Kid Complaints

I guess one day I will get on here and actually praise my kids. But NOT tonight!!!

The girls played very well together today until right before dinner. You see, they have been collecting these little dogs from the machines at the grocery store. They have a lot and I don't know who got what. Does it really matter? Can't they just share them? No, which begins the fight. There is one dog that they both say is theirs. Just one. And unfortunately there isn't a duplicate like some of the others. So one is crying and heartbroken and the other is hiding it when she can get her hands on it.

Now, I don't ever remember acting like this when I was younger. I remember sharing all my toys with my brother. Yes, Mama, I know you are getting a good laugh off that one. Just kidding. I know my brother and I fought like cats and dogs growing up. He probably still has scars to prove it.

The point is: I just always have a hard time dealing with situations like this because who do you believe. So I end up taking the item away and saying "Now, it is mine!"

On another note... I weighed last week, I think it was Friday. What a scary sight!!! I started a new eating plan back in January and lost 18 pounds. Between March and now, I have gained 13 of them back. I am not too happy with myself. But I have a hard time resisting some foods. I do good the first part of the day and fall of the wagon in the afternoon. So, I got my plan out today and printed out the journal part so I can start over again tomorrow. I just haven't been feeling good lately. I was really feeling good and energized while I was on the eating plan. I would really like to get that feeling back again. So tomorrow morning (with fingers crossed), I am back on it. I am also going to try very hard to walk at least three times this week if not more.

Of course, my first barricade to get through tomorrow is my car. On Friday, the cruise wouldn't set then a light came on "ESC OFF". This is my stability control light. Then today it started shaking which is something I am not used to. So first thing tomorrow morning it is going to the shop at KIA. Maybe it has heard me saying I want to trade it. November will be 2 years. It's time don't you think?

Tomorrow night, we are going to the fair. We always get very excited about the fair. Of course, it is going to be hard to stay on my eating plan at the fair. I am pretty sure there are no fats, oils, grease or sugar allowed on the plan. That is why I definitely have to get some exercise in some time tomorrow. Mental note: take walking shoes that way if they end up keeping my car, I can always go for a walk. Easier said than done.

I will let you know if I make it.

Fashion Show

Okay, I have to say that seeing pictures of myself in my new outfits just makes me want to take them ALL back. What a WHALE!!!! I am so embarrassed that I will probably delete these photos after my very dear friends, who wanted to see the outfits on me, view the blog.

This outfit is hard to see. It was the last picture I took. For some reason the last two outftis I took pictures of are blurry. This one and the green jacket with the purple shirt. Sorry about that. This is a pink wrap shirt with brown walking shorts.





This outfit is a jean pant suit. I am not too crazy about the jacket right now.









I am not crazy about the red shirt. It is just too revealing. Although Myron liked the khaki jacket with a cream colored tank under it with these pants.










This is one of my favorites. Can you tell? Bethany told me to smile so I did. I just need to get some knee high black boots. Don't you think?










Myron nor I really liked this jacket once I got home; although, I did like it in the store. Myron and I decided it was the shirt. Like I said before, we both like it better with a different shirt.










Sorry, this one is blurry too.











There is one more outfit. But I wore it Monday. It is a grey sweater with three buttons at the top and a pair of black pants (in the dirty clothes). It's cute. I really like it too.

Sniffles

Well, it is that time of year again ... Allergy Season. Bethany is so stuffed up. I guess it started on Monday when we were heading home from South Alabama. She started sneezing. Then yesterday she came home with a red nose although she said it wasn't running, just itchy and she kept rubbing it. Then she was up at 4:45 this morning crying because her nose was running and she was tired of wiping it because her nose hurt so bad. I don't believe she went back to sleep. So when I picked her up this afternoon from school, she was very whiny and said she didn't feel good. She isn't running a fever which means she can go to school. She did inform me today that if she still feels this bad tomorrow, she is not going to school. We will just see about that, Miss Priss.

Oh, I have to share this story. Last year when Bethany was in 1st grade, the class adopted a guinea pig, Maybelle. All the kids loved her and fed her every day. Bethany's best friend, Mason, really has a love for animals. I'm not sure how she did it but Mason talked her Mom into buying a guinea pig for the 2nd grade class. Luckily, Mrs. Barcafer (the teacher) okayed this donation. So the guinea pig was delivered to class yesterday. The class voted on a name. You will never guess what it is ... Rascal ... and it is a female guinea pig. Oh awful!!!! Bethany was so upset. Today, I found out Mason was too.

In the 1st grade classroom this year, they have a guinea pig, Maybelle; a lion eared (?) rabbit, Mr. Whiskers; a turtle, Sherman (I think); and a fish (I don't remember his name). It is a regular zoo in there. Mrs. Edwards (the teacher) put the guinea pig and the rabbit in the same cage. Did you get the names? That's right... a male rabbit and a female guinea pig in the same cage together. I guess the class will be having a little biology lesson some time during the year. Ha Ha Ha. Of course, if it actually happens, I won't be laughing. I will keep you updated.

URRRGGGHHHH!!!!

