Takin' Some Time Out for Family

When it comes down to it, family is what you rely on! You may not always like them, but you do always love them. Yesterday, my sister and I were able to get together with our cousin, Sophia, that we haven't seen in almost 10 years. Isn't she gorgeous? I think she looks more like me than my own sister, a skinnier version of course, HA! She was fabulous with the kids, showing Jackson how to take a picture of us and trusting him with her camera, I stopped a man to take a picture of us because I wouldn't hand over my camera. Tyler missed the fun because she was at school yesterday, and there was NO WAY I was missing out on that opportunity!

If I Make It Out Alive!

Yesterday, I had a panic attack. I have talked with people who have had them, it was one!

I have an irrational fear of people coming to my door, I never know who it is going to be, what it is about, etc. It could be the UPS man, and I am still fearful of people knocking on my door.

I don't know what possessed me to go to lunch today, probably to get the freak out of my house. Let's just say I am glad I did because what do I come home to?

A notice on my door from the Maricopa County Vector Control, they were here to look at the green pool that has been reported because it is breeding mosquitoes! Let's just say that I am really glad I wasn't here. What the notice does say is that someone will be back in 48 hours to see that the problem has been taken care of!

There are so many things wrong with receiving this notice today (1) we move out of this pile of crap in 3.5 days, (2) I don't have time to be dealing with the pool that we have been trying to get someone to fix for months and (3) this is not doing anything to help my fear of being in this house!

Does the MCVC Department really think I want these God forsaken bugs here, this place is DISGUSTING!? You know who probably reported the pool, my favorite neighbors-KARMA right!

"Go to Your Room!"

The house we are moving to on SUNDAY (I am not excited or anything!), doesn't have a playroom! It has one less bedroom too, so we are losing a lot of "space"-almost same size house, just arranged differently, you know how those walls and doors help hide things you don't really want seen.

Anyway, when my sister and I were younger, and we did something bad, we had to sit on a chair in the middle of our room doing nothing. I am sure it wasn't always for an hour, but towards the end, which is what I remember, it was an hour. It was TORTURE!!! I cannot stand doing NOTHING! Probably why I don't really enjoy movies. I can't just sit there and stare at the television for two hours. Don't get me wrong, I love TV, but I prefer it WITH commercials, so I can get up, do something and feel productive!

Since becoming a parent, I have heard that you are not really supposed to have your child's room associated with punishment because then they won't want to sleep there. So, for the most part, I agreed with the idea, until a little more recently. NOW, I put them in their rooms so that they don't injure one another, or so I don't hurt Tyler during one of her many crying spells :-)! Their rooms here have NOTHING in them. A bed, dresser, a few pictures, but no toys. So, it is really not a treat for them to go in there. At the new house, their rooms will hold all the toys from the playroom, and I am sure eventually more!

So my friends, it looks like it is once again time to take a page out of my parent's book and stick them on a chair in the middle of their room! LOOKING at all the toys they COULD play with if they could ONLY learn how to behave! I don't think I will be able to get away with an hour yet, but ooooh, what a great tactic!

Ten on Tuesday

1. I am disappointed with my list this week because we REALLY did not do anything exciting this past week!

2. I don't even know where Claire kept the HUGE pile of boxes she gave to Pat and I. I don't think I can express my gratitude. Seriously, there is no feel of panic because I am certain we have plenty of boxes. When we moved last time, Pat and Paul would wait for us to empty the box and go back and refill it! NIGHTMARE!

3. My mom is watching my kids this weekend while we move. When I told her that I was giving people lists of things to do for me, COSTCO, grocery store, Home Depot, etc., she proceeded to tell me that she didn't receive a list, ARE YOU KIDDING ME!? You are taking my kids, why would I give you a list CRAZY!? This is why I love her!

4. The house we are moving into has wains coating, very similar to the picture below, paint on top is a different color, but you get the idea! ANYWAY, I have nightmares about the kids taking crayons or markers to it. I know they have never done this before, but it would be my luck, REALLY!



