Thanksgiving turned out Great!

I had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. My Dad came in town from Louisiana on Tuesday evening and stayed till Saturday. My Grandpa, Johnny Blaze, came over to "help" get all my food pre-prepared for baking on Thanksgiving. It turned out that he did most of it (with glee too) while I watched and hung out with my fam. My Dad's brother, M.B. came in town from South Bend and along with my Dad's sister, M.S. came over on Friday to see each other. It has been about 6 years since all 3 of my Grandparents kids were together. And at my house! We all took a picture together too.

We put up our Christmas Tree and decorations on Friday and Saturday. Over the weekend we had some rainy and cold weekend. So therefore, my Hubby decided to put out the outdoor lights - it was 38* and raining. Of course, he could not do it himself either. I still am not finished with putting up the finishing touches.

My younger brother's birthday is on Friday - he will be 26! I am about 6 1/2 years older than him and I was married with 2 kids at 26. He is currently working on his Masters in Psych. and will be done at the end of the summer semester.

The picture is of my brother. He decided to shave his head and emailed me a pic of himself. He actually looks good with no head hair. It suits his personality too. My brother loves George Carlin so...

Thought of the day: "Have you ever noticed that anybody driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac?"- George Carlin

O-o-o-Oklahoma where the wind come sweeping down the plains!

We returned Sunday night from our early Thanksgiving holiday in Oklahoma. We went to visit the in-laws. And of course A.J. turned into a Hellion which has always been allowed by in MIL since she is "in charge". I think that this trip she finally saw that he acts really bratty and spoiled around her (her fault) and put her foot down on occasion. I do not know if she did so because my hubby and I were there or if she really thought his behavior was ridiculous since he is almost 9. A.J. would be perfectly happy to move in with them and have Grandma spoil him rotten, thank goodness his dad and I could not tolerate that.

I did manage to get most of my "Santa" shopping done while I was there since we are returning for Christmas. I thought it smart to shop while I was there so I would not have to buy stuff here and secretly trek it up to Oklahoma. I spent about $300 on toys/movies for the boys! I am not done shopping by any means, actually besides that I have done ZERO shopping. How could I when I am sooooooo busy building A.J.'s school projects. We had to construct a "simple machine game" (See picture). We created "Spongebob Pop the Bubbles" using a lever, fulcrum and pulley. I hope he did well because mom worked very hard on it.

Thoughts of the day: (1) "Being a princess isn't all it's cracked up to be."- Princess Diana (2) "Family is the most important thing in the world." - Princess Diana (3) "I live for my sons. I would be lost without them."- Princess Diana

She was such an amazing lady. It is so unfortunate she was killed so young. I have always admired her (and I secretly wanted to be a princess although I would not have married Prince Chuck) especially since now I too have 2 sons just like her.

EEk. One week till Thanksgiving. I have to say that I am no Chef. My Grandpa, Johnny Blaze, is a retired Chef and my Dad also graduated from Culinary school but somewhere along the DNA line I did not inherit any cooking ability. I cannot "just whip something up" and I am not creative with food. So, Thanksgiving is a virtual nightmare for me. Thank goodness my Dad will be here to help out. Whoo. He is coming on Tuesday. However, we are going to Tulsa for the weekend. The boys get out of school early on Friday and we are taking off for an early Thanksgiving with my In-Laws. But since we are also going there for Christmas we will be doing our shopping while we are there (leaving the Santa gifts) so we won't have to bring them home and take them back. Smart right? But between now and then I have a ton of stuff to do and pack us all up (including the dog).

This picture (c. 1885-90) is of my Great Grandmother's eldest sister: Sarah Celia "Allie" Beckwith (b:1870). She was the eldest of 7 sisters (an probably the prettiest besides my Gr. Grand. Emma) It was very unfortunate that she had 3 brothers (2 died as children) and her eldest brother, Edmund, did not marry until late in life and sired no children. So, long story short, there are no Beckwith's left of this line.

I have been reading a lot lately. I finished Allie MacKay's "Highlander in Her Dreams" (a sequel to "Highlander in Her Bed") and loved it. I will read anything romantic with Highlander in the name. Last night I started "Chasing Midnight" by Susan Krinard which is set in 1920's NYC. She writes Wolf and Vampire books as well as books about the Fae. "Forest Lord" is my favorite of hers.

Thought of the day: "Faeries, come take me out of this dull world,For I would ride with you upon the wind,Run on the top of the dishevelled tide,And dance upon the mountains like a flame." ~William Butler Yeats, "The Land of Heart's Desire," 1894

Since when did 3rd grade turn into 8th grade??? A.J. has to create a "simple machine" for a 3rd grade Fair. Easy right? Well, being that each student has to create a game with their simple machine for this fair, I (as in probably all parents) will have to do all the grunt work. Since the key word is "Create" which also means "make". So, first on my to-do list this morning is to go to Lowe's and purchase the necessary pieces-parts: a pulley, rope, weights, magnets, two-by-four and things to screw/nail them all together. A.J. designed a game that has to do with a small dart board and magnet propelling. Sounds fun, right? And all this done by Thursday b/c we are going out of town this weekend.