Okay, I know why I am losing all my hair. Her name is SARAH!!!! I just found out tonight that she has gotten her name on the board for the THIRD time. So let's think this out... Three weeks in school ... name on the board three times. I finally went by and talk to her teacher on Friday. I wanted to let her know that I would help in any way I could to get her on the right track. I think I have put a little too much blame on the other little girl. Turns out Sarah is the one getting her own self in trouble. It's at carpet time. When they go to the carpet, Sarah and this little girl start talking. When they are told to stop, the other little girl stops; Sarah does not. So now my frustration builds and builds and builds. The teacher assures me she will involve me if needed. But right now it is just a "social" thing. Sarah is just very sociable. I just want to "nip it in the bud" now. Seriously, what I want to do is be a fly on the wall that morphes into Mean Mommy when she continues to get in trouble. That way I can have a paddle handy and whack her on the backside. That's what I want to do.

I guess I should give Bethany her time as well. My problems with her are this... she has to know EVERY night where I am going to be and what I am going to be doing. And I can't just say "in the kitchen." I have to specify whether I will be on the computer or washing dishes, etc. The other thing is that if we go downstairs to watch a movie after they are put to bed, her stomach starts to hurt and she gags and is hanging her head over the toilet. So now we wait until they are good and asleep before we go down. Only sometimes it takes them awhile before they are good and asleep.

I tell you these KIDS are driving me bananas.

Heading into the Storm

Okay, so most people were heading North away from the hurricane while we were heading South right into the storm. Complete Idiots!!!! We woke up Saturday morning, and Myron decided we were going to Elberta, AL to see his family. After hearing the news about his cousin, he just needed to be with the family. So 11 1/2 hours later, we pulled into Elberta.

The craziest thing happened on our way down... We were told to fill up with gas before we got to AL because people were emptying the stations. So, when we got to Cantonment (just North of Pensacola), we stopped at a Circle K because Bethany had to use the bathroom and we needed gas. As we pull in, I see Wes Greeson. I was so shocked. (A little background information: Wes and Myron worked together at International Paper in Cantonment before we moved to Asheville. They also went to Auburn University together.) Of course, he does just live right down the road where we stopped so it wasn't highly unusual. The timing couldn't have been planned ... it was GREAT!!! We did get to talk to him for a few minutes. I just hate we weren't able to see his wife, Jennifer, and their kids. Wes' parting words to us were "Just be smart." He was talking about the storm. Wes, you let me know how smart we were...

Sunday, we went to church and got to see lots of Myron's family. And during the Mass Gene was remembered. So there were lots of tears shed that morning. After church, we went over to Aunt Trish and Uncle Gene's to see the rest of the family. We got to meet Joseph, Little Gene's son. He is, I think, 6 months old. Such a doll. And I did get my "baby" time in with him. He was so happy and easy going. He has the reddest hair. So cute.

While we were there, some people were watching the weather channel. So I got to see how close the storm really was. I got a little nervous to say the least.

After we got back to Grandma and Grandpa's house, Myron and I talked trying to decide whether to leave Sunday night or head back Monday. We decided it would be better to leave on Monday to miss all the evacuation traffic. We came to a conclusion: don't leave before the storm, too much traffic; leave during the storm, there is no traffic. So with wind gusting and rain falling and water covering roads and tornado warnings all around us, we head toward home. It was a little scary a few times. But we made it.

We were able to meet my family for lunch in Auburn. We got to spend about an hour with them. Then we were off again. It took us 10 1/2 hours to get back including the hour for lunch. We tried really hard to keep our stops to a minimum. The girls were good. They watched their movies, listened to their violin music and sang High School Musical music. But they were tired of being in the car just like Mommy and Daddy were. Our backsides were so sore.

We finally got the girls to bed close to 9:00 p.m. which is an hour later than we normally do on a school night. Unfortunately, Bethany is still awake and it is almost 9:30. I am going to have a time on my hands in the morning trying to get them up for school. I will definitely have to work hard to get them to bed early tomorrow night.

Prayer Request

We found out this morning that Myron's 1st cousin, Lil' Gene, commited suicide today. I don't know any details. He leaves behind his wife, 5-month old son, a Mom, Dad, two sisters and many more relatives. I'm not sure of his age but I know early 30's. Myron and his sister, Kathy, were really close to Gene growing up. They were more like a bunch of brothers and sisters rather than cousins. They spent lots of time together on their Grandparent's farm ... most of all getting into trouble and doing things that they shouldn't have.

His Mother, Patricia, is having a very hard time dealing with this as you can imagine. No parent is supposed to outlive their child. Unfortunately, it happens too often.

My heart is breaking for the Morris/Krauss family. Especially, the wife, Denise, who will now raise the 5-month old on her own. Please remember this family in your prayers. I do pray God will heal their hearts and help them find peace (if that is at all possible, but then anything is possible with God, right?).

A Shopping Spree

I had such a blast today. Although, I am very tired and burned out. But I have to say that I had a few laughs and tried on so, so, so many outfits. The ladies I went shopping with were awesome. They were honest and brutal (just kidding). They nicknamed themselves Stacey and Tracy. One of them really is a Tracy but the other is Pat. They didn't feel like Clinton was appropriate so she became Stacey. They were very supportive. Here are pictures of the outfits I bought but probably will not keep all of them. I was a lot scared at the checkout counter. But I felt it better to bring everything home and go over it all again to decide what to keep and take back. Although, it will be hard to take any of it back. There are a few pieces I am not totally crazy about. I figure I will do a fashion show for Myron and see what he loves and doesn't love. I will return the items we both agree are not good. Please pray for me. I am a little nervous telling him the damage I made today on our finances.