Priorities

I have always thought where a person places their priorities tells a lot about them as a person. It tells you where their true loves lie, tells you what is important to them. Like Matthew said, For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. He was actually speaking of money and things like that, but it applies a little.
We get to go celebrate my 2 nephews' birthdays this weekend. Tater & Coo weren't born on the same day, but their birthdays are pretty close together. The celebration falls in the middle of the afternoon on a Sunday afternoon. We have several things to do that day, it IS December, you know! But hey! I wouldn't miss this for the world! Good grief, if I didn't have Number One Son, Queenie & The Flying Monkey, those 2 guys would be spoiled worthless!
So, we are making it a priority to go celebrate their special days with them. Why wouldn't we? I could go to a PTA room parent meeting, but if I missed it for something silly like that, I'd be a pretty sorry Aunt, wouldn't I? LOL!
I have learned in my "old" age that making my family a priority is what is important for me. Now that doesn't mean dropping plans with The Flying Monkey to go rub FIL's feet. It means making ourselves available for our family. It means eating Mexican food with FIL instead of the pot roast that I was planning on cooking for dinner. Because that's what makes FIL smile. It means paying $3.50 / gallon for gas to go after Thanksgiving shopping with Mamaw in her town so she can buy Queenie some shiny shoes. Because that's what makes Mamaw happy.
It means letting Tater & Number One Son wrestle and scream together on a regular basis. Because when they are in their 20's they'll laugh about it while watching the UGA game together!
So, I hope you all have a great weekend, go spend it with your family or your friends, whatever you have decided is important for YOU!!!

Tis the Season to be an Obliviot

I took Queenie to her Brownie meeting last night and I always enjoy that, we moms are a lot of fun!
But wow, I don't know if you've ever been in a room full of 6 year old girls who are so excited to see each other. 12 of them, to be exact. I used to think that Number One Son's Cub Scout meetings were total chaos (and they are), but they are nothing compared to a First Grade Brownie Girl Scout meeting. Squeals, giggles, laughs, running, skipping and that's just the grown-ups trying to get their attention!

So when Number One Son, The Flying Monkey and I came by to pick Queenie up from her meeting, Number One Son went in to play with some of the girls. They like playing with him, there's a lot of giggling when he gets there.

Like I said, it was pretty chaotic, but pretty typical.

Here's the thing: Girls and boys are two completely different animals. If you don't have girls, you don't understand them. And likewise, if you don't have boys, you don't understand them. It's as simple as that. I have each, and I have a hard enough time understanding sometimes.

Anyway, there was one particular mom who was there picking up her daughter. She only has girls, and so, there you go. I am also learning as an adult that I am not necessarily going to get along with every other adult I meet. Even if our children are friends. I'm a people pleaser, so this one is tough. But back to the story.

So, the girls are off the chain, and Number One Son is playing right in the middle of them. A lone 8 year old boy in the midst of a sea of silly 6 year old girls. Mrs. Thing stops near me and makes a comment.

Mrs. Thing: (rolling her eyes) "It's all that little boy's fault. He got them all fired up."
Me: (uncomfortable chuckle as I'm wondering if she realizes that little boy is my little boy)
Me: "[Number One Son], [Queenie], let's go, dinner's waiting!"
Mrs. Thing: (uncomfortable chuckle while walking away)

Um. Really? I'm glad to know that at 8 years old my son is able to influence an entire room full of girls to act a certain way. He is sure to be a successful rock star or maybe even a politician! (does everyone detect the sarcasm in my "voice?")

At least I can comfort myself in the fact that I was not the one who left the building last night feeling about 2 inches tall. On the other hand, if Mrs. Thing is a true obliviot, it probably didn't even phase her.

The Proud Mother to 3 beautiful, handsome, intelligent and, let's not forget, well behaved children signing off!

