Reality Check: People all around are growing up

Some reality checks are hard to handle. I've had a few lately.

One of the hardest reality checks has been in my own household. Reality Check: YARM13YOL is not a baby (still a child) anymore, she is struggling to find her place the world of Jr. High and teenagers and all of those who love her most are in danger of getting their feelings stomped on, we must remember that old saying "Stick and Stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me" and that my friends is the hardest thing to remember. She will have different kind of struggle mainly because I am not her mother. I can only pray that I do what I was asked 13 years ago to do and I hope that I do the best I can and keep her safe and guide her in the right direction. During her struggle things are not going to be fun at our home. I know that I've tried some funny tactics this week and it has kept the peace, but not for long. I made a promise to her last night that I would continue to do my best with her. I am finished begging her to be nice, I am finished begging her to do her homework, I am finished with all the fighting. She is 13 years old, and yes I am ruining her life in her eyes, but that is my job, someone made me responsible for these 2 kids and I will forge ahead and hope that as she walks across that stage in 5 years(hopefully) and picks up her diploma that I have prepared her for life the best I knew how.

It saddens me that she is telling people that she hates her life. I am the one providing her with the life she has and if she hates her life, this means that I am failing.

Another reality check for me this week, today actually, my little brother has grown up. Below is an email that he sent me this morning, spell checked and everything. It was easier for my to realize that Andy is grown...he's married, kids, settled, but Scott, everytime I think of him its imagine him on a motorcycle or even so far as to remember that blonde, blue eyed bugger running around in Batman and Robin briefs playing Star Wars...I am proud...

(from my youngest brother Scott, the one legged lineman)To All:

My friends will know I have been a firm republican and was raised by a adamant republican and staunch conservative with a strong belief that no one has the right to choose to take a life, and a belief that the government should never provide entitlement programs nor should we be systematically removing god from the class rooms or from public domain. All that said, let me respond from the cuff to the email below.
I don't intend to persuade anyone to go any direction, nor do I think you should let anyone else, or any other emails or blogs convince you how to vote, nor should you let a church or a boss convince you. What you should do is read, listen, research and educate your self on the decisions at hand and make your own informed decision, independent of anyone esle's opinion. The letter outlined in the links below is very average as an attempt to convince you of something, the only thing in that letter of real substance to the argument being made is where she said the reason she believes the law should not be passed is that it does nothing to protect the health of the mother, meaning if the abortion is not carried out it could result in an un-safe pregnancy and possibly threaten the life of the mother and the baby. So you know, I don't support any type of abortion.
So, is he, and she, wrong for the country? Maybe that's true, maybe they are the 100% wrong choice, but you cant make that decision by reading one letter, or by a candidates position on one singular issue, no matter how sacred that issue is. just as important is the ability to afford to raise this child in question, and to provide health-care for this child, to provide a safe country to live in, to provide a good education, to provide a secure economic future, to work to provide a secure partnership and reputation in the world abroad, and to leave their children our grandchildren a better and more secure country than we were given, the same way our parents strived to give us more than they had been given.
Those are a few of many things to consider, not more important than others, but equally as important, and they should be considered equally.
Here's a thought I ponder often the older I get and is my response to the argument made in the links below. It may not be worded eloquently, but read it and think about what I'm trying to get across to you.
Should we fight to elect someone, who will work to pass and up-hold a law, that will prevent our children from choosing abortion, or should we spend our energy raising children who do not need a law to tell them that abortion is wrong.
Are we raising a nation that looks to government to help us and our children make good decisions by passing laws that force them to do what we think is right? That's not what our parents did, our parents raised us to make the right decisions on our own and they did not hope that someone would legislate us into to a corner that forced us to make the right decisions. They hoped what they did, was lay a foundation that would lead us to make the right decisions based on what we knew to be right and wrong, and when we did they were proud.
So the final question is, if we do the same, what do we have to fear by someone having that right to choose.
Just some thoughts, of a person raised republican who has yet to decide who to vote for, and when I do it will be based on what I learn on my own, not what I'm convinced to believe.
Lastly, my Father did a great job laying the foundation to make the right decisions, problem is many times I was to stubborn or to closed minded to use that work he did raising me to make the right decisions, and now I am fighting to reverse the consequences of those decisions. However, I would not have wanted laws to force me to choose differently.
This time however is different, and this election to important, to choose incorrectly. Rather you vote for John McCain, or Barack Obama, just be sure you make that decision independently, and that we educate ourselves fully prior to deciding, then lets pray for the sake of our children's future that the majority of us are right.
Scottie

Tells From Jr. High

I wandered over to Julia's Blog, the best friend of YARM13YOL. I felt like I had been slapped in the face (even hours later, I can still feel the sting) with the reality that Mary Margaret may be talking bad about someone. This really shattered me. I have talked to both YARM13YOL and Taylor (youallhavetohelpmewithanicknamforher) until I am blue in the face about how rude it is to talk about people. I printed it and handed to YARM13YOL and of course the first thing she said was...I AM NOT TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE. So I said, we'll just call Julia and find out. She knows I will do this, we've been down this road before, I'm not scared.

So after some brow beating, turning her upside down, tied her ears together, threatening to die her hair BROWN, making her wear NOT COOL clothes, and eventually threatening with the ultimate this will kill me threat, I THREATENED TO MAKE HER HUG HER SISTER ALL NIGHT, she breaks down and begs me to let her tell me the truth, so I said go for it...tells me the truth (Ithink)

She said that the only thing she told Julia was that people were talking bad about Taylor, her sister.
She said that her friends
Me:what friends?
YARM13YOL:The girl with the blue hair
ME:what is her name
YARM13YOL: I don't know.
ME: Then she is not your friend. (People, am I right? If you don't know their name, not a friend)
Anyway They were saying that they were tired of Taylor and her friends sitting at a certain table at lunch and that they were planning to throw forks, ketchup, and mustard at Taylor and her friends. I'm thinking, okay? Thats not talking bad about someone is it? She should just tell Taylor whats been going on.

Next, Taylor discovered the PREPs today. She said that they sit in a small little huddled up group and they all wear HOLLISTER shirts everyday. HELLO??? Taylor too wears this clothing and she's not a prep. Mind you, our Hollister stuff was clearance, but never the less, she's got some. She also said that a lot of the PREP girls wear their shirts real tight and you can see their speed bumps (she whispered this). Taylor was just full of information today, she made YARM13YOL go far away to tell me the next bit of information...YARM13YOL has a boyfriend. Top Secret stuff. Taylor heard this from a good friend of hers...who? She doesn't know her name. Best Buddies.

Overheard...I have no idea what they were talking about to begin with.
YARM13YOL: My people thats who
Taylor:You don't have people
YARM13YOL: OH I have people, don't you worry. I've got lots of people
Taylor: Well so do I, somewhere.

Lovin' the life with teens...

Oh, by the way, YARM13YOL wrote on her arm again, it is a huge pet peeve, I think that it makes people look trashy because it looks like a tattoo (why did she write on her arm...because I told her not to draw during class on paper...what I meant was that she should be doing class work not drawing).

Do you let your children draw on themselves?

Dianna's New Addition

I just got a call from Dianna....

Her niece (she used to baby sit for me some) Angela Cameron Davis is the proud momma of a 7lb 4oz baby boy, Maddox Gage Davis.