5. My kids are obsessed with planning their birthday parties. Tyler wants her party at an ice cream place, and I was really confused how the whole crew was going to cram into a little Baskin Robbins or Cold Stone. Shannon reminded me of the SUPER cool Mary Coyle that is super cute and would be PERFECT! Apparently they have a room in the back-PERFECT!

6. On the same note, when Tyler says she wants her birthday party at an ice cream place, Jackson will tell her that she can't have a Dora cake because people will just eat ice cream, this make Tyler cry, and I end up screaming at Jackson to be quiet and Tyler to stop crying or there will be no cake! Her birthday isn't for months, and this is basically the same conversation we have on the way to school every MWF!

7. The incisions from where they went in to take my appendix out itch more and more lately!

8. We seriously have MINIMAL groceries left in this house, but I refuse to buy more and have to move them! For dinner Friday night the kids had package cream cheese and chive crackers, chocolate raisins and mandarin oranges! I don't even have a clue what they are going to eat the rest of the week! It's an adventure every time I open the pantry!

9. Tyler's bladder is smaller than mine. Jackson could hold his pee, and still does, FOR HOURS! Tyler seriously goes to the bathroom every ten minutes, and it is annoying! On a side note, the other night, she woke up at 2 in the morning, screaming to go poop in the potty! She did, then she went back to bed! I think she has the poop thing down, which I am SOOOOOOOOOOO HAPPY about, now we are working on peeing!

10. We went to IKEA with Katie, Paul and Rylee this weekend. Holding Rylee reminded me how happy I am that I am not having another child. She is at that stage where she doesn't really want to sit on your hip, so she dives forward trying to get down on the floor out of your arms, she is so determined and strong, but really happy I am not struggling with her while controlling my other monkeys! I could just hand her back to Katie, tell Tyler to stop whining for the one thousandth time, and discuss with Jackson whatever word or phrase he has decided to pick apart! Currently the phrase "mouth watering" doesn't make sense to him-he doesn't get how that would be good, it is kind of a funny picture when you think about it!

Jon and Kate Plus 8

I don't know if I have sounded off on them, but here goes! I think Kathy Griffin tweeted it best this morning on twitter, "Jon's a lazyass TOOL. Im not sayin Kate's a saint but Ive been watching this show from the start. Its always been Kate+9."

Pat and I watched the episode last night where they renewed their vows, and it really HURT my heart to watch it. It just seemed like they were going through the motions, sucking up the free Hawaiian vacation, hanging on the best they could. What can you really expect from them? My marriage changed when we had one child, they started with two. Throw two kids in the mix for Pat and I, and it is a daily struggle to survive, the bickering, nagging, whining, illness, and whatever else may come our way! I cannot even FATHOM having 8 children. The fact that they have been together as long as they have is a testament to them! I don't think I necessarily have a "side"! I think Kate is mean and speaks with a tone, but the opposite side of the coin is Jon being absolutely useless. If Kate doesn't tell him what to do, he doesn't do it. But, when she does tell him, she is mean about it. I don't think anyone is right! I do see all of the effort and work that Kate puts into the kids and the family, and I can't necessarily say I feel the same about Jon. He seems a little lost, mid-life crisis, blah! I wouldn't want to be in that house, but he made the choice to be there, so I think he needs to honor it!

In the episode last night, they flashed back to their wedding, and they were SOOOOOOOOOO YOUNG, now, they have so much responsibility, so much fame, so MUCH, and it really has just been ten years! It is really amazing how much your life can change in ten years! Pat and I met ten years ago, and I am dumbfounded by all that we have been through, and we don't have 8 kids! If we did, I wouldn't care if Pat was out messing around with some 23 year old because I can almost guarantee you, we would be DONE! I am just a little nicer than Kate with two kids, can you imagine what a PSYCHO I would be with 8!!!!!

