From Inmates to Playdates

Posts Tagged ‘McResidence’

I was totally prepared to compile an extremely long list of things I learned this week.

Then, I visited Jo-Lynne to grab her link and discovered that she will not be doing a Things I Learned This Week post. I thought I might still post my own Things I Learned This Week because? Did you hear me when I said extremely and long?

I was serious about that.

But I thought about it for a second and decided that I could wait a week and post an extremely long honkin’ list of stuff next week instead.

So.

That decision means that I must come up with something else for today because the eight of you that stop by every morning ready to claim your daily dose of crazy would no doubt show up on the Inmates To Playdates doorstep and be highly disappointed if I didn’t post today.

So.

Man, did I mention that I come from a long line of loud talkers?

I basically said all that to say that I’ll be posting a list of Things I Hope To Do instead of Things I Learned this week.

THINGS I HOPE TO DO TODAY

Take the boys to see the new Chipmunks movie.

THINGS I HOPE TO DO NEXT MONTH

Help McDaddy finish the great basement remodeling project of 2009 2010 (I realize this might be a lofty ambition especially since McDaddy will be doing 94% of the work!) The other 6% excites the crap out of me (picking paint colors, carpet choices, painting, and rearranging the furniture!) though.

Clean out every! basket! in! this! house! (All 137 of them)

Clean out every drawer, cabinet, and closet at the McResidence getting rid of things that we no longer need/want, then taking the stuff to the Goodwill.

Renew my Y membership so that I can,

Reacquaint myself with the treadmill.

Rekindle my relationship with the elliptical

and Relight the fire within me to take off excess pounds.

THINGS I HOPE TO DO NEXT YEAR

Lose at least 40 pounds.

Find a hair gel and hairspray that I can’t live without. (Any suggestions?) I know this seems silly but it is so true!

Be in my bed ready to sleep by midnight every night!

Work on my stupid temper.

Try not to use the word stupid when I get frustrated or aggravated. (Just keepin’ it real!)

Now, where to start?

I’ll try to keep you posted throughout the year to update you on my progress!

It is almost midnight.

We had an impromptu Christmas get-together after church. And by impromptu, I mean we had about twelve minutes between the time we walked through the door until our first set of friends showed up. Which meant that objects were thrown willy nilly into our bedroom, baskets of laundry were shoved in our closet and the pile of debris from the kitchen counter-top was tossed onto our bed. I’m sure our friends were not coming over to see if our house was tidy which is good because clearly, we had no idea that we were having a get-together until I invited the first couple, and then another and another and then another. There were fourteen of us total. We feasted on chips and cheese, cookies from the cookie exchange and some sweet treats I made with a couple of gals for Christmas. As always, we enjoyed fellowshipping with our buddies.

Anyway, I said all of that to say that this will be short and sweet.

If that’s possible.

I thought I’d share with you 13 ornaments from my tree. They are not necessarily my favorites because 98% of them are my favorites. There is pretty much a story behind most of them and if I studied my tree long enough, I could probably tell you which one was missing if you were to remove one.

Please keep in mind that my tree sits in (on ?) a rotating Christmas tree stand, so that might explain why a few of the pictures might not be crisp and clear. About half-way through my picture taking extravaganza, it dawned on me that turning the rotator off would be a good idea.

Anyway.

1. This first one is truly one of my favorites. I purchased it at a little gift shop at Snowshoe which is a ski resort. It was the same year the guy in the room next to ours died. 

2. Another favorite. Stevie made it during his first year in pre-school. It makes me smile.

3. This next one is pretty obvious. I love it because it reminds me “our trip to Europe.” (Spoken in my best English accent, or as English as you can get when you talk like a hick!) You know because I come from royalty and all. (Which explains why there are crowns all over my blog!)

4. This next one was a gift from my friend, Billy Gene (whom I really need to write about someday because OH MY WORD, the story is so sweet, I need to share it someday very soon but for now I’ll just show a picture of the ornament because afterall it is almost midnight!) who sent it the first Christmas after I married McDaddy. (I could go all crazy and photoshopphotobucket edit McDaddy’s name onto it, but that would take time and energy. Neither of which I have right now!) Oh, and did I mention that I love snow snowmen?