Congratulations to Angela, Jimmy Lee and Tristan.

If you would like to see the bundle of joy, I'm sure that it will be up on the St.Benard's Web Site shortly.

Phase 2 of the Attack:When Good Kids Go Mad

Yesterday afternoon I pulled up to Anna's house (Anna picks up the girls from school) I jumped out of the van and ran to YARM13YOL hugged her and told her that I was amazed that I made it through the day without her. I opened the van door for her and brushed out her seat so that she would not over work herself or get her beautiful little hands dirty. She looked at me and said..."Why are you being so nice to me? I haven't been nice to you. This you being nice to me thing is really getting on my nerves."

OMG, all I am doing is trying to have a peaceful life, never did I think about the BONUS of getting on HER nerves. Yes, Adult 1 point, YARM13YOL zero points.

This morning " IT WAS ON". I have made them breakfast two mornings in a row...scrambled eggs, their favorite. Thank you, your applause is greatly appreciated. No, I'm not trying to make it harder for anyone out there in blog land...I'm just trying really hard to keep the peace, and if making breakfast is part of it, so be it. YARM13YOL has been sitting at the table now for 15 minutes and I walk in and say..."OMG, you are such a beautiful soul. I love the way that you are savoring every moment of you special scrambled eggs. Thank you for being you." YARM13YOL looks at me and ever so gently lays the fork down and turns to me and bestows a loving look on me and says....
YARM13YOL:"I. DON'T. LIKE. EGGS."
ME:I'm sorry, my hearing is not working like it used to.
YARM13YOL: I.DON'T.LIKE.EGGS.I.MEAN.LIKE.I.DON'T.LIKE.THEM.PERIOD.
ME:How foolish of me. I should be better. I'm so so so sorry, I should have know that today would be the day that you would not like eggs anymore. Please, Please accept my apology. If you don't, I will worry all day about you not forgiving me. How could I possibly make it through the day....
(I picked up her plate full of beautifully scrambled eggs, cause you all know I'm Betty Crocker in disguise and threw it in the trash).
ME: Now, you won't have to look at those horrible eggs, please come here and let me give you a hug to make it all better....
YARM13YOL: (Steam is beginning to blow out those ears) OMG!!!!!!! (stomping back to her room to flop down on the bed)

How many of you watched the DNC? I watched Clinton, he did not rock the house like Hillary, but he was good. That Joe Biden...wow. I think he's good at what he does. He's a charmer and a smooth talker. How brilliant was that work in his 91 year old mother. He absolutely had America's heart strings tugging last night. The card he chose to play last night was the right one. Won't this be an interesting race? Oh, I watched the DNC last night because...someone has lost the remote control and I was too lazy to get up, walk two feet to the TV and turn the channel.

Slowing Winning Back My Sanity

Who's the man? My husband Tim is the man, thats who. I've been vaccuming the pool every afternoon trying to get rid of the sand and crap/algea in it so that the sweet, beautiful, teen and preteen can have a swim party this weekend before I close the pool for good. Tim comes home and works some magic and this morning it was crystal clear. Thats why I married him. He lets me try, try, try and then swoops in and works that magic with just ONE try. I love you honey.

Back to regularly scheduled programing.

I have lost my sanity off and on over the years. This past two weeks have been really bad for my sanity. I was on the edge of losing it and possibly not being able to find it until last night. I read a post at TheMoreTheMessier and it was like a light bulb went off. Parenting for dummies, thats me. I read a few of her post and realized, I need to handle YARM13YOL completely different. Some of you know my plan of attack, many of you think I'm crazy, but seriously my little "love fest" made the evening bearable. The rolling of the eyes was acutally welcomed last night, not because she thinks I stupid, because she's scared. YARM13YOL doesn't know what to think about me. I love it.

Probably Need To Keep This to Myself

Tuesday morning I drop off the only two children I have at the Jr. High School, the school they attend.

I pull up to the stop sign at Killough & Bridges, I notice Sandy turning onto Killough heading home and I think, Oh, she's dropped off Luke at the Intermediate School.

I drive on and apparently black out. I look up and I am sitting in line at the Intermediate School waiting to drop off kids that don't exist. I have been sitting in this line moving with all the other parents, taking up precious line space for NOTHING.

Old Technology

Taylor: I can't find this word in the glossary. I need a dictionary.
Me: OK
Taylor: (showing me the dictionary) Do you think this dictionary works?
Me: Works?
Taylor: Yeah, If I try to use it, will it work...
Me: Are you serious? Open it, I bet it works.
Taylor: Yep it does.

Mary Margaret studied just the answers on her science study guide.

HELP! SOMEONE HAS ABDUCTED ME AND PUT ME ON A PLANET WHERE THE BRAIN CELLS OF CHILDREN HAVE BEEN DRAINED AND REPLACED.

Mid-Year Resolutions

Post #260

The Mid-Year resolution, using the tread mill, is actually going okay. Taylor complains a little but does the work-out, even using the weights a little. Mary Margaret is the only person that I know that has fallen off the tread mill, on the tread mill, to the side of the tread mill, you name she's fallen.

Me on the other hand. I've been walking for 30 + years now and I think that I have mastered the art of walking. While Nicole (Sister-in-law) was down this weekend, she decided Sunday morning early that she would walk/run down the road we live on WITH DRAKE our lab, who has been cooped up all week in the pin. I decided to stay home and make sure that the tread mill was in good shape for my walk LATER. I help her let out Drake who is so happy to be out he lavished us with love and affection. I am a little jealous because I think that Drake loves Nicole more than me. Why? When he kissed Nicole on the mouth just as she opened her mouth to speak, she got tongue and all I got was mud on my clothes. She ran in the house, speaking LOUDLY, "I've got to get my mouth washed , augh..augh...(however you spell gaging noises)". I don't know what all the fuss was about, I mean, its not like his tongue has been somewhere it shouldn't. I tried hard to not laugh. She took Drake with her on her walk. When she described her walk, it sounded like she had walked with a 3 year old. He stopped in front of her, move Drake, he ran to other peoples yard, come back here Drake, don't do that Drake, STOP IT, get off of me, etc.

My walk on the tread mill happened after Nicole and Alyssa headed for home. I put on my BRAND NEW TENNIS SHOES, 1st new pair since 2001 and hopped on at a rate of 2.5 and walked for 10 minutes, when I remember Nicole saying you should run a little in the middle of your walk. Okay, I'll try that I think to myself, so I speed up the ol' tread mill to 3.8 and I'm jogging. This isn't too bad, 1 minute into the jog. At the end of the 2nd minute, I pulled the little tab and dropped to the floor wishing that I could make some kind of noise that the girls might hear (although no one would come to my rescue since I'm ruining their lives). At that moment, I do not believe that IF I could have reached the phone that I could have lifted it to call 119....oops 911. I needed water. I could see my glass. (I have to admit, I believe that I had enough sweat on me to fill a gallon pitcher). I crawl across the vast living room, across the desert, across the mountains, through the valleys and finally reach my glass and gulp down that sweet sweet water. Taylor walks in and says, what's wrong with you? You look all splotchy, maybe you should drink some more water. I'm going to go play my Nintendo.

