My Little Man

Sassy Juice

1 part Vinegar
1 part Worcestershire Sauce
1 part Lemon Juice
Dash Mustard
Dash Tabasco

Mix together in a glass until well blended. 2 Spoonfuls to deter unwanted behavior and/or poor attitudes in small children. Wash down with a glass of water. Watch for improvement.

Credit: Cousin Jennifer

Jon and Kate

The news of Jon and Kate making the decision to split just makes me sad. I always get sad when I hear of people breaking up, it goes against my "happily ever after" mindset. And then there's all those kids-8 kids who didn't ask to be thrust into this mess. It bums me out.

Especially when you look at how much Jon and Kate have gone through to get to this point. Before their show started, they obviously had difficulty getting pregnant to resort to fertility treatments. That in and of itself is enough to wear a person down. Having friends go through heartbreak after heartbreak, and my own slow-to-conceive experience the first time around, I understand that frustration and subsequent obsession with wanting a baby. It's tough. But for these two, that's been maybe the easiest hurdle of their married life. Imagine. 8 kids. 8 kids basically the same age. My 3 are within 5 years of each other and it gets a little insane around here. And that's just 3. Imagine coming home from the hospital with 6 infant seats. Putting 8 kids in a stroller to go to the zoo. Go anywhere with 8 kids. See how sane you are. Potty train them, and then check your sanity again. But, they made it through those high maintenance stages-the kids are 5 and 7 now. While that adds its own level of crazy, it is somehow a little easier. Time to develop herding instincts and mediation skills, but for the most part-manageable?

Those first years of their show were so raw and real. They showed Kate budgeting, constantly without make up, exhausted, and frustrated. They showed Jon leaving for work, and helping out when he came home. Yes, even then Kate was the "boss" of him, but let's be honest men-which mom out there is not the menu planner, activity coordinator, house organizer, personal shopper, and discipline manager of the house? I'm sure there are a few exceptions, but I'd bet I get a majority rules on this one. In their interviews, Jon always had his arm around Kate, and they'd joke about her bossiness. I'm even guessing she was bossy before they had a gaggle of kids. Just a guess though. But he loved her, and she loved him. I hate to see that gone.

We used to tape their show and watch it as a family. It's a little hard "these days" to find a truly family friendly show to watch with your preschool and elementary aged kids. Go ahead, turn on the TV at 7 and see what you find. Law and Order? 2 1/2 Men? Lost? Ya, um.. no. Anyway, the kids loved watching their show-seeing the fun things they did, and especially how Kate managed all the mealtimes, playtimes, bathtimes and bedtimes. They understood the magnitude of that undertaking. Somehow. I've taped it this year, but we aren't watching it as a family. The show has changed. It's not a light-hearted account of raising a super-sized family anymore; it's a heavy hearted account of the breakdown of a marriage. Of a family. I know their lives have changed since that first episode. They obviously aren't on such a tight budget anymore. Kate must have a personal shopper, trainer, and wardrobe manager. The activities are more lavish than a backyard campout and trip to the local playdo factory. Now Emeril comes over to cook dinner, or each kid gets their own personal playhouse. So, yes, things have changed. Jon and Kate have changed. Jon has obviously made some bad choices and seems to almost resent the show, and Kate obviously has anger about those choices, but in a different way seems to love what the show has done for their family. So, yes, big differences in mindsets there. But how can you look back on pictures, and hours of videos and not remember the love that brought you together? The love that made your family?

We aren't watching their show anymore, especially since their latest announcement of divorce. It seems wrong and invasive. I've heard they both said the "show must go on," but I wish it wouldn't. I wish they'd both take a step back, turn the cameras off, and look at each other. And talk. They really need to talk. They'll always have to talk, they are parents to 8 kids. I know sometimes divorce is better for the couple and subsequently the kids, and maybe Jon and Kate are just worn out after 8 years of parenting multiples. Maybe it is easier to visit each other and for family time to be a planned, videoed event. I'm not them, I don't know. No one does but Jon and Kate. oh-and their 8.

Fun for the Whole Family

Tonight, we headed out to the Lake to get the boat ready for the weekend, and to meet my family for dinner. Simple enough plan. In the process, Todd also wanted to show off his new 7-foot-water-hydraulic-pressurized rocket. His birthday is next week, so I guess he treated himself early, even though he said the rocket was for the kids. Whatever. I actually didn't take any pictures of the official rocket launch, but the aftermath of tonight's launch and retrieval was an event unto itself.