Children's Museum

I have calmed down now! I am much better actually! Jackson and I had a FABULOUS morning at the Phoenix Children's Museum! What an absolutely PHENOMENAL place. I am a children's museum SNOB. We went to this AMAZING place in St Louis, The Magic House, and it rocked, seriously! Then, in San Antonio, there was this amazing, out of the way Children's Museum in New Braunfels, and NOW, FINALLY, there is a FANTASTIC place in Phoenix for me to take my children.

Again-if you are looking to sponsor me, I would LOVE a membership to this place! It rocked! There are three levels to the museum, each with different activities. This would be an amazing place to take the children all summer. It was so much fun! I actually went through the "Noodle Forest"! Only got a pic of Jackson though!




Doesn't it just look fun! There is this whole secret room at the end of it, where you can stick critters on this crank, and then when they reach the top, they fly off, SO MUCH FUN!

I learned a lot about Jackson by watching him today! He is the most AMAZING playmate. Trust me, I have LOTS of negative things to say about him, and you have heard many, but he truly LOVES to play. He doesn't care if people are cutting in front of him, he doesn't care if people are mean to him TIME AND TIME AGAIN, he will go back, and he will try and try until it works out. I am standing at the bottom of this car race track, and people are cutting him off, and I am FURIOUS, seriously, I am thinking about going up there and telling off these stupid 12 year olds, and he is just so thrilled they are talking to him, he makes friends with them, and they race their cars, and I just think to myself, "WOW! I could learn a lot from him and the amount of patience he has!" I HAVE NONE! Of course, the child is a puddle of tears when the 12 year olds tell him that he lost the race, but that's a story for a different day! I don't think anyone likes to lose, and I get that! (I included a really cool picture of the car race track-I think MALAKAI would LOVE LOVE LOVE it!)



PS-Maybe Rylee could marry Malakai-his name is bright red in spell check as well!

3:15

Pat's office was supposed to close at 3:00 today, it is now 3:15! The last 15 minutes have been awful. I have sat on the phone with crazy ass customer service, I have one child in each bathroom going poop, each one yelling that they need their butts wiped, and Tyler crying that, while she VERY APPARENTLY needs to go poop because she keeps requesting to do so, she doesn't need to, my very dear friend texting me while I am on the phone with the f...ing customer service person with a very important question-but of course I am on my cell phone because my home phone doesn't work, and I am just feeling completely overwhelmed-shaking for that matter!!!! FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, could Pat be on time, just once!???? It just doesn't matter to him! I wouldn't come home to this psycho house either! I know it is only fifteen minutes, BUT A LOT CAN HAPPEN IN JUST FIFTEEN MINUTES!

I hesitate to even push publish, but certainly the rest of you have had fifteen minutes of hell before. Your world can come crashing around you in just fifteen minutes!

Wash Your Mouth Out with Soap!

Does anyone else feel like their family EATS or DRINKS hand soap? I swear I just bought a stock pile of soap, and it is already gone. Where is it going!?? I haven't used it to wash any one's mouth out yet, although I feel the day is fast approaching! Just kidding, I never really felt that really taught me anything, and now a days, with all the yummy scents, it would probably taste good and my kids would beg me to do it again-just a guess, knowing my luck and all!

Random

(1) Lands End having SUPER sale, check it out, and if you want free shipping, use MEMORIALDAY as code and 2958 as pin! I want these chairs desperately, but I still think they are RIDICULOUSLY overpriced at $97, but DAMN, they are CUTE!




(2) I feel like I have been run over by a truck! I am exhausted from trying to find somewhere to live, negotiating, waiting for an answer, Jackson's strep, Jackson's last day with the most amazing teachers ever, kids being off school for the next 10 days! I don't know how much more I can handle. It is just getting to the point where you will see me on the nightly news flipping out on someone!

(3) Still love Postino! I am so thankful that I didn't go there until about two months ago because otherwise I would weigh a million and one pounds. Seriously, everytime I go, I try to tell the people I am with that the bruschetta is enough, they never believe me, we end up ordering too much, I leave stuffed! I think I may have even converted Pat to the fact that bruschetta and wine would be plenty! MMMMmmmmmmmmmm!

