Walmart Gourmet

#FineChinaFriday

2012-02-09T05:43:00.000-08:00

Last week, my good friend and sister bitch Jana had this awesome idea that she emailed me about. Now, since I love Jana, and I happened to LOVE her idea, I was all, "of COURSE I am on board!" Then I remembered that I am a terrible blogger as of late, and honestly have not been that much better at social media, and that my participation would in no way help with her awesome idea.

But, since being mediocre never stopped me before, I'm all in.

So without further ado, I present to you.......

Fine China Friday!

It's exactly what it sounds like, on Friday, you will break out your china and crystal and sterling (if you have it) and use it. For pizza! And beer!

side note: My girl Jana made that picture with her stuff. So I'm sure you can see now why we're kindred. Pepperoni pizza and the champagne of beers. Hells. Yeah.

When Jana first sent the email, it was the strangest timing. I had been dusting that day (that's the first strange thing), and was gazing in my china cabinet while dusting it. I was thinking..... "I have never used this stuff. Not once." What I have is not wedding gifts. God no. We registered for everyday dishes, and they are now in a box in my garage. Waiting for my ex to take them, or for them to be sold in a garage sale or something. I'm not bringing that bad dish juju into my house. I have really nice china and crystal that I inherited from my grandparents. And it sits in their china cabinet. Just sits there. I'm ready to change that.

So this Friday, along with the #FineChinaFriday army we're building, I'll be eating on my china. And drinking from my crystal. Although it won't be beer, or wine dammit, because I'm on dance pick up duty on Friday night. Damn kids. I may have to do #FineChinaSaturday this week as well. So I can drink wine and eat pizza while I watch Breaking Dawn Part I. Vampires appreciate fine things.

I would love for you to join in. If you have a blog, write about it. (Get the button here) Or, just use your stuff and take a picture of it. Post it to Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, wherever. And use the hashtag #FineChinaFriday.

My girl Jana answers many more questions on her post. So, you should go read it. Plus, she has pretty pictures.

And that's it.

Break out the good stuff and be fancy with me!

The Message In The Clouds

2012-01-31T07:54:00.000-08:00

Oh, iCloud, I have a weird relationship with you. I love that you back up the data on my phone and store it in your lovely, pillowy cloud. But since all three members of this household share an iTunes account, I don't love that every once in a while I'll have random shit like "The Love Test" show up on my phone. Or many, many Justin Bieber songs.

But sometimes I wonder. Are you trying to send me a message iCloud?

Like the other day, when Teenagers by My Chemical Romance showed up on my phone magically? Are you trying to tell me something? Is my (almost in two months, HOLY CRAP) teenager trying to tell me something?

Yes, I know (now) this song has been around for a few years. Yes, I know it has some bad language. I don't censor music in our house.

Side note: I've started to wonder recently if I'm too lenient on my kids as in what they listen to, what they watch, etc, etc. After both girls having friends over this weekend, I realized I am NOT. In fact, I think I must be somewhere in the middle. And the middle is a good place to be.

Anyhoo, I listened to the song. And besides the fact that I LOVE IT, I definitely think there's a lesson here.

I hear ya, My Chemical Romance. Teenagers scare the living shit out of me too.

Glad I have a couple more months until I'm the mother of one. Two months y'all, TWO MONTHS.

Stop reminding me iCloud.

When The Butterfly Is Not So Social

2012-01-24T08:34:00.000-08:00

I am feeling quiet. Which is kind of weird for me. I'm never quiet. Like, ever.

But right now, I am.

I'm not sure why, other than the fact that I think all that is going on in my life has finally taken it's toll to the point where I have nothing else to say about it. I'm okay. My kids are okay. Everyone is healthy.

I'm just tired of complaining. Sick of hearing myself complain. And when I sit down to write something for my blog, I feel the word vomit rising up in my throat. And spilling out with the negativity. And when I log on to The Twitter or even The Facebook for that matter, I am tempted. Tempted by hearing people say, "Oh, my job sucks." To which *I* would say, "You think your job sucks? Do you have an hour or ten for me to tell you about mine?" Or someone else may say, "I'm so sick of my ex, he only gets my kids every other week." To which *I* would say, "Do you have a week? Or maybe a year? Let me tell you all the ways in which MY ex sucks."

And I'm tired of that. Sick of it, if you will.

I'm writing a lot for school and it feels good. It feels good to write things that I'm proud of, that I have no emotional attachment to, other than the fact that it was written by me. At first, I hated the structure of writing for school. The rules. The constraints. But now, I think I need it.

I'm working on a new site. I want to continue working on it. I'm hoping to have it up in a few weeks. I'm not sure if I'll write here again. I might. I just don't know yet.

But I think for the next little while, I need to enjoy my family. And reading. And mindless television. The things that make me happy. And stay away from the complaints. The chatter. The noise.

If you know me at all, this won't last long. I'll be chomping at the bit to yap someone's ear off by the weekend. Or maybe I won't. Who knows.

But for now, I think I'll enjoy the silence a bit longer.

Things I Love

2012-01-17T04:56:00.000-08:00

One morning last week was no different than any other school day morning in our house. One child didn't like the choice of clothes in her closet. She didn't like what her hair was doing, yet didn't want a ponytail. The other one, "Oh my gah I fell in gym yesterday and now I am so hurt I don't think I can go to school. And if I do have to go to school can you please write me a note to where I can sit out in gym?" Complete with a limp.

We were rushing, there was yelling, as per the usual. But after I got home from dropping the little hellions at their respective schools, I walked around my house and remembered some of the little reason why I think these particular hellions are so cool.

Over the Christmas break we cleaned out the armoire in M's room so that she can have a "make-up station." She spent all day cutting these words out of magazines to make this.

Pretty awesome. Then, this morning I noticed that she still tucks in her American Girl doll and Bitty Baby every night.

I die.

Now, we all know that Miss V loves her American Girl dolls. More. Than. Anything. In fact, she hopped out of bed this morning because today may be *the day* her new doll, that she bought with her birthday money comes.

She made them beds.

Since this picture, Bitty Baby has moved to her own bed across the room and Kanani took her place in the top bunk. I'm not sure where the new girl is gonna go. I'm sure some bed building will be going on this week.

For Christmas, she got these little mini dolls. They had nowhere to live. So, what do you do? Build a house out of boxes, of course!

V loves her boxes. I think they have furniture, but I don't know where it was at the time.

Then I walked around to the back of the box and was reminded why V makes me laugh daily, without really meaning to.

Yes V, diseased animals ARE fragile! Also? I hope they are not loose in my house.

I need to read this post when my blood pressure starts to spike.

I've got some pretty awesome girls.

Five Reasons I Like Being a Single Parent

2012-01-11T08:55:00.000-08:00

I had a bad single parent day yesterday. When you're a single parent, they happen often. Miss V is starting to react to all the shit that went down at Christmas and it's starting to show in her school work. Not cool. She is usually super careful about her school work. Because she's competitive. And likes to beat everyone else. Hey, whatever lands you on the A Honor Roll. But I have had to sign three failing grades since she went back to school. And I mean FAILING. Yesterday, I just wish I had someone else to back me up on what needed to be done. Or, for one second I could be the parent that says, "It's going to be okay." Not the one who has to say, "You are grounded from the computer, until I see your report card and then we'll decide what happens." I'm tired of being the bad guy. All. The. Time.

But, that's the way my cards were dealt. And in the spirit of being positive, I challenged myself to find the good in being a single parent. At first, I was going to to a "Top Ten Reasons" and then I was all, "Hey you, slow your roll a little." Baby steps.

Here we go:

One. I don't have to ask anyone before I make decisions. Since my ex is ~~an alcoholic loser~~ not involved at all, I have no one else I have to confer with. On anything. Kid wants to go to D.C. with school? Sure. Kid wants to date at fourteen. Hell no. It's all me.

Two. We all like the same things. Someone out there knew what they were doing when I was given two girls. Not gonna lie, I was bummed I didn't have a boy. But I knew I only wanted two kids. So, two girls it was. And now? Couldn't be happier. Even though the three of us are different in lots of ways, we are all basically the same. We rarely disagree on movies, television, games to play.

Three. I decide the punishments. So this is sort of like number one, but this is getting kind of hard, honestly. But there's never any, "let's wait until your dad gets home and we'll talk." When I used to have to do that, I had generally cooled before I actually talked to their father. I think my punishments are better now. Because I make them immediately.

Four. No sports on television. Now occasionally, I'll watch sports with the BF. Because I like him, and don't mind it. Back when I was married, if the asshole was home, sports were on. I just read books because it was easier than fighting. Or went in the other room with the smaller t.v. Now? Big t.v., all mine. Also, I've discovered I don't really like sports all that much. I used to fancy myself as one of those girls who could "hang with the boys and watch sports." I CAN still do that. But it turns out, I just really liked the drinking. I'd much rather watch Vampire Diaries.

One. No one to get mad at when they aren't "doing their share" This is the best reason really. And honestly, the only one I need.

So that's it. Five reasons I like being a single parent.

And even the reasons that I hate?

Still totally worth it.

(The Rest) of 2011 In Books

2012-01-06T07:02:00.000-08:00

Hey now, would you look at that? Back in this post I said I would update what I read for the second half of the year in late December or early January. And now I AM DOING IT. Boom.

If you didn't happen to read the first post, and are interested in what I read from last January to July, click on the link above and go read! There's some good ones in there. And some stinkers.

As I said before, I am definitely not a literature snob. I will read just about anything, as long as I'm slightly interested in the story or if the characters seem appealing to me. There are certain people who's recommendations I always take, and am usually pleased. I like a wide variety, so if you are a reader, there should be something in this list for you.

As I did in the last post, I'm going to rate each book with one to five stars. Five is good. One sucks. I may or may not have comments. If you want to know more about a book I didn't talk much about, just ask!

Here we go.

Kindred Spirits - by Sarah Strohmeyer 3.5/5 stars. Good beach read.

Deja Vu - by Fern Michaels 3/5 stars.

A Stolen Life - by Jaycee Dugard 4/5 stars. If you've read Room, this is the real life story. So tough to read, but she had such courage to write her story. I worry about my girls more after reading this book.

The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake - Aimee Bender 3.5/5 stars.

Love You More - by Lisa Gardner 3.5/5 stars.

Kill Me If You Can - by James Patterson and Marshall Karp 4/5 stars. I liked this book. Fast read. Good twist.

Then Came You - by Jennifer Weiner 4/5 stars. Cute story.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children - 4.5/5 stars. Loved. Can't wait for Miss M to read it.

River's End - by Nora Roberts 3.5/5 stars. Yes, I still read Nora Roberts. The Mama buys them. Gah.

Girls in White Dresses - by Jennifer Close 4/5 stars. Did you ever read those Red Dress books? This reminded me of one of those. I liked it. Cute.

Fly Away Home - by Jennifer Weiner 3.5/5 stars.

Chasing Amanda - by Jennifer Foster. 3/5 stars. Not too bad for a 2.99 Kindle book.

The Best of Me - by Nicholas Sparks 3/5 stars. Remember when Nicholas used to write stories like The Notebook and A Walk to Remember? Yeah, this is not one of those.

The Killing Floor - by Lee Child 4/5 stars. Thanks Twitter friends for turning me on to these Jack Reacher books. Can't wait to read more of them.

The Christmas Wedding - by James Patterson 3.5/5 stars. What? The Mama bought it. It was RIGHT THERE on my Kindle.

The Forgotten Garden - by Kate Morton 4/5 stars. If you've never read one of Kate's books, and you like historical fiction, she is great. The House at Riverton is one of my favorite books.

11/22/63 - by Stephen King 5/5 stars. Easily the best book I read this year. Loved the characters. Love King's writing. Loved everything about it. Lot's of people have asked me, and NO it is NOT scary. Read it. Do it.

Yikes. I slowed down a lot in the second half of the year. Twenty-seven books in the first half and only seventeen in the second half. But, I did start school and all. Also, I figured out I can watch t.v. shows on the iPad at the gym. That cut into my reading time a bit. Gimme a break.

Forty four books last year. Not too shabby.

What did YOU read that I need to know about?

Take This Job......You Know The Rest

2012-01-05T07:53:00.000-08:00

If you know me even the least little bit, you know that I, ~~hate, despise,abhor,~~ am not happy with my job at the moment. To the point where it's really affecting everything else in my life. I love the babies that I take care of, I really do. I'm just tired of taking care of other people's kids. And also tired of being taken advantage of. Those two combined are making me quite the grumpy bitch lately.

