Somebody's watching me....

Picture the scene..Bill left early for work, I am sleeping alone at our house. I had just had a really bad dream (happens a lot!) and then the house alarm alerted for a brief minute then turned back green. FREAK OUT!!! I jump up and call Bill who was working and told him that it alerted upstairs then turned back green. He said well it could have been like where the rain caused the sensor to lose contact and once the contact was reattached it would be fine. I said like if someone came in the window and then closed it!

Now here is where I was expecting him to say oh don't worry no one is in the house. Or you are being silly or something but no he said, " go ask Donna or Rhonda to come check it out or you can go get the gun and look around yourself!!!!!!

WHAT!?! What the heck? Why say that? Was there a need for making me panic! I just needed someone to say oh no problem, not go check it out with a GUN!!!

So then I really freaked out....
I picked up my little dog Scooter and walked outside to get Rhonda, and her lights were all out her hubby wasn't home yet and so I was out of luck there.

On a side note Scooter went nuts out side and ran up to Rhonda's door. He loves her almost as much as me so he was thinking he could go play. All this time I am on the phone with Bill and he kept says Why did you bring the dog!
To which I say because I didn't want something to happen to him either!

I am sure to the outsiders I looked like a freak in my pjs out front going back and forth between Donna's and Rhonda's house following the dog and talking to Bill on the phone.

Thankfully Donna's husband Ken came and checked it out for me. Walked all of the upstairs and didn't' see anything. He had with him a trusty belt which he kept snapping. That made me laugh! Anyway he leaves and then I think he didn't look downstairs...what if when I was outside the intruder walked down stairs and is now in one of the closets!

See how easily I can freak myself out! Have you ever been freaked out in the house and then you start to hear weird noises???

Then I think well if I go outside then maybe come back in it might feel like every other time I come home to a empty house. I get in the car and that makes a weird beep so is someone now in my car! I look in the back seat (nope) and I go get donuts (any excuse right...) all the while looking in my rear view mirror for someone to jump up! I come back but it didn't really work.

That leads me to now, where I am just down to listing why there is not an intruder in my house/ waiting for me.

Number 1: It is raining... can't rightly steal things in the rain might ruin all of it.
Number 2: Wouldn't there have been a weird car or something outside.
Number 3: The dog would have barked or something.
Number 4: When I drove away then the person would have time to get out!
and finally Number 5: It has been too long now and so it must be okay :)

PS. I don't watch scary movies as you can see from above I don't really need much to get me all scared and frazzled! If you find fault with any of my reasons please don't tell me as I will get freaked out again and who wants that!

XOXO
CC

Two short stories...

One is from my sister Michele, She came into work and noticed that her yellow flower had now turned purple. WOW... it was a miracle. I mean come on that seems to be very very cool... She asks the cleaning lady How that could possible happen and wasn't that cool??? Wasn't that neat! She was so excited! The cleaning lady said well, yes it is quite common when I change the whole plant. The other one was dead.... Seriously you couldn't tell that it was dead???


Two.... we were at at the Toy Story 3 and in case you haven't seen it I won't give away the plot. Anyway at one point in the movie the gang pushes Buzz to reset him and he starts to speak in Spanish. They put subtitles down and I was asking Vic who was sitting next to me eating Twizzlers non stop, if she could read them fast enough. Nope but she told me not to worry she knows a little Mexican. I whisper, "No, Vic it is Spanish. Vic responds (never looking away from the screen), "I think it is Mexican. " I whisper again, "it is CALLED Spanish" Vic responds, "Hmm... sounds like Mexican to me"

I give up... We discussed it later but really.... really

CC

Family Videos

So I have tried OVER and OVER to get this loaded up on YouTube but something is wonky with it. They are now going to be here and I will update periodically. Thanks to Maria Amaya for turning me on to Animoto! I Love love love it! Hope you do too!

Here is the one for Dad! Yes that is me as a little girl! :)

How early can someone develope a shoe obsession???

We went shoe shopping today. I was going to get a purse then Victoria decided that she HAD to have these shoes. Well they had my size there too (I know I am a freak with a super small foot!) I bought 4 pairs of shoes

that were super cute!

Any way Vic declared that she must have THESES... to wear to church of course....

These red ones are for school....

Really she is going to be trouble when her foot gets bigger!!!

CC

That will be all now, thank you....

Hi Friends....

Summer is here and we are out of school! I am sooooper excited! The girls (Meagan, Vic, Val), Me, and Bill went to a celebratory dinner at the french restaurant. Vic declared it her FAVORITE restaurant even though she didn't eat ANY french food! We know the owner and he came over and offered to make a pasta with red sauce and chicken (not very french) Vic ate it like she hadn't eaten in a week.

Vallerie asked if it was a fancy restaurant that served snacks first! SNACKS... I said yes they will bring bread :)

After Vallerie's snacks she didn't eat much of her pasta so then here comes the owner back to check up on us and asks if he can clear Vallerie's plate. She said... Ah yes, and holds up her hand as if she is Madonna and says, oh but I need it in a box please and turns back to her coloring totally dismissing the owner!