5. This next one is just plain funny. It proves my quirkiness. And yes, quirkiness is a real word. Just ask me. No matter where I am, if there is a place to shop, I will find it! [On a perfectly unrelated note, I displayed this ornament last year on my blog. That post recieves many hits each month because apparently there are lots of folks googling the words prison and ornament. Who knew?]

6. Every year, I send about a gazillion Christmas cards complete with a letter and a picture. Each year, I buy a cute family frame and place that year’s Christmas picture inside of it. Sadly, I didn’t think to do this until after McDaddy and I had Stevie. The family pictures are among my favorites. This is the 2007 Official picture of the First McFamily.

7. Before we were married, a girlfriend hosted a Christmas shower for us. We got married in May, however, I thought this was such a sweet idea. I’ve never attended another Christmas themed bridal shower but I would love to. I treasure each gift we recieved (many were ornaments) and could pretty much tell you who each one came from. This Barbie ornament was given to me at the shower by my mama. She is usually attached to an ornament spinner, but for some reason, I have no idea where my spinners are.

8. My absolute favorite ornaments are those made by my boys in their various classes. This one was made in Sunday School at our lovely little church. He would have been 2 years old. That is my nephew Evan peeking around the corner in the silver stocking.

9. Another favorite. Another family Christmas card picture. I believe this one was 2004 although there is a pretty good chance that I am wrong.

10. Another favorite. [Begin rant] If you happen to work for one of those ornament kiosks in the mall (which by the way I would love, because I love decorating ornaments) it is a good idea that you have nice hand-writing. I purchased this from one of those kiosks and when the gal wrote the info on the ornament, it was barely legible. In my sweetest voice, I kindly explained that I wasn’t happy with the writing and she gave me a new ornament. I brought the sucker home, dug out my fine-tip Sharpie and went to town. The ornament will be even more special to Alex someday because it is in my handwriting. [End rant]

11. Each year, McDaddy’s parents buy an official white house ornament for us. Last year, we had the privilege of visiting the White House at Christmastime. I purchased this from the white house gift shop.

12. This next ornaments is one of the newest on our tree. I picked this up at an arts and crafts show. It is made from a lightbulb and I think it is adorable. Capital High is the name of mine and McDaddy’s high school – GO COUGARS!

13. And last, but definitely not least, this one is another favorite. McDaddy and I moved four times the first four years we were married until we purchased our house in 2002. We have four “door” ornaments on our tree, one for every address we’ve had since we were married. [Just in the case you are wondering, I have edited the address from the ornament to protect the safety of the people currently living at our old address. You know, just in case you are a shady character who is stalking my blog looking for a strange house address to rob. It's a strange world we live in people!]

Merry Christmas Eve, folks. That’s all she wrote.

Literally.

For the past six days, at least one of us here at the McResidence has been battling something.

The poops. The pukes. The snots. And the fever.

Gross? Maybe. But I try to keep things real around here.

Because of the aforementioned nuisences, I need a break today. I had thought about telling you 13 things that are in my van but that would require me to actually get up, walk downstairs to the garage and look in my van and well, that requires energy.

And effort.

Neither of which I have a lot of because for the past two nights I’ve been up at unsightly hours administering breathing treatments for my sweet Alex.

So, let’s just talk about 13 questions you might ask me today.

1. Why are you having such a tough time deciding on a cookie recipe for the cookie exchange?

Well, because with anything in my life, I want to be the best. Especially when there is a cookie exchange crown involved. Ahem, Princess, crown… you get it?

2. When did you last give Alex his round of medicines?

As in all areas of my life, I have a list and it is over on the counter. I keep a list because there are five medicines. Three of them must be given every four hours. Two must be given first thing in the morning. After you do the medicines several times, the hours and the medicines all run together. A list is necessary to keep it all straight because there is madness in the medicinal administration.

3. What is a normal number for a four-year old oxygen level?

Thanks to yesterday’s Doctor’s visit, I discovered that 95 is a normal oxygen level for a healthy four-year old. An oxygen level of 93 is not acceptable.