(4) My sister's teeth are taking over her LIFE, please vote for her if you haven't! However, Kate you should know that we will love you the same, your daughter will love you the same, your husband will love you the same, with or without the brand new teeth! I think this contest may have even taught me something about myself!

APPARENTLY ABOVE WAS VERY OFFENSIVE, so I AM CROSSING IT OFF!

(5) I could not even keep it together at school today. Cried at drop off, cried at pick up, signed Jackson out for the last time, and it was all too much for me to handle. They made all the kids sand buckets with things to do over the summer, they made them bear cookies, they are just awesome! I wish Tyler was going directly into their class because it would make the transition that much easier, but I am seriously going to go into shock without them in my life next year! They are both exactly like my mom, have kids the same age as me, and I just connected with them. Oh-my heart aches!

(6) Pat and I have been together for 10 years, that's one third of my life, isn't that crazy, and most days, I still feel like he doesn't know me at all!

(7) I am a huge fan of mushrooms, but I don't think I really like the "wild" variety, they just taste gritty and dirty! It is not that I won't eat them, I still do, I think I just prefer a more processed mushroom, HA!

(8) A mom from Jackson's class this morning stopped to comment on how photogenic he is! She was working on the scrapbook, and she just couldn't believe how good he looked in each picture. MAYBE there is something to my dream of having him become a GAP model, HA!

Think I like this style of blogging, it might just be # on _________ (insert day of week)! That's all! Off to catch up on a little DVR while my children are bribed with Munchie mix and fruit punch! This has been an emotionally draining day! I would guess I am in bed by 8PM!

Ten on Tuesday

1. I almost became the mommy that you see on the news in the pediatrician's office yesterday. It was almost as though I could see it happening before my very eyes, and I had to talk myself off the ledge. The receptionists at a doctor's office are NOT doctors, so they need to get rid of their God complex. Do they really want to stand between a mommy bird and her baby, I will eat you alive people!!??? Needless to say, I did not get a sticker after our visit yesterday since there were a lot of tears there! HA!

2. My sister, KATIE, entered the pimp your grill (teeth) contest on the Johnjay and Rich morning show. . .please go vote for her:

http://www.1047kissfm.com/pages/promo/central-dental-care/pimpmygrill.html

3. Pat and I went to Fogo de Chao on Saturday night to celebrate our anniversary! It was a great experience with lots of meat! I wouldn't say it is the most romantic of settings, but lucky for us, we are not the most romantic of couples, so it worked out perfectly! There was lots to look at, these men run around the restaurant with skewers of meat, if you want them to stop, you flip your card to the green side, if you want them to pass by, you flip your card to red. They are not shy about stopping, if it is green, you will have 5 men with meat in no time. It would make for a great bachelorette party, HA!







4. I still haven't watched the Bachelorette from last night, and I am already figuring out what I can bribe my kids with so that they will leave me alone for two hours. So far, I am at a loss. My kids can barely play by themselves for twenty minutes without needing something-which leads me to. . .

5. I have decided that being a stay at home mom is really like running a five star resort BY YOURSELF with NO STAFF! There is the housekeeping, room service, concierge, chef, laundry, etc. I feel like my kids expect me to respond to their requests as though they are the count and countess of Phoenix! WTF! I am sure if I handed them a comment card I would fail miserably!

6. I keep getting these random Qwest Reward gift cards in the mail. Last month, I got one for $75. This month, it was for $125. I know my phone line doesn't work, but do they think they are going to keep me as a customer if they keep mailing me these gift cards????? They might. I am thinking about using them for my Internet when I move, mainly because I have all the stuff already, and I haven't had many problems with the Internet portion! WE will see! I REALLY HATE QWEST, but does my love of gift cards outweigh the hatred I feel!????

7. Whatever happened to Bunnytown!??? I miss that Disney show!

8. I gave Claire a really hard time about giving up her cable last night at dinner, but I really admire her for trying it. I wouldn't even try. I can almost guarantee that if I gave up tv, I would spend more time on the Internet than I already do! OR, I would get talked into playing more Scrabble, and while generally I enjoy this game, any game where you have to wait for Patrick to take his turn is like Chinese water torture! He TAKES forever. It was better last time when we used the timer, but if you have played a game with Pat, you know what I am talking about!!!! I think I would only give up tv if I lived with Karissa, and we could play Phase 10!