He turns to us and says in a very french accent, She wants it in a box! We all laughed! SOOOO cute!


XOXO
CC

I just love his little face

My dear friends I alluded to the episode involving Victoria and Scooter so I thought I would write it all out for you.

This was about a year ago and we were having a small problem with Vallerie dropping things. Including M&Ms and a whole host of things that could do Scooter in!

I was in the other room and both girls asked if they could shake Mr. M's hand. (This is a large red M&M that Jean gave the girls that when you pull its hand lever it dispenses a few M&Ms. )

All is fine and then comes... the scream. There is always a scream...I mean really why is there always a scream. Could it be girls?

Anyway, the scream and then in runs Victoria, " Vallerie fed an M&M to Scooter!"
Vallerie, "No he didn't eat it"
Vic, "Yes he did"
Vallerie, "No he just licked it..."

Really... I have to decided how much chocolate is enough to kill the dog.

I ask Vallerie again, "Really if you gave it to him I need to know because he could die"

Well.... you would NOT believe the drama when that little bombshell landed in Vic's head.

Vic: HE IS GOING TO DIE! Vallerie has killed Scooter.
The tears were more than I could even describe... she dissolved into a puddle on the floor.

Let me briefly pause to fill you in on Scooter's actual state. He looks fine. REALLY fine. Walking around, drinking water, nothing too big. Totally NORMAL!!!

I am beginning to think he is fine, but then I had a bigger problem and her name is Vic.

She is crying, and has in her head the whole picture of Scooter's death in the morning. You and Bill are going to wake up in the morning and he is going to be dead... dead....
I just love his little face....
She goes on to say, I can't believe he is going to die. I just love his cute little face. I won't be able to see his cute little face. I love his face. Over and Over!

On and on. What is it with the girls and the drama.

Long story short.... he was fine, he is still fine... no need to worry about the face!

CC

It fell out the window!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My poor girls! The air conditioner upstairs is broken! It is super hot up there and no where for them to sleep down here! So Bill suggested a small window unit. Okay you all know Vallerie is super destructive... I had visions of that thing falling all the way down even before we left Lowes!

Bill and Vallerie had the privilege of installing it. The word "install" is used here VERY loosely. Basically they secured it with the window sill. Seriously rigged here as it is not permanent just until they come to fix the main one. The window unit and two Styrofoam things to block the side openings. Bill did need one tool so he send Vallerie down to get a "fullups" screwdriver. Bill had her made repeat it to him 3 times and she still said it like that. (Made me laugh)

All installed and we were ready for bed... I had the girls come down and talked about touching the air conditioner. Really DON'T touch it. I told them if they touched it then it would fall out of the window and could "kill the dog" I play that card ever since Vallerie fed M&Ms to Scooter. (different and TOTALLY hysterical story) any way where was I.

Oh so I also told them both, that if one sister touched it then the other one needs to YELL "She is touching it!" They love that...
Off to bed they went. Bill and I were watching Big Ban Theory for about ten minutes when we here the scream!

Victoria screams... then runs down and yells (arms flailing) to us. "IT FELL, IT FELL, No one touched it, we were in bed, it just FELL."

I said, "OUT THE WINDOW!!!" OMG!!! OMG!!!
Vic said, "Come quick!!!"

Now you can all imagine the Bill's face. Bill stomps up the stairs mumbling "you know she touched it!"
Vic yelled "NO, no one touched it we were in bed."

Bill said to me, "you know that can't fall unless someone touches it."

Bill swings the door open and we see.... the air conditioner in place. HUH!

Vic yells, "SEEEE there it is, the air conditioner FELL!"

Bill pick up the piece of Styrofoam and says "this?"

Vic "YESS, we didn't touch it"
I said," That is NOT the air conditioner this is (and touched it)"

She thought she was going to be in trouble! She was frantic!
Funny now... not funny then.

CC

Jazzfest.....or as I like to call it, Why I sat in the rain for 6 hours

Yes, folks I pretend that I was an outside girl this weekend. Bill and I went to Jazzfest. In case you are not familiar with this event it is an outdoor festival of music, 5 tents, all types of music. It really was fun I just don't like the rain. We went with Duane and Donna Brown, Bill's cousin not married couple! They were fun! Duane is hysterical! The stories about Bill were fantastic and I am always ready to be the butt of any joke so we had a good time all around.

Saturday night we saw Pearl Jam (not Bill's kind of thing) who were REALLY good the crowd was crazy! TONS of people Bill made friends with a woman and her "partner" and right above his seat they were getting overly friendly with each other. It was way too much PDA!!! Right on top of Bill's hat! I found this too funny but Bill just ducked!

I learned that there are some really cool musicians I have never hear of and the age difference between Bill and I is very evident in the music we listen to! My new favorite is Irma Thomas she is contemporaries to Aretha Franklin and Diona Warwick or so my iphone says. I wikipedia her! She was really good even in the rain.