Pajamas Are Fun

So, I'm on medication, I have the flu, or some sort of viral illness that is making me feel like crap, for lack of a better term. I am being positive by saying at least it could be worse if I hadn't gotten my flu shot. You may remember not too long ago I posted a short bit about catching the crud from my family. Apparently, I was just tired because that lasted about a day. This is the real deal. I didn't get out of bed today until 10 am. And I'm still in my pajamas. But I do have on a hat, tennis shoes and my cuddly long sweater coat because I had to go pick Number One Son & Queenie up from school. The Flying Monkey has been Mommy's big helper today, playing in his room and watching cartoons.
So hopefully I'll be up and at 'em soon! And if any of today's posts are, well, odd, my apologies!
Again, cover your mouth! :)

I Like Weddings and I Cannot Lie

Do you remember the episode of "Everybody Loves Raymond" where Robert & Amy got married? It was hilarious. Robert was the eternal stick in the mud, the real life Eeyore of the family. And Amy was his goody goody fiancee. Or so it seemed.
Then the wedding episode. The first dance. They start dancing slowly to a romantic song and suddenly the music switched over to "A Little Less Conversation" by Elvis. And it is one of the funniest TV scenes ever in my opinion. I was in tears watching it.
Here is a fabulous YouTube video of a couple who did the same thing at their wedding except with the old classic "Baby Got Back" and caught it on tape. (Thanks MandyPoo!)
It's not Robert & Amy, but still HILARIOUS!

Blogsvertise

Blogsvertise! It's simple. Earn cash and generate extra income from your blog!

I am now a Blogsvertise blogger! I mention and talk about their advertisers' websites, products and services. Hopefully, I can help them generate the publicity and the exposure that they so desire.

So every once in a while, I'll posting a Blogsvertise blog about a product or website that I've read about. Read and click on the links if you so desire!

Wordless Weekend

I guess you have all figured out by now that I am very green when it comes to blogging (as an art form). So if I "break the rules" or do something that is against blogger etiquette, please let me know (gently), I won't be offended. Chances are I didn't do it on purpose, I just didn't know any better! :)
All that being said, I have looked at a lot of fun blogs and I have seen a lot of fun features. One that I like is called "Wordless Wednesday." However, my weeks get quite busy and the chances of my being consistent and posting a fun picture every Wednesday are pretty slim. So I am going to begin "Wordless Weekend." Same idea, different day - and the fact that I have 2 days to choose from makes it even better!
I hope you all enjoy!!!

This beautiful tree greeted me in my yard when I went outside before Thanksgiving and I had to snap a photo. I love Autumn!

Rockin' Girl Blogger!

I'm so excited! I've just received my very first blogger award! And it is a very fabulous award which comes from my very fabulous friend Mrs. MandyPoo! Thank you so much! I don't have a speech prepared, I have to think, please don't start the music yet! You like me, you really really like me!
I think I am supposed to pass it along to some other really cool girl blogs, but in my newness and in my looking around at the blogs I read, and it appears that they are all already Rockin'! So, my apologies, I will wait to pass it along, I am very certain I will find a couple of Rockin' Girl Bloggers who deserve this award very soon! (And who don't already have it!)

Happy Thanksgiving

I'm with the Fam at my folks' house, sitting here recovering from Thanksgiving dinner. I'm sleepy and full. And so thankful for many things and so many people in my life.

My Family: Mom, Dad, Nana, Dede, Uncle B, MIL, FIL, Peanut, PKP, Teem, Marvelous Marie, The Virtuous Vol, Tater, Coo and all my extended family who I could spend all evening listing. I have the best family in the world!

My friends: Gracie, whom I've known since I was 5 and is one of the truest friends I have; Supermom, my wonderful kindred spirit; Marvelous Marie, who I talk to everyday. I am very blessed to have many wonderful friends who are true friends indeed, and I love them all. Again, I could spend all night listing. They know who they are.

Health: Being healthy is an incredible blessing.

My job: It's a good stable one and these days I know it's a blessing to have a good job.

My children: Number One Son, Queenie & The Flying Monkey are my 3 greatest accomplishments. I really mean it. I am my own person and my children don't define who I am, but I really don't know what I would do without them in my life. They are the sunshine in my life and I am so very blessed to have 3 beautiful healthy children.

DH: Seriously, this man is the best thing that ever walked into my life. He loves me like no other, understands my little idiosyncrasies and, well, sorry, here it goes.... He completes me.

My God: Through it all, He loves me and has remained faithful to me, His child. Even when life has handed us things we didn't ask for or understand, He has been there. What a wonderful thing! He has also provided me with the wonderful things in my life that I am thankful for!

Thank you!!

I hope your Thanksgiving was wonderful! What are YOU thankful for?

The Grand Ole Oprah

Oprah Winfrey filmed an episode of her show in my hometown last week. I don't live there anymore, but Oprah Winfrey went there.

She had a hot dog at my favorite chili dog place. Nu-Way. I love me a Nu-Way chili cheese dog. I go get one every time I am in town for a visit.

