From Inmates to Playdates

Posts Tagged ‘McDaddy’

It’s back to school around here and that means we are back to answering to that darn alarm clock.

I hate my alarm clock and I hate the back-to-the-grind schedule. We lay out clothes, pack snacks, and place the backpack right next to the door so that our morning routine goes smoothly.

I am counting down the weeks until Summer.

And I count down the hours until the weekend.

Because the weekends mean family time with my three favorite fellas!

On Saturday, I accompanied this guy,

on a little ride in this,

We tested the waters

and drove through this

and barrelled right over top of these

with ease.

I looked over at McDaddy’s seat and saw what I thought was a leaf,

And then I squealed when it did this, because it hit me that no, it was not a leaf.

So yes, I squealed on a trail ride during another offroading extravaganza, yet again.

And then I smiled.

Because I got to spend the day with these guys,

And that works for me!

Visit We Are THAT Family to see what works for others!

Summer is winding down and I am so sad.

We’ve had a great summer and we’ve made lots of memories. In a matter of four days, I will be answering to my stupid Homemedics alarm clock every morning and the thought of that makes me want to stick my fingers in my ears and say lalalalalalalala. The boys and I have fallen into a pattern of staying up late and sleeping late and that doesn’t bode well for an elementary school schedule.

We’ll do what we have to do, I suppose.

We’ve had many travel opportunities this summer and made plenty of great memories.

Here’s a recap of our Summer.

In no particular order.

1. Visit to Busch Gardens

2. Camping trips with great friends.

3. While camping in the Amish Country, we were treated to a buggy ride.

4. Learning to ride a bike without training wheels.

5. Time with cousins at the beach

6. A glorious week with McDaddy’s siblings and their families.

7. My cousin’s wedding on the beach in Ft. Myers, Florida

8. Boy Scout Day Camp, along with a gold medal win for a BB Gun high score at the range.

9. Saying goodbye to glasses after FIVE years of needing them.

10. Taking in a Yankee Game.

11. Music Camp Water Day Fun!

12. The Summer Centershot Program – Wednesday nights at our church

13. Spending time with McDaddy

Now, I’m off to enjoy the last three days of Summer.

Happy Thursday!

That title cracks me up!

I am live blogging from the passenger seat of my Dodge Ghettovan Caravan as we make our way out of South Carolina and into Georgia. Only, I’m not actually live blogging because well, live blogging requires an internet connection.

Which I do not have.

Nor does my beloved iPhone have the benefit of the 3G network.

I’m not sure what that’s all about. I just know it’s tough for the iPhone to do anything in a timely manner without the help of the 3G. We’ve driven for miles with just a digital connection and it surprises me a bit that the bigwigs at AT&T haven’t waved their magic wand over the highways and byways of the Carolinas to provide 3G for those residents who are part of the iCult, er, iPhone community.

I have my feet propped up on the dashboard (which drives McDaddy half-batty) and my beloved pink Dell laptop snugly on my lap. I am doing my best to be a good traveler. I am dividing my time equally between the Facebook, Words With Friends, Twitter, napping, and checking Carmen The Garmin to see if our ETA has changed since the last time I looked over at her.

And speaking of Carmen the Garmin (the GPS) she is one smart cookie. Her ability to accurately report the speed limit within a fraction of a meter is impressive. But just like every female, she has her moments. I get tickled when she starts spouting off at the mouth about u-turns and being off-course because McDaddy isn’t one for taking direction. Most especially from females me. He learned a long time ago that my place on any given trip would be the passenger seat. And long before the GPS was even thought of, McDaddy would plot his course on a AAA map which always included a complementary trip-tic. If the navigation were left up to me, I’d have us in Honduras. Or Belize.

Once the packing and preparation are completed, my job is finished and I don’t do much of anything when it comes to the actual traveling.

Except maybe complain.

And whine.

I rarely ever drive. And by rarely ever, what I really mean is that in the eighteen years of “togetherness” that McDaddy and I have shared (that’s two years of dating, four years of engagement, and twelve years of marriage for those of you keeping track of mine and McDaddy’s road to happiness), I can think of only two times that McDaddy has relinquished the wheel to me while driving on a vacation. Which is just fine with me because I’d rather sit over in the passenger seat and hammer out a blog post and play Words With Friends.