The rocket shot over 100 feet in the air, and where it landed was anyone's guess. Our last launch was after dusk, and it chose to land in uncharted territory. Territory full of "stick tites." Those of you who don't know what a stick tite is:

Yes, that is Todd's leg. Full of what I call stickers, but Todd favors the "stick tite." All these little suckers were stuck to his leg hair, and we had to problem-solve how to get them off. It's not a new problem; we've had to deal with these with our dogs before, and we just rake through their hair over and over. Or shave them. Todd was favoring the shaving option, but we assured him we could get the little "devices of stick" off his legs. So, we pulled each one off one by one. Oh, let me add that each stick tite was attached to a Todd leg hair, so in effect, we pulled out those one by one as well. Oops. But funny. very funny. "OOHHH Kelly Clarkson." comes to mind. :) We laughed, and Grady worried. Like I said, fun for the whole family. :) Sometimes watching someone else in pain is just a little funny; now why is that?

do I see a pattern here?

Sort of, but today all 3 hoodlums lounged around complaining of earaches. We were officially diagnosed with 5 ear infections as of 4:00 this afternoon. Madison wins first place with swimmer's ear deluxe. Tanner has one of each, an inner and middle ear infection. And Grady, well, the Dr. wasn't sure which type he had, but was certain his tympanic membrane perforated leaving not so wonderful gook all over his ear canal. Awesome. He wasn't even the one complaining! I've mentioned before, but my pediatrician knows that when I call, there's going to be action. But, now we are armed with $50 in antibiotics specific for each hoodlum, and silly putty molded to each ear for future swimming escapades. I grew up with silly putty in my ears every summer to prevent these exact problems, so I guess I'll pass along that little tradition to my little ones. Tomorrow, we will hit the ground running with a playgroup adventure and complete the day with another swim lesson. You can't keep a good kid down!

2 new tastes

While on our little Staycation, I relaxed with a few sips and cups of The Show brought to us by Jason and Jenn for dinner one night, but in all our fun conversation, we just didn't quite get to it. It was tasty, but a little tart for me. I'll give it a 2 on our 5 point scale. Todd was a beer connoisseur this particular night, so wasn't in on the tastacation. :)

Again, I'm being a solo wine critic. I took the kids swimming today-twice. Once at Sona's house (blogworthiness to come), and twice with Jared for a swim lesson. Throw in a cranky 8 year old (due to possible ear infection), crazy city traffic, and blistering Texas heat, and you can imagine my need for a little relaxation. I bought this bottle of Mirassou Pinot Noir a few weeks ago. I don't remember the exact cost, but I'm sure it was under $10 since that's my general rule. It was lovely! Very smooth, and perfect with a summer salad for dinner. I give it a 4 on our little 5 point scale. I will be purchasing this one again. Maybe tomorrow.

This weekend, I had an interesting conversation with another wine connoisseur-want-to-be who stated that no one really likes wine. They drink it, but they don't like it. He said that grape juice was good. Wine-not so good. I tried to suggest that maybe we just need to get him some better wine, some tastier versions of Cabernet or Pinot Noir; he suggested a lovely Franzia Merlot Box Wine instead. I've put it on my list, but I'll have to refer our friend, J, first. He was my official wine tutor, and I don't know that he'd approve. He was very adament about me graduating from the box to the cork. Any other suggestions? We're taking them. :)

Tanner's Prayer

Now I lay me down to sleep
I pray the Lord my soul to keep
If I should die before I wake
I pray the Lord my soul to take.

God bless Mommy, Daddy, Madison, Grady, Sandy, Windy, Chrissy, Marley, Grandmom, Grandad, Aunt Patti, Pepper, Allie, Tini, Gran, PaPa, Beau, Aunt Michelle, Cameron, Abby, Rob, Jared, Shelly, Thaine, Cale, Mrs. Jordon, Jason, Jenn, Sam, Isaac, Baby Sona, Baby Kevin...

(pause)

"Is that all the people Mommy?"

"I think you covered it Tanner."

"Oh. Jenn's baby. He's being born tomorrow right? Please bless Jenn's baby. and Sam wants a sister."

Amen.

wow.

