Labor Day lollygagging

The children were determined to do something fun today on their holiday day off and we agreed, but what to do? We knew that our almost local theme park named after one of the greatest musicians of all time would be a nightmare, so we were willing to entertain other ideas within reason. We still traveled to the county of Dolly, but instead the kids started on a mountain coaster that was fun, but did not have thrills that matched its pricetag. That's okay...it was their choice to go and they understood the risk. We had a nice lunch, went to our favorite outdoorsy store and then hit the putt putt golf course for a good long while. Everyone was able to score at least one hole in one and the smack talk was funny without being evil. After playing two rounds, we started back home to ready the hub for the VaTech vs Ohio State game. We did stop by the Country Candy Kitchen to secure some "Dolly Pops" for some family who had never heard of them. Finding that to be a complete injustice, we found some and brought them home. I think they are modeled after the "Porter and Dolly" era Dolly:



They certainly wanted to go for accuracy on some of her assets. just saying.

I hope everyone can enjoy their short week. Have a great Tuesday...night all.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Silly Sunday Supper

We just had dinner with family and got into rapid fire conversations about awkward things. We all got good laughs, but sometimes you hear things you wish you could unhear. Just things that give you mental pictures you can't erase. Like hearing my daughter tell me her friend's mother, won't let her read Harry Potter, went out on a girls' evening to see "50 Shades of Grey" at the theatres. I honestly think her mother had no idea what she was seeing. Poor thing. Her mom is into sewing and fabric, so she might have thought it was on color shades for skirts. Either way, you can't get that out of your mind...and I hope she enjoyed herself.

Let's everybody wish a very Happy Birthday to my lovely niece, K! We love you and hope you had a great day!!

It has been a long day and my arms and legs are sore from rocking and bouncing babies at work. Night all!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

it is finished

We had a very successful surprise party for my aunt and uncle's 50th anniversary...although it almost didn't happen. Surprises are fun, but they are certainly hard to keep when too many people are in on the surprise in the first place. Then having to hide my parents for two days and cover mouths and give the dog spoonfuls of peanut butter so she wouldn't bark when my mom was talking to them on the phone(since Mom and Dad no longer have a dog)...it got stressful. This combined with the fact that they are not people who enjoy any kind of spotlight...we were a little worried about exposure and explosions. The day was full of hastily executed trips to Kroger where Mrs. Mary kindly decorated cupcakes for us in the wake of realizing we were a few short. I think she saw the desperation in my eyes and knew I was either going to cry or have a full on mental breakdown in the bakery department...all true. The patio and siding managed to get pressure washed in between the prepping of trays and the mad dash to get the balloons filled. SO when we got everything set up and readied ourselves to surprise them out on the lawn when they drove by to get ice cream, we got a text: "They won't come. They will not come with us." Uh, well that wasn't part of the plan. Ideas from family members started flying: "Tell them I fell down the steps of the restaurant and I can't get my husband on the phone." "Tell them Jenny got hurt at church and she needs their help since they are the closest." All of the scenarios involved one or more of us in grisly and clumsy home and business accidents, all requiring hospitalizations and possibly surgeries. I finally came up with an idea and called their home. "Hey, Uncle J? I was able to get the gym at church for the kids to roller skate. Since all the grands are here, why don't you bring them all down and you all can take pictures of us." Uncle J: Let me ask S(cousin). (Insert mumbled retelling of exciting fun filled scenario to which my cousin immediately says YES...LET"S GO NOW!). He puts her on and I say, "Get down here!" to which she says, "Yes, Jenny. Sounds like loads of fun!". We disconnect, and after what seems like an eternity of them readying themselves and driving 2 minutes to our location while I pray unceasing prayers of forgiveness for lying to my sainted aunt and uncle, they arrived. We all screamed and waved! They shook their heads and pointers at us. My uncle got out asking, "Where are the skates?". We feasted, photographed, fellowshipped and wiped tears away at the joy of their union and the chance to all be together as a family. It is so rare these days that we get that chance. I am so grateful it worked out and so very grateful for them. 50 years is quite an accomplishment.

After all that deception, a body gets tired. Night all.



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Empty tank

It has been a full day of helping with a yard sale and preparing for a surprise party. I have relatives in helping get ready for the event. The oldest is set to arrive home at any time from the first away football game of the season. They entered underdogs and have emerged victorious which will thrill her I am sure. After baking several batches of gluten free cookies for a gluten sensitive relative and cilling through more items in the basement to add to the yard sale, I am spent and want to get to bed. The hub is still trying to work with Comcast to get the the problem resolved since they did not call and/or show up for a promised technical visit. He is not pleased.

