super stumper

The 22nd and 24th President of the United States had the same parents but wasn't the brother of a President.

How could this be?

one reason that I don't blog often

One reason that I do not blog often is because I can't upload pictures 90% of the time!

It makes me say dirty words and I have to move on with the rest of my day. I don't have time to sit and try 100 times to get it to work.

Maybe I am not holding my tongue right.

fried legs, back and shoulders

GBK and I went with a group to a water park yesterday. We had so much fun. It was the best time we have had in a long long time. Just a lazy day filled with water fun, no duties other than the routine stuff like eating and potty breaks.

The only bad thing that happened was I got sunburned. I told my friend- now, you are gonna have to tell me when I start turning the slightest shade of pink, that means that I am sunburned and have to go in! Because it sneaks up on me and once I am pink, it is too late.

Hours later, she said, yep you are sunburned.

Yikes.

And I wasn't even in the water the whole time!

GBK fell asleep in my lap on the Lazy River. So I tucked her in my towel and walked her across the park to a lazy chair, carrying her like a little dead body over my shoulder, with just her water shoes poking out of the bottom. I am sure people were staring. Maybe they were staring at my pink shoulders. Or at my fat thighs rubbing together as I walked. No telling. But I put her on her chair and tried to read my book (Jewel).

It was really hard to read because as I was getting settled a girl from another group came over and started going through my bag! I said- honey, that is mine. She apologized. I watched her. She starts going through my other bag! I said That is mine too! She apologized. She moved on to the next table. Started going through my friend's bag! I scolded her again. She tried to go through at least 6 bags before she finally found her bag and what she was needing. Her excuse? They had their stuff scattered all over our tables. Our reserved tables! Then the rest of her group showed up and started sitting on our tables and lounging on my drying shorts! I am thinking, what is wrong with these people?! And they kept knocking into GBK's chair nearly waking her. I was on pins and needles the whole time they were there. A sigh of relief escaped my lips as they left, secretly wishing for a cold adult beverage.

Anyways, the point of the story is- we had a blast.
She had the best time on the slides and threw her arms up in the air and yelled WHEEEE!!!

I am in so much trouble. When she is 12 she will think roller coasters and water parks are boring. Ready to move on to something more adventurous. Bungee jumping. Parachuting. Drugs. God help us all. I hope not.

home sweet home

I feel like I have been gone 2 months.

I am finally home. I have 100 things to do and my schedule is crazy.

I really need to schedule my time better.

I have so many projects and things to get worked out... I feel that I am running in circles.

At least I came home and the old freezers were off the porch and disposed of properly. I hope. They are out of sight anyway.

looking back...

This is random...

I was chatting via email the other day with a friend of mine... we had not visited in close to 12 years. It was good to touch base and get caught up. That gives me a feeling of accomplishment. Because I sit and think on all of the things that I have done in the past X number of years. It reminds me that I am healthy, wealthy and happy. It reminds me of all of the small miracles that had to happen to get me to this point in life. There were a lot of small miracles, folks.

I counted:

I have moved 15 times since I last spoke with this particular friend.
I have had at least 7 different jobs.
I am 50 lbs heavier.
And lost 50 lbs, only not at one time. You know- you lose 5, gain 5, lose 10, gain 20.
I have been married twice. Didn't know that? There is not much to discuss here re:#1. Just know that it was ugly.
I have been told that I could not get pregnant due to a medical condition.
I have been told that if by some miracle I got pregnant, I would not be able to carry full term.
I got married.
I have purchased a home.
I moved 2 states away purely on faith.
I have been pregnant.
I carried her full term and had no complications.
I have traveled all over the country including 3 foreign countries.
I have had at least 10 pet dogs and 6 pet cats. 3 dogs and 3 cats are still with us.
I have posted on this blog 62 times.

These may all seem like normal every-day occurrences to you. But to me, they are small miracles. Each item has a story behind it. Have you encountered any miracles this week?

Look around. Take notice. Have a miracle that you want to share?

Question #1

Q:
Is the press room bigger or smaller than you thought it would be? I always imagine things grand and then am shocked at how "real" and small they are. Well not all things, but you know.

A:
It is so much smaller than I imagined it would be! It is a tight fit. Maybe 15 x 30 feet? Hard to say. Hard to imagine all of those people squeezing in there to do a live report.

One cool thing that I learned... Franklin Roosevelt expanded the West Wing and relocated the Oval Office to the southeast corner in 1934. He also built a swimming pool, which was converted into this Press Briefing Room during the Nixon Administration.