Thanks for the concern oh little complainer, you'll get your turn, you just wait. Maybe I won't be able to find your water bottle, Nintendo, Ipod when you want it most.

Thanks to the new tennis shoes for the ginormous blister on my heal. I had forgotten how much I LOVED having blisters from new tennis shoes.

Another Weekend Bites The Dust

Why do happy children turn mad?

Friday, hand cell phone to child #1 and child #2, many thanks. Weekend company arrive. Child #1 sees friend out BY THEM SELVES at Don Jose' Mexican Restaurant and she is allowed to get up and go speak to them. Child #2 sees a friend with parents and is allowed to go speak. Child #1 comes back, flops down in her chair and becomes bossy/sassy/and pissed. Child #2 comes back and the only thing on her mind is food.

Same night, trip to Wal-Mart after meal. I do not allow children to roam the store. THIS IS NOT A NEW RULE. Child #1 becomes extremely mad that she is not allowed to go where she wants to, because after all she does have a cell phone. SORRY RULE STILL IS NO ROAMING. I'm gonna call so-n-so. Not right now please we'll be out of Wal-Mart in a minute and then you can call. F.I.N.E. C.R.A.P. I. HAVE MY OWN CELL PHONE AND CAN'T EVEN USE IT. C.R.A.P. Don't say crap to me. I. WASN'T. Yes you did. I heard you. Nicole heard you. I.WAS. SAYING.CRAP. BECAUSE.I.STILL.HAVE.A NOTE. IN.MY.POCKET.

Child #2 is walking with child #3 not bothering anyone. Child #1 tells child #2 you're not supposed to touch her in Wal-Mart because SHE(meaning me) said so. Child #2, can I walk with child#3? Yes. Child #1, Oh, SO I'M THEONLYONENOTALLOWEDTOTOUCHHER. (Iseriously do not remember even discussing this, EVER). I did not say that to you. YOU TOLD ME NOT TO PICK HER UP. Yes, I did say that, she's 5 and can walk. FINE.

Child #2 brushes Child #1 in passing in the isle. Child #1 throws up her arms very dramatically and says OMG DON'T TOUCH ME GROSS I DON'T WANT YOU TOUCHING ME, OH THAT JUST CREEPS ME OUT. and she shudders dramatically. Me: Stop that, you are now being ridiculous. WHAT SERIOUSLY I DON'T WANT HER TOUCHING ME SHE CREEPS ME OUT. Alyssa can touch me because she is my sister.

I just really want to go home alone.

Saturday.
Trip to Jonesboro. Child #1 I want to play with Alyssa's game. Child #2 got to play with it. No she did not, I told her not to. She only touched it to move. WELL I DIDN'T GET MY TURN. You didn't listen, NO ONE BUT ALYSSA IS PLAYING WITH IT PLAY WITH YOUR NINTENDO DS. CHILD#1: HOW IS THAT FAIR TO ME. (oh, I want to be alone)

Me to all of the children: YOU ARE ALL GOING TO MEEMAWS AS SOON AS THEY GET HOME. Child #1, WHY? THATS NOT FAIR. I DON'T WANT TO GO OVER THERE. It doesn't matter, you are going. WHY SO YOU AND NICOLE CAN GO TO SAM'S TOWN CASINO IN TUNICA HOW IS THAT FAIR.
Me:(OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG) You are going to Meemaws and I am going home and it is none of your business what Nicole and I do after you are dropped off. MAYBE I'M GOING TO CHUCKEE CHEESE WITHOUT FREAKIN KIDS. Point being...you are not going with me!

Sunday.
Pick up child #1 and #2 and go home after sitting a mother-in-laws house listening to Child #1 be unbearably loud.

I walked and ran on the tred mill. I made child #1 and#2 walk. Child #1, but I was going to blow dry my hair, we might go somewhere. You can blow dry after you walk, we are not going anywhere. Child #1 OMG WE NEVER GO ANYWHERE.

Do I really live in the same house as child #1? Maybe those people I fed at Don Jose' and Ci Ci's Pizza were hitch hikers and I didn't know it.

MONDAY MORNING. Me to Child #1, did you get a study guide Friday in school? UM....NO. You don't have to tell me to do my homework.
Okay. Blow dry my hair. Me to Child #1, In science on Friday did you get a study guide. Child #1 looking at me like I am possibly the MOST STUPID person on the face of the earth...YES, DUH. When I asked you 10 min ago, you said no. YOU DIDN'T ASK ABOUT SCIENCE YOU ASKED ABOUT SCHOOL. ME:?????? OKAY I say gritting my teeth. Did you do it? NO ONE DID. Edline said it was homework, go get it a study it. I walk in her room and she is laying there with a notebook sheet of paper with 4 vocab words written on it with partial definitions. Me: Where is the study guide. THIS IS IT. No, where is the one the teacher handed out. SHE.DID.NOT.HAND.OUT.A.STUDY.GUIDE. ME: omg, you just told me you got one in Science 15 seconds ago. WELL.THE.TEACHER.DID.NOT.HAND.IT.OUT.I.HAD.TO.GET.IT.FROM.HER.DESK.EVERYBODY.DID.
Oh, my mistake for NOT BEING IN THE ROOM AND KNOWING THAT.
WHAT? WHAT DID I SAY? I JUST SAID THAT THE TEACHER DID NOT HAND IT OUT LIKE YOU SAID.
Just start answering the questions on a separate sheet of paper. Child#1: I COULDN'T DO IT BECAUSE WE WERE NOT AT HOME ALL WEEKEND I HAD TO GO TO MEEMAWS.
You had time Friday, Saturday morning because we did not leave for Jonesboro until 12 noon, you had time Sunday because we came home from Meemaws at 4pm, you had time.

BUT YOU DIDN'T TELL ME TO DO IT.

OH MY GOSH, OH MY GOODNESS...I'M GOING CRAZY.

Otherwise, Nicole and I had a great time at ISLE OF CAPRI in Helena, the crab legs and other sea food was great. I had a great time "people watching". I lost 20 bucks and so did Nicole.

Over Heard Conversations

Over Heard GOSSIP Conversations at the funeral home.

VERY OLD GOSSIP about people who lived in Cross County in the 30's...

I was sitting, working hard, eaves dropping...

Funeral Director#1:"You know that man who had a cerebral vascular accident..."
Funeral Director#2"No, I don't."
FD#1: "Oh, come off it, you know the man that married that real fancy street walker..."


Can anyone tell me what a real fancy street walker is? Inquiring minds want to know.

Mid-Year Resolution

The girls of Butler Diaries have made a Mid-Year Resolution...

Our resolution is to actually use the tred mill for what it was intended...

Before

After

New and Improved

Don't you just hate to see that your favorite cleaner is now NEW & IMPROVED and you can't even see the difference.

Well, If you haven't noticed, over the last several days, my blog has been brown, green with ric-rak, beige with circles, and for a fleeting moment I was "PARTY LIKE A ROCK STAR" (that was an accident and surprising) So now I'm claiming this..The Butler Diaries are new and 1/2 improved. I can't seem to get my three columns working again and I really liked the 3rd column, I'm having a hard time saying good by to that lovely 3rd column.

