ULTA ad.)

In other words, if you want something done right, do it yourself.

LOL!

Besides, he's way too cute for me to stay mad at him!

Fighting the Frump - Week 5 (or is it 6?)

OK - so you all have seen the Before and After photos of my haircut. What? You haven't? Shame. Go ahead, take a peek, I'll wait.

.....

I suppose I should get to the point. My fight the Frump tip is this:

Never let your husband go pick out your hair care products at Target while you stay next door at Payless and shop for shoes (which is another upcoming FtF post in itself).

These are the products I found in the basket upon checkout:

In case you can't read that - it says: Herbal Essences Totally Twisted Shampoo and Conditioner

Anyone catching the problem, here yet??

I'll continue.

Also in the basket (and I didn't even notice this one until I got home):

Oh - In case you can't read what it says - That's a bottle of Garnier Fructis Style Curl Shaping Spray Gel

Figured it out yet?

I'll help.

Let's take another look at my Before Photo, shall we? (I was going to post it here, but I can't look at it again - YOU go look.)

Now, let's take a look at Budman - Notice his CURLY locks?

(Boy, he is a handsome devil, though)

What? Sorry.

Think back. Did ANYONE see anything remotely resembling a curl on my head?

No? Weird.

My darling Budman must think I have curly hair, because when I pointed out that I did, in fact, not have any curls at all, he said "I thought that was the stuff we always got."

Bless his little pea-pickin' heart.

The moral of the story:

Buy your own dang hair-care products, or Lord knows what you will end up with.

And I've got to use it, cause I'm too cheap to let it go to waste - or to buy new stuff until the old stuff is gone!

Be sure to Fight the frump with the Fabulous Mrs. Fussypants today!