4. Why are there Dodge floor mats in your closet floor?

Well, if you must know there are Dodge floor mats in my closet floor because they are a Christmas gift for my mama and we do not have a box big enough to wrap them in.

5. I love your nail color. What color is it?

Well, since you asked, my nail color is called Comet Loves Cupid. I love bright red!

6. What did you get at Target today?

The better question would be what didn’t I buy at Target today? I got a great deal on the Wii DJ Hero ($40.00 off!), Monster Mutt (monster truck), 4 pairs of pajamas, Brown Sugar and Cinnamon poptarts, 1% milk, 4 boxes of Christmas ornaments, toothpaste, Pepperidge Farm Cinnamon Swirl Bread, a Christmas ornament (Letter “D”), Selah CD (for my stocking – you are welcome, McDaddy!), A Jimmie Johnson ornament (for Stevie’s stocking), two pairs of WVU athletic pants and a Dart Board. Dang, I could have called this post Thirteen things I bought at Target today.

7. Why did you buy Pepperidge Farm Cinnamon Swirl bread?

Um, because when you toast the Pepperidge Farm Cinammon Swirl bread and slather it with butter it is wonderful and delicious and awesome and you should go buy some right now!

8. What are you drinking right now?

Dr. Pepper, of course. From a coffee mug. Because sometimes I wish I drank coffee just so I could sip from a coffee cup. I also drink milk from a wine glass for the same reason.

Quirks, much? I’m a very weird girl, what can I say?

9.  What was with all the noise on your street yesterday?

Well, after six years of sliding off of our hill in icy conditions, somebody decided we needed a guard-rail by the lake. And, even though McDaddy was none too thrilled, I was very happy, well, except for all the ruckus they caused installing the thing.

10. What are you listening to?

Nosey tonight, aren’t we? Actually, in between Alex’s coughing fits I am watching Sing-Off which by the way I love! And that Nick Lachey is a cutie patootie. I loved him on Nick and Jessica, but after the divorce, I guess Just Nick wouldn’t be much of a show, so I miss seeing him. I was hoping he would get the judging gig on American Idol. But oh well. What do I know? I do like seeing the Boyz II Men guy. Motownphilly, baby! The Voice of Lee are my favorite. The whole color coordinated outfit thing makes me smile!

11.  Why is there a brand new “thing” of toothpaste in your bathroom trash can?

Um, because it is nasty. Steve’s sister gave us a “thing” of toothpaste (and I say “thing” because it is not a tube. It is Mentadent and I have no idea what you call the pump thing!) and it is straight-up gross. I hate any toothpaste with baking soda. So, after returning home from The Target, I threw the whole thing in the trash.

12.  What is the last song you downloaded from iTunes.

It’s been a long time, but the last song I downloaded was I’d Need A Savior by Among The Thirsty.

13. And, now one from McDaddy because as I said, I am tired and have no energy and no effort to think of one last question.

Did you think of me today?

Well, yes McDaddy, I did think of you, because I was in Target and I was looking for something specific for you, which by the way they didn’t have and yes, again, when I had to carry 83 bags from the garage to the house. Yes, indeed, I did think about you!

That’s a wrap!

And what about you? Do you have a question for The Princess? I see Bloggers doing this Question and Answer thing all the time, only, my question / answer commentary would be very short were it not for my favorite Mother-In-Law, McDaddy, and a few others. Go on! Ask me something!

Lines.

Lines.

And more lines.

I wait in my share of them.

Lucky for y’all I decided not to bore you with pictures of the car-pool line at school, the line at the Doctor’s office, or the line of children waiting to check out at Santa’s Workshop this week. Santa’s workshop warrants a whole blog post of its own, but I’ll save that for a slow blog day.

In the meantime, Beth challenged us to shoot (take?) pictures of lines. On any given day here at the McResidence I could take a picture of a line of CARS. They are lined up all over the house. Currently, there are six CARS lined up on the coffee table because the boys said the CARS wanted to watch the television. I could have taken an awesome picture of some lines when Stevie’s cub-scout troop toured the television station this week because there was a big antannae thing in the midst of some satellites that had some really cool lines, but unfortunately, it was dark and cold and well, I have no idea how to take pictures in the dark, so, you’ll just have to take my word for it.