We went and saw Bee Movie this weekend - it was alright. Definitely a kid movie. Oh...Shrek the 3rd comes out today also! Now, I have to put Target on the to-do list. I must remember ziplock bags too. Anyway... I just got done reading the first two books in Karen Marie Moning's Fever series: "Darkfever" & "Bloodfever" - and they are AWESOME! And what I hate more than anything is having to wait for the next one in a series to come out "sometime in '08". I think next I will read "Highlander In Her Dreams" by Allie MacKay (aka Sue-Ellen Welfonder) I bought yesterday.

Thought of the day: "He is a man of courage who does not run away, but remains at his post and fights against the enemy." - Socrates

So, my kids have not figured out that we had a time change. They are getting up too early, eating at the wrong times and get upset when they have to come inside at like a quarter of six! Do kids not come pre-programed to automatically adjust for the time change??? What is even more ridiculous is that my dad got me an atomic clock for Christmas 2 years ago--right before Bush decided to change the dates and make the "summer time" hours longer--and now it doesn't keep the right time either. Go figure.

Anyway... We are having our family portrait done today. We have not done one in about 4 years and it is also going to be our Christmas gifts to everyone. I have prepped the kids on what I expect = nice smiling, no silliness, and 100% cooperation. Do you think it will work? They are kids right?

This is the one we did when the boys were 3 and almost 5. Is this just not the cutest picture!

Thought of the day: "Love may not make the world go round, but I must admit that it makes the ride worthwhile.: - Sean Connery

I think Mr. Scotland is so wise - and not to mention pleasing on the eyes and ears. I could listen to him for hours. *sigh* Him and Patrick Stewart.

NYC Here We Come!

I am soooooo excited!!! We booked our airfare this morning for our 10 year anniversary. We have the hotel reserved and now all we have to do is wait till March. On our honeymoon we went to Montego Bay, Jamaica - which was lovely. However, our fabulous resort sat at the end of the runway and every time a plane lifted off it about scared the wwwhhhooooo out of me. When my hubby and I were discussing where we wanted to go, we had always said we would go back to Jamaica for our 10 year but the though of being on the end of the runway just did not sound appealing anymore. Besides, I am not sure we would have gotten our passports back from being renewed. We threw around Seattle, San Francisco and the Florida Keys. And then we talked about Palm Beach, New York City and Colorado. I was all for skiing but something about NYC just sounded so fun. We finally decided to pick somewhere that neither of us had been, always wanted to go and could not/ should not take the kids......so.... NYC here we come!

Chuck was good last night - I think it is my new favorite show. I also am hooked on Heroes which comes on right after. We did not watch CSI Miami becuase dear hubby was watching an old Arnold Schwarzenegger movie "True Lies" and football.

This is a picture of my Great-Great Grandmother "Emily". She was born in 1848 in Georgia. She and my Great-Great Grandfather moved to Texas around 1880. They had 10 children: 3 boys and 7 girls. Sadly, 2 of the sons died as children in Marshall, TX and the remaining son, Edmund, never had children so the Beckwith line died with him.

Thought of the day: "Freedom is a right ultimately defended by the sacrifice of America's servicemen and women." -Arnold Schwarzenegger

Lizards galore!

Over the weekend my 3rd grader and I had to work on a presentation for school. It was to be about domesticated animals and their uses to humans. AJ elected to LIZARD. Yes, lizards - Gila monster, Komodo dragon, house gecko, iguana, etc... you get the picture. He did most of the research at school and brought home what he had on Friday with the knowledge this was due Tuesday. We (and I emphasize WE, as in me) had to create a presentation board with various topics: Habitat, Life-Cycle, Traits, Interesting Facts and how the animal Solves Problems for humans. We created an awesome tri-folding board with pictures and a oral presentation. It took us about 30 mins on Sat. and 3+ hours on Sunday. But it turned out great.

AJ also played his last basketball game last night, which they lost. The team was playing again in the winter season but he had no real desire to play, he wanted a break. It is totally fine with me too.

ZM has to go back to the Drs today for a check up on his ears. I am sure his is fine. I have seen the Dr 3x in the last 2 weeks com paired to the last 2 years.... I have gone four times, maybe.

Anyway... I just finished reading all but the first one of Liz Carlyle's published books. Great! I especially enjoyed the last trilogy. I highly recommend her as an author.

Thought of the day:
Chinese proverb:
"One moment of patience may ward off great disaster. One moment of impatience may ruin a whole life."

We finally made it to November. The boys had a blast on Halloween. We went to the neighborhood by the kids elementary school, which usually goes all out. We went door-to-door for about an hour and 15 mins and scored a ton of candy. We did not go with any friends like we always have done before so this is actually the first time going it just us, and it was fun. Here is A.J. with an enormous ghostly skeletal thing (A.J. finally decided it was OK to be The Thing from Fantastic Four). The weather was so pleasant and warm compared to last year we froze our butts off. I much prefer a mild Halloween and a cold Christmas.

Next Friday we are having our family portrait done. The last time we had ours done was about 4 years ago when they boys were 4 & 3. We went to Target and they turned our really well, so we are giving Target another go. So therefore I have to come up with something for all of us to wear. Last time we did black and white, and it looks good, so we may do that again.