Sunday...Ahhh the rain... the rain... I had a poncho or as Bill called it my rain condom. I put it on right when we got there. Really people I am not into outdoor stuff. I don't want to camp, I don't want to get dirty really but I came for this I just didn't want the rain. At first it wasn't so bad, just light sprinkle. However it got harder and harder. It was like just when I dried off it would begin to rain again. I kept taking my poncho off and then it would immediately start raining again! Off and on off and on... one time I put it on inside out and then I was all wet again! My shorts were wet, my shoes, all of it!

Duane gave me some good advice, just go with it. Just go with it. I need to make that my mantra in life I think because when I finally just let it go I really got into the music. I was even dancing, REALLY... (I don't dance) I told Bill I guess I just have to be standing in a puddle of water in the rain to be able to dance! We saw Van Morrison but my favorite was Irma Thomas I am going to get some of her stuff on itunes!

On a side note, we came back to the hotel to get cleaned up for dinner, Duane decided not to go so I put on my pretty clothes and we were going out for dinner. It was pouring! so we needed a cab! They call but say it will be a while, well about 5 mins later this cab shows up with some other people so we jump into it. We get in and make the small talk with the driver. You know what we lacked in Paris! Bill was all chatty!

He asked how are you all tonight and I said... Better than sitting in the rain at Jazzfest. He said on you went to Jazzfest? Who did you see. I was on my Irma trip so I said.. Oh we saw Irma Thomas! She was my favorite, on and on. He turns around and says, Anyone look familiar?

Bill said, "Hey you are the drummer! I recognize you!" He said right, I am "Choo" and that he would tell Irma that I was her favorite that it would make her day.

Yes people he was! He pulled up his musician tag and said he was out tonight because taxi's were like gold because of the rain and that he was driving for a while before meeting up with them at the place they were playing at.


Fuuny right!

So my friends, just go with it. I am going to get that printed on a shirt!

CC

Quickie... get your mind out of the gutter!

This is a quick Vallerie story.... Michele was watching the girls so we could go to Will's final swim banquet and retold this story to me.

Vic and Gracie (Michele's daughter) were playing and normally they play nicely but this time they must have been really bossy to Vallerie. She came down stairs and said to Michele that they girls are bossing her around and Michele was trying to counsel her to tell them not to boss her around. Vallerie had a better idea.... "I can't wait until I grow up and they will be little girls and then I can boss them!"

Michele I may need a little help to get the words exact!

And now a word from our sponsers

I have been sick! I don't know what I have but I no longer have a voice.

I sent Vic off to spend the night with Jean because Really I can't fuss at them with no voice.

Vallerie stayed with me. The next day I was taking a bath and here comes Vallerie. There is no thing as privacy in my house. I can't tell you the last time I went to the bathroom alone.

Anyway here comes Vallerie waltzing in naked. I said what are you doing.

Val: I am going to take a bath with you.

Me: No you are not... you are too old for that

Val: Fine I will watch you.

Me: No, put your clothes on and you can watch TV on my big bed.
She comes in with just the panties and watches me begin to shave my legs

Val: You know I saw this on TV.
Me: What exactly did you see on TV? (always better to ask before I freak out....)
Val: Well you do that thing on your legs so that you can be closer to people
Don't you want to be closer to people? Sometimes you are not too close to Bill?

Well if you do that often, then you will be closer to him. You do love him right and want to be closer so that is what you have to do then.

And then she just waltz out. Like a little product placement in the middle of my life. Similar to Biggest Looser just without the music!

CC

She stole my wish!

Picture the scene:

Bill leaves early for work. I am actually on time with everyone getting ready. We are five minutes from walking out the door. I tell Vallerie to was her face and hands while I am getting Victoria to brush her hair.

Vallerie runs over with a eyelash with joy and admiration in her eyes. She has a wish and she owns something in this little life. She extends her hand in almost slow motion.

Victoria see this beloved wish and snatches it ninja est right off the tip of her finger! Made a wish and then promptly dropped the eyelash.

This sets in motion a 15 mins old fashion crying jag! Vic was under the impression you have a game with this eyelash to see who really owns it. I say if something falls off your own body you can keep it!

Vallerie cried through putting her shoes, sweater, brushing hair... on and on. I tried to get another eye lash from MY own eye but no luck. On and on ... she stole my wish, she stole my wish. I had enough!

Victoria pipes in... well you can have your wish back because mind didn't come true! My wish was for you to not cry anymore!

Well that just set it off again!!! finally she calmed somewhat and I said... wish on that star (we were in the car 20min later, already dropped Vic off at day care..BTW LATE for work!). She said...I don't see a star, Fine! WISH on the MOON!!!!

Final words from Vallerie...But I don't know what to wish for...

I give up!

Paris part one...or like I like to call Why I shouldn't travel alone.

So my dear friends have been clamoring for updated blogs so here goes. This will take a few entries but I will start out with this short one.