Or ask, “Are we there yet?”

I might even get all rowdy and begin some sort of meaningful conversation with McDaddy about the purpose of life.

He, on the other hand, could tell you the price and exit of the cheapest gas within a four-state radius. It’s a gift, really.

Me?

If I need gas, I stop. Period.

Another of my fine qualities that drives McDaddy batty.

Ah, welcome to Georgia. Where the local time is 9:55 AM and the temperature is 93 degrees.

Ugh.

The local radio station is having a love-fest with the 1990′s. Right now I’m listening to Right Here Waiting For You. It’s taking me back to 1988. I was smack-dab in the middle of awkward years, what with my big bangs, and an honest-to-goodness waistline that hasn’t been seen in years.

And speaking of memories. The resort where we’re staying was the annual vacation destination for McDaddy and his siblings for a lot! of years. When I asked him how many years they stayed at this particular resort his response was, “I don’t know. Every year for forever!”

Well then.

For one glorious week all five of his siblings and their families will be reunited (along with his parents, aunt and uncle, and a few extras thrown in for good measure) for yet another family vacation at Redington Surf Resort in sunny Florida.

I hit the jackpot when I married McDaddy because he has a big ole’ family. That means I now have TWO SISTERS and TWO SISTERS IN LAW for pete’s sake. Or is it pete sakes? I’m sure my mother-in-law will be sure to let me know. She gets all fancy when it comes to grammar because that’s her thing. And I’m sure she would pick my posts apart with a red sharpie if she could because the comma usage?

The comma usage alone would be enough to make a normal person crazy.

But since I’m already crazy, I’ll just keep doing what I’m doing.

Because I type deliberately and slowly, which, is, also, the, way, I, talk.

Ahem.

At this moment my Words With Friends plays are backing up.

And Carmen is yapping.

And my foot is asleep on the dashboard.

It’s going to be a long five hours. I’m trying my best to keep the crazy to a minimum.

A big job. Big job, indeed.

Especially for someone who stays so busy over in the passenger seat. Maybe I’ll close my eyes and imagine the sound of the waves crashing against the shore and the seagulls flapping their jaws.

Which would give McDaddy a much needed rest from another’s flapping jaws.

Happy Monday, y’all!

It occurred to me recently that some of you folks are newcomers to this here blog.

For that reason, I thought it might be fun to visit a few of my favorite posts. I’m diggin’ deep in the archives today because that seems easier than filtering out some of the nonsense rolling around in my brain tonight.

Enjoy the crazy. Clearly, there is plenty to go around.

1. The one where I watch an embalming – What I Learned At The Funeral Home.

2. The letter I wrote to the naked lady – Y Are You Naked?

3. Very often here at From Inmates To Playdates, I write letters to crazy people. On days that I’m feeling, oh, I don’t know, particularly crazy, I might even write a letter to myself. – Dear Me.

4. The longest post ever and one you’ll certainly want to read if you’ve ever considered getting Mirena – A Long, Windy Tail.

5.  A post about what ails me – The Heels And The Spurs.

6. My first trip to The Price Is Right - The Price Is Right, But The Fashion Was All Wrong.

7.  About my time in Jail - I Spent Five Years In Jail. Really, I did!

8. One of the few times I’ve blogged about the Saturn Sky – This Is How I Roll!

9. Kicking deployment in the booty, after six long months – Taking A Deep Breath.

10. Topless and Shoeless - all in the same night.

11. The crappy job you’ll have if your child swallows a coin. – This Too Shall Pass.

12. Because I’m a control freak, I’ve planned every detail of my funeral. – Over My Dead Body.

13. Visiting McDaddy during his deployment on Guantanamo Bay – It Don’t GTMO Better Than This!

Happy Thursday, y’all!

And happy reading, too!

Three little words.

Short and sweet.

Me and McDaddy.

Luckiest girl alive.

This post is linked to You Capture.

While sitting around the campfire tonight, we talked briefly about the bucket list. I don’t really have a bucket list, but I do spend a fair amount of time thinking of things I would like to do before I um, you know, pass.

This isn’t necessarily a bucket list, because? Hello? I’m already 36 and these are things I’d like to do before I’m forty, not before I’m dead but it’s certainly a list of things I’d like to accomplish before I have the birthday that comes after the thirty-ninth.