Thought of the day: "Observe good faith and justice toward all nations. Cultivate peace and harmony with all." - George Washington

Have a blessed Friday!

Where in the world is Spiderman?

Three days before Halloween A.J. decided to change his mind about what he wanted to be. Last year, at the end of the season when Target had costumes at like 90% off, he selected a "the Thing" from Fantastic 4, and he was fine with being that until Sunday afternoon. So, yesterday after school we went to Target and they were completely out of cool costumes. Go figure! I told him to expect that. Well, come to find out he wanted to be a "bad guy" (the black Spiderman from the 3rd movie - that he never saw) because he was concerned that one of his more mature 8 year old friends who always is something evil would make fun of him. I told him that he could tell him friend to "go fart on himself" if he felt that way. Was that right? I don't know, I just know that I am not all into "scary" stuff necessarily for Halloween and I have tried to put it off as long as possible. Last year my boys were Star Wars: Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker, which I thought was super cool.

This super cute picture is of my Grandparents when they were first married in 1943 in Gary, In. They were so young! My Grandpa soon left for the coast guard in WWII. Now they are 85 and 86 and so wonderful.

Anyway, TV was good last night: Chuck, Heros, CSI Miami is what I watch while my hubby watches more football. I just don't know how one can watch 4 straight days of football???? OU and Dallas did not play over the weekend which was fine with me, I needed a break. We did go see "The Game Plan" with the Rock, it was pretty good, for a kid movie.

Thought of the day: "Worry is like a rocking chair: It gives you something to do, but doesn't get you anywhere." - Anonymous

I think this is sooooooo true. My hubby is a serious worry wart and I am not, something my parents taught me about how you cannot worry about things that are out of your control. I guess it is just easier for some than others.

Two months till Christmas!!

There are just a few things in life which frighten the sh*t out of me - one of them: WASPS. My whole life nothing more could be scarier than being in a room or near a wasp/bee. When I was small I had several bad experiences with being stung and thus scared for life. When I was a teen, we lived in a house built in the 1929 and for some reason wasps loved to enter thru the windows and hang out in my parents upstairs bedroom. Alone during the summer, as I often was watching my younger brother, I would hang out in their room watching TV b/c my brother was monopolizing the downstairs TV playing video games. Well, one more than six occasions I was trapped in the room with the dreaded wasp. Sometimes I would run out and slam the door, shoving a towel up under the jam or others break out in a panic... or both.

Well, long story short - there was a wasp in my house this morning, dead thankfully. I made my hubby remove it b/c I would not go near it. A few weeks ago there was a wasp in my bathroom! Leaving my hubby to deal with it, he swats at it with a shoe and lames it but does not kill it. It disappears and he thinks it dead (I am praying so). Next morning, I am getting ready for the day in the bathroom and here comes that stinking wasp again!!!! So, it is now up to me to take care of the problem. I find the poisonous wasp spray- which I always have several during the summer- and spray the crap out of the offending insect and all the wall paper, widow coverings and surrounding o'ject de arte, finally ending the life of the wasp. It just makes my skin crawl to think of it.

On a more pleasant note, I am bribing my kids with Transformers if they would start loosing some teeth. A.J. is almost 9 and has only lost 4 of the bottom teeth and Z.M. who is 7 has only lost 3. Hereditary, they are predisposed to being late-bloomers but I have seen kids in Kindergartners who have lost more teeth than my 3rd grader. Anyway, Z. is really close to loosing the 4th but wont let me get any near his mouth, lo the bribe.

This is a favorite one of mine: My aunt Marsha, uncle Micky and my Dad (the baby) in their home town in Indiana. (c. 1948).

Thought of the day: " Every man dies, not every man lives. " -- William Wallace (Mel Gibson), Braveheart

Everyone has heard this quote in some form or fashion, yet it is as poignant today as it was in 1300.

Fall has found Texas

This morning was 46*....burrrr..... I did not want to get out of bed this morning b/c I could tell it would be chilly outside of my warm bedsheets. We actually turned on the heater at 68*, just in case, and I was happy when it popped on. So, when I returned from dropping off the kiddos at school I got out the down comforter and put it on the bed. Welcome Fall.





Today I have a bit of house cleaning to do. I have neglected it, opting for errands yesterday in the pouring down rain then taking Z.M. to his 7 yr ck up. Speaking of which, he is in fine health but when they did his hearing test, he did not completely pass on his right ear. When the Dr. looked in there he had an ear infection! He has not had one of those in years!! So, it's antibiotics for him for 10 days. Anyway.... I have bathrooms to see to, more laundry to finish, and dished to do, etc....
(Another cute pic of my mom's cat Baby-Girl)

Thought of the day: "I'm extraordinarily patient provided I get my own way in the end." -Margaret Thatcher

Who knew Lady Thatcher had such wit. But isn't that usually the way with all of us?

Big Weekend for Winners!

Ooo-La-La! OU won! LSU won! The Cowboys won! The Saints won! What a great football weekend! And..... A.J.'s basketball team WON! The Maverick's won!