Let's just get this out of the way.... I didn't pee on the plane going over. I was asleep most of the time thanks to a bottle of sparkling wine (baby size bottle don't get nervous mom). I was sitting next to this boy about the age of Will but not nice. He was all arms and legs. He leaned over onto my side of the chair and was actually touching me with his elbow for a long time and couldn't figure out why I kept moving away! YUCK!

So I go out to get the luggage (last one off the belt) and had a slight panic attack. My mind was flashing back to Greece!

I think I have an accent...I said ATM to the police man by the track. He said a what? CASH I said again OHHH and points me to a cash bank. The ticket person said I had plenty of time to get my cash as I had just missed the last train because I was trying to figure out the ticket machine. I go find the machine, get the cash and race back to the platform. The train is pulling up. What is their definition of "plenty"

I guess I have never been alone on a train platform before because standing here looking at the huge hole that the train goes in makes me think about those scary videos of people falling in! I can't even think I could jump back up if I fell in. I am too little!

Then I get on the train which is an express. There are like 3 people on the train so I sit far away (don't want to get abducted!) and read my book. I am not listening to the calls but I figure I will know when we get to Paddington station. We come to a station and the 3 people get off. I am thinking that well nothing here says Paddington so I will keep reading my book. About 5 minutes later the steward came by and asked me if there was a problem. I said no..no just waiting on Paddington... he said, this is Paddington. He says don't worry it happens all the time! Yea right! I hop up and run out the door. Crap I forgot my luggage! I had to run back in to get it!

So I am now just looking for a taxi to take me to the hotel. I saw a small sign pointing one direction so I try to follow it. I am looking up and around over and over to try to find another sign. I was like, where do I go, what the heck I can't find it. Craning my head around, I thought oh I must look just like a tourist. I look back down at my bag and notice on the floor of the station and see a huge line sort of like follow the yellow brick road that says TAXI written about every foot from the train to the taxi stand. DUH!

Now the taxi, I am super stressed by now and hoping to make it to the correct hotel! So I get into the taxi by now about an hour and a half after landing I am starting to get a little jet lag. Super stressed and now I need to pay the cabbie. He said the amount and then I gave him ten pounds. He gave me the change back but seriously I have no clue how to count the money. I have used pounds before but it was like I couldn't count any more. I just said keep the change. It was WAY too much but hell it looked like all the coins and I couldn't figure out which one was the 2 pound!

I go in take a bath, change the clothes etc and head out to eat SCONES! YUM! then off to the British museum. I need to see the Parthenon (Elgin as they call them) marbles. The ones that were stolen from the Greeks. Don't get me started!

I get into another cab and go all the way over there. It was like nine pounds and something and I try to again work the money! I can't even subtract to give the guy a tip. He says we are here and I look to the left. I said where??? He said there to the right. I look left again, he said.. THERE it is a little hard to miss! And he is right, it looks like the Parthenon HUGE I said oh crap! Sorry... then I try to work the money, he just looked at me and said, that is okay just get out of my car. Very pleasant but just get out none the less!

By this time I was getting worked up about the money issue. I needed to check my coat and to my surprise when I walked away the guy gave me the wrong change back. AHHhhhh I called Bill almost in tears. I can't work the MONEY. I am not stupid...he says that I am just tired.

YAWN.. this was just the beginning of my trip! Can you believe there is more!

CC

PARIS and other funny things..

So yes people I am going to PARIS! I can hardly contain my self. I mean really Bill and I in the city of lights! I am so keyed up I might pop before I get there! My sister has wanted to go there since I was about 9 years old and only wish I could wrap her up and put her in my pocket!


It should be said that I am not a good flier. Especially by myself!!! I have a few ritual I like to go through. I like to look at the kids pictures and say a little prayer then hold on for dear life. Even little bumps make me NUTS! (see how wound up I am... count the exclamation marks!). I also don't like to use the bathroom on board. I know it is like a ten hour flight but I am afraid that I might get sucked out! I know it is irrational but still I try to run like hell out of that bathroom as quickly as I can, which leads to really weird looks.

Oh the best part is that I am going to EAT! Butter, croissants, fois gras anything and everything! I am not even thinking about points!

Speaking of that I have lost 3.6 pounds. I am hoping not to gain too much of it back as hope to do a lot of walking around there. Eiffel tower here I come!


We have had some events recently which is why I haven't written.

Our dear Jean took a tumble from her front steps and dislocated her heel. This is VERY hard to do and I will of course upload pictures and the FULL details. Word to the wise you don't want to see the picture!

Also, Kelly, exs new wife, (we like her better than him!) had the girls new baby sister. Malia The girls are over the top! I mean really excited. Vallerie is talking about her all the time. Victoria wants to bring her here with her so that she can live in Vic's pink room. Last night she was wired much like her mother now.... and we talked for a while on my bed. Victoria said Oh mom I love this girl bonding. Where does she get that!

So cute!

Funny story about Malia's middle name, it is Meoko it means beautiful child. I have no clue if that is how you spell it but here is Vallerie's pronunciation:

MEKOTO
Me-Ka latte
Me ca ca ( as in poop)
Mocha latte
Moo Ka Ka
Mekono
Me koo koo

I even think I heard Yoko Ono....