I did get some pretty cool indoor shots if I do say so myself. And, yes, I usually say so myself.

These are the lines that appear in McDaddy’s forehead when he’s wrestling in the floor with Alex and he scrunches his face up because Alex is trying to do some sort of DDT move on him. I asked him to hold real still for about four seconds so I could shoot this.

I was actually laying down in the floor beside of the wrestling match shooting this shot.

Which happens to be a Longaberger laundry hamper with some really cool lines when its shot from the bottom.

Then, I got maneuvered myself back around to look for lines around the house when it dawned on me that its not hard to find lines. In fact, we (or at least I) carry lines around with me everyday.

I’m sure all those lines tell some sort of palmistry story, but unfortunately I know nothing at all about life lines and whathaveyou. I do know that these were meant for lovin’ and were not made for serious or dirty work because as you recall, I am a princess.

This next one is a shot of the place-mats on my dining room table.

And my bathroom wall-paper (makes you want to tour the McResidence, huh?) which could also fit the plaid or square category, I suppose.

And finally, this little guy is part of our Christmas decorations. He sits in a little Longaberger sled beside of his bear buddies.

Like I said, “Lots of lines!”

This was a fun week!

Head over to I Should Be Folding Laundry for more Line pictures!

Even though I am a princess, I am easily overwhelmed!

The paper piles on our kitchen counter continue to grow, the bathroom needs cleaning, the laundry is piling up, my inbox is bursting, my DVR is full and the green bench in our bedroom is once again covered in a mountain of clothes.

And instead of dealing with any of it, here I sit on the couch, listening to ‘The View’ blogging the night away because that’s what a good blogger does! She takes one for the team so that all eight of her readers will have their daily dose of crazy. All the while, her blood pressure continues to rise because of the abundance of clutter and subsequent disarray here at the McResidence! And when the clutter breeds and festers, it has the tendency to drive me slowly insane! It’s a lonely train, but I find myself riding it often!

And, as much as I’d love to drive clutter completely out of my life, sadly, I must say that me and the clutter are friends. Everywhere I turn, I am faced with clutter.

Take this for instance….

Straight-Up Clutter.

I got aggravated today at the in-laws because I could not find a blue sharpie that I knew with 100% certainty was in there. I braced myself for what was about to happen. I knew it was going to be ugly. I had no idea the scope of the situation until I dumped the whole kit and kaboodle out right on the couch. I was absolutely appalled! If you look close enough you will see two CARS cars (Boost and The King), eye-drops, approximately 31 receipts, today’s mail, my iPhone charger, a gazillion used tissues (yuck!) and more pens and sharpies that any one person should have, much less in their purse.

So, if you show up here everyday thinking I’ve got it all together, you’d be right!

Sadly, it is ALL TOGETHER in my purse whooping it up having a great, big party!

If my purse is any indication of how busy I’ve been the past few weeks, you can just imagine what our bedroom looks like. I feel like it should be outlined in caution tape. There is stuff absolutely everywhere. It’s a travesty I hope to rectifiy this weekend. Must! Find! Time!

And speaking of time, it was time I did something about my hair, too! Luckily, I was able to snatch a late hair appointment on Wednesday because my hair was getting out of control and the Disorder Hair Gel that I just love did nothing to help the Disorder! Just as I sat down in the chair, Mariah Carey started singing “I Wanna Know What Love Is” on the XM radio. My hairdresser (Frank) and I tried to remember who originally did the song, but neither of us could remember. He decided to consult with a friend, and by ‘consult with a friend’ I think we all I know that I mean Google!” because Google knows everything and because it isn’t effected by age or the plethora of hair product stink. Then, I heard him say, Dear God! Thank you! That was followed by ”Would you look at that”

Not one to be left out, I jumped up and ran to the door to see this,

It is not a fire in the sky. The picture was snapped just after 5pm, right at Sunset.

It was absolutely breathtaking! I immediately thanked God for his handiwork and wondered why I let myself get so bent out of shape over mounds of laundry, stacks of papers, a messy van, crumbs on the table and dust bunnies on the floor a little clutter.