And just before the one that starts with forty and ends with one.

1. Give up my love of lists.
 
2. Lose a lot! of weight.
 
3.  Learn HTML code.
 
4. Go to Australia with McDaddy
 
5.  Get a full ten-hour night of uninterrupted sleep (without waking to pee!)
 
6. See a Broadway Show
 
7.  Share McDaddy’s love of off-roading without irrational fear or panic attack.
 
8. Own a Saturn Sky even if only for a short time.
 
9. Purchase the empty lot beside of our house so that McDaddy can have the garage of his dreams.
 
10. Finish the basement. I mean completely finished and mess cleaned up!
 
11. A new deck (We need one sooner rather than later or else we’ll have our very own drop zone!)
 
12. Worry less.
 
13. Get a full night of uninterrupted sleep.

What?

I already said that. Yes, I know. I’m just reminding you!
 
14. Go to the dentist and get a good report without getting the dreaded floss lesson. (Which means I should actually floss each. and. every. single. day. Thankyouverymuch!)
 
15. Visit Alaska
 
16. Worry Less
 
17. Get off blood pressure medicine. This could probably happen by achieving at least seven of the items on this list.
 
18. Declutterize our house completely!
 
19. Learn how to start the lawn-mower. Not cause I really want to mow, but, because its the responsible thing to do.
 
20. Find the perfect bra. Why is that we can put a man on the moon, but we can’t make a bra for every woman’s size and body shape that is comfortable?

 21. Actually pay attention every. time. someone. speaks. to. me.  {Huh, what did you say?}
 
22. Learn how to make a perfect batch of no-bake cookies just like my daddy!
 
23. Read the Bible allthewaythrough.
 
24. Have a really easy, great haircut that is easy to style.
 
25. Be free of my addiction of caffeinated Beverages {Could someone warn the folks at Dr. Pepper that in four short
years there could be a slight decline in monthly sales}.
 
26. Get rid of everything in our house that has not been touched for a year.
 
27. Let my boys be – BOYS. Without fear of injury or something worse!
 
28. Learn more about stuff I know nothing about. Knowledge regarding things like stocks and HTML Code could be very helpful to me some day!
 
29. Cook more. {Enough said}.
 
30. Buy flowers for spring and keep them alive all summer by watering them instead of depending on prayer and God to bring them back to life.
 
31. Find the perfect purse. I have purchased at least twenty perfect purses, yet, they find their way to the bottom of the purse pile when the next ’perfect’ one hops off the shelf and onto my arm.
 
32. Get rid of stuff in the loft that we have not touched since we moved here seven years ago. {Anybody out there have a need for old diaries or one or two or twenty backpacks?}
 
33. Do every. single. thing. on my long term To-Do List. Or just shred the list.
 
34. Be caught up on scrapbooks with NO pictures in the pending basket. After all, someday these boys will be grown and may actually want to take them when they leave.
 
35.  Think. Before. I. Speak. {Sweet Hallelujah, is it possible?}
 
36. Take the boys to Lake Powell to spend a week on a houseboat. We’ve made this trip twice – before kids, mind you – and it is the most relaxing vacation in one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever visited.
 
37. Have patience.
 
38. Successfully back the van into the garage on the first try. It’s been seven years – and every single time I back in crooked I think about the fact that the guy who built it, (ahem! Glen) designed it just off center. I’m sure his botched calculations are the root of the problem.
 
39. Lose FIVE! sizes. And never find them again as long as I shall live!
 
40. Change my freakin’ attitude about things I have no control over.

WHEW! It’s a really good thing I have three years, five  months, and nine days to get this all figured out. I am no doubt going to be a busy girl.

What about you? Anything you’d like to do before you hit your next ‘milestone’?

Talk amongst yourselves!

McDaddy’s civilian job requires him to travel.

A lot.

Before Stevie started school, we travelled with him quite a bit. At the drop of a hat he’d find out his expertise was needed in another state and we’d pack our bags and head out with him not knowing what day we’d return. We travelled to Phoenix at least once a year for his annual training for a number of years. We’ve been blessed to travel with him to Louisiana, Ohio, Toronto, Houston, and Detroit.