The problem is, where to go from here. I live in a tiny town. It's not teeming with job opportunities. I also live rent free, and close to my mom, who helps me with my girls, so I don't see myself moving anytime soon. I have a couple of nibbles on some work from home opportunities. But I would need to supplement these with just a couple more paying jobs to make the income that I need.

This morning I looked at my key chain.

I bought this a few months ago to remind myself. I get caught up in the day to day and think, I can do this, I can make this work until I finish school. But now? I'm not sure I can.

Am I living my dream? To an extent, yes. I am raising two beautiful, intelligent, and funny girls. That's PART of the dream. Now, it's time for something for me. And to stop going to a job every day that pays the bills, but I have to bend over backwards to make that happen. Stupid hours, no real schedule.

But the other part of my dream? It would preferably be writing something, assisting someone who writes, assisting someone on an e-marketing campaign (putting school to use), or something of the sort. Something flexible enough where I can take 30 minutes to pick my kids up from school and then take the time to get them where they need to be, practices, etc. I'm sure you all know of the perfect job just sitting out there waiting for me, right? RIGHT? I knew it!

So, right now, I'm sitting on a fence. Do I wait to find something? Do I go ahead and quit and put my faith in the fact that something will turn up before I run out of money? I AM the sole provider after all.

Someone shake your Magic 8 Ball and tell me what it says.

I'll be waiting for your answer.

Thorns, Roses, and Rosebuds 2011 - 2012

2012-01-01T05:54:00.000-08:00

Last year, I joined my sister bitch Jana in her first installment of Thorns, Roses and Rosebuds. And of course, I am joining her again.

If you want the full explanation, go here for my original post. In a nutshell though, The Thorns are the bad from the past year. The Roses are the good. The Rosebuds? Well, they are what you are looking forward too. I love them the best. They are not resolutions. Just things you are happy about on the horizon.

So now, I bring you my Thorns and Roses from 2011, and what my Rosebuds of 2012 will be.

The Thorns

If you follow my blog, or if you know me at all, I think you KNOW what my thorn is. I have lots of little prickly ones that really aren't worth mentioning, but I have one huge one that is a constant pain. Right in my ass. My ex husband. Besides the 8k he owes me in back child support, I had to tell my girls this year they couldn't see him on Christmas day because he was in jail. For a DUI. Awesome, right? I don't think I'll be able to remove this thorn anytime soon, so I think I should just stock up on Advil for the pain or something.

The Roses

My girls. Aside from all of the obvious "daddy issues," these girls are amazing. And I don't throw that word around lightly. They are. They are smart, witty, funny and awesome. Sure, they have their moments, all kids do. But they bring me joy. Even on the days it's hard to find the positive, they manage to make me smile.

I went back to school! And not just that. I LOVE IT! Ask me how I feel about it when it comes time to take math, but for now, I'm enjoying the hell out of it.

And finally, my friends. 2011 introduced me to some fab ladies and I had two awesome weekends with them. I spent time with some old friends too. And every day, at any time, I can find someone to talk to. I never really felt lonely this past year, and my friends had everything to do with that.

The Rosebuds (my favorite!)

I've got a new site in the works. It's something I've been thinking about since last year. This site has been awesome. I've loved it. But, I'm ready to dump the "label" and just be Leah. Oh believe me, I still have Nieman Marcus taste on a Walmart budget. It just won't be right there in the title. Stay tuned, I'm hoping to have it up by the end of the month.

Finding a new job. I've got to do this for my sanity. I'd prefer something from home. But I'll take anything that can get me closer to what I would like to be doing with my life. Writing. Social Media. A combination of the two would be great. Possibly assisting someone involved in these things? We'll see what 2012 brings. But if next year at this time I'm still taking care of someone else's kids? I give you permission to kick my ass. Hard.

So that was it. What was crap, what was good, and what's to come.

Bring it on 2012. I'm ready.

I think.

Happy New Year ya'll!

When Nothing Goes Right, Go Left

2011-12-29T05:42:00.000-08:00

For the last few years, my favorite quote has been this:

Source: google.com via Leah on Pinterest

Let's face it, I've been "handling" Plan B most of my life. Hell, Plan C and D even. Sometimes, Plan Z.

And why? Why does plan A never work? Maybe plan A sucks. Sometimes, I KNOW it does.

But I'm getting old (er). And frankly, rather tired.

It's time for Plan A to work for a change.

So for the new year, I'm adopting a new mantra.

Source: lolhome.com via Leah on Pinterest

In 2012, I plan to go left. I'm going to go left so often you can start calling me Jeff Gordon. Or whatever Nascar racer happens to be relevant right now.

Not that 2011 sucked. I would classify it as "okay." Some bad, a fair amount of good. But the bad? Same. Old. Crap. Maybe "going left" will help straighten that shit out. Maybe not. But I think it's worth a shot.

So say it with me ya'll: When nothing goes right.......

Go left.

The Ghost of Christmas Past

2011-12-27T07:09:00.000-08:00

Hey there ya'll! I know, I know, where have I been? I've been here. Just haven't felt like writing, honestly. Things have been interesting around here, to say the least. But really, aren't they always? Also, interesting doesn't always equal good.

I've got some changes in the works, but they'll probably be moving a little slower than I wanted, so I'm going to keep writing here for the time being. But hopefully sooner rather than later, I'm planning to move to a shiny new site. Hooray!

Back to Christmas. Here's the story of ours.

Since my divorce, we generally do some variation of the same thing at Christmas. Girls are always with me on Christmas Eve. Even though this means I'm always responsible for the "big" gifts for the girls, I'm good with this. I love Christmas Eve, it's my favorite. This Christmas Eve was a little different, since my brother went to visit his fiance in Canada, it was just me, my mom, the bf, and the girls. We had a good time. Ate pizza, played games, watched A Christmas Story, drank nog. Same stuff we normally do, just on a smaller scale.

On Christmas morning, the plan was the the ex's sister would pick up the girls on her way to her parents' house. The girls would spend Christmas day with their dad and their other grandparents. The Mama and I always go to a movie on Christmas day, which we had planned to do this year as well. We were going to pick up the girls after the movie and dinner.

Girls wake up super early, which was good, I didn't want to have to rush for them to get ready to go. We open gifts, eat breakfast, I send M to the shower. I was wondering why I had not heard from their aunt, so I called her to see if they had left. She had. But she had news.

News that really didn't come as a shock to anyone. The ex was in jail. For a DUI on Christmas eve. Now I had a decision to make. Do I tell the kids or make something up?

Already on V's birthday, I had made up a story of why her dad never called. I can't even remember what I said. He wasn't getting a signal or something like that. Truth? No one new where he was. He was supposed to show up after school to take the girls for ice cream. Never showed. So I lied. To spare V's feelings.

But this time? I didn't feel like lying. Yes, I knew this had the potential to ruin Christmas. But you know what? He doesn't deserve for me to lie for him anymore. And the girls deserve to know the truth.

So, on Christmas morning, I sat my beautiful daughters down and told them they would not be seeing their father today. Because he was in jail. For driving after he had been drinking.

Neither girl cried. They didn't really ask any questions. Only one comment from M. "Dad spends all his money on drinking, that's why he doesn't help take care of us." Not a question. A statement. A fact. The truth.

I managed to salvage visits with the grandparents. The mama and I went to the movie. I highly recommend The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo if you haven't seen it. We picked the girls up. Went to dinner. Came home. Everyone seemed happy.

I'm still not sure how affected they are by all of this. Neither one has asked about him (he's still in jail by the way). Kudos to his mom for leaving him there.

I don't think Christmas was ruined. At least I hope not. I don't want their ghost of Christmas past to be, "that one where Dad went to jail."

Here's hoping there are no ghosts of Christmas future.

Kiss My Cheese Grits

2011-12-15T09:44:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I promised I would post my recipe for cheese grits so you could make them for your Christmas feast. I made them at Thanksgiving. I even took pictures. I ate the grits. ALL OF THEM. They were delicious. But I have not been motivated to write about them.

Probably because of shopping, homework, class parties, teacher gifts, and all of the other eleventy billion things there are to do. And when I sit down to write I'm inspired to write goofy stuff like holiday letters and rants about people who say stuff that hurts my feelings. But this morning I was all, "Leah, you are totally depriving these people of your grits making expertise. Maybe some people don't know how to make grits and then throw some cheese in. Gah." I know. I'm super selfish that way.

So without further ado, my grits recipe. And yes, I am hungry just thinking about them. I love my carbs.

Cheesy Grits

Here's whatcha need:

Quick grits, shredded cheddar cheese, velveeta, two eggs, and garlic. (You'll also need some milk and salt and pepper but I forgot to put those in the picture because I suck as a food blogger).

Cook the grits according to the package directions on how many servings you want. One of my dishes was about six servings.

These are the cooked grits BEFORE the glorious cheese hits them.

Add half a block of cubed velveeta and about 3/4 cup of the shredded cheese. Then add a tablespoon of garlic and salt and pepper to taste. Stir until cheese is slightly melted.

Then add the two eggs and ABOUT half a cup of milk. (Another reason I suck as a food blogger, I NEVER use exact measurements. Also the same reason I hate to bake.) I say ABOUT because you want it to be a little soupy but not too soupy.

Transfer to baking dish, or dishes as the case may be, sprayed well with cooking spray.

Top with more shredded cheese.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 30 to 40 minutes.

Enjoy the cheesy deliciousness.

The best thing? You can have them for any meal. Or snack. In fact, I want some now.

Have a great weekend friends!

It's Holiday Letter Time!

2011-12-14T07:38:00.000-08:00

Last year at Christmas, I wrote this post about how I hate those holiday letters that people put with their Christmas cards. I'm gonna modify a bit and say that I don't hate, hate them, I just wish they were more REAL. C'mon people, give us the bad stuff too. That's life.

I like to put my sarcastic, (but real), version of the letter I would write if I actually sent out cards up here on mah blawg. Sadly, my letters don't change much. But THIS year, there's a little more happiness than in the past. So *cheers* to that.

Here we go: (also, you should consider this your card. you're welcome.)

Dear Friends,

What can I say about this past year? If I were to give this past year a theme it would be this. Hormones. Lots and lots of mother freaking hormones. That caused lots of crying. And yelling. And binge eating. And wine drinking. And new to the hormone party? Hot flashes. (those last two are mine. obviously.)

My children are still insane. Related: I'm still looking for that extra cash to buy stock in a vineyard. I'm sure the 8k I'm owed in back child support would put a nice dent in that. Yep, nothing has changed THERE.

But we're healthy. And happy. My girls are wicked smart and talented. And they make me proud every single day. Well, except those days with, you know, ALL THE HORMONES.

And thanks to The Mama, we even got to go on a vacation.

Could we BE any blonder?

Anyhoo, all in all 2011 didn't suck. I made some new (forever) friends, went back to school, and was for the most part, happy.

Sure, we struggle. Who doesn't? But I don't think I cried as much this year. I'll consider that a win.

Have a great 2012 friends.

Peace, Love & Santa,

Leah

It's My Party

2011-12-12T05:07:00.000-08:00

I am very non confrontational. Very. Since I've had kids, I've gotten over this a bit. I'll stick up for them before I'll stick up for myself. And in relationships, I'll admit to being very passive aggressive. I say things like, "whatever," "it's fine," "I'm not mad." When I most certainly AM mad and it is NOT fine. Probably why I stayed in a horrible, terrible, marriage for fourteen years. Moving on.

When it comes to the interwebs and my bloggity blog though, I TRY not to be this way. If I'm mad about something, I say it. Mad about something that happened at school with my kids? I say it. Mad about something that happened with the asshole ex? SAY it. This is my space not to hold things in.

But I rant about things that apply to me. Just me. Or my kids, or my job or something relating to ME. I do not use my blog, or my Facebook page, or the Twitter to cut people down about their choices. Unless you are trying to force your opinions down my throat, at that point I probably will. But again, it applies directly to ME.

So now that I've had a moment to talk about me, me, me, I'll get to the point of this post. And I do have one. I promise. Over the weekend, I was perusing The Twitter, and I read something that really struck me the wrong way. It wasn't aimed at me specifically (at least I don't think so), but it applied to me. And it really hurt my feelings. It wasn't mean specifically. Just rude. And better than. Like the author of the comment thought they were better than the people who did that specific thing he/she was commenting on.