9. I cannot wait to move so that I can stop inviting myself to other people's houses! There is nothing to do here, it is a packed up-dirty mess, it may be making me sick, I hate being here, so I come up with these great ideas (using up my 18 pound turkey and having a potluck), but I don't think anyone wants to come here AND I don't want anyone here, so I have to convince someone else to have it at their house! YUCK! Just 2 weeks, and I will have the house anyone can pop in at anytime. REALLY, I WILL!!!!

10. Extra prayers for my friend Kim who had a setback on her journey to beating the cancer! You can click on the link to the right or follow her story here-http://kimfightscancer.blogspot.com

I don't know if I have ever written anything about her personally, but I went to grade school with her. We spent NINE years together, and she was ALWAYS the best girl athlete in our class, well maybe it was a tie between Kim and Niccole Villa, but I digress, anyway, she was always SUPER TALL-modelesque, awesome at softball, volleyball, basketball, you name it. I remember that I would be SO EXCITED if I happened to beat one of these girls at the track and field day we would have! Anyway, her athleticism didn't stop once she left grade school, and it just confuses the hell out of me that someone so young, so in shape, and so YOUNG could be infected with such a fast moving, dangerous disease! She has such a positive attitude, so any extra prayers would be greatly appreciated!

It's Official

We should be getting served eviction papers later today! Can you believe someone bought this house? I didn't find out until late last night, and it worked out perfectly because I was out with friends, and we headed over to-literally-the closest bar (how happy am I it was rescheduled from yesterday-perfect timing), where I had way too much cheap nasty wine!

On to our next adventure!

I don't think I have ever been served anything before, so that's kind of different!

When it is all said and done, I will have to tell the story of what happened yesterday! It was quite the day! Off to find a house!

Ten on Tuesday

1. One hour from now is my VERY LAST Preschool Board meeting, and I am not excited at all! HA! I AM SOOOOOOOOOOOOO EXCITED!

2. Jackson went bowling with his teachers yesterday at school, another one of my super auction wins!! I LOVE THEM. He came in first out of the other five kids that were there, and he was very excited about his big 80 points! He looked a little green when I got there. They said he ate 5 pieces of pizza, fries, and I KID YOU NOT, one of those HUGE cookies that you see at arenas and wonder how the heck someone would eat that! DISGUSTING, but he had a blast and didn't puke, so maybe we are headed in the right direction, LOL! Hang in there Kate, he is only 4.5 years old!

3. I love party planning, the Teacher Appreciation Lunch last week was right up my alley! If anyone ever needs help, I get extreme joy out of it!

4. Tyler has pooped on the potty TWICE now. Sure I have to stalk her, and we aren't officially starting until May 23rd, but I am hoping it will be a much easier process if she already knows to poop. I have a feeling that she inherited my extremely small bladder because she is CONSTANTLY going. She will pee and 30 minutes later ask to go again! Thank God for preschool because if I didn't have to have them trained for that, we would NEVER be potty trained because I hate it so much!

5. My car battery died last week. Pat didn't have the right tools to get it out, so my grandpa came to fix it. I LOVE THAT MAN!

6. While my grandpa was here fixing it, we got on the subject of interracial relationships, and he went off about how he does not believe in them, and that he has nothing against African Americans (or any foreigner), he doesn't think they should mix in relationships! This is a foreign concept to me, and it surprised me that he feels this way because I was not raised like this, and I had no idea! I don't really care much about what other people do (interracial relationships, same sex marriage, etc)-IT IS NOT MY RELATIONSHIP, so why should I care, it amazes me that people would be bothered by what others do. I can't grasp the concept! This conversation all started because of Tiger Woods.

7. We are in another 7-10 day window for the house we have an offer in on! The BPO still hasn't been ordered.

8. We are no longer interested in waiting it out to see if we get this house. We have moved on to looking at rentals for another year.