I was about to pee my pants! REALLY funny! She is so cute! Then my mom asked what does that mean Val,
Now Val looks at my mother like she has just asked her the stupidest question in the world and said.

"Baby middle name!"

Au revoir!

CC

Weight Watchers

So....this week I started weight watchers.

I know some of you may think Why... you look fine... (yea right!) but the real reason is that I refuse to buy the next size jean up! As it stands now, my pants are so tight if I sneeze the wrong way my button could fly off and kill someone! Cheryl is doing it with me. I hear the groan people, she says she needs to lose like "5 lbs". I want to kick her when she says this.

I am an angry dieter. Ask Bill... I don't like to be hungry. I like food.

I get 22 points a day. With an extra 35 for the week. Cheryl and I talk points. All day, count points, figure points, plan points. People come into our office and wonder what the heck we are talking about.
I am now consumed with points. Some times we tell them where we are with our point count. Sometimes how many points certain things are. 3 jolly ranchers 1 point!

Cheryl is my will power on this diet! She looks at me and says, Candase, you do not need to eat that!

For example, here is the text from my meeting on Tuesday
Me: Ahhh they have koloches. they are totally f-ing up my weight watchers. I am not eating I am not eating.
Cheryl: You are not eating!


I wanted a biscuit and she said, that is too many points! We will have cereal. (4 points)
I wanted baked chicken, mashed potatoes and roll! She said, Candase you brought salad (5 points) for us. (note to self, The salad was not filling!)
I wanted Chinese food today. She didn't even say anything, just gave me the look. Lean Cusine Pizza (7 points)

See she saved me like thousands of calories! I have to lose weight this week! I just have to! Otherwise I am having a burger and fries! (15 points)!

CC

We have 8 followers! and a word about the farm

YEA 8 followers! I am so excited! Thanks for tuning in... Today is going to be short because work is seriously exhausting (not going into it on here !)

Today was Valley's first field trip! I should have gone but work got in the way. No problem she really didn't want me to go anyway. She didn't even ask me to go... Nice right!!

On our way to school she was talking about it and I asked her were she was going, she didn't know. Lunch which "the lunch ladies would put into little bags". Then talk turned to the bus. Now for all of you who have never had a Pre k daughter. The bus was really the big deal. Who cares about the dang farm it was the BUS!

I talked about the bus, getting on the bus etc. She has some bus experience. She has seen her sister get on the bus the first day of Kindergarten. She couldn't wait for the bus. Some would say... obsessed with the bus. Is that weird????

Any way, she was talking about getting on the bus and who she would like to sit with (her preference would be Ryan (Not Diego). She was talking about how big she is and she is almost a big girl. Almost like Vic. Almost like Meagan (20). Then she thinks for a minute... and says... IT is like I am in kindergarten.

She sat in the back with a huge grin for the rest of the car ride.

CC

A few of my favorite things this week

1. Orange and Cranberry scones with clotted creme. Bill found these at central market (yes THE CENTRAL MARKET) and I am in HEAVEN!
2. Keith getting moved to a room in the hospital from ICU.
3. Getting a good night's sleep. (I can hold out hope right)
4. Beth cracking me up! Beth works with me and she is a curious mix of rage against the machine, shear passion, and a huge heart! She cracks me up on a daily basis.
5.Fizz Quiz in the lab this week. KIDS love it! The get to mix the chemicals together and the whole thing bubbles up and pops the bag. Best day in 5th grade.
6. Cheryl letting me "move in" to her office. She didn't really get a choice. I brought my own picture frame and everything!
7. Bill figuring out the itouch! Funny
8.Vallerie telling me that she is trying REALLY hard to be good. She has the cutest face
9. My Brazilian blow out! HOW could I forget! It took forever and as of now I don't know if it worked but this weekend I will know for sure. You all are wondering what the heck would that be... Dan(Cheryl's hubby) asked her "What is she getting done to her hoo hoo." NOOOOooo it is a hair (on my head)treatment that is supposed to make my hair straight! I will write about it next week and tell you the whole story. My hair guy Robert was a trip!
and finally
10. Friday is on its way. The kids will be gone to their dad's. Will was here last week so Bill and I will have the weekend alone. *GASP* alone!!! What will we do?!?

CC

Things my friends say and do that make me smile...

1. "You can't fix stupid!"-Michele G
Love this! Makes me smile when ever I hear it. It is true and you can't argue with it!


2. "Your family"... Jean and Phil
Sums up my friendship with these two wonderful people. I can't believe I was so lucky to meet them at a critical time in my life. They molded me out of mush!


3. Do I need to send Guido?-Dad
My dad wants to send in "Guido" whenever something is going wrong in my life. I guess this "Guido" will put the muscle to the "man". Haven't called any favors in yet but one of these days maybe...Nice Daddy!


