Spring Break In Pictures

I meant to post these earlier, but well, you know...




The Negotiator earned his archery belt loop at Cub World. All the cubs and dads went to a District sponsored event. I can rest easy knowing Boy 1 can bag a water buffalo in a famine.




Spring Break isn't a break without a carnival. We opted out of the official rodeo carnival for the rag-tag outfit about a mile from the house. We didn't have to pay for parking and the wrist bands were only a $1 more than at the Texas Star event. Neither boy noticed the difference so who are we tell them?




I love that they are each other's best buddies. They fight, but they do have a great time with one another. Makes my job much easier - and much harder.




We planted spring flowers. Our yard looks like doo doo. Papa and the boys spent some time getting the weeds out and adding a little color. I'm hoping to add more, but they were worn out with just the clearing stages.

E

About Me

I got this from my genxjackie who has no blog. She must get one.

Place an (X) by all the things you've done, or remove the X from the ones you haven't. This is for your entire life!

Smoked a cigarette. (X)
Drank so much you threw up. (X)...Everclear is NOT my friend
Had feelings for someone who didn't have them back. (X)
Gone on a blind date.
Skipped school. (X)...but don't tell my mom
Seen someone die.
Been to Canada
Been to Florida (X)...honeymoon
Been to Mexico . (X)
Been on a plane. (X)
Been lost. (X)...I could get lost in a box
Been on the opposite side of the country. (X)
Gone to Washington DC.
Swam in the ocean. (X )
Felt like dying. (X) after the aforementioned Everclear
Cried yourself to sleep. (X)
Played cops and robbers. (X)
Recently colored with crayons. (X)
Sang karaoke. (X)...at our last bunco game
Paid for a meal with only coins. (X)...how else do you eat in college?
Done something you told yourself you wouldn't. (X)
Made prank phone calls. (X)
Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose. (X)
Caught a snowflake on your tongue. (X)
Danced in the rain. (X)
Written a letter to Santa Claus. (X)...I'm still waiting for my Ken doll
Been kissed under the mistletoe. (X)
Watched the sun rise with someone you care about. (X)...my husband when our sons were sick and we were up all night cleaning up poopie and vomit
Blown bubbles. (X)
Made a bonfire on the beach. (X)
Crashed a party. (X)
Gone roller-skating. (X)
Gone Ice-skating. (X)
Any Nicknames - Lainey, E, Mom,
What is your favorite drink- unleaded-Coke Zero, leaded-margarita on the rocks with salt
Tattoos? - Soon, on my 40th birthday I'll get something
Body piercing? (X)...Ears
How much do you love your job? Define love. Define job.
Birthplace: Austin
Favorite vacation spot? Mt. Hood, Oregon
Ever been to Africa ? No
Ever eaten cookies for dinner? Yes
Ever been on TV? Yes
Ever steal any traffic signs? Yes *hanging my head in shame*
Ever been in a car accident? Yes
Was it your fault? Hell, no
2 doors or 4? 5 - I have a minivan
Salad Dressing? Ranch
Favorite pie? Boston cream
Favorite number? 7
Favorite movie? Fools Rush In
Favorite holiday? Thanksgiving
Favorite desert? Cream puff with custard in the center, not whipped cream
Favorite food? Mexican
Favorite day of the week? Saturday
Favorite brand of body soap? Target or Dove
Favorite TV show? Grey's Anatomy
Toothpaste? Crest Pro Health
Favorite smell? Cinnamon vanilla
What do you do to relax? blog, knit, read, scrapbook, watch tv
How do you see yourself in 10 years? Working full time, still living in the same house with a fabulous new kitchen, driving something other than a mom mobile.
What do you do when you are bored? watch TV
Furthest place you will send this message? You tell me, where are you?
Who will respond fastest? Beth

E

Regalos

I am on a board about budgeting and someone was asking what was one of the strangest gifts I've received. I was thinking it was this crazy cat garden stake, but then one of the gals was talking about towels and I must revise my answer.

I remember that when Papa and I got married someone gave us two tweety-bird-yellow towels. Our colors were Burgundy and green so I'm not sure where they got the idea to give us yellow towels. Thankfully they only gave us two and they became the cat's towels and then eventually they became the car's towels.

What is the weirdest gift you've ever received?

-E

My Volunteeritis Is Acting Up Again

Our school carnival is this Saturday. We're getting down to the wire for volunteers, donations, and organizing. I keep thinking that since people aren't helping out that I must. Bad habit.

I have committed to baking dozens of cookies, cupcakes and brownies this week. I will sell tickets, arrange baskets and make phone calls. I will do this in addition to hauling The Negotiator to Cub Scouts, both boys to soccer games at different places, handling all the end of the month accounting at work and maintaining the household.

In the 60's, people took acid to make the world weird. Now the world is weird and people take Prozac to make it normal.

E

Buggin' On This

You know, sometimes there are people that bug me. This bothers me. I want to like, be liked and get along with everyone. Sometimes it just doesn't work out that way.