Also I've had a teeny tiny problem remembering who I had on my blog roll, I do remember My Addictions, so if you were on my blog roll and want to be put back (seeing how popular this blog is and all...oh, I'm dreaming again)just leave me a comment and I'll add you to the blog roll...which doesn't exsist yet.

Thanks for stopping by.

Everybody Is Doing It

Do you remember the old phrase, "Everybody Is Doing It"? That dirty little stinker of a phrase has invaded my personal space at my home. How dare it invade my house AND it did not even knock and ask to come in.

So-N-So (took that from Vintage Thirty) got to go to a party last weekend and go riding around town. Why can't I do it? (um, first of all who are these children riding with? NO ONE has a drivers license/permit at the age of 12/13 and I'm sure the parent's aren't out cruising)

So-N-So gets to go to the movies by themselves. This means without the parent. This means that the parent did not even go to one of the other movies showing. This means that the parent did not wait in the parking lot for the movie to end. Why can't I do it? (Because, Me going with you to the movies, is the only time I get taken out to the movies even if it is with a bunch of ungrateful kids)

So-N-So is getting dropped off at the football game, I have a cell phone and could text you if you would unlock my texting. Why can't I do it? ( NO. Because my mom didn't let me go until High School by myself. That went over like a ton of bricks)

Everybody is doing it but me.

I write the word EVERYBODY on a piece of paper and I say...
"If you can make this word EVERYBODY spell Mary Margaret you can do all those things."

I turned to Taylor, handed her a piece of paper that says EVERYBODY.
"If you can make the word EVERYBODY spell Taylor, you can do all those things."

I'm thinking their life is going to pretty much suck and I am the one that made their lives SUCK.

I LOVE ME.

Jr. High

Jr. High...

Taylor seems to be doing very well after just 2 days in Jr. High. The only problem she had was with the locker combination. She said that she tried, tried, tried and finally gave up and asked a teacher. The teacher tried several times and asked Taylor to show her the combination, so she did. The teacher says, there is no reason for this to not work...until she saw the locker number...yes they were at the wrong locker.

Some things just do not go away...
Mary Margaret mentioned to someone that she did not realize that EDLINE is still around in 7th grade... (This means I can see her homework, hee hee hee)

Old Conversations...I remember when...

This time last year, Mary Margaret became a woman (code words, so she won't get embarrassed, because thats all Taylor and I do anymore is embarrass M&M). One month to the day later we were buying "stuff" and Taylor came up to me and whispered so innocently..."I thought she got rid of that!" Me to Taylor "It comes back every month." Taylor "Oh, I'm sorry."

Are You...

Are you a parking space hogger?

Parking space hogger, you know who you are. You are the little old couple that stops traffic for your spouse to get out at the door and you drive at a snails pace and whip in at whip lash pace in the best parking space, parking space #1. You sit and wait eventually falling asleep waiting on your spouse, and by the way, you parked so close to the other car that even the HUNGRY models can't get in that car! You suddenly wake up and remember that you were supposed to be watching for your spouse. You look around and wonder....what the heck has the traffic all stopped up on the other side of the lot. ITS YOUR SPOUSE wandering around the wrong end of the lot looking for you.

Parking space hogger, you know who you are. You are the one who moseys out with your bags, talking on your cell phone, walk to the wrong car, then walk to the other side of the lane and throw your bags in the trunk, look around and see me waiting and then arrange your bags ever so slowly and finally head to the driver's side, dig for your keys (you were too busy yakking on the phone earlier to get your keys). I've been sitting patiently waiting for the space and you decide to look over your receipts. I'm not giving up, I want your prime parking space. I deserve it. I rode all the way to this mall (1hour drive) with teenagers. I DESERVE THIS SPACE.

Parking space hogger, you know who you are. You are the MOMMY that parks in the best spot at the grocery store, right in front of the newspaper stands. You are the MOMMY that sends your child angel to the newspaper stands to get your papers and this child does not know how to work the stand. MOMMY gets out and hurriedly (this is a PG rated blog so hurriedly is a mild adjective) and speaks loudly at the angel child, you politely retrieve your paper vowing to never send angel child to get a newspaper again and you were in a hurry to begin with. The look on your face when you realize that you have done this with an audience....PRICELESS. We all know your Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde self.

A few other parking lot rules...

Parking Spaces are called spaces for a reason...you stay in yours and I'll stay in mine. My car does not want to be your cars' best friend.
My car may not be pretty, but we like it, so please do not add paint to my car
The parking lot is not a playground for your children
Little dogs are angry when left behind oh, and scary
Old dogs...really do not want to be in the back of the truck...you can see it in their eyes

The FIRE ZONE is for fire trucks that actually PUT OUT FIRES. Not for people who are wannabe's.

and last...
Flyers under my wiper get on my last NERVE, can you believe that someone had the nerve to put one under my wiper at the FUNERAL HOME during a funeral, yes all the cars had one. Really?

I know that gas prices ridiculously high...

I might have been friends with you, parking lot rule violator, you have ruined our could-have-been-friendship...I did not need a magnet for my van to remind me about the gas prices...

FOUND ONE GAS PRICES STINK STICKER ON THE LUCY VAN IN THE WYNNE WALMART PARKING LOT...

**As I was posting this, my brother-in-law, walks in the funeral home and says..."Oh, you found the magnet I put on your van...

Classified ad...FOR SALE: PARKLING LOT RULE VIOLATOR...COMES WITH HIS OWN CELL PHONES(plural) LOOK FOR HIM AT....THE FIRE ZONE AT WALMART...CODE NAME...JASON, HI-TECH-RED-NECK

School Has Started

Mushy, hugs, kisses, tears...you would think that this would be how I would describe the first day of Jr. High for Taylor.

Nope.

She was practically out the door before the van came to a complete stop. Of course both girls were beautiful this morning. I took pictures, I'll save them for the post that tells how their day goes.

You would think that sisterly love would kick in and Mary Margaret would show Taylor what to do on the first day. Apparently sisterly love flew out the window during the summer and it did not come back(sisterly love and my cleaning fairy must be hanging out together getting a huge thrill laughing at me). Mary Margaret pushed forward to try to catch up with Tanner Jarrett and she was moving so fast she left flip flop rubber on the concrete.

Ah, teenage years, how I love them already.

Taylor Butler, Jr. High Student!!!!

Last night we attended Open House at Wynne Jr. High for incoming 6th grade students.

Taylor, my baby, will be starting the 6th grade this year. She was excited to say the least. I walked in the door from work, she was already showered, blow dried and had straightened her hair and was waiting for me to lay out her clothes and put her make up on her. (6th grade is the grade that I allow them to use minimal makeup)

We had a mock first day of school. She has classes with a lot of her friends and all of her teachers were nice, and not one of them had Mary Margaret in 6th grade, which tickled Taylor. I could tell that even though she was excited, she was apprehensive too, she held my hand during the orientation...
This is the outfit she picked out...she's all excited about it too because it all came from Aeropostale. I know labels. Doesn't she look all grown up? I took them to eat a Ameca and then on home. Taylor was so excited, she could not go to sleep. A first for Taylor who can't make it until 8pm most of the time.

Mary Margaret went with us and hung out with her friends showing everyone where to go (she gave me and Taylor the wrong directions). She was excited becasue Tanner Jarrett hung out with her and you should all know....she thinks he is "A Real Nice Shirt"...check out this post for the code meaning of Real Nice Shirt

I Have a Ticker !