I read a really cool book this weekend - amidst all the football - by "Allie MacKay" who is a alias of Sue-Ellen Welfonder called "Highlander in her Bed". It is about an 14th century bed that is enchanted by it's owner (Sir Alexander Douglas - is a ghost) who was killed on the way to gift it to his future-bride. He has been protecting it against the family members/descendants of his killer's (a MacDougall) family until he chances upon it's current owner, Mara McDougall, a Philly tour guide who inherits a Scottish castle and moves it in. They fall in love (of course) and at the end they find a way to live happily ever after.

Today Z.M. goes in for his 7yr ck up with the new pediatrician. When we moved to the Dallas area 6 yrs ago, one of the boys got sick almost as soon as we settled in. Basically not knowing any Drs. I opened up the local magazine and picked one based on the ad "now taking new patients". Their office was very close to where I worked and the kids Preschool (even though it is completely across town from where we live) so it was convenient. Now that I am not currently working and the kids do not get sick all the time as they did when they were in preschool it is quite a trek just to go to the Drs. I liked the physicians but with gas being so costly it just did not make sense to continue to make the drive. So, we transferred to a new office about 4 miles from the house, we will have to see how it goes.

(Above picture: Baby-Girl, my mother's cat. Baby-Girl was hit by a car when she was a kitten and had surgery/hip replacement. She is such a sweetie my mom could hardly resist not adopting her.)

Thought of the day: "If you don't know where you are going, you might wind up someplace else." - Yogi Berra

Clever huh?

Shopping makes things all better!

Well, I survived. Of course I would but it is nice to be past the dental appointment. The doped me up on Nitrous - which took all day to wear off - and fixed the filling that was the problem. Afterward to aide me recover I went shopping at Old Navy and it did indeed help. I only spent $21 but I got a skirt, a pair of capri's and some yoga pants. I love sales!

My mother raised me to be an economist out of necessity. We did not have a lot of extra money growing up and I rarely got new clothes. My mom loved garage sales and resale shops and surprisingly she found some good stuff there. My first pair of Guess Jeans (which was the must-have of middle school in the late 80's) from a resale shop. They were light wash denim with the two inch zipper on the ankles and the pink upside-down triangle on the back pocket. They had to be worn with colored Keds which had to match the polo shirt with the up-turned collar. The good ole days.

Now, I only buy things on sale whether at Target, Old Navy or at the local Outlets but not because I cannot afford things regular price but because I have worked many years in retail and know that given enough time things always go on sale. Old Navy, for example, has a new line every month or so, they have to then place the previous month's styles on clearance to make room for the new arrivals. Therefore, the longer the store has the older items, the lower the price. And if you choose a store that has a large inventory the more likely to have many sale items. The only down side is that if you wait too long the items sale quickly so if it is something you HAVE to have, buy it. I have been known to occasionally but something full priced - but only under dire circumstances.....

Thought of the day: "The quickest way for a parent to get a child's attention is to sit down and look comfortable." - Lane Olinhouse

Also pick up the phone. People used to ask me how I stay so thin- I never got to sit. When the boys were younger and home and had to be entertained I was so busy I did not have time to sit. Because as soon as I did I had to get up for some reason or another. We have a 2 story house and it was inevitable that whatever was needed was on the other floor. Up and down all day long. Z.M., when he was a baby, he would not be put down so I carried him most of the time. So, running around with an extra twenty pounds burned extra calories. Also, I could barely get food into my mouth before I was beckoned again some of the time as well.
Have a happy Friday.

In which Christi suffers from dental anxiety

It is true. I dislike the dentist. Today at 11am I have an appointment with my dentist to have a filling redone which constitutes a needle and pain. I even had a bad dream about it last night.

Anyway... I had to spend another goodly amount $$$$ on my Ford SUV yesterday b/c it needed new breaks! $546 worth. According to the shop the breaks were bad off but it is supposedly common with my particular vehicle. Of course my hubby tried to blame me for being an aggressive braker but lo it is not entirely my fault. That means we have put almost $1000. into the SUV in the last 2 months: a new rear air part, new battery and now new brakes - on a vehicle that is only 4yrs old too.

Yesterday A.J. brought home a form to fill out for student council. He is interested in running for third grade representative - how awesome is that? He is so outgoing and funny that this is right up his alley. I was terribly shy as a kid (just like Z.M. is) and my Hubby is too laid back to take an active role in anything that requires extra work. Now, he did date his high school's student council president, but that was as close to it as he got. So, we have to fill out his application form and return it tomorrow for consideration. I hope he gets it. :-)

Thought of the day: "Don't carry a grudge. While you're carrying the grudge the other guy's out dancing." - Buddy Hackett

Isn't this so true. Most the time the person you are holding a grudge about doesn't even know it. I am an easily forgiving person and rarely hold grudges. One thing I have learned: You cannot control the thoughts/actions/behaviors of others, your efforts are futile. I also do not worry about issues that are out of my control because all I would be doing is waisting my time and emotional state.

God Weeps For His Team!

The Cowboys lost. There is a standing joke about why there is a hole in the top of the Cowboys stadium - so God can watch his favorite team. Makes sense, right? Well, it is raining today for one reason only - God is weeping because the Patriots beat the Boys squarely 48-27. Surprisingly the Saints won - made my Dad happy, except for LSU lost!