9. The house we are in goes to auction on Thursday. Aren't you all interested in living out what happens once it forecloses. I already have a plan if someone comes to kick me out. It goes (A) grab children (B) grab wine (C) head to friend's house and get REALLY REALLY DRUNK (D) have Pat come pick the kids and I up! I am hoping they follow procedure and give us 30 days notice, but YOU NEVER KNOW THESE DAYS!

10. Jackson keeps asking me what I want to be when I grow up, I tell him a millionaire. He tells me I should be a rock star! He wants to be Batman and get the bad guys, and Tyler wants to be Dora. When Jackson asks her if she wants to save animals because that's what Dora does, she is silent, then she says, "NO, I am just going to be Dora and hang out with Boots!" I have visions of her wanting to be Dora for Halloween, and I just don't think that would be very cute!

Happy Anniversary Karissa and Josh-WE LOVE YOU!

Amazing!

I cannot express in words just how much I LOVE and ADORE my mom!

I have no patience-she has a bucket load!

I am always sick, and I have NO memory of her being sick growing up-surely she must have been at some point!

I always want to get away, I make up fake trips to go on, just so I can dream! I remember my dad taking care of us ONCE, one time the whole time growing up, my mom went away to Chicago for a wedding. My pigtails felt weird, my clothes were wrong, it just didn't feel right! I still remember standing in my parent's bathroom, and my dad seriously TRYING to do my hair, but it was just a disaster (props to him because I would have sent my children running if that acted that way!)!

Her cooking isn't fantastic by any means, but WE NEVER ATE OUT! Seriously, she cooked three meals a day, didn't make us eat cafeteria food and always had a hot dinner, including vegetables! Now that I have kids, trying to figure out what they are going to eat makes me NUTS! I am already excited that Jackson can buy his lunch next year-PRAISE JESUS!

She didn't believe in baths or showers before bed, so we would all get up in the morning, shower, do hair, eat, practice piano, etc. I can barely get the three of us out the door in the morning, let alone throw a shower into the mix!

She is more concerned about where and when we are moving, what we are doing, how we are doing, than anyone else I know.

She will drop everything she is doing to call doctors, Walmart, Pep Boys, or whatever the current crisis is, and help solve the problem.

She never says no to baby-sitting (except for the occasional overlap with Katie and Rylee Rose)!

She loves my kids more than she loves Katie and I, which I never though possible.

She is the best role model I could ever hope to have, although I think I am failing miserably because she made it look easy, and I struggle on a daily basis!



I LOVE YOU MOM!!!

Things I Could Stockpile and STILL Run Out Of!

1. Batteries
2. Diet Coke
3. Wine
4. Toilet Paper
5. Paper Towels
6. Paper Plates
7. Goldfish
8. Milk
9. Juice

My hot tip to investors out there, go with Duracell or Enegizer, they are in HIGH demand around any home of a kid!

Blame it on the. . .

a-a-a-a-a-al-co-hol!

For those of you who know my distaste for children's music, you know that my children are exposed to music that is probably totally inappropriate, but I think it is funny. For example, they can sing the entire Dead and Gone song with Justin Timberlake, even the title is not appropriate, but hey, what's a mama to do!

So, this morning, driving Jackson to school, the "Blame It (On the Alcohol)" song by Jaime Foxx comes on the radio. After listening to it, my sweet and innocent little boy says, "Alcohol starts with 'A' Mommy!" OH, please go use that as an example at your swanky new school!

Maybe when I am 30, I will start banning the radio, but for now, I think it is funny, and I am happy to know that my kids are in touch with reality! HA!

Ten on Tuesday

1. I am terrified that someone will take one of my children. They wouldn't have their special Ellie or Monkey, they wouldn't understand them, they wouldn't feed them, etc. It brings enormous amounts of tears to my eyes each and every week.