Tanner and Madison played "best friends" tonight. He taught her how to play the piano; she taught him about horses. They asked for a Popsicle treat, and when I agreed they each opened the other's wrapper. They asked for a slumber party, and with all the sibling harmony, I couldn't turn that down either. I found them having a reading party on Madison's bed at bedtime, and when I told them it was light's out they agreed and snuggled into the covers. I'm a little frightened. Excited, but frightened.

lazy playdate

Now showing: Robots. A great way to beat the summer heat-the blistering one million degree Texas Summer Heat. Even better when shown with friends.

Do you want your change with that?

This evening on our drive back from the Lake, we stopped at a drive-thru version of Sonic for a round of drinks. We opted for the drive-thru because we were pulling the boat, and parking on one of those little spaces just didn't seem like it would work out. When we all FINALLY decided on our drinks of choice (4 cherry limeades and 1 root beer), our Sonic Gal rang us up for $8.23. Todd handed her $9, and instead of "do you want some mozzarella sticks", it was "do you want your change?" Now, is it just me, or was this a little overzealous? I mean, don't you normally want your change? I realize Sonic is a little different, and to be honest, I never know if I'm supposed to tip at all-let alone how much. Sometimes I just throw the supercool "keep the change" phrase out there to avoid any awkwardness, but most of the time I check card it to further avoid the aforementioned awkwardness. However, this particular trip, we pulled through like any other fast food chain, so, if I tip her, shouldn't I tip at McDonald's? Arby's? Chicken Express?

What's the rule on this? Should I be tipping everyone who brings a diet coke to my car window? If so, how much? If not, am I guilt free forever? Because settling this little area of uncertainty would most definitely bring me some inner peace.

look what my Todd got me today!!!

After days of whining about being the only one without them, and weeks of wearing Todd's everyday to work in the yard, Todd came home with my very own pair of Crocs today! What a guy. :)

the summer of dogs

We picked Marley up from the Vet this morning. He had his manhood, ah-hem, removed. He also had a few of those floppy toes taken off. Tough day for the little puppy. Apparently, he wasn't a very good patient, and kept licking his wounds. They solved the problem with this "cone of shame" as the kids call it, and said he has to wear it for 10 DAYS! Poor little guy. :( Even the vet felt a little sorry for him, and told Todd he was a "pretty sweet dog." Todd agreed and marveled at our luck since He found Us, but the Vet just shook his head and noted that it probably wasn't planned that way. He said, in fact, Windy sent for him-just when we knew we would need him. Of course, we agreed. Dog people-we are a strange breed.

Pumpkin Patch?

A few weeks ago, I noticed a plant I didn't recognize growing in my flower bed. I let it be, not quite remembering what we planted last summer, and hoping it was just a wonderful surprise of something that "came back." Fast forward to last week. I was at my Mother-in-Law's house harvesting some free flowers for our endless landscaping projects, and she showed me a pumpkin plant that had decided to grow in her compost pile. Cool. Plants are like that at her house. They just "grow" and "take over." Not so much over here, but we're learning. Anyway, as I was working near the Fort, I noticed this little beauty above. Same plant. Pumpkin Plant. Proof here:
Now that I know what the plant looks like, I've discovered no less than 5 pumpkin plants growing around the yard-one in the front flower bed. How did they get there? Well, we just sort of threw our Halloween pumpkins back there when we turned our focus to Christmas. I guess pumpkins don't take too much TLC to "take over." It's exciting though; we might just grow our own Jack-O-Lanterns! But it looks like there'll be extras, so maybe we'll give a few away to our friends too.

Staycation 2009

This year, we thought we'd try to save a few dollars and check out a staycation-spending a few days doing fun things close to home.

We started at Lone Star Park watching the horse races. Todd and I had been to the races before for work-sponsored events (back in the Arthur Andersen days), and also when Madison was just a toddler. We'd always planned to go back, and Madison's recent infatuation with horses seemed like the perfect time. Once we settled on a non-booty-burning spot to sit, we had superfun picking horses and cheering them on to wins. Tanner cracked me up with the intensity he invested in each race. The NASCAR influence was a live and well. Grady's attention span was limited between races, but he entertained himself by running around like a banshee and adoring his brother. Tanner's just pretty awesome in Grady's world.

After the races, we headed to our superfancy hotel courtesy of http://www.priceline.com/. In fact, the Hilton Hotel & Conference Center was SO fancy, that, to bribe the kids into awesome behavior, I told them President Obama might just be staying there. It worked like a charm too, complete with whispering in the halls. Sometimes I'm just brilliant.