The sunset makes the clutter seem not so important anymore! Hopefully this weekend I’ll be able to get a handle on the clutter.

And ultimately my blood pressure!

Have a great weekend, y’all! We have a busy weekend planned.

What better day to tell you thirteen things I’m thankful for than today on this Thanksgiving holiday.

I love Thanksgiving. I have fond memories of waking up very early on Thanksgiving morning to the smell of turkey and pumpkin pie baking in the oven. And, no Thanksgiving is complete without the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.  So, yes, I will watch it even today. I will watch it while I dig through the pile of advertising debris as I plot my course for the black Friday shopping extraganza. Yes, I am one of thosepeople. I will rise at O Dark Thirty to hit Kohls, Target, Wal-Mart and probably Sears in search of bargains that likes of which we only see once a year. I’ll be lucky to come away with my sanity. But I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy the hubbub. I’ll let you know how that goes.

Now, back to thirteen things I am thankful for, in no particular order. When I say no particular order, I mean just that. It is more a matter of how they popped into my head as opposed to order of importance.

1. My three fellas – This one is a given, but certainly worth mentioning right off the bat. These fellers are the light of my life. (And yes, we do say fellers around here!)

2. Our Home – With so many people losing their homes these days, I sure am thankful for our home and the joy that fills it.

3.  SLEEP – Sweet mercy, this probably sounds silly, but believe me when I say that I am certainly thankful for sleep. The boys rarely crawl into bed with us anymore and it is glorious to wake up at 6:40am when the alarm clock goes off instead of 3:40am when someone needs to be fed or changed. [Not sure why this picture is so small or how it will look once its posted!]

4. The Blog – The fact that The Blog made the short list of things I’m thankful for will probably leave some of you shaking your head. The fact is that I really enjoy blogging and people love me here. So, its a great place to come and blow off steam or just say hi!  I have also met a lot of people who I consider to be URL Friends (the opposite of IRL – In real life friends). [Hey, remember that princess?]

5. The United States of America –  I have to say that deployment, coupled with our trip to Guantanamo Bay left a lasting impression on me. I will NEVER EVER AS LONG AS I LIVE look at the American flag without thinking about the honor, sacrifice, and courage of the thousands of soldiers stationed all over the world.

6.  My Parental Units – I am thankful that I have my parents and that they live close-by. I had a great childhood with two loving parents.

7.  The In-Law Siblings - When I married McDaddy I gained a truck-load of in-laws because he is the oldest of five children. His two sisters and two brothers (and their spouses) are also our friends. I am thankful most especially for four great sisters-in-law!

8. Deployment Is Over – I am so, so, thankful that we are done with deployment. This time last year we were preparing for deployment. We filled out a will, a power of attorney, and all the other stuff that comes with your husband being out of the country for six-months. I am THANKFUL to have him back at home!

9 . My In-Laws- I LOVE my in-laws. They are living in Florida where my FIL is serving on active duty and I miss them terribly. And I’m not just saying that because my sweet MIL, Jean  reads From Inmates To Playdates daily. She is one of my biggest bloggy fans and frequently makes references to my book. The book that she wants me to write. Someday. If the opportunity were to present itself. Not at all sure what I’d write about. I’m guessing it would be filled with crazy, crazy, and well, more crazy. [Keep in mind that it was a hot August day when McDaddy returned home. My hair kept its flip for all of three minutes in the humidity.]

10.  Our Church – The Lord sent us to our sweet, little church about two months before we were married. We have been worshipping there ever since. Most of our friends are from our church. I have no doubt that I could call any of them at any hour of the day and they would drop what they were doing to come to our rescue. I am thankful for the love I feel when I enter the church doors. I look forward to going to church for each service.

11. My new job- Okay, so its not a new job. Its a job that I’ve been privileged to hold since 2003. While there are days that I miss the craziness that happened in jail, I am so appreciative that I’m the one who is there everyday with my boys. When they are sick it’s me who holds them, when they want to make lego chapels, it’s me who gets to help them design it, when they want to play outside on the swingset, its me who gets to sit and listen to them make big plans about pretend repairs and super jumps off of the swings. I am thankful for the chance to be home with them every day.