I have been working on my family's genealogy for years now it seems and today I found that my Grandfather's sister was married before to a man whom we did not know, we knew of the second husband. She died in 1962 and her daughters are spiteful (according to my mother) and so I have made no attempt to contact them about their parentage. Ancestry.com is very helpful if not frustratingly so sometimes and I found her and the second husband's marriage cert. which shows a maiden and married name. So, I have been trying to locate more information....

Here is a picture of my Grandfather and his sister in Missouri as children. I love old pictures of my family. Their father was about 50 when he married their mother and so he was about 52-54 when the kids were born and soon died afterward. My Great-grandmother was young still and now widowed. But not long after she remarried and then died herself. The kids were taken across the country to live with the step-father's relations and treated very poorly. My Grandpa left home at 13 and joined a motorcycle gang and no one is sure exactly what happened to Lucille until my Grandpa Bill sought her out as adults. She was an alcoholic and died from in at a young age. One would have to assume she was abused due to her vices and unhappy disposition. After she died her children waited a few days (almost a week if I recall) before contacting my Gpa. My mother was only 12 at the time and had only met her aunt once. It is a shame really, what happened to them but before modern medicine life was often tragic.

Though of the day: "Have a heart that never hardens, and a temper that never tires, and a touch that never hurts." - Charles Dickens

Wise words.

King Lear is coming!

I have been a busy bee this morning! I found out yesterday that my Father-in-Law - whom I just have a ton of respect for - is coming for a visit tomorrow. Eek! I had already on my Thursday agenda to install some new flush mount light fixtures I bought at the Home Depot yesterday, continue with the never-ending laundry cycle, clean up the mess made from last nights dinner and walk the dog. Unfortunately, Harley did not get her walk since I started folding the already clean laundry as soon as I got back from dropping off the kiddos at school and watching Good Morning America. Then - of course - I have to finish the last 30 or so pages of a book I was reading by Liz Carlyle "A Woman of Virtue". It was a great book...now onto the next one "No true Gentleman". So, once done with my reading I installed all 3 new fixtures and rounded off my morning with finishing the dishes and cleaning up the upstairs (ie: toilets, toys, vacuum, new sheets, etc...) in preparation for my FIL (the same one my Harley adores more than anyone).

I am again proud of my handiness. Growing up my father and I did not have a lot in common - I being a girly-girl and he being a "what do I do with a girl???" kinda dad. So, he started off trying to get me to play sports {basketball, softball, soccer, tennis - you get the picture} but I am not the least bit athletically inclined so I refused. I danced ballet and as said ballerina we must be dainty and graceful. I loved hanging out with my dad regardless and so therefore a garage/tools relationship began. He showed me tools and virtually all ways to caulk, spackle, paint, fix, hang and install just about anything. I really did not use my skills until one year my then boyfriend (now hubby) and I moved into an apartment together. The cable outlet was on the wrong side of the living room from where we wanted it so I just ran the cable to the other side - no big deal. My BF was so surprised. Bless his non-handy heart that his dad never taught him such things (through no fault of my FIL) and ever since I am the most handy one in the house. Since we have moved in to our current home about 6 yrs ago I have installed 9 new light fixtures, drilled and attached all the darn cabinet pulls, ran wiring for outdoor lighting, replaced several switches and all covers, put up crown moulding, chair rail moulding and quarter-round - among other things. Not that I am bragging.
Anyway... So, now I am hungry after burning all that energy and still have 2 or 3 loads of laundry to finish and a new book to start. There is just not enough hours in the day!
Thought of the day: "We do not understand: JOY... until it we face sorrow; FAITH... until it is tested; PEACE... until faced with conflict; LOVE... until it is lost; HOPE... until confronted with doubts." - Unknown (to me)
This is so true. We cannot fully understand each and any of these emotions unless we are shown what life is like without them. But all these are found through our spirituality and determination to over come adversity in any way it presents itself. Have a blessed Thursday.

Happy Wednesday!

I am getting excited for Halloween! But if you go to the stores they already have Christmas out! I take one holiday at a time. Z.M. is going to be Optimus Prime from Transformers and A.J. is going to be the big hunky guy from Fantastic 4. Last year it was so cold Halloween night that we had to wear layers upon layers and all got runny noses, and we live in Texas - hello! - it is supposed to be only in the 50's at night. This morning it was 58*....so cool. I took Harley for a walk after I dropped the kiddos off at school and it was so nice out. It is finally starting to feel like fall, well, at least during the morning hours.

Thought of the day: "There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children. One of these is roots; the other, wings." - Hodding Carter, Sr.

I love this quote b/c as parents we are to shape our children to be the best person they can be. So they will understand their roots - their family, heritage and customs - and wings so they may soar to new heights, create new dreams and find success in all they desire.

Cowboys won by a hair!

I cannot believe that the Boys pulled it off last night. What a nail-bitter! I had such a hard time falling asleep after that. Anyway... I have to go to the dentist this morning for my bi-yearly cleaning, fun. Then I am making a pot-roast for dinner, which I need to start soon.

I love this pic of my boys. It was taken a few years ago at a local mall. We were taking pics for our annual Christmas card and they sat for a moment and I snapped this quickly and it turned out so cute. That is usually how it happens. It shows their personalities too. A.J. is out going and rowdy and Z.M. is shy and quiet.