She stayed in an old bed & breakfast where DH and I left from to go on our honeymoon. We also had our wedding rehearsal dinner next door to this bed and breakfast.

She filmed her "Favorite Things" episode in my hometown. Wow.
I'm not sure why she picked it, I mean it's a nice town, it's my hometown, but I just find it an odd choice!

I will probably be watching it with the kids when it comes on (it airs today - Tuesday) so I can point out landmarks for them. It'll be fun.

It made me think of something funny. Number One Son was working on a social studies report earlier in the year and was trying to find a photo of the Sydney Opera House. He kept referring to it as the "Sydney Oprah Tent." It does look like a tent.

So we'll watch Oprah tomorrow broadcasting from her Oprah House.

House Rules

You can imagine that in a household with 3 children things are never dull. Throw in a husband, 2 cats and a dog and sometimes I just have a circus on my hands.

So we have rules. Common sense rules like put things away when you're done with them, everything in it's place, things like that.

I saw these "House Rules" in the teachers' lounge recently and I loved them so much I took a picture. These were obviously meant for the teachers to follow at school (good idea), but I like them for home, too!

Sometimes we need rules posted along the road of life. To remind us of good human behavior. Common sense things that it seems a lot of us have just forgotten!

House Rules.... Enjoy!

Cover Your Mouth, Please.

I got a flu shot about 3 weeks ago. Then everyone else in the house got sick. Gradually. And lucky me, I got to take care of them. Not that I mind. That's what Mom does!
This morning, my head is full, and after I poured my cereal I put the milk in the pantry and the box of cereal in the refrigerator.
So, I'm going to lie down. Imagine how I'd feel if I hadn't gotten that flu shot.

Meme for my friend Skittle

Alright Skittle. You tagged me. And I don't even what a Meme is. Ha! So here goes, because it's fun & I am as new to this tagging stuff as I am to the blogging world...

6 Random Things About Me

1. I don't like tags. Paper tags, that is. In my clothes, on my sheets or towels, I might be a freak.
2. I have a checklist of what I want to do before, you know... I abandon this smokin' hot body I now inhabit.
3. I love to sing & act.
4. I am a PTA mom. And I like it.
5. I have the most incredible husband in the world, 3 beautiful children & 2 wonderful nephews.
6. There is the possibility that if the opportunity offered itself, I might leave DH for Jon Bon Jovi. But DH could possibly leave me for Jon Bon Jovi as well.

So who do I tag? I have no idea. How about Chick, Jim & Drew? Because I don't know who else reads me on a regular basis other than Skittle or Mrs. MandyPoo! :) But don't worry, I won't be offended if you don't respond...

Have fun!

Touched Lives... continued...

So we found out that M's lymphoma has made it to her brain. I'm not sure where she goes from here, but our household is pretty bummed. She's a special friend of our family. All 3 of our children have special gifts they got from her when they were babies and the older 2 see her on a regular basis as she works at their school. Prayers all around. What is supposed to happen will happen, but I'm not going to lie, we're all pretty sad.
Then my old pal Skittle is facing a scary skin cancer. She has had 2 surgeries already and we are hoping to hear some good news soon. She's a pretty brave girl, if I do say so.
She has a really fun blog where she has recently been venting and dishing out the frustration she's feeling. She's getting Boss Lady household prayers all around too. DH has a soft spot for her, but don't tell him I said so. We've known her since she was a wee lass. Ha, ha! She hates that!
Anyway, I hope you all have a great weekend. No pomp and circumstance on this post, just wanted to update.

What does "Normal" mean?

My daughter asked me that tonight. I actually pretended not to hear her for a moment. How do you answer when a six year old asks you that question?

Webster's dictionary: Normal (adjective) - conforming to a type, standard, or regular pattern.

However, here is my question. Who decides what that type, standard or regular pattern is? I mean, whose job is it to tell my six year old daughter what normal is for her?

I am looking around at our society right now and that really scares me. The "role models" we have put up on pedestals around us. The people we have directly or indirectly given the right to decide what is the norm.

Vanessa Hudgens? Lindsey Lohan? Michael Vick? Al Gore? Hannah Montana? Rosie O'Donnell? Posh Spice?
I'm being a bit facetious, but you get my point.

I try to monitor and control what my children watch on television, read in books, what they say and what friends they play with outside of school. But anything other than that is fairly out of my control. I try to have a say so in what they learn and are exposed to at school, but short of getting a job up there, I have to trust the administrators and teachers.