I'm not going to say what it was. There's no reason to call out this person specifically. And if you know what I'm talking about PLEASE don't call the person out in my comments or publicly on The Twitter. I'll talk to you about it, just email me or send me a DM. I'm not sure WHY I've let that one little comment get to me the way that I have. But the fact is, I have.

I've been thinking a lot lately about my blog and my twitter following, etc. Thinking about what I want it to be. What I'm doing with my spaces, if you will. What I'm not doing is making money. I don't think I'm ambitious enough, honestly. I'm not going to tell stories and say that I don't care about numbers and comments. I do. But I don't think I care about them in the way of, I want a lot of them. I care about them in the way that I care about people coming to a party. If I'm having a party, of course I want people to come. But I want my friends to come. And I want them to tell me how cute my house is and how delicious my food is. I don't want to invite someone just because I want a lot of people there. Especially if those people I invited "just for the numbers" are going to make bitchy comments that hurt my real friend's feelings.

That's how I'm going to start thinking about my blog and my social media accounts. It's my party. I'm going to invite who I want. Sure, others may show up. They may mingle and be perfectly nice. Awesome. I LOVE those nice people who show up that I didn't expect. I may meet my new best friend that way. But please don't show up, make a bitchy comment about my house, or houses like mine, and then leave. You won't be welcome the next time.

It's the main message in life I teach my girls. You don't have to like everyone. It's damn near impossible to like everyone. Stand up for yourself, but at the same time, don't cut others down. There's no reason for it.

I may be trimming my guest list a bit. I'm a bit tired of those "friends of friends" that are always bringing down the mood, by saying they don't like my friend's clothes or the kind of beer I bought sucks.

But I AM still looking for the occasional crasher. New party friends are the best.

SOC Sunday - Boyfriends

2011-12-11T05:52:00.001-08:00

It's my favorite thing about Sunday, linking up with Fadra for SOC.

I tweeted and Facebooked over the weekend about how both girls now have boyfriends. They are 10 and 12 (almost 13). Guess it's time to start a whole new ball of worry. Because, you know, I need one more thing to worry about.

Friday night, Miss M had a dance to go to. There were major, MAJOR tears before the dance. I'm talking full on meltdown. About clothes. About shoes. About make up. And the biggest meltdown? She didn't have a date. A DATE. In seventh grade. Apparently she was the only one without a date. Which I don't believe, but whatever.

We finally managed to get it together, and even though she told me she thought her hair looked like she had recently been to a bar in the eighties, I managed to successfully get her to the dance.

This is normal before dances. She normally has these meltdowns. She's ALWAYS over it before she gets home. Friday night was no exception. Except when she got in the car something was different. She was downright giddy. The difference this time? She went into the dance boyfriend-less and came out having acquired herself one.

Now to the worry part. I'm not worried about what they would do or anything like that. She doesn't go anywhere for them to be alone at all. I diligently check her Facebook and chat logs. In fact, I did this morning. It was totally harmless. The only conversation I saw between them was if she was going to the parade. Which we didn't because I had to work last night and I took her with me. He was bummed she wasn't going. It was cute. Harmless.

But here's what I'm worried about. I do NOT want her self worth to be tied up in if a boy likes her or not. *I* can only tell her she's beautiful,smart, talented, etc. so many times before she doesn't even hear me anymore.

So for now, I'm not going to worry about it too much. I'll just let her enjoy her happiness for a bit. And hope and pray that SHE will be the one to end the relationship. Because I am NOT ready to deal with broken hearts yet.

This was my 5 minute Stream of Consciousness Sunday post. It’s five minutes of your time and a brain dump. Want to try it? Here are the rules…

Set a timer and write for 5 minutes only.
Write an intro to the post if you want but don’t edit the post. No proofreading or spellchecking. This is writing in the raw.
Publish it somewhere. Anywhere. The back door to your blog if you want. But make it accessible.
Add the Stream of Consciousness Sunday badge to your post.
Link up your post below.
Visit your fellow bloggers and show some love.

Now…

1. Grab the button

(it’s over sidebar at Fadra's Place)

2. Write your post.

3. Link up here.

The Best Project (And Teacher) Ever!

2011-12-09T04:04:00.001-08:00

Hey. Yeah, I know, I know. I haven't posted anything since Sunday. I can pretty much count the one person who is upset about this (Hey Tiff!). This week has been kind of crazy for us. For some standards, a normal week. But for us, crazy. I finished one class (another A, go me!), started another, worked, two choir concerts, homework, lessons, etc.

And Miss M had a time consuming math project that was due this week in the midst of all that. Which is what I want to talk about. It seems like every time I mention school here I'm always bitching about it. Nothing gets me fired up as much as when I feel like an injustice has been done to one of my children. Nothing. So, I tend to go off about it, as most do.

But, for once, I'd like to talk about something good. This math project. And specifically M's math teacher. First of all, even though M is in Pre Ap Math, she struggles. If she's going to have a B somewhere, this is the class. We are right brained as a whole. We like music. And art. And singing. And writing. And both girls (even the fourth grader), know better than to ask me for help with math. I'm sure tutors are in our future and will probably have to start looking for one as early as next year. And sorry M, I'm not finding you "a hot one," as you requested. Geez.

Back to the teacher and project. I am in love with M's math teacher. She asked for email addresses at the beginning of the year. She emails us about everything. Upcoming tests. Homework. Projects. Just to say thanks for helping our kids. Now, if your kids are younger and you're thinking this sounds annoying, let me assure you, it's not. Your children will stop talking to you. About anything important. Sure, they'll recite the whole Super Mac 18 video they just watched. But anything important like, do you have a test? or, is all your homework done? , and you might get a grunt if you're lucky. Since this teacher is so wonderfully awesome, and keeps us informed, I can now ask specific questions. Did you study for your test on measurements? Is your math vocabulary done? I may still get a grunt for an answer. But at least I get some kind of head shake along with it. Communication from teachers rocks.

Now to the project. I'm not going to get into the specific, because, MATH, duh. But what I know, is they had to find a recipe for a baked good and make it. Or, help their mom make it, because we all know how these things go. And they had to figure out how much the recipe would make, and then break it down into fractions and measurements or something. Who knows. I handled the baking part. Obviously. Trusted the kid that she knew what she was doing math wise. So they make their recipe, do the paperwork, then we were to individually package all the goods and the kids were going to have a bake sale at school.

Guess what they are doing with the money.

Do it. Guess.

Having a party? Nope.

Going on a field trip? Nope.

Buying fancy math learnin supplies? Nope.

They are adopting an Angel for Christmas. HOW AWESOME IS THAT?

Between two classes of Pre Ap math they raised $628!

The bake sale was supposed to last three days. They sold out in two. In the five years of doing this, the teacher said the most they had ever made was $450.

In addition to all of this, she gave the kids another recipe that they have to figure something out about. I have no idea what, because AGAIN, MATH. But she is opening her home on Sunday afternoon for the kids to come over and help with the recipe and find out the answer. Then having a party for the kids on Monday (with her money I'm guessing) to celebrate the great job they did on the project.

I know not every teacher can be like this. I'm not delusional. I know there are some that are only there to get their paycheck, and have their summers off. But every once in a while, you get a really, really, good one.

And it restores your faith a bit.

Until the next stupid thing happens.

SOC Sunday - Routine

2011-12-04T05:47:00.001-08:00

It's my favorite thing about Sunday, linking up with Fadra for SOC.

I started school in August working on my degree in e-marketing. I've fallen into a bit of a routine with my schoolwork and this morning it was totally messed up. It's freaking me out a bit. And I'm not sure why......

As of late, this has been my Sunday morning routine: Wake up, make coffee, grab computer, take weekly quiz, answer discussion questions, write my SOC post, finish up any other school work.

I am at my BEST right when I wake up. Always have been. And I'm talking minutes within waking up. It's why I'm hoping to eventually land a job working from home. I can get some serious work done before 8 a.m.

This morning, my routine was all thrown off. M spent the day with friends yesterday and they didn't get home until almost midnight. I fell asleep for a bit on the couch, but woke up on and off waiting for them to get back. After they got home I couldn't go back to sleep, so I watched an entire movie before finally falling asleep. Between that and the rain, I didn't wake up until about 7:30. I normally wake up before 6:00, so I already felt like I was behind on my day.

Then, I try to log onto my school portal and it's not working. Not sure what the deal is, but I'm guessing I'm going to have to make a call to tech support. So, my quiz is not taken, I haven't answered any discussion questions, and now I'm doing number three on my Sunday morning to do list.

Not sure why it's freaking me out so badly, but I feel like I'm going to be fighting an uphill battle today. And did I mention I have a seven page paper to write? I do.

That was really just a bit of rambling about my morning, but I'm feeling all discombobulated today. Like I'm gonna fail my quiz and never get my paper written. Because a few little things were out of sync.

How about you? Do you let it throw you when your routine is messed up?

I normally don't. Not sure why I'm stressing so much about it today. Sigh.

This was my 5 minute Stream of Consciousness Sunday post. It’s five minutes of your time and a brain dump. Want to try it? Here are the rules…

Set a timer and write for 5 minutes only.
Write an intro to the post if you want but don’t edit the post. No proofreading or spellchecking. This is writing in the raw.
Publish it somewhere. Anywhere. The back door to your blog if you want. But make it accessible.
Add the Stream of Consciousness Sunday badge to your post.
Link up your post below.
Visit your fellow bloggers and show some love.

Now…

1. Grab the button

(it’s over sidebar at Fadra's Place)

2. Write your post.

3. Link up here.

Is Silence Really Golden?

2011-11-30T04:19:00.001-08:00

That's how the saying goes right? I agree, silence works in some situations. When I would otherwise be saying something stupid, silence is good. When my children are yapping when I'm trying to watch t.v., silence would be preferable.

But yesterday, I got into a discussion on The Twitter about how kids at school are basically not allowed to talk in the lunchroom anymore. A friend posted that her son was only allowed to speak in whispers in the lunchroom, and only in short amounts of time. I answered by saying I thought this was basically the norm, and pretty much every time I've been to my kids school's at lunch, (both here and where we used to live), at least once during the lunch period, the kids were placed on "silent lunch" where they couldn't talk at all. Every. Single. Time.

I've gotten to where I don't even go eat with my kids for lunch anymore. Well, M would NEVER allow me to come to the Jr. High cafeteria, and eat with her for one. And if I decided I did want to eat with V, we would have to sit at our own table, isolated from everyone else, and speak in a whisper. Where's the fun in that? Now, if I want to have lunch with one of the girls, I go to the school, sign them out, and we go somewhere. Much more fun for both of us.

This whole "lunchroom talk" got me talking about another subject that I have recently been upset about. V keeps losing her recess because the whole class is being punished for the actions of a few. I find this silly, ridiculous, and maddening. KIDS NEED RECESS. THEY NEED TO TALK AT LUNCH. How do schools expect us to deal with the crap load of homework they pile on us (yes US) if they are sending our kids home with all of this pent up energy?

But what both of these situations boil down to is this: They want our kids to peer pressure each other into being good. After reading my friend's Facebook thread on the same subject, with more information, I learned that the kids are being encouraged to earn "stickers" by being quiet. And they want kids to ~~peer pressure~~ encourage their friends to be quiet, or to be good so that they can earn the stickers or get the recess.

Peer pressure? Really? This is what schools are teaching our kids? They dedicate a whole week to "Just Say No to Drugs." Don't be peer pressured into doing drugs. And at the same time they are telling kids, "Be yourself. Be who you want to be. Don't be pressured by others." Then they turn around and say things like, "Sorry you lost your recess or you can't talk now, but maybe your should tell your friends they should be quiet."

CRAPOLA

Maybe instead of punishing the group as a whole teachers should start putting in the effort that it takes to single out the kids who are actually causing the trouble. And in the case of the lunchroom, put up with a little noise. It's not that bad. I'm not trying to slam on teachers. Both of my parents are retired public school teachers. I have a healthy respect for teachers. Believe me.

But when I was little, we got singled out for acting up. We were singled out for not doing our work. For talking too much. I could probably go on and on with examples of instances of me personally getting in trouble. One being, when I was in kindergarten I cut in line. The teacher told me to go to the end of the line. I wouldn't. I threw a fit. I ended up eating my lunch in the office. Where my mother, the teacher, saw me. You think I ever cut in line again? Nope.