I woke up to 63* in Dallas and it is sooooo nice and cool. We have had a pretty mild summer in comparison to the usual 15+ days of over 100*, plus we have had a ton of rain. I am really ready for fall and sweaters.

Thought of the day: "Use the talents you have, for the woods would be silent if not birds sang except the best." - Unknown

Not everyone can "sing" well but everyone can "sing" their own way...

SOONERS ROCK!!

OU rules!!! We beat Texas 28-21! Whooo!!!!

We had a pretty fun weekend with all the football games and such. OU & LSU won, USC lost (yea) and A.J.'s team actually won their game! A.J. scored 4 buckets and 2 free-throws and earned a little under 50% of the teams total points. I was so happy the boys won a game - all the parents were. Saturday night we went over to a friends house for more football and to chat and let our kids play and Sunday we watched more football and then went to our son's game. Other than that we did not do much. We watched "Knocked Up" last night - it was very funny.

My favorite cousin's birthday is tomorrow and I have been teasing her about being 29, which in only one year away from being 30!!! (she did the same to me when I turned 30). It was funny when my Mother turned 40+ she never would admit she was in her 40's. She was not 42 but 30-12, etc... I think I may adopt that when I hit 40 (in about 8 years). Now my Mom is 56 and is Fab. And like her, I don't look my age. I get looks all the time from people who do not believe I am over 30. Ha! I know I will appreciate it later....and all that crap.

Thought of the day: "I'd rather have roses on my table than diamonds on my neck." - Emma Goldman

Well, I don't necessarily agree with this statement, I just thought it interesting. I, for one, have had my fair share of getting roses throughout the years but diamonds would trump them anyday in my book. This Emma Goldman probably recieved diamonds frequently from uncaring people and roses rarely from those she loved?? Or maybe she just had an affinity for gardens. How about both?

GO OU!

Boomer Sooner - Boomer Sooner - Go OU! Beat Texas! WHOOO.





Ok. Now that I got that out.... The big game "The OU vs. Texas Game" or sometimes it is known as "Battle in Big D" or "Red River Shoot-Out" is tomorrow here in Dallas and we cannot wait to watch it on our new hdtv. Since both OU and Texas lost last weekend it should make for a very enjoyable game. What also makes it fun is that my dad went to Texas (back in the day) and then in the 80's he took a job at OU so then he became an OU fan except on the day OU played Texas. Some years he would wear his OU shirt with a Texas hat or his burnt orange button-up shirt with a white tie and an OU hat. Well, my brother, husband and I all graduated from OU and currently my dad works at LSU so we have fun betting on the games and joke around about the other team...etc...



I did not leave the house yesterday but spent a goodly amount of time writing my book. I was inspired to write a historical romance when I met my favorite author Cathy Maxwell back in July. I wrote poems when I was in high-school, two of which got published, and I have finished a sorta contemporary romance -sorta historical. When I met Cathy, who's historical romances are great, I thought maybe I should try my hand at it since I enjoy reading them so much. So far I have about 62,000 words and am about 2/3 finished. I know where I am headed with the plot but it is the word-by-word movement that makes it a slow process. I also have the concept of my next one too, my main characters sister's story.

Thought of the day: "Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them." - James Baldwin



Ha Ha Ha. Is that not so true.
Happy Friday.

It's raining....again...

I woke up this morning around 5:30am to the pitter-patter of rain against my freshly washed car. The boys and I washed the vehicles in the driveway on Monday afternoon, they enjoy doing that, even though they play with the hose more than actually wash the car. I returned home from Choir practice last night and decided to leave it in the driveway instead of putting it in the garage, and lo since it was clean and out Mother Nature decided to add her raindrops to make it cleaner. Right?

Our poor dog, Harley Girl, has really bad allergies to grass and she scratches, licks and bites herself incessantly during the summer and our vet blew us off and she is once again miserable so I have to get a "second opinion" with another vet soon b/c I feel so bad for her. She has large bald spots with a rashy skin and it is awful.

She is a black Schnauzer - hence the name: Harley [like Davidson]. She is very overprotective of us, especially my Hubby. Sometimes I cannot even hold a conversation with him without her barking in between us, mainly at me. She likes me pretty well when he is not at home though. However, her favorite person on the planet is my Father-in-law. She gets more excited than the children when he comes over. It is pretty funny.

My Hubby and I will be celebrating our 10 year wedding anniversary in March and are going to NYC to celebrate! Neither of us has been there before and we wanted to experience something for the first time together. We threw around skiing in Colorado, San Francisco, Seattle, Palm Beach or the Keys. But we kept coming back to New York. So, I booked our hotel yesterday, so the trip is becoming more official. I am holding out for cheaper airfare b/c the hotel will cost about $1800. Eek. NYC is a lot more expensive than Dallas but we will only have a 10 yr. anniv. once and it will probably be another 10 years before we have another vacation without the kids. A few years ago we went to St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, for my hubby's work trip. It was a short trip but it was nice. I am so looking forward to going to NYC.

Though of the day: "In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock." - Thomas Jefferson

Whoo! What a weekend!