Monday, it was on to Six Flags. I was a little skeptical of this part of our adventure-not sure how exactly Grady would hang in that situation, but he did most excellent. There were a few tense moments, specifically involving kiddie bumper cars and explanations of height requirements on rides like The Titan. But, after an embarrassing time-out and scream-a-thon, he consented to behaving like a "good boy," and for the most part...did. It was tiring being such a good boy though.Madison was a trooper and rode some super roller coasters like Texas Giant. She's just sassy enough to take it.Tanner, like me, just took in the moments. When I asked him what his favorite part of the day was, he said, "oh-just EVERYTHING." Personally, I think it was reading the map. That boy loves him some maps.We took in a few of the shows to cool off from the Texas Heat, and I'm so glad we did! Otherwise, I would never have been able to snap a shot of my kids alongside real-life gangster cowboys and a sheriff. Can I tell you-they have never been so still and perfect for a picture. Maybe there is something to those guns everyone likes so much. Kidding.

That night, we stayed at the Staybridge Suites which I only mention because it was so incredibly awesome. Priceline gave it to us for a cool $40, and it included a suite (bedroom, living room, kitchen), happy hour & appetizers, and a hot breakfast the next morning. The kids thought we were in the lap of luxury, and I had to agree. Our family of five will definitely be checking out this situation for future travel. Just to give you a taste, this is the breakfast area-so nice we almost hated to leave!!But, we had big plans at the Great Wolf Lodge, and once we told the kids that's where we were headed, their bags were packed:

First observations at the Great Wolf: Sensory. Overload. There isn't even a picture that can do the Water Park justice. Constant slides, sprays, buckets of dumping water-all on cue to a wolf's howl. It's an odd thing for a mom when her chicks scatter in a place like this. I'm still adapting to the fact that my kids are getting old, and have acquired life skills-like swimming. Madison was all about this MagiQuest game going on all over the hotel. Some kind of Harry-Potter-Problem-Solving-Wand-Game. After we got her into the groove, we even let her roam the hotel (phone in pocket) on her own to complete the "quests." I caught the melancholy look on Todd's face when she came to check in and report her findings. He was just a little sad to realize "she's growing up." She totally is. :(Tanner and Grady grooved on the waterplay for the rest of the afternoon, and we finished out the evening with Storytime and Songs in the lobby-a very "Mommy" event that Todd endured. Afterwards, I wanted a good pic of the 3 hoodlums at the Lodge. It took 63 shots, and here are the best ones. This is my life. My crazy, crazy life.

After purchasing some croc decoration thingies, and a round of stuffed wolves, we piled in the ol' minivan for the drive home. Grady was asleep in 2.3 minutes, and we didn't hear many peeps out of the other 2 either. To me, that's an indication of satisfied fun meters all around. I've been told it was the "best vacation ever," and have to agree that it was lovely to spend this time together-all 5 of us. I say that because it was really the first time we have all done such "touristy stuff." Part of my "stay home mommyness" has always included crazy field trips, and up until now, we've pretty much ditched Grady at times like this to give the other 2 some special attention. So many times in the last 4 days I just sat back and soaked up the memories the kids will take with them as part of their life with us. The memories of Scroggins-party of five.

Spring TBall

We just finished up our second season of Tball, and Tanner loved every second. It was kind of amazing the change he made from Fall to Spring. In the fall, he was interested in hanging out with his friends, but something clicked this season and he really wanted to play well. He wanted to hit the ball into the outfield, and catch the balls that came his direction. Of course, there were moments when he was dancing in the dirt with his friends, but overall I would say much improvement over our first attempts with organized sports.

Todd helped coach this time, and I think each game was a little trip down memory lane for him. Tanner's playing at the same city parks Todd did as a kid, and there's just gotta be something to that. As usual, Grady thought he was part of the team, and asked weekly when it was hit turn to hit the ball. He'll probably faint when he actually has a team, uniform, and game of his own.
Here are the little athletes after the last game, coveted trophies in hand. Just take a gander at all the macho stances these little 6 year olds have mastered. Pretty soon, they'll be strutting around like they own the field. Wait, they already think they do. Gotta love that boy confidence.

Slumber Party Year 2

We survived our second slumber party-this year for Madison's 8th Birthday. Again, I limited the number to 4 to be proactive with the drama that seems to follow these little people around. Madison was pumped, and quivered all day as we waited for her friends to show up. We made big plans: crafts, hikes, camping, outdoor movie watching, pizza, ice cream, and games.