4. Brazilian blowout: I can't do my hair! I hate my hair! I am like flatiron retarded. I can't make it work on my hair. Bill calls it store bought hair, from the color to the texture! I told all the girls that I was going to get the Brazilian blowout because I was so excited. It is promised to straightened right out of the shower! Too good to be true but what the heck! It was the topic of conversation for many weeks! Well to my surprise and great delight...It works. I just blew dry my hair and YEA! Straight...straight... STRAIGHT!


5. My sister calls me Sis. No not my job! My beloved grandmother (Pearl) called her sister (my Aunt Ruby) every time they spoke. Phone call went like this. "Hey sis it is sis Call me back" I have these weekly on my phone and it makes me smile each time. Maybe I should call her back!


6. Vic and Val. I know they are SUPER exhausting... but they make me smile. At the very least when they finally go to sleep. :)


7. Meagan and Will. I will miss Will's retorts next year when he goes to college. Meagan is always fun to talk with. This Christmas when we took the road trip is one of my favorite memories.



8. Monthly Girls night! I love the gang getting together and laughing out loud! We are a LOUD bunch...



9. Date night with MyBill. Really I love just the ease at which we can hang out over dinner. This is one of our favorite past times (which is why I am so fat!) We love good food (fois gras, yum o!) and wine. My favorite times with Bill are over a glass of wine just talking about everything that happened in the week. He is at ease and totally focus on us. (enough of the mushy stuff!)



and Finally

10. My mother can't cook. This is no surprise I put this in my blog earlier. There are MANY examples of this but I will be short. She gets distracted trying to do too many things and then forgets something is cooking... for example burning a pot of boiling water! The funny part is that I just got a text from my sister that said," Call me when you get up I have to tell you about the cake Mom made!" I haven't even heard the story and it has got to be hysterical.



CC

Oh My GOD! Lassie's dead

The text I got today started with: Vic has had an emotional collapse.

The rest will be apparent after the story so I will print it at the end.

Since Bill didn't want to watch anymore cartoons this morning after Victoria and he practiced her spelling, he decided to find a movie. He was in luck Lassie the updated movie was on. Here Bill thought he was in the clear, no cussing, no sexual scenes. Good Classic Fun right.?.?

He goes to play the piano (usual for most mornings) and when he comes into the living room later he finds Victoria sitting on the couch in the midst of a full blown crying jag.

She is crying uncontrollably. He looks at here and says What happened!?!
She says over and over, "it is just so sad, it is just so sad" Wiping her tear covered face on her barbie blanket.

He looks at the TV and realized that a)Lassie is now limping out of the river with a cut paw and b) he didn't tell Vic that never Lassie "dies" and in the end always ends up okay.

So he says, "IT is okay. Lassie is okay! Lassie is ALWAYS okay! That is the way they all are Lassie gets hurt, runs up to Timmy and he hugs her then gives her a bath!"

Of course upon looking further at the movie he realizes that Lassie is not limping up to Timmy until the next day when he is at school revealing the fact that the Lassie has had some time to be fully and convincingly "dead" to our 6 year old on the couch!

He then tells Victoria to watch! On the movie, Lassie runs up to Timmy. He hugs her and all the kids come out. Then the credits roll!

Victoria says without missing a beat. "They didn't give her a bath!"

Here is the text: Vic has had an emotional collapse...that is the last time I put Lassie on and walk out of the room.

CC

The Zoo

Monday was exciting to all kids and teachers alike. Martin Luther King Jr. Day! We were out of school so I decided that the girls and I needed to do something fun and exciting. How about the zoo? Sounds great right....

So we leave around 11:00 and grab lunch. Chick-fil-a the girls favorite. We drive downtown and to my amazement we land right in the middle of the parade route! Only me right. I didn't know how to get there so I asked my car to tell me. I love my little GPS in my car! As I get closer to the destination after several wrong turns, the roads were being closed off by police cars. They were letting the parade people leave. My car was telling me to go down the closed roads so I tried to figure out how to get around it. TRAFFIC!

Finally an hour later and two snacks down in the car (yes we just ate and they ate another snack), we got there.
It was so crowded.I couldn't change my mind after all that right. So here we go. Up to the counter to buy tickets and find out it is free day. GREAT! not in a good way. That just added to the crowd! My little family outing just turned into a fight the crowd event.
Of course the girls didn't mind they loved it.

We got the map and decided Vallerie only wanted to see the giraffes and Vic wanted to see the Elephants. They were of course at the end of the little route so we had to see all the other stuff first.

We saw the frogs, (for Gege) flamingos for (Cheryl) and on and on.
Eventually we came to the antelopes. Vallerie asked what they were, here is the conversation that followed:

Me: They are antelopes
Val: Cantaloupe
Me: No antelopes
Val: I think they are cantaloupe
Me: No, that is something you eat, Antelopes are that animal that looks like a deer sort of
Val: (under her breath) They smell like cantaloupes

Next exhibit
Vic: Hey that is a yacht
Me: What?
Val: you know a yacht
Me: A YAK
Vic: No I think it is called a yacht
Me: shaking my head, no the word is YAK but that isn't a Yak it is another antelope
Val: cantaloupe?