Such is the case today.

McDaddy was needed at some plant in Monaca, Pennsylvania, so I packed clothes for three days and here we are. The “plant” where McDaddy is working is about six minutes away from the hotel and it’s a straight shot without any turns, which means I had very little opportunity to get lost.

Hallelujah. And Amen.

The even better thing is that there is a mall just across the street from our hotel. Granted, it’s a four-lane “street” but the point is I can see our hotel from the mall parking lot which means even if I get lost, me and the kids could risk life and limb and cross the highway to the hotel.

A friend of McDaddy’s is also here working here in Monaca, so he runs by the hotel to pick-up and drop-off McDaddy each day so that I can keep the grocery getter van.

As much as I hate for McDaddy to travel and be away from us, it does have its perks.

I thought it might be fun to share thirteen things I love about hotel rooms.

1. Staying in a hotel, typically means I don’t have to cook. And any day I don’t have to cook is a great day in my book.

2. Free Breakfast. Free breakfast is great. A free breakfast that I don’t have to cook is even better!

3. High Ceilings – I love the tall ceilings in hotel rooms. I remember from Industrial Psychology that hotel rooms have higher ceilings so that the rooms appear larger than they really are.

4. The little shampoo/conditioner/lotions. I am a fan of little bottles of stuff. Plus, every once in awhile you’ll find that a hotel uses Tommy Bahama’s line of toiletries. The Tommy Bahama lotion is the bomb diggity. (Am I too old to say that?) I might have even confiscated one, or two, or twenty a few from the housekeeping cart while we were in Florida.

5. The matching carpet, curtains and bedding. – The matching decor warms my OCD heart.

6. The card key thing – I’m a nerd oh yes, I am.

7. An assortment of  pillows on one bed. – The bed I am sitting on while composing this post has four pillows. Firm, soft, and extra fluffy. Okay, maybe not extra fluffy, but it certainly should say extra fluffy because it is.

8. The Pool – My favorite pool is an indoor pool because it means I don’t have to fool with that blasted sunscreen. It gets in my rings and makes my hands greasy and I’m just generally not a fan of it. I do use it though if we are out of doors. Also, an indoor pool typically means that the pool is heated and I am all about comfort. (Here on the east coast we couldn’t use an outdoor pool except for six or so months out of the year).

9. The Reward Points – Because McDaddy travels frequently for his civilian job, we generally have thousands of gold or platinum points which means we generally don’t pay for hotel rooms.

10. Nearby shopping – Folks, today in particular, I have hit the jackpot. As I mentioned earlier there is a mall just across the main drag. For dinner, McDaddy travelled past the mall and I found my homeland. Kohls, Marshalls, Target, The Mart of Walls, Cricut (whatever that is, I’m thinking its a Cricut store like the Cricut scrapbook machine I have), Michael’s, A cinema, Pier One (even though I don’t shop there), and I can’t remember half of what else I saw. I plan to check it out fully tomorrow.

11. The curved shower rod – I’d like to find the sweet soul responsible for designing the curved shower rod and shake his or her hand. As best I can remember, the first place I ever remember seeing a curved shower rod was in a hotel room. I used to hate being in the hotel shower and feeling my bare butt rubbing  against that shower curtain wondering how many hundreds thousands of butts had rubbed against the thing prior to mine.

12. The elimination of the bedspread – Sweet Moses, it was time. The only thing nastier than the shower curtain in a hotel room is the bedspread. When I first learned that those things were not laundered after each patron checked out, I was appalled. It disgusted me that someone somewhere thought that practice was acceptable. The bed at this hotel has what appears to be four or five sheets on it and a fuzzy blanket (which will more than likely find its way over to my 2/3 of the bed tonight!)

13. Less Responsibility – If I’m staying at a hotel that probably means I am not being depended on for most of the things that I am required to do at home. There is no laundry, no stove (in most cases), and more than likely no jam-packed schedule. Not that I at all mind a jam-packed schedule, but sometimes its nice to have a break.

And speaking of breaks, I hope you get one soon!

Enjoy your Thursday, y’all!

Are you feeling guilty because you forgot your child’s dentist appointment?

Have you ever been overcome with embarrassment because your child made a grand announcement in a public restroom that “you stink when you use the potty?”