I found something all by myself for my little blog. Pat me on the back.

If you are green with envy over my little "When Does School Start?" ticker...I'll share how I got it!

Start by visiting this Ticker site.

Click with the right mouse button, drag, copy.

Open up your blog and go to Layout.

(notice the changes in layout)
Open up Add Gadget
Choose HTML/Javascript
Come up with a catchy title
In content paste, right mouse click or the old fashioned way...control V

NOW...you want to set the date you are counting down to.
Look for "TargetDate" in the HTML that you just pasted.
Type over the date and time
Hit save

You now have a Ticker!

Once you have saved your "gadget" you can grab it with your left mouse button and move it to any position you want on your layout page.

Call Me, I won't Answer!

I dare you to call me at home. I won't answer, I promise! Why, you ask.

Because I have teenagers. Those teenagers do not follow the rules. The rule broken would be this....

NO PHONES ALLOWED IN THE POOL. Can you guess what happened?

Babysitter: Miss Kaye, um something has happened and you can't call us.
ME: Um, Okay, what happened.
Babysitter: Please don't get upset with Mary Margaret!
ME: WhAt HaPpEnEd?
Babysitter: She's really crying...
ME:OMG just tell me what happened.
Babysitter: Okay, Mary Margaret was trying to show Taylor a bug in the pool and fell and dropped the phone in the pool.
ME: OMG is that all? Let me talk to Mary Margaret
MM: (crying uncontrolably, like I beat her regularly) I I I I'm so...soo...sorry. Are you going to beat me?
(Please, she hasn't had a whippin' since the last time)
ME: YES!!!! I'm going to whip you from your head to toe with a wet noodle!
MM: OHHHHHHHHHHH Noooooooo (hands the phone to Babysitter)
(I can hear M & M telling Taylor she's gonna get whipped from head to toe with a wet noodle and Taylor says, I bet that will hurt.......where did these kids come from?)
ME: Tell her that was a joke and stop crying. I'm not mad, we needed a new one anyway.
Babysitter: Ok

My sister-in-law Dianne said we could have their phone, its new, and she is using cell phones now. So, of course, there was a discussion about Diannes phone.

Taylor: Will there be a new number?
ME: A new number? What are you talking about?
Taylor: When we get Aunt Dianne's phone, will we get a new number.
(what?)
ME: NO, we are just getting her phone our number has been the same number for 15 years and will stay that way.
MaryMargaret: Yeah, Taylor, besides, she has to plug it into the phone jack to get a new number.
Me to Myself: And just yesterday I thought I wanted another one. What was I thinking?
ME to girls: I'm going to talk to Toby Keith, the cat, I can understand what he is talking about.
MM: Oh, I know , me too.

Where is calgon when I want it?

Little Feet

First, I must rant.
Motorcycles are not my thing, if you don't know read about it here at the end of this post.
Today, at lunch, I was following behind a man on a motorcycle, steering with one hand and TRYING TO TEXT/CALL WITH THE OTHER HAND. Hello? He was weaving at 10 miles per hour. I've seen the signs everywhere...."Look First, Save a Life" referring to the growing motorcycle population. If the driver is not paying attention it doesn't matter if we look first.
Oh, and another thing...sometimes those motorcycles come from out of nowhere and pass you when you least expect it. Again, does no good for us to obey, if the motorcycle does not obey.

I realize not every motorcycle operator is irresponsible.

Back to the regularly scheduled program.

Last night Mary Margaret attended her first Youth Group meeting last night. She really loved being part of the "mature" youth group...her words not mine.

Afterward we visited Dianna and she had her brother's 4 girls. Do you get that feeling in the pit of your stomach when you see those cute little toddlers? You know the feeling, the one where you want one more because the others have outgrown the hugs, whispery kisses, and the snuggling late at night? Dianna's youngest niece is 2 and she just tickled me. She is such a doll and has that "I want one" effect on me.

It made me miss all of those things that babies bring. Jayden was sitting at the kitchen table and on the bottom of her little feet she had managed to display her artwork. Dianna said that she was sitting so quietly in the play room being so sweet. She had a purple marker somewhere and worked herself over.

I had that feeling of wanting one for myself...the more I watched Jayden and the more I saw her little feet, I slowly began to remember...

The "you can't see me if my eyes are closed", the names written in permanent marker on the walls of our rented house, the new and unexpected hair cuts, the kotex pads covering tiny scratches, the day 911 was called 35 times while I was mowing the yard, M&M telling the check out guy at Wal-Mart, those tampons are for my Kaye's Kaye's butt, Taylor telling everyone at school we were getting a new baby when she was in kindergarden (I still haven't given birth), Taylor shifting gears in Tim's truck and running into Jason truck, the fights, tears, worry, and most of all the laughter and love that I have with these girls and Tim...

I have what I need right here and now, maybe a little stressful sometimes, but worth it.

Also I remembered, I am half way finished, I think a little pair of feet would be the end of me and we can't have that!

Feature Blogs

I'm going to feature some blogs because things are hectic at home with school starting and my job being so dang busy and I'm behind.

At home I am behind because my cleaning and mowing fairy quit. I can't find it. If you see it at your house...send it back. Also the fairy hid my cleaning supplies, which is why I have been forced to go home every night and read instead of clean. I'm being nice, don't make me type in all caps and watch out for those exclamation points, because when they are used in 3's, I mean business.

Lets see....who should go first?

How about one of the first blogs I read and was hooked from the start. Nate and Trisha at Confessions of a CF Husband have truly beautiful story. I don't even know how to put this into words. This blog is powerful and moving. It follows a beautiful love story between Nate and Trisha during a pregnancy and fighting Cystic Fibrosis.

• In May of 2007, after a few unsuccessful years of trying to become pregnant, Tricia’s disease had progressed to the point to where her doctors strongly advised that we stop our efforts to conceive and consider undergoing the evaluation process for the double lung transplant that could save Tricia’s life. Trusting in our doctors’ abilities and in God’s control, and coming to terms with the fact that we would never be able to have our own children after that point, we took their advice.

I've already mentioned that I love Vintage 30 . She says exactly what we all wish we had the guts to say. She writes about everything from Caress Body Soap to the "Drop Off Parents" at school.....

• Dear Fellow Parents of the Morning Drop-off,Good morning. How are you today? I know how you are. You are rushed. I understand how inconvenient it is to pull all the way forward through the car line to keep things moving in an orderly fashion. This organized procedure interferes with your need to make an illegal u-turn in the middle of the road. You are obviously kind of a big deal because following procedure would mean that you might have to wait for the crossing guard to get the children safely across the street, making the army of cars...gasp!...wait. And very important people like you do not have time to wait for things like children. I know that once your own children are safely inside the school the rest of us can go to hell. I also understand how embarrassing it is when the execution of your u-turn fails, resulting in a shameful 3 point turn. It's so frustrating using up those additional 6 seconds. So the tire screeching was completely warranted. That lady who honked at you doesn't know what she's talking about.

Thats it for now folks....I know this is the laziest post ever....

Sorry.