I woke up Saturday with unbridled optimism for today was going to be a great day. Then it went slowly - quickly actually - downhill from there. After a lazy morning of sitting around and playing with the kids I got ready for the day ahead. Z.M.'s birthday party was scheduled for 2:30 so I decided to run the rest of my pre-party errands around lunch time. Well....after the first stop at the party store I opted to head to the mall instead of the Dollar Tree (which has $1 Mylar balloons). The bookstore at the mall had a coupon, which was expiring on Sunday, for a book I wanted to get so I decided to stop in there first. Once I returned to my car - in a very timely manner by the way - the car would not start!!! "NO, NOT TODAY!" I said as I hit the stirring wheel (it was almost noon now). Feeling the divine hand in this, was I actually parked near Sears. I went over to the store and they called the mall security. The poor young dude who's job it was to secure the parking lot knew not how to jump a vehicle (or much less tackle a criminal of some sort). Thank heavens the guy across the space from me was a air-conditioner repair man who DID know who to jump a car. YEA! So, I am off to Sears finally thinking it would only take a few moments to replace the battery. One hour and 45 mins. and $135 later I finally get my new battery which leaves me only 30 mins. till Z.M.'s party starts. This whole time I had to instruct my DH on where to get the cake, pack up the party supplies and goodie bags, etc... (thank goodness he can follow instructions). I was hungry and stressed out. Did I realize that I would be there for that long I would have left the waiting room to walk around the mall or get something to eat. But no... I now had half an hour to eat and head over to the party.

Since the party was now underway, all Z.M.'s friends there and having a good time bowling, they were showing the OU game on the big-screen tv. And the lose! NO! The day has now gotten worse. Anyway...
Texas lost, Florida lost... at least my team wasn't the only loser. But OU plays Texas next Saturday which is always exciting. The upside was the Dallas Cowboys won but A.J.'s basketball team lost -again -, but they scored 11 points (the most all season).

Thought of the day: "He has achieved success who has lived well, laughed often and loved much." - Bessie Anderson Stanley

This is one of my favorites b/c it is so true. Success should not be measured solely by wealth but by how much we share such joys with others.

~T.G.I.F.~

I am tired this morning b/c A.J. was up at 2 am not able to sleep. The allergies are very bad right now in North Texas and he could not stop his poor nose. So, it was Benedryl at 2 am, then 30 mins. back to sleep and up at 6:45 am for school. But today I have a busy day....





I am getting my hair done - Yea! - and have to get all the goodies ready for Z.M.'s birthday party Saturday. I finally found a Transformers cake at Walmart (after searching every non-walmart grocery story) which rocks b/c Z.M. LOVES all things Transformers. I remember when my little brother played with Transformers and Ninja Turtles back in the late 80's. What was old is new again.





Thought of the day: "Most people are about as happy as they make up thier minds to be."


- Abraham Lincoln

I love this picture. When I got home from work one day the sun had just dipped behind this lone dark cloud. I ran and grabbed my camera to capture the glory of this moment.

T. G. I. F.

My Baby is 7 today!

Seven long years ago today I walked into the regional hospital to give birth to my second son. A.J. was only 20 months old at the time and did not really understand what was going on. My mother-in-law and sister-in-law came in town to stay with him. I was very tired of being pregnant and was induced a day before my actual due date, I guess it was easier for my doctor that way. At the same time another gal was also being induced, we had the same doctor but it was her first baby.

Since I had seemingly just done this I knew what to expect and before long (about 8 am) labor was underway. I requested my IV drugs around 10 am, which was denied b/c I was already too far along. At 11:15 am my Dad and Hubby went to get some lunch and not more than 5 minutes later the gal with the big giant needle shows up to give me my epidural. My dr came in around 1:30 pm just in time to catch really. He made jokes about my baby going to need a haircut, ha-ha, as I am giving birth. Well, twenty minutes later I had a healthy 8 pound 6 oz baby boy.

My Grandma about fell off the sofa when she saw Z.M. for the first time. "You gave birth to your father," she said. Apparently he looked just like my Dad, hair and all. (And for that matter still looks like him - a good cross b/t my dad and my hubby). It's okay - I find them both very handsome.

I just love both my boys so much. And I thank God everyday for the blessings they bring to my life.

Thought of the day: "Who, being loved, is poor?" - Oscar Wilde

We must not put more value on what makes us rich - $$$, job, car - but what really enriches our lives more - family, friends, passion for life...

I will have a wonderful Sept. 27th, I hope you will too.