12. My twin brothers – While I am not as close to my twin-brothers as I would like to be, I am so thankful they are my brothers.

13. A tie between my TiVo and my iPhone – I know this probably sounds silly! These two little gadgets make my life easier and happier. They save me time and just make my world a better place.

That’s all.

Happy Thanksgiving, y’all!

I am an organzier by nature.

And a multi-tasker.

I also like being one step ahead of the proverbial game. Stevie and I both have birthdays in December. In fact, thanks to my unwillingness to reamain on bed-rest on my 29th birthday, I had Stevie one day later on December 12th. McDaddy was happy that our sweet boy arrived in time to be claimed on our taxes and I was happy that I didn’t have to spend one more miserable second on bed-rest but if I had any sense I would have kept my sorry behind in the bed and waited until after the holidays to have my sweet boy. Instead, we have two birthdays, one day apart, two weeks before Christmas and one very L-O-N-G sentence.

For that reason, I try to do as much as I can to prepare for the holiday way in advance so I can enjoy the holiday.

If you are a friend IRL (as opposed to URL) who receives the McFamily Christmas Letter in our Christmas card, you should stop reading right now. If not, you will totally ruin the surprise of our Christmas letter.

In other words, you should not read any further if you want to be surprised when our Christmas card arrives.

Now.

There are probably a million handful of people out there who despise the Christmas letter.

We get about six or eight Christmas letters each year and I look forward to them. I also appreciate the cards that are acutally hand-signed by their senders.

I told my BFF Becky yesterday that every year I wonder if I will be able to compose an interesting Christmas letter. And, every year, I surprise myself. During a twenty-minute stint in the pick-up line one day, I started thinking about our Christmas letter. Within minutes, my wheels were turning and I knew if I didn’t get home quickly, I would never remember what I was thinking about.

I’m glad to have this one thing done well in advance of the holiday.

Here is the final product that has become the 2009 McFamily Christmas Letter. It should be read to the tune of Twas The Night Before Christmas… [Insert image of cute Christmas paper here!]

Twas the month before Christmas, at the McFamily abode
Steve’s working for Honeywell, Julie’s cleaning a commode
The stockings are hung on the banister by the door
Hopefully the kids won’t knock them in the floor.
The children are healthy, and snug in this place
They run wild here at home, they sure love to race
Julie’s in her bloggy chair, Steve plays in his jeep
The fellas love to off-road in that big, dirty heap.
When in the back bedroom I hear a big thump
Our sweet little Alex is jumping from the top bunk.
Away through the hall, I fly with a flash
I arrive just in time to see my little boy crash

It’s been a long year filled with deployment stuff
We made it through, but some days it was tough.
After 107 days, Julie and the boys appeared
On Guantanamo Bay with eyes full of tears

The boys were excited, to see their sweet dad
We were all reunited and man, were we glad.
More rapid than before, the days passed quickly by,
And we said tearful goodbyes again with a sigh!
Now daddy! We’ll miss you! Please hurry home!
Our house is just not the same when you are gone!
Daddy was gone six long months with the Guard in Cuba
Spending time with the GTMO folks and a little time for some scuba.
And now that it’s done, we’re grateful for each-other
And Steve and I are sure thankful for two sweet little brothers
Stevie’s in first grade and soon will be seven
He asked Christ in his heart this year so he could go to Heaven.
Alex is four and wears glasses like his brother
He’d rather be in the garage with dad instead of in the van with his mother
As they play together and giggle with joy
Steve and I thank God for our two little boys.
Usually dressed in CARS attire, with shoes on their feet,
Our boys stay busy, their rooms rarely neat.
A bundle of Toys they’re asking for this year
We are just thankful our family is near.
There’s joy in our home and smiles on our faces
We’re thankful to travel and camp in lots of new places.
Our hearts are full and so are our hands
We continue to pray for those serving in far off lands.
Steve’s family is still growing with three kids on the way
There’s lots of nieces and nephews what more can we say?
Alex is potty trained and that makes us real happy
We’re trying our best not to make this real sappy.
Julie dishes out some crazy on her little blog
(www) From Inmates to Playdates is what it is called
You can keep up with the McFamily boys and all their drama
Along with some random ramblings from their crazy Mama.
Another year is done, with many blessings from our Lord.
We’d like to say bless you as this New Year we look toward.
We’ll exclaim it once more before the year is through
Much love and blessings to every one of you!