So what are we teaching our kids now? No matter what they do, everyone will get in trouble? Because you know there are some kids who are going to just act up on purpose. They don't care. Someone on the Facebook thread of the conversation mentioned this was a measure to correct the children that were being "underparented." I agree that some children are. But MY child doesn't happen to be one of them. And I am angered that she is being punished for the ones that are.

Our children are being taught to take tests. And be quiet. And conform. And take punishment for the actions of others.

I think this is a load of bull. What do you think?

*Disclaimer: While I 100% believe everything that I wrote, please don't suggest that I homeschool. I am in no way, shape, or form cut out for that. :)

The Three Worst Christmas Songs Ever Recorded

2011-11-29T04:54:00.001-08:00

I can't say it enough, I love the holidays. Love Thanksgiving, love Christmas. I'm kinda meh on New Year's Eve, but I love New Year's Day for some reason. Love.

Along with my love of all things holiday comes holiday music. There's a local station that plays all Christmas, all the time, plus I have Sirius stations on my satellite, so we have no shortage of music.

I started out to make this a top ten list, but who am I kidding? I mostly love all Christmas music. Except for these. These songs make my ears bleed profusely, and for the love of all that is Santa, need to be taken out of rotation.

Three.

Same Old Lang Syne by Dan Fogelberg

First of all, this isn't even a Christmas song. I guess, technically it should be a New Year's song or something. Whatever it's classified as, it horrible. Last night we heard it in the car. The girls were listening. M's comment: "Was this song written in five minutes?" V's comment: "This is awful." And both of them asked why they were drinking in the car. Ah, The Eighties.

My thoughts: No disrespect to Mr. Fogelberg. May he rest in peace. But this song is just awful. I hope I never meet my old lover in the grocery store. In fact, I know I never will, because I avoid the grocery store when I go to my hometown. SO I DON'T RUN INTO ANYONE. And if I did have an old lover that was a big time singer, I probably would have already tracked him down.

Oh Dan, did you write that song in five minutes?

Two.

Christmas Shoes by NewSong

Do I really even need to say why this song sucks? IT'S FREAKING SAD. Yada, yada, Spirit of Christmas and all that. But c'mon! His mom is dying. It's awful. My kids declared it not only the worst Christmas song ever, but the worst song ever. We like happy. But, this video has Rob Lowe, so you should watch it for that fact alone.

One

Santa Claus is Coming to Town by Bruce Springsteen

I don't really think it needs explanation why this is the worst Christmas song ever. It's in by bio, y'all. Springsteen. Sucks.

Please Bruce, I beg you, STOP RUINING CHRISTMAS!

Do you agree? What do you think are the worst Christmas songs?

What To Do When The Magic Is Gone

2011-11-28T07:07:00.001-08:00

Yesterday, I wrote my SOC Sunday post about how neither kid believes in Santa anymore. I got lots of great "after the fact" advice. I'll admit I was not a quick thinker when Miss V asked me if Santa was real. Oh well. What's done is done, I guess.

As we were getting out our decorations over the weekend, V asked me what we would do with our "Cookies for Santa" plate. And besides displaying it on our counter, I didn't really have an answer for her.

I got this for Miss M's first Christmas.

1999! That seems like forever ago, and also yesterday.

The plate has seen some rough days and super glue, but it's been out with cookies for Santa every Christmas Eve, no matter where we were.

So now, I don't know. I told her we could still put it out and she said that seemed silly.

Which really got me thinking. We need a new tradition.

The girls always open one gift from me on Christmas Eve. It's always pajamas. I want to continue this, because I like getting pictures on Christmas morning with them in cute pjs.

But other than that, I'm at a loss. I have no idea what to do Post Santa.

I would LOVE some ideas. What are your holiday traditions?

SOC Sunday - A Christmas Without Santa

2011-11-27T05:33:00.001-08:00

It's my favorite thing about Sunday, linking up with Fadra for SOC.

This post doesn't need much of an intro, so here goes......

This will be our first Christmas without anyone in our house believing in Santa. At first I was relieved. But now, honestly, I'm a little sad.

A few weeks ago, Miss V asked me if Santa was real. I looked at her, and said, well, what do you want me to tell you? Which in hindsight was a stupid answer. Because the really smart parents, which I don't happen to be one of, say stuff like, "he's real as long as you believe." and "what do YOU think?" My answer, pretty much validated what she was already thinking.

So, after a looooong conversation about how I do all of Santa's stuff and me saying stuff like, "Didn't you wonder about it last year when I told you Santa might like a nice glass of wine instead of milk, I think Texas is one of the last places he visits," we had to have the conversation about NOT telling others. Because that kid? Blabber. Mouth. I'm sure she's already told everyone.

And then on Thanksgiving, she thought it was a good idea to tell my six year old niece. And then tried to cover up by saying it was her opinion. I may have a debate captain on my hands perhaps? Anyhoo, I did some damage control and I'm pretty sure the niece is okay and not traumatized.

But I'm sad. Sad that as I was pulling out the decorations, no one believes anymore. And even though I am SO GLAD my girls are getting older, that was kind of the one thing I wanted to hold onto for a bit longer.

And even though this was a kid that hated Santa

See? I couldn't even get her to sit on his lap. So even though she may have been afraid of Santa, she still believed. And that was something.

This was my 5 minute Stream of Consciousness Sunday post. It’s five minutes of your time and a brain dump. Want to try it? Here are the rules…

Set a timer and write for 5 minutes only.
Write an intro to the post if you want but don’t edit the post. No proofreading or spellchecking. This is writing in the raw.
Publish it somewhere. Anywhere. The back door to your blog if you want. But make it accessible.
Add the Stream of Consciousness Sunday badge to your post.
Link up your post below.
Visit your fellow bloggers and show some love.

Now…

1. Grab the button

(it’s over sidebar at Fadra's Place)

2. Write your post.

3. Link up here.

Obligatory Thankful Post

2011-11-23T05:36:00.001-08:00

I really AM thankful for lots and lots and lots of things. Big and small.

The big: I am thankful for my children, they are my world. I'm also thankful for my family, my adorable boyfriend, the fact that I have a roof over my head, a car that runs, and a job.

And the small: my DVR, wine (this could go in either category), that I get to dress like a hobo for work, and my Snooze Time pillow. Seriously ya'll. That last one? Changed. My. Life. No jokes.

But the main thing I am thankful for these days?

That my girls are growing up. I am officially past the point that I miss my babies. Sure, I miss their snuggles and cuddles. I miss the cute things that they say, I miss the baby smells. Pre-teens do NOT smell anything like babies.

But they can bathe themselves! And feed themselves! And clean their rooms (sometimes!) They can even make a dinner pulled from the freezer when I have to work late. And for those things? I am more thankful than I could ever imagine being.

These guys rock.

And they'll be gone in less time than they've been here.

So I plan to be thankful every single day.

Happy Thanksgiving Ya'll!

A Recipe For Life

2011-11-22T04:20:00.001-08:00

I am in charge of three things this Thanksgiving. Cheese grits (yep, we eat grits at Thanksgiving, don't you?), Macaroni and Cheese, and Sweet Potatoes.

I will never mess with my grits recipe. It's damn good. And they happen to be my favorite Thanksgiving food. I'll post the recipe sometime. But after Thanksgiving, because you need pics to see how good it looks. So calm down, you can make it for Christmas. Santa loves grits. He told me.

As for the mac and cheese, I will be using my sister bitch Jana's crock pot mac and cheese recipe. Seriously y'all, this is damn good stuff. And it's in the crock pot. Holla.

And finally, the sweet potatoes. Here's where I'm stuck. I'm tired of the ones out of the can with the nuts and marshmallows. Well, I like the marshmallows. Ideally, I'm trying to find a recipe with marshmallows.

I'm considering these.

Source: sweetpeaskitchen.com via Leah on Pinterest

Yum, right?

But I don't know. If I make them at my house, can I successfully transport them to my mom's? Will they stay hot? So many questions......

So I kept looking. And I saw several others that I liked. And I rejected some of them. Based on one ingredient that I didn't like.

And that got me thinking.....

How life is like a recipe. I chose most of the ingredients I'm working with. I like them. They all happen to be my favorite stuff. But along the way, some asshole came along and threw in some fennel and other shit that I don't like. And every once in a while I'll taste a beet here and there.

And I'll think? Why do people keep messing with my recipe? I've got it just the way I like it. I hate liver. Stop putting the liver in there!

But you know what? My dish still tastes good. I may not have very much of it left until next payday because someone doesn't contribute to the groceries the way that they should. But that's okay. We like leftovers.

So even though my recipe for life has a few stray ingredients I can't stand, in the finished product, I can't even taste them.

SOC Sunday - This Parenting Gig Is Tough

2011-11-20T10:21:00.001-08:00

It's my favorite thing about Sunday, linking up with Fadra for SOC.

We have had a tough week. Miss M is twelve and having a hard, hard time with it. I get it, being twelve sucks. I've said it before and I'll say it again now; this parenting gig is hard, yo.

Miss M is twelve and in seventh grade. She's artsy, a little weird, and doesn't conform to the things that most kids her age do. She also happens to be one of the most awesome kids I've ever known. But how do I convey this to her? I tell her every single day, that she is smart, beautiful and talented.

The problem is, I think she wants a boy to say this to her. I'm already aware that my girls are going to have "daddy issues." How can they not with an absent, alcoholic, father? But I didn't think they would start this soon.

I no longer hide the truth about her father from M. The other night we discussed how he was having "problems", and may be going away for a while to get some help. She cried and says she is scared she will be like him. What do you say to that? I just assure her she won't.

My girls are carrying a heavy load I know. Dealing with the normal issues of being pre-teen girls, plus all of the stuff with their dad.

I hope I am handling things the right way. I hope I'm making their load just a little bit lighter.

This was my 5 minute Stream of Consciousness Sunday post. It’s five minutes of your time and a brain dump. Want to try it? Here are the rules…

Set a timer and write for 5 minutes only.
Write an intro to the post if you want but don’t edit the post. No proofreading or spellchecking. This is writing in the raw.
Publish it somewhere. Anywhere. The back door to your blog if you want. But make it accessible.
Add the Stream of Consciousness Sunday badge to your post.
Link up your post below.
Visit your fellow bloggers and show some love.

Now…

1. Grab the button

(it’s over sidebar at Fadra's Place)

2. Write your post.

3. Link up here.

Pretty, Funny, Yummy, Wise - Seventeen!

2011-11-17T07:57:00.001-08:00

I don't have a lot to say this week, so let's get to it, shall we?

Pretty

Source: people.com via Leah on Pinterest

How could I NOT give my pretty to Bradley this week? He IS the Sexiest Man Alive after all.

One more for good measure.

Source: fanpop.com via Leah on Pinterest

Really? With the eyes and all? So. Much. Pretty.

Funny

Source: sorakeem.tumblr.com via Leah on Pinterest

After a few glasses, I like to tell myself how bangin my ass is.

Yummy

Source: tasteofhome.com via Leah on Pinterest

Pepperoni cheese bread? Get outa town! Miss V would eat the entire loaf!

Wise

Source: facebook.com via Leah on Pinterest

Hear me now and believe me later, this is the straight up truth.

I've never been more sure of it.

Wanna follow me as I pin ~~Bradley~~, lots of awesome? Go here!

Wordless Wednesday - Ten!

2011-11-16T06:54:00.001-08:00

I'm no longer the mother of a child in single digits. Let's hope the next ten years go a little slower.

From one.

To ten.

In the blink of an eye.

Happy Birthday V. You'll always be my baby.

Necessity is a Mother

2011-11-15T04:11:00.001-08:00

Tomorrow Miss V will be ten. And I will no longer have a child in single digits. *Tear.*

While I am nostalgic about my babies, and loved having little ones, I am discovering that I actually like big kids. They bathe themselves, they feed themselves, they dress themselves, well, you get the idea. They are somewhat self sufficient. But one thing that big kids do? They ask for stuff. Like, a lot.

Say what you will about it, but we've decided that ten is the cell phone age in our house. It came about because Miss M got a phone at ten, because I was tired of talking to ~~the donor~~ their father every time he would call. And since we don't have a home phone (who does?), M and I have the only phones in the house. And who likes to talk on the phone the most? Of course, Miss V does. So, I have been counting down the days until she's ten and can have her own phone. Her phone actually came in yesterday, and everyone is excited because no one has to share. We're not the best sharers round here.