Lunch with Johnny Blaze

Today - like every Wednesday - I have a lunch date with my 80-something grandparents. Each visit I get told the same ole stories I have heard since I was young. And I love it. Today's we talked about Lucky dog (their bull dog from the 1950's) and how silly or sweet pets can be, my cousin Mike with the 4 sons (eek!) who has to commute 2 hours every day and also about when my Grandma worked in a bakery that made oven-baked fresh bread daily...yum. Can't get freshness like that any more. See, my Grandpa "Johnny Blaze" (we call him) is/was a very honored Chef working mostly in Chicago and Dallas. (He retired like 15 times). He can cook or make ANYTHING! I unfortunately cannot cook worth a lick. My dad also went to culinary school then the army then to college, so now he does more of the administrative aspect.... anyway, when I met my now husband back in the mid-nineties and he heard that my grandfather and my Father's were both chefs - he thought he had died and gone to heaven. Well, guess what???? Was he so surprised that I do not cook. *First, I was never allowed in the kitchen b/c I "got in the way". *Second, when one is not invited to the kitchen, one does not care what happens in the kitchen and *Third, when one does not care about what happens in the kitchen, one does not learn how to cook. So, on my behalf it was their fault. This is my Grandpa and me when I was about 2yrs. I was always his favorite granddaughter....which was funny b/c I am his only granddaughter. I do love them so much and enjoy every lunch date with them b/c I know that they will not be here forever no matter how much I wish it. It is especially nice to get to know them on an adult level, something I was able to do with my other set of Grandparents who both died when I was a youth. My "Johnny Blaze" is so special to me.

Anyway... Thought of the day: "We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give." - Norman MacEwan

We can give of our time, our attention, our patience, our love and our hope. We can give to save the multitudes, or the one lonely soul. We can give our used things, our new gifts or our of our past earnings. But most of all we can give by how we change the lives of others. Peace be with you this eve.

Thought of the day: "Well done is better than well said." - Ben Franklin

A different way of saying "actions speak louder than words".
I am a big believer is respecting your elders and being considerate of all people. I was raised this way. Last week I was heading into Target and spied an elderly lady putting her purchases into the trunk of her car. She was parked in the Handicapped parking and appeared to be having trouble with her things. On the bottom of her cart she had a large pack of bottled water. I stopped and asked if I could help her where others just passed her by. Her sweet face lit up with gratefulness because she told me that she just had heart surgery and was not sure how she was going to get it in her trunk. I helped her out of the kindness of my heart and felt joy in my soul because I knew I had aided this lady even when others would not. I think that no matter what I could have said to her could not have meant more than my willingness to assist her when she needed it. My own grandparents are in their 80's and I feel blessed to have them still living and sharing their lives with me. If they had been the ones to have needed help that day at Target I would sincerely hope that someone would have helped them. It is doubtful because we live in a world that is self-centered and hurried. I did not help that lady because it would make me feel good, I did it because I believe that by being a good person and doing good deeds is better than only thinking of myself, no matter how easy it is to do so.

"Hero's" was awesome last night. I also watched "Chuck" which was really interesting and "CSI Miami" was typical. And of couse more Football. My Dad's team, the Saints, lost. Oh well. Tonight I had choir practice so I will miss most of the new season premiers. I am looking forward to Wednesday. Actually, I am curious to know when "LOST" will return. That was one show I did not miss.
Anyway... I'm off to get ready for the day now that I have finished my coffee. Things must get done, and errends must be ran. Have a great Tuesday.

Actually I am glad it's Monday!

Even though most don't like Monday's - I most certainly do. Actually if you ask any stay at home mom if they like Monday's the answer would be YES. The hubby goes to work, the kids go to school and that leaves the rest of the day to do what I want/need to do. At least for me.

I was happy that all my football teams won: OU, LSU and the Dallas Cowboys! However my son's basketball team lost their game, again. He seems to be one of the only players on the team that actually is playing basketball, the rest are there b/c their parents make them. Oh well.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: "Don't let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do." - John Wooden.

I like this quote b/c so many people live in a world of "cannot" (especially my youngest son). He is constantly saying "I can't do it." Which drives me crazy. If you convince yourself you "cannot" do something - then therefore you cannot. If one lives in a world of doubt then how can one expect good things to happen. I am a very optimistic person and strongly believe anything is accomplishable if one sets their mind to it. And.... for some there is a big difference between "cannot" and "will not". That is for another day.

Tomorrow one of my favorite authors (Suzanne Enoch) is releasing a 4th book in a series (Sam Jellicoe) and I am very excited. I love to read and am currently reading novels by Liz Carlyle. I like romance novels, not cheezy ones, and historicals too. I have read all of Cathy Maxwell's books, whom is also one of my favorites. I got a chance to meet both her and S. Enoch at a book signing when they came into town for the RWA conference. There were plenty of other authors who I would have to have seen but did not get a chance. (See above picture of C. Maxwell & Me).

Anyway... Today "Hero's" premieres. I am so glad that good TV is back, I am so tired of reruns and watching my hubby's favorite channels (ESPN or CourTv). I had no choice but to watch 3 straight days of football and tonight I will find myself another tv to watch. Since we got a new tv in our bedroom I have no say-so on what is watched on it. The only shows my dh watches on it are in HD, and luckily our 10pm news now broadcasts in HD or I would never know if it is going to be hot or hotter or when they tease us with fall. However this year we have had our fair share of rain so I am not complaining about that.

September is almost over! And we are on the downhill slide to Christmas - eek. The only things my kids want for C-mas are things pertaining to Transformers. Last year it was Lego's and Star Wars...

Have a great Monday! Christi

New Here!

Every day I sit down at this computer with a tidal list of things to do and today starting a blog was one of them. I am writing a novel (recreationally) which takes a good part of my day while my kids are at school. Other than that I am a typical stay at home mom: cleaning, errands, cooking, etc...

So, to anyone who reads this.... Have a great Friday.