I have no idea why the document won’t move those two lines. It’s enough to drive me crazy!

At any rate, I’ve got the first part of our Christmas card completed! 

Hopefully this week, I’ll be able to sign the cards and have our Christmas picture printed.

Being organzied works for me!

Check out other Works For Me Wednesday posts over at We Are THAT Family.

Last week I mentioned that the fate of What I Learned This Week was up in the air because Jo-Lynne wasn’t sure if she would continue it. Well, (cupping hands around mouth and yelling loudly) I’M HAPPY TO REPORT THAT THE WHAT I LEARNED THIS WEEK PARTY WILL CONTINUE ON, OVER AT MUSINGS OF A HOUSEWIFE!

It appears that we too will party on, internets!

Excuse me while I find my inside voice.

It has been another exhausting week. I know many all of y’all are tired of my constant talking whining about being overworked and overpaid. Oh, wait I don’t get paid. How ’bout lets just make that overworked.

As I was saying, I keep hoping that next week will be slower. There doesn’t appear to be end in sight though between the PTA, The School Consolidation, The Ladies Retreat, Stevie’s first-ever-report on The Camel, The Fall Party at Stevie’s School, and of course the daily responsibilities here at the company McResidence where I manage housekeeping, nutrition, discipline, entertainment, education, the mail room, appointments, pharmaceutical needs, and hygiene. It’s no wonder I never stop.

My poor van looks like a hurricane has tossed its contents about and I am in desperate need of rekindling my romance with the treadmill at the gym.

But that’s probably enough complaining for one post.

Let me get on with the point.

As if there is one.

Things I Learned This Week… in no particular order…

1. A first grader gets his clothes more muddier at recess than a Kindergartner does.

2. After a little inquiry as to the muddy clothes after the third. day. in. a. row., my first-grader informed me that “the girls chase him everyday and I have to run so fast to get away from them that sometimes I fall.” Wellalrightythen!

3. Fry Pies made in the Amish Country are delightful. A few of the gals on the bus trip this weekend, all bought a dozen pies. I bought one. I have regretted that decision ever since the first bite of fry pie met my lips.

4. First Graders have a LOT of homework.

5. I learned the hard way that when you are on a bus-trip and you pack a bag with a change of clothes, adequate underwear, extra socks and loads of other stuff, you should not leave the bag on the floor because there is a very good chance that someone, somewhere will spill something all over the floor, drenching the bottom of the bag, along with its contents. That whole scenario will remind you that you knew better.

I realize many of you are probably scratching your head at the words ‘adequate’ and ‘underwear’ in that last sentence. I’ll just say that it is one of my many quirks and leave it at that. Only if you know me, you know that I hardly ever leave it at that. The fact is that I never leave home without at least one pair of underwear. I know some of you are hollering, “TMI!”

6. I learned that I will obviously share almost anything on the blog.

7. Nielsen Ratings have no problem calling before 9:00 am on a Saturday morning. If you know me, you know that I detest callers before 9:00 am, most especially on a Saturday morning. Period. I was polite however, because I am being paid by the good folks at Nielsen to complete a survey about my television viewing habits in November. It is safe to say I will not be available during the week of November 12thbecause I will be busy recording the hundreds of shows I watch in my little white viewing book. Oh little TiVo, don’t fail me now!

8. I have been looking for the CARS character, Giovanni for months at the Mart of Walls and the store with the big, red, bulls eye. Apparently, the car is not labeled with the name, “Giovanni.” It is labeled “Ferrari” and it is red. And, if you just so happen to find it at the flea market in the Amish Country, you can count on paying at least double for it. You know, because the Amish folk have to pay for their horses and these days, times are tough for everyone!