2. I have done obscene amounts of arts and crafts this week. My project yesterday was aprons for Shannon, Andrea, and I to wear at the Teacher Appreciation Lunch tomorrow. They read: We Love You, Thank You and You Rock! I think the teachers will get a kick out of them. I decorated them with hand prints and used iron ons for the words!

3. I already made Dorito Casserole for tonight's Cinco de Mayo meal. I love Cinco de Mayo, YUM!

4. I DESPISE the Arrowhead area. I don't know what it is, but there are SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO many people in that area at all times! You can't drive, eat, walk, etc without a million and one people around!

5. Tyler got some new books, her personal fave, "Nancy Fancy"! No matter how many times I say it the right way (Fancy Nancy), she says Nancy Fancy! Makes me giggle everytime!

6. I wish someone could record me one day so that I could hear how many times I say, "Go in the playroom"! I am pretty sure some kids would freaking KILL for a playroom, and I can't get mine to stay in there for more than five minutes. How do you teach children to play by themselves! As soon as I start a chore, they are all up on me, needing something, wanting something, showing me something. It is so frustrating!

7. Jackson learned compound words in school yesterday. They are doing Cowboy Theme right now, so the words were things like-jackrabbit, tumbleweed, stagecoach, rattlesnake, so on and so forth. They would mix up the words and make silly words. His current fave is jackweed, and he will put those two words together over and over!

8. Why do kids INSIST on playing with other kids that are not nice to them. There is a boy at Jackson's school that has been TERRORIZING him since the beginning of the year, and EVERY DAY when I go pick him up from school, there is a new story. I have told Jackson EVERY DAY-play with the kids who are nice to you, why do you play with this kid? Is he nice to your friends (no), then walk away and your friends will follow you because you are nice! ARGH! Pat wants to tell Jackson to punch him in the face and have me call his mom-I talked to the teachers and director about it, what would the mom do, she is not even present when it is happening. BESIDES, she is one of those parents who says no 50 times, and then finally caves, so I am sure this information would be lost on her!

9. I don't have good luck with can openers. They always get rusty, full of water, and then they don't work anymore. Sometimes, I just want to give up washing it because I know that's what causes the problem, but that is gross, so. . .I just keep buying new ones.

10. Our annoying neighbor came over to talk to Pat about all of the flies they are getting from our nasty green pool. This neighbor knows the whole situation and is aware of what is going on over here, sooooooooooo my blood started boiling when I heard this. (A) WE RENT, we are not going to fix the pool! (B) If they are bad over there, imagine them over here, and you all know I LOVE BUGS AND ALL THINGS OUTDOORS! (C) They called the landlord to talk to them about the problem, and SHOCKER, they didn't return the call. WELCOME TO THE CLUB PEOPLE! People are just so annoying to me these days, I really need an attitude adjustment!

What a Fun Weekend!

This weekend was spent doing LOTS of fun activities, and I didn't pull my camera out once, what is that all about! I know, terrible, but I will do my best to verbalize!

Friday night was the Cinco de Mayo dinner at Jackson's school. It was lots of fun, thanks to the bootlegged margarita I was gifted, AND we won two of the 8 baskets that were being raffled off. Personally, I think the baskets are overkill, there is sooooooooooooooooo much stuff in each basket, that it would be nice if we broke it up into some smaller baskets and more people went home with prizes. I was in charge of the Basket for Jackson's room. It was a baking theme, and there was enough stuff in there to bake for the entire summer. Some REALLY cute stuff, but really four people could have gone home with a REALLY nice basket!

Saturday, we worked on some projects for my grandma's 80th birthday. We wrote 80 Reasons We LOVE her, and we made a photo collage. Then, we headed to Olive Garden for her birthday dinner, really nice of her to choose such a kid friendly place. We were there for two and a half hours, and I didn't even notice, the kids were sooooooooooo good!

Today, we were at Trader Joe's right when they opened. The kids love going there and pushing their own carts, and it was pretty dead at 8 on a Sunday morning. Then, we worked on our projects for Teacher Appreciation week, and finally, Jackson went to get his hair cut. I think he weighs FIVE pounds less!!!