My School Clothes Shopping Trip

My School Clothes Shopping Trip
By Kaye Butler

Once upon a time, two sister-in-laws decided it would be a fun idea to take their 3 girls shopping for school clothes to the Turtle Creek Mall in Jonesboro. I'm not sure what Nicole had dreamed that the day would be like. Kaye dreamt of a wonderful outing. Teenagers danced through the mall with smiles on their faces, shoppers were courteous, and waiters attended to her every need.

The 45 minute drive to Jonesboro was just perfect. The group listened to mixed CD's and sang "on top of their lungs" all the way, bringing those smiles to the surface. Chili's was the groups first stop. The aromas that met them at the door were sinful. Visions of Slammin' Jack Nachos danced through Kayes head.

Kaye learned valuable lessons and they are...
- Watch your waiter CAREFULLY. Their waiter dropped a chip from their bottomless chip basket on the floor, picked it up and started to put it back in their bowl until he saw Kaye looking at him with astonishment. He threw it back on the floor.
- "A Real Nice Shirt" - Code words used by Kaye and Mary Margaret for a hot guy...Mary Margaret(13) says to Alyssa(5)...Alyssa, look there goes a real nice shirt.
Alyssa (5) to MM(13) Not its not, thats a human.
- Mary Margaret orders the BOTTOMLESS soup and salad...the waiter apparently does not know what bottomless means. He blew his breath out and said...you know you are wearing me out ordering extra soup....HE WAS SERIOUS and stomped away to get the soup.

On to the mall they traveled, smiles still in place.

Kaye learned valuable lessons in the mall also...
-Stuck up people from Wynne are even more stuck in Jonesboro
-Children go in the restroom and come out transformed....Aliens live in mall bathrooms...they invade the child's body and make the rest of your day like a living in the Twilight Zone.
-Aeropostale is crowded, purchases from Aero do not improve the moods of the alien kids
-Hollister, crowded, they pump their poison perfume through their air vents giving perfectly nice people major headaches...purchases from this store puts alien kids in a somewhat better mood.
-There are toooooo many kids in the play area....
-Pants that cut off your breathing will not be purchased
-SKULL leather cuffs will not be purchased
-The previous two statements cause the somewhat better moods to disappear
-The smiley kids only return after being bribed with ice cream and playing at full volume the mixed CD full of songs like Beautiful Girls, Glamorous, Fergilicous, Sorry, Before He Cheat and ....I don't Even Know My Last Name ALL THE WAY HOME TO WYNNE.

I even managed to buy myself new bras, pants, shirts and WALKING TENNIS SHOE AND I DO PLAN TO PUT THE SHOES TO GOOD USE when I clean off my tread mill.

Laughter is the Best Medicine

I'll give you a nudge to visit VintageThirty blog...

Friday, August 8, 2008
I should have worn my blog header around my neck for Emphasis

From Exhibit B: The game tokens on our table do not belong to your son. Neither do our drinks. I also see him stealthily eying our winning tickets. I'm watching him. Are you?


This post made me laugh...I've been a victim of Chuckee Cheese once or twice...

Certified Baby-Sitters

Dianne asked me..."Why are you sending the girls to a baby-sitters safety class, when you will not let them stay at home alone?"

I'm sent them because they need to learn about the dangers and how to safely handle themselves with children.

Why do they have to have a baby sitter? Someone to keep the peace. One at a time at home alone, I believe it would be fine.

My girls are always EXTREMELY excited about new things they have learned. Ms. Joy was all they could talk about yesterday afternoon. Taylor told Tim that if he choked...she could now save him with her resuscitation thang. (People who do not know Tim...Tim will not share a coke much less let someone do mouth to mouth...)They learned alot about safety, who to call in different situations, and (according to my girls) the most important thing of all...WHAT TO CHARGE.

They came to the funeral home with me after their class and the first thing Mary Margaret told Billy was how much to charge for baby sitting. The end of their conversation was this....

MM (13) to Billy Kernodle (82): So, if you and Ms. Phillis need me to sit with ya'll sometime let me know.
BK: Sure, Sure (I'm certain he was not paying attention)
MM: So it would be your age plus $1 per hour.
BK: Sure, Sure (I'm still certain that he is not paying attention)
MM: So for me to sit for you and Phillis it would be $165.00 per hour. So just let me know.
BK: SAY WHAT? (I think he finally tuned in)
MM: I said (very dramatically) If you and Phillis need me to sit with ya'll sometime it will be $165.00 per hour.
BK: I think I'll hire Kaye, she's cheaper.
MM: Ok. But I'm certified.

THAT WAS AN OMG MOMENT.

Where was Taylor during all this? On the phone with Tim trying to convince him that it would be okay for him to choke now because she could save him.

I LOVE MY TOPSY TURVY LIFE, SERIOUSLY, I LOVE IT.
Mary Margaret recieving her certificate from Joy Sheperd. Taylor's picture is in panoramic...and blogger won't take it...geez

How Popular am I and other Random Notions

How Popular am I?

I followed Carissa to Twitter.com. Is this site for instant messages or maybe just a message board? I didn't take time to really check it out, Carissa has been begging so I'm trying to make her happy, since she has a 2nd foot surgery and having to move all a the same time. CARISSA...WE FEEL YOUR PAIN!

Anyway, I twittered. I don't know what I did, but I did it.

I thought that I was through with the popularity thing when High School ended...nope...twitter.com brought back smashing waves of memories of that dreaded popularity contest everyone competed in, in high school. You have to admit (since this is the blog world no one will hear you) that we were all just a little bit jealous of the most popular girls in school.....WELL NOT ME ANYMORE....NOPE, THANKS TO TWITTER I KNOW EXACTLY HOW POPULAR I AM.

When you sign into twitter...you can find and follow your friends...for a first timer its a little different....

I click find friends....

and this cute little pop up comes up and it says......

"IT MIGHT TAKE A BIT LONGER IF YOU ARE POPULAR"
I laughed. I figure this will pop away in a matter of seconds.

NOPE! I'M SO DANG POPULAR IT LOCKED UP MY COMPUTER.
Take that! (I really just think that my computer froze...but a girl can dream, right?)


OTHER RANDOM NOTIONS

You know that your kid has watched too much "HAIRSPRAY" the movie when you hear this comment while walking through the mall shopping...

"Wow! That's absolutely AFRO-TASTIC!" I stopped dead in my tracks. We were in the Turtle Creek Mall in mixed company. I say....(you all thought M & M) TAYLOR! You can not say that things are Afro-tastic. That's not nice. Queen Latifa says it in Hairspray, replies Taylor.

I tell her what it means and who it is poking fun at, and she is stunned. She had absolutely no idea that it could be considered racist coming from a white girl as she put it.

Dianne, Dianna, Carissa, and everyone else....Stop laughing, I can hear you. (okay, you can laugh just a little bit.)

Blogger Tips

I had a blogging question today...my first...all excited...but...I led Joy in the wrong direction.

I thought I would share my tip (correctly).

Joy's question was how did I get one of those blog counters?

It is really simple to grab one of those cute little counters...although not as simple as I told Joy earlier on the phone and kind of easy to add to your blog.

How to Grab that cute little counter...

The website that I used was www.hitcountersite.com

You are now ready to select your style, enter your information, and hit "click to get your counter code".

Copy the code, right click with the mouse and drag to copy.