I give up!

CC

Vallerie and the crying!

I am exhausted by the crying... the crying... every day since she came back from the Christmas she has answered every problem with crying. Today was a particularly bad fit. I was trying all the love and logic... This didn't work, she was actually crying because she wanted a bowl for her mac and cheese instead of the plate that I put it on.



Finally when it stopped, she ate her now cold food, brushed her teeth and went up to lay in bed; her dad called. Now normally when one of the children are in trouble (Really big...ex. Vic said a bad word to another student) I would would of course call their dad.



So the phone rings and I walked up the stairs to give her the phone. She asked me who was on the phone, and I said her dad was. She was all perky and picked it up.



She says, Hello, where are you...etc. then starts in with "I am so sorry that Mommy had to call you in the middle of the night (8:30) because.... (I heard her start in and I leaned over and whispered "I didn't call him." ) Ohhh so what are you doing?



She totally changed her tone, back to all perky. My little doll nearly got herself in trouble!

HA!

Labor Pains

YEA we have 3 followers! I am soooo excited. People are actually reading it! I love it that Beth, co worker, said both that she laughed out loud at my prime rib episode AND that she could hear me saying it! In the words of Cheryl, my writing has VOICE!

So on to today, I told you I would write about Vallerie's birth or its other name "I think I have ruptured my bladder" so here goes. Some have hear this TONS of times so you can feel free to skip it! It still makes me and Michele laugh!


A little background knowledge is needed. I had Victoria a couple of weeks early from my due date. I didn't know I was in labor I just knew I had a backache. I walked around at work for a while until Jean told me that I must be in labor because NO one has back pain every 15 mins.
After a long labor I delivered Vic by a c-section. Where everyone in the hospital it seems got a glimpse of my V-jaja! (How do you spell that??)


Now on to Vallerie. I was HUGE and it was about a month before Vallerie was supposed to be born. I had scheduled the c-section so that I could be home by Christmas and in my mind when you schedule the delivery you no longer have to worry about labor right???


One morning around 5 am I felt this whoosh and then a trickle. I thought.. OMG I have wet myself. I ran (as fast as a whale could) to the toilet. I called the ex (we were married then...) to come help me. After I woke him I said, I don't feel any contractions and it is way to early to have the baby so I must have ruptured my bladder. Very matter of fact mind you! I know, this was ridiculous... but at the time it made sense! Maybe denial is a gift of mine!


I called Mom and said, "I can't stop peeing so my bladder must have ruptured because it was WAY to early for the baby." Again very matter of fact, no panic just normal every day bladder rupture.

She said, "Ahh okay I think that would hurt.

"No no I am not in any pain, so it can't be labor!"

She said, "I don't know but I will call Cathy."


In the mean time I get the ex to call Jean (can't live without her) and if he could please dress Victoria for school as I could not stop the trickle of "pee". Jean could take her to school until I could figure out how to make it stop.


Few moments later, Cathy calls. (this was in the last blog so I will make it brief) She thinks it is easier not to fight crazy just deal with it and move on. Hmm... words of wisdom that I should keep in mind on a DAILY basis!
She tells me to call the Dr.


In walks my precious 2 year old in fresh PJs. He has just changed her old PJs into new PJs thinking that since they were in the closet they must be normal clothes. They don't even look like real clothes!

So I call the Dr's office. I left a message and was told that she would call back.


In walks Jean, I told her I am not in labor I have just ruptured my bladder. She just looks at me on the toilet and takes Vic to put on real clothes. I think it is easier not to argue with me at this point. I am VERY matter of fact in my diagnosis and I am not at all scared.


I told the Dr on call. (Can you see the theme!) I think I ruptured my bladder.

She didn't argue with me. She didn't even try to tell me anything different. Must get crazy pregnant women calling all the time Just said that she would call the hospital and let them know i was on my way. She said in a very calm voice, "Well, just go to the hospital and they can see if it is the bladder."


OK. I call Mom, and tell her. I didn't even pack a bag because I just knew it wasn't time for the baby! I had to walk with towels between my legs and sit on a stack of towels so as to now get the exs car dirty. Then he wouldn't even valet park. I had to WALK with the dang towel in between my legs across the parking lot, up the elevator and to the nurses station. (we can see why my family LOVES Bill!)


I walk up to the nurses station and I said... (All together now)"I think I have ruptured my bladder because I can't stop peeing!" The nurse with a straight face says OOoooK and walks me into the room. I actually think I hear one of them say I waited around to see this!

The nurse has this little piece of paper and if it turns blue then I am in labor if not then we have a bigger problem.


It was DARK BLUE. Some would even call it indigo!
I said so I didn't rupture my bladder?




CC

Cathy....

Ok...

So Cathy was wondering why she wasn't listed in the Cast of Characters... so here is her own little spot!