There is one mom who is currently driving me bonkers. What's even more frustrating is that I can't put a finger on why she bothers me so much. She's nice enough. Polite enough. I do feel that she's a little inconsiderate. I know there may be a reason why she seems to be completely oblivious to the people and circumstances around her.

What's more is I love one of her kids. I would love to have my boy play with hers, but I don't because then it would lead to the inevitable mommy talk that has to ensue during playtime. I don't want to talk to her. So I avoid.

I'm just really up front that way.

-E

Can You Spot The Killer?

Another one of those crazy quizzes.

I got a 7/10. "Pretty good; it seems you know your JavaBeans from your fava beans, your slashers from your slashdotters."

What did you get?

E

Children. Wild. Help. Me.

OMG! The my school kids were bonkers today! They wouldn't listen, they were ornery to one another. A few even - gasp! - talked back to me. We all remained calm and collected (but did do petty things out of their view) and knew this too would pass.

It better pass.

I know it's hard to get readjusted after being off a week and then whole time change, but get over it, kid. We all have issues.

Am I not the embodiment of maturity? Is it any wonder I teach 3-years-olds? I seem to have not progressed mentally past that state.

E

Dr. Who?

I'm constantly amazed how Papa can manage a staff of many, the business and administration of a medical office and the politics of government yet be so forgetful at home. It cracks me up the things he forgets. For example, the other day he was making a doctor appointment for himself. I hear him talking on phone and then I hear the shuffle of feet coming into the dining room where I'm reading the paper.

He frantically asks me, "who's my primary care physician?"

I reply, "you don't know?"

"I can see his face in my mind, but I don't remember his name" Papa answered.

Mmkay.

I tell him and he walks happily away to complete his appointment.

-E

Stupid.

From today's local paper:

10 EMS employees disciplined for viewing porn while on duty

By Tony Plohetski Thursday, March 15, 2007, 11:15 AM

Ten Austin-Travis County EMS employees have been disciplined for viewing Internet pornography on city computers while on duty, officials said today.

Officials said three paramedics resigned instead of being fired.

Two district commanders were demoted and suspended for two weeks; two other paramedics were suspended for 96 hours - tantamount to two weeks - and three were suspended for 48 hours, which equals a week.

---

Gawd! How STUPID can people behave?! I know these are not stupid people, but their actions sure do give me pause for thought. No doubt their good judgement comes into question, but now our city is three paramedics fewer when there is already a shortage.

What kind of tits and ass could possibly be worth this outcome?

I’m sorry, but what defect in these people’s personality leaves them to believe that viewing, porn PARTICULARLY in the workplace, is acceptable? Has the office setting changed that much since I’ve been at home?

E

Taking A Step Down on The Coolness Ladder

We did it.

We joined the minivan nation. (Is minivan one word or two, see I don't even know this which further proves maybe I'm not the minivan type).

I'm learning to love it, but I'm so panicked about having a new-to-me vehicle. We traded in the Suburban which was dangerously close to expiring on us. The Sienna isn't new, but it's got really low miles and, hell anything would have felt new to us. The payments are manageable and now we have a good, reliable vehicle. Safety first, you know.

I'm sorry, when did we take this detour into suburban hell?

I love my life, but every once in awhile I look around and go whoa! As a child of the 80's I thought I was going to be a corporate woman having power lunches, not play dates. I had visions of Madison Avenue, not Sesame Street.

The boys run to tell anyone who will listen "we got a new minivan!" I don't have the heart to tell them it's not what the cool kids are driving. At the dealership they told Papa they could see about adding some sort of sports upgrade. Yeah, right, he says. It's a minivan.

Still it was really nice to spend a little less than $40 on a fill up as opposed to nearly $100. I'm actually thinking that with gas prices we might be less in the hole than we thought given we now have a car payment. The thought gets me through the night anyway.

E

Daylight Savings, Smalight Savings

I get so frustrated with Daylight Savings time. I'm so glad it's happening during our spring break. My kids (both MY kids and the kids I teach) are absolute monsters when the time changes. I'm hoping my kids at school will get their internal clock reset before we get back to class.

I'm sure moving daylight savings ahead 3 weeks makes sense for other parts of the country, but it's a total PITA.

E

Decaf, Please

When am I going to learn to order decaf? I'm usually pretty good, but lately I've been slipping. So here I am at what seems like the middle of the night trying to type off the caffeine.

Damn!

Still the Cinnamon Dolce latte was SO worth it!

E

Tastes for Two

Why can my boys like the same thing?

It seems I'm usually making two different "somethings". One will want a burger and the other chicken nuggets. One will want fresh fruit and one will only drink smoothies. I know I should put stuff out and too bad, so sad if you don't like it. Still I'm a mommy and seeing my kids NOT eat goes against every fiber in my body.

I'm trying a different approach. I'm sending the boys to cooking camp over spring break and maybe they can learn to cook for themselves since they seem to have such different tastes. At the very least I hope to get some help in the kitchen.

E