Since ten year olds don't really get the concept of a "cell phone has a monthly bill," we have talked about one additional present. Many ideas were presented, among them, this American Girl doll bed.

from americangirl.com

This bed? NINETY FIVE DOLLARS. Yep.

I am over the moon happy that my ten year old still wants to play with dolls. That she wanted a phone, so she could talk about dolls and Webkinz with her friends. So happy. But no way in hell am I paying ninety five monies for a doll bed.

But you know what they say, necessity is the mother of invention. And in this case, that mother happens to be a ten year old girl with a few American Girls in need of beds.

Here's what I found yesterday in V's room.

We don't need no stinkin spensive doll beds. Not when we have plenty of boxes around.

And this mama is ninety five dollars richer.

Cha ching.

SOC Sunday - This Time, It's Working

2011-11-13T06:41:00.001-08:00

It's my favorite thing about Sunday, linking up with Fadra for SOC.

Last week, I wrote about not having enough time to get everything done. And how I needed my girls to start helping out around here. I'm happy to say, last Sunday we had a family meeting and some things have changed. For now.

Our family meeting went well. Both girls were somewhat receptive to the idea of helping me just a little around here. Of course, both were quick to point the finger at one another about who makes the bigger mess, but they're sisters, so that's expected.

Here's what I proposed:

Living room will be clean when I get home. If the living room is not clean when I get home, the girls will not watch on the big television with me for that evening only. Plus, will not receive a check mark for that day which earns them fifty cents.

(Living room has been clean every day this week).

Dirty clothes and shoes will be picked up off of bedroom floors daily. I was getting distracted when I would go in to get laundry and would end up picking up each girls room and losing time from what it was I needed to be doing. If clothes are not picked up daily, and lights are not off, they do not get a check mark for that day. Resulting in a loss of fifty cents.

(Rooms have been picked up every day).

On Sundays, both girls will clean their own room, earning them two dollars. This is the only time they are expected to clean entire room during the week.

(Rooms were cleaned last Sunday)

My conclusion is this. We've tried reward. It doesn't always work for us. We've tried consequences. It doesn't always work either. This combination of consequence and reward seems to be working. Bingo. I hope.

Also, Miss M earns five extra dollars per week for being responsible for holding down the fort after school.

Let's hope they keep it up. Who knew that one thing of the clean living room would be such a weight off of me? But it is. It really, really, is.

This was my 5 minute Stream of Consciousness Sunday post. It’s five minutes of your time and a brain dump. Want to try it? Here are the rules…

Set a timer and write for 5 minutes only.
Write an intro to the post if you want but don’t edit the post. No proofreading or spellchecking. This is writing in the raw.
Publish it somewhere. Anywhere. The back door to your blog if you want. But make it accessible.
Add the Stream of Consciousness Sunday badge to your post.
Link up your post below.
Visit your fellow bloggers and show some love.

Now…

1. Grab the button

(it’s over sidebar at Fadra's Place)

2. Write your post.

3. Link up here.

The First Time Glee Got It Wrong

2011-11-11T03:54:00.001-08:00

We are huge Glee fans. Huge. It's the one show that the three of us always agree upon. We save the episodes on our dvr until the dvds come out. We watch them over, and over, and over. We love the music, the story-lines, the cast. We love Kurt. We just love all of it.

Last week, I starting hearing scuttlebutt about this week's episode. That it would be about sex. And several of the characters having it for the fist time. Now, teen sex is not new to Glee. There's been a teen pregnancy. And two of the girls on the show are, let's say, rather loose. It's not new. The girls and I talk about it. Just like the lovely Carolyn, I use Glee as a teaching tool to talk to my daughters. Normally, I don't even think about the show before we watch it. The more I thought about this episode, I decided that I would watch before I made a decision about letting the girls watch it. And just like Carolyn, I did not like what I saw. Yesterday Carolyn wrote this post about her feelings on the show. I wholeheartedly agree with her. Except for the fact that my girls will NOT be watching. And here's why.

Glee had a huge opportunity here. And totally missed the boat. Like, the boat didn't even pull into the port. It was in another ocean. Or lake. Or just not anywhere near where it should have been to send the right message to my teenage daughters. Glee normally gets it right. They handle all the issues. Bullying, how important the arts are, how you don't have to be defined by one thing, gays, competition, how it's okay to be different. And on. And on. And I liked how they were handling the issue of sex. Until now.

In this past week's episode, which you can watch here if you haven't seen it, two different couples on the show were considering having sex for the first time. One straight couple. One gay couple. One thing that I will say that the writers got right was that there was no difference between the two couples. This is actually one of my favorite things about the show. Everyone is equal. LOVE IT. No difference.

I'm gonna spoil it without going into to much detail. Here's the gist. Rachel and Blaine are playing Maria and Tony in West side story. Artie, who is directing, asks both of them if they had ever been intimate. They are both shy in their answers. He basically tells them they need to be able to go out and do the deed to be able to act their parts. They agree. Then both of them basically proceed to throw themselves at their boyfriends. And both boyfriends turn them down. Okay. I'm on board here. No sex is happening. Opening night of the show comes. Blaine talks to Rachel and asks her how they are supposed to be convincing if they haven't done it. She gives him a nice little speech about how they don't have to have sex to know about love. And longing. And it. Was. Awesome. At this point I started thinking, yes. Yes, I will let my girls watch. And the play ended, both Rachel and Blaine went to their boyfriends, and everyone did it. Both couples had sex. In high school. And they made it look romantic and nice and beautiful. Fail Glee. Major, major, fail.

So no, my girls will not be watching "The First Time." Because even though I agree that we could talk about it, and talk about it and talk about it, I can't take away what they show on the screen. And what they showed that it was nice. And I agree, sex is nice. But not for my pre-teen daughters.

I talk to my girls about sex. Actually Stephenie Meyer forced me to, but whatever. They know. But what they know (for now), is that you should be married. Will I ever say it's okay for them to have sex in high school? No way. But if they tell me they are going to, we'll deal. I DO want to keep the conversation open. But I just can't, at this point, let them watch something showing them that sex between teenagers is beautiful.

So for the first time ever, I'm disappointed in you Glee. You guys had a chance to send a good message. And ran in the opposite direction. You had a chance to help me out as a parent once again. And didn't take it.

Honestly though, I'm happy in my decision. Happy that I watched first. And happy that I made the decision to say no.

Wiener Wednesday - Baby Edition

2011-11-09T04:32:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I've felt compelled to write a Wiener Wednesday post. But yesterday, The Duggars, the family made "famous" by TLC's Nineteen Kids and Counting, announced they are having a TWENTIETH child. As in TWO ZERO. Twenty freaking kids.

I'm not judging the Duggars for this decision (well, maybe a little) but come on. Twenty? How do you even learn all their names? I'm thinking really, you don't. They probably just employ the "hey you, little guy, girl, baby, come over here." And once you have to get a special license to drive the vehicle that can fit your entire family? It might be time to stop.

Not to mention, all the havoc that those kids have got to be wreaking on Michelle's lady bits. Now, I can't speak from experience, because, due to the fact that my first child wanted to come in feet first, I have a nice little scar that allowed two babies with beautifully shaped heads to be taken out of my uterus. But I hear that what happens down there is not pretty. And after twenty? *Shiver.*

So, Duggars, I'm not really saying you guys are wieners, but twenty kids is a lot. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that's a shit ton of kids. Also, a nice round number. Round numbers are a good place to stop, no? Yes.

Also on deck this week, THIS girl. Mariah Yeater, who claims Justin Bieber fathered her baby. I'm sure by now you've seen her, and if not, check out the link. I'm not putting a picture of that ~~skank~~ girl on my precious blog.

When I first heard this story, not gonna lie, I sorta wanted it to be true. But then I remembered that I love Beieber, and changed my mind.

Also, I don't really want it to be true that this guy

had his "first time" in a bathroom. Because I remembered that after I saw his movie, I kinda wanted him to be my kid. And I feel badly for his mom. She seems like a nice lady that's being forced out of the picture. And as a single mom, I think she did the best she could.

Anyhoo, I'm choosing not to believe that little Justin is the father of that girl's baby. I"m glad he's stepping up and getting the DNA test out of the way.

At the same time, I don't want this girl to be charged with anything. I don't want Justin to sue her. I hope she gets some help. And that her baby can grow up with a nice, normal life.

Unless this story turns out to be true. In that case, there's a lot more Wiener Awards to be handed out.

Pretty, Funny, Yummy and Wise - Sweet Sixteen!

2011-11-08T04:43:00.000-08:00

Here's how I know I've really been focusing on things I need to get done: I din't do a Pinterest post last week, because I hadn't been allowing myself to get sucked in by it. Gah, what's wrong with me. Ignoring my favorite time waster? I'm sorry Pinterest. I'll never ignore you again.

Pretty

I've been talking about painting my kitchen cabinets forever. Honestly I'm still on the fence about it. So. Much. Work.

Yesterday, I finally peeled back a corner of my horrible carpet to see what's under there. I had a hunch it was hardwoods but had been ignoring it, because I didn't want to be disappointed. But, it is hardwoods! Now, I don't know what shape they are in, but I am at least going to attempt to refinish them. Or have someone refinish them. I'm handy, but not that handy.

Before the floors are done, I have to get off my ass about the painting. Bathroom, hallway, and I need to make a decision about the cabinets. I saw this and maybe this is an option? Just do some of them?

How do we feel about this?

Source: designinthewoods.blogspot.com via Leah on Pinterest

Pretty?

Funny

This made me snort when I saw it. So, so true. And not just because of my kids.

Source: annetaintor.com via Leah on Pinterest

This is actually a magnet. Christmas gift for my boss perhaps?

Yummy

Here's how Thanksgiving goes. I cook some here, my mom cooks at her house. I normally go out there around eleven or so. We don't normally eat until one. My mom and I start drinking wine and don't eat. By one, we don't even care.

So, I'm considering making this for an appetizer this year, to give us a little snack with our wine. I'm not a huge cranberry fan, but this looks really good.

Source: jamiecooksitup.blogspot.com via Leah on Pinterest

Cranberry and cream cheese? Yes, please!

Wise

I honestly think the wise category is what held me up from posting last week. I've seen all the clever things to make from ordinary items. I've been in a bad, bad mood (thanks work and PMS), so all of the inspirational quote type things make me wanna hurl.

Honestly, I'm still having trouble coming up with a wise right now. Hang on while I go peruse Pinterest a bit more.

Wow, that took a while. You still here? Good.

I didn't come up with much. Except this.

Source: weheartit.com via Leah on Pinterest

I could totally do this. You know why? No where on this list does it say no wine.

Wanna follow my pins? You totally can!

Now, go pin something good for me.

Throwback Salmon Salad

2011-11-07T07:48:00.000-08:00

A hundred years ago (or so it seems) I used to be a waitress. A damn good one actually. In fact, it was hard for me to stop waiting tables and get what I considered a 'real job' and couldn't even quit cold turkey. I took an office job and slowly transitioned myself out of waitressing gig.

These were some of my favorite years. Good friends, decent money, great schedule. Lots of people around who were always ready to go out. In fact, I even met one of my oldest and bestest friends while working at Chili's. And I'm pretty sure we were the ones who created the first version of this salad.

Remember when Chili's used to have the Grilled Tuna Salad on their menu? It was delish. And the Tuna Steak Sandwich too. Yummy. Somehow, we decided that the Chili's wing sauce mixed with ranch would be good on this salad. And we were correct.

I love Frank's Red Hot. I will put it on everything. One night, for some reason, I remembered the Chili's Tuna Salad and I came up with my own salmon version. Now I eat it at least once a week.

Here's what I put in my salad.

I used a spinach and arugula mix which is my current fave.

One Salmon Burger. (which I cooked in the oven).

A few sliced cherry tomatoes.

Two green onions chopped.

Chili Lime Tortilla Strips (At my Walmart they have these by the salad dressing and croutons)

Frank's Red Hot (A generous amount, because I like it HOT)

Light Ranch Dressing

I layer in the lettuce, green onions and tomatoes. Then I chop the salmon burger up and add that. Then add the tortilla strips and finally the hot sauce and dressing.