Open up your blog, sign in, and at the Dashboard, choose Layout, add page element, and scroll down until you find the page element....HTML/Java Script and click add.

A box will popup and ask you for a title...to me that's the hardest part...I'm not that creative.
In the content is where you paste your counter code. You can right click and hit paste or do it the old fashioned way Control V. Save it and view your blog.

By George you have done it! Now you can see how many times I visit your page. We all know that's all I do...ha ha

Well I must go, lunch time has rolled around and then it's back to work for me. Blah.

Oh, Mary Margaret and Taylor are going to attend a Sitter's Saftey Course at the Hospital that Joy Shepherd and Carol Melhorn will be teaching on Friday...I'm excited!

My Addiction

I read a post today at A Glamorous Life about how her blog found her. It's a really good post. It made me think about my blog and how it started.

A spirited, funny, lady, Terri Jackson, took over the books for Cogbill Cemetery. She began to make frequent stops by the funeral home to ask questions and chat. Some history, I already knew Terri, I went to the same church that her family did, her daughter was in school with me, she was the Librian at the High School and I always thought that she was so quiet and reserved.

The more Terri stopped by, I learned that Terri was everything but quiet and reserved. She kept us laughing non-stop. She always had some little story for us, usually about Tara, Neall, Richard, or her shopping partners... Mrs. Bonady was usually with her and they were quite a pair... To be able to get to know those two in an adult friendship was absoluting amazing...quite different from the student/teacher realtionship.

Stunned is how I would describe the day that I found out that Terri had been to the doctor to see what might be causing her headaches and the confusion that she complained about. Her daughter Tara started a blog that kept everyone informed about what was happening to Terri. Her story is so moving. You can read about it on Tara's blog.

I thought at that moment, what a wonderful way to share with family and friends who are not so close by, the things happening in my life.

My first post, brilliantly titled, April 11, 2006 was just a general post, nothing spectacular....

To be followed by 232 posts about anything and everything. A little sprucing up here and here. Mary Margaret had her first date at the Wynne Homecoming Game. My grandmother and grandfather passed away, Ernestine Brawner and John Logan Clark. We met Kellie Pickler. We tried to have dinner in a different country this summer.

I've made a lot of new friends, Carissa and The Pioneer Woman and found some old friends, Jana and Joy, and a few friends have started their own blogs like Sandy and Dianne, who both qualify as friends and family. Thanks to everyone who reads my little blog that has become my addiction!

The Mind of a 12 and 13 year old is Amazing

First...Carissa over at Good and Crazy People FEATURED MY BLOG...I have to admit, it went straight to my head! Poor Carissa is MOVING. I'm not sure how hot she is in Utah, I haven't checked the weather...if she were in Arkansas with a heat index of 114...she needs our support...ya'll stop by her blog...

We stopped by Sandy's new house last night, its so pretty, she's doing a wonderful job painting and I love the color she picked. I know she's excited! She's leaving next week for Gulf Shores with her family for vacation...so, Sandy, we expect lots of pictures on your blog!

Now to the amazing 12 and 13 year old minds...

We were standing outside getting ready to leave, my girls ask the strangest questions, I really wonder sometimes what makes their minds work...I mean really, I never hear other kids their age ask the questions they ask....

We were talking about Erin and her pregnancy...
Taylor, age 12 to Sandy, age 6?: When you have another baby, would you be a stay at home mom?
Sandy: I'm not having any more babies, besides you have to have a husband for that.
Me, age 21: That's right, a husband NOT a boyfriend!

drum roll.....


Mary Margaret, age 13: Yeah, you need a husband and you have to be married to your husband.
AND then she went into this long tale about a movie with Indians in it and that they all slept on the ground...Sandy and I were all.....WHAT????

Oh no she didn't????

Oh yes she did.

The 12 and 13 year old attack her and start talking at the same time really really fast, all in her personal space...I think she was backing away planning her escape...I've been there...usually there's no where to hide.
At this point Sandy was all...OMG...
Sandy borrowed a statement from her mother-in-law, Aunt Dorothy Brawner...

Bye ya'll.... DON'T FORGET YOUR KIDS.

Darn it. Sandy has me figured out.

Lead Hill, Arkansas

Friday we started the trip home. We stopped at my Dad's house in Lead Hill, Arkansas, just outside of Harrison. We had a good visit. It was great to see Dad, Charlene, Delani, Corey and Craig. Craig graduated this year and Corey will be a senior, they were so little when Dad and Charlene met...it's hard to believe that they are both young men.

The girls, Delani and Charlene played in the "creek" that runs at the back of their property. Dad and I visited while they were gone. Tim went to the local pawn shop and took a little dip in the creek himself, accidentally. I got a few good shots....

Mary Margaret, Delani, Taylor

Dad's House

Me, Dad, and Delani

Olympics/China/Bad Idea?

How many of you out there think that maybe China was a bad choice for the Olympics or am I the only one who thinks this?

Restaurant Review

Monday night at dinner..

We drive around, and around, and around and finally decide to eat at Shorty Smalls. I have only eaten at the Shorty Smalls Express, which is totally different.

I'm sorry...I have to stray from my story....I just saw the Edge Eclipse commercial...totally stupid. This guy spreads the Edge Eclipse shaving cream on his face and it shows....women in bathing suits, with some kind of back pack spraying cream all over the whiskers...and going up his nose with tantalizing deodorant. Good grief.

Back to the restaurant...Shorty Smalls. We are seated and the wait begins. This restaurant is NOT packed. As a matter of fact...business was slow. We waited 10 minutes...several servers pass us up. Finally after 15 minutes...this girl walks up and says..."Have you not been waited on?" Nope. Our server comes over and guess what...he was one of the servers that passed us up several times. We ordered our sweet tea (sweet tea in Missouri...not sweet..you have to add sweetener...) and he comes back and says "Are you Ready?" Nope, WE DON'T HAVE MENUS! He informs me that the menus are on the table. WHERE? Those newspapers folded up over there. OH. Well, I don't know why we didn't figure that one out by ourselves. Server walks off. Tim says lets go, I'm not staying. I send Mary Margaret over to find out how much we owe for the tea...our server says...because you had to wait...no charge. O.M.G. How sweet of him.

Penelope's Home Style Restaurant
We ate breakfast at this restaurant...it was nothing special, just regular breakfast until.... The Hughes Brothers (a family that performs in Branson) walk in and start singing "In The Still Of The Night". They were really good. Mary Margaret was sitting at the table by herself and one of the men winked at her and waved to her. She swooned. I sware...
By the way...Taylor pronounced this ....Pen-a-lopes. I thought this was funny.

Don't Touch Me

Familiar phrases screamed from the back seat go something like this...

Stop It.
Don't Lean your Seat Back!
I don't have enough room!
Stop hitting me!
Crap, you are getting on my last nerve!
Nobody wants to smell your farts!
Tell Her To Stop it!

And that my friends all happened just as we passed the city limits of Wynne on our first day of Vacation...

On the night we stayed in Eureka Springs...Taylor decided that she could not sleep one more night with Mary Margaret touching her...

She made a bed for her and Toby Keith on the floor next to our bed...what? I didn't mention that Toby Keith goes on vacation with us? He's a close personal friend of ours...we bought him at Build - A - Bear...ha ha.