So we were standing above the old swimming pool!


Your comment reminded me of when I was in 1st/2nd grade. I thought that my school was huge! The hallways were massive. And then a few years later, I went to visit and was confused- when had they remodeled the school? Why were the hallways so skinny? How did two people walk past each other without touching? And the classrooms were tiny- how did they fit 30 kids in that one room? I will never forget that weird feeling- like I was a giant in a midget's world.

Can I take any questions?

Yes, I had the opportunity to go to DC this summer and visit the Oval Office, Rose Garden and Press Room.

President Bush was out of town that day so we were able to walk through on a private tour and see some things that most people don't get the chance to do. So exciting!

I thought that I would take this time to allow questions. I will give you 7 days to ask anything that you want. I promise to try to answer but reserve the right to tell you to go to hell if I don't like the questions.

OK. Fire away.

I am gonna tell a really funny but embarrassing story on myself.

Last week, the Schwan's man came to our house to take our food order. It had been a month or so since I had seen him due to vacation time. So we were getting caught up, he was showing me a new catalog and I was giving him my order when I realized GBK was in the other room playing quietly. That should have been my first clue.

A few minutes later she came in with a handful of clean clothes that she had pulled off of the sofa in the den. She threw her clean clothes on the floor leaving her with only one single pair of panties. They did not belong to her.

She held them up for the Schwan's man and scolded him. As she peered at him like a schoolteacher looking down her rimmed glasses, chin nearly touching her chest, saying, "These are Mama's right? No touch. Mama's. OK? No touch. OK?"

It was at that point that I looked up and felt the heat and redness in my cheeks. I said- no GBK, those *aren't* Mama's but we don't show off other people's things, OK? now go put those back.

She didn't know what to do. She just stood there. Holding those Granny panties as stretched out as she could, using both hands, exaggerating the largeness of it all. I was mortified. Humiliated. So embarrassed.

To make matters worse, not only was the Schwan's man there that day, but he also brought along another worker. Another rep or his manager or someone... I never understood who he was really. So I was doubly mortified.

The other guy said- Kids sure can embarrass us huh?

I thought- man, that is an understatement.

I am sure that they laughed about that and told that story a hundred times to friends, family and neighbors.

Natchez Nachos

I had so much fun with GBK and her godmother this week in Natchez! I ate great nachos and boudin at Fat Mama's Tamales. And some incredible BBQ at Pig Out Inn. ALl of the people wer nice and the food was awesome. I am ready to go back with RD for a visit.

We did too many fun things to list here. It was the best short vacation ever.

I visited with BellaBelly while there and we visited a cute little children's store... with things too expensive to purchase. I wouldn't have felt right about it.

While in there, I blurted out an admission of a fear that I haven't really talked about much. And a huge wave of heat swept over me. Y'all, I started sweating and a minor panic attack came over me.

What is the phobia you ask? Monograms. I just can not bring myself to monogram anything for GBK. What if I want to use the item again for child number 2? Or 3? Or 4? Or 5? I am not remonogramming it 4 times. And why waste the money to only get to use that super cute, expensive thing for only one child? I can't bring myself to do it.

Also, what if I have it monogrammed and then something *happens* to her? I would fall to pieces. I would never ever be able to get rid of it.

My emotions as I write this are keeping me from even being able to explain myself. I am blubbering these words out.

But seriously, what do you do with an article of clothing once it is monogrammed? You can't give it away, you can't sell it, what do you do? Keep it? Throw it away?

This is really puzzling me.
GBK does have one little diaper bag that I use a lot that has her name on it. Yep, it says Green Bean Kid. No, kidding. It has her name. It is the only thing (that I know of) that has her name on it. I love it. But I will keep it forever, not knowing how to let it pass away. And it is from a good friend that I think of everyone time I see it/use it.

Baby Boom

Seems like all of my friends have had babies this past year. Or they are pregnant now.

Somedays I am jealous- wishing I had a second.

Other days I am thankful that I get to spend so much time with GBK. And not be distracted by a second. She is still doing so many new things and keeps me laughing- and yelling at times- and I am afraid I would miss something- either with the new one or with GBK.

I finally understand what parents mean when they say- I just don't know if I have enough love for another one.

It is because we are so devoted and absorbed with number one that we are afraid that we would not spend enough time with the second.

Somedays I think that I don't want a second until GBk is at least 18. Haha I know that is irrational.
Other days I wish that I had 10- to feel the energy and excitement of a big family.

But never do I wish that I had none- even on her bad days I love her.