You could probably mix up the salad dressing and hot sauce separately to see how hot you want it, but I've gotten pretty good at eyeballing it.

The Chili's salad I think had pecans, which would be good also, but I like the crunch of the tortilla strips.

Here's the finished product.

Delicious, spicy, goodness.

Happy Monday friends! Let's hope this week doesn't suck.

SOC Sunday - Time and Time Again

2011-11-06T06:24:00.000-08:00

It's my favorite thing about Sunday, linking up with Fadra for SOC.

On Wednesday, I wrote this post about time, and how I don't have enough of it to get everything done. This week, I've really been thinking a lot about it. Chatted with friends about it, chatted with The Mama about it, and here's what I've finally come up with. It may not solve everything, but it's a start.

My girls have it really easy. They are expected to keep up with their school work. The end.

I expect nothing from them when it comes to helping around the house. Yet, I constantly feel like I am drowning, and there is no lifeguard around to save me. My girls are twelve and (almost) ten. They should help around here, right? Right.

My two biggest complaints are: their rooms, and MY living area. I say mine because they have their own playroom complete with a television, dvd player, cable AND dvr. Yet, they never go in there. They walk in from school (I'm at work), dump their stuff in my living room and it doesn't leave. When I come in from work, the first room I see is destroyed. Book bags, food, drinks, shoes, blankets are usually everywhere. I normally spend the first 20 minutes I'm home getting this picked up. Frustrating.

Today, we will be having a family meeting. If the front living room is not picked up when I walk in the door, they will not be allowed to watch t.v. with me for that night. (I have the big t.v.) We'll see if that works.

Secondly, regarding their rooms. They will be expected to clean them on Sundays. That's it. So that they are clean for the week. Also, no dirty clothes should be on the floor. I am horrible about this too, so I am going to be better about this as well. I'm thinking if there are dirty clothes on the floor, those clothes will be taken out of the wash rotation for that week. Or something. Not to sure on that one yet.

So, we'll see how it goes. I never predict success. But who knows.

Also, I'm totally open to suggestions of how to get kids to clean. Thanks!

This was my 5 minute Stream of Consciousness Sunday post. It’s five minutes of your time and a brain dump. Want to try it? Here are the rules…

Set a timer and write for 5 minutes only.
Write an intro to the post if you want but don’t edit the post. No proofreading or spellchecking. This is writing in the raw.
Publish it somewhere. Anywhere. The back door to your blog if you want. But make it accessible.
Add the Stream of Consciousness Sunday badge to your post.
Link up your post below.
Visit your fellow bloggers and show some love.

Now…

1. Grab the button

(it’s over sidebar at Fadra's Place)

2. Write your post.

3. Link up here.

The Adventures of Hormone Girl - Chapter Four

2011-11-04T08:25:00.000-07:00

We first met Hormone Girl here, back when the "Hormone" in HG first came on the scene. It was funny to joke about. After the fact.

This post? Not so funny.

Hormone Girl is getting bullied. Because she's quirky. And silly. And super duper smart. And generally awesome.

She doesn't want to dress in clothes from Hollister or Abercrombie or Aeropostale. She prefers plain jeans and t-shirts that we order from the interwebs like this:

I try to buy her clothes from those other places. Not because I want her to conform, but because I care about clothes. But clothes are not really her thing. I've got another daughter that loves shopping. Two would definitely break me.

HG is always telling me how kids are making snide remarks to her. "You're weird," is usually the main one. But luckily, HG takes this particular insult as a compliment.

Every once in a while though, a kid (normally a boy), will be really mean. Like yesterday.

Today in English class this boy (I'm going to call the boy AJ for Asshole Jr., because I'm sure his dad is a big ol redneck Asshole as well) took my pen away when we were grading papers.

Well, did you ask for it back.

Yes.

What happened?

He wouldn't give it to me.

Did you tell the teacher?

Yes. She told him to give it back. Then he threw it at me and called me fat and ugly.

*Here's where I took a minute to regain my composure. Deep breath.

I'm so sorry he said that. You know you are neither fat NOR ugly.

I know.

So, what did you do then?

I told the teacher.

And what did she do?

She told him to apologize, but he didn't. The school says they don't tolerate bullying, but they never do anything about it.

I'm so sorry that happened.

I got so upset that he said that and wouldn't apologize that I cried. And then people laughed. And then I was embarrassed.

Well, you have NOTHING to be embarrassed about. AJ should be embarrassed that he's not smart and has to be a bully to get attention and make himself feel better.

I know.

So, what do you want me to do about this? Anything? I can email the teacher or go talk to the principal.

No, I don't want you to do anything.

Okay, but I want you to know, if you EVER want me to step in, I will.

Okay, thanks Mama.

At this point I was Tweeting and Facebooking furiously about how I was ready to kick some 7th grade ass. All while trying to hold it together in front of HG.

But here's where I need YOUR help. How far do I let this go? Should I say something to the teacher? The principal. Let's just say the one encounter I had with her didn't go so well.

What do you think? Do I step in? Wait until it happens again?

Because, I am clueless.

This parenting gig is hard, yo.

Time, Time, Time

2011-11-02T09:30:00.000-07:00

See what's become of me. As I look around.......

Wait. This isn't a post about an awesome Bangle's song. Or actually Simon & Garfunkel. Sorry Paul, I like Susanna's voice better.

Aaaaanyhoo.

It's about time.

And how I don't have enough of it.

Or I suck at managing it.

Pretty sure it's a combination of both.

But I can't figure out how to make everything work.

Work. School. Kids. Blogging. Exercising.

I can't give up work.

Or school.

Or the kids. Obviously.

I don't want to give up blogging.

Or exercising. Unless I give up eating. Or wine. Bahahahaha. As if.

So if everything stays, something's gotta go.

Cleaning?

Laundry?

Cooking?

Not possible.

The thing that has to go? Bad time management.

Except I have no idea where to start.

Do you?

Top Five Reasons I Hate Halloween

2011-10-31T07:21:00.000-07:00

I'm sure I won't gain any fans with this statement. I do not like Halloween. In fact, I think it kinda sucks. I'm sure that I could come up with more than five reasons, but I've got a lot to do today, so five should get my point across.

1. Costumes - This is a chore every single year. Miss V always wants something store bought. Normally not a big deal. This year, we found it early. Awesome. Done. Then yesterday, she informed me that the costume was itchy and she was just gonna wear something from home. Yeah, kid, I don't think so. I spent money on that, you're wearing it. Sorry bout cha. So tonight I will get to listen to whining and complaining. But she's wearing that costume. Miss M always wants to be something original. Except her ideas are not always the best. Or they don't have the best execution. Then there is crying. Lots and lots of crying. Oy.

2. The Candy - And I do mean the good kind too. The good kind, I eat. The bad hangs around forever.

3. Whores - Yes, I know that I said costumes up there. But whores deserve their own category, right? Why can't you just be a nurse? Nope. Gotta be a sexy nurse. Oh no, you couldn't possibly be a cat. You must be a sexy kitten. Meow. Barf.

4. Being Startled - I can't stand to be startled. And every year, guaranteed, there's some asshole who thinks it's funny to jump out from behind something and scare children. And parents. Assholes.

5. It's signifies the beginning of the season of gluttony - From Halloween on, delicious looking food is everywhere. Candy, Pumpkin Rolls, Thanksgiving food, Christmas Cakes and Candy and Cookies. And I eat it all. Every bit of it. Because you have to right? It's like a holiday obligation or something.

Not that this is a reason, but more of a question.....Who was the genius that decided to change daylight savings until AFTER Halloween? You can't got trick or treating in the daylight. You just can't. So you have to wait. And then it's late when you get home. And your kids are all hyped up on candy. And you don't have wine because you don't have time to make the 40 mile round trip to buy any today. Well, maybe not you. But in my case, this WILL happen tonight.

If I dress up, do you think people will give me wine if I walk around with my glass?

Now THAT would make me like Halloween.

The Adventures of Hormone Girl - Chapter Three

2011-10-27T08:12:00.000-07:00

I should have known something was wrong.

Chapter Two was written way back in May. Hormone Girl has been lying low. I should have known. Known that when she did make an appearance it would not be pretty.

Hormone Girl is back. In full force. And ya'll? It. Is. Ugly.

This entire week has been filled with tears.

In fact, Miss V and I had to seek refuge in my room one night earlier this week and give her the entire run of the house.

So we've all been a little on edge. Tiptoeing around Hormone Girl a bit.

Last night I thought I was getting a jump on creating a tear free morning, since today was "dress up day" at HG's school. HG was going to be "a formal apology". Dressed up formally with a sign around her neck that says, "I'm sorry." Funny, right? We thought so.

Did you try on the skirt for your costume?

Yes.

Okay, so after you get out of the shower, print your sign and we will fix a ribbon around it to hang on your neck.

Okay.

Sign gets printed, we fix it. Everyone goes to bed. We are getting a jump on this thing, right? Wrong.

This morning.

I can't find the skirt.

It's in your closet.

What? There's no skirt in my closet.

I thought you said you tried it on.

Side note: I never really got to the bottom of which skirt she actually tried on, but I'm thinking she didn't. The lies have begun. Sigh.

Well, it's not in my closet. There's no skirt in my closet!

Yes, there is. Let me show you.

Oh. Well, that skirt is long. I don't want to wear a long skirt.

Hmmm. Well, it's the only one we have that is formal. Your costume doesn't really work if you're not in formal wear.

Where's my other dress?

What dress?

The only one I have.

It's dirty. And it's super casual. That won't work.

Well, it's dressy to the kids in my school.

*huge sigh*

It's dirty. So we need to go with Plan B.

I'm not wearing that skirt. I don't want to wear a skirt.

But, you'll wear that dress?

Whatever. I hate skirts.

So, you'd better pick another costume.

I will! Just leave me alone.

I leave. Door slams. She comes out. Does something. Sobs. Goes back in. Door slams again.

Of course, I go in.

What is wrong now?

I don't have any clean bras.

At least I'm pretty sure this was what was said through the sobs. I got her a clean bra, leave her room.

Door immediately slams behind me.

And here is where I admit I was not having a stellar parenting morning. Because what do you think I did next? I went to her room, opened her door and slammed it. Of course. Because that was the super mature thing to do.

But you know what? It made me feel better.

So I told HG that I was taking Miss V to school and she'd better be ready in ten minutes when I came back to get her.

When I got back to the house and honked, she came out very quickly. Wearing jeans and a cute top. Holding a Seventeen magazine and her old phone.

So, what are you going as?

A teenager.

Okay then.

I know that I used to be one, but I really, really, don't understand twelve year old girls.

Poster Problems

2011-10-26T07:39:00.000-07:00

I have a problem with posters.

This is a sure sign that I am getting old. And very controlling. Because I hate them. Like, a lot. I never understood when I was growing up why The Mama didn't want me hanging posters in my room. It's because they look terrible. And all those teeny bopper faces are staring at you when you have to go in kid's rooms to do something or another.

And in my kid's rooms? They. Are. Everywhere. M has hers slightly under control. They are mostly on one wall, and just a few on another. And she's put them up relatively straight with the appropriate amount of tacks. In V's room, this is not the case. They are (were) on every wall, not straight, hanging by one tack so that all the corners were flapping. Taunting me.

I'll admit, I was stressing over these posters more than I should have been. But for a girl who was only allowed one poster when she was growing up, it was really starting to get to me.

Now, I know you are dying to know what my one poster was. And when I show it to you, it will confirm the fact that I am indeed old.

Oh, Shaun Cassidy. How I loved you. Da doo ron ron.

The rest of my room had decor picked by The Mama herself.

I'll admit that I steer my kids in one direction or another when it comes to decorating their rooms. But ultimately it's their decision. I had gotten to the point where I just couldn't take this poster situation anymore. Because, you know, I don't have anything more important to worry about.

When V decided she wanted to change her room around, I knew it was time to take charge of the poster situation. And if you think I'm kidding, here's what the posters looked like before.

See how they are all askew with no rhyme or reason? Totally stressable right?

So, armed with plenty of tacks, we set about straightening. And relegating the posters to one wall.

Here's what we have now.

Four tacks, totally straight. Better, right?

Now that the poster problem is situated, I need somewhere else to misplace my stress. V's closet is probably a good place to start.

Oh, and Shaun Cassidy? Totally hotter than Justin.

Sorry Biebs.

Pretty, Funny, Yummy, and Wise - Fifteen!