Tim said that the whole time Mary Margaret was in the air at the Sky Coaster waiting to be dropped...that Taylor, who "hates" her sister, was worried to death. He said that she all the sudden got a head ache and a stomach ache and really just wanted to either go back to the hotel or just go ride go carts until this Sky Coaster ride was over.

Husband working....I'm bored

I'm bored , Tim is out on a call, and I don't know how to get rid of this stupid line under my sentences. Where did it come from and why? Maybe someone has sabotaged my blog....doubt it, my blog does not threaten national security so I'm sure the problem lies with ME.

I thought that I would post some more vacation stuff. Sandy left me a comment earlier tonight...she thinks that I should get job reviewing hotels, she loves my descriptions...I have to point out that IF I could get a job like that...I would want to go by myself and that would be so selfish of me....hmmm

Are there really jobs like that? I mean really...traveling around , trying out hotels, oh, there would be restaurants, California, Florida...snap out of it Kaye.

Back (oh that stupid line went away) to reality...Branson, Missouri Vacation...

Mary Margaret thought that I was joking about getting her the "Irkel" car...until we found one in Branson.

Eureka Springs, Arkansas, home to The Great Passion Play, wonderful old churches, quaint little wedding chapels, and home to the only hotel that I have ever seen that boasted a sign that said..."Bikers Only"...

Taylor enjoyed "The World's Biggest Wind Chime", Eureka Springs, Arkansas. I thought that this wind chime was very neat and had potential until I noticed the railing around the "deck" that housed the wind chime. Beer bottles turned end to end and glued to the top and bottom rail AND the chime was part of a WEDDING CHAPEL.
Come on people, really?

Good News

Travel on over to Sandy's Blog she has wonderful news from the Oguins, check out the Oguin post. Just in case you don't know...Erin (Brawner) and Russ Oguin....

Also...Sandy bought a house just around the corner from where she's living now. I'm excited for her and can't wait to see the new house...

Hot Anyone?

I believe that this has been our hottest Vacation ever. I feel like all I did was sweat all week long.

My motel review:

Great North West Motel (Monday night) is in Branson. We have stayed there before and was quite happy last year. This year the beds were new and had a little lean to them and THE AIR CONDITIONER DID NOT WORK. That was fun, we only stayed the one night.

Grand Motel (Tuesday night) is also in Branson. The girls have drooled over the motel for several years, it has an indoor water park. I said what the heck, throw caution to the wind, money is no object for your children's happiness. There had been some frowning that day, maybe this would brighten their day. The room was nice, no complaints there. The water park was nice, a little hot because it is all indoors. I lost Mary Margaret and she argues that she was not lost, she knew where she was all the time...this argument last a long time and I finally got tired...

Greta Inn (Wednesday night) in Branson right behind the SkyCoaster that Mary Margaret tried. This is where the motel had that wonderful security system that I posted on the slide. You would think that this was a horrible motel and that I would have awesome stories to tell...nope. Just a plain jane motel with a redneck security system. Very clean.

Brackenridge Lodge (Thursday night) in Eureka Springs. This place was great. I rate this one the best that we stayed in all week. The bed was a real bed, not those stupid little mattresses like the other hotels. Jacuzzi for two, which had more square footage than my bathroom at home. A pull out sofa queen size for the girls to sleep on. Awesome pool. Fire place, etc. I slept better here than anywhere. Let me say this, unless you like to shop, there is nothing to do during the day in Eureka. We did not go to the Passion Play (I went as a teenager with my church youth group). I would have loved for the girls to see it and Tim mentioned going.....It would have cost around $225.00 for all four of us to go...depending on what they consider a child. We went to Eureka for the purpose of riding the train, and we did and it was neat.

Drum roll please......

Our last hotel......

WAS AWFUL.

Red Bud Inn in Mountain View, Arkansas. All the hotels were full. The one we usually stay in, Dogwood Inn, was full. We travel on down the road to the Red Bud Inn. I should have known not to stay when the office door stated to knock on room 12 for service. The manager came out with a bowl of beans (wearing some of them on his shirt) and let me in the office, which smelled gross. We did not check the room right then, the Cash Family White River Comedy Show was starting soon and we needed to get our seats. The show was over around 10:00 PM and we headed for the go cart tracks and the girls rode for about 15 minutes, then on to Wal-Mart for some late night snacks. The room is on the 2nd floor, you have to walk through the flying bugs and step on the dead ones. The balcony that takes you to the rooms, was leaning forward. I felt like I needed to hold onto the wall to keep from falling forward. Open the door to the hotel room #48 around 11pm. The room smelled molded. Dead bugs everywhere, bathtub, floor, sink, bonus point...the air conditioner was so cold, it spit ice all night. I get up the next morning and rinse out the tub for my shower. I'm already in the shower when I notice...SNOT smeared all over the tub walls and shower curtain and ....hair...not the hair off your head either. GROSS. I mentioned all this to room #12 dude...he said...I could have another room. YEAH RIGHT. Like I would ever stay there again.

More later.

Vacation Slide

All in all we have had a good vacation. Friday we will be at my Dad's in Lead Hill and will head towards Wynne after visiting with them. At the end of this post is a slide show...

Odd Questions from the backseat...
Mary Margaret(she's doing some kind of personality thing in a magazine): Kaye...your birthday is December 6, 1918 right?
Tim snickers.
Me: NO....1973
Mary Margaret 19-73-1918?
ME: NO. 12-6-1973
Mary Margaret: okay....(very dramatically)
(my personality is helpful to all my friends and I will stand by my friends during boy troubles and when other friends are mad at me for not going to parties) I'm thinking that this is a teen personality thing.
Mary Margaret: Tim's birthday please.
Me: Tim's is 12-10-1970
Mary Margaret: Wow he is WAY older than I thought...(Take that mr. snicker)
If you are wondering...Tim is outgoing and can't wait to find out who asks him to the school dance and will he get a new outfit.

Taylor (just finished lunch): When are we gonna eat dinner? Where are we gonna eat dinner? Did we eat breakfast? I don't think we ate breakfast, so lunch was breakfast, which means I haven't had lunch.

Embarrassing moments:

I'm walking through the Titanic not bothering anyone. I come to a room with pictures that show the discovery of the Titanic...I'm looking at these pictures and come to a huge TV screen, so I stand there. Tim walks up and says um, Kaye, you need to move. I turn around and there is a whole room full of people sitting watching the "movie" that I have been standing right upon the screen watching.
Tim says (way too many times)
$22.00 for adult admission to Titanic
$11.00 for child admission to Titanic
Kaye blocking the Movie Priceless

Mary Margaret walks into the Chinese Buffet and picks up chop sticks (she always gets them in Wynne) and a little Chinese man comes running from the back screaming...You no eat chop sticks, put them back...Two Dollar, Two Dollar, You no eat....she was red from head to toe

Taylor in same Chinese place...walks up to waitress...Where's the Bathroom? Waitress bends over and says Bathroom? Taylor bends over and says Bathroom. Waitress bends over and says Bathroom...Taylor bends over....we all bust out laughing and Taylor leaves to hunt for the bathroom.

Antique Store
Mary Margaret has on her Ipod...loud...
She passes loud gas several times and does not realize how loud it is.
Everyone was staring at her while she bee-bopped around with her Ipod, pootin'.