9. When your kid has been challenged to peddle 25 tubs of cookie dough to win a ride to McDonalds for lunch in a Hummer Limousine, you will go to the ends of the Earth, (or at least Facebook) to find enough jokers people to pay $14.00 for 3 pounds of cookie dough.

10. A nice even list makes me smile.

That’s it for this week, folks!

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This post is linked to Jo-Lynne’s What I Learned This Week Bloggy Carnival!

I could have titled this post, Thursday Three Hundred and Twelve.

Because that’s approximately how many things are on my to-do list this week. And, with all that I have to do, you can imagine the mess that is swirling around in my brain.

My brain is certainly a busy place.

Sheesh.

I keep thinking maybe next week I’ll get a break. But, it’s been weeks and there’s not a break within a thousand miles of this place. I seriously need to introduce my lips to the word, ”NO!”

So, in no particular order – except for the order that they throw themselves from the brain to my fingertips, I present to you at least 13 things I need to get done this weekend.

1. Plan games for a bus trip I will be taking with my church to the Amish Country on Saturday - I love games and I enjoy doing them, however, I would love to have some fresh ideas. Got any?

2. Put the finishing touches on Pastor Appreciation gifts for our two, wonderfully different pastors. Seriously, we are so blessed!

3. Picking up chips or 2-liters for the pumpkin hunt on Sunday at our church. Our sweet boys always have such a wonderful time picking and painting pumpkins with their friends.

4. Laundry, laundry, and more laundry. Oh, and don’t forget the laundry. Because the laundry is never done!

5. Visit and catch up with my aunt who is visiting from California before she heads back home on Sunday.

6. Pack for Amish Country trip. We will travel up and back in the same day, however, I never leave home on a trip without ample underwear, a change of clothes, snacks and anything else I think I might need before returning home.

7.  Wrap ‘door prizes’ for bus trip. Are they called ‘door prizes’ if there isn’t a door involved?

8. Read a big, honkin’ 200 page Closure Hearing Document dealing with the stupid school consolidation.

9. Flood our local Board Of Education and WV State Representatives with letters regarding the school consolidation.

10. Work on the basement. – McDaddy and I are currently in the midst of extensive renovations to our basement here at the McResidence. It could take us months to finish it.

11. Download (or is it upload?) pictures to the Wal-Mart web-site that will be used to design a scrapbook for a special friend.

12. Go to bed as early as possible. Seriously, I need some good sleep. And, I should start right now.

13. Copy our church bulletin. I’ve been doing our church bulletin for years. I typically copy it on Saturday. Since I’ll be going to the Amish Country, I’ll need to copy it early.

Like I said, Busy Weekend….

What’s on your agenda this weekend?

Whatever you’re doing, I hope you enjoy it!

Can you believe that it’s already Monday again?

The weeks?

They seem to fly by now that I’m (cough) 35 (cough) years old.

It seems like just yesterday I was writing last week’s Not Me! Monday post where I talked about NOT getting into a great, big crazy argument with the copier guy. Here it is a week later and I’m happy to report that the copier in question has been removed from the church premises and a brand spankin’ new copier with all kinds of bells and whistles has been ordered.

It’s pretty bad when a new copier excites me.

I guess I’m showing my age.

We had a great church service this evening. There was some great singing, some great preaching and some all-out praise.

It was not me, however, who came real close to tripping over the electric guitar cord at church and tumbling down the stairs on the stage. That is the last thing I need seeing as how I just recently shattered my knee cap.

I am such a klutz!

It did not act like a ‘kid in a candy store’ at the new Walgreens store in our area, and it also wasn’t me who made the bad decision to purchase two boxes of trail mix for the low, low price of $7.00, because now, it also wasn’t me who subsequently ate 1/2 of one of the boxes already.

Seriously.

I did not stand at the Saturn lot this week slobbering all over myself while I looked at the very. last. Saturn Sky available in the greater Charleston area.

And finally, It wasn’t me who didn’t get started on this post until after 11:00 pm because I was plotting and planning with McDaddy (and Stevie, too!) about some renovations we are just getting started on.

Hopefully there will be pictures of the McResidence very soon!

Have a great Monday, y’all!

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This post is linked to MckMama and her fabulously popular Not Me! Monday bloggy carnival.