When Queenie asked me tonight "What does normal mean," I didn't know what to say at first. I am not sure I would have had as much trouble had Number One Son or The Flying Monkey asked me that question. Boys pretty much do their own thing and don't really care what "normal" is. To a point, I mean all people want to be accepted, but boys seem to let things roll off their backs more quickly than girls. Girls are different. You can look at the women & girls who are in the public eye these days and see what I mean. (For examples see pretend list of who decides what's normal - with the exception of Hannah Montana. And obviously Rosie. don't get me started.) They look for approval. They say they want their own style, but they want to be noticed, they want to be a part. They want to be "normal." That is the burden of being a girl that I don't want my daughter to feel like she has to carry.

So I looked at her - my beautiful, smart, spunky, future of America daughter - and I said, "Normal is whatever you want it to be."

I'm Not a Sports Writer

Usually, I'm not a big sports talker. Don't get me wrong, I like sports. I go to my kids' games and I know what they're doing. In fact, I am a big baseball fan. Not only do I know which way the players are supposed to run around the bases, I have a baseball card collection from when I was a kid that I continued to "nurture" well into my college years.

And now I like University of Georgia football. I married into it you know? I didn't go to a football school, so I didn't follow college ball at all until I met DH. Then we started dating and I ended up married to a UGA grad. So here I am, a rabid Bulldog.

And here is my college football post. Sports topics will be very infrequent, but this one is worth writing about!

Georgia played Auburn yesterday in Athens. All the UGA fans were encouraged to wear all black to the game, they were calling it the Georgia Blackout. It turns out even the team, Hairy & Uga included, was wearing black jerseys. They ran into the stadium while ACDC's "Back in Black" was playing. I bet that was incredibly intimidating for the other team! Holy Cow!

And apparently they thought so too. The Bulldogs destroyed the Tigers 45 - 20! This crazy season, UGA might just make it to the end in the winner's circle!

GOOO DAWGS!!! Sic 'Em!

Blogging for Money

So I am new to the blogging world, I actually have blogged quite a bit, but only for my friends and family, so that one is quite boring! But I wanted to have a real blog, so I made one, then I saw about all these different sites you can register with to get paid to blog. How cool is that?
So I registered with several of them, so excited and all of them rejected me.
I am too new. My blog has to be at least 90 days old for most of them.
Oh well.
In the meantime, I am trying to get my blogging practice in and that means I may just blog about the gum I stepped in while walking into the bank yesterday.
Lucky for you, I didn't step in any gum yesterday.

You're Not a Kid, That's Why!

The following is a humorous (I think) exchange between myself and Queenie as I fold laundry and she watches cartoons.

Queenie: "Oooh, gross! Why are you smelling the laundry?"
Me: "I want to be sure it's fresh before I put it away."
Queenie: "Is that a grown up thing?"
Me: "Yes, I guess so."

(followed by gross out kid humor on TV)

Me: "Ooooh, gross."
Queenie: "It's not gross!"
Me: "It is a little bit."
Queenie: "Well that's because you're not a kid! You smell laundry!"

Maybe you just had to be there! But I just had to share.

Touched Lives

When you are a part of a circle of friends you are touched by whatever touches the lives of those in your circle. The larger your circle becomes, more life events touch yours.
In our circle of friends, we have been touched by new love, old love, births, illness & death. We have celebrated, prayed, and mourned with our friends. And our friends have celebrated, prayed and mourned with us.
The illness part is what is really on my mind at the moment. Our lives have been touched by cancer a lot in the past few years. I used to think it was odd how often cancer had touched our lives in some way or another, but then I realized, as I said earlier, it was because our circle had expanded so.
Of course, we have probably all someone to sickness or possibly a tragic event. Death is hard, no matter who it is, how old they were or what happened. But when it is a "younger" person, seemingly with a lifetime ahead of them, it seems even more tragic.

Of course, cancer isn't a death sentence; it is often a second chance at life. A chance to re-evaluate what is important and a chance to get reacquainted with the special relationships in your life, the human ones and the spiritual one.

DH had a cancer scare about 3 years ago and it brought about some rearranging of priorities for our family. I can remember thinking, "How in the world do people who don't have a relationship with Christ, or even for that matter believe in God, get through something like this?" That's another blog for another day, however. About the same time this was happening to DH, 2 of his college buddies were diagnosed with cancer. The Cute One (affectionately named so by one of my bridesmaids) has been in remission for 2 years and E lost his battle last year. Uncle B recently had successful surgery to remove his cancer and M has recurring lymphoma which we continue to pray about. And I recently had my first mammogram (see Breast Cancer Awareness post) which was prompted by the discovery of a lump.