I need a gas tank refill....I'm going to bed. Night all.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

The most pathetic injury

It ha been a busy day around the ranch. Trying to get the house clean and things done for a surprise party I am assisting with this weekend. I'm also helping with a yard sale tomorrow, so I've prepared some treats for that. We have also continued the epic battle of Comcast as our wifi/internet service was effected today. They hung up on the hub three times while he was giving them information they had requested and cannot adequately explain why their mismanagement is our fault. Anyhoo....I digress. While I have had to wait on hold with Comcast and wait for baked goods to come out of the oven and laundry to come out of the dryer, I have been wearing out my ukulele. My tenor uke this week. I didn't realize how much I had been strumming(incorrectly probably)with my thumb until I went to play "Thunder Road" so G could sing. When I "got this guitar and I've learned how to make it talk", my thumb started bleeding my the massive overuse by ukulele. How sad is that really? Pretty sad. But it was worth it to get to sing with my kids.

That is the excitement of my day. Sorry....


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

First world problems

I spent an hour on the phone with Comcast today. Now I was able to get some dusting done and picking up of little pieces of crud from around the room I was in, but an hour. They decided to shut off some of our service after migrating our account over and they didn't transfer all of our information. So now all of the things that we had recorded, like the children appearing on the news and a couple hard to find movies and documentaries that were needed for school projects are *POOF* gone. So now the grandparents can't see the oldest marching with the band when they come visit and we will have to pay unholy amounts of money to Amazon to try and find the necessary cinematic rarities for clas projects. Before anyone goes and hangs me for being a selfish and horrible human being, I know this is not world ending. People are starving to death right here in our own city...babies are born addicted to drugs and innocent people are being shot while having a night out on the town watching a movie. I wanted to get on a mini pity party this morning after realizing that things were gone that I really treasured, but shame on me. We have a house, clothes on our backs, food in our tummies and more blessings than we know how to handle. So what if my son's collection of "Rifleman" episodes is gone. He's happier folding paper airplanes and swinging outside with his sisters. The #firstworldprobz that people like to put up on Twitter and/or other social media outlets should really make us take pause and think. We, and I will insert "I" in there, have a way of confusing inconvenience with injustice. Shame on me for that. Shame on me. We all need these lessons now and then.

I will have to say as one last dig, that I believe the cable company could have made Mother Theresa herself throat punch someone through the phone. Just saying.

Night all.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

I am the meanest

I know people get sick of my soccer stories and I totally get it. Fortunately or unfortunately, it is a big part of our life. As soon as they are tired of it and it becomes "unfun", we will move on to something else. But until that time, I want them to remain active and get their heartrates up and burn some energy off several times a week. Last night at middle school practice, G got cleated in the ankle by one of her wrecking ball teammates. It was mostly a clean play even though it is dirty to go cleats up at someone, but she needs to understand that she is going to be playing lots of wrecking balls in her middle school games. She was pretty sore and gimpy last night and continues to be today. She's even sporting nice cleat shaped bruises in that area. Unfortunately, the best remedy for the injury(besides icing)is keeping it moving and walking on it. She has a tendency to overgimp it a bit and, in the fashion of the boy who cried wolf, we sometimes are not completely sure when she is really hurt and when she is extra dramatic from being tired and a little bit hurt. I will admit that my empathy quickly leaves when this cycle begins and I often am way too insensitive when she just needs to be babied a bit...and don't we all from time to time? One time, when she was a bit younger, she was pushed on the playground and favored her wrist. The hub had just had back surgery and her brother came home from school with a 105 temp. My "Just suck it up" attitude kicked in, shame on me. We tried to go to the ER at Children's, but the wait was at least 4 hours sitting next to someone who appeared to have the plague, so we left. We ended up at the ortho ER the next day and found out she had fractured his wrist. Insert picture of me hanging my head in shame. I don't think her ankle is fractured, but there is always that little nagging in the back of my mind that makes me worry if it is more than just bruised. Either way, the sorrowful hangdog looks I am getting from the soccer field right now are making me feel like I am the grand prize winner of the "Worst Mother of the Year" award. Anyone want to get me a trophy? I'm sure my child will foot the bill.

Go ahead and judge me. I deserve it. Night all.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad