A great weekend!

This Sat was National Scrap Booking Day! I was so excited to jump into a ton of challenges and hopefully win some really great prizes! L & B came down and even though Shy was in a bit of trouble due to some bad choices made earlier in the week they all went fishing. They just went to a small pond here in town. Everyone caught something...including Shy who caught her first fish!! I was so excited for her...I was a little disapointed that I missed it. I however got so much scrapping done and I am thrilled with the way my lo's and cards turned out! I haven't won anything yet, but some of the sites I play at are having week and month long challenges. So I'm hopeful I will have some great RAK's headed my way soon! Here's a pic of Shy with her fish. It was a wonderful weekend! Which is wonderful because Big Daddy heads out of town again Monday.

Yet another heartbreakingly glorious moment in motherhood

It took me a full 24hrs and a couple of stiff drinks to get to the point of blogging about this.

Saturday afternoon mini-me called me into the bathroom...nothing unusual believe me...I go in and she says to me "there's stuff in my underwear" I take a look and sure enough good ol' Aunt Flo has made her first appearance in my young princess's life.

Now some of you will take what I'm about to say as simply another weepy woman talking about her children and if you choose to think of it this way that is your prerogative, (however insensitive it may be) Some of you will read what I say here and perhaps tear a bit as you look at your own young - perhaps younger than my - princess. Either way this is what went through my mind.

It's over...
It's time to start the yelling
It's time to start the mood swings
It's time to start the cycle shifts
It's time to start the walking around town alone
It's time to start the going to the mall with friends
It's time to start the dating
It's time to start the shaving
It's time to start the "You as my mother know nothing"
It's time to start the "I hate you"
It's time to start the slamming doors
It's time to start the lying
It's time to start the sneaking out
It's time to start the "can I borrow the car"

Please don't misunderstand my young princess isn't old enough to really do any of these things yet...but as a mother my mind told me that after this landmark event it all just speeds by...she will be a teenager in the blink of an eye she will be gone from home in the time it takes to breath deep and feel.

I have known for years -as has anyone who has known me- I am over everything in parenting Over protective, over bearing, over attentive, over everything...that's what happens when you are not blessed with the ability to procreate to your hearts content. I take to many pictures, I watch more closely, I covet more strongly, I am more lenient - much to my own dismay - I am an enabler.

So this event marked yet another reason to ponder in deep thought and agonizing painful realizations and rationalizations necessary for my own minds self preservation.

So I cried and smiled and made this seemingly small life detail into a huge one. I am not yet ready for her to be a young lady...if only I could be stingy just a year or two more. No then I would only want more...My grandma told me about having children they would be the biggest heartache of my life..."they will give you more love, more joy, more reason to be a good human being...but they will be the biggest heartache of your life...no living creature will ever hurt you more with out really wanting or trying to...the simple act of sending a child off to school for the first time will become a soul scarring event." Grandma knew what she was talking about...this amazingly beautiful soul has torn my heart out since she took her first breath and didn't make a sound...I should have known then I was in over my head...

Some people believe women to be a weaker sex...I have no muscles at all lifting a gallon of milk strains my overly fat desperately lacking in muscle body. However my heart my soul my very inner being has been tortured battered beaten and betrayed by this stunningly beautiful little girl her entire life...I as do all mothers in my opinion have not only weathered and prevailed to continue on this path of motherhood I have done so with a smile and an immeasurable sense of joy and blessing. That is strength.

So like the first day of school the first sleepover the first school program. I will look on with pride I will be in awe at my daughters strength poise and class. I will wallow in the sadness of this time. I will revel in the joy. I will be a mother and feel 500 different things all kept quietly to myself...all kept at bay from overwhelming my inner being...all this while going about life in the usual manner. I am a mother...I am the mother of a young lady...growing into a woman.

A weekend at the lake...warning picture heavy blog!

BigDaddy's birthday was last Monday....the only thing he wanted was to go to the lake...now while I think April is a bit early in the season to be camping, BigDaddy's wish is my command. So we went to wally world and let BigDaddy go nuts buying camping and fishing supplies. By Friday when BigDaddy got off work early he was like a kid on Christmas morning...it almost killed him that he had to wait for mini-me to get out of school so we could leave. Conversation with BigDaddy
BigDaddy: "We should just go get her out of school a little bit early"
Me: "We don't have a good excuse to get her out of school early"
BigDaddy: "Yes we do, were going to the lake!"
Silly BigDaddy, he had to wait till after 3:30...you would have thought we were never going to leave the way he acted. it was really adorable how excited he was! We did leave and got to the lake about 5. To say we had an amazing weekend would be an understatement! Here are some pics and little stories to share.




Apparently I caught mini-me off guard with this photo, I love the look on her face! She's squinting out the sun...her skin is beautifully sun kissed! She looks like she's asking me a question!



This is BigDaddy, getting the fishing poles ready for fishing...J cheesing it up!



I thought the water was way to cold for swimming, however the girls didn't let that stop them from enjoying the lake!!



Kyler fishing...note the potato chips in his hand...the boy is never without food, I've always heard this about teenage boys...turns out it's true...it was so awesome to spend some time with him! Isn't he adorable!



B n BigDaddy fishing! They didn't catch anything all weekend...no one even had a bite! It was disappointing however even the lack of fish couldn't ruin our weekend!



J and B...they are so cute! I was uber glad they could come down for the weekend!



Me n K....this kid is adorable!!




Kodi...getting the stick...he thought the water was a bit cold so he didn't swim much, he did like to lay in the shallow end though.



Are these girls the coolest cutest Kansas lake babes ever or what!!





A couple of pics of my nasty mark left from my battle with the manhole, believe it or not I was totally sober...there was no alcohol this weekend...so I can't even call it a "drunk bump". It was just typical clumsy Monica! L thought this was hilarious when it happened...I can just imagine watching me fall on my butt was...I so wanted to laugh when it happened...unfortunately I could only cry...it hurt so bad..still does!


I love this pic of BigDaddy...mini-me took this one..I think...I love his goofy expression...he looks like that all the time at home! ;)


This is my new favorite pic of me and my Mr. Right! I love everything about this pic!



Me n Baby sista!!



Playing catch...it was so cool for mini-me to get some play time with the big kids...she played catch with all three of them!!


I forgot smore's stuff, thank goodness L remembered!! You can't tell it, but we were all really excited to make smore's and they were way yummy good!


This was our last day...everyone was packing up to go...B n L's Tent was right behind where were sitting it was already packed away! My poor mini-me was suffering from an upset tummy and had spent the last hour in the Tahoe...I made her get up and come sit for the picture...Like she always is, my girl was a trooper and even smiled for the pic...then went back to the Tahoe...she was fine after we got home. It was her first real big weekend lake trip...I think she was just "laked" out! I made a point to ask everyone if they had a good enough time to do it again...everyone said yes...so I'm sure there will be a ton more lake trips this summer...I just hope they all live up to the standards set by this one...it really had all the ingredients of a perfect weekend, fishing, swimming, fire, smore's, friends, family, dogs, kids, good food, a few sunburns, a few scrapes n bruises...I mean it was the perfect weekend! It was also a wonderful way to celebrate my Mr. Right's birthday!

A stolen Friday

Last Friday Shy was out of school for the Easter Holiday. BigDaddy got all the way to the job site and was then sent home due to rain so.... we stole a Friday!

BigDaddy spent a couple of hours in the garage working on my scraproom desk
Shy jumped on her trampoline trying to perfect a "flippie"
I cleaned up around the house....we stole a Friday

After we finished our own little projects we came
together for a game of horseshoes, won by BigDaddy...of course
We stole a Friday

A conversation between BigDaddy and Shy
BigDaddy (digging something up out of the back yard

Shy: What is that?
BigDaddy: It's a marble...a toy children would play with when they played outside all day
Shy: Can I have it?
BigDaddy: You can't have it, children who played with this played outside all day...you barely come outside for a couple of hours.
Shy: Yes I will
BigDaddy: You will play outside for a few hours?
Shy: Yes
BigDaddy: Okay, here you go

We stole a Friday


About a hour later Shy went in the house back to video games...BigDaddy and myself were still outside soaking up the beautiful day, so BigDaddy went inside and brought her back out...she stayed outside the rest of the afternoon and was happy about it! BigDaddy's influence is being felt, appreciated, and most certainly needed...all because...

We stole a Friday!

Spring Break 2010

I am finally getting around to blogging about our Spring Break!

It was a phenomenal trip! Everyone had a wonderful time, I just loved that it was so family friendly! My original plan was to go through the trip by each individual day, however now all the fun and laughs and learning about each other seem to flow together so effortlessly I don't remember what day everything happened...so here are a few of my favorite bits and pieces!

I slept almost the entire trip down...I believe I was awake for about an hour when we get to the Texas state line...little did I realize the long part of the trip was ahead. After a super long sleep I was ready so, though it was a long drive I was glad I was awake to see it! The Texas pride is a trip...I mean you can hardly find American flag (there are a lot of them) where you don't see a Texas flag just as large and beautiful!

So first story....We were an entire day early! I know how rude can people be! I neglected to call and tell G.G. when Chet decided to leave a day early hence getting there a day early. So when we got the e-mail from her saying why didn't you tell me you were coming a day early? I was needless to say freaking out! I told Chet see I've already upset her were going home turn around! I e-mailed Gigi back and told her we would just stay in a hotel for that night. The e-mail I was then sent was a definite...Get your butts here! So we headed of to Palestine lake...a day early!

After a delicious dinner at the Purple Pig...yes the Purple Pig...the food was amazing, we went back to the house and settled in for the night.

The rest of the week was a blur of laughing, talking, shopping, learning, eating, and just simple enjoyment of the people around us! Gigi, had an opportunity to really get to know each other, she really is a remarkable woman, and I look forward to many more talks and stories and toddies! And squirrels...big, mutiny planning, toddy drinking squirrels, they really are a bit of a hazard those little buggers!


Chet got plenty of time to spend with grandpa, as grandpa has taken up smoking cigars(much to G.G's dismay)...he spends a lot of time in the garage...him and Chet found little projects all week to amuse themselves! it was adorable!

One afternoon after Gigi, Shy and I had a full day of shopping and having a fabulous Chinese lunch when we got back to the house Shy seemed to be bored with Gigi and I as we chatted away and began to start dinner. Then Gigi suggested if Shy went and talked to grandpa he could find her a bike to ride. So she decided to head over to the garage and see the boys....a few minutes later she appeared in the window from the kitchen to be driving a small vehicle of some sort...it was confusing at first. After a trip to the bedroom to grab my camera, Gigi and I went outside and sure enough our little mini-me was driving the "tractor" it's actually just a riding lawnmower! Shy however didn't seem to car what it was called...she was having a blast! So much fun in fact that Gigi and I had time to run to the store...Chet wanted a cigar as well! I just have to say I found Papa and G.G. adorable both of them I just wanted to fold them up in my suitcase and bring them home with me!

After a wonderful visit with Papa and Gigi, we headed over to Lisa and James's house...I say head over it was actually quite the drive! We made it though and of course had a wonderful time! Lisa is absolutely adorable! She was also kind enough to take some family pics of us...they turned out amazing, of course, and I for one was so appreciative! We all went to the lake, and let the kids play in the sand, we all had dinner out together one night, We headed out to a state park one afternoon and then ended up in a little town that had a great archery and gun stock, so the boys looked around for awhile, and Lisa and Shy took a walk down the street taking pictures! These pics as well turned out beautiful! I stayed outside by the Tahoe, the baby was in the truck sleeping. It was wonderful to see everyone, and spend some time together!

This story for the trip home is a bit more harrowing, we left much later than we had intended. Getting our new tattoo's took way longer than we anticipated! Anyway it was raining when we got to the north side of Ft. Worth. I took over driving when we got into Almead Ok. I was just cruising along my only instructions being just stay on I-35 North, it will take you all the way through to Mulvane. So I'm driving, by the time we got to the north side of OK City, snow was coming down heavy. We drove by a piece of road that had two cars in the ditch on one side and a banged up car on the other, all with wreckers trying to get them out. Then we needed to stop for gas so we wouldn't have to stop again before home. The Shell station we tried to stop at was closed. Before we left the handy dandy not so bright girl at the bank suggested the best way to take a lot of cash on a trip was to use a prepaid visa gift card...hmmm she will be getting a piece of my mind when next I see her...anyway it turns out the only thing you can do with these things are make purchases...however you can't get cash at an atm and you can't use it for pay at the pump gas! Now keep in mind this is cash we have in the bank that we put on this card and can not get to! I was irate. Thank goodness we planned for a few small emergencies, and as this was the only one, we were fine. It was to say the least an annoyance. The rest of the trip home was slow, most of the time going only 30 or 40 mph, on the interstate. However as I said before we had a most amazing time, it is most certainly a trip we will be taking again in the near future!

Be back soon Be well!!

For My Girls!!

So Funny I had to share it! All original.




This is an actual letter from an Austin woman sent to American company Proctor and Gamble regarding their feminine products. She really gets rolling after the first paragraph. It's PC Magazine's 2007 editors' choice for best webmail-award-winning letter.

Dear Mr. Thatcher,
I have been a loyal user of your 'Always' maxi pads for over 20 years and I appreciate many of their features. Why, without the LeakGuard Core or Dri-Weave absorbency, I'd probably never go horseback riding or salsa dancing, and I'd certainly steer clear of running up and down the beach in tight, white shorts. But my favorite feature has to be your revolutionary Flexi-Wings. Kudos on being the only company smart enough to realize how crucial it is that maxi pads be aerodynamic. I can't tell you how safe and secure I feel each month knowing there's a little F-16 in my pants.
Have you ever had a menstrual period, Mr. Thatcher? Ever suffered from 'the curse'? I'm guessing you haven't. Well, my time of the month is starting right now. As I type, I can already feel hormonal forces violently surging through my body. Just a few minutes from now, my body will adjust and I'll be transformed into what my husband likes to call 'an inbred hillbilly with knife skills.' Isn't the human body amazing?
As Brand Manager in the Feminine-Hygiene Division, you've no doubt seen quite a bit of research on what exactly happens during your customer's monthly visits from 'Aunt Flo'. Therefore, you must know about the bloating, puffiness, and cramping we endure, and about our intense mood swings, crying jags, and out-of-control behavior. You surely realize it's a tough time for most women. In fact, only last week, my friend Jennifer fought the viole nt urge to shove her boyfriend's testicles into a George Foreman Grill just because he told her he thought Grey's Anatomy was written by drunken chimps. Crazy!
The point is, sir, you of all people must realize that America is just crawling with homicidal maniacs in Capri pants... Which brings me to the reason for my letter. Last month, while in the throes of cramping so painful I wanted to reach inside my body and yank out my uterus, I opened an Always maxi-pad, and there, printed on the adhesive backing, were these words: 'Have a Happy Period.'
Are you f------ kidding me? What I mean is, does any part of your tiny middle-manager brain really think happiness - actual smiling, laughing happiness, is possible during a menstrual period? Did anything mentioned above sound the least bit pleasurable? Well, did it, James? FYI, unless you're some kind of sick S&M freak, there will never be anything 'happy' about a day in which you have to jack yourself up on Motrin and Kahlua and lock yourself in your house just so you don't march down to the local Walgreen's armed with a hunting rifle and a sketchy plan to end your life in a blaze of glory.
For the love of God, pull your head out, man! If you have to slap a moronic message on a maxi pad, wouldn't it make more sense to say something that's actually pertinent, like 'Put down the Hammer' or 'Vehicular Manslaughter is Wrong', or are you just picking on us?
Sir, please inform your Accounting Department that, effective immediately, there will be an $8 drop in monthly profits, for I have chosen to take my maxi-pad business elsewhere. And though I will certainly miss your Flex-Wings, I will not for one minute miss your brand of condescending bullshit. And that's a promise I will keep.
Always. . .
Wendi Aarons
Austin , T X

Family fun night!

We had an awesome family fun night! It was such a beautiful night, and on Weds afternoon Shy came home with a note from the school about a family movie night in the high school auditorium...the idea of a cold slice of pizza overpriced bottled water, and a cheesy family movie with 75 or 80 other people, just didn't sound like a good way for all of us to enjoy a perfect long overdue family night. I told Shy..."If I can come up with something more fun than that for us to do will you not be upset about not going to this?" She agreed, so we let her vote and she chose what we did tonight! We ate at this amazing Mongolian BBQ place...Then headed over to All Star Sports to play in the Arcade and Play some mini golf! We finished the evening off with a quick drive thru to Dairy Queen, to grab an ice cream cone! I've set up a slide and put some new pics on flickr! I choose a greenday song because Shy is really into greenday right now!