The craft was a big hit: a make-your-own-scrapbook. I'm thinking we aren't too many years away from a mommy/daughter scrapbook marathon! O the fun that awaits!! Speaking of, I need to book me a scrapbook weekend pretty soon. I was giddy just looking at all the fun stickers and markers the girls were using. :)

8 year old girls are a little hard to read. I know I was still playing with Barbies, but apparently "kids these days" are a little too cool for toys. They seem to already be into the just hanging out and talking (about boys)! The hammock and trampoline were also big hits, and the girls seemed to bond in the freedom of the moment. I liked that. It's nice to see kids just being kids.

We set up tents and blankets outside. I borrowed a projector from Todd's sister to make an outside movie experience, and we actually all really grooved on that. Somehow the outdoor movie is always just a little more fun-add popcorn and M&M's and you have perfection. I didn't really expect them to make it through the night in the "wild," but they were pretty adamant about it-until SOMETHING HIT THEIR TENT. We were inside watching our own movie, and the girls ran inside all talking at once with intense drama about the CRAZY ANIMAL OUT TO GET THEM. The most hilarious moment was when Todd leaned back, closed his eyes, and asked "what do I need to do?" I thought it was awesome. Years from now they will reflect on the "night at Madison's house...REMEMBER? SOMETHING ATTACKED OUR TENT??" It was the wind by the way, but I didn't tell them that. I agreed that it must have been a coyote, a cougar, OR A T-REX. They retreated into the house, and proceeded to make a cozy spot for everyone in the playroom. I wasn't sure if I should make them go to bed? or just let them stay up? What's the rule there? In the end, I ushered the nightowls into their blankets about 3am. They snored for a few hours, and awoke to cinnamon roles and breakfast smoothies. Another big hit. Overall, a big success-complete with an afternoon nap to recover. This might be the start of a wonderful tradition. Maybe next year they'll make it through the night in the tents-except for the fact that I already have friends waiting in the wings with bear growls and other forms of slumber party torture. More drama!! What could be better than that? Happy Birthday Baby. 8 years ago you changed me forever. You made me a mom, and I'll never be the same again. Look back on these moments and laugh. Look back and know how much we love you; know how much we love the wonderful crazy that you have given us.

and I'm a college graduate. with honors.

I just got a call from the Boys Head Basketball Coach here in the big little town of DEcatur. Apparently, he had Madison's camp registration form and money. He was extraordinarily nice, and took down Tanner's info with a promise to switch camp forms with the Girls Basketball Coach. But still, I stood in my kitchen beet red stumbling over my words. He laughed, but ended the conversation with a reminder of the dates of both camps-just in case I needed that.

There is no doubt in my mind that I will not make it to 3 high school graduations without severely screwing something up. God help my little children.

Fireproof

Last night, Todd brought home Fireproof with Kirk Cameron. It's supposed to be life-changing to your marriage, so on that premise alone, we were hooked. We're always interested in life-changing events, marriage or otherwise. The first 5 minutes of the movie had me skeptical, but once we got past the less-than-Oscar-worthy acting, the story itself was intriguing. About half way through, Todd even commented that he thought the acting was better. It wasn't, but still worth watching. It made us reflect on those little things that make everyday just that much more special, and how our Faith weaves in and out of every aspect of life. We even visited the website www.fireproofyourmarriage.com to follow up on some of the concepts in the movie. Great info on retreats, books, devotionals, etc. about marriage. So, add our names to the list of people who think this movie is worth the 2 hours of couple time. :)

rest time

Days when we stay completely at home tend to drag on in the late afternoon, so in an effort to establish a daily routine, today I implemented a new summer tradition: rest time. The older kids haven't napped in a few years, and Grady is on the verge of giving up his afternoon siesta as well (wiping a tear from my eye). But, I thought a good hour of "alone-in-your-room-time" might do us all a bit of good.

I approached the subject carefully, to not completely anger the natives. I explained that on our "down days at home" that we should embrace the opportunity to relax and discover our own hobbies. I told Madison and Tanner that they would spend one hour in their own room while Grady napped. They didn't have to sleep (that would just be crazy), but they could read, draw, or play with things that are in their rooms (legos, magnets, barbies, pixos, etc.) There was definite reluctance, and attempts to escape their rooms throughout the hour, but I held tough and actually extended the time to an hour and a half (taking into account the extra explanations that were needed).