I have a friend who was recently diagnosed with a very aggressive Her2 positive breast cancer. Rosabella had a bilateral mastectomy and will begin her chemotherapy soon. She has been an inspiration to me. Did you hear that? To ME, I said. She has 2 young children, the same age as Number One Son & Queenie. And she is sending out humorous updates on her progress. I don't mean I smile and tilt my head to the side when I read them. I laugh out loud and shake. She's bringing sexy back to breast cancer treatment! I want to be bald too! You think I'm kidding, but I'm not.

So, our circle is all the more rich for knowing E, continuing to pray for M, celebrating with Uncle B & The Cute One and for knowing, celebrating & praying for Rosabella.

My prayer is that your circle has only been touched by love & celebration, but the reality is, I know it hasn't. I do hope that you grab every opportunity to celebrate your love, celebrate your life, celebrate your family, celebrate your friends and celebrate your God. He has a plan and that circle is a part of it.

It's Monday.

The people at my office throw a big birthday shindig for every birthday. It's silly and fun.
They forgot mine this year. And I didn't say anything, my birthday actually fell on a holiday this year, so no one was at work that particular day.
And I really like the folks I work with. They are a lot of fun and very nice.

However, we have started having staff meetings once a month instead of once a week, and I never know when they are. I supervise a group over in another part of the building, so I'm out of the loop half the time anyway. And I expect the employees I supervise to not acknowledge my birthday. But they did. I got a sweet card and strawberry muffins. Yum. It made me smile. I promise it doesn't take much.
Today, I walked over to the big office to check my mail and fax something. I walked in on a staff meeting - which I didn't know about.

All the following banter is meant to be fun and joking, but it grated on my nerves.

Other Office Employees: "Well, it was nice of you show up!"
Me: "Is this a staff meeting?"
OOE: "Yes - Better late than never!"
Me: "Well, here I am, I guess you all have to stop talking about me now!"
OOE: "Ha, ha, ha! Have a seat!"

So I sit down, a little hacked off, but whatever, I'll get over it.
Then I see birthday balloons for someone and as I look at the trash can beside my chair, I see ice cream & cake remnants on a plate.

Damn if it didn't all just flood back that they forgot my stinking birthday! I'm thirty something. I'm not a child. But sometimes things just rub you the wrong way, you know?
I do recall it is OOE #5's birthday, but I didn't sign a card, so I guess I missed that too.

So I sit there and listen to the boring staff meeting things, knowing I really have to get back to my office and WORK. At a pause I take my opportunity.

Me: "I'm sorry, I really have to go, I don't think any of this pertains to me, does it?"
OOE: "No, do you have anything for us?"
Me: "Not really."
OOE: "So why did you come over?" (Joking)
Me: "Because I wasn't invited! So there!" (They think I'm joking.)
OOE: "Ha,ha,ha,ha!"

So, yes, I had my whiney baby moment today, just topped off a busy tired Monday.
No worries, I'm over it and I didn't piss anyone off in the process. I have been known to do so. Just the nature of my personality.
So... I guess I'm growing.

Have a great week! And if it's your birthday..... HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Spooky Manners

Halloween wrap up: Cute kids, cute costumes, fun dressing up, trick or treating & passing out candy to the cute kids in the cute costumes.
Not a lot of fun passing out to the not so cute teenagers & tweenagers who half heartedly dressed up and were rude.
There were some very polite tweens who I enjoyed passing candy to. They even had cute well thought out costumes. I especially liked the coffee & donut pair. They were cute.
Then there were the kids with the skeleton heads on their stomachs that talked to each other. Seriously.
But the punks who trounced through my grass (dead as it may be from drought) in a simple wig or a lightly painted face and just held out their bags and ran off were not my favorite. The only words I got from some of them were, "You got anything else?"
I know I sound like Old Man Withers ("You kids get off my lawn!") but I just wonder where the manners are on these kids.
Halloween doesn't give us free license to go from door to door being rude and begging. Well, at least they had on costumes. Or partial costumes.
But all in all, we had a fun night! Number One Son and Queenie had friends all over to catch up with and one of our neighbors had a fun haunted "house" in his front yard. It was the "place to be" on Halloween night in our neighborhood!

On a fun side note, we had a ghost sighting. Tell me what you think of her.