2011-10-25T04:34:00.000-07:00

Judging by how crazy everyone is about it, I'm sure I'm not going to gain any fans by saying this. But I'm just gonna say it. I don't like Halloween. Whew. That feels better. I'm not like morally against it or anything. I just think it's silly. I hate buying stupid costumes. I hate how much Hormone Girl stresses over coming up with the most perfect, most original one. I love the candy, but I hate having so much of it in my house.

I prefer Christmas. I crazy love it. I do restrain myself and wait until the day after Thanksgiving to decorate. But it is by far my favorite holiday of the year. Christmas makes me super happy.

I'm ready for people to stop pinning Halloween and start pinning Christmas. Hopefully next week. So for now, my Christmas board only has about 10 ish things. But I'm ready for more. More, more, more Christmas.

Pretty

Source: None via Leah on Pinterest

I don't have a mantle, but I need some of these stars. I'll find somewhere to make it work.

Funny

This makes me laugh mainly because I WISH this was how it was in our house. Sadly, I pretty much make everyone what they want. Sigh.

Source: shopatartworks.com via Leah on Pinterest

And this one too.

Source: None via Leah on Pinterest

Ah, only in a fairy tale.

Yummy

I am full on obsessed with buffalo flavor right now. I'm gonna post a recipe for this awesome salad I made later this week. These tacos look delish. Plus, they're tacos. So, yeah.

Source: None via Leah on Pinterest

Wise

I need to print this on something and put it by my bed.

Source: media.photobucket.com via Leah on Pinterest

Today is a new day.

Have a good one friends. Go pin some Christmas stuff for me!

My New Love

2011-10-24T04:33:00.000-07:00

It's not a boy. Or a girl. Or a food. Or a new t.v. show.

It's this.

And yes, I realize I'm one of the last people on the planet to get an iPhone. And yes, I know this is just the 4 and not the super shiny new 4S model. So, no Siri for me. But I've been waiting for Sprint to get the iPhone for like, ever. So, I was gonna take whatever. And it was $100 less. And Mama loves to save money.

And since it's my first one, I think I'm allowed to be a little enthralled with it for a while. I've had it for a week now. And it rarely leaves my hand. I'm thinking of having it surgically attached to me. Kidding. Sorta.

I know that people love their Android phones. But my Android sucked ass. I have a feeling it was something the guy at the store convinced me was a great phone and he was just trying to get rid of them. I'm sort of a sucker like that.

The camera on it is better than my current digital camera. Look at this picture I took of an elephant.

Not too shabby, eh?

And it has games, and The Twitter, and Facebook, and all the same stuff my old phone had but wouldn't perform correctly.

And did I mention how much I love iMessage? Love. Love, love, love.

I'll stop my gushing for now.

I just wanted to make an excuse of why I haven't been blogging. It's not really because of the phone. Well, maybe a little.

It's mostly just me.

I do think I got a little unblocked yesterday.

But try not to expect too much.

Stream Of Consciousness Sunday - Purging

2011-10-23T15:39:00.000-07:00

Normally when I link up with Fadra for SOC Sunday, I'm always talking about purging my brain. Today, I'm talking about some serious (and real) purging I did today.

I have known for a while that we really need to get rid of some things. Clothes, toys, papers, you name it, we have an abundance of it.

Yesterday, I was putting away my new bras I got (ON SALE) last week and I really did not have any space in my dresser for them. Ridiculous. And I started looking in there. And I saw old panties. And old bras. And tags. And swimsuits that didn't fit. And on, and on.

So I started pulling things out of my drawers. And I pulled. And folded. And threw things away. Yes, I threw away. I don't really think Goodwill wants my torn thongs, thankyouverymuch. And I filled a trash bag. From my four drawer dresser. They are big drawers, but still.

Then I started doing laundry. And I went to M's closet. And realized half of what was hanging in there didn't fit her. And we filled a bin of stuff to give to a friend. Because even though we have two girls in our house, they have VERY different tastes. And body types. We filled a bag for Goodwill. And yes, we filled ANOTHER trash bag.

The fact that I was doing all of this to avoid writing my paper is irrelevant. Sorta. I did get the paper done. And we have so much more purging to do. But wow, do I feel better knowing that I got started.

And knowing that my new pretty bras have a home.

This was my 5 minute Stream of Consciousness Sunday post. It’s five minutes of your time and a brain dump. Want to try it? Here are the rules…

Set a timer and write for 5 minutes only.
Write an intro to the post if you want but don’t edit the post. No proofreading or spellchecking. This is writing in the raw.
Publish it somewhere. Anywhere. The back door to your blog if you want. But make it accessible.
Add the Stream of Consciousness Sunday badge to your post.
Link up your post below.
Visit your fellow bloggers and show some love.

Now…

1. Grab the button

(it’s over sidebar at Fadra's Place)

2. Write your post.

3. Link up here.

It's Bigger Than That

2011-10-19T04:56:00.000-07:00

I had totally planned on writing about the problems we are having with posters in our house. And I do plan on coming back to that. But for now, our problems are a bit bigger than that.

Much, much, bigger.

Even bigger than the blowout that Miss V and I had last night about having her nails polished.

Much, much, bigger.

Because the fight? Wasn't about the polish. Or the posters. Or going to bed when I said.

It was about attention. And how much she needs. And even though she demands constant attention from me, it's not really my attention she wants. Because I give it. Freely.

The problem is where she's NOT getting it from. Her father.

And because he's too lazy, drunk, high, whatever to call, we all suffer.

V acts out because she's nine and doesn't know what else to do.

M, with her tender heart, cries because she feels like she needs to protect us all.

And me? I go back and forth between being stern and giving in because I can't stand to see everyone hurting so much.

And everyone goes to bed crying.

Because one person can't be bothered.

To take the time to pick up a phone and call his children.

The feelings I have?

Are not charitable.

Or kind.

Because he can't be bothered.

So today, once again, I will try to find the balance between being mother and father. I will try to give a fair amount of attention to both children, not just the one who is constantly demanding it from me.

I will try to keep my sanity in the process.

And tomorrow, maybe I'll deal with the posters.

But for now, it's bigger than that.

Bye, Bye, Birdie

2011-10-14T04:43:00.000-07:00

I love animals. I do. What I don't like, are birds. They freak me out. They have weird little eyes, they can fly, and those beaks. Beaks peck. I don't like pecking.

That being said, I don't wish death on any birds. Much. Maybe buzzards. And crows. I can't be the only one that's scared of crows, am I? They're creepy. Plus, if you see them in your yard, I think someone is going to die. Or maybe I made that up. Whatever, crows are scary.

Last week, on the morning The Mama was having her surgery, I came back home after dropping kids off at school. There was a little bird in front of my garage door. It didn't look like a normal bird, more like someone's pet. I screamed, of course. It was just sitting there, looking at me. With it's eyes. And that beak that I knew would peck me to death. I was on the phone with The Mama and asked her what to do. I think she told me to hit it with a broom or something. I didn't do that. I got back in my car, and went to the gym, hoping it would be gone when I got home.

It was.

I thought.

I get out of the car and start up my front walk and immediately scream and jump back. It moved! Just around the corner. I could tell by now it had a hurt wing. But no way I was getting near that thing. Because, you know, the pecking! So I backed up the sidewalk and went in through the garage. Obviously.

I turned to The Twitter for help. What should I do? I really don't want this little bird to die. Plus, I'm sure someone is missing their pet. Or, they let it out. But still. I really didn't wish death on this little bird. Some of my tweety (haha) friends suggested that I get it into some kind of pet carrier and take it to a shelter. Now see, that would have required me to get near the bird. Plus, I had to go. We had to leave for The Mama's surgery in 45 minutes.

I finally decided I was going to call the animal shelter and see if they would come and get it. Great.

Until I went back outside.

Here's what I saw.

He's sleeping, right?

Maybe not.

So now, I have a bigger problem. What do I do with a DEAD bird? No way am I touching it or getting near it. That's how Zombieland started. And I have not practiced on my Double Tap enough.

(And btw, yes, that is indoor/outdoor carpet on my sidewalk. Old people lived here before me. Gah.)

So I left it.

And went to The Mama's surgery. And sent Miss M a text that there was a dead bird on our sidewalk and to go in through the garage. We can't have any kid zombies. They're the worst.

I got home from the surgery, got The Mama settled and went to the house to gather the girls to move to The Mama's for a few days.

No, not because of the bird. Because The Mama needed a nurse. I'm not THAT crazy. Probably.

The next day, I came over to my house to check on my cats and get the mail.

I saw this.

That bird totally got up and flew away.

Maybe.

Bye, bye, birdie.

Pretty, Funny, Yummy and Wise - Fourteen!

2011-10-12T05:18:00.000-07:00

Since it's Wednesday, and I'm not feeling particularly wordy today, (shocker), I'm gonna make this a (mostly) wordless post.

Pretty

This picture makes me smile. The end.

Source: bourbonandpearls.tumblr.com via Leah on Pinterest

Funny

I posted this on my Facebook last week. I'm not sure it was well received by everyone.

Source: facebook.com via Leah on Pinterest

Oh well. But you know what he's talkin about, right?

Yummy

Pumpkin. Cream Cheese. Yum.

Source: sundaybaker.net via Leah on Pinterest

Wise

Source: media.photobucket.com via Leah on Pinterest

Word.

So there were some words in there. I'm always wordier than I think I'm going to be.

Also? I'm STILL trying to find out where to buy the boots I posted last week. If anyone knows, I (and many others) would love to know!

Fair Day!

2011-10-10T09:48:00.000-07:00

Nah, we're not going to the fair today. There's not enough beer and xanax in all the land to make me go to the fair on actual "fair day." Or a weekend. Too many people breathing my air. Yes, yes, I know it's outside. But I have a 'large groups of people' phobia. Gah. But I wish we did have time to go this year. Not sure it's gonna happen though.

If you aren't in the know about the Texas State Fair; in two words, it rocks. So many fried things, animals, cars, rides, and awesome people watching.

And this guy.

Big Tex. He is the coolest of all the Texans.

And these.

Best. Corny Dogs. Ever. And yes, they are CORNY Dogs. Not CORN dogs. Get it right people.

My first memory of the fair is getting lost in the car show when I was about five. My mom assures me she saw me the entire time, but whatever, I was lost. I also remember going one year with my mom and her friend with my brother and the friend's son. I think we annoyed the parents so badly they stayed drunk the whole time. See where I get it from?

And then there was this day.

You see, we were excited because it was after the Texas vs. OU game and Texas won and then we saw this pig and we started yelling and well, it was funny. Guess you had to be there.

And finally, my favorite fair day ever.

The girls first Ferris Wheel ride. What a great day. I miss those little girls.

I don't know if we'll make it to the fair this year. But we need to make it a point to go soon.

We miss you Big Tex.

Pretty, Funny, Yummy & Wise - Lucky Number Thirteen!

2011-10-04T04:24:00.000-07:00

Pretty

I am in a huge wanting mood lately. Like stuff. I want stuff. And shoes. Then again, I always want shoes.

Right now, I want these shoes.

Source: amazon.com via Leah on Pinterest

And these.

Source: blissfulbblog.com via Leah on Pinterest

Funny

I'm sure it's because I have a juvenile sense of humor, but every time I think of this, I giggle.

Source: iwastesomuchtime.com via Leah on Pinterest

It's funny because it says penis. Penis. Giggle.

Yummy

Miss V watched the Pioneer Woman's Food Network show with me the other day. And declared that she would actually eat these.

Source: thepioneerwoman.com via Leah on Pinterest

Ten bucks says I make them and she won't touch em. Maybe twenty. But they do look yummy.

Wise

Hear me now. Believe me later.

Source: defshepherd.com via Leah on Pinterest

Word.

Have a great day friends. Go pin something! And then do it. Or buy it. Or bake it. Or make it.

It's A Joint Thang

2011-10-03T07:39:00.000-07:00

First of all, hey ya'll! I can't remember the last time I went a whole week without writing something here on my little piece of the interwebs. I'm not sure my head is any clearer, but I need to make myself get back into it, right? Right.

Secondly, we got some joint problems going on around here. No, not *that* kind of joint. Gah. Like bones. Totally effed up bones.