After the appropriate amount of time had passed, I released them from their solitude. Surprisingly they didn't bolt out of their rooms right away. Tanner had written a book, and wanted to finish. Madison decided to organize her books and prioritize her reading list for the summer. Yay us! We celebrated with a snack of homemade cookies and koolaide. Sum-sum-summertime and the livin' is easy, as long as mommy has super sneaky plans of relaxation up her sleeve!

a "tween" room

Madison wants new bedding for her bday, and neither one of us can decide on what we want. We were originally going for the pink/black theme, but ventured off once we started looking. The butterfly bedding at the bottom of this post would be paired with hot pink sheets or something crazy like that. I have to say too that she already has pink walls, so we are a little stuck there. Thoughts? Ideas? Other links? Edit: We settled on something from JCPenney-zebra stripes and pink. How can you go wrong with that? Also, I would never have picked a post on bedding to draw more comments than any other post. ever. Weird.

Windy has Stormy Eyes....

Windy didn't make it through the night last night. She'd been doing moderately well since her surgery, but yesterday seemed to take a turn for the worse. She wouldn't eat, and by the end of the day, we couldn't tempt her with a drink either. I tried to tell Todd to prepare himself for what the Vet might advise us today, but he only wanted to focus on her recovery. We went to bed at midnight, and at 6 this morning Todd realized she'd gone to sleep never to wake up. It was a heartbreaking moment, and we both just sat with her for a minute before making "arrangements." We buried her up on a hill, between some trees, and in the shade out back. We figured she'd like that.

We went to breakfast and laughed about her little habits. She was stubborn, independent, protective, and so so sweet. She once licked Todd's face for 10 minutes. It was our idea. She was a lick-a-holic, and we wondered if she'd ever stop. She loved the lake. It was there she could be one with her water bowl. It was hilarious to see her swim along licking the entire time. She turned 47 circles everytime she layed down, most of the time, in a very large-ish hole she'd just dug. We reminisced about all she'd seen of our life. She knew us when we were cool-before we had all these kids. We took her everywhere. We'd pile in Todd's single cab truck with her, Sandy, and our cat. She'd put her nose in Todd's lap because she hated those car rides. We named her Windy Storm after our sheltie, Storm. We heard a song by The Association, and it was just too perfect. She helped our broken hearts heal after he went to doggie heaven.



Who’s peeking out from under a stairway
Who’s calling a name that’s lighter than air
Who’s reaching down, to give me a rainbow
Everyone knows it’s Windy

And Windy has stormy eyes
A flash of the sound of lies
And Windy has wings to fly
Above the clouds

Who’s tripping down the streets of the city
Smiling at everybody she sees
Who’s reaching out to capture the moment
Everyone knows it’s Windy

Windy has her own wings today, and although we are sad to see her go, she gave us 12 years of fun, along with moments of crazy. real. moments. of. crazy. But, we wouldn't have it any other way.

the old collie

Tuesday our dog, Windy, had to have surgery to remove a tumor. She's 12 years old. We've been married 13 years, and she's been a constant through those years. She kept Todd company in College Station while I was in D.C. She ate our couch. She moved with us to Coppell, and watched us stress through our first jobs. She accepted our increasing additions to the family. One dog. 2 cats. 3 kids. She moved into the first house we owned. The second house we owned. She was part of the live, work, and play in the same town dream. It's funny to look through our pictures through all these parts of our life and see her always in the background. She's always part of the conversation. She's a part of our family.

The Vet warned us that she might not make it through the surgery, but that the tumor would continue to grow until it burst if we didn't operate. Rock. Hard Place. We went ahead with the surgery, and she came home yesterday afternoon. She's so pitiful. The vet also warned us that she was in a lot of pain, and just needed a lot of TLC. We have a lot of that around here (especially for animals), and she has been showered with love and attention. We've made her a cozy spot in the garage, and with the nice weather these 2 days, we put her outside to feel the breeze on her nose. She loves that. In the pic above, she fell asleep in the middle of a drink, but she still loves that. It's hard to know how she's doing. Her eyes tell me she's sad, but Todd's voice of reason tells me she's old, and she's sore. She basically just had a tummy tuck; she hurts and doesn't understand why. Sandy, our Sheltie, hasn't left her side for more than a minute. Marley, the puppy, seems to know that she's just not up to wrestling right now. The next 2 weeks are critical, and we're waiting for her spunk to return.