Background, we are some how related. Maybe she will comment on this entry and we will all know. Something about how she and mom use to be related but they are not. I can't follow it but it isn't too important.


She is one of mom's best friends and hysterical. She also cooks for me when I come to town. (Not last time....hmmm) Cathy cooks for all of mom's events. Mom used to clean for all Cathy's.


She works at the Ear, Nose and throat doctor so she is our resident RN...She gets calls for all aches and pains. Last week when we discovered that Valley might need her 3rd set of tubes in her ears I called to ask... how many tubes are too many. Answer: you can have as many sets as needed! YIKES!


Another time when I was in labor with Vallerie and I was perched on the toilet at 5 in the morning thinking that I had ruptured my bladder (I will tell that story at a later date! It is Michele G's favorite!) She is who we called. She said .. Ah no you need to go to the doctor and I said... No I am not in labor I just can't stop peeing! I must have ruptured my bladder! She then said do you have any pain and I replied, "No, that is why I can't be in labor!" Then giving up she said... you are in labor! Call the doctor! So I did call the Dr and told her I had ruptured my bladder!


I think she should have her own show too as she has even funnier things happen to her than me!


Like all the weird stuff that happens at the ENT!
One time this little girl kept telling her mother that she kept hearing jingle bells in her head her mother thought she meant the song I guess! Once the Dr. looked at her she did indeed have a tiny bell in her ear!


She made a goose for Christmas dinner this year with Chestnut stuffing. The only problem she didn't know what the chestnuts looked like. She could have googled them like I did! So she thought they were mixed into the mixed nuts and picked some out... they made a trial run before the big day and it was DELICIOUS... or so they say :)


A couple of days later her boyfriend comes home with a bag of "nuts" she asked what they were. and he said.. These my dear are chestnuts!

She said... "Well then WHAT THE HECK were the things that we ate the other day!"

He said... hazelnuts!


She made hazelnut dressing.. Who does that!



CC

I should never be allowed into Central Market alone

I went to visit the folks in between Christmas and New Year's Eve. More on that later, I will introduce you to Cathy, Moms friend and truly one of the funniest women I have ever met... Well most of you reading this know her but come on there might be ONE person out there reading who doesn't. That will be tomorrow's post so stay tuned for that.

Now on to my trip to Central Market.

I decide to come back early to have New Year's Eve with Bill. He has to work on this BIG project and couldn't go with me to Waco.

So I decided to cook a romantic dinner for him. This is rare as I don't really cook anything other than lasagna.

I found 3 recipes online...Thank you food network!... and made my shopping list.

Bill and I had already talked about Prime Rib so I knew I wanted that. I get in my car and go to the REALLY good grocery store across town. NICE

It is PACKED! Tons of people there. I ran my cart into so many people I lost count!

I went over to the meat counter where you have to pull a number. A lady with a microphone is calling numbers for the hundreds of people waiting to buy meat or seafood. I went to the meat aisle. I didn't look around because I knew I wanted the prime rib.

My number is called and I walk up to the counter. I asked the butcher if he had any prime rib and that I need number 6,7 and 8 rib. (I am going to stop here in the story because as of now I don't know what the heck I am talking about. I only asked for 6,7, and 8 because Bill said they were the best etc. )

The butcher says "OoooooK" then asks me do I want prime rib or choice. (again no clue)

I ask him which is better.

He says that the prime is juicer when cooked, better marbling and on and on etc.

Who could argue with that! I said I want the prime.

He goes back and brings this thing out. It is bigger than I am expecting.

Then to show my "meat savvy" I asked for it to be Frenched. That is where they clean the bone for you to make it look prettier. (I read that in a magazine.)

So he weighs it then I decide...hmm maybe I should ask how much a pound it costs.
(I know I know... I should have done that BEFORE.)

So he tells me it is 18.00 a pound. So in my head it looks like the meat is about 4 pounds... I guess my estimation skills are lacking

Here is the play by play of my texts to Bill

C: I hope I don't mess the meat up! It is pricey (before I was handed the package)

B: How much?
C: They are weighing it now
B: How much a pound?
C: CRAP! that is big! I am so not cooking this by myself
C: S**T (this is the exact moment they handed me the wrapped up package!)
B: Over 100?
C: YES :0
C: Now what the hell do I do with it.

This is when the phone rang. It was 8.50 lbs! What the heck are 2 people going to do with almost 9 lbs for dinner!

I was talking to him and FREAKING out about the meat. It was 152.00. I have never bought that much meat. I mean COME ON! I can go out to eat and spend that but I don't have to cook it!

I had visions of stuffing it in the organic cereal aisle and running out the door! I MEAN COME ON! Maybe in the freezer section so that it wouldn't be ruined!

Bill said that the store would probably have my picture beside the butcher counter so that they would know not to sell me any more meat if I stuffed it and ran!

So I bought it.... Can you believe...

Bill suggested that we now needed more people! So I called Jean and Phil and of course Meagan and Will. So we had 6 people so it ended up being okay!

No romantic New Years meal but a good story I will never forget....

CC