My family has bad joints. Not my dad's side. I'm pretty sure they're all good. But The Mama's side of the family. Bad. Joints. Both grandparents had both knees replaced. The Mama has had one hip done and probably needs the other one. I've got some kind of weird neck thing going on. But right now? We're talking about The Mama's foot. It's jacked. For serious.

Here's what The Mama's foot looks like.

I"m sure she would want me to tell you it's not that fat. It's not. But I'm a horrible artist. But see that second toe? It really does cross over the big toe. And that? Causes The Mama mucho pain. So The Mama is having a little surgery done tomorrow. To straighten all that shit out. And she won't be able to walk very well for a while. And she can't drive for a few weeks. So guess who's gonna take care of The Mama? If you guessed my brother, you'd be wrong. It's Me! But I'm sure you knew that.

The girls and I will be moving in with her until she kicks us out. Which I'm sure will be by the weekend. Pain and tween girls don't go all that well together. So we will pack up her cute puppy and come back to our house. And I'll drive back and forth cooking and cleaning for a few weeks. Should be a great time.

Seriously though. It should be fine. The Mama does a lot for me. Like yesterday? She bought me this awesome pillow to help my neck. Oh. Mah. Gah. I woke up feeling like I slept on a cloud. Or a cloud that had a really awesome pillow on it. Forget what I said here about that crappy side sleeper thing. See ya later curved pillow with the air hole. I've got a new love. Which I will be taking with me to The Mama's house.

Cause one pain at a time is all we can stand.

Thank goodness The Mama keeps the booze stocked.

What the Friday? Goodbye Pine Valley

2011-09-23T04:52:00.000-07:00

Today is the last day All My Children will air. I'm still a few days behind on my DVR, so it probably won't technically be over for me today. I've been known to leave the last episode of something on my DVR pretending it's not over (ahem, Friday Night Lights).

I don't really have much to say beyond what I wrote about it here, except that I really am gonna miss those guys.

Yes, I think it's ridiculous that David managed to bring people back from the dead, but I'm glad everyone ended up happy. And even though he wasn't really alive, I was happy to see Josh Duhamel one more time. Leo is pretty much the best character on a soap, well, ever.

I still hate Ryan. Even though he tries, he's a smug bastard. I'm glad Angie got to see again. Griffin is hot, I hope he finds another show to be on. I'm looking forward to seeing Susan Lucci on Desperate Housewives, but sad for her that the show is ending this year.

I wish all my Pine Valley friends the best. Except for you, Cameron Mathison. I don't like you.

So, for the purposes of my little corner of the interwebs, I will say goodbye, Pine Valley friends.

May you live on my DVR for a bit longer.

Hey Mama, Don't Read This!

2011-09-22T08:58:00.000-07:00

My mom is the hardest person in the world to shop for. If she wants something, she buys it. On top of that, she is the BEST gift giver. And by best, I mean she gets me what I ask for. So you can see my dilemma. She buys me these fabulous gifts and I usually get her a book or something. That I will later take from her and read.

Every once in a while I will get lucky and buy The Mama a gift that turns her on to something new. For Mother's Day last year, I bought her an Adele CD. She had never listened to Adele before. She loved her. Of course. So much so that she went to Vegas to see her in concert. WITHOUT ME. Whatever, The Mama. Whatever.

When I got an email from Easy Canvas Prints a few weeks ago, with an opportunity to review one of their canvases, I jumped on it! Because one thing The Mama always likes? Pictures of her precious grandbabies. Christmas, done.

I had a ton of pics from vacation to choose from, but I picked this one because I think it's cute and I love how the wave is crashing in the background. I could have done without my nephew wearing those stupid Zack Galifinakis glasses, but whatcha gonna do? He's a nine year old boy.

Ordering was easy peasy. All you do is log on to Easy and upload your pic. Then pick your canvas size and what sort of wrap you want, and that's it! And two days later I had my print!

I picked the 8x10 size because The Mama loves her grandbabies but she does not like giant pictures.

And I got the image wrap, which looks like this.

Your image just wraps around. You can also choose a mirror image wrap or a colored border.

Choose your shipping, and you're all set!

I just chose the standard shipping, and like I said, it was here in two days!

So if you have someone in your life that is hard to buy for like The Mama, I highly recommend getting a print from Easy Canvas Prints. Or get one for yourself. I know I will be. Because, as usual, I am now jealous of something that belongs to The Mama.

They are also on The Facebook, should you want to "like" them. I know I do!

Disclaimer: Thanks so much to Easy Canvas Prints for providing me with this fab canvas I'm gonna give The Mama for Christmas this year. I did receive the canvas in return for a review and a link to their site, but all these opinions belong to little 'ol me.

Let's Talk TV!

2011-09-19T09:22:00.000-07:00

Last week my friend She wrote this post about how much she loved her DVR. And I'm totally stealing her idea. Now, while She does love her DVR, I can only describe what I feel for my (now 2) dvrs as soul mate love. It's more than love, way more than lust. My dvrs are my single favorite thing in my house. Besides my children. And some days, I would definitely take the dvr over either one of those girls. Kidding. Maybe.

I know that I watch too much television. I am fully aware of this. I like comedies. I like dramas. I watch a fair share of reality television, but mostly just in the summer. I mostly like anything that comes on the CW. And yes, I KNOW how old I am. Suck it. For years, I sat home alone mostly every night while my restaurant manager husband worked and did god knows what else. Television was my escape. It's not like I could go out, I had two small children with me. After my divorce, I kept cable and my dvr as my indulgence. We don't eat out very often. We don't really go anywhere that much. I would say 90% of the money that I budget for entertainment is spent on my Dish Network bill. I'm okay with this.

I also read. I work. I go to school. I get shit done. Mostly. But at night and on the weekends, we like to watch television.

Just switch out that beer for a glass of wine.

And now I am going to embarrassingly tell you what I will be recording this Fall.

Ahem. It's A LOT. I'm aware.

Oh, and all of these are central time.

Monday

7:00 CBS - How I Met Your Mother

7:00 NBC - The Sing Off

7:00 CW - Gossip Girl

8:00 CW - Heart of Dixie (I hope this is good. I love, love, love Rachel Bilson)

9:00 ABC - Castle

9:00 NBC - The Playboy Club (I hope this show sucks, but I don't want to miss out in case it's good.)

Tuesday

7:00 FOX - Glee (side note, I'm not the full on Gleek I used to be. Sigh. And the show needs more Blaine.)

8:00 FOX - The New Girl

8:00 FOX - Raising Hope

8:00 CW - Ringer (I watched the pilot for this over the weekend. It was good. It's one of those shows that reveals information over time. I like that.)

9:00 NBC - Parenthood (This is the best show on Television, and if you aren't watching it, I'm not sure we can be friends. JK. Sorta.)

Wednesday

7:00 NBC - Up All Night (Watched the pilot last week. It's funny. And I always give Will Arnet a chance since he was on one of my fave shows of all time, Arrested Development. Gob. Love)

7:00 ABC - The Middle

8:00 ABC - Modern Family

*I'm not sure what happened to Cougar Town, but I think it's coming back, so I'll be recording that too at some point.

9:00 ABC - Revenge

Thursday

7:00 CW - The Vampire Diaries

7:00 CBS - The Big Bang Theory

7:30 NBC - Parks & Rec

8:00 CW - The Secret Circle (We haven't watched the pilot yet, but M wants to watch this and I like things we can watch together)

8:00 NBC - The Office

8:00 ABC - Grey's Anatomy (I know I made get a little hate here, but I'm ready for Grey's to end.)

9:00 ABC - Private Practice

*And at some point, 30 Rock with my TV husband Alec Baldwin.

Friday

7:00 CBS - A Gifted Man

Saturday

NOTHING! This is when we catch up on the ridiculous amounts of tv we watch.

Sunday

7:00 CBS - The Amazing Race

8:00 ABC - Desperate Housewives (another show I'm ready to see end)

8:00 CBS - The Good Wife (my fave drama, next to Parenthood)

8:00 SHOWTIME - Dexter

9:00 ABC - Pan Am

I'm sure this is not it. I know I am missing something. And honestly, I'm sorta nervous that I've forgotten to set a recording somewhere.

Nervous about television.

I'm in serious need of a life.

What the Friday? - Justice

2011-09-16T04:42:00.000-07:00

This week has been weird. I'm tried of whining so I'm just gonna say, glad it's coming to an end.

And if I have to hear one more word about THIS? I'm gonna lose it.

Miss V's full blown obsession.

Justice. If you have a daughter between the ages of like eight and twelve, I'm sure you've heard of it.

She has looked at the current catalog no less than 200 times. Plus one.

We got a little money from ~~the donor~~ her father, so I gave her a dollar amount and told her we would order some clothes. Also, there's a 40% off sale going on, which is the only time we shop there.

I'm trying to wait until the last day of the sale, so I can hold this over her head for good behavior. But now every single day, here's what we go through.

"Should I get the blue shirt or the pink shirt."

"You have a lot of pink, the blue will look good with your eyes."

"Okay, well, can I get both?"

"I don't care if you get both, as long as you don't go over the amount."

"Oh, well, I really want jeans. And boots. And another shirt. And that hat. And. And. And."

"Stay within the dollar amount. And don't forget about tax and shipping."

"Whaaaaaaaat? Why does that have to be in my amount?"

"Because. That's part of it."

Whine. Whine. Whine.

The child is nine. She's obsessed with clothes. And her hair. And shoes. And jewelry. And wanting a phone. And anything else girly you can think of.

But then the other day she said she liked wrestlers and monster trucks.

At least I understand Hormone Girl. This kid? I. Do. Not. Get.

What the Friday, indeed.

The Adventures of Hormone Girl - Chapter 3

2011-09-14T08:02:00.000-07:00

Hormone Girl (aka Miss M) has been lying low for the last few months. Probably because it was summer, and it's pretty easy to deal with mood swings when it's the only thing you've got going on.

Then school starts. And you have tests. And 7th grade drama. And elections. And detention (don't ask). And hormones. All of that adds up to a big ball of hormonal 12 year old mess.

On top of that, I've got my own hormonal stuff going on. Yep. Our cycles have synced. What kind of fresh hell is this? I don't get this biology crap. How is it possible that our cycles started out at completely different times of the month, and now they are the same? I'm sure math is involved. Math ruins everything.

So both of us are feeling a bit hormonal this week. I pretty much cry at everything. Yesterday, I cried at the series finale of Entourage. Ridiculous, no? And then on Ellen? She had this principal from Las Vegas on and I was a big blubbery mess. All this before six.

Cut to dinner time. We're having tacos, getting read to finally watch the season finale of Glee that we missed due to weather. I ask M to get the cheese out for the tacos. She says okay, but stands with the refrigerator open for ten minutes. Or maybe it was thirty seconds. It was longer than I wanted her to be standing there, and I wanted the cheese right now because I asked for it now, get me the cheese!

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!?"

"LOOKING FOR THE CHEESE!"

"IT'S IN THE DRAWER!"

"WELL, YOU COULD HAVE TOLD ME THIS BEFORE I STARTED LOOKING FOR IT!"

"THE CHEESE IS ALWAYS IN THE DRAWER, THE CHEESE HAS BEEN IN THE DRAWER YOUR WHOLE LIFE!"

"HOW I'M I SUPPOSED TO KNOW THAT? I'M ONLY TWELVE."

"I'm sorry, can you just hand me the cheese please?"

She does not, in fact, hand me the cheese. For some reason she thought it would be a good idea to open the cheese and put a pile of it on her sister's head. Because that's what you do with cheese, right?

I'm finishing up the tacos and I hear Miss V let out a shriek.

"What is wrong?"

"M put cheese on my head!"

And here's what happened next.

"WHAT IN THE WORLD WOULD MAKE YOU THINK THAT PUTTING CHEESE ON YOUR SISTER'S HEAD WAS A GOOD IDEA? CHEESE COSTS MONEY, YOU JUST MADE A MESS, CHEESE WILL MAKE YOUR SISTER'S HAIR SMELL BAD! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?"

"I'M SORRY, I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE FUNNY! I WAS TRYING TO BE FUNNY, BECAUSE YOU HAVE BEEN CRYING AND YELLING AND I THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO BE FUNNY AND IT WASN'T FUNNY AND I'M SORRY THAT I RUIN EVERYTHING!"

"Ugh. Clean up your mess. Sorry that I yelled."

"Sorry I put cheese on V's head."

"Whatever. Moving on."

I didn't plan on having wine last night. I had three glasses.