She has a lot of spunk too. The UPS guy is scared of her. So is our builder. She might have bitten Todd's niece a time or two, and she'll lick you until your skin falls off your bones. She digs to China. She thinks the route to China is through my flowerbeds. She's nowhere near perfect, but she's funny. She's sweet. She's our Windy Storm, and we love her.

When we picked her up, the vet called to the back to bring up the Old Collie. Todd and I looked at eachother and fought back maybe just one tear. Cross your fingers that she bounces back. Light a candle that there's just a little more spunk left in her old bones.

LAST DAY of SCHOOL!!!

We made it! They've grown so much since the First Day of School! The mornings were crazy. The evenings were exhausting. The days were full of learning and fun-so much so that Madison and Tanner ran into school everyday. But Grady missed them terribly, and always asked when it was "time to pick up the kids." So for the next few months, they will all be together everyday (ish) and hopefully still like eachother when it's all said and done. :)

Check out the New WRHS Car!

but Mommy, they wanted to be friends!

So yesterday, I gave Grady a snack at the bar and then went outside for a minute to hang some sheets on the clothesline. I was outside for MAYBE 5 minutes, but that happened to be plenty of time for Grady to cause a little turmoil for our Beta Fish. We have 3 fish in 3 different jars on the bar in the kitchen (important background info).

I walked in and made some observations in what seemed like slow motion:

1-Grady was on top of the counter.
2-There was water dripping off of the counter onto the floor.
3-Some of the water seemed to have sharp corners.
4-It wasn't water, it was glass.
5-Grady had a blood on his nose.
6-Grady was explaining that the fish wanted to be friends.
7-Despite the broken glass and blood, Grady wasn't crying (presumably because he was so worried about the fish friendship).

This situation had such potential to be disastrous, but for some reason we were both completely calm. I picked him up, sat him on the stool, sternly explained that the fish DID NOT want to be friends and that he COULD NOT touch or play with the fish. I quickly scanned the counters and floors for the displaced fish, caught sight of him near the sink, grabbed a glass, and plopped him back in some water. Then I began cleaning up all the broken glass, and wiping up the water. It was then I realized that another one of the fish bowls had a missing fish. I asked Grady where the red fish was. Apparently it was the one wanting to be "friends," and somehow Grady had managed to put him in the same bowl with the 3rd fish. I should mention at this point that Betas have to be in separate bowls because they fight to the death. Not wanting to see such blood shed, I grabbed a net, the second misplaced fish, and plopped him back in his original bowl. Bloodshed avoided. Again, I explained to Grady that these fish were friends, but that they DID NOT want to be in the same bowl. EVER.

I think the message stuck, because now every time he walks by the fish he tells me that the fish are friends, but they don't want to share homes.

Good to know. Next time Grady will be helping me hang the sheets.

ssshhhh! Don't tell Todd!

Friday, I subbed in Tanner's classroom, and left my camera-my new fancy beautiful wonderful camera. At least, that's where I'd hoped I'd left it. I discovered it was missing Saturday morning on the way to Tanner's Tball game, retraced my steps, and remembered seeing it by his teacher's desk. I waited on pins and needles all weekend to check with his teacher that it was still indeed there. Thankfully it was. Whew!

Sadly, I do this kind of thing all the time, and I'm afraid I'm using up all my good luck. My freshman year at A&M I left my keys (complete with ID/wallet attachment) on the 3rd Deck of Kyle Field. A fellow Aggie returned them to my dorm. I left those dang keys all over that campus-at least 3 other times, and either found them or had them returned to me. I left my new Dooney & Burke purse in class (also complete with key/ID/wallet attachment); another Aggie returned that to me. I've left my cell phone all over Texas, and have actually had my cell phone charger mailed to me. I leave my toothbrushes either at home (when I need them in hotel rooms) or in those hotel rooms (when I need them at home). I've also left bags of dirty clothes in said hotel rooms, and they'll mail those to you, just in case you find yourself in that predicament. I'm even worse when it comes to the kid's crap; it's a given that if I come to your house I will leave a sippy cup, matchbox car, or "raggie." Everyone has a stash of my stuff. I guess it's my way of making myself at home wherever I go.

What is my deal? Am I subconciously trying to live up to that blonde, Aggie persona? Surely not. For a self proclaimed super organized Type A person, this is a major character flaw, and like I said, I'm pretty sure I'm using up all my 9 lives of forgetfullness. or is it 7 lives? I forget. :)