If so, then you are in the perfect place for Not Me! Monday. A blog carnival that was “created out of a desire to admit some imperfections and reveal a few moments you would rather forget”.

It seems my life was full of Not Me! Monday imperfections this weekend while we were camping with several families from our church.

For instance, it wasn’t me who stood perfectly still for the better part of 30 minutes with camera aimed and ready during a lightning storm with hopes of getting the perfect picture.

Unsuccessfully, I might add.

Well, I probably wasn’t perfectly still because the words me and perfectly and still could never be good friends. But, you get my drift, right?

It’s also not me who misplaced that same camera making it impossible to share the cool pictures I did get of the sky and the rainbow because me? I never lose stuff.

It most certainly wasn’t me who considered herself to be “roughing it” at the campground because my precious iPhone wasn’t able to perform in 3G mode therefore making it impossible to play Words With Friends for most of the weekend.

I did not make another one of these cakes for the third time in as many weeks. I also didn’t eat any of it.

There’s no way I decided to skip out on the laundry today, opting instead to write tomorrow’s blog post because I am not lazy. Nor am I a procrastinator.

I would never roll my eyes when reading that someone excepts something when really they should accept it.

What can I say? I’m full or quirks. Pet peeve alert, people.

It is not me who has killed more than her share of ants over the past month and who still found herself killing ants in the camper this past weekend.

Where in the heck do they come from, anyway?

And finally, it isn’t me who completely forgot to write a father’s day post before going on our camping trip this past weekend so that it would automatically post on Father’s Day. McDaddy is a great father and is totally worthy of his own personal blog post.

And so is this guy. My own daddy, Jimmy.

For more Not Me! Monday posts, head over to MckMama‘s place.

After a fun day filled of swimming lessons and a workout at the Y,

I went with this guy,

and these cute little fellas,

 for an off-roading extravaganza in this heap,

er, I mean, Jeep.

McDaddy navigated creeks and rocks.

And tree limbs.

And lots of mud.

We saw three turtles.

And a turkey.

There were times when McDaddy had the heap, er, I mean Jeep at full throttle.

And there was one time I grabbed the door handle and closed my eyes.

Throughout most of the ride though, I just sat and I smiled.

I smiled because these two little fellas - who love rocks,

and water,

and of course, Jeeps -

had a big-eyed time in the back-seat repeatedly reminding McDaddy how much fun they were having.

And nothing makes this girl

any happier than to have fun with her fellas.

The End.

Twelve years ago today, I stood with McDaddy in front of a church full or our closest friends and family and promised to love, honor and obey him. Well, maybe not obey, but certainly love and honor.

The air conditioning in the church was not working and I was crazy hot because I was carrying around forty-three pounds of tulle.

While I spent my day worrying about my hair and make-up, McDaddy spent most of the afternoon shining the wheels and tires on his aunt and uncle’s mustang – the car we would ride in to our reception – because he would never ride in an unclean car on his wedding day.

After months and months of planning, worrying, organizing, and micro-managing every single detail of our special day, I was finally Mrs. McDaddy.

About our day….

-It rained all morning on our wedding day.

-We got married at 4:00 PM.

-We each had seven attendants.

-McDaddy’s sister sang at our wedding.

-I wrote a poem to McDaddy that was read during our service.

-The ringbearer (my nephew) did some sort of muscle man routine at the beginning of our service. Once the soloist began to sang his muscle man routine turned into an air guitar performance.

-We took communion. (I wanted to ask for a refill of grape juice because I was so stinkin’ hot. And thirsty!)

-Our colors were burgundy and silver.

-I ate biscuits and gravy for breakfast. (Big mistake, by the way!)

-I fretted over whether or not the DJ would show up at our reception, because he didn’t show up for our last two meetings. (He showed up and did an awesome job!)

-We danced our first dance to “From This Moment” by Shania Twain.

-I was the happiest girl on the planet that day.

Twelve years later, I am the happiest girl on the planet. When he winks at me in a room full of people, my heart melts and I fall in love with him all over again.

His eyes light up when they see me.

His arms are my safe haven.

His heart is as big as any heart I’ve ever known.

And he.

Is.

Completely.

Mine.

Happy Anniversary, honey!

Thanks for sharing your name and your life with me.